For the month of June I plan to highlight some podcasts I produce. I hope they encourage and inspire you as we start our summer. If you would like your work to be on my radar, please tweet me @musicgoon or email me at aaron@musicgoon.com.
I interview worship leaders on my Sound Words podcast. Jenn Low is a worship leader at FCBC Walnut. We talk about growing up playing music at FCBCW, returning to her home church after being away for school, leading worship as a young adult, and experiencing emotions regarding relationships and health through singing. Listen on YouTube, Spotify, or Podcasts.
“Why My People Need the Gospel” is SOLA’s new June series to highlight the global need for the good news of Jesus Christ. Read these testimonies, remember to pray, and rally to act for the spread of the Gospel.
Link Roundup
1. Ladon Dennis: An Unexpected Strategy for Reaching the Muslim World
Landon Dennis planted and pastors an English-speaking church on the Arabian Peninsula. He contributes this article to The Gospel Coalition and challenges us to champion the local church.
2. Elizabeth Woodson: 4 Lies That Give Us an Unbalanced View of Singleness
“While this list isn’t exhaustive, here are four major lies that contribute to an unbalanced theology of singleness. By correcting these misguided interpretations of Scripture, we’ll be better equipped to love and serve the unmarried people in our congregations.”
3. John Beeson: Breaking the Power of Shame
Writing at For The Church, John Beeson beckons us to look back to the cross and forward to Christ when dealing with shame.
4. Lindsey Carlson: Why Your Parents’ Limitations Aren’t Limiting
Lindsey Carlson, author of Growing in Godliness: A Teen Girl’s Guide to Maturing in Christ, on how God uses our limits to love us.
5. Joe Carter: The FAQs: Southern Baptists Release Urgent Report on Sexual Abuse
“The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) released a report last Saturday on sexual abuse within America’s largest Protestant denomination. According to the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the report is intentionally designed to educate churches on the sexual abuse crisis, equip churches on how to care well for survivors, and prepare churches to prevent abuse.”
Weekend Recommendations
1. Crossway Podcast: Podcast: The Gospel’s Global Advance
“In this interview, Tim Keesee shares from his own experiences talking with Christians around the globe, reflecting on his work as a missions journalist, the reality of persecution, and the best way to approach a short-term mission trip.” Keesee also takes the time to explain what is happening to the church in China and how Christians are responding.
2. Credo Magazine: The Aseity of God
“Self-existence and self-sufficient, he is a God of aseity. He looks to know one for life, for he is life in and of himself. As it turns out, God does not depend on us, but we depend on him, from the air we breathe to the everlasting life we need. In this issue, we will discover why God’s aseity is good news, and why we have no gospel without it.”
From SOLA
1. Peter Malik: Slovakia: Why My People Need the Gospel
“Pray that evangelicals preach the Gospel with clarity and, most importantly, in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that people come to know Christ not as some sort of cultural symbol, but as their living Saviour. Pray, too, that there’s a resurgence of interest to enter full-time ministry and pursue theological education.”
2. Enoch Chui: Norway: Why My People Need the Gospel
“People are very comfortable in Norway. There is “no need” for God. The living standard here is one of the highest in the world, and it is hard for people to see the church as something important. The Lutheran Church, which was the state church in Norway (but is no longer), has seen a downward development. Church has become a tradition and people go there only for funerals, weddings, and children’s baptism. In fact, people would baptize their children because of tradition and then never return back to church.”
3. Michael Agapito: Philippines: Why My People Need the Gospel
“Catholicism is such a big part of Filipino culture. To become an evangelical or ‘born-again Christian’ is sometimes seen as turning your back on your Filipino heritage and identity. For example, when my mother converted, she was disowned by her family. […]In addition, prosperity-gospel oriented movements have taken root in the Philippines and are growing at a relatively alarming rate. Because the Philippines is a developing country, it is “ripe” for the prosperity gospel and similar false teachings.”
4. KL Ng: Malaysia: Why My People Need the Gospel
“The primary challenge is that the foundational understanding of the Bible by most Christians is lacking, with much focus on experiential, entertainment, and fun to keep the crowd interested.”
5. Thank God It’s Friday: Weekend Roundup
In case you missed it, here is our roundup from last week: Tiananmen Square & the Courage to Stand Alone, When You Can’t Let Go of Yesterday, ‘Saving Private Ryan,’ D-Day 75, and Liberation’s Cost, Women Have a Way with Words, and 7 Lies Christians in College Tell Themselves.