Podcasts about John Stott

god jesus christ romans disciples apostle paul freedom in christ disciple making john stott

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2026 39:40

Romans is the Apostle Paul's fullest and clearest treatise on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Throughout history, this letter has opened eyes, awakened hearts, and set movements in motion. It's both profoundly theological and deeply personal, revealing the truth about God, humanity, and salvation. John Stott rightly called Romans a manifesto of freedom in Christ - a freedom that remakes our lives, forms us into God's people, and sends us as witnesses of Jesus in the world.

Four Portraits of Christ Pt. 3 The Gospel of Luke by John Stott 09-20-26

jesus christ gospel of luke portraits christ pt john stott

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2026

A Former Witch, an Ex-Muslim, and an Atheist Walk Into a Baptism Tank with Jon Thompson

unSeminary Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2026 46:35

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Jon Thompson, senior pastor of Sanctus Church, a multisite church on the east side of Toronto. Jon has served at Sanctus for 25 years and has helped lead the church through seasons of growth, renewal, revival, and cultural change. In this conversation, he shares insights from his latest book, Presence: Resilient Witness in Times of Retreat and Revival, and explores how churches can faithfully witness in an increasingly post-Christian—and even re-paganized—culture. Learn to minister in a re-paganized culture. // Jon believes Canada offers a glimpse of where many parts of the United States may be heading. Churches are increasingly engaging people with little or no Christian memory alongside Muslims, Hindus, atheists, New Agers, nominal Christians, and people shaped by contemporary cultural movements. The challenge is not simply to defend Christian truth, but to communicate the gospel thoughtfully and winsomely to radically different audiences at the same time. Open the three evangelistic doors. // Historically, love, word, and power describe three ways people encounter God. Love demonstrates God's character through hospitality and care. Word clarifies truth through preaching, apologetics, and teaching. Power reveals God's presence through experiences such as healing, deliverance, dreams, and other supernatural encounters. Jon argues that churches need all three doors open because different people encounter Jesus through different pathways. Admit your church's bias. // Most churches naturally lean toward one or two of these categories. Conservative evangelical churches often emphasize word. Other churches may prioritize love through compassion and justice, while still others focus heavily on supernatural experiences. Jon encourages leaders to honestly identify their bias and intentionally elevate the areas they tend to neglect. A healthy church needs all three working together rather than allowing one to dominate. Don't let fear quench what God is doing. // Jon tells the story of a woman who came to faith out of Hinduism after experiencing visions, spiritual conflict, and encounters with Jesus. When her church removed those elements from her baptism testimony because leaders were uncomfortable with them, she felt that an essential part of her story had been denied. Jon warns that fear, theological bias, and lack of experience can cause churches to suppress genuine ways God may be working in people's lives. Choose encounter and systems. // Jon believes churches often falsely pit spiritual encounter against organizational structure. Healthy churches need both. Leaders should build systems that support what God is doing without attempting to control it. As spiritual activity increases, churches may need to adjust volunteer processes, pastoral care systems, staff expectations, and leadership structures. The goal is not to eliminate order but to make the organization flexible enough to respond when circumstances change. Understand renewal, revival, and awakening. // Jon distinguishes between renewal, revival, and awakening. Renewal is the recovery of first love in individual believers. Revival is a sovereign move of God that He initiates and ends where sin is revealed and there’s widespread healing. Awakening happens when revival leads to widespread conversion. Leaders should not assume revival is guaranteed, but they should remain faithful and responsive whether God brings extraordinary renewal or simply calls them to steady obedience in an ordinary season. Start by refusing to resist God. // Before changing structures or launching new ministries, Jon believes leaders should begin with a simple posture: “Lord, whatever you want to do, I won't fight you.” Many pastors love God but still struggle to trust Him when ministry becomes unpredictable. Jon encourages leaders to confront their fear, relinquish control, and remain open to correction, repentance, and change. To learn more about Jon Thompson and his books, including Convergence, Perseverance, Presence, and the upcoming re-release of Deliverance, visit jonthompsonresources.com or Amazon.com. Other Conversations with Jon Thompson Reflections on Christian Ministry at the Halfway Point with Jon Thompson // February 8, 2024 What if John Stott, John Wimber, Dallas Willard & Andy Stanley Planted a Church with Jon Thompson? // March 14, 2019 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, Rich from the unSeminary Podcast. Listen, you’re going to want to lean in today for this conversation because I think this kind what you’re going to get a sneak peek on is something that’s impacting churches all over the world that’s having, I think, an interesting kind of moment and is maybe points to a bit of where God is at work. And I think could for many churches that are listening in today, give them a sense of maybe some next steps, what the kind of evolution or the development of their church, what that could look like for the future.Rich Birch — Plus, it’s one of those times where I get to talk with like a real live friend, somebody that I know from the real world, not just on the internet, which is so fun. Excited to have Jon Thompson with us. He is the senior pastor at Sanctus Church, a multi-site church in the east side of Toronto with four in-person locations plus church online. This church began in 1985 with just 40 people meeting and now averages over 2,600 weekend attendees with a plan to reach 3,600 by the end of the decade and open a sixth site in the T. Dot in Toronto in the six by 2030. Rich Birch — Jon has served at Sanctus for 25 years, starting as a youth pastor before becoming the senior pastor. He holds both a masters from Tyndale and a doctorate from Fuller. He grew up in Ecuador from missionary parents, he and his wife, Joanna, who’s incredible, have three kids. His books include Convergence, Deliverance, and Perseverance. And the brand new one that I’m excited to have him talk about today, Presence: Resilient Witness in Times of Retreat and Revival. And it’s from our friends at Zondervan Reflective.Rich Birch — Jon, welcome to the show. I am so glad that you’re here today. Welcome.Jon Thompson — Yeah great to be here. Great to be back on the podcast. Hang out with a real friend, like you said, and hi to anyone listening anywhere around the world today.Rich Birch — Yeah, this is good. I’m excited for this. For folks that haven’t maybe picked up a past episode, which you haven’t, you should go go back and find them. Jon’s been on a couple times, a few times. But give us kind of a picture of a normal Sunday at Sanctus. Who’s in the room? Give us a flavor for the church.Jon Thompson — Yeah, so our church is located, like you said, on the east side of Toronto. And some of your viewers will know this, but lots might might not. Toronto is the most multicultural city on earth, more than London, more than, well, LA, more than New York, more than Singapore, more than Hong Kong. And so there’s between 150 and 300 heart languages spoken every single day in our amazing city, by the way, you got to come to Toronto. The food culture is unbelievable…Rich Birch — That’s true. That is true.Jon Thompson — …and unparalleled because everyone’s here. So on a Sunday morning, depending on our locations, again, because we have rural sites, urban sites, and suburban sites, which makes life interesting to say the least, but we probably got 55 plus identified nationalities. We probably I think we’re on 13 on staff right now. And so everything from someone from Hong Kong to someone who’s moved here from Pakistan. We’ve got Congolese. We’ve got Irish. I mean just fill in the blank and you’re going to discover the amazing diversity of the human race on this side of heaven. And we you know we made a decision a long time ago that we were going to fight for Revelation 7 on this side of uh the moment. Rich Birch — So good. Jon Thompson — And it’s exciting, it’s hard, it’s difficult, and it’s um and it’s worth it.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. You know, Canada is and I know we share this conviction. I know you’ve said it and I’ve said it on other podcasts when we’ve had Canadian friends on the podcast. But I think it’s really important, particularly, you know, 95 plus percent of the people listening are in the States. But I think it’s important just to to set the context. Because in a lot of ways, Canada is a few a few years ahead or behind, depending on what language you want to use, of our friends in the States. What do you mean by that? When you say that, what springs to mind?Jon Thompson — Yeah, so this is a very interesting place, right? Because Canada moved from, ah you know, Christendom worldview, to a nominal Christian worldview, to a struggling Christian worldview, to a post-Christian worldview. And now I think we’ve moved to a new place, which is not post-Christian, but repaganized.Jon Thompson — And so it’s a it’s a fascinating place. Because In our context, One moment, you’ll be talking to someone who still has Christian memory, who actually doesn’t love Jesus at all, but it’s a family thing. And it’s nominal Christianity. Jon Thompson — The next moment, you’ll still run into a Mormon telling you you’re worshiping the right and wrong Jesus. The next moment, it’s a New Ager. The next moment, it’s ah a Muslim activist. The next moment, it’s a transgender activist. The next moment, it’s someone who has no clue at all on anything.Jon Thompson — And so what’s fascinating about up here is you’ve got modern, postmodern. You’ve got conservative, you’ve got liberal. You’ve got the heart of the sexual revolution in the center center of our