Podcast Summary: "Vision Weekend - Heaven to Earth"

Podcast: The Church of Eleven22
Host: Pastor Joby Martin
Date: January 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this Vision Weekend episode, Pastor Joby Martin sets the spiritual and practical direction for The Church of Eleven22 in 2026. Drawing from Matthew chapters 1-2, Pastor Joby connects the church’s mission with the inauguration of Jesus’s ministry, emphasizing repentance, the kingdom of heaven, and the church’s role as a movement for “all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ.” The episode combines biblical insight, church vision-casting, and personal exhortation, inviting every listener to find their place in God’s unfolding story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Vision for 2026: Continuing the Movement

• Pastor Joby expresses anticipation and excitement for what God will do in 2026, maintaining that the church's "best days are ahead of us."
• The clear mission: “To be a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
• The church’s growth and expansion is not the goal itself, but “making room for one more” is a core value.
  • “A great number in the kingdom of heaven is just one more.” (19:01)

2. Anchoring in Matthew: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand”

• The church will be studying the Book of Matthew throughout the year.
• The foundational statement of Jesus’s ministry: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17).
• Repentance not just as turning away from sin, but changing how you think, moving focus from self to Christ and His mission.
  • “We gotta change the way we think because the kingdom of heaven—that's not just the sweet by and by... the kingdom is wherever the king rules and reigns.” (06:10)

3. Next Steps of Obedience for Every Believer (14:20)

• Pastor Joby challenges listeners to discern their individual next step of obedience—no matter where they are in their faith journey.
  • “What is your next step of obedience? And I want you to lean in this year. Give it a full year.” (15:39)
• Examples: Regular church attendance, deeper worship, trusting God with resources, joining a disciple group, or going on a mission trip.

4. A Global and Local Reach: Outposts, Church Planting, and “One More” (21:15)

• The goal: By 2029, plant 1,000 churches, send 100 missionaries, and launch 22 campuses, including a new Orlando campus this year.
• The “One More” initiative: Each person is encouraged to identify one individual to pray for and invite to faith, symbolized by writing their name in the vision piece.
  • “A great number is just one more… Be praying for your one more. Don't ever, ever, ever give up. Don't ever give up on a God that doesn't give up on you.” (22:25)
• Outposts (mini-churches and gatherings) and prison ministries serve those “far beyond where [they] have facilities.”
• 21 outposts exist in prisons, with wardens acting as campus pastors—a remarkable sign of transformation.

5. Church Life & Rhythm (35:34)

• The church focuses on disciple-making, not crowd-gathering.
  • “Programs don't make disciples. People make disciples.” (36:05)
• Annual rhythms include Easter, Beach Baptism, Saturated prayer, Christmas Eve.
  • “These are the dates that you should live your life around.” (40:39)
• Service time changes and expansion aim to prevent people from being turned away due to lack of space.
  • Memorable story of a struggling woman who almost missed out because the church was full, highlighting the importance of making room for others. (38:09)

6. Upcoming Initiative: Neighbors to Nations (42:27)

• Launches at the end of 2026—a two-year discipleship journey based on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
• The call: “Every single one of us would be committed to leverage all that God has trusted us with in our giving, our going, and our growing to accomplish our part of his God-glorifying mission.”

7. Matthew’s Gospel: The Greater Moses and Blessing to All (48:20)

• Matthew writes to a Jewish audience, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament promises; He is “the greater Moses.”
• Israel was blessed “so that” they may be a blessing to others—a theme the original recipients missed, and a potential pitfall for the modern church.
  • “They were supposed to be a conduit of the blessing of God, but they treated themselves like a cul de sac of the blessing of God.” (53:05)
• Matthew’s genealogy features outsiders, especially women of questionable reputation, to illustrate that God’s kingdom is for all.
  • “There’s more grace in Jesus than sin in you. Your past doesn’t define you.” (1:08:00)

8. God Uses Nobodies: The Birth Stories of Jesus (1:11:35)

• The birth narrative of Jesus highlights how God uses the unlikely—Mary and Joseph, the wise men, outsiders.
• Obedience, not negotiation, marks those used by God.
• Key point: Every act of obedience fulfills scripture and God’s bigger plan.

