Podcast appearances and mentions of Andrew Fuller

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Andrew Hopper, Lead Pastor of Mercy Hill Church in North Carolina. Planted in 2012 with just 30 people, Mercy Hill has grown into a multi-campus, fast-growing church known for its gospel clarity and sending culture. In this conversation, Andrew shares why adoption and foster care have become central expressions of Mercy Hill's mission—and how those practices flow directly out of the gospel. He also unpacks the heart behind his book, Chosen: Building Your Family the Way God Builds His. Is your church unsure how to engage big social needs without drifting from the gospel? Are you looking for a way to mobilize people beyond church walls while keeping discipleship front and center? Andrew offers a clear framework for doing both. Doing good as a sign of the kingdom. // Andrew addresses a common tension churches feel between community engagement and disciple-making. Mercy Hill refuses to treat these as competing priorities. Acts of service—whether foster care, adoption, or family restoration—are not the kingdom itself but signposts pointing to it. Meeting tangible needs creates openings for gospel conversations. These ministries don't replace evangelism; they amplify it by demonstrating the heart of God in visible ways. A church’s collective heartbeat. // Mercy Hill's deep involvement in adoption, foster care, and family restoration didn't start as a top-down strategy but emerged organically from the gifts and passions within the church. Many leaders and members have adopted children themselves, shaping the church's collective heartbeat. Rather than attempting to address every social issue, Mercy Hill chose to focus deeply on a few—believing churches are most effective when they lean into the specific good works God has prepared for them. This focus has mobilized hundreds of families and created a powerful witness in their community. Rope-holding and shared responsibility. // Not everyone is called to adopt or foster, but everyone can hold the rope. Drawing from the William Carey analogy, Mercy Hill equips members to support families on the front lines through prayer, childcare, meals, financial help, and presence. Over time, they've learned that rope-holding works best when built on existing relationships rather than formal assignments. The goal is to ensure no family fights alone in what Andrew describes as intense spiritual warfare. Big vision with baby steps. // Mercy Hill isn't afraid to cast a bold vision—whether for global missions, adoption, or church planting—but they pair that vision with accessible next steps. Prayer nights, giving opportunities, short-term service, and relational support allow people to grow into greater obedience over time. High challenge without guilt creates healthy discipleship. Why Andrew wrote Chosen. // Andrew wrote Chosen: Building Your Family the Way God Builds His not to promote a program, but to give churches a theological foundation for engaging adoption and foster care. The book weaves together Andrew's family story, Mercy Hill's journey, and a deeply gospel-centered motivation rooted in Scripture. Designed to be used individually or in groups, Chosen includes discussion questions and practical guidance for churches or small groups wanting to explore this calling in community. Andrew's prayer is that the book would catalyze thousands of Christian families to participate meaningfully in caring for vulnerable children and families. Gospel-driven motivation. // Underneath everything is Andrew's conviction that gospel motivation outlasts guilt. Behavior rooted in grace goes further than behavior driven by pressure. Adopted people adopt people. Chosen people choose people. That theological clarity fuels Mercy Hill's sending culture, their community impact, and their ongoing growth. To explore Andrew's resources on adoption, foster care, and grab his book, Chosen, visit andrewphopper.com/chosen or follow him on Instagram @andrewphopper. You can learn more about Mercy Hill Church at mercyhillchurch.com. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Portable Church Your church is doing really well right now, and your leadership team is looking for solutions to keep momentum going! It could be time to start a new location. Maybe you have hesitated in the past few years, but you know it's time to step out in faith again and launch that next location. Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. We have got a multi-time guest on, and you know what that means. That means that I really respect, deeply admire, and want you to listen up, and today is no exception. Excited to have Andrew Hopper with us. He is the lead pastor of a church that they should be following, that you should be following. He’s a lead pastor of Mercy Hill Church with five locations, if I’m counting correctly, in North Carolina, and is repeatedly one of the fastest growing churches in the country. I love this church on many levels. They’re centered on the gospel and have a radical commitment to sending people to the nations. They have a desire to make disciples and multiply churches. Andrew, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Andrew Hopper — Man, I’m so pumped to be here. Love the podcast. Really appreciate it, man.Rich Birch — Yeah, I’m honored that you would come back. For folks that that don’t know Mercy Hill, give me a bit of a kind of an update. Tell us a little bit about the church.Andrew Hopper — Yeah.Rich Birch — Maybe update us from last time you were on.Andrew Hopper — Yeah, man. So just real quick, planted in 2012. We had 30 people, all you know kind of young professional age, and man, just really believe that God could do something incredible ah through, you know just through our our open hands, and he did.Andrew Hopper — And so it’s been 13 years. It’s crazy. We’ve been sort of pushing the same boulder up the same mountain for 13 years, just flywheel kind of concept and keep pushing. And ah the Lord has done an incredible thing, like you said, five campuses. And man, just moved into a new home and hub. That was from last time we had a chance. That’s been really great. Andrew Hopper — We were in a rented location for a long time as our main like broadcast campus. We’re a video-based multi-site. And so um it’s ah it was a three or four-year journey to raise the money and build this new facility. But we’re in, and the Lord has really blessed that with tons of new people, highest baptisms, sent ones, first time guest numbers, all everything that we’ve done. This has been a, you know, we’ve gone been on a ride – praise God for that. It’s it’s, um, it’s for his sake and his renown, but this year has been unlike the others. So it’s been…Rich Birch — Yeah, you were saying beforehand, it’s like 30 or something like 30 some percent year over year growth. That’s insane to keep up with.Andrew Hopper — It is man. And the, and the giving does not, uh, you know, the giving doesn’t happen.Rich Birch — Reflect that yet.Andrew Hopper — So it’s, it’s like, we’re trying to do ministry on a budget of a church that’s 3000, but a church that’s running 4,500. And it’s like, how do you do that effectively without killing everybody?Rich Birch — Nice.Andrew Hopper — All your staff, I mean, so, but we’re, we’re learning, man, we’re figuring it out. It’s fun. We got, we just planted our sixth church. So that’s apart from the campuses. This is first time, Rich, we’ve planted a church in our own city.Rich Birch — Oh, nice. That’s cool.Andrew Hopper — It’s been really, a really cool dynamic and it’s been fun. He’s doing great. Man, it was a college student that we met when he was 19 years old at North Carolina AT&T 10 years later. He’s an elder here. He’s done a lot of different things. And man, he goes and plants a new church in Greensboro about five minutes from one of our campuses and they’re doing great.Rich Birch — Wow. Yeah, that’s so good. Well, the thing, there’s lots I love about Mercy Hill, but one of the things that I’ve loved about your church from the you know the chance we’ve had to journey a little bit over the years about it is you just have real clarity around the mission, this idea of making disciples, multiplying churches. It’s like that has been rock solid from the beginning. When you think about we want churches to have discipleship at its core, this idea of a church that actually grows people up in their relationship with Christ. What matters most at the foundation? How are you keeping that so foundational to you know what’s happening at Mercy Hill?Andrew Hopper — Yeah, I think um I think that we always sort of bought into kind of what we see in Acts 2 as a little bit of a flywheel. We call it gather, group, give, go. A lot of churches have something like that.Andrew Hopper — The the difference, I think, at Mercy Hill a little bit than what I see ah in in in a lot of churches that we help mentor and coach is that 2020 hit and everybody was like, man, what is a church? What is discipleship? What are we going to do now? And and people were kind of… And I do think it was and it wasn’t, you know, it wasn’t just me. I mean, our, you know, our executive pastor Bobby, he was really integral in this. We sort of really doubled down on no, I kind of think the church is going to come back. Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — And I kind of think what we were doing is sort of what our church is set up to do. It kind of a brand thing. We are sort of a big box sending brand. And that, you know, for us, when we look at Acts 2, we’re like, dude, the gathering, there’s no more there’s no more important hour for discipleship and evangelism. And I know there’s a lot of things written against that. And people are kind of almost like downplaying it. Andrew Hopper — We’re just like, man, we just don’t believe it. We believe people need to be in a group. You know, we they need generosity is lead step in discipleship, give. And we got to teach people that there’s a mission bigger than themselves. And if we do that, it’s going to funnel more people into the gathering. Andrew Hopper — So I think fundamentally what I would say, we need to get, you know, we could talk about our value, you know we can talk about values to gospel and [inaudible] identity, but I think landing on you know, it’s very hard now to, to not get a word salad book form or thing. When you ask somebody, how are you making disciples? It can just be like…Rich Birch — Right. Very vacuous. Who knows what that means? Yeah.Andrew Hopper — For us, it’s just been a very clear, simple process.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — Like, man, we believe if someone is in the gathering, if they’re in relationship, if they’re being pushed on generosity, and if they’re living for a mission bigger than themselves, that’s a current of maturity that will move them. They just get in the stream, they’ll move.Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. It’s so good.Andrew Hopper — that’s kind of So you know for us, I think that’s as, you know we’ve we’ve tried to simplify things there.Rich Birch — Yeah. And, and your last episode, I’ve pointed a ton of people to it, uh, to really, and we really unpack a lot of what you talked about there in more detail.Andrew Hopper — Right. Yeah.Rich Birch — You’re going to want to go back and, uh, and listen to that. You’ve reached as a church, you’ve reached a lot of people who don’t grow up in church that it’s like, there’s a lot of people who are there. You know, we used to say we ain’t your mama’s church, but mama didn’t go to church, you know? So, you know, and it’s been a long time that people were there. What challenges have you seen, you know, helping move people from curiosity into real ongoing discipleship? So like, I think there are, we’re seeing a swell of attendance across the country. People are like, oh, I’m kind of interested in this, but we got to move them from just, oh, this is something interesting to like, oh, I’m actually want to grow my relationship with Jesus.Andrew Hopper — Yeah, I mean, and it’s it’s funny too, Rich, you probably have a better bird’s eye view of this than I do. But I feel like churches that have been faithfully growing for like the last 10 years, they’re not really doing a lot different now. Or even though there’s this big swell happening, what I do think is that some churches have sort of decided like, oh, clarity does matter.Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah, that’s true.Andrew Hopper — And don’t try to be friends with the culture. We’re going to speak in and be prophetic. And, you know, even even to the you know Proverbs 25:26 says, you know, there’s there there’s no there’s no benefit in a muddied spring. You know, it’s like you got to be sort of you got to figure out if we’re going to be clear.Andrew Hopper — So, I you know, for me, I think like and you’re right, we do reach most of the people that we reach that are in the camp that you’re talking about our college age. We reach a lot of people, though, ah that are, you know, they’re they’re coming back to the faith because they’re a southerner.Rich Birch — Sure.Andrew Hopper — You know, they they kind of they kind of were, you know, they they did have some church in their background. They’re coming back. Their kids are not only born, but they’re realizing they’re sinners and they don’t have answers. They’re trying to figure that out.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Andrew Hopper — They’re coming back to church.Andrew Hopper — And, you know, I think the biggest thing that moves people from like interest into a decision point is just being very clear on this is what the gospel is. This is the life it compels you to. Are you going to be in or out?Andrew Hopper — One of the things we say at Mercy Hill a lot is like, man, if you’re if you’re just intrigued, you know, if you’re interested, you’re not going to stay at Mercy Hill because we’re never going to let you, you’re going to get pushed every week. And it’s like, man, people are not really in or like that. I’m not going to do that. You know, they’re just like, no I’m not going to sit here and get like pushed every single week on something I don’t really… And the flip side is when people say, all right, you know what? Stake in the ground. I’m in.Rich Birch — Yeah, we’re doing this, yep.Andrew Hopper — I wanna look like this, I want to build my life on this. It’s like, well, now, you know, it’s it’s man, I’m hopefully, you know, putting tools in the belt every single week to live that life.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, it’s good. I do think there was a time where people wandered into our churches where I don’t think that happens as much anymore. I think people, when they arrive, they come with questions, with live active questions that they’re trying to wrestle with, kind of regardless of where they’re they’re at in their journey.Andrew Hopper — Yeah.Rich Birch — And they’re what you to your point around, you know, there’s no benefit in a muddy stream. People aren’t looking for anything that sounds like, well, what do you think? Because the reason why they’re there is because they’re asking questions. And so, you know, they’re they’re looking for clarity, like I think you’re saying. Rich Birch — Well one of the things I love about your church is there’s a high commitment to, you’re you’re you’re tearing down what I think is a false dichotomy. Sometimes I think when churches come to this idea of outreach or making a difference in their community, there’s this there can be this gap or false dichotomy between doing good in our communities and making disciples. Like we gave that up at some point. We were like, you can’t, you know, we can’t do both of those things for some reason. Why, why did we do that? Why did we, as churches say, we can’t both make a difference in our communities and also make disciples?Andrew Hopper — Yeah, I think it’s, I actually have a lot of sympathy for the fundamentalist leaning. I know it sounds a little bit weird. Rich Birch — No, that’s fine.Andrew Hopper — Churches that led from the, you know, from the good do good in your city kind of thing. I don’t think they’re right, but I do have sympathy for that because I understand how quickly that sort of, you know, is so hijacked by liberal, by theological liberalism to where it’s finally man we’re digging wells and wherever but we’re not talking about who the true source of living water is. Like we don’t want to be offensive we just want to do good without speaking the whole you know you know live your life as a Christian only use words if necessary, whatever, you know. And and I so I understand why people kind of fled and have fled that.Andrew Hopper — Like, you know, I’ve even had our church before when I when I talk about adoption or we we have a ministry, and a ministry called No More Spectators. We’re like moving people towards community ministry. And we had people kind of going on like, oh, my gosh, this seems like a sign of like churches start going this way and then they lose the gospel.Andrew Hopper — And I’m like, well, the reason you’re kind of feeling like that is because a lot of churches have done that. You know, you’re not [inaudible] like that just out of nowhere. Now, of course, I think it’s a little bit immature and we’ve got to push through. The way we talk about it, Rich, is, man, we want to do good in our community as signs of the kingdom coming.Andrew Hopper — They are not building the kingdom. You know, if we go repaint a house or