In this episode, we explore how the gospel reshapes our understanding of weakness, suffering, and God’s sovereign grace. Drawing from his new book on Acts, Turning the World Upside Down, Westminster Seminary professor Iain Duguid invites us to consider how the Spirit strengthens us not by removing hardship but by revealing Christ’s presence in the midst of it. This is a conversation about the surprising way the kingdom of God advances—through flawed people, cruciform power, and resurrection hope. Whether you’re in ministry, facing personal struggle, or simply hungry to see how God works through weakness, this episode invites you to rest more deeply in His love and trust more fully in His plan.

In this episode, they discuss… 

• Church Planting in Oxford: God's Direction (10:44)
• God's Sovereignty in Ministry Failures (19:43)
• The Real Nature of New Testament Churches (29:01)
• Regret, Patience, and Wrestling with God (34:41)
• Redefining Success in Ministry (41:43)

Thank you for listening! If you found this conversation helpful, please share this episode with your  loved ones. Or leave us a review—it really helps!

Referenced in this episode:

• Read Iain’s new book 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘜𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯: 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘴 1-8
• Revisit Iain’s blog post What We Can Learn from (Un)successful Ministry
• Continue the conversation with Iain’s webinar Rebuilding What’s Ruined
• Bible references: Exodus 15:22-27, Genesis 50:20, Psalm 23

Credits: 

Our guest for this episode was Dr. Iain Duguid, an Old Testament scholar with a passion for the church and the gospel. He is the author of studies on the books of Jonah, Ezra-Nehemiah, and more. This episode was hosted by Jim Lovelady. Production by Evan Mader, Anna Madsen, and Grace Chang. Music by Tommy L. 

𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝑷𝒐𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 is produced by SERGE, an international missions agency that sends and cares for missionaries and develops gospel-centered programs and resources for ongoing spiritual renewal. Learn more and get involved at serge.org.

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