7 AUG 2017 · Take 3-minutes to listen to this preview of the MissionLife Podcast! It’s a hometown first, start next door, kind of life. You can be a missionary right now. Together, let’s take some time to look through the individual little pieces of a missionary life. Sometimes, we might look at neighboring, relationship development or things that hit close to home. Other times, especially when I’m overseas, we might look at stories from international missions, cultural comparisons or even a Bible study through the lens of someone who might think differently than you. It doesn’t matter where you live, what you know or how you make a living. This Christian life, it’s a mission life.

8 AUG 2017 · I’ve been thinking a lot lately the word “linger”. A couple months ago, I mentioned the idea in a sermon. It’s become a sort of family motto that we write on chalkboards and things around the house. As our van pulls up to a house, my wife turns around and tells the kids to remember to linger. The word means: present longer than expected. It’s the opposite of loneliness and I think it’s one of the most countercultural concepts I’ve ever heard of.

22 AUG 2017 · Was it ever our goal to become so focused on life’s events that we lose the people within them? When everything is on time, on time, on time, we’ve lost our minds and the gravitational pull of our hearts shifts from human to habit and schedule and misplaced efficiency.

5 SEP 2017 · Strangely, even though there are enormous volumes of research to support the value of empathy and personal connection, it can’t be counted or tracked or recorded. So what do we do? We find other things to count and track and record. Of course, I’m talking about the counseling world but do we see this in the church? Do we see a priority of countable, trackable, recorded movements and actions as greater and more celebrated than merely a personal connection. In missional living, there are few greater accomplishments than connection. Empathy is the road we must travel.

19 SEP 2017 · There is something about being in a crowd. Being together. The value of standing next to someone else, even a stranger, in a crowd of strangers, all watching the same thing and doing the same thing, it’s magnetic. We’re just wired that way. We are designed to desire togetherness and comradery. A philosopher once wrote, “All real living is meeting” suggesting that to be human is to be in community. And he was right. The Bible says that we were created in the image of God. And God is three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are created in the image of community. All real living is meeting.

3 OCT 2017 · In this episode, I'm joined by two special guests! David Drury is the author of SoulShift and Chief of Staff for the Wesleyan Church. Jade Metz is my wife, an extraordinary mother and a powerful voice of love and action. Together, we delve into the complex world of motivations and intentions. Buckle up, folks. This one might sting.

17 OCT 2017 · In this episode of the MissionLife podcast, we change gears from looking at tools and ideas to stories and proof. From “how do I do this” to “what could happen when people do this”. Every great story has a hero whose name represents hope, change and the power to overcome. In this story, you’ll hear of the life of Anthony Vasquez. I warn you, it’s dark, it’s heavy and although I’ve edited carefully, it’s probably not suitable for young children. As I sat across the table listening to this story, Tony wept and squeezed his eyes shut for minutes at a time as he spoke. There are heroes, though. Listen for them in the story because this episode will have two parts.

31 OCT 2017 · In this episode of the MissionLife podcast, we are picking up where we left off in the story of Tony Vasquez. In part one, Tony introduced us to his life with a vulnerability and openness that allowed each of us to participate, to benefit. One of our goals in listening to that story was to conduct a kind of research, a hunt. We were searching for heroes. Key people and moments that marked a change in the story. Tony pointed us to those heroes as he spoke and so in this episode, we continue our research. One by one, we’ll find these people and interview them with the hope of learning what works. If we want to see more redemption stories like this (and, I believe we do) then we need to pay attention to and learn from the heroes.

14 NOV 2017 · There's a great deal of art in missional living. Different people, different approach. Are you a scripted Christian or do you have a bit of art in your life? In this episode, I'm thinking about a metal statue, three different pulpits and a billion different neighbors.

27 NOV 2017 · A couple weeks ago, I preached a sermon at my home church in Marion, Indiana. So this isn't really an episode, it's bonus content. This sermon is about the way God has designed our communities to work. Missional living is a phenomenal way to improve neighborhoods and quality of life. Our work isn't random, though. God has a design for how the whole thing is supposed to work. In this sermon, I'll lay out that design and give some practical steps to help us get there.