Podcast Summary: Deepen with Pastor Joby Martin

Episode: “Our First Love” (S18E2)
Date: January 13, 2025
Host: Pastor Joby Martin
Guests: Pastor Britt, Pastor Craig
Main Theme:
A deep dive into 1 Timothy 1, the church at Ephesus, the dangers of losing your “first love,” and what it means to both guard the faith and finish well.

Episode Overview

This episode explores the role of discipleship, the historical and spiritual context of Ephesus, the persistence and pitfalls of false teaching—especially syncretism and self-centered gospels—and the critical importance of maintaining a vibrant, Christ-centered love in both personal faith and church leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Launching into 1 Timothy & Personal Stories [00:21 - 03:33]

• The hosts banter about names—Pastor Britt explains his mom named him Ryan to avoid the nickname “Timmy.”
• The opening sets a tone of authenticity and personal connection, leading into stories about early nudges into leadership and ministry.
• Pastor Joby: Reflects on being “thrown in before you’re ready” both in sports and in faith:
  “Most people can do way more than you give yourself credit for...it’s not just learning things. It is actually doing things.” [05:54]

2. The Discipleship Model: Learning by Doing [03:33 - 07:17]

• All pastors share stories of being put “on the spot” early—learning not by passive instruction but through doing, even if imperfectly:
  • Pastor Joby describes his camp devotionals as desperate attempts to learn what should be shared in the morning with counselors, a practice that taught him the value of personal devotion.
  • Pastor Britt’s “trial by fire” experiences, like receiving Bible passages moments before he was to teach unfamiliar youth groups, led him to always “just keep reading until I found something that smelled like gospel.” [05:17]
• Memorable Quote:
  “That is a Pauline method of discipleship: watch me do it, do it with me, then you go do it.” – Pastor Britt [07:09]

3. Ephesus: Culture Clash and Gospel Invasion [10:11 - 15:03]

• Historical context: Ephesus was a large, multicultural, religiously plural, and economically driven city, famous for the Temple of Artemis and steeped in moral looseness and syncretism.
• The church in Ephesus had an extraordinary start—planted by Paul, pastored by Timothy, with John as an elder. Miracles and mass conversions marked its early days.
• Warning:
  “You couldn’t ask for a better church plant...And then by the end, Jesus is like, hey man, I got something against you. Like you missed the whole...the most important thing.” – Pastor Joby [14:12]

4. Sacrifice, Cost, and Real-Life Impact [15:03 - 22:07]

• The faith of early Christians in Ephesus cost them economically and relationally; following Jesus could mean losing jobs and social standing due to abandoning the temple system, as well as giving up valuable traditions.
• Modern Parallels: Pastor Joby recounts a story of a young woman whose new faith led her to give up a relationship, home, and savings:
  “She has this dividing line moment. She feels Christ calling her and she’s like, this is going to cost me all that I know. And then on the other side of it, she’s going, worth every penny.” [17:13]
• The gospel always exacts a cost, but “if you lose love, you lost it all.” [14:12]

5. Syncretism, False Gospels, and Self at the Center [23:40 - 32:49]

• Key Definitions:
  • Judaizers (Jesus isn’t enough) vs. Syncretists (Jesus as add-on).
  • Syncretism persists today in subtle forms—combining Christianity with cultural values, self-help, or other religious traditions.
  • The root of all false gospels is the elevation of self: “The thing they all have in common is the root of it is self...and the fundamental difference in the gospel is it ain’t about you, it’s rooted in Him.” – Pastor Joby [29:23]
• The discussion explores examples of modern syncretism in Africa (ancestral worship + Christianity) and elsewhere.

6. How to Identify False Teachers [32:57 - 37:10]

• Tests for False Teaching:
  • Center of the message: Is it Christ or is it self/improvement?
  • Faithfulness to preaching the actual gospel (life, death, resurrection of Jesus for salvation).
  • Consistency with Scripture.
• Advice:
  “When’s the last time this person preached the gospel? The life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the way of salvation?” – Pastor Joby [34:47]
  • Cotton-candy “tips and tricks” or strange, deep “mythical” teachings are both red flags.

