Influence Podcast

Byron Johnson and Thomas Kidd take a contrarian stance against "dominant media and scholarly narratives regarding religion" in their new book, The Death of Religion?, published by B&H Academic.

"We present conclusive data to show that religious people are thriving and that practicing religious people are thriving most of all. We further show that at almost every turn, commonly used polling and survey data is misleading, confused, or grossly incomplete," they write.

"We also demonstrate that typical surveys of American congregational life undercount the number of American churches by as much as 40 percent. The uncounted churches are disproportionately evangelical or Pentecostal, and often minister to immigrants and people of color."

I talk to the authors about their contrarian stance in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Byron Johnson is founding director of the Institute for Studies of Religion and distinguished professor of the social sciences at Baylor University. Thomas Kidd is research professor of church history at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and senior research scholar at the Institute for Studies of Religion.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of The Assemblies of God: Our Story by Daniel D. Isgrigg.

Explore the inspiring history of the Assemblies of God from a handful of ministers to a worldwide fellowship of more than 85 million believers. Discover the legacy, mission, and Spirit-filled story that continues to impact the world today.

For more information about The Assemblies of God: Our Story visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 01:58 — What are the dominant — and negative — media and scholarly narratives about religion?
• 02:44 — But isn't it true that there's been a notable dropoff in religious affiliation?
• 06:10 — Worries about the impending death of Christianity in America predate the nation's Founding and can be discerned in every era of American history. Tell us a little about that.
• 10:39 — Tell us about the correlation between the decline of Mainline Protestantism and the rise of the nones. And how accurate a picture do statistical data give us, anyway?
• 20:48 — What is human flourishing, and what do data show about the connection between religion and flourishing?
• 24:01 — It's one thing to talk about flourishing when your life is going well , but data seems to indicate that religion contributes to flourishing even in prison. Tell us a little about that.
• 27:25 — What's your counternarrative to the declinist narratives? What do the data show us about what is actually happening?
• 32:17 — What are you reading right now that's interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 35:12— Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

I began vocational ministry the summer of 1990 and have served in various capacities ever since. As ministers, we often focus on what happens on Sunday morning as the people of God gather to worship.

But for Sunday morning worship to go well, you need a worship community that is up for the task. How do you build such a community? What do you choose to sing in a multigenerational church? And how do you handle criticisms from church members?

Those are the questions I discuss with Josh Shaffer in this episode of the Influence Podcast. Shaffer is worship pastor at Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, where I am a member and Sunday school teacher.

What really strikes me about Shaffer's ministry is both the growth of the worship community — i.e., singers, band, choir, orchestra — and the revitalization of the worshipping community, i.e., the congregation.

Sponsor AdThis episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of Multiplication Mindset.

In Multiplication Mindset, Gerad Strong brings together decades of real-life ministry experience—revitalizing churches, multiplying campuses, and equipping leaders—to help leaders move beyond addition thinking and into sustainable, mission-driven impact.

Multiplication isn't a strategy for a few high-capacity churches. It's God's design for every church.

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"We live in an age where attention has become our most endangered resource. Every sound, every scroll, every urgency competes for it. But what if the real threat to our spiritual lives isn't disbelief, but distraction? What if the Spirit has not grown silent, but we have grown unable to hear?"

Jeremy Sims asks these questions in The Way of the Spirit. He goes on to say: "I've come to see that much of the Christian life is not about gaining more faith but giving better attention. Attention is the soil where faith grows. It's how love learns to see. When we attend to what is small, we begin to glimpse what is holy."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Sims about pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is doing in all the waypoints of a Christian's life. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Jeremy Sims, D.Min., is professor of spiritual formation at Southeastern University, and ordained Assemblies of God minister, and author of The Way of the Spirit: Recognizing and Responding to God's Subtle Movements, published by InterVarity Press.

