Equip Podcast

Cornerstone Church of Ames
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  • Christianity
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Produced by Cornerstone Church of Ames, The Equip Podcast is designed to provide insight, resources and Biblical wisdom to help us live faithful and fruitful lives together. 

  1. 2d ago

    The Church Is the Answer to Iowa's Foster Care Crisis w/ Mel Pearson

    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 OnlineThe Table Project — TableProject.orgLunch and Learn — August 16th at Cornerstone (RSVP Here)Wildwood Collective Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  2. Jul 30

    21 Days of Prayer: Praying for a Move of God This Fall

    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 OnlineReceive 21 Days of Prayer Prompts: Text 'PRAY' to 515-232-5488 Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  3. Jul 22

    Sins We Tolerate: Sins of the Tongue

    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 OnlineRespectable Sins by Jerry Bridges Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  4. Jul 16

    Sins We Tolerate: Sloth

    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 Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  5. Jul 8

    Sins We Tolerate: Gluttony

    In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark flips the script, handing the mic to Emily Jensen to walk through the third entry in their series on hidden, respectable sins: gluttony. Far from the exaggerated stereotype most of us picture, Emily unpacks why this sin is far more common, subtle, and spiritually dangerous than we think, and how the gospel gives us a better way forward. Episode Highlights 00:28 — Introducing the series on hidden, respectable sins and the topic of gluttony 01:49 — Why the modern stereotype of gluttony misses the mark 02:07 — How the church fathers, reformers, and puritans defined gluttony: being ruled by your appetite 02:45 — Introducing the FRESH acronym: five forms of gluttony from Gregory the Great via Dr. DeYoung 03:55 — Fastidiously: the gluttony of delicacy and over-fussiness about food 05:13 — Sumptuously: eating for maximum satisfaction and strategically hoarding the best portion 06:26 — Ravenously, excessively, and hastily: the three ways gluttony shows up in how we eat 09:06 — The biblical case against gluttony: 1 Corinthians 6:12, Philippians 3:19, and what it means to be mastered by an appetite 10:15 — Food as a good gift from God — and why guilt isn't the goal 11:20 — How gluttony fits into the bigger picture: a battle between flesh and spirit 13:35 — The marriage supper of the Lamb, the shadowlands, and keeping food in its right place 15:26 — How to starve the sin: study it, hate it, flee it, confess it 16:32 — Hating gluttony: looking at where it leads historically and in your own health 18:00 — Fleeing and confessing: practical strategies and why community matters 21:15 — Feeding the spirit: food neutrality, thanksgiving, and the antidote to gluttony 23:26 — Closing thoughts: gluttony as a gateway sin and a window into deeper appetite disorders Resources: Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  6. Jul 1

    What Does Christian Patriotism Look Like?

    In this special Fourth of July episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark reflects on patriotism, love of country, and what it means for Christians to hold citizenship in heaven while living as faithful residents on earth. Turning to Jeremiah's letter to the exiles in Babylon, he unpacks what it looks like to genuinely love your country, work for its good, and offer honest critique, all without confusing any earthly nation, including America, with the Kingdom of God. Episode Highlights 00:27 — Setting up a Fourth of July reflection on patriotism and dual citizenship 01:09 — Personal memories of Fourth of July growing up in Sheldon and Slater, Iowa 02:51 — Gratitude for America's freedoms, "for all her flaws" 03:14 — Naming the tension between heavenly and earthly citizenship 04:02 — Turning to Jeremiah 29 as a guiding text on exile and citizenship 04:31 — Context: Jeremiah's letter to Israelites exiled in Babylon 06:20 — The exiles' dilemma: how do you relate to the kingdom that conquered you? 07:22 — Jeremiah's command: "pursue the well-being of the city" 08:24 — Why pray for Babylon's good: "when it thrives, you will thrive" 08:46 — God's promise to restore His people after seventy years 10:12 — Applying the picture: citizens of heaven, temporary residents on earth 11:04 — Practical instructions: build, plant, and work for the good 11:29 — Clarifying what Christian nationalism actually means 13:04 — A discerning eye toward the flaws of any human nation 13:53 — Daniel's example: working for Babylon's good without compromising conviction 14:56 — Applying it to America: gratitude, contribution, and good citizenship 17:03 — Unafraid to both love America and critique her flaws 17:26 — A simple Fourth of July exhortation: be a participant, not just a critic 18:34 — Closing blessing: "God bless America, but even so, come, Lord Jesus" Resources Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  7. Jun 26

