“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 spiritual mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, who deeply love a generation and want them to be all that God calls them to be.”
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Ashton Peters about why youth ministries need to fill that void with good adult mentors, and how they can best do so. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Ashton Peters is national Fine Arts coordinator for the Assemblies of God and author of The Third Voice, forthcoming from Gospel Publishing House.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.
Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.
For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
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 promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.’
Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Pentecostals rightly emphasize the second half of verse 33 about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But we often overlook the first half of that verse, which alludes to Christ’s ascension and enthronement at God’s right hand.
This episode releases on May 29, 2025, which happens to be Ascension Day, so in this episode, I talk to Allen Tennison about how Ascension and Pentecost are part of the gospel. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Allen Tennison is theological counsel of The General Council of the Assemblies of God.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
This summer marks the 1700th 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 the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Frank Macchia is professor of systematic theology at Vanguard University of Southern California and associate director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies at Bangor University in Wales. He is author of Tongues of Fire: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, published by Cascade Books, and of Introduction to Theology: Declaring the Wonders of God, published by Baker Academic.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Open When . . . Parenting through Foster and Adoption.
Christian professionals delve into the unique challenges and struggles encountered by foster parents, adoptive parents, or kinship caregivers. Readers will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to navigate the complexities of guiding and nurturing children in nontraditional family structures.
For more information about Open When . . . Parenting through Foster and Adoption visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
“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 this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Jones about her journey from the pain of abuse to the miracle of love and joy. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Samantha Rose Jones is a grant writer for Evangel University. A credentialed Assemblies of God minister, she copastors Lifehouse Assembly of God in Cadillac, Michigan, with her husband Keith. She is author of God and Trauma: The Lessons I’m Learning
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.
Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.
For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
“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 acted out of pride, violated the boundaries of his calling, and was cursed with leprosy.”
What lessons does Uzziah’s example of both prayerfulness and prayerlessness teach spiritual leaders today? That’s the question I ask Bullock in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influencemagazine and your host.
Warren D. Bullock is a veteran Assemblies of God minister with six decades of experience as a pastor, superintendent of the Northwest Ministry Network, and General Council executive presbyter. He is author of Seven Life-Changing Words: The Power of Persevering Prayer, published by Trilogy.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
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 should Christian churches minister to people with autism? Just as importantly, how should they facilitate ministry by people with autism?
Those are the questions I ask Ron Sandison in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Ron Sandison is a speaker and teacher specializing in autism issues, a credentialed Assemblies of God minister, and author of several books on autism, including A Parent’s Guide to Autism, Views from the Spectrum, and most recently, Adulting on the Spectrum, published by Kregel Publications. He is also author of the article, “Ministry on the Spectrum,” in the Spring 2025 issue of Influence.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.
Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.
For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
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, with good reason. In Romans 1:17, for example, Paul wrote, “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed — a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
And yet, in 1 Corinthians 15:3–7, Paul focused on what happened to Jesus Christ — His death and resurrection, not on what happened through Jesus Christ. Christ’s death and resurrection are the cause, and our justification — including our own resurrection from the dead — is the effect.
As we approach the holiest days in the Christian calendar — Good Friday and Easter — I want to devote a podcast to discussing the theological foundations of the gospel with Allen Tennison. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Allen Tennison is theological counsel of The General Council of the Assemblies of God and chair of the Commission on Doctrines and Practices.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
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, and God the Holy Spirit.” This statement summarizes the doctrine of the Trinity.
But 40% of all Americans and 48% of evangelicals strongly agreed with the statement, “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.” This statement is a Christological heresy known as Arianism, not to mention an implicit rejection of the Trinity.
Finally, 31% of all Americans and 29% of evangelicals strongly agreed with the statement, “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” How 80% of evangelicals can affirm the Trinity but 29% deny Jesus’ deity is an unsolvable math problem.
But it’s a solvable problem for Christian discipleship. Churches need to do a better job of inculcating what the Bible teaches about who Jesus Christ is.
Toward that end, I talk with Robert M. Bowman Jr. about a biblical case for Jesus’ deity in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Robert M. Bowman Jr. is president of the Institute for Religious Research, which provides “evidence-oriented answers to criticisms of the Bible and alternative views of Jesus Christ advocated by skeptics and members of other religions.” He is author, with J. Ed Komoszewski, of The Incarnate Christ and His Critics, published by Kregel Academic.
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 personal experiences as well as the biblical stories of Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David.
