The Coworkers Podcast

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How should we raise up leaders for church planting in pioneer contexts? Leadership development begins with discipleship of the entire church - "everyone gets everything." This discipleship is more than gaining biblical knowledge (though that is important); it is holistic and addresses all of life. This discipleship progressive, and begins with basic discipleship for new believers, and helps believers mature over time. The Lord Jesus and Apostle Paul developed leaders through giving time and attention to faithful believers in 4 ways, the 4 "E's" or "essentials" of leadership development: exemplify, equip, encourage, and entrust.

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1 Peter 3:1-7 includes instructions for women that can be difficult to understand, such as be subject, have gentle and quiet spirits, be like Sarah who obeyed Abraham and called him lord, and you are weaker vessels. Listen in as Shanee explains this text, and shares how God warmed her heart to not only tolerate, but see the beauty and honor for women in this text.

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What will it be like to be a part of that "vast multitude that no one can number from every nation, tribe, people, and language," gathered around the throne worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ? Listen in as Jesse recently preached on Rev. 7:9-10 at The Village Church, and be encouraged that every sacrifice you make to fulfill God's vision will be worth it!

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A furlough (or "stateside") is an extended time back in one's home/passport country at regular intervals for cross-cultural workers. Listen in as we share 4 purposes for furlough, common challenges missionaries face on furloughs, and best practices for using your furlough well, particularly to restore your fervor for the Lord and your work, so you can get back on the plane with health and passion.

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During July and August, we are highlighting our all-time top 10 episodes for you, in case you missed them! We are enjoying time with family and some needed rest. If this episode speaks to you, share it with a friend!

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Mission work is more than preaching the gospel; it's a spiritual battle that involves the Holy Spirit and spiritual forces of darkness. We should not be unaware or flippant about the enemy's work and influence as we go about mission work. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers. Resistance to the gospel should not result in frustration towards people; but a frustration that leads to desperate prayer. Listen in as our South Asian friend and ministry partner Noah J gives a thorough, biblical teaching on the necessity of the Holy Spirit and the Word to gain victory over the enemy.

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How do we as outsiders learn to communicate the gospel and provide biblical counsel cross-culturally in a way that gets to people's hearts? Listen in as Matt and Sheryl share from their experience in church planting and counseling in the U.S. and South Asia. Matt is South Asian and grew up in South Asia. He has done ministry in the U.S. and currently in a megacity in South Asia. Sheryl is a licensed marriage and family counselor.

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Many times, coworkers arrive on the field expecting to be handed an amazing national believer ready to partner in church-planting. In reality, national partners aren't usually "handed over" or "found," but developed over months and years of investing in lots of believers. Listen in as Jared and Michelle, missionary leaders (and dear friends) in South Asia, share best practices from their almost 20 years of experience.

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Culture stress is an inevitable challenge for sent-out ones living in foreign cultures, and it doesn't seem to go away! Listen in as we discuss some of the heart-level causes of culture stress, and how to shepherd our hearts in a way that glorifies God and honors the people we came to serve.

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A part of our job as team leaders on the field is partnering with Stateside (home country) churches, which includes planning for and hosting short term volunteer teams. This requires a lot of work, time, planning, and often stress; however these volunteer teams can be a fruitful part of our field strategy! Listen in as we share best practices for using short term teams well (without losing your minds!)

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Burn-out - or exhaustion due to chronic work-related stress - is a danger for everyone. Listen in as Bobby F, a missionary with 26+ years of field experience and currently a counselor to missionaries, shares his own story of burn-out, signs to watch for, tips for prevention, and the root cause of burn-out that surprised us!

Bobby recommended several "soul care" authors and books:
Steve Smith
Trevor Hudson - Cycle of Grace
Richard Foster
Dallas Willard
Ruth Haley Barton- An Introduction to Silence and Solitude; Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership
Pete Scazzero - Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

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As we engage with local believers and churches on the mission field, largely for the purposes of training, what do we do when they have different doctrinal beliefs than we do? To what extent should we partner with them, and how? What about churches that are more "charismatic" or have some "prosperity gospel" leanings? Listen in as we discuss how to handle this common issue on the field.

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Jesse, Jacob C, and Will J are coworkers and brothers in our city that have been meeting weekly for the past 3 years intentionally to "walk in the light together" - to be able to intentionally share the hard stuff and sin struggles in a safe, trustworthy place. This has been extremely influential for all three in their health and growth. Listen in as they share how their group grew in trusting one another and how you can pursue similar trusting, open relationships in your life.

The guys have gone through the following books in their time together:
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
Future Grace by John Piper
The Voice of the Heart by Chip Dodd
Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at your Table by Louie Giglio
Knowing God by JI Packer

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When we fail to intentionally process our uncomfortable emotions, they pile up and come out later at unexpected times and in inappropriate ways, and we can become dull and jaded. Listen in as Elizabeth Smith, COO of www.tcktraining.com and author of The Practice of Processing, shares how to establish rhythms for naming and sorting our emotions, and then proceeding in healthy ways.

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Scripture memory can often feel like a duty or too much work, but when we take small steps to incorporate it into our days, it results in so much joy and fruit in our lives! Listen in as coworkers and busy moms Laura and Micah share how they have prioritized and benefited from scripture memory in their lives on the field.

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Listen in as we discuss our own journey with reformed theology, and how those principles intersect with evangelism and missions. Along with embracing the sovereignty of God in salvation and election according to Romans 9:19-24, let's embrace Paul's unceasing anguish for the lost in Romans 9:2!

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Serving and leading together as a married couple in our family lives and in ministry is a gift, and an area that requires ongoing intentionality. Listen in as we share 3 tips for growing in "laboring side by side for the faith of the gospel:" prioritizing the marriage relationship, valuing one another's gifts, and regularly communicating about our work and leadership.

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The pattern of mission work that we find in Paul's missionary journeys includes laying a foundation of gospel proclamation and new churches, and then moving on to unreached places. Exit is a difficult but essential component of the missionary task, and drives local ownership. Missionaries from the beginning are trying to work themselves out of their job! Listen in!

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What is the key to developing fruitful and faithful leaders in the missionary task? Learn from South Asian church planter Lipok as he shares from God's Word and from his years of fruitful ministry in South Asia. Lipok emphasizes that leadership is primarily a matter of the heart, and loving people is more important than having the perfect strategy. Lipok also shares the power of "walking in the light" as a leader, how he and his wife work together as a team, and much more!

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Is it realistic and biblical to expect an intimate relationship with God daily? To hear his voice and experience his presence in powerful, fresh ways often? Or is it possible that God loved us and saved us, but doesn't promise intimacy? Listen in as Shanee shares 7 biblical proofs that God absolutely wants intimacy with us more than we will ever want with him! Be convinced, and make greater intimacy with Christ your #1 goal for 2024!

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Listen in as we continue our discussion on church formation with Nathan Shank, a global missionary leader of 20+ years and the author of the 4 Fields Manual for Church Planting. Nathan shares how baptist doctrine is conducive to multiplication, 4 key doctrines for church- the headship of Christ, the authority of the Word, the priesthood of believers, and regeneration membership-, and even gets into the biblical basis for movements!

Check out Nathan's Discovering the Missionary Task series

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Listen in as we discuss the 4th part of the missionary task, starting new churches, with Nathan Shank, missionary leader in South Asia. Nathan shares basic church functions found in Acts 2:41-47, the importance of church identity for church health and sustainability, and how to help new churches of new believers grow in church health.

Check out Nathan's Discovering the Missionary Task series

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Listen in on part 3 in our series on the missionary task, on discipleship. Kenny and Bethany B, missionary leaders in South Asia, share how discipleship requires intentionality, time, modeling, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Every believer needs discipleship! Kenny and Bethany share key bible passages and practical tips from their field experience.

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If you've been on the field or in ministry very long, you've experienced a shortage of love for your people, and sometimes even bitterness, anger, and feelings of superiority. Listen in as Jesse shares the HOPE we can receive from the book of Jonah! God uses imperfect missionaries to reach large groups of people, because GOD'S heart posture towards lost people is first and foremost grace and pity.

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Holidays on the field come with unique challenges and opportunities! Listen in as missionary leaders Samantha G. and Micah C. share from their more than a decade of missionary experience on how to personally draw near to Christ, use Christmas to reach out to the lost and generously gift our national ministry partners, and enjoy traditions with our families and communities.

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Part 3 in our series on the missionary task - preaching the gospel. The core of the pattern in the New Testament for missions is consistent, bold, broad gospel proclamation. All of the missionary task rides on this important part! What should bold gospel proclamation look like in our generation, and how do we get there? Listen in as we share the biblical foundation and practical tips and tools!

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What is the work missionaries do? We are going through the 6 parts of the missionary task, and in this episode we dive into the first part - entering new fields. The goal of entry is to provide meaningful gospel access to the target population. Entry strategies should be simple and reproducible so that as many local believers as possible will use them to share the gospel. Listen in!

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Is there a specific work that missionaries should, according to the Bible, pursue? YES! Listen in to this series as we dig into the biblical pattern of the work that the Apostle Paul and other sent-out-ones did. In this episode, we show from Acts 13-14 that the missionary task can be simply divided into 6 parts: Enter a new place, Proclaim the gospel to the lost, Make disciples of those who believe, Gather them into new churches, Appoint elders in those churches, and Entrust that church to the Holy Spirit and exit to partnership.

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How can fathers in ministry make sure their kids know they love them more than their ministry? How can fathers invest in their children, set boundaries for family time and fun, and disciple their children and involve them in the work? Listen in as Steven C, a dad of 5 and missionary leader with 17 years of field experience, shares wisdom from his experience and God's Word.

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Joe and Christy Allen served for 14 years as missionary leaders in South Asia, and endured many types of sickness as a family (GI, thyroid, endemetriosis, food allergies, chronic lyme, mono, parasites, chronic fatigue, appendicitis, and more!). Their family had to leave the field due their son's combination of an immune deficiency, autoimmune encephalitis, epilepsy, concussions, and parasites. Listen in to hear how God strengthened, provided, and guided this family in both suffering well and getting healing. They share helpful insights such as advocating for yourself, fighting for your kids and their needs, teaching your kids to suffer well, being willing to share your weaknesses, how to deal with dietary restrictions on the field, and rhythms for health.
For more resources, check out our website thecoworkerspodcast.com

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Several years ago, God showed me (Shanee) unforgiveness in my heart towards a few friends and coworkers, from hurts that were several years old. My lack of processing and forgiving those hurts resulted in hard-heartedness and self-protective tendencies in how I related with my teammates. God gave me the power to fully forgive these friends, and that opened up the door for God to do much more work in my heart and relationships. The Bible teaches that unforgiveness and bitterness is dangerous. Please listen in prayerfully and see if there are any hurts or relationships in your life that need healing.

Book Mentioned: The Voice of the Heart: A Call to Full Living by Chip Dodd

Check out our website thecoworkerspodcast.com for episodes and resources!

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In 2006, the Barrick family was struck head-on by a drunk driver and experienced life-threatening injuries. Their teenage daughter Jen was in a coma for 5 weeks with severe brain injuries that took away much of her basic functioning and memory for several months. God worked in miraculous ways both in healing this family physically, and through speaking to and through Jen in amazing ways! Listen in to learn the power of praying and praising out loud, flip-flopping negativity with biblical promises, and re-wallpapering our brains with God's Word. Connect with Andy and Linda at www.hopeoutloud.com

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Motherhood on the field is particularly challenging, as moms juggle family needs, ministry, and often leadership responsibilities. Debbie C, mom of 5 and missionary leader with over 17 years of field experience, shares biblical principles and tons of practical ideas for every season of motherhood.

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We all have false beliefs about what gives us worth, such as worth based on our performance, people-pleasing, or perfectionism. We try to earn our worth through accomplishments, through winning the admiration of others, and through meeting standards. These are all worldly, satanic philosophies that are both fueled by and result in fear and shame. As believers, we gain freedom from the bondage of those false beliefs through knowing and living out our biblical identity of who we are in Christ.

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When preparing to move overseas, choosing a missions sending organization is a big decision. What factors should be considered? What are essentials, and what are matters of personal preference? Listen in as we share pros and cons of different models, particularly the support-raised vs. fully-funded models.

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How's your heart? Do you fall into doing work and ministry "half-heartedly?" Are you fully showing up with your whole self in your relationships? How much do your coworkers and friends trust your genuine love for them? If you need to grow in any of these areas, then please join us in this discussion, as we share 3 tips for expressing genuine love and trustworthiness to your people. And may the loving heart of Jesus Christ be formed more and more in all of us!

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Contextualization is incredibly important because it’s about people having meaningful access to the Gospel. As we think about contextualization, we need biblical guidelines for what can be adjusted for different cultures, and what is unchanging. Listen in as Jesse shares biblical, practical principles for good contextualization.

Keller: Contextualization is “giving people the Bible’s answers, which they may not at all want to hear, to questions about life that people in their particular time and place are asking, in language and forms they can comprehend, and through appeals and arguments with force they can feel, even if they reject them.” Center Church, 89.

