After Words

“Not all readers are leaders,” quipped President Harry S. Truman, “but all leaders are readers.” That’s especially true for pastors whose ministry includes preaching and teaching. It’s a given that pastors need to read Scripture, commentaries and books on theology and ministry. But it’s also a good idea for them to read outside of those topics, taking in biography, history and current events as well. C-SPAN’s long-running After Words series features interviews with the authors of today’s most talked-about nonfiction books. Episodes drop weekly and run approximately one hour in length, and are available in audio and video formats.

CBE International

If you believe that “the Bible calls women and men to share authority equally in service and leadership in the home, church, and world,” then you need to listen to CBE International’s channel on SoundCloud. CBE stands for “Christians for Biblical Equality.” The channel features hundreds of hours of top-notch teaching by evangelical scholars and ministers about what the Bible really says about male-female relationships, as well as how to practice and promote that teaching in church and culture. Most of its content began as lectures or breakout sessions at CBE International’s annual conferences. Recordings are available in audio and video formats.

Cold Case Christianity

J. Warner Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective. He’s also a Christian apologist, author of Cold Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith. In the Cold Case Christianity podcast, he teaches believers how to develop an “evidential” or “forensic” approach to Christian faith. Episodes drop weekly and run between 30 minutes and an hour. They are available in audio and video formats. Topics include “How to Read and Think More Clearly as a Christian Case Maker,” “Are There Good Reasons to Believe the Resurrection?” and “Are Science and Belief in God Incompatible?”

Final Note: Check out the Influence Podcast, a collection of inspiring and challenging conversations, aimed at empowering the entire spectrum of church leadership. Episodes drop twice weekly and are hosted on alternate days by George P. Wood and John Davidson. Make sure to listen, like, and review the podcast on iTunes!

This article originally appeared in the October/November/December 2017 edition of Influence magazine.