Robert has over 13 years of ministry experience and over 8 years in logistics. He is combining the two working at a church in preaching, writing, small group ministry, missions, benevolence, counseling, and discipleship. Robert's desire is to see God glorified in everything for the most joy of all people.
Robert has over 13 years of ministry experience and over 8 years in logistics. He is combining the two working at a church in preaching, writing, small group ministry, missions, benevolence, counseling, and discipleship. Robert's desire is to see God glorified in everything for the most joy of all people.
Well, welcome, my guest today is Pastor Robert Nash. We're so thankful to have him on the show. How you doing today, Robert?
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, having me on your show
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Oh, it's
[robert_j__nash]:today.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:fun. I'm looking forward to the conversation. So give us a little bit of your bio so people get a chance to know who you are.
[robert_j__nash]:Definitely. My name is Robert J. Nash. I'm a pastor. I've been a pastor here in Southwest Michigan. So if you have the hand, I'm in
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Yeah.
[robert_j__nash]:the corner on your way, really close to Chicago. I've been here almost 11 years. I've been married to my beautiful wife, Katie, for 21 years, now a little over 21 years. And I've got six kids. So I've got an 18-year-old to a 7-year-old. Full house. My wife home schools and it's kind of a hybrid home school with online stuff and the co-op that they're a part of They're actually there right now and two kids are swimming One's going to state next week. I have one person one doing a travel baseball. That's gonna start up soon a dancer so five boys one girl and Just moving around I'm reading little books to little ones and keeping up with the big ones. Yeah, we're some of your listeners probably totally relate
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Exactly.
[robert_j__nash]:to that busy season.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Our lives are almost parallel. I have six kids too, except we have four boys, two girls. We also homeschooled all of our kids, and right now our youngest daughter is doing the online high school school. So it's kind of fun. It's like our lives almost parallel there a little bit. Except ours go
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah,
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:from
[robert_j__nash]:you're
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:30
[robert_j__nash]:a little
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:to
[robert_j__nash]:bit
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:30
[robert_j__nash]:advanced.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:to 11. So
[robert_j__nash]:Okay, okay, I'll be there
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Hey,
[robert_j__nash]:in a little bit. I'm sure it goes by like that.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:it does and you're like, wow, where'd the time go?
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So Robert, to get, so to honestly, I know she's a little bit better, give me the best advice you've ever received.
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, the best advice ever to see. That's a good question. Um, you know, I was in that's probably, probably hard. I'm going to pick one piece of advice that, that I think is really, uh, helpful, but really hard for me to apply. I'm a pretty hyperactive busy person. And I was on a camping trip before college started and the, the counselor said, you, what do you want to do in college? And I, I listed off some different ideas. three things. You can only do so many things. Well, pick three things. And I don't want to tie myself down to three things. But I think that advice of just really streamlining focus and thinking about what do I want to be excellent or good at and really focusing on this, some core things and putting energy in those core things, I think is is really valuable for me because I can get super distracted with all the peripheral things in my The main thing, the main thing is one way of people say it, I think is probably one of the best piece of advice that I continually need to go back to and apply to my life.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So the three things you picked.
[robert_j__nash]:Oh man, I don't know if I had picked anything. I, in college, I did try to streamline some of my focus. I worked on evangelism. I was on an evangelistic team, and we would go into the inner city of Chicago. We'd share our faith. I, academics was definitely a priority, and probably another piece was just exercising. You know, I, I'm a, I love to exercise. So I was a runner. I ran one year for college, but most of the time just run for fun. Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:That's fun. We, when I was in seminary, they taught us the candy evangelism explosion experience for outreach. And my first call was to Detroit,
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Michigan. I'm like, I'm not sure those questions work in interstate Detroit. If you were to die tonight, you walk up to the door and say that, I don't think that was a safe entry point to evangelism.
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, that could get you somewhere else. Yeah,
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:That's right.
[robert_j__nash]:that is hilarious. Yeah. Yeah, we tried a variety of different methods and I think part of it was just stretching myself. You know, we just getting out meeting people, building relationships, conquering the fear of man and articulating figure out, you know, articulating your faith. Why do I believe it? How do you handle someone's objections in a caring, loving way? So it was a really good experience and very uncomfortable for me because I'm not a natural like go out there and make myself uncomfortable or say something uncomfortable kind of guy.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Do I get that? So, tell us something about yourself that most people don't know about you.