Newbigin: “Hence the horrendous word “contextualization” was born. The word is unattractive, but the thing sought for is essential.”

The Gospel message is the unchanging CORE of all contextualization efforts.

CORE—Crucified, Ordained, Risen, Evidenced

Acts 2:31-36: Crucified—v. 36; Ordained—v. 31; Resurrected—v. 32; Evidenced—v. 32—(“of that we are all witnesses”); Response: Repentance/belief—v. 38.
Acts 3:13-21: Crucified—v. 13-15; Ordained—v. 1; Resurrected—v. 15; Evidenced—v. 15—“To this we are witnesses”; Response: Repent/belief —v. 19.
Acts 4:8-20: Crucified—v. 10; Resurrected—v. 10; Evidenced—v. 20.
Acts 5:29-32: Crucified—v. 30; Ordained—v. 30—God of our Fathers; Resurrected—v. 30; Evidenced—v. 32; Response: Repent/Belief 31
Acts 10:34-43: Crucified—v. 39; Ordained—v. 43; Resurrected—v. 40; Evidenced—v. 39,41; Repentance/Belief—v. 43. Also 11:18: Then to the Gentiles also God has granted the repentance that leads to life.
Acts 13:16-41: Crucified—v. 28-29; Ordained—v. 23; Resurrected—v. 30; Evidenced—v. 31; Repentance/Belief—v. 38-39
Acts 17—famous, often-cited about contextualization. But before the Areopagus, he was already preaching in the marketplace: “he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection”—v. 18; Repentance—v. 30.
Acts 20:21—Repentance: "testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Acts 26:19-23: Crucified—v. 23; Ordained—v. 22; Resurrected—v. 23; Evidenced—v. 16, 22; Repentance/Belief—v. 20.

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Join in on part 2 of our interview with Troy and Rachel, NPL church planters that saw over 40 new churches and over 1200 baptisms in their ministry based out of So Cal! They share house church principles, the importance of church feeling like family, the need for more pathways to send out as missionaries, and more.

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Troy and Rachel have been doing disciple-making and church-planting work in the US with the NPL network for over 11 years. They have a passion for the Lord and the lost that is contagious! They have 7 kids, aged 6-20, who love the Lord and regularly share the gospel with their friends and join their parents in training others. In the last 5 years through their ministry in So Cal, over 43 churches have been planted and over 1200 people have been baptized! Listen in as they share how they have instilled a heart for the lost in their children and incorporated their children into their ministry. Also, check out their website coopersonamission.com for a ton of helpful tools, videos, and resources!

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How can we turn a Bible study group into a church? What are the things we do on the front end to help the believers begin identifying as a church? What are the barriers, and how do we overcome them? Listen in as Brother Kiran shares key practices from his years of church planting experience.

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What are the most important principles for raising up leaders in the missionary task? How do you identify which disciples to invest in? How can Westerners in particular be best used by God in raising up local leaders on the mission field? Listen in as Kiran L, a seasoned, fruitful church-planter in South Asia, shares with passion on the necessity of laying down our lives for our disciples.

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How do we women find and develop female national ministry partners? Listen in as Terri N from East Asia and Elle R from South/SE Asia share keys for developing and encouraging our sisters in the missionary task.

Terri has over 20 years on the field, and has served as a single, married, and currently with kids in high school. Elle has been serving around 6 years and has a toddler and a baby. They both share proven principles, and a contagious joy and love for the Lord and the work.

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All believers, and particularly those in full time ministry, must be convinced of the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Listen in as Dr. Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theology, teaches with such clarity and conviction on this topic. We were already "convinced" on this topic, but Dr. Akin taught us new things and deepened that conviction.

"This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book."

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People have many different ideas of "mission work," so we must define missions according to the Bible. Listen in as Andy Kampman, a passionate missions leader with Launch Global, shares a biblical definition of missions, why disciple-making and church-planting must always be primary work, how the church should also fulfill "Matthew 25 ministries" such as social justice work, and how goers should respond to anti-Christian governments. Andy is an experienced mobilizer, so be careful, you might feel called to mission work by the end of the episode!

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TCKs will face many challenges as they adjust to life in their home (passport) country after high school: college classes and campus life, learning to drive and manage finances, questions of identity and belonging, unbiblical aspects of that culture, and so many more. Listen in as Chesed Dent (adult TCK working to equip college students for ministry) shares how parents can equip teens to face these challenges, and how God can truly use these struggles for good in TCKs' lives.

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I (Shanee) have been going through a season of tiredness, lack of motivation, and just feeling "numb" and unengaged from life, relationships, and the work. Thankfully, over the last couple weeks, God has been bringing me out of that season, and I want to share so that others can get out of their season faster than I did! In this episode, I share some "red flags" of unhealth to watch out for, 5 potential causes for a season of like this, and biblical solutions for every cause.

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Many people (understandably!) struggle with the reality of hell as a place of eternal torment for those who do not trust in Christ. How should we live with such a sober reality? Is it "fair" of God to send people to hell? Why is a biblical understanding of hell essential for all believers, and especially missionaries? What is a right response to the reality of hell? Prayerfully listen in to part 2 of our "Are You Convinced" series.

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The first episode in our "Are You Convinced" series: foundational and hard truths that disciple-makers and missionaries (and really every Christian) must be sure of.

Are you convinced that Jesus is the only way of salvation?

John 14:6—“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.””

Acts 4:12—“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The Coworkers Podcast Website

jands@thecoworkerspodcast.com

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Language learning is inherently difficult, and requires 1000's of hours of hard work. In this episode, missionary leaders Zach and Amy share best practices from their decade of missionary experience.

Connect with us:

Thecoworkerspodcast.com
jands@thecoworkerspodcast.com

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We are continuing the discussion on missionary identity. Embracing our foundational identity as a beloved of child of God is transformational AND our functional identity as sent-ones is important, God-given, and dear. How should we handle feelings of not doing enough in the work? How do we juggle our different roles such as missionary, team leader, spouse, and parent? How do we fight unhealthy comparison on our teams? The Bible gives us clear answers - listen in! (Access the identity teaching on the Tools page on our website!)

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Many times it is hard for us missionaries to know our source of identity and worth, and in this episode field worker and leader Seba V from London shares a useful teaching on missionary identity.

All missionaries share 3 common identities: We are all God's creation, God's child, and God's missionary. Our worth, value, and righteousness come ONLY through our identities as God's creation and God's children, which are our unchanging, foundational identities. Being a missionary is a functional identity that determines our distinct rhythms, and must not be where we draw worth, or we will be on a roller coaster of emotions depending on our success or failure in the work. We also have other functional identities, such as a spouse, a parent, a single, or even a pastor, and we must be sure that we form our expectations for those roles from God's Word. This episode will clarify for you where your worth comes from, which frees you to serve in your functional identities with security and joy.

For Seba's identity training, watch: https://youtu.be/TlipsX6b080

Don't forget to check out our new website: https://thecoworkerspodcast.com for more resources!

If this episode was helpful for you, or you would like to suggest a guest for our podcast, please email us at: jands@thecoworkerspodcast.com

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How can we determine true fruitfulness in someone's life, when their most important ministry may be unseen by others? How should we prioritize public and private ministry? What is the relationship between suffering and fruitfulness? Listen in as pastor and author Matt Chandler from The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX, shares from the Word and his 20+ years of pastoring experience.

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Listen in as we share 6 ways for your church to grow in having a love for the nations, participating in the mission, and sending missionaries to the field: vision-casting for sending, training for EV and disciple-making, educating for missions, partnering strategically, training sent-ones, and celebrating and supporting goers.

Connect With Us:

The Coworkers Podcast website

Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

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How should goers prepare for mission work in their last months before moving overseas?

Listen in as we discuss 8 ways to prepare: Pursue the Lord; Pursue the lost; Engage in your local church; Grow in time management and hard work skills; Strengthen your emotional health; Improve communication and conflict resolution skills; Learn biblical missiology; and Go on a short term mission trip.

Connect With Us:

The Coworkers Podcast website

Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

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Ben H and his family have been serving in East Asia for more than 17 years, and are now at the point of forming missions agencies with the Chinese church to send out Chinese missionaries all over the world. Listen as Ben shares key principles in partnering with locals, such as clear communication, deciding on our essential convictions and where we can differ, the importance of building trust in relationships, and more. The key theme was TOGETHER - partnering together side by side in the gospel.

Connect With Us:

The Coworkers Podcast website

Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

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If spiritual health is having more of the Holy Spirit, then how can we position ourselves to experience more of Him? Two essentials are obeying God and loving / enjoying god. "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love" John 15:10. In part 1, we discussed the importance of obedience; in part 2 we share 3 ways to enjoy God more: through nature, music, and evangelism.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

"These things I’ve spoken to you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full." John 15:11

Key components to help us go from ho-hum, mundane spiritual life to “abundant life:"

Nature
Music / Special times of musical worship – either alone or corporately
EV

Nature:

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” Ps. 19:1
“Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Ps. 89:36-37
“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.” Ps. 36:5-6
“Mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!” Ps. 93:4
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” Ps. 113:3

The purpose of nature is to remind us of God’s faithfulness, power, and beauty, and lead us to worship. Nature is a gift of God to us, to open up our hearts to experience Him!

Music:

“Come into His Presence with singing!” Ps. 100
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp.” Ps. 92:1-2
“My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!” Ps. 108
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Ps. 150:6

Music is similar to nature in that it uniquely and powerfully opens up our hearts to experience more of God. God created music. He created people to create and enjoy music. It’s a bit mysterious how music affects us. I believe it can open up our hearts in special ways to experience God. For example, you can read truths about God in the Bible, and be struggling to feel them. And then when you sing those truths to God, He changes your heart and mood and may set you free from bondage to stress or busyness or fear!

Singing worship to God is clearly commanded in God’s Word. It is part of God’s design for the Christian life. It’s all over Psalms!

Evangelism:

Sharing the gospel is included in the “obedience” aspect of this teaching. When we obey God in any way, such as sharing the gospel, we experience more of Him. But I believe sharing the gospel has a unique power in affecting our relationship with God, for a few reasons:

-Speaking the gospel truths out loud to someone who doesn’t know or believe them, actively builds up my faith in those truths, and makes me treasure them more. I am reminded of how terrible it would be to not know those truths or have Jesus in my life, so it floods my heart with thankfulness. It regularly changes my mood.

-Speaking the gospel usually requires stepping out of my comfort zone, dying to self, and sacrificing my time, which is good for my heart. It helps me surrender to the Lordship of Christ in my life, and reminds me that my life isn’t all about me and my happiness.

-Speaking the gospel sometimes results in seeing God work in powerful ways, which is also uniquely spiritually encouraging!

Recommended book: The Things of Earth by Joe Rigney

Connect With Us:

The Coworkers Podcast website

Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

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If spiritual health is having more of the Holy Spirit, then how can we position ourselves to experience more of Him? Two essentials are obeying God and loving / enjoying god. "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love" John 15:10. In part 1, we discuss the importance of obedience. Loving Jesus and obeying His commands are inseparable, and result in experiencing more of Jesus!

Commandment-keeping does not usually communicate a loving relationship to us. It brings up images of begrudging obedience, or doing something other than what we want to do. But obedience is life-giving and leads to more of Jesus, which is the definition of spiritual health: more of Jesus!

John 15:1-17: We did an episode on Abiding already—5 elements from John 15 and 1 John 1. We’re going to zero in on one of those elements: commandment-keeping, or obedience, as a key to spiritual health. But the underlying truth that supports everything we’ll talk about with reference to commandment-keeping is Abiding in Him—our relationship with Him. That is the key to spiritual health.

Look what Jesus describes in v. 11: These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. The fullness of Jesus’ joy in us. That was Jesus’ goal in speaking these things to us. In the verses just before Jesus has just spoken these things: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” These are the things He has spoken so that their joy might be full.

First thing: our commandment-keeping is grounded in His love for us. This has to be clear from the first. Our commandment-keeping does not produce His love for us. It does not earn it. His love for us is prior—He shows His love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. So righteousness through commandment-keeping is not a condition for Christ to love us. 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” God’s love for us is first and foundational. It provides the possibility that we could love Him back, because He made a way for us. He is the propitiation for our sins. This makes it possible to be loved by God and for us to love Him.

Second thing: Loving Him and keeping His commands is inseparable. John 14:15 says it plainly “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” That’s more than a command. It’s a promise.

John 14:21: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 14:23-24a: “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words.”

Loving Jesus means keeping His Word. It is the sign that we love Him.

Third thing: Our commandment-keeping is a pathway to deeper abiding in Him. Jesus modeled the full life for us. He is the embodiment of Spiritual health, of goodness and fullness. And He kept His Father’s commandments and abided in His love. Those two are inseparable—fullness of joy in the Father’s presence and keeping His commandments.