house a homeless person, one day that person would parted with that house, whether they, you know, get messed up and leave or whether they do great and then would die one day, you know.Andrew Hopper — Or, if we have, ah you know, if we go and, and you know, we’re going to, for example, we have ah ah a family in our church that they need a ramp built because, man, the the brother is struggling with MS and he’s, they’re they’re fighting it like Christians do. We’re going to go do that. You know, we’re going to go build that ramp. That ramp’s going to rot and die one, you know, rot and rot away one day. And, you know, whether it’s 100 years from now or whatever.Andrew Hopper — Like it’s not literally the kingdom. But when the outside world sees us engage and, you know, our church will talk about this primarily when we think about community ministry, we think about it in terms of adoption, foster care and families count, which I can talk to you about. I think it’s bringing a sign of the kingdom that is to the community around us to say, hey, this is not the gospel. But it sure points to the gospel. Rich Birch — Right, right.Andrew Hopper — You know, it’s a pretty good signpost of like, yeah, there’s a kingdom coming where kids aren’t separated from their parents, you know. And and so that’s kind of the way that we think about, it’s not, you know, it’s not the kingdom. It’s a sign of the kingdom that is coming.Rich Birch — Yeah, let’s let’s dive in. So adoptions, foster care, families count. These are not small issues. Like you started with like putting a ramp on, painting somebody – those are like, okay, I can organize my head around that. And then we jump to what I think are obviously significant. How, it can be easy, I think, for church leaders it can be easy where, you know, we got a lot of fish to fry in our own backyard. When you see big problems like that, help us unpack that. Why do you as a lead pastor, why are you passionate about these issues? Why are these the things that you’ve chosen?Andrew Hopper — I think it’s, man, I think it’s great. I mean if you can’t if you don’t mind I’ll go back and give you a little bit of context. I’m a context [inaudible]… Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. Let’s do it. Yeah. Andrew Hopper — …number one so I always want to frame it in where we’ve been. But the short answer to the question is I think that every church because it is made up of individual believers that have individual gift matrix, you know they’re they’re gifted the church is gifted in a unique way because the people which are the church are gifted in a unique way, right? Andrew Hopper — And so to me, you know, slapping, you know, a top down every single church has to to manifest signs of the kingdom in X way, which, for for example, I’m not to pick on it, but like, you know, the whole diversity church kind of movement. I love you know, if that’s your brand, that’s awesome. That’s great. Go, go bring signs of the kingdom in that area. But you know what people do is they take their thing and then slap it on every single church. You know, this is the sign of the kingdom that you have to manifest.Andrew Hopper — I don’t think that. It takes every kind of church to reach a city because there’s all you know, there’s every kind of people in the city. Right? For us, though, and I think for a lot of churches that that maybe are are made up a little bit like we are, I think there is a lot of meat on the bone for adoption, foster care, families count ministry. And I think churches could be greatly helped by latching on to maybe, you know, something in particular, maybe this, maybe this specifically. How we got there, Rich, was we had we had, you know, huge movement in our church in 2019. I was very convicted.Andrew Hopper — Some of the exponential stuff was coming out, you know, mobilizing people outside the walls of the church. And I really was, man, I was just really affected by that. And I don’t want the dichotomy, you know, I don’t want, well, you your people serve in the church and not outside the church. It’s like, no, most people serve outside the church. If you watch them, they are serving inside the church as well. It’s it’s like a it’s like, man, you know, just just because serving inside the church is not the finish line, don’t demonize it because it is a starting place.Rich Birch — That’s good.Andrew Hopper — So it’s like, I don’t like that kind of whole thing. But but it did affect me to say, OK, what are we doing to push to the outside? So we we we did a thing. You would have loved this, man. But it except for the fact that it didn’t really work that good. OK, it was awesome.Andrew Hopper — It was, we still have the domain name – nomorespectators.com – I had the tagline: Jesus didn’t die to create spectators. He died to create servants, not spectators, workers, not watchers. We, man, you could go to nomorespectators.com and, you know, it was like, it was like a funnel for all of these community ministry opportunities in our city. So it was, you know, people from the housing, you know, authority type stuff would post things. And it was, it was all this kind of, it had a bunch of stuff in it. Andrew Hopper — In the end of the day, great idea. It was a little too complex. Our people latched on to the foster care, pregnancy network, you know, ended up being families count, Guardian ad Litem and adoption. So our guy that was over all that at the time our sending director, which is hard for me to have a good idea that ends up dying hard, okay that’s just tough for me.Rich Birch — You had a great sticky statement and everything. Come on.Andrew Hopper — I’m the king of sunken cost bias. Okay. Like, I’m like, dude. And so finally around 2020, he came to me and he said, bro, I know this is hard for you. Cause it was like a two year initiative. He’s like, this is hard. He said, No More Spectators needs to just turn into Chosen. And it needs to be like, you had this idea for 30 different things. It just, this needs to be our niche, man. You know, we we don’t do a lot of these other things, but we do this really well.Andrew Hopper — And it was hard for me. Ultimately, it was great wisdom by them, not me. And we started going down that road. And partly, I think it’s because, Rich, is heart is near to my heart. I have an adopted daughter. A lot of our staff have adopted kids. We just have a guy right now. Our associate director of first impressions at the Rich campus is in Texas right now, you know, bringing their daughter home.Andrew Hopper — I mean, so it’s just, and so it’s sort of started to morph into, and the the the big thing I’ll say, and I, you know, I’ve been talking a lot here, but the big thing I’ll say is, if you think about the way I just ah described all that, it doesn’t start with the need in the community. It starts with the gift matrix of the church. The poor we will always have with us. Like there there is no there’s no scenario until Jesus comes back that there’s no kids that need to be adopted, you know.Rich Birch — Right, right.Andrew Hopper — And it’s just the reality of it. And so there’s always going to be need in the community. It’s more about, okay, what are the Ephesians 2:10 works that your church, because the church is made up of people who are individually called, what are the you know what are those works that God has set out for your church? Rich Birch — That’s good.Andrew Hopper — And, you know, so for us, we just felt like, dude, this is a a heartbeat thing. Our people got more, they get more fired up. The greatest thing I’ve ever been able to mobilize our people for prayer for is go to the abortion clinic and pray. I mean, a thousand people on their face in the pavement. It’s like, it just strikes a chord with our church and who we are. So we wanna run after that.Rich Birch — Yeah. Well, I love that. And we’re going to dig out a bunch of this, but let’s think about it first from a perspective of somebody who’s maybe attended your church. They just started. They’re they’re relatively new, you know. The idea of something as weighty as adoption or foster care, that’s a big ask. And you know when you yeah how do I experience that as someone who’s just new? What are some ways that I could get plugged in? What does that look like? That, that, cause I, I’m hard, it’s hard to imagine that I go from zero to, to, you know, adoption, you know, how do I end up or flying to Texas to, you know, pick up a kid. That’s a lot. Help me understand. How are you, cause I know you guys are so good at moving people along from kind of where they are to where you’re hoping to – what’s that look like? What’s the kind of, how do you bring people along in this?Andrew Hopper — Man, totally. I think you’re right. I think it’s a combination of big vision on one end and then baby steps on the other. But the big vision matters.Rich Birch — That’s good.Andrew Hopper — Like we don’t want to be scared of the big vision. So, you know, for example, our weekender process, which I know you talked about some, you know, that weekender process, you know, people literally for years, we would give them a passport application in the weekender process. Because we’re like you’re at this church you’re probably going to be overseas at some point on a mission trip. And so to me it’s like people are like dude that probably scares the crap out of people. And it’s like well, I mean we want to make sure they know what they’re getting into, you know. We’re not telling them they got to do that tomorrow… Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — …but that is the, and then and then there’s all these baby steps, right? Like hey come to you know, every February we do Sent weekend. Come to the prayer night. Like that’s a baby step. That’s not you getting on a plane to go to Nepal. But you know hey we’re doing this missions offering at the end of the year, like maybe get you know. So there’s all these I would say that our the way we think about Chosen ministry, which again: adoption, foster care, families count, and rope holding, which is a big part of this discussion… Rich Birch — Okay. Andrew Hopper —…is that way. It’s big vision on the front end so we’re never going to tell somebody, hey you know, I know you could never do this. Like I’ll never…I think people can do it and they should. Or or you know more Christians than are should. At the same time we’re also not guilting anybody. Like so I’m I you know the the first thing I’ll tell people is like, hey, you know we start talking about adoption. I always say always say, hey, we have not lined up a bunch of little kids in the lobby for you to take one home today, okay. And then I’ll tell them, that’s next week.Rich Birch — That’s great.Andrew Hopper — Okay, so yeah but and we we try hard to like put some levity in it. Man, we’re not everybody’s not going to do that. In fact, a minority, of a small minority is going to do it. But everyone can be involved and there are baby steps.Andrew Hopper — So we try to highlight giving, man. Like if you someone adopts from Mercy Hill, we pay 25% of their adoption. Okay.Rich Birch — Wow. Yep.Andrew Hopper — If they’re a member and they’re in a community group, they get 25%. All right, well, you know, we’re going to connect that. Like, man, you you are never going to adopt. You feel like that’s, but it’s like, well, I give $100 a month to the church. Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — Well, hey, what? You know, you’re you are you are supporting.Rich Birch — We’re making a difference.Andrew Hopper — We do parents night out, you know, for all of our foster and adoptive parents. We do it quarterly. It’s like, hey, those are opportunities to come and serve, man. You can serve the meal you can do. We do rope holding, which I know we’ll probably talk about. But but the the idea of rope holding is just like, man, I’m not going to do this, but I can be in the corner for somebody. They’re in my community group. I want to be their first call if they need a babysitter or they need, you know, a gift card, or whatever they need.Andrew Hopper — So I think, man, we try to do big vision. You know, we’re going we’re going to set a huge vision, you know, for 2030 for 2030. Actually, we just hit our vision for 2025, which is 200 adoptive or foster families. There’s a lot of ways people can be involved with it.Rich Birch — So good. There’s, I think thing I would encourage friends who are listening in, you really should be following Mercy Hill, Andrew, because I do think you’re a very unique communicator where you, and you just described it. And I think to you, it’s just like, that’s just what you do. But this idea of like, you’re calling people to a high bar, but you’re not leveraging shame, guilt. you know, it’s, and I think so many times our language can kind of lean in that direction. Or we can, if we really are trying to push people towards something, or we can just undersell the vision. You know We can be like, oh, it’s not that it’s not that big of a deal. You know It’s not for everybody. So I would encourage people to listen in.Rich Birch — Talk to me about rope holding. How is that, what’s that look like? Unpack what that looks like a little bit.Andrew Hopper — Yeah, so rope so the the the rope-holding analogy, which a lot of your listeners probably gonna already know this, but you know William Carey, Andrew Fuller, William Carey, father of modern missions, he’s he he he makes the statement, “I’ll dangle at the end of the rope in the pit, if you’ll hold the rope,” talking to Fuller. And Fuller held the rope for him. Like, you know, Carey the mission field, Fuller’s raising money, preaching sermons, organizing mission boards. So that’s kind of the picture. Right.Andrew Hopper — So we say, all right, not everybody is going to go down into the pit of foster care adoption, even even families count. I mean, these are these are massive spiritual warfare battlegrounds you know um which is one of the reasons why our church wants to be involved so much. I mean you if you want to talk about getting to the you can do all the rhetoric in the world, brother, you want to get to the very bottom of societal issues, you you be involved in somebody’s story that’s trying that’s trying to get their kids back from the foster care system. You’re trying to help them with that. I mean, every you could fatherlessness, poverty, drug abuse. I mean, everything you can think, you know.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — So this this is just spiritual war. So what we tell people is like, hey, man. If we got people that are mobilizing for for adoption and foster care, we better have people in their corne,r because the enemy is going to bring his war machine.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — And we see it all the time. I mean, you’re going to see, you know, a family steps in to adopt and you’re going to start seeing them, you know, there can be sickness. They can have marital problems. They can have financial things that come up. They can begin to believe lies, frustrations. I mean, There’s just so they can become, you know, their their heart can start getting hard toward the system. I mean, there’s so many things that come at them. And so what we say is we need people in their corner, right. Andrew Hopper — Now, it’s funny because like the way our church has operated was at first we said, all right, we’re going to we’re going to do, you know, the the community group is going hold the rope for the people. And and that that was fine. The problem is when we really kicked off this ministry, so many people got involved that it became overwhelming to the group. So we said we got to start this… Rich Birch — Right. Andrew Hopper — …rope holding ministry. The rope holder ministry is good. It’s like, what does a rope holder do? They kind of do whatever the person needs them to do. Rich Birch — Right. Andrew Hopper — So there are examples of the rope holding ministry going really well, where it’s like, hey, man, they’re they’re helping with ah child care with the other kids when they’re going to foster care appointments in court. And or, hey, we’re we’re helping you do some things around the house whenever you’re overseas doing your adoption, which is going to put you three weeks in country. You know, there are some good examples like that. Andrew Hopper — But the other thing that we’ve learned is, you know, foster care and adoption families that are that are walking through this, they’re going through a very trying time. And to just pair them with somebody they don’t know and say, hey, look, here’s your supporter, it can be a little bit like, oh, that’s awesome, and then they never reach out to them.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — They never reach out – the rope holder’s ready.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — But it’s just like, dude, I don’t I don’t know you. And this is a hard time.Rich Birch — Who are you? Yeah, yeah.Andrew Hopper — And so what we’re trying to figure out now as we reboot that rope holder idea is, you know, how how do you kind of integrate relationships they’ve already had? Almost like, hey, do you have this massive pool of people called rope holders? Or when an adoptive family comes up, you say to them, hey, who can we shoulder tap, rope holder for you.Rich Birch — That’s good.Andrew Hopper — And then we’ll train them.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s cool. Yeah.Andrew Hopper — But not have this pool, but say for you, we’ll put them in. So that’s kind of what we’re, so as part of our reboot for 2030, you know, that’s sort of what’s in our mind right now.