Join us as we countdown the top 5 episodes of 2024.

The fifth most popular episode was #94. The Journey from "Truth" to TRUTH.

Pastor Otis (O.L.) Buckley is the pastor of Highpoint Bible Church in the Bronx, NY. He shares his journey in discovering the Biblical truths that moved him from denominational theology to denominational theology.

• How to Search for Answers
• Big God Theology
• Letting God Be True

Pastor Otis (O.L.) Buckley is the teaching pastor of Highpoint Bible Church in The Bronx, NY. He has lived in various places in the United States and has experienced different denominational theologies. He and his wife, Consuela, have been married 15 years and both have over 20 years in business and ministry.

• Matthew 18 : 18
• Matthew 28 : 19
• Acts 2 : 38

• Highpoint Bible Church
• Email Pastor Buckley

00:39 - Introducing Pastor Otis (OL) Buckley

03:44 - Early years in Chicago

04:01 - then the move to Texas

04:51 - and then to Highpoint Bible Church in the Bronx, NY

07:15 - Sabellianism / Modalistic

09:20 - Classic Oneness Pentecostalism

10:39 - Class on Overview of Hebrew Studies

11:18 - Matthew 18 : 18

11:34 - Learning a different interpretation

12:42 - Have I been wrong all these years?

12:57 - What else could I possibly have been wrong about?

13:17 - Another connected event

14:28 - Matthew 28 : 19

14:47 - vs Acts 2 : 38

15:33 - God opens OL's eyes to the Trinity

16:13 - Are people are going beyond the social issues to wrestling with theology?

18:21 - Denominations, Name, Theology, & Social Media

20:27 - The need for clear Biblical theology

22:47 - God's workings to move OL on the journey

23:04 - Every dilemma raises a question

23:12 - And every question creates an opportunity to pivot

23:49 - Do I really know God the way I think I do?

24:37 - Lord, let your Word imposed itself on me.

25:37 - Big God theology

25:54 - Not compartimentalizing God

28:59 - Was this a personal journey of discovery or where there others alongside you?

30:52 - Every question drives one to search for an answer

30:56 - ...three-fold answer

30:59 - ...1. pray

31:12 - ...2. search the Scriptures

31:25 - ...3. right teaching

31:42 - ... and stilling the voices with wrong interpretations of Scripture

34:06 - Abandoning the past

34:22 - Letting God be True

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Anita Rahma currently lives with her family in the slums of Jakarta, Indonesia. She discusses discipleship, incarnational urban ministry, and loving Muslim neighbors.

Book: Downward Discipleship

Book: Beyond Our Walls

• Definition of "slum"
• What downward discipleship is
• Building relationships in Jakarta

Anita’s high school years were spent as an American TCK in the Philippines. For the past decade, Anita and her husband and two children have lived and served in a slum in Indonesia. She enjoys learning piano, playing in the rain, and devouring good books. She is the author of Beyond Our Walls: Finding Jesus in the Slums of Jakarta and Downward Discipleship: How Amy Carmichael Gave Me Courage to Serve in a Slum.

• Servants Asia Website
• Email Anita Rahma

00:39 - Introducing Anita Rahma

03:22 - Anita's choice to live in the urban slums of Jakarta

03:33 - ...grew up in the US as a child of pastors in a modern Mennonite home

03:49 - ...loving God could not be separated from loving those struggling with poverty

03:56 - ...moved to the Philippines during high school

04:06 - ...God working on her heart - her middle-class life vs the homeless around her

04:27 - ... felt that Jesus was saying that He is with the homeless

04:36 - ...desire to return to encounter Jesus while serving the poor

04:51 - ...in college years, went to Urbana Missions Convention, Servants to Asia's Urban Poor

05:10 - ...God is with the poor; we want to be too

05:24 - ...over 1B people live in urban slums

05:59 - Definition of "slum" and why live there

07:06 - ...incarnation: live in the community in which you are serving

07:21 - ...really experience the community to know their needs

07:38 - ...follow Jesus to serve the poor

07:58 - ...great place to learn the language and culture

08:13 - What in Anita's background helped her connect with impoverished people?

