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Influence Podcast

The Influence Podcast is a collection of inspiring and challenging conversations, aimed at empowering the entire spectrum of church leadership, from lead pastor to lead volunteer. It is a chance for you to hear from the premier voices in church leadership…voices who are redefining what church leadership looks like. It's the audio companion to Influence Magazine, a resource full of practical tools, informative news and powerful biblical principles. Visit us online at InfluenceMagazine.com
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Now displaying: March, 2018
Mar 26, 2018

Easter is a few days away. Around the world, Christians will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This event, so pivotal to Christian faith, is a reminder that Christianity is an inherently supernatural religion. Unfortunately, in the modern era, many disbelieve in miracles, their skepticism fueled by appeals to science. So, the question naturally arises, do miracles really happen?

To answer that question, Influence magazine senior editor George P. Wood interviewed Lee Strobel about his new book, The Case for Miracles. Strobel began his career as the award-winning legal editor for The Chicago Tribune. After his conversion from atheism to Christianity, however, he turned his attention to apologetics and evangelism and has written bestsellers like The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and The Case for Grace. He currently serves as professor of Christian Thought at Houston Baptist University as well as teaching pastor at Woodlands Church.

If you’d like a video of Lee Strobel making the case for Jesus’ resurrection, which you can download and use in your church, go here.

Episode 133 Notes

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 01:17 Power for Life sponsor ad
  • 01:55 Introduction of Lee Strobel
  • 02:28 Why did you start The Case for Miracles by interviewing Michael Shermer, the well-known skeptic? And what’s his case against miracles?
  • 05:50 Further problems with David Hume’s argument against miracles
  • 06:50 You next interviewed Craig Kenner, author of a two-volume study, Miracles. What is Craig Keener’s case for miracles?
  • 10:47 Did Hume ignore evidence for miracles from among his contemporaries?
  • 13:38 Does worldview drive the skeptical argument against miracles?
  • 14:31 Is there a well-documented contemporary miracle story you could share?
  • 21:20 What’s the historical case for Jesus’ resurrection? You can view the video Strobel talks about here.)
  • 30:10 How can pastors best use Easter Sunday to help people make an informed decision to follow Jesus Christ?
  • 32:14 Conclusion
Mar 20, 2018

In 2012, Mike Santiago planted Focus Church with his wife Ashton in metropolitan Raleigh, North Carolina. The church met in rented school facilities for several years until being told their rental agreement would expire in two weeks. Providentially, Focus was able to merge with an older, existing church whose facilities had been built in the 1980s.

People expect different things from church facilities in 2018 than they did in the 1980s, however, so renovations were needed. Plus, there were items of deferred maintenance that needed to be addressed. In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson interviews Mike Santiago about how to update an older church building on a limited budget.

Santiago is pastor of Focus Church as well as  a member of the Church Multiplication Network’s Field-Based Team, coordinating training for church planters in the Assemblies of God (USA). You can connect with Santiago on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. His handle is @CheckTheMike.

Episode 132 Notes

  • 00:00 Introduction of podcast topic
  • 00:29 Strong Enough to Last sponsor ad
  • 01:13 Introduction of Mike Santiago
  • 01:53 The facilities journey of a church planter
  • 04:14 How have people’s expectations about church buildings changed over the past three decades?
  • 07:17 What are the top 3 or 4 spaces in a church building that need to be addressed first?
  • 08:49 Where does renovation of a church’s exterior fall on a pastor’s list of priorities?
  • 10:43 What big-impact changes can you make on a limited budget?
  • 11:46 What about signage?
  • 13:18 How can you take an older space or a sterile space (like a school) more appealing?
  • 16:12 How do you lead people through the process of renovation?
  • 20:07 How to connect with Mike Santiago online
  • 21:10 Conclusion
Mar 12, 2018

Josh Wellborn is the newly appointed director of National Youth Ministries for the Assemblies of God (AG). He comes to that position after two decades of ministry as a youth pastor and District Youth Director in the Michigan District of the Assemblies of God. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Josh talks to Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood about what churches can do to reach and retain young people. His vision can be summarized in two words: relationship and discipleship.

Episode 131 Notes

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:55 Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling sponsor ad
  • 01:32 Josh Wellborn introduces himself and explains why he feels passionately about youth ministry
  • 06:12 Statistically speaking, the AG is a young movement, with 31 percent of adherents under 18 years of age. How well are we resourcing that generation?
  • 13:14 Can churches do more? And if so, what does more mean?
  • 18:29 After Parkland, are we missing an opportunity to empower and deploy youth in leadership positions?
  • 22:17 Three themes to emphasize in youth ministry: (1) better together, (2) missions and (3) leadership development
  • 30:15 Conclusion
Mar 5, 2018

Everyone wants to be a hero. Yet only a few understand the power in being a hero maker. Those that do become leaders who multiply leaders.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Dave Ferguson about how to multiply leaders in your church. Their conversation draws on insights from Dave’s new book, Hero Maker, coauthored with Warren Bird and published by Zondervan.

Dave is pastor of Community Christian Church, a multisite congregation with 11 locations in Chicago and its suburbs. He’s also the visionary for New Thing, an international church-planting movement, and president of the Exponential Conference. You can follow Dave on Twitter; his handle is @DaveFerguson. And check out his website, DaveFerguson.org.

Episode 130 Notes

  • 00:00 Introduction
  • 00:54 Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling sponsor ad
  • 01:33 “Everyone wants to be a hero. Yet only a few understand the power in being a hero maker.”
  • 04:02 Give essential practices of Hero Making
  • 05:39 (1) Multiplication Thinking
  • 09:24 (2) Permission Giving
  • 11:40 (3) Disciple Multiplying
  • 15:53 (4) Gift Activation
  • 18:22 (5) Kingdom Building
  • 20:54 Encouragement and challenge for church planters, especially at CMN Conference in Dallas, Texas
  • 24:26 Conclusion
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