Faith Matters Podcast

#509 - Mission Possible; Day 4

A Ripple EffectI’ll never forget the day in 2013 when my dad called me from overseas and told me he had just rescued four young girls from traffickers. He was preaching at an underground pastor’s conference in a remote country where Christians are persecuted. When the conference was over, he heard there were four girls about to be sold. He took out all the money he had in his wallet, and with that cash, he purchased the freedom of those girls.I knew that day my life would change because I entered a new fight. I said, “Dad, I don’t know exactly what we’re going to do, but we’re going to do something.” Our foundation built a safe home as fast as we could to take care of those four girls. And then the next four. And the next four. And we’re still going.The day my dad purchased the freedom of those four girls was pivotal. It opened my eyes. I believe once your eyes are open to something like that, you can never unsee what you’ve seen. Dad made a split-second decision to step into the fight, and immediately our foundation stepped in with him. We weren’t totally sure of what we were doing and didn’t have all the answers to our questions, but that mission-driven moment, when Dad chose to advocate for girls he had never even met, was the beginning of a ripple effect still in motion today.This is what happens when we live mission-possible lives: we create a cycle of good, of service, of compassion, and of action that inspires others to continue. As the writer of Hebrews says, we “motivate one another to acts of love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24)Mission living means being motivated by something other than yourself. It’s scary. It’s also pretty exciting. It can be unpredictable (but in a good way). It will also require submitting your preferences to God, and sometimes that doesn’t feel very good or doesn’t make you look as favorable as you’d like. That is when trusting God becomes crucial. If you’ve made the decision to trust Him, He gives you the mission and makes it possible. Trust that He’s got better plans for your life than you do.When have you seen one person’s choice to follow God’s calling cause others to lean into their calling more?

#508 - Mission Possible; Day 3

Your Life Does MatterIf your spirit has faded recently, I want to ignite a new spark in your life. I want to show you that wherever you are and whatever you do, not only can you find meaning, but you can accomplish a mission that you have already been called to and equipped for.Jesus said Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). One of the greatest lies the devil ever told was that our lives don’t matter: You’ll never be good enough. You have too much baggage. What about that skeleton in your closet?It’s impossible to live mission possible when we don’t fully believe we are made in God’s image, hand-chosen by Him, and fully equipped to carry out works of eternal significance. You will never come to believe that your life counts if you think you are here by accident or you’re stuck in a space where you’re just going through the motions.Lean in a bit. If you have decided to trust in Jesus, you’re not just an average person who got slightly better. You were someone who was dead to sin who is now alive in Christ (Romans 6:11). Take a moment and read that again: you were dead, and now you are alive.Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has brought each of us from: old to new, dead to alive, sin to righteousness, slave to son or daughter, bondage to freedom, darkness to light, lost to found.I hope that fires you up as much as it does me. When I reflect on this drastic exchange, it makes me feel so alive and empowered that I can’t help but feel driven to influence others.When you soak in the truth that you were created in the image of God, by love, in love, and for love, you see people in a new light. Your eyes open to hurt, and your heart bleeds for the hurting. Your priorities shift, and you realize it doesn’t matter how successful you are—significance matters more. And significance is found when you align your soul with what matters to God and move forward each day.What lies do you believe about what God thinks about you or what He can do through you? What truth can you believe this week to counter those lies?

#507 - Mission Possible; Day 2

Light in the DarknessMission looks different for everyone. It might take you into the darkness on a rescue mission to those being human trafficked. It might keep you home in your neighborhood, breathing life and spirit into your children or neighbors.When you are mission-driven, you use your ability and God’s empowerment to help, serve, guide, teach, pray, and lead others in innumerable ways as unique as each person’s DNA. Doing that is mission possible because of who equips and walks with you in the process.Here’s a surprise for you: mission is not really as mysterious as we make it out to be. And it’s more available to you than you ever imagined.Have you ever been going about your daily life when suddenly, out of nowhere, your heart is drawn to a need or toward a person who might be struggling? Maybe an image of a cousin who is battling an opioid addiction pops into your head, or you think of the single mom in the neighborhood struggling to balance remote learning with her work schedule, or you remember a social media post about a certain organization that is helping orphans in another country. The world is flooded with hurting people and messed-up situations. While we cannot fix every problem, God can. Through our willingness, we can partner with Him and bring light to a world that is shadowed with darkness. A light that the Bible tells us will not be hidden! (See Matthew 5:14.)You might already be walking in your purpose and not even know it! Sometimes God makes it clear, and sometimes it might not feel that way. That’s why it’s called living by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).Using what God has already given us right where we are can make a positive difference in this world. Being intentional about living mission possible will:guide your prioritiesalign your responsibilities and decisions with what’s rightfuel your drive and passionset your sights on eternitySo if God opens your eyes to a situation and pricks your heart to get involved, take a step in that direction. And another step after that.Think back on the past week. When did you feel a tug toward someone in need or toward someone who might be struggling? How did you respond?

