Episodes

  • Copy of S9 Ep 6 | Jon Bladine

    Copy of S9 Ep 6 | Jon Bladine
    Oct 29 2024
    Dr. Matt Davis welcomes Jon Bladine, Director of Longview Camp in Arcade, New York, as his guest on this episode of On Mission. Jon discusses how the Lord guided him to camp ministry, the skills that have been beneficial, and those he had to acquire, as well as the challenge of revitalizing a struggling ministry. Out of college, Jon had plans to be a missionary pilot; his journey may resonate with those who have undergone training for a specific purpose only to be guided in a different direction by God. Dr. Davis and Jon swap memories of Northland in Dunbar, WI, where Jon grew up, and of various camp ministries Jon has been a part of. You will be encouraged by Jon’s passion and testimony of God’s hand in their lives through the camp ministry, and admonished to never second guess what God has done in a place where little fruit is visible. Ministry’s value is eternal because it is about people.
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    48 mins
  • S9 Ep 5 | Scott Nupson

    S9 Ep 5 | Scott Nupson
    Oct 22 2024
    Join Dr. Matt Davis as he talks with retired chaplain Lt. Col. Scott Nupson on this episode of On Mission. Mr. Nupson represents the Associated Gospel Churches Chaplaincy, a tool of the local church to endorse and send chaplains into limited access institutions (all branches of the military, Civil Air Patrol, Veterans Affairs, police, fire, federal prisons) in order to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Besides his career as a chaplain, he has been a pastor, husband of 35 years, and father of four, all whom serve faithfully in their local churches all over the world. Dr. Davis and Mr. Nupson provide context on chaplains in the American military, discussing their history and the spiritual needs of military personnel. They also address the legitimacy of the chaplain’s role and Mr. Nupson’s deployment experience and lessons learned. You will be encouraged by his faithful testimony of God’s grace, and learn how to encourage and support the work of chaplains in our military.
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    53 mins
  • S9 Ep 4 | Jarid Lawson

    S9 Ep 4 | Jarid Lawson
    Oct 15 2024
    In this episode of On Mission, Dr. Matt Davis gets to know 2010 graduate and MBU's new assistant athletic director and soccer coach, Jarid Lawson. In the fourteen years since graduating college, the Lord has kept the Lawson family on the move: from student teaching and meeting his wife in Missouri, to teaching, coaching and starting a family in Arizona, to Montana to be near family for a time, to his current role at MBU. In each place, God had remarkable coaches to mentor him: Gary Garrison as a youth, Jeff Pill in college, Paul Brown and Lynn Hesuinger in Arizona. Coach Lawson and Dr. Davis find common ground over the great need for godly teachers and coaches to disciple student athletes, and discuss the connection between teaching and coaching. Coach Lawson draws his personal mission from Psalm 31:1-3, to be the kind of believer that teaches and coaches those who want to be taught and coached, multiplying the biblical character and leadership God has so graciously been molding in him.
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    47 mins
  • S9 Ep 3 | Sarah Urban

    S9 Ep 3 | Sarah Urban
    Oct 8 2024
    Dr. Matt Davis talks with Maranatha’s own nursing faculty member, Dr. Sarah Urban, on this episode of On Mission. With years of experience as a nurse, Dr. Urban has dedicated herself to nursing education, driven by the goal of training nurse leaders. Dr. Urban talks about the satisfaction of teaching and the excitement of watching her students succeed in the healthcare field. She discusses the many paths available to students after graduation, debunking the idea that nurses only work in hospitals or clinics—some may work in community settings such as schools or public health departments, the military, healthcare leadership, case management, education, or even as a legal nurse consultant. And, Dr. Davis and Dr. Urban openly address the challenges of compassion fatigue, and of practicing faith in nursing—highlighting its holistic impact on patients’ lives. “Nursing is a unique ministry that makes a difference in the lives of patients not only physically but also psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually.” -Sarah Urban, PhD, RN, CNE
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    47 mins
  • S9 Ep 2 | David Canedy

