UNpolished Church
UNpolished Church

UNpolished Church

Jon Sherwood

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Episodes

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Honest conversations about the complexity, frustration, and beauty of church life and following Jesus in community in the 21st century.

Recent Episodes

The Role of Church Discipline in the Life of Christian Community with Russ & Kim Pullen
JUN 2, 2026
The Role of Church Discipline in the Life of Christian Community with Russ & Kim Pullen
In this conversation we explore what it means for the church to practice biblical love through discipline, repentance, restoration, and real Christian community.Jon Sherwood talks with Russ & Kim Pullen about microchurch, church discipline, confronting sin, marriage restoration, the Lord’s Table, spiritual maturity, and the courage it takes to speak the truth in love.This episode looks honestly at the pain of discipline, the danger of avoiding hard conversations, and the beauty of God using Christian community to bring healing, repentance, and reconciliation.If you find this teaching helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with your friends!Chapters00:00 - Intro00:50 - The Microchurch Journey06:09 - The Value of Networked Community09:54 - A Story of Sin and Restoration16:54 - The Theology of Church Discipline23:52 - Reflecting on Healing and Maturity38:55 - Navigating Hard Conversations48:39 - Closing Thoughts on ReconciliationUNpolished Church podcast exists to help equip and resource Christians toward experiencing greater intimacy with one another, transformation into Christ, and impact for Jesus’ redemptive mission in the world.If you have enjoyed or benefited from this podcast, please share with a friend and be sure to turn notifications on so you will be alerted to future episodes!Sign up to receive updates: https://www.jonsherwood.com/podcast#ChristianCommunity #microchurch #jonsherwood #unpolishedpodcast #missionalcommunities #community #organicchurch #housechurch #discipleship #christian #christianity #spiritualformation #church #churchleadership #churchgrowth #followingjesus #jesuschrist #spiritualgrowth #spiritualpractices #spiritualdisciplines #theology #bibleteaching #practicingtheway #communitypractice #smallgroups #bodyofchrist #forgiveness #reconciliation #christcentered #kingdomofgod
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50 MIN
What is Christian Community? w/ACN Network Leadership
MAY 19, 2026
What is Christian Community? w/ACN Network Leadership
In this conversation we explore what it means for the church to be the practice field for becoming like Jesus. The network leadership team discusses Christian community, micro church, communication, discipleship, forgiveness, conflict, and the challenge of learning to love one another in real relationships. It emphasizes the importance of shifting our view of church away from a product to consume or a spectator sport to watch, and toward a family where we are formed into the image of Christ together. If you find this teaching helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with your friends!Chapters00:00 Intro00:19 Network Leadership and Communication Patterns01:16 Why Micro Church Feels Different02:04 The Challenge of Living in Community02:28 The Church as a Practice Field for Becoming Like Jesus03:19 Church Is Not a Spectator Sport04:03 Introducing the Community Practice05:09 Meet the Network Leadership Team05:57 What Scripture Says About Community07:03 Galatians 6 and Carrying One Another’s Burdens10:41 Voice Order and Loving Others in Group Conversation12:59 Forgiveness, Patience, and Ephesians 414:17 Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ17:09 Why We Need Different People in Community19:04 Loving God’s Family as Our Joy20:30 Early Church, Discipleship, and Measuring Success22:07 Rethinking Church Growth and Transformation24:43 Shifting Goalposts and Paradigm Shift Farms28:16 Moving from Attractional Growth to Formation30:23 Making Disciples as an Ongoing Process32:38 Loving People Without Turning Them Into Metrics33:34 You Can’t Marry Jesus and Divorce His People35:08 Why Long-Term Community Forms Us36:14 Freedom from Production and Performance39:09 Practicing Conflict, Reconciliation, and Love41:21 The Beauty of Every Generation in Micro ChurchUNpolished Church podcast exists to help equip and resource Christians toward experiencing greater intimacy with one another, transformation into Christ, and impact for Jesus’ redemptive mission in the world.If you have enjoyed or benefited from this podcast, please share with a friend and be sure to turn notifications on so you will be alerted to future episodes!Sign up to receive updates: https://www.jonsherwood.com/podcast#ChristianCommunity #microchurch #jonsherwood #unpolishedpodcast #missionalcommunities #community #organicchurch #housechurch #discipleship #christian #christianity #spiritualformation #church #churchleadership #churchgrowth #followingjesus #jesuschrist #spiritualgrowth #spiritualpractices #spiritualdisciplines #theology #bibleteaching #practicingtheway #communitypractice #smallgroups #bodyofchrist #forgiveness #reconciliation #christcentered #kingdomofgod
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43 MIN
Is Sabbath a Privileged Practice? w/Connor Fodel
MAR 10, 2026
Is Sabbath a Privileged Practice? w/Connor Fodel
