Aspire

You feel a stirring, a restlessness, a sense that God might be leading you to something different. But how do you actually know?
Matt Sparks has been there. Before he planted Anchor Church , now a movement of four churches stretching from the Inner West to the Northern Beaches, he had his own Jonah moment, running hard from God before a profound moment brought him home. He knows what it's like to be told "not yet," to wonder if he'd missed his moment, and to leave a healthy, thriving church to plant a risky new one.
In this episode of Aspire, Matt walks through how he discerned God's leading at every stage of his journey, and hands you his practical, three part grid for testing it: inner conviction, external confirmation, and demonstrated competency.
You'll hear what almost stopped him going into gospel ministry, what it looked like at MBM, why his heart for multiplication has only grown, and what he'd tell his younger self if he could.
Matt Sparks planted Anchor Church - now a movement of four churches across the city of Sydney.
0:00 — How Do You Know What God Is Leading You To?

1:19 — When Did You First Want to Go Into Ministry?

4:00 — Where Did You Feel God Was Leading You?

6:00 — What If People Tell You NOT to Go to Theological College?

7:23 — What Almost Stopped You Going Into Ministry?

8:40 — Matt's Jonah Moment: Running From God

12:20 — What Happened When You Finally Said Yes?

16:50 — What Was Ministry at MBM Really Like?

19:55 — When Did You Know You Should Plant a Church?

22:40 — Why Leave a Healthy Church to Plant Another?

25:20 — Why Has Your Heart for Multiplication Grown?

26:55 — What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?

29:10 — What Does an Aspiring Church Planter Need to Know?
31:45 — How Do You Discern God's Leading?

33:55 — A Prayer for Aspiring Leaders

#churchplanting #aspirepodcast #gospelministry #theologicalcollege #biblecollege #guidance #wisdom #ministry #christianwisdom #jesus

How do you actually know what you're gifted for? If you're trying to work out what God has gifted you to do, you may have wondered whether you need to pick one path.
Sam knew early on that he loved evangelism and teaching. But he was also a doctor. Along the way, he received plenty of advice about ministry, some helpful, and some that he eventually realised wasn't quite right.In this conversation, Sam explains how he actually worked out where his gifting lay and why he believes there isn't one template for what gospel ministry has to look like.
We also spoke about whether the idea that SMBC is “less academic” than Moore College is really true, why he went to Chicago to do a PhD, how he became a 'roaming' evangelist, and how his work eventually led to writing books and creating EVQ.
If you're considering formal theological training, gospel ministry, evangelism, or simply trying to work out what God has gifted you to do, this episode will help you think more clearly.
Chapters:
1:43 — When did Sam first know he wanted to be an evangelist?3:05 — When did he first consider becoming a paid “professional” evangelist?
8:03 — The bad advice about ministry Sam had to move past
12:05 — Medicine vs Bible college, the wrestle & why medicine remained part of the picture
18:20 — Why Sam studied at SMBC, and why it isn't “less academic” than Moore College
22:10 — Why do a PhD in Chicago if you want to be an evangelist?26:55 — Preacher, teacher or evangelist, can you do them all? 27:49 — How Sam became a roaming evangelist
30:58 — How Sam connected with Tim Keller and The Gospel Coalition, and became an author
35:50 — What is EVQ, and why did Sam create it?
Sam Chan is an evangelist with City Bible Forum, a medical doctor, author of How to Talk about Jesus Without Being That Guy and Evangelism in a Skeptical World, a Fellow of the Tim Keller Centre for Cultural Apologetics, and creator of EVQ. He has two doctorates - in theology and in medicine.

Youtube episode live tomorrow!

Are you trying to make a decision about ministry but struggling to decide? Do you struggle with the paralysis of options before you? Or perhaps, are you wondering if Bible college is actually worth the investment? Or maybe are you longing to ‘break the bubble’ of Sydney to see what opportunities there are for cross-cultural ministry across the globe?

Rob Falls is a missionary in Vanuatu.

CHAPTERS;
00:00 — Intro & Rob’s Ministry in Vanuatu

01:21 — Becoming a Christian Through Family & Church Community

02:43 — Growing a Heart for Global Mission

05:44 — Why Rob Chose a Ministry Apprenticeship

08:01 — Bible College, Mission & Preparing for Cross-Cultural Ministry

10:27 — The Trip to Vanuatu That Changed Everything

13:23 — Why Deep Theological Training Matters

17:30 — Language Learning & Cross-Cultural Ministry Challenges

19:20 — Teaching Ministry in One of the World’s Most Linguistically Diverse Nations

21:31 — Poverty, Farming & Life at the Bible College

22:58 — Advice for Aspiring Missionaries

26:16 — When to Contact a Mission Agency

27:59 — Final Encouragement: “The Harvest Is Plentiful”

Are you a little scared of how difficult Christian ministry may be? Are you wondering if it might be too hard for you? Are you wondering if you have the right motives to quit your current job to go to Bible College or start a ministry apprenticeship?

Alan Au shares his journey of becoming a church planter in the North Shore of Sydney. Alan reveals why we shouldn’t freak out about the difficulties of vocational ministry. He speaks about why you need people to ask you tough questions, and how to grow a more servant heart for the lost. He also encourages us to think about why we should “trust God more not less” under the financial pressures of going into gospel ministry.

Alan Au is a pastor and planter of Captivate Presbyterian Church, North Ryde.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 — Intro & Alan’s Ministry Context
02:10 — Becoming a Christian & Early Faith
03:31 — First Thoughts About Vocational Ministry
06:58 — Leaving Pharmacy & Trusting God Through Family Hardship
09:15 — Ministry Apprenticeship & Character Formation
13:12 — Bible College & Preparing for Long-Term Ministry
14:42 — Church Planting, Leadership & Learning to Equip Others
18:30 — Raising Up the Next Generation for Ministry
22:56 — Challenges Young Christians Face Considering Ministry Today
28:23 — Final Advice for Aspiring Ministry Leaders

How can you prepare your soul well for pastoral ministry? How can you ensure you are spiritually prepared for the pressure cooker that serving the church in Christian leadership inevitably places upon your inner life with God? Bethany Allen is the Pastor of Spiritual Formation & Leadership Development at Bridgetown Church in Portland, USA. She is also a teacher with Practicing the Way. Bethany shares her story of how she became a pastor at Bridgetown Church, originally planted by John Mark Comer. Through it she shares about the critical lessons she has learned along the way about caring for her own soul through the highs and lows, and about the call that has pushed her through the challenges of being a woman in pastoral ministry.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction and leading to ministry.
03:20 - Trauma, family crisis, and first sense of vocation.
08:10 - Early ministry, Bible study, and discovering a teaching gift.
12:45 - Bible college, seminary, and being formed through pain.
18:50 - Joining Bridgetown and the shift from assistant to pastor.
23:00 - How Bridgetown developed spiritual formation and communities.
29:30 - Personal rhythms, soul care, and sustaining ministry.
35:10 - Rule of life, busy schedules, and guarding the soul.
40:00 - Advice to a younger self and women in ministry.
44:10 - Prayer and blessing.

Episode also live on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aspirepodcast1tim31