We Need To Go | New C3 Core Values

Welcome to the C3 Podcast.

I'm Austin Weiss, and joining me on today's podcast are some of C3's finest.

Excited to be with each of you.

We have to my right, I have Damien Spickwright, our teaching minister.

Yes, good to be here.

Good to be in Austin.

We got right across from me Jenny Snyder with us.

Jenny works for Rafa International, as formerly one of our global outreach partners that was on the field for many years and now still works for Rafa, just in a different capacity.

Super excited to have you on.

And then right over here to our to my left is Aaron Taylor, our first impressions coordinator.

Super excited to have you on as well.

Hello.

Yeah.

And man, just excited, yeah, for this conversation.

Excited to have each of you on today as we continue and actually kind of wrap up this uh core values discussion that we've been having over the last several podcasts over uh as a church.

So we've been going through this summer series, Vital Signs, uh, five signs that you're fully alive.

And we believe the words of Jesus when he says that he's come to give us life and life to the full.

And so the question we've been tackling and and talking about as a church is what does it mean to have this fully alive life in Jesus?

What is this fully full life that Jesus is offering to us?

And that has led us into these core value statements as a church.

And the the goal of these statements is not just to be uh true about us as a church, but also true about us as individuals.

Not just we need statements, but also I need statements.

So not just statements that we recognize collectively, but also individually.

And today we're talking about our need to go, not just as the church as a whole, but us as individuals.

We need to go.

I need to go.

And so I'm excited about this conversation because really I believe there's something here for every single person who belongs to Jesus.

They need to hear what we're talking about today.

We need to hear the urgency of the mission that's in front of us.

Um, and so I'm excited.

Um, and that's kind of what I want to start with here.

So I'm gonna come to you first, Damien, on this uh this first question.

Uh sometimes I feel like it can be easy for us to write this core value off if we're church members.

We can kind of, yeah, that's reserved.

Going and taking the gospel somewhere else is reserved for those who are specifically specially called somewhere else.

Why would we butt up against that thought process?

Why is it not optional?

Well, I think foundationally, I guess we should say the obvious that it is a command.

So um the Great Commission was initially given to the disciples, certainly, go and make disciples, but at the tail end of that is the um command that this is for generations to come as well.

And so that includes us.

So we're we're a part of that commission, if you will, sure.

Uh to go and make disciples, and we all play a part in that.

And so uh I guess foundationally it's a command.

So to live in full obedience and to enjoy the full life that God wants us to experience, as you've talked about already, it requires this um expression of the gospel in our everyday lives.

Yeah, yeah.

So I guess that's the starting point.

For sure.

For sure.

What would you what would you add to that, Aaron?

What do you what do you think?

What anything else you would add to that?

I mean, it just it seems obvious that that's a command, and a command is something it's not optional.

So I think, yeah, I just I just think you would just encourage people to try to follow that and live that out.

Yeah.

I think I'd add a lot to that.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Jenny, what would you say um if we're talking about our motivation behind this this going?

What is what is the ultimate motivation?

Other I mean, we could we could say, yes, obeying the command.

Um what is what is the motivation for us as a church to be a going church or as an individual to be going individuals?

What would you say to that?

Um yeah, one of the things I was um thinking about is that as we become closer to Christ and as He transforms us and you know scrubs away this the sin off of us and lets the you know hit his image in us shine through.

Um you know, we gain a love for people.

And when we love someone and care about someone, we want what's very best for them.

And so we want to tell them, you know, here's how to have the best, the most joy and the most peace and the healthiest lifestyle.

So we want that for people and it compels us to want to share, I think.

Yeah, for sure.

I think there's also the right the aspect in what you're talking about is, you know, as as we continue to be transformed by Christ, it's kind of we talked, we've talked about this throughout the whole series that it kind of all starts with our need for Jesus.

And if we've really been changed by Jesus, then all these kind of core values kind of naturally flow out of that, out of, yeah, Jesus has changed my life.

And if he's changed my life, he can change yours too.

Why would I hold this?

This is the greatest news anybody could have.

Why would I hold this to myself?

Um, like why would why would I not go into the world and go everywhere I can and have have the gospel on the tip of my tongue, that kind of a thing.

Um, so that kind of leads me into, I guess, the next one.

So I'm gonna come to you, Aaron, on this first one.

Um what would you say?