    Sins We Tolerate: Judgement

    In this episode, Mark and Emily kick off a brand new series called Since We Tolerate, a look at the "respectable sins" Christians often overlook or excuse. They start with one of the most culturally relevant: judgment. Drawing from Romans 14, Mark unpacks how Christians can fall into a pattern of casting judgment on brothers and sisters in areas where scripture doesn't demand a single answer, and what it looks like to pursue edifying love instead. Episode Highlights 00:34 — Introducing the new series: Since We Tolerate and the idea of "respectable sins" 01:13 — Why Christians often tackle the obvious sins but miss the subtle ones 01:57 — The framework for the series: a four-part process for killing sin 03:26 — Defining the process: remember the gospel, remember your identity, starve the sin, feed the spirit 05:13 — Introducing the sin of judgment and its grounding in Romans 14 06:12 — The Jewish-Gentile tension in the early church as the original context for Romans 14 08:10 — What makes a matter "gray" — and why gray doesn't mean unimportant 10:26 — Judgementalism as a "crowning vice of modernity," amplified by social media and cable news 13:33 — When judgment is right: distinguishing disputed matters from clear biblical teaching 17:00 — Diagnosing a judgmental heart: the BAM vs. WAM test (Best Available Motive vs. Worst Available Motive) 21:28 — Practical steps to starve the sin: study it, hate it, flee it, confess it 27:00 — Feeding the spirit: cultivating edifying love as the antidote to judgment 30:34 — A preview of the next episode: gluttony Resources Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges: PurchaseCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  8. Jun 18

    Planting Citizens Church with Simeon Bell

    Emily Jensen sits down with Simeon Bell to talk about Citizens Church, a church he and his team are planting in Columbia, South Carolina. Simeon shares the unexpected timeline change that has his family moving this August, the vision behind the Citizens Church name rooted in Ephesians 2:19, and why Columbia is exactly where God is calling them. Episode Highlights 00:27 — Simeon Bell and the Citizens Church story 01:13 — An unexpected timeline change: Simeon's family is now moving to Columbia this August instead of January 2027 02:18 — How a local Columbia church reached out and accelerated the timeline — and what that partnership looks like 03:20 — Who's going: 31 members headed to Columbia 03:52 — How Simeon's years leading Cornerstone Youth equipped him for church planting 05:50 — The meaning behind the name "Citizens Church" and its roots in Ephesians 2:19 07:50 — Citizens Church's five core motives: Spirit-filled, authentic community, purpose-driven, sacrificial living, and kingdom multiplication 07:59 — From motives to mission: preparing citizens for heaven by living faithfully on earth 13:41 — The 10-year vision: 500 members, five church plants, and a launch pad up the East Coast 14:29 — Why Columbia, South Carolina? The brokenness, the diversity, and the need 18:02 — Columbia's racial diversity and the vision for a multiethnic church rooted in Revelation 7:9 19:15 — The University of South Carolina campus: 40,000 students, under 5% reached with the gospel 20:04 — A surprising discovery: 52% of USC students come from the Northeast — the exact states Simeon has lived in 23:18 — How to support Citizens Church: give, go, pray — and why Simeon's biggest prayer request is holiness 25:58 — Simeon's gratitude for Cornerstone and what it means to be equipped and sent well Resources Citizens Church: Pray, Give, or GoCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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About

Produced by Cornerstone Church of Ames, The Equip Podcast is designed to provide insight, resources and Biblical wisdom to help us live faithful and fruitful lives together. 

Information

  • Creator
    Cornerstone Church of Ames
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    346
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cornerstone Church of Ames
  • Show Website
    Equip Podcast

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