Impact Nations Podcast

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The gap between the world's rich and poor is wider today than at any point in recorded history — in any nation, at any time. So what does that have to do with the gospel?
Season 13 of the Impact Nations Podcast launches with a new format and a new sense of urgency. Tim Stewart is joined each week this season by his father, Steve Stewart, Founder and President of Impact Nations, teaching from his home office as Tim responds in real time with the same questions you might be asking. Together they're beginning a season-long series on justice and peace, originally planned as "Peace and Justice" until Steve felt the Lord redirect him: justice has to come first, as the foundation everything else is built on.
In this opening episode, Steve explains why he set aside a planned continuation of their Genesis series to address this topic with what he calls a greater sense of urgency than any series he's taught before. He walks through where we are: historic political polarization spreading across the U.S., Western Europe, Canada, and Australia; record economic inequality; and flashpoint issues like immigration and racial justice that dominate the news cycle. Steve and Tim compare this moment to the tumultuous 1960s, and Steve makes the case, twice, that "there is no such thing as a nonpolitical gospel or a nonpolitical Jesus" — while carefully distinguishing speaking prophetically about what Jesus cared about from aligning the church with any political party.
The conversation covers what justice actually means biblically (over 2,000 verses touch on it), what peace meant to Jesus and the early church versus the "tame," privatized version many of us inherited, and a real-world picture of both sides of justice at once: Impact Nations' partners in Malawi, who intercept human traffickers at the border and also minister inside the prisons where offenders are held accountable, pursuing restoration for both survivor and perpetrator.
Steve closes by previewing where the season is headed: the prophetic tradition from the Old Testament through Jesus and the early church, the "powers" behind systemic injustice, what the Bible says about immigration, Christian nationalism, Jesus and women, peacemaking, and just war theory.
In This Episode
 Why Steve set aside a planned Genesis series to teach on justice and peace with unusual urgency
Why he renamed the series from "Peace and Justice" to "Justice and Peace"
The historic scale of today's economic inequality and political polarization, by the numbers
How this moment compares to the polarization of the 1960s — and how it's different
Why Steve insists "there is no such thing as a nonpolitical gospel or a nonpolitical Jesus," without making Jesus a member of any party
What justice means biblically, and how Jesus's first public message was itself a justice declaration
How Impact Nations' partners in Malawi pursue both accountability and restoration in the fight against human trafficking
Why Steve distinguishes the "tame" gospel of inner peace from the gospel of peace Jesus and the early church actually preached
A look ahead at the rest of the season: the prophetic tradition, systemic "powers," immigration, Christian nationalism, Jesus and women, and just war theory
This is a season Tim and Steve want to be a real conversation, not a lecture. If something here challenges you, encourages you, or makes you uncomfortable, they want to hear about it — leave a respectful, thoughtful comment on YouTube or send a note through your podcast app. And if you're new here, follow or subscribe so you don't miss the rest of the series.
As always, this season will include real stories of Impact Nations partners participating in God's justice around the world. If you'd like to join that work, you can give at Impact Nations' website below.
Featured Resources
When Everything Changes: Healing, Justice & the Kingdom of God — Steve Stewart's earlier book, source of some of the material he references in this episode: https://www.amazon.com/When-Everything-Changes-Healing-Justice/dp/0981140955 
The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann — the book Steve draws on for the season's framing of "totalism" and prophetic imagination: https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506449302/The-Prophetic-Imagination
Explore 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 
Give: https://www.impactnations.com/donate
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#JusticeAndPeace #Season13 #ImpactNations #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalJustice #ChurchAndPolitics #PropheticVoice

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What if heaven isn’t somewhere far away—but a dimension of reality surrounding us right now?
To close out the Summer Series, Tim Stewart welcomes back Brian Zahnd for a fascinating conversation about heaven, pilgrimage, wonder, the false self, and his new book, Unseen Existences: Of Heaven, Earth, and the Divine Mystery in All Things.
Brian explains why heaven has become an embarrassment in serious theological circles, lumped in with escapist "fly away" thinking, sentimental clichés about departed loved ones on clouds, and sensationalized "I went to heaven and back" books. His pushback: heaven isn't a distant location somewhere past the clouds, but another dimension of reality, "the heavens," that surrounds us right now. Tim and Brian also talk through where Brian gently disagrees with N.T. Wright's caution around Platonic thought, recruiting C.S. Lewis to make his case.
The conversation moves into life as pilgrimage. Brian, who has walked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago four times, describes what a spiritual journey teaches that a plane ticket to the same destination never could, and how doubt, wonder, and even losing old certainties along the way can be part of authentic faith rather than a threat to it. He shares one of the sharper lines from the book: "Christianity without transcendence degenerates into politics," and what a "holy ambivalence" toward political partisanship might look like instead.
Tim and Brian also dig into one of the book's most striking chapters, "Depart From Me," reconciling Jesus's gentle response to Peter's confession of sin with his far more sobering words at the judgment, "I never knew you." Brian explains why he believes that verdict falls on the false self we try to become, not the person God actually made us to be. Along the way, Brian tells the story behind "The Reverend," a haunting short story cut from the final manuscript about a Puritan pastor who blessed a massacre, and what it imagines happening when that pastor stands before Christ.

