82 episodes

Welcome to Red Letter Disciple, a podcast to challenge you and your church to be greater disciples of Jesus so that together we can unleash the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus possible. When we do, when we truly live as disciples of Jesus, the world will never be the same! Your host, Pastor and author Zach Zehnder, along with co-host and friend, the one the only Pastor Chris Johnson. Let’s do this.

The Red Letter Disciple Red Letter Living, LLC

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.8 • 109 Ratings

Welcome to Red Letter Disciple, a podcast to challenge you and your church to be greater disciples of Jesus so that together we can unleash the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus possible. When we do, when we truly live as disciples of Jesus, the world will never be the same! Your host, Pastor and author Zach Zehnder, along with co-host and friend, the one the only Pastor Chris Johnson. Let’s do this.

    077: Bill Woolsey on the Pitfalls of Entrepreneurship, Clarifying Your Calling, and How to Overcome Fear and the Scarcity Mindset

    077: Bill Woolsey on the Pitfalls of Entrepreneurship, Clarifying Your Calling, and How to Overcome Fear and the Scarcity Mindset

    With decades of experience starting and leading ministries, churches, and networks, Bill now invests his life in men and women who want to reach people for Jesus in new, creative ways. In 2009, he led the launch of FiveTwo, a network that helps men and women grow their God-given dreams into ministries and businesses that last. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.

    Today’s episode partner is FiveTwo. The FiveTwo team has grown healthy churches for over thirty years. They understand how to grow churches in a rapidly changing culture without burning out staff and lay leaders. 

    Every major church denomination in the U.S. has experienced a decline since the 1960s, a trend the pandemic didn't initiate but rather accelerated. What are we, as people who love the local church, to do about this reality?

    FiveTwo has spent the last four years identifying the four key cultural trends thriving churches address. And they’ve helped countless churches actually address these trends and THRIVE. They’ve put all their learnings along with case studies into a free resource which you can download at fivetwo.com today. Discover how well your congregation is managing these forces and what you can do to grow. 

    Also, don’t miss my FREE webinar with Bill Woolsey, Founder and President of FiveTwo. We’ll discuss those four trends in detail and discuss how churches can use these trends to grow their churches. Click here to register.




    Resources mentioned in the episode: 

    Red Letter Disciple Podcast: Episode 20 Bill Woolsey on the #1 Reason Why Ventures Fail




    Seven Steps to Start: A Sacramental Entrepreneur's Guide To Launching Startups That Thrive (Sacramental Entrepreneur Series) by Bill Woolsey




    fivetwo.com




    Red Letter Disciple Podcast: Episode 32 Jessie Cruickshank on Brain Science and Discipleship




    Key insights from the episode:

    If you have Jesus, you have more than enough. - Bill Woolsey




    When you’re starting new things, money is the biggest fear. - Bill Woolsey




    Obedience often precedes Jesus’s miracles. - Bill Woolsey




    We have to understand that faith steps include failure. - Bill Woolsey




    Fear of losing personal well-being and security keeps people from thinking big. - Bill Woolsey




    Fail fast but not fatally. - Bill Woolsey




    The line between pastor and boss can be very challenging. - Bill Woolsey




    12-14% of the US population are entrepreneurial in their field. - Bill Woolsey




    Entrepreneurs don’t have to love risk, but they need to know how to mitigate risk. - Bill Woolsey




    You can only spend a dollar once. - Bill Woolsey




    Bill Woolsey’s Challenge: Discern what group of people or organization you’re passionate about and what new small thing you could do to help them. 




    Are you following Jesus? 

    Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.

    In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will receive your results immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.




    You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here. 




    Watch the entire season for free: 

    We upload every episode of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!




    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 55 min
    076: Les Beauchamp on Escaping Mormonism, Why He Got a Tattoo Sleeve in His 50s, and How He Overcame an Affair with His Church

    076: Les Beauchamp on Escaping Mormonism, Why He Got a Tattoo Sleeve in His 50s, and How He Overcame an Affair with His Church

    Les Beauchamp served as the Lead Pastor of Lifegate Church for three decades and is now the pastor of leadership development. He’s a passionate Jesus follower who has worked diligently in the city of Omaha over the past couple of decades to see more people come to Jesus. Through his past with Mormonism, he realized that Christianity is the only answer. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.

    Today’s episode partner is FiveTwo. The FiveTwo team has grown healthy churches for over thirty years. They understand how to grow churches in a rapidly changing culture without burning out staff and lay leaders. 

    Every major church denomination in the U.S. has experienced a decline since the 1960s, a trend the pandemic didn't initiate but rather accelerated. What are we, as people who love the local church, to do about this reality?

    FiveTwo has spent the last four years identifying the four key cultural trends thriving churches address. And they’ve helped countless churches actually address these trends and THRIVE. They’ve put all their learnings along with case studies into a free resource which you can download at fivetwo.com today. Discover how well your congregation is managing these forces and what you can do to grow. 

    Also, don’t miss my FREE webinar with Bill Woolsey, Founder and President of FiveTwo. We’ll discuss those four trends in detail and discuss how churches can use these trends to grow their churches. Click here to register.