I talk to Clay about what he would say to his younger self in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Doug Clay is general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, a U.S. fellowship with nearly three million adherents, 13,000 churches and 38,000 ministers. He is author of Conversations with My Younger Self, forthcoming from Gospel Publishing House.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
“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, in which old ways of doing things give way to new ways, in the process displacing people who do things the old way. The Luddites, for example, were weavers whose livelihoods were threatened by the adoption of automated weaving machines.
The concern with AI is not merely that it will replace people’s jobs, but that it will fundamentally redefine what it means to be human.
How should pastors respond to this concern? That’s the question I ask Paul A. Hoffman in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Paul A. Hoffman is senior pastor of Evangelical Friends Church of Newport, Rhode Island, and coauthor with Sean O’Callaghan of AI Shepherds and Electric Sheep, published by Baker Academic.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Open When . . . Parenting through Foster and Adoption.
Christian professionals delve into the unique challenges and struggles encountered by foster parents, adoptive parents, or kinship caregivers. Readers will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to navigate the complexities of guiding and nurturing children in nontraditional family structures.
For more information about Open When . . . Parenting through Foster and Adoption visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
Some time ago, a pastor called Chris Sonksen and confessed, “Our church is stuck, and I feel empty. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this.”
A lot of pastors feel this way. One Lifeway Research study found that six in 10 Protestant churches are plateaued or declining. More than half of churches saw fewer than 10 converts in the previous year.
Another Lifeway Research study reported that more than 60% of pastors say that stress weighs heavily on them, with at least half reporting that their burdens have robbed them of joy in ministry.
These pastors and the churches they lead seem like trains stuck on the tracks. What can they do to gain traction and get moving again?
That’s the question I ask Chris Sonksen in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Chris Sonksen is founding pastor of South Hills Church, a multi-state, multi-campus church based in Southern California, CEO and founder of Church Boom, and an ordained Assemblies of God minister. Most recently, he is author of Traction: Five Proven Principles for Unstoppable Growth, published by Avail.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Audacious Faith.
This six-week women’s Bible study will define biblical faith, address questions head-on, and unpack what it means to have audacious faith. Learn how to replace hopelessness and despair with vibrant faith that pleases the Lord and repels the enemy.
For more information about Audacious Faith visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
“The best days of the church are ahead,” write Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang.
“Don’t get us wrong. We are under no illusion that churches have it easy in this season. These days the church can feel … So fractured, So distracted. So divided and politicized. So exhausting. So hard to lead. Like everything is an uphill battle.”
So why are these authors confident about the future of the church? That’s the question I ask Kara Powell in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Kara Powell is chief of leadership formation and executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a credentialed Assemblies of God minister. She is coauthor, with Mulder and Chang, of Future-Focused Church: Leading Through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow, published by Baker Books.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.
Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.
For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
“God could have spoken the heavens and earth into existence with a single word on a single day,” writes Rick DuBose. “He did not need seven days in which to do His work.”
“But that is not how Genesis records it. God, for all His creative power, intentionally chose to work through seven days of creation. God worked in seven creative stages. Our world exists because of that process. And it’s in that process you can begin to better understand how God continues to work in your life.”
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to DuBose about why God uses a process to transform our lives, and what the stages of that process are like. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Rick DuBose is assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God and author of The Creator’s Wheel: 7 Phases of Godly Transformation, published in January by Chosen Books.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
“Pentecostal historians have always acknowledged the miraculous stories accompanying the Azusa Street revival as an integral part of the Pentecostal experience,” writes Ruthie Edgerly Oberg.
“However, the pressing question is whether the dubious and exaggerated claims of [author Tommy] Welchel will overshadow the genuine stories of ordinary men and women transformed by the Spirit, who carried the Pentecostal message into towns, cities, and nations, sparking a global movement.”
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Oberg about numerous problems with the histories of the Azusa Street Revival authored by Tommy Welchel. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Ruthie Edgerly Oberg is an ordained Assemblies of God minister and a conference speaker for the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center in Springfield, Missouri. Our conversation is based on an academic paper Oberg presented at the 53rdAnnual Meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, which was titled, “The Mythologizing of Pentecostal History.”
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Creator’s Wheel by Rick DuBose, coming out from Chosen Books on February 11.
Our world demands faster speeds, quicker deliveries. We want change now, transformation in a moment. But God, who spoke galaxies into existence with a single word, took seven days to bring about His full and magnificent creation — and He takes His time with us.
In The Creator’s Wheel, Rick DuBose shows how, just as God reached into that dark and chaotic mess to form space and time, He reaches into the mess of our lives, initiating a process that transforms us into masterpieces.
Visit MyHealthyChurch.com to pre-order your copy of The Creator’s Wheel.
