July 10, 2024 • 44 mins
Uncover the extraordinary stories and powerful impact of God's work among unreached people groups as Clint Hudson and Dustin Elliott take you through the significant moments from Season 2 of the Unreached Podcast. You'll hear about life-saving initiatives by the Bless Foundation and the inspiring contributions of influential guests like John Pays, Heath Hale, and Andrew Scott. This episode celebrates the collective efforts and partnerships that have brought hope and transformation to countless communities worldwide.
Explore how aligning your life with God's will can make a profound difference, as we reflect on Andrew Scott's vision for the second reformation, highlighting the role of business in spreading the gospel. We call on believers to reconsider their life's significance and purpose. Practical advice is shared for integrating faith into daily life, preparing oneself spiritually for the challenges ahead, and being part of God's greater narrative.
Discover the importance of seeing yourself through the lens of faith rather than accomplishments. We discuss the dangers of performance-based identity and how God values our intrinsic worth beyond our successes and failures. The conversation also addresses the cultural concept of retirement, advocating for a continued sense of purpose and work as designed by God. Join us as we express our gratitude for the opportunities to reach the unreached and encourage engagement with the podcast community for further inspiration and involvement.
Follow @unreachedpodcast on Instagram for more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
In Revelation 7, john shares his vision of heaven,
with members from every tribe,tongue, people and language
standing in the throne roombefore the Lamb.
Yet today there are still over7,000 unreached people groups
around the world.
For the last six years, myfamily and friends have been on
a journey to find, vet and fundthe task remaining.
(00:28):
Come journey with us to theends of the earth as we share
the supernatural stories of Godat work for the men and women he
has called to reach theunreached.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of
the Unreached Podcast.
I am Clint Hudson, your hostfor today and our guest.
Technically, our guest is alsoyour host, your illustrious host
, my buddy, dustin ElliottInfamous, infamous.
Yeah, so we actually want to goa little bit of a different
direction today with the pod,because we have covered so much
(01:04):
ground over the last two seasons, and specifically over season
two.
And, dustin, I just wanted togive you an opportunity to share
your heart and some of thethings that you've seen God do
through the podcast and in yourlife, as you've just become
awakened to more of thesestories of what God's doing with
unreached people, groups aroundthe world.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Man, I appreciate it.
I spent a little time thismorning praying and preparing
and just.
I think I've got a few things Iwant to share, but really I
just want to let the Holy Spiritdo his thing.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
We started off season two with probably one of your
closest friends and ministrypartners, heath Hale.
We talked about the BlessedFoundation.
We then moved on to what Ithink is maybe one of the most
impactful stories from the fieldthat I've ever heard, with the
Mali Ali people group, with theRimsteads Incredible story.
And then we had Andrew Scott on, who talks about some of some
(01:50):
things that I think maybe hadbeen wrestling around inside of
you for a while, and he gavesome language to it in a way
that I haven't heard before.
We move all the way through therest of the season.
We end of the season where wehave pastor and mentor and
friend Brad Thomas on Dude.
That's a lot of ground to cover, so let's just kind of start at
the beginning.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
We started with John Pays.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Another one of my absolutely closest friends in
the world, and JP.
His work, his life in ministryhas changed in terms of his
business card and the name onthe door, but his life, mission,
which is to plant healthychurches in the hardest places,
has not changed.
And so now he's withSamaritan's Purse.
(02:33):
I just caught up with him lastweek.
His position just changed.
He's now over all thepartnerships I believe in maybe
is it Northern Africa andEastern Africa, something around
that and yeah, just what God'sdoing through their ministry is
incredible.
But yes, then into Heath.
So Heath and I have this very,very interesting relationship.
We are more like brothers.
(02:55):
I don't have a brother by birth, but he and I are more like
brothers than I expect anybodyelse because we are totally
willing to put the gloves on ortake them off and go to war.
We love each other, we respecteach other, but God's used us.
Iron sharpens iron, I think, isa good way to talk about our
relationship for the last eight,nine years, from Tabby's dream
(03:17):
waking up in the middle of thenight and hey, the Blessed
Foundation.
And this is what we need to do.
And we live in this crazygenerous city in Austin.
I'm actually writing an articleright now about just living
generously in Austin.
It's going to come out in acouple months and it's for them
to harness their network tobring people together, to use
the Christmas season to throwthe biggest Christmas party of
(03:40):
the year light the world.
I mean, you've been.
It's incredible, god, let mehave some roles along that way.
I helped them get the boardstarted, helped them hire the
first executive director, helpedin many ways build the Bless
Fund and set up this mechanismwhere, you know, now hundreds of
families, primarily in Austin,but in other places as well, are
(04:03):
giving annually through thisfund.
This fund is now adoptingessentially entire people groups
, entire people groups.
We started with 22.
We're now over 30, just added,I think, 11 more, and the people
groups are across NorthernAfrica, the Middle East Asia,
(04:23):
papua New Guinea.
And what's happening?
Each of these groups has adifferent kind of formative
major religion that they'reoperating within.
Now there's already people onthe ground there, with a sending
agency backed by churches doingwork, and you know, the
research that we learned overthe years was there's just
additional funding needs, justadditional funding needs.
(04:44):
You know, one of the coolestthings I think we funded in the
last year was an airstrip in avery remote part of a mountain
region where you know the people.
Primarily they were gettingwhen they would get sick or when
a mother was going intodelivery or having a premature
baby or something along thoselines.
I mean there was no hope, therewas no Clint.
I mean that's in the jungle,and getting this airstrip allows
(05:06):
them to quickly hop on a satphone, get a helicopter in and
fly somebody out to a hospital.
And already we have seen amother and a baby both lives
saved from this airstrip.
And so you know that's notsomething that you probably
think you're going to be a partof funding when you're giving to
(05:27):
your local church, but whenyou're partnering with Bless,
blessworld, go check it out,look at the fund.
If you've got something thatGod's pulling on your heart like
hey, I've got some extraresources and I want to be part
of stories like that.
That's what's going on withBless and, you know, got some
new personnel.
You know Ben Pays has beenhelping out a lot.
(05:48):
That's John Pays' twin brother.
Margaret Gibson is new fordevelopment.
They're both former GospelCoalition.
Just incredible networks,incredible heart for the Lord,
very, very, very excited aboutthe future for Bless.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And one of those places where Bless has made a
massive impact is in Papua NewGuinea, through the rimsteads
with the Malayalee people group,and I think I just want to
encourage everyone.
Like it's nice to get a recap,it's nice to like think back to
all the things at the beginningof this season.
(06:21):
You need to pause it.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
You need to take the next couple hours, two hours,
and go and listen, it may be, inmy opinion, one of the most
impactful things I've ever heardfrom the field.
No question, you know there's somuch to unpack in their story,
right?
So all of what God's doing inyour heart and with your family
to prepare you to go to themission field language training,
culture training, you training,just the decision to leave your
(06:44):
job, whatever it may be, and gointo that preparation mode,
raising support, right, go intoyour network and people in your
church and say, hey, look, thisis how much we need.
And then you get there, andthen you start your work and
years and years and years gointo developing relationships
and friendships and earningtheir trust and earning the
right to speak into the deepestparts of their lives and
patiently waiting I earning theright to speak into the deepest
(07:05):
parts of their lives andpatiently waiting.
I mean, I think one of thehardest things to hear them talk
about was the hunger that theirpeople had, that Mali Ali had
to hear the good news, but theydidn't have their language ready
yet Because remember he said,there were words in their
language that were missing.
They didn't have a word forlike grace or a word for
(07:25):
forgiveness.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Do you remember what they called Jesus?
What did they say?
The road-cutting man.
The road-cutting man.
I'll never forget that.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, so the way they had to contextualize the things
and they kept asking tell usthe good news, tell us the story
.
Who is he?
Do you know him?
Right, him, right.
And they had to wait to get toa place where it could be
communicated without error.
You know, clearly.
(07:55):
And then you go through all thatand then health, and then you
lose your health, and then yourfamily.
Things start to happen and youget pulled out of the field.
I mean, think about how manyyears of your life you've put
into something and then you'recalled home.
And so now probably a big partof God's providential design is
look, I don't need any of you,right?
I'm allowing you.
(08:16):
You're my imagers, you're myrepresentatives, but sometimes I
need to show you that I've gotother people I can do my work
through, and God's faithfulnesswas incredible.
And really, what we were justtalking about before we hit
record is, if you listen totheir episode and you hear
Emily's heart for Otome yes, herfriend Otome is that we just
(08:37):
got emails.
Otome just got baptizedIncredible so seeds that they
got to plant right.
Autumn May just got baptizedIncredible so seeds that they
got to plant right.
I mean, she talked about beingin the garden with her and
pulling her sweet potatoes whenshe thought they were weeds and
like all the.
You know the stories of likekind of how they developed their
friendship and theirrelationship.
But she didn't get to be therefor that moment.
(08:58):
But how sweet it is, how sweetit is that God brought other
people there.
We do have co-laborers.
We can trust them when we'recalled out, and the Rimstads man
, I love them.
They're in a season of prayerand preparation for their next
chapter.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, yeah, one of the things that really stuck out
to me is the way that they'reindividually shaped.
Specifically, being one of themis dyslexic.
One of them is terrified of thedark and of bugs, and so what
does God do?
God puts them in the middle ofa dark jungle where they have to
translate a language that theydon't speak.
(09:37):
And that was one of thosemoments for me where I'm like I
had to eliminate any excuse thatI ever have to do anything for
the gospel because, empowered bythe Holy Spirit, anything is
possible with the Lord.
And that was just thisbeautiful picture of them being
willing to go in their weaknessand allow God to just make an
(09:58):
incredible story out in themiddle of the jungle.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Doesn't that just show?
It shows two things to me.
