Marked with Angie Elkins and Andrea Lennon

Weekly, J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church, invites us to ask him anything on his own podcast. When we had the opportunity to have a conversation with J.D., we took him up on the invitation! We asked about women in church leadership, fulfilling our callings, the local church, and how to help those who've been abused. We hope, like us, you find this conversation helpful in navigating these tough issues.About J.D.: J.D. Greear is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.The Summit is characterized by its gospel focus and sending culture. As Pastor J.D. often says, “The gospel is not merely the diving board off of which we jump into the pool of Christianity, it’s also the pool itself.” The deeper we dive into the extravagant love of Christ, the more our lives will be filled with unquenchable joy, reckless generosity, and audacious faith.  Depth in the gospel also leads to width in the mission. Under Pastor J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 10,000, making it one of Outreach magazine’s “top 25 fastest-growing churches in America” for many years running. Seating capacity, however, is not the church’s primary metric for success. Sending capacity is. Pastor J.D. has led the Summit in a bold vision to plant one thousand new churches by the year 2050. In the last 15 years, the church has sent out more than 1,000 people to live on church planting teams—in North Carolina, across the United States, and around the world.   Pastor J.D. Greear has authored several books, including Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Church's Renewal (2019), Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems (2018), Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches That Send (2015), Gospel:  Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary (2011), Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart:  How to Know for Sure You Are Saved (2013), and Jesus, Continued … Why the Spirit Inside You Is Better Than Jesus Beside You (2014).Pastor J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, writing on the correlations between early church presentations of the gospel and Islamic theology. Seeing Muslims come to faith in Christ has long been a burden of his, a burden that led him to serve in Southeast Asia with the International Mission Board.Pastor J.D. is currently serving as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention.Pastor J.D. and his wife Veronica live in Raleigh. Together they are raising four ridiculously cute kids: Kharis, Alethia, Ryah, and Adon. Links:Ask Me Anything with Pastor J.D. GreearWhat Your Church Needs to Know About Abuse Reporting LawsBecoming a Church that Cares Well for the Abused resourcesGospel Above All Bible Study Quote Us:"I think God designed for His church to be this panoply of voices that are coming from different perspectives." -  @jdgreear #MARKEDpodcast"We need the initiative and the wisdom and the energy, the gifts of our sisters in Christ in the Kingdom."  - @jdgreear #MARKEDpodcast"One of the reasons we're in a church is because our ministry gets magnified and amplified by being around like-minded believers." - @jdgreear #MARKEDpodcast"We have to help be voices for the voiceless. Sometimes the people who are the most vulnerable are the ones that are going to be heard the least." - @jdgreear #MARKEDpodcast"The church ought to be the safest place in the world for victims and the vulnerable. It's part of our gospel message that God loves and He protects the vulnerable and it ought to be the same for the church." - @jdgreear #MARKEDpodcast Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

Mentoring is something we often talk about on the podcast because we know how critical it is as we grow in Christ, but it can also feel overwhelming. Today we're excited to talk with Shelley Giglio and Daniele Flickinger about FLOURISH. FLOURISH is a yearlong mentoring journey based on Scripture and created in partnership with Passion City Church. After 6 years of development and leading more than 3,500 women through this mentoring journey, Passion is excited to release this unique resource to churches worldwide. This study will help you establish strong relationships between both mentors and mentees as they dig into understanding God’s truth and love through His Word together.About Shelley:Shelley Giglio is the Chief Strategist of Passion Conferences and sixstepsrecords and the Visionary Leader of The Grove and Flourish Mentoring Journey at Passion City Church, which she and her husband, Louie Giglio founded and lead in Atlanta, GA.About Daniele:Daniele Flickinger leads the Flourish Mentoring Team at Passion City Church and has also been a key visionary and contributor to the Flourish Mentoring Journey since its inception in 2015.Links:Our team is honored to provide videos, documents, and other valuable resources (for free!) to get you started on your mentoring journey as a church, small group, or individual. Visit FlourishMentor.com today!Follow the journey of The Grove at Passion City Church at passioncitychurch.com/thegrove, instagram.com/pcc_thegrove, or check out The Grove Podcast wherever you listen to yours. Search “The Grove Passion” to tune in!Ready to purchase a mentor or mentee book? Visit lifeway.com/flourish!Quote Us!God has a real purpose for your life. All the time, that purpose is greater than ourselves. - @shelleygiglio #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookThis generation is one that hungers maybe the most in history for purpose and direction. - Daniele Flickinger #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookIf we have the same ambition for knowing Jesus, for growing, why not call women up to live a higher standard of living according to the Word of God? - Daniele Flickinger #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookIf you can just apply your experience with God to someone who is not quite where you are, wouldn't that be helpful? - @shelleygiglio #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookWhen I mentor people, I'm never more alive. We were meant to not just have it happen to us, but through us. When we see the power of God in that way, we understand the kingdom of God better and better. - @shelleygiglio #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookThe basis of mentoring, for believers, is the Word of God. Everyone can mentor someone. - Daniele Flickinger #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

