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Results and Faithfulness: Recovering Obedience in an Age of Influence
Podcast: Contending for the Word
Series: Weekly Watch
Host: Dave Jenkins
Date: March 14, 2026
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Episode Summary
In this Weekly Watch episode of Contending for the Word, Dave Jenkins examines the subtle shift that can occur when visible results become the primary measure of success in the church.
Drift often does not happen because people reject the Word of God outright. It happens when mission subtly replaces obedience—when visible impact becomes the primary metric and faithfulness becomes secondary. Over time, those instincts shape how we measure success, what steadies us, and what unsettles us.
This episode calls Christians back to steady confidence in Christ’s promise to build His church and reminds believers that the church’s calling is not cultural dominance but faithful obedience to the Word of God.
What This Episode Teaches
- Why Scripture measures faithfulness differently than visible influence
- How movements can subtly shift from obedience to results
- Why Christ’s promise—not cultural dominance—anchors the church
Key Contrasts We Recover
- Results vs. Faithfulness — God measures differently than the world.
- Influence vs. Discipleship — The Great Commission calls believers to make disciples.
- Speed vs. Obedience — Spiritual maturity and church health are often slow and steady.
- Outcomes vs. Confidence in Christ — Our hope rests in Christ’s promise to build His church.
Scripture References
- Matthew 16:18
- 1 Corinthians 4:2
Key Takeaways
- Movements can be loud; Christ is steady.
- Results fluctuate; obedience endures.
- Influence fades; faithfulness echoes into eternity.
- The church is called to obedience, proclamation, and discipleship—anchored in the Word of God.
“When mission replaces obedience, drift happens—not because we hate truth, but because we crave evidence.”
Related Resources
War of Worldviews by Dave Jenkins
A biblical guide to understanding competing worldviews and standing firm on the authority of God’s Word in an age of confusion.
Learn more about the book
Contending for the Word Podcast
Explore more episodes addressing discernment, theology, and cultural challenges facing the church.
Browse the podcast
Subscribe & Share
If this Weekly Watch was helpful, please consider subscribing on YouTube and sharing this episode with someone thinking through these issues. As we continue walking through this month’s theme, let’s keep asking what our instincts are being trained to trust—outcomes or obedience.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
