The Indiana Division PrayerCast: Recent Episodes
The Salvation Army Indiana Division
On the final episode of the PrayerCast for 2020, our topic is unity. We're living in very divided and divisive times in our country. Long before the election, these divisions were at their boiling point. Unfortunately, the Church has not been immune to these divisions and many believers are getting caught up in the anger and frustration in our society. But God's design and desire for the Church is to be unified. Unified with each other and unified with Him. This doesn't mean we have to agree on every issue, but as Christians we must find a way to value our relationships with people more than we value winning arguments at all costs.
This is our last episode for this year, but we'll be back in January with all new episodes. We pray God's blessings on you during the Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
For this week's episode, we're honoring the legacy of The Singing Company. Until last week, The Singing Company was commissioned as the official worship band of the Central Territory. Unfortunately, last week the group was decommissioned and the future of this vitally important worship band is uncertain. While many are grieving over this loss, we want to honor the ministry The Singing Company has had over the past 15 years.
The three songs in today's set are Let Nothing Be Wasted, Storm Song, and I Choose Life. The lyrics and chord charts for these songs (and all of the other music put out by TSC) are available on their website: https://thesingingcompany.com. If you have a memory of The Singing Company that you'd like to share, please head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment on the video version of this podcast: http://facebook.com/TSAINDProgram.
On this week's PrayerCast, we're talking about fear. It's Halloween later this week and it's a time when fear is turned into something fun. But our experience of fear in our lives is usually the opposite. Fear can be a prison that keeps us from experiencing the freedom that Christ offers. We need to surrender our fear to God and receive the gifts of His power, love, and a sound mind that comes from God alone.
Referenced in this week's episode: "Sound Mind" Spontaneous Worship with Jonathan & Melissa Helser and Cageless Birds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUxTXknmFoo
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we discuss the toolbox of technology that's available to use to help deepen and strengthen our personal faith as well as our discipleship relationships. We are so fortunate to be living in an age where we have a near infinite amount of information and resources available to help us grow in our faith and to partner with other believers to help them grow as well. But the paradox of this era is that many Christians, be they new believers or mature believers or somewhere in between, are not being effectively discipled. The current pandemic has added a whole new layer of challenges to discipleship as well.
In today's episode we discuss the tools we can take advantage of to continue helping others grow in their knowledge of the Word and of God as well as living life together and modeling the with God life for those who we are discipling.
This week's episode had a technical glitch with the audio, so it may sound a little different than usual
Mentioned in today's episode: YouVersion Bible App - bible.com or the iOS, Android, & Kindle app stores YouVersion Bible App for kids- Bible.com/kids or the iOS, Android, & Kindle app stores Infinitum - infinitumlife.com or or the iOS and Android app stores Blue Letter Bible - blueletterbible.org or the iOS, Android, & Kindle app stores The Discovery Bible - thediscoverybible.com (Windows and MacOS apps available now, iOS apps coming soon) Group.me - Group messaging app Called Podcast - https://www.relevantmagazine.com/series/called/ Lead Stories Podcast - https://www.leadstoriespodcast.com That Sounds Fun Podcast - https://www.anniefdowns.com/podcast/ We're Going There Podcast - https://anchor.fm/weregoingtherewithbianca Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast - https://andystanley.com/podcast/ Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast - https://careynieuwhof.com/mypodcast/ Typology Podcast - https://www.typologypodcast.com Worship & Technology Podcast - https://www.multitracks.com/blog/category/the-worship-technology-podcast/
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we finish up our discussion about evangelism by talking about what practical and personal evangelism looks like and some of the things that keep us from actually practicing evangelism in our lives.
Evangelism doesn't have to be a scary thing. It's simply sharing the truth of what Jesus has done in our lives and inviting others to find out for themselves the freedom and love that God freely offers everyone.
Referenced in this episode:
Stephen Court Elevator Pitch Video: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.court.3/videos/1699609540075534/
Penn Jillette Gifted A Bible Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md638smQd8
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we start a two part series on evangelism. Evangelism can be a loaded word in the church where nearly all Christians will acknowlege that it's important and most will say that it's the job of someone else who has the spiritual gift of evangelism. THIS IS NOT TRUE!
We all have the ability and the calling to be evangelists and spread the good news of the Gospel. What needs to change is our perception of what evangelism is and how we can be active participants in it. Over the next two weeks we'll discuss the importance of evangelism, how to be an effective evangelist (instead of an agressive and confrontational person yelling at people on the street corner), and some of the roadblocks that keep us from practicing evangelism.
