Impact Nations Podcast

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What if Christians have misunderstood the very nature of God's justice? What if we've confused justice with punishment, righteousness with retaliation, and the way of Jesus with the ways of the world?

Author, activist, and peacemaker Shane Claiborne joins Tim Stewart for a thought-provoking conversation about what it means to follow Jesus in a world marked by violence, division, and injustice.

From Christians organizing nonviolent resistance against immigration enforcement to the theological arguments surrounding capital punishment, Shane challenges us to reconsider how we understand justice—an...

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What if the most “blessed” king in Israel’s history was quietly rebuilding the very system God had rescued his people from?

Picking up from Episode 6, Tim and Steve Stewart turn the lens of totalism onto King Solomon. Totalism is a social, political, and economic system that covers everything and tells us “this is just the way it is.” Steve traces the problems from the very start of Solomon’s reign. Solomon loved the Lord, yet sacrificed at the high places (1 Kings 3:3). He sealed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1), exactly what Israel...

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What if staying silent isn’t neutral, but the very thing the powerful are counting on?

Tim and Steve Stewart continue the justice series by moving from the Old Testament prophets and Jesus into our own time, asking what it means for Christ followers to live and speak prophetically today. Steve begins with the Good Samaritan: the great dividing line in that story wasn’t belief but action. The religious people who walked by on the other side stayed silent, and the Samaritan stopped.

That raises a hard question from...

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What if the prayer many of us say every Sunday is one of the most political things Jesus ever taught?

Tim and Steve Stewart continue the justice series by asking whether Jesus was political, not as in Democrat or Republican, but whether his words and actions reshaped the social and economic world around him. Steve reads the Lord's Prayer that way: "your kingdom come" asks for heaven's standards here on earth, "give us this day our daily bread" is a plural prayer from an overtaxed farming people, and "forgive us our...

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What if the most dangerous song in the Bible was sung by a pregnant teenager — and Christianity has spent centuries trying to make it safe?

Continuing straight from the Old Testament prophetic tradition, Tim and Steve turn to Jesus himself, tracing how thoroughly his life was shaped by his actual world: a Jewish minority under Roman occupation, a Galilee of tenant farmers losing land to a wealthy elite, and a religious establishment that traded prophetic independence for Rome's protection and its own wealth. Jesus's parables about farming, land, and debt reflect ex...

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What if the real test of a prophetic word isn't how bold it sounds, but whether you can hear the tears underneath it?

Picking up where Episode 2 left off, Tim and Steve move from the prophetic tradition into what the prophets actually said about social justice — walking through Jeremiah 22, Psalm 72, Deuteronomy 10, Isaiah 57, and Zechariah 7 to the same claim: caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the alien isn't a footnote to knowing God, it is what it means to know him (Jeremiah 22:16).

Steve also resolves a tension he...

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What if spotting a false prophet has less to do with predicting the future and everything to do with what they refuse to say?

Episode 2 of the Justice & Peace series continues with Tim and Steve Stewart, digging into the Old Testament prophetic tradition as the foundation for everything this season will cover. Steve opens with Amos 5:24 — "let justice roll on like a river" — and argues that before the church tackles immigration, poverty, or war, it has to recover what it means to be a prophetic community: one that declares the kingdom of G...

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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 be...

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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 heave...

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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...

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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.

J...

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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...

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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 hear...

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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 wh...

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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...

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What if God's calling isn't something we discover in one dramatic moment, but something we live out every day?

In this episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart sits down with Dr. Susan Maros—professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, author, and leadership scholar—to unpack some of the most common misconceptions about calling, purpose, and vocation.

Together they explore how our families, churches, cultures, and life experiences shape our understanding of God's invitation. They discuss agency, leadership, women in ministry, burnout, discernment, and why faithfulness—not extrao...

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Following Jesus has always been more than identifying as a Christian—it means embracing the way of Christ.

In this episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart sits down with Dr. Obery Hendricks—New Testament scholar, professor, and acclaimed author—to explore what it looks like to move beyond cultural Christianity and recover the radical vision of the Gospel.

Together they discuss the Kingdom of God, justice, discipleship, wealth, poverty, and why Jesus consistently called His followers to love their neighbors through tangible action. Dr. Hendricks invite...

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Few teachings of Jesus challenge us more than His call to love our enemies.

In this episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart welcomes Father John Dear—Catholic priest, internationally recognized peace activist, author, and founder of the Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus.

Together they explore what happens when we read the Gospels through the lens of peace. The conversation examines the Sermon on the Mount, the cross, loving our enemies, discipleship, nuclear weapons, restorative justice, and the Church's calling to embody the peace of Ch...

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Immigration affects millions of people around the world, but for followers of Jesus, it is also a deeply biblical conversation.

In this episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart welcomes Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra—pastor, professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, author, and one of the leading Christian voices on immigration and faith-rooted community organizing.

