The Innerfire Podcast

Larry Warren is the founder of Leadership International, an organization that trains church leaders all around the world who do not have access to formal education. In this episode, Larry brings us lessons and stories from a lifetime of experience on mission for God. 0:00 - Introduction 1:21 - Larry’s upbringing and salvation 7:29 - Larry’s wilderness years and rededication to Jesus 16:45 - How do...

Tommy Rhodes is founder and executive director of Barefoot Republic, a camp ministry which facilitates Christ-centered relationships among intentionally diverse groups of individuals. Scotty and Tommy discuss Tommy's upbringing, his calling, and God's faithfulness in bringing that calling to fruition.

Odell Summer is a former missionary to Thailand and longtime friend of the Carroll family. His life was radically transformed by his relationship with Jesus Christ. Scotty and Odell discuss this miraculous story and what it truly means to be follower of Christ. 0:00 - Introduction 1:01 - Odell’s childhood 6:45 - How Odell found God at his lowest point 21:34 - How God used Odell’s son and the trage...

In this special Valentine's Day episode, Scotty and Johnna draw from 30 years of experience as a married couple to discuss cohabitation, commitment, conflict resolution, submission, and counseling from a Biblical perspective. 0:00 - Introduction 0:27 - Scotty and Johnna reflect on their own marriage. 8:34 - The problem with cohabitation 13:57 - The necessity of commitment 26:43 - Practical ad...

On October 16th 2021, seventeen Anabaptist missionaries to Haiti were kidnapped by a rogue gang. They were held hostage for sixty days before making a daring escape. Innerfire is joined today by the Noecker family as they tell the story in their own words— a story of captivity, escape, and God’s faithfulness through it all. Time Stamps 0:00 - Introduction 0:48 - Background information 3:07 - The p...

Kelvin Cochran is an author, speaker, former fire chief, and former US Fire Administrator. He made headlines in 2014 when he was fired as Atlanta's fire chief because of a Bible study he wrote in which he upheld principles of Biblical marriage and sexuality. He wrote a book about his experience called Facing the Fire. Today, he works for Alliance Defending Freedom, fighting for religious libe...

Jonathan Matthews is a missionary to Brazil where he has served with his wife and children for the past eighteen years. He told us about his work as a church planter and how the same Gospel approach he uses in Brazil could work here in the US. 0:00 - Introduction 1:11 - Who is Jonathan Mathews? 2:15 - Jonathan's upbringing in a missionary family 7:21 - Rejecting the victim mentality 11:45 - R...

Ricky Lee Phelps is the former lead singer of the country rock group the Kentucky HeadHunters. After a lifelong pursuit of musical success, Ricky Lee totally surrendered his life to God. He sat down with Innerfire to share his story and give insights on the Christian life. 0:00 - Introduction 1:57 - Ricky’s background 3:45 - Discovering a talent for music 5:12 - Getting serious about music 7:08 -...

There is no doubt that we live in a culture that grows ever more hostile to Christianity. Scotty and Hannah explore what it means to live out our faith in this cultural moment, particularly addressing boycotts, the social justice gospel, and entertainment. 0:00 - Introduction 1:16 - Innerfire’s passion and purpose 3:04 - What is faith integration? 6:23 - Complacency as a result of failure to proje...

Jonathan and Emily Martin are a husband-and-wife team that lead worship, write songs filled with God’s Word, and educate Christians on the importance of family worship. In this episode, we discuss the six pillars of family worship, how to overcome common obstacles to family worship, and our shared experience of homeschooling.  0:00 - Introduction 1:26 - Jonathan and Emily’s background and family 6...

Hannah is expecting her first child! In this episode, she sat down with her mom Johnna to discuss all things related to motherhood. Johnna offers her insight and advice about the challenges, joys, and sanctification of motherhood. 0:00 - Introduction 2:25 - Johnna’s motherhood journey 8:01 - Why did Johnna want to become a mother? 9:50 - The rollercoaster of feelings when you are pregnant 12:57 -...

Joy Williams is the Vice President of the Lamar CISD School Board. She joins us today to discuss her unlikely journey to the school board, lessons from the death of her son, and the role of faith through it all. 0:00 - Introduction 1:14 - Who is Joy Williams? 4:34 - Joy’s spiritual background 9:51 - How Joy joined the school board  13:01 - The details about Joy’s school board 15:49 - What factors...