Uh like so sometimes I think we can we can feel like we need to go and and you know be good people and do good things.

Um, and by all means, right, I do believe that Christians should be the best people doing the best things, right?

But sometimes I think we can say that is the mission, is just going and doing good things.

Um, how how how is it why is it important to always make sure we're going with the gospel as well and not just going and doing good good things?

Yeah, I think um anybody can go and do good things.

I think any person, believer or not, can go and volunteer or can go and do community service work or can teach uh things out in the community or out in the world and share that.

Um if you forget the in Jesus name, then you kind of missed the command.

You come out, you kind of miss the boat, the reason, the why.

We talk about it sometimes at the gym.

What's your why?

Why are you here?

Like don't forget your why.

Yeah.

Okay, well, don't forget your why when you're out there serving.

Don't forget what compelled you to come out here and do this.

And it is this is a cold cup of water in Jesus' name.

Not just I'm just here to help because I'm a good person.

What made you that good person?

I mean that that to me um is is how we keep sight of that and how we keep, you know, we have to keep the cold cup of water from Jesus out in front.

Yeah.

What would you add, Jenny?

I am just thinking that the more we just live with an eternal perspective, we recognize that that cold cup of water in Jesus' name is beautiful in that moment and people need it now, but they also need it forever, and they need the the healing that's gonna be eternal or the you know, God's presence that's gonna be eternal for them.

And um it makes me think of the ministry that I've been a part of with Rafa for many years, and the you know, we bring um girls in who've been trafficked and abused and give them you know counseling, provide counseling and healing, and you want to see that for them.

But you also have to realize that you want them to have eternal healing, yeah, you know, the true, full freedom that comes um with the eternal perspective.

So I think if we keep that in mind, um we gotta have Jesus, we gotta have the gospel as part of what we do.

Yeah.

If you forget, if you if I do coaching, financial coaching, and with a foundation of this is what biblically we're asked to do, you get into your budget and you start budgeting and you start looking at numbers and you forget why you're stewarding your money in this certain way or why you're changing your behavior.

And if you don't remember your your why, if you forget that, then you've lost your eternal perspective and yeah and you've missed that.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

And I think the the nature of man is self-serving.

And so we're always gonna gravitate towards selfish motivations and selfish purposes, even doing the best of things in the world.

Um, and that's gonna eventually erode the gospel message.

And so uh always centering our good deeds on the gospel also addresses that innate selfishness that I think we can easily tend towards.

And then it becomes self-righteousness, then it becomes motivated by um attention and praise and yeah, because if it's not centered on the gospel, it can be centered on me and the good things I'm doing.

The good things I'm doing, rather than help others, rather than what he ultimately he has done.

Yeah, so tying tying the gospalizing or the sending, the going, the sharing of the gospel to the two commandments, love God, love people, always tying those two things together, um, I think becomes critical and makes the message more pure and honest and sincere for people.

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

Okay, so when we talk about sharing, sharing your faith, then if we talk about going with the gospel, um, really that we're talking about evangelism, we're talking about speaking the good news of the gospel out loud.

And if we're talking about that, I that doesn't seem like everybody everybody's like chomping at the bit to get out there and do that, you know, like that doesn't seem like your average churchgoer is like, yeah, I'm ready, I'm ready to go.

So what what do you think are some of the reasons why people people, Jenny?

What one did you answer this one first?

What would you say are some of the reasons why people are hesitant to share the gospel, maybe?

Yeah, I think people worry about what if I don't say the right thing, or I don't know enough scripture, or I've not been trained.

Um, I also think it can feel more personal too, like worry about relationships or how people view me, you know, fear of rejection.

I think there's all sorts of reasons that hold people back.

Yeah, and myself too, sometimes.

Yeah, for sure.

I was sitting with some junior and senior boys at at Move a few weeks ago, and they were we were talking about this idea, and one of them said, Well, how if I get into the argument with somebody, how am I gonna win the argument?

Like, I don't know if I'm if I'm capable enough to win the argument.

Um, I heard a friend of mine just said, you know, when we're in Acts chapter one, when Jesus says, You will be my witnesses, he doesn't say, You will be my defense attorney, you will be my witness on the stand testifying of what I have done in you.

Not the one who has to win the argument necessarily, one who just has to testify faithfully, you know, of what the Lord has done.

And sometimes that takes the press a little bit of the pressure off.

I don't have to have every answer.

