Equip Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Essentials of the Local Church: Baptism Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Mark and Emily continue the Essentials of the Local Church series by digging into baptism: what it is, why the church practices it, and what the Bible actually says about it. Mark walks through the biblical case for baptism by immersion upon a credible profession of faith, unpacks the differences between paedobaptism and credobaptism (including the Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed views on infant baptism), and gets practical about who should be baptized, when, and by whom.

Episode Highlights

01:36 — Mark's core phrase: baptism is the New Testament way to say "I believe"

02:43 — What the Greek word baptizo actually means: full immersion

04:12 — Romans 6: the picture of dying and rising with Christ in the water

06:11 — Defining the terms: paedobaptism vs. credobaptism

07:42 — Cornerstone's position: credo baptism upon a credible profession of faith

10:12 — Comparing the Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed views of infant baptism

16:30 — Comparing baptism to a wedding: taking it seriously without over-formalizing it

19:56 — The Ethiopian eunuch's story and why context matters for readiness

21:05 — Wisdom around timing: why Cornerstone doesn't rush a 13-year-old to the tank

24:01 — Walking kids through the decision: Mark and Emily's own family experiences

29:01 — Why a tank instead of a natural body of water

29:56 — Why there's no such thing as private baptism

31:28 — Who should baptize you, and why it's not always the pastor

34:00 — Mark's take on rebaptism: "you're only baptized once"

39:33 — Stories of transformation from Cornerstone's baptism services

Resources

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Essentials of the Local Church: Prayer Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Essentials of the Local Church series, Mark and Emily get personal about prayer: naming the excuses, fears, and false theology that keep even seasoned believers from a vibrant prayer life. They unpack why prayer flows from who God is rather than how eloquently we speak to him, and Mark closes with news of upcoming nights of prayer and worship at Cornerstone.

Episode Highlights

00:59 — Why prayer is hard even when we know we're supposed to do it

01:17 — Mark: What prayerlessness reveals about the heart

02:00 — Two things prayerlessness exposes: self-sufficiency and a distant view of God

04:01 — A hard confession about the American church's prayerlessness, compared to believers in Africa

05:41 — The theology question underneath it all: do you believe God actually wants to give you what you need?

06:02 — Why the first thing you think of about God shapes your entire prayer life

06:35 — The Lord's Prayer: coming to a Father who is both holy and generous

09:00 — "Start with God": prayer flows from who you're talking to, not how you talk

09:26 — Emily: Losing childlike softness with God as life gets busier and more task-driven

11:53 — Why Jesus ties real prayer to childlike dependence

13:14 — Emily: God doesn't need a "put-together" church, he wants a praying one

13:54 — Romans 8 and the Spirit of adoption crying out "Abba, Father"

16:17 — Why it's worth praying "awkwardly" instead of staying comfortable and silent

18:34 — Announcing upcoming nights of prayer and worship at Cornerstone

Resources

Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

Ask Mark a Question!

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Essentials of the Local Church: Gathering on Sundays Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Essentials of the Local Church series, Mark and Emily dig into a question every Christian eventually asks: why do we actually gather on Sundays, and what makes that gathering distinctly biblical rather than just a cultural habit? They unpack the difference between what Scripture commands and what it simply describes, walk through the non-negotiable essentials of a healthy church gathering, and make the case for why showing up in person still matters in a digital, AI-saturated world.

Episode Highlights

00:27 — Continuing the Essentials of the Local Church series: why we gather on Sunday

00:59 — Prescriptive vs. descriptive: not everything the early church did is a command for us

01:40 — The "casting out demons" test for telling command apart from example

03:03 — Reading the whole New Testament together instead of proof-texting single examples

03:32 — Transcultural essentials vs. the culturally shaped ways churches gather

04:21 — Language, buildings, and church merch: culturally fine vs. actually anti-biblical

06:39 — The essentials: the Word, worship, and prayer when the church gathers

08:16 — The ordinances: baptism as initiation, communion as ongoing remembrance

09:09 — Spiritual gifts and the tangible sense that God is present when his people gather

09:54 — Why gathering is vertical before it's horizontal

14:53 — What embodied gathering offers that even the best sermon on YouTube can't

16:40 — Supplement, not substitute: using online church well

19:10 — "Get to church": real compassion for real barriers, no patience for excuses

20:21 — Why the "weaker" parts of the body are indispensable to the gathering

21:44 — Come to give, not just to receive — and watch for the person sitting alone

Resources

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

Essentials of the Local Church: Gospel Friendship Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

In this first episode of a new series, Essentials of the Local Church, Mark and Emily introduce the "why" behind the series and dig into the first essential: Gospel Friendship. They explore why church practices can feel strange in a post-Christian culture, unpack some of the New Testament's 50+ "one another" commands, and get practical about how to actually build gospel friendships as a busy adult.

