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Author: Gary Morgan

Partner in Prayer

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Featured.

Romans 15:23–32

Partnership is one of the great strengths of the local church. We serve together, give together, send together, encourage one another, and share in the work God has given us. But one of the most important ways we partner with one another is also one of the easiest to overlook: we partner in prayer.

Near the end of Romans 15, Paul shares his plans with the believers in Rome. He has spent years carrying the gospel into places where Christ was not known, and now his heart is set on taking the gospel farther west toward Spain.

“I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.”
Romans 15:24 NLT

PARTNERSHIP IN THE MISSION

Paul has a calling and a desire to take the gospel into new places, but he does not see that calling as something he is supposed to pursue alone. He sees the believers in Rome as partners in what God has called him to do.

Before traveling toward Spain, Paul first needs to go to Jerusalem. Believers in Macedonia and Achaia have generously given to help Christians there who are in need. Some are giving. Paul is going. Others are receiving. The entire passage gives us a picture of God’s people working together for the sake of the gospel.

Paul’s plans remind us of something we can easily forget: God never intended His people to participate in His mission alone. The mission belongs to God. He calls, sends, provides, and accomplishes His purposes, yet in His grace, He invites us to participate together in what He is doing.

Then Paul asks the believers in Rome to participate in another important way. He doesn’t ask all of them to travel with him or do what he is doing.

He asks them to pray.

PRAYER IS PARTICIPATION

Paul writes:

“Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Romans 15:30 NLT

I love that language: “join in my struggle.”

Paul invites the Romans to enter the struggle with him through prayer. He will be physically traveling to Jerusalem while they remain in Rome, but distance does not prevent them from participating in what God is doing.

Daniel Henderson of Strategic Renewal puts our need for prayer in unmistakable terms:

“Prayerlessness is my declaration of independence from God.”
— Daniel Henderson, Strategic Renewal

Prayer acknowledges that we cannot accomplish God’s work in our own strength. Our experience, resources, strategies, and plans are not enough. We need God.

Paul understood that. He was an apostle, missionary, church planter, and experienced leader, yet he still asked the believers in Rome to pray with him.

Prayer allows us to participate in places we may never physically go.

We may never serve alongside every missionary our churches support or personally meet every church planter serving across Nashville and Middle Tennessee, but we can carry them before God. We may not fully understand the challenges another congregation is facing or be able to fix what another pastor or ministry is walking through, but we can come alongside them in prayer.

Prayer is not simply something that supports the mission. Prayer is one of the ways we participate in God’s mission.

PRAYING SPECIFICALLY FOR ONE ANOTHER

Paul doesn’t simply tell the Romans, “Pray for me.” He tells them how to pray.

“Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem.” Romans 15:31 NLT

Paul asks them to pray for his protection, for fruitful ministry, and ultimately for God’s will to be accomplished.

But notice something else. Paul knows what he hopes will happen, yet he holds those plans with open hands before God. In verse 32 he says, “by the will of God.”

Biblical prayer is specific about what we are asking God to do while remaining surrendered to whatever God chooses to do.

Paul had plans for Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain, but his plans remained submitted to God’s plans. Paul would eventually make it to Rome, but not in the way he likely imagined. He would arrive as a prisoner. God was still at work, even when the path looked different from what Paul expected.

Prayer is not our attempt to convince God to accomplish our plans. Prayer brings our plans, needs, and desires before God while trusting His purposes above our own.

So we can pray specifically for one another—for pastors faithfully proclaiming God’s Word, churches navigating transition, church planters sharing the gospel in new communities, missionaries serving across cultures, and leaders carrying burdens few people see.

Maybe one of the simplest questions we can ask is:

“How can I specifically pray for you?”

And then we actually pray.

NO CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN THE MISSION ALONE

One of the great gifts of belonging to an association of churches is knowing that no church has to participate in the mission alone.

We are different congregations serving in different communities. We have different histories, opportunities, challenges, and assignments. But we share the same gospel, the same mission, and the same Lord.

Imagine churches across Nashville intentionally carrying one another before God. Churches praying for churches. Pastors praying for pastors. Established congregations praying for new churches. New churches praying for their sending and supporting churches. Generations praying for generations. All of us asking God to accomplish what only He can accomplish throughout our city.

Sometimes one of the most powerful ways we can join what God is doing in another church, community, or person’s life is simply to say, “You are not carrying this alone. We are praying with you.”

Paul closes this section:

“Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.” Romans 15:32 NLT

Paul prays boldly, plans faithfully, and trusts God with the outcome.

We may not be able to go everywhere together, but through prayer, we can strive together wherever God sends us.

So perhaps the question for each of us—and for each of our churches—is simply this:

Who is God inviting us to partner with in prayer?

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

He Must Increase: The Questions a Church Seeking Renewal Must Ask

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Renewal, Featured.

