CROSS Conference Podcast

In his talk, John Piper shares the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s work in salvation. Apart from his work, we are all far from God and without hope, but praise be to God that the Spirit opens eyes and causes us to magnify Christ. His purpose is to fill believers with the power that is needed to be witnesses for Jesus and to take his gospel to the ends of the earth.

In his talk, Conrad Mbewe points out the centrality of the local church in missions. God’s plan for reaching the world is not something that must be discovered or invented because it has already been laid out in His Word. Through the establishment of local churches and the faithfulness of humble servants, God will accomplish His plan of reaching the lost with the gospel.

In his talk, Mack Stiles shares what it looks like to live under the lordship of Christ and the necessity of submitting to him now. He urges students to see Jesus as the treasure and great reward that is worth following no matter what the circumstances.

In his brief talk, Elias Medeiros shares how we are to be faithful ambassadors of Christ no matter where God has placed us. We are in our current locations not simply by coincidence, but because God has providentially placed us there for his specific purpose. Therefore, let us not waste the current opportunities He has given, but let us seek to share Christ in all places and all circumstances.

In his brief talk, Zane Pratt shares what its like living as a missionary in a hostile world. He lays out practical advice for those interested in becoming a missionary that includes the importance of being a growing disciple of Christ and locking down what you believe before you get on the field. Your beliefs will shape the ministry you do. If you are looking to plant healthy churches that are made up of growing disciples you need to know what a healthy church is and need to be able to show people how they can grow as disciples of Christ.

In his talk, Afshin Ziafat shares how a proper understanding of the gospel is fuel for discipleship and mission. He shares the importance of continually setting our gaze on Christ and trusting him to be our satisfaction in every area of our life.

In his talk, J.D. Greear shares how disciples of Jesus can either go to the unreached, send others to the unreached, or disobey God’s call. It can be easy to think that in order for God to use us, we need some new abilities that God has not yet given us, but in reality it’s all about our availability to God; obedience in a few seconds accomplishes more than talent does in a whole lifetime.

In his talk, David Platt shares how there are incredible opportunities right now in the world for the spread of the gospel among people groups who have never heard about Jesus. We can either retreat in fear or we can trust in God’s Word and go out bearing His name because we know that the sovereign God of the universe is with us!

To close CROSS 2015, David Platt reflects on his journey through the Himalayan mountains and the unreached people groups there, who challenged and convicted him to see the darkness blinding unreached peoples to the glory of Christ. Platt, with zeal and passion, exhorts Christians to plunge into this darkness empowered by the Spirit, not their own strength, full abandoned to the purposes of God.

Thabiti Anyabwile delves into the biggest decisions students, especially those headed to the missions field, are considering: debt, marriage, professions, and how to faithfully honor one’s parents. Exhorting listeners with anecdotal testimonies of grace from his own life, and bolstering those with the wisdom of Proverbs and other Scriptures, Anyabwile offers pertinent counsel for potential missionaries here at home who hope to go the field there among unreached peoples.