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Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:44 — You write, "I often tell my students that the Spirit they're searching for isn't waiting on the other side of their success. He's already within their confusion." What does it mean, and how is The Way of the Spirit a demonstration of your advice?
• 04:59 — Are Pentecostal Christians especially prone to spiritual anxiety?
• 07:30 — The difference between "crisis" and "process" spiritualities
• 12:27 — What are "attention" and "granularity," and why are they important?
• 21:24 — What is the second waypoint, "desert formation," about?
• 27:35 — What is the fourth waypoint, "interior journey," about, and why is it important?
• 36:57 — Tell us a little more about the seventh waypoint, "sacred ordinary."
• 39:31 — Why do you illustrate your waypoints with examples from before or outside the Protestant Reformation?
• 46:09 — What are you reading right now that's interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 47:54— Conclusion

Deuteronomy 6:4 is one of the Bible's foundational texts. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." Theologically, this verse is foundational because it teaches monotheism — the existence of only one true God.

Spiritually, however, the verse is foundational because it identifies a necessary practice of faith — listening. The Hebrew verb for "listen" is "shema", and it appears 1,165 times in the Old Testament. "Shema" connotes not only the passive action of hearing, but also the active response of heeding or listening with obedience.

Listening is also important in the New Testament. There, a foundational text is James 1:19. "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Dr. Don Lichi about best practices pastors can employ to actively listen to other people … and to God. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Dr. Don Lichi is a licensed psychologist with over four decades and 53,000 clinical hours of experience. He is vice president emeritus of Emerge Counseling Ministries and clinical director of Safety Forces Support Center, which provides mental health services to area first responders.

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Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:24 — Why does Christian ministry require pastors to listen, not just speak?
• 09:06 — How can listening help Christians foster better interpersonal relationships?
• 10:54 — Is there a difference between "hearing" and "listening"? And if there is, how do we pay attention so that our hearing becomes listening?
• 15:26 — What are some ways that our posture can signal, "I am listening"?
• 20:42 — What are some ways that our follow-up questions can signal we are listening?
• 33:52 — How do we listen reflectively, or mirror back what we are hearing?
• 38:29 — How does what we've talked about so far help us to develop the habit of listening to God speak to us in day-to-day life?
• 46:14 — What are you reading right now that's interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 49:01 — Conclusion

"Sometimes I wonder if heaven will feel a bit like an afternoon nap," writes Brett McCracken in The Wisdom of Sleep.

Maybe it's because naps are signpost of something far greater that we've not yet fully experienced. Maybe it's because even the most relaxing vacation, replenishing Sabbath, and restorative night's sleep are only teasers for the perfect rest we're wired to desire. Maybe there's more to sleep and rest than we think. Maybe in his mysterious sovereignty, God designed these things to be a sacred portal of sorts, a connective tissue between heaven and earth, between death and resurrection, between the God of rest and the restless souls who can't help but be magnetically tugged toward him.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to McCracken about these "maybes," what sleep reveals about God and us. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Brett McCracken is a senior editor at The Gospel Coalition, where he writes on the intersection of faith and culture. He is also author of The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God's Truth and Revives Weary Souls, published by Zondervan Reflective.

Sponsor AdThis episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of Trusted with Treasureby Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.

Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.

For more information about Trusted with Treasure visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:08 — How does sleep speak gospel truth?
• 04:01 — What does sleep reveal about our limitations?
• 06:01 — What do you think of secular and religious attempts to transcend our limitations?
• 09:05 — What do science and the Bible say about the generative powers of sleep?
• 12:26 — What does the Bible say about supernatural dreams?
• 15:15 — The need for discernment in interpreting dreams
• 16:16 — How do we become a restful presence for others?
• 19:02 — What does rest reveal about God as an "intentional designer"?
• 21:54 — What do you mean when you write, "God creates a distinct people through rest"?
• 26:56 — How does sleep reveal God as "gracious and loving," and also as "sovereign and merciful"?
• 31:59 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 33:55 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Lee Grady writes the following in his book, Lead Like Paul:

Saul of Tarsus — who eventually became known by his Greek name, Paul — is our mentor and spiritual father. Apart from Jesus Himself, he is our best example. Of course, we have Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene, and so many other first-century disciples who walked closely with Jesus. But Paul was unique. He didn't travel with Jesus or witness His miracles, yet he fully surrendered to the resurrected Christ, he understood the truth of Jesus better than almost any human being on earth, he spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and he was used by the Holy Spirit to lay the foundation for a Christian movement that has spread globally.

For all these reasons and more, Grady argues, Paul is a mentor we should imitate in our own ministries. In this episode, I talk to Grady about how we can begin to do so.