Referenced in today's episode is this blog post from church leadership expert Thom Ranier: https://churchanswers.com/blog/seven_reasons_why_evangelism_should_be_a_priority_of_your_church/
In this week's episode, we finish up our series on vision discussing how we can communicate our vision plan that we wrote after part two and how to make the plan become a reality. This is where the ideas become tangible and we put the vision into motion. It's an exciting time, but we also have to be prepared for some resistance and to evaluate our progress at regular intervals.
Remember, the Program Department is doing a "Vision Tour" and we would love the opportunity to visit your corps and help partner with you in developing a vision plan and putting it into action. Please reach out to us if you want to schedule a time for us to come and visit.
Mentioned in this episode: The Vision Driven Leader - https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07VNHC41J
Vision Driven Church Leader - https://visiondrivenleader.com/church/
In this week's episode, we're continuing our discussion on vision and discussing how we can start putting together a team and a vision plan. It's a process that only works if everyone is committed to the leading of the Holy Spirit and focused on discerning God's vision.
The idea of vision-casting can seem overwhelming, particularly if you haven't gone through the process before. If you'd like some help discovering and casting a vision for your corps, our department has planned a "Vision Tour" where we can come and help you walk through the process. If you are interested in more information please contact us to schedule your very own "tour stop!"
Mentioned in this episode: The Vision Driven Leader - https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07VNHC41J
Vision Driven Church Leader - https://visiondrivenleader.com/church/
Hello again friends! Welcome to season two of the PrayerCast where we've got a lot of great topics planned. We're going to begin this season with a three part discussion of vision. There's a lot of people and a lot of churches that don't take sufficient time to discern what God's vision is for them and their ministry. But if we'e serving Him, we should be making sure that we're going in a direction that He wants us to go.
For this first episode, we're looking at why it's important to have vision and why you don't need to be a visionary to have one.
Mentioned in this episode: The Vision Driven Leader - https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07VNHC41J
Vision Driven Church Leader - https://visiondrivenleader.com/church/
Today on the season one finale episode of the PrayerCast we talk about masks. There has been a lot of talk about the importance of wearing masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, and we should all do our part to show this simple act of love and kindness to those around us. But the spiritual masks that cover our hidden sin are a big danger and can allow the sin in our lives to grow out of control. We discuss the importance of dealing with these hidden sins early, not letting hypocrisy seep into our lives, and how to take off our spiritual masks and do the hard work of bringing our hidden sin out into the sunlight so we can be free of it.
This is our last episode until season two begins in September. We'll still be posting information and tools for spiritual growth during the time between seasons, so keep checking back regularly. We'll see everyone in September for the start of our second season!
For this week's episode of the PrayerCast we welcome our new Divisional Leaders, Majors Marc and Karen Johnson, to our podcast. We discuss their personal history and interests along with their approach to ministry and what excites them about the opportunity to serve as the leaders of the Indiana Division. They've been on the job one whole week and it is a great privilege for us to welcome them to our division.
We are going to conclude the first season of the PrayerCast next week, but don't fret. We will return later this year with a second season. We'll expand on some of the things we've talked about previously like the Enneagram and continue to look at the new ministry dynamics we face in the rapidly changing world we live in.
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast our topic is Joy! As we look around at the world, it's possible to think that joy is being held hostage by fear, anger, and despair. But the joy that we uniquely have as Christ followers can never run out and it should be the guiding light that gets us through times of sorrow.
How are you going to choose to lean in to joy?
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we talk about the topic of authority and spend most of the time focusing specifically on God's authority. As Christians, we are very familiar with God's power and how nothing is impossible for Him. But where many struggle or even stumble is understanding God's authority which often means He doesn't act in the way we desire. We discuss how believers are freed by submitting to God's authority and how when we walk in that authority God can do powerful things through us.
Referenced in our episode: Authority by Elevation Worship: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sX1xXzAO0E Enter Wild by Carlos Whittaker: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525654003/ (Sorry Carlos for calling your book by the wrong name initially.)
On this week's episode we discuss the topic of justice as a spiritual discipline and have a guided prayer time for justice in our world. Everyone is aware of the tragic murders of George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and the protests that have spread across the country in the weeks since. We discuss how we as Christ followers should respond to injustice of all kinds in our world and our calling as God's children to seek justice for the oppressed. We end with a time of guided prayer for justice, seeking God's direction for individual and corporate lamentation, confession, and repentance.