09:12 - ...initially, did not want to leave the Philippines and return to America

09:36 - ...God taught a lot about poverty in America

10:09 - ...felt God calling her back overseas

12:19 - Explanation of "downward discipleship"

12:30 - ...bombardment of messages to seek success

12:47 - ...Jesus sets an example of downward mobility - left heaven for earth

13:21 - ...taking the position of a servant

13:37 - ...a disciple is someone who follows

13:55 - Anita's books

13:58 - ...First Book: Beyond Our Walls: Finding Jesus in the Slums of Jakarta

14:04 - ...Second book: Downward Discipleship: How Amy Carmichael Gave Me Courage to Serve in a Slum

14:09 - ......tying in stories of Amy Carmichael

14:44 - ......the struggle of downward discipleship in the American church context

14:57 - ......discipleship happen overseas in the process of learning

15:05 - How to communicate the concept of downward discipleship to the local church

15:27 - ...moving from the need to control to compassion

15:58 - ...compassion means to suffer with

17:23 - Some of the...

Dr. Ryan Martin discusses the importance caring for our missionaries well and how to engage the local church.

Book: Holding the Rope

Blog: The Upstream Collective - Cultivating Missions Awareness

• When does missionary care start
• Practical ways the local church can care for their missionaries
• How pastors can help their congregation be aware of the missionaries' needs

Ryan serves as Director of Missions and Operations with Lightbearers Ministries. He graduated in 2022 with a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological seminary, where he also serves as a trustee. He has received a MDiv in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2008), and an undergraduate degree (2005) from Union University in Jackson, TN. Prior to joining Lightbearers, he served for thirteen years as a missions pastor in the local church. Ryan lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Rebekah, and three children: Hudson, Annie, and Hattie.

• Website: Lightbearers.com
• Twitter: Ryan Allen Martin
• Email: Ryan Martin

02:02 - Introducing Dr Ryan Martin

02:58 - Motivation for writing a book on missionary care

04:07 - ...addressing needs of missionary families

04:34 - ...giving and not being poured back into and filled up

04:41 - ..almost reaching the point of burnout

05:16 - How do we care for them?

05:59 - ...the local church sensed that more tools were needed to care for missionaries well

09:06 - Book - Holding the Rope : How the Local Church Can Care for Its Sent Ones

09:10 - ...Metaphor for the title, "Holding the Rope"

09:21 - ...William Carey sermon

10:28 - Importance of caring for missionaries

11:12 - ...commissioning a missionary is the starting point, not the finish line

11:44 - When does missionary care start?

12:02 - ...getting to know the missionary as he is being trained and developed

12:26 - ...understand where the pressure points might be

12:55 - ...debrief points when the missionary returns

13:16 - ...areas of struggle will be exposed in the field

13:51 - What are practical ways that a church can care for their missionaries?

14:09 - ...evaluate missionaries' readiness

14:16 - ......The Upstream Collective has resources

14:39 - ...pre-field stage

15:07 - ...on the field care

16:04 - ...returning from the field

16:26 - How can pastors help their congregation be aware of their missionaries' needs?

16:32 - ...get to know the missionaries

17:12 - ...look for ways to bring the missionaries before the congregation

17:58 - ...visit missionaries in the field

19:13 - How do we care for missionaries' kids?

20:44 - ...show the children their role and how they can help

21:03 - ...dealing with different ages

21:37 - ...children and teen ministries to pray for missionary kids

21:46 - ...send families with children to visit them in the field

22:24 - ...dealing with abuse and crisis situations

23:33 - ...issues are worldwide, not just isolated

Dr. Ryan Martin discusses the importance of missional awareness in the local church, particularly through local international ministry.

