AI Summary
5 min read“I walked out and I'm walking to my car and in my head I’m like, are they gonna be really hurt and frustrated that I… because that’s happening to me before somebody was like, ‘I know you,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s because I don’t know who you are.’”
Jonathan Pokluda opens the episode with a small but telling moment of pastoral loneliness — the kind of everyday awkwardness that comes from leading a church where you’ve met thousands of people but can’t always place a face. This launches a wide-ranging conversation with co-hosts Nate Hilgenkamp and John Barry about what the next generation is actually looking for — in faith, in church, in content, and in life itself. The throughline is a single question: What is working, what isn’t, and why?
What the next generation is drawn to — and what repels them
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:47) **Opening Banter: Friendship and Leadership** - JP, Nate, and John discuss the challenges of maintaining close friendships as a lead pastor, including the difficulty of having friends on payroll and the loneliness of leadership.
- 2 (04:11) **What the Next Generation is Looking For** - JP shares observations from the For King & Country tour, noting that legendary artists like Brooke Ligertwood and Michael W. Smith showed up because they could see God "doing it again" with the next generation.
- 3 (07:23) **The Dad Who Came to Christ** - JP recounts the specific moment after sharing the gospel at the Austin concert where a father approached him, said he was a "zero" in certainty of salvation, and trusted Christ right there with his two boys watching.
- 4 (08:53) **Why People Listen to This Podcast** - The hosts reflect on what draws listeners to "Becoming Something," noting that a dermatologist recently told JP she listens, showing the audience is widening beyond just teenagers.
- 5 (12:07) **Should You Host Non-Believers?** - The conversation turns to whether the podcast should have guests who don't share their faith, using Bryce Crawford's interviews with secular artists like the Island Boys or Nicki Minaj as an example.
- 6 (14:59) **The Unchanging Human Condition** - JP argues that there is nothing new under the sun, pointing out that the disciples asked Jesus "Which of us is the greatest?"—the ultimate narcissistic question.
- 7 (16:53) **The Core Gospel Message** - JP delivers a clear, concise presentation of the gospel: Jesus lived a perfect life, died for your sins, rose again, and offers eternal life to all who trust in Him.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
In this episode JP, Kathy, and Nate get honest about where the next generation is headed and what the church needs to do about it. They dig into phone addiction, the hunger for real community, and why revival might already be happening right in front of us. Don't miss this one!
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