Lee Grady is an ordained minister in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, award-winning journalist, and author, most recently, of Lead Like Paul: 21 Ways to Reignite Your Spiritual Fire and Expand Your Spirit-Led Influence, published by Chosen Books.

Sponsor Ad This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of The Assemblies of God: Our Story by Daniel D. Isgrigg.

Explore the inspiring history of the Assemblies of God from a handful of ministers to a worldwide fellowship of more than 85 million believers. Discover the legacy, mission, and Spirit-filled story that continues to impact the world today.

For more information about The Assemblies of God: Our Story visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 03:00 — Why Lead Like Paul, rather than Lead Like Jesus or Lead Like Peter or Lead Like James?
• 05:08 — Why start with humility, and how does Paul model humility for Christian leaders?
• 7:37 — Chapters 4 and 5 discuss loving people and being present. What was the impetus for writing these two chapters? And how can pastors develop both better people skills and greater presence?
• 11:21 — Chapter 6 is titled, "You Need Power, Not Just Head Knowledge." Why is this the case? What function do the words "not just" play in this title? And how do we develop what the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary calls "knowledge on fire"?
• 20:06 — Why are the temptations of sexual immorality and financial exploitation such a problem for ministers, and how we do we overcome them?
• 23:57 — Why is forgiveness so important, and how we do we forgive congregants who have harmed us?
• 26:56 — What trends in the Pentecostal and charismatic movements worry you today? What trends bring you hope?
• 32:11 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 34:21 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Joe Oden writes the following in his new book, Empowered to Pray:

In an hour when many leaders are fixated on numerical growth, how to accommodate and make seekers feel comfortable, leadership strategies, higher education, and enhanced communications, we observe that well-intended leaders are trying to advance the kingdom of God in their own strength. However, when we look at the ministry of Jesus and the early church, we find a different path forward. … Their foundation was prayer, and everything they did originated from their private and corporate devotions.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Oden about the importance of prayer for Christian ministry, as well how the Lord himself teaches us to pray. Oden is an evangelist, ordained Assemblies of God minister, and director of the AG World Prayer Center. He is also author of Empowered to Pray: Advancing the Kingdom of God Through Prayer and Intercession, published by Gospel Publishing House.

Sponsor AdThis episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of Multiplication Mindset.

In Multiplication Mindset, Gerad Strong brings together decades of real-life ministry experience—revitalizing churches, multiplying campuses, and equipping leaders—to help leaders move beyond addition thinking and into sustainable, mission-driven impact.

Multiplication isn't a strategy for a few high-capacity churches. It's God's design for every church.

For more information about Multiplication Mindset visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:32 — Tell us more about how private and corporate prayer are the foundation of Christian ministry.
• 07:23 — Does prayer compete with leadership strategies, or are they complementary?
• 10:52 — Why does prayer need a set place, a specific time, and ample time?
• 14:18 — Why are both "crisis" moments and "process" habits important?
• 21:09 — What is intimacy with God, and how do we develop it?
• 24:03 — What does God want? And when does it come to pass?
• 28:32 — How does God's kingdom advance through the Church, irrespective of law and politics?
• 34:48 — How does Jesus teach us to pray with persistence?
• 40:33 — What does the Assemblies of god World Prayer Center do, and how can someone get involved with it?
• 42:51 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 44:49 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay about themes in his new book, Blind Spots: The Invisible Vulnerabilities Shaping Your Leadership, published by Gospel Publishing House.

Introducing the topic of his book, Clay writes:

"The most dangerous threats to spiritual leaders are not external opposition or cultural pressure, but rather the invisible vulnerabilities that distort calling and quietly erode faithful obedience. Every leader carries these invisible vulnerabilities — these blind spots — and no amount of spiritual maturity or leadership experience makes someone immune to them. …

"Because blind spots are invisible by nature, recognizing and treating them requires disciplined reflection, honest feedback, and a corrective community. Paul echoes this truth throughout the New Testament. He warns those in positions of spiritual authority to 'keep watch over yourselves' (Acts 20:20) and cautions Timothy to 'watch your life and doctrine closely' (1 Timothy 4:16). It is my belief that many spiritual leaders fail not because they lack divine calling, but because they struggle with awareness of their blind spots."

