United? We Pray

In this episode, we hear an address from Matt Martens on criminal justice reform from a Christian perspective. This is the second episode we've had with Matt, and we encourage you to listen to last week's episode before this one. Matt frames Christian responsibility related to criminal justice around Christ's ethic of love. There are some things in this episode which are hard to hear, but Matt is hopeful, because he knows that the perfect Judge will one day set everything right. We hope this episode helps you to think and pray differently. 

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• Listen to last week's episode here (insert hyperlink once it's live)
• You can find more information on Matt Martens here.
• You can preorder his excellent new book here.
• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Matt Martens is an accomplished attorney with experience in both prosecution and criminal defense. He also has a masters in Biblical Studies and is working on another theological degree. He brings all this expertise together in his new book, Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, which will be published by Crossway in November, 2023. Matt joined Austin in the studio for the first of three episodes with him to discuss criminal justice and our obligation to love all our neighbors, including the criminally accused and the criminally victimized.

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• You can find more information on Matt Martens here. 
• You can preorder his excellent new book here. 
• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin and Isaac are joined today by Raphael Mnkandhla. Raphael recently completed a PhD on Athanasius, specifically his resiliency in ministry. We talk with Raphael about the life, ministry, trials, and perseverance of this great African church father and all that the Church can learn from him. Join us in praising God for this great saint's life and enduring work. 

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin and Isaac are joined today by special guest, Dr. Ed Litton. Pastor Ed leads Redemption Church in Mobile, Alabama. Ed has also held influential positions, including the role of President of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Ed has long been burdened for ethnic unity among the people of God, so we were encouraged to hear from him what that has looked like over the years. We hope you will share his burden for the unity of God's people. 

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• You can find more information on Pastor Ed here. 
• Here is a link to the balcony video that Pastor Ed referenced. 
• More information on Shrink the Divide can be found here. 
• More information on the Unify Project can be found here. 
• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin and Isaac were blessed to be joined in the lab by Carl and Karen Ellis. Carl is a Professor at RTS, Atlanta, and Karen is a writer and lecturer. Together, they lead the Edmiston Center for the Bible and Ethnicity. We wanted to have Karen on to teach us about the role of prayer in the Christian life. We cover that and much more in this long, hopeful conversation. We hope you are encouraged to trust God in prayer. 

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• You can find more information on the Edmiston Center here. 
• You can find more on Carl's work here. 
• You can find more on Karen's work here. 
• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Isaac sits down with a living legend, Dr. Robert Smith, Jr. Dr. Smith is Professor of Preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Smith is a black man who has lived through racism and division, but has not allowed it to define him. As Isaac describes him, he is God's man. Dr. Smith instructs us on what it means to have our identity in Christ as we consider our other, lesser identities. We hope you are as encouraged by his wisdom as we were. 

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• You can find more information on Dr. Smith here. 
• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Isaac and Austin are joined in the studio by Josh Chatman, Jared Torrence, DeMyron Haynes, and John Talley. As we were sitting around and talking with the mics off, someone asked the question, "who do you think is shaping most people's minds on race, and what role does the pastor play in that?" So, we fired up the mics and talked about it. We hope you are encouraged and hope that church is a place where you feel free to talk about race. 

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

1. You can find more information on Train 'Em Up, Josh Chatman's ministry
2. John Talley’s website and podcast
3. This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Bridge-building can be lonely work. Isaac and Austin are joined in the studio by Josh Chatman, Jared Torrence, DeMyron Haynes, and John Talley to discuss friendship and support. What should a healthy rhythm of life look like, and how do we make sure we have the friends we need to be encouraged in the Lord? Join us in thinking about it and praying for wisdom.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Isaac and Austin are joined in the studio by Josh Chatman, Jared Torrence, DeMyron Haynes, and John Talley. We discuss social media use, and its effect on our relationships, our joy, and our perception of reality. This was a sobering conversation, but a joyful one as we considered our freedom in Christ and the potential social media has for good. We hope you will join us in praying for wisdom, and that our social media use would lead to greater unity.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Isaac and Austin are joined in the studio by Josh Chatman, Jared Torrence, DeMyron Haynes, and John Talley. We share ideas on how to engage our communities in reconciling work. How does that look in different settings? How do we keep our focus on the communities in which God has placed us? We hope you are encouraged to pray and love the people around you.

LINKS & SHOW NOTES:

• Josh Chatman has a podcast called "Train 'Em Up" which you can find here. 
• John Talley's website and podcast
• This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.

Support the show

To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!