If you want to follow along with our Bible study the IT Matters book is available on⁠⁠ Amazon⁠⁠ .

In Week 5 of It Matters, the Grow Group dives into the remarkable story of Benaiah—the warrior who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. Through humor, personal stories, and biblical insight, the group explores what true courage looks like in the life of a believer. Rather than defining courage as fearlessness, they describe it as refusing to be ruled by fear and choosing obedience when doing the right thing is difficult. Drawing from Scripture, the story of David and Goliath, and Joey Rogers’ devotional It Matters, the conversation challenges listeners to trust God more deeply, stand firm in truth, and pursue the God-given calling placed on their lives. Courage, they conclude, is not self-confidence—it is confidence in a God who is bigger than every lion we face.

Key Takeaways

• Courage is doing what is right even when it is difficult or frightening.
• Benaiah’s victory over the lion illustrates a life that refuses to be controlled by fear.
• A small view of God creates big fears; a big view of God shrinks fears to their proper size.
• Courage grows from intimacy with God, not confidence in ourselves.
• Trust and courage are inseparable—the more we trust God, the more boldly we live.
• Christians are called to stand for truth with both courage and wisdom.
• God often reveals His will one step at a time, requiring faith and obedience.
• The Christian life is meant to be an adventure of faith, not a safe spectator sport.
• Every believer has a God-given purpose; avoiding that purpose is often rooted in fear.
• True courage pursues God’s calling rather than personal comfort or self-glory.

00:00 – 05:20 | Opening Banter & Life Updates
The group shares humorous stories, graduation celebrations, and family updates before introducing the theme of courage through the story of Benaiah.

05:21 – 08:05 | Meet Benaiah: The Lion Chaser
An overview of Benaiah’s legendary exploits and why his story remains one of Scripture’s greatest examples of courage.

08:06 – 14:28 | What Is Courage?
The group defines courage as doing what is right despite fear and discusses the growing challenge of standing for biblical truth in today’s culture.

14:29 – 18:20 | Naming the Lion
A discussion on identifying fears, sins, and obstacles rather than pretending they do not exist. Spiritual courage begins with honest acknowledgment.

18:21 – 23:25 | Victimhood vs. Victory
The conversation contrasts a victim mentality with a faith-filled perspective that sees challenges as opportunities for God to work.

23:26 – 27:05 | Living in the Great Unknown
Barry reflects on trusting God without having a detailed roadmap and learning to take the next faithful step.

27:06 – 33:20 | Practical Ways to Build Courage
The group shares practical examples of living out faith publicly, trusting God daily, and growing confidence through obedience.

33:21 – 36:20 | David, Goliath, and Spiritual Frequency
David’s courage is traced back to years of private faithfulness. Courage develops when believers consistently spend time with God.

36:21 – 40:18 | Courage, Calling, and Purpose
The group emphasizes that courage is not reckless ambition but faithfully pursuing the work God has uniquely assigned to each person.

40:19 – 45:18 | The Christian Life Is an Adventure
A challenge to reject safe, comfortable Christianity and embrace God-sized dreams that require faith and dependence on Him.

45:19 – 48:20 | Looking Ahead: Humility & Barzillai
The hosts preview next week’s chapter on humility and the life of Barzillai, highlighting lessons from an older servant of God.

48:21 – 51:46 | Prayer Requests, Encouragement & Closing Prayer
The episode concludes with personal prayer requests, reflections on courage, and a prayer for wisdom, faithfulness, and trust in God.

If you want to follow along with our Bible study the IT Matters book is available on⁠ Amazon⁠ .

In this week’s Grow Group Podcast, the team unpacks compassion through the powerful but often-overlooked story of Ebed-Melech in Jeremiah 38–39, a man who risked everything to rescue Jeremiah from certain death. What begins with lighthearted banter quickly turns into a deeply challenging conversation about what biblical compassion really looks like—not sentiment, but courageous action.

The discussion explores how compassion requires more than feeling bad for someone; it demands stepping into messy, inconvenient situations with wisdom and courage. The hosts wrestle with personal failures to show compassion, the tension between helping others and being taken advantage of, and the challenge of loving people caught in destructive patterns of sin. They also examine how modern culture often replaces compassion with outrage, labels, and judgment.

Key biblical parallels include the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, Nathan confronting David, and Jesus’ ministry to broken people. A standout truth emerges: compassion is not passive awareness—it’s active obedience shaped by love.

