Open Air Theology -Conference Update/Q&A

What are you doing?

He never let us a guard that way. You use a wooden match.

Preserves the flavor you see. But the worst curse would come upon the one who seduced him. Whose head would be crushed? by the seed of the woman. And the punishment was too severe. What's wrong with you people.

Are you ready to get back to work with pleasure.

What is this about. I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses. During the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report to us supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies.

And claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.

But because of his own purpose and grace Which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

I don't know why you're clapping. I'm talking about you. I didn't come here to get a man. I didn't come here to be applauded. I'm talking about you.

Hello, welcome to open-air theology. I am one of the hosts on here Brayden Patterson. It's a great blessing to be here with these two brothers.

I.

When going to turn the mic over to Tom first to introduce himself. And then we'll introduce our guests that we have here. But first of all, how great was that intro?

That was fantastic. Alright Tom, go ahead you kick us off on introductions. Hey everybody. Well start starting off as the gray goat. My name is Tom Shepherd. I'm a member of Grace Bible Church of burning which is about 20 miles north of San Antonio and We share the gospel on the streets in Fredericksburg Kerrville, Bernie, San Antonio and People join us from from different churches and stuff like that.

So Great to be here with you guys on the Lord's Day, and I'm gonna do I pass it down to you or let's go Jared. Let's go to our guests. Yes. We have a guest with us today.

Jared introduce yourself bro that guy with the the best-looking beard out of the three of us right now. That's beer ever.

Okay.

My name is Jared Randolph. I am the pastor of maestro Baptist Church in Middle, Tennessee. About 50 minutes east of Nashville. So pretty close to there. Where does the reform Baptist Church? Just trying to be faithful to the Lord's Great Commission to carry that out and to make disciples and to baptize and teach them all that he has commanded and.

Thankful to be on the show not guys. Thank you for inviting me. I'm honored to be here with you brothers and discuss theology and it's mess around. So it's it's good to be here.

Love it. And that's a new that's a somewhat of a new church plan. Is it not? Yeah this year, right?

Yes, so we're coming up on a year. So getting pretty close to a year and so we're just grateful for the Lord's faithfulness to us and looking forward to this next year.

Are you 1689? Yes. Yeah. Okay. Wonderful. Hey, it's right in.

Yeah, well, actually.

What what time is your church services on on the Lord's Day? What what time do you. Yeah, so Sunday school.

Yeah, Sunday school at 10 and then our main worship service starts at 11 and. Typically I'll preach three Sundays of the month and then my elder Phil elder David. God see he fills in one week. So that's just.

He's a big help and thankful for my brother in that regard.

Yeah, how many you just have one co-elder with yourself then? Yes, correct. Cool. So if somebody was to watch this that lives in Tennessee, what? What would you say is the reason why they should travel to come see your church and worship God with you?

Hmm.

That's a great question. I could probably give you multiple answers to that. I would say we are again committed to carrying out the Great Commission and I think that's one of the main things that we should be focused upon now,.

Obviously that gets into doctrine eventually more so in the specifics, but I would say we love to get out and we need to do more of this but get out and evangelize and tell people about the gospel and bring God's sheep in and so.

We're all called to do that and we're committed to it and I think that also we're about just loving people and I think too often times we can get wrapped up in doctrine so much to where we lose sight of that.

And so we need to have a biblical balance of love but also being committed to doctrine and if we have that then I think the Lord will bless us in the work that we're doing so. That's what I would say to people.

It's just we love people and we want them to know God and to know him know him deeper.

So good praise the Lord.

See one of yours is he a Tender of your church. I'm sorry. What was that?

Michael Chandler Keaton. Is he a member of your church? Yes. Yeah, Michael. I see that now. Yeah, Michael. He's a faithful brother. He's been I Could I could spend all night talking about our relationship, but the Lord brought us together years ago in the strangest ways and He's been there every step of the way and he's one of the most not not knowledgeable Layman that I've ever known.

I mean he's not trying to Make his head get big, but he's definitely been faithful to be there at church And just serve and if you ever need to ask a question theologically or historically, he's the guy to go to.

Yeah.

Well.