I don't have to I don't know.

I think too, people are like, oh, I'm gonna like start and finish the process and then get them there and then disciple them.

But it's not that.

It's it can be one word of truth, you know, or one encouraging word or anything that points somebody to Jesus is sharing the gospel.

Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Why else what what else do you guys think?

I think uh sometimes we just we just put a lot of pressure on ourselves, I think.

And you kind of alluded to the fact that um it's it's not really up to us.

I mean, we can say the words or and and in in good faith, like it with a good uh motivation, a positive motivation, and maybe not win the argument.

Yeah, you know, but we had the discussion and you know, maybe you come back and you you you said something wrong.

You can you can come back to that person hopefully and say, Hey, I think I tripped this up.

Can we come back to this?

Or you know, it's it's always okay to come back around and say, Hey, can we can we rediscuss this?

And but just remembering that it's not up to you.

Yeah.

When I first took this job, I put a lot of pressure on myself, like, oh, I gotta get everyone welcomed and every single person make sure they come back the next week.

And how do I do that?

How what if I don't, what if they don't come back?

Then I'm they're gonna fire me or they're gonna talk to me about it, or you know, and it was I was telling someone this, and he just looked at me and he was like, you know, you realize it's not up to you whether or not they stay or go.

You made them feel welcome.

You shook their hands, smiled when they walked in the door and showed them, showed them the way.

Now it's in God's hands.

Sure.

So that was a relief to realize, oh yeah, I'm to remember.

I'm not in charge down here, not in charge.

I'm just here to to plant the seeds.

Sure.

Sure.

That's the whole what Paul says, you know.

I I, you know, um I planted a Apollos watered, the Lord gave the growth.

He was always the one that was moving and working and giving the growth.

What were you gonna say, Damien?

Yeah, these are all good thoughts for sure.

I'm just thinking of other reasons why we might be hesitant.

I think for me, um I've been in cultures where uh a lot of people don't know the gospel, and I find it sometimes easier to share the gospel in those cultures or those environments.

Whereas in this environment, there's this assumption that everybody knows, everybody understands, and that's a false assumption.

Yeah, I shouldn't operate under those assumptions.

And so sometimes I'm just not attentive or aware or thinking about it.

I'm just caught up in my own day-to-day activities that I'm not realizing the opportunity is right there in front of me, whereas in another culture, another environment or situation, I might have that sensitivity and that awareness uh to share the actual gospel, the good news to sh to testify, as you talked about earlier.

So maybe that's another reason for case we get caught up in what we're doing.

And then I other thought is we do have an enemy and he doesn't want us to share the gospel, so he's always gonna find very creative, ingenious ways to put excuses, to disrupt, you know, to get in the way.

Yeah, something about what you just said made me think of, you know, sometimes I I feel like we label and whatever, good or bad, we kind of label people around here in the Midwest, in the middle of the Bible Belt, label people, oh, he's a good dude, you know, you know, he lent me his weed eater the other day, you know, helped me trim my trees, you know, help me clean up after the storm.

What he's a good man, you know.

But and so then we just like assume he knows, he's good, you know, he doesn't need what I have, but it's no, he's drowning.

If, you know, if if it really comes down to it, and he's apart from Christ, then he's you know, these there's it's a one-way street, one or the other, it's a one, it's a one-way street, you know.

So yeah, it's interesting.

There's I was convicted by um, and this is probably going off of script a little bit, so bear with me.

But uh was convicted by a story one of our speakers shared at at Move.

He said, you know, can you think about a lifeguard who just fell in love with their lifeguard stand?

You know, how selfish that might be.

You know, they're just like, I'm pretty comfortable up here, you know, it's pretty nice up here.

And then they see somebody struggling to swim.

They're like, Well, you put yourself in that mess.

You knew you couldn't swim, you know, like what were you thinking?

You haven't taken swim lessons, you know, why why are you even down there?

And he said, a lot of times in church, that's how we view those who are lost sometimes, especially even in our context.

It's like, uh you got yourself into that mess.

You you knew the mistakes you were gonna make, you know.

And and then he just said, no, he said something that was super convicting.

And he said, No, they thought they could swim, and you're the one who knows how to.

Why would you not go and and show them how to swim?

You know, why would you not take this message to them?