Might help to dig in a bit to what Abiding in Christ is. I take it to be a rough equivalent to being Full of the Spirit. It’s to experience the fullness, or a greater measure of His presence. The fact that abiding in Him is not just our automatic state as Christians is shown by the fact that Abiding in Him is a command. It’s the only command in John 15:1-10. If it’s a command that must mean it’s not just an automatic state for a Christian. Just like “Be filled with the Spirit” is a command in Eph. 5:18. That means, I think, that the state described by abiding or filling with the Spirit is a greater measure of His presence in our hearts, a greater experience of His grace and goodness in us. Jesus lived in that state. And we can experience more of it by obeying His command to abide, first of all, and then by keeping His commandments.

Fourth thing: Our commandment-keeping is empowered by the Spirit.

John 14:15-16: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.”

The Spirit helps us keep His commandments. He is our Helper, who enables us to keep Jesus’ commands.

Fifth thing: What are His commandments?

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 1 John 3:23

And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 2 John 1:4-6

Our commands are Faith and Love. All commands are rooted in faith and love.

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How do we have healthy, joyful family lives in the midst of busy, stressful ministry lives? Jennifer D, a missionary (and wife and mom!) of over 17 years in East Asia, shares practical and biblical wisdom on this topic. Jenn and her husband Jarod D (who spoke on hard work in episode 53), are passionate, disciplined, wise coworkers with so much to share. Jenn boldly challenged fathers to be intentional in discipling their children, spouses to seek the good of the other, and how busy ministry lives do not have to be a "loss" to our children! Don't miss this one!

A couple Jenn quotes I loved:

"The Christian life is not about self-fulfillment."
"One day at a time, Sweet Jesus."

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Engaging in ministry is signing up for more "stressors" in our lives, but how we respond to those stressors is up to us! Listen in as Pastor Vance Pitman (founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas and current President of the SEND Network) shares why and how we must eliminate stress from our lives.

A few highlights from the interview:

Stress is incompatible with God's character.
The root of all stress is fear. The opposite of fear is faith.
Feeling "stressed" is usually rooted in an identity issue or an intimacy issue.
Stress reveals a dependence on my own (limited) resources, instead of depending on God's (unlimited) resources.
How to manage our daily schedules and avoid the "tyranny of the urgent."
How stress and anger are related, and how to rid our lives of sinful anger.
Rest was God's idea, and is an issue of spiritual obedience.

Also check out Vance's newest book The Stressless Life.

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How can we make Christ preeminent in our lives in the midst of heartbreaking circumstances? Listen in as our dear friend and coworker Becca M shares how God has met her in powerful ways throughout her (just 30-year-old) husband Chris's battle with cancer and then going to heaven in late August of 2022. This episode will not depress you; it will fill you with hope and faith that God will ALWAYS be 100% faithful and enough for you - no matter what happens in your life!

Becca shares honestly about how God taught her to give His Word more weight than doctors' words. She shares about making God's Word her bread and sustenance, learning to take God's promises literally, and wrestling with the Lord when His promises don't seem to be coming to fruition.

Becca shares that we can ask big, seemingly impossible things from God- full of faith and hope- without worrying about the possibility of being crushed with disappointment, b/c God is big enough and loving enough to take care of our disappointment for us too. (This was one of the biggest lessons Becca taught me, that I really want to grow in!)

Becca encourages the listener- no matter how big or how small your current situation is - God WANTS to meet you in it. He loves you so, so much and always gives more of His Presence when we come to Him humbly.

Yes, you will probably cry during this episode. But it is chock-full of Scriptural truth that will fortify your soul.

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The Bible teaches that our bodies are created purposefully by God in His image, are gifts from Him, are wasting away and fail us, and that we are to glorify God with our bodies. How do we glorify God with our bodies, think rightly about our bodies and physical health, and not fall in either ditch of neglecting our bodies or obsessing over our bodies? So that, "in everything, Christ might be preeminent" (Col. 1:18). Listen in as Shanee interviews Brandy G, a health professional, counselor, and missionary of over 15 years.

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Resources from Brandy:

www.fitnessforthefield.com

Membership for coworkers is FREE at Fitness for the Field! For access to this free membership

Email Brandy brandy@fitnessforthefield.com and verify 2 things:
You live overseas (outside your passport country)
You are a like-minded coworker.

We realize security may be an issue—only share enough to verify those 2 things.

Create a login and password on the site. Access will be granted and you will receive an email confiirmation.

FREE Engage workouts and guide: https://www.fitnessforthefield.com/workoutandengage

Also mentioned:

www.revelationwellness.org

www.brandygainor.com

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Reporting "big numbers" (of baptisms, churches, etc.) seems to result in controversy, and many Christians are hesitant to openly pursue the salvation of multitudes of people. We can get disappointed when we aren't seeing big numbers of people coming to Christ in our ministries, and wonder what we're doing wrong. Jesse shares from 2 Cor. 4:15 (and several other Scriptures) God's heart to have more and more worshippers, which should also be our heart, and how to shepherd our hearts when we aren't seeing abundant fruit in our ministries.

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When our loved ones are going through difficult seasons, God commands us to carry their burdens alongside them. Even Jesus wanted his closest friends with him in his darkest, most painful moments. It is an honor to enter into our loved ones' pain with them (through acts of service and empathy), but we are limited in how much we can carry. Ultimately, we must entrust them to God and remember He is their Heavenly Father and will truly be enough for them.

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New missionaries on the field often experience anxiety over the legitimacy of their platform and what to say when people ask them what they do. Listen in as we discuss a couple key biblical texts, right thinking and heart posture on this topic, and provide practical tips for platforms.

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Choosing the best schooling option for your child in a new culture is a big decision! Listen in as Danielle and Michelle share from their years of experience on the field with their families, with seasons in all three of these schooling options.

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Listen in as April N, a single woman serving in South Asia, shares ways we can mobilize and team with people different than us. April is from a family of immigrants from Nigeria, but was raised in the US, and has a vision for all nations reaching all nations.

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April's Recommended Resources:

Podcasts:

-Windows and Mirrors: Bible in a Year

-Thirty Minutes with the Perrys

-Southside Rabbi

-The B.A.R. Podcast

-Four in the Morning

-Living Single ( Yana Jenay)

-Let’s Talk

Books:

His testimonies My Heritage

Voices of Lament

Speakers:

-Ruth Chou Simmons

-Jackie Hill Perry

-Kristie Anyabwile

-Thabiti M. Anyabwile

-Patricia Namnún

-Bryan Loritts

-Dr. Eric Mason (Urban Apologetics)

-Dr. Walter Strickland (Southeastern)

-Dr. Jarvis Williams ( Southern)

-Priscilla Shirer

Chrystal Evans Hurst

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Submission in marriage is a hot-button issue fraught with all kinds of baggage! Yet we know that God has a beautiful plan for marriage! Listen in as we share the key to both husband and wife embracing their roles with joy according to Ephesians 5:22-33.

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We know we SHOULD be desperate for God every day and live in dependence on His strength and grace, but many times we fall into self-sufficiency. Listen in as Kari shares some "P's" for fostering dependence- a posture of worship, practice His Presence, prefer God in every small decision, and pray!

(Kari and her husband have been serving and leading in South Asia with their 4 children for more than 15 years, and are dear friends of ours!)

Resources Mentioned:
With Christ in the School of Prayer - Andrew Murray
The Ministry of Intercessory Prayer - Andrew Murray
The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Andrew

Also, don't forget to #prayonthepotty!

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All believers have seasons of discouragement or despair over the reality of sin in the world - sometimes our personal sin; sometimes the sin of others.' How should we respond? Listen in as Shanee shares 3 truths from Ephesians: Don't under-estimate the sinful nature of every person on the planet (no matter how long they have been a Christian); Know that sanctification is a miraculous, supernatural process; and Embrace dependence as the key to growth in Christlikeness.

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How should missionaries relate to local churches? Should we just try to be a good member of a local church? How does our calling effect that membership? As the Apostle Paul related to the church in Rome, he kept his identity and calling as a sent-out-one in the forefront, while seeking to partner with local churches. Listen in as we discuss these two principles of maintaining the sent-one calling while seeking partnership with local churches.

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Paul and Michelle lead one of the largest global missions agencies in the world. Listen in as they share what God is doing globally, how to remain humble as leaders, how God has taught them through difficult times, and more!

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Don't ever try to bargain with God, or you'll end up cheating yourself.
Don't try to keep your own books and remind God what you've done; He knows.
Don't focus on the other laborers in the field. Don't fuss with them; forgive them.
Don't measure your success by how much you do; measure it by why you do it. (Do you do what you do because you've got to do it, or because you get to do it?)
God rewards faithfulness, not seniority. There's no moving up in the Kingdom of God.
It pays to serve Jesus. He is the reward. (Are you working for Him, or for them?)

God has used Pastor Michael to preach the gospel for over fifty years at churches in Arkansas, New York, South and North Carolina. He loves and understands pastors and Great Commission churches. He has personally led two teams each year on international mission trips for the past 37 years. He has been a trustee for 8 years and South Asia Chairman for the past 3 years. In his new role as Mission Strategist for the Cape Fear Network of Baptist Churches, God uses him to assist 70 churches to fulfill the great commission. He and his wife Tebra have 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

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Listen in as we discuss diligence, effectiveness, scheduling, and work ethic with Jarod, a missionary leader in East Asia.

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How should missionaries (and people in full time ministry) think about work? How do we work hard while resting in gospel truths? What does the New Testament have to say about this? Listen in as we dig into the Word and share from our personal experience.

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Learn from *Heidi, a missionary leader with 25 years field experience, how God is faithful to help us overcome every difficulty we face on the field, even the death of a spouse.

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In Part 1, we laid a biblical foundation on giving. In Part 2, we dig into some cross-cultural differences in dealing with money, and share practical tips for being generous in healthy ways.

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Learning how to deal with money in a responsible, wise, and generous way can be difficult for workers on the field. Listen in as we share biblical truths on how to handle money in the work.

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Listen in as missionary leaders Samantha G and Julie P share from their 10+ years of field experience on how singles can serve, lead, and thrive on the field, and how married teammates and leaders can foster that.

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Listen in as Craig and Danielle, missionary leaders in South Asia with over a decade of experience, share best practices for equipping and empowering women in the work of disciple-making.

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In the midst of great danger and chaos, the Ukrainian church is continuing to gather regularly and minister to their communities. Listen in as Jacob and Elisabeth, missionary leaders overseeing mission work in Europe, share their inside perspective on the current condition of the church in Ukraine and Russia. The church is continuing to be the church, and God is working!

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Shame is a universal emotion, but God does not want His beloved children to live in ongoing shame. Listen in for 3 necessities to be delivered from shame- Know you are acceptable to God; see yourself as God sees you; and tell the hard parts of your story to others.

Psalm 34:5- “Those who look to Him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Resources Mentioned:

Curt Thompson- The Soul of Shame; The Soul of Desire
Brene Brown- Daring Greatly
Lysa Terkuerst- Forgiving What You Can't Forget
John Bradshaw- Healing the Shame That Binds You
Jamie Ivey- If You Only Knew
Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast- Therapy and Theology: Good Guilt vs. Destructive Shame; Therapy and Theology: Stop the Shame Scripts Holding You Back

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Shame and being set free from shame is such a hot topic, in both Christian and secular circles. Resources abound, but what does the Bible actually say? As we completed a biblical survey on shame, we were surprised at how much the Bible had to say on this topic! Listen in as we share key biblical principles that are necessary in order to deal with the universal emotion of shame.

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Biblical Survey on Shame:

I. Genesis 2-3- Naked and unashamed… No sin, nothing to hide from one another or God, perfect unity in relationships, acceptance of one another. After sinning, they hid and covered themselves and were afraid… shame leads to fear, hiding parts of ourselves, isolation, and disconnection. Shame came when sin entered the world.

Now, there are two general sources of shame- directly from personal and/or corporate sin, or indirectly due to the brokenness in the world.
There are also biblical examples of people trying to make others feel ashamed for things they shouldn’t feel ashamed of, such as barrenness. So there is appropriate shame and inappropriate shame.

II. Appropriate shame due to sinful behavior in Proverbs and prophets:

Proverbs: There are ways of foolish or sinful living, such as dishonesty, gluttony, and laziness, that are shameful, that bring shame on oneself and one’s parents or spouse.
-Prov 10:5- He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
-Prov 12:4- An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
-Prov 13:5- The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame and disgrace.
-Prov 17:2- A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
-Prov 18:13- If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
-Prov 19:26- He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother is a son who brings shame and reproach.
-Prov 28:7- The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
-Prov 29:15- The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Sexual sin/misconduct is especially shameful:
-Lev. 20:17- A man seeing his sister’s nakedness is a disgrace.
-2 Sam. 13:12-13- When Amnon violated Tamar. “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!" But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.… “Where could I bear my disgrace, reproach, humiliation?”
-Matt. 1:19- “Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce Mary quietly.”
-Rom. 1:27- Men committing shameless acts with men.

