The Overcomers with Matt Chandler

• Purpose, Identity and Calling

  I sat down with Luke Lezon and Will Chung to explore how Gen Z and Millennials are wrestling with identity, dignity, and discipleship in a rapidly shifting culture. These young pastors are preaching into cities like Orlando and LA—transient places that offer gospel-sending opportunities—and we unpacked the dangers of comfort culture and over-therapeutic narratives. We talked about how the call to follow Christ includes self-denial, repentance, and mission. Each of us shared stories of wilderness seasons, pastoral burnout, and the deep healing required to lead from wholeness. This is a deep dive into the joys and costs of courageous ministry today. I pray it encourages you — whatever context you’re in.In This Episode[02:00] Identity vs. Dignity: Will’s Pastoral Lens[05:30] Cultural Pressures and Fragile Worth[06:30] Luke on the “Identity Fair” and a Better Story[07:45] Gospel Ministry in a Collapsing Secularism[08:45] Ministering in Transient Cities: Orlando & LA[10:00] Mission Field Mindsets and “Sending Capacity”[12:00] Five-Year Discipleship Windows[14:00] Lies This Generation Believes About God[17:30] The Overcorrection of Self-Care & Gospel Rest[21:00] Rest vs. Replenishment: Jefferson Bethke’s Shift[23:00] Gen Z’s Pain Tolerance & Hunger for Mission[24:00] Will’s 2020 Breakdown: Performing to Be Enough[29:00] Depression and Identity[31:00] Luke’s Story: Betrayal, Leadership, and God’s Timing[35:00] “Cut Robes, Don’t Kill Kings”: Leading Through Hurt[38:00] Repentance + Healing = Transformation[41:00] Therapy, Trauma, and the Gospel of Repentance[45:00] What Christian Therapy Is—and What It’s Not[47:00] Courage in the Pulpit: What It Looks Like Now[50:00] Don’t Be Lazy with the Word: Clarity Over Comfort[52:00] Hermeneutical Bubbles and Pastoral Cowardice[54:00] What the Church Needs to Repent Of (Apathy)[56:00] The Radical Disciple and the Lost Mission[58:00] Stop Selling Out for Ministry Success[01:01:00] Hearing from God, Not Social Media[01:04:00] Final Words + A Call to Spiritual FathersGuest ResourcesFollow LukeLuke’s ChurchFollow WillWill’s ChurchFOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:Instagram | Youtube | Website | NewsletterIf you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!Thank you to our SponsorsCovenant EyesVictory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.Acts 29This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.–Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

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• Faith in the Workplace

  In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur and restaurateur Marty Bryan—founder of Marty B’s Restaurant—and Eric Loper, a former tech executive turned faith-driven consultant. Together, we dive into what it really looks like to integrate your faith into your business—whether you’re the CEO or just starting out.Marty shares the story behind Marty B’s, a now nine-restaurant enterprise built on Christian values and radical hospitality. Eric opens up about leaving a high-powered tech role to launch companies that give 100% of their profits to ministry. We talk ambition, humility, leadership, and why bold faith in the workplace might cost you—but is worth it every time.Whether you're an entrepreneur, a manager in a Fortune 500 company, or just trying to live out your faith at work, this conversation is for you.In This EpisodeWhy Faith and Business Don’t Need to Be SeparateMarty’s Journey: From Learning the Industry to Owning 9 RestaurantsEric’s Story: Leaving Big Tech to Build Kingdom-Focused VenturesIntegrating Faith in a Hospitality BusinessMen’s and Women’s Bible Breakfasts at Marty B’sStarting Worship Nights and Staying BoldAmbition, Ego, and Kingdom ImpactBuilding Team and Culture Through HospitalityHandling Pushback, Staying FaithfulBeing Salt and Light in Secular WorkplacesPrayer as a Witness in the WorkplaceCulture Building: Alignment and DriftSystems, Structure, and Knowing Your StrengthsTruth Telling as a Cultural FoundationResources MentionedFirst Liberty Institute – Legal help for religious freedom casesMarty B’s RestaurantsFOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:Instagram | Youtube | Website | NewsletterIf you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!Thank you to our SponsorsCovenant EyesVictory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.Moody PublishersFind Grace Beyond Salvation and I Choose Joy wherever you get your books or at Moodypublishers.comActs 29This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.–Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

