NMC Audio Podcast

Currently serving as Teaching Pastor at Palm Valley Church in Mission, Texas, Jarrell is pursuing a Master’s in Archaeology & Biblical History. He is passionate about bringing Scripture to life, and annually leads trips to Israel, Jordan, Turkey and Greece. Jerrell is married to Charissa and they have three children, Micah, Naylah, and Avi.

As President of Life Action, John’s heart is to equip the church to lead and impact every sphere of influence. He has pastored churches across the south and served as Vice President of Evangelism and Spiritual Awakening at the North American Mission Board. John and Donna have been married 40 years and have three children and four grandchildren.

As President of Life Action, John’s heart is to equip the church to lead and impact every sphere of influence. He has pastored churches across the south and served as Vice President of Evangelism and Spiritual Awakening at the North American Mission Board. John and Donna have been married 40 years and have three children and four grandchildren.

God wants to use each of us to be world changers. We’ve been changed and empowered by the Holy Spirit for impact. The path to be the salt of the earth and to have impact is through being filled with the Holy Spirit and powered by prayer. Our best efforts, apart from absolutely dependency on Him, are worthless. The early church, as described in the book of Acts, gives us a clear path forward. There need not be a missing ingredient.

It tastes terrible. Something’s wrong. Have you ever sunk your teeth into a favorite food, only to discover that it didn't taste very good? The problem was a missing ingredient. Even though only one thing was missing, that forgotten ingredient changed the entire flavor. Just as that happens in cooking, it happens with us being salt in the world. This missing ingredient is absolutely essential to fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.

There’s something fulfilling about completing a mission. There’s a deep satisfaction. We’ve done what we’re supposed to do. What’s unfulfilling is to discover at the end of life that we haven't completed the mission. Perhaps we’ve climbed the ladder only to discover that is was leaning against the wrong wall. We’ve been given the honor of sharing the gospel. It’s a mission that is ours to complete. Let’s learn to effectively share it.

When you hear the word “evangelism," what images or thoughts come to mind? How do those images or thoughts feel on a scale from gentle to abrasive? We’ve all been called to evangelize, which biblically means to share the Good News. Unfortunately, in our current culture the word “evangelism” has a different connotation. What if the Church redeemed the word evangelism? What if the Church lived unashamed of the Gospel?

We must get the salt out of the salt shaker! But what is the salt? In Matthew 5, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses salt and light as metaphors for spreading the Good News that Jesus is redeeming and reconciling all creation back unto Himself. The Gospel is the salt. We must take the good news of redemption that we have internalized and spread it to all nations and peoples. But the question becomes, "Are you ashamed of the Gospel?"

We know God is alive and at work. There’s no question about His power! Yet somehow, at times, it seems He’s distant. It seems like He’s not working. Has He withdrawn? Has He given up on us? Does He even care? One of the primary ways God has chosen to work is through people, just like us. As we experience His power and presence, His love flows through us. That’s how the salt gets out of the salt shaker.

Of the twelve disciples, Simon Peter is the one who is most written about, which gives us the best window into seeing how Jesus did discipleship. We get to see step by step how Simon became Peter, and in turn, how he became more and more like Jesus.