In The Heartbeat of the Church, we considered a simple conviction: the heartbeat of the church is the glory of God seen in a people who love God, love one another, and make disciples among all nations.

But if that is true, perhaps renewal requires us to ask some deeper questions—not simply about our churches, but about ourselves.

Who is becoming greater—Jesus or us?

John the Baptist understood something about ministry that is remarkably easy to forget. Crowds had been coming to hear him preach. People were being baptized. His influence was growing. But when the attention began shifting toward Jesus, John didn’t see it as a threat. He understood that his life and ministry had always been about pointing people beyond himself to Christ.

His response gives us one of the clearest pictures of Kingdom ministry in Scripture:

“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” John 3:30 

John understood that the success of his ministry was not measured by how many people stayed with John. Success meant people getting to Jesus.

John’s words are not a call to think less of ourselves or to diminish the value God has given us. They are a declaration about the supremacy of Christ. John understood his place in God’s story. Jesus was the center; John was not. His ministry existed to prepare the way and point people toward Christ.

That truth should challenge the church today. We naturally measure attendance, giving, baptisms, groups, volunteers, programs, and influence. Those things can be helpful, but there is a deeper question beneath all of our measurements:

Is Jesus becoming greater?

Are people seeing more of Christ because our church exists? Are they becoming more dependent upon Him? Are our neighborhoods experiencing the presence of Jesus through His people? Are we building His Kingdom, or are we primarily building our own?

John’s words also force us to consider what must decrease. It is easy to say, “Jesus must increase.” The difficult part is accepting what comes next: “I must decrease.”

Sometimes our preferences must decrease. Our need for recognition must decrease. Our desire to be right must decrease. Our attachment to familiar ways of doing things must decrease. Even our definitions of success may need to decrease.

Renewal requires more than adding something new.

Sometimes renewal requires surrender.

Perhaps we need to ask:

  • What needs to decrease in me so that Christ can increase?
  • What am I holding onto that God may be asking me to release?
  • Am I more concerned about building our church or advancing His Kingdom?
  • Are we producing church attenders or disciples who can make disciples?

But there is another question I believe belongs in this conversation:

Who is becoming stronger because I’m becoming stronger?

Spiritual maturity was never intended to terminate with us.

Whatever strength we possess ultimately comes from Christ. The knowledge we gain, the lessons God teaches us, the suffering He carries us through, the wisdom we receive, and the faith He develops within us are not simply for our benefit. Christ strengthens His people so that His people can strengthen one another.

Paul gives us this picture in: Romans 15:1–7 

Paul calls those who are strong to come alongside those who are struggling. Our strength is not given merely for our own benefit. It becomes a responsibility to bear with others in their weakness, seek their good, encourage them, and build them up.

In other words, biblical strength bends toward the weakness of another.

So Romans 15 invites us to ask some very personal questions:

  • Who is becoming stronger because I’m becoming stronger?
  • Who am I intentionally coming alongside right now?
  • Whose burden am I helping carry?
  • Who am I encouraging when their faith is weak?
  • Who am I building up rather than simply expecting to keep up?
  • Am I using the strength Christ has given me to serve others or simply to make life easier for myself?
  • Who is learning to follow Jesus because I am walking alongside them?

That changes the way we think about spiritual growth. The question is no longer simply, “Am I growing?” It becomes, “Who is growing because I am growing?”

This is where discipleship becomes more than a program. It becomes a way of life.

Jesus gave His church its mission in: Matthew 28:18–20 

Making disciples among all nations requires more than inviting people to attend something. Jesus calls people under His lordship—to identify with Him, obey what He has commanded, and learn to follow Him in every area of life.

That kind of disciple-making requires entering people’s lives. It means walking alongside people long enough for them to see what following Jesus looks like in ordinary life. We pray together, open Scripture together, wrestle with questions together, bear burdens together, celebrate together, and learn obedience together.

And eventually, something beautiful should happen: The person we are strengthening begins strengthening someone else.

That’s multiplication.

A healthy church isn’t simply filled with stronger Christians. It is filled with Christians who use the strength Christ gives them to strengthen others. Mature disciples come alongside others, help them follow Jesus, and equip them to do the same for someone else.

Imagine if that became one of the ways we regularly evaluated the health of our churches:

  • Where do we see Jesus becoming more evident in people’s lives?
  • Who are we intentionally coming alongside?
  • Who is becoming stronger because we’re becoming stronger?
  • Where are disciples making disciples?
  • Who are we equipping and sending?
  • What are we willing to surrender so that God’s Kingdom advances?

Those questions change what we celebrate. And what we celebrate eventually shapes who we become.

Perhaps this is an important part of what church renewal looks like. It isn’t simply getting more people into our gatherings. It is seeing the life of Jesus increasingly reproduced in His people—and then, through His people, in the lives of others.

