How should Christians think about artificial intelligence—and what does faithfulness look like in a rapidly changing technological world? Mark Vance is joined by Emily Jensen to begin a thoughtful, theological conversation about artificial intelligence. Rather than reacting with fear or hype, they explore how Christians can approach AI with wisdom, discernment, and confidence in God’s design for humanity.

Mark and Emily discuss why AI raises deeper questions about personhood, creativity, work, and trust, and why technology should be evaluated through a biblical lens rather than cultural panic. This first episode lays the groundwork for understanding AI as a tool—one that can shape society for good or ill depending on how it’s formed, governed, and used—and prepares listeners for a deeper ethical and theological discussion in Part 2.

Episode Highlights

00:29 — Introduction to the conversation on artificial intelligence
01:11 — Why AI raises big questions for Christians
02:20 — Why the AI conversation isn’t just about technology, but about humanity
03:37 — Cultural anxiety around AI and where that fear comes from
04:38 — The theological heart of the issue: what makes humans unique
05:50 — Why the world AI is shaping isn’t the world Scripture describes
06:51 — Tracing where modern AI ideas come from historically
08:02 — Pulling back the curtain: what AI is (and isn’t) actually doing
21:42 — Everyday examples of AI already shaping our lives
22:54 — The real question AI forces us to ask about meaning and value
24:00 — Convenience, automation, and the tradeoffs we rarely notice
25:56 — Why efficiency alone can’t define what’s good
26:54 — Where Christians should anchor their hope amid technological change

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online

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In this bonus episode, Mark steps into a timely and emotionally charged topic surrounding immigration and ICE, not to offer political commentary, but to pastorally apply biblical truth to a complex cultural moment.

Episode Highlights

00:39 — Referencing the Minneapolis clashes and ICE-related tensions
00:53 — Equip’s purpose: not political commentary, but pastoral discipleship
02:07 — Why the church must speak truth when culture fills the silence
03:10 — Applying biblical truth to emotionally charged public issues
04:32 — The danger of reacting purely from media narratives
06:05 — Government authority: what Scripture teaches about law and order
08:18 — Holding justice and compassion together biblically
10:44 — Why immigration conversations often oversimplify complex realities
13:27 — How Christians should think about protests, tensions, and public response
16:52 — Guarding our tone and witness in political conversations
19:34 — Loving neighbors without abandoning truth
22:11 — Avoiding partisan capture while remaining biblically faithful
24:58 — The church’s unique role: formation, prayer, and gospel clarity
27:40 — Final pastoral encouragement for humility and faithfulness

31:24 — A prayer for leaders and witnesses

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• The Briefing with Albert Mohler

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What actually makes a church healthy, and how should leaders think about growth without losing faithfulness?

In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark Vance is joined by Ryan Hill, an Elder at Cornerstone and the Executive Director of The Salt Network, for a wide-ranging conversation on church health, growth, leadership, and gospel clarity. Together, they explore the difference between churches that simply get bigger and churches that grow in healthy, sustainable ways.

Mark and Ryan talk through common misconceptions about church growth, the importance of gospel-centered vision, and why healthy churches don’t chase trends but cultivate spiritual vitality over time. They also discuss leadership development, member care, and how faithfulness to Jesus shapes every layer of church life, from Sunday mornings to long-term discipleship.

Episode Highlights 

00:33 — Introducing Ryan Hill and framing the conversation on church health
01:31 — Church growth vs. church health: why they aren’t the same thing
02:41 — Why numbers, services, and attendance aren’t the true measure of success
03:52 — The gospel as the engine of long-term church health
05:09 — How leadership decisions shape culture and direction over time
06:29 — Healthy growth requires clarity, patience, and intentional structure
07:55 — Growth as a byproduct of health, not the goal itself
09:08 — Why people stay when they believe in the mission and vision
23:25 — Why healthy churches attract and sustain young people
24:45 — A burden for the lost as a defining mark of church health
27:08 — The weight and responsibility of church leadership

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online

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What does it look like to be deeply rooted in Christ in a world of cultural chaos? In this Ask Mark Anything episode, Mark Vance responds to honest questions from the Cornerstone Church community about faithfulness in everyday life—especially when culture, technology, and suffering raise complex tensions.

