Latest / Called to Build / Small Circles, Big Impact: How Christian Entrepreneurs Build Movements Through Relational Trust

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Small Circles, Big Impact: How Christian Entrepreneurs Build Movements Through Relational Trust · Called to Build

• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: What if the most significant thing God is asking you to do right now isn't to reach more people, build a bigger platform, or wait for the perfect timing?
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: What if your next assignment is to lean fully into the small circle you already have and to steward it as if nations depended on it?
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_01: Because they do.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: For years I believed I had to grow something big before I could make a real difference.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: I thought movements required mass gatherings, major funding, or professional platforms.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: But what God taught me in some of the hardest, most hidden seasons of my life is that big impact is born in small places.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: This is the story of how God uses the ordinary to create the extraordinary.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's a blueprint for anyone who feels overlooked, under resourced, or uncertain about what's next.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_01: And it starts with the people who are actually right in front of you.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really where we want to spend our time today.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: I want you to understand small is the assignment.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's not the obstacle.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: When we planted what became Simplicity Church Network in Corpus Christi back in 2008, it didn't look like much to anyone on the outside.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: We rented a small storefront with a bathroom, and it was not much bigger than someone's living room.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: On Sundays, we gathered there for worship, for prayer and teaching.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: During the week we would scatter into living rooms, parks, and coffee shops across Corpus Christi.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: And what we lacked in resources, we made up for in availability and obedience.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: We weren't building a traditional church.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: We were building relationships and communities of trust.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: And through seasons of financial drought, empty rooms, and a whole lot of spiritual warfare, I learned that small isn't a problem to fix.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's a strategy to embrace.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: Zechariah four ten says this do not despise the small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: One of the things I learned was that small forced us to stay real.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: It stripped away every illusion of control.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: It exposed our motives, and it purified our purpose.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: It also positioned us for something much bigger than we could see in those early days.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: You see, there's a kingdom pattern.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's how God multiplies through relational trust.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I want to dive into that a little more here.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: When we think about movements, it's easy to picture crowds and stages and viral moments, but that's not how God designed kingdom expansion.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: When you look at Jesus, he didn't start with a stadium or a citywide revival.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: He started with twelve ordinary men, fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: He walked with them, he shared meals with them, he taught them through everyday moments.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_01: He built a small circle, not a mass following.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: The early church followed the same model.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: In Acts chapter two, we see believers gathering from house to house, breaking bread, praying, and living life together.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: And what happened?
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved in Acts chapter two, verse forty seven.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: And I want you to notice the simplicity of the pattern.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: Gather together in small relational spaces.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: Share life, prayer, and mission.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: Trust God for daily multiplication.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't strategizing for mass evangelism campaigns.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: They were simply showing up faithfully and relationally day after day.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: And God did the multiplying.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: And the same is true today.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: Families grow stronger around the dinner table.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: Teams multiply influence through shared vision and trust.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Communities are transformed by conversations in coffee shops, living rooms, and office break rooms.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because big impact doesn't start on a stage, it starts in a circle.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: It starts when you stop waiting for the crowd and you begin investing in the few.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: What I want you to think about is who's already in your circle right now.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Who are you walking with?
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Who are you praying with?
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: Who are you pouring into day after day?