If you are a Christian, chances are you know someone who has deconstructed their faith or is doing so right now. You want to help them reconstruct their faith in Jesus, but you don’t know how to act or what to say.
“The truth is that we can’t control someone’s reconstruction,” writes Ian Harber.
“What we can do is create environments — both in our interpersonal relationships and in our churches — that help minimize the intensity of someone’s deconstruction by being a non-anxious presence, creating healthy relationships and churches full of trust and care, and having a more robust understanding of our faith to talk through with them.”
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Harber about what deconstruction is and how to be a better Christian friend and church community for someone who is experiencing a crisis of faith. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Ian Harber is author of Walking Through Deconstruction, published by InterVarsity Press. A writer and Christian media producer, he has written for The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, and RELEVANT. He writes about reconstructing faith in his newsletter Back Again, and about faith, media, and technology at Endeavor. He lives in Denton, Texas, with his wife and sons.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.
In Matthew 12:38–40, Jesus compared himself to Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
That comparison got Gerad Strong thinking about other points where Jonah and Jesus present a study in contrasts. He recently spoke about those contrasts at the biweekly chapel service of the Assemblies of God national office.
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Strong about those contrasts. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Gerad Strong is the director of Training and Church Health with the Church Multiplication Network of the Assemblies of God. Formerly lead pastor of a rural church, Strong led a revitalization effort, resulting in the establishment of seven new church campuses in two years. He is author of The Forgotten Field: Using Multisite Models to Reach and Revive Rural Communities with the Gospel, published in 2022 by Baxter Press.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Creator’s Wheel by Rick DuBose, coming out from Chosen Books on February 11.
Our world demands faster speeds, quicker deliveries. We want change now, transformation in a moment. But God, who spoke galaxies into existence with a single word, took seven days to bring about His full and magnificent creation — and He takes His time with us.
In The Creator’s Wheel, Rick DuBose shows how, just as God reached into that dark and chaotic mess to form space and time, He reaches into the mess of our lives, initiating a process that transforms us into masterpieces.
Visit MyHealthyChurch.com to pre-order your copy of The Creator’s Wheel.
“Extensive research reveals that only 10 percent of people possess the raw talent to manage,” writes Stephen Blandino. “And while there are clear differences between leading and managing, Gallup merges the two by defining a manager as ‘someone responsible for leading a team toward common objectives.’”
Blandino goes on to say that while most people are not “natural leaders,” they can become “learned leaders.” In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to him about learning to lead. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influencemagazine and your host.
Stephen Blandino is lead pastor of 7 City Church in Fort Worth, Texas; a leadership coach, blogger, and host of the Leader Fluent Podcast; and author of Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others, published by Avail.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resources, your small group will learn how to dig into the Bible and apply it to life. Enriching videos and intriguing discussion questions will create the kind of moments that inspire members to continue engaging deeply with the Bible all week long.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account and get started.
“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. Over the next few months, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead.
I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Larry Henderson about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Europe.
Larry Henderson serves as AGWM’s Europe Regional Director. In that role, he oversees 504 missionaries and associates. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fellowships in the region.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resources, your small group will learn how to dig into the Bible and apply it to life. Enriching videos and intriguing discussion questions will create the kind of moments that inspire members to continue engaging deeply with the Bible all week long.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account and get started.
“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. Over the next few months, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead.
I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Jeff Hartensveld about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Asia Pacific.
Jeff Hartensveld serves as AGWM’s Asia Pacific Regional Director. In that role, he oversees 505 missionaries and associates. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fellowships in the region.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resources, your small group will learn how to dig into the Bible and apply it to life. Enriching videos and intriguing discussion questions will create the kind of moments that inspire members to continue engaging deeply with the Bible all week long.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account and get started.
“Establishing the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training, and serving” is the mission of Assemblies of God World Missions. AGWM divides its work into five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and Latin America. Over the next few months, I plan to interview AGWM’s five regional directors about the challenges, opportunities, and key initiatives they lead.
I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Greg Beggs about Assemblies of God World Missions’ efforts in Africa.
Greg Beggs serves as AGWM’s Africa Regional Director. In that role, he oversees 350 missionaries and associates. He also serves as a liaison between the U. S. Assemblies of God and its fraternal fellowships in the region.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resources, your small group will learn how to dig into the Bible and apply it to life. Enriching videos and intriguing discussion questions will create the kind of moments that inspire members to continue engaging deeply with the Bible all week long.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account and get started.
“We tend to think of miracles as the exceptions to the rule, and that’s one kind of miracle. There are miracles that defy the laws of nature, but the laws of nature are miraculous and mysterious in and of themselves. ‘We should always endeavor to wonder at the permanent thing, not the mere exception, said G. K. Chesterton. ‘We should be startled by the sun, and not by the eclipse.’”
