Better Equipped with Cody Balch

There has never been more slavery in human history than there is right now! The United States is the #1 consumer of child pornography and is one of the major drivers of sex trafficking around the world. Sadly there is a demand for sex slaves that causes evil people to take kids captive to do their will, and there is an URGENT NEED and OPPORTUNITY to help rescue these kids from this human trafficki...

Many people think that street preaching is scary and ineffective, but what about conversations with strangers through asking them questions about their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs? I found that to be very effective! In this episode, Cody will talk with 8 strangers and ask them about their beliefs on, "Who do they think Jesus is/was?" and "What is their definition of the church?&...

Should Followers of Jesus look just like the rest of the world, or should they look increasingly different? In is episode, Cody will walk us through Ephesians 4:17-24 and look at the importance of living a new life in Christ that looks more like the image of God than the image of this world. Ephesians 4:17-24 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the...

What is the ultimate goal that the church (the people of God) should be focused on and should be prioritizing, and WHO did Jesus give to the church as leaders to help accomplish this goal?  In this episode of Verse By Verse, we will dive into Ephesians 4:7-16. Christ gave 5 sets of spiritual leaders to help equip and mature the people of God to go out and do the work of ministry. More often today,...

Why Even Read The Old Testament? 3 BIG REASONS for Christians to read the Old Testament 🤓 Have you ever wondered why the Old Testament is important or something that Christians still read? Isn't "OLD" implied in the title? Isn't it out dated and replaced with the New Testament and Jesus? Well, in this episode, Cody will give you three easy to remember reasons why Christians sh...

In this Verse by Verse, we will take a close look at the Apostle Paul's words from Ephesians 4:1-6. Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the calling that all believers have received, and to do that we must have His Spirit of humility, love, and unity. This is what he says: Ephesians 4:1-6 - " 1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have r...

Should Christians Celebrate LBGTQ+ Pride Month or Anything Else LBGTQ+? 🏳️‍🌈 ✞ 🤷🏼‍♂️ 🤷‍♀️  This is one of the big questions at hand within culture and the church. Some Christians are defiantly apposed to LBGTQ+, while others who claim the name of Jesus are celebrating the LBGTQ+ community in parades and festivals. What should we make of this? What does God's word say? What should love loo...

In this 3 part series, we will look at the incredibly important topic of "THE CHURCH". We will start in Part #1 by taking an honest look at the current state of the church in America. Then, in Part #2, we will examine God's design for the church vs. our design for the church. And in Part #3, we will ask the question "What should we do?" and Cody will share about why the ho...

In this 3 part series, we will look at the incredibly important topic of "THE CHURCH". We will start in Part #1 by taking an honest look at the current state of the church in America. Then, in Part #2, we will examine God's design for the church vs. our design for the church. And in Part #3, we will ask the question "What should we do?" and Cody will share about why the ho...

In this 3 part series, we will look at the incredibly important topic of "THE CHURCH". We will start in Part #1 by taking an honest look at the current state of the church in America. Then, in Part #2, we will examine God's design for the church vs. our design for the church. And in Part #3, we will ask the question "What should we do?" and Cody will share about why the ho...

In this "Verse by Verse", we will dive into the Apostle Paul's words to the church in Ephesus through Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul explains that God desires to strengthen our inner being through His Holy Spirit so that we can grasp how HUGE His love is for us, AND Paul wants us to understand that God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we ask or imagine, according to His power...

In this "Verse by Verse", we will dive into the Apostle Paul's words to the church in Ephesus through Ephesians 3:1-13. Paul explains that the mystery has been revealed that the Gentile believers in Jesus are co-heirs with the Jewish believers in Jesus, AND that the manifold wisdom of God is being made know through the CHURCH to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Pau...

In this special Father's Day edition of "Healthy Conversations", I dialogue with Darin Smith through the topic of how to be an intentional father to your children, especially with the goal being to raise them to know, love, and follow Jesus anywhere He leads them. As fathers and parents, we ALL have room to grow in our intentionality. Darin and Cody reference the book, "The Int...