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: That's where real movement begins.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Being forged in the fire.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: Here are some lessons that I learned in Corpus Christian.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: These were painful days, but they were fruitful days.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: While the biblical model of multiplication sounds simple, I'm going to be honest with you, living it out proved to be anything but easy.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: When we launched what became the Simplicity Church Network, we weren't writing momentum.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: We built from scratch.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that meant stripping away comfort.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: We started in a tiny storefront, like I said, there was no paid staff, no big budget launch, no guaranteed crowd, and there were months when we didn't know how we would pay the rent on that little space.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: I can remember standing in front of the people who showed up, encouraging them to trust God while silently praying that God would somehow provide for my own family.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then there was spiritual confrontation that we didn't see coming.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: One of the most defining moments came during a midweek prayer gathering, and it began like any other, but as we prayed the atmosphere changed.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: The heaviness lifted and a tangible excuse me, let me let me back up here.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: I've got some notes written and lost my place.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: There were several people who described being overwhelmed by fear and spiritual heaviness.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't imagined, and you could feel it just hang over the room.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: So we stopped and we took authority in Jesus' name.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: We stood together, we rebuked the spirit of fear, and we declared the lordship of Christ over that space.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: And as we prayed, the heaviness lifted and a tangible peace replaced it.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: The moment taught us that ministry isn't just practical, it's spiritual warfare.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're leading anything that threatens darkness, you'll face resistance, but you're called to stand.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_01: And there's also an emotional toll that comes with leading the few.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: Because there were many Sundays when it felt like we were starting over.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: People would come for a while and then they would drift away.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: I can remember feeling the weight of discouragement, wondering if any of this really mattered.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: But week after week God reminded us that faithfulness matters more than visible results.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then there was the breakthrough that we almost missed.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: One Sunday, a group of teenagers approached me after our gathering.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't waiting for someone to create a youth program for them.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: They actually wanted to lead one themselves.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: Their excitement was contagious.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: They started their own gatherings, invited their friends, and led Bible studies in homes.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: Some of those teens later pursued ministry themselves.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_01: Their lives forever changed because they were given space to lead early.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then we found hope in unexpected places.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: We also began to build relationships in South Bluff Park in Corpus Christi.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's a neighborhood many considered too far gone.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: There were people like Adam and Will and Jenny who came looking for food, but they encountered Jesus instead.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: We showed up with simple things like bottled water and sandwiches, but God showed up with transformation.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: And those gatherings became a doorway to healing and hope for people the traditional church had simply overlooked.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: And then we found hidden multiplication.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: To the outside world, it really didn't look much like success.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: But in the kingdom, it was a multiplying movement in the making.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: The fire that you're in today may be the forging of the leader you'll need to be for tomorrow.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: So don't underestimate the value of where you are right now because what feels like limitation may actually be the very soil where your lasting impact is being planted.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: The journey in Corpus Christi was not my final destination.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: You go from small town to global reach.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: And that was my journey.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: You don't realize how big the influence may be.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: Because your influence may be a whole lot bigger than you actually think.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: You see, what began as a rented storefront in Corpus Christi eventually stretched far beyond our city limits, reaching to remote villages in Kenya, rural districts in Uganda, and dusty roads in India.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't expand because we had a flawless strategy or financial backing.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: We expanded because we said yes to the next relationship, the next conversation, the next door that God opened.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: A simple yes opened global doors.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: One connection with a pastor in Kenya really changed everything.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: He had heard about our simple relational approach to discipleship and invited me to come train his network of village leaders.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I didn't know it at the time, but that one yes would multiply into dozens of gatherings, leadership trainings, and community transformations across East Africa that continue to this day, and I don't even know where they go to.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: I've lost track of who all and where all and how many lives are being touched.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: When I arrived, I expected to teach, but I quickly realized I was there to learn.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: I saw the microcommunity model at work, pastors gathering under trees in open fields and in homes, and they weren't waiting for a building or a budget.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_01: They were already multiplying with what they had.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: And then came the moment I'll never forget.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: One of the moments that radically changed my life and my thoughts forever happened in a remote part of Uganda.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: We had traveled for hours on bumpy, muddy roads to reach a gathering of leaders who had walked for miles to get there.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: They had no electricity, no sound system, no promotional materials, just a deep hunger to reach their communities with the gospel.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: We spent the day equipping them with the same principles we'd lived in Corpus Christi.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Start small, build relationships, empower others to lead.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: They received it with such urgency that within months we began hearing reports of new groups swarming, radio broadcast launching, and even invitations to influence government leaders.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: What has become of that is, as I said, a ripple effect you can't measure.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: What started as a small hidden work in South Texas became a multiplying movement in places I could never imagine, and many I've never heard of.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: It taught me that your influence is always bigger than you think when you steward what's right in front of you.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: You see, global influence doesn't come from building bigger, it comes from being faithful with the small.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: So let me ask you: who in your current circle could be the key to doors you haven't even imagined yet?
