How Change Happens

Ben Graves didn’t just inherit a legacy; he had to find his own voice in the shadow of giants. As a third-generation pastor with a family history involving deep sacrifice in the jungles of Panama, Ben understands that true leadership isn't about status—it’s about your "yes." In this raw conversation, Ben breaks down the framework he used to scale a youth ministry from zero leaders to 700 students in a parking lot during the height of a global pandemic. We dive into the "whiteboard strategy" he used to recruit a team of 50 before he even had a single volunteer, the psychological "lids" that stop most leaders from ever growing, and the controversial reason why he believes most people in ministry should actually quit.In This Episode:▫️The "Call or Quit" Mandate: If you are leading out of anything other than a direct calling, you are potentially harming the very people you are trying to reach. Passion in a generation isn't missing; it is often just waiting for a leader who is actually led.▫️Recruit to Vision, Not Tasks: Ben grew his team by sliding job descriptions across coffee shop tables for positions that didn't exist yet. Don't ask people to "help out"; invite them to build an organization that can hold the future you see on your whiteboard.▫️The "Lid" Theory of Growth: If a ministry or organization isn't growing, it isn't God's fault—it’s a leadership problem. Leaders must identify the "buckets" they’ve placed over their own progress, whether those are personal failures, hidden sins, or a refusal to dream beyond their current numbers.▫️The Power of the First "Yes": Radical impact starts with a simple step of obedience, often without knowing the full plan. Ben’s journey from a small chapel in Washington to a movement in San Diego was paved by saying "yes" to God before the "how" was ever clear.▫️Legacy as a Launchpad, Not a Crutch: Growing up in a ministry home provided a foundation, but every generation must experience their own "prophetic download" to truly own their mission. Your heritage can inform your work, but your conviction must be your own.📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS: www.logos.com/thesend🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026: www.thesend.org/conference⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church: www.thesend.org/pastors🔥Follow Ben Graves on Instagram: www.instagram.com/benagraves/📲 Follow The Send on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesend🔗 Stay updated: www.thesend.org

At just 16 years old, Asher Byrd received a challenge that would alter the trajectory of his life: preach in every single U.S. state before the age of 21. In this episode, Asher reveals the raw reality of carrying a massive vision while still in high school. We dive deep into the psychology of "mission" and how having a clear purpose provides the maturity and seriousness needed to avoid the traps of modern boredom. If you’ve ever felt like your life lacks direction, Asher’s journey from a "dying seed" of a dream to a 50-state reality is a must-watch.In This Episode:▫️The Power of a Timeline: Asher explains how his dream felt ambiguous until he heard the specific instruction to go in 2024, proving that urgency and a deadline can catalyze action.▫️The "Dead Seed" Principle: Every major vision often goes through a phase where it appears to be dying; Asher recounts the moment he almost gave up before the vision was revived with fresh urgency.▫️Purpose as a Maturity Tool: Having a mission provides a "grid" for growth; Asher notes that a big vision forces a young person to step up and develop the seriousness required to accomplish it.▫️Detaching the Ego from the Calling: Using the film Jesus Revolution as a catalyst, Asher realized the "50 State Tour" was not about him, and that true leadership requires acknowledging that God’s work continues with or without you.▫️The Necessity of Global Perspective: Despite his focus on America, Asher spent six months in South Africa and Central Asia to gain a global lens, which allowed him to bring "fresh perspective" back to his home context.▫️The Role of Stewardship: Vision isn't always about immediate action; sometimes it’s about "stewarding" the word through prayer and processing for years before a team is ever built.📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church🔥Follow Asher Byrd on Instagram📲 Follow The Send on Instagram🔗 Stay updated

Daniel MacLeod, leader of Fireplace Nashville and Wilco United, discusses the radical shift from wanting to be a missionary in the Himalayas to being called back to his own "Jerusalem". Daniel shares the unconventional strategies his team uses to reach thousands, from Friday night evangelism on the Nashville strip to using "business propositions" to earn the right to preach the Gospel at secular raves.In This Episode:▫️The Jerusalem Principle: Why stewarding the city you are currently in is the prerequisite for having spiritual authority elsewhere.▫️The Power of Testimony: How sharing raw stories of the miraculous—like a man flyflyingng in from the North to confirm he was healed of terminal blood cancer—is what actually stirs a generation's faith.▫️Becoming the Peer Pressure: The psychological shift from resisting external influence to becoming the primary influence in your environment.▫️The "Zero Expectations" Growth: Why the most sustainable movements are built on simple obedience and consistency rather than an obsession with numbers.▫️Partnering with the Secular: How to use professional leverage, such as high-end venues, to bring the Gospel into spaces where it is normally unwelcome.📚 ⁠Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS⁠🌐 ⁠Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026⁠⛪️ ⁠Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church⁠🔥⁠Follow Daniel MacLeod on Instagram⁠🔔 Follow Jesus Mission Global on Instagram🔔 ⁠Follow Fireplace on Instagram🔔 ⁠Follow The Merge Nashville on Instagram🔔 Follow Wilco United on Instagram💻 Jesus Mission Global Website💻 Fireplace Website💻 The Merge Nashville Website💻 Wilco United Website📲 ⁠Follow The Send on Instagram⁠🔗 ⁠Stay updated

