Rethink & Return with Jason Shepperd
ABOUT PODCAST //
Rethink & Return invites followers of Jesus to reimagine the modern church and rediscover the simplicity of the New Testament. Each week, we open God’s Word and have real conversations about what it means to follow Jesus, shepherd His people, and live out the ways of the New Testament. Through honest conversations and biblical teaching, we challenge assumptions, explore decentralized leadership, and return to Christ’s design for His Church.
ABOUT HOST //
Jason Shepperd is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Church Project, a growing movement of House Churches across cities, states, and nations. With decades of ministry and church-planting experience, Jason has championed a decentralized model of leadership that equips ordinary believers to shepherd local communities in simple, biblical ways.
Episodes
57 episodes
Galatians 6:1-6 // Sermon Conversations
This episode covers what it really means to restore people with grace. Centered on Galatians 6:1–6, we talk about how to gently bring others back, carry each other’s burdens, and build a culture of accountability without becoming judgmental. Th...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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52:38
The Lonely Cost of Leading with Conviction // Leadership Conversations
This episode covers the lonely cost of leading like a pioneer. We dig into what it means to lead with conviction, stay true to biblical values, and build a church culture that lasts. The conversation explores the challenges of leadership withou...
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Episode 22
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51:04
Galatians 5:22-26 // Sermon Conversations
This episode covers why the fruit of the Spirit cannot be understood apart from its source, the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 contrasts the destructive works of the flesh with the transforming power of the Spirit, reminding us that if there is no Sp...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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54:33
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Giving Clarity, Courage, and Context // Leadership Conversations
This episode covers the leadership mandate in a time of cultural upheaval. The conversation explores why this moment is different, how to lament well, and what it means to care for your city, yourself, and your church community. It highlights f...
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Episode 21
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39:46
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Galatians 5:13-21 // Sermon Conversations
This episode covers what Paul teaches in Galatians 5 about true freedom and how it is always tied to God’s order. Discover why freedom without God’s order is chaos, why sin always leads to addiction, and how walking by the Spirit is the only wa...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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46:21
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Galatians 5:5-12 // Sermon Conversations
This episode covers Paul’s warning to the Galatians, reminding us that salvation rests in Christ alone. We examine the difference between living through the Spirit and striving by works, how subtle distortions creep into the gospel, and why mis...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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38:50
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Galatians 5:1-4 // Sermon Conversations
This episode covers the freedom found only in Christ. The gospel is not Jesus plus our works—it’s Jesus alone. When we add to it, we carry burdens we were never meant to carry. When we abuse it, we trade freedom for slavery. This conversation l...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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52:46
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How to Grow Without Losing Your Values // Leadership Conversations
This episode covers the challenge of scaling leadership and why starting, staying, and sustaining growth each demand different skills. From the early days of casting vision with words, to embedding values into culture through repetition, Jason ...
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Episode 20
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1:05:53
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Is Generosity Optional for Christians? // Sermon Conversations
This episode covers why Jesus spoke so often about money and generosity, what 2 Corinthians 9 teaches about the laws of giving, and how generosity is tied to the gospel, freedom, and joy.
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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57:21
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Leadership Conversations // Scrutiny and Leadership Addiction with Jeff Vanderstelt
This episode covers the real struggles of ministry life—the scrutiny leaders face, the temptation to strive, and how vulnerability can become a pathway to strength. Special guest Jeff Vanderstelt shares wisdom on abiding in Christ, breaking fre...
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Episode 19
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37:40
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Sermon Conversations // The Secret To Generosity
This episode covers the call to bring our “first and best” to God through the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. The conversation unpacks how giving is more than a financial act—it’s worship, it’s protection against greed, and it’s a pathway ...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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47:04
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Leadership Conversations // Rest, Rhythms, and the Weight of the Call
This episode covers the unseen side of leadership—the toll it takes, the rhythms that sustain it, and the deep responsibility that comes with leading a local church. Jason unpacks how to build rest into your life without losing momentum, why se...
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Episode 18
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49:18
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Sermon Conversations // The Gospel & The Local Church
This episode covers the vital role of the local church in God’s plan, reminding us that while the world prepares us to live against Jesus, we are called to prepare one another to live for Him. From 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10, we see that though ful...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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47:22
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Leadership Conversations // Church And The Neighborhood with Peter Mutabazi
This episode covers what happens when pastors get honest about their shortcomings, their struggles with comparison, and the temptation to trade conviction for comfort. Jason sits down with Peter Mutabazi — foster dad, leader, and advocate — to ...
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Episode 17
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51:15
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Sermon Conversations // It Takes A Church
This episode covers the journey from rescue to redemption through the lens of Peter Mutabazi’s remarkable story. In this episode of Rethink and Return, Jason and Dave reflect on Peter’s transformation—from a nameless orphan in a gutter...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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49:51
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Leadership Conversations // Leading Without Losing Yourself with Curtis Jones
This episode covers the weight of pastoring and how easily ministry can distort your identity. From comparison and discouragement to decentralization and leadership clarity, this conversation challenges pastors to stay rooted in who God created...
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Episode 16
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38:10
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Sermon Conversations // Making Work Holy
This episode covers the sacred nature of work and the call to pursue both rest and excellence. From the beginning, God modeled meaningful work in creation, revealing that labor is not a curse but a reflection of His character. Rooted in Genesis...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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37:44
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Leadership Conversations // Staffing and Church Leadership with Jeff Wells PT. 2
This episode is a continuation of Jason's conversation with Jeff about church planting. While planting a church is a huge step in the process, Jason and Jeff break down the weight of building a team that loves Jesus and loves the mission of the...
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Episode 15
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26:38
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Leadership Conversations // Enduring Church Planting with Jeff Wells PT. 1
This episode covers the qualities needed to plant a church. Church planting is hard, but not impossible. Having people by your side, resting well, and enduring the struggle are all ways pastors can remain diligent in their pursuit of bringing t...
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Episode 14
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34:55
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Sermon Conversations // Suffering
This episode covers the hope and purpose found in suffering. Through the lens of the gospel, we see that pain is never wasted—God uses it to refine us, draw us closer to Him, and reveal His strength in our weakness. Suffering is not the absence...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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54:46
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Leadership Conversations // Evangelism and Discipleship with Tim Hawks
This episode covers the importance of evangelism and discipleship in the church. The local church is a gift, and a local church is about people. But it is a pastor's responsibility to properly equip the church to spread the gospel and make more...
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Episode 13
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43:02
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Sermon Conversations // Galatians 4:21-31
This episode covers the danger of spiritual ignorance and the burden of trying to earn God's favor through our own efforts. We unpack the contrast between living by the flesh versus living by divine promise, and what it means to be truly free i...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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49:35
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Leadership Conversations // New Testament Discipleship with Bobby Harrington
This episode covers the importance of returning to the practices of discipleship we see in the New Testament. With so much emphasis these days placed on the size of a church, it is crucial that discipleship be at the center of the church's effo...
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Episode 12
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30:26
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Sermon Conversations // Galatians 4:13-20
This episode covers the will of God and the reality of life. While we experience hardships and trials, we can live with confidence that God's will can and will be accomplished. It is God's desire that all come to a knowledge of the hope that we...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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1:00:03
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Leadership Conversations // The Church and Discipleship with Bill Hull
This episode covers the power of the local church and discipleship. While it is important to gather collectively, it is equally important to be connected to individuals in the body that you can grow with. Discipleship and evangelism must be at ...
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Episode 11
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28:10
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