From staying consistent in spiritual habits, to navigating social media and marketing with integrity, to honoring God in our vocations, Mark offers biblical wisdom that is both grounded and practical. The conversation also addresses deeply pastoral questions about grief, infants and intellectual disability, and how Christians can trust God’s goodness when Scripture doesn’t provide simple answers. The episode closes with a thoughtful discussion on artificial intelligence, urging believers to engage wisely—using technology as a tool that serves human flourishing rather than replacing it.

Episode Highlights

01:33 — What is delighting you about Jesus right now in your scripture reading?
05:17 — Is there a Christian way to do marketing and sales?
10:16 — Should we avoid social media?
12:41 — Is there a hierarchy of holiness in vocation? What should we be doing with our time and lives?
20:04 — How do we think about infants (or those with childlike cognitive ability) who die without being able to profess anything?
29:35 — Can AI be my doctor? Could AI be my counselor? How should Christians think about the everyday role AI plays in their life?
33:48 — What's the “monk vs. missionary” idea when it comes to AI and technology?

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• The Spring Spiritual Workout Plan
• God at Work — Gene Edward Veith

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What’s the difference between true revival and revivalism, and how should Christians respond when God seems to be stirring something fresh? Mark reflects on the Salt Company Conference and the broader signs of spiritual hunger he’s seeing among Gen Z. He explains why this moment is deeply encouraging, while also offering a needed distinction between revival and revivalism.

Mark draws from Iain Murray’s Revival and Revivalism and echoes a helpful framework often attributed to Tim Keller: in true revival, dead Christians come alive, sleepy Christians wake up, and non-Christians are converted. As he looks ahead, Mark shares both a fear and a hope: that momentum could drift toward big event “mountaintop moments,” or instead fuel a lasting renewal centered on the local church, discipleship, and church planting.

Episode Highlights

00:04 — What does it look like to be deeply rooted in Christ in a world of cultural chaos?
00:32 — Reflecting on Salt Company Conference and what God is doing through it
02:29 — Introducing the key question: revival vs. revivalism
05:03 — Defining revival: God’s Spirit igniting ordinary means of grace
06:06 — Defining revivalism: using human methods to produce extraordinary results
06:57 — Mark’s fear: momentum gets centered on big events and emotional moments
07:29 — Mark’s hope: a renewal movement that strengthens the local church
10:13 — The main point: God’s plan is the local church (not revival events)
15:43 — Luke 10:2: pray for laborers and for lasting fruit through church planting

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• Salt Company Conference: Listen to Sessions & Breakouts
• Revival and Revivalism — Iain Murray
• The Gospel Coalition — "It's Here: Gen-Z Revival Hits Campuses This Fall"

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As a new year approaches, how should Christians think about goals, habits, and productivity—without slipping into hustle culture or empty self-improvement?

In this episode, Mark offers a pastoral framework for goal setting that prioritizes faithfulness over frenzy. Rather than chasing vague resolutions or cultural pressure, he encourages listeners to think carefully about how they steward their time, energy, and attention as followers of Jesus. Drawing on biblical wisdom and pastoral experience, Mark contrasts surface-level goal setting with intentional rhythms that shape who we are becoming.