We talk with Emily Chapman Richards about staying grounded in the midst of busy schedules and fame, adoption, and leading at a young age. Emily has recently been named as the Executive Director of Show Hope ministries. We love how she shares what God has done and is doing in her life and in the life of her family and the ministry of Show Hope. We know you'll be encouraged by her vulnerability as she shares her story!About Emily:Emily began her career with Show Hope more than 10 years ago, and in 2017 she was named vice president and assistant executive director. Although she has been a part of the Show Hope team in an official capacity since 2008, Richards’ passion for adoption and drive to care for orphans began years before when she was 11 years old.Following a mission trip to Haiti, God planted a seed in young Emily’s heart that would lead her to champion the idea of adoption in her family—an idea that would ultimately result not only in the adoption of three daughters from China, but the creation of Show Hope, an organization with the mission “to care for orphans by engaging the Church and reducing barriers to adoption.”What began in the heart of an 11-year-old girl not only shaped her own family, but has impacted countless other families as well.Over the past four years, Show Hope has grown programmatically, financially, and operationally, and in 2017 the leadership team began laying out a strategic plan for the future with Richards spearheading the process. That plan included both leadership and organizational succession plans as well as the expansion of the nonprofit’s four pillars of work: Adoption Aid, Care Centers in China, Pre+Post Adoption Support, and Student Initiatives.Richards and her husband, Tanner, have three daughters and reside in Franklin, Tenn. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Religion from Baylor University and a master’s degree in Theology from Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.About Show Hope: Show Hope is a movement to care for orphans. They work to restore hope by breaking down barriers that exist between waiting children and loving families. This movement began in 2003, when Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman founded Show Hope after having their own eyes and hearts opened to the global orphan crisis.Since its founding, Show Hope has provided more than $24 million in Adoption Aid grants, impacting more than 6,200 children from more than 60 countries, including the United States. The nonprofit has also provided care to more than 2,600 children with acute medical and special needs through its Care Centers in China, and through its Pre+Post Adoption Support efforts, Show Hope has provided tools and resources for more than 65,000 families, individuals, and professionals to care for children with complex needs. And as of 2018, more than 20,500 students have been engaged through Show Hope’s Student Initiatives, which educates and empowers the next generation of leaders to effectively care and make a difference in the lives of waiting children. www.ShowHope.org.Links:Show HopeChoosing to See by Mary Beth ChapmanCompassion International Empowered to Connect ConferenceShow Hope Student Initiatives Quote Us! "My parents really set a framework for us in our home of appropriate vulnerability and really needing Christ to be what grounded us and knowing ultimately we have to believe that God is in control and that He loves us." - @E_C_Richards #MARKEDPodcast"When you're going to selflessly love another person, the enemy's going to be ticked and he's going to come after that." - @E_C_Richards #MARKEDPodcast"There's nothing more powerful than a student who's leaning in and listening to God's voice and really pursuing what God is putting on their heart." - @E_C_Richards #MARKEDPodcast"For some of yoLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