Isaiah: A life of rejecting God and worshipping idols is the most shameful life. Idolatry always leads to shame and disappointment.
-Is 30:3-5- The protection of Pharaoh shall turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation… everyone comes to shame through a people that cannot profit them, that brings neither help nor profit, but shame and disgrace… Egypt’s help is worthless and empty...
-Is 41:8, 10, 11- Israel, my servant, chosen, friend…All who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.
-Is 42:9-11- All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.
-Is 42:17- They are turned back and utterly put to shame who trust in carved idols.
-Is 45:16-17, 19, 24-25- All of them are put to shame and confounded; the makers of idols go in confusion together. But Israel is saved by the Lord with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity… For I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, “Seek me in vain.” “Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.”
-Is 49- I am honored in the eyes of the Lord…Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me. Can a woman forget her nursing child?... Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands… you shall put them (your enemies/destroyers) all on as an ornament… with their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you and lick the dust of your feet… Those who wait for me shall not be put to shame… for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
-Is 50:6-9- I gave my back to those who strike; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.
-Is 51:7, 12-13- Fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations… I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day b/c of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy?
-Is 61:7- Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.

Sometimes shame is due to both sin and resulting defeat from enemies and/or God’s judgment:
-Ezra 8:22- “I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him… so we fasted and implored God for this, and he listened.
-Ezra 9:6-7- At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God... From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day…
-Neh. 1:3- “The remnant is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire. As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days…Confessing the sins of the people of Israel which we have sinned against you…
-Daniel 9:7- To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame…in all the lands to which you have driven them, b/c of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, b/c we have sinned against you.

III. Shame not directly due to personal sin, but due to perceived failure, deficiency, or defeat:
Barrenness was considered shameful by society:
-Gen. 30:23- Rachel was ashamed of her barrenness, and when God gave her Joseph, she said, God has taken away my reproach.
-1 Sam. 1:6- Peninah provoked Hannah grievously to irritate her, b/c the Lord had closed her womb.
-Luke 1:6- When Elizabeth conceived John, she said, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among the people.

Being defeated by enemies feels shameful:
-1 Sam. 17:26- “David asked, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach (disgrace, dishonor) from Israel? For who is this Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the Living God?”
-2 Sam. 10:5 / 1 Chron. 19:5- Ammonite king distrusted David’s men and shaved off half their beards and cut their garments at their hips. “The men were greatly ashamed.”
-2 Kings 18- When Rabshakeh came and taunted Hezekiah and Israel. Hezekiah tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord, and said, “This is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace… pray…”
-2 Chron. 32:21- The Lord sent an angel and gave victory to Hezekiah, and the king of Assyria returned with shame of face to his own land and was killed by his sons.
-Shame due to disapproval from others, but not necessarily personal sin- 2 Sam. 19:3, 5- The people won the battle but Absalom died, and David was grieving, and the people who fought for him and won were ashamed, and Joab rebuked David, and David listened.

Sometimes shame is a result of seeing others’ devotion and our lack of devotion (comparison): 2 Chron. 30:15- Hezekiah urged the people to celebrate the Passover. “The priests were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord.” They saw the people’s desire to worship and were ashamed of their lack of devotion and consecration to God.

Now let’s see how God responds.

IV. When shame is an appropriate response to sin and a part of true confession and repentance, God is always ready to receive His children, welcome them into His Presence, replace their shame with gladness, and heal their faithlessness.
-Jer. 3:19-25; 4:2, 4, 14- I wanted to be your father, your husband… Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness. Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God. Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains…But from our youth the shameful thing has devoured all for which our fathers labored, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. Let us lie down in our shame, and let our dishonor cover us. For we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God… If you return, O Israel, to you should return… in ME you shall glory… Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your heart… wash your heart from evil…
-Jer. 31- I will restore the fortunes of my people… your wounds I will heal… Again I will build you… With weeping they shall come, and with pleas of mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water… for I am a father to Israel… He who scattered Israel will gather him… they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord… their life shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall languish no more…I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness… You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored… for after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, b/c I bore the disgrace of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son, my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my hearts yearns for him; I shall have mercy on him, declares the Lord…. I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.

V. When people continue in shameless sin, pride, and idolatry, God shames and judges them. In the book of Jeremiah, God’s people are persisting in unrepentant idolatry, defiling God’s places of worship with idolatry, and prophets are lying to the people in the name of God. God warns His people many times, but they are stiff-necked, stubborn, and unashamed of their idolatry. “They do not know how to blush.” God shames Israel and sends judgment upon them- for their unrepentant idolatry, for changing their glory (God) for that which does not profit (false gods), which is appalling, evil, and bitter. But God’s heart is ALWAYS that His judgment (and shaming words) would lead to them feeling a proper shame over their sin, confess, turn back to God, and be restored. He remains ready to receive them, heal them, and turn their shame into joy.

God’s judgment of Israel’s shameless idolatry and refusal to repent in Jeremiah:
-Jer. 2:11-13, 26, 36- God judging and shaming Israel for their idolatry, apostasy, sin, and rebellion… My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled o heavens; be shocked… for my people have forsaken me…You bowed down like a whore… As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed…You shall be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria. From it too you will come away with your hands on your head, for the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust, and you will not prosper by them.
-Jer. 5:3, 30, 31; 6:13-15- They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent… An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?... From the least to the greatest of them everyone is greedy for unjust gain… were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown, says the Lord.
-Jer. 6:13-20- The answer to ongoing, unrepentant sin (in our lives and other believers’) is not to say, “peace, peace” and overlook it. Sin needs to be addressed honestly, and called out at times, even when that may feel harsh at times.
-Jer. 7:18-20- They make cakes to the queen of heaven, pour drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. Is it I whom they provoke? Declares the Lord. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? Therefore, my anger and wrath will be poured out…
-Jer. 8:5-6, 9- They refuse to return; no man relents of his evil, saying, “What have I done?”… The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken.
-Jer. 10:14-16- Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion… Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance.
-Jer. 11:12-15- Then the cities will cry to the gods to whom they make offerings, but they cannot save them in the time of their trouble. For your gods have become as many as your cities, and as many as the streets of Jerusalem are the altars you have set up to shame, altars to make offerings to Baal. Therefore do not pray for this people… What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done many vile deeds?
-Jer. 13:24-27- I will scatter you like chaff… This is your portion I have measured out to you, declares the Lord, b/c you have forgotten me and trusted in lies. I myself will lift up your skirts over your face, and your shame will be seen. I have seen your abominations, your adulteries and neighings, your lewd whorings, on the hills in the field. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will it be before you are made clean?
-Jer. 17:13- All who forsake you shall be put to shame, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water…
-Jer. 23:40- to lying prophets, who filled people with vain hopes and led people astray with their lies- “And I will bring upon you everlasting reproach and perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.”

The book of Jeremiah ends with God’s judgment on foreign nations and Israel’s enemies who rejected God and continued in shameless sin, pride, and idolatry (Jer. 46-51). Their sin and idolatry led to their shame, disappointment, and God’s judgment. This is the fulfillment of God’s promise that His enemies would be ultimately shamed, and His people would be ultimately honored.

Jer. 46:12, 24- judgment on Egypt, shall be put to shame; Jer. 48:1, 20, 39- judgment on Moab, put to shame; Jer. 50:1, 12- Judgment on Babylon- Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed. Her images are put to shame, and her idols are dismayed…. Your mother shall be utterly shamed, disgraced… Jer. 51:17, 47-53 - judgment on Babylon- Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols… They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish…. I will punish the images of Babylon; her whole land shall be put to shame, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her… Babylon must fall for the slain of Israel… we are put to shame; dishonor has covered our face, for foreigners have come into the holy places of the Lord’s house. Therefore, I will execute judgment upon her images… Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the Lord.

Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Zechariah all continue the theme of unrepentant idolatry leading to shame and God’s judgment, and when repentant, to restoration with God.

Ez. 7:18- day of the wrath of the Lord- shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads; Ez. 16:61, 63- You will remember your ways and be ashamed… I will establish my covenant with you… you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again b/c of your shame, when I atone for all you have done, declares the Lord; Ez. 32:24, 25, 30- God’s judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt- all of them slain by the sword- and they bear their shame with those who go down to the pit.
Ez. 39:25-26- I will restore the fortunes of Jacob… they shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ land.
Ez. 43:10-11- Describe to Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities… If they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple…
Ez. 44:10-13- The priests who went far from me, going astray after idols, shall bear their punishment… they shall not come near to me… they shall bear their shame.
-Hosea 2:5- They are children of whoredom. For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully; Hos. 4:7, 18- The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame… When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring; their rulers dearly love shame; Hos. 9:10- They came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved; Hos. 10:6- Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.

NT examples of God shaming prideful, unrepentant, shameless people:
-Luke 13:16-17- Jesus to synagogue rulers after healing woman with a disabling spirit for 18 years on Sabbath- “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham who Satan bound for 18 years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced…
-1 Cor. 1:27- “Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”
-Rev. 3:18- You are lukewarm… You say you are rich… not realizing you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

VI. God promises not to let His people be put to shame (be ultimately defeated, ridiculed, or proven wrong), but to in the end to defend them, give them justice, honor, and eternal life. God’s enemies will ultimately be put to shame.
-Psalm 25:2-3, 20- O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous… Deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
-Psalm 34- Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed… The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
-Psalm 71:1, 13, 24- “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame!... You are my hope, my trust… May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt… They have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.”
-Ps 97:7- All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship Him, all you gods!
-Daniel 12:2- Many who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
-Rom. 5:3-5- We rejoice in our sufferings, know that suffering produces endurance, and endurance character, and character hope, and hope does not put us to shame, b/c God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the HS who has been given to us.
-Rom. 9:33- “I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Quote of Is. 28:16)- also quoted in 1 Peter 2:6-7
-Rom. 10:11- With the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction b/w Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (quote of Joel 2:32). (No one who calls out to God for salvation will be rejected, which would make them feel ashamed. Everyone will be accepted and saved equally).
-Phil. 1:20- I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this (prison) will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
-Heb. 11:16- These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth… but as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
-1 Peter 2:6-7- quote of Is. 28:16- Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe…

VII. Jesus was shamefully treated (ridiculed, mocked, considered a failure, embarrassed, dishonored)- by others and b/c of our sin- in our place on the cross. On the cross he took not only our sin, but also the accompanying shame, for us. On the cross, he defeated Satan and all his enemies, putting them to shame.
-Psalm 22- But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him…”
-Isaiah 53- He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted…
-Luke 18:32- Jesus foretold his death to his disciples- “He will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.”
-Heb. 12:2- Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Col. 2:15- God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
-Rom. 8:1- There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

VIII. Jesus-followers are commanded by Jesus to follow Him and not be ashamed of Him, the gospel, or suffering for the gospel, at all cost.
-Jeremiah warned the people of judgment for their sin and idolatry, in the face of persecution and rejection (and feeling shamed), and trusted God to ultimately honor him and shame the people.
-Jer. 17: “Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction!”
-Jer. 20:11, 18- “But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed… O Lord… let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I committed my cause….Why did I come out from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?
-Jer. 37-38- Jeremiah was beaten, imprisoned, and thrown into a cistern with no water, but only mud, and sank in the mud, for speaking the truth of God’s judgment.
-Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26- Let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me… for whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of the Father with the holy angels.
-Rom. 1:16- For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.
-1 Thess. 2:2- But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.
-2 Tim. 1:8, 12- Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling… for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
-2 Tim. 1:16- May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
-1 Peter 4:16- If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, b/c the Spirit of glory and God rests upon you… if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
-Heb. 2:11- It was fitting that he… should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers.

IX. Believers have been set free from sinful lifestyles that lead to shame, unfruitfulness, and death. Believers should live honorable lifestyles that will not put them to shame, but that results in fruit, sanctification, and eternal life, and puts their opponents to shame.
-Rom. 6:21-22- But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
-Phil. 3:19- I tell you with tears, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.
-2 Tim. 2:15- Share in suffering as a good soldier… endure everything…Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
-Titus 2:8- Have sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
-1 Peter 3:16- having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
-1 Peter 5:2- Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
-Jesus taught His followers to purposefully humble themselves, take lower positions, and allow other people to exalt us, instead of exalting ourselves, which could lead to shame (embarrassment). Luke 14:9- Parable of the seats at the wedding feast- “Do not sit in place of honor, lest someone more distinguished be invited, and you be told to give that person your place, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. Instead, sit in lowest place, so your host may tell you, “Friend, move up higher,” and then you will be honored in the presence of all… For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
-Believers can be put to shame by other believers’ behavior.2 Cor. 7:14- We rejoiced at the joy of Titus, b/c Titus’s spirit has been refreshed by you all. For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true.