I'll introduce myself real fast. I am Brayden Patterson. I'm the pastor of Grace Bible Church in Moorpark, California. That is located in the Ventura County area. That's around Southern, California. So if you live in that area be a great blessing to see you on the Lord's Day at 1030 is when we meet together Corporately to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

We also do a Sunday school at 9 in the morning followed by prayer at 945 and then that we pray until the church service really goes and then we also do a Second Bible study night service on Thursdays at 7 p .m.

So it'd be a great blessing to see you at either of any of those times if you live in the area or you know. Anybody that's in that area and seriously, please invite them tell them about the gospel of course and then tell them that there's a there's a local body here in Moorpark that wants to To love on them and to help them worship our triune God together.

Yeah, so we we typically run this show in On the Lord's Days and on the evening time and we recap how our Lord's Days were Jared. So Maybe let's let Jared go first and then Tom you could go on second.

How how was how was your Lord's Day today? How was it in Tennessee worshiping God together?

It was fantastic. So we. In Sunday school, we're going through Hebrews. It's actually right here. I have it. It's.

It's by.

Reform expository Bible study. I don't know if you guys have heard of that or not I think it's John Nielsen and Richard Phillips. But it's a 13 lesson study going through the whole book. And so we've been going through that.

It's been typically brother David teaches through that I had to step in today, but it was it's been fantastic. It's really Just thought-provoking and get you know. Your mind's just really engaged with the text and also the practical side of it too is there so it's been a great study and then we got into the the service the main service and It went very well.

Just a very God-centered theologically rich. Hymns and songs and praise to God and then we got into the sermon. I've been going through the gospel of John. And we're in actually in John chapter 6 right now.

So it's been It's been just really good really good food for our souls. So Actually today I was talking about the part that was where Christ says he must Feed on on my flesh and drank my blood and just talking about that just how rich that really is to us as believers.

Yeah, we had a great day it was a good day to just to be with our fellow believers and worship together and Looking forward to more of it. So.

So ours is good we had so right now this time of season is really the elders at our church take this time as people are traveling and You know Gone to be with family and stuff like that. It really is the only time they actually have a chance to Take a break as well.

And so Michael Beck has been going through the book of Romans Sporadically are actually consistently and sequentially for several years now and he's almost finished with it. We're we're basically in in Romans 16 now, so we're right at the end and.

But he took a break today for Christmas and Frank getting preached in Psalm 13 today Encouraging believers who might be suffering with depression that we shouldn't be cast down that David.

Hey, Michelle.

That David, you know look to the Lord and he said the Lord, you know, I'm trusting in the Lord. You're gonna you're gonna protect me from my enemies and in all this. It was really good. So we sing sovereign grace music or grace hymns At our church and there was no equipping classes, but normally we have equipping classes where we have a variety we have for new members.

Every new member has to go through the doctrines of grace. Once they complete the doctrines of grace Which is actually taught through The what is it the fundamentals of faith 3 John MacArthur's booklet? basically going through the the doctrine the doctrines of grace and then we have another class which is a biblical counseling class by Frank and Then Michael also he's we're in systematic systematic theology 3 I believe right now going through the You know the different doctrines right now the Doctrine of Salvation the order of salvation Limited to me, you know all the way through it.

So it was really good today. So We're gonna be back on almost full schedule next week to where we have equipping on Wednesday morning evening and In regular service as well, but it was really good.

Well, my Lord's Day I've had a it's been a busy day today. It's been a busy great day today though nonetheless Michelle. It's good to see you. It's a hey. Also, we have 25 people watching live right now if you haven't already subscribed to this YouTube channel, please do not sorry What's in my open-air theology, please subscribe to it share it with your friends.

It's a place where we're Tom and myself and then we have guests on here where we herald the good news of Christ. So it's a blessing to see you guys every week when we when we do this, so please subscribe like and share.

But yeah, my Lord's Day was was busy. It was it was great. Had Sunday school this morning at 9. I taught part 3 on a series of Gentlemen a deacon at our church at Grace Bible Church here in Moore Park has been doing a Lengthy Sunday school series on world religions, and he's been diving deep into different Religions in California.

