Small Fire, Big Forest (Thoughtful Witness) | What Is a Follower Of the Way? | Matt Summers

To believe in Jesus is to trust His direction. If we say we trust Him but keep walking the opposite way, we don't truly believe. This week focuses on the "Undivided Follower"—aligning our feet with our confession. Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Episode Description: On Week 4, the finale of What is a Follower of The Way?, host Matt Summers and pastor Phil EuBank sit down to confront an uncomfortable reality: the illusion of control. Building on our year of Reclaiming The Way of Jesus, this final conversation moves from the "junk drawer" to the "spray bottle"—a simple illustration that shifts our perspective on life, time, and stewardship. Phil and Matt unpack James 4 and 5, exploring why we so often try to edit ourselves into the hero of our own stories and how we can stop treating our lives as possessions to be managed, and start seeing them as gifts to be invested. Tune in as they break down: The tension between our drive for ambition and the biblical reality of providence. What it actually means to be a "Sacrificial Developer" on an ordinary Tuesday. The difference between adding a religious disclaimer to our plans and truly holding a decision open before God. Why we should pay attention to the people our lives "run on"—and why attention often costs more than money. Grab your Reclaiming Journal, ask yourself the question: "Who does my life actually run on?" and join us for a conversation on why your life—like a vapor—is meant to be invested well. Get Connected We’d love to connect with you and help you get plugged into Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out.

James closes with a warning to the arrogant planner and the hoarder of wealth. He calls our life a "vapor" (mist). The "Sacrificial Developer" understands that because time is short, we must invest in the future—not just build our own empires. We look at patience in suffering and the power of prayer. We move from asking "How can I accumulate?" to "How can I develop others before my mist evaporates?" Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Episode Description: On Week 3 of our series through James, Pastor Phil EuBank swaps chairs to sit down with Matt Summers to ask a grounding question: What do your words reveal about the "junk drawer" of your life? Continuing our year dedicated to Reclaiming The Way of Jesus, Phil and Matt unpack what it means to build atmospheres with our words in the fast-paced, highly verbal culture of the Bay Area. Together, they explore the tension between our carefully crafted outward communication and the underlying spiritual formation that actually fuels our daily reactions. This conversation shifts from playful insights on holding onto 2012 charging cables to a deep, diagnostic look at the damage our tongues can do. Tune in as they break down: The difference between simply managing what comes out of our mouths and dealing with what's actually stored in our hearts. How our words act like lightning strikes, starting relational wildfires that create the environments others have to live in. What it means to hold "conviction without contempt" as we head into a politically charged and polarized season. What a "Thoughtful Witness" actually looks like at a Tuesday night dinner table—and how to move past self-surveillance into genuine curiosity. Grab your Reclaiming Journal, write down the question What did my words create today? and join us for an honest look at recovering the Way of Jesus in the place we actually live. Get Connected We’d love to connect with you and help you get plugged into Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out.

James 3 is the most famous passage on the tongue. In an era of hot takes, cancel culture, and digital outrage, the "Thoughtful Witness" is rare. James describes the tongue as a "restless evil." A follower of Jesus is marked not just by what they say, but by what they refuse to say. We will contrast "Earthly Wisdom" (envy, selfish ambition) with "Wisdom from Above" (pure, peace-loving, considerate). Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Episode Description: Fresh off Vision Sunday and the launch of our new series through James, host Matt Summers sits down with Pastor Phil EuBank to ask a grounding question: What is your life actually becoming? Moving from last series’ focus on researched faith to a year dedicated to reclaimed faith, Matt and Phil unpack what it means to follow Jesus in the real pace, devices, habits, and demands of Bay Area life. Together, they explore the life of James—someone who had extreme proximity to Jesus yet almost missed Him—and wrestle with the tension between spiritual formation and modern fragmentation. This conversation shifts from playful insights on physical journals versus digital overload to a deep, diagnostic look at James 1. Tune in as they break down: The difference between an interruption and a distraction. What it means to be "double-minded" in a culture of endless backup plans. Why staying at the mirror of God's Word long enough transforms us from spiritually educated to spiritually activated. What an "Undivided Follower" actually looks like on a normal Monday—whether you're feeling on autopilot, harbor honest skepticism, or feel spiritually crowded out. Grab your Reclaiming Journal, bend the spine, and join us for an honest look at recovering the Way of Jesus in the place we actually live.

James 2 attacks the sin of partiality—treating the rich better than the poor. In our context, this is "networking" vs. "friendship." We tend to be "hurried" with people who can't help us and "unhurried" with people who can advance us. James says this is incompatible with the Way. A true friend creates space for the marginalized, the awkward, and the person who can offer nothing in return. This is "Reclaiming the Table." Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Description Welcome back to the Menlo Midweek Podcast! Following Vision Sunday at Menlo Church, host Matt Summers sits down with Phil EuBank to launch our new year-long journey: Reclaiming the Way of Jesus. In this episode, we dive into Week 1 of our study in James (The Mirror) to unpack what it actually means to be an Undivided Follower in a culture designed to fragment our focus, schedules, and devotion. From shifting from a "researched faith" to a "reclaimed faith" to exploring why James shifted from Jesus' skeptical brother to His servant, Matt and Phil map out how our daily habits are already forming us—and how to align our actions back to the Way of Jesus. In this episode, we discuss: Researched vs. Reclaimed Faith: Why knowledge about God isn’t enough and what it takes to recover what’s been quietly stolen from our attention and schedules. The 30,000-Foot Map: A look at the year ahead as we reclaim worship, the table, focus, and work. The James Dilemma: How proximity to Jesus doesn't equal following Him, and what James’ transformation teaches the saint, the skeptic, and the prodigal. Double-Mindedness (Dipsychos): The difference between honest doubt and trying to follow Jesus with a backup plan. Staying at the Mirror: Why prolonged reflection moves us from spiritually educated to spiritually activated. How to Use the Reclaiming Journal: Practical ways to use the new physical journal without turning it into spiritual homework.

James opens with a punch: "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." In the Bay Area, we are experts at fragmentation—we have a "work self," a "home self," and a "church self." But a Follower of the Way seeks integration. James compares the Word to a mirror; it shows us who we really are. The tragedy is looking at the mirror, seeing the mess, and walking away without changing. Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

In this series finale of the Menlo Midweek Podcast, Matt Summers and Phil EuBank wrap up seven weeks of exploring the world’s major worldviews by turning their focus directly toward the heart of Christianity: the Gospel. Reflecting on the journey from Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism, Catholicism, and Agnosticism, this episode draws a stark line between every human transaction, where we try to perform, prove, or bribe our way to God and the true Gospel, where God reverses direction and gives us a way home. Matt and Phil unpack how religion acts as humanity’s attempt to climb back to Eden, why the distinction between a bribe and a gift matters so deeply, and how even well-meaning Christians accidentally turn grace back into performance.