Key Takeaways
• Compassion is love that moves toward suffering, even at personal cost
• Courage is often required to show compassion when others walk away
• People should never be reduced to their worst moment
• Compassion focuses on people, not abstract issues
• How we help matters just as much as whether we help
• Tough love can still be genuine compassion
• Self-compassion means extending grace to yourself without excusing sin
• True spiritual maturity produces compassion for others

00:00–04:18 – Opening banter: apple fritters, marriage jokes, Renaissance Faire stories
04:18–05:46 – Introduction to Week 4: Compassion and Ebed-Melech’s story
05:46–08:56 – Personal conviction: missed opportunities to help others
08:56–10:16 – Defining compassion: costly, inconvenient, courageous love
10:16–13:36 – Relationships, interdependence, and self-compassion
13:36–18:27 – Compassion in a judgmental culture: labels vs. seeing real people
18:27–23:25 – Good Samaritan breakdown and four types of people in the story
23:25–26:30 – Compassion as evidence of spiritual maturity
26:30–30:48 – How to show compassion toward people living in destructive sin
30:48–34:50 – Tough love, consequences, and helping people come to their senses
34:50–39:30 – The courage of compassion and the origin of the Red Cross
39:30–42:26 – Fear of being taken advantage of vs. simply being faithful
42:26–45:37 – Prayer requests, closing encouragement, and final reflections

If you want to follow along with our Bible study the IT Matters book is available on Amazon .

In Week 3 of It Matters, the Grow Group team explores the character quality of godly ambition through the brief but powerful story of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4). Contrasting selfish ambition with surrendered purpose, the conversation centers on Jabez’s prayer—not as a formula for success, but as a picture of a heart fully yielded to God. The hosts unpack how pain, identity, purpose, and dependence on God shape true ambition. With humor, transparency, and personal stories, the discussion challenges listeners to examine whether their goals are driven by personal gain or kingdom impact. The key message: Godly ambition isn’t asking for an easier life—it’s asking for a bigger assignment with God’s hand on it.

Key Takeaways

• Pain may shape your story, but it doesn’t have to define your destiny.
• Godly ambition seeks God’s will, not self-promotion.
• “Enlarge my territory” is about expanding influence for God’s kingdom, not accumulating possessions.
• God cares more about the heart behind the prayer than the exact words spoken.
• Ambition without dependence on God is dangerous; dependence without action becomes dormant.
• Prayer shifts us from bitterness to purpose when surrendered to God.
• True success is living a life that makes people glorify God, not us.

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  00:00 – Welcome & Life Updates
  The team opens with family milestones, graduations, ministry updates, and lighthearted banter.

  
  

  03:31 – Introducing Week 3: Ambition & Character
  Joey introduces the theme of godly ambition and the Old Testament figure Jabez.

  
  

  05:16 – Who Was Jabez?
  The group examines the surprising appearance of Jabez in biblical genealogy and the meaning of his name: “pain.”

  
  

  08:55 – Pain Doesn’t Determine Destiny
  Discussion on refusing to let past wounds, labels, or circumstances define identity.

  
  

  09:32 – Selfish Ambition vs. Godly Ambition
  The “pilot/copilot” analogy illustrates surrendering control to God rather than trying to lead Him.

  
  

  13:04 – The ‘God More’ Mindset
  What it means to desire more of God rather than more success, comfort, or recognition.

  
  

  15:12 – Prayer Is About Heart, Not Formula
  Why the prayer of Jabez is not a magical mantra but a reflection of surrendered trust.

  
  

  18:00 – Brokenness & Spiritual Growth
  Honest reflections on how God uses pain and breaking seasons to deepen dependence.

  
  

  22:56 – “Enlarge My Territory” Explained
  A kingdom-focused look at influence, stewardship, and living beyond self-interest.

  
  

  26:01 – Bigger Assignment, Not Easier Life
  One of the episode’s strongest challenges: purpose over busyness.

  
  

  29:33 – Personal Conviction & Leadership Reflection
  Joey shares how revisiting his own writing became a spiritual check on motives.

  
  

  33:13 – Discussion Questions for Listeners
  Examining compromise, surrender, and areas where we still try to control outcomes.

  
  

  37:42 – Final Encouragement & Prayer Requests
  Closing reflections on hope, prayer, and trusting God as the ultimate source.

  
  

  42:13 – Closing Prayer & Next Episode Preview