Impact Nations Podcast

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Jesus spoke truth to power, confronted injustice, and stood with people pushed to the margins. But does that make the church political—and if so, how can it engage public life without becoming captive to a political party?
In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart is joined by Rev. Dr. Jonathan C. “Jay” Augustine, Senior Pastor of Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta. Dr. Augustine is a pastor, author, legal scholar, educator, military veteran, and public theologian whose work brings together faith, justice, reconciliation, and the public calling of the church.
Jay shares how his mother’s instruction to “call a thing a thing” shaped his life in law, ministry, and public service. He and Tim explore the crucial difference between being prophetic and being partisan, why Jesus provides the clearest model of speaking truth to institutions of power, and what happens when the church becomes more interested in acquiring power than following Christ.
The conversation also moves beyond public statements and political debates. What does a communal gospel require of us? How can churches stand alongside people affected by injustice, meet practical needs, and become living signs of reconciliation? And why does faithful civic participation still matter?

IN THIS EPISODE

●      What it means to “call a thing a thing”
●      Why prophetic ministry is political—but not partisan
●      Jesus as the model for speaking truth to power
●      How Christian nationalism can confuse faith with the pursuit of power
●      Why Christian faith is communal, not merely individual
●      How churches can meet the practical needs of marginalized communities
●      The vertical and horizontal dimensions of reconciliation
●      Why informed civic participation and voting still matter
Follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast for more honest conversations about following Jesus in the real world. If this episode challenges or encourages you, share it with someone wrestling with the church’s role in public life.

FEATURED RESOURCES

Dr. Jay Augustine:
https://www.jayaugustine.com
Big Bethel AME Church:
https://www.bigbethelame.org
When Prophets Preach:
Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit
Called to Reconciliation:
How the Church Can Model Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion

EXPLORE IMPACT NATIONS

Impact Nations:
https://www.impactnations.com
Journeys of Compassion:
https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion
Give:
https://www.impactnations.com/donate
Follow Impact Nations on TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations

HASHTAGS

#JayAugustine #FaithAndJustice #ChurchAndPolitics #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations

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What happens when sharing Jesus becomes a project to manage rather than a relationship built on love?

In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart welcomes back Mercy Aiken, a peace advocate, author, and pilgrimage leader serving with Peace Catalyst International in Jordan.

Mercy shares what she is hearing from people from Gaza who have come to Jordan for medical care. She also tells stories of local teams providing food, shelter, practical care, prayer, and the simple assurance that those they serve have not been forgotten.

The conversation then turns toward a deeper question: How do followers of Jesus build genuine friendships across religious and cultural lines without treating people as projects?

Mercy challenges common assumptions about Christians in Palestine, reflects on the hospitality she has experienced among Muslims, and explains why she believes it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convert people. Our role is to love, listen, bear witness, and make room for the Spirit to work.

Mercy also reflects on the unique invitation of Jesus to know God as Father and shares stories of profound spiritual openness among Muslim and Jewish friends.

This is a candid conversation about suffering, peacemaking, dignity, and the quiet power of presence.

In This Episode
What Mercy is building through Peace Catalyst International in Jordan
What she is hearing from Gazans receiving medical care outside Gaza
How practical relief and compassionate presence help people know they are seen
Why the Christian presence in Palestine must not be forgotten
How Christians can build genuine friendships with Muslim neighbours
The difference between sharing Jesus and trying to control the outcome
Mercy’s understanding of Jesus as the way to know God as Father
Why conversion belongs to the Holy Spirit

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If this conversation helps you see peacemaking, mission, or the Middle East differently, follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast.

Please share this episode with someone who would value a thoughtful conversation about following Jesus in a divided world.