Episode Highlights

01:52 — Why the Christian life was never meant to be a solo sport

02:35 — Why churchy practices like potlucks and baptism can feel strange today

03:22 — An ancient accusation: why outsiders mocked early Christian "love feasts"

04:13 — Defining gospel friendship, and what makes it different from a regular friendship

06:26 — The New Testament's "one another" commands

08:13 — The real barrier to friendship: what we treasure over people

09:02 — How individualistic modern life works against community, from garages to Bowling Alone

11:52 — Two first steps for finding a gospel friend

14:38 — Resetting expectations for what a small group actually feels like

16:47 — Falling in love with the idea of friendship vs. loving the real, flawed person in front of you

19:39 — Three ways to keep pursuing friendship as life gets busier

22:33 — Seeing people as image bearers instead of interruptions

Resources

Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online
Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
The Art of One-Anothering: How the Church Loves Like Christ — Desiring God
Cornerstone Groups

Ask Mark a Question!

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The Gospel Way with Trevin Wax: Ask Trevin Anything (Pt. 2) Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

In part two of this special series, Mark and Emily bring Trevin Wax back for an unscripted Q&A, pulling questions straight from his own writing and years of curiosity built up over their friendship. They talk through the difference between spiritual discipline and self-help optimization, wrestle with pride and holy ambition, and more. Trevin closes things out with his top five most influential books and a candid answer to one final question: is he hopeful or fearful for the future of the church?

Episode Highlights

00:27 — Welcoming Trevin back for a rapid-fire "Ask Trevin Anything" episode

01:39 — Spiritual disciplines vs. self-help: what's the real difference?

05:19 — Behind Trevin's new daily prayer project, "The Lord Is My Light"

09:36 — The sin we've stopped taking seriously: pride

09:55 — Balancing holy ambition with the pull toward selfish ambition

13:38 — "Worship yourself and you'll become less than yourself"

15:43 — What is the Lausanne Movement, and why does it matter?

17:42 — What the American church needs to learn from the global church

20:08 — Rapid fire: Trevin's top five most influential books

24:58 — Is Trevin hopeful or fearful for the future of the church?

Resources

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

The Gospel Way with Trevin Wax: Why We Need a Catechism (Pt. 1) Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

In part one of a special two-part series, Mark and Emily sit down with author and pastor Trevin Wax to introduce The Gospel Way Catechism, a new 50-question resource he co-wrote with Thomas Wax to root Christians in truth amid cultural chaos. Trevin unpacks what a catechism actually is, why this centuries-old discipleship tool is making a comeback, and takes listeners behind the scenes of writing the book in C.S. Lewis's own study. Along the way, they dig deep into one question in particular, "What is freedom?", and why getting the answer wrong is quietly shaping a generation.

Episode Highlights

00:27 — Introducing guest Trevin Wax and The Gospel Way Catechism

01:33 — What exactly is a catechism, and why the word intimidates people

01:58 — A brief history of catechisms, from the early church to the Reformation

04:01 — Why catechism matters for growing Christians today, not just kids

05:34 — What makes The Gospel Way different from classics like Westminster

06:23 — Tim Keller's call for a renewal of "counter catechesis"

08:41 — Behind the scenes: writing the catechism at C.S. Lewis's home, the Kilns

12:37 — Naming the cultural narratives Christians are swimming in today

14:14 — A closer look at one question: "What is freedom?"

15:44 — Applying the freedom question to college freshmen headed to Iowa State

18:08 — Trevin's hope and prayer for how the catechism will be used

20:44 — What's ahead: Part 2 with Trevin, and the fall sermon series at Cornerstone

Resources

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

Building Spiritual Habits That Last (with Hannah Beth Gilbert & Chelle Lambert) Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

Mark sits down with Chelle Lambert and Hannah Beth Gilbert, two Salt Company staff members who've actually lived with the Spiritual Workout Plan, not just recommended it. They get honest about what's worked, what's been hard, and how the plan flexes across different seasons of life, whether you're a college student or a "30-something rando floating in the abyss of adulthood." If you've started a dozen Bible reading plans and never finished one, this conversation is the reset you need before the new Fall plan launches.