You know, so if you're gonna share some kind of encouragement right now, if you had encouragement to somebody who's like, hey, I have um, you know, I have as as we talk about sharing the gospel, I have these fears, I have these, you know, insecurities, I have these excuses that I could come up with.

What would be something one thing you would tell them, hey, right now you could start by doing blank?

What would you what would you say?

I mean, I think one is to um articulate your Jesus story.

So that's a phrase we've used a lot around here.

Um who you were before Jesus, how you met Jesus, who you're becoming because of Jesus.

And so if you can practice that and kind of have that on the absolute front of front of mind, um that's something you can do right now.

You can just write a paragraph and have that ready to go.

And then and then it's as simple as saying, I'd I'd love to share my story with you.

Can I do that?

Yep.

Most people are not gonna say no.

No, don't share your story with me.

Yeah.

That's a great open.

So that's just one practical it's a great resource.

And honestly, we're gonna put this in the we're gonna put that link to that on our website in the show notes here.

So if you haven't ever formulated your own Jesus story, it's gonna be in look in the notes of this podcast right now, and you'll be able to see the link to it.

Um, but yeah, great, great thing just to think about your own story.

And it takes out it takes out some of the pressure when it's just a this is what the Lord has done for me, you know.

And if He can make if he made this, like we've already talked about, if he made this difference in my life, he can make it in yours.

What would you say?

Some kind of encouragement to somebody.

I like just articulating, acknowledging how grateful you are for what God's blessed you with in your life, and just articulating that to people, like actually using the words God has really blessed me in fostering children.

Yeah, and it has done this and this and this, and I feel like God just really moved us this way.

I think you just even for me, just saying God did this, not not Aaron.

Aaron didn't do this, God orchestrated this, he blessed us in this situation, and he walked us through this hard time and back up out of it.

Yeah, I think that kind of opens up to the window that oh, she's she's following something here, she's on to something.

There's something she's looking at that's bigger than you know, just whatever service she's doing.

Yeah.

I mean, yeah, and using that kind of language just in everyday conversations where it's where you're just acknowledging God is the one who's been orchestrating all of this.

I'm you know, I'm trying to be a faithful steward in what he's what he's provided.

But he's he's been so faithful and pro and continues to provide.

Yeah, it's good.

What'd you say, Jenny?

Oh well, I think going along with what you shared is um just becoming more uh comfortable, practicing how we talk about God in our lives every day, even with each other.

Um, you know, how many times do we go on with our everyday life?

We talk about God at church or when we're with our small group or life group or something, but just practicing how we talk about God moving in our life every day with each other makes it more something that you're more comfortable just as flowing out of you, whoever you're talking to.

And it doesn't have to become this big build-up moment of, well, now I'm gonna have this big conversation.

It's just drop it in in natural conversation, and then it might prompt a curiosity or a follow-up question.

Um, and another thing um that I was thinking about in my training of preparing for cross-cultural ministry years ago, um, they taught us kind of this model as entering into another culture to enter as a learner first and then a servant and then a storyteller, then become the storyteller.

And so, even in other relationships with people, that can apply in any situation.

If you're in a relationship and you express just genuine curiosity about people and what is meaningful to you, and open up these deeper conversations, and um you gain this rapport and credibility with people that then you can have the opportunity naturally to become a storyteller about your life and what Jesus is doing in your life and who he is and that kind of thing.

That's really good.

Say those again, those three again.

Learner, servant, storyteller.

Yeah, that's a great maybe that's that's maybe that's where you need to start.

Instead of saying, hey, to your neighbor that you've never had a more than a 30-second conversation with on the street, maybe instead of saying, Do you want to meet me at Starbucks for three hours so I can lay out everything I know to be true about the Bible?

It's just yeah, listening to their story and learning about who they are and their upbringing and and then yeah, finding ways to creatively serve them and and bless them and and then looking for opportunities to just become friends with them, a relationship.

They're not a project or you know, somebody to try to convert.

They're they're a person that you can have a meaningful relationship with.

Yeah, not a not a number on a spreadsheet, you know.

They're a they're a a real life human being that yeah, that is living and breathing and has feelings and emotions and stories and of their own and and yeah.

Just need to have eyes opened up to the author of their story too.

And I think I think being someone who asks questions, as you've already indicated, is significant.

And even in I think Jesus models that, yeah.

You see him continually probing and asking questions of his disciples and the crowds and individuals.

Uh my son is in a um urban environment, very unchurched, yeah, very post-Christian environment.