city. It’s one of the hubs of that globally. You’ve got every religion on earth. And you’ve got churches that are dying.Jon Thompson — I think, I don’t know of the latest stats. I still think that they’re they’re estimating one third of churches will close in the next decade in Canada, like physical ah buildings will close. And while that’s happening. And all that’s happening. You’ve got still sort of Christianity memory in certain groups, and then there are churches that are exploding. Jon Thompson — And so the the way I talk about we’re a little ahead is we are your future in some form. Because we’re facing down Jesus and how we deal with the gift of immigrants globally, but also the complication of that. We’re dealing with having to pivot the gospel to an a Muslim person, a Hindu person, a nominal Christian, and and a Mormon all in one conversation.Jon Thompson — There are Bible belts left in Canada, very small ones. But like Abbotsford, for example.Rich Birch — Little teeny tiny belts.Jon Thompson — But but there are those places.Rich Birch — Sure. Yep.Jon Thompson — At the same time there is the post-christian thing. And the reason why I think our American friends should pay more attention to us is not because we’re we’re having a third cousin issue up here and we’re jealous. It’s because actually we reflect where you’re going. Because there are going to be sections in the United States that probably will remain nominally Christian and culturally Christian for a very long time. You know, in certain parts of Houston, for example, or maybe in sections of Kentucky or Louisiana. But then you go to New York and LA or Seattle. And here’s the point. The church has to speak to both audiences at once, which feels in contradiction. But isn’t.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Yeah and I’ve definitely seen that. I like the uh the re-paganizing language you know I’ve used the uh the pre-christian that we’ve it’s like we’ve gone kind of all the way through. And that that totally has been my experience serving here. You know I took a break. I was in the States for a number of years better part of a decade and then came back. And one of the things I’ve noticed has been this shift kind of under the current. We used to say we used to joke actually we ain’t your mama’s church. But like, you can’t make that joke anymore because like mom didn’t go to church. Grandma didn’t go to church. Like nobody in there, you know, we run into that all the time. Like that’s, you know, really common.Jon Thompson — So like literally this week. This week, my daughter is doing swimming lessons. A woman comes up to us and says, hey, I hear you’re a pastor.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — Really tragic thing. She says, my husband’s dying, 45 years old. And so my wife and I end up speaking to her, praying for her. And she’s like, I have never. So she’s 45 grown up Canada. She says, I’ve never owned a Bible. I’ve never read a Bible. Could I have a Bible? Jon Thompson — Now, for you listening in the Bible Belt before you dismiss this conversation and say not our fight, I just…May I do something for a moment? That might not be true because you’re surrounded by 400 churches. But every time you go online, it is your reality. So what we experience physically in Canada you digitally experience every day. And you have to be as as adaptive thoughtful, winsome, orthodox on your digital thinking as you do your physical thinking. And again, I’ll say this a little strongly. I find a lot of you aren’t.Rich Birch — Okay. We’re starting off spicy, which is great. Okay, so you’ve seen a lot of people. Part of what I love about Sanctus, friends like, I’m trying to, again, give some context. For folks that are listening in, Sanctus is known as a, you know this is a life-giving church. People, they come to Jesus here. This is the kind of place where people take steps towards faith in in Christ, which is amazing. You’ve seen a lot of that happen over the years at Sanctus—thousands of people. When you look back on some of the patterns in people’s lives, some of the, you know, the kind of themes that come back time and time again and how they arrived at that sort of decision. What are you noticing in people’s lives?Jon Thompson — Well, like I just said about the diversity of our place, the diversity of conversions come from those places. And so like on a Sunday morning, I mean, our baptisms aren’t more epic than yours or anyone else. I mean, praise the Lord. Right.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — We’ve got we’ve got 10 year olds confessing the faith of their parents. But it won’t be unusual for literally, I mean, this just happened. So we’ll have like two or three, not babies, but children who say, you know, I want to get baptized. And the next person’s like, I grew up an atheist. I’ve encountered the living God through Christ. The next person is I’m a former witch. And I just actually want to renounce Satan in the tank. And the next person’s like, I used to be a Muslim. And now I’ve actually found out that Jesus is Lord.Jon Thompson — So, so, that is not now an uncommon experience at any of our sites. And what is behind that is not only that the gospel is good for everyone—praise the Lord—but we worked really hard to make sure that all the doors are open evangelistically to all people. And that gets to our bias in spiritual gifts. But you know—and we’ve had this conversation many times, you and I, Rich—but there are three historic categories that Bobby Clinton invented years ago we’ve used where he divides all the gifts, love, word, and power.Jon Thompson — So love gifts demonstrate the love of God in the room. Word gifts clarify who God is, who he’s not, what he likes, what he doesn’t. Power gifts evidence his presence in the room. That’s true of gifts, but to take a farther step out, those are three doors evangelistically.Jon Thompson — And this is why this is so critical. Because we have to have all three of those doors—such as, hospitality, apologetic defense of the gospel, and miracles and deliverance—open all the time. Because these are the ways people have always come to faith in our movement for 2,000 years. Jon Thompson — Now, all three doors have to lead to the true Christ because there are fake Jesuses. And there’s lots of heresy out there. And it has to be involved in repentance and belief and evidence by baptism. Amen. But I find most churches, theologically and experientially, are comfortable with one or maybe two of those things. And as I always lecture on this, like formally, if you sit on a three-legged stool and there are three legs…Rich Birch — Right.Jon Thompson — …and one leg is missing. You wobble on the best of days, but you usually fall down.Rich Birch — Yeah. I’d love to kind of double click on love, word, and power, these three legs of the stool. And so familiar with, some people will be familiar with that framework for gifting like you talked about, and but kind of give us a little more, you gave you kind of a quick overview of each of them from an evangelistic point of view, but kind of give me some examples or what it might look like in a church that’s opening that that door evangelistically, you know, the love, word, and power door.Jon Thompson — Yeah, and um I think we’re going to talk about this a little bit later. I mean there’s a lot behind these statements.Rich Birch — Yep. Yes.Jon Thompson — Like almost 30 years of conversation. Rich Birch — Yes. Jon Thompson — But like this is the best way I’ll say it. I’ve seen this in my life. I’ve seen this in my kids’ life. I’ve seen this across our church for two two plus decades, almost three now. Can I tell some stories that might help?Rich Birch — Yeah of course. I love a good story.Jon Thompson — Yeah, so… yeah so like here here’s a great example guy a young adult guy is in his basement.And he’s smoking weed, high as a kite. Freaks freaks out. Okay, great.Rich Birch — Shocker.Jon Thompson — Shocker. But actually sees a demon and like panics. Calls someone at our church, a friend of his, and is like, I’m really scared. And she laughs. And she’s like, no problem. So her first thing is not. Oh you’re an idiot. Her first thing is not, oh, you’re inventing that. The first thing is not, well, of course you’re high, you’re seeing that. Her first reaction is, well, I’ve got an answer to that.Jon Thompson — She’s like, yeah, his name is Jesus. By the way, if you say his name, watch the demon leave and then come talk to us. So the guy—total pagan—does it. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — The demon leaves. He shows up next Sunday. He’s radically converted. Didn’t used to be able to read, by the way, very well. Now reads at a PhD level and on a theology sort of thing, like radically converted. And his starting point was a power encounter.Jon Thompson — Now the person next to it, next to him in a conversation is the one listening to John Lennox at Oxford on the the lack validity and the historicity of Jesus.Jon Thompson — Or or you know, and we’re like, yeah, of course. And then the next person, we were just talking to this on staff. So one of our so SLT members (senior leadership team) was talking about his conversion story. And his conversion story is one of his relatives—I think it was his mom—was really sick in the hospital. Two nurses come in, and and are Christians, start praying over her, and basically start committing you know hospitality in the hospital, probably in a way they’re not supposed to. She’s radically saved, ends up leading her son to Christ, and the hus…Jon Thompson — And and so so here’s all I’m trying to say. We have a gift bias that everyone should know their gifts and be using them not only internally in the church, but see how they work out evangelistically, but beyond the gift thing. This for us is normal. We talk about this in our sermons. We actually take the Bible literally in the sense of what we’ve defended is what we believe. I find a lot of conservative people defend the scriptures and don’t believe the thing they’re defending.Jon Thompson — So for us, when I look at the book of Acts, I’m like, we will see people come to faith through healings and through deliverances and through visions and through dreams, as much as John Lennox or or our good new friend Wes Huff from Canada, who’s on every podcast showing up why the Bible is reliable, and also through that incredible, Hey. Can you just talk to me? I’m really sad. Jon Thompson — And what I’m begging churches to do is this this matrix gives you the ability to pivot to multiple people, but you have to have a culture that believes this, defends it, defines it.