It shows daily dependence, likea true on your knees, daily
dependence which leads to a truespiritual maturity.
And I think the key word isjust trust, Like if you get to
the place where you're livingyour life fully trusting and
fully believing that God causesall things to work together for
the good of those who love himand are called according to his
(10:22):
purposes for them.
If you really believe that,then even when you're called to
the field and called out of thefield, you do it considering it
pure joy, because you'retrusting him, because you know
he's good and he's got a plan.
You may not understand it yet.
Oftentimes I don't think we do.
It's why I try to encouragepeople don't ask God.
Why are you doing this?
(10:44):
Ask God, what are you teachingme?
You know, and pay attention,because you may not want to have
to relearn some of theselessons, Some of these lessons
aren't fun to learn anyway.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
With Austin Ridge Worship, we just wrote and we're
releasing a song called youWon't Waste Suffering.
It's about how God doesn'twaste anything, and I think God
really wanted me to walk througha season where I had to learn
that in order to be able to singit well.
And so there's sometimes wehave to go through lessons that
we don't necessarily want tolearn, but God uses those things
for the glory, for his gloryand for the proclamation of the
(11:16):
gospel in the kingdom.
Again, I'm so impacted bysomeone who wouldn't just say,
hey, what am I good at doing andI'm going to go do that.
It's actually.
Hey, what am I good at doingand I'm going to go do that?
It's actually.
Hey, what am I not going to do?
Where are my deficiencies?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
All right guys.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Huge difference.
Go use those.
But on the other side, thinkingabout things that I am good at
doing, fast forward to the nextepisode.
We talked to Switchboard, who,literally, is creating a global
network of people who are giftedto do specific things that are
impacting and benefiting folksthat are in the field.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yes, yeah, scott did a wonderful job.
You know his heart, you cantell, you can just sense his
authenticity and how much hereally cares, and he did a great
job on the episode, justsharing his story and how he's
using his background, as youknow, in software and
engineering, to build thisplatform.
And so you know, that day yousigned up and I signed up and we
(12:07):
actually got hit on.
We got a request and it was alady who's a physician working
in the Middle East looking for away to create a sustainable
business model to stay there andbe able to stay there and be on
mission right.
So she needed to develop like amedical practice or some way to
(12:28):
justify her existence, if youwill, there to the community and
the powers that be.
And so we actually experiencedSwitchboard in real time and it
really working.
And so that community I thinkit was globalswitchboardio to go
fill out a profile.
That community I think it wasglobalswitchboardio to go fill
out a profile.
You just fill one out.
I mean, why not Just tell thislittle system?
(12:48):
It's kind of like a matchmakingservice if you will Just tell
it what you're good at, if youcan build websites, or if you
can write marketing copy, or ifyou can translate to another
language or whatever the casemay be, just tell it.
If you're good at accounting,just tell like I'm good at these
(13:12):
things and you're going to getat bats, and it's very
noncommittal, it doesn't costanything.
It's just like, hey, here'ssomebody that might need you,
can you do 30 minutes next weekand just visit, and that's it.
And then you know what God'sdoing with that platform in
those introductions so cool.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
And I think it's a great opportunity for folks that
are listening, that do havethose skills and abilities, to
actually get a deeperunderstanding of what it means
to be a global Christian, thatGod has uniquely gifted
individual people who he'scalling to get in the game.
And speaking of getting thegame, it's something we've been
talking about a lot.
You know, that's kind of aphrase that we use a good bit
(13:47):
no-transcript phrase it's just,it's easy and it's.
We're sports guys, it justmakes sense to us, but man.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
I don't think I've ever been challenged more to
rethink what get in the gamethan the conversations that we
had with Andrew Scott.
Yeah, yeah, andrew's life isincredible, right, I mean coming
out of Ireland serving on theships with OM, rising in that
organization to CEO.
And then what he's calling forthe second reformation.
I mean let's not make light ofthat as something that's not a
big deal, that is a huge deal.
Let's not make light of that assomething that's not a big deal
(14:27):
, that is a huge deal.
And I think he's connectingthat concept to this idea of
missions or the gospel travelingfurther and faster on the wings
of business than it is in thetraditional missionary sense.
And he gave stats, I think Iremember 13,000 total workers
among unreached people groups.
You know, like 90 plus percentof missionaries today are
(14:48):
working in reached people groups.
He said it like the sum totalof our current impact and it's,
I mean, from a businessstandpoint, it's abysmal.
It's complete totalmisallocation of resources.
Right, I mean it's Americansspend more money on Halloween
customs for their pets than wesend to unreached people groups,
(15:09):
and it's just devastating.
And I think it's.
We are getting conformed to thecustoms of this world and we're
not spending enough time withGod to let him conform us to his
ways.
And when you do that, you justkind of live life in the hamster
wheel, in the rat race, and youkind of, you know, a decade
goes by and another decade goesby and you wake up and it's like
(15:29):
, what have I done of anysignificance?
What have I done?
And okay, how much time do Ihave left and am I going to
change?
Yes, I'm going to change, right, and here's what I'm going to
do.
Going forward, I'm going toalign my life to God's will,
going forward right andconceptually.
You can do that with yourbusiness.
(15:50):
You can do that investing allof your capital.
It's not just work and takecare of kids and set up money
for retirement and cut a checkon Sunday mornings and let the
church go, do big pictureministry stuff.
No, it's.
You're called 24-7, 365 to bepreaching the gospel, to be
evangelizing, to be discipling,to be part of this story, to be
(16:14):
a global Christian, right, andoh man, if we're encouraging
people through this podcast ofanything, it's to rethink your
calling and your wiring and howyou're aligning your life to
God's will and how you'replaying your role in his story.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I've seen such an awakening in you throughout the
course of this season.
We talk about all the time.
How could you not want to giveyour life to this, and actively?
I feel like you and I are bothtrying to pursue avenues to give
our life to this.
What is something practical,that something that our folks
listening to this podcast today?
What's something practical thatthey can do to take a step to
(16:51):
move in that direction?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I mean I think it's.
You know, I know you're goingto talk about Brad at some point
, but I mean it's what Brad said.
Right, it's getting up.
I mean prayerfully.
You get up every morning andbefore you address all the dots
on your phone from the nightbefore, open your Bible and read
it.
And right before you readrather than reading your Bible,
looking for where you are in thestory read your Bible, trying
(17:19):
to understand contextually whatGod is teaching you, what is
happening.
This was written 2000 plusyears ago, depending on where
you are in the Bible, 3,500years ago maybe, and a lot of
things were different then.
Context was different then.
So I've read through the Bibleabout 10 years in a row now.
I've taught through the Bibleabout 10 years in a row now.
(17:39):
I've taught through the Bibleabout seven years in a row.
We go Genesis to Maps everyyear with a new group.
Right, and it never gets stale,it never gets old.
You always learn new things.
But the first step is get up andget in your Bible and get
yourself prepared for your day.
And if you don't know what toread, start with the Gospel of
John.
If you've read a little bit ofBible and you're kind of like
(18:00):
how do I prepare for the day?
Read Ephesians 6, right, Getyour armor on.
I mean, really get anunderstanding that this is not
just the world's not justhappening and you're just part
of it.
There are forces controllingthis world.
It is biblical, it is set upthat way, and you are a warrior,
you are a soldier and you wereeither on the side of heaven's
(18:23):
armies or you are not right.
And so if you're not preparingyourself for battle each day by
surrendering your agenda andasking God what do you want to
do today, Then you're notprobably accomplishing anything
again that's good or significant.
It may be temporarily winning agame for you, it may be
(18:44):
providing for family and thingslike that, and that's okay.
I'm not saying that that's bad,but that's in context to a
greater narrative and a greaterstory that happens over the
course of the 70, 80, 90,however many years you're here,
and I just don't want to get tothe end of that story.
Clint, and look back.
I missed plenty of at-batsalready.
(19:08):
I don't want to look back onmissed at-bats.
I want to look back on swings,even if they're strikeouts, even
if they're foul balls.
I want to look back on I took acut.
So, yes, get up, pray up, alignyour life to God's will, read
your Bible and then listen.
Right, You're going to get asense of direction and purpose
from God.
And then get into community.
If you've never been in adiscipleship group, get into a
(19:30):
discipleship group.
It's not a life group.
It's not a Bible study.
This is an accountability.
It's different.
How did Jesus change the world?
He got a small group of 12 guysand he did life with them for
three years.
Get into a D group anddadgummit I'm calling you out.
If you've been in one, thenstart one.
It is your job 2 Timothy 2.2, topass that on.
It is your job to take whatyou've learned and share with
(19:52):
others.
It's not for your consumption,not for your consumption.
You have a role to play and youare equipped just as equipped
as the rimsteads were to go livein the dark, scary jungle and
translate a language they'dnever, you know, heard.
As a dyslexic guy, I meanyou're, you're ready.
You can do this at home, inyour own neighborhood.
You can do this at your owncompany, in the, in the
(20:12):
boardroom.
Just do it, Take it, take astep forward and say, look, I
don't know everything, but I gotsome train tracks.
Here's an idea.
We're going to do this.
We're going to read some books,we're going to memorize some
scripture together and we'rejust going to be prayerful and
we're going to open it up andwe're going to talk.
Everything starts to changeafter that.
But if you're not reading yourBible, if you haven't read
through your Bible, if youhaven't studied your Bible, it
(20:41):
and if you are in that vein andyou're doing that, then of
course you'd continue to do it.
And then you start to get intocommentaries on it, then you
start to get into books about it, then you start to get into
other things that maybechallenge your assumptions.
I'm reading the unseen realmright now, rereading it, because
the first time I read it itblew my mind so much that I
don't even know how much of it Icould really ingest it.
