Restoring APEST: The Forgotten Blueprint for Kingdom Maturity in a Fragmented Church

Restoring APEST: The Forgotten Blueprint for Kingdom Maturity in a Fragmented Church

We explore the collapse of a centralized, consumption-based church model and return to Paul’s vision in Ephesians 4: a living, functioning body equipped through the diverse giftings of Christ Himself. APEST—apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, shepherding, and teaching—is not presented as an organizational hierarchy, but as the organic architecture of spiritual maturity, unity, and kingdom formation. When reduced to titles, offices, or staff roles, the church loses its movemental nature and begins to replicate systems instead of forming disciples. This conversation challenges the modern instinct toward centralized leadership structures and instead re-centers the church as a distributed expression of Christ’s life through every believer. The goal is not producing good church attendees, but mature sons and daughters who can discern, carry, and extend the kingdom in every sphere of life. When APEST is absent, or only partially functioning, the body becomes imbalanced, over-managed in some areas and under-formed in others, resulting in spiritual immaturity masked by organizational efficiency. At its core, this episode argues that APEST is not an optional leadership theory, but a divine design for equipping the saints. Apostolic vision pushes the church forward into mission, prophetic clarity restores alignment to God’s voice, evangelistic movement gathers, shepherding forms and sustains, and teaching grounds in truth. Together, they form a complete expression of Christ’s ministry through His body. Without this integration, the church drifts toward systems that produce consumers rather than disciples, maintenance rather than movement. The 2 or More Podcast is a conversation for lost balls and sleeping giants—followers of Jesus who are hungry for authenticity and to grow in their gifts and calling. Mike Bishop and Joel Henson explore what it looks like to plant sustainable microchurches, build spiritual family, and live out the kingdom of God in your whole life. Instagram: 2ormore_podcast Who is Everyday Mission? We are a people seeking transformation in our everyday lives and in the church. We are a people drawn into the harvest field by love. We are using our unique gifts, talents, and resources to influence the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help equip Everyday Missionaries. Website: https://www.everydaymission.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @EverydayMissionFlorida

The One Thing Jesus Talked About Most (And the Church Talks About Least)

In this episode, we confront the quiet erosion of one of the most foundational messages of Jesus’ ministry: the Kingdom of God has come near. In many modern expressions of Christianity, “the Kingdom” has been softened into symbolism, reduced to a future hope, or absorbed into personal spirituality… detached from the disruptive, present-tense reality Jesus actually proclaimed. What remains is often a fragmented Gospel: salvific in language, but disconnected from the reign, authority, and demands of the King Himself. In this Season 2 conversation, we return to the opening declaration of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark and examine what happens when Kingdom theology is diminished, redefined, or replaced entirely by religious systems that no longer require surrender to Christ’s rule. This episode explores: • Why Jesus begins His ministry with a Kingdom proclamation, not a religious framework • How Kingdom language has been reinterpreted into something passive or abstract • The difference between institutional Christianity and the active reign of God • What is lost when salvation is separated from Kingdom living • Why repentance is inseparable from entering the Kingdom • How modern believers can unknowingly live outside the reality Jesus announced • What it means to recover a Kingdom-centered understanding of the Gospel At the heart of this conversation is a sobering question: if the Kingdom is no longer central, what exactly are we building our faith upon? Jesus did not present the Kingdom as a side theme of His teaching, but as the defining reality of His message. When that center shifts, everything built around it begins to weaken. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” — Mark 1:15 This episode invites a return, not to complexity or system-building, but to the weight, clarity, and authority of the Kingdom Jesus actually preached. The 2 or More Podcast is a conversation for lost balls and sleeping giants—followers of Jesus who are hungry for authenticity and to grow in their gifts and calling. Mike Bishop and Joel Henson explore what it looks like to plant sustainable microchurches, build spiritual family, and live out the kingdom of God in your whole life. Instagram: 2ormore_podcast Who is Everyday Mission? We are a people seeking transformation in our everyday lives and in the church. We are a people drawn into the harvest field by love. We are using our unique gifts, talents, and resources to influence the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help equip Everyday Missionaries. Website: https://www.everydaymission.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @EverydayMissionFlorida

