Influence Podcast

Doug Clay is the 13th general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, which explains the title of his most recent book —13: Leadership Is More than Luck. The book explores leadership principles and stories from Clay's predecessors in that office.

"As I studied the lives of our past general superintendents, I was inspired by their timeless insights and timely sensitivity to the Lord. Though each faced his own set of challenges, placing hope and trust in the Lord was a hallmark of each former leader," Clay writes.

"We have been called by God for this moment. If we will have the humility to learn from our history and the faith to press ahead, we will see the Lord's favor and anointing upon our Fellowship for decades, until he comes," Clay concludes

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Clay about leadership principles and stories from his book, but also about the state of the Assemblies of God. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"Few would argue against the proposition that Paul's letter to the Romans is his magnum opus," writes Glen Menzies.

"Romans is an exceedingly important book. The impact it has made is literally incalculable, for it is impossible to imagine how Christianity would have developed without it."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Menzies about how to interpret Romans. We start with introductory issues about the letter and its recipients before moving on to points of debate about Romans specifically and Pauline theology generally. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Glen Menzies is an ordained Assemblies of God minister. For 27 years, he served as professor of New Testament and Early Christianity and dean of the Institute for Biblical and Theological Studies at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is now retired. He is author of A Pentecostal Commentary on Romans, published by Wipf & Stock.

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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"According to research, approximately 61 percent of U.S. teenagers never read the Bible, and 74 percent don't attend church regularly. That means well over half of middle and high school students in our nation aren't disciples and likely haven't put their faith in God. As followers of Jesus, what are we going to do about this?" asks Lee Rogers.

He goes on to say: "Today in our nation there are over thirty-three million students in over sixty-nine thousand middle and high schools. Only 23 percent of those schools are known to have a campus missionary or a gospel-sharing club present. That leaves over fifty-three thousand schools with no known gospel-sharing presence. As Spirit-empowered witnesses, what are we going to do about this?

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Rogers about how to train students to evangelize their peers. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Lee Rogers is director of Student Evangelism for Assemblies of God Youth Ministries and is general editor of The Campus Missionary Guidebook, published by Gospel Publishing House.

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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"My college basketball coach, Coach High, used to talk about two types of pain — the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. In basketball (as well as life and ministry), pain is inevitable. No one can avoid it, even if we try. But in some cases, you can determine the pain you will live with," writes Steve Svoboda.

He goes on to say: "When it comes to your life as a minister, choose the pain of discipline. Live a life devoted to becoming the best version of you possible, because the greatest version of you will inevitably have the greatest impact in the Kingdom."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Svoboda about how to develop the right disciplines in five key areas of life. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Steve Svoboda is director of Strategic Partnerships for Called, an Assemblies of God ministry to help discover and equip young people with a call to vocational ministry. He is author of Rhythms, forthcoming from Gospel Publishing House.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"It behooves us as Christians to think theologically and ethically about what it means to live as humans in the age of AI and about the potential opportunities and challenges that may arise from its widespread adoption, both in the short-term and long-term future," writes Todd Korpi.

"Contrary to popular belief, technology is not acultural, neutral in its orientation, or immune from pitfalls that can harm vulnerable populations. We therefore must think ethically about technology from a Christian perspective."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Korpi about how to think Christianly about AI. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Todd Korpi is missiologist at OneHope, dean of digital ministry programs at Ascent College, assistant professor of Christian leadership Fuller Theological Seminary, and director of Digital Ministry Consortia at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. He is author of AI Goes to Church, published by InterVarsity Press.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"There are no seasons at the feet of Jesus. There are no age barriers when the fire of Acts 2:4 Pentecost falls. And when the Holy Spirit stirs us as men and women of God, at any age, to speak His words in strategic moments, we sill have a treasured opportunity to trust Him and simply use our voices and obey," writes Beth Grant.

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Grant about how she has made the most of the opportunities God has given her to use her voice for good. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Beth Grant is an ordained Assemblies of God minister, longtime missionary to India, cofounder of Project Rescue, and the first woman to serve on the executive presbytery of the Assemblies of God. She is author of Leading with a Whisper, coming out this September from Charisma House.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"We don't have to look far to realize there's a void of godly voices in modern youth culture. When we look around and see students struggling with self-harm, gender identity, as well as depression and anxiety, to name a few, we can see the void of godly voices," writes Ashton Peters.

"There's a void of Christ-honoring love, biblical discipleship, and authentic mentorship. There's a void of spiritual mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, who deeply love a generation and want them to be all that God calls them to be."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Ashton Peters about why youth ministries need to fill that void with good adult mentors, and how they can best do so. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Ashton Peters is national Fine Arts coordinator for the Assemblies of God and author of The Third Voice, forthcoming from Gospel Publishing House.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

In Episode 383 of the Influence Podcast, I talked to Allen Tennison about the good news of Christ's death and resurrection. The biblical narrative doesn't end with Christ rising from the dead, however. Consider Acts 2:32–36, for example, where Peter says:

"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."

Pentecostals rightly emphasize the second half of verse 33 about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But we often overlook the first half of that verse, which alludes to Christ's ascension and enthronement at God's right hand.

This episode releases on May 29, 2025, which happens to be Ascension Day, so in this episode, I talk to Allen Tennison about how Ascension and Pentecost are part of the gospel. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Allen Tennison is theological counsel of The General Council of the Assemblies of God.

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This episode of the Influence Podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler.

The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler equips you with an understanding of the Holy Spirit's role in your life. As a resource for both laypeople and ministry leaders, it also imparts practical insight for anyone discipling others in receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

For more information about The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Discipler visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

This summer marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, which promulgated the Nicene Creed. Along with Catholics and the Orthodox, many Protestant churches affirm the theology of the Nicene Creed, whether or not they use it in their liturgy or formal theological statements.

But what about Pentecostals? What should we make of the creed? That's what I ask Frank Macchia in this episode of the Influence Podcast. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Frank Macchia is professor of systematic theology at Vanguard University of Southern California and associate director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies at Bangor University in Wales. He is author of Tongues of Fire: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, published by Cascade Books, and of Introduction to Theology: Declaring the Wonders of God, published by Baker Academic.

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of Open When . . . Parenting through Foster and Adoption.

Christian professionals delve into the unique challenges and struggles encountered by foster parents, adoptive parents, or kinship caregivers. Readers will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to navigate the complexities of guiding and nurturing children in nontraditional family structures.

For more information about Open When . . . Parenting through Foster and Adoption visit MyHealthyChurch.com.

"I am a survivor of child abuse," writes Samantha Rose Jones.

"The abuse impacted every aspect of my humanity — physically, emotionally, socially, mentally, and spiritually. All the instances were in a severe category, and the evil I faced was unfathomable. My starting point is bleak, but my current story is miraculous. I am a miracle because I am a child of the living Miracle Worker — God."

In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Jones about her journey from the pain of abuse to the miracle of love and joy. I'm George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine and your host.

Samantha Rose Jones is a grant writer for Evangel University. A credentialed Assemblies of God minister, she copastors Lifehouse Assembly of God in Cadillac, Michigan, with her husband Keith. She is author of God and Trauma: The Lessons I'm Learning

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This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by My Healthy Church, distributors of the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards.

Strengthen your family's relationships with God and each other with these easy-to-use Conversation Cards. Each card is uniquely designed with a question, faith builder statement, and a Bible verse to spark meaningful conversations that cultivate an open and nurturing environment in your home.

For more information about the Ignite Parenting Conversation Cards visit MyHealthyChurch.com.