FBI Raids, Gospel Renewal and Church Planting with Esteban Valenzuela

FBI Raids, Gospel Renewal and Church Planting with Esteban Valenzuela

Author: Mike Neglia June 17, 2025 Duration: 41:48

What does it look like when gospel renewal is forged through suffering and planted in the heart of a global city? In this conversation, Esteban Valenzuela, pastor of Raíces Madrid Evangelical Christian Church, shares his remarkable story of personal transformation, perseverance through false accusation, and the sovereign call of God that led him and his family to Madrid, Spain.

Mike Neglia and Esteban talk about the power of gospel renewal — not just as a theological concept, but as a lived reality. Esteban reminds us that the gospel is the cornerstone of Scripture and the Christian life, and warns against shallow repetition of gospel language without depth or clarity. They also discuss the challenges of church planting, how God works through weak sermons and weak preachers, and why having a clear message truly matters.


Join Mike Neglia and Brian Kelly at the upcoming CGN Ministry Conference June 22-25, 2025 

This conference is designed for church leaders and their ministry teams to connect, collaborate, and grow together. Dive deep into John 13–17, The Upper Room Discourse, with our main session speakers, and attend workshops led by experienced leaders in key areas such as Lead and Senior Pastors, Executive and Associate Pastors, Women in Ministry, Children’s Ministry, Youth Ministry, Worship, Small Groups and Care Leaders, Tech Teams, Administration, and Lay Leaders. Whether you’re a pastor, ministry worker, or volunteer, this event is for your whole team. Join us for an inspiring time of learning, fellowship, and renewed vision for the work God has called us to!



Register for our next in person training event 

August 22-23, 2025 

St Petersburg, Florida 

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The Expositors Collective podcast is part of the CGNMedia, Working together to proclaim the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches. For more content like this, visit https://cgnmedia.org/


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Mike Neglia hosts Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation, a space dedicated to the craft of clearly opening the Scriptures. Rather than offering abstract theory, this podcast grounds itself in the tangible realities faced by pastors and teachers every week. You'll hear genuine conversations that feel like pulling up a chair in a mentor's study, where experienced practitioners discuss the challenges and joys of preparing messages that faithfully explain the biblical text. Episodes often take the form of interviews or practical workshops, delving into the nuances of effective communication for diverse settings like church pulpits, youth groups, or women's ministries. The collective wisdom shared here is about more than just structure; it's about the spiritual discipline of listening to a passage before speaking on it, ensuring the sermon's heart beats in rhythm with the Bible's intent. Tuning into this podcast provides a form of ongoing coaching, a resource for anyone who wants their teaching to be both deeply rooted and readily understood. It’s for those who believe that the careful work of exposition is a profound act of service, and who are looking for a companion on that journey.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation
Podcast Episodes
Two Ways to Preach the Prodigal Son [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:46
The Bible makes sense in its deepest and richest capacity only when we read it through Jesus shaped goggles. When we see all of it through the lens of its Main Character – it should cause us to preach explicitly Christia…
How to Prepare A Sermon, Step By Step - Bob Franquiz [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:04
When a sermon feels alive on Sunday, it usually did not begin on Saturday night. In this practical and energising session, Bob Franquiz walks through the hidden work of faithful sermon preparation, showing how expository…
Temecula Debrief w/ Danny Keating (Interview In Terminal Two) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:21
Danny Keating chats with Mike about how our last in-person training event went, how he is implementing some of its curriculum into his own church in Waterford, Ireland, and they almost miss their flight!
Preaching, Integrity, and the Fear of God - Alan Stoddard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:05
The life of the preacher matters, and in this searching message Dr Alan Stoddard calls Bible teachers back to integrity, honesty, holiness, and the fear of God.Originally delivered at an Expositors Collective training ev…
Preach Small: Faithfulness, Creation, and Church Planting [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:43
Preach Small: Faithfulness, Creation, and Church PlantingIn this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Mike speaks with Seth Lewis, pastor of Carrigtwohill Baptist Church in County Cork, Ireland, about the quiet…
Faithfulness in Small Places and the Care of Souls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:34
In this episode, Jonny Pollock joins Mike Neglia to reflect on preaching and pastoral ministry in small and rural church contexts. Jonny is the pastor of Calvary Church Loughrea, a church plant in a small town in County…
Brian Kelly on Church Planting: Teams, Tenacity, and True Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:17
What does success in church planting actually look like?In this special crossover episode between the Expositors Collective and Cultivate podcasts, Mike Neglia speaks with Brian Kelly about the realities of planting and…
Inductive Bible Study - Cody King [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:04
Cody King is a Bible teacher, church planter and pastor with a passion for expository preaching. He began teaching the Bible in 1998 and graduated from Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2002. He served as one of the foundi…
Preaching Teams, Generosity and Sharing the Pulpit - Ted Leavenworth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:51
What does true generosity look like in the life of a preacher?In this conversation, Mike Neglia sits down with Ted Leavenworth of Reliance Church to talk about a culture of generosity in preaching ministry. Rather than g…