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Jon Thompson — And makes the weird normal, as we’ve said for years.Rich Birch — Yeah, okay. So you earlier you talked about how most churches are comfortable with one or maybe two, back to the three-legged stool.Jon Thompson — Yep.Rich Birch — Unpack that a little bit. How have you seen that? Or maybe even more pointedly, how do you fight a get that against that in your own church? Because I you know I can see naturally we would all kind of lean in one way because of our giftings.Rich Birch — you know As a leader, I always see I see the world through my lens. And so the stuff that’s important to me, if I was leading, we would be we’d love all that stuff, but we might not be into the other two. So help help me understand, what does that look like? How do you fight against that at Sanctus?Jon Thompson — So I’ll step back and just say that you know this has been almost like a three-decade journey. For us, everything changed when we got serious about spiritual gifts, unpacking them and doing all of that. That’s a different podcast we’ve done. But what I will but what i will say is this… is that there are most conservative evangelical churches are word churches: Who God is, who he’s not, what he likes, what he doesn’t, the power of preaching. I’m all for it. I preach for a living. And by the way, for people who are starting to dismiss me, I’m reformed in my soteriology. And not only that, I’m an expository preacher. So you don’t get to throw me out the window too quick. Jon Thompson — So, I mean, i’m’m I’m all I’m all for that. But that is not the answer. It’s part of the answer. And so what we continually have done is when we realize that love, word and power are things that are all needed at once, we made them equally important. In staffing, in our conversations. That’s one. Jon Thompson — Two, you need to admit as a church where you’re comfortable and where you’re not. Because there’s a lot of churches, for example, that I always say it like this. You can have all the word people on earth in your church and know all truth, but you’re cold as anything and you’re not even sure if anyone’s been saved lately. Jon Thompson — I’m in all sorts of other churches where it’s love, love, social justice, and hospitality. But I’m like, but are you believing heresy? Do you even have any compass? Rich Birch — Right. Jon Thompson — And then I’m in other environments where it’s, you know, glory clouds and all this amazing spiritual stuff. But I’m like, do you even know the source of this?Jon Thompson — Where is this coming from? Rich Birch — Yeah that’s good.Jon Thompson — Just because it’s good doesn’t mean it’s from our Lord. The spirit of Antichrist and Christ are identical in action. So so what we’ve tried doing is saying, number one, we have to admit these three things are important. Number two, we have to come up with language for each one of them and affirm them. Number three, and you just did it live so I love this, you need to admit where you’re limited.Jon Thompson — So you’re like, Jon, I mean we know each other you’re like One of my strongest spiritual gifts is leadership. That’s what you said. This is the way I immediately instinctually and spiritually react. So, Rich’s responsibility, if he was the senior pastor, is then to publicly talk about why he’s actually not biased in other directions and why he needs to be, and find other people to be that voice.Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s so good.Jon Thompson — Because a lot of people want to be open to this, but since they have not experienced it, they don’t know what to do. And I’m like, right, because it’s about interdependence. It’s not just about you.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I think this is a great framework. And you know, it it explains what I can think think could be what’s missing in, you know, so many of our churches and you know we so many of us are are led by uh very gifted word-oriented gift people. Like our churches are led by those people… Jon Thompson — Right. Rich Birch — …and which is amazing… Jon Thompson — Yep. Rich Birch — …but we could miss the other two. And you know in the last year our mutual friend Jeff Brody said something and that resonates with what you were saying. He’s talked about, you know you might believe that it’s true, but is it real for you? And that has like resonated with me so so deeply. It’s similar to when you talked about you know conservatives defend what they don’t necessarily believe. And you know, does this actually work out in our lives, I think is a powerful idea.Rich Birch — Now, there was a story in your book about a young woman who left Hinduism and then joined a reformed church.Jon Thompson — Yeah.Rich Birch — I thought this was a vivid example. And particularly for us on the system side, I thought, oh, this is a good way to kind of systematize this…Jon Thompson — Yeah.Rich Birch — …or think about this at a systems level. Can you unpack that story?Jon Thompson — A hundred percent. And I just want to acknowledge as we keep going, I know the vast majority of your viewers or listeners are more probably on the system side executive pastor, like that type of leader, which by the way, without you, we all die. So thank you for all your service and what you do.Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah. Yep.Jon Thompson — We’re so thankful for you. But as we keep having this conversation, think this is a challenge for you to think deeply theologically, even before your systems, because what you systematize better be true. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jon Thompson — And so this is a great example of what we’re talking about. So I teach a course up here in a seminary on spiritual conflict, a very boring, non-controversial course. And so I was teaching this, I think it was two years ago now, and a young woman comes on and takes the course, and she is in tears at the end of one of the lectures. And ah and it’s all, it’s online. So so she said, can I meet?Jon Thompson — So I said, yeah. She says, look, she said, I just, I was radically saved out of Hinduism, which is incredible, and and she said soI you know I became a christian, I renounced my hinduism, and I I have no background. Either my family are Hindus or atheists and nothing in between, which even shows you the contradiction there. Her family is made up of atheists and Hindus.Rich Birch —Right.Jon Thompson — Like she is the embodiment of what we’re talking about.Rich Birch — Absolutely.Jon Thompson — And so she says, well, I’m going to find a church. She goes to a very small Reformed church locally, like a Christian Reformed, Dutch Reformed church. They’re of course excited that she’s come to faith, which is great. The average age in the church is much older. She told me, I think she’s the first adult baptism in over a decade or maybe two.Jon Thompson — So, because of course they’re covenantal, they baptize children overall. Fun. So he’s like, well, we want to hear your story. So she writes the whole story of encountering Jesus through visions and dealing with demons and Jesus setting her free. And so submits the the testimony, and the pastor edits every single encounter out of it. And this is like in the last three years in Toronto.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Jon Thompson — This is in Toronto.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — And so she said, why have you edited this out? And he said, because I don’t fully understand this, though it’s true. My people will be afraid and I don’t want to make them afraid. And right there, she wept. And then she said to me. When I took your class, you not only affirmed everything that happened to me was true. Second of all, you gave me the theological principles and categories scripturally and historically to show that I am in the great line of succession of the church. If anyone should be defending the great line of succession of the church, it’s the Reformed kids. I mean, those reform kids.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — And so what I want to point out is in that story, fear and lack of experience, and theological bias ended up quenching what the Spirit wanted to do. Jon Thompson — And I just want to say to anyone listening. I’m not saying that every environment that you’ve been in has been perfect. I mean i think a lot of us have had experiences spiritually where people with right motives have done things wrong.Rich Birch — Yep, true.Jon Thompson — And we ended up getting hurt. So it’s sort of like dating. If you’ve ever dated and broken up or you married and and then and then got divorced, the amount of intensity it takes to re-engage is a lot. Rich Birch — Yep.Jon Thompson — So there’s a lot of you listening, you’re like, Jon, I don’t want this conversation because I don’t want to touch that again. And I’m like, you have to. You have to. The scriptures are chock full of this. This is the only way we’re going to do well between retreat and revival, whether you’re in an environment where everyone’s a false nominal Christian or everyone’s not a Christian at all. This has been the pattern since the beginning. And it’s the way the Spirit works. So maybe I’d encourage some of you to pray about your fear and your anger. So you can get on with the thing.Rich Birch — So good. and And I would say um this, what we’re talking about right here, that story of um you know, this this you know young Hindu woman who came to know Jesus, praise God, amazing story. And, you know, kind of God appearing in dreams and all of that. I feel like has, been or I don’t feel like, has become more normative in my church experience in the same kind of climate that that you’re in. And that was not normative 30 years ago when I started. Rich Birch — Like, you know, it is this kind of like, you know, we have a laundry list of similar conversations where it’s like, you know people are having dreams and then wandering into church you know they’re having dreams on a Tuesday you know between Monday and Tuesday night and then they’re just wandering to the church because they’re like I think that’s a church over there. And are like hey, Jesus told me to come here. And you know then we end up having you know deeper conversations and they you know their life gets transformed. Rich Birch — I don’t remember that stuff going on. That’s happening more, which makes sense, I think, in this context of you know this uh what did you call it repaganizing or you know pre-christian kind of context because, you know, the Spirit’s got to work directly. He’s got to, you know, get directly encounter people. So I think that’s, you know, interesting. Rich Birch — So the people that might be because people listening and…you want to say something?Jon Thompson — Well, I was just going to say, yes, and…Rich Birch — Yep. Good.Jon Thompson — 30 years ago, it was happening.Rich Birch — Sure.Jon Thompson — See, this is this is what we have to admit. Rich Birch — Yep.Jon Thompson — It was happening, but we weren’t open.