OM DENNE EPISODE
Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Josh Jordan for a conversation about family, faith, sports, ministry, and the moments when God's plans took his life in a completely different direction.
First, we learn one very important thing about Pastor Josh: he loves sushi!
Pastor Josh shares what it was like growing up, including eight years of his childhood spent on a farm. Homeschooled and raised with a love for the outdoors, some of his earliest memories include camping, horseback riding, playing sports, and being involved in church. His family eventually traded farm life for the suburbs, but their home continued to be anything but ordinary. Over the years, his family opened their doors to foster 19 children, giving Pastor Josh a unique perspective on family, compassion, and caring for others.
Sports were also a huge part of his life. He played quarterback on his football team, but baseball became his greatest passion as a teenager. Primarily playing shortstop, Pastor Josh eventually went to college to pursue baseball. But during his first year, God began changing the direction of his life.
Although he had given his life to the Lord at 12 years old, his first year of college became a defining season in his faith. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, heard God's voice in a way he never had before, and began asking questions that were bigger than baseball. God also set him free from addiction and began revealing a completely different purpose for his future.
That journey eventually took Pastor Josh to Brazil for a month-long missions trip where God met him in a powerful way. The math major who thought his future would revolve around numbers and baseball suddenly found himself being called into ministry.
Pastor Josh shares what it looked like to surrender his own plans and pursue God's call, even when the path didn't look anything like what he originally imagined.
His journey into full-time ministry began as a Kids Pastor, leading to some incredible and unforgettable moments serving children and families. Now, after 13 years in ministry, Pastor Josh reflects on what has surprised him most about serving people and the moments that have marked him along the way. One of the most meaningful was watching his own daughter experience the presence of God for herself.
He also shares the story of how God brought him to ARISE Church and why the presence of the Holy Spirit is one of the things he loves most about serving here.
And there's one more thing you probably wouldn't guess about Pastor Josh and his family: they're decorated horseback riders!
From farm life and foster siblings to baseball, missions, ministry, and family, Pastor Josh's story is a reminder that sometimes the future we imagine for ourselves looks completely different from the future God is preparing for us. When God calls, our job is to be willing to follow.
Do you have a question for Pastor Josh Jordan? Email us at info@myarisechurch.com
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