Mark also introduces the Spiritual Workout Plan (SWP) as a practical tool to help believers grow in grace through daily and weekly practices like Scripture reading, prayer, silence, and intentional rest. This episode invites listeners to move from pressure-driven productivity to Spirit-formed faithfulness as they plan for the year ahead.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Why goal setting matters—and why most approaches fall short
02:12 — Faithfulness vs. hustle: rethinking success as a Christian
04:35 — Time, energy, and attention as spiritual stewardship
07:18 — The danger of vague resolutions and cultural pressure
09:50 — Forming rhythms instead of chasing outcomes
12:40 — Introducing the Spiritual Workout Plan (SWP): what it is and how it helps
15:22 — Daily and weekly practices that shape long-term faithfulness
18:10 — From discipline to delight: how habits form loves
21:05 — Planning your year with wisdom, margin, and dependence on grace

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• The Spring Spiritual Workout Plan
• James Clear, Atomic Habits
• Justin Whitmel Earley, Habits of the Household
• David Mathis, Habits of Grace

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How should Christians navigate real-life questions about faith, family, dating, and church differences—especially when Catholic and Protestant worlds overlap?

In this Q&A episode, Emily joins Mark to wrap up the “Why Protestantism?” series by moving from theology to wisdom. Mark responds to practical questions that surface after discussing Catholic and Protestant differences, particularly for those who grew up Catholic, have Catholic family members, or are navigating close relationships across traditions. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes starting with the gospel itself—personal faith in Christ—before addressing church affiliation, practices, or tradition.

Mark also tackles sensitive topics like honoring Catholic parents, engaging family conversations with humility, dating across theological traditions, and how to approach disagreements with both clarity and charity. He concludes by addressing questions about biblical authority and the Catholic canon, explaining how Protestants understand Scripture, canon formation, and the ongoing need for reform within the church. The episode closes with a hopeful reminder that Christian unity matters deeply, even as real differences remain.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Introducing the Q&A: moving from theology to pastoral wisdom
02:00 — The foundational question: what truly saves a person?
03:30 — Can someone be a genuine Christian within the Catholic Church?
05:50 — When gospel clarity matters for spiritual growth and church health
06:45 — Honoring Catholic family members without compromising conviction
08:00 — “Show and tell” vs. “argue and yell”: a wiser approach to family conversations
10:05 — Dating across traditions: when differences become directional conflicts
11:00 — Mark’s 0–5 dating framework and why long-term direction matters
15:30 — Why Mark advises against serious dating between Catholics and Protestants
16:45 — Do Catholics have a different Bible? Understanding the Apocrypha
18:30 — How the church recognized Scripture—and why Protestants affirm sola Scriptura
23:40 — Learning from church history: where Protestant churches can drift too
26:00 — Why Protestantism allows for reform and self-correction
28:30 — The danger of trivializing worship and doctrine in modern evangelicalism
30:15 — Charity, clarity, and Christian unity in a secularizing culture

Resources

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• Gavin Ortlund, What It Means to Be Protestant (Truth Unites)
• Michael J. Kruger, Canon Revisited
• Michael J. Kruger, Christianity at the Crossroads

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If both Catholics and Protestants believe we’re saved by grace through Jesus Christ, why do they still disagree so sharply about the gospel—and how we actually receive it?

In this episode, Mark continues the “Why Protestantism?” series by focusing on how grace is applied to the believer. He explains how Roman Catholicism understands grace as being mediated through the Church’s sacramental system—especially baptism and the Eucharist—and why the sacraments are seen as the ordinary channels through which God dispenses saving grace. Using a vivid “pop machine” illustration, Mark unpacks how this shapes Catholic views of salvation, assurance, and the Christian life.

