On January 18th, 2026, protestors marched into a church building in Saint Paul, Minnesota in the middle of the worship service. They began chanting and disrupting the space, forcing the church ushers to evacuate the children's wing and the congregation. The pastor of that church is Jonathan Parnell.

Parnell also serves as the Send Network's City Missionary in the Twin Cities, where he works to encourage fellow pastors and train church planters.

He is the author of Mercy for Today: A Daily Prayer from Psalm 51 (2020), Never Settle for Normal: The Proven Path to Significance and Happiness (2017) and coauthor of How to Stay Christian in Seminary (2014).

A graduate of Bethlehem College and Seminary, he previously worked on the content team at desiringGod.org where he's written hundreds of articles over the years. He and his wife, Melissa, live in the Twin Cities with their eight children.

For more information, visit https://www.jonathaneparnell.com/about

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

1:00 How did you end up doing what you're doing today?

4:42 Tell us a little about church planting

8:08 How receptive is the population of Minneapolis to hearing the gospel?

10:44 Tell us about the ICE protests on January 18th

18:50 As a leader, what was the first thought going through your mind? What did the Spirit do in you in that moment?

24:40 How do you keep upper congregation from being distracted during the service as the protests continue?

29:30 Have you been able to engage with the protestors?

33:05 In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently? Do you have any advice toward other pastors and leaders today?

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

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RESOURCES:

Desiring God website: https://www.desiringgod.org/

Order Experiencing God in Everyday Life now at: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/experiencing-god-in-everyday-life-bible-study-book-with-video-access-P005853831

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Cynthia Scott has led prayer initiatives across Pittsburgh and beyond, including citywide gatherings, prayer for national events, and a daily prayer call for the nation. Passionate about honoring God and praying for revival in America, she has written numerous prayer guides and now offers Celebrating GOD, Our FOUNDER, at America's 250th Birthday. This work reflects her conviction that God's providence shaped the United States and calls believers to honor Him as our true Founder, and help to shape our future through prayer. Cynthia resides near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Purchase Celebrating God Our Founder at America's 250th Birthday here: https://godourfounder.com/

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction to Cynthia Scott

1:35 What motivated you to write this book?

4:30 Tell us about what you've done with prayer and why is it your passion?

9:25 What advice do you have for someone whose church is not in the habit of praying?

10:50 How do you talk about America as a Christian nation?

15:43 The Founding Father's Faith

23:05 Why is Christianity in education so important?

26:00 Why is it important to pray for our leaders?

33:50 Where does revival come from?

35:50 Final Advice

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

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The infamous deception masterminded by Jacob and Esau's own mother is the theme for today's message. In episode 424, Richard and Daniel talk about the heartbreaking act that finally tore this family apart.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

1:37 Leadership Trivia

3:19 Genesis 27: Jacob and Rebekah's Deception

42:49 Leadership Trivia Response

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

DONATE:

If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support our ministry into the next 20 years, click here: https://bit.ly/382Exi3

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Esau was born mere minutes before Jacob yet he gets the entire birthright? This didn't seem right to Jacob, so he takes matters into his own hands. In episode 423, Richard and Daniel dive into Jacob's plan to steal Esau's birthright by selling him some stew.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

1:28 Leadership Trivia

2:55 Genesis 27: Jacob's Stew

41:20 Leadership Trivia Response

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

DONATE:

If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support our ministry into the next 20 years, click here: https://bit.ly/382Exi3

RESOURCES:

Order Experiencing God in Everyday Life now at: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/experiencing-god-in-everyday-life-bible-study-book-with-video-access-P005853831

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"In honor of America's 250th anniversary, A Great Awakening tells the true story of an unlikely friendship that resulted in one of the most defining moments in American history. With the colonies on the brink of collapse, the Reverend George Whitefield (Jonathan Blair) sparks the first Great Awakening, uniting an entire generation with his thundering proclamation of liberty in Christ. In a miraculous turn of events, one of Whitefield's closest friends and greatest promoters becomes none other than Benjamin Franklin (John Paul Sneed). With the nation's freedom hanging in the balance, Franklin discovers true liberty cannot only be written into law - it must be awakened in the hearts of the people."

You can watch A Great Awakening now through the Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video!

For more information about The Collision, click here: https://thecollision.org/

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

2:05 Leadership Trivia

2:55 Discussing A Great Awakening

35:08 Leadership Trivia Response

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

DONATE:

If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support our ministry into the next 20 years, click here: https://bit.ly/382Exi3

RESOURCES:

Sign up for the monthly newsletter at the bottom of the BMI homepage: https://blackaby.org/

Sign up for Fall Coaching Workshop here: https://www.blackabycoaching.org/workshop

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Many of the Biblical heroes we look up to are incredibly flawed humans with long pasts that led them to the later relationship with God that they become known for. In episode 420, the start of our study of Jacob's life, Richard and Daniel discuss Jacob's birth and the labels put on him early in his childhood.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

2:25 Leadership Trivia

3:10 Genesis 25: Jacob's Start

37:45 Leadership Trivia Response

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

DONATE:

If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support our ministry into the next 20 years, click here: https://bit.ly/382Exi3

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George Washington is perhaps one of the most famous leaders not only in America, but in the world. In episode 420, Richard and Daniel talk about Angel's and Wonder Project's new film Young Washington (in theaters July 3rd) and leadership lessons from the first president's life.

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

4:40 Leadership Trivia

5:55 Leadership Lessons from Young Washington

40:41 Leadership Trivia Response

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

DONATE:

If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support our ministry into the next 20 years, click here: https://bit.ly/382Exi3

RESOURCES:

Young Washington Interview with Screenwriter Diederik Hoogstraten: https://thecollision.org/greater-than-yourself-young-washington-screenwriter-diederik-hoogstraten-on-lessons-learned-from-the-life-of-george-washington/

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Dr. Matt Paden is the President and Managing Partner of Great Days Leadership. He specializes in aligning teams around mission, building healthy cultures and developing clear, values-driven leadership. He received his doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University and has recently released The Core: 8 Principles for Building Strong Authentic Leadership alongside his coauthor, Dr. L. Ken Jones.

This book is available for purchase now at https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Core/Matt-Paden/9781637635582

Reach out to Dr. Paden at https://greatdaysleadership.com/

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction

1:08 Are the fundamentals the same for any area of leadership?

3:06 Is leadership for everyone? Can anyone be a leader?

4:47 How did you and your writing partner, Dr. L. Ken Jones, approach writing the leadership fable?

9:45 Why is the book of Esther such a big part of your book?

20:55 This is ego such a big issue for leaders?

24:45 What do you mean by "lead with your ears"?

29:40 What do you mean by "pace yourself and extend the game"?

36:16 Is there one practice you'd recommend for someone to improve their leadership skills?

39:43 Closing Thoughts

Questions or comments? Email us at podcast@blackaby.org

DONATE:

If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support our ministry into the next 20 years, click here: https://bit.ly/382Exi3

RESOURCES:

Order Experiencing God in Everyday Life now at: https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/experiencing-god-in-everyday-life-bible-study-book-with-video-access-P005853831

CONNECT:

X: @richardblackaby

Facebook: https://bit.ly/2WvZPzw

Read Richard's latest blog posts at www.richardblackaby.com