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool.Andrew Hopper — We have a whole playbook for the way we’ve done it, which anybody, you know, if anybody wants any of those things, they can go to AndrewPHopper.com/chosen. And I can send you any of that stuff we have, but on the rope holder side, you know, just full transparency, we’re still, you know, kind of, of you know, and I’m sure it’ll always be that way that we make an improvement.Rich Birch — Yeah, always trying to make it better. Yeah. And I want to, yeah, at some point in this journey, you decided, hey, we’ve got to put this vision and framework into writing, like we and you actually ended up writing a book, and friends who are listening in, I want to encourage you to pick up a copy of this book. Listen, we’re almost half an hour in. I know you’re interested in this. This is the kind of thing you, Andrew’s a trusted leader. He’s, I’ve had a chance to take a peek at the book. This will be super helpful for you. But, but that’s a lot of effort to put this together into a book. What pushed you from just leading this ministry to ultimately saying, hey, I want to capture this into a resource that could help other people?Andrew Hopper — Well, you know, Rich, I never really saw myself as like a writer, just like a practitioner, man. Let’s just keep keep working on the thing and going.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — And truthfully, I got approached. Hey, would you have any interest in writing? You know, New Growth Press is the one that’s editing this book and putting it out. And it was funny, though, because the second I was asked, I was like, man, I know what we should do [inaudible] that should be what we should do. It’s it’s our it’s it’s my story’s family story with our special needs child that we’ve adopted. It’s our church’s journey. But more important than either of those two things, it’s a grounding in the gospel-centered motivation. Because I think that is what is so important. We don’t do guilt motivation. And you know, cute kids and sad, cute kids and and sad stories are good reasons, but they you need a great reason, because it’s hard. Rich Birch — That’s good. Yep.Andrew Hopper — You know, and the great reason is of course, adopted people adopt people. And so we delve way into the helplessness of our spiritual condition, how God adopted us and then how, you know, that provides a deep motivation for us to go and do the same for others.Rich Birch — Can you unpack that a little bit more? Because I think this is, ah to me, a core part of the book that I think is really helpful. Even if you’re maybe listening in, you’re thinking, okay, I’m not sure adoption or foster care is necessarily the thing, but you unpack this idea of gospel rather than guilt. And can you talk us through, you know, how, yeah, just talk us through that part, that concept a bit more. Just double click on that a little bit.Andrew Hopper — Yeah. So, you know, when we think about behaviors that flow from the Christian life, there’s really only two ways to think about it, right? Like one of them is we try to do things in order that God would approve of us, you know, that he would, you know, he would, ah he would, he would let us in his family, you know, those those types of things. And we, you know, this is for a lot of Baptistic world, which I am, this was kind of like, wow, this is really revolutionary, but that was 20 years ago – Keller and all that. You know, we just started understanding what more of a gospel center motivation. Andrew Hopper — Of course, the other way to think about Christian behaviors is you are part of the family because of what Christ has done for you. And the family has a culture. The family works a certain way. There’s fruit that will pop out in your life, not so that you can gain entrance into the vine. That’s not how it works. Like, ah you know, you don’t you don’t produce fruit to get in the vine. You produce fruit because you’re in the vine. Andrew Hopper — And so, you know, when we think about like like Titus 2, for example, we think about how the grace of God appears to all men, teaching us not just salvation, but teaching us to obey his commands. So there’s something about salvation that and is inherent to the gospel-centered motivation of of of going out, living the Christian life. You know, it’s it’s kind of the John Bunyan idea when they said, man, if you, you know, if you keep preaching this gospel message, people are going to do whatever they want to do. And he said, no, if I keep preaching this gospel message, people are going to do whatever God wants them to do. Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — You know, and so I think what we’ve done in this book is just say, hey, that that is true universally in our Christian life. Like if I’m not tithing and I’m stingy, I can do motivation in two ways. Number one, how dare you, you piece of trash that you never, you know why would you never give? Look what God, you know, blah blah blah, blah, blah, guilt, guilt, shame, shame. Right. Andrew Hopper — Of course, the other way to say is like, man, what kind of riches has God given you in the gospel? And what kind of inheritance do you now have as a son of the king? It’s like, all right, that’s powerful, you know, and it will it will take us places that guilt never can. Guilt will work for a while. You can put fire under somebody and it’ll move them. But if you put it in them, they’ll run through a wall, you know. Rich Birch — So true.Andrew Hopper — And so it’s like it’s like, hey, OK, so you could do it with all these different things. We’ve tried to take this book and do that with adoption to say, all right.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — We know James 1:27, we need to care for the fatherless and the orphan. We understand. I mean, dude, there ain’t, when you talk about metaphors, there’s two big ones, marriage and adoption, you know? And so if you want to do adoption well, we can do it from two motivations. One motivation is look how many kids need. That’s all and that’s all true. That moves my heart. You know, look, can you believe this story of this kid? And that’s fine.Andrew Hopper — Of course, you could do guilt, too. Like, how dare you, you know, have this nice, happy family and not go adopt a little poor orphan kid. You know, you could do guilt. All those things will be fine. They’ll put fire under you a little bit. But if you want to put the fire in someone that is going to carry them through the long haul of all this stuff, I think it’s better to start with: All right. There’s kids that need to be chosen. Were you chosen?Andrew Hopper — You know, so like one of the you know, one I’ll give you an example. We know of a family here in the tribe. They’ve got an awesome son that is 20-something years old, kids got Down syndrome, and they adopted him from Ecuador. And his story was one day a carpenter was working on this building and he heard cries coming out of a dump, like a trash heap. This child had just been born and been left you know with his deformities had just been left for the dumpster. Andrew Hopper — And they brought him to the orphanage. And next thing you know, you know about three or four years later, he got adopted by this family that we know. And that family’s father, he said, Eddie’s story is my story. I was pulled from a trash heap by a carpenter. And if you it’s like that is powerful. Rich Birch — Right. Yes.Andrew Hopper — You know, when you start thinking about, man, in my sin, I was one who had no part and parcel in the kingdom of God. I was headlong in rebellion. I had rejected. I was not a son. And God lavished his love upon me, that I would be called his child. And if if that has happened to me spiritually, how could I not want to do that? Or at least help those. you know I’m not saying that’s a call for everybody, but be involved in others that are doing that as well.Andrew Hopper — And so that’s what we say. Adopted people, adopt people, chosen people, choose people. And hey, I didn’t answer your last question. Rich Birch — That’s fine.Andrew Hopper — Okay. Your last question was, why did we write the book? Very simply, I think more people just need to think about what I just said. You know, and I think churches do. And I think that if, you know, a lot of churches have adoption-minded people and a little bit of of fuel in that fire might create some really cool ministry in that church. And this book lays really well for being like, man, make it a small group resource for eight weeks. You know, it’s got questions at the end of each chapter.Andrew Hopper — Like my my prayer is that this book would catalyze tens of thousands of Christian adoptions. Rich Birch — Wow. Andrew Hopper — And that’s why we wrote the book.Rich Birch — Yeah. It’s and I thought the same thing as I was looking through it, that this would be a great resource for a small group, a great resource as a staff training thing. Because again, I think there’s two things happening on two levels. From my perspective, there’s what you’re actually talking about – adoption, but then there’s how you talk about it. And I think even both of those, I think could be interesting as a as a staff team to kind of unpack and think about. How do we ensure that what we’re doing is so gospel-infused. That’s part of why i love you as a communicator. I think you do such a good job on that. It’s just fantastic. So I would strongly encourage people to pick it up.Rich Birch — Help me understand the connection. So Mercy Hill is known for, or at least from my perspective, known as a sending church. You know, the thing, one of the and I’ve told again, I told you this before, you’re the first church leader I’ve ever bumped into that has connected new here guests to number of missionaries sent. This like idea of like this funnel of how do we move people all the way along to that? I think that’s incredible. How does that kind of sending culture and adoption, how does that fit together? How does that help kind of fuel the flywheel of what’s happening at Mercy Hill?Andrew Hopper — Well, you you helped me think about this when you came and did our one day for our for our Breaking Barriers group, you know, for the pastoral trainings that we do. Because in your church growth book, you talk about how, ah you know, community ministry is used as an evangelism tool. I’m not, I’m probably butchering the way you talk about it.Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Oh, that’s good. Yep. That’s great.Andrew Hopper — That was like a big light bulb for me because because we we definitely do that, but we have not leveraged the communications of that.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — And so, um you know, for us now, what we’re trying to really think about is how does our adoption of foster care ministry and rope holding and families count ministry, how does that create open? We call them open doors, right? Rich Birch — Yep.Andrew Hopper — Like, how does it create open doors, questions in the community, where people come in? And we’ve seen it. You know, so like when we’re talking about the sending culture, that pipeline starts when new people get interested in faith, they get interested in church.Andrew Hopper — And, you know, like, for example, we we had a guy, we just did a historic video. Man, he’s saved, baptized, serving now, ah or, you know, family, young family, prototypical Mercy Hill guy, like, man, just you know blue collar heart, white collar job, just that. I mean, just everything we talk about. Right. He’s our he’s kind of our guy. And the way he got connected was his boss had signed up to be a rope holder. And it just blew his mind. Like, why would a guy take limited time and go help these families? I mean, he of course, he thought it was a good thing. But it really intrigued them. Andrew Hopper — And so we’ve tried to we’re trying to leverage more of the communication side. It’s tricky. You don’t want to be like, hey, look at us you know in the community. At the same time, I’m like, man, this year, you know when we’re going to do a pretty significant upgrade to some of the there our foster care system has, there’s a house that has a backyard and the backyard is where families come to play with kids, play with their kids they’re trying to get back from the foster care.Rich Birch — Right. Yep.Andrew Hopper — And we’ve said like, you know what, man, if these parents are putting in, that needs to be like the best, the best backyard, and you know?Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, absolutely. 100%.Andrew Hopper — And so, you know, we’re, we’re going to do a significant investment in some, you know, whatever…Rich Birch — Play structures and yeah. Andrew Hopper — …like a, you know, whatever, like a pergola type thing. They’re going put a shed out there. All going to connect it, pavers, all that stuff is what we want to do. And, you know, we’re, we’re looking at that and I’m going like, yeah, I mean, I get it. Like you don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, but at the same time, that’s not for us. That’s for people that are interested to say like, why would a church do that? You know, like why do they care so much?Andrew Hopper — And it’s because, Hey, sign of the kingdom. We want to build families through adoption. We want to restore families through foster care and families count. This is part of that. So we’ve tried to we’ve tried to use it as a way. And I would really encourage church leaders to think about that. Like, hey, is your community ministry actually an evangelism strategy?Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, that’s good. Love that. And yeah, I would encourage you continue to encourage you to think through those things because I do think that there’s, we’ve seen that there’s huge opportunity for folks who don’t normally attend church. They’re interested the way I’ve said in other contexts is they see it as a good thing. We see it as a God thing. We’re not going to fight them over the semantics of it at the front end. Because like you say it’s it’s the kingdom puncturing through that grabs their attention and you’re like oh what what you know what’s going on there? It’s a first step – how do we encourage those people? Rich Birch — Like on that backyard project, I no doubt if you’re rallying a bunch of guys to go work there, I know that there are guys in your church who have friends who they could invite who don’t attend church who maybe would never walk in your church who’d say, hey, will you come and work for a Saturday for a couple hours and swing a hammer and help us do this thing? Let me explain what this is about.They absolutely would show up, right? 100% they’d show up and and they’ll get intrigued by that. And they’ll be like, oh, what’s going on there? That’s that’s fantastic. Rich Birch — Well, friends, unabashedly, I want you to pick up copies of, not just a copy, copies of this book. So where do we want to send people to pick up copies, that sort of thing?Andrew Hopper — Yeah, man, they can just go to andrewphopper.com/chosen. Rich Birch — Perfect. Yep.Andrew Hopper — The book’s out so they can pick up a copy. I mean, it’s also just like on Amazon or whatever, but that link will take you straight to New Growth Press.Rich Birch — Right.Andrew Hopper — So, yeah, man, would love it. Would love to hear from anybody who’s using it well in a church context um to catalyze Christian adoption.Rich Birch — Love it. Anything else you want to share just as we close and how can people track, go to the website, other places we want to send them as we close up today.Andrew Hopper — Also on Instagram, we have a lot of stuff on Instagram, andrewphopper on Instagram. Yeah, the last thing I would say as a closing thought, Rich, is you know, the Christian adoption boom has sort of happened 20 years ago. People started talking about this a lot more. And now you can feel in some of the podcast world and all that, there’s a bit of a backlash, not not to don’t do it, but also like, hey, no one told us how hard this was going to be. Andrew Hopper — You’re dealing with traumatic situations, kids that have been brought, you know, I mean, it’s, it’s crazy. One thing I try to do in this book is I try to say, Hey, that’s not a good reason to take our ball and go home, you know.Rich Birch — That’s good.Andrew Hopper — Instead we just need to try to shoot as straight as we can. And I do that in this book, man. It is hard. It’s you’re on the front lines of spiritual war. I mean, it’s almost like, dude, the, the, the greatest transfer of faith from one generation to another happens in the home. We love it when adults get saved. I get that. But let’s be honest. Statistically, where does it normally happen? Right. Rich Birch — Yeah. Kids. Andrew Hopper — And so if you got a home that’s broken apart, that Christians are trying to put back together, what did we think Satan was going to do? You know, and so instead of taking our ball and going home, let’s just call it what it is, and then ask the Lord to steel our spine… Rich Birch — That’s good. Andrew Hopper — …and to move forward with the mission. So, yeah, man, I’d love for people to pick it up. And I appreciate the time to talk about it today.Rich Birch — Andrew, thanks so much. Appreciate you. Just want to honor you for the work you do. You’re a great leader. And I love how God’s using you and your church to make a difference. Thanks for being on the show today.Andrew Hopper — Thanks, brother.

