The Man in the Pew Show with Phil Mershon

Overview

Episodes

Details

Man in the Pew serves Christian men who seek to follow Christ in all of life – at work, at home, at church and at play. We do this through weekly podcast shows, articles and other resources. History Man in the Pew started with a simple thought while Phil prayed on the beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Where do Christian men turn to find encouragement and inspiration during the week as they face battles at work, at home, and at play? What if there was a show bringing the voices of experts and everyday men into healthy conversations about the real issues all Christian men face? That vision started developing in January 2015 and has slowly formed into what you see now. My prayer in launching this show is that many men will find encouragement, inspiration and tips for becoming more like Christ in the parts of life that aren’t usually discussed at church. Pastors may listen to find insights into how to care better for the men in their flock, but this show isn’t primarily for pastors. This show is for “everyday” men led by everyday men who have something important to share with fellow believers. Some of these men are book authors and others will be relatively unknown outside their local sphere of influence. All of them have important things to say. Who is Phil Mershon? Phil Mershon is the founder of Man in the Pew, a ministry of Called to Worship. During the week he serves as director of events for Social Media Examiner, where he has served for nearly seven years in part-time and full-time roles. Phil is also a longtime worship leader, a former pastor, a jazz saxophonist, a songwriter, and a sports nut (basketball, football, and tennis). He has been married to Audrey for twenty-one years and they have three children in high school and college.

Recent Episodes

AUG 31, 2025

Kingdom Business: A Blueprint for Marketplace Impact with Wez Hone

NOTE: This episode had a couple sound drops so there will be a jump in the conversation. It's still worth sharing, but forgive this unrecoverable glitch.

Have you ever wondered how to truly integrate your faith with your business pursuits? In this episode, I sit down with Wez Hone, a serial entrepreneur and business coach from Australia, to explore the transformative power of kingdom-minded business practices.

Wez shares his remarkable journey from a non-Christian background to becoming a passionate advocate for faith-driven entrepreneurship. We discuss:

The Untapped Potential of Marketplace Ministry

Why business people represent one of the most unreached groups for the Gospel
How to view your vocation as a vital part of God's mission
Practical ways to be a full-time minister in the marketplace

Radical Obedience in Business

Wez reveals how he runs large-scale business conferences at a significant personal loss, challenging us to consider:

The power of putting Kingdom principles before profits
How small acts of obedience can lead to exponential impact
Real-life examples of entrepreneurs transforming their communities through business

Spiritual Warfare in the Marketplace

We explore the often-overlooked reality of spiritual battles in business:

Why the enemy targets effectiveness more than salvation
The importance of being spiritually armed while building your business
How to maintain Kingdom focus amidst worldly pressures

Throughout our conversation, Wez offers a compelling vision for what it means to be truly "kingdom-minded" in business. His insights challenge us to move beyond Sunday church attendance and into a life of radical obedience and impact in our everyday work.

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this episode will inspire you to see your business as a powerful vehicle for advancing God's Kingdom. Are you ready to embrace a new paradigm of success that goes beyond profit margins? Tune in to discover how aligning your business with God's purposes can lead to both spiritual and material abundance.

Learn more about the Kingdom Global Summit in Franklin, TN Sept 25-26, 2025.

39 MIN

MAR 13, 2021

Did Jesus Laugh? (7-Minute Prayers)

Do you wonder if Jesus ever laughed? Does it feel incongruous that Almighty God might enjoy a belly laugh?

Most of the pictures we have of Jesus reveal a strong but serious man. After all, he drove out the moneychangers and regularly rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He never wavered from his eternal mission to seek and save the lost.

But Jesus was fully man and fully God. As a result, he felt the full gamut of emotions. He wept over the death of Lazarus (John 11) and grew angry at the hard-hearted response of the religious leaders. He certainly bore all the fruits of the Spirit, including joy.

