In this special episode we dive deeper into the connection between leaning into God's mission and the growth of our faith. Tim Long joins us as we talk about stepping into moments of faith, leading your family on mission, and principles for getting started.

In this episode we talk about our Ethos Statement, Mature Men Live On Mission. We invited Cody Davis and Noah Clifton to join us and talk about what they saw growing up in the early days of Pillar Church in the lives of everyday people who committed themselves to the work of advancing the gospel together. As we talk we share some answers to the question, What does it actually look like to live on mission in our everyday lives?

MATURE MEN LIVE ON MISSION

There are many valuable, noble, and worthwhile pursuits for men to engage in throughout their lives. As Christian men who follow Jesus we recognize the priority of Jesus calling for each of us to follow Him in His mission to proclaim the gospel to all nations. From where we live to the ends of the earth we will consider it our corporate and individual mission to engage in the advance of the gospel. In doing so we seek to leverage our gifts and skills to serve our community and partner with gospel advancing church plants around the world. We believe these natural gifts, skills, and abilities are gifts from God that can be leveraged in unique ways in different contexts and we are ready to offer them to the Lord for His service. We not only seek to respond to the opportunities God brings our way but consider it our responsibility to strategize together how we can take ground for God’s Kingdom in the world through active mission.

Ephesians 2:10. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)

In this important episode Colby Garman has a one on one conversation with Caleb Nelson as they talk about the Ethos Statement "Mature Men Deal with Their Darkness". Throughout the episode Caleb shares some of his personal journey dealing with challenging circumstances and personal issues in his own heart and life that really undermined his faith for a significant season. He also shares the ways in which God has led him to face some of his darkness and find grace and renewal. Listen along and check out the Ethos statement below.

MATURE MEN DEAL WITH THEIR DARKNESS

It is always tempting to deal with the darkness in the world around us or the darkness that we see in others rather than to journey inward and deal with the darkness we find in ourselves. Every man has aspects of sin, past trauma, unreconciled experiences, and personal disappointments that can dominate their inner life and undermine their pursuit of good things. We believe the gospel frees us from the hiding and false performance that comes with seeking to cover over our darkness instead of addressing it and dealing with it. As men who believe that God is light and have encountered His grace, we exercise courage to address the experiences of the past and weaknesses of the present with genuine honesty. We anticipate the power of God that is at work in the honest confession of sin and admission of weakness and through it experience the genuine fellowship that it promises with God and one another.

1 John 1:5–7. [5] This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (ESV)