Dr. David Saxon, professor of Church History at Maranatha Baptist University, tells the story of Andrew Fuller, an English Baptist pastor and missions supporter, to Randy Melchert

Dr. David Saxon, professor of Church History at Maranatha Baptist University, tells the story of Andrew Fuller, an English Baptist pastor and missions supporter, to Randy Melchert

The gospel of God is to be offered freely to all. Accordingly, all who hear the gospel have a warrant to believe it. As Samuel Rutherford wrote, 'reprobates have as fair a warrant to believe as the elect have.' This week we consider the offer of the gospel made freely by God, addressed to every sinner—indeed, addressed to you and to me.    Featured resources: – Iain H. Murray, 'The Free Offer of the Gospel,' Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 11 (June 1958).  – Robert Murray M'Cheyne, excerpt from his sermon 'The Acceptable Year of the Lord' on Isaiah 61:1–3, found in Andrew Bonar, Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M'Cheyne (1844, repr. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1966, 2024), pages 583–4.    Banner Resources on the Free Offer of the Gospel:  Andrew Fuller, 'The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation' in The Works of Andrew Fuller (clothbound, 1012 pages) Iain H. Murray, Spurgeon vs. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching (paperback, 168 pages) John Bunyan, The Jerusalem Sinner Saved (paperback, 144 pages) John Murray, The Free Offer of the Gospel (booklet, 32 pages)     Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast

Nathaniel Brown

“Turn learning from shame making into thrill seeking.” - Andrew Fuller Andrew Fuller, Clinical psychologist joins Meg Durham to reframe neurodivergence through a strengths based lens. We explore why labels alone are not enough, how teachers can think like coaches, and practical ways to change the neurochemistry of a room on purpose. Andrew explains myelination and unique strengths, shows how language shifts like today's challenge lift engagement, and walks through the Attach Approach so we can move students from agitation to connection. We talk school culture that connects, protects and respects, sensory aware classrooms, after lunch resets, and partnering with parents around a student's strengths. The goal is simple and profound: help young people feel valued for who they are and set them up for success in school and beyond. ---- Chapter markers: 00:20 Welcome back Andrew and why this book 02:00 What neuroadvantage means and why strengths matter 04:45 Teacher as coach building bridges from strengths 07:19 Music and maths the brain bridge we often miss 10:43 How recognising strengths changes learning 12:20 School culture CPR connect protect respect 14:33 Simple classroom tweaks that help every brain 16:48 Language shift from learning objectives to today's challenge 21:59 The Attach Approach activate agitate avoid attack attach 25:36 Dance rhythm puzzles and the dopamine lift 33:33 Physical environment and sensory experience 35:27 Designing varied break time options to reduce friction 36:59 After lunch strategies that change the mix in the room 43:31 Partnering with parents using a strengths profile 46:24 Calming strategies and learning each child 50:03 Joy the future and being a catalyst ---- Deliberate Actions: Open each lesson with a short challenge on the board to boost motivation quickly. Give every major instruction both verbally and visually so more students can follow along. Use quick fast thinking bursts followed by slow reflection to balance energy and focus. Replace learning objective with today's challenge in your lesson language for one week. Introduce a three minute movement or music routine to start or reset a class. Identify one calming strategy for each focus student and practise it before you need it. ---- Episode 154 Shownotes - Click here. ---- Andrew Fuller Website | LinkedIn | Books | My Learning Strengths ---- Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here Speaker Request - Complete the booking form to start the conversation. ---- ** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **

The system of false teaching known as Socinianism proved a thorn in the side of the Reformed churches for more than two centuries. Even today, the essential tenets of Socinianism are still with us, and aspects of it pop up in the teaching of such movements as Unitarian Universalism, 'Oneness' Pentecostalism, Christadelphianism, and among the Jehovah's Witnesses.  As such, it is well for us to take a closer look at this movement, its key commitments, and how it emerged in the context of Reformation-era Europe.    Banner resources relevant to Socinianism: – The Works of John Owen, Volume 12: The Gospel Defended (Clothbound, 639 pages) – The Works of Andrew Fuller (1 Volume, 1012 pages) – William Cunningham, Historical Theology (Clothbound, 1408 pages)   John Owen's (tragically amusing) presentation of John Biddle's Socinianism, in the form of a satirical catechism, can be found on pages 588 to 590 of The Works of John Owen, vol. 12: The Gospel Defended.  This week's podcast artwork features an image of a plaque in the Sozzini's palace in Siena which depicts Fausto and Lelio Sozzini. The etching on the plaque claims that 'During ages of fierce despotism, with their new doctrines they awoke the free thought'.    Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast

