Nik Ripken and his wife, Ruth, spent decades sitting down with hundreds of persecuted Christians in restricted nations and hostile areas around the world. They didn't go to instruct these bold believers. They went to learn from them.

The lessons they learned were published in The Insanity of God, Nik's book, and now he and Ruth have created a video series called Insanity Unleashed. In this series, they share lessons from believers in persecution to help Christians everywhere know how to live as sheep among wolves (Matthew 10:16). The lessons come from more than 650 interviews with persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries.

Listen this week to hear stories from Nik and Ruth about their travels and what they've learned from persecuted Christians. They'll share how meeting believers in other countries gave them a better understanding of the Biblical truth that we are all part of one global Body of Christ. Nik and Ruth have been humbled by the fervent prayers of brothers and sisters around the world as they pray for Christians in free nations.

Nik will explain how this video series has the aim of raising up evangelists and church planters who will go to the unreached, rather than only pastors and teachers who are trained to minister to those who've already heard the gospel.

"[Many American seminaries and Bible colleges] train you up to be sheep among sheep," Nik says. "We are teaching [Christians] how to be sheep among wolves."

Ruth and Nik also share advice on succeeding in the marathon of ministry, including the importance of daily time in God's Word and memorizing scripture—just as our persecuted family does as they prepare for persecution.

The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as providing free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.