In this episode of VERSE by VERSE, we will take a look at Ephesians 2:11-22 where it describes how Jesus destroyed the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles and has become our peace, making us into ONE new humanity! Pretty awesome lessons that we desperately need in our divided and hostile world. Reach out to me if you have any questions: betterequippedwithcody@gmail.com  Visit me a...

In this "Healthy Conversation", Meghann Lightfoot opens up about her journey as a Christian with the struggles of Mental and Emotional Health. Meghann and Cody discuss how God views Christians who struggle with mental health challenges and what you can do about it. We hope this blesses you and helps you be Better Equipped for your journey of faith ahead. You can always reach out to me (C...

Regardless of where you work, is your business living on mission for Jesus? Don't own the business, then how do you live on mission through your work, which is where you spend most of your waking hours within a week. How do we stop compartmentalizing our job separate from our faith? These questions and many more are discussed in this Healthy Conversation with Mark Greaves, of Tithe Lending an...

In this Healthy Conversation, I talk with Entrepreneur and Kingdom Warrior Project Discipler, Adam Kennedy, about God's desire for what our identity, heart, and pursuit should be as a disciple of Jesus. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? Should we be focused on being a disciple or discipleship (and what is the difference)? What is the cost of following Jesus as a disciple and is He...

In this episode of Verse By Verse, we will cover Ephesians 2:1-10. This section of scripture will clearly teach us that we were dead in our sins and that we need a savior who is able to raise us from the grave. This salvation only happens by grace through faith in Jesus Christ! Plus some bonus teaching on how baptism biblically fits within this clear teaching of only being saved by the grace throu...

In this episode, which is part #4 in a 4 part apologetics series called "Prove It", Cody will lay out the reasonable and logical case for why we can trust with confidence that the Bible we have today is reliable and  actually is the truth of God's inspired word. The 4 Questions that Cody will cover in this "Prove It" apologetics series are: - Does Truth Exist? - Does God E...

In this episode, which is part #3 in a 4 part apologetics series called "Prove It", Cody will lay out the reasonable and logical case for miracles being possible and explain why this question must be answered with a "yes" in order for Christianity to even have the chance of being true. The 4 Questions that Cody will cover in this "Prove It" apologetics series are: - D...

In this episode, which is part #2 in a 4 part apologetics series called "Prove It", Cody will lay out the reasonable and logical case for the Biblical God's existence. The 4 Questions that Cody will cover in this "Prove It" apologetics series are: - Does Truth Exist? - Does God Exist? - Are Miracles Possible? - Is The Bible Reliable?  If the answer is "yes" to al...

In this episode, which is part #1 in a 4 part apologetics series called "Prove It", Cody will lay out the logical case for absolute truth, and that you must face Jesus' absolute truth claim that HE is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). The 4 Questions that Cody will cover in this "Prove It" apologetics series are: - Does Truth Exist? - Does God Exist...

In this episode, my guest and worship leader, Brad Roll, will join me (Cody) for a Healthy Conversation on the topic of "The Heart of Worship". What is worship to God and should it go beyond a Sunday service and singing? How can we live out a 7 days a week worship heart posture towards God? We hope that this episode blesses you and that it helps you to be Better Equipped to live a life o...

In this episode, we will take a look at the question, "What is apologetics and why do I need it?"  A few helpful resources on this topic would be: "What Is Apologetics?" Article: https://seminary.grace.edu/what-is-apologetics/ Book: "I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist" by Norman Geisler & Frank Turek - https://a.co/d/c4DnBSS Please reach out to Cody w...

In this episode of Verse By Verse, we will cover Ephesians 1:15-23. This section of Ephesians will challenge us to elevate our view of God's people, His church, to His level and view of His church.  He calls His people His inheritance, and He tells us that the church is His body on earth, "who is the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way". The apostle Paul tells us that...