And we should be clear about where that renewal comes from. Mission does not renew the church by itself. Christ renews His church through His Word and Spirit as His people trust Him, obey Him, love one another, and participate in His mission.

The church does not need to become less significant. It needs to become less interested in its own significance. We exist to display the glory of God, point people toward Jesus, and help one another become more like Him.

John gives us the posture: Christ above us—He must increase.

Paul gives us the relationship: Christ among us—we bear with and build up one another.

Jesus gives us the mission: Christ through us—we make disciples among all nations.

These three belong together. Christ above us. Christ among us. Christ through us.

As Christ increasingly shapes my life, what He is doing in me should become strength for someone else. And as Christ shapes that person’s life, they begin pouring into someone else.

Through ordinary people faithfully coming alongside ordinary people, disciples become disciple-makers, the gospel moves outward, and Christ renews His church.

So perhaps spiritual maturity shouldn’t be measured only by how much I know, how long I’ve followed Jesus, or how much I’ve grown.

There is another question worth asking: Who is becoming stronger because I’m becoming stronger?

Because what Christ is producing in us was never intended to end with us.

It was meant to move through us—for the good of others, the advance of the gospel, and ultimately, the glory of God.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

The Heartbeat of the Church: How Returning to God’s Mission Renews God’s People

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Renewal.

During many open-heart surgeries, the surgeon intentionally stops the heart. For a period of time, a heart-lung machine takes over the work of circulating oxygen-rich blood throughout the body while the surgeon carefully repairs what has become damaged.

The goal, however, is never for the machine to replace the heart. The goal is to restore the heart so it can once again do what it was created to do.

Perhaps that provides a picture of where many churches find themselves today.

Across our nation, churches long for renewal. We launch new initiatives, restructure ministries, improve technology, update strategies, and redesign programs. While each of these may have value, none of them can become the source of the church’s life. They are simply tools. The hope of the church has never been found in better methods, but in Christ Himself.

The question, then, is not, “How do we create a new church?” The better question is, “How do we become the church Jesus designed us to be?”

The heartbeat of the church is the glory of God seen in a people who love God, love one another, and make disciples among all nations.

Throughout Scripture, whenever God renewed His people, He consistently called them back to His purposes. Renewal was never simply about restoring activity; it was about restoring obedience. The same remains true today.

Jesus made the mission of His church unmistakably clear in Matthew 28:18–20. Before He ascended, He commissioned His followers to make disciples among all nations. This was not one ministry among many—it was the defining mission of the church.

Somewhere along the way, many churches subtly shifted their focus. We became experts at gathering people but less intentional about sending them. We measured faithfulness by attendance instead of disciple-making, activity instead of obedience, and comfort instead of mission.

Yet the church was never designed merely to gather.

Like the human heart, the church was created to live through two continual rhythms. The heart receives oxygen-rich blood and immediately sends it throughout the body. If either rhythm stops, life is threatened.

The church functions in much the same way.

We gather to receive God’s Word, worship Christ, pray together, encourage one another, and be equipped for ministry. Then we scatter into our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, apartment communities, coffee shops, and cities to live the story of Jesus. We gather to be formed, and we go to be faithful.

When the church only gathers, it begins to stagnate. When it only goes without abiding in Christ, it becomes exhausted. Healthy churches continually gather and continually go.

This is the picture Paul gives us in Ephesians 4:11–16. Christ gives leaders to equip His people for the work of ministry so that the whole body grows into maturity. Every believer has a role. Every member contributes. As each part faithfully does its work, the church is built up in love.

This challenges one of our greatest assumptions about renewal.

We often assume mission is the result of a healthy church. We imagine that once a church becomes strong enough, organized enough, or spiritually mature enough, it will naturally engage its community and make disciples.

The New Testament presents a different pattern. Mission is not merely the result of a healthy church. Mission is one of God’s primary means of making His church healthy.

As believers pray together, engage their neighbors, share the gospel, make disciples, and form spiritual families, God shapes them. He deepens their dependence on the Holy Spirit. He strengthens their unity. He matures their faith. As they join God’s mission, God renews His people.

Renewal, then, is not primarily about becoming busier.

It is about becoming faithful.

Faithful churches pursue the glory of God. They love Him wholeheartedly. They love one another sacrificially. They intentionally engage the people around them, make disciples in the rhythms of everyday life, and raise up others to do the same. These are not simply effective ministry strategies. They are the ordinary means God has consistently used to accomplish His extraordinary work.

The mission of the church is not separate from the renewal of the church.

It is one of God’s primary instruments of renewal.

Just as a surgeon restores the heart so it can once again fulfill its intended purpose, Christ renews His church by restoring it to the mission He gave it from the beginning. As we return to His mission, He renews His people.

Perhaps the renewal we long for is not waiting on a new program, a better strategy, or another ministry model.

Perhaps it is waiting for the church to once again beat with the heart of Jesus.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

More Than a Week at Camp: What Summer Student Ministry Continues to Teach Me

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Discipleship, Featured.