Featured Resources

Impact Nations Gaza Relief

Help provide practical support through Impact Nations’ trusted partners and teams serving families in Gaza:

https://www.impactnations.com/relief-gaza

Peace Catalyst International

Explore Christian peacemaking resources and learn more about the work Mercy is helping lead:

https://peacecatalyst.org

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Impact Nations Website
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#MercyAiken #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #ChristianPeacemaking #GazaRelief #ChristiansInPalestine #HolySpirit

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What if Christ is already present in the people we overlook—and what if sin has not separated us from the God who is holding us together?

In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart sits down with his dear friend Dr. Bradley Jersak, Principal of St. Stephen’s University, Director of the SSU School of Theology & Culture, author of more than twenty books—including A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Word—and a member of the Impact Nations Board of Directors.

Bradley begins with the message at the heart of his life and work: “God is exactly like Jesus.” From there, Tim and Bradley explore what it means to encounter Christ in unexpected people and places, especially among those the Church has been trained to approach as projects rather than partners.

They reconsider familiar assumptions about Christian mission, the Great Commission, salvation, and separation from God. Bradley shares stories of meeting Christ among unhoused neighbours, learning from Indigenous wisdom, and witnessing restoration in someone experiencing profound addiction and brokenness.

The conversation also turns inward. How much of our anger, judgment, and religious certainty is driven by fear or untreated wounds? How can we understand the wounds beneath destructive behaviour without excusing the harm? And how do we pursue justice without allowing resentment, contempt, or rage bait to shape our hearts?

This is a warm, candid conversation about mercy, mutuality, healing, and learning to recognize the work Christ may already be doing before we arrive.

In This Episode
Why “God is exactly like Jesus” has become Bradley’s central life message
How younger people respond to a more Christlike vision of God
Why serving marginalized people must involve listening, partnership, and mutuality
The Indigenous elder who told Christian visitors, “Christ was here 500 years before the first Christians arrived”
How colonial assumptions have shaped common readings of the Great Commission
What it means to say that all people exist in Christ
Why Bradley distinguishes alienation from actual separation from God
Salvation as a past, present, and future journey of whole-person restoration
How fear, wounds, resentment, and contempt affect the way we treat others
If this conversation gives you something new to consider, follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast so you don’t miss the rest of the Summer Series. Share this episode with someone who is rethinking mission, salvation, or what it means to recognize Christ in others.

Featured Resources

Bradley Jersak’s website:
https://bradjersak.com
Bradley Jersak on Substack:
https://substack.com/@bradleyjersak
Bradley Jersak on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bradley.jersak/
Bradley’s books, including A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Word:
https://bradjersak.com/books/
St. Stephen’s University:
https://www.ssu.ca
Certificate in Transformative Leadership:
https://www.ssu.ca/cert-in-transformative-leadership
Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership:
https://www.ssu.ca/ma-in-transformative-leadership
Connect With Impact Nations
Website:
https://www.impactnations.com
Journeys of Compassion:
https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion
All Impact Nations links:
https://linktr.ee/impact.nations
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactNations
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/impactnationsministries
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/impact.nations
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-nations-international-ministries-inc
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations

Help Make Restoration Possible
Become a Monthly Impact Champion and help Impact Nations keep showing up with practical compassion, trusted local leadership, and long-term pathways toward restoration:
https://www.impactnations.com/monthly-impact-champions
Give to Impact Nations:
https://www.impactnations.com/donate
#BradleyJersak #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #ChristlikeGod #FaithAndJustice #ChristianMission #Restoration

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Leadership can begin with a sincere desire to serve—and quietly turn into the belief that everything depends on you.
In this episode of the Impact Nations Podcast, Tim Stewart welcomes author, speaker, leadership coach, and Ezer Collective founder Jo Saxton for an honest conversation about calling, character, burnout, identity, and the hidden costs of leading others.
Jo challenges the idea that leadership is simply a position or job title. Healthy leadership is shaped by how we use our influence, how honestly we face our wounds and limitations, and whether the people around us are becoming healthier—or simply learning to imitate our dysfunction.
Together, Tim and Jo explore imposter syndrome, the pressure to be the solution, the importance of rest and trusted relationships, and what happens when leaders ignore their humanity for too long. Jo also shares candidly about her own season of exhaustion and disillusionment, why she needed to step away, and what helped her rediscover her calling.
The conversation also turns toward how churches identify and develop leaders, why charisma must never be valued above character, and whether our practices truly reflect what we claim to believe about women and leadership.