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_01: I want you to consider this building movements in the marketplace.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: Because this isn't just about ministry, it's also something that business leaders can learn from.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: Because as I stepped deeper into entrepreneurship, I quickly recognized that the same relational principles that fueled my growth in ministry also powered business multiplication.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: You see, movements, whether they're spiritual or entrepreneurial, never start with marketing tactics.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: They start with trusted relationships.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: Going from broadcasting to building trust ecosystems, when I founded Simplicity Marketing, I wasn't aiming to build a marketing agency.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: I was driven by a deeper mission.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: And that was to help leaders build relational ecosystems that multiply influence and impact.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I learned that successful businesses don't just sell, they build communities.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: They create spaces where people don't just transact, they belong.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_01: A healthy marketing ecosystem includes advocate clients who tell others about you because they believe in what you do, empowered team members who carry your vision forward without needing you to micromanage, and strategic partners who open doors to new relationships, audiences, and opportunities.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: These aren't marketing channels, they're circles of trust, much like the ones built in living rooms, parks, and coffee shops in Corpus Christi.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: You see, here's why mass marketing falls short so much of the time.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: Many leaders fall into the trap of chasing mass exposure, pouring time, money, and energy into chasing strangers online.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_01: But here's what I've seen time and time again.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: Real growth happens when you stop broadcasting and you start building.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Lasting impact comes when you move from followers to advocates.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_01: Multiplication begins when you stop chasing the next sale and you start investing in the people who are already leaning in.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_01: Be faithful with the few, and God will trust you with more.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: So who in your existing customer base, your team, or your network is already positioned to help you multiply if you'd only invite them deeper into your mission.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: So stop waiting for your list to grow or your platform to expand, because your small circle is already big enough to begin.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about your digital micro community.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: You may have not thought about them, but let me tell you, that micro community is waiting.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need a new audience.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: What you need is a viral breakthrough.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to recognize anything else other than there's a community that's already leaning into you.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: And if you'll start talking to them, you'll start to see things begin to happen.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: Right now, you actually have a digital living room that is waiting for you to show up and lead.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: Your email list, your social media followers, your existing clients or partners, your podcast listeners or video viewers.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: But here's the trap that most leaders fall into.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: They treat these people like a metric instead of a mission.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_01: You need to move from audience to digital community.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: People aren't looking for another broadcast.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: They're looking for connection, for trust, for transformation.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: Imagine if your digital presence became a conversation instead of a commercial.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: They became a community instead of a contact list, a movement instead of a marketing campaign.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's simplicity marketing.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_01: We help business leaders turn cold lists into living ecosystems where relationships deepen, advocates multiply, and impact expands.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: There's an advantage to having a digital ecosystem because when you shift your mindset from audience to circle, you stop shouting at strangers and you start building with friends.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: Let me help you understand something.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need thousands, you just need to serve the few you have and do it faithfully.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_01: So here's the question who's in your digital living room right now waiting for you to lead them deeper.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: Your next multiplying circle is already in your hands.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: You see, here's the invitation.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: And it's an invitation to be tested, trusted, and multiplied.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: If there's one thing that I've learned on my journey, it's this God tests before he trusts.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_01: You'll be tested when no one shows up.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_01: You'll be tested when fear whispers you're not enough.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: You'll be tested when the enemy resists your progress.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_01: You'll be tested when you're tempted to chase crowds instead of stewarding the few.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: But here's the promise Whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: Luke 16, 10.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: I want you to remember there is a hidden purpose in your current season.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: You might feel like you're stuck, like your small circle isn't moving fast enough, growing big enough or reaching far enough.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_01: But what if this season isn't punishment?
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's preparation.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_01: Preparation to lead when no one's watching.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: Preparation to endure when the crowd walks away.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: Preparation to multiply when God brings the more you're praying for.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: The circles you're leading today, no matter how small are training ground for the influence God wants to release through you tomorrow.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: Will you stay faithful with the few that you've been entrusted with?
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_01: Will you keep showing up for the one before the many?
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: Will you resist the pull to measure by numbers instead of obedience?
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: Will you let God refine you in the hidden places before he multiplies you in the public ones?
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: Your next season of multiplication starts with your next step of obedience.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: Don't underestimate the circle that's in front of you.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: Your small today could be the seed of your movement tomorrow.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: But your next move starts now.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: You've walked with me in this episode through my journey.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_01: You've seen the pattern.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: Small beginnings, relational trust, and multiplication through obedience.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: But here's where it becomes personal for you.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: What will you do next?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Because this isn't just my story, it's your invitation.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: Right now somebody is waiting for your leadership.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: A circle is waiting for your investment.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: A multiplying movement is waiting for your obedience.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: And here's the hard truth.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: If you wait until you feel ready, you'll never start.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you wait until it feels big enough, you'll miss what's already in front of you.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: I know what it's like to be where you're at right now.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: Wondering if this small thing could really lead to something bigger.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: I've lived in that tension.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: I've questioned the cost, and I've also watched God turn small circles into global impact.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: The people you're called to influence are not far away.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: They're already within reach.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: So let's build the future God has placed in your hands starting today.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_01: Let's move.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_01: Now is the time.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for tuning in to today's episode, and I look forward to talking with you again in the near future.