Every summer I leave student camp reminded of the same truth:

The greatest need of students isn’t simply more information about Jesus. It’s an invitation to truly follow Him.

This summer I had the privilege of preaching to hundreds of middle school and high school students across multiple weeks of FUGE Camps. Every camp has its own personality. Every student has a different story. Some arrived eager to grow, others came because a friend invited them, and many had grown up in church while others had little understanding of the gospel.

Yet beneath all of those differences was one common reality.

Students are searching for life.

They’re asking questions about identity, purpose, anxiety, relationships, sin, acceptance, success, failure, loneliness, and hope. They may not always ask those questions out loud, but they carry them every day. The good news is that Scripture speaks directly into every one of them.

The Good Shepherd

This summer we centered our teaching around one simple image found throughout the Bible: Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

Psalm 23 became our guide.

Rather than treating the psalm as a collection of comforting verses, we explored what it means to actually know and follow the Shepherd. Each evening built on the previous one, leading students to see that the Shepherd doesn’t simply meet isolated needs—He offers Himself.

Good Peace

Psalm 95 reminded students that peace begins by listening to the right voice. Our culture constantly competes for their attention. Social media, friends, achievements, fears, and expectations all promise direction.

Yet Scripture calls God’s people, “Today, if you hear His voice…”

The question wasn’t simply, What are you listening to?

It was, Whose voice is shaping your life?

Good Restoration

Every student carries hidden places.

Some carry shame. Others regret, secret sin, broken relationships, or wounds no one else knows about. Psalm 23 reminds us that the Shepherd restores our souls, and David’s own story demonstrates that failure never has the final word.

The Shepherd doesn’t merely forgive sinners.

He restores them.

Good Presence

Psalm 46 invited students to consider another question:

What struggle are you trying to carry alone?

Students often assume following Jesus means life becomes easier. Scripture promises something even better.

God’s presence.

Even through uncertainty…
Even through suffering…
Even through dark valleys…

The Shepherd never abandons His sheep.

Good Life

We ended with Psalm 16.

Our culture tells students that life is found in popularity, achievement, experiences, or possessions. David points somewhere entirely different:

“You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy.”

Life isn’t ultimately found in getting what we want.

It’s found in walking with the Shepherd.

Beyond “Church Kids”

One conviction continued growing in me throughout the summer.

Many students know about Jesus without actually following Him.

They’ve attended church. They know Bible stories. They can answer questions. Yet Jesus rarely called people simply to believe facts about Him. He consistently called people to move toward Him.

  • Follow Me
  • Repent
  • Come to Me
  • Abide in Me
  • Take up your cross

The verbs matter because Christianity has never been merely about information.

It’s always been an invitation into relationship.

That conviction shaped the questions we asked throughout the week:

  • Who are you listening to?
  • What are you hiding?
  • What struggle are you facing alone?
  • What are you following?

Those questions often opened conversations long after the message ended.

The Ministry Between the Messages

Some of the most meaningful moments never happened on stage.

They happened walking across campus, standing in line for coffee and for meas, sitting outside on campus, or talking after worship.

Summer after summer I’m reminded that transformation often begins through ordinary conversations before it becomes visible in someone’s life. Faithful teaching plants seeds, but personal conversations often provide the space where those seeds begin to take root.

They need someone willing to listen.

Someone who genuinely cares.

Someone who will patiently point them toward Jesus.

Camp Isn’t the Finish Line

People often ask if camp changes students. I believe it does. But probably not in the way we sometimes imagine.

Camp is rarely the finish line. More often, it’s the beginning.

It’s where students ask honest questions, trust Christ, confess hidden struggles, or begin taking their first real steps of discipleship. Those moments matter because they continue long after the buses leave camp.

The local church remains God’s primary place for helping students mature as followers of Jesus.

Camp is a catalyst. The church is where disciples are formed.

Grateful for Another Summer

Looking back, I don’t primarily remember the crowds.

I remember faces.

Questions.

Conversations.

Prayers.

Students opening God’s Word.

Leaders faithfully investing in the next generation.

Once again, I’m reminded that the gospel still changes lives. While only God transforms hearts, He often does His work through relationships—with leaders who listen, encourage, and faithfully walk alongside students. The Good Shepherd is still seeking the lost, restoring the broken, walking with His people through every valley, and leading them into the abundant life only He can give.

For that, I’m simply grateful.

Thank you, Lord, for another unforgettable summer.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

Learning the City, Loving the People

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Planting.

Being the church begins long before gathering for worship. It begins by coming alongside the people who call our city home.

As followers of Jesus, we’re called to be present—to listen, learn, serve, and seek the flourishing of the communities where God has placed us. Before asking, “How do we plant a church here?” we should first ask, “How do we faithfully be the church here?”