    Resources mentioned in the episode: 




    Brand New: Living as God’s New Creation by Les Beauchamp




    Marriage on the Rock by Jimmy Evans




    Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson




    Movie Click with Adam Sandler 




    Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero




    Lectio365 app




    Key insights from the episode: 




    Most people who get married are woefully unprepared to get married. - Les Beauchamp




    Marriage is the promise of a future love. - Les Beauchamp




    Love is a choice. - Les Beauchamp




    When you get married, you are saying no to your singleness. - Les Beauchamp




    Take three minutes to show your spouse you love them. - Les Beauchamp




    No matter how you feel or what happens, never give up on your marriage. - Les Beauchamp




    A lot of people equate God with the church, and he is not the church. - Les Beauchamp




    God has given us the gift of Sabbath to declare, “God, I know you’ve got it.” - Les Beauchamp




    The church does not have a good theology of suffering. - Les Beauchamp




    We believe that if you suffer, it’s because you sin. - Les Beauchamp




    Les Beauchamp’s Challenge: Download the Lectio365 app. 




    Are you following Jesus? 

    Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.

    In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will receive your results immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.

    You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here. 




    Watch the entire season for free: 

    We upload every episode of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 56 min
    075: Greg Finke on Family Discipleship, How to Live As A Missionary, and How Jesus Messed with Him

    075: Greg Finke on Family Discipleship, How to Live As A Missionary, and How Jesus Messed with Him

    Founder of Dwelling 114, Greg Finke, spent 22 years growing churches in Michigan and Texas before he founded Dwelling 1:14 in 2011. Since then, Greg Finke and Dwelling 1:14 have helped thousands of people live more like Jesus. He’s the author of the books “Joining Jesus on His Mission” and “Joining Jesus As a Family.” He’s here to help us today become greater disciples of Jesus. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Dwelling 1:14. Led by Pastor Greg Finke, Dwelling 1:14 is a discipleship organization that comes alongside pastors and leaders to help them intentionally disciple their people. Greg has worked with hundreds of churches and tens of thousands of people. He has developed a year-long training process that helps your church produce greater disciples in their everyday lives. He’s an experienced practitioner and mentor, and he’s ready to help your church. You can contact him and learn more about this year-long process here. 

    Additionally, on May 16th, from Noon-1 PM Central, I’ll be hosting Greg Finke for a church leaders webinar called Creating a Discipleship Plan for Your Church that Transforms Lives. You can register for free by clicking here or the image below.




    Resources mentioned in the episode: 




    www.dwelling114.org




    Joining Jesus on His Mission: How to Be an Everyday Missionary by Greg Finke




    Joining Jesus—Show Me How: How to Disciple Everyday Missionaries by Greg Finke




    Missional Year-Long Training Process for Churches




    Key insights from the episode: 




    How has Jesus been messing with you lately? – Rev. Greg Finke




    Being a disciple of Jesus starts with Jesus. – Rev. Greg Finke




    Discipleship is about training. – Rev. Greg Finke




    If I’m full of myself, God can love me, but he can’t do much through me. – Rev. Greg Finke




    You can’t go back to the beginning, but you can change the end of the story. – Rev. Greg Finke




    Love doesn’t work every single time, but it’s the only thing that works. – Greg Finke




    I never had a dinner without a sinner because I am a sinner. - Zach Zehnder




    Discipleship is not scholarship; it’s all about relationships.  – Greg Finke




    Greg Finke’s Challenge: How can you be a reason something good happens to someone in your life?




    Are you following Jesus? 




    Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.




    In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.




    You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here. 




    Watch the entire season for free: 

    We upload every episode of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 59 min
    074: Gregory Baumer on How God Taught Him Generosity at Harvard, and the One Question Every Disciple Should Ask about Money

    074: Gregory Baumer on How God Taught Him Generosity at Harvard, and the One Question Every Disciple Should Ask about Money

    While taking a course at Harvard Divinity School, Greg Baumer’s world was turned upside-down. He discovered that when it comes to money, God wants something for us, not from us. Since that time, Greg has become convinced that God offers a unique joy to those who choose to live generously. As he explored the words of Jesus around generosity, he believes every disciple of Jesus should ask the question, “How much do I need to keep?” To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.

    Today’s episode is brought to you by Dwelling 1:14. Led by Pastor Greg Finke, Dwelling 1:14 is a discipleship organization that comes alongside pastors and leaders to help them intentionally disciple their people. Greg has worked with hundreds of churches and tens of thousands of people. He has developed a year-long training process that helps your church produce greater disciples in their everyday lives. He’s an experienced practitioner and mentor, and he’s ready to help your church. You can contact him and learn more about this year-long process here. 

    Additionally, on May 16th, from Noon-1PM Central, I’ll be hosting Greg Finke for a church leaders webinar called Creating a Discipleship Plan for Your Church that Transforms Lives. You can register for free by clicking here or the image below.




