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Fully Integrated Faith: Lessons from the Released Church
with Rob Wegner, KC Underground

In this standout episode, Jake McCandless welcomes Rob Wegner, co-founder of KC Underground, to unpack how the decentralized, disciple-making model of the early church can transform the way we parent today.

Drawing from his years of experience catalyzing movements in both India and the U.S., Rob shares how microchurches and spiritual families—built on rhythms of worship, community, and mission—mirror the practices of the Book of Acts. More importantly, he shows how these rhythms shape children into lifelong disciples.

This episode is a masterclass in parenting as discipleship. Rob outlines simple, powerful rhythms—like the B.L.E.S.S. model—that any family can adopt: Begin in prayer, Listen, Eat together, Serve others, and Share stories of God’s work. He also emphasizes the vital role of multi-generational spiritual families and how integrating children into the life of the church, rather than segmenting them away, builds faith that lasts.

💡 Key takeaways for parents:

• Faith must be lived with our children, not just taught to them.

• Everyday moments—meals, walks, and bedtime—can become spiritual milestones.

• Children grow in their faith best through shared mission, joy, and vulnerability in the home.

📘 Get Rob’s Book: The Starfish and the Spirit
🌐 Visit KC Underground: https://www.kcunderground.org

Stand Firm Parents is a production of Stand Firm Ministries in partnership with LifeWord Studios.

Rob Wegner Bio

Rob Wegner is a leading voice in the missional movement and the co-founder of KC Underground—a decentralized network of disciple-making microchurches across Kansas City. He also serves with NewThing and Exponential’s Microchurch.Next initiative. Rob is the co-author of The Starfish and the Spirit, a book equipping churches to release leadership and thrive as movemental communities.

📘 The Starfish and the Spirit on Amazon
🔗 KC Underground Website
🔗 NewThing Network

Have you ever scrolled through the news and felt like the world is spinning out of control? Psalm 2 captures that feeling perfectly. Nations rage. Peoples plot. Leaders unite in rebellion. It's not just political; it's deeply spiritual. Their cry? “Let us burst God’s bonds apart and cast away His cords!”

It’s easy to get rattled by the chaos. But Scripture lifts our eyes higher. While earth trembles in rebellion, heaven reverberates with laughter. God is not pacing the floors of heaven, wringing His hands. He is enthroned, undisturbed, sovereign.

Clif Johnson reminds us: God laughs because He knows the end of the story. Every rebellious scheme, every arrogant ruler, every attempt to dethrone God—already accounted for, already defeated. Acts 4:28 makes it plain: all the plotting only accomplishes God's predestined purposes.

When we’re tempted to fear, Psalm 2 invites us to trust. When the world feels unstable, the throne of heaven remains unshaken.

Prayer Points:

• Lord, help me lift my eyes above the raging nations to Your unshakable throne.

• Teach me to trust Your sovereignty when fear whispers otherwise.

• Fill me with peace that comes from knowing You are laughing, not panicking.

2 People To Pray For Milan Bulak, our National Changemaker in the Czech Republic Enzima/Nzema Lifeword broadcast for the people of Ghana & Ivory Coast

Summary: When the world seems out of control, remember: God isn’t worried—He’s working.

At David’s altar on Araunah’s threshing floor, the sacrifice is made, and the plague stops. But this isn’t just a moment of relief—it’s a pointer to a greater story. This same plot of land will become the foundation for Solomon’s Temple. And long before that, Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac here, only to have God provide a substitute.

In every case—Abraham, David, Solomon—the message is the same: judgment is real, but God provides a substitute. He stays the knife. He relents from the plague. He makes a way.

But on Good Friday, God did not stay His hand. On a hill just outside this area, the Father unleashed His wrath on His own Son. Jesus became the final, sufficient sacrifice. No more temporary relief—eternal redemption.

Every time David looked back at Araunah’s threshing floor, he could say, “That’s where mercy met misery.” And every time we look back at the cross, we can say the same thing.

Prayer Points:

• Thank You, Father, that You provided a final, perfect substitute in Jesus.

• Help me to live in daily awe of the mercy You have shown.

• Make me bold to tell the story of mercy to others who are still under the weight of judgment.

