Have you ever wondered if you're really doing what God wants you to do?

So many of us spend our lives searching for God's will, waiting for certainty before we take a step. What if calling isn't about having all the answers? What if God is simply looking for someone who is available?

In this episode of ONWARD, Bethany Barr Phillips walks through Isaiah 6 and discovers that God's calling doesn't begin with a plan... it begins with an encounter. Before Isaiah was sent, he saw the holiness of God, experienced His grace, and responded with one simple prayer: "Here am I. Send me."

If you've been asking, "How do I know what God wants me to do?" this conversation will encourage you to stop waiting for perfect clarity and start living with courageous availability.

In this episode:

• Why calling doesn't begin with your plan
• The difference between certainty and availability
• Why God doesn't always call the qualified
• How to recognize God's will with one simple response
• What it means to live beyond passivity

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1–8

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Have you ever wondered why spiritual growth seems to take longer than you expected?

In a world obsessed with the hype of success, God often works through slow, unseen transformation. In Episode 5 of the Onward Series at the Pioneer Assembly, Bethany Barr Phillips explores Galatians 6:9 and discovers why God's deepest work often happens where we see the least visible progress.

If you've ever prayed, "Lord, why is this taking so long?"—this episode is for you.

Together we'll explore:

• Why growth often happens beneath the surface
• How ordinary faithfulness shapes extraordinary disciples
• Why comparison steals joy AND perseverance
• How to keep trusting God when you don't see immediate results
• The promise of God's perfect timing and the coming harvest

Whether you're feeling discouraged, spiritually stuck, or simply tired of waiting, this conversation will remind you that slow growth is not failed growth.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." — Galatians 6:9

Don't quit before the harvest.

🎙️ Subscribe to the Pioneer Assembly Podcast and join us each week as we continue the Onward Summer Series.

00:00 Intro: Outlasting the Hype

02:15 Why Is Growth So Slow?

03:40 Galatians 6:9 Explained

05:30 Early Church Insight

07:10 Five Truths for the Waiting Season

07:25 Growth Happens Underground

09:05 Faithfulness Is God's Favorite Pace

10:45 Don't Compare Your Field

12:30 Weariness Doesn't Mean You're Failing

14:20 The Harvest Has an Appointment

17:45 Challenge

18:45 Encouragement

Why do we still feel spiritually empty, even when life seems full?

In episode 4 of the ONWARD Series, Bethany Barr Phillips opens Psalm 42 to explore one of the most honest questions every believer eventually asks: Why am I still hungry?

This episode dives into spiritual dryness, disappointment, unanswered questions, and the quiet danger of apathy. You'll discover that your longing isn't something to suppress—it may be God's invitation to know Him more deeply.

Drawing on Scripture and insights from early church leaders such as Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, this conversation reminds us that our restless hearts were created for something this world can never satisfy.

If you've ever felt distant from God, struggled with a lack of passion, or wondered why your soul still aches despite following Jesus, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Why spiritual hunger is evidence you were made for more
• How to navigate seasons of spiritual dryness
• Why honest questions don't threaten your faith—they deepen it
• The hidden danger of apathy
• Practical ways to cultivate a deeper hunger for God

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Fear has a way of sounding wise. It says things like: “I’m waiting for the right time.” Or “I just need more clarity.”

But what if excuses are actually keeping you stuck?

In this episode of the Onward series, Bethany Barr Phillips dives into Matthew 14, where Peter steps out of the boat and walks on water with Jesus. It’s a story that isn’t really about water—it’s about trust. Peter’s greatest moment wasn’t that he never sank; it was that he was willing to leave the boat in the first place.

We’ll explore:

• Why comfort can become a spiritual prison
• How fear shifts our focus away from Jesus
• Why failure never has the final word
• Three practical ways to move forward in faith this week

Whether you’re wrestling with a calling, a difficult conversation, a career decision, or simply wondering if you’ve heard God correctly, this episode is an invitation to stop waiting for perfect certainty and start taking faithful steps.

Following Jesus has never been about having all the answers >>> It’s always been about trusting the One who says, “Come.”

Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33

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00:00 – What If I Fail? 04:05 – Why We're So Afraid to Fail 06:35 – Matthew 14: Peter Walks on Water 10:15 – The Biggest Risk Is Never Leaving the Boat 12:25 – The Storm Didn't Stop Peter 14:35 – Failure Doesn't Get the Final Word 16:25 – Final Challenge 17:04 – Things You Need to Know

There comes a moment in every believer's journey when the greatest obstacle to moving forward isn't just what's ahead, but it's what keeps pulling us backward.

Old wounds. Former identities. Past failures. Nostalgia for seasons God has already brought us through.

In Episode 2 of the ONWARD series, Bethany explores the tension between God's call to move forward and our tendency to look back. Through the stories of Lot's wife in Genesis 19, Israel's longing for Egypt, and Jesus' words in Luke 9:62, we discover a powerful truth:

You can remember the past without returning to it.

God brought Israel out of Egypt in a single night, but getting Egypt out of Israel took forty years.