Robert Funk put it like this, “Jesus used humor and hyperbole to punch holes in pomposity … Part of Jesus’ charisma, was that he attended parties, drank wine, used irony, and hung out with outcasts.“

Portraying Jesus in His Humanity

Tim Washer, on episode 141, reminded me of the painting by Ralph Kozak which portrays Jesus laughing with his head tilted back in pure delight—perhaps even a belly laugh. This painting was inspired by Willis Wheatley, one of the first modern artists to see a side of Jesus that includes laughter and joy.

Show notes: https://maninthepew.com/142

8 MIN

MAR 8, 2021

Laughter is Medicine for the Soul with Tim Washer

Do you find it easy or hard to laugh at life? The bible says laughter can be like medicine to the soul.

A study conducted by the University of Maryland found that laughter reduces stress, pain, and conflict. It literally makes the heart function better.

The Bible references laughter nearly 50 times. Laughter makes the heart cheerful and helps us cope with the unexpected., In Genesis 18, Sarah laughed when God promised something that seemed too good to be true—a son at the age of 80. When it came true, she named her son Isaac which means “he will laugh.”

It seems God has a sense of humor. Have you ever looked at a giraffe, a baboon, or a dolphin? Dolphins seem to be born to laugh with us. Monkeys laugh at us.

Tim Washer teaches laughter

In episode 141, Tim Washer and I discuss how laughter helps us get through life’s ups and downs. Tim studied improv under Amy Poehler, and has worked on Saturday Night Live, Conan, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He’s also worked in marketing communications for IBM and now works as a virtual event speaker and emcee.

Tim regularly teaches marketers how to use humor and laughter as a way to discover new ideas. He explains that laughter helps us face hard things like a global pandemic or more personal issues such as brain surgery.

Show notes: https://maninthepew.com/141

47 MIN

MAR 1, 2021

Waiting for Heaven No Longer: a Tribute to Dr Larry Crabb

If I looked at your bookshelves, who would I presume has had the biggest influence on your life?

Thankfully the number of books you own by an author doesn’t necessarily translate to impact—otherwise, you might think John Grisham is my mentor. I do love a good fast-moving legal thriller, but I don’t plan to go into law or to write novels.

Outside of fiction and bible commentaries, you would find more books by Dr. Larry Crabb on my shelves. Some of them I’ve read multiple times. They have all impacted me, and in some cases transformed me.

Larry (he preferred we drop the doctor) passed away on February 28, 2021. I want to pause to honor a man who showed me how to follow Jesus.

Show notes: https://maninthepew.com/140

7 MIN

FEB 20, 2021

From Prosperity to Gratefulness with Ray Edwards: Day 90

Do you think it’s wrong to make money? Have you been taught that those who prosper financially must have done something wrong or evil?

Ray Edwards believes that we were all meant to prosper. For some our prosperity is a spiritual abundance that is accompanied by a vow of poverty. Most of us are called to greater prosperity than we’ve dreamed, but we’re afraid to pursue it because of faulty beliefs.

Introducing Ray Edwards

While I ultimately realized it wasn’t my calling to awaken the church out of economic lethargy, I’m happy to say that Ray Edwards is joining his voice with the likes of Dave Ramsey to call the church to prosper so that we might be a blessing to the world. Ray’s new book, PermissiontoProsper.com, serves as a clarion call to all believers to shed our debt and embrace our God-given mandate to be fruitful and multiply.

Ray Edwards is a Communications Strategist, Copywriter, and the author of How to Write Copy That Sells. His podcast, The Ray Edwards Show, is consistently one of the top-ranked shows on iTunes and has been downloaded over 1 million times. Ray has worked on copy and marketing with some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business. He's helped generate an estimated $300 million in revenue for clients like Tony Robbins, Michael Hyatt, Dan Miller, Jeff Goins, Jack Canfield, Frank Kern... and many more. He's been featured on Forbes.com, SocialMediaExaminer.com, and Entrepreneur.com.

Ray was also the very first guest on the Man in the Pew show. Click here to hear that interview.

For full article and show notes, go here: https://maninthepew.com/gc90

35 MIN