New Work Fellowship Podcast

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Josh is joined by Michael, Evan, and A.B. as New Work Fellowship begins the Wind and Fire series and a conversation about practicing life in the Holy Spirit. The episode kicks off with the Baptist Comfort Scale, testing just how nervous things like raised hands, spontaneous worship, public prayer, “God gave me a word,” and the dreaded church tambourine can make a room full of Baptists. Beneath the laughs is an important question: how do we become more open to the Holy Spirit without confusing His leading with our own feelings, preferences, or agendas?

The conversation turns practical as the team explores Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit and what it means to actually live attentive to His presence. From conviction and Scripture to the fruit of the Spirit and the simple “Here I Am” prayer, the challenge is not merely to believe the Spirit is present, but to listen and respond when He leads. What might change if we began each day asking the Holy Spirit to fill us, lead us, and use us, and then actually expected Him to answer? 

WIND & FIRE
“Let me introduce you”
John 16:7–15

When I cannot control the winds of change raging around me—
I can surrender to the Wind and Fire of God within me.

BELIEVE THE PROMISE

See John 16:7, “It is best for you that I go away.”
What is the benefit?

Better than Jesus beside them,
was the Holy Spirit within them.

Romans 8:11, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”

When you confess Christ as Lord/Savior The Holy Spirit lives in you.

TRUST THE ADVOCATE

See John 16:7, “If I go away, I will send the Advocate.”

The Holy Spirit is not against you. He is for your good.

Romans 8:1, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus”.

Be careful:
 Eph 4:30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…”
 1 Thess 5:19, “Do not quench the Spirit”

James 4:8, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

PRACTICE THE PRESENCE

John 16:12, “There is so much more…”

The here I am prayer:
Holy Spirit, here I am.
Fill me.
Lead me.
Use me.
You are welcome in me.

What starts with studio volume battles, office route rivalries, and an intense "friendship draft" for apocalyptic scenarios quickly turns into an honest, unscripted look at what it truly means to do life together. Josh, Paxton, Michael, Steve, and Tate gather around the table to unpack the closing message of the Winds of Change series on loneliness. Between hilarious road trip stories, nightmare phone glitches, and banter over who you’d actually trust to change a flat tire at midnight, the crew wrestles with a compelling question: in a culture obsessed with affirmation, who are the real people in your life willing to fight for you—and even fight with you?

Moving beyond lighthearted roasts, the conversation cuts deep into the cultural shift toward digital companionship and synthetic advice. The guys explore the irreplaceable power of physical presence, showing up in moments of tragedy, and the sharpening friction that comes with true accountability. From celebrating a wave of recent baptisms to looking ahead to the upcoming Wind and Fire series on the Holy Spirit, this episode is a warm, witty, and convicting reminder that we were never designed to navigate life alone.

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Alone in the Crowd
Ecclesiastes 4:8-12

We were not made to do life alone
Partnership increases effectiveness

 

We need people who will work with us
Never underestimate people who share a common purpose OR A COMMON ENEMY
Hebrews 10:24

We need people who will pick us up
Galatians 6:1-2

We need people who will stay close
Romans 12:15

We need people who will fight with us
Fight with us, fight for us, and sometimes fight us
Proverbs 27:6

 

There is an answer to loneliness that friends can’t fix

Ephesians 2:12-13, 19

This week on Beyond Sunday, Paxton, Michael, Josh, and Tate take Kevin’s message from Ecclesiastes into a conversation about something most of us wrestle with: our desire to control what was never ours to control. After a hilariously personal listener question and a game about whether we’d actually want to know what’s coming next in life, the conversation turns toward anxiety, uncertainty, and the scorecards we often use to measure whether life is going well.

The guys get especially personal about their own experiences with anxiety, surrender, prayer, Scripture, therapy, and the importance of walking through difficult seasons alongside other believers. What does it actually look like to “take every thought captive”? Is surrender something we do once, or something we have to choose again every day? And what happens when God doesn’t calm the storm around us, but instead begins calming the storm within us? It’s an encouraging conversation about loosening our grip on the outcome and learning to trust the God who is already there.

Winds of Change
“Rest in the Wind”
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, 12:13-14
 

#1 Admit Life is Wind

See Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
“time and chance”—

I don’t always shape my moments.
Sometimes my moments shape me.

Anxiety is what happens when my expectation assumes
a guarantee that God never gave.

Philippians 2:6, [Jesus] “who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…”

#2 Relinquish the scorecards that do not satisfy

Four success scorecards:
Affluence—see Matthew 6:19
Appearance—see 1 Samuel 16:7
Approval—see Galatians 1:10
Authority—see Mark 10:42-45

 

#3 Surrender all, to the God who makes life whole

See: Ecclesiastes 12:13–14.

When God gets smaller, my problems get louder.
When God gets bigger, my soul gets quieter.

Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”

Sometimes God calms the storm around us,
And sometimes he calms the storm within us.
But either way, His peace is always enough.

This week on Beyond Sunday, Josh is joined by Evan Ryan, Paxton Redd, and Michael Shearon for a conversation about wealth, contentment, and what money can never provide. After imagining what kind of ridiculously rich people they’d become, the conversation turns toward Ecclesiastes 5 and Paxton’s message, Chasing Coins. They unpack how comparison and ambition quietly steal contentment, why wealth makes a terrible source of security, and how enjoying what God has already given us may be one of His greatest gifts.

The guys also wrestle with a challenging question: Would having more money actually make us more generous, or simply reveal what’s already in our hearts? From stewardship and tithing to trusting God when finances feel uncertain, the conversation points toward a better definition of wealth: learning to be content in Christ and willing to use what we have for His Kingdom. Plus, hear about Residency Awareness Month, Friend Day, Lakeside Baptism, and what’s coming next at New Work.

Winds of Change: Timeless Wisdom for our Anxious World
Chasing Coin
Ecclesiastes 5:10-20

3 Realities of Wealth

Dissatisfaction of Wealth
There are things money cannot buy
When we protect instead of stewarding its dangerous

 

Instability of Wealth
You never truly own what you can't keep.
Never anchor your security to something you can lose.

 

Contentment is the Greatest Wealth
Enjoyment is greater than accumulation
Money makes a wonderful gift, but it cant be more than that

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This week, Josh Hensley joins Paxton Redd, Steve Buttram, and April Oatts for a conversation that begins with a lighthearted game about everyday temptations before turning to Michael's message on Solomon and the subtle nature of sin. The group explores how compromise rarely happens all at once, why temptation is dangerous even for spiritually mature people, and how seemingly harmless habits can slowly pull us away from God's best.

The discussion also highlights the hope found in repentance by comparing Solomon's life with David's, reminding listeners that failure doesn't have to define the end of the story. The team shares practical ways to pursue holiness through accountability, authentic Christian living, and influence in everyday life before wrapping up with updates on Residency Awareness Month, Friend Day, Lakeside Baptism, and Promotion Sunday as New Work Fellowship prepares for a busy August.

Sermon Series – Ecclesiastes – The Winds of Change
Sermon – When Love Fails
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:9, I Kings 11:1-13

No one is immune to sin (I Kings 11:1-4)
Be careful when you think “that could never be me” (I Corinthians 10:12)

Sin never stops where you think it will (I Kings 11:5-8)
What you tolerate today you will embrace tomorrow

Sin can ruin what God has planned for your life (I Kings 11:9-13)
Sin can ruin you… but it doesn’t have to…