The Pastor's Common

05/08/2026

Waco, thank you. What a great day together.

Our first ever Preaching Lab in Waco reminded us again that pastors don’t just need more time to learn. We need spaces to be encouraged, sharpened, and reminded why preaching matters in the first place.

Grateful for every pastor and ministry leader who showed up ready to grow and add new tools to the tool belt. From conversations over coffee to sessions that challenged us to preach Christ more clearly and faithfully, it was a needed day.

The goal is never just better sermons. It’s gospel centered preaching that forms disciples, reaches people far from God, and helps churches embody good news in their cities.

Special thanks to Yancey Arrington and Matthew Kim for investing in pastors and serving us so well. Also grateful to John Durham and Highland Baptist Church for hosting us with such generosity.

Pastors, keep preaching Jesus. The gospel still changes people.

04/11/2026

In this conversation with Ed Stetzer, we step back for a 30,000-foot view of what it means to lead with clarity and conviction. It can look like:

- Less reaction
- More discernment
- Less noise
- More wisdom

For leaders trying to make sense of where we are and how to move forward faithfully. with David Foster Jr.

04/08/2026

Check out this article from author, thinker, & pastor Daniel Yang, as he offers a persepctive we tend to miss when it comes to war & conflict.

"The way that the Kingdom expands is hugely different from the way human empires expand. Often when empires expand, the collateral — and sometimes intended — damage is the creation of widows, orphans, poor, and displaced. But when the Kingdom expands, it is the caring for the least of these that makes good out of what should probably never be labeled good unto itself."

By Daniel Yang, Senior Director of Global Mission and Church Movements at World Relief. Prior to that, he was the Director of the Church Multiplication Institute at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. Daniel has been a pastor, church planter, engineer, and technology consultant. Daniel is a sou...

03/13/2026

Pastors and ministry leaders in Waco and Central Texas, this is for you!Join us for The Art of Preaching & Teaching Lab on May 7 at Highland Baptist Church in Waco.

Learn from Dr. Matthew Kim (Truett Seminary) and Dr. Yancey Arrington (Clear Creek Community Church) as they help us grow in preaching that connects, moves people, and forms disciples.

It’s a morning to sharpen your craft, learn alongside other pastors, and be encouraged in your calling.

🕘 9:00AM – 1:30PM
🍽️ Lunch Provided
📍 Highland Baptist Church | Waco, TX
📲 Register now: https://forms.gle/LNqMnrmYK78hiDxS9

03/12/2026

If you're a pastor or church leader facing change, this conversation will encourage you.

On this episode, we sit down with John Whitten (Pioneer Drive Baptist, Abilene) and Jason Atchley (Hunters Glen Baptist, Plano) to talk about navigating change and helping a church become the best version of itself.

Both pastors share honestly about leading with humility, learning from mistakes, and shepherding people through real transition.

02/26/2026

Hey pastors and ministry leaders in El Paso and the surrounding region! Join us for our Spiritual Formation Lab on April 30.

We’ll hear from Pastor Izzy Mendez (ACC Downtown) on A Theology of Formation for Today’s Church Leaders and Pastor Danny Rangel (BT Church) on Crafting a disciple-making framework for your context. We’ll also have a panel with local pastors.

🕘 9:00AM – 1:00PM
🍽️ Lunch Provided
📍 El Paso, TX (El Paso Baptist Association)
📲 Register now: https://forms.gle/kZuqr3fX8d9gq3c37

It’s a space to think deeply about formation, strengthen your disciple-making culture, and be encouraged alongside other leaders around El Paso!

Technology and the Gospel Episode page Episode 19 Conversations 9:56 Biblical Prophecy Episode 1 Theology 14:08 What is the role of prophecy in the Church today? Should believers continue to pursue new revelation? Dr. Bob Utley and David Miranda discuss biblical prophecy using the book of Daniel as....

01/24/2026

When worship is interrupted, we feel it.
When our neighbors suffer, do we?

“It was the religious elite that Amos was condemning for practicing a form of worship that steps over the wounded on its way to the altar.”

A pastoral reflection on protest, sacred space, and the uneasy questions the church must be willing to ask.

By David Foster, Director of the Pastor’s Common Last Sunday, a worship service at Cities Church was interrupted by demonstrators protesting certain immigration policies, in addition to one of the lay elders of Cities Church serving as Field Director for the Federal Immigration and Customs Enfo....

01/21/2026

Everything around us is disciplining us.
The question is who is forming our theology on immigration:

Messaging from for-profit detention centers?
Political rhetoric with fear-driven narratives?

Or the Word of God that commands love for the stranger,
protection for the vulnerable, and to remember that we were once outsiders too.

“19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”(Deuteronomy 10:19)

David Miranda and Steve Bezner discuss how:
Immigration isn’t just a political issue, it’s a spiritual formation issue.

01/15/2026

In this episode, Pastors Jordan Villanueva & Chris McLain, who don't agree on everything, talk about why Baptist colloboration still matters, and what it looks like to stay committed to shared mission. Let this be a hopeful reminder that friendship & collaboration do not require agreement on everything.

11/24/2025

Had an incredible time at the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting!! From the dinner where we heard from Mark DeYmaz about the state of church economics, to the podcast conversations we filmed, it was all fun!

Abilene treated us so well and it was life giving to learn, collaborate, and gather with both familiar faces and new friends. The future & current state of church leadership is bright. Grateful for the conversations, the connections, and the Kingdom work happening across our state.

Already excited for 2026. Cannot wait to see what God does next. 🙌