Entrusted Podcast

Josh Yates prayed before every at-bat for God to make him famous. It worked, in a way — he became a D1 All-American catcher and got drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 2006. But by then his life had already come apart at the seams: three schools in three semesters, a scholarship pulled, and a baby on the way at 19 with a girlfriend he barely knew. In this episode, Josh — now the founding pastor of Vineyard Church in Auburn, AL — tells the whole story: the chaplain who wouldn't stop showing up, the chapel talk that changed his mind about signing with the Indians, the appendicitis that hit on his 22nd birthday mid-slump, and the eight months between "I don't think I was a Christian" and "I'm almost certain I was." We also get into why guilt wasn't what made the gospel attractive to him, why so many of us only know a truncated version of it, and what three years of planting a church has actually looked like — the glory and the chaos of it both. Josh and his wife Jennifer have six kids and have been married since 2005. Vineyard Auburn launched in 2023. — Follow Entrusted: Apple • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram • X Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:00:50 First Birth 00:29:02 Why Jesus became attractive: identity before guilt 00:42:41 The gospel has tenses: saved, being saved, will be saved 00:53:28 A freak dugout injury and becoming a DH 00:55:33 The chapel talk where the scales came off 01:05:16 Joseph, hindsight, and why we can't plan the picture forward 01:07:23 Not drafted his senior year: "one of God's biggest kindnesses" 01:11:22 Matthew 9, the plentiful harvest, and campus outreach 01:20:22 The call to plant Vineyard Auburn 01:25:40 A plentiful harvest in one of the most churched towns in America 01:26:20 Footprint: where you live, learn, work, and play 01:45:46 What has the Lord entrusted to you? 1:50:02 Outro

Lutheran, Presbyterian, Anglican, Episcopalian, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, non-denominational. A pastor walks through what actually separates every major Christian denomination, and what unites them. Why are there so many different churches? Most people pick one based on the music, the preaching style, or where their family already goes. This conversation offers a different framework. Aaron, a seminary-trained pastor, maps the entire landscape from the top down: the historic creeds that define Christian faith, the Great Schism of 1054 that split East from West, the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, and then every major Protestant branch one at a time. For each denomination he covers three things. How the church is structured and who holds authority. What they believe about baptism and the Lord's Supper. And what you would actually experience walking into a service on Sunday. Along the way, the harder questions get asked directly. Can someone be saved inside a tradition that gets the gospel wrong? Why do Lutherans believe Christ is physically present in the bread and wine when Presbyterians do not? What did the thief on the cross actually understand about the Trinity? And where exactly is the risen Christ right now? The episode closes with news from Auburn. Lakeview Baptist Church has voted to plant a new church in the northwest part of town, and Aaron has been sent as the lead planter. North Plains Baptist Church is coming. Whether you are trying to figure out where you land, explaining your faith to someone who thinks denominations prove Christianity is broken, or just want to understand what you have been part of your whole life, this is the map. 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:00 What this episode is 00:03:50 Big Picture Overview of Beliefs 00:07:18 Catholic vs. Protestant 00:19:31 Denominational Differences 00:21:43 Lutherans 00:30:09 Presbyterians/Reformers 00:38:33 Anglican/Episcopalian 00:44:45 Baptists 00:49:55 Methodists 00:54:00 Pentecostal/Assembly of God 00:54:30 Non-denominational 00:58:00 Why Aaron is a Baptist 01:13:00 Encouragement to listeners to think through their beliefs 01:17:00 Aaron’s call to plant a new Church in Auburn

Greg Key spent over two decades in vocational ministry before circling back to the craft he first loved as a teenager: graphic design. In this episode, Greg walks through his first birth in Birmingham, a swimming career that nearly pulled him away from Auburn, and the second birth that came through a Proverbs 19 conviction at a campus Freedom Rally. He shares what it took to build Lakeview's media ministry from nothing, the toll a pandemic took on a local church staff, and the words his dying father spoke that pointed him toward the work he does today. Books mentioned: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney What Every Christian Should Know by Adrian Rogers The Masculine Mandate by Richard Phillips Follow us: Instagram: @entrustedpodcast 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:48 First Birth 00:35:00 Second Birth 00:39:14 Proverbs 19 and Surrender 00:44:44 Getting Planted at Lakeview 01:16:02 Leaving Graphic Design for Ministry 01:33:16 COVID and the Media Ministry Years 01:47:56 A Father's Last Words and a New Season 01:56:14 Closing