Basically, it goes through thebible and it finds all the
things that everyone skipsbecause it's just like eh, what
is that?
Like, oh, the Nephilim, right?
Like giants, Like what do youmean?
(21:02):
The sons of God?
Who were they?
What does that mean?
It just goes to every one ofthose things and it's like this
is what they mean.
And here's all the parts in theBible that talk about it and
here's how you pull it alltogether and you, If you're
pretty mature or really matureand you're ready for a different
deep dive, go to the UnseenRealm, Check that out and then
call me and let's talk about it,because I need help processing
(21:24):
it.
Somebody else has got to dothis with me.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
So you were just talking about get up in the
morning, read the word, and thenyou were talking about making
sure you get a good at bat.
So here's what I read thismorning.
I'm in Second Kings, I'mlooking at King Joash.
His chief advisor is Jehoiada,and they're struggling to raise
the temple tax in the seasonthat they're in because they've
(21:47):
lost trust with the people ofIsrael.
So what do they do?
They get a giant box, theydrill a hole on top of it, they
stick it out in the middle ofthe courtyard so that everybody
can see it.
So there's financialaccountability and there's
transparency.
I'm thinking about that and howthat leads into our next guest,
also what you just said aboutmaking a good at bat and taking
(22:08):
advantage of the bats we had.
We had someone who was theradio broadcast host of Baylor
Baseball, who also happens totalk about spiritual
accountability in faith-driveninvestors, on an episode of the
show, richard Cunningham.
So walk us through what youthought about the episode with
Richard Cunningham.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Richard Cunningham faith-driven investor,
faith-driven entrepreneur.
You can look those up.
That is a kind of likeswitchboard.
That is another network thatyou can join you can be a part
of.
There's study groups, biblestudies.
There's local groups.
There's tons of content thatthey're creating about how do
you be a Christ follower at work?
(22:48):
How do you be redemptive withyour work?
No-transcript and him have alot in common in sports ministry
(23:25):
and we talked about yourworking with the Panthers as a
team chaplain and yourdiscipling guys from the Texas
Longhorns here now that you'rein Austin and man, you said
something I may have repeated asoften as anything else I've
learned on this podcast in thatepisode and you talked about how
to share praise with a giftedathlete and how you say you
(23:49):
really focus on telling them Ienjoyed watching you play not,
you played great today Becauseyou're kind of what God has
given you is.
He delights in us and enjoyswatching us do these things, not
necessarily scoreboarding us onhow we performed each and every
(24:09):
day.
You want to unpack that onemore time.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Yeah, I think our default position is we want
affirmation for the thing thatwe're good at.
But what we find over time isthat repeated affirmation in a
thing that we're gifted to doleads to a performance-based
identity.
There you go.
And so if someone says toDustin, hey, you're just really
(24:32):
great with money, you're reallygreat with investing, at some
point Dustin starts to thinkdude, this is who I am, this is
the only thing that I bring tothe kingdom, the only thing that
I bring to the world.
But God says that when he looksat us, he doesn't see our rap
sheet and he doesn't see ourtrophy case.
He sees the work of Jesus.
And so when God looks at us, hesays I enjoy you, I take
(24:56):
delight in you, I delight in you, not just hey, I'm proud of you
for doing the thing that youdid well.
Now, granted, there issomething to say for doing
things in excellence, but you'redoing that as an offering of
praise to the Lord.
I'm playing football, I'mplaying guitar, I'm doing well
in business.
I'm doing this as an offeringof praise to God.
And so I've just found that somany athletes just get trapped
(25:18):
in this performance-basedidentity because everybody that
sees them wants to make acomment about their performance.
We have a guy who won a SuperBowl, that goes to church here
and I've gotten an opportunityto disciple and he just is an
incredible athlete and he'sgrowing in his relationship with
Jesus leaps and bounds.
It's been incredible and Ithink, by default, we just want
(25:42):
to go and praise people for thethings that they do.
So he was at church a couple ofweeks ago and somebody walked up
to him, shook his hand andspecifically started talking
about plays that he was on.
I watched you do this, I sawyou do this, you did this thing,
and then then you got to thissack and you did this person and
and like I'm watching him like,kind of like not like roll his
eyes at all, he was verygenerous and kind, but in his
(26:04):
mind he's thinking like, yeah, Iknow, dude, I was there.
Yeah, like I was there, yeah,and so after that conversation
was over, I just pulled him overto the side and I was like, hey
, man, I just want you to know,like I love you and I'm proud of
you and I just enjoy watchingyou play.
I even enjoyed watching younavigate that conversation just
now.
Yeah, there you go, and it justcompletely changes the mindset,
of helping us understand howGod views us in light of the
(26:28):
gifts that he gives us.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
I'm going to challenge you on this topic
because I think you maybe have abook to write.
Okay, don't laugh at me, you'rea songwriter, you're a musician
.
Writing a book is not that muchdifferent, and I'll help you do
it.
But I think there's one morestep that we hadn't found yet,
that God hasn't revealed yet,right?
So we know, we got theperformance-based identity.
No-transcript.
(27:08):
Everybody else, somebody mightchime in and tell us hey, maybe
it's this, maybe it's that, Ithink there's something else
there.
And yeah, no, I don't know why,but I think you can.
I think you got a vote to write.
Wait, what is it?
I don't know yet.
Oh, dude, I don't know yet.
All right, stay tuned.
No, it's a stay tuned, staytuned.
We're going to, we're going tofigure it out.
We are we are in God's perfecttiming.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
I will say that I'm I'm learning in this journey
after years and years of walkingalongside of athletes.
The way that you disciple themtowards a relationship with
Jesus while they are in theirperformance-based season really
has a profound impact on them.
When they step out of theirperformance-based environment
(27:50):
Because NFL stands for not forlong we make that joke all the
time, and I mean these guys theyultimately have to walk out and
play their last game, most ofthem by injury.
Very few of them get to justdecide hey, this was my last one
, I'm going to ride off into thesunset.
Yeah, it's typically a veryemotional and traumatic moment
Very much so and then all of asudden, the thing that you have
(28:12):
been doing since you were 8, 9,10 years old.
You don't ever get to do itagain, and it is a traumatic
experience for some of theseguys, but I've found that this
deep relationship with Jesusgives them something to look
forward to what their purpose is, but also what their action is
going to look like after theyget out of the league.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
So I think you want to talk about a cultural
phenomenon, a cultural word,phrase, concept, idea that has
become grossly just, terriblymismanaged and too focused on.
What's that Retirement?
How many times is retirementmentioned in the Bible?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say zero
times it's actually one One.
Oh one, I was so close.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
So you couldn't have been any closer without being
correct One time, one time inthe whole Bible.
Okay, so you think about howoften we talk about things that
the Bible doesn't talk about alot.
That's a huge one, yeah, andthe only people in the Bible who
retirement is built for, it'sback in the Torah, way back in
the beginning.
It's for Levitical priests.
(29:20):
It says Levitical priests canretire at 55.
So that's the only time.
And so, like my whole industry,right, this whole industry of
wealth management and all thatis built around this concept of
retirement, I got to work thislong, save this much.
It makes me think of FrancisChan, right, and that whole
video he did with the length ofrope.
We try to work for this much ofour life so that we can collect
(29:40):
seashells and play golf forthis much of our life.
That is just not biblical, it'sjust not.
It's just not.
So.
You talk about preparingathletes for that transition.
My life's work is largelypreparing people not to make
that transition.
Yes, you may transition at somepoint from a full-time
exposition at X company, butyou're not transitioning out of
(30:03):
work.
God made us to work.
Look at Genesis.
He worked right.
We were built for it.
So maybe you're transitioninginto consulting or sitting on
boards or volunteering ornonprofits or some other that
maybe you're financiallyequipped for now and mentally
equipped for now and you havethe gray hair and the wisdom to
advise on now.
(30:23):
But, man, you see people justfully drop out and oftentimes
like at the peak of theirinfluence, absolutely At the
peak of their influence, becausethey, because they feel like
they've ran the race, they'retired, they've earned it, I've
earned this.
I'm sorry.
You've earned the right toshare it.
You've earned the right tomentor and disciple and bring
people up right, and that'swhere good happens.
(30:44):
And so I just think, for theChrist follower, the concept of
finishing well.
There's not a lot of examplesof finishing well in the Bible.
There's a lot of examples, awhole lot of examples of not
finishing well.
I mean Solomon.
If the wisest man to ever livewas dumb enough to have 700
wives and 700 mother-in-laws, Imean, come on.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think we both have books to write.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
I mean, I don't know that one just sticks out.
So I had to go there.
You can't call me out to writeone without you doing it with me
I think you got something there.
Todd Aaron wanted to write abook with me once and we got
stuck because we couldn't decideon the color scheme for the
cover.
He wanted red and black and Iwas like I'm sorry it's not
happening.
Drawing a line.
I'm drawing a line right hereToo.
Texas Tech, for you it's waytoo.
(31:28):
Red Raider, I can't do it.
I'm not saying it has to beburnt orange, but I'm just
saying the color of a sunset,sunrise, a lot more appealing.
That's hilarious, I digress.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Well, all right, let's jump to our very last
episode.
So the last two episodes we didwas Pastor Brad Thomas.
Brad, obviously, is the pastorat Austin Ridge Bible Church.
He's been your mentor, he hasled you through dGroups.
He has encouraged you alongyour path that you've been
walking.
What are some big takeawaysthat you had from the episode
with Brad?
Speaker 1 (32:00):
you had from the episode with Brad.
That episode is largely aculmination of, you know, doing
life under his tutelage and andum example and and mentorship
and discipleship, and I mean thewiring of who, um, I am today.
God has largely, largely donethrough Brad.
I know he has done a lotthrough you since you've been
here too, so you can relate.
A lot of people in thiscommunity can relate.