Today we're talking about a handful of women who God has used in a powerful way. Catherine Parks' new book Empowered tells their stories in a way that will engage the hearts and minds of young girls, so we're excited to get to talk to her. You'll love her charm and humor as we talk about some incredible women today!About Catherine:Catherine Parks is an author and Bible teacher who loves to see people build friendships around Scripture and prayer. She's the author of “Real: The Surprising Secret to Deeper Relationships,” a co-author of “A Christ-Centered Wedding: Rejoicing in the Gospel on Your Big Day,” and she lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two children, and a cute dog named Ollie.Links:Catherine's websiteCatherine's booksEmpowered: How God Shaped 11 Women's Lives (And Can Shape Yours Too)Strong: How God Eqiupped 11 Ordinary Men With Extraordinary Power (releases June 25, 2019)Quote Us:"The same God who empowered Corrie Ten Boom to forgive really difficult people can empower you right where you are to forgive." @CathParks #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"I want my daughter to know that she has value and that she can do so many things that I didn't necessarily think to do as a kid." @CathParks #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"We need to help girls see that faithful living means living in harmony with the people in your home, putting someone before yourself at school, and loving your neighbor. It starts with being faithful in the little things." @CathParks #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

We're both still trying to figure out how we haven't had Jen Wilkin on the podcast until today! We're talking about serving alongside those you don't agree with, equipping women, and discipling your own kids. Jen's humor and love for Scripture are evident in everything she does, and we're excited for you to hear from her on today's episode!About Jen:Jen Wilkin is a wife, mom to four, and an advocate for women to love God with their minds through the faithful study of His Word. She is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher. Jen lives in Flower Mound, Texas, and her family calls The Village Church home. Jen’s newest study is God of Creation. She is also the author of Women of the Word, None Like Him, In His Image, Sermon on the Mount Bible study, 1 Peter: A Living Hope in Christ Bible study, God of Creation Bible study, and God of Covenant Bible Study. Links:Jen's WebsiteKnowing Faith PodcastQuote Us:"You can’t do all the right things and have outcomes guaranteed for you." @jenniferwilkin #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"We’re going to have to focus on what unites us." @jenniferwilkin #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"The thing that will make the church winsome is our unity." @jenniferwilkin #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"When I realized the Bible was a Book about God, and its most important function was to give me a transcendent vision of Him, it changed everything." @jenniferwilkin #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

Since Mother's Day is right around the corner, we thought it would be fun to have a mom and daughter we love on this episode! We're talking about what motherhood is and isn't, and what happens when motherhood doesn't look like you expected.About Jackie:Jackie Green wears many different hats as she navigates writing, speaking, organizing events for women, being a wife and mother to six and GiGi to four. She is the co-founder of Museum of the Bible and serves on the board of several organizations. She is also the founder of Women of Legacy—an effort to help women discover and leave an eternal legacy. She has been married for thirty-five years to her husband, Steve, whom she actively supports in his role as President of Hobby Lobby and Chairman of the Board at Museum of the Bible. She has co-authored two books: This Dangerous Book with her husband, Steve Green, and Only One Life with her daughter, Lauren Green McAfee. Although she enjoys traveling and meeting people worldwide, her favorite place to be is home with her family. Connect with Jackie at www.jackiegreen.us.About Lauren:Lauren Green McAfee is a communicator, connector, and coffee enthusiast with a heart to engage others with the Bible. While earning her graduate degrees in pastoral counseling and theology, Lauren worked for her father, Steve Green, as he founded Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. Today, Lauren works at the Hobby Lobby corporate office and pursues a PhD in ethics and public policy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Connect with Lauren at laurenamcafee.com and on Instagram: @laurenamacafee.Links:Legacy Bible Study - Releases May 15!Only One Life Book by Jackie and LaurenMuseum of the Bible5 Love Languages BookMissional Motherhood Bible StudyYouVersion Bible AppBooks for Every Enneagram Type (We wanted to share this post from our friend Jenaye since we talk about the Enneagram in this episode!)Devotions With Priscilla - Audio CD Volume 2 / Downloadable Audio BundleQuote Us:Your legacy story is going to outlive your life. @JackieDGreen #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookEach of the small, mundane moments - they do matter. @LaurenAMcAfee #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookWe each write that legacy story, whether or not we’re aware of it every day. @JackieDGreen #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels. 

