The Influencers Podcast

With Father's Day approaching, do you feel like you’re stumbling your way through being a dad? Jerrad Lopes, best-selling author, speaker, business owner, and founder of Dad Tired, joins Dave and Scott to talk about what it means to be a faithful husband, father, and disciple. As he shares the brokenness of his past, Lopes discusses the importance of understanding your identity and the power of af...

Do the continual reports of mass shootings leave you feeling helpless and questioning if there is anything you can do? Join co-host Scott Young and our guest, Oletha Barnett, theologian, lawyer, and conflict resolution specialist, as they discuss the violent evil that has been unleashed across the country. Barnett provides a framework from which the church can respond as she discusses the root cau...

Dave Donaldson, co-founder of CityServe International returns from a recent trip to Poland and Ukraine and provides an update on the ongoing work, stories, and miracles from the frontlines. Joined on the trip by Ivanka Trump and other team members, hear how God is moving in the hearts and lives of those impacted, and discover how God’s people, working together in unity are an unstoppable force for...

How can you find personal peace amid conflict in your relationships, jobs, or even church? Brian Noble, pastor and Executive Director/CEO of Peacemaker Ministries says that it is possible to live in peace in the midst of conflict. Sharing his own experiences he reveals that it is possible to live reconciled with others even when there is no resolution of the issues that caused the conflicts. He di...

Allie Marie Smith seemed to have it all, yet she made plans to end it. Listen as Allie talks about her story, struggles, and journey with mental illness, and how she has learned to thrive despite living with a mental health diagnosis. She offers hope and encouragement to others, and wisdom for living a purpose-filled and intentional life through meaningful ways that can help you support your famil...

What would the overturning of Roe v. Wade mean for the American church? Scott Young, co-host of The Influencers Podcast and lead pastor of Church of Hope in Sarasota, FL, shares his thoughts and reflections on the leaked draft opinion, the reality that abortion will continue even if the law is overturned, and what this historic change could mean to adoption and foster care. He issues a challenge t...

What would our businesses, organizations, or ministries look like if we combined emotional maturity with effective leadership practices? That is what this episode is all about. Healthy teams begin with healthy leaders, and at the heart of this dynamic is emotional maturity—the quality the greatest leaders possess. Marcus Warner, president of Deeper Walk International combines cutting-edge neurolog...

What are the characteristics of healthy masculinity that create the fathers and leaders our world desperately needs today? Chase Replogle, pastor of Bent Oak Church in Springfield, Missouri, and host of the Pastor Writer podcast unpacks what he calls the five masculine instincts. He examines these instincts through the lives of five men in the Bible who wrestled with their own desires and through...

As refugees continue to seek safety from war-torn Ukraine, hear how the ongoing work of the local church continues to bring hope and support to those in need. Co-hosts Dave Donaldson and Scott Young are joined by Todd Lamphere, vice president of Government Relations as they discuss the miracles taking place and reveal the four-fold strategy of CityServe to help build church capacity, expand the su...

How can you find true rest in a culture of working more, experiencing more, and achieving more? Escape the anxiety and pressure of the times with Scott Young, co-host of The Influencers Podcast and lead pastor of Church of Hope in Sarasota, FL, as he shares why it is important to take time to be at the feet of Jesus to let your spiritual soul be healed and restored. Learn how a time of rest before...

Did you know our calling usually isn't revealed in a moment but unfolds over our lifetime? Brian Sanders, a social entrepreneur and the founder and former Executive Director of the Underground Network, explains what he calls ‘the six seasons of calling’ that provide structure for our development as we go through life. Defined as seasons of bonding, learning, serving, creating, giving, and leaving—...

While physical abuse is obvious, unfortunately many live in emotionally abusive relationships with no plan to protect themselves or their kids. Dave E. Clarke, Ph. D., Christian psychologist, speaker, and author joins us to talk about when it's time to say "enough is enough" to abuse and create a step-by-step plan. With more than 30 years of working with couples in marital crisis and women living...

