This episode ends season 8 of Strike the Match. Revelation not only concludes the New Testament, but takes readers back into the Old Testament. John draws deeply from Torah and the Prophets to provide a vision of what was and is to come. Churches were struggling to remain faithful to the mission of God. They needed hope, encouragement, and exhortat…

Few scholars have written on the topic of mission in the General Epistles. In this episode, I discuss how these epistles address the mission of God to bless the nations. These writings offer a glimpse into some of the struggles of the early Church. The authors were much concerned with the holiness and righteous living of the saints during their tri…

The Pauline literature is a deep reservoir of information related to God’s mission in the world. I continue in this episode with the discussion of mission in the Pauline Literature. Here we encounter additional sub-themes of how God brings blessing to the nations with: 1) A Plan – Planting Local Kingdom Communities; 2) A Process – Ingathering of th…

In part one of this two-part study, I address mission in the Pauline Literature. Pauline Literature is a deep reservoir of information related to God’s mission in the world. This episode addresses four sub-themes related to mission. The blessing of the nations comes through: 1) A Man – Paul’s Conversion and Calling; 2) A Message – Justification by …

In this episode, I address the mission of God in Acts. This book reveals how the story of God’s glory through relationship and blessing continues, starting with the Jews and extending to the Gentiles. The Messiah ascends. The Spirit is poured out. The last days arrive. Jew and Gentile must repent and believe before the Kingdom is restored. While mu…

The fourth Gospel has a great deal to say about mission. One scholar noted, “the Fourth Gospel’s focus is not on God’s mission per se, but on his mission through Jesus and on Jesus’ mission through his followers.” In this episode, the blessing of the nations shows up in three manifestations. John notes the blessing of the nations occurs through the…

In this episode, I address the theme of mission in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is important to understand the Synoptics provide a continuity between the Old Testament and New Testament. When we arrived at the New Testament, 400 years have passed since the conclusion of the Old Testament. In the Synoptics, the blessing of the nations comes through a…

The Writings comprise the latter section of the Hebrew Scriptures and attempt to show how the people of God were to live in a variety of circumstances. The mission of God saturates the books of Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. In this episode (Season 8, Ep. 7), I …

This episode continues the second discussion of God’s mission in the Prophetic Literature. An examination of the Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve), reveals several sub-themes related to the blessing of the nations. Here we find God works to bless the nations through: Judgment (Israel in Diaspora and Day of the Lord); Restorati…

In this episode, I address a theology of mission by examining the mission of God in the Prophets. The methods by which the nations move into relationship with the nation of Israel and her God has been described as historical incorporation and eschatological ingathering. The Former and Latter Prophets address both and how blessings come to the natio…

I conclude the discussion of mission in Torah. God’s mission to bless the nations primarily happens through: 1) A Person (Abraham); 2) A People (Israel); and 3) A Place (Tabernacle). While the previous episode addressed God working through Abraham, this session draws attention to the latter two categories. Israel was chosen to be a “kingdom of prie…

In this two-part episode, I continue the series on theology of mission with the discussion of God’s mission in Torah. Throughout these five books, God’s glory among the nations comes through three particular means: 1) A Person: Abraham; 2) A People: Israel; and 3) A Place: Tabernacle. Abraham, and Israel, quickly learn God’s election is both a priv…

The biblical storyline reveals a God who remains faithful to His promises which require the ongoing sending of Himself and His servants into a tragically suffering and deeply needy world to accomplish His mission of redemption and restoration. Mission began with God, is sustained by God, and will culminate with God. The blessing of the nations, whi…

Today is the first day of Season 8 of Strike the Match! Over the past seven seasons, I have addressed a variety of topics related to missions, innovation, and leadership, but we will focus on one topic this season: theology of mission. Earlier this year, I published Theology of Mission: A Concise Biblical Theology and wanted to take time to share m…

This episode of Strike the Match concludes season 7. In this podcast, I take a journey down memory-lane. What are the 10 most downloaded episodes of Strike the Match over the years? Think you can guess which ones made the list? Listen in as I provide a top-ten countdown along with commentary on each episode. Listen. Share. Discuss. Go!…

How can ordinary followers of Jesus be transformed into extraordinary disciple makers? That is the topic of discussion on this episode of Strike the Match. George Robinson is my guest and serves as a professor of global disciple making at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He has recently published the book Ge…

I go solo on the mic in this episode and share the big announcement that Apostolic Imagination and Theology of Mission were recently published. Every book has a story, and you will hear why these were written. I address the general contents of the books and do a little reading from Apostolic Imagination. As you will hear, there is more to come on t…

