Are You Truly Self-Aware—or Just Self-Deceived? | Season 3 Episode 10
Release Date: 05/17/2025
Why the Future of the Church Won’t Drop from the Sky
The Disciple Standard Podcast
The Multiply Conference is over… now what? In this episode of the Disciple Standard Podcast, Aaron sits down with Zach Olson and Scott Vander Ploeg to unpack what actually needs to happen next if we’re serious about multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches in the CRC. They talk candidly about why this movement can’t just be a top-down plan from denominational offices, why real change has to be owned at the classis and local church level, and what it will take for every region to develop its own grassroots strategy. Along the way, they unpack the simple but powerful MDLC framework...
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How Movements Start: Conversations, Classes, and Calling - Multiply Conference Day 1
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Day 1 of the Multiply Conference was less “talking heads,” more movement building. Scott sits down with Paul Vander Klay (Sacramento, CA) and Moisés “Mo” Pacheco (Chicago, IL) to unpack the day: why classes-level action beats top-down plans, what disciple-making must look like in a post-Christian moment, and why real multiplication starts with raising leaders (not just planting churches). Highlights: - Why grassroots/classis collaboration is the engine for church planting - The transmission crisis: discipling in a post-Christian, mobile, media-soaked culture - Parents discipling their...
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Pre-Conference Recap: Scripture, Psalms, and a Movement of Multiplication
The Disciple Standard Podcast
The Multiply Conference is here, and before the main sessions even kicked off, we gathered pastors and leaders to do something simple and powerful: hear Scripture publicly, pray and sing the Psalms together, and dream about multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches. In this short recap, Scott sits down with Tim and Brad (Resonate Global Mission) to unpack: - Why we began with the Public Reading of Scripture (PROS) and praying/singing the Psalms - How these ancient practices form modern disciple-makers - A candid look at biblical literacy (and why it matters for renewal) - Simple,...
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Prayer, Psalms, and the Plan: Raising Leaders Now | Season 3 Episode 35
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Leaders don’t wait for permission—they take responsibility. This week we tackle the “elephants in the room”: grassroots church movements vs. denominational centers, fears about factions, and what it really takes to multiply 2,000 leaders and plant 1,000 churches. Then we go deeper: a practical framework for gospel identity that moves you from the drama cycle (blame/avoid/complain) to the dream cycle (own the problem → plan → do → check → adjust). We talk prayer (especially the Psalms), honoring past generations, and why local churches can’t outsource discipleship or church...
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Are We Too Comfortable to Be Courageous? | Season 3 Episode 33
The Disciple Standard Podcast
In this episode, Aaron, Seron, and Zach tackle one of the most challenging questions facing the modern church: Are Christians too comfortable to live courageously? From AI and spiritual laziness to local evangelism and church culture, the team gets real about what courage looks like in everyday faith — and how comfort might be the greatest obstacle to gospel boldness.
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Risk Is Right: Why Christians Must Stop Playing It Safe | Season 3 Episode 34
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Comfort is killing the church. For many believers today, safety has become a silent idol — but what if real Christianity has always required risk? In this episode, Scott returns from Nigeria with a powerful challenge: If Jesus is who He says He is, then risk is right. Aaron, Seron, and Scott wrestle with what courageous faith looks like in a world obsessed with control, comfort, and safety. We talk persecution, missionary legacy, a church plant born out of crisis, 63 churches in Sierra Leone, and whether the American church has lost its passion. Is the future of the CRC tied to recovering...
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20 Sentences the CRC Needs to Start Talking About… | Season 3 Episode 32
The Disciple Standard Podcast
An old monk had 95 theses—today we bring 20. In this episode, Pastor Scott lays out a bold, practical roadmap for renewal in the Christian Reformed Church: a gospel-first identity, every believer a multiplier, leadership pipelines that start in local churches, and church planting as the ordinary way God renews His Church. We tackle the reality of decline—and why it’s not inevitable—and cast a hopeful vision for multiplying disciples, leaders, and churches in our time. What you’ll hear: - Why renewal begins with a fresh encounter with the gospel, not new tactics - How disciple-making...
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Friends on Mission: Renewing the CRC Through Church Planting | Season 3 Episode 31
The Disciple Standard Podcast
What’s the future of church planting in the Christian Reformed Church? In this episode of the Disciple Standard Podcast, Scott sits down with Tim Sheridan (Director of Church Planting for the CRC) and Vivi Cassis (Operations Manager, Resonate Global Mission & leader at The Source Church) to talk about: -The state of church planting across North America -How diaspora and multicultural movements are shaping the future -Why prayer, fasting, and bold goals (like planting 1,000 new churches) matter -The upcoming Multiply Conference in Port St. Lucie this November -How every church—large or...
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The New Vision for CRC Churches in Florida | Season 3 Episode 30
The Disciple Standard Podcast
Church attendance may be declining across the U.S., but in this episode of the Disciple Standard Podcast, Pastors Aaron, Kris, and Scott share a bold new vision for the future of churches in Florida—and the Christian Reformed Church at large. From celebrating past wins to unveiling the goal of raising 262 leaders and planting 26 churches in the next decade! This conversation digs into: - Why leadership development is the key to church renewal - How 222 Discipleship is shaping the next generation of pastors and leaders - The role of collaboration, diversity, and shared vision in fueling...
