Pastor Joshua Chatman joins Austin to talk about how to be agents of unity in difficult political seasons. We learned during the last election cycle of the deep divides within the Church over politics. Josh and Austin talk about what we should not do, and what we should do as we relate to our brothers and sisters who think differently about politics. When the watching world thinks about Christians and politics, we hope they have a more positive example in the future than they have had in our rec...
Jul 17, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 186
Dan Darling joins the show once again to talk through political convictions. It's no secret that this is a difficult political season for a lot of Christians. Without diving into the weeds of any specific issue, Dan and Austin discuss how we should arrive at our political convictions and how we should relate to brothers and sisters who have arrived at different convictions. Please join us in praying that we'd all do better in showing love and charity towards those with whom we disagree. LINKS &a...
Jul 10, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Happy fourth of July! This week we are joined by special guest, Pastor Bobby Scott. "Bible Bobby" is a friend of the ministry who has been on the podcast and has written for us several times. He has a particular interest in black history and all the ways our nation has failed to live up to its ideals in its treatment of black people. Despite this, Bobby is a proud military dad and a patriotic American. We talk through that tension and think about what it means to love an imperfect nation. We hop...
Jul 04, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 184
On today's special episode, Pastor Isaac Adams interviews one of his church members, Brittany Elmer. Brittany and her husband have adopted three special needs children, none of whom share their ethnicity. Her son, Isaac, went to be with the Lord earlier this year. Brittany shares how the prayers of her friends carried her through that tragedy, and how she is still learning about special needs and transracial adoption. We hope Brittany's testimony and example are an encouragement to you. LINKS &a...
Jun 26, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 183
Dr. Timothy Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at BIOLA University in California. He is also co-author of End the Stalemate: Move Past Cancel Culture to Meaningful Conversations along with his BIOLA colleague Sean McDowell. This book, which came out today, is an excellent resource for what to do when conversations feel stuck, as can often happen when discussing race. We encourage you to check out the book and hope you are helped by this conversation. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podca...
Jun 18, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Brittany Salmon is a scholar and author of It Takes More than Love: A Christian Guide to Navigating the Complexities of Cross-Cultural Adoption (Moody, 2022). She is also the adoptive mother to three children who do not share her ethnicity, so her teaching on transracial adoption is not simply academic. She has spent many hours listening to birth mothers and adult adoptees whose experience has shaped her thinking on transracial adoption. She stopped by to talk with Austin about pitfalls Christia...
Jun 12, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 181
We're back in our Bible study series with Adrianna Anderson. Today we look at the minor prophets, where we see a fuller picture of God's mercy to His people, Israel, and to the nations. There are plenty of sober warnings of judgment, but God's mercy shines through these books as time and again the people are given chances to repent and know God as father rather than judge. God's mercy extends to the ends of the earth, and these 12 authors drive that point home. Along the way, we also get more de...
Jun 05, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Few things are as difficult as parenting. If you desire to raise your kids to be agents of unity among God's people, it is even harder. Josh Chatman, host of the Train 'em Up podcast stops by to talk about parenting. Austin and Josh shared their experience of both raising children who do not share their ethnicity. We hope this episode is helpful beyond the context of multi-ethnic families. As discussed on the episode, diversity and representation is a good thing for all children. All of us have ...
May 29, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 179
Today, Adrianna and Austin are exploring the major prophets and seeing God's plan for His people from all nations. While these books occur in the context immediately preceding and during the Exile, God's faithfulness permeates the whole thing. We see that God has not forgotten His people or His covenant with them. We see that while He uses the nations for judgment, He remains faithful to Israel and will deliver them from the consequences of their sin. God's faithfulness extends also to the natio...
May 22, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 178
What does the Bible say about interracial marriage? Adrianna Anderson and Austin Suter continue this exploration of Biblical Theology as we look at Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, and Ezra. These books represent the exile and the mercy of God in allowing the exile to end and for God's people to return to Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah both contain references to God's people taking foreign wives, and these passages have been abused, particularly in America, to suggest that Scripture is opposed to interra...
May 15, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Is the idea of race in the Bible? In the last episode of this series, Adrianna Anderson joined Austin to study the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. This week, we’re looking at the history books of the Old Testament: Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. God’s desire for His people was to be a light to the Nations. In these books, we see Israel relating to the surrounding peoples and sadly being influenced by them instead of the other way around. Despite their unfaithfulness, God remains faithful to H...
May 08, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Adrianna Anderson is back as we continue walking through the Old Testament. These three books, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, share the history of God's people in the promised land. There is much history here to lament and learn from, and thankfully there is history to celebrate as well. We see the people being influenced by the nations around them, and see examples of faithfulness at the same time. Through it all, God is faithful to provide for His people. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Ep...
May 01, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Adrianna Anderson is back with us to discuss the law: Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. We take a high-level view of these books and see the many lessons God has for His people in dealing with the nations. From this, we are able to start building a Biblical theology of race and ethnicity as we see God's heart for the nations present from the beginning of Scripture. We hope this series encourages you in your reading of Scripture! LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by...
Apr 24, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 174
We continue our Bible study series by looking at the book of Exodus. There are many ethnic issues in this book, from the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians, to the covenant faithfulness of Zipporah. This was a fascinating discussion and we hope you are encouraged. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. Here's a link to John Currid's Against the Gods. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on...
Apr 17, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 173
We are kicking off our Bible Study or Biblical Theology series with the book of Genesis. Adrianna Anderson brings her expertise as a Bible scholar to help us look at Scripture to see God's plan for diversity and ethnic harmony. There is so much in Scripture on this topic. Genesis is packed full of promises for the nations, as you will hear in this episode. Take up and read with us! LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. Here i...