In this episode, Jon Sherwood sits down with Connor Fodel to explore the practice of Sabbath (Shabbat) why it can feel new, weird, and clunky at first, and how learning to stop can become a doorway into delight, freedom, and deeper community.We talk practicing Sabbath with roommates and micro church rhythms, cooking as a surprising form of rest, and the call to “make space where rest can exist” for others.We also wrestle honestly with the question: Is Sabbath a privileged practice? Connor shares about margin, surplus, and how God invites those with more to give toward those with less so Sabbath becomes more than “me and my rest,” but a practice that can create horizontal impact in community.Finally, we discuss how to delight in God’s goodness while the world is still broken, and we close with Lord’s Supper, the hope of John 16:33, and a prayer that remembers God bringing His people out of slavery into rest.If you find this teaching helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with your friends!Chapters00:00 Intro00:50 Practicing Sabbath with roommates + micro church rhythms01:21 The early “clunkiness” of learning to Sabbath01:35 Cooking for others as generosity (and rest)02:07 “Make space where rest can exist”02:34 Is Sabbath a privileged practice?03:36 Surplus + margin: not just for me04:21 A countercultural vision: abundance for others06:05 Sabbath becomes community: vertical faith, horizontal impact06:21 Enjoying creation—and seeing beauty in people07:13 Micro church story: seeing Jesus in others09:14 Sabbath in a broken world: why we need it10:38 Lord’s Supper + John 16:3311:34 Prayer: Exodus, freedom, and delight in God’s creationUNpolished Church podcast exists to help equip and resource Christians toward experiencing greater intimacy with one another, transformation into Christ, and impact for Jesus’ redemptive mission in the world. If you have enjoyed or benefited from this podcast, please share with a friend and be sure to turn notifications on so you will be alerted to future episodes!Sign up to receive updates: https://www.jonsherwood.com/podcast#Sabbath #Shabbat #Rest #SpiritualFormation #Prayer #ChristianPodcast #John1633 #LordsSupper #MicroChurch #jonsherwood #unpolishedpodcast #missionalcommunities #community #organicchurch #housechurch #scripture #truth #faith #jesuschrist #discipleship #christian #christianity #spiritualgrowth #spiritualpractices #spiritualdisciplines #theology #church #bibleteaching #biblicalstory #metanarrative #practicingtheway #storyofgod #creationtonewcreation #howtoreadthebible #spirituality #christcentered #livingtheword
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12 MIN
What is a Micro Church?
FEB 11, 2026
What is a Micro Church?
In this episode we explore what a micro church is and why smaller, participatory gatherings can still embody the full life of the church worship, maturity, and mission from living rooms to local service. We talk autonomy (it’s a church, not just a “group”), a multigenerational picture around the table, Matthew 18, and a 1 Corinthians 14 rhythm where everyone comes to give.We also share real stories—like a Sunday spent serving at a soup kitchen followed by prayer and communion—and why this can be a gentler on-ramp for skeptics and the hurt. You’ll hear how calling and creativity open space for diverse expressions (from neighborhood meals to hospice worship) while staying humble: this isn’t “the only way,” just a fruitful one for many.If you find this teaching helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with your friends!Chapters00:00 Intro00:38 Definition & autonomy: a micro church is a church03:32 A living-room picture + Matthew 18 presence04:08 Participation over performance; shrinking the stage/audience gap05:25 1 Corinthians 14: everyone comes ready to give08:13 From big church to built-in community10:18 Mission in practice: “soup kitchen Sunday” + communion12:02 Calling & creativity: diverse expressions of church13:04 Not the only way: humility & unity across expressions14:44 Overcoming “living-room nerves”: safety & expectations18:12 Beauty in vulnerable moments & shared worship19:12 A safer entry point for seekers; bringing church to peopleUNpolished Church podcast exists to help equip and resource Christians toward experiencing greater intimacy with one another, transformation into Christ, and impact for Jesus’ redemptive mission in the world. If you have enjoyed or benefited from this podcast, please share with a friend and be sure to turn notifications on so you will be alerted to future episodes!Sign up to receive updates: https://www.jonsherwood.com/podcast#MicroChurch #biblestudy #jonsherwood #unpolishedpodcast #missionalcommunities #community #organicchurch #housechurch #scripture #truth #faith #jesuschrist #discipleship #christian #christianity #spiritualformation #prayer #spiritualgrowth #spiritualpractices #spiritualdisciplines #theology #church #bibleteaching #biblicalstory #metanarrative #practicingtheway #storyofgod #creationtonewcreation #howtoreadthebible #spirituality #christcentered #livingtheword
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24 MIN
Everything Belongs To God w/Tony Hooper
JAN 14, 2026
Everything Belongs To God w/Tony Hooper
In this episode of the Unpolished Church Podcast, host Jon Sherwood engages in a heartfelt conversation with Tony about his life, faith journey, and the transformative power of Jesus.They discuss Tony's deep family roots in Black Mountain, his initial hesitance towards church, and how a welcoming community helped him embrace his faith.Tony shares personal struggles, including his son's health crisis, and how faith and community support played a crucial role in navigating these challenges.The conversation emphasizes the importance of accountability, truth, and the sense of belonging within a faith community, culminating in a prayer of gratitude for Jesus and the hope He brings.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:40 Tony's Journey and Family Roots03:01 Finding Faith in Community06:47 The Impact of Jesus in Personal Struggles09:17 Miracles and Transformation Through Faith11:14 Community, Truth, and Accountability14:23 Conclusion and PrayerUNpolished Church podcast exists to help equip and resource Christians toward experiencing greater intimacy with one another, transformation into Christ, and impact for Jesus' redemptive mission in the world. If you have enjoyed or benefited from this podcast, please share with a friend and be sure to turn notifications on so you will be alerted to future episodes!⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive updates: https://www.jonsherwood.com/podcast#biblestudy #jonsherwood #unpolishedpodcast #unpolishedchurchpodcast #microchurch #missionalcommunities #community #microchurch #housechurch #truth #spiritual #study #faith #believing #jesuschrist #disciplesofchrist #debates #theology #christian #amicrochurchnetwork #ashevillechurchnetwork #microchurches #sermons #give #prayer #holyspirit #sermon #deliverance #decisionmaking #spiritualwisdom #spiritualdepth #christianity
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16 MIN