Why? Because leaving is often easier than becoming.

If you've ever struggled to let go of an old season, found yourself romanticizing the past, or felt stuck between where God delivered you from and where He's leading you next, this conversation is for you.

It's time to stop living backward and start moving onward.

Gather. Go. Onward.

📖 Scripture: Genesis 19:26 | Luke 9:62

00:00 Why We Keep Looking Back 03:05 Leaving Is Easier Than Becoming 05:40 Why Freedom Feels Uncomfortable 08:15 The Danger of Nostalgia 10:45 Lot's Wife: When Your Heart Lives Behind You 13:20 Jesus and the Plow 15:35 What Are You Still Looking Back At? 17:20 How to Stop Looking Back 20:40 Gather & Go Challenge 22:05 Closing Prayer & Encouragement

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Life is hard. Loss happens. Prayers go unanswered. Relationships fracture. Diagnoses appear. Questions linger. Sometimes faith feels vibrant, and sometimes it feels like you're merely putting one foot in front of the other.

In the first episode of our series, ONWARD, we're talking about what it means to keep moving toward Jesus when following Him becomes more difficult than expected.

Drawing from Philippians 3:12-14, we'll explore Paul's determination to "press on" even though he hadn't arrived, hadn't figured everything out, and hadn't seen every promise fulfilled.

You'll be reminded that the mark of mature faith isn't perfection. It's persistence.

It's learning to keep praying when you're tired... to keep trusting when you don't understand. to keep showing up when growth feels invisible. to keep pursuing Jesus when nobody is pushing you forward but Him.

If you've been discouraged, exhausted, frustrated, or wondering if your slow progress even matters, this conversation is for you.

The goal isn't perfection. The goal is pursuit.

00:00 When faith becomes more difficult than expected 02:43 Life Is Hard: Why shallow Christianity doesn't prepare us for real life 09:20 Philippians 3: Why mature faith isn't struggle-free 12:15 How to Keep Going When Faith Gets Hard 12:16 Stop Expecting Perfection 14:23 Remember Why You Started 15:39 Stop Living Backward 16:44 Keep Moving When Growth Feels Slow 19:26 Practical Ways to Keep Going 21:46 Encouragement for the Tired

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We say we trust God with eternity, but what about tomorrow?

In this final installment of The Good Fight series, Bethany Barr Phillips tackles one of the most common struggles believers face: Fear of the future. The truth is, most of us aren't afraid of what's coming—we're afraid of not being in control of it.

When life feels uncertain, we often chase clarity, overthink decisions, and delay obedience while waiting for guarantees God never promised. But Scripture shows a different path: Faith isn't built through certainty. It's built through trust.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why fear of the future is often a control issue • How faith and fear both look ahead but interpret uncertainty differently • Why God rarely gives full clarity before calling us to move • Five practical ways to walk into the future with confidence instead of anxiety • How to stop demanding answers and start trusting God's presence

Whether you're facing a major transition, waiting on direction, or struggling with uncertainty, this episode will remind you that God is already in the future you're worried about.

Key Scriptures: Joshua 1:9, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 10:17

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." — Corrie Ten Boom

The future isn't a threat. It's an invitation to trust God more deeply than ever before. Follow Pioneer Assembly on Instagram.

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What does it actually cost to follow Jesus?

In this episode of Pioneer Assembly, Bethany Barr Phillips sits down with pastor and longtime friend, Jason Cook, for an honest conversation about discipleship, suffering, surrender, disappointment, obedience, and the reality of counting the cost of the call.

Together, they unpack the tension between calling and comfort, the dangers of shallow Christianity, why so many people become disillusioned in their faith, and how the modern church often underprepares believers for suffering. From the prosperity gospel to perseverance, from loneliness to long obedience, this conversation refuses easy answers and instead points listeners toward a deeper, more durable faith.

They discuss:

• What Jesus really meant by “count the cost.”
• Why suffering & disappointment are part of discipleship.
• The difference between calling, comfort, & unnecessary striving.
• Why salvation is the starting line.
• The role of community in discerning God’s voice.
• How faithfulness is formed over time.

Whether you’re wrestling with disappointment, questioning your calling, walking through hardship, or simply trying to stay faithful in the long obedience of following Jesus, this episode is a reminder that the cost is real… but so is the presence of God.

“The decision to follow Jesus is a one-time decision for all time… that you make every single day.”

Scripture References:

• Luke 14:27–33
• Luke 9:23
• 2 Corinthians 12

About Jason: With over 20 years of public speaking, pastoral, and leadership experience, Jason Cook is truly a master of inspiring every room. He's been a leader in locker rooms, elder rooms, and boardrooms at a young age -- showcasing his wisdom, humility, and skill across multiple settings. Jason has been an entrepreneur, evangelist, itinerant preacher, church planter, team captain, business owner, and current Senior Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. He holds an M.Div from Beeson Divinity School and serves on its Advisory Board. He and his wife, Courtney, have four children: Charlie, Cager, Boss, and Bishop. They live in the Atlanta area with their two dogs, Apollo and Minnie.

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