7. The Aim of Doctrine: Love with a Pure Heart [37:32 - 42:13]

• Love is not mere “niceness”—correction and truth-telling are expressions of love in Christian community:
  “Doctrine matters because you can’t rightly love God without right thoughts about God.” – Pastor Joby [38:32]
• The aim is love “from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Tim 1:5).
• Authority in church leadership means responsibility and accountability, not control; Christ is the model who “accepted all responsibility even though it wasn’t his fault.” [44:43]

8. Returning to Your First Love & Finishing Well [45:35 - 51:10]

• “First love” isn’t about regaining initial feelings but re-engaging practices that foster closeness to Christ.
• Analogy: Like marriage, it’s not about recapturing naïve infatuation but about continually pursuing and tending to the relationship.
• Quote:
  “He does not say, go back and feel the way you felt at first. He says, go back and do the things you did at first. Because it was in that doing that created the kind of environment that allowed the feelings to flourish.” – Pastor Joby [50:23]

9. Primary vs. Secondary Issues [51:14 - 59:44]

• Primary issues (closed-fisted) for Christian fellowship:
  • Salvation by grace through faith
  • Authority and inerrancy of Scripture
• Secondary issues (open-handed):
  • Baptism method
  • Spiritual gifts and their practice
  • Church governance, women’s roles, eschatology (end-times)
• Tertiary issues include scientific interpretations or detailed views on creation.
• The essential test: Is someone’s position rooted in the authority of Scripture and the essentials of the gospel?

10. On Going Astray and Loving God [63:32 - 68:09]

• Pursuing secondary issues or myths can lead to “swerving,” but the real measure is whether you love God—are these pursuits helping you love Him more, or just creating division?
• The shepherd’s role is to lead to “green pastures and still waters;” divisive debates rarely produce this.
• “There’s a difference between guarding and hunting. We as pastors are charged to guard the flock. We don’t go out in the streets hunting the wolves.” – Pastor Joby [67:26]

11. Truth, Winsomeness, and Finishing Well [68:09 - End]

• Example: The winsome defense of faith by Wesley Huff on the Joe Rogan podcast—articulate, patient, and deeply anchored in both knowledge and personal faith.
• The call: Maintain focus on Christ, disciple others, and finish the race well.
• Closing Reflection:
  “If you just finish well, you won. It’s not about size of crowds, it’s not about your fruitfulness. It’s just be faithful to finish well.” – Pastor Joby [73:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On discipleship:
  “Watch me do it. Do it with me. You go do it. That’s the way to teach anybody to do anything.” – Pastor Britt [07:09]

• On Ephesus:
  “All the measurables can be going great. And if you lose love, man, you lost it all.” – Pastor Joby [14:12]

• On the roots of heresy:
  “The fundamental difference in the gospel is it ain’t about you that it’s rooted in Him.” – Pastor Joby [29:23]

• On evaluating teachers:
  “When’s the last time this person preached the gospel? The life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the way of salvation?” – Pastor Joby [34:47]

• On returning to first love:
  “He does not say, go back and feel the way you felt at first. He says, go back and do the things you did at first.” – Pastor Joby [50:23]

• On spiritual leadership:
  “Authority always comes with accountability.” – Pastor Joby [43:04]

• On finishing well:
  “If you just finish well, you won.” – Pastor Joby [73:18]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Discipleship by immersion – [02:07–07:17]
• Ephesus historical context & gospel impact – [10:11–15:03]
• Modern cost of discipleship testimony – [17:13–20:35]
• Identifying & avoiding false teaching – [32:57–37:10]
• What it means to return to first love – [45:35–51:10]
• Primary vs. secondary issues in doctrine – [51:14–59:44]
• Guarding vs. hunting in pastoral care – [67:26–68:09]
• Finishing well & legacy – [72:21–73:18]

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is candid, humorous, and deeply pastoral. The core plea: Don’t let success, knowledge, or ministry itself cause you to forget your first love—Christ Himself. Guard the gospel, live it out, correct with love, and strive to finish well so that future generations, like those in the Ephesus church, aren’t praised only for their explosive beginnings but for faithful endings.

End of Summary