Gleaning Mustard Seeds with Jerrie Barber
Jesus told His disciples that faith, like a grain of mustard seed, can move a mountain.
This podcast presents short ideas that bless when the concepts are put into practice and become habits.
Episodes
108 episodes
A good shepherd
What if the best elders aren’t the loudest or most educated—but the ones who quietly love people like Jesus? Would you still wanna be an elder if it meant opening your home, sharing your ice cream, and facing hard conversations with...
Why doesn't somebody do something?
Have you ever complained about a problem for years—only to realize you could’ve started fixing it yourself?Why do we often prefer protests, speeches, and criticism over picking up the first piece of “trash” in front of us?What hap...
2 year anniversary of Gleaning Mustard Seeds
Two years, 89 countries, and my promise: as long as one person is listening, I'll keep talking if I’m able. In this milestone episode, we look back at the conversations that resonated most — from a terrifying elders' meeting that ca...
Chicken or Egg? The Excuses That Kill a Church
If your church lacks strong leadership, is it because you don’t have good elders—or because you don’t have faithful mature members?Are you waiting on leaders to step up… while they’re waiting on you to follow?When conflic...
The man who didn't tell my father
Sometimes the most lasting lessons come from moments that began in mischief. In this episode, Go to him alone: a childhood lesson in Matthew 18, I share a story from my early school days—one involving rocks, hubcaps, and an unexpec...
How to fuss fair in the family 2
Let’s be honest—every family fusses sometimes. But how we handle those moments can either build us up or tear us apart. In this second part of How to Fuss Fair in the Family, we’ll talk about staying kind...
How to fuss fair in the family 1
Are you damaging your marriage or family every time you argue — and don’t even realize it?Have you ever said “nothing’s wrong” when something was very wrong… and it only made things worse?Do your arguments end with understanding… ...
Sowing and reaping cuss words
What if the greatest damage in your relationships isn’t caused by what happens—but by what’s said? In this episode, we take a look at the words we use in marriage, politics, and even in faith conversations—and how those words follow...
A porch, a podcast, and 100 mustard seeds
Ninety-nine episodes ago, Gleaning Mustard Seeds began with a simple idea suggested by members of our family. In this special milestone episode, I'm joined by our daughter, Christi, and our grandson, Braden, who first encouraged me ...
Is my picture printed here?
If a faithful member of your congregation quietly disappeared for three weeks, would we even notice — or would we only notice when it was time to print a new directory?If you went missing from your church today, how many weeks wou...
A dose of humility
In this episode, I tell the story of a moment that’s stayed with me for more than forty-five years—a simple comment from a friend that exposed a blind spot I didn’t know I had. I thought I understood humility. I preached about it. Q...
Fleecy Clouds, chapter 2, Little House
In this episode of Gleaning Mustard Seeds, you’ll hear the second chapter of the audible version of Fleecy Clouds: One Woman's Story of Surviving and Thriving after Childhood Abuse, by Gail Champion Barber and Alice Sullivan.Listen now ...
Where do I find the time to do what I need to do?
Most of us don’t struggle with laziness—we struggle with too many meaningful things to do and not enough hours to do them. In this episode, I tell the story of a day when ministry duties, family needs, study, and hospital waiting r...
Do you have a head elder?
Every eldership says it believes in shared leadership—until one man’s voice consistently ends the discussion.In this episode, Do You Have a Head Elder?, I name a dynamic most churches recognize but rarely confront: the le...
People who planted mustard seeds
Most of the people who changed my life never tried to. They weren’t aiming to be memorable or influential—they were simply doing what came naturally. In this episode, I reflect on the men and women who planted small mustard seeds in...
Between Preachers, chapters 12 and 14
In this episode of Gleaning Mustard Seeds, you’ll hear two chapters of the audible version of Between Preachers, a book about interim ministry by Jerrie Barber.Between Preachers is available in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and audio. <...
When a church splits
Church splits leave scars that last for decades—not just on congregations, but on hearts. In this episode, I revisit a painful division involving people I loved on both sides, the fear of being “marked,” and the long road toward und...
Elders learning to be better shepherds
Being an elder is more than a title—it’s a calling. In this episode, we examine Peter’s appeal to elders and Jesus’ model of shepherding to ask hard questions about leadership. Drawing from 1 Peter 5 and John 10, we challenge common...
Talking to elders about money
Most preachers don’t learn how to talk to elders about money in school—they learn it the hard way. In this episode, I start with my own bad example and trace the lessons that came from awkward questions, unspoken assumptions, and em...
How to leave a church
Most preachers spend years preparing for sermons, visits, and beginnings—but almost no time learning how to leave a church well. In this episode, I share what I learned the hard way through painful exits, family strain, an abrupt di...
Try not to learn very much
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by trying to change everything at once—and ended up changing nothing?What if real growth isn’t about learning more, but about learning less and actually using it?Could one small, “mustard seed...
Why would anybody do that?
What if the people who frustrate you most aren’t being rebellious—but genuinely believe they’re doing the right thing?How did Jesus respond to people committing the greatest sin in history—and what does that mean for the way we correct o...
Dealing with difficult people
Everyone's had at least one person who's made ministry harder than it had to be. In this episode, I share painful moments—from constant criticism to being asked to resign minutes before worship.It's also good to learn how to...