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we're joined by Lt. Rachel Johnson of the The Salvation Army Lafayette Corps to talk about the Enneagram. You may have heard us talk about the Enneagram in our previous episodes but maybe you don't know what it is. Or maybe you know what the Enneagram is but are skeptical of its use or value.
This episode is intended to answer some of the common questions about the personal and spiritual applications of the Enneagram and how we can use it to understand ourselves better, build healthier relationships, and to grow deeper in our spiritual lives. Our discussion is at a surface level without going into a lot of detail about the 9 types themselves. If you'd like more information on the Enneagram, please see the links below.
https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/how-the-enneagram-system-works https://www.theroadbacktoyou.com https://www.theenneagramjourney.org https://www.typologypodcast.com https://www.amazon.com/dp/0553378201/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0824519507/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830836004/
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we conclude the second part of our discussion with Major Nathan Harms and Lt. Joshua Hubbard who join us to discuss what they have learned as pastors trying to minister during the pandemic. We discuss how to gather in-person safely, how and why to make changes to existing ministries, and the difference between doing a good thing and doing the right thing.
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we welcome Major Nathan Harms and Lt. Joshua Hubbard who join us to discuss what they have learned as pastors trying to minister during the pandemic. We also discuss what in-person ministry will look like as the restrictions on gatherings begin to be loosened. This conversation is wide-reaching and has been split into two episodes. We cover a lot of ground on the topics of renewal, change, how to gather in-person safely, what structure corporate worship will have, and how to follow the Spirit's leading in deciding which ministries need to resume immediately and which need to wait to restart.
On this week's episode of the PrayerCast, we discuss the topic of how to lead through times of change. We are all experiencing a huge upheaval in our world and so much uncertainty about the future. For church leaders, we have a responsibility to help the Body of Christ remember the foundation of our faith while also adapting to meet the new opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic has given us to do ministry differently.
There are no easy answers to how we lead through change. There is no magic formula that we can use to guarantee success. What we need is to remember what can never change, what may need to change, and what has to change. If we are faithful to God’s leading in this season, we can emerge from the pandemic stronger and more effective in our mission to share the Gospel with a world that desperately needs it.
On today's episode of the PrayerCast, we welcome our first ever special guest. We are joined by Pastor Dave Stephens, lead pastor of Connection Church in Canton, MI. Dave has a long history with our co-host Phil Hull and spent years in a spiritual director role to help him through some very difficult times in his walk with Jesus.
Our discussion is both personal and practical as we talk about the importance of the spiritual direction process and having someone to help you discern the leading of the Holy Spirit for your life.
Just a reminder that as of next week we are moving to posting one episode per week on Wednesdays. The format will be a little different, but we'll be getting into some deeper discussions about ministry in the wake of COVID-19, the spiritual application of the Enneagram, and other interesting topics.
Today's Worship Wednesday is focused on transformation. When we become followers of Jesus, we don't stay the same. An encounter with Jesus should leave us different. Transformation is both immediate and a process that happens over time. Our worship set today includes songs that tell the story of transformation from death to life, the desire to be more like Jesus, and to lay down old flames to carry His new fire.
Beginning next week, we are transitioning to only one episode per week on Wednesdays. We are working on some other projects over the weeks to come that will make it difficult to keep up the same schedule. We are also going to work on some different ideas for things to cover on the PrayerCast beyond our current format. We hope you will continue to tune in to see what will be coming in the future.
For this week's Meditation Monday we address a topic that many struggle with but are unsure how to talk about: Assurance of Salvation. How do we know that we are saved? How can we be sure that our sins have been forgiven and that we are fully adopted into God's family?
Nearly all Christians struggle with these doubts at some point in their walk with Jesus. The enemy frequently uses these types of questions to attack us and weaken our faith. But the good news, the literal Gospel itself, is that we can remove all doubts and walk in confidence that we are a new creation.
If you would like some one on one prayer, you can email uscindprogram@usc.salvationarmy.org or you can call or text 317-886-0715 and we will arrange a Zoom meeting to pray with you.
On this Formation Friday, we look at the important (but often overlooked) practice of fasting. While we may think that fasting is something that we can choose to do or choose not to do, in truth Jesus has instructed us that fasting should be a part of our foundational practice of faith.
While fasting requires personal sacrifice, it gives us the opportunity to identify with Christ's sacrifice. It also allows us to examine our attachments, habits, and desires to understand why they may interfere with our pursuit of Christ-likeness. By intentionally fasting from these things, we can walk in freedom and make the time for deeper prayer and listening to the voice of God.