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, Keith. So I, like I said, I like to exercise. I've run two marathons this last year, my brother, and I just to build a relationship, he's in Wisconsin, I'm in Michigan here, we trained independently for a marathon up in the UP, the northern part of Michigan, and there's an island that was a trail run. So we ran around the island, we made it. And to make running interesting for me, one of the things I've, I've done is just and to see if I can improve it. So in the last nine weeks, I found a program online and went from on January 3rd, six minutes, 17 seconds for my mile around a local high school track. I'm 45, mind you. I was like, that's pretty good. And then I, how could I, well, could I do in nine weeks of just training in the mornings? And I got to six minutes. So that's a little, a new thing for me that not everybody knows, instead of boring.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:That's so cool. So I'm curious, in our lives, there are always people that really were in powerful impact for us. Who were some people that were inspirational mentors in your life?
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, there's so many family members have been super inspiring. I've got some friends here that have been helpful and encouraging. One person that was pretty instrumental in my ministry early on, I don't have much of a relationship with now, he's actually retiring this year as a pastor. He was the youth pastor. When I was in high school, we actually didn't have a youth pastor. It was a bunch of parents, parent-led youth ministry, and maybe the senior pastor helped out here and there. We called a youth pastor when I was maybe a junior or sophomore, and I was part of that call committee. And we brought in a guy named John DeBall, and he's retiring in Rochester, Minnesota. But what a wonderful guy. He ended up planting a church, really trying to make an impact in the community, and taught me a lot about marriage and youth and public speaking. Just a high energy, fun-loving, god-loving man who has had a profound impact on my life. But again, there's many other people too, but he's one who just sticks out as a really neat guy who's impacted my life in a positive way.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:I like that. So tell us your personal story.
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah. So like I said, he's in Rochester. I grew up in most of my life in Rochester, Minnesota. And I was going to a church at a young age. They're a Sunday School ministry. They share the gospel with with us. But I didn't quite understand it. So I'm driving down. We have a highway that cuts through Rochester Highway 52. And I'm asking my mom if she's driving really, We shared they talked about Jesus dying for our sins, but how do you know he died for your sins? How do you know he died for my sins? That was the more of the question I knew I based on the the conviction of my conscience and the things I could cat could list that I did wrong I wasn't Heading in the right direction. I was rebelling against God in his ways and needed forgiveness um explosion. I mean, it's just a simple sinner's prayer. And I think it was, it was, it was legitimate. The Lord took me and gave me a peace. And then I, as I walked out my faith as a little child and grew, and I had to wrestle with assurance of salvation, which I think a lot of people have that. And how do you, you know, hormones are growing, going, and you have like this teenage years, how do you and you know like all that stuff and am I really a Christian? It was in Bible study and inductive Bible study during those years and God brought along with all the questions that teenage minds have that new believers have God brought some young men into my life like friends like deep good friendship biblical friendship I prayed that the Lord would bring somebody who you know we could share our lives together and so I had every year it seemed like God brought I could talk about life with, share my questions with, and hold me accountable, and then I would hold him accountable and we'd pursue God. And so throughout the high school years, the Lord really kept me safe in that public school environment and sharpened me. And I was able to share my faith with my friends and class, my classmates and sports team members. Ended up going to Wheaton I met some great people and studied Bible and theology and did you know evangelism on Friday nights and mission trip to Europe once and Gosh, I was helping with working with a junior high youth in a neighboring town and went to Washington, DC and served in the soup kitchen and and got to see different aspects of ministry and Really found a heart that wanted to do ministry more full-time and talking to this youth pastor I ended up interning in Rochester for a couple years with junior hires working with junior hires and in the church and then As i'm discerning where the lord's leading me. I went to seminary. So in st. Paul. There's Bethel College and seminary university in seminary and I went to that that seminary and Had a great time there and met my wife Got married had my first kid was working at ups to pay the bills and because they had college tuition benefits and worked in a church plant for just a little bit with some wonderful couple, couple of different churches in the Minneapolis, St. Paul area. And then 10 years ago, I felt a call to come out here. And there was an opening to be an associate pastor. And we was like almost 12 years ago, we start the ball rolling. And now I've been medium-sized church. So I do Sunday school giving to the poor. We call Benevolence the missions program. There's two sites. So you know one person said you know you're kind of functioning like an executive pastor. So I cover a lot of logistics and communications and preach. I'm preaching this Sunday. We're working through the book of Matthew and it's just been a delight. We're so we're on chapter, we're just starting chapter eight. So that's my life in a nutshell in ministry and my sense of call and my call here in the church I'm serving.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:That's so cool. So you wrote a book, Words of the Resurrect. Do you want to tell us about what led you to write that book?