X. Sometimes believers need to rebuke one another for doing shameful things.
-1 Cor. 6:5- “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world?... I say this to your shame…”
-1 Cor. 14:35- It is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
-1 Cor. 15:34- How can some of you say that there is no resurrection from the dead?... If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die… Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. Some will ask, How are the dead raised? You foolish person!
-Eph. 5:12- Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
-2 Thess. 3:14- If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
-Titus 1:11-There are many who are insubordinate… empty talkers and deceivers… they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach… rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.
-We also can call out and rebuke others’ sin without shaming them. 1 Cor. 4:14- God has exhibited us apostles as last of all… when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure… we have become like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

XI. Sometimes, people “shame” others in order to express their anger, contempt, or criticism, and when it is unfair, we can refuse to be ashamed.
-1 Sam. 20:30, 34- Saul in anger yelling at his son Jonathan, shaming him for helping David. (Shamed = disgraced).
-2 Sam. 6:20-22- David returned to bless his household. But Michal came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” (Also translated as dirty or foolish). David refused to feel ashamed for dancing for the Lord! “I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” David is saying it is appropriate to abase oneself in order to honor God, and the servant girls will actually honor me, b/c they will see that it is right. God seemed to agree with David and made Michal barren until her death.
-Job’s friends tried to shame him many times: 6:20- “They were ashamed b/c they were confident; they come there and are disappointed.” (The caravans in the desert were looking for water, but the waters disappeared… They looked on one another with confusion and dismay. This shows the disappointment of Job, that he had looked for consolation from his friends, and had not found it. He was down-cast, distressed, and disheartened, like the travelers of Tema and of Sheba; Job 8:22- “Those who hate you will be clothed with shame…” Job’s friend giving him not-helpful advice.
Job 10:15- “If I am guilty, woe to me! If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace (shame) and look on my affliction.” Full of confusion - Shame, ignominy, distress, and perplexity. On every side there was embarrassment, and he knew not what to do. His friends regarded him as vile, and he could not but admit that he was so treated by God.
Job 11:3- “Should your babble silence men, and when you mock, shall no one shame you?” Job’s friend giving bad advice and trying to shame Job. Job 19:3- “These 10 times you have cast reproach upon me; are you not ashamed to wrong me?” Job is trying to reject their shame.
In the face of unfair criticism, Paul defended his ministry and refused to be ashamed: 2 Cor. 10:8- If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters; 2 Cor. 11:21- Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast… For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you… To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

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I (Shanee) am sharing one of my biggest lessons from studying the Psalms in 2021- God is our refuge and wants us to run to Him with our guilt, shame, fear, and every negative emotion and need, so that He can minister to us with His steadfast love. We should not try to shut down our emotions or shame ourselves for being needy; instead we should take them to God, confident that His response is ALWAYS steadfast love and faithfulness for His children. He's always saying, "Come closer!"

Scriptures on God as our refuge:
-Ps. 18:30- “He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”
-Ps. 31:7, 10- “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance… Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.”
-Ps. 37:39-40- “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, b/c they take refuge in him.”
-Ps. 46:1-2- “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
-Ps. 61- “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!”
Ps. 62- “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken…Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
-Ps. 91- He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shade of the almighty. I will say to the Lord, my refuge and my fortress…B/c He holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, b/c he knows my name…I will rescue him and honor him.”
-Ps. 119:114- “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.”

Scriptures on God's steadfast love:
-Ps. 5:7- “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.”
-Ps. 5:12- “For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”
-Ps. 17:7- “Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.”
-Ps. 18:19- “He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me, b/c He delighted in me.”
-Ps. 25:10, 13-14- “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies… His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.”
-Ps. 26:3, 8- “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness…O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.”
-Ps. 31:16, 19, 21- “Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love…Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you… Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city.”
-Ps. 33:18-22- “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love."
-Ps. 36:7-10- “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”
-Ps. 40:11- “As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!"
-Ps. 63:3- “B/c your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”
-Ps. 86- “Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you…"
-Ps. 90:14- “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
-Ps. 94- “When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.”
-Ps. 103- “Bless the Lord, O my soul…and forget not all his benefits… who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s…The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him.”
-Ps. 107:8-9, 40- “Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things…Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.”
-Ps. 119:76- “Let your steadfast love comfort me, according to your promise to your servant.”
-Ps. 136- “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever…” (repeats, “for his steadfast love endures forever” 26X).

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W, E, and their children have been serving in South Asia the last 9 years and leading several missionary teams. Four years ago, during an evangelistic outreach in a neighborhood, W was captured and beaten by that area's religious leaders. He endured interrogations, false accusations, and wondered if his family would be able to continue to stay living in that city. Listen in to hear how God used this experience to strengthen the faith of W's family and to advance the Kingdom work in that area.

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Over the last several years, God has been saving thousands of people in one state in South Asia - all glory to God! Glenn and Rhonda have led out in this work, and have some helpful keys that contributed to this growth. Two keys in particular are easy access to the Scriptures (in audio form on SD cards) and extraordinary prayer. Also listen in to hear how simple tracking methods are not primarily used to "count churches," but in order to provide a road map for believers, and a symbol of their significance in God's Kingdom. Ordinary believers are empowered to know God's Word well, mature in their faith (including practice and theology), and lead many others to faith in Jesus Christ. Praise God for how HE is working to seek and save the lost.

Glenn and Rhonda have some excellent resources to share (in English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujrati, and Nepali). For access to their Ek Rasta materials (story set from Creation to New Creation), and to learn more about their reporting technique using simple church circles, visit their website:

https://southasiansands.wixsite.com/ekrasta

10-minute video of Rhonda explaining the simple church mapping tool:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IFnYlwYiO3UPxY3s92brEN5leejdNYm_/view?usp=drivesdk

Free Ek Rasta app downloads for your Apple or android devices:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ek-rasta/id1517191653

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.rajasthan.ekrasta.multi

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For more info on People Group research mentioned in the episode, visit: https://peoplegroups.org/

For info on Global cities, visit: https://radiusglobal.org/

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Kirthi grew up in a Hindu family in the US, was saved at the age of 24, and has been serving with her family in South Asia for the last 6 years. In this episode, Kirthi shares how she came to faith, and the helpful and not-so-helpful ways her American believing friends helped her in that journey.

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Should missionaries keep track of baptisms, new churches, UUPG's, etc.? Should they publish these reports to their supporters and the public? Is this self-serving, or just to make money, or brag? Listen in as Randy shares how careful reporting - of both quantity and quality - is essential in order to find gaps and push the Great Commission forward - for God's glory. Randy shares super practical tips on how to do reporting well, with the right heart, and so that it benefits front line workers and the work.

Follow this link to the "Measure What Matters" resource mentioned in the episode.

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There are many books out there with varying requirements for church health. The New Testament describes churches as maturing and growing over time - as the believers grow up together into Christlikeness.

Scriptures Referenced- Acts 2, 1 Cor. 12-14, Eph. 2, 4

Check out the following article for a summary of the 12 Characteristics of Healthy Church mentioned in this episode: https://www.imb.org/2018/11/06/missionary-task-healthy-church/

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What is a biblical definition - or the requirements - for a group of believers to be called a church? What is the difference between church health and church maturity? Can a church be immature but healthy? Listen in as we look at the New Testament example.

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Gray and Brandy are dear friends and coworkers with 12 years of experience on the field, 5 kids, and a vibrant marriage that they continue to work on. Listen in as they share how to keep growing in intimacy and friendship in marriage.

Resources Suggested by Gray and Brandy –

A Do-It-Yourself Marriage Retreat By Deepak Reju
Prepare Enrich Assessment
Paul David Tripp – Marriage
Dr Caroline Leaf – Neuro-Cycle
Enneagram/Myers Briggs - https://assessment.yourenneagramcoach.com/

Brandy's website and fitness ministry: brandygainor.com

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We are sharing with you how we are learning to pursue our children's hearts - especially when they are in the middle of negative emotions such as sadness, anger, or anxiety - so that they learn how to give and receive comfort and love. How we respond to our children's negative emotions is a picture to them of how God responds to us, and God invites us to bring all of our emotions to Him.

Recommended Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

Adam Young Counseling: He has a free resource called The Big 6 – The 6 things every child needs from their parents – so good and helpful!

Adam Young Counseling- The Big 6 -
1- Attunement
2-Responsiveness
3-Engagement
4-Ability to Regulate Your Arousal
5-Strong enough to handle your negative emotions
6- Willingness to repair

The Place We Find Ourselves podcast – mostly about trauma – but there are a hand full of episodes that were super helpful to me on children’s emotional needs, how our family of origin affects us, how to acknowledge and get healing from deep heart wounds.

Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles that can Radically Change your Family - by Paul David Tripp.

How We Love – by Milan and Kay Yerkovich – one for marriage and one for parenting – very helpful in understanding our attachment styles and how that plays out in our relationships – insightful and practical.

Give Them Grace- by Elyse Fitzpatrick – on showing and teaching your children gospel grace through daily situations – so good.

The Connected Child- by Karyn Purvis.

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Parenting is hard anywhere, but the mission field brings its own unique parenting challenges. Listen in as Christian counselors Seth and Denise share helpful insights on parenting well on the field.

Book Recommendations from Seth and Denise:

Focus on the Family continues to produce excellent resources, including podcasts and books.

Parenting Books:

Revolutionary Parenting - Barna

Full Circle Parenting, Scroggins

Growing Kids God’s Way -Ezzo

Babywise- Ezzo

Shepherding Your Child’s Heart – Ted Tripp

Strong Willed Child- Dobson

Your Teenager isn’t Crazy – Jeremy Clark

Untangled- Guiding Teenage Girls – Lisa Damour

Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles – Paul David Tripp

Infertility: A Survival Guide for Couples and Those Who Love Them by Cindy Dake

Mothers in Waiting: Healing and Hope for Those with Empty Arms by Crystal Bowman

Sensory Seeking kids:

Raising a Sensory Smart Child, Biel and Pesky

Sensational Kids- Miller

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Trevor Joy is the Executive Pastor of Sending at the Village Church in Flower Mound, TX. Listen in as he shares his passion for the unreached, why his church is pursuing church-planting movements, and how a local church can grow from being a missions-supporting church to a sending church.

Recommended Resources:

https://100upg.org

Care Through Prayer, My Story, God's Story Videos: https://thevillagechurch.net/ministry/sending

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Dr. Chuck Lawless is Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the head of Theological Consultants for the International Mission Board, an author of several books, pastor, and husband (whew!). He also trains new field personnel with the IMB on spiritual warfare and other topics. With one foot in the seminary world and one foot in the mission world, Dr. Lawless has a unique perspective. Listen in as he shares how we need to embrace the tension between deep doctrine and gospel urgency. Dr. Lawless also shares encouragement and honest feedback for how North American churches and field personnel can better work together, and how the mission task can help unite us.

Visit chucklawless.com for his helpful articles and books, and to sign up for his daily emails.

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In Part 4 of our Heart Work series, we dig into John 15:1-11, the beautiful illustration of a vine and its branches that represents our constant, vital connection to Jesus. Listen in as we discuss the focal point of the passage, abiding in God's unchanging love for us, and our stewardships in abiding in Him- abiding in Christ's love, abiding in the Word, abiding in prayer, abiding through obedience, and abiding through confessing sin.

This passage teaches us the vital truth that abiding in Jesus—spiritual fellowship with Him—is the key to life, joy, and fruitfulness. Our Lord illustrates this essential truth through the picture of the vine and the branches. Life flows from the vine to the branches through a vital, continuous connection. In the same way, Jesus Christ is the source of all spiritual good for us. We have access to all that He has for us as we stay connected to Him.

The question is, then, how do we abide in Him? The only command found in the passage is to “abide” in Jesus. What does that mean? We find four elements in the passage that help us to understand what it means to abide in Him. We will also look at 1 John 1 for an additional element in abiding in Jesus.

As we teach through the passage, we will draw a simple visual to help us think through our practice of abiding in Jesus. The finished visual is below.

Draw a large heart. The heart stands for our inner being or the seat of our will and emotions, what the Bible refers to as the “heart.”

We begin in John 15:9, where we read: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” As we think about abiding in Him, this passage delivers the central truth in abiding: Jesus loves us. He loves as the Father loves Him. That is, for us, unfathomable. For all who are in Jesus Christ through faith, His love cannot be broken. His love for us is the source of our new identity, our new life in Jesus. So, abiding in Jesus is not, at its core, something that we do—it is the result of His love for us. This is the Gospel truth at the center of the teaching on abiding. [Draw a heart within the heart].

Read John 15:7: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

In this verse we find two elements in abiding, signaled by the “if” at the beginning of the sentence. These are two “ways” we can deepen our abiding in Christ. The first is to have His words abide in us. [Inside the heart, draw the symbol for the Word (a Bible)]. His Word abiding in us is something more than just reading the Bible or listening to preaching. For His Word to abide in us, it needs to make its home in us. We bring the Word in through studying, meditating, listening, reading, memorizing, praying it, and speaking it to others. As it comes into us, it transforms our hearts, our thinking, and our speech.

The second element in verse 7 is to “ask whatever you wish” in prayer. This aspect of asking builds on the previous element of the Word. As our hearts are transformed by the Word, our desires are transformed to be like Christ’s. So when we ask for whatever we wish, our asking is being brought into conformity to Christ’s heart through the Word. Prayer, like the Word, is our way of life—as constant as our breathing. [Draw the symbol for prayer].

Read John 15:10: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”

Here we see another element of our stewardship in abiding, again signaled by the “if.” This is to “keep his commandments.” This element is vitally related to the verse before it. Our obedience is rooted in our love relationship with Christ. We obey because we are a part of His family. Our disobedience can strain our abiding and fellowship with Christ, but nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing can change our identity as a part of the family of God. This is the root of our joyful obedience. [Draw the arrow symbol for obedience]. Obedience is mentioned throughout these chapters of John, and Jesus promises that the Spirit will help us to obey (14:15).

