PMPod

The arena of God's activity is far bigger than you can imagine Today on the Pod, we discuss discipleship, finding your unique calling in God's Kingdom, living in a dynamic relationship with God, developing people, learning to hear God's voice, and much more.  Find out more at pmpod.org Timeline   00:00 Intro  01:00 From conversion to missions  04:20 Discipling and spiritual warfare ...

"I think it’s biblical to be un-offendable" Today on the Pod, my guest share with me from her 20 years of experience on and office the mission field. My guest has been in "normal" missions as well as  marketplace missions, giving her incredible insight into both worlds.  To learn more, click here Timeline   00:00 Intro 01:00 Missions is for everyone 02:56 Doing different kinds...

"Don’t live a juvenile life. Have a life where you are dealing with realities of what’s in front of you, and you’re not just wishing stuff away." Today on the Pod, my guest shares seven surprising keys to practicing simplicity and why it is so important to do so. This episode is packed with deep insight to help us move our lives towards that profound simplicity God has in store for us. L...

"How do you move from a bible study to church?" Today on the Pod, I talk to a guy with over 20 years of experience church-planting in the Middle East. His insights and learnings from his life devoted to serving Christ overseas are well worth listening to. What most people talk about, my guest today, is actually doing. Want to read more? click here Timeline   00:00 Intro  01:00 Called to...

God, Your plans are not my plans. Change my heart to be inline with Yours Today on the Pod, we take a deep dive into leadership in missions, as well as thinking through issues of identity and how to break from some of the lies we believe about ourselves. We also discuss measuring usefulness, understanding coping mechanisms, how to avoid burnout and much more. If you want to see those links, click...

What do we actually mean when we say God called me? Today on the Pod, we are talking about calling and what it actually means to be a follower of Jesus wherever you are. My guest today is passionate about seeing the whole body of Christ join in the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Bringing the Gospel to the whole world is not just for a few paid church staff and missionaries, it’s the m...

Everyone we talked to said it was normal, but we felt that something wasn't right. We often talk about the struggle missionary kids have following their parents’ calling, but how do parents respond to their calling when their kids aren’t thriving on the field? Today on the Pod, I talk to a guy who had to make some hard decisions when he and his wife found out their oldest son had autism. To r...

"May the Lamb who is slain receive the reward of his suffering." Today on the Pod, we get a healthy reminder of God's sovereignty over all things for the joy of all people. My guest is both clear and gentle and proactive and pastoral. He has ministry experience in both the 1-/40 Window and in one of the most secular countries in the world.    Find links and resources mentioned in to...

Life itself takes more time on the field. Today on the Pod, I have a very real conversation with a cross-cultural worker who has spent the last 15 years ministering and raising his family overseas. Expect to learn some basics about Orthodox Christianity, some tips on helping people with physical needs, what some of the signs of spiritual maturity are, the toll missions takes on marriages, the valu...

The message of the Gospel is for all those who are weary and carrying heavy burdens to come to Jesus and find rest. Today on the Pod, my guest shared how she was able to let go of her feelings of failure and not being good enough and cling to God and who he is for her. My guest also shared with me about her own inability to have children and how difficult that was. "It takes a lot of courage...

Today on the Pod, I talk to a guy who first left for the Middle East back in 1972! No matter where he was in the world, the Middle East was always in his heart. In today's Pod, expect to learn about the power of prayer, the value of short-term trips, the importance of languages, dealing with new believers, the strengths and weaknesses of DBS, the importance of knowing Islam, and the importanc...

Today on the Pod, I talk to my guys from episode #45 Spiritual Abuse , and see where God has taken her life over the last three rollercoaster years. Expect to learn about trusting God through difficulties, finding new approaches after change, the blessings and challenges of living alone, what resilience is, the role others play in our decisions, starting over, re-entering into the Middle East, the...

I read from Athanasius's Statement of Faith which he wrote in the mid-AD300s! It's amazing to see how Christian faith has been articulated and believed down through the ages.   Listen to this mini episode and rejoice that your faith is the same as theirs all those years ago. Read the transcript here

In today's PMPod Mini, I talk for ten minutes about a theological topic you've probably never really thought about, which is at the center of the Christian faith.   

Are you willing to renounce everything and follow Jesus? Today on the pod, I talked to a guy with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry.  He has the heart of a pastor and wisdom that only comes through decades of following Jesus.  "This guy looked at me and said, "Are you willing to die in the Middle East?" Find more quotes from today's episode at pmpod.org   ...

Today on the Pod, I have a hilarious and highly insightful conversation with a woman with lots of experience on the field. In this episode, you can expect to learn what it looks like for God to call you into missions, what it’s like to minister to Arab women, the complexities of figuring out the culture, the complexities of ministry in closed countries, the importance of language, how to build fri...

Today on the Pod, I talk to a woman who has been in cross-cultural missions for longer than I’ve been alive. There is a depth of maturity and wisdom that only time and experience can give you, and she has it. Prepare for a blessing.  "The Lord doesn’t owe us anything, but we owe our whole lives to him." Here is my conversation with my guest's husband, #29 Fifty Years in Missions Rea...

Today on the pod, I talk to a Christ-centered woman with a lot of experience in cross-cultural ministry, transition, dealing with difficult people, and finding peace with God through it all.  "All the terrible things, all the wonderful things, but Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It’s all about Jesus. Everything I’m doing, it’s all about Jesus. Everything that we get to be a part of, it’s all about Jesus...

Today on the pod, my guest shares with us the wisdom and insights she has accumulated over 33 years in missions. Our conversation is deep, thought provocating, and full of laughs at the same time.  "There was a season in my life where I was like, “God, I’m fed up selling something that I don’t have myself.” Until you change something in my heart, this whole evangelism thing is on hold."...

I think the longer you stay out on the field the lonelier it gets.  Today on the pod, your host gets interviewed by his guest. It was very humbling to be on the other side of the microphone and be challenged to think with many good questions. We talked about the challenge of multiple expectations from different directions on the cross-cultural worker, as well as loneliness, turnover, the danger of...

Constantly striving to get better doesn’t mean you don’t take rest  Today on the Pod, we cover a lot of topics like the drive to learn and grow over your lifetime, having mentors, good comparison vs bad comparison, having fun, resting well, learning to be outward focused, tent-making, doing aid and development, transitioning off the field with kids, and more! If anything of these topics interests...

It’s not just preaching that’s the problem; it’s also the prayerlessness in the pew. Today on the Pod, I talked to a pastor about the importance of preaching and called ministers in missions and the church. Is preaching still meaningful for the church in the 21st century? Is the old model of training pastors too slow and clunky to reach the world? When are monolog preaching and question-and-answer...

Numbers are helpful, but they’re not the holy grail. Today on the Pod, I had a very insightful conversation with a guy about calling, marriage on the field, transition, integrating into local culture, when counting numbers is good, and a whole lot more. "If you feel called to a people or a region, and you want to live out Christ, then you better emerge yourself more with the locals than with...

Isolation is paralyzing for MBBs Today on the Pod, we talk about the messy realities of discipleship. When someone comes to faith on the field, we often think it’s all going to be up and to the right from now on. But in reality, the messiness begins the moment that person places his faith in Jesus. The whole episode today is about discipleship, and I think you’re really going to like it. Find link...