Richard Williams is the CEO of Lineage, a document management company with multiple locations and a very real Kingdom impact. Richard joins the Innerfire Podcast to discuss what living out our faith looks like at work and how we can lead like Jesus. 0:00 - Introduction 1:26 - Richard’s spiritual and business background 3:07 - The difference between Richard’s two phases of Christian life 5:20 - Wha...

Heather Sorenson is a composer, artist, worship leader, teacher, and speaker. In our conversation, we talked about rejecting "perceived perfection," Heather's musical career and artistic process, and the struggle of singleness in church. 0:00 - Introduction 1:36 - Heather’s upbringing in a Christian subculture 11:16 - How Heather started composing 16:22 - Heather’s college experienc...

Sam Thevanayagam is an author, speaker, and CEO of Parts Life, Inc. who emigrated to the United States in his twenties. Sam joins the Innerfire Podcast to discuss living out faith in business, cultural issues, and his book The First 10 Runs in Singles. 0:00 - Introduction 1:45 - About Sam Thevanayagam 7:14 - Coming up as a Christian in Sri Lanka 9:41 - Sam’s salvation experience 10:27 - How does C...

Andrew Carroll is Scotty and Johnna's youngest son and Hannah's brother. He is a senior music major at Lee University, where he performs with the elite a cappella group, Voices of Lee. He sat down with us to talk about music, social media, drug and alcohol use, LGBT issues, and pornography in college. 0:00 - Introduction 3:07 - Who is Andrew Carroll? 5:10 - What are the challenges and le...

Dennis Parker is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter from Huntsville, Alabama. Through laughter and tears, Dennis recounts his remarkable testimony—how God brought him out of a life of alcoholism, homelessness, and incarceration into one of complete dedication to Christ. 0:00 - Introduction 1:21 - Dennis’s childhood and first exposure to music 7:51 - Becoming a professional...

The name Billy Hudson is synonymous with The Lighthouse Children’s Home, which he has led for many years. Now in his 80s, "Brother Billy" sat down to discuss why he devoted his life to this cause and what others need to be doing to have a kingdom impact of their own. 0:00 - Introduction 2:15 - What is Lighthouse Children’s Home? 4:35 - How did Lighthouse Children’s Home get started? 7:26...

Brandi Binkley is an exercise physiologist, personal trainer, and business owner. In today's conversation, we talk about her time in the Navy, the connection between physical and spiritual health, and the importance of silence and solitude. 0:00 - Introduction 2:53 - Who is Brandi Binkley? 6:24 - Who were the exemplars for Christ in Brandi’s life? 8:56 - Why did Brandi pursue God in college w...

Chris Carroll, Scotty's older brother, has served as a pastor in northwestern Florida for the last 20 years. He brings his "country preacher" wisdom to the topics of family, dealing with the trials of life and ministry, and shifts in the culture. 0:00 - Introduction 2:36 - Who is Chris Carroll? 3:51 - Why family is so important to Chris 7:51 - The diminishing of the family in modern...

Dewey Greene, as the leader of C12 Music City, leads groups of business owners as they pursue the integration of faith into their lives and businesses. Dewey sits down with Scotty to discuss his own personal journey of faith, failure, and restoration. With a depth of experience in business, personal, and spiritual issues, Dewey brings a perspective that all listeners will benefit from. 0:00 - Intr...

Dr. Scott Shepherd is the Music and Worship Specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, serving over three thousand churches and advising them on music and worship. He joins us today to discuss church and secular music, family worship, the discipleship of children, and much more! His diverse experience, deep theological knowledge, and heart for God and others combine to produce insights th...

Ben Clark, aka "Banjo Ben," is a bluegrass instrumentalist and teacher who, most notably, played for Taylor Swift in her early days. Ben has an amazing testimony, and a life that has taken him from studying entomology in college to, more recently, taking seminary classes and teaching Sunday School. Ben truly has a heart for the Lord, and we believe you will be both entertained and encour...

Welcome to The Innerfire Podcast! In this first episode, Innerfire employee Hannah interviews the founder of the ministry, Scotty Carroll. They discuss the purpose of the podcast, the integration of faith, the importance of conversation, and problems Christians currently face.  0:00 - Introduction 0:44 - About Scotty Carroll 3:02 - Why Scotty started Innerfire Ministries 14:36 - The role of The In...