Finishing Well with Ray Ortlund and Crawford Loritts

Jun 3, 2025

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

This episode is special to me. I sit down with two of my heroes in the faith—Ray Ortlund and Crawford Loritts. These men have been anchors for me in moments of doubt and discouragement, and I wanted to ask them the questions that most pastors eventually ask themselves: How do you stay faithful for the long haul? How do you finish well when so many don't? We talk about the rhythms that sustained them over decades, the call of ministry that’s far more than a career, and what it looks like to fight pride and pursue humility every single day. We also dive deep into marriage, legacy, and the sacredness of being a pastor. If you're in the trenches—especially in your 20s to 40s—this one's for you. I want to finish well, and I know you do too.

In This Episode

[02:00] Rhythms That Sustain the Soul
[05:00] The Call of God vs. a Career in Ministry
[08:00] Shepherding, Not Hiring: A Vision for Pastoral Ministry
[13:00] The Crisis of Calling in a Careerist Culture
[16:00] The Tragedy of Falling Away
[20:00] Discerning the Dangers in Different Seasons
[25:00] Kill the Lion: Confronting Sin Early
[30:00] The Deception of Success
[33:00] The Call to Vulnerability and Brotherhood
[36:00] Marriage, Legacy, and Intimacy
[40:00] Cultivating Lifelong Love with Your Spouse
[45:00] Final Encouragement: Stay Low, Stay Faithful

Resources

Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar
Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp

FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE:

Instagram | Youtube | Website | Newsletter

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, one of the best ways to support the show and make sure others find it, is to subscribe and leave a review. Thank You!

Thank you to our Sponsors

Covenant Eyes

Victory by Covenant Eyes is a powerful tool that helps Christians who are serious and want to quit porn for good or never start. Victory combines industry-leading technology with decades of experience and leadership in recovery content, accountability, and behavior change.

The Victory app, with powerful accountability features built in and the optional blocking technology, makes it an unparalleled tool in the fight to live a porn-free life.

Anyone can get started on their path to recovery for free by visiting: Covenanteyes.com/overcomers for 30 days free.

–

Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co.

For sponsorship inquiries, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co