PODCASTS

Tag: #prayer

Missions Pulse – Let’s go to Paris – 9/04/24

Missions Pulse – Let’s go to Paris – 9/04/24

987 medals awarded at the Paris Olympics

Another 1,647 medals this week at the Paralympic games

10.500 athletes last month, and another 4,400 this week from 169 nations

700,000 New Testaments and Scripture books distributed!

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Yes, all of these statistics as the sports world has been focusing on Paris. Yes, 700,000 Bible books have been given out, in connection with the Paris Games over the past weeks.

Once every 4 years, the 2 versions of the Summer Games bring about a gathering of athletes, officials, families, dignitaries and fans from nearly every nation on the planet.

A network of evangelical Christian groups has been working for the past 18 months to coordinate a massive outreach to share Jesus with the people in the region which hosts the Games, and with all those people who come from all over to attend. Some of these people have never had an encounter with Christianity, even though they are citizens of some nations that the friendly to this faith. Some of the volunteer evangelists are sharing Good News with people from places and cultures where, back home, Christianity is banned.

Tom Hawkins is with Greater Europe Mission who is among the coordinating team for Ensemble 2024, a massive faith-sharing effort by a combined group of European and global Christians from a wide and diverse swath of the theological spectrum.It ranges from local congregations to large denominations to members of little house churches.

This Family Life exclusive takes you to Paris. Hawkins talks about some of the life-changing stories from these efforts and connections. As otherwise-disabled athletes are thriving in their athletic events this week, they see many Paralympic competitors (and fans with handicaps) who have dealt with physical setbacks are ripe to hear the Gospel.

He also provides hopeful insight about a potential transformation in Europe, where across the past 30 years, cultures have diminished their faith practices. He says though, that he sees signs that a continent which has increasing become defined as “post-Christian”, the culture appears to be, in any places, entering a “pre-Rivival” mode.

 

 

Bonus factoid:  The group of groups chose the name “Ensemble” to show how they are united across cultural and historical and theological distinctives — and because the same spelling of the same word has the same meaning, across multiple languages.

 

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Tom Hawkins spoke to Family Life News Producer Greg Gillispie this week, via Zoom, from Paris. The Paralympics Games continue there through Sunday, September 8.

 

     For further information:

The Ensemble 2024 website

The Ensemble 2024 blog

Tom Hawkins works with Greater Europe Mission (GEM), which carries out extensive envangelization outreaches, during and beyond the Olympics.

Tom and his wife Bev met at Nyack College in New York. They have been mission workers in France since 1994.

 

 

121 Rise Up: Hearing the Holy Spirit

121 Rise Up: Hearing the Holy Spirit

God’s Spirit lives within every genuine believer in Christ. Steve and Tim talk about discerning the “promptings” of the Holy Spirit.

Then: Zarfs inspire a corrugated cardboard haiku.

Rise Up is a morning radio show hosted by Steve, Terese & Tim, on Family Life, a network of stations across New York and Pennsylvania. Our podcast is a weekly conversation designed to help you think, laugh, and keep your eyes on Jesus. If you haven’t already, subscribe today, so you don’t miss a single episode! Listen online and find out more about our show at familylife.org.   

Faith Under Fire – Christians support for the Jewish State – 01/11/24

Faith Under Fire – Christians support for the Jewish State – 01/11/24

“We have to understand that this is a SPIRITUAL battle, expressed in a MILITARY attack.”

— Susan Michael, on the October 7, 2023, attacks made against the nation of Israel

This week is the 13th week since Hamas militants poured across Israel’s southern border — killing, assaulting and kidnapping citizens of Israel and other nations.

This week, Greg Gillispie interview Susan Michael, the USA director of International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. That ministry is praying for and offering tangible forms of support and relief in the Middle East. Some 300,000 citizens and settlers there have fled their homes in these three months, to escape the violence and threats.

ICEJ is also active to address the growing anti-Jewish rhetoric and threats to Jews everywhere.

Michael says Christians — individually and through their churches — need to boldly and confidently speak out against antisemitic violence, demonstrations and hatred. In this “Faith Under Fire” feature, she offers three practical steps which people of faith can undertake, wherever they live.  

This conversation referred to websites such as these:

  • IsraelAnswers.com: Ways for Christians and non-Christians to respond to propaganda which fails to tell the truth about Jews or the nation of Israel
  • Stop Antisemitism:  Action steps to battle against demostrations, protests and threats against America’s Jewish communities
  • Prayer Initiative: The call for the world to pray in these spiritual, cross-cultural, and military battles
  • icejusa.org: The main website of ICEJ, including the 30-year history of this groups active support of Israel and Israelis
Max Lucado’s Prayer for Family Life Listeners – 01/05/24

Max Lucado’s Prayer for Family Life Listeners – 01/05/24

During a special Family Life Interview which aired on January 5, 2024, we asked Pastor Max Lucado if he would offer a prayer for Family Life's listeners and web visitors, especially those who feel like they are facing the doubts and despairs which his Bible study addresses. Here is that prayer for you.


Feel free to share it with anyone for whom you believe this could be beneficial.

You also can listen to our September and January interviews with the author of “God Never Gives Up On You.

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