Equip Podcast

Cornerstone Church of Ames
  • 4.8 (116)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

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. 22h ago

    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!

  2. 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!

  3. 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!

  4. 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!

  5. 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!

  6. Jun 11

    What's Happening in Rural Iowa with Shane Rothlisberger

    In this episode, Mark sits down with his friend and fellow pastor Shane Rothlisberger to tell the story of how the Acreage Church, a church plant in northeast Iowa, came to life in the most unexpected way. What began with a sick father, a family in need of community, and a living room livestream became something neither of them saw coming. Shane and Mark also discuss the spiritual state of rural Iowa and why it matters deeply for the future of the gospel. Episode Highlights 00:26 — Introducing Shane Rothlisberger, pastor of the Acreage Church 01:39 — How a family crisis and a move to northeast Iowa set everything in motion 02:33 — Streaming Cornerstone from a living room 03:17 — Wrestling with whether to call it what it was: a church plant 04:26 — A moment in John 21 and Shane's calling to shepherd this flock 05:33 — Cornerstone's role as the sending church for the Acreage 06:00 — What a typical Sunday looks like at the Acreage Church today 07:17 — Using Cornerstone's teaching series, one week behind, and how Shane contextualizes it 09:31 — The spiritual landscape of rural Iowa: overchurched but unreached, and how that's shifted 11:06 — A generational turnover: from cultural Christianity to irrelevance 13:22 — The decline of mainline denominational churches in rural communities 15:16 — Faithful pastors in rural Iowa stretched thin across multiple congregations 16:13 — Easter at the Acreage: 175 people, four baptisms, and lives changed 17:26 — Running out of room, and what a glorious problem that is 18:28 — What Cornerstone is praying about next: rural church planting as a growing vision 19:16 — "We didn't even pray for this", and what that stirs up for what God might do intentionally 20:00 — A call to pray for rural Iowa and the harvest waiting there 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 4

    Ask Mark Anything: Swearing, Greek Life & More

    In this third installment of the "Ask Mark Anything" series, Emily puts Mark on the spot with questions submitted by listeners. From the ethics of swearing to conspiracy theories, waiting on God to Greek life, Mark tackles a wide range of real-life questions with pastoral honesty, biblical grounding, and plenty of laughs along the way. Episode Highlights 01:57 — Is swearing just part of sports culture, even for Christians? 12:15 — What does it actually look like to wait on the Lord? 21:07 — Should college students consider Greek life? 27:51 — How should Christians think about conspiracy theories and trust in authority? Resources Cornerstone Sermons: Listen OnlineThe Reason for God by Tim KellerAsk Mark a Question! — Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast! Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

  8. May 28

    What Is Church Membership?

    Mark and Emily dig into one of the most practically important, and often misunderstood, topics in the Christian life: church membership. From what the Bible actually says about it, to the common ditches people fall into, to how a large church like Cornerstone keeps track of its people, Mark offers pastoral clarity and honesty on why formal membership matters for every believer. Episode Highlights 02:58 — What is church membership, biblically? Where do we even find it in Scripture? 07:36 — Common ditches: individualism, the "marriage to a church" extreme, and church hopping 09:52 — The two-way promises involved in church membership — what members commit to, and what elders commit back 11:00 — State church vs. free church: why the American context changes how we think about leaving a church 19:14 — How to know when it might be time to leave a church — and how to do it well 27:45 — How does a church the size of Cornerstone actually keep track of its members? 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!

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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
    343
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Cornerstone Church of Ames
  • Show Website
    Equip Podcast

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