I’m still a little humored, bewildered, and astonished by this conversation I had with a friend of mine who had been part of our church community. And, while I still find myself shaking my head at this interaction, there is a legitimate, ongoing tension between being Holy Spirit led and engaging in human planning, a tension that many church and mission leaders face daily.
Read MoreIn the past, we’ve used these blogs to inform you of what to pray for these three works that we believe God has called us to be a part of initiating. This year, though, we’re changing things up! We’ll spend six of the next twelve months talking about the how of praying for these Initiatives and the others talking about the why.
I’m tired of Zoom. I’m tired of online church. I’m tired of experiencing part of people (visual and auditory). I need to feel people. I need to smell them. I need the energy that radiates in a room filled with people in my Christian family. I need life-sized, in-person presence. Don’t you?
Read MoreRegardless of where they serve in the world, missionary families usually say the same thing – their children are a special blessing and a big part of their work. As Christian families seek to live out their faith in whatever context God places them, living as a whole family on mission says something in a unique way to those around them. Children matter to the expansion of the Kingdom.
Read More“I wish there is more that I could do for your ministry, but I am limited in my resources.” I often hear a similar statement from our partners here at Mission Resource Network. I sometimes respond by saying “you can wrestle in prayer for us!” When I face an inquisitive look, I tell about one of my favorite heroes in the Bible. His name is Epaphras.
Read MoreWe serve a God with a remarkable track record of working through surprising people in surprising circumstances to accomplish surprising things.
Read MoreAlthough many of us may have missed it, last Sunday, May 31st, was Pentecost Sunday. It marked the anniversary of the day on which God poured out His promised Holy Spirit on all believers. Nothing was ever the same.
Read MoreI remember the first time that I saw a mother teaching her small child to bow down before an idol. It was a hot tropical day in northern Thailand. I had come to a Buddhist temple to learn what goes on there.
Read MoreIn this day of uncertainty, it is sometimes difficult to even know what to pray. A virus threatens our world. Millions are losing their jobs. Countless other millions are forced to stay home even though their life depends on them working each day to earn what little they can to support their families. The world is vulnerable, exposed. It is difficult to feel powerless.
Read MoreGod has declared that now is the time for the harvest season and for the people of the Muslim world to be brought back to Him. More Muslims have come to faith in Jesus in the last 15 years than in the previous 1400 years combined! And we are alive and have the privilege to see it and to participate in what He is doing! However, this territory is not uncontested.
Read MoreWhen it comes to training workers to participate in a disciple making movement, the first principle we lean into is Prayer Saturation. We firmly believe that the Spirit moves when God’s people pray. We’ve seen it both throughout Scripture and on up to our times.
Read MoreA friend of mine is fond of saying that the only things in this life really worth attempting are the ones that are bound to fail if God doesn’t show up. Friends, if that’s the case, these three are really worth doing because there is zero chance of success without the Spirit of the Living God accomplishing these through His people!
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