Jesus didn’t minister from a distance. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He entered neighborhoods, walked the streets, shared meals, listened to people’s stories, and met them in the rhythms of everyday life. If we want to reflect Jesus, we must be willing to do the same.

One of the greatest gifts in our journey of living on mission in downtown Nashville has been our relationship with the Nashville Downtown Partnership. The Partnership is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making downtown Nashville a vibrant place to live, work, play, and invest. By bringing together residents, businesses, developers, civic leaders, and community organizations, it helps strengthen the heart of the city through advocacy, neighborhood engagement, economic development, public spaces, and community events.

For us, the Downtown Partnership has been more than an organization—it has been a doorway into the life of our city.

Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of attending—and at times speaking at—Downtown Partnership gatherings, learning alongside civic leaders, business owners, developers, and residents who care deeply about the future of downtown Nashville. We’ve participated in downtown home tours to better understand neighborhoods and the people who call them home. We’ve attended council meetings, explored downtown markets, and joined resident parties and community events where relationships naturally develop.

Those experiences have reminded us that every city has a story. Every neighborhood has a personality. Every apartment community, subdivision, university campus, and rural town has unique rhythms, values, fears, and opportunities.

Before asking, “How can we make an impact here?” we’ve learned to ask different questions:

  • What is God already doing here?
  • Who lives here?
  • What do they value?
  • What burdens do they carry?
  • Where do they naturally gather?
  • What barriers keep people from Christ?

These questions have changed the way we engage our city.

This approach is deeply biblical. When Paul arrived in Athens, he didn’t begin by preaching immediately. He walked the city. He observed its culture. He noticed what people worshiped and valued. Luke writes, “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). Later, standing before the Areopagus, Paul said, “I see that you are extremely religious in every respect” (Acts 17:22). He used what he had learned about the people and their culture as a bridge to introduce them to Jesus.

Paul first learned the city before speaking to the city.

Jesus modeled the same pattern. He walked through towns and villages, sat at tables, asked questions, noticed people, and entered everyday life. He demonstrated that ministry begins with presence. People are often willing to share their lives long before they are willing to hear a sermon.

The more we’ve engaged with the Downtown Partnership and the broader downtown community, the more we’ve discovered that trust grows at the speed of relationships. Learning names. Remembering stories. Celebrating victories. Mourning losses. Becoming known as people who genuinely care. These simple rhythms create opportunities for meaningful conversations that no program or strategy can manufacture.

Being the church begins with curiosity. Before we teach, we learn. Before we speak, we listen. Before we invite people to gather with us, we choose to live among them.

We’re grateful for organizations like the Nashville Downtown Partnership that have helped us become students of our city. As we learn the city, we grow to love the people more deeply. And as we love the people, we become better neighbors, wiser missionaries, and more faithful witnesses to the hope found in Jesus Christ.

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.” — Colossians 4:5–6

Reflection

1. What is one intentional step you can take this month to better understand your community?

Walk your neighborhood. Attend a community meeting. Visit a local market. Meet a business owner. Introduce yourself to a civic leader. Listen to a neighbor’s story. Choose one intentional step that helps you learn the people and places God has entrusted to you.

2. Who are you taking on the journey with you?

Jesus rarely ministered alone, and neither should we. Invite a future leader, church member, new believer, or friend to join you as you learn your community. Let them walk the streets with you, attend community events, meet local leaders, and discover where God is already at work. Learning the city together is one of the best ways to develop disciple-makers who will faithfully love and serve their own communities.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

Leadership and Discernment: Learning to Walk With People, Not Just Lead Them

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Planting.

Reflections Inspired by I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus (Don Everts & Doug Schaupp)

Throughout this series, we’ve explored the journey people often take as they move toward faith—learning to trust, becoming curious, opening their lives to change, and ultimately facing the invitation to surrender to Jesus. One of the clearest lessons from these thresholds is that people rarely move in straight lines or at the same pace. Every person carries different questions, fears, experiences, and hesitations along the way. 

And that reality reveals something deeply important about leadership: effective spiritual leadership requires discernment.

Leadership is often associated with vision, strategy, influence, and direction. But one of the most overlooked qualities of spiritual leadership is discernment—the ability to recognize where people are, understand what God may be doing in their lives, and respond with wisdom, patience, and grace.

In many ways, discernment is what allows leaders not simply to move people forward, but to walk faithfully with them where they are.

Throughout I Once Was Lost, Don Everts and Doug Schaupp describe the journey people often take toward faith through a series of thresholds: moving from distrust to trust, from curiosity to openness, and ultimately toward surrender to Jesus. While the book focuses on spiritual formation and evangelism, it also offers profound insight into leadership itself.

Because good leaders do more than communicate truth. They learn to discern timing, posture, readiness, and need.

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time…”
— Ephesians 5:15–16 (NLT)

Discernment begins with seeing people clearly. One of the central lessons of the series is this: not everyone is in the same place on the journey.

