Conversations as you Go

In this, our second last episode with Stuart, he talks about the vital importance of raising prayer support. This is for every single one of us who are making disciples (whether we are so called ‘full-time’ or ‘bi-vocational’). 

Stuart refers to forming three important prayer groups: 

A core group of personal prayer intercessors who pray regularly for you

A wider group of committed intercessors who are also praying frequently 

And regular team prayer with those ‘on team’ with you locally 

He emphasises the importance of regular and brief communication which includes how God is answering previous prayer requests. 

“If you don’t have adequate prayer cover, then you are an endangered species.”

In our fourth episode with Stuart, we continue exploring his book Prayer Power. 

But what about when it feels like God doesn’t answer our prayers? 

Stuart shares a personal story of how he persevered in prayer for his family to come to faith. We hear how God wants us to have his best in his grace and timing, not always what and when we want it. 

We can keep our faith alive by simply finding one or two other believers and pray with them.

Stuart continues to talk about persistent prayer, persecution and poverty being the three common threads of seeing explosive church growth around the world. 

We hear of his experience in China, seeing passionate and persevering prayer amongst desperate locals. 

Referring to seeing prayer at Crossway birthed, Stuart shares how starting a culture of prayer is a mixture of personal discipline and God’s grace.

In this second episode of our summer series with Dr Stuart Robinson, Stuart reflects on international revivals that were sparked by prayer. 

“We can work, but unless we’re working with God, its just us working. But when we pray, God works.”

“The history is very clear, when God’s Spirit comes to revive an entire nation, seldom does he come to the big watering holes. He comes to the little outback places where there is just a group of little faithful people who are praying and praying."

Stuart starts to share some of his own prayer experiences where he waited on and encountered God. 

He describes how prayer doesn’t come easily to us as humans. It starts through the habit of discipline. Describing how Jesus got up early in the morning to pray, Stuart encourages us to start our day in the same way.

In this second episode of our summer series with Dr Stuart Robinson, Stuart reflects on international revivals that were sparked by prayer. 

“We can work, but unless we’re working with God, its just us working. But when we pray, God works.”

“The history is very clear, when God’s Spirit comes to revive an entire nation, seldom does he come to the big watering holes. He comes to the little outback places where there is just a group of little faithful people who are praying and praying."

Stuart starts to share some of his own prayer experiences where he waited on and encountered God. 

He describes how prayer doesn’t come easily to us as humans. It starts through the habit of discipline. Describing how Jesus got up early in the morning to pray, Stuart encourages us to start our day in the same way.

For this summer series we are talking with Dr Stuart Robinson about his book, ‘Prayer Power: Changing The World Around You'.

Stuart begins by giving us a little backstory of how he has come to deeply value prayer. After seeing breakthrough amongst an unreached people group (UPG) overseas, Stuart and his wife Margaret came back to Australia. They arrived carrying a personal experience of the power of prayer, seeing tens of thousands amongst this UPG coming to faith. The result was the birthing of Crossway, one of the largest churches in Australia. 

In this first bite-sized episode, whilst referring to the decline of the western church, Stuart speaks of one of the key factors where he sees explosive exponential growth of the church. Persistent, prevailing and persevering prayer. 

“If you want your work, your church, your life, your family to go and to grow, you have to take into account this factor of persevering and prevailing prayer. Unless we discover this in the west, then we’ve had it.”

This is our second podcast with Mike Hey. In this episode Dave finds out what Mike Hey tick. Dave looks at the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:1-4) and how it is connected to the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:2-12) with Mike. We listen to Mike's reflections on these two passages and how they have helped him to pray.

Acronyms Mike loves

Mike shares his 'WALK' acronym for prayer:

W - waiting in his presence

A - aligning with his purpose

L - loved and loving 

K - knowing him as our Shepherd

Steve Smith's last book ('Spirit Walk'), also has an acronym of 'SWAP' for prayer:

S - surrender everything to prayer

W - wait

A- Avoid all sin

P - Perceive the prompting of the Spirit

Cultures eats strategy for breakfast

Kingdom culture starts with prayer

BLESS

In the final part of the episode, Mike shares about his own 'BLESS' acronym by sharing some stories from Adelaide:

B - Be the presence of Jesus (starts with prayer life)

L - Listen to others (listen to their story)

E - Enjoy building a relationship with others

S - See God is already at work

S - Show Jesus (be intentional)

Word of encouragement

Mike finishes by referring back to Abraham sharing that we have been designed to bless. He shares how it might look like to practically connect spiritually with others in our lives.

During our next two episodes, Dave catches up with Mike Hey in Salisbury (Adelaide’s northern suburbs). Mike is a mature practitioner and is part of Operation Mobilisation’s (OM) international leadership. 

Brief background

Mike shares a little of his and his wife, Ann’s background including serving with OM since the 1970’s in India. Since then they have focused on catalysing disciple making amongst unreached people groups as the director of OM’s ‘Doulos’ ship, working amongst university students and serving in Asia for ten years. 

India

Mike shares his association with Victor John (co-author of ‘Bhojpuri Breakthrough’ with Dave Coles who has shared on this podcast*). He describes the paradigm shift that allowed Victor to embrace a movement of now millions in an area once known as one of the hardest places for mission. One of the keys for Victor was the question: ‘Who can you share this with?’. 

The Australian challenge

“The church has locked the light inside the building.” 

Mike describes how the church in Australia needs to be turned inside out as we learn to seek God together for our city:

“We are not just doorkeepers at the house, we are gatekeepers to the whole city.”

