In this first episode of a new series, Essentials of the Local Church, Mark and Emily introduce the "why" behind the series and dig into the first essential: Gospel Friendship. They explore why church practices can feel strange in a post-Christian culture, unpack some of the New Testament's 50+ "one another" commands, and get practical about how to actually build gospel friendships as a busy adult.

Episode Highlights

01:52 — Why the Christian life was never meant to be a solo sport

02:35 — Why churchy practices like potlucks and baptism can feel strange today

03:22 — An ancient accusation: why outsiders mocked early Christian "love feasts"

04:13 — Defining gospel friendship, and what makes it different from a regular friendship

06:26 — The New Testament's "one another" commands

08:13 — The real barrier to friendship: what we treasure over people

09:02 — How individualistic modern life works against community, from garages to Bowling Alone

11:52 — Two first steps for finding a gospel friend

14:38 — Resetting expectations for what a small group actually feels like

16:47 — Falling in love with the idea of friendship vs. loving the real, flawed person in front of you

19:39 — Three ways to keep pursuing friendship as life gets busier

22:33 — Seeing people as image bearers instead of interruptions

Resources

• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online
• Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
• The Art of One-Anothering: How the Church Loves Like Christ — Desiring God
• Cornerstone Groups

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In part two of this special series, Mark and Emily bring Trevin Wax back for an unscripted Q&A, pulling questions straight from his own writing and years of curiosity built up over their friendship. They talk through the difference between spiritual discipline and self-help optimization, wrestle with pride and holy ambition, and more. Trevin closes things out with his top five most influential books and a candid answer to one final question: is he hopeful or fearful for the future of the church?

Episode Highlights

00:27 — Welcoming Trevin back for a rapid-fire "Ask Trevin Anything" episode

01:39 — Spiritual disciplines vs. self-help: what's the real difference?

05:19 — Behind Trevin's new daily prayer project, "The Lord Is My Light"

09:36 — The sin we've stopped taking seriously: pride

09:55 — Balancing holy ambition with the pull toward selfish ambition

13:38 — "Worship yourself and you'll become less than yourself"

15:43 — What is the Lausanne Movement, and why does it matter?

17:42 — What the American church needs to learn from the global church

20:08 — Rapid fire: Trevin's top five most influential books

24:58 — Is Trevin hopeful or fearful for the future of the church?

Resources

• The Gospel Way Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas Wax
• The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas Wax
• Confessions by Augustine
• Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright
• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

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In part one of a special two-part series, Mark and Emily sit down with author and pastor Trevin Wax to introduce The Gospel Way Catechism, a new 50-question resource he co-wrote with Thomas Wax to root Christians in truth amid cultural chaos. Trevin unpacks what a catechism actually is, why this centuries-old discipleship tool is making a comeback, and takes listeners behind the scenes of writing the book in C.S. Lewis's own study. Along the way, they dig deep into one question in particular, "What is freedom?", and why getting the answer wrong is quietly shaping a generation.

Episode Highlights

00:27 — Introducing guest Trevin Wax and The Gospel Way Catechism

01:33 — What exactly is a catechism, and why the word intimidates people

01:58 — A brief history of catechisms, from the early church to the Reformation

04:01 — Why catechism matters for growing Christians today, not just kids

05:34 — What makes The Gospel Way different from classics like Westminster

06:23 — Tim Keller's call for a renewal of "counter catechesis"

08:41 — Behind the scenes: writing the catechism at C.S. Lewis's home, the Kilns

12:37 — Naming the cultural narratives Christians are swimming in today

14:14 — A closer look at one question: "What is freedom?"

15:44 — Applying the freedom question to college freshmen headed to Iowa State

18:08 — Trevin's hope and prayer for how the catechism will be used

20:44 — What's ahead: Part 2 with Trevin, and the fall sermon series at Cornerstone

Resources

• The Gospel Way Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas Wax
• The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas Wax
• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

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Mark sits down with Chelle Lambert and Hannah Beth Gilbert, two Salt Company staff members who've actually lived with the Spiritual Workout Plan, not just recommended it. They get honest about what's worked, what's been hard, and how the plan flexes across different seasons of life, whether you're a college student or a "30-something rando floating in the abyss of adulthood." If you've started a dozen Bible reading plans and never finished one, this conversation is the reset you need before the new Fall plan launches.

