Fuel For The Harvest podcast host Nathan, is coming to you from all around the world (here, there, and everywhere) with wild testimonies, tips, and talks. The mission: equipping "ordinary" Christians around the globe to become everyday Kingdom laborers in their harvest fields (Matthew 9:35-38). It's all about living with hearts on fire and lives on purpose!
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Episode 311: Barnabas - The Most Important New Testament Character No One Talks About
He sold his land, gave away the money, vouched for a former persecutor of the church, and stepped aside so someone else could lead. Meet Barnabas — the most underrated man in the New Testament.In part two of this character study series, host Nathan and Forge Speaker Santiago Fuentes continue where last week's episode on John Mark left off, this time turning to the man behind the transformation: Barnabas, the "son of encouragement."Tracing his story from Acts 4 through Galatians 2, Santiago and Nathan uncover:✅ Why Barnabas, as a Levite, likely owned land in Cyprus — and the fascinating theory that it may have contained a copper mine✅ What his radical generosity reveals about a heart transformed by Jesus✅ How Barnabas was the only one willing to vouch for Saul (later Paul) when the entire church was terrified of him✅ How he led the Gentile church in Antioch and personally sought Paul out to disciple alongside him✅ Why Barnabas willingly stepped back and let Paul become the more prominent leader✅ The surprising moment Barnabas got swept up in Peter's hypocrisy in Galatians 2 — and why the Bible doesn't hide it✅ How his investment in both Paul and John Mark helped give the church a huge portion of the New TestamentThis episode is a powerful reminder that behind many of Scripture's biggest names is someone who chose to encourage, invest, and get out of the way — and that even flawed, ordinary people can carry the character of Jesus in remarkable ways.🔔 Subscribe to Fuel for the Harvest for more in-depth Bible character studies and conversations on following Jesus in the real world.Note: This episode builds directly on last week's study of John Mark — we recommend watching that one first for full context.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro1:17 – Meet Barnabas: son of encouragement2:47 – Acts 4: Barnabas the Levite from Cyprus6:12 – Numbers 18:20 and the mystery of his land7:37 – The copper mine theory10:05 – Was Barnabas already known for generosity before this gift?17:12 – Christian life is about pursuing Jesus, not character traits18:23 – Barnabas vouches for Saul when no one else would22:10 – Sent to Antioch: "he saw the grace of God and was glad"26:51 – Searching for Saul in Tarsus30:56 – Set apart for the first missionary journey33:59 – Called Jupiter: the humility of stepping back36:11 – The split over John Mark (recap from last episode)39:07 – Galatians 2: Barnabas led astray by Peter's hypocrisy42:08 – Closing encouragement: God is the true restorer#FuelForTheHarvest #BibleStudy #Barnabas #BookOfActs #ApostlePaul #JohnMark #ChristianPodcast #BibleCharacterStudy #SonOfEncouragement #GospelOfMark
13 Oct 2026
Episode 310: John Mark - The Deserter Who Became A Gospel Writer
He abandoned Paul and Barnabas mid-mission trip. Decades later, Paul's dying wish was to see him one more time. This is the story of John Mark.In this episode of Fuel for the Harvest, host Nathan sits down with Bible teacher and Forge speaker Santiago Fuentes for a deep character study on John Mark — the young assistant who deserted Paul's first missionary journey, caused a rift so sharp it split Paul and Barnabas apart, and yet went on to become a trusted coworker, a source of comfort to Paul in prison, and the author of the Gospel of Mark.Tracing John Mark's story from Acts 12 all the way through 2 Timothy and 1 Peter, Santiago and Nathan unpack:✅ The fascinating theory linking John Mark's mother's house to the Upper Room of the Last Supper✅ What it meant for John Mark to serve as a "hyperetes" (assistant) — and why humble, behind-the-scenes service matters in the Kingdom✅ The real story behind why John Mark deserted the mission trip in Pamphylia✅ The heated disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over giving him a second chance✅ Why Barnabas, the "son of encouragement," is one of the most Christ-like figures in Scripture✅ How John Mark's reputation transformed from "deserter" to a man Paul called "useful to me in the ministry"✅ What this 2,000-year-old story teaches us about restoration, patience, and not writing people offThis conversation is a powerful reminder that Bible characters weren't superheroes — they were ordinary people navigating failure, conflict, and grace, just like us. And it shows that no failure is final when God is writing the story.