How do you identify lie-knots and unravel them? Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner, an award-winning author, speaker, radio, and television personality, understands firsthand how trauma in childhood, or adulthood, can create soul wounds that lead to destructive patterns and behaviors. Giesbrecht Turner shares how after much heartache she found freedom from the lies, addiction, and depression once she unders...

Listen to this special report as CityServe team members share what is happening firsthand at the Ukrainian border and how the body of Christ is rising up to offer hope, help, and security. Hear of the miracles that are taking place as the local church is working to get food, shelter, and supplies to refugees flooding into neighboring countries, and those that are risking their lives to reach behin...

As bombs explode and refugees flee to safety, hear how the local church is bringing hope and help in Ukraine’s great time of need. Co-hosts, Dave Donaldson and Scott Young, are joined by pastor Wendell Vinson and Karl Hargestam of CityServe to discuss how CityServe Europe is coming alongside churches in Poland, Romania, and Ukraine to help meet the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of those...

What can we learn from the life and legacy of a legend? Reminisce with Dave Donaldson, Scott Young, Wendell Vinson, and Scott Wead as they talk about the influence and impact of Doug Wead on their lives and our nation. As a world-renowned Presidential historian, New York Times bestselling author, a former adviser to two American Presidents, and regular guest on national television, Wead seemed lar...

Do you have those relationships at work that are easier to avoid than confront? We’ve probably all said the words, “I’m sorry,” but that’s not always enough. Jennifer Thomas, Ph. D., clinical and community psychologist, author, TEDx speaker, and master facilitator for The 5 Love Languages, believes that there is a right way to apologize when we mess up. She discusses the five apology languages, th...

What does a Kingdom-minded business look like? John Houston, serial entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of John Houston Custom Homes shares his story to reveal how all the hardships and successes of his life led him to the realization that God had given him a gift in business. A gift that was not meant for John’s benefit but to further God’s kingdom. He addresses the importance of relationships and mut...

You cannot change the world, but you can change a child’s world. Dr. DeGarmo international expert in parenting and foster care, founder and director of The Foster Care Institute, speaker, and trainer joins the podcast to discuss the foster care crisis in America. With over 450,000 kids in foster care, five million children victims of abuse in their homes, 300,000 victims of human trafficking, and...

Have you ever felt paralyzed by fear? Coach Mark Richt, former head football coach at the University of Georgia and the University of Miami, and longtime assistant coach at Florida State University has been there. Richt has made many “calls” in his career. He attributes his success on and off the field to living a life that is pleasing to God and finding that faith overcomes fear at every turn. He...

Do you use the talents God gave you for His glory or your own? Hollywood filmmaker and screenwriter, Peter Craig, was successful but broken. His work was his idol. After a time of much prayer and soul-searching, God led him to start Moving Works, a missionary film company, bringing the gospel to over 180 countries to date. Just as Craig came to realize his true calling, you too can find your path...

What would our world look like if the next generation committed to reviving and restoring their communities? Brian Mueller, President of Grand Canyon University in Arizona, one of the nation's largest private Christian universities, shares how they are empowering their students to compassionately transform local communities through innovative ways.  Since 2008, President Mueller’s GCU students and...

We all “know” we should pray more, but is it actually making a difference in ourselves and the world around us? Dr. Derwin Gray, founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community just south of Charlotte, North Carolina, joins co-host Scott Young to discuss the prayer that God uses as the foundation on which to build your life. Learn how p...

What would reading (and enjoying!) the Bible more do for our relationship with God? Brian Russell, Director of YouVersion, the makers of the free Bible App and Bible App for Kids, shares how now over 500 million people have gained access to the life-changing Word of God right on their phones. Contrary to popular belief, Bible reading is not waning. Russell discloses how YouVersion has seen double-...

Do you make New Year’s resolutions that stick? Co-hosts, Dave and Scott, reflect on the previous year and discuss the hope and possibilities for the new one ahead. They challenge us to speak words that bring encouragement, comfort, and blessing. To find and nurture the best in others, even as we show gratitude for the people who have influenced our lives. Be reminded that everything we do has a ri...