Some people are skeptical. Some are curious. Some are quietly wrestling with deeper questions. Others are closer to faith than anyone realizes.

Discernment allows leaders to recognize those differences instead of treating everyone the same.

Too often, leaders default to assumption:

  • Assuming people are ready when they are not
  • Assuming resistance means rejection
  • Assuming information alone produces transformation

But discernment slows us down enough to ask a better question:

“Where are they right now?”

That question changes how we lead.

When you look at the ministry of Jesus, He rarely approached people the same way twice. He challenged some directly, invited others gently, asked questions before giving answers, listened before speaking, and discerned what was happening beneath the surface.

Jesus understood that leadership is not merely about delivering truth—it is about shepherding people wisely toward it.

That requires discernment.

One of the dangers in leadership is the temptation to push people faster than they are ready to move.

Without discernment:

  • Vision becomes pressure
  • Passion becomes force
  • Urgency becomes frustration

But discernment helps leaders recognize that transformation is often slower and more mysterious than we would prefer.People rarely change because they were cornered into it. More often, change happens through trust, patience,  honest conversations, prayer, and the quiet work of God over time.

  • Discernment reminds us that leadership is not control. It is stewardship.
  • Leaders who discern well are usually leaders who listen well—not just to words, but to fears, hesitations, questions, motivations, and timing.
  • Discernment grows when leaders resist the urge to immediately fix, answer, or direct every situation.

Sometimes the most discerning thing a leader can do is pause long enough to understand what is really happening.

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”
— Colossians 4:5–6 (NLT)

Notice the language: wisely, graciously, the right response. Discernment is not just knowing truth—it is knowing how to respond lovingly and wisely in the moment.

The threshold framework reminds us that people move at different speeds.

Some take quick steps. Others linger in questions for years. Some resist before surrendering. Others appear close but are still hesitant.

Discernment allows leaders to walk patiently without becoming cynical or controlling.

It shifts leadership from:

  • Managing outcomes → to cultivating presence
  • Forcing movement → to recognizing readiness
  • Demanding responses → to faithfully walking alongside others

This is especially important in spiritual leadership, where only God can ultimately change a heart.

Discernment also humbles leaders because it reminds us:

  • We cannot force transformation
  • We cannot predict timing
  • We cannot manufacture surrender

We can teach. We can guide. We can pray. We can love faithfully. But God is the one who works within people. That realization frees leaders from carrying burdens they were never meant to carry.

At its best, discernment transforms leadership from performance into shepherding. A discerning leader pays attention, walks patiently, speaks truth wisely, loves consistently, and trusts God with the deeper work.

This kind of leadership reflects the heart of Jesus—present, wise, and faithful.

Leadership is not just about helping people get somewhere. It is about recognizing where they are, discerning what they need, and walking with them wisely toward what God may be doing in their lives.

And perhaps that is one of the deepest callings of leadership:

Not simply to lead people forward, but to walk beside them with grace, wisdom, and discernment along the way.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

Part 3: Where the Journey Leads—and How We Walk With Others

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Planting.

The Final Step in the Journey of Faith—and What It Means for Us

Adapted with attribution from I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus (Don Everts & Doug Schaupp)

At some point in every journey, the question shifts. It’s no longer just about curiosity—it’s about direction.

Like Alice standing at a crossroads: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
— Alice in Wonderland

By the time someone reaches this point, they’ve learned to trust, asked honest questions, and begun to open their lives. But now a deeper question emerges: Where is this leading?

Because every journey eventually asks for a response.

And in the journey toward faith, there comes a moment when curiosity gives way to decision—when the path forward is no longer just something to consider, but something to choose.

After trust is built, curiosity awakened, and hearts opened… there is still one final step.

And it is the most significant step in the journey.

Threshold 5: Entering the Kingdom

This is the moment of decision—the point where a person is invited to repent, believe, and surrender their life to Jesus. All the previous thresholds prepare the way for this—but they don’t guarantee it.

Some people travel a long way along this journey:

  • They trust deeply
  • They ask meaningful questions
  • They pursue answers sincerely

And still, they stop short of this final step.  Why?

For some, it’s intellectual barriers.
For others, it’s fear of what change might cost.
For others, it’s the desire for a level of certainty that faith doesn’t always provide.

And yet, when this threshold is crossed, it is both deeply personal and profoundly mysterious.

Scripture reminds us that this step is both simple and profound:

“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” — Romans 10:9 (NLT)

Rethinking “Lostness”

One of the most helpful insights from Everts and Schaupp is how people experience being “lost.”

From our perspective, someone may clearly be far from God. But from their perspective, it often feels very different.

  • Some don’t even realize they’re lost.
  • Some know—but believe they can find their own way.
  • Some recognize their need and begin looking for help.

This matters. Because how someone experiences their situation shapes how they respond to faith. What we see as obvious may feel confusing—or even unnecessary—to them.