(32:24):
I can't overstate how much thatman means to me.
And he doesn't write books, hedoesn't put his name on the door
, he doesn't come on podcasts.
In fact I don't think he's everlistened to a podcast.
So when I was like, hey, wouldyou come on the podcast?
He goes, of course I would.
I go.
Do you even know what it means?
(32:45):
He's like, nope, I go.
Do you know how to listen tothe podcast?
No, don't have any idea.
I mean, he just lives his lifeso different.
You talk about Clemson footballand he wants to go play golf
and I mean he's got the just aguy like he's relatable and all
(33:06):
that.
But man, he just he loves Jesusand he reads his Bible and he
studies and he prepares and heis so faithful to the text and
so faithful to this church, likewhen I text Brad and I'm like,
hey, so-and-so is sick andthey're in the hospital.
Brad's like pick me up at nineo'clock on Saturday, we're going
to see him.
When we lost a baby halfwaythrough a pregnancy, brad shows
(33:28):
up at the house.
I'm here, let's pray.
I'm just here.
I'm just here to be with you.
I just love you.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
He had a line that stuck with me.
He said Jesus didn't come tostart a megachurch, he came to
start a small group.
Yeah, there you go, and Brad'slived his life in that way.
That priority.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Brad said it to the pastors and other folks that
listen Be faithful to the text.
Just open the Bible, Start in abook and go through the whole
thing and don't skip any of it.
Just we've been walking.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
We've been walking through the book of acts here at
Austin Ridge and I for eightmonths.
Yeah, yeah, and we're, I thinka couple of things have that
much to go.
A couple of things that it'srevealed to me is is I'm just
astonished at the, theapplicable things that I've
taken from the book of acts, andthen also, maybe I'm a little
convicted at my ability tocritically read Scripture,
(34:16):
because there are things that Iam learning and discovering in
this book that I neverrecognized before, like dots
that I'm connecting, so I'mgrateful for that.
The priority of spending timein the word, understanding
scripture, having a deep desireto listen to God's word, to read
(34:38):
God's word, is a crucialintersection of growing in our
faith, and so I think I justlove our listeners to hear just
from you as you've grown in yourfaith in these last two seasons
.
What is God showing you?
What are you most excited about?
What are you most challenged byright now through doing this
(35:01):
podcast?
Speaker 1 (35:01):
You know, when we had Andrew Scott on, he and I got
to jam in and it's happened alot on this podcast.
If you're not doing anything inyour life where the Holy Spirit
takes over and you're kind oflike I don't really know what
just happened, yeah, dosomething in your life where
that's starting to happen.
Yeah, get yourself intosituations that are
uncomfortable for you and whereyou can't do it.
I'm not a podcaster, I have noexperience with this.
(35:24):
Y'all know the story.
I mean, my wife said it one day.
I ran into Clint the next dayand Clint's like, yeah, I know
how to do it and it startedright.
So you know, I'm just asequipped to podcast as David
Rimstad is to translate alanguage you know.
Yeah, here, both of you are.
But when Andrew and I wererapping and I said something to
him that I have heard myself onthe recording say that I never
(35:46):
premeditated, never thoughtabout.
It's just, it's one of those,just full blown.
No other explanation other thanthe Holy Spirit through this out
there, right, and as I wasthinking about and praying about
today, how do I apply my lifeto your will, not just your word
, to my life, god?
Pray that prayer, right.
(36:07):
God, how do I apply my life toyour will, not just your word to
my life?
Because I think we all startreading the Bible, trying to
apply it to our life, the 10commandments, the law, figuring
all that out, and then we'retrying to where am I in this
story?
Where am I in this story?
How does this apply to me?
(36:28):
And the opposite is somewherealong that line, prayerfully,
somebody disciples you, orthrough your own prayer life,
you wake up and you realize,like that is not it.
How do I apply my life to yourwill, is it?
What do you want to do today?
How do you want to handle thissituation?
Do you want me to go to workhere?
(36:49):
Do you want me to go to doministry there?
Do you want us to have anotherkid?
Do you want me to hit a driveror a three wood on this tee shot
Like I don't know man, howeverit is, but like it's.
How do I apply my life to yourwill?
And I think that has been a bigpivot for me.
You asked me what's changed,not that that wasn't already
something that maybe I wasworking on, but it just it
(37:12):
didn't.
God hadn't given me thatclarity in it till this, so I
feel like it's easier for me toget up in the morning and go.
Okay, god, how do I apply mylife today to your will?
What are we going to do today?
What are we going to do todaythat makes a significant impact?
And then, if you're living yourday, looking, listening you're
(37:35):
going to see those at-bats.
If you're not prayed up andyou're not in your Bible and you
don't have some scripturememorized and you're not ready,
you're just going to miss them.
The ball's still going to comeacross the plate.
You just don't have a bat andyou're just not ready.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah, yeah, and you're just not ready.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Does that make sense?
Yeah, yeah, and there will bedays Clint and listeners and the
guys at my D group if any ofyou are listening where we are
not going to get that right.
There are going to be seasonswhere we're not going to be
totally prayed up and preparedand we're not going to get that
right and we're going to missthings.
Somewhat of maturity is gettingon your knees and getting
dependent and preparing yourselfto miss less things.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
For our listeners.
I just want to tell you thankyou, thanks for joining us on
this journey, Thank you forcontinuing to encourage, thank
you for praying for us, thankyou for sharing these episodes
and, I think, as God continuesto move, and you continue to go
on this journey around the worldwith us and hear what God's up
to and how God's moving in thesedifferent unreached people
(38:34):
groups, my prayer for you isthat you would, as a global
Christian, find a place whereyou feel called and equipped to
go and do, to get into the game.
I know we keep using thatphrase over and over, but it
just seems like the applicablething that we're really trying
to encourage everybody to do,and this podcast is one of the
ways that Dustin and I aregetting into the game.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
It's been a really cool uh not quite a year.
We're excited to wrap seasontwo.
Um, I think we I think we kindof went all over the place.
We had missionary on the ground, things, we had businesses,
missions, things.
We had, uh, software connectingthe two, software connecting
(39:18):
the two.
I mean it was a veryecosystem-friendly season.
Yeah, looking ahead to seasonthree, we've got several
exciting things coming.
We're going to have a guy thatleads an incredible
international ministry 90schools, 90 colleges, 90
seminaries among unreachedpeople groups around the world,
(39:39):
training and equippingindigenous pastors to lead their
people well, to be faithful tothe text and how to build your
church, how to lead your church,how to equip your church, based
on lessons learned from justdoing it a little longer.
That fires me up.
We've got some more businessstuff how to build your church,
how to lead your church, how toequip your church based on
lessons learned from just doingit a little longer.
That fires me up.
We've got some more businessstuff.
We've got some guys that areinvesting in venture capital and
(40:03):
early stage businesses amongunreached people groups.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
In my mind.
Now, when I look at the globalmap, I see it different.
I see almost like these littleheat maps, like these little hot
spots where I know that thegospel is being communicated
there, I know that the church isgrowing there.
I know that Jesus is at work inthose places through specific
people that we've talked to hereon the pod.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Yeah, you talked about a few folks reaching out.
Some folks have reached out.
I want to say thanks to.
It's very encouraging to hearfrom someone.
There was a family in Canadathat reached out that they were
on the precipice of going to themission field.
They just hadn't had that kindof final push, over, the finish
line moment.
And then they sent us a noteand they're like we heard the
(40:48):
podcast, we heard the storiesand we were like no, that's it.
We want to be part of thosekinds of stories.
The Whitefords, the pastor outin California and his wife, they
came to Austin to meet with usand they were like what's
happening here and what Bless isdoing?
And we started reading about itand we started listening.
They are reconfiguring,rewiring a lot of their church
(41:09):
to a global focus.
I think largely the Americanchurch, I pray, continues to do
so.
I think we look at local andglobal and we're just so
outweighed the local.
We are the local church andthat certainly is a calling, but
we aren't called to stay withinour four walls, right, and
there has to be some shift ofresources to finish this thing.
(41:30):
There has to be more resourcesgoing where they're not and that
has to be more resources goingwhere they're not, and that has
to be human capital as well asfinancial capital.
And something we say often,clint, you say often, why would
you not want to give your lifeto this?
So hey, here's my call toaction.
My call to action is somethingin the second half of this year,
(41:52):
do something different.
Do something different.
It can be something simple,like praying without ceasing
through your day.
It can be something like makingsure you start your day in the
Bible.
It can be whatever that thingis that God's put on your heart
that you've been terrified tostart doing.
If it's a nonprofit, if it'sserving, if it's changing jobs,
if it's going to an unreachedpeople group, whatever it is, do
(42:13):
something different.
And if God prompts you to, whydon't you let us know what that
is?
Speaker 2 (42:18):
God, we're so grateful that we get to be a
part of your story, that we getto read your word and learn more
about who you are, but then youalso are so kind in the way
that you give us full access toyou, a holy God.
(42:38):
You made a way for us, throughJesus, to have a relationship
with you, and so, god, I justask on behalf of our listeners,
on behalf of Dustin and I, thatyou would reveal to us what your
will is for us.
You would help us to apply ourlives to your will.
That you would give us boldnessand confidence in the way that
(43:01):
we serve you.
That you would open our eyes tosee the things that are unseen.
That you would give us ears tohear.
That you would give us aboldness to be able to proclaim
the gospel around the world.
And God, as you continue toutilize able to proclaim the
gospel around the world, and God, as you continue to utilize
this podcast and the people thatare listening to it, god, I
(43:27):
pray that you would allow us tobe a part of seeing your kingdom
come and your will being done.
God, thank you for the meansand the network and the
opportunity that we have to beable to reach the unreached
around the world.