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s true.Jon Thompson — So for a lot of you listening you’re like, well I don’t live in Toronto. I’m like, I know you don’t. But what you legitimize from your pulpit tells your people what you’re allowed to talk about.Rich Birch — Right. That’s good.Jon Thompson — So if you’re going to have a sincere conversation about love, word, and power, and how the Spirit really works evangelistically, whether you’re speaking again to a a cultural Christian or someone else, here’s the point. I guarantee you in the Bible Belt, lots of people are having dreams too.Rich Birch — Right.Jon Thompson — They just have been told that’s weird, and we don’t talk about that.Rich Birch — Those are the kind of things we don’t talk about here. Yeah.Jon Thompson — Right.Rich Birch — That’s good. Okay, so pivoting in a slightly different direction. One of the things that I love about Sanctus that’s, you know, if you’re kind of in the outer orbit of the church, eventually you’ll start to hear like, oh, they have a deliverance ministry over there. That’s not on the list of like, you know, men’s ministry, women’s ministry, pioneer girls, deliverance ministry that I hear like in so many churches out there. And you’ve had it for a long time. What does that actually look like? So like an average Tuesday, how does that fit into what’s going on at Sanctus?Jon Thompson — Yeah, so this is a conversation we wanted nothing to do with. Again, we were just again, you know Willow Creek, seeker-sensitive, historic church.Rich Birch — Yep.Jon Thompson — And this is like 27 years ago now where people started coming to us and they’re like, I think I have something happening in my life that is beyond psychological or biological wiring. And we were like, we are not that church that does that. That’s the weird people down the street. You know, we’ll deal with them in heaven, but you know. And the Lord wouldn’t give it up. Jon Thompson — So 27 plus years later, I think we’ve had either been involved in or helped assist globally in a thousand cases. And just for, I love how you put that. It’s just normal for us. It’s not this thing. It’s a thing. Jon Thompson — So for us, a worship team practice and, you know, a youth gathering taking place, an Alpha running and a deliverance having the same building is just normal. Because again, our bias on spiritual gifts is there’s 21 gifts, 21 directions. We need to try to make sure that all the gifts are employed in some way. And this is a certain group of gifts.Jon Thompson — So, yeah, we’ve done it for years. The whole story of that is in the book, Deliverance, which I think you and I maybe have talked about. It’s coming out again in February through Zondervan Reflective.Rich Birch — Yep. Jon Thompson — That’s the whole story. But like for us, dealing with the demonic, both in oppression issues and demonization issues and sanctification with Christians, but also evangelistically with non-Christians is just sort of normal.Rich Birch — Yeah. So good.Rich Birch — Yeah, I yeah there’s ah there’s a lot there that you I just think is kind of ah a great part of the story that God’s writing at your church, and I think can be instructive to many of us as we’re thinking about the future.Rich Birch — So let’s let’s kind of draw in the person that’s listening, maybe like an executive pastor, church of, I don’t know, 800 to a thousand, something like that. And they’re struck by this idea this like ooh maybe we are only opening one door. We’re not talking about these other these other doors. We’re not engaged in any of that.Rich Birch — Where would you suggest that they start? (Outside of actually picking up a copy of the book.) I you know I think that’s an obvious thing where we’re going to get to, but like outside of that, how would you help them think about um you know what they should be thinking about?Jon Thompson — Yeah. So just to step back a little to this question. This book conversation we’re having is about how you deal with an environment where renewal and retreat are happening in the same place. That’s very true in our social media feeds and it’s true in a lot of our cities.Jon Thompson — So I happen to know you and I happen to know your church. Because I’ve been conspiratorially involved behind the scenes at points. So your church’s own story is where all your people need to begin.Jon Thompson — And it’s this. Only when the leaders decide not to resist God will things change. And what I mean by that is not like open rebellion against God. It’s this. The lead, I just happen to know there were moments in your church’s own story where the leaders went, you know what? We’re not going to resist you anymore, Lord. What do you want to do?Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — That was it. That and that’s not, you know, like earthquake you know, feel. But it changed everything. I mean what are you starting this week? Is it this week you’re starting? 30 days of like. praying, or has that happened?Rich Birch — Well, yeah, we’ve done that already, which is amazing, and but there’s more of that coming… Jon Thompson — Yep. Right. But… Rich Birch — …like it’s there’s there’s lots of that stuff happening that wasn’t happening 10 years ago for sure.Jon Thompson — Right. The inception point, though, is when people just went like this. You know what? We’re afraid.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — We don’t understand. We prefer system over encounter. We prefer system over encounter and they’re not in competition, but both have to be there. So, Lord, what do you want to say? What do you want to do? That’s the starting point. Rich Birch — Right. Jon Thompson — Because before you work out the theology of love, word, and power and start thinking about how you, you know, witness to people from all the nations and not have a you know a vicious reaction towards them. And how you think through the, like all that.Jon Thompson — The first place is you say to the Lord, I won’t fight you. And the truth is the vast majority of us love God, but don’t trust him. And I said this on a former podcast with you. And and and lots of executive pastors, when they hear me talk, way more than this, get nervous because this starts sounding like Pandora’s box. Well, how do I systematize this? And what would be the implications?Jon Thompson — And I’m like, yeah, before any of that conversation, have you said to the Lord, whatever you want to do, I won’t I won’t fight you.Rich Birch — So good.Jon Thompson — Most pastors would say they have not prayed that. I don’t think. I also think, too, there are a series of systems that relate to what happens in an empowered encounterist church, a systemized church, and then a church going through a revival. Three very different things. And there’s there’s a set of systems.Rich Birch — You want to unpack…you want to unpack that a little bit?Jon Thompson — Yeah, sure. So I mean, there are lots of amazing churches that are commonly faithful who serve communion and preach God’s word and help the poor. And and and and those are all guaranteed places of encounter according to the scriptures. And so amazing. They’re that’s good. That’s right. That’s holy. And that’s one expression of it. Jon Thompson — When you start saying to the holy spirit not only common faithfulness but anything else you’d like to do? At that moment I have a saying, most people praying for revival aren’t praying for revival, they’re praying for a normal church on Monday, they just don’t know it.Rich Birch — That’s good.Jon Thompson — And what I mean by that is most people praying for revival are actually praying for a church where the Spirit is more present, there are more encounters, and everyone’s using their gifts and loving each other better. That’s not revival. That is actually what it’s supposed to be. So when you have a whole group of encounters taking place more than a system, there are other things you have to adjust like we’ve done. Jon Thompson — For example, you start asking your volunteers, what are your spiritual gifts? You start clarifying from the front what encounters look like. You start building house rules of how encounters are handled. It’s part of your intake process. You think about this through pastoral care. There’s no dismissing of experience. You now become an interpreter of experience 24-7.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Jon Thompson — So like there’s that. And then there’s revival. And revival is a sovereign act of God where everything falls apart, and all sin is revealed, and there’s en masse healing. And if it’s a genuine move of God that moves from renewal to revival to awakening, there’s en masse conversion.Jon Thompson — And as I share in the book, because we went through a three year experience with that, it was documented. There’s another set of organizational rules. I was meeting with a lot of leaders in England for the last three years because they are experiencing this genuinely. And I was just telling them what we went through historically. And I used the analogy for the executive pastors or the admin leaders saying, You’ve got to think about renewal and revival like being on a bike. And I said, you’re all English and you all ride bikes, so you should be fine.Jon Thompson — And I just said, you know how there are gears on a bike? And I just said, when a move of God actually takes place, you have one set of things that are in place for that. And then when you go back to normal, you use another set. And we just said, you have to have a code word for your staff where you literally say, Monday was normal. Wednesday is now not normal, so the whole system collapses and now looks like this. And when the Spirit walks back, you go, okay. We’re going back to the other gear. Jon Thompson — That thinking is incredibly important in renewal and revival environments for sustainability of staff, for clarification of experience, and also for literal helping people not burn out. Because when God shows up, all hell and heaven break loose. And and maybe I’ll just throw this out quickly too.