And that's kind of their philosophy.

They're just developing questions all the time, questions that they can ask on the street when they encounter people, when they sit down with people, and just trying to get them to tell their story.

Because most people will reciprocate what you've done to them.

So if you've you're asking them questions and trying to understand their story at some point in the relationship, it may not be in that first encounter, but at some point in the relationship, they're typically going to reciprocate and start asking you questions and start wanting to know your story.

And then that's when the Holy Spirit can use that moment to for you to speak the gospel, which still takes courage and boldness.

Yeah.

Um to do, but at least the opportunity presents itself in a relational way.

Yeah, yeah.

And so then I guess the the question is where do we need to go with this gospel?

You know, if we're talking about, yeah, and you're kind of leading into that a little bit.

There's, you know, it's interesting that the command in in Matthew 28 is when he says go, therefore, make disciples.

It's kind of as as you go, as you're going, as you're walking and and walking with the Lord, will you go?

So one of the things we have in our our core value is we want to make disciples who are going with the gospel across the street and across the border.

So let's start with the across the street part of things in our everyday life.

Kind of we've already touched on this a little bit, but why does it like what does it mean for us to be, you know, um witnesses every the everywhere that we go, ministers of reconciliation, as Paul would say?

And what are what are some practical ways that somebody could do that in their everyday life?

What is that what does that look like?

Aaron, what do you think about this?

What are what are some of the practical ways that somebody can live on mission at their workplace and neighborhoods and their school, whatever it might look like?

Yeah, I say volunteer.

I say jump into I mean, I don't in your workplace, I mean, that's just your everyday, your personality, the attitude of gratefulness, the acknowledging of God.

But um otherwise, you know, volunteering at the local school or volunteering um in in foster care as at a as a casa or uh you know at um the foster care store or you know, things like that in town or water gardens serving breakfast.

I I love volunteering.

I love taking my kids to volunteer to do stuff.

I don't have any like one certain place that we go.

We like to mix it up, but I think just kind of taking a leap, and I know for some people that's a little scary too.

Sure.

But uh you drink a espresso and go do it.

You know, just jump right.

I don't know.

I'm I like to jump right in and just get it done and try it and maybe like it and you want to go again, or maybe you don't.

Don't sign a a lease.

Just just give it a try.

I mean, there's no don't sign a two-year contract on it or anything.

No, uh no, just jump in and try something, volunteer um and get involved with people in the community outside of the church.

Yeah, yeah.

And that's I mean, great way to start would go go look at our local outreach partners.

There's a number of them in our community who are doing some great work with with some um with some some people who are in need and some people who are, you know, you know, just need the the hope of Jesus.

It's a there's awesome opportunities in our in our own community within a 10-minute drive from your house right now, um, that you that could need volunteers, they could use volunteers for sure.

So yeah, that's good.

Jenny, what would you say?

Yeah, I think you could pause to consider the people that are already in your life, the people you already have kind of that are, you know, I don't know, the stores that you shop at or your neighbors that maybe you've kind of said hi to or have a superficial connection with, and maybe there's someone there already that you could consider asking that curiosity question about tell me more about your life and maybe take a step further in a relationship with someone who already is a you have a contact point with.

Faces and places, right?

That's how we've talked about it before.

Yeah, what are the faces you see every day, where are the places you go?

Feels like a Dr.

Seuss.

It does.

It's a great starting point.

I also like to say love, love where you are, so love where you work, love where you live.

So start with the people you live with, start with the people you work with, start with the faces and places you encounter every day.

Yeah.

Part of I think I think it was C.S.

Lewis who said, you know, if if uh uh Christian is a is a carpenter, then first and foremost he needs to be a carpenter who makes great tables.

That's the that's the first thing he needs to be able to do is make great tables, and then his witness will will have more weight to it.

I might that might not be C.

S.

Lewis at all, but we're just gonna say it is, you know, because it probably is.

Um, but yeah, I think it's it's great.

And there's there's opportunities all around us if we just will open our eyes.

Even if you're just bold enough to pray the prayer, Lord, will you just show me what you're doing around me?

And you know, I know there's we're in the middle of summer right now, so there's a lot of you who are at the ball fields right now.

There's a lot of you who are gonna be in this in the stadium this fall, there's a lot of you who are um whose kids are gonna be back in school, in public school, or and you're gonna be in PTO things, or you're gonna be at school carnivals, or you're gonna, you know, just be in your community.