God, we love you, put our trustand our hope completely in you,
in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
Thank you for listening to Unreached.
Our sincere desire is that whatyou've heard today will cause
you to see the mission of Goddifferently and your role in it
more clearly.
If this adds value for you andwe hope it does would you please
rate and review the podcastwherever you listen.
Also, share with your family,your friends, your church, your
life group, small group, d group, wherever you do life, and if
(44:02):
you want to connect with us,find us on Instagram, at
unreachedpodcast, or email us atunreachedpodcast at gmailcom.
Thank you.
In Revelation 7, john shares his vision of heaven,
with members from every tribe,tongue, people and language
standing in the throne roombefore the Lamb.
Yet today there are still over7,000 unreached people groups
around the world.
For the last six years, myfamily and friends have been on
a journey to find, vet and fundthe task remaining.
(00:28):
Come journey with us to theends of the earth as we share
the supernatural stories of Godat work for the men and women he
has called to reach theunreached.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Hello, friends, and welcome to another episode of
the Unreached Podcast.
I am Clint Hudson, your hostfor today and our guest.
Technically, our guest is alsoyour host, your illustrious host
, my buddy, dustin ElliottInfamous, infamous.
Yeah, so we actually want to goa little bit of a different
direction today with the pod,because we have covered so much
(01:04):
ground over the last two seasons, and specifically over season
two.
And, dustin, I just wanted togive you an opportunity to share
your heart and some of thethings that you've seen God do
through the podcast and in yourlife, as you've just become
awakened to more of thesestories of what God's doing with
unreached people, groups aroundthe world.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Man, I appreciate it.
I spent a little time thismorning praying and preparing
and just.
I think I've got a few things Iwant to share, but really I
just want to let the Holy Spiritdo his thing.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
We started off season two with probably one of your
closest friends and ministrypartners, heath Hale.
We talked about the BlessedFoundation.
We then moved on to what Ithink is maybe one of the most
impactful stories from the fieldthat I've ever heard, with the
Mali Ali people group, with theRimsteads Incredible story.
And then we had Andrew Scott on, who talks about some of some
(01:50):
things that I think maybe hadbeen wrestling around inside of
you for a while, and he gavesome language to it in a way
that I haven't heard before.
We move all the way through therest of the season.
We end of the season where wehave pastor and mentor and
friend Brad Thomas on Dude.
That's a lot of ground to cover, so let's just kind of start at
the beginning.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
We started with John Pays.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Another one of my absolutely closest friends in
the world, and JP.
His work, his life in ministryhas changed in terms of his
business card and the name onthe door, but his life, mission,
which is to plant healthychurches in the hardest places,
has not changed.
And so now he's withSamaritan's Purse.
(02:33):
I just caught up with him lastweek.
His position just changed.
He's now over all thepartnerships I believe in maybe
is it Northern Africa andEastern Africa, something around
that and yeah, just what God'sdoing through their ministry is
incredible.
But yes, then into Heath.
So Heath and I have this very,very interesting relationship.
We are more like brothers.
(02:55):
I don't have a brother by birth, but he and I are more like
brothers than I expect anybodyelse because we are totally
willing to put the gloves on ortake them off and go to war.
We love each other, we respecteach other, but God's used us.
Iron sharpens iron, I think, isa good way to talk about our
relationship for the last eight,nine years, from Tabby's dream
(03:17):
waking up in the middle of thenight and hey, the Blessed
Foundation.
And this is what we need to do.
And we live in this crazygenerous city in Austin.
I'm actually writing an articleright now about just living
generously in Austin.
It's going to come out in acouple months and it's for them
to harness their network tobring people together, to use
the Christmas season to throwthe biggest Christmas party of
(03:40):
the year light the world.
I mean, you've been.
It's incredible, god, let mehave some roles along that way.
I helped them get the boardstarted, helped them hire the
first executive director, helpedin many ways build the Bless
Fund and set up this mechanismwhere, you know, now hundreds of
families, primarily in Austin,but in other places as well, are
(04:03):
giving annually through thisfund.
This fund is now adoptingessentially entire people groups
, entire people groups.
We started with 22.
We're now over 30, just added,I think, 11 more, and the people
groups are across NorthernAfrica, the Middle East Asia,
(04:23):
papua New Guinea.
And what's happening?
Each of these groups has adifferent kind of formative
major religion that they'reoperating within.
Now there's already people onthe ground there, with a sending
agency backed by churches doingwork, and you know, the
research that we learned overthe years was there's just
additional funding needs, justadditional funding needs.
(04:44):
You know, one of the coolestthings I think we funded in the
last year was an airstrip in avery remote part of a mountain
region where you know the people.
Primarily they were gettingwhen they would get sick or when
a mother was going intodelivery or having a premature
baby or something along thoselines.
I mean there was no hope, therewas no Clint.
I mean that's in the jungle,and getting this airstrip allows
(05:06):
them to quickly hop on a satphone, get a helicopter in and
fly somebody out to a hospital.
And already we have seen amother and a baby both lives
saved from this airstrip.
And so you know that's notsomething that you probably
think you're going to be a partof funding when you're giving to
(05:27):
your local church, but whenyou're partnering with Bless,
blessworld, go check it out,look at the fund.
If you've got something thatGod's pulling on your heart like
hey, I've got some extraresources and I want to be part
of stories like that.
That's what's going on withBless and, you know, got some
new personnel.
You know Ben Pays has beenhelping out a lot.
(05:48):
That's John Pays' twin brother.
Margaret Gibson is new fordevelopment.
They're both former GospelCoalition.
Just incredible networks,incredible heart for the Lord,
very, very, very excited aboutthe future for Bless.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And one of those places where Bless has made a
massive impact is in Papua NewGuinea, through the rimsteads
with the Malayalee people group,and I think I just want to
encourage everyone.
Like it's nice to get a recap,it's nice to like think back to
all the things at the beginningof this season.
(06:21):
You need to pause it.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
You need to take the next couple hours, two hours,
and go and listen, it may be, inmy opinion, one of the most
impactful things I've ever heardfrom the field.
No question, you know there's somuch to unpack in their story,
right?
So all of what God's doing inyour heart and with your family
to prepare you to go to themission field language training,
culture training, you training,just the decision to leave your
(06:44):
job, whatever it may be, and gointo that preparation mode,
raising support, right, go intoyour network and people in your
church and say, hey, look, thisis how much we need.
And then you get there, andthen you start your work and
years and years and years gointo developing relationships
and friendships and earningtheir trust and earning the
right to speak into the deepestparts of their lives and
patiently waiting I earning theright to speak into the deepest
(07:05):
parts of their lives andpatiently waiting.
I mean, I think one of thehardest things to hear them talk
about was the hunger that theirpeople had, that Mali Ali had
to hear the good news, but theydidn't have their language ready
yet Because remember he said,there were words in their
language that were missing.
They didn't have a word forlike grace or a word for
(07:25):
forgiveness.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Do you remember what they called Jesus?
What did they say?
The road-cutting man.
The road-cutting man.
I'll never forget that.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Yeah, so the way they had to contextualize the things
and they kept asking tell usthe good news, tell us the story
.
Who is he?
Do you know him?
Right, him, right.
And they had to wait to get toa place where it could be
communicated without error.
You know, clearly.
(07:55):
And then you go through all thatand then health, and then you
lose your health, and then yourfamily.
Things start to happen and youget pulled out of the field.
I mean, think about how manyyears of your life you've put
into something and then you'recalled home.
And so now probably a big partof God's providential design is
look, I don't need any of you,right?
I'm allowing you.
(08:16):
You're my imagers, you're myrepresentatives, but sometimes I
need to show you that I've gotother people I can do my work
through, and God's faithfulnesswas incredible.
And really, what we were justtalking about before we hit
record is, if you listen totheir episode and you hear
Emily's heart for Otome yes, herfriend Otome is that we just
(08:37):
got emails.
Otome just got baptizedIncredible so seeds that they
got to plant right.
Autumn May just got baptizedIncredible so seeds that they
got to plant right.
I mean, she talked about beingin the garden with her and
pulling her sweet potatoes whenshe thought they were weeds and
like all the.
You know the stories of likekind of how they developed their
friendship and theirrelationship.
But she didn't get to be therefor that moment.
(08:58):
But how sweet it is, how sweetit is that God brought other
people there.
We do have co-laborers.
We can trust them when we'recalled out, and the Rimstads man
, I love them.
They're in a season of prayerand preparation for their next
chapter.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, yeah, one of the things that really stuck out
to me is the way that they'reindividually shaped.
Specifically, being one of themis dyslexic.
One of them is terrified of thedark and of bugs, and so what
does God do?
God puts them in the middle ofa dark jungle where they have to
translate a language that theydon't speak.
(09:37):
And that was one of thosemoments for me where I'm like I
had to eliminate any excuse thatI ever have to do anything for
the gospel because, empowered bythe Holy Spirit, anything is
possible with the Lord.
And that was just thisbeautiful picture of them being
willing to go in their weaknessand allow God to just make an
(09:58):
incredible story out in themiddle of the jungle.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
Doesn't that just show?
It shows two things to me.
It shows daily dependence, likea true on your knees, daily
dependence which leads to a truespiritual maturity.
And I think the key word isjust trust, Like if you get to
the place where you're livingyour life fully trusting and
fully believing that God causesall things to work together for
the good of those who love himand are called according to his
(10:22):
purposes for them.
If you really believe that,then even when you're called to
the field and called out of thefield, you do it considering it
pure joy, because you'retrusting him, because you know
he's good and he's got a plan.
You may not understand it yet.
Oftentimes I don't think we do.
It's why I try to encouragepeople don't ask God.
Why are you doing this?
(10:44):
Ask God, what are you teachingme?