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• Caring Well for Others

  This is a sobering yet hope-filled episode. I sit down with Summer Vinson Berger and Adam Paa to discuss the pain, complexity, and redemptive potential of shepherding care in the local church. From owning massive failures in 2015 to building a robust, gospel-centered care framework at The Village Church, we discuss stories, strategies, and heartfelt convictions about what real, redemptive care looks like when the church chooses humility over image.Whether you’re walking through trauma, burnout, addiction, or just longing for your church to care better—you’ll find wisdom and honesty here. This episode is a call to take the mess seriously, to listen better, and to believe that Jesus still heals through His body.In This EpisodeThe Weight of Shepherding2015: Owning the Failures of CareIntroducing Summer Berger and Adam PaaBuilding a Comprehensive Care MinistryWhat Is Redemptive Care?Why Recovery Must Stay MessyThe Three Buckets of RecoveryMinistry through Recovery: A Front Door to the ChurchIntegrating Gospel and TherapyPsychology Catching Up to ScriptureGratitude, Paul, and NeuroscienceCommon Grace and CounselingWhen Churches Resist Therapeutic ToolsWhy Shepherding Is So ComplexTrust, Time, and Trauma RecoveryThe Risk of Mislabeling ProblemsThe Weight and Cost of Church HurtTraining Churches to Respond BetterA Call to Action for Pastors and the BrokenFOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:Instagram | Youtube | Website | NewsletterIf you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!Thank you to our SponsorsCovenant EyesVictory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.Moody PublishersFind Grace Beyond Salvation and I Choose Joy wherever you get your books or at Moodypublishers.comActs 29This episode of The Overcomers is sponsored by Acts 29, with an invitation to the Acts 29 Conference this coming October in Dallas. To learn more and register, visit acts29.com/conference. Overcomers listeners will receive a special discount of $20 off registration prices using the code OVERCOMERS in all caps anytime before October 1.–Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

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• A Word for Tired Church Planters

  Today I unpack the gritty, grace-filled realities of planting churches with three faithful men—Ronnie, Travis, and Spencer—who are living it right now. We talk about the surprising slowness of fruit, the wounds of unmet expectations, and the refining power of suffering. We also celebrate the deep friendships, family sacrifices, and the sacred calling of building from scratch. Whether you’re dreaming of planting, deep in the trenches, or a church member wondering how to help—this one will stir your heart and steady your hands.In This EpisodeWhy Church Planting Still MattersFirst-Year Surprises: Slow Growth, Big WorkVision Matters More Than You ThinkHeart Maintenance in the HustleQuestioning the Call: When Doubt Creeps InFamily and Friendship on the FrontlinesWhen Kids Feel the CostPaper Cuts and PerseveranceGod's Provision in ScarcityThe Power of Sending ChurchesPreaching and Leading from the TrenchesA Word for the Weary PlanterA Call to the Comfortable: Join the WorkResources MentionedBook: Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer - https://a.co/d/dij4kT2 Organizations & Networks:NAMB (North American Mission Board) – namb.netSend Network – sendnetwork.comActs 29 Church Planting Network – acts29.comFOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:Instagram | Youtube | Website | Newsletter–Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

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• Finishing Well with Ray Ortlund and Crawford Loritts

  This episode is special to me. I sit down with two of my heroes in the faith—Ray Ortlund and Crawford Loritts. These men have been anchors for me in moments of doubt and discouragement, and I wanted to ask them the questions that most pastors eventually ask themselves: How do you stay faithful for the long haul? How do you finish well when so many don't? We talk about the rhythms that sustained them over decades, the call of ministry that’s far more than a career, and what it looks like to fight pride and pursue humility every single day. We also dive deep into marriage, legacy, and the sacredness of being a pastor. If you're in the trenches—especially in your 20s to 40s—this one's for you. I want to finish well, and I know you do too.In This Episode[02:00] Rhythms That Sustain the Soul[05:00] The Call of God vs. a Career in Ministry[08:00] Shepherding, Not Hiring: A Vision for Pastoral Ministry[13:00] The Crisis of Calling in a Careerist Culture[16:00] The Tragedy of Falling Away[20:00] Discerning the Dangers in Different Seasons[25:00] Kill the Lion: Confronting Sin Early[30:00] The Deception of Success[33:00] The Call to Vulnerability and Brotherhood[36:00] Marriage, Legacy, and Intimacy[40:00] Cultivating Lifelong Love with Your Spouse[45:00] Final Encouragement: Stay Low, Stay FaithfulResourcesFinishing Strong by Steve FarrarDangerous Calling by Paul David TrippFOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:Instagram | Youtube | Website | NewsletterIf you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!Thank you to our SponsorsCovenant EyesVictory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.–Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. For sponsorship inquiries, email [email protected]

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