And would you open your eyes just to see the other people that are around you and and see how you can, yeah, how you can know them better, how you can serve them better, how you can love them better.

Um and then yeah, maybe the Lord's gonna open up an opportunity.

Yeah, because that's that's this conversation comes full circle.

It's the pressure is not on us, the burden is not on us.

The Lord, according to scripture, desires that all might be saved and all might come to know the truth.

So he's he's at work long before we are, and so um praying that you can partner with him as you go into those places, yeah.

And then have the courage to verbalize.

Yeah.

Like what you're saying, Mark Moore said it's it's the it's our co-mission with with God.

It's his mission first and foremost.

So, yeah, of course he's gonna give you the words to say.

He cares about this mission way more than you do.

This is hit this was his mission at the beginning.

So, of course, he's not gonna leave you abandoned.

Of course, he's gonna walk with you and and show you the opportunities and give you the words to say in the right leading.

And like he's gonna he's gonna go with you, he's gonna provide for you, you know.

Yeah, and he's the one, yeah, doing the work.

Okay, so talked a little bit about going across the street and just in our regular, regular life, you know.

Um, but there's also a need to go across the border.

And so, what does it look like for somebody?

Jenny, I might come to you.

Okay.

I don't know, surprise, surprise.

I might come to you.

What does it look like for someone to what does it look like for somebody, what did it look like for you?

How about let's just do this?

What did it look like for you whenever you felt the Lord call you into ministry, specifically Rafa, called you to go?

What did that look like?

That initial call.

Maybe it wasn't like a specific moment, maybe it was over a over a period of time.

What'd it look like for you to step into that call?

Well, it's funny that you started this conversation with um like how people kind of have that assumption like leave that going for the people who get this really clear calling from the Lord that's specific to them.

Yeah.

Because um, in my story, okay, I'm already like alone aware of trafficking, and that was on my radar.

I'd already been to Cambodia to see what was going on, and then I was wrestling what to do with that.

And I desperately wanted the Lord to write a message to Jenny on the wall or an email that this is my specific call for you.

Because I'm like, it's kind of a big deal to move across the world by myself.

And I mean, for months I was wrestling and praying and asking him to make it so clear, make it so specific to me.

And I I never got that thing that I thought I was looking for from him.

And in the end, it was a time of um scripture speaking.

Um in John, you know, Jesus says, if you love me, you obey my commands.

Um, it says something similar in first John also, few, if you love me, obey my commands.

And then I'm looking at the commands in scripture of you know um making disciples and feeding the hungry and clothing the naked and um you know, caring for the oppressed and all these things.

And this feels vulnerable to share in this context, but I remember praying and writing in my journal that Lord, I don't know if I love you enough to make this used decision decision and go all the way over there and have enough love for all those people that are over there.

I don't know.

Um, but I want to, and so I want to choose this because it's the kind of life that that you want us to live.

And so it was kind of like a choice of obedience.

Um, and then after making that decision and like affirming it and saying it out loud, that angst of that decision and that desire to have this clear call was lifted, and the Lord really affirmed that decision and just amazingly supported me through the whole thing, and it was just the best journey.

It has been the best journey.

Yeah, but I desperately wanted that very specific call to myself from God.

Um and it wasn't, I mean, maybe it was like that in a different way, but it just wasn't that as specific as what I was looking for and hoping for.

Yeah.

I'm so thankful that you chose obedience in that in that moment, too.

It's been you know, joy to partner with you for years as a church.

And um, I'm you know, speak on behalf of the church as as I say that.

Just just super thankful for your faithfulness and and going and all the work that Rafa's involved in.

We're so so thankful to be able to partner with you guys in that way.

And um, man, it's just pretty incredible.

I I there was another I I think I read another story of somebody of a young man coming asking, like, Mother Teresa, will you pray for clarity that of the got of God's calling?

Like, I feel like God's trying to give me a calling, but I can't quite discern what it is.

And and she said back to him, I can't remember where I read this, but he she said back to him, I won't put pray for clarity because that is the last thing you're holding on to.

That's the last crutch you're holding on to.

I'll pray that you can trust God, that He's gonna go with you.

Um, and your story reminds me of that for sure, of just a kind of trust you.

And I have read your word and I understand what you're asking me to do, and I'm gonna go.