In This Episode
Why heaven has "gone missing" from serious theological conversation, and the three unhelpful ways people talk about it instead
Why Brian says heaven isn't a distant place but "a different dimension" that is all around us right now
Where Brian pushes back on N.T. Wright's caution toward Platonic thought, with help from C.S. Lewis
Why Brian argues that "Christianity without transcendence degenerates into politics"
What walking the Camino de Santiago four times taught Brian about pilgrimage, friendship, and spiritual transformation
Why losing our sense of wonder isn't inevitable, and a simple daily discipline for reclaiming it
How to hold together Jesus's compassion toward Peter and his sobering words, "I never knew you," at the judgment
The story behind "The Reverend," the short story cut from the book, and its message about mercy at the final judgment
This wraps thirteen weeks of Summer Series conversations exploring who God really is. If any of these episodes have challenged or encouraged you, follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast, and share your favorite conversation with someone who'd value it too.

Featured Resources
Unseen Existences by Brian Zahnd (available now from InterVarsity Press): IVP: https://www.ivpress.com/unseen-existences Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Existences-Heaven-Divine-Mystery/dp/1514005646
“The Reverend” (the short story Brian mentions, plus its audio performance): https://brianzahnd.substack.com/p/audio-performance-of-the-reverend
Brian Zahnd's website: https://brianzahnd.com
Brian Zahnd on Substack: https://brianzahnd.substack.com
Word of Life Church: https://wolc.com

Explore Impact Nations
Website: https://www.impactnations.com
Journeys of Compassion (upcoming trips to Zimbabwe, the Philippines, and Nicaragua): https://impactnations.com/joc
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
Give: https://www.impactnations.com/donate

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#BrianZahnd #UnseenExistences #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #Heaven #Pilgrimage

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What if the truest picture of power we'll ever see isn't a throne or an army, but a baby who can't lift his own head—or a man nailed to a cross who refuses to fight back?
In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart welcomes Kenneth Tanner, pastor of Holy Redeemer in Rochester Hills, Michigan, theologian, and author of the new book Vulnerable God: How Jesus Upends Our Assumptions About God—and Shows Us How to Be Human, releasing September 29 with a foreword by Brian Zahnd.
Kenneth makes the case that we shouldn't start with abstract ideas about God's power, sovereignty, or holiness and then try to squeeze Jesus into them. We should start with Jesus and let his life rearrange everything else. Tim and Kenneth talk through what it means to call Jesus "the human God," why weakness and humility aren't the opposite of divine power but its actual source, and how the incarnation—from the vulnerability of an infant to the vulnerability of the cross—reveals a strength the world rarely recognizes as strength at all.
The conversation moves into what it means to be truly human. Kenneth reframes salvation less as rescue from an angry God and more as restoration of an image already present in us, borrowing Athanasius's picture of a master restorer cleaning centuries of grime off a painting to bring the original colors back to the surface. He also challenges the popular idea of a "sin nature," arguing instead that our nature is good and has been infected by sin—a disease with a cure, not an identity we're stuck with.
They also dig into some of the Bible's hardest passages, including violent Old Testament stories, and why reading every text through Jesus—rather than reading Jesus through every text—changes the questions we're even allowed to ask. Kenneth shares two deeply personal stories: one from the day the Challenger shuttle exploded, when a grieving professor's words reshaped his entire theology of suffering, and another about sitting with a family after a young man drowned, that together show what it looks like to trust a God who suffers with us rather than one who causes our suffering.

In This Episode
Why we should start with Jesus, not an abstract idea of God, when we ask what power really looks like
What it means to call Jesus "the human God"
Why a woman healed by touching Jesus's robe and a baby lying in a manger reveal the same kind of power
How Athanasius's image of a master art restorer reframes salvation as restoration rather than rescue from wrath
Why Kenneth rejects the popular idea of a "sin nature"—and what he says instead
How Irenaeus's mosaic-floor illustration changes the way we read violent Old Testament passages
What Kenneth learned about God and suffering the day the Challenger shuttle exploded
How to sit with someone who's suffering without becoming one of Job's unhelpful friends
Why Kenneth believes Jesus was inside the water with a young man who drowned, not just watching from the shore
If this conversation gives you a new way to see Jesus, follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast so you don't miss the rest of the Summer Series. Please share this episode with someone who has ever wondered where God is in their suffering, or who could use a more hopeful picture of who God actually is.

Featured Resources

Vulnerable God by Kenneth Tanner (releases September 29 — foreword by Brian Zahnd): Baker Publishing Group: https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781540902771_vulnerable-god Pre-order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vulnerable-God-Reviving-God-Us/dp/1540902773
Kenneth Tanner on Substack: https://substack.com/@kennethtanner
Kenneth Tanner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kentanner/
Holy Redeemer (Kenneth's church): https://www.holyredeemer.us
Explore 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
Give: https://www.impactnations.com/donate

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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

Explore Impact Nations

Impact Nations Website
https://www.impactnations.com

All Impact Nations Links
https://linktr.ee/impact.nations

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactNations

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

Hashtags
#MercyAiken #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #ChristianPeacemaking #GazaRelief #ChristiansInPalestine #HolySpirit