Apr 10, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 172
Austin and Isaac were pleased to welcome Courtney Reissig to the studio today. Courtney is an accomplished author who has also been writing for us for years. We talked with her about her burden to speak out on racial matters and overcoming her own self-consciousness to do so. We hope you're encouraged by her example and our conversation together. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. Link to Courtney's books . Link to Courtne...
Apr 04, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 171
What does multi-ethnic ministry look like in different contexts? Pastor Yannick Christos-Wahab joins us to talk about his church in London. We hear about similarities and differences between the UK and the US, and Yannick gives us a positive vision for being salt and light in a dark world. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. You can learn more about Yannick and his church here . Support the show To learn more about United? ...
Mar 27, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Isaac and Austin sit down for the second installment in our FAQ series with a question we often get on the road - "what if my church doesn't care about ethnic unity?" We talk through scenarios when someone might want to leave their church, but spend most of the conversation cautioning against making quick decisions or judgments about others. Not everyone has to care about and pursue ethnic unity in the exact same way. In God's economy, our differences are actually a good thing. LINKS & SHOW ...
Mar 20, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 169
Dr. Randy Newman joins Austin to discuss the disturbing increase in antisemitism happening in the world right now. Randy shares his own experience with antisemitism, shares some of his family history, and provides a theological perspective on why history keeps repeating itself. We hope you will join us in praying for our Jewish neighbors. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. You can pre-order Randy's new book here . Here's t...
Mar 13, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 168
Pastor Josh Chatman is back with us because he thinks Christians need to grow in our application of charity. Christian charity is just another way to speak about loving our neighbors, which is a duty all of us have. We don't have to agree with, understand, or even like someone to be kind to them. We do this in our churches, families, and workplaces, and when we do it well, God is glorified. Please join us in praying we'd look more like Jesus as we apply Christian charity. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:...
Mar 06, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 167
When we think of abolitionists, most of us think of Abraham Lincoln or John Brown. But there were many black abolitionists doing the work who, for whatever reason, haven't received the recognition they deserve. In this episode, Jasmine Holmes stops by to educate us on some of the black abolitionists who helped bring about the end of slavery and who did amazing work in the years following the Civil War. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Ros...
Feb 28, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 166
As we continue our Black History Month series, we look today at the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a remarkably gifted man who managed to lead the complex, often contentious movement we now think of as the Civil Rights Movement. Though he is beloved in our day, he was hated in his own. Helping us think through all of this is Dr. Kevin Smith, a pastor and church historian. We appreciate Dr. Smith's insight and hope you are encouraged by the episode. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This ...
Feb 21, 2024•43 min•Season 1Ep. 165
Continuing our Black History Month series, Jasmine Holmes stops by the podcast to talk about the faith of American slaves and the persecution they endured. We also discuss historical sources that can give us an an idea of what slavery was like for the saints who lived through it. God sustained His people and heard their prayers, even in the worst circumstances. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. You can find books by Jasmi...
Feb 14, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 164
It will surprise no one to see that we're kicking off Black History Month by talking about Francis Grimke. Francis was a pastor in Washington, DC in the early 1900s. He was a former slave who lived an extraordinary life. His work inspired Isaac to start this ministry, so we feel a special connection to his life and work. Be encouraged by this faithful saint! LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts. Support the show To learn more...
Feb 07, 2024•24 min•Season 1Ep. 163
Austin is joined in the studio today by Dr. Mike Ahn, Interim Dean of Spiritual Development at BIOLA University. Mike graciously shared something of the Asian American experience with us, an experience which is often misunderstood or overlooked, even by those who care about ethnic harmony. Mike shares how common conceptions of Asian Americans are too truncated, and shares some of the blessings of growing up in the Korean Church. We hope you are encouraged. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcas...
Jan 31, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 162
Some surprise encouragement for your weekend! Ray Ortlund, of Immanuel Church in Nashville, recently preached at Iron City Church in Birmingham to celebrate the anniversary of Isaac's installation as lead pastor. The sermon was on the Christian's hope of heaven, and it was so moving for us that we wanted to make sure you all had the chance to hear it. Be blessed, beloved. Support the show To learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider ...
Jan 26, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 161
Austin is joined today by Carl Laferton, Executive Vice President of The Good Book Company (TGBC). We talk about the children's books published by TGBC, and how the illustrations both reflect historical accuracy and highlight diversity. We also talk about TGBC's lay-level commentary series, and how diverse authors contributed to the project. Carl shares how he has learned the importance of representation and of learning from Christians from various cultures and ethnicities, and how that informs ...
Jan 24, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 161
Pastor Josh Chatman joins Austin once again to discuss loving our neighbors. How can we better love our neighbors who are not like us? How do we even go about doing it when society is so often segregated? Josh encourages us to look for diversity that we might be missing, and then share some helpful tips for how we can build relationships outside our normal orbits. Our heart in all of this is not that we all develop some artificial but perfectly representative portfolio of relationships. We are i...
Jan 17, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 160
To kick off the new year, Austin and Isaac sit down to discuss Jesus' warning to the Church of Ephesus from Revelation 2. Jesus admonished them for losing their first love. We talk about how loving Jesus should supersede everything else we do as a ministry and as Christians. Whatever good works God has prepared for us are meant to be fueled by our love for Jesus rather than serve as a substitute for loving Jesus. That's what we want to be about as a ministry and as individuals. We hope you will ...
Jan 10, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Josh Chatman, pastor at Midtown Baptist Church joins Austin today to talk about our prayers lives. Specifically, they discuss structured prayers and how praying different kinds of prayers can help us when we feel stuck, get us to pray about different things, and create a more rich prayer life. We hope this episode encourages you to pray in ways you might not have considered before. Let's go to the Throne of Grace together, friends. LINKS & SHOW NOTES: This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by...
Jan 03, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 158
