Unfinished People

On today's episode, we begin a series called Gospel Conversations. Sounds simple, right? Not in the least. We thought we knew what that word... Gospel... meant. Nope. Our understanding was so shallow, reductionistic. We've been swimming in the kiddie pool when we could have been sailing a vast ocean of grace.But that's ok. It's part of being unfinished... even as pastors. It's the truth that Jesus is always working on us. And friends... he's really good at it. We frame today's Gospel Conversation with the first time the Gospel is ever mentioned in the Bible. And surprise... it's not the New Testament. Are you ready for this? It's in the first few pages of the Bible. A couple of naked humans are cowering behind some fig leaves and they hear the Gospel.

In this episode, we talk about the amazing reality of a God who actually wants to be friends with us. Jesus even said this: I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends. Abraham was called God's friend. But we don't just wanna just throw some Bible at you. We want to continue to be honest about the struggle, the incomplete nature, that straddling walk between this world and another. And... since Jesus is calling us friends, wouldn't it be nice to know how to enjoy this invisible friendship? We dig in on Episode 003 of Unfinished People. Thanks for joining us. 

We jump right into the deep end this week as we give you an inside look at what happens when pastors feel like quitting. We discuss our experience in an obscure prison in Rome that floored us both. Standing in the place where Paul “finished” his race for Jesus left us with big questions about true success in the Kingdom of God. The answers couldn’t have been more surprising.  Come along as we marvel at the beauty of reaching the end of ourselves and discovering a path straight to the heart of Jesus.  Mamertine Prison - WikipediaMammertine Prison

Welcome to our very first episode. We introduce the idea of being unfinished followers of Jesus in a very broken world. How can we represent Jesus well in these jars of clay? We make the case for authenticity and a clear view of a heart that is led by Jesus.

Hey there,Welcome to the Unfinished People podcast. I'm Chad Ellenburg and my co-host is Brandon Zieske. We are both pastors who love and follow Jesus. And we are both very aware of how unfinished we are.Each week, we will talk about the struggle and the beauty of living and breathing in these unfinished vessels. The apostle Paul describes this as carrying around the Treasure of Jesus in mere "jars of clay." Don't we know it.At the coronation of Jesus on the cross, when he punched death in the mouth, he said "it is finished." So why doesn't it feel like it? If you connect with that sentiment, come have a listen. Thanks.