Read 1 John 1:6-9. The final element in abiding comes from 1 John, where John calls us to “walk in the light” (v. 7). Walking in the light is a key to our ongoing “fellowship with the Father and with this Son Jesus Christ” (v. 3). This fellowship is another way of speaking of abiding.

What does it mean to “walk in the light?” Most people think that it means to live a holy life, to live free from sin. While hatred and avoidance of sin is definitely in view (2:1), “walking in the light” means a constant willingness to confess our sins. It is a heart desire not to hide sin in the dark, but to expose it to the light of God’s presence. [Draw the sun symbol in the bottom of the heart].

Abiding in Jesus is the key to a joy-filled, fruitful life in Christ. As He lives his life through us, we are free to follow Him and to bear fruit for His glory. Jesus Himself is the source of our life, our vine. He loves us and we thrive as we abide in that love. Because of His undying love for us, we seek to deepen our fellowship with Him by His Word abiding in us, by asking in prayer, by obeying His commands, and by walking in the light through regular confession of sin.

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Idolatry: Turning to anything in our life as a substitute for God. It’s not so much the sinfulness of the thing; it’s the position we give it in our lives.

The Bible has much to say on this topic; I’m going to mainly focus on passages from Isaiah for this episode. One of the main themes in the book of Isaiah is that God alone is to be high and lifted up, exalted, and worshipped – above all else – in every area of every person’s life. That position of “above all” is appropriate ONLY for God. God alone is worthy of worship. And likewise, God should never be second place to anything. Anything else that is lifted up must be torn down.

Central passage/image in Isaiah: Isaiah 6:1-3- “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of his robe filled the temple…” Isaiah’s response- "holy, holy, holy."

Isaiah 2:11- “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”

God alone is to be high and lifted up in our lives, in our hearts. Anything else that we put in that position is offensive to God and will be judged by Him. Could be work, ministry, Netflix, alcohol, or shopping. The offensiveness to God is not only the thing that we are exalting; it’s more about the position we are giving it in our hearts, minds, and lives.

Here’s the big danger – because sometimes these idols can feel like “no big deal” to us. So maybe I watch a bit too much Netflix… or yeah, I tend to be really hard worker, that’s just my personality…. What’s the danger of allowing some seemingly “harmless” idolatry in our hearts?

We miss out on God, which is a HUGE loss. When we go to these things, especially habitually and addictively as a substitute for God, we miss out on GOD meeting us there and providing that need – and He’s the only one who can – AND we train our hearts to keep going after these things that are infinitely inferior to God.

And God is clear – God hates idolatry and will judge idolatry. So it’s not a “fun” topic to reveal some of our personality.

The book of Isaiah provides powerful teaching on this topic because it gives us several examples of ways we turn to other things instead of God, which are timeless truths that get to every human heart. So for example, a few “big categories” of ways people turn to and exalt man-made things as a substitute for God are- for help or strength in times of need, for a sense of worth or identity, or for pleasure.

5 Truths on Idolatry:

Idolatry is ultimately about exalting SELF over God. My power, my self-sufficiency, my wisdom, instead of depending on God.
2:8-17- haughty looks and lofty pride, trusting in own resources, protection, and power, instead of God.
3:16- wanting to impress others with their physical appearance.
9:8-10- trusting in our own strength and self-sufficiency, what we can do, instead of depending on God. Pride and arrogance of heart.
10:12-14- Idolatry of self results in arrogant hearts, arrogant speech, and boastful looks. Because of our pride and self-sufficiency, we take credit for the successes in our life as if we accomplished them instead of giving God credit. “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have understanding.” (King of Assyria)

It’s also about turning to man-made sources of help/power, worth/identity, or pleasure. Worldly sources of power, wealth, and security. Worldly sources of wisdom instead of fearing God and trusting Him.

Idolatry is the way of the world, of those who do not know God. It is the tendency of every human heart. Isaiah 2:8 says, “Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.” John Calvin famously said, “Human hearts are idol factories.” The strongest, most devoted Christians in all of history have had to fight idolatry in their hearts. No one is exempt. And this is how every person apart from Christ is living. This is the philosophy of the world – to exalt man and man’s strength.

According to Isaiah, when we fall into idolatry, we are making an alliance with worldly sources of power and wisdom instead of honoring God and asking for his help. Isaiah describes it as filling our lives with worldly things and “striking hands with the world” (Is. 2:6; 30:1-2). The wisest of the world’s philosophies are foolishness compared to God Who knows all (Is. 19:11-14). When we go after the idols of the world, we are not only believing the lies of the world and Satan, but actually lying ourselves (Is. 30:9). We rebel against God’s Word, are unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord, and instead believe the “smooth things” and “illusions” of worldly philosophies and idolatry (Is. 30:9-12).

Our idols are worthless, empty, and will not help or profit us (Isaiah 30). We must be sure of this. How can this be true, when some of our idols are good gifts from God, like good food or work or health or even family? Because – when we put that thing in the position of GOD in our lives, it ceases to be beneficial for us and becomes destructive. It cannot be in that position. It is not worthy of that position; it cannot provide what only God can provide. Work and the admiration of others will never be enough to satisfy our need for worth and identity; instead it will become a destructive addiction in our lives. These good gifts go from being profitable to destructive when we make them gods.
Idolatry is addictive, deceptive, and after our utmost devotion. We keep falling for the same old things, thinking they will satisfy, and they never do. Isaiah says idols bring neither help nor profit; they are worthless and empty (Is. 30:3-7), yet we continue to pursue them. Isaiah 5:11- “Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them.” We are addicted to our idols. We sacrifice for them and go to great lengths to get them. We want them daily. We are like Smeagol, cherishing them as “our precious.” They lie to us, they promise to give us what we want, and they never do. We actually often require more and more of them. We shouldn’t be surprised by this because our flesh wants instant pleasure from tangible things we can see and feel. Our idols are quick fixes. They make us feel good! And turning to God is inherently harder for our flesh. It takes some effort and time and faith.
God has designed our hearts to worship. We are worshippers. Every day, we will be worshipping something. Our hearts will exalt something, will look to something to fill us up. If we are not training our hearts to turn to God, they will ALWAYS turn to something else. That is why it is not enough to try to remove false idols from our lives; we simultaneously need to be training our hearts to worship God.

Worshipping God through singing is clearly commanded over and over in the Psalms. It is not optional. Just like a lack of prayer in our lives is sin, a lack of worship in our lives is sin. Why is God so serious about us singing songs of praise to Him? God gives us this command for our good – because God knows if we don’t worship Him, we will worship something that is unworthy of worship. Our only hope of fighting idolatry is to believe and experience that God is better than anything else. He is always the better source of help and power, worth and identity, and pleasure. So much better that it makes our idols look disgusting. This reminds me of our youngest child’s security blanket. It is stained and ragged and looks disgusting to everyone else, but she loves it and if she had her way, would have it with her every second of the day. She especially wants it when she feels sad or stressed. She doesn’t see how ugly and gross it actually is. Our idols are like that – in comparison to God they are so ugly and inferior that it’s just silly!

So, because our hearts are designed to worship, this is not only a matter of identifying and trying to tear down idols; also a matter of proactively worshipping God and focusing on prayer and the Word.

A few tips to identify and fight idolatry-

-Spend time in reflection and prayer on where we turn for help/power, worth/identity, and pleasure. What do I need daily? What do I get frustrated about if I don’t get? How do I respond to stress? At the most basic level, it’s like, what can I not live without? Or need for my happiness? Ask the Holy Spirit for help in being really honest and allow Him to shine lights on idols in our hearts. He only shine lights on areas that He wants to give us the power to tear down and be set free from.

-Determine to fight these. Some may be things you need to be done with forever or for a short time. For instance, we fast from caffeine for one month every year. Take fasts from Netflix/social media sometimes. Many of our idols are good gifts, like work or health. Need Holy Spirit’s help and power in keeping those as good gifts that lead us to God, not substitute for God.

Whatever the thing is, ask yourself, “As I’m experiencing this gift, will it bring me closer to God, or will it serve as a substitute for God?”

If you have a few things you are really fighting, maybe get some post it notes on your mirror that remind you daily, “God is always better than______.”
Try a fast from the thing you love. Are you willing to give it up for a week? A month?
Sabbath – whatever your views are on sabbath – I think a question we need to ask is, “If I’m not willing to give up a day weekly or even monthly to stop working, hmm… maybe work is an idol in my life!” That to me is more of a red flag for idolatry than just a theology issue on sabbath.
Before watching a movie or show, if you aren’t sure, can you pray and ask God to be there with you and use it to make you closer to him?
Tell a couple trusted friends. Confess it to them and tell them you’re committed to fight it. There is SUCH power in open confession and your friends being in on the fight with you! God did not design us to fight sin and idolatry on our own! Use the resources- fellowship- He has provided for you!

-Pursue God in worship. Try to get happy in God every day! Prioritize prayer, worship, Bible study, service! Put it in the schedule, so you do it when you don’t feel like it. Don’t expect it to come easy. Netflix gives us a quick fix with no effort on our part. Prayer and worship are work. They require us to put in some commitment, some grit, before we get the reward of satisfaction and happiness in God.

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Listen to part 2 of our summer series on "heart work-" common issues for those in ministry. What keeps us motivated and excited for disciple-making? Listen in as we share three biblical "why's" to motivate us for this work, and some practical tips for renewing our motivation.

Three "big picture," biblical "why's" for missions and disciple-making:

1- God's Glory.
2- The reality of lostness.
3- Simple obedience to the Great Commission.

Practical tips for renewing our motivation regularly-
1- Daily time in the Word and in prayer.
2- Fellowship with like-minded colaborers.
3- Time in the harvest, sharing God's love with the lost.

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This is the first episode in a summer series on "heart work," addressing common heart issues for those in ministry. Selfish ambition is the inner desire to be better than others at everything that's important to us. Listen in as we share biblical truth on this topic, with bits of our stories woven throughout.

This is actually a biblical word – the Greek word erithiean – and is in two major places in the New Testament-

Phil. 2:3-8- “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

James 3:14-18- “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”

Selfish ambition, fear of man, and comparison all go together.

There is another “root” issue in our hearts that often is a factor and needs to be intentionally addressed as we fight against selfish ambition: insecurity.

Insecurity is in many ways a root of selfish ambition, fear of man, and comparison. To be insecure is to be open to threat or danger. To be secure is to be free from threat or danger.

When we are truly secure in Christ- in what He has done for us on the cross, in His character, and in His love and approval personally over our us, then that is what sets us free from needing to prove our worth by performing or by being the best at everything. That security in Christ truly sets us FREE from the threat of danger. We are no longer open to threat or danger. Our success or failure, or how someone might perceive us in a meeting or at work or in a conversation – these things don’t have that power any longer. It’s ok if they don’t think we’re awesome. We no longer need that.

3 last words of encouragement for those who feel acutely aware of this struggle in your life:

Desperation leads to change. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.” Jer. 13:23
Face your fear.
The Holy Spirit is the Wonderful Counselor.

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Susan Lafferty has served with her husband Todd in missions leadership for several years in South Asia, and currently Todd is the EVP with one of the largest missions organizations in the world. Listen in as Susan shares from the Word and her life experience how she has fought spiritual battles in family life and ministry.

Susan and I talk about fighting spiritual warfare through prayer, the role of spiritual gifts in leadership, cultivating a passionate marriage, dealing with the suffering of our children on the field, and what Susan wishes she would have known before moving overseas.

Follow Susan's blog to hear more of her teaching and experience: https://susanlafferty.com/

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Our 4th and final NT norm is the centrality of prayer in the life of the early church. Listen in as we share 4 "P" observations on prayer - It was a Priority; It Preceded the filling and work of the Spirit; It was the church's response to Persecution; and it was Personal and Persistent.

4 P’s:

1-Priority. Begins the book of Acts—“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers" (1:14).

In Ch. 2, the church was praying when the Holy Spirit filled them.
Acts 2:42- he church was devoted to prayer. It was one of the first things that marked them out—alongside the apostle’s teaching, breaking the bread, and fellowship.

Acts 6: We see the priority of prayer even more strikingly when the apostles single out prayer alongside of the ministry of the Word as their primary responsibility. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

“I stand here to confess frankly that from my inmost heart I attribute the large prosperity which God has given to this Church vastly more to the prayers of the people than to anything that God may have given to me. I know it is so.” - Charles Spurgeon

2-Precedes the filling and work of the Spirit.

Acts 2 begins with the believers all together in one place, praying. And we know what happened next—the sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind, filling the house where they were.

Acts 4- The believers are gathered together praying in the midst of persecution—praying specifically for boldness. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness" (4:31).

Acts 13- The prophets and teachers of the church in Antioch were gathered and they were worshipping the Lord and fasting. Just then the Holy Spirit calls out Barnabas and Saul. And after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

These are pretty pivotal moments in the history of the gospel—especially in Chapters 2 and 13. And we see that God’s people had been devoting themselves to prayer in the time leading up to these great events—these experiences of the Spirit’s work. Prayer had paved the way for these people to respond when the Spirit showed up.

