CROSS Conference Podcast

Rosaria Butterfield uses the story of a WWII Japanese soldier who hid in a cave for 27 years to illustrate how false beliefs trap us in bondage. Though legally free when the war ended in 1945, the soldier refused to believe the war was over, remaining captive to his false convictions. Many Christians experience similar spiritual bondage they believe they're forgiven through Christ's blood but don'...

David Platt addresses how believers can share the gospel naturally in everyday circumstances. Prioritizing questions applicable to broad audiences, Platt focuses on equipping Christians to proclaim the gospel with both compassion and boldness. The goal of gospel sharing is not merely personal conversion moments but fruit that extends to people's spheres of influence, airplane conversations, and go...

Matt Schmucker, Ben Lacey, and John Piper honor the volunteers and group leaders who enabled CrossCon26 to happen. Schmucker shares the origin story of the Cross conference born from John Piper's dream, conversations, and prayers. The conference reflects a vision of gathering believers around God's biggest realities: His sovereignty, human sin, Christ's return, and the gospel's advance among the n...

Bob Kauflin invites listeners to consider what kind of music God actually enjoys. Rather than assuming we understand God's musical preferences, Kauflin explores the deeper question of whether our worship songs align with what matters to the Sovereign God we serve. Our songs matter because they reflect and shape what we believe about God's character and worth. God deserves worship that reflects His...

Ryan Robertson advocates for missionaries and churches to prioritize global cities as harvest fields. Growing up in multicultural Toronto where he openly shared the gospel with Sikh, Hindu, and Muslim classmates, Robertson demonstrates that cities are natural gathering places where diverse peoples converge. Since Babel's dispersion, humans have migrated toward cities rather than away from them, ma...

Brooks Buser shares lessons from missionary work in Papua New Guinea, the world's most linguistically and culturally diverse nation. Having settled among the Yembiyembi people and been adopted into their clan system, Buser identifies six key principles three that explain why missionaries fail and three that demonstrate how missionaries can succeed. Buser's experience navigating language acquisitio...

Kyle Claunch explores the doctrine of the Trinity and how God can be eternally one God yet three distinct persons. A seminary professor and longtime pastor, Claunch uses Isaiah's throne vision to frame this foundational Christian doctrine. The Trinity isn't merely abstract theology but a doctrine that enhances worship, strengthens discipleship, and increases our capacity to make disciples. Underst...

David Mathis explores why physical exercise matters for Christians in light of God's sovereignty and the gospel. He introduces Adoniram Judson, one of America's most significant figures, who was the nation's first commissioned missionary and spent nearly 40 years in Burma. Judson's life demonstrates how physical health and endurance enabled him to persevere in missionary work and kingdom purpose....

Andy Davis teaches on Scripture memorization using the Sermon on the Mount as his foundation. He explores the contrast between building on rock versus sand those who hear Jesus' words and practice them versus those who don't. Through the parable of two builders, Davis demonstrates that putting God's Word into practice creates a stable spiritual foundation that withstands life's pressures, while ne...

Tilly Dillehay examines how envy corrupts joy in seasons of others' success. Witnessing her sisters' stunning musical talent for the first time as a college sophomore, Dillehay faced a complex emotional moment despite having her own musical aspirations. Envy can masquerade as other emotions, even sisterly admiration, yet it poisons authentic joy in others' gifts. Recognizing and rejecting envy all...

Jonathan Leeman contrasts two paradigms for conducting missions work. As President of Nine Marks, Leeman critiques movement-driven missions while advocating for church-centered missions as more biblically grounded. Two dominant paradigms compete within evangelical missions: movement-driven (emphasizing flexibility and speed) and church-centered (emphasizing ecclesiology and accountability). Church...

Mark Collins explores essential foundational beliefs before going on mission. After 25 years leading West Shanghai Baptist Church in China, Collins recalls his own pivotal moment at age 22 when a speaker mentioned China's long spiritual hunger. Before accepting a cross-cultural call, believers must solidify their foundational theological commitments. Clarity about what you believe regarding Christ...