Episode Highlights

00:38 — Meet the guests: Chelle Lambert and Hannah Beth Gilbert

01:56 — Not just for college students: who the plan is really for

02:12 — Where the Spiritual Workout Plan came from and the problem it was built to solve

04:14 — The unexpected benefit: camaraderie in reading the same thing together

06:24 — Bible memorization and building a culture around it

10:01 — Getting practical: how to handle a high-volume reading plan without drowning

12:32 — "You haven't read the whole Bible": Mark's loving, firm challenge to skip the excuses

15:01 — Steady over spectacular: resetting expectations for what walking with God looks like

16:12 — Different seasons need different rhythms, even for the leaders running the plan

17:56 — Progress, not perfection: remembering the plan is a tool, not the goal itself

20:44 — Do the scripture memory wristbands actually help?

22:03 — What's new in the Fall plan: minor prophets and flexible reading tracks

22:45 — Encouragement for anyone who's tried and quit before

25:45 — Building real relational health into your group, not just surface-level check-ins

28:01 — Where to get the plan and a final challenge to get started

Resources

• Fall Spiritual Workout Plan
  • Full Plan
  • Daily Readings
  • Get Text Updates
• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

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Mark and Emily pull back the curtain on how Cornerstone decides what to preach and introduce the church's new series through The Gospel Way. Mark walks through the history and philosophy behind preaching styles, why Cornerstone leans expository, and how topical teaching, liturgical seasons, and book-by-book exposition all fit together into one intentional plan.

Episode Highlights

00:52 — What the Gospel Way Catechism is and why it was written

01:44 — How the 50 truths are structured across sections and years

03:09 — Two upcoming episodes featuring author Trevin Wax

04:36 — Why using a catechism to preach isn't as unusual as it sounds

05:33 — The pulpit vs. the altar: why preaching is central to Protestant worship

07:20 — A brief history of preaching styles, from the Puritans to Piper, Keller, and MacArthur

09:08 — Defining expository preaching and its different forms

11:18 — The strengths and blind spots of verse-by-verse exposition

14:39 — In defense of good topical preaching

16:24 — Why a well-done topical series can take 40–50 hours to prepare

19:52 — How Mark builds the preaching calendar: book-by-book plus liturgical seasons

22:39 — Why The Gospel Way Catechism is a hybrid approach — and why that matters

24:07 — Mark's heart behind it all: guarding the gospel and preaching the full counsel of God

Resources

• The Gospel Way: A Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas West
• The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas West
• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

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In this Ask Mark Anything episode of the Equip Podcast, Emily puts Mark in the hot seat for a round of listener questions kicked off with a back-to-school theme. From dating age gaps and spiritual readiness, to the Shroud of Turin and relics, to prayer for the sick and getting the most out of a sermon, Mark and Emily work through it all with a mix of humor and biblical grounding.

Episode Highlights

01:33 — The most satisfying new school supply: pencils, pens, and Trapper Keepers

03:14 — What age gap is too big when dating?

06:52 — Has the advice on spiritual growth before dating flipped, and why?

12:24 — Proofs of Christianity, relics, and the Shroud of Turin

16:44 — What relics actually are, and why the ancient and medieval church was drawn to them

19:44 — Should Christians build their faith on the Shroud of Turin?

20:35 — Why doesn't Cornerstone use healing oils or pray publicly for the sick during the service?

21:02 — Walking through James 5 on prayer, anointing with oil, and healing

23:00 — Why healing prayer isn't treated as a central part of the corporate gathering

26:01 — How to get more out of the sermon each week

28:52 — Preparing your heart before the sermon: coming to hear a word from the King

Resources

• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online
• The Reason for God by Tim Keller
• Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell

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In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark Vance sits down with Mel Pearson, who leads City Ministry at Cornerstone Church, to talk about the real state of foster care in Iowa right now, and why it should matter deeply to Christians. Mel shares her own family's unglamorized journey into foster care, the theology behind caring for the vulnerable, and how a new initiative called The Table Project is working to change the system one family, one church, and one child at a time.

Episode Highlights

00:31 — Introducing Mel Pearson

01:18 — Why should Christians care about the vulnerable beyond their own families?