The Missing Conversation About Repentance in Modern Christianity

What does it actually mean to follow Jesus in a culture that has often softened the language of repentance, righteousness, and personal responsibility? In this Season 2 premiere of the 2 or More Podcast, Mike and Joel begin with a foundational conversation about the condition of the modern church and the believer’s personal walk with Christ. Before addressing structures, systems, or church models, they return to the core question: what does it look like to actually live a life of repentance and spiritual maturity before Jesus? This episode explores why repentance is not condemnation but a daily posture of returning to God, and why spiritual growth cannot be outsourced to programs, leaders, or institutions. Instead, it requires personal responsibility, honesty before God, and a willingness to grow in righteousness through the power of the Holy Spirit. Together, they unpack: • Why repentance is essential to spiritual maturity • The difference between conviction and shame • Why personal responsibility cannot be replaced by church systems • How believers can feel “stuck” while still being invited into growth • What it means to return to Jesus in a practical, daily way • Why righteousness is still central to following Christ • How spiritual formation begins in the heart, not the institution • The danger of remaining spiritually passive in modern Christianity This conversation is both sobering and hopeful: sobering in its honesty about where many believers find themselves, and hopeful in its invitation back to Jesus as the source of life, freedom, and transformation. Repentance is not the end of growth; it is the doorway back into it. "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord" — Acts 3:19 If you’ve been feeling spiritually stuck, disconnected, or uncertain in your walk with God, this episode invites you back to the simplicity and power of returning to Jesus. The 2 or More Podcast is a conversation for lost balls and sleeping giants—followers of Jesus who are hungry for authenticity and to grow in their gifts and calling. Mike Bishop and Joel Henson explore what it looks like to plant sustainable microchurches, build spiritual family, and live out the kingdom of God in your whole life. Instagram: 2ormore_podcast Who is Everyday Mission? We are a people seeking transformation in our everyday lives and in the church. We are a people drawn into the harvest field by love. We are using our unique gifts, talents, and resources to influence the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help equip Everyday Missionaries. Website: https://www.everydaymission.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @EverydayMissionFlorida

The Church vs The Machine: Why We Must Return to Simplicity, Rest, and Jesus’ Design

What is the church supposed to be in the middle of a complex, fast-moving world? In this season wrap-up conversation, we step back and look at the bigger picture: the global pressures facing the church today and the growing need to return to simplicity, discipleship, and the original design of Jesus. Drawing from Scripture, cultural commentary, and the life and teachings of Jesus, we explore what it means to build communities that are not shaped by systems or “the machine,” but by the presence, authority, and mission of Christ Himself. We talk about: Why modern solutions often fail to bring true transformation The tension between culture, systems, and the Kingdom of God What it looks like to build simple, sustainable, Jesus-centered community Why consecration, rest, and clarity of purpose matter more than complexity The call back to discipleship, hospitality, and Spirit-led community life This is a sobering but hopeful reminder: the church was never meant to be complicated. It was meant to be alive, present, and centered on Jesus. “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” — Isaiah 30:15  If you’re feeling the tension between culture and calling, this conversation invites you back to what matters most. The 2 or More Podcast is a conversation for lost balls and sleeping giants—followers of Jesus who are hungry for authenticity and to grow in their gifts and calling. Mike Bishop and Joel Henson explore what it looks like to plant sustainable microchurches, build spiritual family, and live out the kingdom of God in your whole life. Instagram: 2ormore_podcast Who is Everyday Mission? We are a people seeking transformation in our everyday lives and in the church. We are a people drawn into the harvest field by love. We are using our unique gifts, talents, and resources to influence the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help equip Everyday Missionaries. Website: https://www.everydaymission.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @EverydayMissionFlorida

How to Start a Microchurch: Finding Your People & Building Real Community

Once you’ve consecrated your space and stepped into what God is calling you to build, the next question becomes: how do you actually find your people? In this conversation, we unpack what it really looks like to form the foundation of a microchurch or kingdom community—starting with a clear invitation, intentional relationships, and the process of discerning who is meant to run alongside you. We talk about the difference between simply opening your home and actually building a defined, purposeful space for discipleship, healing, and spiritual growth. From early gatherings to core team formation, this is where real community begins. If you're feeling called to start something in your home, ministry, or community—this is the practical and spiritual framework for how it begins. Topics covered: Finding your core people Building a microchurch foundation Why clear invitation matters Hospitality as spiritual formation Creating intentional kingdom community The 2 or More Podcast is a conversation for lost balls and sleeping giants—followers of Jesus who are hungry for authenticity and to grow in their gifts and calling. Mike Bishop and Joel Henson explore what it looks like to plant sustainable microchurches, build spiritual family, and live out the kingdom of God in your whole life. Instagram: 2ormore_podcast Who is Everyday Mission? We are a people seeking transformation in our everyday lives and in the church. We are a people drawn into the harvest field by love. We are using our unique gifts, talents, and resources to influence the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help equip Everyday Missionaries. Website: https://www.everydaymission.com/ Instagram & TikTok: @EverydayMissionFlorida