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, yeah, so this is the book, the Words of the Resurrected, Meditations for Easter and Beyond. So right now is the season of Lent in the church. And a couple of years ago, three years ago, I wrote a book on what the last things Christ said on the cross, he said seven things. And I had a really great time writing that. And it kind of coincided with Good Friday messages that I was giving. And it's kind of a creative, devotional look at those words. And I wanted to continue that exploration of what did Jesus say. And so Jesus said a bunch of things after he rose from the dead. But I could remember some of them, but not all of them. And I imagine that number your listeners can relate. And I thought it would be really great to continue to study what he said, put it into words as a devotional format for small groups, for my church, for other churches, so that to saturate ourselves in what Jesus said and see how it relates to us. Not just something the academic 2,000 years ago, but really connect it to our lives today. So I try to do that with the different, you know, encounters that he had after he rose from the dead, but before he ascended into heaven.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So which of those words after this resurrection were the most impactful for you?
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah. You know, there's a number that I can remember. He encounters, I think there's like 12 different times we know he's spoken and connected with people, but nine of them are recorded. So we have nine recordings. So I have nine chapters and then a 10th one is kind of a reflective one on all of them. The one that strikes me the most or was most impactful for me, and that's a hard one for me, I'd say right now would be Thomas. of doubting Thomas. But if you look at John, John introduces Thomas earlier than that encounter. And he we track with Thomas a couple different times. And we see he's not just one simply skeptical young man. He's actually he's actually someone who's pretty courageous and faithful, or filled with that struck me as well as I can relate to that. You know, there's times when you catch me and I'm like, I'm gung-ho, I can, I'll take a bullet for Jesus and then other times where, like, I'm not sure, I'm struggling right now. So his wrestling and how John portrays him, and then we actually know afterward, you know, in the recorded tradition. So he just, he finishes, finishes well. So I really appreciate that the Lord blesses him. And then what's neat about that is he blesses not just him, but he blesses those who believe but don't see. And that's you and that's me. That's all of us who have come to faith since Jesus ascended into heaven. So there's, there's words there of Jesus that were, me, but also that story of Thomas, just how John portrays it is, I think is beautiful and just resonates with my understanding of how things are in reality.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Yeah, I love the Roe Tamea story. You see those disciples
[robert_j__nash]:Oh
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:when
[robert_j__nash]:yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:you just, they're so record grief. And like, do you not know the things that have happened? Where have you been? You know, as many of us are like, there's so many things happening in the world. We're just not aware of it. And somebody comes in, it's like,
[robert_j__nash]:Mm-hmm
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:yeah, I can you not be aware of what's going on? And I just love how he lovingly walks them to understand who he is. And
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:even though they're filled with grief, they're still trying to reach out to the Jesus. So it's like you see disciples kind of maybe at their best even though you don't always see them that way. It's like they're still trying to connect with someone, some stranger about the gospel.
[robert_j__nash]:I love that one too. And I love how they say, I bet you like this one too. Where at the end, he disappears. And they're like, did not our hearts burn within
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Yeah.
[robert_j__nash]:us? You know, like there's like, whoa. And I've been there. I mean, have you been there where you're at this mountain top experience, you're like, whoa, that sermon from that speaker at a conference you went to or that song or yeah, prayer moment,
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Right.
[robert_j__nash]:and you just blown away. I just, I love that because it's just, it's, that's how, that's how it can be.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Exactly, it's so cool. So what do you want people to get out of reading your book? What do you hope they take away and go, wow, that's something I need to hear today?
[robert_j__nash]:You know, I think there's things in scripture that get kind of like old or forgotten. And so what I, my heart would be that as people read this book that they're connecting with the living God and they're slowing down and they're hearing these words and it's actually, it's not just information, it's transformation, that their lives are changed by the power of Christ in this word. pattern that it's still surprising me and kind of like, I'm getting my head around it, you'll see that often he's asking these people, these disciples to go and share this. So the truth that we are blessed with, that he loves us, that he cares for us, that he's condescended from heaven down to earth, the truth that we experience and enjoy, he doesn't want us just to hold it back, wants us to share it and spread it. And that's like, that's a wonderful privilege that these disciples faithfully did and in some of them at great, great cost. Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:And it's a good reminder because today we're looking at a time where less than less people go to church and more people are far from God. It's really critical for us as believers to share the good news. Because I mean, the most disturbing thing I just saw recently was how many young people don't have hope. And the
[robert_j__nash]:Hmm.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:one thing the church has an abundance is hope. And we have an incredible message to share with people who are struggling to find hope. That, it may a
[robert_j__nash]:Mm-hmm
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:story just kind of just really kind of hits me especially today. Like there's so many people just walking down the Mayas Road. Just so rack was lack of hope. But they still have the
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:ability to see and to be set, you know, remember what Jesus meant to them while he was there and to share that story. So even Christians who were kind of maybe feeling really down about the way the world is, we still have a hope that nobody else understands.