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — We should never forget that a lot of people dismiss revival-like environments because a lot of things are done wrong. And that’s a horrific starting point. Actually, that’s true in all of this.Jon Thompson — So we forget that, you know, I don’t know if I said this on this pod one of this one of these episodes, but we forget that that that Moses went up the mountain. The people were looking at the physical Shekinah glory of God. And while God was present in the most magnificent of way, they still built the golden calf in real time while they’re looking at him.Rich Birch — Right.Jon Thompson — So anytime there’s a significant move of God, the devil is in the room, the flesh is in the room, and God’s in the room at the same time. If you think God’s just going to be in the room, you’re going to end up dismissing much of what he’s done.Rich Birch — That’s so good. Talk about, you kind of you breezed over this, but I think it’s an important piece of the puzzle—the connection between repentance and revival, you know, and how repentance fits into the overall picture. The reason why I asked that, I don’t know, a year ago, I was at an event where a bunch of leaders were there and there was a Gen Z leader who has been involved in some stuff that’s been going on. And led like a public confession experience with the leaders that were there. And he was challenging us around you know, basically the question was like, well, why why is why repentance? Why is that such a big deal? Rich Birch — And this leader, which I loved, you know, was like, Well, hasn’t that isn’t that always the way? Like isn’t that what isn’t that what this is about? Like aren’t we aren’t we shouldn’t repentance be a part of the transformation of Jesus in in our lives like that? How can you separate those two? And I was like, oh yeah, right. Rich Birch — But I think that that… issue could be the fear you know you’ve mentioned talked about fear a little bit could be a part of the fear that’s in many leaders lives today. Jon Thompson — Yeah. Rich Birch — It’s like man, I’m not sure I want to engage that. Unpack that. Jon Thompson — Yeah, so I’ll I’ll I’ll do it like this. The language we’ve come up with, because I always find that categories are helpful for translation and expectations. So we always talk about renewal as the recovery of first love in an individual’s life.Jon Thompson — Revival is a sovereign act of God that he initiates and he ends. Awakening is when mass conversions take place out of a revival. What you’re talking about is probably the renewal category even more than the revival. Rich Birch — That’s good. Jon Thompson — Revival people tend to mush everything together, which is never helpful.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — And it really bothers me.Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s good.Jon Thompson — So and I’m friends with lots of the people. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. That’s good. Jon Thompson — So I keep helping I keep saying, please, please help us. Rich Birch — Yes. Jon Thompson — So here’ here’s what I would say about you know repentance. Yes, of course, it’s always part of the thing. Of course it is. And It’s a fascinating reflection when we look at Adam and Eve. The very first thing that Adam and Eve did when they sinned is they hid. So hiddenness is the first sign of trouble. Then they tried fashioning something to cover their hiddenness. Then, of course, God comes and finds them, exposes them and gives them a better, of course, covering. Jon Thompson — Why this matters is this gets back to the love and trust thing. Lots of us are comfortable with Jesus at the wedding of Cana. Most of us are not okay with Jesus glorified at the Mount of Transfiguration. Or actually the encounter between Jesus and John in Revelation 1. Jon Thompson — And so I think a lot of times as leaders, and and let me just say this boldly too, your people will not go beyond you. You are Moses to your movement. And so I think saying to the Lord, you know, I’m open to what you would say to me, good or bad. And would you help me be in a position where I would want to repent. Jon Thompson — And I think this is okay to say. Regularly, I pray that the Holy Spirit would give me desires I don’t have. Because I don’t have lots of desires for repentance or you know. Rich Birch — Right, right. That’s good.Jon Thompson — So I think for leaders listening, whether God decides sovereignly to bring revival to your church or awakening to your area is not the starting point. That’s actually a sovereign decision. And in in the book, I talk about how I’m really concerned these days that everyone’s saying revival’s coming, revival’s coming. I’m like, actually, the Bible says revival’s not guaranteed. You have to ask if he’s decided to come. If he says, yes, you pray back the prayers, then all Heaven and hell breaks out.Jon Thompson — But if he doesn’t do that, in other words, if summer doesn’t come and you’re stuck in winter you still have to be involved in common faithfulness, including no hiddenness as a leader. And so anyone listening, I would just encourage you to trust the goodness of the God you continually tell others to trust in.Jon Thompson — I was writing a section. yesterday for a sermon I’m doing out of Mark where, you know, Martha is serving in Lazarus’s house and Mary takes the nard and smashes it on Jesus’s feet. And Judas gets really pissed off and says, how dare you do this? Jon Thompson — And I was reflecting on how her—everyone ready, system leaders?—her uncontrolled, embarrassing, inappropriate public activity exposed his double life. And so I just want to challenge everyone that when genuine encounter starts happening, systems are not the enemy, but it will expose double lives.Rich Birch — So good, Jon, this is I feel like we could go for so long about these things. And I’m always got I got a page of notes here and other questions I’d love to ask you. But this is super helpful.Rich Birch — So the thing for folks that haven’t been tracking along, you’ve been writing a number of books.Jon Thompson — Yeah.Rich Birch — And that, you know, and they they hang together as a bit of a the thing you’re tricking people into is it’s like they think it’s one book, but really it’s like it’s like a Tolkien, more than trilogy. Kind of talk to us how these all fit together. At least that’s how I see them. I see them as like, it’s kind of one continuous conversation around the similar kind of stuff. How does Presence, this current work, fit in the context of the other stuff that you’re working on?Jon Thompson — Sure. You are right about the conspiracy. And I’ll take I’ll take the Tolkien nod.Rich Birch — Yes, I figured you’d like that.Jon Thompson — That’s very kind of you, because I don’t deserve it. I only quote him once in all my books, though. So the only once for one section.Rich Birch — Oh nice. Yes.Jon Thompson — ah Yeah, here’s how I would say it. Convergence is the is the story and the theology of how we wrestled down love, word, and power from the gift side of things. How it was implemented. How we move, basically what is the theology thing what is it what does it feel like, how do you actually build house rules around it, all the good and bad that happened with it, and then tells the story of the renewal and revival we went through, and how we survived it. So that’s book one.Jon Thompson — Book two, well, it’s not really book two anymore, but I’ll do it like this. Deliverance, which comes out in February, is a 25-plus year theological and practical experience of how we dealt with the demonic.Jon Thompson — Perseverance, book three, which is still out which will disappear soon, is all my reflections at the midway point on survivability, because you and I have talked about this before, only 30% of leaders in the Bible end well; 70% fail. The stats have not changed. So there’s a lot of the first two things involved in this. Jon Thompson — This book Presence is talking honestly about retreat and revival, talking about incarnation and why multiple models of church that feeling contradiction to each other is the point. That’s always been the point, which again, for a lot of you as admin leaders, I’d really beg you to read this, not because it’s my book. Because a lot of the battles between churches is a misunderstanding of mission. Jon Thompson — And then I talk about how love, word, and power are employed evangelistically, and then walk again through revival and how you can ask for it and what you do if He says yes or no. But the majority of the book is actually on long-term witness to a very diverse, complicated world.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good.Jon Thompson — That’s the trellis.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — And the book I’m writing right now is on suffering, but we’re not there yet.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Friends, I would strongly encourage you, you know, listen, I’ve had multiple friends, multiple teams who have just been incredibly blessed by by Jon’s work and has challenged and done the best kind of disruptive work that this kind of thinking can do. And so i would strongly endorse uh you know that you pick up copies of Presence for your team. Rich Birch — This could be a great um you know resource to work through with your leaders and ask the question all the time. So what does that mean for us? What does that mean for us? What does that mean for us? Don’t just let these be ideas in your head, but something you can really wrestle with. Rich Birch — Where do we want to send people to pick up, you know, to get copies and all that stuff. I’m assuming you can get them on Amazon, but are there other places we want to let people know about?Jon Thompson — Yeah, so Amazon, of course, is easy for all of us these days. But jonthompsonresources.com has it too. J-O-N. Jon Thompson Resources will have all of that. Like I said, Convergence is out. Presence comes out September 22nd. Deliverance is re-released in February 2027. And Perseverance is available now and will disappear and then we’ll come back…Rich Birch — It’s like the Disney vault.Jon Thompson — …sooner than later. It is like, it’s like the Disney. Yes, it is like the Disney vault.Rich Birch — That’s a throwback to the, the you know for people of a certain age, we’ll get that. And Gen Z friends will be like, what? What are you talking about? Rich Birch — Well, Jon, I just also want to just publicly honor you. You’re you’re doing a fantastic job. Like it’s been fun to watch over the years, your continued leadership and the positive impact you’ve been having and the community that you have stewarded. And you know I can’t I love when you know more people get a chance to interact with you. So thanks so much for being here on the show today. Appreciate your time with us. Thank you.Jon Thompson — Yeah, thanks for your friendship and your prayers.

