Trying vs. Training: John Ortberg on True Transformation
Release Date: 10/07/2025
Bob Merritt on Humility, Leadership, and Letting God Lead
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, host Albo Esilaba is joined by Bob Merritt, retired pastor of Eagle Brook Church in Minnesota. Under Bob’s leadership, Eagle Brook grew to more than 28,000 people across 10 locations. In this honest and meaningful conversation, Bob and Albo talk about pride, humility, friendship, and trusting God through every season of leadership. Bob shares one of the lowest moments of his life and career—when he nearly lost his job at the church. That season became a powerful wake-up call. From that moment on, Bob committed to leading with humility, staying willing...
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Building a God-Centered Life in a Me-Centered World with Thaddeus Williams
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Thaddeus Williams is joined by host Nate Gruber. Thaddeus is a professor of theology at Biola University, an author, and a trusted voice helping believers navigate culture with biblical wisdom. He shares part of his story—growing up in a religious home, wrestling through honest questions, and discovering faith for himself. Those early questions pushed him deeper into Scripture, deeper into study, and ultimately into academic scholarship. Nate and Thaddeus dig into what surrender looks like—not just as a one-time decision but as a continual posture of the...
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Free to Lead: Chris Brown on Storytelling, Surrendering, and Finishing Strong
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, host Albo Esilaba is joined by Chris Brown, speaker, leader, and Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor at North Coast Church. Chris shares how his gift for storytelling—once something he lacked confidence in—became one of the most important tools in his ministry and leadership. Chris opens up about the freedom that comes from being fully yourself in leadership. If God has called you, you already have what it takes. Albo and Chris also discuss the importance of churches working together rather than competing, and what true surrender looks like for men and...
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Leading with Grace: Robby Emery on Developing Character Beyond the Field
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, host Albo Esilaba is joined by Robby Emery, the Director of Character Development for Michigan Football. Robby shares how his leadership journey has been shaped by grace, intentional investment, and a renewed understanding of the gospel’s power to transform lives. In this conversation, Robby and Albo talk about developing young athletes for success beyond the field—helping them discover their purpose, handle pressure, and grow in character when no one is watching. Robby explains his belief that “character starts with culture,” and that true growth...
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Russ Ewell on Leading the Next Generation for Christ
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Nate Gruber is joined by Russ Ewell, pastor and leader in the Bay Area, who is doing incredible work engaging and empowering Gen Z and millennials. Russ shares his story of growing up in a church-filled community but never feeling connected—until a friend invited him to a Young Life event that changed everything. It was there he first saw what authentic Christian community could look like. Now, as pastor of a multi-campus church that continually raises up young leaders, Russ talks about the importance of releasing control, giving the next generation real...
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Leading with Intentionality: Lessons from Dr. Chap Clark
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Albo Esilaba is joined by Dr. Chap Clark to talk about the power of intentionality in leadership. Chap shares how his life was shaped through Young Life, when someone remembered his name and invited him into authentic community. That early encounter taught him the lasting impact of seeing others with intentionality—and it continues to shape how he leads today. Together, Albo and Chap explore what it looks like to create intentional spaces that reflect the heart of Jesus—spaces marked by care, service, and encouragement, rather than aggression or hierarchy....
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Living Out Biblical Manhood: Practical Steps with Joby Martin (Part 2)
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
This is the second episode in our two-part series on biblical manhood. In this conversation, Albo Esilaba is joined again by Joby Martin, pastor of The Church of Eleven22 and author of Stand Firm and Act Like a Man. Together, they go deeper into practical ways of living out godly manhood in everyday life—whether you’re a dad, a leader, or a man of influence in any setting. Joby and Albo challenge the divide between “sacred” and “secular” work, reminding us that all vocations are God-given assignments and that every man has been sent into the world as a frontline minister. They...
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Stand Firm: Joby Martin on Biblical Manhood (Part 1)
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Albo Esilaba is joined by pastor and author Joby Martin from The Church of Eleven22 for the first episode in a special two-part series. Joby shares from his new book, Stand Firm and Act Like a Man, a biblical guide to what Scripture says about who men are and how they are called to live. Instrumental in discipling men, Joby currently leads a church in Jacksonville, FL, where over 20,000 people gather in person each weekend—and many more join online—to discover and deepen their relationship with Jesus. His passion is to help men stand firm in their faith,...
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Trying vs. Training: John Ortberg on True Transformation
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Steve is joined by author and pastor John Ortberg for a powerful conversation about transformation—what it means to move beyond trying harder toward training our lives around the practices that truly change us into a more godly person. John unpacks the difference between behavior modification and genuine spiritual transformation, sharing how Jesus invites us not just to follow Him but to become like Him. They discuss what it means to be a godly person first, and then a godly man—loving God with everything we’ve got, loving others well, and building...
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Starting Movements for Christ: A Conversation with Josh Howard
No Regrets Leadership Podcast
This week on the No Regrets Podcast, we’re joined by Josh Howard, a missionary who spent 16 years in India catalyzing disciple-making and church-planting movements in some of the most unreached regions of the world. Josh shares how God gave him a passion to see disciples multiply, leaders raise up leaders, and churches start new churches. In 2015, Josh helped launch Ignite, a movement that has been part of starting more than 40,000 churches across India. He reflects on the radical but simple disciple-making method of Jesus—and how every church and believer can begin taking small,...
info_outlineToday on the No Regrets Podcast, Steve is joined by author and pastor John Ortberg for a powerful conversation about transformation—what it means to move beyond trying harder toward training our lives around the practices that truly change us into a more godly person.
John unpacks the difference between behavior modification and genuine spiritual transformation, sharing how Jesus invites us not just to follow Him but to become like Him. They discuss what it means to be a godly person first, and then a godly man—loving God with everything we’ve got, loving others well, and building character that lasts.
Drawing from his new book Steps, John highlights how the church can learn again from the wisdom of the 12 Steps: that real change begins with surrender—“I can’t. He can. I think I’ll let Him.” Transformation, he explains, always requires both a way of life and a community of people who walk alongside us. John and Steve also talk about the role of real accountability—how openness, honesty, and voluntary transparency create the soil where lasting change can take root.
This conversation will challenge and inspire you to live transparently, pursue Christlikeness, and embrace a path of discipleship that leads to joy and wholeness.
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