Together, they explore God's heart for the stranger, the Church's responsibility to care for vulnerable people, and practical ways believers can partner with immigrant communities to restore dignity, pursue justice, and live as...

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Life often presents us with tensions that cannot be neatly resolved. We experience joy and grief, certainty and mystery, hope and disappointment—all at the same time. In this episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart welcomes artist, author, and storyteller Scott Erickson for a rich conversation about learning to find beauty within those tensions.

Together, they explore how prayer, creativity, grief, and wonder shape our spiritual lives. Scott reflects on the role of paradox in faith, why art can help us process experiences that words alone cannot ca...

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Suffering raises difficult questions about God, faith, and what it means to follow Jesus in a broken world. In this episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart welcomes theologian and author Dr. Kelly Kapic for an honest conversation about grief, pain, lament, and unanswered prayers.

Drawing from years of academic research and personal experience caring for his wife through chronic illness, Dr. Kapic explores why Christians need to rediscover the language of lament, how we can acknowledge the realities of suffering without denying God's goodness, and why the...

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Why does work feel different than it used to?

In this opening episode of Summer Series 2026, Tim Stewart welcomes Jonathan Lewis, President of McKee Wallwork and author of The Rebuilders: Daily Foundations for the Leaders We Need.

Jonathan shares insights from extensive workforce research and explains why so many people today are struggling with purpose, hope, and meaning. Together, they explore what leaders can do to help people move beyond transactional relationships and toward lives marked by purpose, resilience, and growth.

In this episode:

• Why em...

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As the world feels increasingly unstable, how do followers of Jesus respond with wisdom, faith, and hope?

In this special conversation, Tim Stewart sits down with Impact Nations Director of Programs, Bill Verbakel, to talk honestly about the realities of global ministry during uncertain times.

In this episode:
• Navigating travel during war, persecution, and health crises
• Responding to the Ebola outbreak in Uganda
• How Impact Nations evaluates risk and makes ministry decisions
• Why local leadership and sustainability are essential to long-term transformation
• Stories of hope and b...

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After twelve episodes, Echoes of Eden reaches its powerful conclusion.

In this final episode, Tim and Steve explore the Tower of Babel—not simply as a story about language confusion, but as a profound commentary on pride, empire, failed communication, conformity, and humanity’s repeated attempts to create identity apart from God. 

But Babel is not the end of the story.

This conversation traces the surprising connection between Babel and Pentecost, revealing how the Gospel reverses humanity’s fragmentation and restores God’s vision for unity without forced co...

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Genealogies may be the part of Scripture most people skip—but what if they’re carrying some of the most important theological and historical threads in the entire biblical story?

In Episode 11 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve explore Noah’s descendants, the meaning behind the genealogies of Genesis, and how these ancient family records reveal far more than names and timelines. Together, they unpack the rise of nations, the dangers of empire, the misuse of Scripture to justify oppression, and the surprising way these genealogies ultimately point toward Christ and th...

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In Episode 10 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve continue through the Noah narrative and uncover one of the most profound themes in Genesis: recreation.

The flood story is not simply about destruction—it is about a God who remembers, restores, and recommissions humanity. As the waters recede, Genesis intentionally echoes the language of creation itself, revealing Noah as a kind of “new Adam” and pointing ahead to Christ and the renewal of all things. 

This episode explores:

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In Episode 9 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve continue through Genesis, tracing the widening ripple effects of sin—and the surprising persistence of God’s mercy.

From genealogies to the mysterious Nephilim, and into the beginning of Noah’s story, this episode wrestles with some of the most difficult and often misunderstood passages in Scripture.

What happens when a society is built on violence and rebellion?
 And how does God respond when creation begins to unravel?

This conversation explores the tension between divine judgment and divine...

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In Episode 8 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve explore one of the most misunderstood stories in Genesis: Cain and Abel.

Was this story really about two offerings—or something much deeper?

This episode uncovers the destructive power of envy, the danger of unchecked sin, and the profound question at the center of the text:

“Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Through the lens of Genesis 4, we discover how this ancient story still speaks directly into modern life, relationships, justice, and the call to love...

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In this episode of the Echoes of Eden series, Tim and Steve continue their journey through Genesis 3—moving beyond the fall itself into its deeper consequences, surprising grace, and the first glimpse of the Gospel.

What actually happens after humanity’s disobedience?
 Is this story about punishment… or something else entirely?

As the narrative unfolds, we encounter the protoevangelium—the first announcement of Good News—pointing forward to Christ’s ultimate victory over sin and death. 

Along the way, we wrestle with some big theological qu...

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In Episode 6 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve Stewart step into Genesis 3—the pivotal and often misunderstood story of “The Fall.”

Rather than treating it as a simple explanation for sin, this conversation explores the deeper human experience behind the text: temptation, mistrust, sorrow, and the fracture of what is meant to be whole.

