Jared welcomes listeners back to the Examined podcast after pausing during a major transition as One City Church moved into a new location in Chesapeake, Virginia, and announces the podcast will return to one new episode a month. He also shares that his book, "Leading Lazarus," releases September 6, 2026, with preorders open, but emphasizes that systems only work as well as the heart behind them. The central idea is that people don’t experience a leader’s intentions, they experience their leadership, supported by Luke 6:45 and examples of Jesus making love tangible. Jared recounts how his “helping” by taking over made his team feel undervalued, and urges leaders to examine deeper sources like fear and wounds. He gives three steps: ask someone “What’s it like to be on the other side of me?”, make your invisible heart visible in one relationship, and bring the source to God before fixing behavior, closing with prayer.

In this episode of The Examined podcast, Jared addresses the common challenges leaders face, even when they have the right titles, teams, and strategies. He delves into the concept of ‘resistance’. Those persistent obstacles that hinder progress despite best efforts. Jared categorizes resistance into barriers, hurdles, and gaps, providing a framework to diagnose and effectively manage each type. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing resistance not as a sign of failure but as an opportunity for growth, testing, and strengthening one’s faith and leadership. Practical steps are offered to help leaders and their teams identify and navigate these resistances, supported by biblical references and prayer.

In this episode of the Examined Podcast, Jared introduces the '70/30 Principle.' This framework is designed to help leaders maintain their energy and alignment by spending 70% of their time on tasks that align with their natural strengths and passions, and 30% on activities that stretch and challenge them. Jared emphasizes recognizing the difference between what leaders are capable of doing and what they are called to do. Practical steps on how to identify and balance these activities are provided, along with a challenge to audit your time and re-align your schedule for a healthier, more sustainable leadership. Jared concludes with a reflection on the importance of not carrying every burden alone, inspired by Jesus' example.