I'm gonna be obedient and faithful here.

It's pretty, pretty incredible.

What would it look like?

I this is a unique conversation I get to be a part of from one of our global outreach partners, one of our former global outreach partners across from me, and then also two people that sit on boards of of missions partners that we currently support as well, Mustard Seed and Mission Karibe as well.

Um what is it what would it look like?

Um what does it look like for somebody to to answer the call and go?

But then also how can somebody who even if they never relocate somewhere else, how can they still be actively involved in global missions, like in the mission of God to take the the good news everywhere?

What would it what does it look like for you?

What do you think?

Well, I think a starting place is prayer.

Um there are certain prayers that God loves to answer, so we've already acknowledged one of them.

Like, God, I want to partner with you and sharing your story with somebody.

Help me to do that today.

Yeah, he would love to answer that prayer.

Like, oh, okay, yeah, I'll answer that prayer.

Um, another prayer that I prayed a long time ago was God, give me one corner of the earth that I can care deeply about.

Give me one piece of the planet that I can care deeply about.

And he's never failed to answer that prayer.

It's actually changed over the decades.

I'm old enough to say that over the decades.

Um, and uh most recently it's Japan.

He he would love to answer that prayer for some for you.

Yeah, um, and that's gonna look differently depending on where it is and what your giftedness is and what your passions are.

And it could be as simple as you being a faithful prayer warrior.

It can be um directly financially supporting a mission or a person who's on the field.

Maybe you'll get to visit that place, maybe not.

It depends where it is, depends what the the context is.

Um but there's so many creative ways that you can partner with God in bringing his gospel to the nations, yeah.

Which I think if you want to really uh understand and experience the heart of God, it is found in cross-cultural ministry.

That's a strong statement I'm making there, but I'm gonna I'm gonna go with it.

I think it goes all the way back to Genesis, and it's an undoing of the Garden of Eden and the Tower of Babel, and it's a preview of eternity, and so yeah, I I can't encourage enough to pray that prayer.

God give me one piece of the planet, and He will gladly answer that prayer in time in very creative and unique ways for you.

Yeah.

I agree a thousand percent.

That's exactly what I was thinking is gosh, if you they can make some really compelling commercials and videos that can really pull at your heartstrings.

But if you have the opportunity to go and see another culture or be immersed and not stand out like a blonde-haired, blue-eyed tourist with an American t-shirt on or something.

If you can go and be uh a witness and see other cultures and experience that, it will change your life.

Yeah.

I think we're so disadvantaged in the United States.

You you can spend a f you spend a few weeks uh overseas somewhere else in Cambodia, in Honduras, in Japan, and you come back and you might be a little angry at how stuffy and snotty and snooty and uh self-righteous we are over here.

It will give you a whole new perspective.

And I can't say enough also for our kids to see that and realize that and understand how big God is to encompass every heart and soul on this planet and that his love is relentless for them too.

Yeah.

Even without roofs, even without shoes, even without Abercrombie and Fitch.

Yeah.

He loves us all.

And and it's it's so amazing to see his love in another culture as well.

It just we say a lot about mission work and going and about God sending us, and then you get there and you realize, oh, he's doing something in me too.

And when you come back with that perspective, you're like, wow, I served, but I was served.

That's that is the key for me, is the the big point is you have such a better perspective on God's love after seeing the world a little bit differently.

Yeah.

I think about you know, some of the conversations we had with students this last March got to go to Honduras, partnered with Mission Korea Bay, and we were up in the middle of nowhere in a you know, in a village, you know, two and a half hour bus ride away from the city, and power went out for a full day while we were there, you know, and taking bucket showers, all that kind of stuff, and trying to help our kids have good attitudes the whole time through it.

And I just remember, you know, as they interacted with other kids their age or a little bit younger than them, one of the one of the observations that all of them made was just the amount of joy that everybody had the whole time.

And they're just like, they we've been here three days and they're wearing the same clothes all three days, you know, and they've got the same pair of shoes that are falling apart on their feet, you know, and they've um, you know, got like having to walk 30 m 30 minutes one way up a mountain to get to this church building to hang out with us, you know, and yet the joy of the Lord is with them.

Yeah, absolutely.

Um, and I think about a pastor we were down there with a man named Ed Gardo for many years in a in a village in Los Jutes.