Book: Holding the Rope

Blog: The Upstream Collective - Cultivating Missions Awareness

• What missional awareness is
• Three practical suggestions for engaging the local international community
• What missional discipleship looks like

Ryan serves as Director of Missions and Operations with Lightbearers Ministries. He graduated in 2022 with a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological seminary, where he also serves as a trustee. He has received a MDiv in Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2008), and an undergraduate degree (2005) from Union University in Jackson, TN. Prior to joining Lightbearers, he served for thirteen years as a missions pastor in the local church. Ryan lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Rebekah, and three children: Hudson, Annie, and Hattie.

• John 20 : 21
• Acts 17 : 26

• Website: Lightbearers.com
• Twitter: Ryan Allen Martin
• Email: Ryan Martin

00:09 - Introducing Ryan Martin

03:26 - What is missional awareness?

03:40 - ...The unreached are now within arm's reach

04:14 - ...John 20 - 21 - sent by Jesus to be ambassadors into the world

04:32 - ...The nations are here within our reach

05:01 - ...The Great Commission is not just for the paid professionals

05:22 - ...Make disciples and be disciples who make disciples

05:29 - How does missional awareness tie into our growing international community?

05:59 - ...Acts 17 - 26 - God has determined our dwelling places

06:12 - ...God has brought the nations to us and to recognize that we need to live that theology

06:50 - ...Recognize the need to take the gospel to our local people groups

09:47 - Planting seven churches over the next ten years

10:22 - ...First, Hispanic church plant and Second, South Asian

10:27 - ...Next, Hmong and South East Asian population

10:47 - ...and global partners to train and sent out

11:15 - ...Resourced by local church budget

11:42 - Practical Suggestions for engaging with the local international community

12:15 - ...Local church being missionally aware

12:34 - ...Visit world religion sites and learn about other religions

14:08 - ......Look for avenues to gospel conversations

14:14 - ......Read up on basics before visiting

15:05 - ...Frequenting ethnic establishments

15:17 - .....Food is a great way to break down barriers

16:20 - ...International students

16:54 -...

Dr. Mark Glanville discusses how churches can love the stranger because Yahweh loves the stranger so you are to love the stranger.

• Book: Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul
• Book: Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics

• Yahweh loves the stranger so you are to love the stranger
• Challenging the fear-based ethic approaches to refugees
• Banal, Sterile Life vs A Rich Feast

Dr. Mark Glanville trains pastors at Regent College, Vancouver, and is an Old Testament scholar.

Prior to coming to Regent, Mark pastored for 14 years in both Vancouver and Australia in urban, justice seeking churches.

Mark has been bi-vocational– combining reflective pastoring with biblical scholarship and is a trained jazz pianist, active on the Vancouver jazz scene.

• Deuteronomy 10 : 18-19 - Love the stranger

• Dr. Mark Glanville's website

02:02 - Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics

02:46 - Christians need to be different

03:12 - Book looks deeply into the questions and pushback of welcoming refugees

04:15 - Deuteronomy 10 : 18-19 Biblical scholarship on love the stranger

04:40 - Yahweh loves the stranger so you are to love the stranger

05:17 - Welcoming a stranger is very common in Old Testament ethics

06:10 - Mirroring the love and character of God

06:16 - Hebrew word for love = steadfast covenant loyalty

07:53 - Challenging the fear-based ethic approaches to refugees

08:16 - ...Preaching the scriptures very clearly

08:35 - ......not prooftexting, but displaying the gospel in our local neighborhood

09:07 - ......recovering every aspect of what it means to flourish

09:33 - ......the whole biblical story and playing our part faithfully

09:45 - ......choosing love & tenderness

09:58 - ...Proximity

10:02 - ......having real life experience with people who have a refugee story

10:20 - ......dispelling false fears

10:45 - ......not just the resilience, but the brilliance, of regufees

11:28 - .....live life in diversity and sharing lives

11:50 - ......partner with Christian refugee-welcoming organization

13:20 - Engaging the community in New York over food

14:25 - Banal, Sterile Life vs A Rich Feast

16:02 - ...as contrasted in a musical example of "Jesus Loves Me"

18:30 - the body of Christ exercising all their gifts

19:36 - Amazing Grace

21:46 - To get in touch with Dr. Glanville: glanville.org

22:33 - This is the Day the Lord Has Made

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Dr. Mark Glanville discusses how churches can adapt to and impact their own neighborhoods in a post-Christian world.

