Lead Stories Podcast

Edrin Williams is the Formation Pastor at Sanctuary Church in Minneapolis, working to create spaces for adults to Connect, Grow, & Serve in ways that draw them closer to God and other people.  Today's episode features a powerful and engaging teaching from a recent sermon series entitled Mission Friends.   Bio excerpt: Beyond my work at Sanctuary, I am passionate about developing leaders of all age...

Today's episode features Pastor Gail Song Bantum preaching on John Chapter 8 as part of a series on the book of John called Deeper at Quest Church in Seattle.    Here is an excerpt from Gail's bio on her BLOG: who am i?  a second generation korean-american who doesn't speak much korean, often mistaken for mixed-race, the black community is like family, love soul and latin music. and i LOVE me some...

You already know Jo is one of the premiere voices on leadership for women today.  This podcast is a recording of one of her teachings on Ezer from the inaugural Ezer Collective held last fall.  Listen and broaden and shape your leadership calling and get a taste of what you can expect at this year's Ezer Collective. Ezer Registration and Information josaxton.com

Lead Stories Summer Sermon Series 2018 gives you an opportunity to hear some of the premiere voices from women in ministry and leadership today. Today's guest is Keisha Polonio, Associate Director at Tampa Underground in Tampa, FL.  Keisha is an powerful and engaging speaker as well as a gifted storyteller.  Listen as she talks about prayer being "breath to our souls".  Exhaling our fears, our dre...

In this "Generations" message, Pastor Cyon Edgerton from Freedom Life Church in Hampton, VA dives into our spiritual heritage and legacy as children of God. By unpacking the story of Abraham, we discover what it means to be adopted into God's family and to be covered by His promises. Our identity, our value, and our purpose all stand on the foundation of the covenant that our Father invites us int...

Lead Stories Summer Sermon Series 2018 gives you an opportunity to hear some of the premiere voices from women in ministry and leadership today.  This episode features a sermon recently given by Stephanie at Mill City Church as part of a series called Pick Your Battles. Stephanie begins this important conversation by noting that we sometimes focus on picking the battles that are in front of our fa...

Lead Stories Summer Sermon Series 2018 gives you an opportunity to hear some of the premiere voices from women in ministry and leadership today.  This episode features a sermon previously given by Jo Saxton looking at Mark chapter 3 where Jesus calls His disciples. Jo speaks powerfully about this movement that started with a few ordinary, everyday people and how God calls us in the same way even t...

Lead Stories Summer Sermon Series 2018 gives you an opportunity to hear some of the premiere voices from women in ministry and leadership today. Today's message is from Nicole Bullock, Senior Pastor at Blue Oaks Covenant Church in Brooklyn Center, MN. You will be totally engaged as you listen to her speak powerfully and eloquently about miracles or as she puts it "the supernatural manifestation of...

We are continuing our special Lead Stories Summer Sermon series with this message from Pastor Daniel Hill of River City Church in Chicago and author of the book "White Awake: An Honest Look at What it Means to be White".  Pastor Hill starts a dialogue around race relations in the wider church, beginning with the challenge that the current christian church has a "anemic theology" around race relati...

Lead Stories Summer Sermon Series 2018 gives you an opportunity to hear some of the premiere voices from women in ministry and leadership today.  This episode features a sermon recently given by Stephanie at Mill City Church as part of a series called Led By Jesus, which looked at Jesus as Servant, Teacher, Shepherd, Prophet, Judge, High Priest and King.  Listen here as Stephanie talks about how J...

Lead Stories Summer Sermon Series 2018 gives you an opportunity to hear some of the premiere voices from women in ministry and leadership today.  In this episode, Jo Saxton brings a compassionate and inspired challenge to women to walk confidently into their leadership calling and understand their spiritual authority.  This talk was originally from the She Leads Summit and is rebroadcasted with pe...

Ending Season 4, Jo and Steph discuss what will be happening over the summer on LeadStories and also what they personally and professionally will be up to.   Listen in to hear Jo's writing soundtrack and snack, and all about the Ezer Collective, an exciting space coming in the Fall, especially for women who lead. And when we say 'women who lead' we mean, any woman who has influence in any sphere!...

