Episodes

One of the best ways to learn is by asking questions. And, on this messy walk with Jesus, we are all trying to learn and grow. If we will put aside our pride and take time to ask someone farther ahead than us, we can avoid some of their mistakes, be prepared for the future, and probably be reassured that we aren't crazy. For the next several weeks, rookie pastor, Matt Dalton, will host a series of questions to a veteran pastor, Adam Cook. These questions apply to anyone in any capacity of minist...

Yes, you read that correctly! Episode 95 of our podcast is actually a rebroadcast of a previous episode. Pastor Adam Cook and Pastor Matt Dalton, along with some other pastors, are currently on a mission trip with Casas por Cristo in the Dominican Republic. In this episode, Allie Crabbs explains what the purpose is behind Casas por Cristo. She also explains a little about how life in the Dominican Republic differs from life in America.

After a two week break from Christmas and New Year's, the Messy Walk Podcast is back! We wrap up a lengthy series on the decline of the church in America with this 11th episode of Symptoms of a Dead Church. Today, Pastor Adam in joined by special guest, Marcie Hodges. Marcie grew up Catholic, has been a follower of Jesus for a long time, and is an airline flight attendant with Southwest Airlines. Her vast travels and interactions with people all over the country give her a unique perspective on ...

As the American church declines in attendance and membership, and we struggle to understand it, maybe our definition of "church" needs some work. Join Pastor Adam and special guest, Scott Limerick, for an honest look at issues in the American church. Scott currently serves with Compassion International as he works with local churches in America to rescue children out of poverty in the name of Jesus across the world. Scott shares his own messy walk, his encounter with Jesus, and his unique perspe...

Some of the reasons why the church in America is in decline are complex and compounded by many variables. Other reasons are quite simple. Special guest host, Olivea Cook, sits down with her dad, Pastor Adam, to discuss her perspective on this decline. And, her answer is quite simple. Coming from the point of view of a teenage Christian, Olivea shares her thoughts on young people being disillusioned with the church by Christians who are (without a better way to say it) fake. When we fail to pract...

What if one of the main causes of the decline of Christianity in America is not organizational? What if the root is not something the church is ignoring or doing wrong? What if it is deeper than that? Pastor Adam sits down with Mike Wallace, a pastor's kid and a retired police detective who spent 4 decades on the force, to discuss the lack of Godly male leadership in our communities. Through issues of his own, Mike discusses the need for me to be like Jesus and the sacrifice that requires. This ...

So, the church in America is declining. What is causing that? Well, the fact that more and more pastors and ministry leaders are considering quitting might be a bigger reason than we think. The number that is really scary (and telling) is that over 50% of young pastors (millennials) are seriously considering leaving the ministry all together. Pastor Adam sits down with Missionary Josh Crabbs to discuss the leadership shortage in the church, what's causing it, and what we can do about it. This ho...

What is causing such a steep decline in Christianity in the American Church? According to guest host Heaven Leigh Dalton (yes, that's really her name), it comes down to deep divisions in the church and personal preferences. Maybe the church is alienating people and becoming less attractive to the younger generation because we are dying on the wrong hill(s). Join Pastor Adam and Heaven for a deep discussion on political polarity, division, disunity, personal preferences, and way too much focus on...

Join us on a shorter episode for a pause from our current series as Chloe discusses what God is doing in her life right now and Adam discusses what's next for the Messy Walk Podcast. Great things are ahead!

On today's episode of the Messy Walk Podcast, Pastor Adam is joined by special guest Ian Duggar! Ian is a missionary in the Dominican Republic with an organization called Casas por Cristo along with his wife Alyssa. Join Pastor Adam Cook and Ian Duggar as they discuss Ian's perspective on why the church in America is in decline. This conversation was recorded on an iPhone in the Dominican Republic. Listen to Ian's unique perspective on the disunity in the church and the complacency of Christians...

On today's episode of the Messy Walk Podcast, Chloe is joined by special guest Tara Ferris! Tara has a blog called "The Church Hopper" where her goal is to visit all of the churches in Danville, Virginia (known to be the "city of churches"), and write honestly about her experiences at each church. We knew she was the perfect candidate to be part of this series because of all her experience with various local churches! Join Chloe and Tara as they discuss Tara's perspective on why the American chu...

For the first time in American history, membership in religious houses of worship has dropped below the majority line. And the decline has been steep and fast. In this episode, pastor Adam and guest host Stephanie Lee (she was also a guest on Episode 55 about Godly friendships) discuss another reason why the church is dying and what we can do about it. It's time to admit that the church does indeed hurt people, and that has a cumulative effect, especially on the younger generation. We aren't goi...

There is no doubt that the church in American is in decline...steep decline. Statistics don't lie, and our own personal experiences say the same. Join Pastor Adam and guest host, Pastor Matt Dalton, as they kick off a new series discussing the reasons the church is dying and what we can do about it. This week we discuss the fact that, like it or not, the church in general has gained, and in some cases earned, a bad reputation. But, we aren't just discussing the negative in order to just be negat...

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "now or never" and why it does not line up with true wisdom.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "all you need is ____" and discuss why it does not line up with true wisdom.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "do good and good will come back to you" and discuss why it does not line up with true wisdom.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "people don't change" and why it does not line up with true wisdom.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "you do you, boo" and why it does not line up with true wisdom.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "do what makes you happy" and why it does not line up with true wisdom.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the phrase "do what you love and success will follow" and why it does not line up with the true wisdom from God.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the commonly heard phrase "it is what it is" and why it does not line up with the true wisdom from God.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" a quote/common belief about going the extra mile for people who wouldn't go the extra mile for you, and why it does not line up with true wisdom from God.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they "fact check" the commonly heard phrase "YOLO" and why it does not line up with true wisdom from God.

How do we know if the inspirational quotes and pieces of "wisdom" we hear all over social media are actually Godly and worth living by? In this series on true vs. false wisdom, we're answering that very question! Join Pastor Adam and Chloe Lavinder as they talk through James 3:14-17 and how we can practically determine whether the wisdom the world bombards us with lines up with what God tells us in Scripture.