Today's Worship Wednesday set is centered on the risen Christ. While we all celebrated Easter differently this year, we shouldn't limit our celebration of the resurrection to one Sunday. Christ is risen, he is still on the throne, and he is still the one worthy of our praise. We take time today to worship our savior and to thank him for the living hope he is for us.
Our set includes "Christ Be Magnified" by Cody Carnes and Cory Asbury, "Is He Worthy?" by Andrew Peterson, and "Living Hope" by Phil Wickham.
Our topic for our guided prayer and reflection time on this Meditiation Monday is pathways. We have a unique opportunity in this moment to seek out God's direction for our future because so much of our lives has been put on hold. What if we looked at this time of intentionally slowing down and staying home as an opportunity to let God lead us down a new path and be free from the entanglements that have held us back in the past?
Our path ahead can be following in the footsteps of Jesus to discover a new trail and new opportunities, or it can look like a loop back to where we feel comfortable and safe. Let's not waste this moment and fall back into the ruts that were so comfortable before, let's let God set a new pathway for us.
On this Formation Friday, we take a look at the spiritual discipline of forgiveness. During this COVID-19 pandemic where we are in closer quarters than usual, it's more important than ever for us to make a point to practice forgiveness. For Christians, we are commanded to forgive because we have been forgiven. We can also experience freedom from bitterness and understand the heart of Jesus better when we practice forgiveness just as Christ did.
This week's Worship Wednesday is focused on the presence of God. We begin with a song written from God's perspective where He reminds us, "I am with you. I have called you by name. Your labor is not in vain." The second song is our response to God's presence, to declare and thank God for His goodness.
Please take some time out of your day to invite God's presence in wherever you are. He is always with us, but far too often we let our circumstances or busyness crowd Him out. So whatever you're doing today, let your awareness of God's presence fill your mind.
For this episode of the PrayerCast, we look at the difficult but necessary topics of confession, relinquishment, & self-examination. We talk about the process of allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of our lives where we need to change, confessing our spiritual poverty, and releasing those things to allow room for God to do something new in our lives.
It's important to undergo this process with the direction of the Holy Spirit. Without God's guidance, this process quickly could turn into a pity party where shame overtakes us. However, when this is done in God's presence, it is a part of strengthening our lives and striving towards Christ-likeness.
Today's question for reflection: Now that God has revealed things in your life that need to change, what will you do in response and how will you move forward?
Today on Formation Friday we are talking about the spiritual discipline of encouragement. You may be thinking, "But encouragement is a spiritual gift!" While that is true and some do have that spiritual gift, those who don't can still grow in that area by practicing intentional encouragement as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We all need to make an extra effort to be encouraging in these difficult times. So many people are feeling discouraged and hopeless due to the circumstances they are facing. We as believers can speak the truth and love of God into people's lives and remind them who they are and whose they are.
We're changing things up for our Worship Wednesdays starting this week. Instead of covering one song in depth each week, we're going to worship with a set of songs around a theme. This week's theme is the power of God and our songs are There's Nothing Our God Can't Do by Passion, Way Maker by Sinach, and See A Victory by Elevation Worship.
We hope that this extended time of worship will be an encouragement to you today.
For our Holy Week edition of Worship Wednesday, we're introducing the song Isn't He (This Jesus) by The Belonging Co. featuring Natalie Grant. This song is a powerful meditation on the attributes of Jesus and why he is deserving of our praise. It's a great song to sing during Holy Week as we mourn the cross and celebrate the resurrection. He alone is worthy to be honored and adored! AMEN!
For our Holy Week edition of Meditation Monday, we take a look at the concept of courage and how we can have spiritual courage. Often spiritual courage involves patience and waiting which can be difficult for many of us. What we are reminded in today's video is that our strength and courage comes from being "entwined" with the Lord.
Special shoutout to Major Andrew S Miller Jr for being referenced for the second straight episode. Thanks for being such an example of courageous faith for all of us Major Andy!
Today's questions for reflection: Is God revealing any places where you are actually entwined with fear or with the opposition you’re facing, instead of Him? If so, what do you want to do about it? What impact do you expect from “waiting on God” in your circumstance? What would happen if you attempted to do that something for God that is so big that it is doomed to fail unless His hand is in it?
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For our second Formation Friday, we look at the spiritual discipline of prayer walking. In this season of social distancing and sheltering at home, we still have the ability to leave our homes and walk around our neighborhoods provided we keep a safe distance from others. When we are out in our neighborhoods, it provides a great opportunity to carry God's presence with us as we pray and invite Him into our neighborhoods and communities. Prayer walking may also present an opportunity for us to minister to our neighbors as so many are dealing with intense emotions about their families, jobs, and our world.