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, and we might, I think, kind of with that, we might, you've probably said this in your pastoral ministry. It's like, we might be the only Jesus people know, or the only Bible people read. And so our lives, our words, our testimony is an opportunity. And I'm amazed at the circles that the Lord puts in different people in our church's lives. You know, as a pastor, sometimes we get insulated and the people we hang out with are all the Christians. out where I can actually interact with people that are non-Christians. But some of our people in church, you know, like that they're in the world and they have opportunities to be kind of like missionaries where in venues and in platforms that we don't have and you're hearing about them sharing their faith like, yes, that's that's exactly what we need to do. Thank you for sharing. Go!
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So cool. So you've gotten this book done once it's coming out.
[robert_j__nash]:Actually, it did just come out. Um, it's just come out, uh, February in February, I was able to get it out. So, uh, it's on Amazon. Um, I'd love to hear feedback if, if your listeners, uh, read it. I'd love to hear what they think about it. And, um, uh, it's ebook. They have a paperback hardcover and, um, yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So you got this book done. What's your next project? You've already written two. What's
[robert_j__nash]:Okay,
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:your next?
[robert_j__nash]:I, oh yeah, oh yeah, that's a great question because I think people do that, right? They have like other projects. I'd love to write. So I do have another one that I'm trying to get published, and I'm waiting to hear back, but I may have to like break it into another. It's very different. It's on an ethical issue of honesty. And so it's totally different, but it's in the genre of nonfiction. So just looking at that topic with a practical element to it, and then looking at it also as more of a biblical study of it. So I might have to make it into two books. I'm not sure exactly how I'm gonna finish it up, but I'm working on that one.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Interesting honesty. I don't see much of that in our society today, but
[robert_j__nash]:No, that's right.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Oh
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So i'm curie robert. What do you want your legacy to be?
[robert_j__nash]:Yeah, that's a good question. You know, it probably... it'd be good. I'm a high energy guy. So there's a lot of things I know about myself. A faithful lover of Jesus and a faithful lover of people would be a good one. It's a little, it's a stretch in some ways because I'm not perfect. And my selfishness gets in the way of that. And I've got a lot of energy. So that takes me into lots of different directions, you know, whether it's or leisure reading or I love to travel. So, but yeah, I think a faithful lover, I mean, wouldn't that be awesome to be the, hey, my dad was a faithful lover of people and a faithful lover of Jesus. I think, you know, I got time on my side and the Lord's been gracious to me to give me some, his spirit to be faithful and his fruit of the spirit is faithfulness. So a faithful and love, faithful lover of him and people.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:That's cool, I love
[robert_j__nash]:would
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:that.
[robert_j__nash]:be great.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Anything I haven't asked you that I should have asked you.
[robert_j__nash]:Um, you know, I, I, this, uh, some of the ways that people could connect with me would be on Twitter, LinkedIn. I have a website, RobertJNash.com. Um, and if you're interested, I could give you a sample chapter you could share
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Would
[robert_j__nash]:with people.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:it be great? Yeah, do that. Send
[robert_j__nash]:Um,
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:that to me. I'll include that in
[robert_j__nash]:but I really appreciate the.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:the show notes.
[robert_j__nash]:Okay, I really appreciate your time and getting to know you Keith and it sounds like we have some similar things that would be interesting to see where, when I, my kids, my oldest is 30, you know, what's that like? You know, I've got an 18 year old, so like 12 years from now where, you know, I'll be in your shoes. I'm sure I could learn a lot from you in it. I've appreciated listening to your show. So the last episode was just tremendous, very powerful that I listened to. Thanks for having me on, I really appreciate
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Oh, my
[robert_j__nash]:it.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:pleasure. Well, in 12 years, if you're following my path, you'll be working on your doctorate degree. Ha ha ha ha ha!
[robert_j__nash]:Oh, nice. Where are you getting your doctorate from?
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Irvine University, Concordia University Irvine, going to get an education.
[robert_j__nash]:Wow. Wow.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:So free plug for
[robert_j__nash]:Man.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:the Concordia University Eagles.
[robert_j__nash]:Oh yeah, that's pretty impressive. That's amazing. Thank you.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:Well, thanks for you being on, Robert. We really, really appreciate this conversation. Blessings on your book and your next project on truth. We definitely need more truth in our society and in our lives. So thank you for what you do and blessings on those kids. I know what it's like having six kids and all involved in different things. It's felt like you're constantly running, but you had time to write and you can share
[robert_j__nash]:Mm-hmm.
[keith__host_of_becoming_bridge_builders]:the stories of Jesus with our world. So thank you for that.
[robert_j__nash]:Thank you all.