Rethink & Return with Jason Shepperd

This episode covers Colossians 1:9-14, where Paul gives us a powerful picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus and how we should pray for ourselves and others. As the gospel continues to move and grow, Paul reminds the church that gospel participation requires the power and protection of prayer to persevere.
We’ll explore why one of our greatest desires should be to know the will of God and how spiritual wisdom and understanding come from walking by the Spirit. We’ll also look at what it means to live a life worthy of the Lord—not because we could ever earn His grace, but because honoring His name becomes our aim.
This passage challenges us to consider whether our lives are ultimately being lived to please ourselves, others, or the Lord. We’ll talk about how the same grace that saved us continues to sanctify us and how good works are not a way to earn salvation, but the visible fruit of a life transformed by the gospel.
The conversation also explores what it means to continually grow in the knowledge of God and become stronger in His strength. God’s goal is not for us to remain the same, but to grow in endurance and patience so we can keep going and wait for Him to work.
Finally, we’ll celebrate the joyful reality at the heart of the gospel: we were disqualified, but Jesus has qualified us. He rescued us from the dominion of darkness, brought us into His kingdom, and gave us redemption. This is why we pray, why we care about those who are far from God, and why we step into the lives of others with the message of salvation.
Join us as we discover what it means to become people who pray, grow, endure, give thanks, do good works, and live fully for Jesus.
Additional Resources
Watch or listen to Past Sermons
Start With 7 (Daily Audio Devotionals)
GOOD.GOD.GOSPEL. (How to Have Conversations Toward Salvation)
Learn about Church Project Network and follow our NEW Instagram (@churchprojectofficial)
Read this book by Jason: “A Church of House Churches: An Articulated and Applied Ecclesiology”
Website

This episode covers Colossians 1:3-8 and what it looks like when the Gospel takes root in a church, transforms individual lives, and continues to grow through people who faithfully share it.
Paul begins by thanking God for the Colossian church and praying for them. His example reminds us that praying for our church should become normal—not casually, but always, often, passionately, and with faith. We are in a spiritual war, and prayer is part of the work God has called His people to do.
The Colossians were known for their faith in Christ Jesus and their love for God’s people. But that faith and love didn’t originate within themselves. They sprang from the hope stored up for them in heaven. The Gospel leads to salvation, salvation leads to the giving of the Spirit, and the Spirit becomes a source that is continually flowing and growing in the life of a believer. Jesus remains the ongoing source of our faith and love.
We also see that the Gospel is meant to be heard. People hear the Gospel from other people, and there are still people around us who have never heard its true message. As the Gospel goes throughout the world, it bears fruit, changes lives, produces holiness, and invites every believer to participate in its growth.
Finally, we look at Epaphras—a faithful servant who carried the Gospel to others—and ask a personal question: Who has heard the Gospel from you? Sharing Jesus isn’t pressure; it’s a privilege, a purpose, a passion, and a deep pleasure.
Additional Resources
Watch or listen to Past Sermons
Start With 7 (Daily Audio Devotionals)
GOOD.GOD.GOSPEL. (How to Have Conversations Toward Salvation)
Learn about Church Project Network and follow our NEW Instagram (@churchprojectofficial)
Read this book by Jason: “A Church of House Churches: An Articulated and Applied Ecclesiology”
Website

This episode covers Colossians 1:1-2 and the powerful truths found in the opening words of Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae. Though only two verses, they reveal what it means to be changed by Jesus, called according to God’s will, committed to His mission, connected to His Church, and growing in grace and peace.
Paul begins by identifying himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” His story is a reminder that you are no longer what you were. Paul went from opposing Jesus and persecuting His followers to becoming an apostle proclaiming the Gospel. Salvation by Jesus changes people—He forgives, reconciles, gives His Spirit, and makes us new. Jesus always moves us in the direction of grace, not guilt.
We also explore what it means to live according to the will of God. God calls, gifts, and places people for His purposes, and Jesus is the reason for our calling—not our own satisfaction. The question we should ask first and most is, “What does God want?”
Paul’s mention of Timothy shows us how the mission moves forward: everybody uses their gifts, no one sees themselves as lesser by comparison, and we bring other people into the mission with us.
Finally, Paul addresses God’s holy people—the Church. The Church is not a common community and cannot be treated commonly. It is spiritual family, a people God is making holy together. As we grow in Christ, we walk toward giving more grace, receiving more grace, receiving more peace, and making more peace.
These two verses challenge us to leave behind our old identity, pursue God’s will, use what He has given us, value His Church, and live as people transformed by Jesus.
Additional Resources
Watch or listen to Past Sermons
Start With 7 (Daily Audio Devotionals)
GOOD.GOD.GOSPEL. (How to Have Conversations Toward Salvation)
Learn about Church Project Network and follow our NEW Instagram (@churchprojectofficial)
Read this book by Jason: “A Church of House Churches: An Articulated and Applied Ecclesiology”
Website

This episode covers 2 Peter 3:1-9 and Peter’s urgent call to remember the way of God.

We talk about how Peter, near the end of his life, writes to stir up wholesome thinking by reminding us of the words of the prophets and the commands of Jesus through the apostles. We look at the scoffers who mock the promise of Christ’s return, deliberately forgetting God’s power in creation, the flood, and the coming judgment by fire.

At the heart of it is God’s patience: He is not slow, but patient, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. We also discuss what it means to be people of the Word, hiding Scripture in our hearts, praying it back to God, and using it to disciple others in everyday life.

If you need a fresh reminder to trust God’s timing and keep your mind fixed on Him, this episode is for you.
Additional Resources
Watch or listen to Past Sermons
Start With 7 (Daily Audio Devotionals)
GOOD.GOD.GOSPEL. (How to Have Conversations Toward Salvation)
Learn about Church Project Network and follow our NEW Instagram (@churchprojectofficial)
Read this book by Jason: “A Church of House Churches: An Articulated and Applied Ecclesiology”
Website

This episode covers the raw warning in 2 Peter 2:13-22 about false teachers infiltrating the church, God’s certain payback for the harm they cause, and the shocking reality of those who taste the gospel but return to sin. We unpack how these teachers carouse in broad daylight, seduce the unstable with greed and adultery, promise freedom while enslaved to depravity, and why leaving the straight path leads to worse destruction than never knowing the way at all.
You’ll see the powerful progression of moral decay, the truth that vengeance belongs to the Lord alone, and the sobering Proverbs Peter uses—a dog returning to its vomit and a washed pig wallowing back in the mud—to show that real transformation only happens when we fully submit to Jesus’ lordship. If you’re studying 2 Peter, wrestling with discernment in the church today, or want to protect the purity of the gospel, this deep dive will sharpen your faith and help you spot the fake by knowing the real Jesus.
Perfect for anyone doing Bible study on false teaching, gospel protection, or Christian leadership.
Additional Resources
Watch or listen to Past Sermons
Start With 7 (Daily Audio Devotionals)
GOOD.GOD.GOSPEL. (How to Have Conversations Toward Salvation)
Learn about Church Project Network and follow our NEW Instagram (@churchprojectofficial)
Read this book by Jason: “A Church of House Churches: An Articulated and Applied Ecclesiology”
Website