Today's question for reflection: Where is a place of opportunity in your community can you find a place to prayer walk this week? What is an overlooked place in your community where God’s presence may need to be felt?
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For this week's Worship Wednesday, we are singing the 2019 Hillsong Worship song King of Kings. It's a simple presentation of the Gospel in just four verses of a song, but it's also a deep theological reflection on the sacrifice Christ made on the cross and the joy we celebrate because of the empty tomb. As we celebrate Lent and prepare our hearts for Easter, this song can remind us that "praise forever to the King of Kings" is the natural response to the love that Jesus has shown us.
Today's question for reflection: As we are celebrating Lent in a different way this year, how are you taking time to reflect on the message of the cross? How is this inspiring you to praise God in the middle of your circumstances?
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For this week's Worship Wednesday, we are singing the 2019 Hillsong Worship song King of Kings. It's a simple presentation of the Gospel in just four verses of a song, but it's also a deep theological reflection on the sacrifice Christ made on the cross and the joy we celebrate because of the empty tomb. As we celebrate Lent and prepare our hearts for Easter, this song can remind us that "praise forever to the King of Kings" is the natural response to the love that Jesus has shown us.
Today's question for reflection: As we are celebrating Lent in a different way this year, how are you taking time to reflect on the message of the cross? How is this inspiring you to praise God in the middle of your circumstances?
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For this week's Worship Wednesday, we are singing the 2019 Hillsong Worship song King of Kings. It's a simple presentation of the Gospel in just four verses of a song, but it's also a deep theological reflection on the sacrifice Christ made on the cross and the joy we celebrate because of the empty tomb. As we celebrate Lent and prepare our hearts for Easter, this song can remind us that "praise forever to the King of Kings" is the natural response to the love that Jesus has shown us.
Today's question for reflection: As we are celebrating Lent in a different way this year, how are you taking time to reflect on the message of the cross? How is this inspiring you to praise God in the middle of your circumstances?
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For our second Meditation Monday, we discuss the topic of gratitude and how to maintain a posture of gratitude regardless of our circumstances. Today's prayer is to show our gratitude to God for His generousness to us and to also be generous with others as a way to bring glory to Him.
Today's question for reflection: How do your words, actions, and attitude encourage the spread of gratitude?
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For the third episode of the PrayerCast an our first Formation Friday, we look at the spiritual discipline of solitude. For those who are staying at home to be safe, it may seem impossible to find time to be alone and distraction free to spend time with God. But the truth is that solitude must be a priority for us at all times, and especially now. Practicing solitude allows us to rest in God's presence and to hear what He is saying free from all of the noise that fills our daily lives.
Today's question for reflection: Where can you find at least 15 minutes today to be alone and distraction free in God’s presence? Head over to our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/TSAINDProgram) and let us know your answer to the question. You can also give us feedback on what you're enjoying about the PrayerCast and the topics that you'd like us to cover in future episodes.
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For our second episode of the PrayerCast, Major Rachel Stouder and Phil Hull introduce the brand new song The Blessing by Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, and Elevation Worship.
This is a powerful song with words taken straight from scripture. It's also an important song for the times we are living in and a reminder of the peace that God brings us and His heart for us as His children.
Today's moments for reflection: Take a moment to reflect on all of the ways God has blessed you. Parents, pray this song over your children before they go to sleep at night. Write out the words and post them in a prominent place so you can be reminded of God's presence throughout the day.
We also have an audio podcast version available for those that want to have these episodes delivered right to your favorite app. Search for the Indiana Division PrayerCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Podcasts, and Stitcher.
Lyrics: The Lord bless you And keep you Make His face shine upon you And be gracious to you The Lord turn His Face toward you And give you peace Amen, amen, amen Amen, amen, amen May His favor be upon you And a thousand generations And your family and your children And their children, and their children May His presence go before you And behind you, and beside you All around you, and within you He is with you, He is with you In the morning, in the evening In your coming, and your going In your weeping, and rejoicing He is for you, He is for you Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
For the first installment of our "Meditation Mondays" series, Major Rachel Stouder and Phil Hull talk about the topic of peace and how important it is to focus on the peace that only God can give during these turbulent times. We take a look at Isaiah 26 and Philippians 4 to see what scripture has to say to us about peace.
Today's question for reflection: How can you contribute to the peace of those around you today? Head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment with your answer. http://facebook.com/TSAINDProgram
Intro and Outro Music: On My Way by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4163-on-my-way License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/