My Journey to the new Stand Firm Parents Podcast
I’ve been on a journey for the past ten years. Though less exciting than that of Bilbo Baggins, I do feel it’s been as unexpected. Ok, maybe not dwarfs, elves, and dragons unexpected, but unexpected nevertheless. In 2012, I became greatly burdened with the warning in Matthew 24 of “many leaving the faith”. This is a specific future event, but here in America it was already happening. The first number I ran across was from 2009, and according to Barna Research, 35 million Americans who once professed Christ had left the faith. By 2014, Barna reported the number had jumped to 42 million. In 2018, I was seeing numbers as high as 67 million. This was before covid.
My heart broke that those who had experienced the Lord were turning away. As a pastor, I began to realize that meant many of those I’d stood before on Sundays were going to turn away.
This burden led me to write Spiritual Prepper and start Stand Firm. Since beginning to tackle this subject I have had the chance to work with leading researchers, authors, and ministry leaders in helping restore believers to faith. I’ve been able to work with ministries working firsthand with the persecuted church. I had the chance to work with leading prophecy teachers from around the world. Through my studying and relationships, God opened my eyes even more so to the Biblical warnings and how to limit the high number of faith causalities.
Most of my ministry has been sounding the alarm—bemoaning the many leaving the church and often the faith. I’ve been on the defense.
After sounding the warning for so long, I’ve decided to go on the offense and work to help prevent “turning away”. The largest group turning away from the faith is the emerging generation. Lifeway Research has reported that nearly 70% of children raised in church leave by age 22. I want to change that trend.
Please Subscribe to My New Podcast
Through my unexpected journey I feel uniquely poised to tackle the issue and am doing so through the Stand Firm Parents Blog and beginning Mother’s Day Weekend, the Stand Firm Parents Podcast.
I’m stoked about this podcast. It’s been in the works for several years. I’m so glad it’s coming to light.
Stand Firm Parents will be available on every platform podcasts are available. In the podcast, I’m reverse-engineering parenting. I’m starting at the end goal of our children hearing, “Well Done” and looking at how we navigate them to that point. It’s an investigative approach to help families have a faith that lasts. Check out the trailer!
Stand Firm Parents will be available on every platform podcasts are available. In the podcast, I’m reverse-engineering parenting. Share on XThe first two episodes drop Mother’s Day Weekend. In episode 1, I interview Daphne Kirk and Andrew Kirk of Generation 2 Generation. They share about the great opportunity we have as parents—you will be challenged! In episode 2, I interview Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum. Ken shares from his book Already Gone about the unfortunate reality we face as parents. Through the interviews and my reflections parenting will be approached starkly different than parent resources out there!
I would be honored if you would subscribe to Stand Firm Parents so that you won’t miss the first episodes. We have kept episodes from my previous podcast Hold On. You can enjoy those episodes as you wait for Mother’s Day weekend. Apple users subscribe here. Android users here.
Stand Firm Parents is produced in Nashville by DIME Collective with Brandon Harrington as producer.
Executive Director of Stand Firm and lead pastor of Epic Church NWA in Springdale, AR and multiple award-winning author, Jake has a B.A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies from Central Baptist College, and an Advanced Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Former regular contributor to the Baptist Press and WND News with popular conservative voices such as Pat Buchanan, Ann Coulter, Ben Carson, Chuck Norris, Greg Laurie, Ben Schapiro, Joel Richardson, and others. He now is a weekly contributor for Israel, Islam, and the End Times and Armageddon News. He has authored books such as the, award-winning Spiritual Prepper from WND Books. Award-winning devotional books, Invincibleand For Uncertain Times, he authored the ground-breaking children’s book, Jesus and His White Horse from CrossLink Publishing. He is also a regular guest on national and international radio and streaming web shows, along with hosting his weekly live streaming program Talking Stand Firm and weekly podcast Stand Firm Parents.