How We Walk With Others

This framework invites us to ask a better question: “Where are they on the journey?”

And that question changes how we respond.

  • If they don’t trust Christians → build relationship
  • If they aren’t curious → don’t force answers
  • If they’re closed to change → be patient
  • If they’re ready to move forward → help them take that step with clarity and care

This shifts us from pressure to presence. We stop trying to control outcomes and start participating in what God is already doing.

Entering the Mystery

Faith journeys are not formulas. We cannot force someone across a threshold, predict when change will happen, or guarantee outcomes.

But we can:

  • Love consistently
  • Listen deeply
  • Pray faithfully
  • Walk alongside others with patience

“The seed that fell on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long…” — Mark 4:16–17 (NLT)

Jesus reminds us that not every seed takes root—and that’s not failure. It’s part of the mystery of how God works in people’s lives.

A Final Thought

The journey to faith is not a straight line—it’s a story. And when we begin to see people not as projects, but as travelers on a path, everything changes.

We become:

  • Less anxious
  • More attentive
  • More compassionate

And in the process, we may discover something unexpected: We’re not just helping others find their way— we are being shaped along the way as well.

Across these thresholds—from trust to curiosity, from openness to change, and ultimately to surrender—we are reminded that faith is both a journey and an invitation. People rarely arrive all at once; they move, often slowly and sometimes uncertainly, toward Jesus. And along the way, they don’t need us to rush them—they need us to walk with them. To listen well. To love patiently. To recognize where they are and trust that God is already at work.

As we join their journey, we begin to see that this isn’t just about helping others find faith—it’s about becoming the kind of people who reflect the heart of Jesus along the way.

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” — Colossians 4:5–6 (NLT)

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

Part 2 -Joining Their Journey: How to Walk With Others Toward the Story of God

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Planting.

Adapted with attribution from I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus (Don Everts & Doug Schaupp)

In Top Gun: Maverick, you can see it in Rooster’s eyes.

He’s in the cockpit, the pressure building, the mission in front of him—and Maverick is right there, calling him forward. He’s listened. He’s followed. He respects him. But this moment is different. Trusting Maverick now would mean more than just flying formation—it would mean letting go of control, facing the past, and stepping into something that could change him.

And so, he hesitates. It’s not that he isn’t interested. It’s that he isn’t ready.

And that moment—when interest meets hesitation—is where so many people find themselves on the journey toward faith.

Part 2: When Faith Becomes Personal

As Everts and Schaupp observe, many people are interested in Jesus—but not yet ready for their lives to change.

This simple observation captures one of the most important—and most difficult—moments in the journey toward faith. Curiosity is there—but when it begins to feel personal, something often holds people back. Faith is no longer just an idea to explore; it becomes an invitation to change.

In Part 1, we explored how people often move from distrust to trust, and from complacency to curiosity. But curiosity, while significant, is still a safe place to be.

At this stage, someone can:

  • Ask questions
  • Explore ideas
  • Engage in conversations about Jesus

…all without it requiring anything of them personally. But eventually, something begins to shift. Faith starts to feel less like a conversation… and more like an invitation.

Threshold 3: From Closed to Open to Change

This is often the hardest step in the journey. A person may trust Christians and be genuinely curious about Jesus—but still have one clear boundary:

“My life is off limits.”

They are open to ideas, but not yet open to transformation. Why?  Because real change is costly.

It touches:

  • Identity
  • Relationships
  • Habits
  • Control

Crossing this threshold means becoming open to the possibility that following Jesus might actually change something in their life.

The question shifts from: “Is this true?” to “What might this mean for me?” And that’s where things become deeply personal.

Scripture for the Journey

“Anyone who wants to be my disciple must give up their own way, take up their cross daily, and follow me.”  — Luke 9:23 (NLT)

Jesus is honest about the cost—but He always invites, never forces.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” — Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)

This is the posture that begins to emerge—an openness to let God speak not just to beliefs, but to real life. This threshold is rarely crossed through pressure.

More often, it happens through:

  • Time
  • Trust
  • Honest reflection
  • And the quiet, persistent work of God

So, How We Walk With Others:

1. Make Space for Honest Conversations

At this stage, people don’t need pressure—they need space.  You can help by:

  • Asking thoughtful, open-ended questions
  • Letting them process without rushing to respond
  • Creating a safe place for real thoughts and doubts

Sometimes the most helpful question is: “What do you think this might mean for your life?”

2. Share Your Story With Honesty

When faith becomes personal, stories often matter more than explanations. Share:

  • How Jesus has shaped your life
  • Areas where you’re still growing
  • Real struggles—not just polished answers

This helps them see that following Jesus isn’t about having it all together—it’s about being transformed over time.

