“Opportunity awaits every single day, and God wants you to tap into each opportunity,” writes Jonathan Hardy. “When you remain faithful to God’s purposes, you’ll see how you can easily step into opportunities and give a wholehearted effort toward achieving … Continue reading Leading with an Opportunity Mentality | Influence Podcast
“I am convinced that if you want to see an increase in hope, understanding, and unity amid the engulfing mercilessness of today — indeed, if you want to communicate anything approaching grace — you must begin with a low anthropology.” … Continue reading The Key to a Gracious View of People | Influence Podcast
“Countless pastors, preachers, teachers, and ministry leaders are dismayed at the dysfunction engulfing the church and the wider culture,” write Matt Kim and Paul Hoffman. “Every day, headlines reveal a world divided across ethnic, class, sex, and political lines. We … Continue reading Preaching for Reconciliation and Unity | Influence Podcast
“When the enemy takes a run at your church, he won’t do it through those who attend it; he will do it through those who lead it,” writes Chris Sonksen. “One of his most effective plans against the local church … Continue reading Six Behaviors That Tear Teams Apart | Influence Podcast
Many Gospels circulated in early Christianity. Everyone knows about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but what about the Gospel of Peter or the Gospel of Thomas? Why were some Gospels included in the New Testament but not others? Scholars such … Continue reading Canonical Gospels vs. Apocryphal Gospels | Influence Podcast
“Ordinary people are the primary way God has worked in and through the world over the centuries,” writes Katelyn Beaty. “More and more, though, it seems that a lot of us aren’t content to be ordinary Christians.” Instead, we want … Continue reading How Celebrity Hurts the Church | Influence Podcast
“Ever been in a season of life that seemed to lack forward momentum?” asks Jeffery Portmann “You’re doing everything you can to experience growth, maybe even repeating what’s worked before. But then there’s a moment … where what you expected, … Continue reading Slow-Motion Growth in a Fast-Paced World | Influence Podcast
In contemporary culture, people who identify as LGBT have a clear narrative. Their lives became better after they “came out” as lesbian, gay, or transgender. Society should celebrate with them. Individuals who don’t are “homophobic” and “transphobic.” ReStory Ministries believes … Continue reading ReStorying the LGBT Narrative | Influence Podcast
Phillips Brooks, the nineteenth-century minister who wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” defined preaching as “the communication of Truth through Personality.” Truth is “the most authoritative statement of God’s will,” he said. Personality refers to a preacher’s “character, his affections, … Continue reading Why Preaching Requires Virtue | Influence Podcast
When it comes to planting and revitalizing churches, rural America is a forgotten field. It faces a variety of demographic and economic challenges, and the rural pastorate often means bivocational ministry in small congregations. In consequence, rural ministry is not … Continue reading Effective Ministry in Small Rural Churches | Influence Podcast
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