Are you seeking the stage—or seeking Jesus?

Filmed on the main stage and ML podcast booth at Exposure Youth Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, Dr. Kirk Brothers delivers a straight-shooting reminder for ministers and speakers: don’t measure your worth by audience size. Big crowds don’t equal big faithfulness—and chasing the spotlight can quietly poison your heart.

Then he gets intensely practical: if you’re invited to speak at another congregation (summer series, special day, gospel meeting, workshop, youth rally), this episode walks you through the ethics and logistics that separate a helpful guest preacher from a frustrating one—especially when it comes to staying on the assigned topic, preparing responsibly, and respecting the local church that supports you.

If you preach, teach, lead devotionals, or speak at brotherhood events… this is a needed gut-check.

Listen / watch, then ask yourself:

Am I chasing opportunities… or honoring God in the opportunities I already have?

Chapters:

00:00 Exposure Youth Camp stage + episode setup

00:28 Podcast intro

01:02 Speaking invites & big events (lectureships, rallies, workshops)

01:50 The warning: stop chasing big crowds

02:24 What to chase instead: daily faithfulness

02:49 The “don’t ask to speak” rule (heart check)

03:56 Your worth isn’t audience size—Christ defines it

04:19 Big stage ≠ good preacher / small room ≠ bad preacher

05:05 How to evaluate ministry the right way

06:17 When invited to speak elsewhere: the #1 rule

06:41 Speak the assigned topic and text (don’t freeload the theme)

09:22 Know the setting: mic, room, screens, PowerPoint, ratios

10:21 Why he uses slides (and how to send them ahead)

11:09 Backups, videos, and avoiding unnecessary offense

12:04 Confidence monitor + don’t turn your back to the audience

13:54 Slide control, remotes, and battery reality

15:56 Service flow details churches forget to tell you

16:36 Don’t take advantage of your local work

17:46 Final reminder: ministry matters because the Master matters

18:11 Outro

Keywords:

ministry matters that matter, kirk brothers, dr kirk brothers, preaching advice, guest preacher, summer series speaker, ministry integrity, church of christ preaching, churches of christ, youth rally speaker, lectureship, gospel meeting, preaching humility, servant leadership, ministry motivation, preaching tips, sermon preparation, speaker logistics, church powerpoint, confidence monitor, lapel mic, remote clicker, ministry leadership, bivocational ministry

Hashtags:

#MinistryMattersThatMatter #Preaching #ChurchesOfChrist #MinistryLeadership #ServantLeadership #SermonPrep #GuestPreacher #ExposureYouthCamp

Ministry isn’t hard because you’re failing—ministry is hard because it’s ministry.

In this episode of Ministry Matters That Matter, Dr. Kirk Brothers (President of Heritage Christian University) sits down with Travis Harmon and Barry Binion to talk candidly about the realities of ministry—especially bivocational life, family pressure, expectations, and the constant tension of wanting to do more than time allows.

Then Dale Jenkins unexpectedly joins the conversation at Exposure Youth Camp, and the whole episode levels up into a straight-up survival guide for ministers:

why “easy ministry” doesn’t exist

how relationships with elders shape everything

why mentorship is non-negotiable

how continuing education sharpens preaching

and Dale’s knockout insight: the “8th O” — Optimism — and why churches without it don’t grow.

If you’re exhausted, stretched thin, or quietly considering quitting… don’t. You’re not alone, and this one will steady you.

Ministry matters—because your Master matters.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro + theme song / welcome

0:00:51 Guests introduced: Travis Harmon & Barry Binion

0:02:10 Travis’ story + entering bivocational ministry

0:06:13 The strain of bivocational work (pulled everywhere)

0:08:48 Dale Jenkins joins the conversation

0:10:27 “There’s no such thing as easy ministry”

0:11:37 Church plant vs. established church (turning the “big ship”)

0:14:37 Barry Binion’s story + mentorship lessons

0:18:05 Full-time ministry pressure: family expectations & instability

0:19:28 Tips for bivocational ministry (intentional relationships)

0:22:12 Interim ministry strategy: peace, unity, flexibility

0:25:00 Dale’s take: love people + keep church/school connected

0:30:42 Mentorship + conferences + continued learning

0:34:32 Dale’s “8th O”: Optimism and why it decides church health

0:36:43 Travis’ best resource: read Scripture for what you don’t know

0:39:30 AI as a study assistant (helpful—handle with wisdom)

0:45:35 Final encouragement: “Don’t quit” + closing

Keywords:

Ministry Matters That Matter, Dr. Kirk Brothers, Kirk Brothers, Travis Harmon, Barry Binion, Dale Jenkins, Heritage Christian University, HCU, bivocational ministry, bivocational preacher, ministry burnout, preacher encouragement, church leadership, elders and preacher relationship, mentorship in ministry, preaching improvement, church growth, interim ministry, ministry resources, ministering to ministers, Exposure Youth Camp, Jenkins Institute, Christian leadership podcast, Churches of Christ ministry

Hashtags:

#MinistryMattersThatMatter #KirkBrothers #HeritageChristianUniversity #TravisHarmon #BarryBinion #DaleJenkins #BivocationalMinistry #PreacherLife #MinistryLeadership #ChurchLeadership #Preaching #ChurchGrowth #Mentorship #DontQuit #MinistryEncouragement #ExposureYouthCamp #JenkinsInstitute #ChurchesOfChrist #KingdomWork

We would love for you to sign up for classes to further your Bachelors or Masters degrees. Another option is to audit classes to improve your bible knowledge!

To find out more or to apply, go to www.hcu.edu

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Jesus As Our Coach