Aspire

About Aspire

A podcast for aspiring Christian leaders. Each episode shares the stories of pastors, evangelists, missionaries, young leaders, theological lecturers, and others who have journeyed into vocational Christian ministry. Whether you’re just beginning to think about gospel ministry , looking to grow as a leader, or seeking encouragement for your next steps, this podcast provides guidance, inspiration, and actionable wisdom to help you grow in confidence, faith, and clarity. Originally inspired by: whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task (1 Tim 3:1).

Publisher

Aspire Team

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Jan 2021

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

60 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Matt Sparks on How Do You Know What God Is Leading You To? Pioneering a Church Planting Movement, Returning to Ninevah

   You feel a stirring, a restlessness, a sense that God might be leading you to something different. But how do you actually know? Matt Sparks has been there. Before he planted Anchor Church , now a movement of four churches stretching from the Inner West to the Northern Beaches, he had his own Jonah moment, running hard from God before a profound moment brought him home. He knows what it's like to be told "not yet," to wonder if he'd missed his moment, and to leave a healthy, thriving church to plant a risky new one. In this episode of Aspire, Matt walks through how he discerned God's leading at every stage of his journey, and hands you his practical, three part grid for testing it: inner conviction, external confirmation, and demonstrated competency. You'll hear what almost stopped him going into gospel ministry, what it looked like at MBM, why his heart for multiplication has only grown, and what he'd tell his younger self if he could. Matt Sparks planted Anchor Church - now a movement of four churches across the city of Sydney. 0:00 — How Do You Know What God Is Leading You To? 1:19 — When Did You First Want to Go Into Ministry? 4:00 — Where Did You Feel God Was Leading You? 6:00 — What If People Tell You NOT to Go to Theological College? 7:23 — What Almost Stopped You Going Into Ministry? 8:40 — Matt's Jonah Moment: Running From God 12:20 — What Happened When You Finally Said Yes? 16:50 — What Was Ministry at MBM Really Like? 19:55 — When Did You Know You Should Plant a Church? 22:40 — Why Leave a Healthy Church to Plant Another? 25:20 — Why Has Your Heart for Multiplication Grown? 26:55 — What Would You Tell Your Younger Self? 29:10 — What Does an Aspiring Church Planter Need to Know?
31:45 — How Do You Discern God's Leading? 33:55 — A Prayer for Aspiring Leaders #churchplanting #aspirepodcast #gospelministry #theologicalcollege #biblecollege #guidance #wisdom #ministry #christianwisdom #jesus

2. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Sam Chan on How Do You Actually Know What You're Gifted For? Unhelpful Advice to Watch Out For & Why It Isn't One Size Fits All

   How do you actually know what you're gifted for? If you're trying to work out what God has gifted you to do, you may have wondered whether you need to pick one path. Sam knew early on that he loved evangelism and teaching. But he was also a doctor. Along the way, he received plenty of advice about ministry, some helpful, and some that he eventually realised wasn't quite right.In this conversation, Sam explains how he actually worked out where his gifting lay and why he believes there isn't one template for what gospel ministry has to look like. We also spoke about whether the idea that SMBC is “less academic” than Moore College is really true, why he went to Chicago to do a PhD, how he became a 'roaming' evangelist, and how his work eventually led to writing books and creating EVQ. If you're considering formal theological training, gospel ministry, evangelism, or simply trying to work out what God has gifted you to do, this episode will help you think more clearly. Chapters: 1:43 — When did Sam first know he wanted to be an evangelist?3:05 — When did he first consider becoming a paid “professional” evangelist? 8:03 — The bad advice about ministry Sam had to move past 12:05 — Medicine vs Bible college, the wrestle & why medicine remained part of the picture 18:20 — Why Sam studied at SMBC, and why it isn't “less academic” than Moore College 22:10 — Why do a PhD in Chicago if you want to be an evangelist?26:55 — Preacher, teacher or evangelist, can you do them all? 27:49 — How Sam became a roaming evangelist 30:58 — How Sam connected with Tim Keller and The Gospel Coalition, and became an author 35:50 — What is EVQ, and why did Sam create it? Sam Chan is an evangelist with City Bible Forum, a medical doctor, author of How to Talk about Jesus Without Being That Guy and Evangelism in a Skeptical World, a Fellow of the Tim Keller Centre for Cultural Apologetics, and creator of EVQ. He has two doctorates - in theology and in medicine. Youtube episode live tomorrow!

3. 

   14 Jul 2026

   Rob Falls on Overcoming Indecisiveness, Breaking the Bubble of Sydney, Why Bible College is Worth the Financial, Emotional and Mental Investment

   Are you trying to make a decision about ministry but struggling to decide? Do you struggle with the paralysis of options before you? Or perhaps, are you wondering if Bible college is actually worth the investment? Or maybe are you longing to ‘break the bubble’ of Sydney to see what opportunities there are for cross-cultural ministry across the globe? Rob Falls is a missionary in Vanuatu. CHAPTERS; 00:00 — Intro & Rob’s Ministry in Vanuatu 01:21 — Becoming a Christian Through Family & Church Community 02:43 — Growing a Heart for Global Mission 05:44 — Why Rob Chose a Ministry Apprenticeship 08:01 — Bible College, Mission & Preparing for Cross-Cultural Ministry 10:27 — The Trip to Vanuatu That Changed Everything 13:23 — Why Deep Theological Training Matters 17:30 — Language Learning & Cross-Cultural Ministry Challenges 19:20 — Teaching Ministry in One of the World’s Most Linguistically Diverse Nations 21:31 — Poverty, Farming & Life at the Bible College 22:58 — Advice for Aspiring Missionaries 26:16 — When to Contact a Mission Agency 27:59 — Final Encouragement: “The Harvest Is Plentiful”

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

29 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Aspire

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

• 

  The One Thing

• 

  Life & Faith

• 

  Conversations

• 

  Hamish & Andy

• 

  Aspire with Emma Grede