You know, and pay attention,because you may not want to have
to relearn some of theselessons, Some of these lessons
aren't fun to learn anyway.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
With Austin Ridge Worship, we just wrote and we're
releasing a song called youWon't Waste Suffering.
It's about how God doesn'twaste anything, and I think God
really wanted me to walk througha season where I had to learn
that in order to be able to singit well.
And so there's sometimes wehave to go through lessons that
we don't necessarily want tolearn, but God uses those things
for the glory, for his gloryand for the proclamation of the
(11:16):
gospel in the kingdom.
Again, I'm so impacted bysomeone who wouldn't just say,
hey, what am I good at doing andI'm going to go do that.
It's actually.
Hey, what am I good at doingand I'm going to go do that?
It's actually.
Hey, what am I not going to do?
Where are my deficiencies?
Speaker 1 (11:28):
All right guys.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
Huge difference.
Go use those.
But on the other side, thinkingabout things that I am good at
doing, fast forward to the nextepisode.
We talked to Switchboard, who,literally, is creating a global
network of people who are giftedto do specific things that are
impacting and benefiting folksthat are in the field.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yes, yeah, scott did a wonderful job.
You know his heart, you cantell, you can just sense his
authenticity and how much hereally cares, and he did a great
job on the episode, justsharing his story and how he's
using his background, as youknow, in software and
engineering, to build thisplatform.
And so you know, that day yousigned up and I signed up and we
(12:07):
actually got hit on.
We got a request and it was alady who's a physician working
in the Middle East looking for away to create a sustainable
business model to stay there andbe able to stay there and be on
mission right.
So she needed to develop like amedical practice or some way to
(12:28):
justify her existence, if youwill, there to the community and
the powers that be.
And so we actually experiencedSwitchboard in real time and it
really working.
And so that community I thinkit was globalswitchboardio to go
fill out a profile.
That community I think it wasglobalswitchboardio to go fill
out a profile.
You just fill one out.
I mean, why not Just tell thislittle system?
(12:48):
It's kind of like a matchmakingservice if you will Just tell
it what you're good at, if youcan build websites, or if you
can write marketing copy, or ifyou can translate to another
language or whatever the casemay be, just tell it.
If you're good at accounting,just tell like I'm good at these
(13:12):
things and you're going to getat bats, and it's very
noncommittal, it doesn't costanything.
It's just like, hey, here'ssomebody that might need you,
can you do 30 minutes next weekand just visit, and that's it.
And then you know what God'sdoing with that platform in
those introductions so cool.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
And I think it's a great opportunity for folks that
are listening, that do havethose skills and abilities, to
actually get a deeperunderstanding of what it means
to be a global Christian, thatGod has uniquely gifted
individual people who he'scalling to get in the game.
And speaking of getting thegame, it's something we've been
talking about a lot.
You know, that's kind of aphrase that we use a good bit
(13:47):
no-transcript phrase it's just,it's easy and it's.
We're sports guys, it justmakes sense to us, but man.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
I don't think I've ever been challenged more to
rethink what get in the gamethan the conversations that we
had with Andrew Scott.
Yeah, yeah, andrew's life isincredible, right, I mean coming
out of Ireland serving on theships with OM, rising in that
organization to CEO.
And then what he's calling forthe second reformation.
I mean let's not make light ofthat as something that's not a
big deal, that is a huge deal.
Let's not make light of that assomething that's not a big deal
(14:27):
, that is a huge deal.
And I think he's connectingthat concept to this idea of
missions or the gospel travelingfurther and faster on the wings
of business than it is in thetraditional missionary sense.
And he gave stats, I think Iremember 13,000 total workers
among unreached people groups.
You know, like 90 plus percentof missionaries today are
(14:48):
working in reached people groups.
He said it like the sum totalof our current impact and it's,
I mean, from a businessstandpoint, it's abysmal.
It's complete totalmisallocation of resources.
Right, I mean it's Americansspend more money on Halloween
customs for their pets than wesend to unreached people groups,
(15:09):
and it's just devastating.
And I think it's.
We are getting conformed to thecustoms of this world and we're
not spending enough time withGod to let him conform us to his
ways.
And when you do that, you justkind of live life in the hamster
wheel, in the rat race, and youkind of, you know, a decade
goes by and another decade goesby and you wake up and it's like
(15:29):
, what have I done of anysignificance?
What have I done?
And okay, how much time do Ihave left and am I going to
change?
Yes, I'm going to change, right, and here's what I'm going to
do.
Going forward, I'm going toalign my life to God's will,
going forward right andconceptually.
You can do that with yourbusiness.
(15:50):
You can do that investing allof your capital.
It's not just work and takecare of kids and set up money
for retirement and cut a checkon Sunday mornings and let the
church go, do big pictureministry stuff.
No, it's.
You're called 24-7, 365 to bepreaching the gospel, to be
evangelizing, to be discipling,to be part of this story, to be
(16:14):
a global Christian, right, andoh man, if we're encouraging
people through this podcast ofanything, it's to rethink your
calling and your wiring and howyou're aligning your life to
God's will and how you'replaying your role in his story.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I've seen such an awakening in you throughout the
course of this season.
We talk about all the time.
How could you not want to giveyour life to this, and actively?
I feel like you and I are bothtrying to pursue avenues to give
our life to this.
What is something practical,that something that our folks
listening to this podcast today?
What's something practical thatthey can do to take a step to
(16:51):
move in that direction?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
I mean I think it's.
You know, I know you're goingto talk about Brad at some point
, but I mean it's what Brad said.
Right, it's getting up.
I mean prayerfully.
You get up every morning andbefore you address all the dots
on your phone from the nightbefore, open your Bible and read
it.
And right before you readrather than reading your Bible,
looking for where you are in thestory read your Bible, trying
(17:19):
to understand contextually whatGod is teaching you, what is
happening.
This was written 2000 plusyears ago, depending on where
you are in the Bible, 3,500years ago maybe, and a lot of
things were different then.
Context was different then.
So I've read through the Bibleabout 10 years in a row now.
I've taught through the Bibleabout 10 years in a row now.
(17:39):
I've taught through the Bibleabout seven years in a row.
We go Genesis to Maps everyyear with a new group.
Right, and it never gets stale,it never gets old.
You always learn new things.
But the first step is get up andget in your Bible and get
yourself prepared for your day.
And if you don't know what toread, start with the Gospel of
John.
If you've read a little bit ofBible and you're kind of like
(18:00):
how do I prepare for the day?
Read Ephesians 6, right, Getyour armor on.
I mean, really get anunderstanding that this is not
just the world's not justhappening and you're just part
of it.
There are forces controllingthis world.
It is biblical, it is set upthat way, and you are a warrior,
you are a soldier and you wereeither on the side of heaven's
(18:23):
armies or you are not right.
And so if you're not preparingyourself for battle each day by
surrendering your agenda andasking God what do you want to
do today, Then you're notprobably accomplishing anything
again that's good or significant.
It may be temporarily winning agame for you, it may be
(18:44):
providing for family and thingslike that, and that's okay.
I'm not saying that that's bad,but that's in context to a
greater narrative and a greaterstory that happens over the
course of the 70, 80, 90,however many years you're here,
and I just don't want to get tothe end of that story.
Clint, and look back.
I missed plenty of at-batsalready.
(19:08):
I don't want to look back onmissed at-bats.
I want to look back on swings,even if they're strikeouts, even
if they're foul balls.
I want to look back on I took acut.
So, yes, get up, pray up, alignyour life to God's will, read
your Bible and then listen.
Right, You're going to get asense of direction and purpose
from God.
And then get into community.
If you've never been in adiscipleship group, get into a
(19:30):
discipleship group.
It's not a life group.
It's not a Bible study.
This is an accountability.
It's different.
How did Jesus change the world?
He got a small group of 12 guysand he did life with them for
three years.
Get into a D group anddadgummit I'm calling you out.
If you've been in one, thenstart one.
It is your job 2 Timothy 2.2, topass that on.
It is your job to take whatyou've learned and share with
(19:52):
others.
It's not for your consumption,not for your consumption.
You have a role to play and youare equipped just as equipped
as the rimsteads were to go livein the dark, scary jungle and
translate a language they'dnever, you know, heard.
As a dyslexic guy, I meanyou're, you're ready.
You can do this at home, inyour own neighborhood.
You can do this at your owncompany, in the, in the
(20:12):
boardroom.
Just do it, Take it, take astep forward and say, look, I
don't know everything, but I gotsome train tracks.
Here's an idea.
We're going to do this.
We're going to read some books,we're going to memorize some
scripture together and we'rejust going to be prayerful and
we're going to open it up andwe're going to talk.
Everything starts to changeafter that.
But if you're not reading yourBible, if you haven't read
through your Bible, if youhaven't studied your Bible, it
(20:41):
and if you are in that vein andyou're doing that, then of
course you'd continue to do it.
And then you start to get intocommentaries on it, then you
start to get into books about it, then you start to get into
other things that maybechallenge your assumptions.
I'm reading the unseen realmright now, rereading it, because
the first time I read it itblew my mind so much that I
don't even know how much of it Icould really ingest it.
Basically, it goes through thebible and it finds all the
things that everyone skipsbecause it's just like eh, what
is that?
Like, oh, the Nephilim, right?
Like giants, Like what do youmean?
(21:02):
The sons of God?
Who were they?
What does that mean?
It just goes to every one ofthose things and it's like this
is what they mean.
And here's all the parts in theBible that talk about it and
here's how you pull it alltogether and you, If you're
pretty mature or really matureand you're ready for a different
deep dive, go to the UnseenRealm, Check that out and then
call me and let's talk about it,because I need help processing
(21:24):
it.
Somebody else has got to dothis with me.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
So you were just talking about get up in the
morning, read the word, and thenyou were talking about making
sure you get a good at bat.
