Episode: Faith Driven Entrepreneur Podcast — Episode 379

Release Date: June 16, 2026

Guest: John Rinehart, Author & Founder of Gospel Patrons

What if the most powerful force for global Kingdom impact isn't in the pulpit—it's in the marketplace? Host Justin Forman sits down with John Rinehart, author and founder of Gospel Patrons, to trace the remarkable thread of God-fueled generosity that runs from the early church all the way to modern entrepreneurs. From William Tyndale's cloth merchant patron to the couple who funded the Jesus Film and went bankrupt the very next year, this conversation unearths the stories that prove one thing: when you give to the Kingdom of God, losing is impossible.

John shares his own journey—from a 25-year-old businessman asking "what's all this for?" to circling the globe for 132 days to discover what it means to be a gospel patron. Together, he and Justin wrestle with the three enemies of Christian generosity, expose the subtle lies of the world's definition of wealth, and reveal how focused, intentional giving is the quickest path to joy there is.

Key Topics:

• The three villains of Christian generosity: the world, the flesh, and the devil — and how to fight them with generosity, humility, and integrity
• Why "radical generosity is normal Christianity" — what the early church in Acts 2 and Acts 4 can teach entrepreneurs today
• The jaw-dropping stories of gospel patrons throughout history: William Tyndale's cloth merchant, the patron behind Amazing Grace, and Bunker & Caroline Hunt funding the Jesus Film
• Why focused, intentional giving produces more joy and Kingdom impact than scattered, reactive giving
• The three marks of a true gospel patron: financially invested, personally involved, and advancing the gospel

Notable Quotes:

"Radical generosity is normal Christianity." — John Rinehart

"I think when we give to the kingdom of God, losing is impossible." — John Rinehart

"Generosity is the quickest path to joy there is." — John Rinehart

Guest Background:

John Rinehart is the founder of Gospel Patrons and the author of multiple books documenting the stories of business and professional leaders who have partnered with ministry to fuel great movements of God throughout history. After careers in business and seminary, John and his wife took a 132-day trip around the world to become global Christians. His newest book, 31 Gospel Patrons, profiles 31 modern-day business and professional leaders living out the gospel patron calling today.

Join host Justin Forman as he sits down with Pastor JD Greear at South by Southwest for a conversation that every entrepreneur in the church needs to hear. JD makes a bold, biblically-grounded case that marketplace work is not auxiliary to the gospel—it is the gospel in action. Drawing from his book Everyday Revolutionary and decades of pastoral experience, JD challenges both pastors and entrepreneurs to see business not as a platform for ministry, but as ministry itself.

From the story of Daniel's excellence in Babylon to the unnamed "them" in Acts 11 who planted the most significant missionary-sending church in history, this episode reframes what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ in the workplace—and why it matters more right now than ever before.

• Why the Great Commission is not the First Commission—and what that means for your work
• The five characteristics of an "Everyday Revolutionary" entrepreneur from JD's book
• How Daniel's quiet excellence gave him credibility to speak the gospel to kings
• The ROI of Kingdom investment: Summit Church's church planting data that will reframe how you think about impact
• Why entrepreneurs are the "tip of the gospel spear"—and what pastors need to do about it

"The first interface of the gospel and culture is in the workplace." — JD Greear

"Daniel lived quietly and testified loudly—but his quiet life was the way that he was excellent, more excellent than all the other people in his class." — JD Greear

"I want people in our community to say, 'We don't believe what those crazy people at Summit believe, but thank God they're here.'" — JD Greear

JD Greear is the pastor of Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and the author of Everyday Revolutionary, a practical guide to integrating faith and work using Daniel as a model. He served overseas in missions and has led Summit to become one of the most prolific church-planting churches in the United States, sending out more than 2,000 members who now worship in over 100,000-person-strong planted churches. He also serves on the board of Chick-fil-A.

Host Justin Forman sits down with Chad Spencer — entrepreneur, Ashley Furniture dealer, and co-founder of the For Others Collective — in Nashville for a deeply personal conversation about what it looks like when God doesn't just own your business, but every dimension of your life: your giving, your family, your calling, and your pain.

Chad's story begins in a Memphis apartment where three little girls slept on one sleeping bag, and it leads through a decade of infertility, failed adoptions, a business in freefall, and a premature baby born with a life-threatening condition — all converging on a single night in a hospital closet with a Tim Keller book he didn't choose to pick up. What follows is one of the most honest entrepreneurial testimonies you'll hear: a man who ran hard toward success, hit rock bottom on every front simultaneously, and found that God had been engineering every moment of it — including the son who changed everything.

Today, Chad channels that journey into For Others, a nationwide initiative to end the child welfare crisis in America — not through charity alone, but through the same business rigor he applies to growing a furniture company. Vision. Path. Leadership. Team. Execution. The math, he says, is actually solvable.

• How a home makeover contest in Memphis sparked Beds for Kids — now 200,000 beds given nationwide through Ashley's Hope to Dream charity
• The decade-long adoption journey: failed adoptions in Russia and domestically, and what it cost Chad and his wife Kelly spiritually
• Hitting rock bottom simultaneously in business, marriage, and faith — and what God used to break through
• How a randomly grabbed Tim Keller book and Romans 8 in a hospital room became the moment everything changed
• The birth of For Others alongside worship artist Chris Tomlin — and the business framework Chad brought to the foster care crisis
• Why 400,000+ churches and 400,000+ kids in foster care is math any entrepreneur can understand
• The VPLTR framework: how Chad structures kingdom impact the same way he runs a business

"God, I've got nothing. I am empty. I don't know what to do... but God, I need to hear from you." — Chad Spencer

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it's the wellspring of life. I'd lost life there. I wasn't guarding it." — Chad Spencer

"Purpose becomes a pillar. Not an addendum, not an attachment. Make it a part of the way we do things." — Chad Spencer