In this episode:

• Why leadership is more than a title, platform, or position
• How imposter syndrome can prevent people from developing their gifts
• Why leaders become dangerous when they believe they are the solution
• How our habits quietly shape the culture around us
• The importance of trusted friends who can tell us the truth
• What burnout, betrayal, and disappointment can cost a leader
• Why charisma should never matter more than character
• How churches unintentionally create unhealthy leadership cultures
• What meaningful investment in women leaders actually requires 
Subscribe or follow the Impact Nations Podcast so you do not miss future conversations about faith, justice, leadership, spiritual formation, and the practical work of helping people and communities flourish.
Please share this episode with a leader, pastor, colleague, or friend who may need permission to rest, tell the truth about how they are doing, or reconsider the kind of leadership culture they are creating.

Featured Resources

Jo Saxton
https://www.josaxton.com
Ezer Collective and REVIVE
Leadership development and restorative spaces for women leading across ministry, business, healthcare, education, nonprofit work, and other fields:
https://www.josaxton.com/ezer-collective/

Connect with Impact Nations

Website:
https://www.impactnations.com
Journeys of Compassion:
https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion
All Impact Nations links:
https://linktr.ee/impact.nations
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactNations
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/impactnationsministries
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/impact.nations
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-nations-international-ministries-inc
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations
Impact Nations works alongside trusted local leaders to bring practical expressions of God’s kingdom to vulnerable communities around the world. Our partners provide clean water, medical care, food relief, vocational training, support for vulnerable women and children, and pathways toward lasting transformation.
To support this work:
https://www.impactnations.com/donate
#JoSaxton #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #HealthyLeadership #WomenInLeadership #LeadershipBurnout #ChristianLeadership

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Rescuing someone from danger can save a life. But what does it take for that person to become truly free?

In this compelling conversation, Tim Stewart welcomes Danielle Strickland—author, speaker, justice advocate, and founder of movements working for freedom, healing, and human flourishing—to explore why rescue is only the beginning of liberation.

Danielle explains why getting people out of harm must be followed by the longer work of getting the harm out of people. Together, she and Tim discuss trauma, community, prayer, justice, dignity, women in leadership, and the systems that keep people trapped. Danielle also shares what working as a brothel chaplain taught her about abandoning the role of rescuer, asking for help, and discovering mutual transformation.

In this episode:

• Why rescue is the beginning—not the finish line
• How people are gradually “unwound” from trauma and oppression
• Why community and belonging are essential to freedom
• What prayer has to do with justice
• How Jesus restored dignity by giving people agency
• What brothel chaplaincy taught Danielle about receiving help
• Why play can be part of healing from trauma
• Women, leadership, and the example of Jesus
• Why lasting freedom requires both personal and systemic transformation

If this conversation challenges or encourages you, please FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE and SHARE it with someone who would value these hope-filled discussions. Helping new listeners discover the podcast is one of the most meaningful ways you can support its growth.

FEATURED RESOURCES

🌐 Danielle Strickland
https://www.daniellestrickland.com

🔥 The Boundless Collective
https://www.boundlessenterprise.org/join-the-collective

EXPLORE IMPACT NATIONS

🌐 Website
https://www.impactnations.com

🌍 Journeys of Compassion
https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion

❤️ Give and help families move from crisis to flourishing
https://www.impactnations.com/donate

🔗 All Impact Nations links
https://linktr.ee/impact.nations

FOLLOW IMPACT NATIONS

YouTube
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Facebook
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Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/impact.nations

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-nations-international-ministries-inc

TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations

#DanielleStrickland #SummerSeries2026 #Freedom #Justice #Healing #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations