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In this special solo episode of the Equip Podcast, Mark explores what the Bible says about government and why Christians have a responsibility to vote. He unpacks government as God's tool of common grace, the Christian's dual citizenship, and why no election should be treated as the end of the world. Episode Highlights 01:06 — Equipping you to think biblically about voting 02:06 — Does government matter if eternity matters most? 03:42 — Government as God's tool of common grace 04:22 — Romans 13 and Proverbs 21:15: government as God's servant 05:43 — Saving grace vs. common grace 06:53 — Restraining sin: why government can't make your wildest dreams come true 09:05 — Promoting righteousness through good laws 10:26 — Every law is a legislation of morality 11:46 — God's special charge to protect the poor and vulnerable 15:33 — Fear God, honor the emperor: our posture toward government 17:49 — Dual citizenship and the Christian duty to vote 19:30 — Choosing well: how to evaluate candidates 21:02 — Not every election is an existential threat 25:17 — Praying for Governor Kim Reynolds and her family Resources Cornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Choose Well by The FAMiLY LEADER Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

Most Bible reading plans include an Old Testament column, but strange names, ancient customs, and unfamiliar history can make it the hardest part to read well. In this episode, Mark and Emily explain why the Old Testament is essential for understanding God, the gospel, and the New Testament. They also share practical tools for reading it with depth, from cross-references and study Bibles to paying attention to genre and the bigger story pointing to Christ. Episode Highlights 00:40 — Why the Old Testament column in the Spiritual Workout Plan feels so challenging 01:52 — Reason #1: It's part of the Bible God wrote 02:47 — Why you can't fully understand the New Testament without the Old 04:56 — The Samaritan woman and what Jesus meant about worship 05:36 — Reading someone else's mail: the point is who it's from 06:41 — What the Old Testament teaches us about God and human dignity 07:54 — New Testament words as "hyperlinks" to the Old Testament 09:45 — Best practice: Let people who know it well help you 11:34 — Reading by genre: law, history, wisdom, poetry, and prophecy 13:01 — Narrative describes, it doesn't always prescribe 14:33 — David and Goliath in the bigger story of 1 Samuel 16:20 — How the Old Testament points forward to Christ 17:35 — Echoes, not allegory: Song of Solomon and Ephesians 5 19:26 — Encouragement for the lifelong work of digging into God's Word Resources Cornerstone Sermons: Listen OnlineSpiritual Workout PlanThe Bible Project: Old TestamentThe Bible Project: New Testament Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

Mark sits down with Alex Tuckness, Iowa State professor and longtime Cornerstone elder, to talk honestly about church growth. They trace Cornerstone's history, talk about church growth, and unpack why big isn't necessarily bad, but growth isn't always good. Episode Highlights 00:26 — Introducing Alex Tuckness, Iowa State professor and longtime Cornerstone elder 01:17 — Alex's history at Cornerstone, from Ames Middle School to the South Auditorium 02:07 — Early growth and years of constant building campaigns 04:24 — Remembering the era of five services 05:52 — The last auditorium and becoming a multiplying church 07:19 — Recent growth and reaching the limits of the property 09:47 — A feasibility study for growth 12:45 — Meeting real needs in rural Iowa 13:45 — Why Cornerstone doesn't treat online church as church 14:33 — Local elders and a compassionate approach to multisite 17:07 — Are there bad ways to grow? 20:00 — The danger of pursuing growth for growth's sake 21:08 — There is no perfect church size 22:18 — Spectators and the call to real community 24:31 — Different sizes, one body: gospel churches across Ames Resources 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!

In the final episode of the Essentials of the Local Church series, Mark and Emily talk about church leadership. Mark explains why Cornerstone is led by a plurality of elders, what the Bible says elders actually do, and how church members can be a blessing to the people who shepherd them. Episode Highlights 00:26 — Wrapping up the Essentials of the Local Church series 01:09 — Cornerstone's distinctive: elder-led, congregationally approved 02:32 — Other models of church governance: single elder, congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Catholic 06:01 — Why faithfulness to a model matters more than the model itself 06:54 — How elders are chosen at Cornerstone 08:35 — What elders do: model Christlikeness, guard doctrine, shepherd, and lead 11:19 — Biblical qualifications for elders 12:07 — Why a growing church needs a small, consistent elder team 12:44 — Is administrative oversight too "businessy"? 14:19 — How to bring a concern to the elders at a big church 15:58 — View, voice, and vote: the layers of leadership at Cornerstone 18:36 — How the elders protect Mark from trying to be everything for everyone 19:59 — How church members can bless their elders 22:12 — Becoming a "grace detective" 23:50 — Five tensions every church leadership team navigates 25:16 — Why the aim is faithfulness, not growth 31:26 — The biggest takeaway: character over structure Resources 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!

Mark and Emily continue the Essentials of the Local Church series by digging into communion. They explore why a God who loves remembrance gave his people a repeated meal, what Paul's warnings actually mean, who should take it (including kids), how different traditions understand the bread and the cup, and why Mark wishes Cornerstone could celebrate it every single week. Episode Highlights 01:01 — Baptism happens once, communion is repeated remembrance 02:11 — Reading 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 and the Passover roots of the Lord's Supper 03:15 — Baptism as initiation, communion as a gospel rehearsal 03:41 — What the early church practiced 06:19 — How often should a church take communion? 07:37 — Who is communion for? 08:52 — Eating and drinking judgment: Paul's warning to believers, not outsiders 10:33 — Should a believer ever abstain from communion? 12:19 — Kids and communion: should they wait until baptism? 16:21 — Mark's communion cup confession from the Cornerstone stage 18:02 — Who should administer communion? 18:46 — Four views of the elements: transubstantiation to mere symbolism 22:16 — Why Mark wishes we took communion weekly 23:03 — Communion outside the local church: small groups, conferences, and weddings Resources 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!

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 Get Baptized at CornerstoneBaptism StoriesCornerstone's Guidance for Children and BaptismCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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

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 Cornerstone Connection GroupsCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 OnlineBowling Alone by Robert D. PutnamThe Art of One-Anothering: How the Church Loves Like Christ — Desiring GodCornerstone Groups Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 The Gospel Way Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas WaxThe Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas WaxConfessions by AugustineOrthodoxy by G.K. ChestertonThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisThe Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor DostoevskyThe Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. WrightCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 The Gospel Way Catechism by Trevin Wax and Thomas WaxThe Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas WaxCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 PlanFull PlanDaily ReadingsGet Text UpdatesCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 WestThe Gospel Way Catechism for Kids by Trevin Wax and Thomas WestCornerstone Sermons: Listen Online Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 Cornerstone Sermons: Listen OnlineThe Reason for God by Tim KellerEvidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!

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 19:46 — What is The Table Project? Faith-based, pre-licensure foster care training 24:06 — How to get involved Resources Cornerstone Sermons: Listen OnlineThe Table Project — TableProject.orgLunch and Learn — August 16th at Cornerstone (RSVP Here)Wildwood Collective Ask Mark a Question! Suggest a topic or question for Mark to discuss on a future episode of the Equip Podcast!