Sponsor AdThis episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of Trusted with Treasureby Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.

Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.

For more information about Trusted with Treasure visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:42 — What is a blind spot?
• 03:44 — The first blind spot is confusing calling with comparison. How does this blind spot work, and how can we overcome it?
• 08:38 — Mistaking familiarity with spiritual maturity is the second blind spot we're going to talk about. Same question: how does this blind spot work, and how can we overcome it?
• 11:38 — Losing curiosity about God is the third blind spot I want to talk about. How do ministers lose curiosity about God? And how do they recover it?
• 13:40 — The fourth blind spot I want to talk about is drifting from integrity to image management. In a world saturated with social media, this one seems especially important. What would you like Assemblies of God ministers to know about this one?
• 17:51 — In the book's Conclusion, you write: "One theme runs through all eight blind spots in this book: Healthy leadership requires embracing weakness, not projecting strength." Why is that?
• 21:02 — America celebrates its 250th anniversary this week. How should we be praying for our country in the lead up to July Fourth … and every day thereafter?
• 26:54 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 31:24 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

"Honesty matters, and people care a great deal about it," writes Christian Miller. Yet we are facing an unprecedented erosion of honesty today — what I call an honesty crisis. Indeed, we are facing not just one crisis, but a variety of honesty crises in different parts of our society. … Fortunately, in many cases, there are concrete steps we can take to turn the tide."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk about those steps with Christian Miller. He is the A. C. Reid Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University, president of the Society of Christian Philosophers, and author of The Honesty Crisis: Preserving Our Most Treasured Virtue in an Increasingly Dishonest World, published by Oxford University Press.

Sponsor AdThis episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of Trusted with Treasureby Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.

Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.

For more information about Trusted with Treasure visit GospelPublishingHouse.com. Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 02:25 — What is honesty, and why do you think we're having an "honesty crisis"?
• 07:30 — How honest are most people typically, and why do we lie?
• 13:24 — What's the "online infidelity" crisis, and what can we do about it?
• 25:58 — What is the "fake news and politics" crisis, and what can we do about it?
• 35:30 — What is "sermon plagiarism," why is it wrong, and what can we do about it??
• 46:23 — Pastors sometimes fall to the temptations of "online infidelity" and "celebrity." What's going on here and what can we do about it?
• 50:44 — As a Christian philosopher, what general advice would you give pastors about helping their congregations become more honest both individually and corporately??
• 57:40 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 1:00:16 — Conclusion

Welcome to the Influence Podcast! I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

"Paul didn't want believers to detach themselves from life in this world," writes Nijay Gupta. "He didn't want 'otherworldliness' only. He also didn't want them to be preoccupied with only temporary and fleeting things, 'cheap worldliness.' He wanted believers to imitate Christ and walk in the Spirit here and now — 'holy worldliness'."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Gupta about what this means, based on his new book.

Nijay Gupta, Ph.D., is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and author of Paul for the World, published by Brazos Press.

Sponsor AdThis episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of What Paul Really Taught About Women in Ministry.

In this insightful study, New Testament scholar Waldemar Kowalski carefully examines the historical and cultural contexts behind Paul's most challenging statements about women in ministry. By placing these passages within their proper setting, Kowalski helps readers see a clearer picture of Paul's intent.

The result is both thoughtful and compelling: Paul's message about women in ministry was ultimately one of affirmation, not restriction.

For more information about What Paul Really Taught About Women in Ministry visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.

Show Notes

• 00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad
• 01:49 — For many listeners, "holy worldliness" is an oxymoron. So, what do you mean by that phrase?
• 07:45 — Why do you think Paul was a good exemplar of holy worldliness?
• 11:03 — How does Paul inform Christians on the topic of ethnic equality?
• 20:21 — What does a first-century Roman have to say to 21st-century Americans about economics?
• 26:02 — Paul rarely if ever used the Greek terms for friendship. So, what does he have to say about a topic he seemingly wrote nothing about?
• 30:33 — What does Paul say to us about sports?
• 38:08 In your opinion as a seminary professor, what is the spiritual and intellectual value of doing research for yourself? Do you have concerns about ministers using AI?
• 44:58 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?
• 46:18 — Conclusion