In John 15:8, Jesus points to “much fruit” as proof that we are His disciples. For more than three decades I have been active in “mission strategy”—helping less fruitful missionaries learn from and apply what God is blessing elsewhere. God has used mission strategy in significant ways, but I have been gradually understanding that this emphasis on learning from others does have a down side—feeding our inclination toward striving in human effort and wisdom, which can lead to a variety of bad fruit.

If you have been a Christian from an early age, you may feel the binding, guilty power of never surrendering. We look down (while not actually casting judgment, of course) on those who have said they would forsake all, but didn’t last two nights in the mission field. We say we are not of this world; we are different. We hold ourselves to a higher standard. We value tenacity and steadfastness, but have we unwittingly tapped into stubbornness and self-reliance?

Sometimes we think it can’t happen. We live our every day lives; how could that ever change our little corner of the world? Let alone all corners of the world? How can so few people- the small percentage that care about global missions- change the dynamics of a city? Of a region? Transform an entire unreached people group by introducing them to Jesus?

This is lesson two in a series of 6 lessons on world missions and the Great Commission. The purpose of this series is to convert you into a “World Christian”. It is our hope that after taking these lessons your eyes will be opened to see the Bible in a new and revolutionary way, and have a new understanding of God’s purposes for the ethne of the world, and the part you are called to play in reaching them with the Gospel of Christ.

This is the first in a series of 6 lessons on world missions and the Great Commission. The purpose of this series is to convert you into a “World Christian”. It is our hope that after taking these lessons your eyes will be opened to see the Bible in a new and revolutionary way, and have a new understanding of God’s purposes for the ethne of the world, and the part you are called to play in reaching them with the Gospel of Christ.

Last night I watched the movie Avatar, which if you have not yet seen it is amazing. James Cameron did a great job in creating a believable alien world of plants, animals, and a native population called the Na’vi. While thinking about the Na’vi and how real they seemed, a thought crossed my mind that made me see how unrealistic the portrayal of them actually was. And this little omission highlights a part of our worldview that has an important impact on the subject of missions.

What are the things we should be doing as Christians while we are on this earth now? Here are some of the common answers I have heard when asking this question: Prayer/Intercession, Worship, Fellowship, Evangelism/Missions, Bible Study, Becoming more Christ-like. But there is only one thing that can only be done while we are still here on earth.

The story of the Tower of Babel is one of the most interesting in the Bible. It details some of the earliest known history right after the great flood, and the creation of the languages of the world. But this story is also shrouded in some mystery. How many of you can truly say that you understand WHY God judged the people of Babel. Why did God create the languages of the world? And what about this story can possibly apply to your life today? Listen after the jump »

So when we read and study the Bible, we normally stick to one subject or narrative. Very rarely do we step back, zoom out, and adjust our focus to see the big picture. There are underlying themes or threads that run throughout the scriptures that can affect the way we interpret everything. These are the teachings I love and thrive on. The ones that make you rethink everything you’ve read in the scriptures, and make everything fresh again.

This message is one of these kind of teachings. It is …

Now that you are a Christian, why are you here on earth now? What is our purpose? Are we just waiting for Christ’s return, or is He waiting on us? What is delaying the return of Christ?

Listen after the jump »