It's back-to-school season at First Baptist Arlington, and there's a lot to catch up on. Kasey Fagan joins the podcast to share highlights from Family Getaway at Riverbend, including a dad teaching his son the drums during worship, volunteers keeping things running, and the sweet chaos of families making memories together. Dr. Wiles recaps a whirlwind stretch that took him from teaching a doctoral seminar at Truett Seminary to an Auburn-Baylor football game in Atlanta, plus a look back at the outpouring of love from his 25th anniversary celebration at First Baptist Arlington.

The conversation then turns to what's ahead: midweek programming kicks back into gear with returning favorites like Bible Heroes for preschoolers and new rotations for elementary kids, and the fall sermon series "Gone Fishing" launches its focus on evangelism. Dr. Wiles shares his own (admittedly limited) fishing skills as a jumping-off point for the series, and previews the lineup of guest speakers, Rafael Anzenberger, Oza Jones, and Gary Stidham, who'll each bring a different perspective on sharing the love of Jesus in the weeks he's traveling.

A little bit of everything: family, faith, fly fishing, and a full calendar heading into fall.

Dr. Wiles is off teaching a doctorate seminar this week, so Katy and Luke are joined in studio by college minister Connor Torrealba for a lively, laughter-filled catch-up. They reflect on the previous Sunday's celebration of Dr. Wiles' 25th anniversary at First Baptist Arlington, the packed sanctuary, the tributes from fellow pastors, and the behind-the-scenes staff effort that pulled it all together.

Connor shares what's making this the college ministry's best fall start yet: new touchpoints with UTA students through summer orientations and a breakfast burrito cart, a record-breaking Thursday night turnout, and a rain-soaked Dollar Steak Night that turned into an unexpected opportunity for deeper conversations. The group digs into what a "gospel appointment" actually looks like and how intentional follow-up has become a hallmark of the ministry.

They also look ahead to a busy season at FBCA: a refreshed Wednesday night gathering of worship and prayer (The Table), care ministries including a new anxiety support group, the launch of Alpha, an evangelism-focused program for people exploring faith, and a new fall sermon series through the book of Jonah called "Gone Fishing."

It's a candid, funny, and heartfelt look at what God is doing across the church's ministries — and the team working behind the scenes to make it happen.

In this episode of Tell Me More, the hosts sit down with Dr. Dennis Wiles as First Baptist Arlington prepares to celebrate his 25th anniversary as pastor. After a lighthearted cold open about a lifelong fear of clowns and some good-natured ribbing about accents (Alabama twang meets Texas drawl), the conversation turns reflective.

Dr. Wiles looks back on his very first Sunday in August 2001, the nerves, the new-city disorientation, and the sense that this was exactly where God was calling him and his family. He shares a powerful story about a season early in his ministry when a seemingly impossible mission trip to West Africa was funded through an unexpected, and much larger than expected gift, a moment that helped launch the church's global missions work and its counseling center in a single afternoon.

The conversation then shifts to what it means to live a "questionable" faith in a skeptical culture — exploring the New Testament's countercultural household codes, Michael Frost's idea of evangelism as fishing, and why winning people matters more than winning arguments.

The episode wraps with a look ahead to fall programming, including the Alpha course, a new Bible study on Jonah, and Wednesday night gatherings — plus an invitation to join the church's 25th anniversary celebration this Sunday at 10 AM.

Fresh off a jam-packed Fresh Start Sunday at First Baptist Arlington, Luke Stehr, Katy, and Dr. Dennis Wiles catch up on promotion Sunday chaos, a record class of visiting students from their sister church in Korea, and a full slate of fall kickoffs, including Alpha launching this September and a very special 25th anniversary celebration for their senior pastor.

Then the conversation turns to the heart of the episode: prayer. Dr. Wiles unpacks Jesus's high priestly prayer in John 17, why He stopped to pray specifically for His disciples rather than just sending them out on their own, and what that means for how believers today pray for one another. The group talks about praying with real specificity instead of just "remembering" someone, the Baptist conviction of the priesthood of the believer, and why praying out loud with someone in the moment — hand on the shoulder, eyes open — can be one of the most disarming, powerful forms of evangelism there is. Includes a great story about praying with a Muslim Uber driver on the way home from vacation.