That's something that's new to me. Is that it it is surrounded by false religions everywhere. More so than Idaho. In Idaho, you really just run into LDS for the most part. You'll run into LDS. You might run into some Catholics here there.

I mean I could count on one hand how many times I ran into Jehovah Witnesses in Idaho. It's nothing but LDS that you're always up against. However here in Idaho. There's a ton of.

Yeah.

California excuse me. I said Idaho again. So that that's a that's a new thing, but it was a blessing today because in that world world religion series I was able to do part 3 on Mormonism where we are just looking at the life of Joseph Smith the life of Brigham Young and then looking at the modern claims of doctrine from the LDS religion and today what was really reinforced is that You know if I gave you if you had never seen $100 bills in your life and I gave you a real hundred dollar bill and a Piece of monopoly money for $100.

If you didn't if you never been exposed to either one of those things before. You wouldn't know which one is the real hundred dollar bill, right? And so as believers we need to study the gospel the real truth.

And that should be the principle that we study first and foremost and that's what helps us identify that which is false. And so we you and I would want to take the real hundred dollar bill over the monopoly money ever any day.

Because we value what's behind that true currency right there. And so just talking today about you know, the the studying of Mormonism in these world religions. It's it's built upon the premise that we first initially Understand thoroughly the gospel and we can take that information out and and thoroughly search any any cult out there after that.

Got to listen to a great sermon by Errol Hale. The pastor here at Grace Bible Church who is now retired as of today. Today was his retiring 40 years since planting this church. It was it was a blessing.

He preached on just God's faithfulness and then later in the evening We my family and I just got home from a retirement Party, I don't know what you would call it. It was just a get-together and a celebration of the church being around for 40 years while also Celebrating the retirement of the of a man that has been used mildly by God.

So that was a great blessing to be a part of that. And so next Sunday, I'll be picking up James 1 1 this Thursday. I'll be picking up a series of and going in 1689. We're gonna be going through a series through there through the confession.

On Thursday nights and then James 1.

Well the book of James on Sundays, so it'll be a blessing. That's not it's interesting that you you brought up in the world religion. Religions, you know, we talked about you know, the the fake hundred dollar bill versus the real hundred dollar bill.

Object of our salvation matters, doesn't it? It does. Yeah getting getting Jesus, right? Has to matter. He has to be God in order to qualify to die on the cross for us and so yeah good stuff. I'm willing to help.

But the other one that we that we came on and and I want you to do it.

Because it is the sad you want Jared to do it.

That's on you guys.

All.

Right, so the open-air theology conference that was going to be in Tullahoma, Tullahoma, however, you want to say it Tennessee has been canceled. So there's sadly there we were gonna have some great speakers there.

We are sad that we aren't going to be able to see faces there to enjoy the fellowship with everybody. This is really something it was really disappointing. That that we had to cancel it but we did it did in and not the best way, but you know, we we are still friends and and faithful of.

The speakers that were gonna be invited and loved them and. It's just sad. We're sorry to say there's gonna be no conference.

We we. And it was a culmination of several different things that we're not gonna have time to get into today by any means but.

Low-ticket sales.

Just there's a been there was a lot of things that that came about in these last little bit. So it just made it so we had to cancel it, unfortunately, so. That being said though be seriously on the lookout because undoubtedly open-air theology will have another conference and most likely It's gonna be in Moorpark, California at Grace Bible Church one day and who knows what it'll be on so.

There is gonna be a conference in in Tyler, Texas That I get to speak at matter of fact. Brandon Scalf is going to be there. He's gonna be there. Open air theology is not Putting it on but I'm privileged to be able to speak there.

It's kind of a weird topic I've been assigned matter of fact Garth Mark Goodson is putting it on he put it on the last one in August and this is the order of salvation. My topic is this get this because you're not gonna find it anywhere in the order of salvation.

Normally you think of election predestination justification faith, you know, so on so forth that my topic is is evangelism in the order of salvation. So that's great any any ideas I'm gonna do it. So yeah, it's gonna be interesting how how it goes for so I'm excited.

Yes, so At least we have one conference out there in this look forward to the next open-air theology conference in Moorpark, California.