2 People To Pray For Angel De Jesus, our National Changemaker in Puerto Rico The Ekinyambo Lifeword broadcast for the people of Tanzania & Congo

David, despite his flaws, points us to something greater. His humility after failure, his intercession for the people, his costly worship—all these highlight why he was a good king.

Yet David’s goodness has limits. He sins. He fails. He needs mercy himself.

This final chapter of Samuel whispers for something more: a greater King. One who would not just intercede but bear the full penalty. One whose obedience would be perfect, whose mercy would be unending.

Jesus is the better David. Where David sinned, Jesus obeyed. Where David offered symbolic sacrifices, Jesus became the sacrifice. Where David's mercy spared a city, Jesus' mercy spares the world.

Prayer Points:

• Jesus, thank You for being the flawless King David could only foreshadow.

• Teach me to treasure Your mercy and walk daily in Your grace.

• Let my life reflect the kind of kingdom You are building—one of mercy and truth.

2 People To Pray For Rigoberto Jimenez and his family, our National Changemakers in El Salvador The Dagaare Lifeword broadcast for the people of Burkina Faso & Ghana

David builds the altar, offers burnt offerings and peace offerings—and God responds. The plague is averted. Mercy wins the day.

This mirrors an earlier story in 2 Samuel 21 where famine was halted after an act of intercession. God responds to heartfelt repentance, to true worship.

Our God is not distant. He hears. He moves. His mercies are not stingy. They are vast, immediate, and rich for those who cry out to Him.

This is the God we pray to. The God whose heart is tender toward the broken. The God whose ear is tuned to the humble.

Prayer Points:

• Lord, remind me that You hear and respond when I cry out to You.

• Give me the faith to believe Your mercy is always near to the repentant.

• Help me worship You with a heart full of gratitude for Your nearness.

2 People To Pray For Jairo Bonilla and his family, our National Changemakers in Costa Rica The Creole-Capeverdean Lifeword broadcast for the people of Cape Verde

In this groundbreaking episode, Jake McCandless speaks with Dr. Jim Wilder, a pioneer in the intersection of neuroscience and faith. Dr. Wilder, the co-author of The Other Half of Church, introduces the concept of neurotheology, showing how our brains are wired for joy, connection, and relational transformation—exactly what biblical discipleship calls for.

Dr. Wilder reveals how the church has unintentionally focused on performance rather than identity formation, leaving many believers stuck in surface-level spirituality. He unpacks how brain science affirms Scripture, showing that joy and peace fuel lasting faith, while gratitude rewires the brain for spiritual and emotional resilience.

For parents, this episode offers practical insights on raising children with a faith that lasts. When joy is missing in the home, kids associate faith with pressure rather than delight. But when families intentionally cultivate joy and relational connection, they build spiritual endurance that carries into adulthood.

Dr. Wilder also shares one powerful practice to start integrating faith into daily life: expressing gratitude multiple times a day. This simple shift activates the brain’s relational circuits, keeping believers emotionally healthy and spiritually strong.

In this compelling episode of Stand Firm Parents, host Jake McCandless sits down with Joel Richardson, a New York Times bestselling author and internationally respected teacher and filmmaker. Known for his deep understanding of Bible prophecy and global missions, Joel turns our attention toward the underground church in Iran—a place where the gospel is flourishing against all odds.

Joel explains how a movement of everyday believers—not professional pastors—is fueling explosive disciple-making in one of the most dangerous regions on earth. Through simple obedience, Discovery Bible Study, and an unwavering focus on the Holy Spirit’s leading, this underground church has become the fastest-growing expression of Christianity in the world.

The conversation unpacks how Western Christians—and especially parents—can learn from these first-century-style movements. Joel emphasizes that revival doesn't require comfort or polish. It requires humility, repentance, and authentic living. A fully integrated faith isn’t something we attend on Sundays—it’s something we model and multiply every day in our homes.

🛠 Key Takeaways:

• Iran’s underground church thrives by embracing disciple-making and suffering.

• The movement is led by laypeople, not clergy—with an emphasis on Holy Spirit-led obedience.

• Parents in the West must model authenticity, humility, and mission to pass on a lasting faith.

• The model of evangelism isn’t debate—it’s invitation.

📚 Books by Joel Richardson:

• Sheep Among Wolves II (Documentary)

• The Mystery of Catastrophe

• Explore more at Joel’s site: Joelstrumpet.com

🎥 Also follow Joel on Twitter/X