The Sent Life

How far should we go with bridges and redemptive analogies in cross-cultural evangelism? And how do we avoid putting unnecessary pressure on these bridges when sharing the Gospel? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan talk about overcoming barriers to communicating the Gospel cross-culturally and how to use bridges well. Join us as we explore some of the ditches to avoid, as well as h...

Sharing the Gospel with Hindus can often be a daunting task. Where do we begin when there is so much diversity within Hinduism? And how do we guard against syncretism in this process? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan sit down with Dr. Anna Daub, missionary to South Asia and professor of missions and anthropology at Southeastern, to talk about how we can better witness to our Hind...

The war in Iran has raised a plethora of questions, especially for Christians. What does this mean for the Iranian church and the progress of the Gospel? How should we as Christians be praying for those being directly impacted by these events? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan talk with Southeastern's Director of Persian Leadership Development, Dr. Kambiz Saghaey, about the confli...

For some to go, others must send. And one of the greatest examples of faithfulness to send and support missionaries is found in none other than Annie Armstrong. On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan talk with Ryan Martin about a children's book he co-authored with Lynette Ezell on the life of Annie Armstrong. Join us as Ryan shares why they decided to write a missions book for childre...

From the very beginning, Southern Baptists have been unified around one sacred effort, which is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As Southern Baptists gather this week in Orlando, Scott and Keelan reflect on the origins of the SBC and how we as a convention cooperate today for the sake of the Great Commission. Join us as we remember God's past and continued kindness towards us in this o...

Next week, Southern Baptists from all over will gather in Orlando to worship, to vote on important issues, and to celebrate what God is doing in our midst and across the globe. Given the significance of what we do at these gatherings, the most appropriate thing we can do is ask God to work and to entrust ourselves to him through prayer. So, on this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Walter take s...

Understanding worldview and culture is vital to our contextualization efforts as missionaries. However, knowing how to take our understanding of a culture and implement it wisely in our missions strategy and Gospel communication can sometimes be unclear. On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan seek to answer the question, to what extent should we utilize worldview frameworks, like honor...

Botswana is often mistaken for a predominantly Christian nation, but in reality, there are deep roots of animism and ancestor worship in this country, which are often mixed with elements of Christianity. The question is, how do we faithfully minister the Gospel in contexts where there is such a tendency towards syncretism? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan sit down with Brent and...

What lessons can we learn from the unexpected call and faithful ministry of a woman who was both an artist and a missionary? On this episode of The Sent Life, Keelan and Walter talk with Jennifer Trafton, author of the book If Only We Could See, about the life, calling, and missionary work of Lilias Trotter. Join us as we explore how the Lord used Trotter's calling and artistic gifts to shape her...

We often talk about how to help missionaries return to the U.S., but what about their kids? Many of them were either born overseas or have very little context for life in the U.S., which can make transitioning to American life quite challenging. On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan sit down with IMB missionary Karina Townsend and SEBTS professor of counseling Dr. Kristen Kellen to ta...

We know that buying a plane ticket doesn't make someone a missionary; instead, it takes calling, preparation, and support. That's why, on this episode of The Sent Life, we decided to sit down with IMB Candidate Consultant Alan Garnett to talk about how churches can better prepare their missionary candidates for the field. Drawing from years of experience evaluating prospective missionaries, Alan s...

What role do the arts play in shaping how people hear and understand the Gospel? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott sits down with Walter Bowen to talk about how visual arts can give us a window into a culture's affections and help us communicate the Gospel more faithfully. Join us as we discuss why the arts matter for missionaries!   Thanks for tuning in to The Sent Life! We love hearing fro...

On this very special episode of The Sent Life, Scott sits down with SEBTS President Dr. Danny Akin to reflect on more than two decades of faithful leadership. Together, they discuss Southeastern’s Great Commission heritage and what it means to finish well in ministry. We know you’ll be encouraged by Dr. Akin's wisdom and heart for God's mission.   Thanks for tuning in to The Sent Life! We love hea...

For many Christians, sharing the Gospel with Muslims is a daunting task. How do we avoid the "apologetic trap" when difficult questions are raised while also being clear in our presentation of the Gospel? On this episode of The Sent Life, Keelan talks with NOBTS professor and former missionary Dr. Greg Mathias about some practical tips for preaching the Gospel to our Muslim neighbors. Join us as w...

Research has revealed some fascinating insights into Muslim attrition; but is it accurate to call this a trend? And what implications does this hold for the church? On this episode of The Sent Life, Dr. Ant Greenham returns to share about Muslims who are leaving Islam and what these developments might mean for Christian outreach. Join us as we discuss how these findings can help shape our approach...

Japan is both open in terms of security and yet unreached as far as Gospel presence. The question is, what makes ministry in Japan such a challenge? And how is God already working in Japan for His glory? On this episode of The Sent Life, Keelan interviews Brandon and Arriah, who are currently serving as Gospel workers in Tokyo. Join us as we hear a report about the work they are doing in a dark an...

Why are we investing in theological education overseas? Shouldn't we be putting our resources towards reaching the unreached? What place does theological ed have in the missionary task? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan sit down with former missionary and current missions professor Dr. Will Brooks to talk about the place of theological education in our missions efforts. Join us as...

Missions poses a unique challenge to believers in that those who are sent both have a felt need for biblical community but also are being sent into a context where that kind of community sometimes does not exist. The question becomes, how do missionaries maintain spiritual health and biblical community while serving in a context with little to no access to healthy church community? On this episode...

Sometimes missionary work isn't all we expect it will be, and we don't see the results we anticipate. And this leads to the question, how can missionaries persevere when they aren't seeing results? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan share their own experience of working through unrealized expectations on the mission field. Join us as we discuss how missionaries can endure through h...

Many of us have interacted with a Mormon missionary at one point or another. The problem is that many of us as Christians do not know much about the LDS community, what they believe, or how we can best share the real hope of the Gospel with them. On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan talk with Daniel Williams and Jason Parker, who have both moved their lives to Utah to plant churches....

As Ramadan begins this week, many of our Muslim neighbors enter a season of prayer, fasting, and reflection. For Christians, this season offers a meaningful opportunity: how can we love our Muslim neighbors well during Ramadan? In this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan draw from their own experiences in Muslim contexts to share thoughtful insights and practical ways to engage. Join us for...

What does it mean to earn the right to share the Gospel with others? And is this something that should shape the way Christians go about evangelism? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott, Keelan, and Timothy have an impromptu conversation about “earning the right to share the Gospel.” Join us as we try to sort out whether this idea is biblical or if it is actually unhelpful for Christians when i...

How do we effectively engage our Muslim neighbors with the Gospel? And how much should we rely on our understanding of Islamic beliefs when sharing with Muslims in America? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan talk with Dr. Ant Greenham about his experience in ministering to Muslim college students and some of the valuable insights he has gained along the way. Join us as we seek to b...

Eschatology is often viewed as an intimidating area of theology, but should we write it off as secondary? Or is eschatology more fundamental than we realize? On this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan kick off the new season by discussing the hope of Jesus' return and how it shapes our ministry methods. Join us as we examine eschatology's vital role in understanding and completing the miss...

Unfortunately, it is easy to grow numb to the wonder of the Christmas story. In this episode of The Sent Life, Scott and Keelan reflect on the astonishing reality of Jesus’ incarnation and ask what the greatest story ever told reveals about the mission of God. Join this special holiday conversation as they draw out missional insights from the Christmas narrative and invite you to marvel again at G...