Worthless Servants

This week we’re focusing on an article by Derwin Gray. How can our sermons be more than good advice or entertaining speeches? What does it mean to preach a transformational message? We’re going to talk about all six C’s mentioned in Gray’s article and the difference between communicating in general and specifically communicating the Gospel.

'Tis the season for big meals, parades, presents, and decorations. But is that what it was really like when Jesus was born? How have we watered down the real meaning of Christmas? What would it look like to celebrate today the messiness of Christ’s birth? We talk about all this and more as we eat our Christmas treats and sing jolly tunes.

This week we’ve been thinking about conformity, inner transformation, baked goods for God, and what space smells like. How does this all relate to missions? You’ll have to listen to find out!

We mentioned him in a previous episode; now we get the chance to hear more of his story. This week, Carlos Gordon is our special guest. He is on his way to Africa from Jamaica to serve as the Regional Finance Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene. Listen as he shares part of his story, his calling, and his passion. And let’s please support him in prayer and financially in the coming days!

When you get ready for the day, you put on clothes. Shouldn’t we do the same with our attitude? How does attitude affect our actions and outcomes in daily circumstances? We try to answer this question as we talk about the difference between attitude and emotions, the construct of behavior, and attitude’s relationship with obedience. We have some advice to hopefully make this a daily practice and think about attitude differently.

In this episode we spotlight a classic passage of scripture that has a lot of theological and missional meaning. We talk about confessing and believing, sending, preaching, hearing, going, and so much more. What do you notice from this passage? How does it help you in your walk with Christ?

Technology has been a great advance for humankind and has helped the Church in her mission. But when can it become too much? This week we talk about how an over-reliance on technology could possibly limit a missionary’s effectiveness. An article by Rachel Kleppen provokes a lot of discussion. Do we need to limit technology? If so, how do we do that when our society is so dependent on it for community?

Many people are trying to figure out what it looks like to be a leader when so few of us know what to plan for. A convenient infographic that we came across may help to define differences between a typical pandemic leader and one who leads with vision and purpose. We talk about going back to “normal” vs working for the future, turning inward vs looking outward, surviving vs thriving, and several more. How can we be the best leaders we can be for the Church without getting dragged down by the negative reality of COVID-19?

There are many things in our day-to-day lives that make us think about God, missions, spirituality, religion, and much more. Why not touch on those interesting topics in one episode? This week we share what we’ve been learning about immigration, slowing down, segregation, and even finances in Africa. It’s a mixed bag of topics, but all have to do with our lives as missionaries and as Christians. What have you been thinking about?

This week we take a deep look at ourselves and get a little vulnerable. Dan Reiland’s article “The Four Temptations that Leaders Face,” forms the basis of our conversation. No one is exempt from facing temptations. Even leaders face them, and maybe more so than the average person. If you’re a leader and you're struggling with temptation, listen carefully, because you’re not alone. We’re all in this together and hopefully we can offer you hope and encouragement in this episode.