If you only take one thing from this episode: pray for each other, specifically and often.

It's just Katy and Luke this week as we catch up on a whirlwind Sunday, Merge Weekend for our rising 6th graders, Big Enough for Big Church, First at First, a college mentoring lunch, and an incredible night of testimonies from our summer mission trips. We also talk about what's ahead: Fresh Start Sunday (a.k.a. College Sunday), welcoming our largest-ever class of incoming Korean students, and the big celebration coming up for Dr. Wiles's 25th anniversary at the church.

But the heart of this conversation is prayer and we get honest. One of us opens up about what prayer looks like in the middle of grief, and we both reflect on what it means to keep showing up to God even when the words don't come easily. We recap this week's sermon on Elijah, James, and the powerful, effective prayer of a righteous person, plus a beautiful insight from a student on what prayer actually changes.

Grab your coffee and join us for an honest, encouraging conversation about church life, community, and prayer.

The full team is back together on Tell Me More, and it's a joyful reunion, Katy returns to the studio after the loss of her mother, sharing how the church's support carried her through a hard season. From there, the crew dives into everything happening as summer winds down at First Baptist: the Engagement Night of Celebration for summer mission teams, a new "Grieving Your Friends" lunch series, and the flurry of fall promotions, Big Enough for Big Church, First at First, and Merge Weekend, as families gear up for a new school year.

The heart of the episode turns to what's ahead: a churchwide focus on prayer throughout August, setting the stage for a fall series on evangelism called "Gone Fishing." Dr. Wells shares what shaped his study of prayer this summer, from the Psalms and John 17 to books like Pray First and Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools — and opens up about a season of deeper, more constant prayer in his own life, sensing God's presence in everyday moments and conversations. The conversation touches on living beyond a "practical atheism," the example of Elisha's servant, and how staying spiritually attuned opens unexpected doors to share faith with others.

It's a warm, honest episode about grief, community, and getting ready to seek God together as a church family.

In this episode of Tell Me More, Luke Stehr and Dr. Wiles catch up on a full and eventful summer — from a granddaughter's poolside birthday bash to a summer packed with missions trips, funerals, and unexpected gospel connections between students serving in Spain and Toronto. They also look ahead to what's next: a churchwide focus on prayer throughout August (anchored in John 17), a fall evangelism emphasis with guest preachers, and the launch of "The Table" on Wednesday nights in September.

The heart of the conversation turns to the summer's Fruit of the Spirit series, wrapping up with a look at Joseph and self-control. Dr. Wiles reflects on Joseph's journey — from the brash younger brother flaunting his dreams, to the man who resisted temptation in Potiphar's house, endured years in an Egyptian prison, and ultimately chose grace over vengeance with the brothers who betrayed him. Along the way, they dig into what it practically looks like to "walk by the Spirit" day to day — starting mornings in Scripture before the phone, praying through a daily rhythm, and keeping your spiritual "radar" up for where God is at work.

A conversation about growth, grace, and what self-control looks like when it's shaped by a life connected to God.

The gang's finally back together! After a jam-packed summer of camp, mission trips, and hosting friends from Jordan, the hosts reunite to catch up before diving into this week's topic: the fruit of gentleness.

They kick things off with some World Cup recap — confessions of a first-time final-watcher, hot takes on Argentina vs. Spain, and how a friendship with visitors from Jordan turned a casual soccer fan into a true believer in the beautiful game.

Then it's on to Scripture, as the conversation turns to Ruth and what her story reveals about gentleness — not as weakness, but as quiet strength and resolve. They talk about Jesus's own example of gentleness (yes, the woman at the well makes an appearance), why the trait feels so countercultural right now, and why it might be exactly what the world is hungry for.

Plus: a rundown of everything happening around the church this August, from teacher trainings to the Night of Celebration for summer trips.

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