3. Walk Patiently Through the Tension

This stage often feels like a tug-of-war. They may feel:

  • Drawn in, yet hesitant
  • Curious, yet resistant
  • Open, yet unsure

That’s normal.

Your role isn’t to resolve the tension—it’s to stay present in it. Be steady. Be patient. Keep showing up. God is often doing deeper work than we can see.

A Final Thought

This part of the journey can feel slow—and even uncertain.  But it is sacred ground. Because this is where faith begins to move from curiosity…to conviction.

Looking Ahead: In Part 3, we’ll explore what happens when someone begins to lean in more intentionally—and how we can walk with them as they move toward trusting Jesus.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association

Joining Their Journey: How to Walk With Others Toward the Story of God

Written by Gary Morgan on . Posted in Church Planting.

Adapted with attribution from I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus (Don Everts & Doug Schaupp)

In today’s world, faith rarely begins with belief. For many shaped by postmodern skepticism, the journey toward Jesus doesn’t start with doctrine, church attendance, or even spiritual curiosity. It begins somewhere much more human—relational trust.

In I Once Was Lost, Don Everts and Doug Schaupp describe the journey people often take as they move toward faith—marked by five thresholds. These aren’t rigid steps, but common movements people experience as they gradually move toward trusting in Jesus.

Understanding these thresholds can completely change how we relate to those who are exploring—or avoiding—faith.

Let’s begin with the first two.

Threshold 1: From Distrust to Trust
Before someone is open to Jesus, they are often deciding whether they can trust a Christian. That may sound simple, but it’s not.

Many carry deep skepticism:

  • “Christians are judgmental.”
  • “They only care about converting me.”
  • “They’re not authentic.”

Until that wall comes down, spiritual conversations rarely go anywhere meaningful.

This means the first step in someone’s journey is not theological—it’s relational.

Trust is built slowly:

  • Through consistency
  • Through listening
  • Through genuine care without agenda

And then, often unexpectedly, something shifts. A person who once kept their distance begins to lean in. The guard lowers. The relationship becomes safe.

That’s the first threshold.

Scripture for the Journey “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  — Colossians 4:5–6 (NLT)

This kind of trust-building life—gracious, wise, and patient—is exactly what opens the first door.

Threshold 2: From Complacency to Curiosity
Here’s where many people get confused. Just because someone trusts you doesn’t mean they’re interested in Jesus. They may like you, respect you—even admire your faith—and still feel zero curiosity about spiritual things.

Why? Because their life already feels full. They’re successful. Comfortable. Content. Faith doesn’t feel necessary.   But then something changes. 

It might be:

  • A life disruption
  • A meaningful conversation
  • A quiet internal restlessness

And suddenly, curiosity awakens.

Questions begin to surface:

  • “Who is Jesus, really?”
  • “Why does faith matter to you?”
  • “Is there more to life than this?”

Scripture for the Journey “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”— Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)

This shift is subtle—but incredibly important.

Curiosity is the doorway to spiritual exploration.

Why These First Two Thresholds Matter

  • If someone hasn’t crossed the first threshold, giving them a book about Jesus might actually push them further away.
  • If they haven’t crossed the second, trying to answer questions they aren’t asking might not help as well.

This is where many well-meaning efforts miss the mark.

Instead of asking, “How do I share the gospel?”  We might need to ask, “Where are they right now?”

So How do We Walk with Others:

1. Identify Where People Are in Your Life 

Take a few minutes this week to think about 2–3 people in your everyday world (friends, coworkers, neighbors).

Ask yourself:

  • Do they trust Christians at all?
  • Do they trust me?
  • Are they curious about spiritual things—or completely uninterested?

Don’t try to change anything yet—just notice where they are.
Understanding their starting point is the first step toward loving them well.

2. Shift Your Goal From “Sharing” to “Building Trust”

If someone hasn’t crossed the first threshold, your goal isn’t to explain Jesus—it’s to earn trust.

 Try this:

  • Be present without an agenda
  • Ask questions about their life and actually listen
  • Show consistency over time

A simple mindset shift: “What would it look like for me to be someone they feel safe with?”

Trust opens doors that arguments never will.

3. Practice Curiosity Before Creating Curiosity

If someone isn’t spiritually curious yet, resist the urge to “spark” it too quickly.

Instead:

  • Be curious about them first
  • Ask thoughtful, non-threatening questions
  • Pay attention to what matters in their world

Often, spiritual curiosity grows out of relational curiosity. You don’t have to force the conversation—just create space where meaningful conversations can happen.

Another Word from Jesus: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” — John 13:35 (NLT)

Before people believe what we say, they often watch how we love. These steps may feel small, but they’re not insignificant. Most people don’t move toward faith because of a single conversation—they move because someone walked with them, patiently, over time.

And that journey often begins with something simple: Trust.

In Part 2, we’ll explore what happens as curiosity deepens and hearts begin to open to change.

Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)

Church Planting Strategist

Nashville Baptist Association