Episode Highlights

00:38 — Meet the guests: Chelle Lambert and Hannah Beth Gilbert

01:56 — Not just for college students: who the plan is really for

02:12 — Where the Spiritual Workout Plan came from and the problem it was built to solve

04:14 — The unexpected benefit: camaraderie in reading the same thing together

06:24 — Bible memorization and building a culture around it

10:01 — Getting practical: how to handle a high-volume reading plan without drowning

12:32 — "You haven't read the whole Bible": Mark's loving, firm challenge to skip the excuses

15:01 — Steady over spectacular: resetting expectations for what walking with God looks like

16:12 — Different seasons need different rhythms, even for the leaders running the plan

17:56 — Progress, not perfection: remembering the plan is a tool, not the goal itself

20:44 — Do the scripture memory wristbands actually help?

22:03 — What's new in the Fall plan: minor prophets and flexible reading tracks

22:45 — Encouragement for anyone who's tried and quit before

25:45 — Building real relational health into your group, not just surface-level check-ins

28:01 — Where to get the plan and a final challenge to get started

Resources

Fall Spiritual Workout Plan
- Full Plan
- Daily Readings
- Get Text Updates
Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

Ask Mark a Question!

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How Does Cornerstone Decide What to Teach? Introducing The Gospel Way Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Mark and Emily pull back the curtain on how Cornerstone decides what to preach and introduce the church's new series through The Gospel Way. Mark walks through the history and philosophy behind preaching styles, why Cornerstone leans expository, and how topical teaching, liturgical seasons, and book-by-book exposition all fit together into one intentional plan.

Episode Highlights

00:52 — What the Gospel Way Catechism is and why it was written

01:44 — How the 50 truths are structured across sections and years

03:09 — Two upcoming episodes featuring author Trevin Wax

04:36 — Why using a catechism to preach isn't as unusual as it sounds

05:33 — The pulpit vs. the altar: why preaching is central to Protestant worship

07:20 — A brief history of preaching styles, from the Puritans to Piper, Keller, and MacArthur

09:08 — Defining expository preaching and its different forms

11:18 — The strengths and blind spots of verse-by-verse exposition

14:39 — In defense of good topical preaching

16:24 — Why a well-done topical series can take 40–50 hours to prepare

19:52 — How Mark builds the preaching calendar: book-by-book plus liturgical seasons

22:39 — Why The Gospel Way Catechism is a hybrid approach — and why that matters

24:07 — Mark's heart behind it all: guarding the gospel and preaching the full counsel of God

Resources

The Gospel Way: A Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas West
The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas West
Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

Ask Mark Anything: Dating Age Gaps, The Shroud of Turin & More Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

In this Ask Mark Anything episode of the Equip Podcast, Emily puts Mark in the hot seat for a round of listener questions kicked off with a back-to-school theme. From dating age gaps and spiritual readiness, to the Shroud of Turin and relics, to prayer for the sick and getting the most out of a sermon, Mark and Emily work through it all with a mix of humor and biblical grounding.

Episode Highlights

01:33 — The most satisfying new school supply: pencils, pens, and Trapper Keepers

03:14 — What age gap is too big when dating?

06:52 — Has the advice on spiritual growth before dating flipped, and why?

12:24 — Proofs of Christianity, relics, and the Shroud of Turin

16:44 — What relics actually are, and why the ancient and medieval church was drawn to them

19:44 — Should Christians build their faith on the Shroud of Turin?

20:35 — Why doesn't Cornerstone use healing oils or pray publicly for the sick during the service?

21:02 — Walking through James 5 on prayer, anointing with oil, and healing

23:00 — Why healing prayer isn't treated as a central part of the corporate gathering

26:01 — How to get more out of the sermon each week

28:52 — Preparing your heart before the sermon: coming to hear a word from the King

Resources

Ask Mark a Question!

Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

The Church Is the Answer to Iowa's Foster Care Crisis with Mel Pearson Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark Vance sits down with Mel Pearson, who leads City Ministry at Cornerstone Church, to talk about the real state of foster care in Iowa right now, and why it should matter deeply to Christians. Mel shares her own family's unglamorized journey into foster care, the theology behind caring for the vulnerable, and how a new initiative called The Table Project is working to change the system one family, one church, and one child at a time.

Episode Highlights

00:31 — Introducing Mel Pearson

01:18 — Why should Christians care about the vulnerable beyond their own families?

03:10 — The overwhelming needs in Iowa: foster care and schools under strain

05:05 — Mel and Bryan's honest, unglamorized story of getting into foster care

07:25 — Deglamorizing foster care: the hard, unseen realities behind it

08:56 — Clinging to a Savior who moved toward hard places

10:53 — Philippians 3: knowing Christ through the fellowship of suffering

11:36 — Practical ways to get involved at different seasons of life

13:00 — Care communities: how support raises foster family retention from 50% to 98%

14:16 — Kids in the river: moving from crisis response to prevention

16:49 — The scope of the crisis: Iowa has 30% more foster care calls than available homes