The Influencers Podcast

Does it feel as though the stability of our nation is unraveling? Professor Dorothy Logan would agree. A Political Science professor for two decades, foreign policy analyst, voice for congressional and court testimony, and an author, Logan founded the Freedom Academy where she unravels how America came to give up its freedoms, trading individual responsibility for collective blame, and independenc...

Are you older, more sedentary, wondering what’s next? Or perhaps you’re a student, always on the computer, who then defaults to filling downtime with more screens. Katherine Pasour is passionate about health and honoring God with our bodies. She is educated in making changes for better health and knows how to start that process. An author, professor and consummate student, Pasour received multiple...

Children are now victims of the mental health crisis. Unstable home and school environments, the constant bombardment of social media trends, shifting ideologies and pressures are some of the factors that Dr. Beena Wilkins, Pediatric Specialist and author, recognizes as affecting our children. A medical doctor and mother of teens, Wilkins tracks the resultant anxiety, depression, and debilitating...

How far does God’s mercy extend? Are some sins too grievous? You may have heard of Abby Johnson. She is an author, speaker, podcast host and Foundation Director. However, prior to those accomplishments, Johnson lived a darker chapter. Accolades of her tenure in the world included being the youngest ever Clinic Director for Planned Parenthood, Planned Parenthood Employee of the Year in 2008 and boa...

We have all heard some of the rash proclamations and condemnations made by Critical Race Theory proponents and initiatives, but what does CRT entail and how has it entrenched itself in politics, hospitals and treatments, corporations and policies, schools and education? Dr. Neil Shenvi and Dr. Pat Sawyer answer all those questions and many more. Authors and academics, these two tackle the big issu...

You know those testimonies that keep you riveted? Where the brokenness is so severe that you marvel God could pull a life from such rubble and use it for His glory and purpose? Carl Barrett has one of those testimonies and he can tell you exactly how God uses it. Author, Ministry Founder, and Instructor with the National Fatherhood Initiative, Barrett has years of experience ministering within the...

Death. Prolonged sickness. It is not enjoyable dinner table conversation, yet it is inevitable. Can you prepare for the loss of one you love? Is there a hack for grief that circumnavigates the devastating sadness? An author and accomplished journalist who writes for the Washington Post , National Geographic , and NPR, Whitney Pipkin is recovering from the loss of her mother and the 20-year cancer...

Am I gay? That is a question that every parent and church staff member needs to be able to answer. Living in a culture that applauds, elevates and takes pride in sin, we must know and model the truth for our kids. Few recognize this better than author Garry Ingraham and his wife Melissa. Having come out of sexual confusion, they founded the Love and Truth Network through which they work to restore...

Some came home in pieces. Some never came home at all. But all fought for this nation, this freedom and this place we call home. They know the cost of service and sacrifice and Peter Palivos will not forget. Raised in a family with five generations of military service, Palivos has seen the brotherhood, hardship, and weight of war, but he also knows the battle doesn’t end when our troops come home....

Has your effectiveness ever felt compressed, buried under the weight of emotional burden? Diamonds are rare from the Middle East but Tessa Afshar is one of them. A researcher of Biblical history with a Master of Divinity from Yale and an award-winning author, Afshar speaks like one who has probed the Word of God and unearthed the precious. Raised as a nominal Muslim, Afshar thought all religions w...

We sing it. We say it. Some of us even believe it. Soon, and very soon, we are going to see the King. But how soon is “soon?” It is a question that has been pondered for ages and one which Barry Stagner, Bible scholar, international broadcast host and author of The Time of the Signs, is well equipped to answer. Stagner is a fount of biblically backed information regarding the specifics of the end...

We all have access to the light. We can hide it under a bushel, in a crowd of the like-minded or let it be seen. But what if burning bright costs us? Are you truly an influencer for the Kingdom if you simply parrot the safe mantras? Seth Gruber, prolife advocate, speaker, filmmaker, author, and creator of The White Rose Resistance visits the topic of Christian cowardice. His historically educated...

If we go anywhere, we see needs around us, but can we see the opportunity in the need? Matt Bronleewe is an author, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and a filmmaker, but it was the life of another man that altered Bronleewe’s focus. Discovering, around the kitchen table, that his in-laws were closely related to the founder of Compassion International, Bronleewe found himself intrigued by their s...