• Book: Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul
• Book: Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics

• Christian vs Post-Christian Culture
• Four Key Questions of Scripture
• Beauty is a Glimpse of God

Dr. Mark Glanville trains pastors at Regent College, Vancouver, and is an Old Testament scholar.

Prior to coming to Regent, Mark pastored for 14 years in both Vancouver and Australia in urban, justice seeking churches.

Mark has been bi-vocational-- combining reflective pastoring with biblical scholarship and is a trained jazz pianist, active on the Vancouver jazz scene.

• Dr. Mark Glanville at Regent College

00:38 - Introducing Dr. Mark Glanville

03:19 - Mark's background and his approach to doing church

03:30 - 4-note chord: pastoring, scholarship, teaching, jazz music

04:13 - Exited seminary to a government housing area in western Sydney, Australia

04:33 - High crime, high poverty, high community

05:12 - Then to Vancouver, very post-Christian city

06:31 - Impoverished cities

06:50 - Impoverished, underprivileged areas are higher in community

07:31 - See Christ in the faces of those who are marginalized

07:45 - Deuteronomy 24 - God hears the prayers of the marginalized people

09:12 - Definition of a Christian culture

09:52 - Definition of post-Christian culture

10:30 - Should the church fight post-Christian culture or go deep into our identity as Christians and mirror Christ?

11:02 - We are authorized to embody Christ's tenderness and love

11:37 - Book: Improvising Church: Scripture as the Source of Harmony, Rhythm, and Soul

12:15 - Be aware of the things we do as a church that are culturally Christian and discerning what is the Spirit forming us to do

12:57 - How can we be a church that is genuinely local?

13:31 - Beauty is a part of witnessing Christ

14:29 - Phrase: Incarnational communities

14:55 - Church: a people that is receiving and extending the healing of Jesus

15:23 - Incarnational Communities as a Sentence: An incarnational community is full of the Spirit, shaped by Scripture, and seeking to embody the love of Jesus and receive and display it in a particular neighborhood.

15:47 - Incarnational Communities as an Image: Incarnational church seen as blues musicians

18:17 - Unpacking four key questions of Scripture...

18:55 - ...Biblical story

19:14 - ...gospel

19:53 - ...witness

20:21 - ...Biblical ethics

20:57 - The need for churches to truly belong to their neighborhoods

21:14 - Scripture is related to place

22:02 - Reconceive "witness" as loving a place in the name of Jesus

22:50 - ...photos of loved places in the neighborhood

24:49 - ...prayer for revival

30:11 - Churches should give their attention to beauty, aesthetics, and the

Dr. Darren Hercyk discusses the local church developing a heart for mercy ministries.

Dr. Hercyk is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University School of Divinity and the program director for the online Masters in Humanitarian Action and Human Right

• The balance between social gospel and evangelism
• Ministering to the community in which you are placed
• Broadening the impact of the church

Dr. Darren Hercyk is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University School of Divinity and the program director for the online Masters in Humanitarian Action and Human Rights. Prior to serving in higher education, he had 18 years of international cross-cultural experience living in 10 countries. While overseas, the service spanned from child evangelism to responding to emergencies to long-term development programs. Through all these countries and experiences, a priority was placed on partnering with the local church.

• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights – Law and Policy
• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian and Human Rights – Disaster Relief
• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights – Woman and Child Advocacy
• Email Dr. Hercyk

Spreadsheet to create time stamped show notes

01:53 - Majority World Church's view on humanitarian training

01:59 - Realms of society: private sector, civil society, public sector

02:26 - Majority World Church tends to be the largest provider of education, healthcare...