🔔 Subscribe to Fuel for the Harvest for more in-depth Bible character studies and conversations on following Jesus in the real world.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro1:17 – Meet John Mark: the character study begins3:03 – Acts 12: Peter's rescue and the house of Mary5:56 – Was this the house of the Last Supper?11:00 – John Mark's name meaning: mercy and "hammer"13:31 – A mother's sacrifice: her house, then her son15:00 – Serving as an "assistant" (hyperetes) on the mission field21:22 – Chapter 13: John Mark deserts the mission27:24 – Why did he really turn back?30:00 – The heated dispute between Paul and Barnabas37:51 – Barnabas: the "son of encouragement"47:33 – Was the relationship really broken forever?52:33 – Colossians 4:10 — Mark, a "comfort" to Paul58:43 – Philemon and 2 Timothy: "Bring Mark, for he is useful"1:02:00 – 1 Peter 5:13 — "Mark, my son"1:04:03 – Closing thoughts: it's not about being like John Mark, but like Jesus#FuelForTheHarvest #BibleStudy #JohnMark #BookOfActs #ApostlePaul #Barnabas #ChristianPodcast #BibleCharacterStudy #Redemption #GospelOfMark
6 Oct 2026
Episode 309: A Survivor's Story of Hope After Tragedy - Finding God In Hardship
Where is God when life falls apart? What do you do in the middle of the "little while" — that unbearable waiting between the pain and the promise?In this deeply moving episode of Fuel for the Harvest, host Nathan sits down with his friend and Forge teammate Justin Davis — filmmaker, storyteller, and survivor of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado theater shooting — to wrestle honestly with suffering, waiting, and where God actually is in the midst of it.Walking through John 16 and the story of Job, Justin and Nathan unpack why Scripture is so consistent about God's presence in pain, even when it doesn't make sense in the moment. Then Justin shares his own raw, personal story: surviving the Aurora shooting at 16 years old, the years of depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts that followed — and the exact moment Jesus met him in the darkest place of his life.You'll hear:✅ What Jesus meant by "a little while" — and why every believer eventually lives in that in-between space✅ How Job's suffering became the very thing that brought him face-to-face with God✅ Justin's testimony of surviving the Aurora theater shooting and the still, small voice that changed everything✅ How his own pain later became the exact comfort another young survivor needed✅ Practical, honest encouragement for anyone in the middle of a hard season right now✅ Why "the only way through suffering is to go through it" — and how God delivers us through our affliction, not around itThis conversation doesn't offer easy answers — it offers something better: the truth that Jesus is present, near, and at work even when everything feels uncertain.🔔 Subscribe to Fuel for the Harvest for more honest conversations about faith, mission, and following Jesus in the real world.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro1:24 – Today's question: where is God in our suffering?1:54 – Meet Justin Davis: storytelling, film, and Forge4:33 – John 16 and the disciples' confusion about "a little while"6:59 – Job's suffering and his questions to God10:59 – Getting "tunnel vision" in pain14:00 – Job 9:33 — the cry for a mediator16:26 – Jesus as the mediator Job was longing for18:01 – Justin's testimony: surviving the Aurora theater shooting21:00 – Meeting Colton: comforting others with the comfort we've received23:01 – 2 Corinthians 1: suffering that becomes ministry to others24:33 – Encouragement for those in the middle of the pain29:56 – Knowing about God vs. actually knowing Him33:59 – Job 36:15 — delivered through our affliction36:47 – Closing encouragement#FuelForTheHarvest #ChristianPodcast #Suffering #JohnGospel #BookOfJob #AuroraTheaterShooting #Testimony #FaithAndTrauma #ChristianEncouragement #PTSDRecovery⚠️ Sensitive content note: This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts and gun violence.
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5.0 / 5
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5.0 / 5
22 ratings
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