Mark then contrasts this with the Protestant conviction of sola fide—that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, with the preached Word at the center. He highlights areas of real agreement with Roman Catholics (salvation by grace, the transforming work of the Spirit) while also showing where the systems diverge, especially on how grace is received. Finally, he explores how these differences show up in Sunday worship and why gospel clarity matters deeply for ordinary Christians.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Intro to the Equip Podcast and the “Why Protestantism?” series recap
02:28 — Sacramental system vs sola fide and why gospel clarity is at stake
03:22 — Is the gospel present in Roman Catholicism? Where Protestants and Catholics genuinely agree
06:00 — Grace, transformation, and assurance: why Catholics don’t say “saved by works,” and where Protestants often misunderstand
09:37 — The “pop machine” illustration: how Catholic theology sees grace flowing through the Church and its sacraments
11:27 — Walking through the seven sacraments: initiation, healing, and service—and why baptism and Eucharist are central
15:49 — The Protestant response: sola fide, justification by faith alone, and sacraments as signs and seals rather than the source of saving grace
17:22 — Romans 10 and the primacy of the preached Word: faith comes by hearing, not by ritual performance
20:25 — Sunday in the pews: how a Catholic Mass and a Protestant service reveal two different centers—Eucharist vs sermon
21:53 — Why Mark believes the gospel is present but often unclear in Catholicism—and why personal faith in Christ must be emphasized
22:22 — Preview of next week’s Q&A with Emily Jensen: dating a Catholic, real-life conversations, and practicing clarity with charity

Resources:

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• Gavin Ortlund, What It Means to Be Protestant (Truth Unites)
• Matthew Barrett, The Reformation as Renewal
• Michael Svigel, RetroChristianity: Reclaiming the Forgotten Faith
• Chad Van Dixhoorn (ed.), Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (Vatican)

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Advent is here, which means an opportunity to slow down, refocus, and remember who Christmas is really about. In this bonus episode, Mark Vance and Emily Jensen walk through why Advent matters, how this season forms us, and how families and individuals can use Cornerstone’s Advent Guide to cultivate simple, meaningful rhythms that point to Jesus.

They remind us that Advent isn’t about adding pressure or performing traditions, but about creating space to behold Christ: his first coming in humility and his promised return in glory. Whether Advent is brand-new for you or a longtime rhythm, this conversation will help you see the bigger picture of why waiting, hope, and intentional practices shape a deeper faith.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 — Introduction and overview of the Cornerstone Advent Guide
• 01:41 — What Advent is and why Christians practice it in a post-Christian culture
• 04:28 — How the Advent Guide and Kids Connection help families engage with weekly themes
• 05:04 — Simple, realistic ways to weave Advent rhythms into everyday family life
• 10:51 — Navigating Santa, secular traditions, and keeping Christ central at Christmas

Resources:

• Digital Advent Guide: Download
• Advent at Cornerstone: Schedule and Resources
• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online

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Why do Catholics look to the Pope and the Magisterium for ultimate authority, while Protestants look to Scripture alone—and what does that mean for everyday faith? 

Mark continues the “Why Protestantism?” series by examining the heart of the authority debate. He explains how Roman Catholicism understands the Pope, apostolic succession, sacred tradition, and the Magisterium, and why Catholics believe these provide an infallible guide for the Church. Mark then contrasts this with the Protestant conviction that the Bible alone is the final and sufficient authority for faith and life.

Mark explores where these two systems diverge, why the Reformers rejected papal infallibility, and how the question of authority shapes everything—from doctrine, to worship, to the clarity of the gospel itself. This episode sets the stage for next week’s focus on gospel clarity and why authority matters for every Christian.

Episode Highlights

00:00 — Framing today’s question: who speaks with final authority in the Church?
02:14 — How Catholicism understands authority: Scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium
04:41 — Apostolic succession and why Catholics believe the Pope is Peter’s successor
06:58 — What papal infallibility actually means (and what it doesn’t)
10:08 — Ex cathedra teaching: when the Pope speaks infallibly
12:15 — Protestant concerns: where is the biblical basis for an infallible papacy?
14:02 — Why the Reformers insisted on sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)
16:40 — The practical implications: how these differences shape the Christian life

Resources:

• Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
• Gavin Ortlund, What It Means to Be Protestant (Truth Unites)
• Matthew Barrett, The Reformation as Renewal
• Michael Svigel, RetroChristianity: Reclaiming the Forgotten Faith
• Chad Van Dixhoorn (ed.), Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms: A Reader’s Edition
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (Vatican)

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!