Every so often, we're going to start bringing bonus episodes to you from our library of Bible studies! These will typically be one audio session of the video teaching from the study. The first one is from Beth Moore's Beloved Disciple. This classic Bible study of the disciple John recently got a makeover to update the look. The content is the same, but now the videos are available for rent or download online or in the form of audio downloads.About Beloved Disciple:Every disciple and early follower of Christ left a legacy for future believers. John's legacy was love. Perhaps like no other disciple, John understood that relationship is the point. Every command of Christ and call to obedience is to enhance relationship and place the recipient in a posture the Giver can bless. This study is about finding our way to the heart of Jesus and reclining so closely that our pulse begins to throb in tandem, loving what He loves and hating what He hates.In this episode, you'll hear Session 1 of the Bible study. If you'd like to follow along with a viewer guide, you can download one here.To see all the Beloved Disciple products and to purchase your own study, go to Lifeway.com/BelovedDisciple.Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels. 

Today we're talking all things family and parenting. While neither of us have kids, we've brought in some experts to chat with us, and we're also addressing what family looks like even when you aren't married or don't have kids. We're big fans of Josh and Christi and hope that today's episode is helpful as you navigate life in this season!About Dr. Josh + Christi:Joshua Straub, Ph.D. is a husband, dad, and recovering human. By trade, Josh is a speaker, author, and family and leadership coach. A champion of human empathy, Josh leads Famous at Home, a company equipping leaders, organizations, military families, and churches in emotional intelligence and family wellness. Josh also is a Fellow of the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling. As a marriage and family coach and consultant with The Straub Co. and professor of child psychology / crisis response, Josh coaches leaders to be famous at home so they can thrive on their stage. He also speaks regularly for Joint Special Operations Command and serves military families across the country.Josh is author/ coauthor of four books including Safe House: How Emotional Safety is the Key to Raising Kids Who Live, Love, and Lead Well and coauthor, along with his wife Christi, of their first children’s book called, What Am I Feeling?. He and Christi also host the In This Together podcast, and in partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources, are the creators of TwentyTwoSix Parenting, a community of parents growing together to encourage the spiritual growth of their kids.Most of all, Josh loves spending time with his wife, Christi, on the lake in their 1974 Crestliner, training their disobedient puppy, and watching their kids crush karaoke on a stage built in their dining room.Christi Straub, M.A., M.B.A. is a native Canadian, wife to an American, and momma to two feisty kiddos. She is a marriage and family coach and leads The Straub Co., an organization where she and her husband Josh coach families to live, love, and lead well. Christi is a Fellow of the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling. Her honesty, wittiness and transparency are contagious. She is co-host of the In This Together podcast and is coauthor of the children’s book, What Am I Feeling? (2019). She and Josh also coauthored a Bible study for families called Homegrown: Cultivating Kids in the Fruit of the Spirit.When she and Josh aren’t working together, they spend time on the lake in their 1974 Crestliner, train their disobedient puppy, and watch their kids crush karaoke on a stage built in their dining room.Links:Homegrown Bible Study (releases April 15, 2019)What Am I Feeling?22:6 ParentingIn This Together Podcast7 Myths about Singleness by Sam AllberryEmotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter ScazzeroQuote Us:"We are seeking to live, love, and lead well." Christi Straub #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"Let’s be people who live on purpose for God’s glory." @joshuastraub #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"Parents need tools in their hands that they can employ that are helpful and effective." Christi Straub #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"Our ability to grow as parents is very important because our kids are watching." @joshuastraub #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"I hope we're starting to learn ways that we as parents know of God, not just about God as we teach our kids." Christi Straub #MARKEDpodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"I hope there's a sense of becoming and adventure that we're marked by. That we're known for - that our kids would know us for - people would know that we're bec.Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels. 

