Influence Podcast

"In many Christian theological circles, especially in Pentecostal circles, the person who has the role of pastor is the one who is supposed to have the spiritual answers, and so this [spiritual and social] shutdown [due to trauma] is counterintuitive to the position they hold," writes Dale Sanger. "The challenge for Pentecostal pastors is that they have an underlying theology of glory which does n...

"How did you go bankrupt?" one character asks another in Ernest Hemingway's The Son Also Rises . "Two ways," the other character responds. "Gradually and then suddenly." But as Mark Batterson points out in his new book, "That's also how you get out of debt. That's how you start a business, write a book, or run a marathon — and a thousand other things." "Regardless of craft or career, dreams don't...

Which way are American young adults going when it comes to religion? Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Survey reports that only 45% of Americans 18–29 years old identify as Christians, compared to 54% of those aged 30–49, 72% of 50–64, and 74% of 65+. Barna Group's State of the Church initiative reports that young adults are leading "a resurgence in church attendance." Gen Z (born 1999–201...

The Preamble to the Assemblies of God "Statement of Fundamental Truth" says: "The Bible is our all-sufficient rule for faith and practice. This Statement of Fundamental Truths is intended simply as a basis of fellowship among us …. The phraseology employed in this statement is not inspired or contended for, but the truth set forth is held to be essential to a full-gospel ministry. No claim is made...

"Christians are called to be 'in the world' and 'not of the world'," says a new Assemblies of God position paper, citing John 17:11–16. "We must embrace our identity as Christian citizens, as public witnesses, and as salt and light," it continues, "Believers must also maintain their Christian character while engaging in politics. We prioritize our calling in Christ and do not condone the demonizat...

"The Assemblies of God was founded as a cooperative fellowship that honors the calling and gifting of all Spirit-filled believers, not as a clerical hierarchy," says a new Assemblies of God position paper. "As we seek to cultivate healthy spiritual leadership," it continues, "we must resist any drift toward positional superiority and instead affirm diverse models of leadership found throughout the...

What is the center of Paul's theology? Traditionally, Protestants taught that justification by faith was the center. More recently, scholars proposed reconciliation, union with Christ, and transformation as the center. In The Affections of Christ Jesus , Nijay K. Gupta proposes love as the center. "The language of love in one form or another occurs over one hundred times in the Pauline corpus," he...

"Christian ministry includes fully supported church workers, those bivocational only out of financial necessity, and those who have chosen to serve covocationally. All should be honored, but one's attitude makes a difference."  So writes Richard D. Oliver in his new book,  A Covocational Attitude: Sharing the Motivational Convictions of the Apostle Paul . In this episode of the Influence Podcast,...

"Churches in North America face an uncertain future," writes Joseph Lear. "Seventy percent of churches have an average weekly attendance of under 100 people, which means that should nearly three-quarters of the churches in America lose a few families, they'd face a financial, volunteer, and leadership crisis."  "God is not done with the small church," he writes. "The kingdom of God is still presen...

Doug Clay is the 13 th general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, which explains the title of his most recent book — 13: Leadership Is More than Luck . The book explores leadership principles and stories from Clay's predecessors in that office. "As I studied the lives of our past general superintendents, I was inspired by their timeless insights and timely sensitivity to the Lord. Though eac...

"Few would argue against the proposition that Paul's letter to the Romans is his magnum opus ," writes Glen Menzies. "Romans is an exceedingly important book. The impact it has made is literally incalculable, for it is impossible to imagine how Christianity would have developed without it." In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Menzies about how to interpret Romans. We start with int...

"According to research, approximately 61 percent of U.S. teenagers never read the Bible, and 74 percent don't attend church regularly. That means well over half of middle and high school students in our nation aren't disciples and likely haven't put their faith in God. As followers of Jesus, what are we going to do about this?" asks Lee Rogers. He goes on to say: "Today in our nation there are ove...

"My college basketball coach, Coach High, used to talk about two types of pain — the pain of discipline and the pain of regret . In basketball (as well as life and ministry), pain is inevitable. No one can avoid it, even if we try. But in some cases, you can determine the pain you will live with," writes Steve Svoboda. He goes on to say: "When it comes to your life as a minister, choose the pain o...

"It behooves us as Christians to think theologically and ethically about what it means to live as humans in the age of AI and about the potential opportunities and challenges that may arise from its widespread adoption, both in the short-term and long-term future," writes Todd Korpi. "Contrary to popular belief, technology is not acultural, neutral in its orientation, or immune from pitfalls that...

"There are no seasons at the feet of Jesus. There are no age barriers when the fire of Acts 2:4 Pentecost falls. And when the Holy Spirit stirs us as men and women of God, at any age, to speak His words in strategic moments, we sill have a treasured opportunity to trust Him and simply use our voices and obey," writes Beth Grant. In this episode of the Influence Podcast , I talk to Grant about how...

"We don't have to look far to realize there's a void of godly voices in modern youth culture. When we look around and see students struggling with self-harm, gender identity, as well as depression and anxiety, to name a few, we can see the void of godly voices," writes Ashton Peters. "There's a void of Christ-honoring love, biblical discipleship, and authentic mentorship. There's a void of spiritu...

In Episode 383 of the Influence Podcast, I talked to Allen Tennison about the good news of Christ's death and resurrection. The biblical narrative doesn't end with Christ rising from the dead, however. Consider Acts 2:32–36, for example, where Peter says: "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promis...

This summer marks the 1700 th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, which promulgated the Nicene Creed. Along with Catholics and the Orthodox, many Protestant churches affirm the theology of the Nicene Creed, whether or not they use it in their liturgy or formal theological statements. But what about Pentecostals? What should we make of the creed? That's what I ask Frank Macchia in this episode of...

"I am a survivor of child abuse," writes Samantha Rose Jones. "The abuse impacted every aspect of my humanity — physically, emotionally, socially, mentally, and spiritually. All the instances were in a severe category, and the evil I faced was unfathomable. My starting point is bleak, but my current story is miraculous. I am a miracle because I am a child of the living Miracle Worker — God." In th...

"As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success." That is what 2 Chronicles 26:5 says about Uzziah, king of Judah in the early eighth century B.C. According to Warren D. Bullock, this verse is key to understanding Uzziah's success as a king, as well as his ultimate failure. "When [Uzziah] prayed, all went well; he had amazing success," Bullock writes. "When he failed to seek the Lord, he acte...

April is Autism Acceptance Month. According to the website, Autism Speaks , autism or autism spectrum disorder refers to "a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States today." How s...

In 1 Corinthians 15:1–2, the apostle Paul wrote: "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain." We typically interpret Paul's gospel in terms of the doctrine of justification by faith, wi...

Jesus asked His disciples an important question in Matthew 16:15: "Who do you say I am?" Ligonier Ministries surveyed Americans in 2022 about how they perceived Jesus. Responses to three statements in particular are worth highlighting. First, 54% of Americans and 80% of American evangelicals strongly agreed with the statement, "There is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, a...

If you could travel back in time and share life lessons with your younger self, what would they be? That's the premise of Doug Clay's new book, Conversations with My Younger Self . "If I could go back in time," he asks, "what mistakes would I correct? What choices would I change? What words would I say or leave unsaid? What path would I take?" Clay answers those questions by drawing on his persona...

"The future is coming, and you're not in it." That's what Rear Admiral Chester Cain (played by Ed Harris) says to Captain Pete Mitchell (played by Tom Cruise) in Top Gun: Maverick . Cain's reasoning? Mitchell will be replaced by AI. "These planes you've been testing, Captain, one day, sooner or later, they won't need pilots at all." Technological advances initiate a process of creative destruction...