If there was any passage in the Bible that appears to be a contradiction from what we read in other books of the Bible, it is James 2:24, which states: You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. This verse seems to contradict what Paul wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast (2:8-9). So which is it? Is salvation a gift from God that can be received apart from anything we do, or is salvation something you have to work hard at keeping? In the 1980s these questions were popularized and brought to the forefront of theological discussions had in many homes and churches. At the heart of these discussions was the question: What does it means to believe in Jesus? Zane Hodges wrote his book, Absolutely Free arguing that nowhere in the Bible does it teach that belief in Jesus for eternal salvation requires a person to repent of his/her sins. Hodges went as far to say that a person can be a Christian and at the same time not love God. In response to Zane Hodges book, John MacArthur wrote The Gospel According to Jesus; in his book, he argued that true salvation involves a lifelong commitment to Jesus, which is the evidence of true biblical belief. Those who agreed with Zane Hodges labeled the teachings of people like John MacArthur as Lordship Salvation. Those who agreed with John MacArthur labeled the teachings of people like Zane Hodges as Easy Believism. Far from being a modern controversy, the argument between Hodges and MacArthur was simply an old theological debate dressed in newer garb. I do not have the time to give a history lesson as to what led up to Hodges and MacArthur duking it out in the form of books, but you should know about the idea if you just believe and say a prayer, that you will be saved. There is a theological stream that led to language you are probably familiar with, such as: Ten said Yes to Jesus! Or you may have had someone in your life encourage you to repeat a prayer, for if you just say the words, you can be saved just so long as you believe the words to be true in your mind. In 1763, a well-known Scottish author and pastor named Robert Sandeman (17181771) arrived in Danbury, Connecticut. His central teaching was that bare assent to the work of Christ alone is necessary for salvation. In other words, Sandeman argued that simply believing in Jesus was enough to be savedyou didnt have to follow Him or demonstrate love for Him. In Sandemans view, requiring evidence of love or a changed life made works a necessary part of salvation, which he firmly rejected. By the time Sandeman set foot in Connecticut, his writings and ideas had already spread widely through American churches. Ezra Stiles, who befriended Sandeman and would later become president of Yale University, remarked, I believe he has sown a seed in America which will up and grow, though I have no apprehension of any great ill effect.[1] Sandemans doctrine, which came to be known as Sandemanianism and is now often labeled easy-believism, was more than a theological curiosityit ignited debate and concern that ripple through the church to this day. What academic circles now call Free Grace Theology became the very ground upon which Zane Hodges and John MacArthur sparred. The warnings of giants like John Wesley (an Arminian) and Andrew Fuller (a Calvinist), echo through history: Sandemanianism, they cautioned, might lull the church into a shallow faith, one that confuses mere intellectual agreement with living trust. Its legacy remains, challenging and shaping the contours of American evangelicalism across generations. My hope today is not that you are more informed, but that you are more grounded in the Bible. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter what I think; what matters is what does the Bible have to say about it! So, let us turn to our text this morning to find out. A Grounded Faith is an Active Faith (vv. 14-17) James askes a question in verse 14, What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? He then gives us an example of what a faith devoid of works looks like in real-time: If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that (v. 15)? What is James getting at in these verses? He is picking up on what He said in 2:1-13 and forcing us to take a long, hard look into the mirror of Gods word to examine our hearts. If you say that your faith is in Jesus as the One who died for your sins and rose from the grave, then how can you pass by a brother or sister who shares your faith in Jesus who is in need and do nothing to help that person? Genuine faith will result in genuine, although not perfect, love for those who share in your faith in Jesus? Just so you know, James is not the only one who asks this question. The apostle John had some things to say about a faith grounded in Jesus being an active faith: Beloved, lets love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:7-10). Where on earth did John and James get their understanding of genuine faith from? They both got it from Jesus, who said, I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another(John 13:34). Again, John wrote in his epistle, This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us (1 John 3:23-24). But, John and James are not the only ones who understood that a faith grounded in Jesus was an active faith, for the apostle Paul wrote: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:8-10). Listen, salvation is the free gift of God made available through His Son that you cannot earn or work for. However, when you are genuinely saved by Jesus, you are then born again (John 3:1-21). When you are born again you go from being spiritually dead, to being made spiritually alive with Jesus (Eph. 2:1-6). The evidence that you are alive with Christ is a faith that is living! In the words of Paul, and in light of our salvation that is from God, you are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called... Paul did not stop there, he continued: walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Eph. 4:1-2). The clearest sign of being born again is a life transformeda faith that is alive, first in love for God and then in love for others. This is why Jesus described a coming day of judgment, when all people will be separated into two groups: the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The difference between them will be revealed in how they responded, with love and compassion, to those in need. Jesus will say to the sheep, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matt. 25:34-36). Those who ignored the brother or sister who was hungry, thirsty, need shelter, needed clothing, was sick and needed care, or was in prison... will hear these words: Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.... Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (25:41, 45-46). A Grounded Faith is a Sacrificial Faith (vv. 18-26) When it comes to what read in James and what we read in Pauls letters, Timothy Keller said when looking at something with only one eye, you lose depth perception. To appreciate something for what it really is, you need two eyes. Why? Because each eye is looking from a slightly different perspective at the same object, and as a result you see it better.[2] The problem with Robert Sandeman, Zane Hodges, and Free Grace Theology is that they are only looking at Scripture with one eye, and in doing so, their sermons and books suffer from a distorted theological depth perception problem. Do you want to know one way you can make sure you have both eyes open? Have one eye on the text you are reading and the other on the rest of Scripture. James is not saying works first then faith later; what he is saying is that a faith that has generated new life in God is a faith that acts on the belief it rests in. To say you believe is easy; to act upon your belief is evidence that you believe. This is James point in verse 18, But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Let me share an illustration from our family that may help you understand what James is saying here. Recently our family went on an Alaskan cruse; we probably never would have gone on a cruise during this season in our lives had it not been for my mother and step-father inviting us to go with them with all expenses paid on our behalf. Not only was the cruise paid for, but all of our travel expenses were paid for too! The package that my mother and stepfather paid for included all of our meals, and that the cruise line provided a medallion that we could either wear around our neck, or our wrist, which functioned as a pass for just about everything, including anything we wanted to eat or drink. We were told that we could order anything we wanted from an app on our phones that was synced to our medallion and that a server would deliver the food to us no mater were we were. All of it was paid for and I did not have to do a thing to earn it. However, my belief that was true was evidenced by acting upon the gift that was bought and paid for on my behalf. The difference between my experience on the Alaskan cruise and being born again, is that with my salvation came a new nature that involved a heart change. So what happened when I genuinely believed the gospel of Jesus Christ? I received the promise of Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I received the circumcision of the heart promised in Deuteronomy 30:6 that frees me up to Love God with all my heart and all of my soul, so that I may live. Here is how the NLT translates this verse: The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! James is saying that if you really believe what you say you believe, then the evidence that you really do believe will be seen in your actions. But James is not just talking about acting in light of what you believe, no... he is talking about something more than intellect and actions. Notice what he says in verse 19, You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Do you see what James is doing here? The demons do not have a theological problem when it comes to their intellect, but they do have a heart problem! The fruit of genuine belief that involves the mind and heart are actions that reveal that a spiritual resurrection has taken place and that you have gone from death to life. Faith without action reveals a deeper issuea problem of the heart. If faith shows no signs of life, it isnt truly alive. To illustrate this, James points to two powerful examples from Scripture: Abraham and Rahab. Both demonstrated their genuine belief in God not just through words, but through courageous acts of obedience. They trusted God so completely that they were willing to risk everything, proving that living faith always moves us to action, even when it requires sacrifice. Conclusion Consider Abrahams journeya life seasoned with trials and tests, both by circumstance and by his own choices. For years, Abraham and Sarah hoped and longed for the promise of an heir to become their reality. Miraculously God fulfilled His promise to the elderly couple and when we reach the dramatic moment in Genesis 22 that James refers to, God commanded Abraham to do the unthinkablesacrifice Isaac. Abrahams faith had been forged in the furnace of experience. He was finally able to trust God, even when the command seemed impossible to understand. When Abraham, Isaac, and their servants arrived at the mountain, Abraham told his servants, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (Gen. 22:5). Despite the looming test, Abraham expressed confidence that both he and Isaac would return. This conviction shows that Abrahams faith wasnt just a matter of wordshe truly believed that God was both good and powerful enough to raise the dead if necessary. James continues in verse 25, In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? The messengers were spies that Joshua sent into Jericho to assess what they were up against. When the king of Jericho learned that the spies were in Jericho, he searched for them, but Rahab hid them. Before she helped them escape undetected, she said to them: I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt.... When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. (Josh. 2:9-11) The evidence that she really did believe what she said about the God of the Hebrews is seen in her hiding the spies and then helping them escape at great personal risk to herself. Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, but he did not have to because God provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac. Many years later, the Son of God would climb up to the top of Golgotha out of obedience to His Father to die for sins we are guilty of. Jesus died to redeem and make you new for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). Rahab hid and protected the spies when there was no law requiring her to do so. In so doing, her life was not only spared, but God had a greater purpose she could not have been aware existed, to include her great grandchild being King David, and from David would come the promises King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I leave you with a few questions: What is your Isaac that God is asking you to place upon His altar of sacrifice and why have you been reluctant to do so? What is your Jericho that God is asking you to forsake, and why have you been reluctant to let it go? Remember that God is asking these things of you because He is both holy and good. You say that you believe God to be so, therefore trust Him by obeying Him. Christian, God loves you and He ultimately intends good for you. [1] https://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/connecticut/sandeman.htm [2] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