Taylor Stutts explores the internal battle of leadership—how to move past the "micro-fears" that keep most people stuck at the same "barbecue pit" talking about the same ideas for years. He reveals his strategy for pitching radical shifts to a team, including why most leaders fail by presenting "step 10" ideas to a room that is still on "step one". This conversation is a masterclass in "velocity of ideas" and how to maintain momentum while constantly tearing down and rebuilding your successful models.In This Episode:▫️The Education Journey: When pitching radical change, you must bring your team through the same research and education process you went on, rather than just delivering a "punch line" they don't understand.▫️Overcoming the "Barbecue Pit" Cycle: How to identify the subtle fears that prevent groups from ever taking action on their "good ideas".▫️Permission to Dream: Growth is often hindered by a lack of freedom to dream; leaders must create an outlandish "God-dream" list to force practical steps of faith.▫️Velocity as a Strategy: The faster a leader can cycle through and debrief ideas, the quicker they will arrive at the one that actually works.📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church🔥Follow Taylor Stutts on Instagram📲 Follow The Send on Instagram🔗 Stay updated

Lindy Cofer shares an intimate look at the "fork in the road" where she chose to slow down her public career to focus on motherhood, foster care, and mentoring others. She explores the difficult mindset shift required to move from the "addiction to momentum" to a life of quiet, intentional legacy.In This Episode:▫️Obedience as Worship: Obedience is the highest form of worship, even when it requires stepping away from a public platform.▫️Accepting Limitations: Recognizing that personal limitations can be "of the Lord" brings a sense of freedom and peace.▫️The Trap of Comparison: Living in comparison to past seasons or other people's careers is a "thief of joy".▫️Discipling the Next Generation: True revival is found in the people you pour into, starting with your own children and community.▫️Owning Your Season: It is possible to maintain a creative rhythm, like songwriting, while fully embracing the unique demands of motherhood.📚 Sign up for a 60-day Free Trial with LOGOS🌐 Sign Up for The Send Conference 2026⛪️ Pastors & Church Leaders - Sign Up for The Activated Church🔥Follow Lindy Cofer on Instagram📲 Follow The Send on Instagram🔗 Stay updated

David Platt, pastor and founder of Radical.net, reveals the unprecedented shift happening in global missions. He explains why the next generation is no longer content with "safe" Christianity and is instead choosing to run toward some of the most dangerous and unreached places on earth. David shares heart-wrenching and inspiring stories from his recent travels, including meetings with young leaders in Myanmar and Bangladesh who are counting the cost of their faith in literal life-and-death terms.In This Episode:▫️The Asian Surge: God is mobilizing a massive movement of 18 to 30-year-olds within Asian countries—like Myanmar and Bangladesh—who are taking primary responsibility for reaching their own unreached neighbors.▫️The Cost of Zeal: In unreached contexts, faith often comes with a physical price; some communities even set aside "funeral budgets" for those spreading the Gospel.▫️Unprecedented Access: We are living in a unique "Esther moment" where technology and transportation have made the once-impossible task of reaching 3 billion people a practical reality.▫️The DC Experiment: David discusses leading a church in Metro D.C. where people from over 100 countries unite around a single person—Jesus—in a city that typically divides over everything else.🔥Follow David Platt on Instagram📲 Follow The Send on Instagram🔗 ⁠Stay updated

Nick Brennt, leader of the Circuit Riders movement, breaks down the unconventional culture behind reaching over 100,000 people annually with a team of entirely self-funded volunteers. He explores why the "politeness" of traditional ministry often hinders progress and how a commitment to "brutal truth" and "best idea wins" can accelerate change.In This Episode:▫️The Honesty Contract: Success in a volunteer-driven movement depends on a social contract of radical honesty where ideas are separated from identity.▫️Leading Through Love vs. Power: Real influence comes from leading through love rather than pressure or power, a lesson Nick learned while examining the leadership style of Steve Jobs.▫️The Strategy of Constant Change: Because mission happens in a world of constant shifts, leadership strategies should be tools that change frequently rather than permanent fixtures.🔥⁠Follow Circuit Riders on Instagram⁠📲 ⁠Follow The Send on Instagram⁠🔗 ⁠Stay updated