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Run With Horses

Run With Horses

Written by: Norman Smith
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About this listen

 The Run With Horses podcast strives to help disciples of Jesus reach their full potential. Join us for practical advice to help overcome spiritual roadblocks and find the motivation you need to persist through life’s trials.Copyright 2022 All rights reserved. Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
Episodes
  • Raising Up Shepherds from Within

    Raising Up Shepherds from Within
    Oct 11 2025

    rwh11oct Ep.385 – Run With Horses Podcast – Raising up shepherds from within Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Author pages with links to all books on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith
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    56 mins
  • Addressing The Pastor Shortage

    Addressing The Pastor Shortage
    Oct 4 2025

    rwh04oct Ep.384 – Run With Horses Podcast – Equipping or Educating? Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Author pages with links to all books on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane

    The Probelm • Median age of U.S. Christians has risen (median Christian age ~54), which corresponds with an older pastoral workforce.  • Surveys show large shares of pastors have seriously considered quitting in recent years (Barna reported ~33–40% had considered quitting in the early 2020s). Covid had a huge impact and pointed out some problems. • Research finds only a small percent (about ~1% per year) actually permanently leave pastoral ministry for reasons other than retirement, but the pipeline into pastoral roles is thin and many serve bivocationally. (Lifeway and other research summarize low annual exit rates but continued recruitment shortfalls.)  • Many groups lose members (reported membership declines in recent annual reports), which affects church budgets and pastoral hiring. 
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    56 mins
  • Are we Equipping or only Teaching?

    Are we Equipping or only Teaching?
    Sep 27 2025
    rwh27sept Ep.383 – Run With Horses Podcast – Equipping or Educating? Podcast: rwh.podbean.com Website: www.runwithhorses.net Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rwhpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RWHpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rwh_podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/RWH_podcast Author pages with links to all books on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BCSDDVLB – James Norman Smith https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMGW51FW – Susan Jane Smith (24:00) Our churches are great at teaching Biblical truth. But sometimes I wonder if we do as well at equipping people for the work of teh ministry. That’s topic of today’s show! Welcome to Run With Horses! My name is Norman and my goal is to help you thrive as a follower of Jesus. The spiritual life is simple in many ways, but potentially the most difficult part of your life. God invites you to grow, to live intentionally and to join in His mission. It’s very cool that we can do that together! Thank you for joining me today! “If you’re new here, you can check out past episodes at runwithhorses.net. As always, I appreciate your feedback, questions, and reviews!” *(23:00 – 0:00) * PART 1 Run With Horses is on the radio! If you are enjoying Run With Horses, would you let someone know? Contact the radio station or leave a review on your favorite app. We want to hear from you! Teaching and Equipping I. Introduction • Many churches excel at teaching but struggle with equipping. The result is knowledge without action, or action without foundation. • How do teaching and equipping differ, and how should they work together in the life of the church? ⸻ II. Defining the Terms A. Teaching • Imparting knowledge, doctrine, and biblical truth. • Scripture: B. Equipping • Preparing believers with tools, skills, and confidence to serve and live out their faith. VI. The Role of Leaders and Members A. Leaders’ Responsibility • To both teach and equip. • 1 Timothy 4:11–12 – “These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” B. Members’ Responsibility • To move from being hearers to active participants in ministry. • Hebrews 10:24–25 – “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” ⸻ VII. Practical Challenges • Overemphasis on knowledge can create spiritual spectators. • Overemphasis on activity without grounding leads to burnout or error. • Baptist churches must intentionally integrate both for effective discipleship. ⸻ Teaching informs; equipping transforms. Teaching fills the mind; equipping activates the hands and heart. Both are necessary for a healthy, missional church. ⸻ Teaching Transfers Information; Equipping Shapes People • Teaching is about what you know. Equipping is about who you become and what you do. • Example: The Pharisees were excellent teachers of the Law, but they failed to equip people to live it (Matthew 23:3). 👉 Knowledge is relatively easy to pass on in a classroom; transformation requires walking with people in real life. ⸻ Equipping Requires Application and Practice • Teaching can stop at hearing; equipping demands doing. • James 1:22 – “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • Equipping means giving people opportunities to serve, make mistakes, and grow — which is harder than just lecturing. ⸻ Equipping Requires Relational Investment • Teaching can happen from a pulpit; equipping usually happens through discipleship, mentoring, and modeling. • 2 Timothy 2:2 – Paul didn’t just teach Timothy; he entrusted him with responsibility to teach others. • This relational work is time-consuming and often messy. ⸻ Equipping Challenges Comfort Zones • Many believers are comfortable learning but hesitant to step into ministry. • Ephesians 4:12 – equipping means pushing saints into the work of ministry. • That’s more difficult than teaching because it involves confronting fear, apathy, or resistance. ⸻ Equipping Takes Patience and Perseverance • Teaching can produce quick results (“I learned a new fact”). • Equipping is long-term, like training an athlete or raising a child. • Hebrews 5:14 – “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” • Growth through use (practice) is much slower and harder. ⸻ Equipping Requires Empowering, Not Controlling • Teaching can be one-directional: “Here’s what the Bible says.” • Equipping releases people to serve, which means leaders must trust God’s Spirit in them. • John 14:12 – Jesus prepared His disciples to do “...
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    56 mins
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