If there was any passage in the Bible that appears to be a contradiction from what we read in other books of the Bible, it is James 2:24, which states: You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. This verse seems to contradict what Paul wrote in his epistle to the Ephesians: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast (2:8-9). So which is it? Is salvation a gift from God that can be received apart from anything we do, or is salvation something you have to work hard at keeping? In the 1980s these questions were popularized and brought to the forefront of theological discussions had in many homes and churches. At the heart of these discussions was the question: What does it means to believe in Jesus? Zane Hodges wrote his book, Absolutely Free arguing that nowhere in the Bible does it teach that belief in Jesus for eternal salvation requires a person to repent of his/her sins. Hodges went as far to say that a person can be a Christian and at the same time not love God. In response to Zane Hodges book, John MacArthur wrote The Gospel According to Jesus; in his book, he argued that true salvation involves a lifelong commitment to Jesus, which is the evidence of true biblical belief. Those who agreed with Zane Hodges labeled the teachings of people like John MacArthur as Lordship Salvation. Those who agreed with John MacArthur labeled the teachings of people like Zane Hodges as Easy Believism. Far from being a modern controversy, the argument between Hodges and MacArthur was simply an old theological debate dressed in newer garb. I do not have the time to give a history lesson as to what led up to Hodges and MacArthur duking it out in the form of books, but you should know about the idea if you just believe and say a prayer, that you will be saved. There is a theological stream that led to language you are probably familiar with, such as: Ten said Yes to Jesus! Or you may have had someone in your life encourage you to repeat a prayer, for if you just say the words, you can be saved just so long as you believe the words to be true in your mind. In 1763, a well-known Scottish author and pastor named Robert Sandeman (17181771) arrived in Danbury, Connecticut. His central teaching was that bare assent to the work of Christ alone is necessary for salvation. In other words, Sandeman argued that simply believing in Jesus was enough to be savedyou didnt have to follow Him or demonstrate love for Him. In Sandemans view, requiring evidence of love or a changed life made works a necessary part of salvation, which he firmly rejected. By the time Sandeman set foot in Connecticut, his writings and ideas had already spread widely through American churches. Ezra Stiles, who befriended Sandeman and would later become president of Yale University, remarked, I believe he has sown a seed in America which will up and grow, though I have no apprehension of any great ill effect.[1] Sandemans doctrine, which came to be known as Sandemanianism and is now often labeled easy-believism, was more than a theological curiosityit ignited debate and concern that ripple through the church to this day. What academic circles now call Free Grace Theology became the very ground upon which Zane Hodges and John MacArthur sparred. The warnings of giants like John Wesley (an Arminian) and Andrew Fuller (a Calvinist), echo through history: Sandemanianism, they cautioned, might lull the church into a shallow faith, one that confuses mere intellectual agreement with living trust. Its legacy remains, challenging and shaping the contours of American evangelicalism across generations. My hope today is not that you are more informed, but that you are more grounded in the Bible. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter what I think; what matters is what does the Bible have to say about it! So, let us turn to our text this morning to find out. A Grounded Faith is an Active Faith (vv. 14-17) James askes a question in verse 14, What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? He then gives us an example of what a faith devoid of works looks like in real-time: If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled, yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that (v. 15)? What is James getting at in these verses? He is picking up on what He said in 2:1-13 and forcing us to take a long, hard look into the mirror of Gods word to examine our hearts. If you say that your faith is in Jesus as the One who died for your sins and rose from the grave, then how can you pass by a brother or sister who shares your faith in Jesus who is in need and do nothing to help that person? Genuine faith will result in genuine, although not perfect, love for those who share in your faith in Jesus? Just so you know, James is not the only one who asks this question. The apostle John had some things to say about a faith grounded in Jesus being an active faith: Beloved, lets love one another; for love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:7-10). Where on earth did John and James get their understanding of genuine faith from? They both got it from Jesus, who said, I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another(John 13:34). Again, John wrote in his epistle, This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us (1 John 3:23-24). But, John and James are not the only ones who understood that a faith grounded in Jesus was an active faith, for the apostle Paul wrote: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:8-10). Listen, salvation is the free gift of God made available through His Son that you cannot earn or work for. However, when you are genuinely saved by Jesus, you are then born again (John 3:1-21). When you are born again you go from being spiritually dead, to being made spiritually alive with Jesus (Eph. 2:1-6). The evidence that you are alive with Christ is a faith that is living! In the words of Paul, and in light of our salvation that is from God, you are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called... Paul did not stop there, he continued: walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Eph. 4:1-2). The clearest sign of being born again is a life transformeda faith that is alive, first in love for God and then in love for others. This is why Jesus described a coming day of judgment, when all people will be separated into two groups: the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. The difference between them will be revealed in how they responded, with love and compassion, to those in need. Jesus will say to the sheep, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matt. 25:34-36). Those who ignored the brother or sister who was hungry, thirsty, need shelter, needed clothing, was sick and needed care, or was in prison... will hear these words: Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.... Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either. These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (25:41, 45-46). A Grounded Faith is a Sacrificial Faith (vv. 18-26) When it comes to what read in James and what we read in Pauls letters, Timothy Keller said when looking at something with only one eye, you lose depth perception. To appreciate something for what it really is, you need two eyes. Why? Because each eye is looking from a slightly different perspective at the same object, and as a result you see it better.[2] The problem with Robert Sandeman, Zane Hodges, and Free Grace Theology is that they are only looking at Scripture with one eye, and in doing so, their sermons and books suffer from a distorted theological depth perception problem. Do you want to know one way you can make sure you have both eyes open? Have one eye on the text you are reading and the other on the rest of Scripture. James is not saying works first then faith later; what he is saying is that a faith that has generated new life in God is a faith that acts on the belief it rests in. To say you believe is easy; to act upon your belief is evidence that you believe. This is James point in verse 18, But someone may well say, You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Let me share an illustration from our family that may help you understand what James is saying here. Recently our family went on an Alaskan cruse; we probably never would have gone on a cruise during this season in our lives had it not been for my mother and step-father inviting us to go with them with all expenses paid on our behalf. Not only was the cruise paid for, but all of our travel expenses were paid for too! The package that my mother and stepfather paid for included all of our meals, and that the cruise line provided a medallion that we could either wear around our neck, or our wrist, which functioned as a pass for just about everything, including anything we wanted to eat or drink. We were told that we could order anything we wanted from an app on our phones that was synced to our medallion and that a server would deliver the food to us no mater were we were. All of it was paid for and I did not have to do a thing to earn it. However, my belief that was true was evidenced by acting upon the gift that was bought and paid for on my behalf. The difference between my experience on the Alaskan cruise and being born again, is that with my salvation came a new nature that involved a heart change. So what happened when I genuinely believed the gospel of Jesus Christ? I received the promise of Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I received the circumcision of the heart promised in Deuteronomy 30:6 that frees me up to Love God with all my heart and all of my soul, so that I may live. Here is how the NLT translates this verse: The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! James is saying that if you really believe what you say you believe, then the evidence that you really do believe will be seen in your actions. But James is not just talking about acting in light of what you believe, no... he is talking about something more than intellect and actions. Notice what he says in verse 19, You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. Do you see what James is doing here? The demons do not have a theological problem when it comes to their intellect, but they do have a heart problem! The fruit of genuine belief that involves the mind and heart are actions that reveal that a spiritual resurrection has taken place and that you have gone from death to life. Faith without action reveals a deeper issuea problem of the heart. If faith shows no signs of life, it isnt truly alive. To illustrate this, James points to two powerful examples from Scripture: Abraham and Rahab. Both demonstrated their genuine belief in God not just through words, but through courageous acts of obedience. They trusted God so completely that they were willing to risk everything, proving that living faith always moves us to action, even when it requires sacrifice. Conclusion Consider Abrahams journeya life seasoned with trials and tests, both by circumstance and by his own choices. For years, Abraham and Sarah hoped and longed for the promise of an heir to become their reality. Miraculously God fulfilled His promise to the elderly couple and when we reach the dramatic moment in Genesis 22 that James refers to, God commanded Abraham to do the unthinkablesacrifice Isaac. Abrahams faith had been forged in the furnace of experience. He was finally able to trust God, even when the command seemed impossible to understand. When Abraham, Isaac, and their servants arrived at the mountain, Abraham told his servants, Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go over there; and we will worship and return to you (Gen. 22:5). Despite the looming test, Abraham expressed confidence that both he and Isaac would return. This conviction shows that Abrahams faith wasnt just a matter of wordshe truly believed that God was both good and powerful enough to raise the dead if necessary. James continues in verse 25, In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? The messengers were spies that Joshua sent into Jericho to assess what they were up against. When the king of Jericho learned that the spies were in Jericho, he searched for them, but Rahab hid them. Before she helped them escape undetected, she said to them: I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt.... When we heard these reports, our hearts melted and no courage remained in anyone any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below. (Josh. 2:9-11) The evidence that she really did believe what she said about the God of the Hebrews is seen in her hiding the spies and then helping them escape at great personal risk to herself. Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, but he did not have to because God provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac. Many years later, the Son of God would climb up to the top of Golgotha out of obedience to His Father to die for sins we are guilty of. Jesus died to redeem and make you new for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10). Rahab hid and protected the spies when there was no law requiring her to do so. In so doing, her life was not only spared, but God had a greater purpose she could not have been aware existed, to include her great grandchild being King David, and from David would come the promises King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I leave you with a few questions: What is your Isaac that God is asking you to place upon His altar of sacrifice and why have you been reluctant to do so? What is your Jericho that God is asking you to forsake, and why have you been reluctant to let it go? Remember that God is asking these things of you because He is both holy and good. You say that you believe God to be so, therefore trust Him by obeying Him. Christian, God loves you and He ultimately intends good for you. [1] https://www.therestorationmovement.com/_states/connecticut/sandeman.htm [2] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Sermon by Andrew Fuller from Matthew 13:10-13

Sermon by Andrew Fuller from Matthew 13:10-13

Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/editorialtpv El día de hoy hablaremos sobre el impacto de los avivamientos del siglo 18 entre los bautistas, especialmente en la obra de Andrew Fuller, de acuerdo al capítulo 2 "The Enlightenment" del libro 2,000 Years of Christ's Power Vol. 5: The Age of Enlightenment and Awakening, por Nick Needham. Ver aquí: https://www.christianfocus.com/products/3092/2000-years-of-christs-power . Páginas: 183-265. El podcast explora el impacto del renacimiento evangélico del siglo 18 en Inglaterra y Gales, destacando la resistencia inicial de los disidentes ortodoxos como Isaac Watts, que encontraron problemático el emocionalismo del renacimiento y el contexto anglicano. A continuación se traza la influencia del renacimiento a través de la revitalización de los bautistas particulares, liderados por el énfasis de Andrew Fuller en la libre oferta del Evangelio, y los bautistas generales, reformados por el trinitarismo de influencia metodista de Daniel Taylor. Además, el podcast examina las importantes contribuciones de mujeres como Anne Dutton y el papel fundamental de los renovadores galeses, como Griffith Jones, Howell Harris, Daniel Rowland y William Williams (famoso por sus himnos), en la configuración de la vida religiosa galesa. Por último, se analiza la persecución que sufrieron los metodistas, las consecuencias duraderas del Renacimiento (nueva himnodia, literatura, denominaciones, misiones y reforma social) y su impacto en cuestiones sociales como la reforma penitenciaria y la abolición de la esclavitud.  Siguenos: - Web: https://teologiaparavivir.com/ - Blog: https://semperreformandaperu.org/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/ - Youtube: https://www.instagram.com/teologiaparavivir/

Sermon by Andrew Fuller from 2 Corinthians 5:17

Sermon by Andrew Fuller from 2 Corinthians 5:17

Andrew Fuller was a Baptist who helped found one of the most important missionary agencies in world history. Listen to the sermon that helped inspire it all!We want to say a big thank you to Todd Nicklas for reading this sermon for us. Join Revived Studios on Patreon for more!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/revived-thoughts6762/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sermon by Andrew Fuller from Matthew 6:14

Sermon by Andrew Fuller from Matthew 6:14

In this episode of The Defender Podcast, co-host Dr. Rick Morton sits down with David E. Prince at this year's 2024 Southern Baptist Convention to discuss the importance of staying grounded in faith by reflecting God's love through action. Together, they explore the call to care for vulnerable children, underscoring how living out the gospel means embodying values like adoption and compassion that mirror God's character and mission. Amid cultural pressures challenging foundational beliefs on family and marriage, they highlight the church's role in supporting and serving others. Through acts of love and grace, Christians can stay rooted in truth and boldly engage with the world around them.GUESTDavid E. Prince is pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky and assistant professor of Christian preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of In the Arena and Church with Jesus as the Hero. He frequently writes for The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, For the Church,  the BGEA and Preaching Today.He received his M.Div from Southwestern Theological Seminary and his Ph.D from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.He is married to Judi and they have eight children (three boys and five girls). He is a baseball aficionado and an avid Atlanta Braves fan, but he also enjoys football (#rolltide) and basketball. When he isn't spending time with his family, or playing sports with his kids, he can usually be found reading. His list of influential authors include: Edmund Clowney, Andrew Fuller, George Eldon Ladd, Graeme Goldsworthy, Irenaeus, John MacArthur, John Piper, Tom Schreiner, and Russell Moore.CO-HOSTDr. Rick Morton is the Vice President of Engagement at Lifeline Children's Services.ORPHAN SUNDAYLifeline Children's Services invites churches, pastors, and families to participate in Orphan Sunday, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of the fatherless. Each year, hundreds of churches partner with Lifeline to speak up for orphans and vulnerable children around the world. With resources like videos, prayer cards, sample sermons, and small group guides, Lifeline equips churches to share God's call to care for the fatherless and find practical ways to respond. Though we may not all be able to adopt or foster, Orphan Sunday encourages everyone to take action and support these precious children. Learn more at LifelineChild.org/Orphan-Sunday.LIFELINE CHILDREN'S SERVICESThe mission of Lifeline Children's Services is to equip the Body of Christ to manifest the gospel to vulnerable children. Our vision is for vulnerable children and their communities to be transformed by the gospel and to make disciples. FOLLOW USFacebook, Instagram, TwitterThe Defender Podcast: Subscribe on iTunes | Transistor | SpotifyThe Defender Bible Study: Subscribe on iTunes | Transistor | Spotify

Andrew Fuller is the Stanford Beach Volleyball Head Coach.

How much do you know of the grandfather of the modern missions movement? In this week's episode, Alex sits down with return guest and friend Jared Longshore as they dive into the life of Andrew Fuller. They explore the background of this titan of missions, how his non-conformist theology was radical for the day and age he lived, and how Fuller wrestled with hyper-Calvinism doctrine. Dr. Jared Longshore is a minister at Christ Church in Moscow, ID. He also serves as Dean at New St. Andrews University. Jared speaks and writes frequently at jaredrlongshore.com, for Canon Press (canonpress.com), and his own YouTube channel, @JaredLongshore. Believe in our mission? Support the show at missionspodcast.com/support. The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodcast.com.

How much do you know of the grandfather of the modern missions movement? In this week's episode, Alex sits down with return guest and friend Jared Longshore as they dive into the life of Andrew Fuller. They explore the background of this titan of missions, how his non-conformist theology was radical for the day and age he lived, and how Fuller wrestled with hyper-Calvinism doctrine. Dr. Jared Longshore is a minister at Christ Church in Moscow, ID. He also serves as Dean at New St. Andrews University. Jared speaks and writes frequently at jaredrlongshore.com, for Canon Press (canonpress.com), and his own YouTube channel, @JaredLongshore. Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionsshow.com.

This week on The Missions Podcast, Alex sits down with Jared Longshore as they delve into who Andrew Fuller was and some of the theological challenges he faced. Believe in our mission? Support the show at missionspodcast.com/support. The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodcast.com.

This week on The Missions Podcast, Alex sits down with Jared Longshore as they delve into who Andrew Fuller was and some of the theological challenges he faced. Do you love The Missions Show? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Show and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionsshow.com/premium The Missions Show is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionsshow.com.