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Life-Shaping Relationships

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2026 35:26

Is Our View of The Cross Too Small? || SLP675

The Speak Life Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2026 78:52 Transcription Available

“Jesus died so that…” How would you finish the sentence? Join Glen Scrivener and Naomi Brehm as they explore different images the Bible gives us to understand the mystery of what Christ has done.In this episode, we meander through the law courts, the temple, the market, the home and the battlefield as we consider the Bible's language of “justification”, “propitiation”, “representation”, “redemption”, “adoption” and “victory”. You'll want a Bible for this one - or follow along with Romans 3 online here. Recommended mentions:Evangelism in a Sceptical World, Sam Chan (book)The Cross of Christ, John Stott (book)It was Finished Upon That Cross, City Alight (song)Which image resonates with you most? Any surprises? What did we miss? Send us your mini-revelations, stories, disagreements, suggestions and questions: podcast@speaklife.org.ukCome and see how the cross fits into the bigger story of reality at 321course.com_____________________________Enjoy seeing life through the lens of Jesus? Here's where to find more Speak Life content: 321course.com // YouTube // Instagram // WebsiteSupport the show

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Whole-Hearted Disciples

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2026 37:55

Génesis 1 no compite con la ciencia: es poesía, pero es verdad | La Semilla

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2026 5:22

La Semilla estrena temporada y vuelve al principio de todo. Con el devocional de John Stott sobre Génesis 1:1, el Pr. Lucho explica por qué las cinco primeras palabras de la Biblia son imprescindibles: Dios no improvisa, la iniciativa siempre es suya y nada le pilló por sorpresa. Y una idea que quita un peso de encima a muchos creyentes: no hay que elegir entre Génesis 1 y la astrofísica contemporánea, porque el relato bíblico es un poema hermoso y verdadero que mira lo mismo desde otra perspectiva. En El pulso de la vida.

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El poder que resucitó a Cristo está a tu disposición | La Semilla

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2026 4:20

La Semilla de hoy llega a Efesios 1:18-20 con el devocional de John Stott, dentro de la serie «Tres cartas desde la prisión». Pablo no pide bendiciones nuevas: pide que se nos abran los ojos para ver las que ya tenemos, y sobre todo para medir la grandeza del poder de Dios. Un poder que no hay que imaginar, porque Dios ya lo demostró en público al resucitar a Cristo y sentarlo a su diestra. El Pr. Lucho comparte la reflexión en El pulso de la vida.

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The sound of rebellion: Rock 'n' roll, the gospel and the movement the church needs

The Shock Absorber

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 42:09

Rock and roll didn't come from nowhere. It came from the blues, which came from the gospel songs sung in the fields during slavery. It crossed the Atlantic, bounced off post-war England, came back to America even bigger, and kept evolving and Led Zeppelin turned it into something visceral and enormous and still traceable back to its roots.Joel, Stu and Tim are continuing the movements conversation. This week the thread runs from the Blitz to the Beatles to the Sex Pistols to the question every church leader needs to sit with: when does contextualising the gospel become syncretising it? And how does the church remain a movement without losing the gospel?Stu's honours thesis on the social implications of strategic bombing. Tim's contextualization sessions at YouthWorks Conference. Christopher Watkins on flour in a baked cake. John Stott on hippies looking for all the right things in the wrong places. And Ecclesiastes 3:11 — God has put eternity in the hearts of men.Discussed on this episodeBecoming Led ZeppelinChristopher Watkins - Biblical Critical TheoryPete Ward - Liquid ChurchAdam Smith - Four Stages of SocietyChess RecordsPrevious episodes in this series:New Wine, Old WineskinsFrom Consumer to ContributorTimestamps00:00 Welcome — Led Zeppelin documentary and favourite songs04:00 Stu's honours thesis — the Blitz and strategic bombing07:00 How Britain baited Hitler into the Blitz10:00 Post-war America and the roots of teenage rebellion13:00 Blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll — the gospel root16:00 Port cities as the internet — records crossing the Atlantic18:00 The transatlantic bounce — Beatles, punk and amplification20:00 Tim's bridge — contextualisation and why the gospel travels23:00 Flour in a baked cake — Christopher Watkins25:00 The missionary who wouldn't baptise until they learned to farm27:00 The Scottish Enlightenment and how it corrupted the mission29:00 Rock and roll as syncretism31:00 The Reformation as movement33:00 Friendship ecclesiology — contextualisation not export35:00 Can the church preempt a movement?38:00 Pete Ward — being with people where they are40:00 Ecclesiastes 3:11 and John Stott on hippiesSubscribe, leave a review, and send your thoughts to joel@shockabsorber.com.au

¿En qué consiste realmente ser cristiano? La respuesta de Pablo | La Semilla

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2026 4:24

La Semilla de hoy sigue el devocional de John Stott sobre Filipenses 3:7-9, dentro de la serie «Tres cartas desde la prisión». Mucha gente piensa que la esencia del cristianismo está en creer un credo, vivir una vida recta o asistir a la iglesia. Pablo lo resuelve con un balance de ganancias y pérdidas: en una columna anota todo lo que el mundo considera provechoso; en la otra, una sola palabra: Cristo. El Pr. Lucho comparte la reflexión en El pulso de la vida.

Preso en Roma, lo único que le preocupaba era el Evangelio | La Semilla

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2026 4:46

La Semilla de hoy sigue el devocional de John Stott sobre Filipenses 1:27-30. Pablo escribe encadenado a un soldado romano, sabiendo que puede morir, y lo único que le inquieta no es su suerte, sino qué pasará con el Evangelio cuando él ya no esté. De ahí salen cinco llamados a la iglesia de Filipos: vivir de manera digna, estar firmes, contender por la fe, trabajar unidos y sufrir por Cristo. El Pr. Lucho comparte la reflexión en El pulso de la vida.

Who is Jesus? And what verdict have you reached? In this powerful concluding address from the "Who's Jesus?" series, John Stott argues that the claims of Jesus demand a response. Drawing from Matthew 11:25-30, he explores Jesus' extraordinary statements about himself, his unique ability to reveal God, and his invitation to all who are weary and burdened. Stott explains why Christianity is more than religion, why God reveals himself to the humble, and why so many people hesitate to respond to Jesus' call. He examines the burden of guilt, the offer of forgiveness through the cross, and the challenge of taking upon ourselves the yoke of Christ. At the heart of this talk is a simple but unavoidable question: if Jesus is who he claimed to be, can we really remain neutral? Questions answered in this episode: -Who did Jesus claim to be, and why are his claims so remarkable? -Why does Jesus say that only he can reveal God? -Why does God reveal himself to the humble but hide himself from the proud? -What stops people from coming to Christ? -What does it mean to take Jesus' yoke upon yourself and follow him? The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: https://linktr.ee/BibleMatters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org

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Human Responsibility

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2026 39:09

John Stott: Christians: Cabbages or Kings? - The Final Cambridge Mission Part 6

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2026 80:15

Why does the church so often disappoint people? And what did Jesus actually intend it to be? In this classic address, John Stott asks whether Christians are merely harmless spectators in society or whether Jesus intended his followers to be a transformative force for good. Beginning with the memorable question, "Are Christians cabbages or kings?", he explores God's purpose for the church and its calling to be a distinct community in the world. Questions Answered in This Episode: Why is the church central to God's purpose for the world? Why do so many people become disillusioned with the church? What did Jesus mean when he called his followers "salt" and "light"? How should Christians be different from the culture around them? What does it mean to build your life on the rock rather than the sand? The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: https://linktr.ee/BibleMatters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org #BibleMatters #JohnStott #SermonOnTheMount #Church #ChristianLiving #SaltAndLight #KingdomOfGod #Christianity #Faith #Jesus

God's Sovereignty

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2026 41:58

John Stott: Does Christianity Have a Catch? - The Final Cambridge Mission Part 5

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2026 73:00

Christianity sounds like good news. Forgiveness. New life. Peace with God. So what's the catch? In this powerful talk, John Stott explores one of Jesus' most challenging teachings: the cost of discipleship. Speaking to large crowds who were eager to follow Him, Jesus stopped them and urged them to count the cost first. What does it mean to put Christ before relationships, ambitions and possessions? Why did Jesus make such radical demands? And why is He still worth following today? This episode examines the difference between admiration and discipleship, and why Jesus never concealed what following Him would require. The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: https://linktr.ee/BibleMatters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org #Christianity #JohnStott #Discipleship #JesusChrist #BibleTeaching #CountTheCost