So here's what I read thismorning.
I'm in Second Kings, I'mlooking at King Joash.
His chief advisor is Jehoiada,and they're struggling to raise
the temple tax in the seasonthat they're in because they've
(21:47):
lost trust with the people ofIsrael.
So what do they do?
They get a giant box, theydrill a hole on top of it, they
stick it out in the middle ofthe courtyard so that everybody
can see it.
So there's financialaccountability and there's
transparency.
I'm thinking about that and howthat leads into our next guest,
also what you just said aboutmaking a good at bat and taking
(22:08):
advantage of the bats we had.
We had someone who was theradio broadcast host of Baylor
Baseball, who also happens totalk about spiritual
accountability in faith-driveninvestors, on an episode of the
show, richard Cunningham.
So walk us through what youthought about the episode with
Richard Cunningham.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Richard Cunningham faith-driven investor,
faith-driven entrepreneur.
You can look those up.
That is a kind of likeswitchboard.
That is another network thatyou can join you can be a part
of.
There's study groups, biblestudies.
There's local groups.
There's tons of content thatthey're creating about how do
you be a Christ follower at work?
(22:48):
How do you be redemptive withyour work?
No-transcript and him have alot in common in sports ministry
(23:25):
and we talked about yourworking with the Panthers as a
team chaplain and yourdiscipling guys from the Texas
Longhorns here now that you'rein Austin and man, you said
something I may have repeated asoften as anything else I've
learned on this podcast in thatepisode and you talked about how
to share praise with a giftedathlete and how you say you
(23:49):
really focus on telling them Ienjoyed watching you play not,
you played great today Becauseyou're kind of what God has
given you is.
He delights in us and enjoyswatching us do these things, not
necessarily scoreboarding us onhow we performed each and every
(24:09):
day.
You want to unpack that onemore time.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Yeah, I think our default position is we want
affirmation for the thing thatwe're good at.
But what we find over time isthat repeated affirmation in a
thing that we're gifted to doleads to a performance-based
identity.
There you go.
And so if someone says toDustin, hey, you're just really
(24:32):
great with money, you're reallygreat with investing, at some
point Dustin starts to thinkdude, this is who I am, this is
the only thing that I bring tothe kingdom, the only thing that
I bring to the world.
But God says that when he looksat us, he doesn't see our rap
sheet and he doesn't see ourtrophy case.
He sees the work of Jesus.
And so when God looks at us, hesays I enjoy you, I take
(24:56):
delight in you, I delight in you, not just hey, I'm proud of you
for doing the thing that youdid well.
Now, granted, there issomething to say for doing
things in excellence, but you'redoing that as an offering of
praise to the Lord.
I'm playing football, I'mplaying guitar, I'm doing well
in business.
I'm doing this as an offeringof praise to God.
And so I've just found that somany athletes just get trapped
(25:18):
in this performance-basedidentity because everybody that
sees them wants to make acomment about their performance.
We have a guy who won a SuperBowl, that goes to church here
and I've gotten an opportunityto disciple and he just is an
incredible athlete and he'sgrowing in his relationship with
Jesus leaps and bounds.
It's been incredible and Ithink, by default, we just want
(25:42):
to go and praise people for thethings that they do.
So he was at church a couple ofweeks ago and somebody walked up
to him, shook his hand andspecifically started talking
about plays that he was on.
I watched you do this, I sawyou do this, you did this thing,
and then then you got to thissack and you did this person and
and like I'm watching him like,kind of like not like roll his
eyes at all, he was verygenerous and kind, but in his
(26:04):
mind he's thinking like, yeah, Iknow, dude, I was there.
Yeah, like I was there, yeah,and so after that conversation
was over, I just pulled him overto the side and I was like, hey
, man, I just want you to know,like I love you and I'm proud of
you and I just enjoy watchingyou play.
I even enjoyed watching younavigate that conversation just
now.
Yeah, there you go, and it justcompletely changes the mindset,
of helping us understand howGod views us in light of the
(26:28):
gifts that he gives us.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
I'm going to challenge you on this topic
because I think you maybe have abook to write.
Okay, don't laugh at me, you'rea songwriter, you're a musician
.
Writing a book is not that muchdifferent, and I'll help you do
it.
But I think there's one morestep that we hadn't found yet,
that God hasn't revealed yet,right?
So we know, we got theperformance-based identity.
No-transcript.
(27:08):
Everybody else, somebody mightchime in and tell us hey, maybe
it's this, maybe it's that, Ithink there's something else
there.
And yeah, no, I don't know why,but I think you can.
I think you got a vote to write.
Wait, what is it?
I don't know yet.
Oh, dude, I don't know yet.
All right, stay tuned.
No, it's a stay tuned, staytuned.
We're going to, we're going tofigure it out.
We are we are in God's perfecttiming.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
I will say that I'm I'm learning in this journey
after years and years of walkingalongside of athletes.
The way that you disciple themtowards a relationship with
Jesus while they are in theirperformance-based season really
has a profound impact on them.
When they step out of theirperformance-based environment
(27:50):
Because NFL stands for not forlong we make that joke all the
time, and I mean these guys theyultimately have to walk out and
play their last game, most ofthem by injury.
Very few of them get to justdecide hey, this was my last one
, I'm going to ride off into thesunset.
Yeah, it's typically a veryemotional and traumatic moment
Very much so and then all of asudden, the thing that you have
(28:12):
been doing since you were 8, 9,10 years old.
You don't ever get to do itagain, and it is a traumatic
experience for some of theseguys, but I've found that this
deep relationship with Jesusgives them something to look
forward to what their purpose is, but also what their action is
going to look like after theyget out of the league.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
So I think you want to talk about a cultural
phenomenon, a cultural word,phrase, concept, idea that has
become grossly just, terriblymismanaged and too focused on.
What's that Retirement?
How many times is retirementmentioned in the Bible?
Speaker 2 (28:54):
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say zero
times it's actually one One.
Oh one, I was so close.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
So you couldn't have been any closer without being
correct One time, one time inthe whole Bible.
Okay, so you think about howoften we talk about things that
the Bible doesn't talk about alot.
That's a huge one, yeah, andthe only people in the Bible who
retirement is built for, it'sback in the Torah, way back in
the beginning.
It's for Levitical priests.
(29:20):
It says Levitical priests canretire at 55.
So that's the only time.
And so, like my whole industry,right, this whole industry of
wealth management and all thatis built around this concept of
retirement, I got to work thislong, save this much.
It makes me think of FrancisChan, right, and that whole
video he did with the length ofrope.
We try to work for this much ofour life so that we can collect
(29:40):
seashells and play golf forthis much of our life.
That is just not biblical, it'sjust not.
It's just not.
So.
You talk about preparingathletes for that transition.
My life's work is largelypreparing people not to make
that transition.
Yes, you may transition at somepoint from a full-time
exposition at X company, butyou're not transitioning out of
(30:03):
work.
God made us to work.
Look at Genesis.
He worked right.
We were built for it.
So maybe you're transitioninginto consulting or sitting on
boards or volunteering ornonprofits or some other that
maybe you're financiallyequipped for now and mentally
equipped for now and you havethe gray hair and the wisdom to
advise on now.
(30:23):
But, man, you see people justfully drop out and oftentimes
like at the peak of theirinfluence, absolutely At the
peak of their influence, becausethey, because they feel like
they've ran the race, they'retired, they've earned it, I've
earned this.
I'm sorry.
You've earned the right toshare it.
You've earned the right tomentor and disciple and bring
people up right, and that'swhere good happens.
(30:44):
And so I just think, for theChrist follower, the concept of
finishing well.
There's not a lot of examplesof finishing well in the Bible.
There's a lot of examples, awhole lot of examples of not
finishing well.
I mean Solomon.
If the wisest man to ever livewas dumb enough to have 700
wives and 700 mother-in-laws, Imean, come on.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think we both have books to write.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
I mean, I don't know that one just sticks out.
So I had to go there.
You can't call me out to writeone without you doing it with me
I think you got something there.
Todd Aaron wanted to write abook with me once and we got
stuck because we couldn't decideon the color scheme for the
cover.
He wanted red and black and Iwas like I'm sorry it's not
happening.
Drawing a line.
I'm drawing a line right hereToo.
Texas Tech, for you it's waytoo.
(31:28):
Red Raider, I can't do it.
I'm not saying it has to beburnt orange, but I'm just
saying the color of a sunset,sunrise, a lot more appealing.
That's hilarious, I digress.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
Well, all right, let's jump to our very last
episode.
So the last two episodes we didwas Pastor Brad Thomas.
Brad, obviously, is the pastorat Austin Ridge Bible Church.
He's been your mentor, he hasled you through dGroups.
He has encouraged you alongyour path that you've been
walking.
What are some big takeawaysthat you had from the episode
with Brad?
Speaker 1 (32:00):
you had from the episode with Brad.
That episode is largely aculmination of, you know, doing
life under his tutelage and andum example and and mentorship
and discipleship, and I mean thewiring of who, um, I am today.
God has largely, largely donethrough Brad.
I know he has done a lotthrough you since you've been
here too, so you can relate.
A lot of people in thiscommunity can relate.
(32:24):
I can't overstate how much thatman means to me.
And he doesn't write books, hedoesn't put his name on the door
, he doesn't come on podcasts.
In fact I don't think he's everlistened to a podcast.
So when I was like, hey, wouldyou come on the podcast?
He goes, of course I would.
I go.
Do you even know what it means?
(32:45):
He's like, nope, I go.
Do you know how to listen tothe podcast?
No, don't have any idea.
I mean, he just lives his lifeso different.
You talk about Clemson footballand he wants to go play golf
and I mean he's got the just aguy like he's relatable and all
(33:06):
that.
