Rethink & Return with Jason Shepperd
ABOUT PODCAST // Rethink & Return invites followers of Jesus to reimagine the modern church and rediscover the simplicity of the New Testament. Each week, we open God’s Word and have real conversations about what it means to follow Jesus, shepherd His people, and live out the ways of the New Testament. Through honest conversations and biblical teaching, we challenge assumptions, explore decentralized leadership, and return to Christ’s design for His Church. ABOUT HOST // Jason Shepperd is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Church Project, a growing movement of House Churches across cities, states, and nations. With decades of ministry and church-planting experience, Jason has championed a decentralized model of leadership that equips ordinary believers to shepherd local communities in simple, biblical ways.
Episodes
This episode covers what it really means to restore people with grace. Centered on Galatians 6:1–6, we talk about how to gently bring others back, carry each other’s burdens, and build a culture of accountability without becoming judgmental. The conversation digs into confession, repentance, and what it looks like to live out restoration in real community. Whether you’re walking through your own struggles or helping someone else ba...
This episode covers the lonely cost of leading like a pioneer. We dig into what it means to lead with conviction, stay true to biblical values, and build a church culture that lasts. The conversation explores the challenges of leadership without compromise, the reality of isolation in pioneering roles, and practical ways to maintain clarity and courage in the face of disappointment. If you’re in ministry or leading a team, this epi...
This episode covers why the fruit of the Spirit cannot be understood apart from its source, the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 contrasts the destructive works of the flesh with the transforming power of the Spirit, reminding us that if there is no Spirit, there is no fruit. We unpack how this passage has often been sanitized, reducing love, joy, peace, and kindness to surface-level niceness, instead of seeing them defined by the life of ...
This episode covers the leadership mandate in a time of cultural upheaval. The conversation explores why this moment is different, how to lament well, and what it means to care for your city, yourself, and your church community. It highlights four key signposts and three essentials for every leader: give clarity, offer courage, and create context. This is a call to step boldly into God’s mandate and pray for an obvious move of God ...
This episode covers what Paul teaches in Galatians 5 about true freedom and how it is always tied to God’s order. Discover why freedom without God’s order is chaos, why sin always leads to addiction, and how walking by the Spirit is the only way to live free.
If you’ve ever wondered how to walk in the Spirit and live out your freedom in Christ without drifting into chaos, this episode will give you clarity, conviction, and encourage...
This episode covers Paul’s warning to the Galatians, reminding us that salvation rests in Christ alone. We examine the difference between living through the Spirit and striving by works, how subtle distortions creep into the gospel, and why misplaced values leave us enslaved. The conversation unpacks how suffering, success, and tradition can all pull us off course—and how the Spirit calls us back to run the race with endurance, roo...
This episode covers the freedom found only in Christ. The gospel is not Jesus plus our works—it’s Jesus alone. When we add to it, we carry burdens we were never meant to carry. When we abuse it, we trade freedom for slavery. This conversation looks at how God’s nature is freedom, why grace is not a license to sin, and why standing firm in the gospel keeps us from drifting back into old patterns.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Audio Devo...
This episode covers the challenge of scaling leadership and why starting, staying, and sustaining growth each demand different skills. From the early days of casting vision with words, to embedding values into culture through repetition, Jason and Dave unpack how communication shifts as an organization grows. They explore the difference between leading with vision and leading with values, the process of crafting language that stick...
This episode covers why Jesus spoke so often about money and generosity, what 2 Corinthians 9 teaches about the laws of giving, and how generosity is tied to the gospel, freedom, and joy.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Audio Devotionals: startwith7.com
Have Conversations Toward Salvation: goodgodgospel.com
Church Project Network: churchprojectnetwork.com
Good City: goodcity.org
“A Church of House Churches: An Articulated and Ap...
This episode covers the real struggles of ministry life—the scrutiny leaders face, the temptation to strive, and how vulnerability can become a pathway to strength. Special guest Jeff Vanderstelt shares wisdom on abiding in Christ, breaking free from the subtle addiction to ministry, and living out God’s design for healthy leadership. Whether you’re in full-time ministry or simply navigating the weight of expectations, this convers...
This episode covers the call to bring our “first and best” to God through the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. The conversation unpacks how giving is more than a financial act—it’s worship, it’s protection against greed, and it’s a pathway to joy. Listeners will learn why generosity keeps our hearts soft, how idolatry can creep in when we withhold, and practical steps for starting a lifestyle of giving that honors God first.
Web...
This episode covers the unseen side of leadership—the toll it takes, the rhythms that sustain it, and the deep responsibility that comes with leading a local church. Jason unpacks how to build rest into your life without losing momentum, why seasons of ministry require different approaches, and the expectations every leader should place on themselves. Whether you’re a church planter, a ministry leader, or someone carrying influence...
This episode covers the vital role of the local church in God’s plan, reminding us that while the world prepares us to live against Jesus, we are called to prepare one another to live for Him. From 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10, we see that though full redemption will not come this side of heaven, God has chosen the local church as His primary instrument for gospel work until Christ returns. We are called to gratitude, endurance, and Spir...
This episode covers what happens when pastors get honest about their shortcomings, their struggles with comparison, and the temptation to trade conviction for comfort. Jason sits down with Peter Mutabazi — foster dad, leader, and advocate — to talk about why so many churches feel like corporations, why some leaders feel stuck on stage, and how authenticity can rebuild trust in a lonely calling.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Audio Devo...
This episode covers the journey from rescue to redemption through the lens of Peter Mutabazi’s remarkable story. In this episode of Rethink and Return, Jason and Dave reflect on Peter’s transformation—from a nameless orphan in a gutter to a man fathering dozens through foster care—and how his life vividly illustrates the gospel. They challenge us to move beyond healing into purpose, from survival to sacrifice, and into the kind of ...
This episode covers the weight of pastoring and how easily ministry can distort your identity. From comparison and discouragement to decentralization and leadership clarity, this conversation challenges pastors to stay rooted in who God created them to be. Faithfulness requires grit, but also a willingness to say “no,” stay small, and remember why you started.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Audio Devotionals: startwith7.com
Have Convers...
This episode covers the sacred nature of work and the call to pursue both rest and excellence. From the beginning, God modeled meaningful work in creation, revealing that labor is not a curse but a reflection of His character. Rooted in Genesis 1 and 2, this conversation reframes work—not as a means to earn or prove, but as an act of worship. Whether in ministry or the marketplace, we’re invited to work with all our might, not for ...
This episode is a continuation of Jason's conversation with Jeff about church planting. While planting a church is a huge step in the process, Jason and Jeff break down the weight of building a team that loves Jesus and loves the mission of the church. To be part of a church is to be part of the whole church, united in Christ to spread the gospel throughout our city.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Audio Devotionals: startwith7.com
...
This episode covers the qualities needed to plant a church. Church planting is hard, but not impossible. Having people by your side, resting well, and enduring the struggle are all ways pastors can remain diligent in their pursuit of bringing the gospel to their local community and beyond.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Audio Devotionals: startwith7.com
Have Conversations Toward Salvation: goodgodgospel.com
Church Project Network: chur...
This episode covers the hope and purpose found in suffering. Through the lens of the gospel, we see that pain is never wasted—God uses it to refine us, draw us closer to Him, and reveal His strength in our weakness. Suffering is not the absence of God’s love, but often the place where His presence is most deeply known. In Christ, even our hardest moments are filled with eternal meaning and future glory.
Website: jasonshepperd.com
Au...
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