John Stott: Will Jesus Change Me? - The Final Cambridge Mission Part 4

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2026 55:09

Can people really change? Many believe that with enough effort, education, social reform, or self-discipline, human nature can be improved. But Jesus offered a far more radical answer. In His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, He declared: “You must be born again.” In this message, we explore the difference between turning over a new leaf and receiving a new life. Looking closely at Jesus' words, we consider the nature of the new birth, its necessity, its effects, and how it becomes a reality in a person's life. In this episode: Can human nature really be changed? What are the signs and results of this new life? What do repentance and faith have to do with the new birth? How can a person receive the new life that Jesus offers? The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: https://linktr.ee/BibleMatters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org

John Stott: Did Jesus really rise from the dead? - The Final Cambridge Mission Part 3

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2026 55:18

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? In this classic talk, John Stott explores both the historical evidence for the resurrection and its life-changing significance. Examining the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus, and the dramatic emergence of the early church, Stott argues that the resurrection is not merely a Christian belief but the foundation upon which Christianity stands. More than an historical claim, the resurrection transforms how we understand the past, experience the present, and face the future. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then it changes everything. In this episode: Did Jesus' tomb really end up empty? What happened to the body of Jesus? What difference does the resurrection make to life today? What does it mean to live in the power of the risen Christ? The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: https://linktr.ee/BibleMatters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org #JohnStott #Resurrection #JesusChrist #Christianity #BibleMatters

Fundamentals of Concentration

fundamentals concentration john stott

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2026 74:36

This recording was edited and prepared for publication by volunteer John Stott.

If Jesus Was Fully God on Earth, How Was He Able to Coexist With Sinful People?

Ask Dr. E

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2026 13:01

How could Jesus be fully God and fully man while living among sinful people? It's one of Christianity's most important doctrines—and one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, Dr. E answers a listener's question about the incarnation and explains why Jesus' divine and human nature was essential for our salvation. Drawing from passages like 2 Corinthians 5, 1 Peter 2–3, Colossians 2, Galatians 4, and John 1, Dr. Easley shows that Christ's perfect humanity, complete deity, and sinless life uniquely qualified Him to redeem sinful humanity. Along the way, he discusses why Jesus could interact with sinners without becoming defiled, why theology matters in everyday Christian life, and practical resources for studying biblical doctrine more deeply. If you've ever struggled to explain who Jesus is—or why the incarnation matters—this episode provides a clear, biblical foundation. Key Topics Covered -Why Jesus had to be fully God and fully man -How Christ lived among sinners without sin -The purpose of the incarnation -What happened on the cross -Why Jesus' righteousness matters for our salvation -Biblical passages that explain Christ's two natures -Recommended resources for studying theology Chapters 0:00 How could Jesus be fully God and fully man? 1:15 Why understanding theology matters 2:00 Christ bore our sin without becoming sinful 3:15 Why Jesus had to become human 4:20 John Stott's powerful explanation of the incarnation 5:25 Jesus touched sinners without being defiled 6:20 What happened spiritually at the cross 8:20 Recommended passages to study 9:45 Helpful theology resources for deeper study Links Mentioned: Logos Bible Software Bible.org The Moody Handbook of Theology by Dr. Pauls Enns Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here. If you've got a question for Dr. Easley, call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

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John Stott: Why did Jesus die? - The Final Cambridge Mission Part 2 #JohnStott #CrossofChrist #Apologetics

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2026 68:14

Why did Jesus die? For centuries, Christians have insisted that the cross stands at the very centre of the faith. But why? Couldn't God simply forgive sins without the death of Christ? In this historic lecture from Cambridge University in 1977, John Stott explores the meaning of the cross, the seriousness of sin, and the relationship between God's justice and God's love. This episode forms part of our series featuring recordings from Stott's final Cambridge University mission. Questions answered in this episode: Why did Jesus have to die? Why doesn't God simply forgive? How can God be both just and loving? What did Jesus think his death would achieve? The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: Support Bible Matters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org

John Stott: What is a human being? - The Final Cambridge Mission Part 1 #JohnStott #CICCU #Mission

cambridge mission part john stott

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2026 68:58

In 1977, a packed hall in Cambridge gathered to hear one question explored: What is a human being? The speaker was a vicar from London named John Stott, and this would prove to be his final university mission.In this series of Bible Matters we'll be featuring the talks from this series, enhanced and restored for a new audience. Questions answered in this episode: - What was John Stott's preaching like? - What is a human being? - Is man good or evil? The Bible Matters Podcast is funded entirely by the generous donations of its listeners. If you would like to become a financial partner with us on this journey, you can give to the project on this link: https://linktr.ee/BibleMatters To contact us, email office@biblematters.org

Christian Freedom by John Stott 07-12-26

christian freedom john stott

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2026

BONUS | Ben Espinoza on Books and Preaching

The Pastor Theologians Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2026 12:34 Transcription Available

In this short bonus episode of the Pastor Theologians podcast, Ben Espinoza shares the preaching resources that have shaped his ministry, highlighting John Stott's Between Two Worlds and Haddon Robinson's work on expository preaching. He discusses the importance of bridging Scripture and culture, understanding the world of the Bible alongside the world of today. Ben also reflects on how his Wesleyan theological journey has shaped his preaching through an emphasis on grace, dialogue, and engaging people where they are. Join us at the CPT Conference

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The Different Kinds of Happiness

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2026 73:39

This recording was edited and prepared for publication by volunteer John Stott.

10 Pastors To Help Shepherd Your Growth: Week 4 John Stott and Tim Keller

These Go To 11

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2026 43:28

In the fourth episode of their June series, Greg and Nathan reflect on two pastors whose thoughtful teaching and faithful ministry have profoundly influenced their spiritual growth. Greg shares about John Stott, known for his clear biblical exposition and commitment to Christ-centered preaching, while Nathan discusses Tim Keller and his winsome approach to the gospel, apologetics, and engaging culture with Biblical truth. Along the way, they provide a brief introduction to each pastor, explore what they most appreciate about their ministries, and discuss how God has used their teaching to strengthen their faith and deepen their love for Scripture. Tune in as they wrap up this special series by celebrating the lasting impact of faithful gospel ministry.

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BONUS | Ryan Jackson on Books and Preaching

The Pastor Theologians Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2026 12:48 Transcription Available

In this short bonus interview, Rev. Dr. Ryan shares the influence of books like Haddon Robinson's Biblical Preaching, Bryan Chapell's Christ-Centered Preaching, John Stott's Between Two Worlds, and Tim Keller's Preaching, highlighting Christ-centered preaching, cultural engagement, and preaching as an encounter with God. Ryan reflects on how his approach has matured over time—from focusing heavily on sermon mechanics to embracing a more conversational, Spirit-led style of communication.Join us at the CPT Conference

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Contra-Corrente: a igreja como resistência ao individualismo | Podcrent 147