Polycentric – a word quickly growing in popularity in missiological circles. It describes the concept of having more than one center. When applied to leadership, it reflects a growing model in ministries and mission agencies. My guest on this episode, is Dr. Joe Handley. Joe is the president of Asian Access and Co-Catalyst for Leadership Developmen…

In a recent gathering of United Methodists, an African leader addressed his Western brothers and sisters when he said, “The gospel you brought to us one hundred years ago is not the same gospel you proclaim today.” The United Methodist Church is facing a denominational split that will affect global mission. In this episode, Paul Lawler, senior past…

Craig Ott is my guest in this episode. He is professor of mission and intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and author of a new book Teaching and Learning Across Cultures: A Guide to Theory and Practice. Craig is an expert in the field, and his book will become the definitive work on the subject for many years. Join us as we …

In this episode of Strike the Match, I have the honor of having a conversation with David Joannes about his latest book Gospel Privilege: The Unearned Advantage that’s Meant for Everyone. Privilege is a frequently used word, but seldom applied to gospel conversations. Though more people claim Christianity than any other world religion, the majority…

If Jesus is building His Church and we are filled with a dynamic Spirit, then we should expect change. Also, we live in a world where change is constant. And with change, we encounter ministry barriers. It is here that leaders must lead with innovation. Throughout history, the Church has often innovated to overcome challenges and advance the gospel…

Peyton Jones is no stranger to the ministry of church planting. After two decades of such kingdom labors in Europe and the United States, his recent book addresses many of the elements involved in this Great Commission activity. In this episode, Jones and I discuss Church Plantology: The Art and Science of Planting Churches. In addition to this pod…

Season 7, episode 1 is now available! In this initial podcast of the season, I provide several updates since last season and share some important facts from the recently released US Census Data. Percentages and numbers represent individuals and communities. Behind the stats we find cultures and worldviews. While demographics are not the only thing …

In this second episode of a two-part series, I continue to discuss the ministry of writing and publishing. I specifically address publishing books through traditional publishing houses, indie publishing, and partial-investment publishing. As a hybrid author, I have used each of these paradigms. They have unique strengths and limitations. Listen. Sh…

Writing and publishing expands your influence in the present and extends your influence into a future (Lord willing) beyond yourself. In part one of this two-part podcast, I address my approach to the ministry of writing and publishing. I share my philosophy on writing and practical methods. Listen. Share. Discuss. Go!…

Elders are the most influential people when it comes to churches going to the nations. However, such pastors are busy and often so focused on established church ministry they do not take time to develop the needed apostolic imagination. In this episode, I share 14 thoughts to help church leaders develop an apostolic imagination for themselves and t…

Lesslie Newbigin once stated, “there is no higher priority for the research work of missiologists than to ask the question of what would be involved in a genuinely missionary encounter between the gospel and this modern Western culture.” While Newbigin’s words and work led the Church to claim the “West is a mission field,” they did not produce the …

The Church has been told to go into all the world and make disciples. The world is a big place. Where should she begin her apostolic work? How does the apostolic imagination relate to the Great Commission and geography? Most mission work occurs among reached people groups. But with 7000 unreached peoples in the world, should there be a prioritizati…

I return to the discussion of the apostolic imagination in this episode. The majority of evangelicals do not subscribe to an evangelistic priority when it comes to the Church’s missionary activity. The priority is no priority. This is a recent development in history. As twentieth century theologians returned to the Scriptures, the definition of mis…

One of the most influential U. S. missiologists was David Hesselgrave. After serving in Japan for several years, he was a professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Some of his writings include Planting Churches Cross-Culturally, Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally, and Paradigms in Conflict. Hesselgrave passed away in 2018. Prior to his d…

How many apostles are in the Bible? Twelve? Twelve plus Paul? More than that? What about Jesus “the apostle and high priest?” Did apostles cease to exist after the first century or remain today? In this episode, I continue with The Apostolic Imagination series addressing fixed and fluid categories of apostles found in the Scriptures. In addition to…

Mission language forms our ideas and actions. Talking about such language is not a waste of time. Uncertainty abounds when it comes to the language of mission. Definitions are found in the eye of the beholder. Missionary activity is defined as everything from church planting among an unreached people to putting a roof on a building to creation care…

With the publication of Transforming Mission (1991), David Bosch acknowledged the Church’s activity in mission has transitioned through several paradigms. His conclusion at the end of the twentieth century was the new paradigm had not arrived but was in the process of development. We are still in this liminal state. What is a possible way to naviga…