3-Persecution- Prayer was the church's consistent response to persecution.

Acts 4- Peter and John have just been threatened by the high-priestly council. "When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord. . .” (4:23-24). Their immediate reaction to the threat of violence from the ruling authorities was to pray. And hear what they prayed: “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Acts 12- Peter is in prison and miraculously rescued by an angel of the Lord. When he is rescued, it says “he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” Again, the response of the church to the persecution of her people is to pray.

Acts 16- Paul and Silas in prison. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” In the midst of persecution, we find these two workers praying and singing hymns.

Prayer is what we do when we are persecuted. It is the response of God’s church to the threats and persecutions. In each of these moments, God miraculously answered.

4-Personal and Persistent.

In Acts, we don’t get much details about the personal prayer lives of the apostles. Many references are to the church praying corporately. However in Paul’s epistles, we find Paul talking about his own prayer life all over the place – way too many to reference, will just name a few-

Eph. 1:16- "I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…" and we see his personal prayer for the Ephesian believers.
Eph. 3:14-19.
Paul's prayers were important enough for him to write out for them and for us.

A few examples from 1st Thessalonians:

1 Thess. 1:2- "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers."
1 Thess. 5:17- "Pray without ceasing."
1 Thess. 5:25- "Brothers, pray for us."

Paul was not voicing prayers for believers every moment of every day. He was sometimes preaching the gospel; he was sometimes sleeping; he was sometimes eating or traveling. But he had such a habit of prayer that he described it as day and night, constant.

Eph. 6:10-20- Paul teaches us that we are in a spiritual battle and prayer is an essential weapon. Paul commands us to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
The Word, The Spirit, and constant prayer. As we’ve found these 4 NT norms, we have seen in a new way for us how intertwined they are. The Word bears fruit by the power of the Spirit. The Spirit honors and responds to the preaching of the Word and obedience to the Word and prayer. Prayer is what invites the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, and there is no real prayer without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Prayer was seen as part of the work of the church. It was at the center of their ministry. We have a saying among our teams here that prayer is the greater work. We believe that because we ultimately believe that this work we’re doing is His work. It doesn’t move forward unless He moves and the Spirit grants repentance and life. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the growth.” Prayer is an admission of our helplessness and a plea for God to do what only He can do. That’s why we see the early church devoting themselves to it. Prayer was necessary to them—it was just a part of their lives, and of their gathering together.

If you are listening and feel like you’re a terrible pray-er, don’t give into discouragement or paralysis or accusations --- just start! Read a good book on prayer. Make sure you’re spending daily time with God alone in the Word and in prayer. Use your drive or shower to pray. Post a prayer list by your bathroom mirror and pray as you brush your teeth. Set a timer for a certain time each day. 12:12, 3:10. And ask God for help!

This concludes our series on NT norms – daily ministry, the Word, the Spirit, and prayer.

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We continue our series on norms in the early church with "The Word." The Word (or a synonym for the Word) is mentioned at least once in every chapter in Acts 1-20. The Word was increasing; the Word was preached boldly, broadly, and consistently; preaching the Word was the main work of sent-out-ones. Whatever we are doing, let's saturate it with the Word.

Three Themes on the Word in Acts:

The Word of God increased and multiplied – in and out of Jerusalem, Samaria, Ephesus, and surrounding regions. The Word is powerful and has a power of its own, almost like the HS. Examples:

Acts 6:7: And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem . . . (Jerusalem)

Acts 12:24: But the word of God increased and multiplied. (Samaria and beyond)

Acts 19:20: So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily. (Ephesus)

This should encourage us and build up our faith in the inherent power of the Word, apart from our own abilities!

The Word went out broadly and boldly, publicly, and consistently. Many examples of public, bold proclamation (4:13, 29, 31; 9:27, 28; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31).
Paul and his teammates (missionaries) had an extremely high level of commitment to preaching and explaining the Word. This is what Paul did in every place, day after day, for hours, in different contexts. It's very clear in Acts 13-20 – preaching the Word was the work that Paul did. He was persuading and proving that Christ was Lord. He explained the Word with the goal of people responding.

3 Suggestions for application:

Make sure everything we do is saturated with the Word.
Always make the Word of God your main content! Not your own experience. Yes, you need to connect with your audience and teach in a way that they understand, but you don’t have to be super creative. Get them connected to God’s Word.
Tools: We have tools now that put God’s Word into people’s hands more easily than at any other time in history.
Do a heart check. Paul’s heart was very involved. Is my goal to just share the gospel so I can feel like I’m doing my job? Or is my heart’s desire to see people believe? To convince them to completely change their minds? Am I content to just walk away after a 3-minute conversation? When I have the opportunity, am I willing to share with a nonbeliever daily? Or for a complete hour?
How do we get the gospel out more? We must always be asking this question. This is not only or even mainly a pulpit ministry. How do we get the gospel out boldly, broadly, publicly, and consistently? How many people in my city are hearing the gospel today? How often am I preaching the Word? What opportunities are right in front of me? Spirit-filling results in bold proclamation. If you want Spirit-filling, then put yourself in positions of preaching the Word, and the Holy Spirit will be more likely to show up!

Book referenced in this episode: Paul's Understanding of the Church's Mission by Robert L. Plummer.

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Listen in as we continue our series on norms in the early church according to the book of Acts. The filling of the Holy Spirit is a prominent theme in the early church and the advance of the gospel. In this episode, we share insights from Acts into how to be filled with the Spirit.

Spirit-filling is mentioned at least 10 times in Acts. These instances fall into two categories:

A general character trait about a person. Examples: The 7 chosen to serve (Acts 6:3-5); Stephen (Acts 6:8); Barnabas (Acts 11:23-24).
A special filling at a specific moment in time that resulted in special power – often boldness in gospel proclamation. Examples:

Acts 2- Believers spoke in tongues, testifying to mighty acts of God; 3000 saved.
Acts 4:8-12-Peter, filled with the Spirit, preaches with boldness.
Acts 4:29-31- All believers praying for boldness and signs and wonders; place shaken and they were all filled with Spirit and continued to speak the word with boldness.
Acts 7:55- Stephen, full of Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God.
Acts 13:9- Paul and Barnabas on Cyprus during the first missionary journey, proclaiming the word of God, and this magician/false prophet was opposing them and trying to keep the proconsul from believing. Paul made Elymas blind, resulting in the proconsul believing when he saw what occurred.
Acts 13:52- Disciples filled with joy and Holy Spirit.

-Eph. 5:18 – “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

Books Referenced:

The Ministry of Intercession by Andrew Murray.
The Baptism and Gifts of the Spirit by D. Martin Lloyd-Jones.

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Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

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Today, we are sharing a new lesson God has been teaching us about living in light of the Great Commission as God’s people. God has increased our desire to really LIVE in light of eternity and to be willing to change maybe old habits and comfortable routines to line up with what we see in the New Testament.

So, we are looking at the Scriptures and asking the question- what was normal life like for the early church? What characterized their lives?

In this episode, we highlight one important theme that we have found. Listen to these 9 Scriptures and see what theme emerges:

9 examples in the book of Acts:

Acts 2:46: “day by day, attending the temple and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.”

Acts 2:47: “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Acts 5:42: “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.”

Acts 6:1: “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

Acts 16:5: “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.”

Acts 17:11: “…they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

Acts 17:17: “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.”

Acts 19:9: “…he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrranus.”

Acts 20:31: “Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

In the New Testament church, there was:

Daily outreach (proclamation, reasoning with others)
Daily time in the Word (teaching, examining)
Daily fellowship (breaking bread in homes)
Daily ministry (distribution for the widows)
Daily increase

A few ideas for your own action steps:
1- Every morning surrender your day to God and ask for opportunities to share the gospel and serve and encourage others.
2- Pray for the lost daily. Our team in our city prays for the lost in our city every day at 12:12 pm – if you want to join us, please email us.

3- If you’re not already reading the Word daily, there are plenty of great daily reading plans online, or you can use the YouVersion app.
4- How often are you getting real Christian fellowship? Not just tuning into an online church service, but having real conversations about God and how you're doing.
5- Use your online presence to share biblical encouragement! Think about the people who follow you and how you can use that platform to speak about Christ and give people hope.

Find the full study on our webpage.

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Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com

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Lori is the Director of Sending at Summit Church RDU, overseeing local and international missions, and is a gifted leader and passionate about reaching the lost. She has 14 years of corporate world business experience, and 4 years of missions experience in North Africa. Listen in as we discuss how the church and mission teams need to do a better job of developing female leaders and caring for single women on our teams.

Listen in as Lori shares:

-Examples of how the church is overlooking women in leadership development, often simply due to tradition.
-Biblical truths relevant to developing women
-Practical tips for giving women a seat at the table
-What we miss out on by not including women
-How to care for and empower single women

To hear Lori share more on singleness, listen to Pastor JD interview her:

https://summitchurch.com/message/gods-plan-in-singleness

Connect with us! Email feedback to us! Send us some topics you would like to hear us talk about.

The Coworkers Podcast website

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Email: coworkersstudy@gmail.com-

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We are so excited to share this fun, insightful, and challenging interview with you!

Listen in as Pastor Vance shares on:

-What excites Vance about gospel work in the world today
-Straightforward advice for missionaries in partnering well with U.S. churches
-Why church-planters should intentionalize sending and global missions even from the very beginning
-How church-planters and pastors can become too focused on their own churches instead of the Kingdom
-How to encourage "every member ministry" as a pastor, author, leader, husband, and dad
-Three lessons Vance wishes he would have known when he first started in ministry

Check out Vance's book, Unburdened.

Check out The Vance Pitman Leadership Podcast on your favorite podcast app.

Listen to Hope Church's John 15 series on abiding in Christ, Lessons from the Vineyard. This series was so powerful for us that we have listened through it two or three times!

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Unburdened: Stop Living for Jesus So Jesus Can Live through You

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In this episode, we interview JD Greear, president of the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) and head pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh, NC. Pastor JD shares about several things, such as-

-The legacy of Summit Church as a sending church
-JD's thoughts on breadth v. depth in ministry
-The role JD's personal evangelism plays in their church's culture
-How JD remains lighthearted and hopeful in the midst of challenges and criticism
-The importance of empowering women for ministry and leadership in the church

In this episode, we referred to a sermon JD preached on Deborah.

We also mentioned a few of JD's books. Two of our favorites are Jesus' Continued... and Gospel.

JD is one of our go-to preachers. You can find most of JD's sermons on summitchurch.com.

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In this episode, Jesse gives a biblical case for movements and discusses some of the other big topics in movements, such as:
Controllables vs. uncontrollables
The pace of ministry and multiplication
How normal, faithful laborers should feel when they hear about movements Faithfulness vs. fruitfulness
Where we should go from here.

Books quoted:
Tim Keller's book, Center Church
Iain Murray's book, Revival and Revivalism

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Movements are surprising activities of God where great numbers of people come to Christ, and new churches are started, in a relatively short period of time. Should we intentionally pursue rapid multiplication of disciples and churches? Are movements methods biblical? In this episode, Jesse responds to some recent, common critiques of movements methods.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

“What Could Be Wrong With Church Planting?” by Mack Stiles: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-could-be-wrong-with-church-planting

Mark Dever on CPMs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi9Xp8D7_Oc

No Place Left Website: https://noplaceleft.net

Church Planting Movements by David Garrison: https://www.amazon.com/Church-Planting-Movements-Redeeming-World/dp/0974756202

Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? By Roland Allen

The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church by Roland Allen

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Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming A Lost World

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From a blogpot that Shanee wrote in 2008 after the loss of their first daughter:

5 Tips on What to Say to Those in Grief:

Tip #1: Never minimize the person's pain.

Do not try to minimize or reason away the person's pain. This is never helpful. After experiencing significant loss, the healthy and normal thing for someone to do is to cry and be incredibly upset. Give people the freedom to do that! Comments like, "Oh, you'll have another baby," or "Lots of people have miscarriages," don't really help. Instead, say something like, "That is just awful. I am so sorry for you. That must be really difficult. I can't imagine losing a child." Grieving people want to be affirmed that what they have experienced is difficult. If people make little of it, then the grieving person does not feel freedom to grieve around others.

Tip #2: Acknowledge the loss.

Do not think, "I don't want to bring it up and make her cry." A grieving person is thinking about his loss on and off throughout his day (even if he appears to be fine). It's not like when someone mentions Priya to me I think, "Oh, I had forgotten all about the fact that my daughter died. I wish they wouldn't have brought that up." And if you mentioning Priya to me makes me cry, that's OK; just be OK with me crying in front of you. When you see someone that has recently experienced a tragedy, especially the first time you see that person, I think it's usually good and safe to say, "I'm so sorry. I have been praying for you. Do you want to talk about it?" That let's the person know you care, and gives him the freedom to talk about it.

Tip #3: Don't try to fix it.

