The Pillar Network

Dave Kiehn talks with Sam Masters about church planting and ministry in Argentina, the importance of church partnerships, infrastructure development, and the vision to make Cordoba a gospel hub. Learn more about the Cordoba Gospel Hub here - https://thecrecerfoundation.org/cgh/.

Nate Akin, Dave Kiehn, Phil Newton, Brandon Langley, & Matt Rogers discuss pastoral residencies, mentoring, training shepherds for the local church, the current pastor shortage, plus Pillar's new book, "Churches Multiplying Pastors." You can get the new book here - https://a.co/d/08rJ3AsW

Nate Akin and Dave Kiehn talk with Dwayne Milioni about the new Pillar of Truth book series, the importance of doctrinal clarity, the relationship between doctrine and mission, and more. Check out the first two books in the series here - Gospel Proclaiming Churches  |  Biblical Authority
 

We live in a culture that tells us that freedom means independence and deciding for ourselves who we are and what is good. Sadly, if we are honest, it is not only culture that shouts those lies; we can also hear our hearts whispering, “I belong to myself. I can decide what is best for me.”
But the Word of God tells us a different story. From the beginning, we were created to live under God’s good authority, depend on Him, and live in relationship with one another. The lie of autonomy distorted that good design. Instead of trusting the Creator to define what is true and good, we want to decide what is “right” for ourselves.
In this episode, Betsy talks with Nate Akin about the lie of autonomy and the freedom of belonging to Christ.
So, jump into the conversation, put on your earbuds, and trace this struggle from Genesis to the gospel, into the life of the local church, and into how women think about calling, leadership, influence, and ministry.
This episode is preparing the way for Unite 2026 and the women’s breakout, Thriving In and Under Authority. We hope to see you there!
 
HIGHLIGHTS
“The lie is that we are our own and that we get to determine for ourselves what is good and what is best and what is true.”
“We were created to worship Him. This lie of self-autonomy is a sense of us trying to worship ourselves.”
“My problem is not that my kids are interrupting me. My problem is that I want to be autonomous.”
“We’ve been bought at a price. We are not our own. Our real freedom comes from submitting to the authority of God.”
“I belong to God. I live for His glory, and His Word is my ultimate authority.”
“We were not created for isolation.”
“We need one another for our own maturity and for our own well-being.”
“God has an order to the family. God has an order to the church.”
“Women’s ministry cannot function as a separate church inside the church.”
“If it’s doing what Titus 2 is telling us to do, it’s working.”
“The answer is not just to try harder to be dependent and to be submissive. I think the answer would be: look to Christ.”
“We have in Christ what we need both as an example for how we do this, but also we have atonement when we fail.”
 
DIG DEEPER
In what area of your life are you most tempted to believe the lie, “I belong to myself”? In motherhood, marriage, singleness, your free time, or your life in the local church? How does remembering that you belong to Christ change the way you live there?
Think about a recent moment when your plans were interrupted, or you did not get what you wanted. What did your response reveal about your sinful desire for autonomy?
Where might you be resisting correction, accountability, service, or dependence on other believers?
How does the gospel free us from the lie that belonging to ourselves is freedom, and teach us to see belonging to Christ as our true freedom and joy?
What changes when you remember, “I belong to God. I live for His glory, and His Word is my ultimate authority”?
What are practical ways you can grow in embracing the church body as a family, both by serving others and by allowing others to serve you?
What means of grace has God given you to help you look to Christ, who humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross to free you from the slavery of living for yourself?

Nate gets to know Chopo Mwanza, one of the plenary speakers at the upcoming Unite Conference in October, including becoming a pastor and seminary president, ministry in Zambia, and more. Chopo is the Lead Elder of Faith Baptist Church Riverside in Kitwe, Zambia. Find out more about Unite at pillarunite.org.

Nate gets to know Matt Smethurst, one of the plenary speakers at the upcoming Unite Conference in October, including his background, theological convictions, his books including the one on Tim Keller, and more. Matt is the planter and Lead Pastor of River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia. Find out more about Unite at pillarunite.org.

Nate gets to know Steven Carne, one of the plenary speakers at the upcoming Unite Conference in October, including if he might be a Secret Agent. Steven is the Senior Pastor of Hamilton Baptist Church in Hamilton, Virginia and a board member at Pillar. Find out more about Unite at pillarunite.org.

OVERVIEW
Most of us know the big story of the Bible: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.
The harder part is remembering that story when we are tired, anxious, sitting in a waiting room, cleaning the kitchen, or wondering whether the work in front of us matters at all.
Because whether we realize it or not, we are always interpreting our lives. A hard season can start to feel like the whole story. A disappointment can begin to shape what we believe about God. Even our exhaustion can expose the stories we are telling ourselves about who we are and what depends on us.
So put your earbuds on and come back to what is true. In this episode, Betsy takes the great story of redemption and brings it into the ordinary places where we live, asking how creation, fall, redemption, and consummation help us understand what is right in front of us.
Be encouraged to lift your eyes, remember where your life fits within God’s greater story, and see the life in front of you in light of Christ and the promise that He is making all things new.
 
HIGHLIGHTS
“The truth of God’s Word is the ultimate authority in our lives. It shapes how we see God, how we understand ourselves, and how we interpret the life right in front of us.”
“Sometimes on Monday morning we need to remember what we confessed on Sunday.”
“The story began by His will and for His glory. That puts our lives in their proper place. There is a center, and we are not it. God is.”
“Ordinary life was never an obstacle to the glory of God.”
“The value of your life does not depend on every task feeling exciting.”
“No need is too ordinary for our High Priest.”
“Christ’s ascension does not mean that he has become distant from our ordinary lives.”
“A day is coming when work will have no thorns, our relationships will have no sin, and our bodies will have no death.”
 
DIG DEEPER
What ordinary circumstance feels especially heavy to you right now? What have you begun to believe about God, yourself, or your life because of it?
What does creation help you remember about God’s good design, your purpose, and your limits?
Where can you see the effects of the fall in this situation?
How do the life, death, resurrection, and present reign of Christ change the way you see what is in front of you today?
What does Christ’s promised return and the promise that He will make all things new give you hope for?
What is one concrete response the gospel is calling you to today: rest, repentance, gratitude, asking for help, serving, or simply remaining faithful
Who could you invite into this conversation this week?

Nate Akin and Liam Garvie talk with Ryan Robertson (President of Reaching & Teaching) and Brooks Buser (President of Radius International) about the William Carey Project. This collaborative effort, inspired by the legacy of the Baptist missionary William Carey, aims to reach 10 unreached language groups around the world by bringing together the strengths of Radius, RTIM, and Pillar. Learn more at thepillarnetwork.com/williamcarey. 

Dave Kiehn interviews Nate Akin and Jason Wredberg about their new book with Courier Publishing, "What is a Pastor?" They discuss the biblical foundation for the office of pastor, whether pastoring is an office or a gift, the pastoral office in historic confessions, and more. Get the book here - https://a.co/d/0gq4OCpE.