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 

Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg

 https://expositorscollective.org/gatherings/



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
How to Read, Teach, and Apply the Bible Faithfully [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
In a society where quick fixes and instant gratification dominate, are we settling for the same thing in our approach to sermons? In this episode, Pastor Mike Chaddick invites us to move beyond “fast food preaching” towa…
Preaching That Changes Lives: Dr John Whittaker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:04
Dr John Whittaker shares why expository preaching changes lives. He traces his journey from a shy teenager to his first sunrise-Easter sermon in 1985, reflects on Pastor Don’s topical, many-point approach - “like a log o…
Parabolic Expositional Preaching: The Arc and the Throughline [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:28
Preaching, says Heath Hardesty, should do more than explain a passage of Scripture - it should take listeners on a journey that awakens thirst and points them to the living water of Christ. In this session, recorded at V…
Preaching the Beauty of the Lord - Mike Dente [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:57
In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Mike sit down with Mike Dente, lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Paris. Mike has served in France for decades, planting and pastoring in a thoroughly post-Christian Europ…
Learning to Preach Like Jesus - Re-Release [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:49
Many people consider Jesus to be a great teacher and preacher, but few actually realise just how incredible and multilayered His teachings actually were.In this episode of Expositors Collective, Mike speaks with Dr. Pete…
Ryan Marrs invites you to St. Petersburg, Florida August 22-23rd [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:48
In these interactive seminars, attendees will meet in groups and build ongoing relationships. Our next training weekend will be held at Calvary Chapel St Petersburg.8900 US Hwy 19 N, Pinellas Park, Florida 33782August 22…
Spiritual Readings, Historic Senses, Lectionaries and Four Mountains [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:45
What if the whole story of the Bible could be told through four mountains?In this conversation, Mike speaks with theologian and pastor Michael Niebauer about his new book, Four Mountains: Encountering God in the Bible fr…