What does it look like to use power in a positive way to extend the Kingdom of God? This week Jo and Steph discuss what can happen when we use power in the ways God intended us to, and what can happen when we fail to use the power and authority we have been given.   Discussion questions: 1) Where has God given you authority to speak to a situation but you are afraid to do so? What might happen if...

How did Jesus engage with and use the authority and power that He was given? In this episode, Jo and Steph highlight key passages in the Bible which show Jesus' attitudes and practices of power.   Passages discussed: Philippians 2: 5-11 Matthew 4 John 13: 1-17 Luke 22: 24-27   3 temptations of Appetite, Approval and Ambition are explored further in 'Multiplying Missional Leaders' by Mike Breen.  ...

Following on from last week, Jo and Steph discuss three more pitfalls of power: celebrity status, experiencing powerlessness and hoarding power. Listen in to hear why being a celebrity is so often confused with anointing, what experiencing powerlessness can lead us to do and how to avoid hoarding power in order to give other people a voice.   Book mentioned: The Failure of Nerve - Edwin H. Friedma...

Where do you have influence? In those areas you have power. The question is, what are you doing with it? In this episode Jo and Steph discuss 3 pitfalls of power: 1. Not recognizing Relative Power (rather than positional power) 2. Lack of accountability and transparency 3. (The lie) that the end justifies the means   Discussion questions: 1. Do an audit of the power you have. Where do you have cap...

If we want to be effective and holy leaders we need to be aware of the pitfalls in our way.  Beginning a new series, Jo and Steph start by defining some of the words connected with power.      Power: The capacity or ability to direct or influence people, circumstances or events. a) control and command b) ability to act or to be able   Influence: The capacity to have an effect on the development, c...

Shawn Moore, a Church pastor, teacher at Bethel Seminary and ironman competitor chats with Jo and Steph this week about greatness, cultural competency and how to grow in our understanding of others.  Shawn desires to see education used to liberate people from bondage so that they can become great and he shares with Jo and Steph about what that looks like for him personally.   GREAT: Gratitude Rede...

This episode is for those who set out intentionally to bring change and breakthrough to different areas and spheres and asks the question: what does it look like to be intentional if you are going to break a mold? Jo and Steph look at four areas to consider when breaking the mold on purpose: 1) Recognizing 2) Reckoning 3) Reconnecting 4) Responding   Discussion questions:   1) Who's on the rollerc...

Have you ever found yourself breaking a mold and you didn't even mean to? Have found yourself having a conversation and thinking that something was a given and realize that it wasn't? Jo and Steph talk about what happens when we find ourselves breaking molds and how we can respond accordingly.   The 4 Rs of handling breaking the mold by accident: 1) Recognizing 2) Reckoning 3) Reconnect 4) Respond...

Mandy Smith, the Lead Pastor of University Christian Church in Cincinnati is chatting with Steph today about what it looks like for her to be the only female Lead Pastor in her denomination. Discussing both the external and internal hurdles to stepping into leadership, Mandy and Steph share from their different perspectives as an introvert and extrovert.   Mandy's latest book is out now: The Vulne...

Lisa Harper is discussing how a failure to understand the context in which the Bible was written - by writers under oppression - has warped our understanding of what the Bible says and what Good News truly is.     Join Jo and Steph as they chat to Lisa about how the Gospel can be good news to all people - not just those who are in positions of power.   Discussion questions: 1) How does knowing tha...

Dominique Gilliard the director of racial righteousness and reconciliation shares ways that the church needs to rethink its attitude to the criminal justice system and incarceration. With some horrifying statistics and also some hope-filled testimonies and practical ways churches can make a change, this podcast will change the way you see those who are and have been incarcerated and equip you to b...

Brian Sanders talks about how the Underground Church in Tampa, Florida has been breaking the mold of what church in America looks like and how it reaches the lost.   Check out Brian's new book 'Underground Church: A Living Example of the Church in Its Most Potent Form'   You may also be interested in the Tampa Underground Open Conference this weekend:   23 rd - 24 th February.   Discussion questio...