Yeah, most likely it'll be in the year of 2026. But you already got this me evangelist guy like come on. How beautiful are the feet of those that bring good news? Come on. So that's that's where I was.

Where do you put that. Where do you. So you could. You could definitely put it in the general call. So we. Yeah. So what happened. Isn't Jeff the pastor of the platform. So. No Jeff. Jeffrey Rice has left open-air theology.

He is no longer a part of open-air theology question. Yeah, so it open-air theology is has always been amongst the three hosts of it and so He's stepped away from from partaking in open-air theology, so good question though.

Yeah. The outward call versus the inward call that would be a good place to go with that Tom.

Definitely. Yeah, absolutely.

Yep. Yeah, so and then what? We also so today so so we updated on on canceling the conference unfortunately, yeah, and then. The we'll do that one there the The the the picture that I put up with our three ugly mugs.

Jared I hope you're okay with me saying that I know Tom. I mean, I'm used to it. Tom owns a mirror. He knows he knows what I'm getting out with this ugly mugs.

Yeah, I'm not I'm not that mean.

Okay.

Fair enough.

No actually.

Yeah, I was the one that came up with the name a couple a couple years ago, so yeah. Good question. Well, we'll probably have to address something more of that in future time, but I appreciate you random bass player.

Keep on watching. Please subscribe. Get the word out about us. It'd be a blessing to continue to have you come and partake in watching these live and whatnot.

But.

So another thing that was according to that thumbnail was a year-end review. So what. Because we're at the end of 2025 or 2024, excuse me coming on to the year of 2025. What is it that open-air theology has been doing in this year of 2024 Jared?

What have you been doing in this year of 2024. And let's make it short and quick because. Also the next part of this this show that we're gonna be doing is is doing a Q &A. Where we already have some pre-loaded AI generated questions, which I think are gonna be great to go over but also if you are an audience member today, please put some questions in the comments if you'd like us to try to Be able to go through some stuff with with one another.

So Jared what have you been doing in 2024? What would you say is the year-end review for you if it was a short 30-second plug-in for yourself? Yeah.

That's kind of hard I would say first of all that the Lord's been good to our church and being able to You know basically plant the church and we have we've actually had help from another church in the Hartsville.

They really kind of helped get us going and With the boss and also in different other ways as well to get us going and so we're blessed there. Basically, just trying to get the church started and going is always a hard process.

So I've been trying to really work hard in that in the ministry in that area, but also with my job I'm I'm in pest control. So I have to balance the the church Job and also family and I would say I guess here lately what I've really tried to focus on is my family more than really anything because I really felt like I Was putting so much focus and time into the ministry.

Actually school as well because I've been attending Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary. I'm actually taking a pause on that right now and part of that is just realizing man I need to really focus more on my family.

And so and that's that's one thing that I would advise and just tell other pastors and preachers is to take a step back. Examine where you're at and really focus on your family because if you If you're outstanding in the ministry and all the other areas, but you neglect your family then you're failing as a man as a man of God and so.

That's what I would say this in review if I could have Done better. I would have definitely focused more on my family and just investing in them. And so hopefully this next year Lord willing I'll be able to continue doing what I am right now.

That's awesome. That's that that's good. Those are some good points there. On that note, so this last year my partner Most of all in evangelism in it and of course we do three do evangelism through the local church but my partner who goes out with me every weekend is my wife and She's she supports me whether she's handing out tracts or Brayden has come out visited with me.

And we went out to one of the games, you know, usually typically locally. We live in the hill country. So it's kind of spread out and so when we go to Bernie that's literally five minutes away from our church and stuff like that, and then there's a.

A.

Town of Fredericksburg and we go out there, but it's a touristy town. So we actually still meet a lot of the people from Bernie in Fredericksburg. But it's a good 40 minutes away, but people are touring and stuff like that.

So She's been so faithful with me, you know, there's there's times when Evangelism can be discouraging when you especially when you go out on the streets and you're you're proclaiming the gospel to people, you know they aren't listening to you, but God always Brings fruit at the right time to encourage you and to encourage your heart.

And then we also know that even if none is is our is our ministry name and It's based off the book by Ryan Dittmer. And you know We know that God is glorified in the proclamation of the gospel whether people come or not come God's Word is not going to turn up void.