Crentassos Produções Subversivas

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2026 104:30

Go Crentes! Go! No Podcrent de número 147, Jonatha Zimmer e Tamyres Palma recebem os amigos Rodrigo Quintã, Douglas Araújo e Tamiran para falar sobre como a igreja pode ser um lugar de resistência e comunidade frente ao mundo que promove o individualismo. Neste Podcrent, pense a igreja como um grande almoço de domingo, perceba o privilégio de ter música ao vivo todo fim-de-semana, descubra o prazer do calendário litúrgico e se permita discordar, concordar e conviver com todas as diferenças de um corpo . PARTICIPANTES: – Jonatha Zimmer – Tamyres Palma – Rodrigo Quintã – Douglas Araújo – Tamiran COISAS ÚTEIS: – Duração: 01h44m30s – Feed do Crentassos: Feed, RSS, Android e iTunes: crentassos.com.br/blog/tag/podcast/feed. Para assinar no iTunes, clique na aba “Avançado”, e “Assinar Podcast”. Cole o endereço e confirme. Assim você recebe automaticamente os novos episódios. CITADOS NO PROGRAMA: – Igreja Batista do Prado – Música “De Todas as Tribos” de Guilherme Kerr – Anglicana Porto – Salmos – Cantares – Música “Devolva a Minha Igrejinha” de Calmará e Cesar Mc – O golpe do “Detox Vacinal” – Álbum “O Grande Banquete” de Marco Telles – Série de pregações “Mordomia Cristã” da PIB Campinas – Lecionário – Livro “Liturgia do Ordinário” de Tish Warren – Série de pregações “Meu Caro Amigo” da A Casa da Rocha – App Ordo – Pesquisa “Retratos da Leitura no Brasil 2024” – Série de pregações “Romanos” da Igreja Bastista do Prado – Livro “Lendo Romanos com John Stott” – App YouVersion – App Lectio365 – Livro “Surpreendido Pela Esperança” de N. T. Wright – Livro “Como Deus se Tornou Rei” de N. T. Wright – Podcast “Arquitetura, Liturgia e Espaços de Fé | Podcrent 141 (com Pra. Cynthia Muniz e Marcio Lima) – Podcast “Novas Histórias de Retiro (Não Existe Amor em SP) | Podcrent 86 – Livro “O Pequeno Príncipe” de Antoine de Saint-Exypéry – Canal Teologueiros – Site “Caminho Anglicano” – Podcast “diário de um artista meia boca” – Canal do Tamiran no YouTube – Podcast “Quaresma | Telescópio 161 – Podcast “Oração da Noite | Da Prateleira 74” TRILHA SONORA DO PROGRAMA: – “Comunhão” de Kléber Lucas – “Amor que nos faz um” de Palavrantiga – “Um” de Crombie – “Mesa” de Thiago Arrais – “Gente Aberta” de Erasmo Carlos – “Oração” de Coletivo Candiero – “Vinho e Pão” de Vencedores Por Cristo – “Ajuntamento” de Jorge Camargo – “E vamos a luta” de Gonzaguinha GRUPOS DE COMPARTILHAMENTO DA CRENTASSOS: – WhatsApp – Telegram JABÁS: REDES SOCIAIS: Críticas, comentários, sugestões para crentassos@gmail.com ou nos comentários desse post. OUÇA/BAIXE O PROGRAMA:The post Contra-Corrente: a igreja como resistência ao individualismo | Podcrent 147 appeared first on Crentassos Produções Subversivas.

The Cross and the Revelation of God by John Stott 06-14-26

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2026

The Factor of Happiness in Transcendental Dependent Arising

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2026 52:17

This recording was edited and prepared for publication by volunteer John Stott.

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The Cost of Loving Your Neighbour, with Jim Wallis

Conversing

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2026 59:41

When a faith built to bless the nation gets quietly diverted into power, the most dangerous act left to the church may be refusing to whitewash the story and choosing instead to become a communion of genuinely unlike people. On the eve of a national prayer rally rededicating America to God, Mark Labberton joined The Jim Wallis Podcast to ask whether Christians who invoke the nation's name are following Jesus or drifting from him. Together with Jim Wallis, Mark reflects on what it means to choose Christ alone, love the neighbour, and refuse a faith fused to national power. They discuss the evangel versus "evangelicalism," the church as a communion of unlike people, worship in a black church, American exceptionalism as theological crisis, and racial gerrymandering after recent court rulings. Episode Highlights "I want to be evangel-centric and not be caught up in the icalisms of a history, a pattern, a habit, a sociology that has often been diverted from the evangel into power—political, social, economic, racial power." "Paul's giving us a vision of the church that's a communion of unlike people. We know a lot about a communion of like people. But a communion of unlike people is meant to be one of the hallmarks of the church." "I can't be a Christian alone, but I also can't be a Christian that matures if I'm a Christian only with people who are like me." "Worship of our country, or the exceptionalism of leaders of our country—these are completely foreign to the body of Christ and to the theology of the kingdom." "It's really like subverting reality by renaming it in a way that's euphemistic, that's literally whitewashing." Helpful Links and Resources The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor, by Mark Labberton https://www.ivpress.com/the-dangerous-act-of-loving-your-neighbor Called, by Mark Labberton https://www.ivpress.com/called The False White Gospel, by Jim Wallis https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250291899/thefalsewhitegospel/ Jim Wallis, Center on Faith and Justice https://faithandjustice.georgetown.edu/about-jim-wallis/ God's Politics with Jim Wallis (Substack): https://jimwallis.substack.com/ Show Notes Recorded on the eve of the Rededicate 250 prayer rally Loving your neighbour as a dangerous, costly act Gratitude for America alongside a "far more complicated story" of suffering "Christ alone"—Jesus, not any nation, party, or president, is Lord "The evangel is the good news of Jesus Christ"; nothing can rival it "A communion of unlike people is meant to be one of the hallmarks of the church." White allies, Black solidarity, and Supreme Court rulings on Louisiana and Alabama A friend's anniversary in African garb—living fully "on good days, maybe two-thirds" Detroit, Black churches, and faith as joyous rediscovery Worshiping at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland every Sunday Saying yes to the evangel, no to the "icalism" of evangelicalism John Stott as mentor; the Lausanne Covenant and Global South Stott's wartime pacifism; a father who stopped speaking for four years American exceptionalism as a theological crisis, not just left-versus-right "America's original sin," erasing history, and "literally whitewashing" First citizenship in the kingdom; the moral arc bends toward justice #MarkLabberton #JimWallis #Conversing #ChristianNationalism #ChristAlone #LoveYourNeighbor #PublicTheology #FaithAndPolitics Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary. Acknowledgements Special thanks to Jim Wallis and Paul Woodhull.

AI, Loneliness & Fleeing Sin

The Common Good Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2026 58:05

In 1982, theologian John Stott predicted that as electronic networks made personal relationships "ever less necessary," the fellowship of the local church would become increasingly important — not less. Brian From reads that quote in 2026 and can barely believe how precisely it describes this moment. That thread runs through this entire hour. Pope Leo's new statement on AI warns that the real danger isn't machines becoming too human, but humans becoming more like machines — efficient, optimized, and stripped of transcendence, mystery, and community. Can we be friends across political lines? Jimmy Kimmel choking up at Adam Carolla's Walk of Fame ceremony suggests maybe yes. A sweet story about an eight-year-old girl who tossed a paper airplane over her fence asking her neighbor to play Taylor Swift — and Taylor Swift herself showing up with signed guitars. Brian's son's playoff baseball team hangs on for another game as graduation weekend approaches and the emotions start arriving. A practical look at what it actually means to flee from sin — and why the Bible makes it so active: be alert, avoid, strive, throw off, run. And a word for everyone navigating change: God is immutable, and that changes everything.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Communion of Saints by John Stott 05-24-26

communion of saints john stott

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026

Christian Relationships: To False Prophets

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Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 42:40

Hey, Beyond Sunday listeners! Join us this week as we tackle the topic of false prophets. What does it mean to enter the Kingdom of God by the narrow gate? And how should we respond to any false teaching we encounter? Tune in today to hear more! Mentioned in this episode – Little Pilgrim's Big Journey: https://lithoskids.com/products/little-pilgrims-big-journey-complete-boxed-set We are using John Stott's The Message of the Sermon on the Mount to guide our conversation this season — click here to purchase a copy of your own: https://bit.ly/4bzYgZI

Christian Relationships: To Fellow Believers and the Father (w/ Ronnie Stevens)

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2026 50:16

Hey, Beyond Sunday listeners! Join us this week as we discuss how Jesus instructs us to relate to one another and to our Heavenly Father. What does Jesus mean when he says not to judge others? And why does he invite us to persist in prayer to the Father? Tune in today to hear more! We are using John Stott's The Message of the Sermon on the Mount to guide our conversation this season — click here to purchase a copy of your own: https://bit.ly/4bzYgZI

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Christian Ambition: Not Material Security But God's Rule

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2026 45:38

Hey, Beyond Sunday listeners! Join us this week as we explore Jesus' teaching on Christian ambition. What's the true treasure that we're to seek? And how does it serve as the antidote to worry and anxiety? Tune in today to hear more! We are using John Stott's The Message of the Sermon on the Mount to guide our conversation this season — click here to purchase a copy of your own: https://bit.ly/4bzYgZI

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Podcast S20E01: Anglican Heroes: John Stott

Church Society podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 67:48

Mark Meynell talks to Ros Clarke about 'Uncle John', his life, ministry and ongoing legacy around the world.

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Tranquility, or Calm Abiding, in Our Daily Lives

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Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2026 51:37

This recording was edited and prepared for publication by volunteer John Stott.

Eternal Life by John Stott 05-03-26

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026

eternal life john stott

Christian Prayer: Not Mechanical But Thoughtful

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2026 56:40

Hey, Beyond Sunday listeners! Join us this week as we discuss Jesus' instructions for prayer. You may know the Lord's prayer by heart—but have you pondered what it means? How can we ensure that our prayers are not mechanical but thoughtful? Tune in today to hear more! We are using John Stott's The Message of the Sermon on the Mount to guide our conversation this season — click here to purchase a copy of your own: https://bit.ly/4bzYgZI

Christian Religion: Not Hypocritical But Real