Dr. Larry Wit has taught physiology at Auburn University for over 50 years — and along the way, discipled generations of college students in his home, walked through the death of his wife Nancy after 47 years of marriage, and kept showing up to serve. In this episode, he shares his testimony, how a chance encounter on an airplane and a series of "coincidences" led him to Auburn in 1976, what it means to grieve well without making an idol of what you've lost, and why he's still teaching at 82. We talk about: Growing up in A.W. Tozer's church and the meaning of "second birth" Meeting his wife Nancy and courting via cassette tape during Vietnam God's providence in landing the job at Auburn Sharing the gospel as a professor within the bounds of academic discipline Discipling college students by simply opening his home Losing Nancy to cancer and learning that "grief and peace can coexist" Facing his own health scare and what it means to set your mind on eternity Why retirement isn't the biblical model — and what stewardship looks like in your 80s Books mentioned: The Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God, and God's Pursuit of Man by A.W. Tozer (3-in-1 volume) Entrusted is a podcast about what you've been given — career, family, calling — and how to steward it well. Hosted by Ben Presley, Brock Murphy, and Blayne Barber. Follow us: Apple | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:00 First Birth / Second Birth 00:18:20 Meeting Nancy 00:25:00 Fascinating story of communication with Nancy 00:40:00 Coming to Auburn 01:06:00 God’s faithfulness to Larry as a widower 01:22:00 Stewarding Retirement to His Glory 01:25:00 New perspective after serious illness/Eternal Mindset 01:29:00 Closing

We talk through Zac's move and what it means for the show's editing and production, Brock's move to Birmingham, Ben's first eight weeks as a new dad (and Blayne's very different experience with newborn number one), a shoutout to a fundraiser for a friend's family battling childhood cancer, and where the podcast stands heading into its next season — momentum, growing pains,etc. Then we dig into a meatier one: The Village Church going remote for three weeks during a building renovation sparks a real-time, in-the-text debate on corporate worship, church size, screens vs. gathering in person, and where this issue actually falls on the primary/secondary/tertiary spectrum of Christian conviction. We land on a broader point — the value of holding tension in faith rather than forcing false certainty — anchored by Romans 1 and the "in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity" framework. Enjoyed the episode? Like, comment, and subscribe — and let us know what you think about the corporate worship discussion. Got a guest suggestion or a topic you want us to tackle? Reach out at entrusted.podcast@gmail.com or through our socials.
https://www.caringbridge.org/site/6f9746ef-77a9-11f0-b2e2-6f1188bcdf38?from=%252Fsearch&fname=Sally&utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleATLHDRwZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzEyNDAyNDU3NDI4NzQxNAABp9Dh7sf1hSF4-9sLWEiNrZ2NaJBOuVncA4TlEfowe8BepSekZEL7AkOofInX_aem_xWSzIx83mcOGuzhvsFTWcA
 
Follow Entrusted: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter/X Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:18 THANK YOU ZAC 00:02:33 How is Birmingham Brock? 00:05:19 How is dad life Ben? 00:11:41 State of the Pod 00:22:49 BLAYNE HATES CHURCH AT HOME 00:38:00 email us at : entrusted.podcast@gmail.com 00:46:00 Tension/wrestling as Christians 00:55:30 Essentials vs. non-essentials in our Faith 01:02:33 Closing

