The Down to Earth Podcast

In this week's episode, I wanted to recommend Mark Dever's book on the Great Commission. In this short, helpful book Dever helps readers understand the Great Commission in light of God's design in fulfilling it - the local church. Listen in on how the Scriptures and this resource reveal "the local church is God's plan for evangelism, discipleship, and the Great Commission."

This past December, I had the joy and privilege to preach the opening message of the Advent season at my home church, Ocean Park Baptist Church (Jax, FL). We opened the series with a direct focus and emphasis on the Light, who is Jesus Christ in John 1, and the holiness of God, both in His Person and in His Purity. We also look at how the Light exposes what is in the darkness and points us to God’s Holiness, Truth, and Life.

What a joy and privilege it was to catch up with my old friend, Caleb Crittendon, and to talk about two important roles of the Church, missions and discipleship and specifically how Hope Point Church in Spartanburg, SC puts these roles into practice, both locally and globally.

In the final episode of season 2, I would love to praise and give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and grace during the most overwhelming and uncertain season of my entire life and to encourage you, and your local church, with how to not only be honest about your struggles and your needs, but also how to accept help and support from those who offer it. I hope and pray that this story of God's grace and the church's support brings you much comfort, encouragement, and joy.

On this week's episode, I have another book recommendation for you! "How Can I Serve My Church?" by Matthew Emadi."Believers display the greatness of God’s kingdom to a hostile world when. We selflessly serve each other and those around us. In this short booklet, Matthew Emadi explains the vital roles we play within the church. Through acts of service including hospitality, ministry, and evangelism, we bless our communities and long to hear Jesus one day say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant'."

On this weeks episode, Will Broadus, out of Greenville, SC, shares his passion and love for the transformative power of the gospel in the lives of his congregants and the people in his community. We also take a brief look at Hebrews 10:24-25 and discuss the importance of Christian's regularly gathering together.

It was so much fun being able to talk with the first retired pastor of the podcast and to gain so much wisdom from someone who faithfully served the Lord through pastoring for 45 years! Listen in as we discuss how pastors can connect with their congregation, what pastors tend to under/over estimate about pastoring, and the importance of diligently working on your marriage while also leading a congregation.

This week, I would like to share my sermon from Sunday, March 23rd. I pray that the Lord blesses you through His Word as we look at 1 John 3:11-4:21 and learn what love really is according to how God has revealed Himself in His Word.

Enjoyed being able to catch up and talk with my friend, Matt Purvis, and discuss the importance of discipleship, a unified church staff despite their differences, and the ultimate authority of God's Word.

"Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body - the gospel of Jesus Christ."

On this weeks episode, we get to hear from James Barnes, the Lead Pastor of Wrens Baptist Church in Wrens, Georgia. New to this pastoral role, James provides unique and insightful conversation as he talks about his new local congregation and some of the most influential people in his life that have provided wisdom and guidance in his pastoral ministry.

Keith Foskey, pastor of Sovereign Grace Family Church in Jacksonville, FL joins the Down to Earth Podcast and shares how he got into pastoral ministry, how he would like to see his local congregation grow spiritually, and how he would encourage new pastors entering the ministry to "smell like sheep" as they lead and shepherd their congregations.

Lately I have wanted to be more intentional about having practical definitions of words or phrases that are commonly used in the Bible, at church, or in Christian circles. Words and phrases like “blessed”, or “abiding in Christ”, or “fellowship”, etc. Sometimes, we can be so familiar with a word or phrase that we forget the actual meaning, weight, or depth of it. In this episode, with the help of a book recommendation and a few pastor friends of mine, we are going to look at what the gospel is and what the implications are for those who believe it.

Thankful to have the opportunity to sit down and talk with my little brother, Shaun Forrester, and reflect on how good and faithful the Lord has been in his life and how the Lord has been using him to teach and disciple students!

Big thanks to my friend, Trevor Hoffman, teaching pastor of Ridgewood Church in Greer, SC for joining the podcast! In this episode we talk a lot about the true meaning of biblical community and fellowship, and why it is important for Christians to be intentional about loving and serving one another, both inside and outside of the gathering on Sundays.

What started as a simple interaction with a customer, quickly turned into a Jesus-honoring friendship. Listen in as Bishop Harry Williams shares his story and how the Lord is using him and his church to meet both the spiritual and physical needs in their community!