It's no surprise to any of us that ministry in a broken world is hard. We asked our friend Dan Darling to join us as we talk about how the kingdom of God relates to cultural engagement today, and how it relates to your everyday as a believer, no matter your context. His perspective and insight as a representative on the forefront of these conversations, as a pastor, and as a Christian is incredibly helpful. About Dan:Daniel Darling is the Vice President for Communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention (ERLC). Dan is the author of several books, including Teen People of the Bible, Crash Course, iFaith, Real, Activist Faith, The Original Jesus, The Dignity Revolution, and his forthcoming book, The Characters of Christmas. He is a contributing editor to Christianity Today’s CT Pastors, a columnist for Homelife, and a regular contributor to In Touch Magazine. He also writes regularly for several leading evangelical publications, including The Gospel Coalition. Dan’s op-eds have appeared in USA Today, CNN, Washington Times, Time, Huffington Post, National Review, Washington Post and First Things. He has appeared on CNN and on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Dan speaks and preaches around the country and is regularly interviewed on television and radio. He is the host of a weekly podcast, The Way Home.Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry from Dayspring Bible College, has studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and is a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He serves on the board of Let My People Go Ministries, an organization devoted to helping churches fight human trafficking.Dan has served churches in Illinois and Tennessee. He and his wife Angela have four children and reside in the Nashville area. They attend Green Hill Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, where Dan serves as Pastor of Teaching and Discipleship.Links:Ethics & Religious Liberty CommissionThe Way Home - Dan's podcastThe World and Everything In It - Podcast from WORLD MagazineChrist-Centered Parenting Bible StudyQuote Us:"If we love our neighbors, we should care about the things that affect our neighbors—the injustices that affect them." — @dandarling #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook"We have to ask ourselves, 'Am I being shaped by the gospel? Am I being shaped by Scripture? Am I being shaped by the story God is telling through the Scripture and in the world?'" — @dandarling #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook"As much as we hear about brokenness, we also need to find the slivers of beauty and truth and goodness in the world." — @dandarling #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook"The church should be the one place where you're not valued for what you bring to the table, but because you're a human being created in the image of God." — @dandarling #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook"We need to be steeped in Scripture so we know how to react and understand the world we live in." — @dandarling #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook"God is mostly working in the world through ordinary people." — @dandarling #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook"We need to be aware and know the bad news so we can see how beautiful the good news is." — @edhyndman #MARKEDpodcast Share on TwitterShare on Facebook Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

Whitney's passion for both the Word of God and women is so clear. We couldn't help but nod in agreement as she shared from her heart and from her new book and Bible Study in this episode. Don't miss a lot of helpful links in today's show notes (including where you can hear Whitney teach live this year)!About Whitney:Whitney Capps is a national speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries and a writer for the new Bible app, First 5, reaching more than 1,000,000 people daily. As a Bible study geek, Whitney’s delight is to dig into God’s Word for profound yet practical truth. A communicator at heart, Whitney comes alive by sharing those truths with any gal who will give her even a few minutes. In her former life she served as a Talent Acquisitions professional at Chick-fil-A’s corporate office, which gave her a deep love for helping women connect their passion with their purpose for the glory of God. A girly-girl living with all boys, Whitney and her husband Chad are raising their four sons, Cooper, Dylan, Ryder, and Tate just outside Atlanta, Georgia. Her house is wild, loud and littered with Legos. Whitney is addicted to shoes, jewelry, and ice crunching. Additionally, Whitney served her community as her local Bible Study Fellowship Teaching Leader.Links:Sick of Me: From Transparency to TransformationWe Over Me: Letters of Hope from Revelation (Bible Study)Connect with Whitney Online: WhitneyCapps.com / Instagram / Twitter / FacebookSee Whitney Live! Lifeway Women's Leadership Forum and Lifeway Women LiveQuote Us:"I somehow started living a life that was Gospel adjacent, but not Gospel centered. It sent me to Scripture to start studying what part of brokenness and confession plays in the Christian life... I was pursuing self-help instead of sanctification." @whitneycapps #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"Sometimes knowing more about ourself is beneficial in that it helps us crucify our flesh, not celebrate it." @whitneycapps #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"Sanctification is living and loving and looking more like Jesus tomorrow than I did today. That's it." @whitneycapps #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"My first point of confession should never be to another human being. I shouldn't be confessing something to you that I have not dealt with the Holy Spirit about, because if I am, what I'm asking you to do is affirm me, not hold me accountable." @whitneycapps #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"Transparency can’t just be airing all the junk... The reality is, we have to be able to also say transparently, 'I look more like Jesus today than I did yesterday, but because of the Gospel, there is actual hope that you and I can be better than we were yesterday.' That's what women are desperate to hear." @whitneycapps #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on Facebook"We are often doing spiritual things to feel better, rather than doing spiritual things to actually be better. That's the massive chasm between self-help and sanctification. Self-help's endgame is my happiness, and sanctification's endgame is my holiness." @whitneycapps #MarkedPodcastShare on TwitterShare on FacebookLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.