The RISE Leadership Podcast

Most people think serving is what you do before real leadership starts. They're wrong. 

In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with Nick Bethea — Cross Church's Pastor of Growth and Leader Development — to talk about why serving isn't a stepping stone. It's THE thing. 

Nick unpacks why leadership is service, service is obedience, and obedience leads to godliness — and what it actuall...

What do you do when you can see a problem your organization doesn't know it has? 

That's exactly where Ryan Blackwell found himself as Executive Pastor of Cross Church — watching a healthy, growing church with campuses, baptisms, and momentum, and seeing something most people at the table weren't seeing: the leadership bench wasn't deep enough for where the church was headed. 

In this episode, Ryan walks us through ho...

In this episode Pastor Ralph Johnson discusses lessons of leadership and personal growth that the Lord has taught him through an early career in the Navy and his transition into the ministry. From insight on organizational structures, to discipleship, to personal growth and transformation, Pastor Ralph dives into wisdom that will strengthen any lay leader, minister, or man or woman in the military or work force. 

Send us Fan Ma...

What happens when God blesses your career more than you deserve — and you start believing you earned it? In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with James Young, who spent 29 years at Tyson Foods climbing from a night shift plant manager to Group Vice President of International, overseeing operations across five continents. James gets brutally honest about the demotion that became his greatest stepping ...

You're praying for clarity. You're waiting for God to tell you what to do. But what if that's not actually what He's after? 

Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Izzy Hoffarth sit down with Dr. Nick Floyd — Senior Pastor of Cross Church and author of When You Don't Know What to Do — for an honest conversation about the seasons where you feel stuck and God seems silent. 

Nick opens up about why desperation can be the healthiest ...

You're not trying to build a platform. You're trying to steward one. In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with Hollywood producer and media consultant Phil Cooke and executive producer Dan Wathen — two men who've spent decades helping the world's largest churches and ministries communicate the gospel more effectively. In this conversation, they get honest about what a media-driven world actually deman...

The next generation doesn't need a better show, they need a real home. In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon is joined by co-hosts Ben Stoken and Mark Hutchinson to sit down with Noah Herrin, lead pastor of Way Church in Nashville and author of “Holy Habits” and “Welcome to Manhood.” Noah planted Way Church in September 2023, and in under two years has seen over 1,500 people give their life to Jesus, including 5...

What does it actually cost to say yes to God's call? In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Izzy Hoffarth sit down with Cross Church Missions Pastor Julio Arriola — a man whose story spans Mexico, Argentina, Nashville, Texas, and Northwest Arkansas. Julio planted a church in Guadalajara that grew to become the largest Baptist church in a city of 1.5 million people, and has since coached and deployed church planters across the ...

Shelley Simpson is the President & CEO of J.B. Hunt Transport Services — one of the largest logistics companies in North America, with over 33,000 employees. She started as an hourly customer service rep. She climbed every rung. And she did it without letting go of her faith, her family, or her character. 

In this conversation recorded at Cross Church’s Summit Business Luncheon, Senior Pastor Nick Floyd goes dee...

What does real leadership growth look like? 

In this episode of the Rise Leadership Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with executive coach Ben Cashion to talk about the three critical jumps leaders must make as they grow: becoming a five-star contributor, learning to lead as a builder manager, and stepping into enterprise leadership. 

Ben shares practical insight from years of coaching CEOs and high-capa...

Most people picture ministry on a stage. 

But what if real ministry also looks like boardrooms, budgets, and carrying the weight of decisions that affect thousands of lives? 

In this episode of the RISE Leadership Podcast, Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with Jeff Pearson, Executive Director of Compassion 479 and Strategic Initiatives at Cross Church. 

Before joining church staff, Jeff spent nearly three decade...

What if the very thing you walked through is the very thing God wants to use? 

In this episode of The RISE Leadership Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with Cross Church dream teamer Kelly Stamps to explore how God turns seasons of waiting, pain, and ordinary obedience into powerful ministry. Kelly never set out to build a platform but through simple faithfulness, God used her story to impact thousands and t...

What really happens behind the scenes of worship ministry? 

In this episode, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and co-host Phil McMichael sit down with Nick Hardeman, Cross Church’s Associate Worship Pastor/ Springdale Campus Director, to give an inside look at worship ministry at Cross Church. From auditions and development to heart posture and biblical worship, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what it means to lead people int...

In Part 2 of our Don’t Flinch conversation, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and co-host Phil McMichael sit down again with Cross Church Senior Pastor, Dr. Nick Floyd, for a candid and behind-the-scenes look at how Cross Church is navigating one of the most significant seasons of change in its 150+ year history.

Dr. Floyd shares the story of Cross Church’s long legacy of faithful leadership, the evolution into a multi-campus church, and...

As we kick off Season 2 and step into a new year filled with uncertainty, change, and transition, how do leaders stay steady instead of shaken? 

In this episode of the RISE Leadership Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael sit down with Dr. Nick Floyd, Senior Pastor of Cross Church, to unpack what it really means to not flinch when leadership gets heavy. 

Rooted in 1 Corinthians 15:58, this conversation explores how t...

Coach Houston Nutt—one of the most beloved Razorback coaches of all time—joins Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael to talk about the power of positivity in leadership. From his days as a three-time SEC Coach of the Year to guiding players toward grit, mental toughness, and academic excellence, Coach Nutt shares the principles that fueled his career and still inspire leaders today. In this episode, you’ll hear abou...

In this episode of The RISE Leadership Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Phil McMichael our back in our Introduction to Ministry series with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most influential—and often least understood—areas of church life: Media Ministry. 

They’re joined by Brian Dunaway and Justin Hume, two of the key leaders shaping the creative, technical, and storytelling engine of Cross Church. From wee...

What do you do when you inherit something broken? Most leaders will eventually step into a role they didn’t start—whether it’s a ministry, a team, or an organization—and face the challenge of rebuilding trust, culture, and vision. In this episode of The RISE Leadership Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Dixon and Dr. Nick Floyd sit down with Dr. Jon Chasteen, Lead Pastor of Victory Church in Dallas, former President of The...