There is no "quick fix" to the loss of life. It is not your responsibility to make a grieving person happy; you can't. Just accept that and be willing to grieve with him. You don't have to find solutions; you don't have to always remind him of all that he has to be thankful for. Again, just sit with him and grieve with him.

Tip #4: Comfort with the Truth, not fluff.

The Truth is the only real source of comfort for a hurting person, especially a follower of Jesus. And the Truth comes only from God's Word. Many people have said things like, "God just needed another angel," or "Priya is up there flying around." I know these are meant to be sweet, comforting comments, and I accept them with thankfulness (again, intent not content). But in reality, Priya is not an angel; she is a baby, a person. If we want to comfort someone, we should say truthful statements that are sure and not just speculation. These are the things that are an anchor for the grieving person, especially a follower of Jesus. Remind me that Priya is in heaven. Remind me that God is in control. Remind me that somehow this fits into God's plan. Remind me that God loves me and will bind up my wounds. Remind me that I will see Priya again someday. These are the things I must cling to every day. We must trust that God's Word is real and active, and that if we speak His Word to others, God will use it to comfort them.

Tip #5: Do not judge the grieving person.

In the first few months after a major loss, grieving people are extra-sensitive and vulnerable. After we lost Priya, I was overwhelmed with shock and sadness, and I just wanted the freedom to cry when I felt like crying and not cry when I didn't feel like it. But I was concerned with what people thought of how I was handling it (I shouldn't have been concerned with this, but I was). I felt like people were often evaluating how I was "doing". If I cried too much, someone would say, "Oh, she's really taking it hard." If I didn't cry (at least in front of them), then they would say, "I don't think she's really letting herself grieve.....it's really going to hit her one day." This is mainly my problem, the grieving person's problem, but as I said, during grief, one tends to be extra-sensitive. When we're trying to comfort those in grief, we should remember this and hold off on judging how they're "doing." Everyone grieves differently. A grieving person does not want to prove to others that he is "grieving well." Whatever we have gone through, we cannot fully understand someone else's pain, and we normally only see a small portion of their grief. So we should hold back judgment and give grace.

I have not researched this fully, but from what I have found lately, I think the Bible supports at least some of these thoughts. The Bible is clear that pain is real. Many of David's Psalms refer to his pain, for example:

"Every night I flood my bed with tears...the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping..." (Psalm 6).

"You have kept count of my tossings, put my tears in your bottle. Are they not written in your book?" (Psalm 56).

"All my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you" (Psalm 38).

"This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life" (Psalm 119:50).

"In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by" (Psalm 57).

Losing our daughter has given us a desire to respond to the hurting with compassion, to be willing to truly "mourn with the mourning." We pray that God will use these lessons that He has been teaching us to help the church comfort the hurting.

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Jesse preached on God's vision of the future from Rev. 7:9-10 recently, and this sermon gets to the heart of our podcast: God WILL ransom people from every tribe, people, nation, and language. This is the sure future! I hope this sermon spurs you on to be a part of seeing this vision come to fruition.

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David and Ashlee are dear friends and coworkers with over a decade of missions experience reaching Muslims. They are a wealth of knowledge, but even better than that, their passion for the work is contagious. In this episode we cover:
-Why you shouldn't be intimidated to talk with Muslims!
-How to bring up gospel conversations "as you go"
-What to do after sharing the gospel and they are interested in learning more (yellow light strategy)
-Reasons we (Westerners) can be resistant to sharing with Muslims (fear, anger, hopelessness)
-Brutal facts on the lostness of Muslims, and how reaching Muslims is an essential priority for accomplishing the Rom. 15 vision of "no place left."
-Why you may have high cholesterol if you target Muslims (because their food is SO good and fattening haha!)

David and Ashlee have a website with proven tools and even an e-course to learn more about Muslim ministry: www.nocousinsleft.com.

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In our previous episode, we explained good reasons to believe that the book of Acts was meant to be an instructive guide for mission work. In this episode, we walk through the gospel going out from Jerusalem through ordinary believers and through Paul on his three missionary journeys. A pattern for missions emerges: entry into unreached places, bold gospel proclamation, discipleship of new believers, church formation, development and appointment of elders, and exit into partnership.

Scriptures Discussed:
Spread of Gospel from Jerusalem through Scattered Believers: Acts 8:1-4; 11:19-26
Paul's First Missionary Journey: Acts 13-14
Paul's Second Missionary Journey: Acts 15:36-18:22
Paul's Third Missionary Journey: Acts 18:23-21:20
Romans 15:17-19

We pray that this episode is an encouragement and challenge for all listeners as we look at Paul's lifestyle of full commitment to Christ and getting the gospel to people with no access.

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In this episode, we discuss how to interpret the book of Acts. Did Luke intend for Acts to be mainly "descriptive" (a description of historical events) or "prescriptive" (a practical model to be followed)?

Jesse shares good reasons to believe Luke intended for Acts to be more than descriptive, but to be an instructive guide for missions. He also shares three interpretive principles to help us know how to apply Acts.

3 principles to apply:
1. Recurrence:
The Spirit of God in Paul and his coworkers produced a pattern of work they followed across the different contexts in which they ministered. There is a regularity to their way working that transcends the particularities of a given locality or people. This regularity points to the interpretive principle of recurrence, and it will be guiding light for us as we look for the missionary pattern in Scripture. Basically, the idea of recurrence is that when we see the first missionaries consistently repeating a practice across different contexts, we are seeing evidence of the Spirit-led pattern of missionary “work.” Those repeatable patterns are what we are looking for in determining the “work.”

Coherence:
Beyond the pattern we find in Acts, we also see Paul write about “the work” in different parts of his epistles. Paul’s statements and elaborations on his work highlight the other interpretive principle we’ll use—coherence. The idea here is that certain missionary practices from Acts take on more weight—more potentiality as a part of the missionary pattern—when they cohere with what Paul wrote elsewhere about his work. In several places throughout his writings Paul gives a defense of his missionary work or a summary account of what he had done up to that point (e.g. 1 Corinthians 3, 4, 9; Romans 15). These passages are significant because they reveal the rationale behind Paul’s way of working. When a practice we see in Acts coheres with Paul’s statements elsewhere, then we can be reasonably sure that the practice in question forms a part of the missionary pattern of work.
Transference:
The final principle is the principle of transference. This is where we look for ways of working that others besides just Paul took part in. A common response when we talk of a missionary “pattern” is for people to say, “Well that was for Paul, and he was an apostle, so it’s not necessarily applicable to us.” With the principle of transference we’re looking for the work that others besides just Paul were involved in.

These three interpretive principles—recurrence, coherence, and transference—will serve as our guides in revealing the “work” in the Scriptures. They will help us guard against reckless or unwise application of the narratives by steering us back toward the intent of the Biblical author. As we’ll see, they’ll help us navigate through the myriad events in the book of Acts to get to the core of what types of things are applicable to us today.

In our next episode, we will walk through a Bible study of Paul's missionary journeys.

Books Mentioned:
Missionary Methods: St. Paul's Or Ours?- Roland Allen
The Masterplan of Evangelism- Robert Coleman
Spontaneous Expansion of the Church- Roland Allen
Masterlife- Avery Willis

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Our dear friend and coworker Anna shares openly about how God changed her plans and dreams and called her to overseas mission work. You'll be encouraged to hear Anna share how God called her and continues to sustain that calling through her abiding relationship with Jesus, her faith family, and her ongoing obedience. Anna also shares some helpful tips for those considering a missionary calling, and bonus tips for how teams can serve singles well!

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Many times believers will say, "All Christians are missionaries," probably in an effort to encourage believers to preach the gospel to the lost. While all believers are evangelists and disciple-makers, all believers are not missionaries. The Bible teaches that some believers are set apart by God to be sent out to take the gospel to the unreached (aka missionaries).

In this episode, we look at 3 passages in the New Testament that refer to the missionary calling: Acts 13:1-3, Romans 1:1-15, and Galatians 1:15-17.

Read Acts 13:1-3:

Who called Saul and Barnabas? What were they called to do?
What was the church’s role in Saul and Barnabas’ sending?
What had Saul and Barnabas been doing prior to their calling (Acts 11:19-30)?

Read Rom. 1:1-15:

How does Paul describe his calling? (v. 1, 5)
Why did Paul want to go to Rome? (v. 15)
How does Paul describe his desire to do the ministry? (under obligation-v. 15, and eager to do it- 15).

Read Gal. 1:15-17:

How does Paul describe his calling?
What was he called to do?

From this study, four foundational truths about the missionary calling emerge:

The missionary calling comes from an encounter with God and His heart for the nations.
The missionary calling comes through faithful engagement in God’s work where we are.
The missionary calling produces a godly ambition to be a part of God’s mission among the nations.
The missionary calling includes affirmation by God’s people.

Download the full biblical study, along with helpful resources, from the website.

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In episode 8, we shared a Bible study on the leadership of the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul. We found 4 "essentials" of leadership: Exemplify, Equip, Encourage, Entrust.

In this episode, we talk with Nathan and Kari about what it looks like to apply these biblical principles to real life leadership. Nathan and Kari have been serving in South Asia for 15+ years, leading in several different contexts and roles. Listen in as they share insightful principles they have learned over the years, not only for missions, but also for family and parenting.

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As we study how the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul related with their leaders, 4 essential tasks emerge: Exemplify, Equip, Encourage, Entrust. These form the backbone of our missionary leadership today.

In this episode, we introduce a Bible study tool we have been using on the field that looks at passages when the Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul are interacting with their disciples and leaders. As a teaser, Shanee walked through Luke 8-10 and Jesse walked through Acts 20: 17-35. We hope you'll download a free copy of this study and learn from the Scriptures for yourself.

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Glenn and Rhonda referred to the "Ek Rasta" discipleship program they've been using for years in South Asia. This tool has been proven and used in amazing ways by God to get God's Word in the hands of everyday, and often less-educated, believers. Be sure to check out these amazing resources! You could use the chronological Bible stories for your own family or to disciple others in any context.

The website that houses all their team's downloadable resources (including Ek Rasta resources in printed formats): https://southasiansands.wixsite.com/ekrasta

The Ek Rasta multi-language app for androids: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.rajasthan.ekrasta.multi&hl=en_IN

The Ek Rasta multi-language app for Apple (It says Hindi, but it is multi-language - including English): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ek-rasta-hindi/id1517191653

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The Apostle Paul consistently worked with others in missions and referred to his team members as beloved fellow workers. Listen in as we share about this Bible study on Paul's teaming. Better yet, get your own copy of the Teaming Study on our website and go through it with your team.

In this podcast, we share 4 main takeaways from the study:
1- Paul's teams were formed for the purpose of the work.
2- Paul's teams loved one another as family.
3- Paul's teams were in almost constant transition.
4- Conflict was not unusual.

Click on the Teaming Bible Study link on our website and download your own copy of the Bible study. We pray it is an encouragement and help for you and your team! Email us and let us know how it goes.

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Connect with us:

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Scriptures referenced in this episode:

Women's Participation in the Church: 1 Cor. 11:3-5; 12:4-13; 14:1-5; 26-40; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-6.

Women's Participation in the Home and Community: Eph. 5:22-33; 1 Tim. 2:9-10; 5:1-16; Titus 2:2-5; 1 Pet. 3:1-7.

Get your free copy of the Coworkers ebook and Bible study guide on our website.

We have used this tool extensively with many teams of Westerners and local brothers and sisters in South Asia. It has given our team leaders and members a common biblical framework and vocabulary on women's roles and has opened up a lot of healthy discussion on this topic.

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Get your free copy of the Coworkers ebook and Bible study guide on our website. We have used this tool extensively with many teams of Westerners and local brothers and sisters in South Asia. It has given our team leaders and members a common biblical framework and vocabulary on women's roles and has opened up a lot of healthy discussion on this topic.

Team leaders, I especially want to recommend this study to you! Get your coworkers together for a few hours (guys and girls together if possible), make some queso, and go through the Scriptures and discussion questions together. Keep it easy and informal. You will learn from the Word together, grow in teaming together, and it will be a special encouragement for the women on your teams.

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10 Examples of Women's Involvement in the Church and Mission Work in the New Testament:

Bold gospel proclaimers: Acts 4:23-31; 8:1-4; 9:1-2.
Sapphira: Acts 5:1-11.
Tabitha: Acts 9:36-43.
Mary the mother of John Mark: Acts 12:1-17, 25; 15:39.
Eunice and Lois: 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15; Acts 16:1-5.
Lydia: Acts 16:11-15, 40.
Priscilla: Acts 18:1-28; Rom. 16:3-5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 3:16.
Philip's 4 daughter prophetesses: Acts 21:8-9; Acts 2:17.
Paul's coworkers in the gospel: Rom. 16:1-16; Phil. 4:2-3
Apostles' wives: 1 Cor. 9:5

Get your free copy of the Coworkers ebook and Bible study guide on our website.

Invite your teammates and friends over (brothers and sisters all together if possible!) for some tea/coffee and go through these Scriptures and discussion questions together. You will learn something new every time... and it will probably open up more discussions around this topic in the future.

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Resources Mentioned: Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper.

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The Coworkers Podcast: Recent Episodes

Jesse, Shanee