    S9 Ep 2 | David Canedy
    Sep 24 2024
    In this episode of On Mission, Dr. Matt Davis sits down with Dr. David Canedy, Deputation Director of Baptist World Mission (BWM). A former accountant, Dr. Canedy’s professional skills and pastoral gifts have been faithfully utilized by God in his current position to assist local churches in sending out missionaries. He discusses the process of missionary deputizing and board appointment, with a focus on BWM’s criteria for candidates. Dr. Canedy and Dr. Davis then delve into the importance of being faithful servants and how it relates to our stewardship of time, talent, and treasure—and the solace there is in God’s record-keeping. It is that eternal hope that protects us from the discouragements of life in today’s grievance-driven culture, and what motivates Canedy to remain faithful in the smallest aspects of life.
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    39 mins
  • S9 Ep 1 | Ron Perry

    S9 Ep 1 | Ron Perry
    Sep 17 2024
    On this episode of On Mission, Dr. Matt Davis speaks with Pastor Ron Perry of Faith Baptist Church in Folsom, California. Pastor Perry shares poignant life lessons from his experience as a pastor, police chaplain, husband, and father. One key he shared is the involvement of his wife and their entire family in church ministry. Pastor Perry shares his unique gifting of relational shepherding, and how it has played a large role in how he and his family experience the burdens and joys of ministry. Pastor Perry discusses his “seasonal” approach to living on mission, detailing what it looks like to "Put your Yes on the table for the Lord” and keep it there. Saying Yes represents the idea of surrendering to God’s will, trusting in God’s character—His goodness, love, and sovereignty—even before knowing the specifics of what He wants. As trust deepens with God, it gets easier to fully surrender; and the better we know God, the simpler it becomes to trust Him with our decisions.
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    56 mins
  • S8 Ep 8 | Mark Cover

    S8 Ep 8 | Mark Cover
    Jul 23 2024
    In this episode of On Mission, Dr. Matt Davis speaks with Mark Cover, Co-CEO at Hines in Houston, Texas, where he has spent his career overseeing real estate acquisition, development and operations for Hines’ Southwest Region. Mr. Cover shares insights from working across cultures to build everything from community apartment complexes to billion-dollar stadiums; and how his unique skill set and personal mission to please the Lord translates to mentoring young people on the investment side and is funneled back to ministry in his discipleship of men in his local church. Mr. Cover is transparent about his plan for retirement, which is to steward his time, talent, and treasure long into the future by supporting church planting in inner cities through his family’s 501(c)(3) Great Commission Properties. Dr. Davis and Mr. Cover also discuss the challenges of stewarding personal and organizational assets well, and the cultural differences and risks of doing business or missions in foreign communities. While you may never manage a multi-billion-dollar real estate portfolio, this episode vividly illustrates the biblical truth that faithfulness in stewardship begins with the “little things” of life. As we demonstrate faithfulness, God rewards us with greater opportunities as He sees fit. (Luke 16:10) In eternity, believers will be ultimately rewarded for careful stewardship of the Master’s resources.
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    50 mins
  • S8 Ep7 | Randell Gillespie

    S8 Ep7 | Randell Gillespie
    Jul 16 2024
    In his second appearance in the On Mission podcast, Randell Gillespie, chief production officer for Thrive Mortgage and member of the Maranatha Board of Trustees, sits down with Dr. Matt Davis to talk about how his mission in life has evolved after parenting nine children, and the different ways the Lord has led as he and his wife plan for an empty nest. Gillespie shares heart-warming stories of his family’s travels and music ministry, and how he became committed to supporting missions—after one vacation in Orlando, of all places! He is transparent about his shortcomings, and how the Lord has graciously intervened at many checkpoints to teach perseverance, trust and obedience. This is an episode that will encourage every believer, and prove that no matter one’s vocation, you will never regret investing your time and money in things of eternal value.
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    47 mins