They unpack how temptation operates on multiple levels—physical desire, aesthetic appeal, and intellectual distortion—and how subtle shifts in how we perceive God’s words lead us away from trust.

At the same tim...

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Why are there two creation accounts in Genesis?

In this episode, Tim and Steve explore Genesis 2 and reveal how these complementary accounts give us a fuller understanding of who God is—both transcendent and deeply personal.

Rather than repetition, Genesis presents a layered story: a God who speaks galaxies into existence, and a God who forms humanity with care and breathes life into them.

This conversation unpacks what it means to live in “garden life”—a life of communion with God—and how themes like ruach (breath/spirit), p...

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In Episode 4 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve Stewart return to Genesis 1—this time exploring it through the lens of Celtic Christianity.

Rather than reading the creation account as a strict sequence of events, they invite us to see it as a meditation on the ongoing mystery of creation—one that reveals the nature of God and our place within it.

This episode offers a fresh perspective on how God is revealed not only through Scripture, but through creation itself, calling us into a deeper awareness of H...

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In Episode 3 of Echoes of Eden, Tim and Steve Stewart continue their deep dive into Genesis 1, focusing on the goodness of creation, the meaning of the image of God, the true nature of dominion, and the gift of Sabbath.

This episode explores how creation points us toward worship, how Jesus reveals what true humanity looks like, and why every person carries dignity, purpose, and worth because they are made in God’s image.

In this episode:

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In this episode of the Echoes of Eden series, Tim Stewart and Steve Stewart explore the opening lines of the Bible and the profound framework they create for understanding the story of creation.

Genesis 1:1–2 introduces themes that echo throughout Scripture: God bringing order out of chaos, filling emptiness with purpose, and preparing a world designed for abundance and blessing.

Tim and Steve examine the poetic structure of the Genesis account, the ancient cultural context in which it was written, and why the biblical creation narrative stands apart from other or...

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Season 12 of the Impact Nations Podcast begins with a new series: Echoes of Eden — a guided journey through Genesis 1–11, the foundational chapters that shape the rest of Scripture.

In this opening episode, Tim Stewart and Steve Stewart lay the groundwork for reading Genesis faithfully and wisely: not as a modern science textbook, but as theological history—a Spirit-breathed narrative answering the deepest human questions of origin, purpose, rebellion, and hope.

In this episode:

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In this special replay of our LIVE YouTube Ask Me Anything episode, Tim Stewart and Steve Stewart answered your questions in real time — beginning with a thoughtful and practical discussion about sharing the Gospel in Muslim communities.

Broadcast from two different studios (Albuquerque and Wilmington, NC), this wide-ranging conversation opened with ministry wisdom and powerful stories from decades of experience in Africa, India, and other predominantly Muslim regions.

Rather than engaging in apologetics or religious comparison, Steve explained why he has always focused exclusively on presenting Jesus — and how that...

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When we hear the word justice, we often think in terms of punishment, fairness, or consequences. But what if the justice revealed in Jesus looks radically different?

In this episode, Tim welcomes theologian and author Joash P. Thomas to explore how empire, colonization, and cultural proximity to power shape the way we read Scripture—and how Jesus invites us into a justice that restores rather than retaliates.

Drawing from his book The Justice of Jesus, Joash challenges the “small gospel” that reduces salvation to souls going to heaven...

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In this vibrant roundtable, Tim is joined by a panel of ministry leaders and journeyers to talk about fundraising for Journeys of Compassion.

🧳 Whether you’re a parent considering a mission trip with your family or someone wondering if it’s possible to raise the money, this episode is packed with wisdom, laughter, and incredible testimonies from the frontlines.

💬 In This Episode:

📍 Next Steps:
 → Learn more or sign up for a Journey: h...

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Tim welcomes peace advocate, author, and pilgrim guide Mercy Aiken back to the show! As she prepares to move to Jordan with Peace Catalyst International, Mercy unpacks the complexity of the Israel-Palestine conflict, explains the transformative power of pilgrimages, and offers on-the-ground insights into the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

If you're looking for an honest, hope-filled conversation about peacemaking, justice, and what Jesus really meant in His most unsettling teachings, this episode is for you.

💬 In This Episode:

•Mercy’s upcoming move to Jordan and work with Pe...

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Join Tim Stewart and special guest Jordan Moody, Project Manager at Impact Nations, for an inspiring episode filled with real-life stories of hope and transformation from around the world. From Uganda to Gaza, India to Nepal—get a behind-the-scenes look at how your generosity is changing lives every day.

🔸 Hear how an ambulance funded in 2023 is still saving lives in rural Uganda
 🔸 Celebrate over 900 students graduating from the School of Purpose
 🔸 Discover how short 3-month programs are launching business clubs and small enterprises
 🔸 Meet a young girl who went from illiter...