United? We Pray

As we continue our Black History Month series, we look today at the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a remarkably gifted man who managed to lead the complex, often contentious movement we now think of as the Civil Rights Movement. Though he is beloved in our day, he was hated in his own. Helping us think through all of this is Dr. Kevin Smith, a pastor and church historian. We appreciate Dr. Smith's insight and hope you are encouraged by the episode. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.You can read Letter from Birmingham Jail here. The King biography Dr. Smith mentioned can be found here. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Continuing our Black History Month series, Jasmine Holmes stops by the podcast to talk about the faith of American slaves and the persecution they endured. We also discuss historical sources that can give us an an idea of what slavery was like for the saints who lived through it. God sustained His people and heard their prayers, even in the worst circumstances. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.You can find books by Jasmine Holmes here. Here's a link to the Lost Cause book recommended by Jasmine. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

It will surprise no one to see that we're kicking off Black History Month by talking about Francis Grimke. Francis was a pastor in Washington, DC in the early 1900s. He was a former slave who lived an extraordinary life. His work inspired Isaac to start this ministry, so we feel a special connection to his life and work. Be encouraged by this faithful saint!LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin is joined in the studio today by Dr. Mike Ahn, Interim Dean of Spiritual Development at BIOLA University. Mike graciously shared something of the Asian American experience with us, an experience which is often misunderstood or overlooked, even by those who care about ethnic harmony. Mike shares how common conceptions of Asian Americans are too truncated, and shares some of the blessings of growing up in the Korean Church. We hope you are encouraged. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here is the article referenced by Austin about the Asian American experience. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Some surprise encouragement for your weekend! Ray Ortlund, of Immanuel Church in Nashville, recently preached at Iron City Church in Birmingham to celebrate the anniversary of Isaac's installation as lead pastor. The sermon was on the Christian's hope of heaven, and it was so moving for us that we wanted to make sure you all had the chance to hear it. Be blessed, beloved. Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Austin is joined today by Carl Laferton, Executive Vice President of The Good Book Company (TGBC). We talk about the children's books published by TGBC, and how the illustrations both reflect historical accuracy and highlight diversity. We also talk about TGBC's lay-level commentary series, and how diverse authors contributed to the project. Carl shares how he has learned the importance of representation and of learning from Christians from various cultures and ethnicities, and how that informs the way TGBC highlights diversity within their projects. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.The Good Book CompanyThe "God's Word for You" seriesResources for childrenSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Pastor Josh Chatman discusses the importance of loving our neighbors who are not like us and offers tips on building relationships outside our normal orbits. He emphasizes the need for diversity, intentionality, and genuine connection while discouraging tokenism. The podcast highlights the challenges of racial segregation, the importance of overcoming language barriers, and the role of prayer in guiding and empowering us to love our neighbors. Prayers for wisdom, guidance, and the ability to love others are also shared.

To kick off the new year, Austin and Isaac sit down to discuss Jesus' warning to the Church of Ephesus from Revelation 2. Jesus admonished them for losing their first love. We talk about how loving Jesus should supersede everything else we do as a ministry and as Christians. Whatever good works God has prepared for us are meant to be fueled by our love for Jesus rather than serve as a substitute for loving Jesus. That's what we want to be about as a ministry and as individuals. We hope you will join us in praying for a greater love for our Savior. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Support the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Josh Chatman, pastor at Midtown Baptist Church joins Austin today to talk about our prayers lives. Specifically, they discuss structured prayers and how praying different kinds of prayers can help us when we feel stuck, get us to pray about different things, and create a more rich prayer life. We hope this episode encourages you to pray in ways you might not have considered before. Let's go to the Throne of Grace together, friends. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.Here is a link to the podcast Josh hosts, Train 'Em UpEpisode with Shai Linne on Ethnic SinsSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!

Merry Christmas from United? We Pray. For this very special Christmas episode, we sit down with Dr. Fred Sanders to talk about the Incarnation of Christ. What does it mean that Jesus came to Earth as a baby boy? What does it mean that he came as a Jewish baby boy with a specific ethnicity? We talk about redemption, union with Christ, prayer, and what the Incarnation has to do with all of it. This was one of the most moving and devotional episodes we've ever recorded, and we hope it motivates you to greater worship of our Savior. Merry Christmas, beloved. LINKS & SHOW NOTES:This UWP Podcast Episode was produced by Josh Deng with editing by Roshane Ricketts.For more information about Fred can be found here. His excellent blog can be found here. Los Angeles Bible Training SchoolSupport the showTo learn more about United? We Pray, follow us on Instagram and keep exploring our website. Please consider rating the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and subscribe using your favorite podcast client to hear more!