The topic of climate change makes the news everyday. Yet, few within the missions community are talking about this matter. John Ferch is an exception. I recently attended the annual Evangelical Missiological Society where I listened to John give a presentation on his experience in Alaska. He provided a fresh and unique perspective, one I thought yo…

Craig Ott is my guest on this episode of Strike the Match. Craig is a professor of Mission and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. We talk about ecclesiology and missiology as we focus on Craig’s book The Church on Mission: A Biblical Vision for Transformation among All People. The Church is central to God’s work in the wo…

Gene Daniels and Warrick Farah are my guests on this episode of the podcast. Many of us are familiar with the Five Pillars of Islam and the faith’s generalities learned in our comparative religion classes. However, our world is comprised of a Muslim mosaic not a monolithic Islam. My guests and I talk about understanding this reality as we engage th…

The first Sunday in November marks the Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. On this special episode of Strike the Match, Dr. Gregory Cochran is my guest. Greg is a professor of theology at California Baptist University and author of Christians in the Crosshairs: Persecution in the Bible and around the World. We discuss what the Bible says about…

The gospel has often advanced on the wings of Kingdom innovation. While the Church is not in the business of getting a better product to market faster than the competitor down-the-street, Spirit-led innovation is a divine blessing and necessity in a radically changing world. Jon Hirst, Director of Program Innovation at SIL International, is my gues…

My guest in this episode is Nik Ripken, missionary, author, and founder of Nik Ripken Ministries. Ripken is one of the world’s leading experts on the topic of Christian persecution and missions. His travels have taken him to 72 countries where he has interviewed over 600 believers living in persecution. His writings include The Insanity of God, whi…

Conversations about sexual immorality and pornography are often challenging to have within the Church’s fellowship. My guest in this episode is Dr. David Parks, Director of the Global Center at Beeson Divinity School. We address the impact of the pornification of societies on the Church and Her mission. Why is this a missiological matter? Why are t…

Winfield Bevins is my guest on this episode of Strike the Match. Dr. Bevins is Director of the Asbury Seminary Church Planting Initiative. We discuss his latest book Marks of a Movement: What the Church Today can Learn from the Wesleyan Revival. You may find Dr. Bevins on-line at winfieldbevins.com, @winfieldbevins, Facebook, and Instagram. The boo…

Season 5 has finally arrived! It is going to be a great one concerning missions, innovation, and Kingdom leadership! What have I been doing since Season 4? Here you go. Join me as I share about the stewardship of pilot initiatives, YouTube, mission and innovation, my next two books with Lexham Press and Baker Academic, Evangelical Missiological Soc…

Steve Addison is my guest in this final episode of season 4. Whether the conversation is about disciple making movements or church planting/multiplication movements, missionary conversations often revolve around the topic of movements. Steve is an expert on this topic. And we need to hear from him. Steve is the author of three books on movements an…

Canada is home to the 6th largest number of unreached people groups in the world. Global Gates is one organization that is passionate about reaching such groups that have migrated to places such as North America. In this episode, Chris Carr, director of Global Gates Canada, is my guest. We talk about the amazing ethnic diversity that exists through…

Last week, two U. S. news stories broke on sexual abuse: one addressing the sexual abuse of children connected to New Tribes Mission (Ethnos360) and one addressing sexual abuse of 700 people at the hands of Southern Baptist church leaders. In this special episode of Strike the Match, Dr. Tate Cockrell is my guest. We spend time addressing several m…

The Church often overlooks the role of artistic expression in Kingdom advancement while limiting such expressions to worship music. However, artists are a powerhouse of Great Commission potential. In this episode, Dr. Byron Spradlin is my guest. Byron is the president of Artists in Christian Testimony International. You need to be familiar with thi…

Dr. Steve Leston is my guest in this episode of Strike the Match. Steve is the president and CEO of To Every Tribe. We discuss the importance of multiplying leaders and training church planters. Steve shares about To Every Tribe and their unique training approach that includes “The Eight Phases of Pioneer Church Planting.” Be sure to pay attention …

Dr. Steven Rutt has written the definitive works on Roland Allen. And both of these books were published in 2018. Roland Allen: A Missionary Life is an outstanding biography on the man behind such books as Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? and The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church. And Roland Allen: A Theology of Mission describes the views…

For the past week, international news has covered the death of U.S., missionary John Allen Chau. Sometime between November 16 and November 18, Chau was killed by the North Sentinelese on the isolated North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean. He was there to share the gospel with this unengaged-unreached people group. Media sources and social media…