"The second man we need to know when considering Hyper-Calvinism in 18th-century English Particular Baptist life is John Brine. He was born in 1703 in Kettering, the same city that produced John Gill and Andrew Fuller. His family was poor and he was soon put to work, not allowing him much opportunity for an education. But he taught himself to read and began a life- long habit of immersing himself in good books. As a young man, he came under the occasional preaching of John Gill, who was six years his senior. Gill later described him as among “the first fruits of my ministry.” For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/support

"The second man we need to know when considering Hyper-Calvinism in 18th-century English Particular Baptist life is John Brine. He was born in 1703 in Kettering, the same city that produced John Gill and Andrew Fuller. His family was poor and he was soon put to work, not allowing him much opportunity for an education. But he taught himself to read and began a life- long habit of immersing himself in good books. As a young man, he came under the occasional preaching of John Gill, who was six years his senior. Gill later described him as among “the first fruits of my ministry.” For more information, visit CBTSeminary.org

A new MP3 sermon from Hackberry House of Chosun is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Unity of Pastors & Members Subtitle: Fuller Speaker: Andrew Fuller Broadcaster: Hackberry House of Chosun Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 6/27/2024 Bible: Romans 14:19 Length: 20 min.

On July 13, 2018, Paul and his wife were vacationing in California to celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary.  Before wrapping up their trip, Paul wanted to take one last day hike through Joshua Tree National Park, hoping to get some good shots of the parks Big Horn Sheep.  After several hours had passed without Paul's return, his wife alerted the authorities and a massive search kicked off shortly after.  Join us this week as we revisit the disappearance and eventual recovery of Paul Miller in Joshua Tree National Park.  This was the second case we covered on the podcast back on December 16, 2018.  We have re-recorded the episode with some updated content, a couple clips from our original episode, and updated information on the recovery of Paul Miller.  To all the OG listeners who have been here since Episode #2, thank you for sticking with us!  Learn more about Locations Unknown: https://linktr.ee/LocationsUnknownNew Patreon Shoutouts: Julie Chapman, Suzanne Moak, Colleen Schaal, Andrew Fuller, Jonathan Woods, Tonya Campbell, Emily Mckee, Donna Musselman, Brownwyn Livezey, Michele Hanson, David Bowie Riding on a Tiger Made of Lightning (JJ).Want to help the show out and get even more Locations Unknown content!  For as little as $5 a month, you can become a Patron of Locations Unknown and get access to our episodes two days before release, special Patreon only episode (Currently a backlog of 46 additional episodes), free swag, swag contests, your picture on our supporter wall of fame, our Patreon only Discord Server, and discounts to our Locations Unknown Store!  Become a Patron of the Locations Unknown Podcast by visiting our Patreon page.  (https://www.patreon.com/locationsunknown)Want to call into the show and leave us a message?  Now you can!  Call 208-391-6913 and leave Locations Unknown a voice message and we may air it on a future message! View live recordings of the show on our YouTube channel: Locations Unknown - YouTubeYou can view sources for this episode and all our previous episodes at: Sources — Locations UnknownBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/locations-unknown--6183838/support.

A finales del siglo XVIII, el alto calvinismo ahogó el evangelismo en muchas iglesias reformadas inglesas. Pero el libro de Andrew Fuller no solo revirtió esta distorsión doctrinal, sino que sentó las bases del moderno movimiento misionero. SÍGUENOS Sitio web: http://biteproject.com​​​ x: https://twitter.com/biteproject​​​ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/biteproject TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@biteproject Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/biteproject/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biteproject/​​​ Música: Envato Elements. Generación de voces: Daniel Ángel Edición de sonido y música: Jhon Montaña

Jonathan and Aaron discuss the life and ministry of Andrew Fuller and William Carey and the impact that their work continues to have on the church today.

It's Ken, Kurt & Tawinee's Leap Day Wedding at the Tea Room! Thank you to Destination Grille, The Bridal Connection, Boesen the Florist, Andrew Fuller, and Complete Weddings and Events! Congratulations to our eight couples!

Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) was an English Baptist theologian, minister, and missionary. During his life, Fuller combated the ideas of hyper-Calvinism by applying the ideas of Jonathan Edwards. However, today, Fuller is most known for his instrumental role in founding the Baptist Missionary Society. To learn more about his life and renewal legacy, hear from Dr. Nathan Finn, Professor of Faith and Culture and Director of the Institute for Transformational Leadership at North Greenville University.

Our Leap Day Wedding needed cake...who else would we call than our good friend Andrew Fuller!

A new MP3 sermon from Alpha and Omega Ministries is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Lots of Short Topics, Andrew Fuller and the Reality of Death, then Back to Carl Truem Subtitle: The Dividing Line 2024 Speaker: Dr. James White Broadcaster: Alpha and Omega Ministries Event: Podcast Date: 1/25/2024 Length: 91 min.

Touched on a bunch of topics from Texas to Alistair Begg to the United Methodists at the start. Commented briefly on some miserable souls on line who want to debate about infant damnation. Then read from Nettle's fine work on Andrew Fuller and the reality of death and how it impacts us and our theological outlook, before moving briefly back to Carl Trueman's presentation that we began examining on the last DL. 90 minutes today.

Touched on a bunch of topics from Texas to Alistair Begg to the United Methodists at the start. Commented briefly on some miserable souls on line who want to debate about infant damnation. Then read from Nettle's fine work on Andrew Fuller and the reality of death and how it impacts us and our theological outlook, before moving briefly back to Carl Trueman's presentation that we began examining on the last DL. 90 minutes today.

Touched on a bunch of topics from Texas to Alistair Begg to the United Methodists at the start. Commented briefly on some miserable souls on line who want to debate about infant damnation. Then read from Nettle's fine work on Andrew Fuller and the reality of death and how it impacts us and our theological outlook, before moving briefly back to Carl Trueman's presentation that we began examining on the last DL. 90 minutes today.

- MOST MENTIONED EPISODE OF 2023 - "We've become a very cautious population now; one that wants to play it incredibly safe." - Andrew Fuller Ready to explore the surprising impact of student behaviour on teacher wellbeing and discover powerful insights for creating a more resilient and thriving classroom environment? In this insightful episode, Meg Durham invites Andrew Fuller, a clinical psychologist, to join her in a discussion about the challenges teachers face, particularly in the wake of pandemic-related disruptions. Press play to find solutions for a more supportive and adaptable educational system that prioritises positive relationships and student learning. Andrew Fuller is an accomplished author of books that help parents raise thriving children - check out his books here! Episode 104 Shownotes - Click here Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here Booking Requests - Complete the form The School of Wellbeing is one of the best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! Please note: This may include affiliate links which help support the podcast. Thanks for being a listener!

"In 1807 the Particular Baptist churches in Bristol and the west of England formed what they called “The Baptist Western Society for the Relief of Widows and Orphans of Ministers of that Denomination”. In the later 18th century and all through the 19th, social welfare in England was typically administered by groups of people bonded by a common interest. It was the age of benevolent societies. And the Baptists participated in this. Most of you will have heard of the Baptist Missionary Society formed in 1792 by William Carey, Andrew Fuller, and others to bring the gospel to the nations. Well, the Western Baptist Widows Society was similarly formed for the purpose of financially supporting the widows and children of Baptist ministers who had served in western England." Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/support

"In 1807 the Particular Baptist churches in Bristol and the west of England formed what they called “The Baptist Western Society for the Relief of Widows and Orphans of Ministers of that Denomination”. In the later 18th century and all through the 19th, social welfare in England was typically administered by groups of people bonded by a common interest. It was the age of benevolent societies. And the Baptists participated in this. Most of you will have heard of the Baptist Missionary Society formed in 1792 by William Carey, Andrew Fuller, and others to bring the gospel to the nations. Well, the Western Baptist Widows Society was similarly formed for the purpose of financially supporting the widows and children of Baptist ministers who had served in western England." Confessional, Affordable, Theological Education CBTS is a Confessional Reformed Baptist Seminary Providing Affordable Online Theological Education to Help the Church in its Calling to Train Faithful Men for the Gospel Ministry.