The first book recommendation of season two is here! Listen in to the brief overview of one of my favorite books so far in the 9 Marks series, Building Healthy Churches. Does the why, when, and how of the corporate worship gathering really matter according to the Bible? Why does God gather Christians to worship on Sundays? Is worship really more than just the singing section of the worship service? These are questions that Matt Merker answers as he helps us look to the Scriptures to see what God has to say about why God gathers His people together for worship.

Eternally grateful for my dad, Ken Forrester, and the wisdom that he is willing to share as we start season 2! Listen in as we talk about the favorite child in the family; the importance for pastor's to have a healthy ministry/home life balance; the necessity of the role of the pastor's wife; and a plethora of other helpful areas for both pastors and church members alike!

The first season recap of the podcast! Take a few minutes to listen in to some encouraging themes and common ideas that were present throughout the first season; another book recommendation, specifically about how church members can serve their pastors; and lastly, a few updates about the future of the podcast!

Will Pareja joins the Down to Earth Podcast from Chicago, IL giving us insight to the city as he shares about Addison Street Community Church, his ministry journey, and how he has learned from church conflict and would encourage other pastors and church members alike.

Matt Owen from Community Bible Church in Orange Park, FL sits down and opens up about his ministry journey and dives into the importance of church members genuinely encouraging their pastors and how the gospel needs to be at the center of the local church from which everything else springs.

Back again with another book recommendation! Today I would like to recommend Jonathan Leeman's book on church membership. Whether you have been a church member for quite some time, a former church member, or maybe you have never been connected to a local church, this book is for you! Leeman simply, and yet, profoundly, explains what the local church is, as well as its significance, and why it is important for Christians to commit to being a part of it. I hope that this book will be helpful reminder or refresher to those who have been faithful members of a local church or a helpful starting point to those interested in learning more!

Allen has been the Lead Pastor at Sunrise Community Church in Atlantic Beach, FL since January of 2013. He received his MDiv from The Masters Seminary (2005) and a DMin from Southern Seminary (2017). Allen and his wife, Mindy, have 3 children, Kate, Jacob, and Karis. Allen loves the outdoors-especially fishing, reading, and spending time with the family.

Jonathan Crum is a preacher, life coach, theologian and chaplain. He works at Gordon-Conwell as an admissions representative while earning his Masters in Theological studies. Currently Jonathan lives in Jax with his wife and two kids and enjoys all things Marvel.

I am grateful for my new friend, Kevin Bigelow, and his willingness to meet with me and talk about his church planting experience, the importance of healthy church leadership, and his love for his local church in Jax Beach, FL!Music By:Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Excited to have Daniel Barta from Christ Fellowship Northwest in Travelers Rest, SC! Daniel serves as the pastor for discipleship and executive administration. Listen in as we discuss our mutual hatred for Clemson athletics, the local church, and how the Lord uses difficult ministry situations in the lives of pastors and church members.

In this episode, Silas gives a brief update on the podcast, life events, and how the Lord is working in his current circumstances.

We are happy to have Chul Yoo from Christ Community Church out of Ashton, Maryland on today's episode as we discuss his extensive ministry journey and learn about how the Lord has used him as a local church pastor, a church planter, and in church revitalization/merger efforts!Music by:Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Happy Thanksgiving from the Down to Earth podcast! We are excited to release the 5th episode today where host, Silas Forrester, gets to talk with his brother, Stephen, about his ministry journey and his passion for the local the church!Music by:Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Another book recommendation for you! If you are seeking out a local church and are curious what to look for or if you are just curious of what a healthy church should look like and/or consist of, I would highly recommend Mark Dever's What is a Healthy Church?.Music by:Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Silas Forrester, the host of the Down to Earth Podcast, is happy to have his very own pastor join him for today's episode! Chris Partyka from Ocean Park Baptist Church in Jacksonville Beach, FL will be answering some questions about his testimony , church life, and the importance of church membership!Music by:Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/a

Jim Thompson is one of the teaching and equipping pastors at Fellowship Greenville. He is also a published author and he just released his latest book Sing Loud, Die Happy - An Exploration of How God's Gift of Song is Meant to Change us.Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Due to scheduling conflicts with multiple pastor friends, Silas Forrester releases his first episode on the Down to Earth Podcast as a book recommendation. He will briefly explain the point of these episodes, as he will do book recommendations every so often! His first recommendation is Rediscover Church by Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman.Music by:Lucid Dreaming by | e s c p | https://escp-music.bandcamp.comMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This is an introduction episode to the Down to Earth Podcast, where the host, Silas Forrester, gives some background information and a brief explanation of the purpose of this new podcast.