02:47 - ...out of the absence of these services

03:07 - ...not a lot of assets, but involved in people's daily lives

03:39 - ...church leaders have enormous moral authority

03:58 - As a developed society, we don't have that role-- we just evangelize

04:20 - ...sometimes we miss the balance between social gospel and evangelism

04:51 - ...5 times where Jesus took care of a physical need but didn't share a truth

05:00 - ...58 times where Jesus shared a truth but didn't take care of a physical need

05:05 - ...99 times when Jesus did both

05:26 - Generation Z is one of the most cause-oriented generations...

05:35 - ... be mindful to engage them

06:56 - Ministering to the community in which you are placed

07:40 - ...understanding their "Jerusalem"

07:49 - ...know my neighbor before I love my neighbor

08:02 - Broadening the impact of the church

08:09 - Faith Integration - connect heart and hands

08:34 - ...be involved - help, know people, bring the gospel

08:59 - ...look for ways to bring the youth

09:10 - ...build a bridge to people to whom you wouldn't normal engage

09:27 - A frightening question --

09:29 - ...Would anybody even know if your church ceased to exist?

09:56 - Mercy ministries in your own community

11:06 - ...getting it to the church level about being New Testament believers

11:43 - Preparing for missions trips through prior local engagement

12:22 - ...learn...

Dr. Darren Hercyk discusses the importance of humanitarian training for missionaries and the heart for mercy ministries.

Dr. Hercyk is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University School of Divinity and the program director for the online Masters in Humanitarian Action and Human Right

• What is humanitarian work?
• Evangelism includes some type of humanitarian work
• Developing the heart attitude for those in need

Dr. Darren Hercyk is an Assistant Professor at Liberty University School of Divinity and the program director for the online Masters in Humanitarian Action and Human Rights. Prior to serving in higher education, he had 18 years of international cross-cultural experience living in 10 countries. While overseas, the service spanned from child evangelism to responding to emergencies to long-term development programs. Through all these countries and experiences, a priority was placed on partnering with the local church.

• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights – Law and Policy
• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian and Human Rights – Disaster Relief
• Liberty University - M.A. in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights – Woman and Child Advocacy
• Email Dr. Hercyk

00:38 - Introducing Dr Darren Hercyk

03:06 - Work in Pakistan

03:31 - 1998: overseas as an engineer

03:45 - ...began working with a local church

03:55 - ...transition to humanitarian work

03:58 - ...to nine more countries

04:43 - Program Director for Online Masters in Humanitarian Action & Human Rights at Liberty University

04:56 - ...started in 2022

05:08 - ...increase in emergencies

05:16 - Leaders needed around the world with Biblical foundations and skills

05:56 - ...work with the global church

06:13 - ...Cross-cutting program - in School of Divinity, but with courses from government, law, behavior sciences

06:41 - Evangelism includes some type of humanitarian work

06:53 - ...take care of people's physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs

07:19 - What is humanitarian work?

07:41 - ...mercy ministries

07:59 - ...emergency response

08:23 - ...refugee crisis

08:31 - ...human rights & trafficking

08:59 - ...food aid

09:05 - living on the streets

09:28 - Prepare the heart for mercy ministries, for the needs around you

09:52 - How do you get from the book to the heart?

10:04 - ...develop the skills in your local community

11:02 - ...connecting the head, heart, and hands

11:30 - ...learn the skills to engage someone, hear their story, learn why God loves them so much

11:53 - ...sometimes, God works from the hands, to the heart, to the head

12:06 - ...realize your commonality with that person

12:18 - ...everyone is created in God's image

12:21 - ...read Scripture in an entirely new way

12:40 - ...start where you are

14:11 - Humanitarian training is crucial for missionaries

14:15 - ...show the overseas country that you...