At the end of July, our family visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, with our sons' 12U baseball team. After hearing so often about Cooperstown as a lifelong baseball fan, it was surreal to finally be there onsite, and especially to walk through the famous Plaque Gallery and see the faces of the Hall of Fame inductees.One thing I didn't realize about Cooperstown until this year is how far it is off the beaten trail. It's not in New York City or LA or Orlando or Vegas, where tourists would already be gathered. It's four hours north of Manhattan. You don't just happen to go by the Hall of Fame. You go out of the way, to upstate New York, away from the big city and other distractions, to this small town with a population less than my wife's hometown of Aitkin, Minnesota. So, you get away from normal life, and stand in awe of these larger-than-life figures who did what very few humans can do.Sometimes we hear Hebrews 11 talked about as the “hall of faith” or “faith hall of fame,” but that might give the wrong impression. Hebrews 11 is actually not like the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is not a remote gallery to visit while you forget normal life and gawk at inimitable greats. Rather, Hebrews 11 takes normal humans, who had faith in the true God, and presses their stories into the service of our real lives and struggles. This is no mere record of Israel's history, but Israel's history pressed into the service of helping us persevere in faith.And we live in times where this is particularly needed. We need examples and encouragements to help us endure in faith and keep believing.Amen TimeChapter 11 is the rhetorical climax of Hebrews, the best part of the sermon, the big amen part, leading up the highest point in 12:1–3, where Jesus is the climactic man of faith, and author and perfecter of ours.Along the way, while narrating this “by faith” history of Israel, Hebrews makes four editorial comments (in verses 6, 13–16, 32a, and 38a). By far, the “editorial comment” in verses 13–16 is the longest, and most significant. Verses 13–16 are the heart of our passage this morning and in some ways the heart of the whole chapter. And verses 13–16 deal with three distinct but connected realities: faith, obedience, and being strangers because of it.This chapter leads us not only to ask what these realities are and what they mean, but what they are like. In other words, what's the experience of faith like? What's it like to obey from faith? And what's it like to live as strangers and exiles in this world, seeking another, rather than being at home in this one?So, with this risky, experiential focus, let's ask three “what's it like” questions this morning: (1) What's it like to have saving faith? (2) What's it like to obey from faith? (3) What's it like to live in this world as strangers and exiles, seeking a homeland?1) What's It Like to Have Saving Faith?We start with the first half of verse 13: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar . . .” Last week we looked at verse 1, which may be the closest thing to a definition of faith in the New Testament. However, the chapter keeps going. Instead of just a definition, and then move on, Hebrews keeps going and shows us faith from one angle after another.In fact, if you were to say, Okay, what does this chapter say about the nature of faith, and what it's like to have it? You will find various angles on this many-splendored reality: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (v. 1) Faith pleases God, walks with him. (v. 5) Faith sees God as a rewarder of those who seek him. (v. 6) Faith looks to his city, not man's. (v. 10) Faith considers him faithful who promised. (v. 11) Faith seeks another homeland, and desires a better country. (v. 14) Faith considers that God is able to raise the dead. (v. 19) But the first part of verse 13 has a particularly important contribution to make: Faith (1) sees God's promises from afar and (2) greets them.Last Sunday we saw this emphasis on faith as “seeing” what is not yet visible. Faith hears the promises of God, and sees them with the soul, or the eyes of the heart. Faith sees spiritually what cannot yet be fully seen, or seen at all, with the physical eyes. There is a kind of distance, for now, bridged by faith.And because this “seeing” is a response to hearing God's promises, faith is tied repeatedly in this chapter to “receiving” (verses 8, 11, 13, 17, and 19). Faith receives. It's a “peculiarly receiving grace” (as Andrew Fuller said). It is not a doing grace or performing grace. It does not merit God's favor. Rather, faith receives God's favor and “sees” his promises that are still, for now, invisible and distant.But faith not only sees from afar. It greets. That is, it welcomes, embraces, even kisses. Faith receives with delight, not with disgust or disinterest. It is not mere assent, but warm embrace. In the language of verse 6, faith looks to the reward. Verse 10, it looks forward to the heavenly city. Verse 16, it desires a better country, the heavenly one. And the whole point of the chapter is that saving faith perseveres. It keeps seeing, keeps greeting, keeps looking forward, keeps desiring, and tasting of the fullness of joy to come.So, then, what's it like to have saving faith? What might we say about the experience of faith? On the one hand, to live according to faith is not to have all the promises yet. Once you have all the promises, you no longer live by faith, but sight. Faith is not yet content with the here and now, as we'll see.But faith also has a foretaste of the goodness of God's promises. Faith hears God's word and sees him as true with the eyes of the soul, and embraces him as desirable. Saving faith is not indifferent to what it sees, or apathetic toward who God is and what he has said and done. Rather, there is in faith an eagerness, a desire, a thirst to drink, a hunger to eat, and a foretaste of satisfaction. As Jonathan said last Sunday, faith says to God, “I want you.” And saving faith perseveres. It keeps wanting. (Which might lead us to ask, practically, How am I conditioning my soul — for indifference to God or delight in him?)So, faith, in verse 13, sees God's promises from afar and greets them, and continues to want them. Which leads to our second “what's it like” question.2) What's It Like to Obey from Faith?We ask this because verses 8–12 and 17–22 tell us about external, observable actions undertaken in faith: Abraham obeyed and went out and lived in a foreign land. Sarah received power to conceive and gave birth. Abraham reached for the knife to sacrifice his beloved son of promise. Isaac and Jacob and Joseph invoked future blessings on their heirs and gave them future directions.So, having some working sense of the experience of faith, what's it like to obey, to act, to live by faith?First, verses 8–9, Abraham's obedience: “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.” So, God said to him in Genesis 12:1, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you . . . .” And Abraham obeyed. But (this is very important) God didn't only command obedience; he made promises: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This wasn't just command and obey, but command and promise, leading to trust and obey. So, verse 10 tells us how faith led to obedience. What was it like?Abraham obeyed because (“for”), verse 10, “he was looking forward [that's faith] to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” In other words, God didn't just command it and Abraham obeyed it. God made commands and gave promises, and Abraham looked forward to, that is, believed, God's promises, as the better future, which led him to obey. Still today, when we talk about looking forward to something, we mean something we want, desire, anticipate enjoying.Then, Sarah. Verse 11 – the first part she obeyed, the second part how it happened: “By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.” Now, this obedience seems very different than her husband's. He goes out and moves and stays. Sarah obeys by welcoming God's work in her womb, and preparing at age 90 to finally have a child, to nurture the child in pregnancy and give birth and nurse and raise the child — all sorts of big and little obediences to bring a child into the world, and do so at age 90.And how did her obedience come from faith? See that word considered in verse 11? We'll see it again in verse 19 (and again next week talking about Moses in verse 26). That idea of “considering” is so important to obeying from faith, and how faith gives rise to obedience. There is a natural course of action — 90-year-old women don't prepare to have babies. But faith considers. It does not simply move, like natural humans, with the patterns of the world. God's promises come, faith receives them, and looks forward to them, and it changes how we live. We move to another place and live in a different way, with our eyes opened to something better. We open our arms to receive a child, or later we open our hands to release our grasp on that child (that's next).So, Sarah heard promises from God, like Abraham, and she too considered God faithful. She believed God would do what he said, and she desired that he do it, that it would be better, and so she acted differently. Faith changed how she lived. Her faith led her to obey.Now, back to Abraham. Verses 17–18 tell us about Abraham's further obedience by faith, and verse 19, how it happened: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.‘ 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” So, like Sarah, he considered. Naturally speaking, it made no sense to offer up Isaac. How could offspring come through Isaac if he was dead? Answer: God could raise him. God had promised offspring, and God had said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and . . . offer him . . . as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2). So Abraham tells the two young men he brought with them, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you” (Genesis 22:5). Abraham would obey God, and he believed that God would provide a rescue, or resurrection, for Isaac.So, again, faith leads to obedience. Faith takes God at his word. Faith considers the truthfulness and faithfulness of God, and his goodness, and that his plan is better, and faith leads us to act differently than we would without it.So, what's it like today to obey from faith? In short, we see something better than the world sees, and we act accordingly. Hearing God's promises, we consider differently than unbelievers. Our minds and hearts do different calculus. We don't float through life, with its givens, like unbelievers do. We don't just see and do. We see, we stop, see with the eyes of faith, and then act. For Christians, the line “everyone else is doing it” is not a good reason to do it, or (don't miss this) not do it, but for us to pause and ask, given my true home and my new desires, what is obedience here?So, faith gives us a foretaste of God's promises, our souls consider the world and life differently, and we obey from the heart.3) What's It Like to Live as Strangers?Now we finish with the rest of verses 13–16. We already saw in verses 9–10 that Abraham “went to live . . . in a foreign land . . . . For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” Now we learn more: “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” So, men and women of faith not only see God's promises from afar and welcome them, but they acknowledge, or confess, themselves to be strangers and exiles on earth. Make no mistake, faith makes them strangers. To hear God's promises and embrace them is to be stranger. You are no longer “of the world.” Now, you are different, strange. But Hebrews says these examples of faith also acknowledged it. They confess it. They recognize it and say it.And verse 14 says that people like that, call them Christians, make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. They are not “at home” in this world, and don't expect to be, and don't pretend to be. This age, its patterns, its assumptions are no longer theirs. They are Christians, and by definition, they seek a homeland other than where they were born on earth or where they live for now.In verse 15, Hebrews looks his first audience right in eye, if you can do that in a letter. He puts his finger on the connection between Abraham's story and theirs. Because of social pressure, they are tempted to “go back” to Judaism apart from Jesus. So Hebrews says about these examples of faith, “If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.” But they didn't. They didn't reminisce about the past. They didn't dwell on the comforts of their former life before God spoke and they believed. They didn't constantly consider the old or pine for the other.For them the “return” would have been Judaism. For us, what might it be? Normal modern American life?And to them, and to us, Hebrews says, Don't go back. Don't settle for an earthly homeland when God has prepared a better city. In Christ, the best is ahead, not behind. Don't let nostalgia play tricks on you. God has prepared a better place for you — a New Jerusalem, the better city and country that is come, the heavenly one, “that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (verse 10). We seek a homeland that is not immaterial, but is not of this age and not of this earth (but “of heaven”). We seek the better city, built and inhabited by God himself, that soon will come “down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).So, what's it like to live today as strangers and exiles? Simply, our hearts are not at home in this world. God has lit the flame of faith in our souls, and now we no longer want all our world wants and do all it does. We're not at home with its movies, its shows, what it affirms and denies, its values and priorities and proportions, its distractions and investments of attention, its ways of talking, its dreams, its topics, its ways of using technology. We do not think and feel and live like everyone else, or do we? Being strangers and exiles doesn't only mean that we give Christian takes on all the worlds topics and trends while we just swallow its feeds and add our spin. We find different feeds. We order our lives around God's word and his people, rather than the world's authorities and algorithms. We set the patterns and pace of our souls through meditating on Scripture and rhythms of prayer and meeting together in the habits of church life. Or do we?Now, all the answers and subtle ethical challenges are not easy. We overlap as humans: we eat, we sleep, we love, we nurture, we exercise, we work, we rest. But now it's all different, even while some of it's still very similar.If you ask, How do I live as a stranger and exile in this luxurious, twenty-first-century American life? Wisdom requires walking in tensions, not reaching for easy fixes or simplistic compromise or separation. The answers are often not in the absolutes but the proportions, and in the rhythms of our lives, and how we condition our souls.But what Hebrews 11 makes unmistakable is that the Christian faith is not a layer you add to the old life of unbelief, but it is new life, from the inside out — joy enough to obey and own that we are strangers.Not Ashamed to Be Our GodLet's end with the amazing statement in verse 16. So those who are of saving, persevering faith are not those who return to where they came from, but desire a better country, the heavenly one, verse 16: “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” I can't think of anywhere else in Scripture that talks about God being ashamed or not ashamed. What could Hebrews even mean that God would be ashamed? God never does anything shameful. God could never be put to shame. So what is Hebrews communicating by saying that God is not ashamed to be called our God, if we have such faith?What is the opposite of shame? Honor. So, put it like this: for those who desire the heavenly city, God is honored to be their God. Don't you want that? None of us want to bring shame to one we call our God. And in the end we won't, because if we abandon faith, we show that he was not our God. God will not be shamed.But he will be honored. He will be honored by those who take him at his word, and welcome his promises, embrace his Son, and confess themselves to be strangers on the earth — and desire a better country, a better land, a better city than human hands and constitutions can build. Not only is that desire an aspect of faith, but that desire honors God. He is not honored by indifference or apathy to him and promises. He is honored by souls that seek him, embrace him, welcome him, desire him. He says, in effect, I am honored to be their God because they desire me, not their world and its empty promises. They seek a fatherland, a home, with me, not on earth. They see me and my city from afar, and they are not uninterested or unimpressed, but they greet it, welcome it, embrace it, kiss it. They want me, and that honors me. They enjoy me and that glorifies me. No, I am not ashamed to be their God; I am honored by such hearts of faith. And they will not be disappointed — because I have prepared for them that better city that they desire. And a better Table.To the TableWe come here with such faith. We do not come with indifference or apathy or disinterest. We come here seeking satisfaction. We come desiring God and his city. We come embracing his Son, and cherishing his Isaac-like and Isaac-surpassing sacrifice. In faith, we see the crucified and risen Jesus from afar and greet him. We receive his good news as true, and we receive it as good. We come to eat and drink according to faith and satisfy our souls in him.

It's a worm-eating good time at Adventureland's Phantom Fall Fest this Saturday...and Alex from Adventureland, and Andrew Fuller join Ken, Kurt & Tawinee with the details...and we make Andrew play a game he really doesn't want to play.

Our BFF Andrew Fuller is back in-studio with us, and he has details on how you could be a VIP with him at Adventureland's Phantom Fall Fest.

Robert Hall spent 38 years ministering to his flock in Arnsby. He was a sought-after preacher whom God blessed with what Andrew Fuller called “the conversion of great numbers.” He was also esteemed for the loveliness of his personal character and life. Fuller again described his “unaffected humility” that “concealed from the world, and almost entirely from himself” his virtues and talents. Despite the educational disadvantages of being a conscientious dissenter, Hall demonstrated a strong mind and discipline in study. He was especially helped by the writings of Jonathan Edwards and found both doctrinal and practical ministerial clarity in such volumes as “The Freedom of the Will.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cbtseminary/support

Robert Hall spent 38 years ministering to his flock in Arnsby. He was a sought-after preacher whom God blessed with what Andrew Fuller called “the conversion of great numbers.” He was also esteemed for the loveliness of his personal character and life. Fuller again described his “unaffected humility” that “concealed from the world, and almost entirely from himself” his virtues and talents. Despite the educational disadvantages of being a conscientious dissenter, Hall demonstrated a strong mind and discipline in study. He was especially helped by the writings of Jonathan Edwards and found both doctrinal and practical ministerial clarity in such volumes as “The Freedom of the Will.”

RERUN!!! In this episode, we talk with Dr. Michael Haykin about the Particular Baptist, Samuel Pearce. In this talk, Dr. Haykin describes Pearce's life as being characterized by "Holy Love." Other people in this talk include Samuel's wife, Andrew Fuller, William Carey, etc.

Food superstar Andrew Fuller the winner of "Is It Cake?" gets Very Delta as he joins Delta Work on the world's premiere Luxury Public Access Podcast and YouTube Talk Show! Andrew and Delta decorate Big Deborah cookies and talk about judging casserole contests, living inside and outside your comfort bubble, and succeeding beyond the hetero world! Plus, Delta on checking into hotels! Do you want to see her go off?Listen to Very Delta Ad-Free AND One Day Early on MOM PlusSend us an e-mail at readmedelta@gmail.comFOLLOW DELTA@deltaworkVERY THAT IS A FOREVER DOG AND MOGULS OF MEDIA (M.O.M.) PODCASTLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Food superstar Andrew Fuller the winner of "Is It Cake?" gets Very Delta as he joins Delta Work on the world's premiere Luxury Public Access Podcast and YouTube Talk Show! Andrew and Delta decorate Big Deborah cookies and talk about judging casserole contests, living inside and outside your comfort bubble, and succeeding beyond the hetero world! Plus, Delta on checking into hotels! Do you want to see her go off? Listen to Very Delta Ad-Free AND One Day Early on MOM Plus Send us an e-mail at readmedelta@gmail.com FOLLOW DELTA @deltawork VERY THAT IS A FOREVER DOG AND MOGULS OF MEDIA (M.O.M.) PODCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices