I’ve always believed that we are shaped by what we consistently allow into our minds and hearts.
The books we read. The conversations we have. The voices we listen to. The ideas we wrestle with. Even the things that make us uncomfortable enough to rethink what we thought we knew.
Every week, I come across articles, books, podcasts, quotes, conversations, and ideas that make me stop and think. Some deepen my faith. Some challenge my leadership. Some help me better understand the world we are living in. And occasionally, something simply fascinates me.
So I decided to start collecting and sharing some of those things here.
Each week, I’ll pass along a handful of things I’m reading, listening to, learning from, or simply thinking about. This won’t necessarily be a list of things I agree with completely. In fact, sometimes the most valuable things we read are the things that force us to wrestle with a different perspective.
My goal is simple: **to keep learning, keep growing, and keep thinking deeply about faith, leadership, culture, and life.**
Think of this less like a formal blog and more like pulling up a chair and having a conversation about a few things worth thinking about this week.
Here’s what caught my attention…
Preachers I like:
Dr. Aaron Cole - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIhDiTT-uq8
I am biased because he is my closest friend on the planet, but this message of his is outstanding. In the plan of God, Dr. Cole describes God’s plan as being a process, not a moment—He leads us one step at a time, calling us to trust and obey before we see the miracle. Like Noah, we discover God’s faithfulness as we walk with Him through every season.
Troy Martin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hhKc4gKmDI&t=2s
Another friend of mine, Troy Martin, is pastoring an amazing church in Encinitas. He just started his series on James, and he does a great job with it.
C.M. Ward - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0DUJyjvUqw
I am still humbled that I get to preach in the same church of C.M. Ward, Fred Cottrell and Robert Johnson. Our church has a remarkable history of great preachers. Here is a classic message from C.M. Ward. In Faith, Fact, and Feeling, Ward delivers one of his most memorable sermons, addressing the relationship between what we believe, what we know, and what we experience. With his unique ability to communicate biblical truth in plain, practical language, Ward challenges Christians to keep faith anchored in God’s Word rather than shifting emotions.
Dr. Tim Keller - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulmaUtbayGY
If you listen to me preach, you know I love Keller because I quote him often. While I am not always on the same theological page as Keller (he is from the reformed tradition), but I always love how he unpacks God’s word and his philosophical approach to preaching. In “How to Deal with Dark Times,” Keller focuses on how ‘Prayers [like Psalm 88] indicate God’s understanding: he knows how people speak when they’re desperate; he identifies with us in our suffering.’
Books I recommend:
Eugene Peterson has shaped the way I think about faith, ministry, and what it means to follow Jesus for the long haul. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction is one of those books I keep coming back to. In a culture obsessed with speed and instant results, Peterson reminds us that the Christian life is ultimately about faithfulness—walking with Jesus, one step at a time, over a lifetime.
-Outdated: Find Love that Lasts When Dating Has Changed - Jonathan Pokluda
This one comes highly recommended by my executive Pastor Nathan. Since both of us are raising girls in the 21st century, he think it is an essential read for both parents and their twenty-something kids. JP Pokluda’s Outdated is a practical and honest look at dating, relationships, and marriage in a culture that often gets all three wrong. I appreciate the way Pokluda combines biblical wisdom with real-world advice, challenging us to rethink what we’re actually looking for in relationships.
Articles that are interesting:
Technology and Humanity https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KoaxwRTGpPo
This isn’t necessarily an article, but a short clip from a talk by leadership thinker Simon Sinek. I’ve always appreciated the way Sinek approaches leadership and culture, and this clip is a great example of that. He offers a helpful perspective on how we should think about technology—not simply as something to embrace or reject, but as a tool we need to use thoughtfully and intentionally.
The Immaturity Penalty https://leadershipfreak.blog/2026/08/31/the-immaturity-penalty/
Dan Rockwell always has a way of making leadership practical. This short article is a great reminder that immaturity always comes with a cost—not just for the leader, but for everyone around them.
An interesting archive:
The CM Ward Archive - https://pentecostalgold.com/c-m-ward/
I bet you didn’t know there is an online C. M. Ward archive filled with sermons and radio broadcasts from his remarkable ministry. For those of you who had the privilege of sitting under his ministry, this will be a real treat. And for those who didn’t, let me introduce you to one of the great preachers in the history of Bakersfield First.
C. M. Ward was a pastor, evangelist, author, and one of the most influential Christian radio voices of his generation.
After graduating from Central Bible Institute in 1929, Ward began his ministry in Eastern Canada. He later entered evangelistic ministry before coming to Bakersfield in 1945 to pastor Full Gospel Tabernacle—what we know today as Bakersfield First—where he served for nine years.
It was during those Bakersfield years that Ward began using radio extensively to share the gospel. That experience eventually led the Assemblies of God to select him as the speaker for Revivaltime. Beginning in December 1953, the program aired nationally on the ABC radio network and quickly became one of the country’s highest-rated religious broadcasts.
For the next 25 years, Ward preached more than 1,300 weekly broadcasts carried on over 650 radio stations. His sermons were published in 23 annual hardcover volumes, along with numerous books and more than 250 booklets. He radio broadcast influenced people such as J.C Penney, Colonel Sanders and Werner Von Braun.
C. M. Ward’s ministry reached far beyond Bakersfield, but part of that incredible story was written right here. If you’ve never heard him preach, take some time to explore the archive. You’ll be listening to an important part of our church’s history—and to one of the great Pentecostal voices of the twentieth century (bio adapted from pentecostalgold.com)
Jason's Current Reading List:
Finally, here are the books I am trying to get through this month in no particular order:
About the Author
Jason Kennedy
Pastor Jason Kennedy serves as Lead Pastor at Bakersfield First Assembly in Bakersfield, California, where he leads a vibrant church community focused on helping people pursue Jesus, grow in their faith, and engage in life-giving community while extending compassion to others in their daily lives.