    Resources mentioned in the episode: 




    Generous Giving 




    True Riches by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines




    God and Money by Gregory Baumer and John Cortines




    The Bible Project Story: God and Money




    spiritualgifts.me




    Key insights from the episode: 




    The point is, do I believe all I have belongs to God? - Greg Baumer




    In a culture where our most pervasive sin is materialism, we’ve lowered the bar on what good stewardship looks like. - Greg Baumer




    The question every disciple of Jesus should ask: “How much of God’s money do I need to keep for myself? - Greg Baumer




    The best teaching on generosity is not on what we should do but rather on what [God] has done. - Greg Baumer




    Almost all of Jesus’s teachings on money are warnings. - Greg Baumer




    Most elder board members at church are wealthy people. - Greg Baumer




    It’s critical that we, as Christ's followers, understand why God asks us to give. If we don’t know why, the tactics don’t matter.  - Greg Baumer




    The three most frequent causes Jesus said to give money to are 1) to the poor, 2) to spread the gospel, and 3) to build the local church. - Greg Baumer




    Greg Baumer’s Challenge: Give generously according to the cause God has uniquely designed for you. 




    Are you following Jesus? 




    Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.




    In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.




    You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here. 




    Watch the entire season for free: 




    We upload every episode of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 55 min
    073: Michael Koulianos Breaks Down Misconceptions of Healing, The Mystery in a Healing Service, and Why Pastors Have to Be Willing to Be Embarrassed

    073: Michael Koulianos Breaks Down Misconceptions of Healing, The Mystery in a Healing Service, and Why Pastors Have to Be Willing to Be Embarrassed

    Michael Koulianos lives in Orlando, FL, and leads Jesus Image, Jesus Image Church, Jesus School, House of Bethany: Worship Academy, and Jesus School Online. Millions have been impacted worldwide by the preaching of the pure Gospel and the desire for the presence of Jesus.  He has a powerful healing ministry and absolutely loves Jesus. To learn more about the podcast or access the show notes, visit www.redletterpodcast.com.




    Today’s episode is brought to you by Red Letter Living. We create resources that challenge all people to be greater followers of Jesus. Part of being a great disciple of Jesus is knowing how you are gifted AND putting that gift to work. So, how are you gifted? 

    Spend 15 minutes taking our brand-new FREE spiritual gift test at www.spiritualgifts.me. After taking the test, email us at hello@redletterchallenge.com and let us know what your top spiritual gift is and how you will put that gift into practice this week!




    Resources mentioned in the episode: 




    Jesus Image Church




    The Jesus Book: Fall Recklessly in Love with Jesus by Michael Koulianos




    Jesus School




    Key insights from the episode: 




    The Scripture must be the ultimate and supreme authority of Jesus. - Michael Koulianos  




    Jesus is God the Father’s only sermon. - Michael Koulianos  




    Healing is a matter of God’s nature. - Michael Koulianos  




    Jesus is the perfect doctrine. - Michael Koulianos 




    If healing is not for today, then what else about Jesus has changed? - Michael Koulianos  




    In the midst of healing, there’s a mystery. - Michael Koulianos  




    A spiritual formation occurs if you are willing to be embarrassed before men to be obedient to God.  - Michael Koulianos  




    “I love people most when I love Jesus most. I love people best when I love Jesus best.” - Michael Koulianos  




    Michael Koulianos’s Challenge: Consume the word of God. (Go into your room, close the door, and pray the scriptures daily, if not twice a day.)




    Are you following Jesus? 

    Many want to be greater followers of Jesus but don’t know how. We extensively studied everything Jesus commanded of us and located five key targets to which Jesus invited His followers. The five targets are Being, Forgiving, Serving, Giving, and Going.

    In partnership with LifeWay Research, we created a Red Letter Challenge Assessment that will measure you according to these five targets. And the best news of all: it’s free! You will get results back immediately and be presented with the next steps to help you become an even greater follower of Jesus.




    You can take the FREE Red Letter Challenge Assessment here. 




    Watch the entire season for free: 

    We’ll upload every episode of The Red Letter Disciple on our YouTube channel. If you aren’t subscribed already, you can do so here!

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 47 min
    072: Kenny Jahng on the Proper Use of AI, Why AI Is Not a Vending Machine, and How AI Can Help with Sermon Writing

    072: Kenny Jahng on the Proper Use of AI, Why AI Is Not a Vending Machine, and How AI Can Help with Sermon Writing

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
109 Ratings

109 Ratings

k8ann76 ,

Rich!

Thank you for giving listeners rich content and encouragement to keep following after Jesus this side of eternity!

KAW9 ,

So many interesting guests

I’ve really enjoyed the people on the podcast and what I can learn from them. I especially appreciated the latest with the team from Lutherans for Racial Injustice and the links to all the great resources! Looking forward to season 4.

Joann Ruth Gamm ,

I’m a fan already!

Our church used Zach’s material “Reopening Christianity” after reopening from the pandemic and it was a perfect restart for our life groups. When I saw he started these Podcasts, I couldn’t wait to listen and I was not disappointed. In fact, I am sold! I’ve listened to all the Podcasts and truly enjoy each and every speaker who are sharing their faith journey and everyday life issues. I have it on my calendar every Tuesday. Thanks so much for such useful information to be a better follower of Jesus! And I am because of you.

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