Why did God give us art? Academic and author of over a dozen books, Terry Glaspey refers to himself not as a doctor or teacher, but as a student. Earning his doctorate in Spiritual Formation, Glaspey studies the Word of God and individuals who truthfully and artfully present God. It was when reading C.S. Lewis that Glaspey had a vibrant awakening. Riveted by Lewis’ practical yet creative understan...

What makes you stand out? Is it your skill, credentials, or your charisma? Known as the “fire painter,” Tim Gagnon definitely stands out when his brushes are on fire. An amazing artist, speaker, teacher, and master of his trade, Gagnon’s artistic influence is the direct result of a God-directed covert military op. It was two men, military leadership, who identified him as a young man needing the L...

We talk about God’s love, but do we understand He held Himself upon that cross out of compassion for us, knowing that suffering was our destination without Him? Frequent conference speaker and podcast regular, author Jessica Thompson explores the compassion of Christ and the impact it can have in our lives and beyond us, touching the hearts of others when we see them through His eyes. As Thompson...

Does God talk to us, or listen? People of every culture, age, and with or without faith, struggle with these questions. Writer, award-winning musician, and founder of Commoner’s Communion, Strahan Coleman’s wandering career took him around the world and right back to God. Life was good -- a wonderful marriage, children, a beach home -- until it wasn’t. Suffering an undiagnosed illness, weak, and o...

“Why?” We have all asked it. “Why would God allow…?” For those in the middle of trial or trauma, it confuses. For those who have been damaged, it haunts. For Ofelia Flores, it reminds her, “God does not waste any hurts.” An advocate, contracted consultant for police and sheriff’s departments, speaker, and survivor, Flores was introduced to heroin by family members, and trafficked by the age of 16....

Are you one of the many who makes New Years’ resolutions that turn out to be unsuccessful? Scott Wozniak, CEO, Mensa member, legendary brand-builder, and author brilliantly unpacks the chasm between a great resolution/vision and how to get there. A former actor, musician and entertainer, Wozniak’s life plan seemed obvious. But resolution is not realization, and God had a different course for his l...

Peace. Hope. In our world? At this time? Start ringing the bells because Pastor Wendell Vinson says, “Absolutely!” Pastor, CityServe co-founder and world traveler, Pastor Vinson will shake you up with his refreshing, biblical perspective of HOPE. Are there global pressures, wars and rumors of wars, an elevation of evil? Yes, but God is using increased global pressures and rampant feelings of disco...

Was his name David? It was the question we wanted Todd Lamphere to answer as he shared the account of one guy with just a stone in Ein Habesor who, along with four other men with M16’s, beat back an army of Hamas terrorists. Pastor and Vice President of Government Relations for City Serve, Lamphere shared how the moshav – an agricultural community three short miles from the Gaza border, part of a...

Do you dread the darkness? While some slumber, others of us repeatedly wrestle with failure, worthlessness and deadly intents of a dark realm. Pastor Wayne Cordeiro has fought that battle. Creative, successful and driven, this author, leader and pastor radiates effective leadership, but came dangerously close to a fatal precipice in the dark. Cordeiro had survived cancer and a heart attack. He was...

Why is it so difficult to be thankful at this time of year? We plainly see much to be concerned over and that can be hard to rise above. Co-host Dave Donaldson breaks down the impact of gratitude in this empowering podcast and issues a challenge. Moved by the legacy of gratitude that he witnessed in the life of his 89-year-old grandmother and its ability to move light into the darkness, Donaldson...

You are not the only one who has ever been depressed, anxious, or stressed; everyone has. Pastor, speaker and podcast host Wesley Towne says that his broken life led to his calling. He loves Jesus, was in the Word and in prayer daily, yet even with the core principles of discipleship in place, he found himself paralyzed by anxiety and depression, and he wasn’t alone. Searching for mentors he could...

You may be a solid communicator, skilled craftsman, or acclaimed academic, but have you ever looked at your child, or grandchild, and found yourself speechless? According to Dr. Kathy Koch, that is not bad. Founding President of Celebrate Kids, co-founder of Ignite the Family, faculty at Summit Ministries, public speaker, and author, Dr. Koch dives deep into core values and mechanics we can access...