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Equip Podcast
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.
Episodes
334 episodes
Planting a Church in Austin, TX with Mitchell Johnson
Mark sits down with Mitchell Johnson, a church planter being sent out from Cornerstone to launch The Way Church in Austin, Texas. Mitchell shares his remarkable story of growing up in New Orleans, surviving Hurricane Katrina, a crisis of suicid...
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Finishing Well: Health, Medicine, and Dying Well
Mark tackles one of the most avoided conversations in the Christian life: how do we approach health, medical care, and dying in a way that reflects a biblical worldview? With honesty and care, he challenges listeners to stop prolonging death an...
Finishing Well: End-of-Life Finances and Generosity
Mark tackles one of the most practical (and often avoided) topics in the Christian life: what does faithful stewardship look like in the final season of life? Drawing from Scripture and real conversations with retirees, Mark offers biblical pri...
Preparing for Summer: The Spiritual Workout Plan
Summer is one of the most enjoyable seasons of the year, but it can also be one of the most spiritually distracting. In this episode, Mark and Emily talk about how to approach the summer months with intentionality through the Spiritual Workout ...
Navigating Midlife with Brent & Tori Haverkamp
In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark is joined by Brent and Tori Haverkamp to talk about the “fall” season of life: midlife and beyond. They talk about the challenges and opportunities that come with this stage, including career pressures...
Marriage, Money, and Calling with Crystal Vance
Mark is joined by his wife, Crystal, to talk about the “summer” season of life: young adulthood, marriage, and building a life marked by faithfulness. Through stories and wisdom, they reflect on navigating relationships, finances, work, and spi...
Pursuing Wisdom in Your Teens with Owen & Brenna
In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark is joined by high school seniors Brenna Van Cleave and his son Owen for a conversation about what it looks like to grow in wisdom during the “spring” season of life. As part of a broader series on the ...
How Should Christians Think About War?
In this episode, Mark and Emily talk through how Christians should think about war in a world filled with conflict. Looking at Scripture and ideas like just war theory, they explore how believers can pursue peace while still understanding the r...
Building A Healthy Marriage with Steve Jones
What does a godly marriage actually look like?In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Emily sits down with Steve Jones, Executive Director of Ministries and a licensed mental health counselor, to talk about God’s design for marria...
Easter Apologetics: Evidence for the Resurrection
In this special Easter episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark walks through the historical and biblical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. He explores why the resurrection is not just a matter of faith, but a claim rooted in real events, eyewi...
Men & Women Part 4: Q&A
In the final episode of the Men & Women series, Mark and Emily respond to questions submitted by listeners throughout the series. These questions explore how the biblical vision for men and women plays out in everyday life, the chu...
Men & Women Part 3: Dangers & Distortions
In Part 3 of the Men & Women series, Mark and Emily turn to the tensions and misunderstandings that often arise in conversations about gender. After exploring the biblical definitions and distinctions between men and women, this episode add...
Men & Women Part 2: Distinct by Design
In Part 2 of the Men & Women series, Mark and Emily move from definitions to distinctions. After establishing in the previous episode that men and women share equal dignity as image-bearers of God, this conversation explores how sc...
Men & Women Part 1: God's Good Design
Mark and Emily begin a new series exploring what the Bible teaches about men and women. At a time when questions about gender, identity, and roles dominate cultural conversations, they return to the opening pages of scripture to establish a bib...
Iowa State Talk Recap: Political Tribalism and the Importance of Christian Presence
In this episode, Mark recaps his recent lecture at Iowa State University, reflecting on the growing problem of political tribalism in America and calling Christians to a distinctly different posture: rooted in conviction, civility, and faithful...
Lent & Fasting
Lent isn’t about giving something up, but about cultivating something deeper.In this episode, Mark casts vision for the Lenten season and explains why fasting is a historic and biblical rhythm for followers of Jesus. From churning ...
AI Part 3: Using AI Wisely in Daily Life
What does faithfulness look like as artificial intelligence becomes a normal part of everyday life? In Part 3 of this series, Mark Vance and Emily Jensen focus on practical wisdom—how Christians can use AI responsibly without outsourcing discer...
AI Part 2: Wisdom and Discernment in a Digital Age
How should Christians think about the ethical limits of artificial intelligence, and where should wisdom, restraint, and responsibility come into play? In Part 2 of this series, Mark Vance and Emily Jensen move from foundations to application, ...
AI Part 1: What Should Christians Think About AI?
How should Christians think about artificial intelligence—and what does faithfulness look like in a rapidly changing technological world? Mark Vance is joined by Emily Jensen to begin a thoughtful, theological conversation about artificial inte...
How Should Christians Think About ICE and Immigration?
In this bonus episode, Mark steps into a timely and emotionally charged topic surrounding immigration and ICE, not to offer political commentary, but to pastorally apply biblical truth to a complex cultural moment.Episode Highlights
What Is A Healthy Church? Reflections on Church Size with Ryan Hill
What actually makes a church healthy, and how should leaders think about growth without losing faithfulness?In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark Vance is joined by Ryan Hill, an Elder at Cornerstone and the Executive Director of Th...
Ask Mark Anything: Dream Jobs, Marketing, & Hard Questions
What does it look like to be deeply rooted in Christ in a world of cultural chaos? In this Ask Mark Anything episode, Mark Vance responds to honest questions from the Cornerstone Church community about faithfulness in everyday life—especially w...
Reflections on Revival & Revivalism
What’s the difference between true revival and revivalism, and how should Christians respond when God seems to be stirring something fresh? Mark reflects on the Salt Company Conference and the broader signs of spiritual hunger he’s seeing among...
Goal Setting: How to Spend Your Time and Energy Well (+ Spring Spiritual Workout Plan)
As a new year approaches, how should Christians think about goals, habits, and productivity—without slipping into hustle culture or empty self-improvement?In this episode, Mark offers a pastoral framework for goal setting that prioritize...
Q&A: Understanding the Differences Between Catholicism and Protestantism
How should Christians navigate real-life questions about faith, family, dating, and church differences—especially when Catholic and Protestant worlds overlap?In this Q&A episode, Emily joins Mark to wrap up the “Why Protestantism?” s...