9. Faithfulness Over Fruitfulness (1:19:13)

• Remarkable story of Lone Star Church, a small congregation whose faithfulness led to massive, unseen influence.
  • “God measures faithfulness, not just fruitfulness.” (27:34)

10. A Call for Generational Impact and Legacy (1:38:45)

• “Your life matters, your family matters, your legacy matters. The generation coming behind you matters like crazy... The most important family is not the family you were born into... it's the family you were reborn into.” (1:40:19)

11. Invitation to Join God’s Family (1:44:00)

• Pastor Joby explicitly shares the gospel, inviting listeners to admit their need for a Savior, believe Jesus died for them, and call on His name for salvation.
  • “Only thing you need to be saved is need… All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (1:45:40)

12. God’s Mission Through Ordinary People (1:48:10)

• Encouragement that God’s grace covers our past and equips us for His purpose.
• “God uses the left outs and God uses the outsiders to be a part of his kingdom. Why? Because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (1:48:17)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Obedience and Vision:
  • “I need you to hear from the Holy Spirit, what is your next step of obedience? And I need you to lean in.” (15:15)
• On Personal Mission:
  • “In my vision piece… I drew a little line right here and I didn’t put the name right there because he’s coming Sunday… Write the name of your one more.” (19:47)
• On Church Expansion:
  • “We’re going wherever there are people. In 2026, we’re going to plant 100 more churches; that’ll take us to about 875.” (23:14)
• On Church Routines:
  • “We are not in the crowd business. We are in the disciple-making business.” (36:15)
• On Making Room:
  • “You have no idea what hangs in the balance [when someone is turned away]… so for us to reach one more, in order that they can get involved in this family… we need you to go to these new services.” (39:23)
• On the Gospel’s Reach:
  • “This movement of Jesus is a movement for all people to discover and deepen our relationship with Jesus. All means all.” (1:08:24)
• On God’s Sovereignty:
  • “The sovereign hand of God is always in control… Herod thought he was the boss… but they were nothing but a footnote in the story of the coming king.” (1:27:40)
• On Legacy:
  • “The most important family is actually the family name that you die with. It’s the family that you were reborn into.” (1:40:22)
• On Salvation:
  • “All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (1:45:57)

Major Episode Timestamps

• 00:01 — Opening prayer and introduction of church vision
• 06:10 — “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
• 14:20 — Next steps of obedience for church members
• 19:01 – 24:44 — One More campaign, church planting, outposts, and prison ministry expansion
• 35:34 – 43:00 — Church rhythms, disciple-making, and importance of family/legacy
• 48:20 – 1:11:35 — In-depth look at Matthew, genealogy, outsiders in Jesus’s lineage
• 1:11:35 – 1:27:40 — Birth narrative of Jesus, wise men, Herod, and God’s sovereignty
• 1:38:45 – 1:45:57 — The call to salvation, invitation to divine family
• 1:48:10 — Conclusion: God’s mission through ordinary people

Summary Flow

The episode, framed around Matthew’s Gospel and the church’s growth, is energetic, encouraging, practical, and deeply theologically rooted. Pastor Joby skillfully intertwines the call to individual faithfulness, practical outreach, spiritual obedience, and compassion for “one more.” Sermon anecdotes, scriptural exposition, and personal stories serve to both ground the church in biblical truth and invite believers to play an active role in God’s story.

For Listeners New and Old

If you haven’t listened, this summary captures both the heart and details of the 2026 Vision Weekend. The episode:

• Lays out where the church is headed and why
• Grounds everything in the teachings, life, and reach of Jesus
• Invites everyone—newcomer, veteran, outsider, or returning prodigal—into the family and mission of God
• Is filled with memorable moments and gospel clarity for anyone considering their next step

Final Exhortation:
“Give us a year, lean in, say, ‘Lord, I’ll do whatever you call me to do. My yes is on the table.’” (1:51:14)