So I'm so so grateful for my wife to come out with me and she encourages me. So we're gonna do more of that. We're gonna continue to go out work. We're gonna be going on. It'll be year five in 2025 so Please pray for us when we go up.

My wife has said your wife is such a blessing Tom. Yes blessing. Such a blessing. Year-end review for myself. I mean as far as open-air theology goes it we had a great conference in February. Have been trying to get on as often as we possibly can once a week.

And so it's it's been a real blessing there's been a lot of really good fruit that I think we've seen through open-air theology and so it's a blessing to be a part of the show and to Have a lot of laughs a lot of Real theologically rich tears shed and study and just just to be a part of this is great.

And so we're I'm thankful to the all the audience that's able to watch but for myself and our family I mean, obviously, I think the biggest thing is We're we're in California. Now. We're doing full-time ministry now here in California at Grace Bible Church here more work and No longer a firefighter like that's freaking nuts to even think about.

I would have never guessed that at the beginning January 2024 and so we're just so thankful for God's providence really excited to preach him crucified and just to lift our mighty God's name upon high here in this area and man like talking to you guys about evangelism.

Like we went out this last week doing caroling on Sunday. There's been Over and over and over again. That's it's been really cool because one of the biggest changes is in Idaho where we were living was in a town of 900 people I've knocked on everybody's doors at least three times and that was all done like in a week.

Let's be honest. And so now being in California in a town about 37 ,000 plus people I can go just to the coffee shop and I get to talk to a whole bunch of people about price and. So just this week, I mean I could ask like man there there's been genuine Great conversations about the gospel that have been taking place Here and even this last week it since we've moved here.

It has been taking place. So we're we're ecstatic about that. I mean, I'm super excited just to talk about Christ pray with people. Tell them to look to Jesus and invite them to church in the process.

So that's my that's my quick short.

Yeah, so quick though. I did notice that you did some studying on the beach this past weekend. However. You were dressed in a sweater. I look good boots.

I bring I bring style to California. Okay. Yeah.

But I did say on the post. Thank you very much for being fully clothed and not wearing a speedo and I.

Got some photos to send to you.

So.

Now we so we've done our year-end review we got to get into. Yeah, great weather is it is fantastic here, let's just. I mean I I'm riding a motorcycle. Listen guys. I'm riding my motorcycle around in December.

There's ice and snow where I used to be and I had to winterize my bike every year. I can ride my bike year-round and so I'm pretty ecstatic about that. We're gonna do our our Q &A right now.

I got to introduce Aaron Dufresne because he's my bro out there. Last year now you are actually what. 15 is my bro.

Okay, so how many times have you talked to Aaron this week.

All I'm saying is I don't want to see any pictures of either one of you and speedos together. Don't do it. I mean look at this guy. I wish I could post his mug.

So, yeah, let's do let's do some some AI generated questions and if the audience if you guys have any questions on here, please Send them in. We want to we want to discuss whatever questions you might have on here on the show.

So, okay. So hold on. Let me get to the page here. So these are AI generated questions. We asked AI to give us some questions from podcast show. Yeah. Hold on a second. So This all pretty much has to do.

With.

Faithfulness and ministry. Now if you guys have questions you guys ask them to and chime in if you guys, you know. We're probably all gonna have different questions and I want to say Go backwards. Jared has some favorite ones.

So this is question number 17. Was this. What are the marks of an unfaithful ministry and how can how can a church recognize and avoid? such leadership. So faithfulness in ministry. Michelle we're talking about faithfulness and ministry and first question AI came up with us is this.

What are the marks of an unfaithful ministry and how can the church? Recognize this and avoid the leadership.

Who wants to go first on that? I can I can tackle that first, I guess so I would say One mark would be the unwillingness to Be to be held accountable so You say this a lot like in some churches who just have like a single Pastor like that that single pastor model and I think you can go that route.

It's just the downfall to it is you don't have the your other co-elders Around you to help hold you, you know responsible and so you can just go out and do your own thing lead the people the way you want to and you're not just Held that that standard you should be held to so I would say just Avoiding that not not wanting to submit yourself to the other elders around you.