03:10 — The overwhelming needs in Iowa: foster care and schools under strain

05:05 — Mel and Bryan's honest, unglamorized story of getting into foster care

07:25 — Deglamorizing foster care: the hard, unseen realities behind it

08:56 — Clinging to a Savior who moved toward hard places

10:53 — Philippians 3: knowing Christ through the fellowship of suffering

11:36 — Practical ways to get involved at different seasons of life

13:00 — Care communities: how support raises foster family retention from 50% to 98%

14:16 — Kids in the river: moving from crisis response to prevention

16:49 — The scope of the crisis: Iowa has 30% more foster care calls than available homes

19:46 — What is The Table Project? Faith-based, pre-licensure foster care training

24:06 — How to get involved

Resources

• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online
• The Table Project — TableProject.org
• Lunch and Learn — August 16th at Cornerstone (RSVP Here)
• Wildwood Collective

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In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark and Emily introduce 21 Days of Prayer, a church-wide season of focused, kingdom-centered prayer leading into the fall semester. They talk through why prayer matters even though God already knows our needs, what makes "kingdom-centered intercession" different from ordinary requests, and practical boosters to help sustain a rich prayer life.

Episode Highlights

00:39 — Casting the vision of 21 Days of Prayer

02:08 — Setting aside focused seasons of prayer, like fasting, to tune the heart

03:13 — Why pray if God already knows our needs? Three reasons: for God, for us, and for movement

05:06 — Introducing the 21 Days of Prayer tradition at Cornerstone

06:32 — Guarding against self-centered prayer by praying for the nations

07:13 — Types of prayer in the Psalms and the shift toward kingdom-centered intercession

08:12 — Kingdom-centered intercession: praying boldly in the authority of Jesus

09:34 — A simple pattern: kingdom authority plus a specific need

11:18 — How specific should our prayers be?

12:23 — Praying by name and by place to make prayer concrete

15:36 — Four prayer boosters: fasting, walking, community, and timing

20:05 — How to join 21 Days of Prayer and get daily text prompts

Resources

• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online
• Receive 21 Days of Prayer Prompts: Text 'PRAY' to 515-232-5488

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In the final part of the Sins We Tolerate series, Mark and Emily tackle a sin so common we barely notice it: the sins of the tongue. They unpack why our words are never neutral, always spilling out of what's really in our hearts, walk through a practical four-question test for evaluating what we say, and point to the only real hope for taming something James says is more untamable than a wild animal.

Episode Highlights

01:18 — Introducing today's topic: sins of the tongue

02:00 — Defining sins of the tongue: the wide range of speech Proverbs addresses

03:26 — From criticism and gossip to slander: sins of the tongue rooted in pride

03:42 — James 3: the tongue as a "world of unrighteousness," harder to tame than any wild animal

04:24 — Life and death are in the power of the tongue: how words make and break relationships

06:49 — Remembering the gospel: our words are the overflow of the heart (Luke 6:45)

08:03 — The "full cup" analogy: whatever is inside spills out when we're jostled

10:49 — The hope of the gospel: becoming people whose words reflect Christ, even under pressure

13:34 — The "Can I Say That?" test: is it true, is it helpful, is it humble, is it wise?

17:31 — Real-life application: parenting teenagers and building up a spouse's dreams

21:28 — Fleeing sins of the tongue: fear of the Lord and giving an account for every careless word

24:38 — Practices to feed the spirit: praising, praying, and singing out loud

26:11 — Mark's lifetime goal to speak fewer words every year

27:07 — Closing thoughts: four respectable sins, one gospel invitation to change

Resources

• Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online
• Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges

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In this episode of the Equip Podcast, part of the Sins We Tolerate series, Mark and Emily turn to sloth, the "sister sin" to gluttony. They define sloth not simply as laziness, but as neglecting the work God has assigned, then offer practical, gospel-rooted ways to move from sloth toward diligent, faithful work.

Episode Highlights

00:59 — Sloth introduced as a sister sin to gluttony

01:15 — Defining sloth: more than laziness, it's neglecting duties God has assigned

02:00 — Ephesians 2 and the tension between grace and good works

03:10 — Giving your best to the useless and your worst to the useful

03:22 — Proverbs 26 and the sluggard's excuses

04:40 — Busy but lazy: the example of Mary and Martha

07:24 — Work isn't a curse — toil is; Jesus as the perfect model of a worker

09:37 — "Saved by works" vs. "saved to work"

14:57 — Feeding the spirit: the five C's of calling

16:22 — AI, dystopian fiction, and WALL-E as a picture of sloth

19:58 — An accountability tool: tracking every fifteen minutes

Resources

Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

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