Remember him needing knee replacements and both of his knees and yet walking up and down mountains to go pray with people, shouting across the mountain to say, You coming to church?

Like, come on, you need to get here.

Um just yeah, just the joy of the Lord, very present.

And it, yeah, smacks you in the face whenever you're you've become so engulfed in yeah, our culture around here.

Just, man, the Lord is doing some incredible things.

And if we're if we limit ourselves to this specific country, this specific uh location, then we're missing out on our God who is moving far beyond anything we could ever ever see, ever, ever imagine.

Okay, I want you to think this.

I'm gonna end with this question.

And I want you to kind of, I'm gonna have each of you do it like one sentence.

Okay, so I'm gonna give you a second to think about it.

One sentence.

What kind of impact do you think it would have on us, on our church, um, on our community, on our world, if we took the call of God seriously?

If everybody took the call of God seriously?

That's a big question to ask.

And I'm asking you to answer it in one sentence.

What are what are some of the things I'm sure in three sentences you guys are gonna each give me a sentence?

I'm sure in three sentences we don't, we're not gonna scratch the surface.

But I just wanna, yeah.

What comes to your mind if we all took the call of God seriously?

I think that it would change our sense of urgency and that that focus and intentionality would become very urgent in how we prioritize our time and our days and our relationships and and all that.

We would have this great sense of urgency.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I feel like she had a lot of conjunctions in that sentence.

That's great.

It's a run-on-one.

It's a very good one.

Now I'm afraid to say anything.

I had that one brewing because can I add this or something?

Yes, add it.

But wait a minute.

That's two sentences.

This is act like I haven't asked the question first.

I'm asking permission.

That's great.

This morning, it's funny that this morning I listened to a a little worship devotional and they talked about Luke 15 and um that the shepherd that has a hundred sheep but leaves a 99 to go search.

Yeah.

And so that's been in my mind today.

Um and that's why it was already bubbling that urgency, because it convicted me this morning that where have I where have I lost a sense of urgency and where I am right now of looking for the opportunities I'm looking for.

Yeah, that was good.

That was good.

I just I think we would be unrecognizable.

We would be completely changed, full of joy, faith, and hope.

Uh as we're just going out with this urgency, with this with this attitude of we gotta go.

I think it would be um a complete culture shift.

Yeah.

It would be amazing.

Yeah.

That was like five sentences.

That's great.

That's great.

Um boy, that's me.

That leaves me to give my sentence.

Maybe a word, it would be joy.

I think uh the chief end of man is to worship him and enjoy him forever.

And so uh living a going life will allow us and others to enjoy the gospel.

And so I think that's that's the word that comes to my mind.

Also great, a great word.

Oh, thanks, thanks, Jenny.

Thanks, Aaron.

We approve.

Yeah.

Man, I don't know, I don't know about you.

That's like that sounds like the kind of church I want to be a part of, you know, it's one that you know just just isn't just blending in with our culture, one that has a sense of urgency for the gospel, one that encourages people to find joy in in who we have in Jesus.

It reminds me of Romans 12.

So I'm gonna end with Romans 12, uh, one and two, but in the message version, this is what this is what Eugene Peterson says in the in the message version.

He said, So here's what I want you to do: God helping you, take your everyday, ordinary life, your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life, and place it before God as an offering.

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.

Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.

Instead, fix your attention on God.

You'll be changed from the inside out, readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.

Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings out the best in you and develops well-formed maturity in you.

This is all part of the whole of walking with the Lord and continuing to be shaped into his image, will continue to be to have a heart that is after the same things that he is after.

Um, and namely that's after the nations.

He's after the nations, he's after all people.

He wants all people to come to know him and and and have a relationship with him.

So um I'm excited to see us continue as a church and as individuals to step faithfully into um into the call and partnering with the Lord in this call that he's placed on us.

Man, thanks so much for listening.

Uh, we're thank you guys for being a part of this conversation.

Very thankful for each of you um and your hearts for the Lord and and for his people and for his church and and for his work that's going on everywhere.

Um, if this has been an encouragement to you, uh would you share it with somebody else?

Think if you think it'd be an encouragement to somebody else, and and maybe today uh you start praying that prayer.

Lord, will you help me partner with you in the work that you're doing in the world, even right now in my in my neighborhood, in my home, in my school, in my workplace, whatever the case may be.

And to got me the glory.

So thanks so much for listening, and we'll we'll talk to you next time.