PMPod

"The number of Christians has decreased, but the number of believers has increased!"

Today on the Pod, I talk to a guy who has over 30 years of experience ministering in one city. In the late 80s, he planted a church that is still thriving today. Not an easy task in any country, let alone in one of the most unreached countries in the world. My guest shared his thoughts on giving to locals, overcoming cynicism, and dealing with conflict with local MBBs. I found our conversation refreshingly deep and mature. I learned a lot, and I hope you will too.

Find out more at PMPod.org 

Timeline

• 00:00 Introduction 
• 02:10 Over 30 years on the field 
• 5:25 How has the church changed in the last 30 years? 
• 9:30 How should we work with local leaders? 
• 14:40 How do we handle finances on the field? 
• 24:14 Does the house-church model avoid a lot of these issues? 
• 30:50 Forgiveness and restoration with locals 
• 38:40 Overcoming cynicism on the field 

Today on the Pod, we take a fascinating look at the life of George Whitefield, the 18th-century evangelist, through the lens of what he can teach cross-cultural workers today about humility.  

If you want to hear more from today's guest, check out episode #87, Escaping the Insider Movement, where I talk with him about some of the mistakes he made early in his ministry. 

To learn more, go to PMPod.org 

Timeline 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:00 Why Humility Matters 
• 04:15 George Whitefield And The Great Awakening
• 09:05 Why This Matters for Missionaries 
• 17:25 Prayer of Whitefield on Humility 
• 26:30 Making an Impact Without Needing Credit 
• 33:35 Hidden Pride and Ongoing Sanctification 
• 41:10 The Dangers of Envy and The Spirit of Feeling Elite
• 50:35 Live a Life of Humility 

Find out what it's like preparing to go to the field with three kids under three years old! 

To find out more, check out PMPod.org 

Timeline 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:00 The Power of Generational Faithfulness 
• 03:58 Why Missionary Kids Drift Or Return
• 08:18 When The Call Became A Plan
• 11:35 Marriage And The Benefits of Vision Trips
• 17:26 The Refugees Next Door 
• 20:25 Hospitality Means Sharing A Table
• 26:24 Rooted in the Local Church Before Church Planting
• 35:04 Support Raising As Partnership
• 43:36 Practical Fundraising Tips 
• 48:37 Staying Close To God With Kids

Today on the Pod, we talk about what happens when you realize the strategies you have banked your ministry on aren't biblical and are crushing your joy! 

My guest is the author of the book A Brighter Vision: Rethinking the way we see missions, movements, and making disciples

Find out more at PMPod.org 

Timeline

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:00 Growing Up with A Missions Vision 
• 03:01Arriving with Movement Expectations 
• 07:24 Anomalies That Challenged the Model 
• 11:48 South Asia Reality Check 
• 14:32 Apostolic Fathers And A Paradigm Crisis 
• 23:03 When Methods Fuel Burnout 
• 27:56 Redefining Success Beyond Visible Fruit 
• 34:20 Turning Up The Dials of Abiding in Christ 
• 38:03 New Legalism And Practical Abiding 

It's easy to think that if I can just push through the problems and challenges I'm facing right now, everything will be better. But my guest today reminds us that, “Behind mountains are more mountains”. We need resilience and grit founded on drinking deeply from the well of God's goodness and character to make it through this life of difficulties. Today on the pod, my guest gives us the resources we need to build a life of godly grit.  

Find out more at PMPod.org 

Resources from Kyle Farran

Overflowing: Ministry and Missions That Flow from the Heart

Godly Grit: Unshakable Resilience & Grit For Life & Leadership

Check out Kyle’s website: farran.abwe.org 

Kyle has a fantastic podcast called “Missions Life“

Check out this YouTube video of Kyle talking about Godly Grit

Today on the Pod, my guest talks about how the events of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City were the seed that God used to send her into a lifelong pursuit of bringing the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to Arab Muslims in the Middle East. 

Read More at PMPod.org 

Timeline 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 01:00 Longing for the 9/11 hijackers to be saved
• 05:58 First Field Reality Check
• 11:28 Breaking The Snare Of Compare
• 16:07 Ministry Without Finish Lines
• 19:33 Long-Distance Relationship While Serving Overseas 
• 24:37 Returning As A Married Woman 
• 29:43 Arab Women Friendships And Marriage Views
• 35:24 Loneliness Ramadan Lows And Spiritual Habits
• 40:30 Commitment To the Local Church On The Field

Today on the Pod, I share a quote from one of my heroes, Martin Luther about his conversation, and also one from the Puritan Richard Baxter, about pressing into Scripture so we can treasure God more. I share four temptations cross-cultural workers might face, a few things I'm learning from my injury, and then we cap off this jumble sale of a podcast with a little comparison between our glorious Gospel and Islam. 

