The Downline Podcast: Gospel Driven Discipleship

Latest Episodes:

Kingdom People in an Empire World (Feat. Kristi McLelland) Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

Kristi McLelland is a Bible nerd in the best possible way. She's been taking people to Israel for 20 years, teaches at Williamson College in Tennessee, and has made it her life's mission to help everyday Christians understand the Bible in its world. In this episode she brings that same energy to early church history, tracing the story from a Spirit-filled room in Jerusalem all the way to the halls of Roman power. She'll meet you around a fire pit and change the way you read Scripture.

Resources Mentioned:

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate today!

The Soul Behind Your Spending (Feat. Randy Alcorn) Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

Your money is either serving God's kingdom or competing with it; there's no third option. Randy Alcorn joins the Downline Podcast to cut through the noise on biblical stewardship, generosity, and why most financial conversations Christians have are missing the point entirely.

Resources Mentioned:

Money, Possessions and Eternity — Randy Alcorn
All God's Creatures — Randy Alcorn (releasing Fall 2025)
Eternal Perspective Ministries — epm.org
Kingdom Advisors

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate today!

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

The NFL's Forgotten Man Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

Riley Patterson has played for nine NFL teams, survived countless cuts, and kicked in some of the most pressure-packed moments in professional football. But the Miami Dolphins kicker will tell you the best moments of his life have come on his knees, not on the field. Riley shares how discipleship transformed his faith, his career, and his calling; and why he's committed to making disciples for the rest of his life.

Resources Mentioned:

Downline Ministries
Tally Ho the Fox ( book by Herb Hodges)
FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes)

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate today!

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

What Happens When the Church Goes to Jail Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Ashley Collins never imagined she'd spend 14 years doing jail ministry; she grew up sheltered, surrounded by people just like her. But a chance visit to a nonprofit and a Holy Spirit nudge changed everything. In this episode, Ashley shares how her perspective on incarcerated women was completely transformed, why women behind bars are often more spiritually open than those sitting in church pews, and how prayer circles sparked revival inside a county jail.

Resources Mentioned:

But God devotional book
Neighborhood Christian Center — nonprofit based in Decatur, AL (also has a Memphis location); runs jail ministry and a transitional home for women
Morgan County Jail — Decatur, AL; hosts 40+ faith-based classes per week
Jobs for Life — faith-based workforce readiness curriculum used in jail classes

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate today!

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

Fame Is a Lie and Lecrae Has Proof Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

Part two of Lecrae's live podcast at The Downline Summit is here! Lecrae has rapped on the BET Cypher alongside Kendrick Lamar. He's performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He's been recognized in the middle of the most famous crosswalk in Tokyo. He's also come home from the Grammys to a flooded shower, a honey-do list, and kids who genuinely cannot believe that people actually like his music. In part two of this conversation with Jamie, you get all of it; the highs, the lows, the deeply honest, and the genuinely funny. Lecrae talks about what celebrity culture does to people, why Christians tend to eat their own, and why a $400 t-shirt on Rodeo Drive accidentally gave him the best illustration of the gospel he's ever heard. This is a conversation about what faithful presence looks like; in the music industry, in culture, and in your own backyard.

Purchase Downline's Core Curriculum

Love what you're hearing? There's more. Buy your All-Access pass here to get access to Lecrae's sessions plus every session and speaker from the Summit conference.

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate today!

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

From Memphis to Mainstream: Lecrae on Making Culture Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

Recorded live at the Downline Summit, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae joins Jamie to tell stories you haven't heard before; from prophetic dreams that led him to Christ, to bombing at his eighth-grade talent show, to Snoop Dogg kicking him out of Jamie Foxx's house (for his own good).

Lecrae opens up about battling depression, navigating brutal public criticism, and why he writes from a "healed place" instead of a vulnerable one. Plus: the wild story of how "Coming in Hot" was written in an hour and went viral thanks to Will Smith's Instagram. Don't miss this unfiltered conversation about culture-making and walking in it with humble excellence.

Love what you're hearing? There's more. Buy your All-Access pass here to get access to Lecrae's sessions plus every session and speaker from the Summit conference.

Albums/Songs Mentioned:

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (inspiration)
"Represent" by Lecrae
"Coming in Hot" by Lecrae & Andy Mineo
"Good, Bad, Ugly" by Lecrae (from the Anomaly album)
"I'll Find You" by Lecrae featuring Tori Kelly
"You Can't Stop Me" by Andy Mineo
Reconstruction (Lecrae's latest album)
"Nothing But The Blood" by Forrest Frank featuring Lecrae

Purchase Downline's Core Curriculum here

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate here

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

Building Something That Outlasts You Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Steve Winstead joins Jamie to share the story of leaving a thriving ministry in Memphis to pastor a 1,500-member, 60-nation church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Steve opens up about the family challenges of uprooting four boys, navigating his son's painful transition overseas, and learning to trust God's clear leading at every crossroads. Now preparing to move to Germany, Steve reflects on five and a half years of unexpected joy, deep poverty, and the beauty of the global church.

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate here

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

The Bible's Answer to Our Fear of Death Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

Jamie talks with Old Testament scholar Dr. Iain Provan about the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. Dr. Provan challenges the translation of "vanity" as "meaningless," showing how the book teaches us to embrace life as fleeting and beyond our control; not worthless.

This conversation explores how Ecclesiastes calls us to receive life as a gift rather than something to grasp, find joy within our creaturely limits, and resist our culture's obsession with control. From wealth to technology, our world promises we can transcend limitations. Ecclesiastes offers a different path: accepting our place as creatures under God and discovering genuine fulfillment in the process.

Resources Mentioned:

Living Life Backward by David Gibson
NIV Application Commentary: Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs by Iain Provan
Cuckoo's in Our Nest: Truth and Lies about Being Human by Iain Provan

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate here

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

Good Movies Ask Spiritual Questions (Feat. Brett McCracken) Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Jamie talks with Brett McCracken from The Gospel Coalition about navigating movies as a Christian. Brett shares his framework for deciding what to watch: does this move me toward loving God and neighbor, or away from it?

They discuss why secular art often wrestles with deeply theological questions about meaning, suffering, and what it means to be human; even when filmmakers don't realize it. For Christians wondering how to think critically about culture without either withdrawing completely or consuming indiscriminately, this offers a path forward.

Resources Mentioned:

IMDB Parents Guide (for checking content warnings)
Plugged In (Christian media review site)

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate here

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

Which Hills Are Worth Dying On? Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

What should we be certain about, and where can we disagree? Dr. Cole Huffman guides listeners through the landscape of theological tensions, distinguishing between essential gospel truths, denominational distinctives, secondary matters, and issues of Christian liberty. Avoid the extremes of fighting over everything or caring about nothing.

Resources Mentioned:

Finding the Right Hills to Die On by Gavin Ortlund

Downline Institute: Apply Today!

Buy the Summit Conference All-Access Pass

Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit downlineministries.com to learn more about our mission of discipleship.

To support the work of Downline Ministries, donate here

To advertise with The Downline Podcast, email lauren@downlineministries.com

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