United? We Pray

Episode Overview: This sermon was given at an event hosted by Iron City Church and United? We Pray. Dr. Williams explains why Redemptive Kingdom Diversity has been God’s plan from the beginning and charts a way forward for the diverse people of God to live together in Gospel unity. Links & Show Notes:This talk draws heavily on themes from Dr. Williams’ excellent book, which you can find here. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Adrianna Anderson is back with us to discuss the law: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. We take a high-level view of these books and see the many lessons God has for His people in dealing with the nations. From this, we are able to start building a Biblical theology of race and ethnicity as we see God's heart for the nations present from the beginning of Scripture. We hope this series encourages you in your reading of Scripture!LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

We continue our Bible study series by looking at the book of Exodus. There are many ethnic issues in this book, from the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians, to the covenant faithfulness of Zipporah. This was a fascinating discussion and we hope you are encouraged. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here's a link to John Currid's Against the Gods. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

We are kicking off our Bible Study or Biblical Theology series with the book of Genesis. Adrianna Anderson brings her expertise as a Bible scholar to help us look at Scripture to see God's plan for diversity and ethnic harmony. There is so much in Scripture on this topic. Genesis is packed full of promises for the nations, as you will hear in this episode. Take up and read with us!LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here is the series Pastor Chris Davis wrote for us on the Curse of HamSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter 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 pleased to welcome Courtney Reissig to the studio today. Courtney is an accomplished author who has also been writing for us for years. We talked with her about her burden to speak out on racial matters and overcoming her own self-consciousness to do so. We hope you're encouraged by her example and our conversation together. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Link to Courtney's books.Link to Courtney's articles for us.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

What does multi-ethnic ministry look like in different contexts? Pastor Yannick Christos-Wahab joins us to talk about his church in London. We hear about similarities and differences between the UK and the US, and Yannick gives us a positive vision for being salt and light in a dark world. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.You can learn more about Yannick and his church here. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter 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 sit down for the second installment in our FAQ series with a question we often get on the road - "what if my church doesn't care about ethnic unity?" We talk through scenarios when someone might want to leave their church, but spend most of the conversation cautioning against making quick decisions or judgments about others. Not everyone has to care about and pursue ethnic unity in the exact same way. In God's economy, our differences are actually a good thing. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Our episode on how hard bridge-building can be.Our episode on whether to stay with or leave a difficult church. Alicia Akins' article on being patient with others. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Dr. Randy Newman joins Austin to discuss the disturbing increase in antisemitism happening in the world right now. Randy shares his own experience with antisemitism, shares some of his family history, and provides a theological perspective on why history keeps repeating itself. We hope you will join us in praying for our Jewish neighbors. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.You can pre-order Randy's new book here. Here's the book by Michael Brown that randy referenced in the episode. Here's Austin's article on antisemitism that was referenced. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Pastor Josh Chatman is back with us because he thinks Christians need to grow in our application of charity. Christian charity is just another way to speak about loving our neighbors, which is a duty all of us have. We don't have to agree with, understand, or even like someone to be kind to them. We do this in our churches, families, and workplaces, and when we do it well, God is glorified. Please join us in praying we'd look more like Jesus as we apply Christian charity. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

When we think of abolitionists, most of us think of Abraham Lincoln or John Brown. But there were many black abolitionists doing the work who, for whatever reason, haven't received the recognition they deserve. In this episode, Jasmine Holmes stops by to educate us on some of the black abolitionists who helped bring about the end of slavery and who did amazing work in the years following the Civil War. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.The Truth is Marching On, the book referenced by JasmineHere's a link to Jasmine's excellent books, including Crowned With GlorySupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

As we continue our Black History Month series, we look today at the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a remarkably gifted man who managed to lead the complex, often contentious movement we now think of as the Civil Rights Movement. Though he is beloved in our day, he was hated in his own. Helping us think through all of this is Dr. Kevin Smith, a pastor and church historian. We appreciate Dr. Smith's insight and hope you are encouraged by the episode. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.You can read Letter from Birmingham Jail here. The King biography Dr. Smith mentioned can be found here. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Continuing our Black History Month series, Jasmine Holmes stops by the podcast to talk about the faith of American slaves and the persecution they endured. We also discuss historical sources that can give us an an idea of what slavery was like for the saints who lived through it. God sustained His people and heard their prayers, even in the worst circumstances. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.You can find books by Jasmine Holmes here. Here's a link to the Lost Cause book recommended by Jasmine. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