So writes Mark Batterson in his new book, A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God Who Is Bigger Than Big, Closer Than Close, and Gooder Than Good, published by Multnomah.
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Batterson about developing what he calls “holy curiosity” in light of these truths ab out God. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Mark Batterson is pastor of National Community Church in Washington D.C., an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and a best-selling author.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resources, your small group will learn how to dig into the Bible and apply it to life. Enriching videos and intriguing discussion questions will create the kind of moments that inspire members to continue engaging deeply with the Bible all week long.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account and get started.
“One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing shepherds say, ‘Ministry would be great if it weren’t for the people,’” writes Craig T. Owens. “In essence they are saying, ‘I am happy to do this, as long as there aren’t any difficult sheep to deal with.”
He goes on to conclude: “Sheep are your ministry! Even the sheep that bite you, kick you, betray you, and abandon you.”
The question pastors need to ask is how to minister to people who cause them pain.
That’s the question I ask Owens in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Craig T. Owens is pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Cedar Springs, Mich.; cohost of The Craig and Greg show, a leadership podcast; and author of When Sheep Bite.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
The Bible Engagement Project library includes free adult small group resources that build Bible-based small groups. With these resources, your small group will learn how to dig into the Bible and apply it to life. Enriching videos and intriguing discussion questions will create the kind of moments that inspire members to continue engaging deeply with the Bible all week long.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account and get started.
Happy Reformation Day!
On this date in 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk and theology professor at the University of Wittenberg, posted his famous “Ninety-five Theses” protesting the sale of indulgences on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church.
Luther intended to reform the Catholic church from the inside. His critique of the church went beyond its corrupt practices to the bad theology underlying them, however. Over time, this critique led Luther and like-minded reformers to break with Catholicism and form new churches — Protestant churches.
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with church historian Charlie Self about the Protestant Reformation, why there are in fact five Reformations, and what Pentecostals should make of the event. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Charlie Self, Ph.D., is visiting professor of church history at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, an ordained Assemblies of God minister, and co-author with Johan Mostert and Jamé Bolds of Life in 5D: A New Vision of Discipleship.
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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Bible Engagement Project.
Bible Engagement Project equips churches with free curriculum for preschool, kids, youth, and adults, available in both English and Spanish. The curriculum library provides you with discipleship resources that transform lives and anchor your church in the Bible.
Visit BibleEngagementProject.com to create your free account.
“Evangelical giving is down. Way down. Nearly every measure. Across the board.”
So states The Giving Gap: Changes in Evangelical Generosity, a new report from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts.
The report goes on to say: “The numbers paint an increasingly bleak picture of evangelical generosity — a situation which has the potential to impact every church, every denomination, every parachurch ministry, and even many secular nonprofits.”
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk with Ron Sellers about the details of the report, as well as what ministry leaders can do in response to the trend of declining generosity. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influencemagazine and your host.
Ron Sellers is president of Grey Matter Research & Consulting, a firm that regularly serves Christian ministries, denominations, and churches to solve their information needs. He wrote “How Evangelicals Come to Faith” for the summer 2024 issue of Influence.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of MEGA Sports Camp.
The MEGA Sports Camp theme for 2025 is In Your Element. This VBS invites kids to discover who Jesus has made them to be. This new theme is designed for kids to engage with the science that supports sports, and it will teach kids about faith and sports in a fun, engaging setting.
For more information about MEGA Sports Camp VBS, or to preorder In Your Element, visit MEGASportsCamp.com.
“Today, we see real trouble in America’s churches, and many wonder whether Christianity can survive,” writes Joseph Castleberry.
“I believe that we will not only survive, but we will see our greatest numerical growth, our greatest season of anointing, and our most important time of influence in the next 30 to 40 years — if Jesus tarries.” Impressive revivals will come to American churches over the next 25 years, setting the stage for the next Great Awakening —the sixth such Awakening in American history.”
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Castleberry about why he thinks generational theory predicts a Great Awakening in the coming decades, as well as what Christian churches must do to prepare for it. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.
Joseph Castleberry, Ed.D., is president of Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., and author of The Sixth Great Awakening and the Coming Renewal of the American Church.
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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of MEGA Sports Camp.
The MEGA Sports Camp theme for 2025 is In Your Element. This VBS invites kids to discover who Jesus has made them to be. This new theme is designed for kids to engage with the science that supports sports, and it will teach kids about faith and sports in a fun, engaging setting.
For more information about MEGA Sports Camp VBS, visit MEGASportsCamp.com.