Show Notes
Blockbuster had 9,000 stores and was worth $9 billion. Today, only one location remains. What happened — and what does it have to do with the church? In this episode, Pastor Scott Ardavanis sits down with his son Jonny for a father-son conversation on what actually makes a church healthy. Is it true that churches need to "change with the times or die," like Blockbuster and Kodak failed to do? Or are there timeless, transcendent principles every healthy church must hold onto regardless of culture? This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin. Use our unique code DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan Together they unpack 8 marks of a healthy church, including: 1. A High View of God 2. A High View of Scripture (expository preaching & sound doctrine) 3. Every Member Ministry (every believer serving, not just watching) 4. A Commitment to Holiness & Discipleship 5. Christ-Centered, Spirit-Filled Worship 6. A Devotion to Prayer 7. A Gospel-Centered Focus (local & global) 8. Qualified Biblical Leadership (elders & deacons) Whether you're a pastor, church leader, or simply trying to find a healthy church home, this conversation will help you understand what to look for — and why the church doesn't need a new strategy so much as faithfulness to God's Word. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on the church, pastoral ministry, and biblical leadership. 📌 Part 2 coming soon: What is a biblical elder, and how do you know if your church has qualified leadership? Timestamps: 00:00 Intro: Blockbuster, Netflix & the Church 04:47 Pillar 1: A High View of God 07:51 Pillar 2: A High View of Scripture & Preaching 13:16 Pillar 3: Every Member Ministry 15:19 Pillar 4: Holiness & Discipleship 18:51 Pillar 5: Christ-Centered Worship 23:24 Pillar 6: A Commitment to Prayer 25:13 Pillar 7: Gospel-Centered Focus (Local & Global) 27:57 Pillar 8: Qualified Biblical Leadership 29:16 Why This Matters for Every Believer
More from Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis
“How do you know if your repentance is genuine? In this episode, Jonny sits down with pastor and hymn writer Matt Boswell to walk through Psalm 51, David’s prayer of confession after his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. You’ll learn: The four movements of Psalm 51: repentance, inner restoration, renewal, and response Why David appeals to God’s mercy, not his own résumé Why “against you, you only have I sinned” is the key to true brokenness The difference between godly sorrow and beating yourself up What it means to ask God to “create” a clean heart (the same word used in Genesis 1) How to move through repentance into restored joy, not stay stuck in shame Why God uses broken people after they repent
“Why did God build rest into creation before he ever gave a single command to work? In this episode, Jonny and Hank trace the Sabbath from Genesis through the Ten Commandments to Jesus, and ask what it means for our rhythm of work and rest today. 📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp You’ll learn: • Why God rested on the seventh day — not from exhaustion, but completion • How the Sabbath pointed forward to Christ, and why it’s no longer binding law • The difference between biblical rest and mere relaxation • Why busyness (not just laziness) can be a spiritual danger • How Jesus modeled withdrawing to be alone with the Father • Practical questions to evaluate your own rhythm of restIf you’ve ever felt guilty resting, or like you can’t stop producing or distracting yourself long enough to be still, this conversation will reframe rest as a gift from God, not an obstacle to productivity. This episode is part 5 in an ongoing series tied to Jonny’s book, “Get to Work.” 📱 This episode is also sponsored by Accountable2You. Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year.
Are you accidentally raising a lazy adult? In this episode, Jonny sits down with Joel and Mary Beeke (author of "Teach Them to Work") to talk about why — and how — parents should train their children to work from an early age, not wait until adulthood. 📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp You'll learn: • Why waiting until your kids are grown to teach them to work sets them up to fail • Practical ways to teach work to toddlers, young kids, and teens • The "5 E's" of raising a hard worker: entreaty, example, expectation, equipping, enjoyment • How to respond to the myth that "they have their whole life to work" • Why screens and overindulgence are quietly harming your kids • How moms play a uniquely powerful role in shaping a child's work ethic Whether you have toddlers, elementary-age kids, or teenagers, this conversation offers practical, biblical wisdom for raising children who see work as a gift from God — not a curse. Featuring Mary Beeke, author of "Teach Them to Work": https://a.co/d/00gl2kNs We're excited to announce a new partnership with Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which equips leaders for the church through programs from undergraduate to master's and doctoral degrees. To celebrate, Midwestern is giving away $10,000 to one pastor this October for Pastor Appreciation Month ($5,000 for a family vacation and $5,000 for a church need), so nominate your pastor today at mbts.edu/dialin This episode is also sponsored by Accountable2You. Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year.
"Is laziness just a bad habit, or is it a sin? In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis and Hank Bowen dig into the Book of Proverbs to unpack what the Bible really says about the sluggard — and why laziness is a character issue, not just a productivity issue. 📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp You'll learn: • The 4 types of laziness: physical, mental, spiritual, and vocational • 5 traits of the "sluggard" from Proverbs 26 • Why laziness and godliness are total opposites • The real cost of laziness: poverty, disgrace, fractured relationships, and lost spiritual usefulness • Practical steps to repent of and fight off laziness Whether you're a student, parent, pastor, or professional, this conversation will challenge you to examine areas of your life where comfort has replaced diligence — and point you back to Christ's power to change.
What does the Bible actually say about your 9-to-5? In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis and Hank Bowen dig into the theology of work—why the curse of Genesis 3 made labor hard, and how believers are called to work with enthusiasm, enjoyment, excellence, integrity, and gratitude, no matter the job. 📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp You'll learn: • Why work was designed to be an act of worship (not just a paycheck) • The three consequences of the Fall on our relationship to work • How to find joy in a job that feels mundane or difficult • Why grumbling and complaining undermines your gospel witness • What it means to "work as unto the Lord" — even for a bad boss Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, a CEO, a mechanic, or a student working part-time, this conversation will reshape how you think about vocation, calling, and Christian work ethic. 🙏 This episode is brought to you by The Master's University — committed to Jesus Christ and the authority and sufficiency of His Word. Learn more at masters.edu Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year. #ChristianWorkEthic #TheologyOfWork #FaithAndWork #ChristianLiving #BiblicalWorldview #WorkAsWorship #DialInMinistries"