This week on Entrusted, Blayne is joined solo by his good friend Alex Shotts, founder and roaster of Thankfully Coffee, for a conversation that spans a childhood in the middle of the Pacific Ocean to building one of Auburn's most-loved coffee roasters from a single 50-lb bag of green coffee. Alex grew up on a tiny island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands — population 1,500, graduating class of 18, nearest landmass roughly 2,500 miles away in every direction — before moving to Auburn for college in 2012. He shares how a Camp War Eagle counselor's invitation to church led to a slow, honest wrestling with faith, culminating in a moment reading John 14:6 alone in his apartment that changed the direction of his life. From there, the conversation traces a winding early career (coffee shops, Home Depot's Pro Desk, and a hard season working at a youth correctional facility), meeting his wife Robin through a missional community called Launch, and the Thanksgiving Day decision in 2019 to start roasting coffee on his own terms. Alex and Blayne dig into what makes Thankfully's coffee distinct — from green coffee sourcing to the difference between drum and air roasting — and how word of mouth carried the business from one Auburn coffee shop to accounts across the country, a guest-roaster takeover in New York City, and a Final Four finish in a nationwide coffee roaster poll. Underneath it all is a story about discerning calling without rushing it, working hard without losing sight of who it's for, and letting gratitude — not just growth — define success. In this episode: growing up in the Marshall Islands; coming to faith through Camp War Eagle and FBO; wrestling with a calling to international missions vs. faithfulness where you are; meeting and marrying Robin; hard jobs before the roastery, including an assault at a youth detention facility; starting Thankfully Coffee on Thanksgiving Day 2019 debt-free; the meaning behind the name and logo; meeting Blayne over a coffee cup; drum vs. air roasting; scaling to national accounts, Rex Cafe in Pensacola, and a guest bar in NYC; a Final Four finish in a nationwide roaster poll; and where to find Thankfully Coffee. Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:08 First Birth/Second Birth 00:22:36 Discerning calling with patience instead of "run hard, run fast" 00:32:23 Early jobs in coffee shops around Auburn 00:42:46 The Thanksgiving Day 2019 realization that sparks Thankfully Coffee 00:50:26 Where the name "Thankfully" came from 01:19:11 Reflections on hard work, faithfulness, and gratitude 01:23:39 Where to find Thankfully Coffee online and locally

In this episode, Blayne and Ben sit down with Aaron Wine — youth pastor at Lake View Baptist Church in Auburn, AL — for a wide-ranging conversation on calling, seminary, and what it means to steward an ordinary faith in an extraordinary-obsessed world. Aaron shares his testimony, the two providential phone calls that led him to Lake View, and nine years of shepherding students. From there, the conversation moves into what seminary training actually looks like, whether local churches can raise up their own pastors, and why faithful preaching resists the pull toward spectacle and novelty. The back half digs into discipleship at home: the sobering stats on teenage faith retention, why parents — not youth pastors — carry primary responsibility for their kids' spiritual formation, and how to guide the next generation through AI and social media without outsourcing contemplation itself. Aaron closes with a picture worth remembering: the Christian life as a cup you spend a lifetime making bigger, so that when you finally see Christ face to face, there's more room for joy. 00:00:00 Intro & welcome 00:01:55 Aaron's background, family, and salvation testimony 00:06:20 Sensing the call to ministry 00:09:53 Providence and the road to Lake View 00:13:15 Internship to youth pastor — nine years in 00:18:43 What seminary is really like 00:23:55 Can churches raise up pastors without seminary? 00:28:52 Finding your preaching voice & the "five stones" lesson 00:35:50 Spectacle vs. the ordinary means of grace 00:44:04 The gospel: the track, not the gunshot 00:51:49 Why students walk away from faith 00:58:05 Church as family — and not choosing one for your kids 01:04:07 Whose job is it to disciple your kids? 01:12:05 Raising Gen Alpha with AI and technology 01:26:00 Closing: what Aaron's been entrusted with

