John Lindell recently reached an important ministry milestone. Lindell is lead pastor of James River Church, a multisite congregation in and around Springfield, Missouri. He has led the congregation since 1991. On Sunday, June 25, he preached a sermon from the final verses in the Gospel of Mark, and in doing so, completed sermons on every book of the New Testament.

To mark this milestone, Influence magazine's executive editor George P. Wood sat down with Lindell for a conversation about expository preaching—that is, preaching through Scripture in a systematic, sequential fashion. In addition to making a case for why preachers should preach expository sermons, Lindell gives practical advice about how to do so more effectively.

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This week, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Kyle Dana about the top three mistakes pastors make when preparing for their retirement, as well as how they should prepare. Kyle is senior vice president of Retirement and Investments for AG Financial Solutions.

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People in America are increasingly divided ideologically and politically, and our public discourse reflects those divisions. Too often, however, our rhetoric becomes toxic, leading many to worry whether hateful words will result in violent deeds. 

This worry came up again last week when Rep. Steve Scalise (R_LA 1st District) and several congressional staffers were shot by a man who didn’t like their politics. Few political disputes result in violence, but this incident is a good reminder to watch how we speak about others in the public square.

This week, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Joy Qualls about how to have a constructive debate about hot-button social issues. In an increasingly pluralistic and polarized culture, this skillset is an absolute must-have for Christian leaders. Qualls is chair of the Communications Department and professor of Communication Studies at Biola University in La Mirada, California. 

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In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Gerad Strong about how to do effective multisite church ministry in rural communities. Gerad is lead pastor of Bethel Assembly in Rapid City and Edgemont, South Dakota.

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In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Chris Mavity about how pastors and churches can recruit volunteers effectively. Heath is director of Ministry Development for Church Community Builder, which is an Influence Partner.

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In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Heath Adamson about three crucial outcomes for youth ministry: gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered, and personally responsible. Heath is direction of the Assemblies of God's National Youth Ministries and author of Until Al Know, which explains these outcomes in greater depth.

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Sunday, June 4, is Pentecost Sunday. According to Acts 2, this is the day Jesus Christ baptized the early church in the Holy Spirit, empowering them to become witnesses to Him throughout the world (Acts 1:8). 

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Jeff Leake about why every believer needs to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Leake is pastor of Allison Park Church, a multisite church near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and author of the new book, Power for Life (Gospel Publishing House).

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As the month draws to a close, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood interviews Dr. Peter Scazzero about emotionally healthy relationships for this episode of the Influence Podcast.

Scazzero is founder and teaching pastor at New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York City as well as founder of the ministry, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. He is author of numerous books, including the forthcoming 40-day devotional, Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day.

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Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Nick Wiersma about how churches can respond to disasters in today's Influence Podcast. Nick Wiersma is senior director of Disaster Engagement at Convoy of Hope, which is a "a faith-based, nonprofit organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches and disaster response."

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Today’s Influence podcast features a conversation about how your church can more effectively train volunteers and leaders. Your host is John Davidson, senior editor of Influence magazine. His guest is Daniel Im, founder and director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com, as well as teaching pastor at The Fellowship, a multisite church in Nashville, Tennessee.

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