But man, he just he loves Jesusand he reads his Bible and he
studies and he prepares and heis so faithful to the text and
so faithful to this church, likewhen I text Brad and I'm like,
hey, so-and-so is sick andthey're in the hospital.
Brad's like pick me up at nineo'clock on Saturday, we're going
to see him.
When we lost a baby halfwaythrough a pregnancy, brad shows
(33:28):
up at the house.
I'm here, let's pray.
I'm just here.
I'm just here to be with you.
I just love you.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
He had a line that stuck with me.
He said Jesus didn't come tostart a megachurch, he came to
start a small group.
Yeah, there you go, and Brad'slived his life in that way.
That priority.
Speaker 1 (33:43):
Brad said it to the pastors and other folks that
listen Be faithful to the text.
Just open the Bible, Start in abook and go through the whole
thing and don't skip any of it.
Just we've been walking.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
We've been walking through the book of acts here at
Austin Ridge and I for eightmonths.
Yeah, yeah, and we're, I thinka couple of things have that
much to go.
A couple of things that it'srevealed to me is is I'm just
astonished at the, theapplicable things that I've
taken from the book of acts, andthen also, maybe I'm a little
convicted at my ability tocritically read Scripture,
(34:16):
because there are things that Iam learning and discovering in
this book that I neverrecognized before, like dots
that I'm connecting, so I'mgrateful for that.
The priority of spending timein the word, understanding
scripture, having a deep desireto listen to God's word, to read
(34:38):
God's word, is a crucialintersection of growing in our
faith, and so I think I justlove our listeners to hear just
from you as you've grown in yourfaith in these last two seasons
.
What is God showing you?
What are you most excited about?
What are you most challenged byright now through doing this
(35:01):
podcast?
Speaker 1 (35:01):
You know, when we had Andrew Scott on, he and I got
to jam in and it's happened alot on this podcast.
If you're not doing anything inyour life where the Holy Spirit
takes over and you're kind oflike I don't really know what
just happened, yeah, dosomething in your life where
that's starting to happen.
Yeah, get yourself intosituations that are
uncomfortable for you and whereyou can't do it.
I'm not a podcaster, I have noexperience with this.
(35:24):
Y'all know the story.
I mean, my wife said it one day.
I ran into Clint the next dayand Clint's like, yeah, I know
how to do it and it startedright.
So you know, I'm just asequipped to podcast as David
Rimstad is to translate alanguage you know.
Yeah, here, both of you are.
But when Andrew and I wererapping and I said something to
him that I have heard myself onthe recording say that I never
(35:46):
premeditated, never thoughtabout.
It's just, it's one of those,just full blown.
No other explanation other thanthe Holy Spirit through this out
there, right, and as I wasthinking about and praying about
today, how do I apply my lifeto your will, not just your word
, to my life, god?
Pray that prayer, right.
(36:07):
God, how do I apply my life toyour will, not just your word to
my life?
Because I think we all startreading the Bible, trying to
apply it to our life, the 10commandments, the law, figuring
all that out, and then we'retrying to where am I in this
story?
Where am I in this story?
How does this apply to me?
(36:28):
And the opposite is somewherealong that line, prayerfully,
somebody disciples you, orthrough your own prayer life,
you wake up and you realize,like that is not it.
How do I apply my life to yourwill, is it?
What do you want to do today?
How do you want to handle thissituation?
Do you want me to go to workhere?
(36:49):
Do you want me to go to doministry there?
Do you want us to have anotherkid?
Do you want me to hit a driveror a three wood on this tee shot
Like I don't know man, howeverit is, but like it's.
How do I apply my life to yourwill?
And I think that has been a bigpivot for me.
You asked me what's changed,not that that wasn't already
something that maybe I wasworking on, but it just it
(37:12):
didn't.
God hadn't given me thatclarity in it till this, so I
feel like it's easier for me toget up in the morning and go.
Okay, god, how do I apply mylife today to your will?
What are we going to do today?
What are we going to do todaythat makes a significant impact?
And then, if you're living yourday, looking, listening you're
(37:35):
going to see those at-bats.
If you're not prayed up andyou're not in your Bible and you
don't have some scripturememorized and you're not ready,
you're just going to miss them.
The ball's still going to comeacross the plate.
You just don't have a bat andyou're just not ready.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Yeah, yeah, and you're just not ready.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
Does that make sense?
Yeah, yeah, and there will bedays Clint and listeners and the
guys at my D group if any ofyou are listening where we are
not going to get that right.
There are going to be seasonswhere we're not going to be
totally prayed up and preparedand we're not going to get that
right and we're going to missthings.
Somewhat of maturity is gettingon your knees and getting
dependent and preparing yourselfto miss less things.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
For our listeners.
I just want to tell you thankyou, thanks for joining us on
this journey, Thank you forcontinuing to encourage, thank
you for praying for us, thankyou for sharing these episodes
and, I think, as God continuesto move, and you continue to go
on this journey around the worldwith us and hear what God's up
to and how God's moving in thesedifferent unreached people
(38:34):
groups, my prayer for you isthat you would, as a global
Christian, find a place whereyou feel called and equipped to
go and do, to get into the game.
I know we keep using thatphrase over and over, but it
just seems like the applicablething that we're really trying
to encourage everybody to do,and this podcast is one of the
ways that Dustin and I aregetting into the game.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
It's been a really cool uh not quite a year.
We're excited to wrap seasontwo.
Um, I think we I think we kindof went all over the place.
We had missionary on the ground, things, we had businesses,
missions, things.
We had, uh, software connectingthe two, software connecting
(39:18):
the two.
I mean it was a veryecosystem-friendly season.
Yeah, looking ahead to seasonthree, we've got several
exciting things coming.
We're going to have a guy thatleads an incredible
international ministry 90schools, 90 colleges, 90
seminaries among unreachedpeople groups around the world,
(39:39):
training and equippingindigenous pastors to lead their
people well, to be faithful tothe text and how to build your
church, how to lead your church,how to equip your church, based
on lessons learned from justdoing it a little longer.
That fires me up.
We've got some more businessstuff how to build your church,
how to lead your church, how toequip your church based on
lessons learned from just doingit a little longer.
That fires me up.
We've got some more businessstuff.
We've got some guys that areinvesting in venture capital and
(40:03):
early stage businesses amongunreached people groups.
Wow.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
In my mind.
Now, when I look at the globalmap, I see it different.
I see almost like these littleheat maps, like these little hot
spots where I know that thegospel is being communicated
there, I know that the church isgrowing there.
I know that Jesus is at work inthose places through specific
people that we've talked to hereon the pod.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
Yeah, you talked about a few folks reaching out.
Some folks have reached out.
I want to say thanks to.
It's very encouraging to hearfrom someone.
There was a family in Canadathat reached out that they were
on the precipice of going to themission field.
They just hadn't had that kindof final push, over, the finish
line moment.
And then they sent us a noteand they're like we heard the
(40:48):
podcast, we heard the storiesand we were like no, that's it.
We want to be part of thosekinds of stories.
The Whitefords, the pastor outin California and his wife, they
came to Austin to meet with usand they were like what's
happening here and what Bless isdoing?
And we started reading about itand we started listening.
They are reconfiguring,rewiring a lot of their church
(41:09):
to a global focus.
I think largely the Americanchurch, I pray, continues to do
so.
I think we look at local andglobal and we're just so
outweighed the local.
We are the local church andthat certainly is a calling, but
we aren't called to stay withinour four walls, right, and
there has to be some shift ofresources to finish this thing.
(41:30):
There has to be more resourcesgoing where they're not and that
has to be more resources goingwhere they're not, and that has
to be human capital as well asfinancial capital.
And something we say often,clint, you say often, why would
you not want to give your lifeto this?
So hey, here's my call toaction.
My call to action is somethingin the second half of this year,
(41:52):
do something different.
Do something different.
It can be something simple,like praying without ceasing
through your day.
It can be something like makingsure you start your day in the
Bible.
It can be whatever that thingis that God's put on your heart
that you've been terrified tostart doing.
If it's a nonprofit, if it'sserving, if it's changing jobs,
if it's going to an unreachedpeople group, whatever it is, do
(42:13):
something different.
And if God prompts you to, whydon't you let us know what that
is?
Speaker 2 (42:18):
God, we're so grateful that we get to be a
part of your story, that we getto read your word and learn more
about who you are, but then youalso are so kind in the way
that you give us full access toyou, a holy God.
(42:38):
You made a way for us, throughJesus, to have a relationship
with you, and so, god, I justask on behalf of our listeners,
on behalf of Dustin and I, thatyou would reveal to us what your
will is for us.
You would help us to apply ourlives to your will.
That you would give us boldnessand confidence in the way that
(43:01):
we serve you.
That you would open our eyes tosee the things that are unseen.
That you would give us ears tohear.
That you would give us aboldness to be able to proclaim
the gospel around the world.
And God, as you continue toutilize able to proclaim the
gospel around the world, and God, as you continue to utilize
this podcast and the people thatare listening to it, god, I
(43:27):
pray that you would allow us tobe a part of seeing your kingdom
come and your will being done.
God, thank you for the meansand the network and the
opportunity that we have to beable to reach the unreached
around the world.
God, we love you, put our trustand our hope completely in you,
in Jesus' name, amen and amen.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
Thank you for listening to Unreached.
Our sincere desire is that whatyou've heard today will cause
you to see the mission of Goddifferently and your role in it
more clearly.
If this adds value for you andwe hope it does would you please
rate and review the podcastwherever you listen.
Also, share with your family,your friends, your church, your
life group, small group, d group, wherever you do life, and if
(44:02):
you want to connect with us,find us on Instagram, at
unreachedpodcast, or email us atunreachedpodcast at gmailcom.
Thank you.
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