Now it's not that you know, one elder has more power than the other it's just that as As elders as pastors we have to be willing to Have our brother beside us to hold us, you know accountable and I have found The more that I do that.

Yeah, it can't be uncomfortable at times, but it's for my good. And it's to sanctify me and to make me a better preacher or pastor and so That's one big one. I would say also Not not being willing to listen to your people Is a big the congregation itself.

Yes the congregation. It's not that we You know, we're trying to please people in the sense of we're you know, always listening to them to Get advice on you know, how we should preach or how we should you know cover this text or whatever I think it comes down to.

Sometimes our people we have to listen to our sheep sometimes because they might be saying hey. You know, we're seeing this we're hearing this but we need help here in this area. Can you help us? And so we have to be willing to Listen to our people in those areas so we can't help them because if we just totally shut them out.

Are we truly being the shepherds that were called to be, you know?

Yeah, it's interesting on that Braden and I were talking matter of fact yesterday. You know about him Being a the under shepherd of a new church, and I can't remember who had said it and I remember Braden had said that he quotes this quote all the time.

He said but the the shepherd should smell like the sheep, you know, and that there should be interaction. You should you should be like you're in the sheep in the sheep pen with the sheep. Fellowshiping with them getting to know them understanding their struggles.

Let them understand your struggles. You know things like that, too, but I also like that that you said about holding each other accountable as Elders having godly men around you, but I would also say that that means not always finding.

Yes men. Yeah, and I see that I see that so much you're just where we're. Especially building a small church where you will see a pastor. Pick and choose when you look at deacons in the scripture in Romans chapter 6.

It doesn't say that the elders went out and picked deacons and then went to the congregation for affirmation. It said choose faithful men among you and bring them before the eldership and then let the elders Choose it.

So it wasn't that the elders were choosing the deacons. It was the people were choosing faithful men that they fought and they presented it to the elders. And I think that's important, too I think that guards against any any any leadership.

Trying to build a people around him that are just gonna be yes men and agree with everything they say.

Yeah, that's true. I totally agree. Yeah.

Yeah, I think I think something that Jared said there, you know with hearing hearing the sheep. You know as as an under shepherd as One that is called to pastoral ministry. You should be you should be smelling like sheep.

You should have the appearance of a shepherd and I'm sorry. But we are not as as under shepherds. We are not omniscient like our mighty shepherd is and so you and I we don't have the privilege Of knowing where sheep are immediately, right?

We we can't search the hearts of the hoes that we are shepherding like our mighty shepherd. Jesus Christ can and does all the time in the New Testament. And so part of being a shepherd is being able to hear the boss, right?

Bah.

Down the down down down the ravine and knowing where they're at knowing how to shepherd them up to the fold. And so I Think that that that is truly an importance is. Shepherding is more than just preaching.

Shepherding includes preaching. Don't let me don't think. I'm saying that preaching is not a key aspect of shepherding. But there is so many more facets to shepherding than just Preaching. And one of those things I agree with you Jared is being able to hear where you where your sheep are.

Being able to recognize things being able to hold them accountable to Things being able to guide them back to Christ. The shepherd that knows all things. I think those those are vital important marks of pastoral ministry per se.

So.

So.

Real quick Michelle before we go on to another one. You said you have a question. Not sure if it's related. Ask away. That's what we're here for. Yeah, what it is. So we we have no idea. This is almost like AI asking.

But I would I would say that there's there's several marks of an unhealthy church on a healthy pastoral ministry. There's several marks. I think somebody so David David here said that the pastor straying away from Scripture.

Yeah, that that's that's a huge mark if if a shepherd isn't resting his head and Planting his shepherd staff upon God's Word. What is he doing? He's he's going to the world for those things and that that's dangerous ground for any shepherd.

I think that is that's important. I think a pastor that's seeking his own glory Seeking a platform himself seeking for others to hear him rather than to Echo the words of Christ. I think that that is Danger ground right there.

I think a pastor that has his money or his eye set on money and greed That's a mark right there. If a pastor has his eyes set, you know on the honeys on the ladies That's not good right there. There's there's several marks of an Unhealthy pastoral ministry as well as an unhealthy but bad marks for a church as well.