#506 - Mission Possible; Day 1

Living a Mission-Possible LifeScripture gives us one shared, big-picture purpose: to glorify God. That means that as believers, we honor and serve God with our lives, our natural gifts, our resources, our bodies, our worship, and our decisions.Now, glorifying God doesn’t necessarily mean you have to become a missionary or plant yourself on the other side of the world. Nor does it mean you have to sing worship songs during every waking hour (though if you feel a tug on your heart to do that, go for it!). But it does mean your big-picture purpose is to bring glory to God wherever you are.Within that greater purpose of glorifying God, you find your purpose in what you do every day. Simply put, purpose is about being mission-driven in your ordinary life.Living a mission-possible life means executing the good works God has already prepared for you to do. This is what Paul was talking about when he wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).You can live a mission-possible life because of what Jesus did for you on the cross more than two thousand years ago. This kind of life is possible only because of the sacrifice He made and the power given to Him to trample over death. When you live mission possible, you live a life that counts because of what God has done and is doing through you.When you get tired or overwhelmed or uncertain, don’t forget the moment God changed your life. Don’t forget the moment He challenged you to join the fight. The moment He called you to show His love to the world as no one else can.If we truly believe in whose we are and know that people are hurting in a dark place, we must feel a sense of urgency to get to them and share with them faith, hope, and love. Does your life show a sense of urgency in what you believe?If not, what might look different if it did?What do Jesus’s death and resurrection have to do with your God-given mission today?

#502 - Faith Matters; featuring Tom MacDonald

#500 - Escape Room; Day 5

Escape Room"For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." - John 6:38An escape room is a game in which a team of players discovers clues, solves puzzles, and accomplishes tasks in a limited amount of time. If the game ends and you're still stuck inside, a staff member will enter the room to show you the clues you missed, walk you through the solution, and escort you safely outside, where you will then be free to leave. We're going to use the escape room as an analogy so let's God size it.Escape Room Challenge: Pay Sin Debt For All!Was Jesus willing?Yes! As we can see by our scripture verse, Jesus left Glory to do the will of the Father (Him who sent Me.)I've known a few people who have done escape rooms, but it's not for everyone. Even though people know full well, no harm will come to them, and if they panic, someone will come let them out. It sounds like a pretty safe thrill experience. But you rarely see lines outside of these places, and you may not even know where one is. Now think of this more like a scene from SAW, and there was no way out other than death.Jesus knew the path He was on and did so willingly. He didn't sulk. He didn't try to get out of it. He didn't try to convince someone else to take His place. He simply loved us enough to go to the cross and ultimately the grave for us.I love our scripture verse because it sets the bar for us to follow the will of God. If Jesus was going to be doing "the will of Him who sent Me," then so can we.Getting out of my subdivision takes a while due to traffic some days. But do you know what day it never takes time to get out? Sunday. Specifically, Sunday mornings for Church. There is no traffic on the highways and byways of America on Sunday mornings.Our Savior left glory to pay a sin debt He did not owe, but we struggle to get out of bed once a week to worship God. Let's show God that we are willing to do His will and thank Jesus for doing so as well.Uncommen Questions:Do you find it hard to do God's will? Do you pray about that?When was the last time you read the story of the events leading up and through Jesus dying on the cross?Uncommen Challenge:I challenge us all to be open to doing the will of God even when it's hard, just as Jesus did.