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Plant Where It Grows: The Data, the Gospel, and a New Vision for Church Planting | Season 3 Episode 28
The Disciple Standard Podcast
What actually makes a church plant take root—strategy, location… or discipleship? Scott sits down with David Snapper (church planter/researcher) to unpack 40+ years of lessons: why many “parachute drops” stall, how clusters (the 20-mile/2,000 rule) change outcomes, and how to build a synthetic cluster (friendship networks, schools, training leaders in place) when you’re far from the denominational center. We also talk Acts (Jerusalem → Antioch → Athens), moving from numbers to disciples, and how conflict resolution frees a denomination to pursue Great Commission unity. You’ll...
info_outlineWho are you—really?
In Episode 10 of The Disciple Standard Podcast, Pastor Aaron, Pastor Zach, and Seron dive deep into the topic of identity and what it means to truly know yourself.
They ask big questions like:
👀 What’s something you once believed about yourself that wasn’t actually true?
🤯 Is our culture becoming more self-aware—or more self-deceived?
👥 How do your true needs and stress responses affect your closest relationships?
🙌 And how can tools like the Birkman test help you better understand who God made you to be?
This episode is raw, relatable, and packed with insights that might challenge how you view yourself and your faith walk. Because the truth is—you can’t grow spiritually without knowing who you really are.
00:00 – Welcome & Introductions
00:57 – Gorilla vs. 100 Men Debate Begins
02:20 – Hypothetical Fight Logistics
03:25 – Environment and Fear Factor
05:01 – Fighting a Gorilla at the Church
05:57 – Transition to Topic: Identity
07:02 – Self-Limiting Beliefs
07:32 – Brutal Honesty as a Flawed Belief
08:41 – Realizing the Impact of Brutal Honesty
09:51 – Leadership and Communication Shift
10:38 – Stress Responses & Behavioral Patterns
12:09 – Behavioral Assessment Breakdown
13:32 – Vision Ownership and Group Dynamics
14:32 – Sharing Personality Assessments in Relationships
15:07 – Practicality vs. Emotion in Communication
21:46 – Culture Shift Toward Emotional Awareness
22:16 – Self-Awareness vs. Self-Deception: Personal Ratings
23:06 – The Impact of the Birkman Assessment
24:05 – Pre-Birkman Mindset: "This Is Just Who I Am"
25:00 – Self-Deception and Doubling Down on Beliefs
25:53 – Affirmation, Identity, and the Turning Point
26:52 – Considering the Impact on Others
27:34 – Perception vs. Reality: The “Terrifying” Teddy Bear
28:23 – Who Are We Under Stress?
29:11 – Stress as a Degradation of Our Best Selves
30:20 – Stress Behavior Explained Through Needs
31:29 – Our True Self: The Role of Needs
32:09 – Do Needs Lessen as We Mature in Christ?
33:38 – Viktor Frankl, Suffering, and Joy in Christ
34:38 – Needs Met in Christ, Not Circumstances
35:12 – Misplaced Expectations in Relationships and Teams
35:55 – The Leader’s Role: Meeting the Needs of the Team
36:09 – Applying This to Marriage: Belonging and Affection
40:53 – Social Needs vs. Social Norms
41:27 – Being Frank and Forthright
42:13 – The West Michigan Ramble
42:35 – Cutting Through Small Talk
43:06 – Cultural Communication Styles
44:44 – Person-Focused vs. Issue-Focused Feedback
45:21 – Directness vs. Tactfulness in Ministry
46:46 – Cultural Definitions of Directness
47:49 – Birkman Score Extremes
48:36 – Misread Needs and Bottled Emotions
49:43 – The Desire for Respect 50:40 – Feeling Respected vs. Feeling Dismissed
51:34 – The Impact of Key Relationships
52:31 – Scoffs, Dismissiveness, and Vulnerability
53:42 – Recognizing Deep Emotional Triggers
54:19 – Understanding Others’ Communication Styles
54:46 – The Need for Genuine Praise
1:00:04 - Self-Perception and Social Perception
1:00:52 - Birkman Interests Overview
1:01:30 - Birkman Scores on Patreon
1:01:48 - Seron's Motivation and Interests
1:02:12 - Clash Between Interest and Actions
1:02:35 - Siron Explains Outdoor Interests
1:03:14 - Trinity’s Low Artistic Interest
1:03:36 - Different Approaches to Artistic Interests
1:04:02 - Importance of Persuasive Interests
1:04:20 - Sales and Persuasive Interests
1:04:46 - Aligning Roles with Interests
1:05:32 - Role Misalignment and Job Satisfaction
1:05:59 - Birkman Interests as a Reflection of God's Image
1:06:29 - Psalm 139 and Birkman Interests
1:06:58 - Personal Examples of Career Alignment
1:07:17 - Top Interests and Career Fit
1:07:43 - Career Wheel and Role Clarity
1:08:33 - Integrating Personal Interests into Work
1:09:03 - Reflecting God's Image Through Interests
1:09:24 - Aligning Top Interests for Fulfillment
1:09:47 - Interest in Music and Role Alignment
1:10:33 - Importance of Living Into Your Interests
1:10:54 - Interests as Tuning Forks
1:11:18 - How to Engage Interests for Job Fulfillment
1:11:44 - Coaching for Role Adjustment
1:12:14 - Using Interests for Career and Personal Growth
1:12:51 - Music as a Stress Relief
1:13:15 - The Role of Social Energy in Work
1:13:57 - Using Interests to Recharge
1:14:21 - Strategies for Engaging with People
1:14:57 - Understanding Needs for Better Relationships
1:15:23 - Shalom and Peaceful Relationships
1:15:44 - Negative Impact of Unmet Needs
1:16:06 - Stress from Lack of Personal Space
1:16:49 - The Importance of Personal Recharge Time
1:17:09 - The Impact of Home Environment on Stress
1:17:50 - Finding Solutions to Stressors
1:18:06 - Birkman Results and Patreon
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