Podcast Episodes
Podcast episodes taking racial struggles to the throne of grace, United? We Pray is a ministry devoted to praying about racial strife—especially between Christians.
Loving Our Neighbors Through Criminal Justice with Matt Martens | PART 2 OF 3
Order Matt's excellent book here. 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...
Criminal Justice Reform with Matt Martens | Part 1 of 3
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 reform and our obligation to love all our neighbors, including the criminally accused and the criminally victimized.
The Life of Athanasius with Raphael Mnkandhla
Austin and Isaac are joined today by Raphael Mnkandhla. Raphael recently completed a PhD on the life of Athanasius, specifically his resiliency in ministry. We talk with Raphael about the life, ministry, trials, and perseverance of this great African church father...
Fighting for Unity with Ed Litton
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.
The Role of Prayer with Carl and Karen Ellis
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.
Our Identity in Christ with Dr. Robert Smith, Jr.
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.
Who is Discipling You on Race?
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 discipling most people 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.
Bridge-Builders Need Friends
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.
Social Media Use
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.
Engaging Your Community
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.