Nina Buser shares the spiritual markers of women called to global ministry. A missionary to the Yembiyembi tribe in Papua New Guinea for 13 years, Buser recounts her unlikely journey from a secular, broken home to a cross-cultural calling. Encountering God's holiness and Christ's sufficiency reorients women's entire perspective on identity and purpose. Buser's transformation from disinterest to de...

David Mathis challenges attendees to become agents of godly transformation. Mathis speaks to young believers who sense divine discontent with cultural compromise on campus and online. Being an example involves allowing Scripture rather than the world to shape your speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. When centered on Jesus Christ and rooted in a faithful local church, individual transformatio...

Alistair Begg and Jonathan Carswell discuss effective gospel communication. Carswell interviews Begg through prepared questions about sharing Jesus, referencing Begg's well-known "man on the middle cross" teaching. Effective evangelism requires both preparation and authenticity. Learning from experienced communicators like Begg helps believers move beyond awkwardness to natural, compelling gospel...

Rae Reid reflects on the joys and challenges of single missionary service. At 43 and single after nearly 12 years in Southeast Asia with Reaching and Teaching, Reid presents an honest assessment of singleness on the mission field. Marital status should never be an excuse to avoid overseas ministry. Single missionaries face unique considerations and opportunities that deserve thoughtful examination...

David Platt addresses the perennial question of discovering God's will. Acknowledging that believers constantly wrestle with God's direction for their lives, Platt examines whether Scripture addresses all decisions from mundane choices to major life directions. Many decisions aren't explicitly answered in Scripture, yet believers wonder if God cares about all details. Understanding God's character...

Isaac and Stephanie Stiles provide biblical guidance on dating practices. With 13 years of marriage and experience counseling students through Across Campus, the Dosses address how dating culture has shifted from public chaperoned courtship to modern hookup culture. Though dating itself has radically changed, Scripture speaks directly to how believers should approach relationships and honor God th...

Brooks Buser examines language as both barrier and key to gospel expansion. Working with Radius International to help missionaries learn language and culture, Buser demonstrates why linguistic skill directly determines gospel effectiveness. Language proficiency separates clear gospel communication from muffled, ineffective witness. Valuing language means valuing the gospel's spread, as words are t...

Scott Hubbard explains the liberating power of self-forgetfulness. Drawing on insights from C.S. Lewis, Tim Keller, and John Piper, Hubbard presents self-forgetfulness as the pathway to freedom and deep wonder. The healthiest Christians live free from constant self-comparison and internal analysis. Instead of obsessing over psychological categories or how they rank against others, they simply forg...

Shai Linne explores the nature and purpose of the local church. This session addresses the vision to unite passion for both foreign missions and the church, noting that those emphasizing one often neglect the other. The teaching centers on how the church represents Jesus' bride and God's promise to build His church. Understanding the church's nature helps believers align their passion for missions...

Afshin Ziafat reveals how to discover and follow God's revealed will through biblical wisdom rather than uncertainty and guesswork. After years fielding questions from college students and young adults desperate to know God's direction about college choices, career paths, and life partners Ziafat dismantles the anxiety-driven approach to discerning God's will. Using relatable cultural references a...

Matthew Bennett identifies and addresses the four major barriers that prevent believers from entering long-term missionary service. Bennett brings urgency and directness to a crucial conversation, drawing from his roles as church elder, theology professor, and missions director to expose real obstacles that derail missionary candidates. With compassion tempered by honesty, he explains how personal...

Matt Schmucker unpacks the character qualities essential for effective missionary work and strategic kingdom advancement. Drawing from 34 years of experience revitalizing Capitol Hill Baptist Church and founding 9Marks Ministry, Schmucker reveals the economic and strategic realities of modern missions. He challenges the assumption that Western missionaries are always the solution, highlighting how...

Sam Emadi explores friendship with God as a profound spiritual reality and pathway to deeper intimacy with the Divine. Despite sounding casual, biblical friendship with God represents a revolutionary truth: that believers can move from enmity with God to intimate fellowship through Christ's redemptive work. Emadi guides listeners through cultivating this transformative relationship, balancing God'...