It will surprise no one to see that we're kicking off Black History Month by talking about Francis Grimke. Francis was a pastor in Washington, DC in the early 1900s. He was a former slave who lived an extraordinary life. His work inspired Isaac to start this ministry, so we feel a special connection to his life and work. Be encouraged by this faithful saint!LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin is joined in the studio today by Dr. Mike Ahn, Interim Dean of Spiritual Development at BIOLA University. Mike graciously shared something of the Asian American experience with us, an experience which is often misunderstood or overlooked, even by those who care about ethnic harmony. Mike shares how common conceptions of Asian Americans are too truncated, and shares some of the blessings of growing up in the Korean Church. We hope you are encouraged. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here is the article referenced by Austin about the Asian American experience. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Some surprise encouragement for your weekend! Ray Ortlund, of Immanuel Church in Nashville, recently preached at Iron City Church in Birmingham to celebrate the anniversary of Isaac's installation as lead pastor. The sermon was on the Christian's hope of heaven, and it was so moving for us that we wanted to make sure you all had the chance to hear it. Be blessed, beloved. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin is joined today by Carl Laferton, Executive Vice President of The Good Book Company (TGBC). We talk about the children's books published by TGBC, and how the illustrations both reflect historical accuracy and highlight diversity. We also talk about TGBC's lay-level commentary series, and how diverse authors contributed to the project. Carl shares how he has learned the importance of representation and of learning from Christians from various cultures and ethnicities, and how that informs the way TGBC highlights diversity within their projects. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.The Good Book CompanyThe "God's Word for You" seriesResources for childrenSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Pastor Josh Chatman joins Austin once again to discuss loving our neighbors. How can we better love our neighbors who are not like us? How do we even go about doing it when society is so often segregated? Josh encourages us to look for diversity that we might be missing, and then share some helpful tips for how we can build relationships outside our normal orbits. Our heart in all of this is not that we all develop some artificial but perfectly representative portfolio of relationships. We are instead trying to be intentional to love our neighbors. All of them. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here is a link to the podcast Josh hosts, Train 'Em UpJonathan Morgan's testimony of the power of a church in prayer. Our episode with Alicia about her book Gift of the OutsiderOur episode with Drs. Jones and Williams on their book In Church As It Is In HeavenSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

To kick off the new year, Austin and Isaac sit down to discuss Jesus' warning to the Church of Ephesus from Revelation 2. Jesus admonished them for losing their first love. We talk about how loving Jesus should supersede everything else we do as a ministry and as Christians. Whatever good works God has prepared for us are meant to be fueled by our love for Jesus rather than serve as a substitute for loving Jesus. That's what we want to be about as a ministry and as individuals. We hope you will join us in praying for a greater love for our Savior. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Josh Chatman, pastor at Midtown Baptist Church joins Austin today to talk about our prayers lives. Specifically, they discuss structured prayers and how praying different kinds of prayers can help us when we feel stuck, get us to pray about different things, and create a more rich prayer life. We hope this episode encourages you to pray in ways you might not have considered before. Let's go to the Throne of Grace together, friends. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here is a link to the podcast Josh hosts, Train 'Em UpEpisode with Shai Linne on Ethnic SinsSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Merry Christmas from United? We Pray. For this very special Christmas episode, we sit down with Dr. Fred Sanders to talk about the Incarnation of Christ. What does it mean that Jesus came to Earth as a baby boy? What does it mean that he came as a Jewish baby boy with a specific ethnicity? We talk about redemption, union with Christ, prayer, and what the Incarnation has to do with all of it. This was one of the most moving and devotional episodes we've ever recorded, and we hope it motivates you to greater worship of our Savior. Merry Christmas, beloved. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.For more information about Fred can be found here. His excellent blog can be found here. Los Angeles Bible Training SchoolSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Twitter and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!