Howard Porter has spent years building things. Real estate, businesses, partnerships. He founded one of the Southeast's premier commercial real estate firms, became the youngest MAI-designated appraiser in the country at 29, co-founded Global K9 Protection Group and grew it into the largest provider of third-party K9 cargo screening in the US. By most measures, he's the definition of a self-made man. He'd also be the first to tell you that's exactly the wrong way to look at it. This conversation covers the full arc — the early success, the hotel room floor at 40, the Walk to Emmaus, and a seven-year business slog through fraud, layoffs, a government shutdown, and COVID that somehow ended in a comeback. But underneath all of it is a man learning — slowly, over a lifetime — what it actually means to not be your own. Howard talks about entrepreneurial giving, going into business with friends, the difference between pleasing God and trusting God, and why the last five years of his relationship with the Lord have been the richest of his life. **TIMESTAMPS** 00:00:00 – Intro & meet Howard Porter 00:01:35 – First Birth to Second Birth 00:02:03 – Growing up in Birmingham & life in the church 00:05:43 – The hotel room at 40: "God, I can't do this" 00:16:22 – College, the draft lottery, and joining the Army 00:24:55 – The parachute analogy: trusting a cord, but not God 00:30:11 – The Walk to Emmaus & meeting the risen Lord 00:36:26 – "I Am Not My Own" — what stewardship really means 00:43:04 – Going into business with friends & being unequally yoked 00:46:26 – How Global K9 started (a real estate deal gone wrong) 01:02:12 – Fraud, layoffs, COVID, and the unlikely comeback 01:16:45 – Pleasing God vs. Trusting God 01:20:28 – What has God entrusted to you? The meaning of "Porter"

Trace Hamiter measures his life against two great works: his family and the ministry the Lord has entrusted to him. In this conversation he traces both, from an early animosity toward the church, to coming to faith his junior year of high school, through more than fifteen years of college ministry, and into leading The Oaks Collaborative, a nonprofit that hosts retreats helping incoming college students start rooted in Christ before they ever step onto campus. He and the guys talk about scripture memory as a way of being bound by the Word, the idol of money the Lord exposed through deep financial loss, and the grief of losing a child and what that season put to death in him. The conversation keeps landing where the show wants it to, not on accomplishment but on stewardship and obedience, and on what it means to finish the course (Acts 20:24). This one is personal for the show too. Brock's testimony runs straight through an Oaks retreat, and it was there that Brock and Ben first became friends. Their stories sit right in the middle of the episode. The Oaks Collaborative (ministry info and socials): https://www.theoakscollaborative.com/ Trace Hamiter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trace-hamiter-03748b2ba/ Scripture Memory: https://youtu.be/N-VvGc4pSqo Time Stamps: 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:00 First Birth / Second Birth
 00:19:00 Scripture Memory
 00:29:20 Beginning Full Time Ministry 00:42:00 The Idol of Money
 00:47:38 Season of Pain leads to Killing Idols
 00:54:20 What is Good Financial Stewardship
 01:05:44 What Trace is Entrusted With
 01:15:10 7 out of 10 High School Students “lose” their faith in College
 01:18:00 Brock and Ben’s Oak’s Retreat Stories
 01:33:50 Behind the Numbers of College Faith
 01:37:20 Closing

In this episode, Auburn Mayor Ron Anders sits down with the Entrusted guys to trace a faith journey from a teenage revival that didn't stick, to a second conversion shaped by two faithful men, to a calling into public service he believes God placed on his life. Along the way he reflects on growing up inside his family's multigenerational bookstore, the grief of selling it, the weight of leading through tragedy, and why he is convinced every decision he makes as mayor is a spiritual one. A conversation about calling, identity, and what it means to serve faithfully when the work is never really finished.
00:00:00 Welcome, Re-Election, and the State of Auburn00:05:47 First Birth to Second Birth00:09:00 A Revival, a Profession, and a Wandering Heart00:11:40 Pursued Back to Faith00:17:30 Stewarding a Multigenerational Family Business00:26:26 Selling the Store and Letting Go of an Idol00:31:00 The Call to Serve in Elected Office00:41:30 Becoming Mayor: The Campaign and the Runoff00:46:30 The Hardest Days and Staying Rooted in Christ00:53:22 More Than a Part-Time Job: Raising Up Leaders01:03:11 Every Decision Is a Spiritual Decision01:08:36 Faith in Public Office and What God Has Entrusted