• Luther’s struggle with Romans 1:17 and the discovery of righteousness as God’s gift through faith 
• Baxter’s challenge to study deeper when Christ does not feel enough 
• Four temptations for cross-cultural workers: sloth, self, silver, sex 
• How legalism and burnout can hide behind “productivity” on the field 
• Financial anxiety, support pressure and future fears under the pull of silver 
• Why sexual temptation can derail ministry and why singleness can fuel idolatry 
• What injury reveals about receiving love, hidden idols and judging others 
• A hard look at impatience, harsh words and pride disguised as passion 
• Christianity and Islam compared through outward rules versus heart transformation 
it’s okay to be normal. 

Today on the Pod, we talk honestly about how long-term life overseas reshapes you until you feel like you belong in your host country and still do not fit back home. We trade stories from Africa and the Middle East about boundaries, health, spiritual life, and the daily pressure of need so you can last with joy and clarity. 

To find out more, go to PMPod.org 

We talk about
• a conversion story that turns into a call to hard places 
• falling in love with an African people group through friendship 
• the real cost of selling your house and moving into a mud hut  
• illness, decision fatigue, and learning to troubleshoot alone 
• practical changes we would make for long-term health and sustainability 
• why boundaries matter, including privacy and security 
• outsider identity, belonging, and third culture life 
• reverse culture shock, shifting politics, and painful misunderstandings 
• responding to constant requests with wisdom, limits, and compassion 
• syncretism, prosperity gospel pressures, and the need for clear teaching 
• staying spiritually healthy through Scripture, prayer, and community 

Timeline

• 00:00 Intro
• 01:00 From first bible to a surrendered life
• 04:08 Finding a people and moving
• 5:40 Comfort shock and Lyme disease 
• 10:43 Healthier rhythms for longevity 
• 16:20 Boundaries that keep you healthy 
• 19:06 Outsider forever and yet known
• 24:37 Retuning home a different person
• 31:58 Dealing with real needs everywhere 
• 36:58 Syncretism and the need for Gospel clarity 
• 39:51 Spiritual health and real community 
• 42:26 Building staying power 

Today on the Pod, we work through a clear, biblical definition of the local church and why that clarity matters for missionaries and cross-cultural workers who have been shaped by unhealthy church experiences. 

We connect church membership, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and congregational authority to everyday discipleship.

learn more at PMPod.org 

Topics  
• confusion created by saying “the church isn’t a building” while ignoring the need for a covenanted body 
• the value of expositional preaching versus preacher-driven topical proof texting 
• a practical definition of a church as a baptized, covenanted congregation that gathers weekly 
• baptism and the Lord’s Supper as covenant signs that shape membership and accountability 
• why leaving a church during conflict reveals a thin view of covenant commitment 
• the “keys of the kingdom” and the church’s authority over doctrine, membership, discipline, and leadership 
• moving from “what do I get?” to “how do I love and build up others?” 
• what to do in frontline ministry with only a few believers and no established church 
• the dividing line between a Bible study and a church gathered around the ordinances 

Today on the Pod, we challenge the obsession with outward ministry metrics and argue that lasting fruit in missions depends on the inner life with God. We talk through discipleship in community, hard heart issues, and the spiritual disciplines that keep workers joyful, rested, and faithful. 

Find out more at PMPod.org 

• defining discipleship as the Holy Spirit revealing identity in Christ 
• building community early by involving seekers with family and other believers 
• shaping a simple house group rhythm of singing, Scripture, prayer, and sharing 
• reading the Bible with purpose through Ephesians, Acts, and the whole redemption story 
• addressing heart issues like addiction, pornography, fear, marriage, and parenting from the start 
• practicing hospitality that models love, service, and a different kind of family life 
• reclaiming Sabbath as wise rhythm rather than legalism 
• naming screens, scrolling, and news as counterfeit rest for many of us 
• describing fasting as embodied hunger for God’s will, often paired with solitude 
• redefining solitude as being alone with God in private prayer 
• rejecting “just do more” prayer and pointing to Christ praying in us 
• making the case for scripture memorization for temptation, teaching, and witness 
• reframing self-denial as total surrender to a good Father 
It’s okay to be normal.