You’ll be inspired as you hear many stories of Mike connecting with and seeing people discipled by encouraging everyone to do three basic things - Pray, Bless and Disciple. 

Walking

The idea and practice of walking is modelled by Mike as he lives by the motto: ‘Say what you do and do what you say’

“You gotta walk with Jesus, walk with other friends of Jesus and together, work out how He wants you to walk in your sphere of influence.” 

We can disciple people by:

Walking ahead (modelling)

Walking beside (assisting)

Walking behind (watching)

Walking away (leaving)

Slowing down, or 'walking' and making time for people is essential. 

Final encouragement

Mike commits to doing three things every day: 

Being attentive to God 

Being together with others (asking God “What are you sending us to do?”)

Being intentional to follow those instructions 

And so Mike finishes this episode by encouraging us to pause, abide and listen to Jesus. It’s all about us finding our identity in Jesus and His identity in us. 

“Stay close to Jesus. Stay close to the cross. Step out your door and you’ll have the joy of seeing Him work through you and connect you with people. You’ll be surprised in the way he does it. Don’t rush ahead, slow down and listen.”

*Dave Coles previous podcast

We catch up with Phil Brown from Oikos Australia who shares about his new book release, ‘The Seven Calls of Jesus’. 

Phil’s story

Phil begins by giving us some insight into how he has become involved in disciple making movements. He carries a passion of seeing ordinary people empowered to creatively take the Gospel into every nook and cranny of Australia. 

Phil’s book

‘The Seven Calls of Jesus’ looks at the simple yet profound calls Jesus made that framed his own ministry, the early church and is still deeply relevant to us today. Phil hopes many can easily access this book as a helpful disciple making training resource. It's filled with wonderful stories highlighting Phil as an active and fruitful practitioner of what he is teaching.

Ekklesia - a loving community 

“I have a dream that people in Australia couldn’t go for more than a week before bumping into one or more fired up followers of Jesus…coming across interesting and intriguing faith communities.”

Phil tells us stories and insights into what ‘ekklesia’ historically means and is looking like today in Australia. He describes how since the early church, there is still “something magic about these communities. He asked us "What’s in your hand? There are many modules to do ekklesia…hospitality and a passion for Jesus is a pretty lethal mix!”.

Listening - the key to sharing 

We listen to Phil’s heart for people encountering Jesus. He illustrates the importance of listening to people. To ask questions, picking up on their needs. These are the keys to move into people’s worlds, engaging spiritually in prayer and Bible storying in everyday life. 

Words and prayer of encouragement

Phil ends by sharing how the words we want to hear from Jesus in the end are, "Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21, 23). He encourages us to be faithful, leaving the results to God. To be tuned into the Spirit, being sensitised to every opportunity. 

Phil’s closing prayer: 

“May these courageous, frontline workers sense that you have brought them to the Kingdom for such a time as this.”

This week we speak with Steve Addison. Steve has recently said goodbye to his wife, Michelle, after her struggle with cancer. We catch up with Steve to not only see how he is going but to hear from him how the Gospel is true and real in the hardest of times and places. He shares what the Gospel means when we face the reality of life and death. 

“We made it!”

Steve starts by saying how he has a deep sense of satisfaction in the goodness of God after going through the last four years of Michelle battling with cancer. When it was becoming obvious that God wasn’t going to heal Michelle, Steve shares how they both looked at each other and said “we made it!”. Michelle and Steve celebrated what God had done in and through them after their 42 years of marriage.  

The relevance of the Gospel 

As Steve reflects on his latest book, ‘Acts and the Movement of God’, we hear his deep realisation these days of the triumph of God. Despite God’s messengers in Acts facing so many hardships and suffering in Acts, God still triumphs. In the midst of the turmoil and our weaknesses, God is doing his work.

Steve asks us, so what does God want from us? He wants us to trust him when it doesn’t make sense. Regardless of appearances, even unanswered prayer, God is faithful and good. In the end, Steve tells us how God’s power was not at work to heal Michelle, but it was at work to reveal himself. 

Sharing the Gospel with others

Steve describes the many opportunities he and Michelle have had to share the Gospel with others. For example, he would often share the secret to Michelle’s obvious positivity, saying it was her faith and hope in the resurrected Jesus. Many people then responded by sharing their own spiritual experiences.

'Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.' (2 Corinthians 1:9)

Reflecting on Paul’s words, Steve encourages us that whatever hand we’re dealt, this is our opportunity to bring glory to God.

Tribute to Michelle*

We hear of how Michelle pioneered a ministry to internationals through the integration of English conversation and Discovery Bible Studies. Life long friendships have formed from those she has discipled. Others have now continued on this ministry. Along with her family and friends, these people are the fruit and legacy of Michelle’s life that we celebrate. 

The season ahead?

We listen to how Steve is seeking to stay active as he heads out to Greece early next year. He will be helping build a hub that is serving the surrounding regions. Steve plans to travel into these areas to help serve. Steve tells us how we will be allowing God to speak during this time as he processes Michelle’s passing and looks to the future. 

Final words of encouragement

“Be prepared for the greatest challenges you can imagine and expect to find God in them. Expect to lean into your weakness in order to discover the glory, power and presence of God.”

Steve spoke to a new disciple recently saying, “Brother, its going to be hard. And its going to be good. Because God is good.” 

"You can find God in any circumstance. Answered prayer. Unanswered prayer. Death. Life. The unchanging thing is the character of God revealed to us in the Lord Jesus. So make him your goal. Not a movement. A movement is the fruit of people who place him first and do his will."

*A tribute to Michelle has also been posted by Steve on his blog site here. You can also view Michelle's funeral online here.