Posts by Julie Stoll
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At a Bible study in my home for English learners, I once asked the group to turn back to the first book of the Bible, intending to make a point about Adam. I said, “Let’s go to the beginning, back to the story of the time when God created the earth.” A mainland Chinese woman looked up at me and said with utter astonishment, “He did?” She had no concept of a creator God, much less of a Savior named Jesus. Months later, she came to Christ and was discipled by an Indonesian believer here at MBC Tysons. Now years later, she is a disciple-maker back in China.
That experience has helped me recognize that discipling the nations is about…
Pastor and author, Francis Chan, said, “Until our vision of the church encompasses the entire globe, we do not have an accurate view of God’s church or His plan of redemption” (Multiply, pg 77). But wait! Isn’t making disciples about face time in the here and now? Shouldn’t our vision be about the work God is doing where He has planted us? Isn’t building the Global Church simply beyond our reach?
Yes, it is precisely because it is beyond our reach that it is so important to our understanding of Him and His ways. It is a God-size task to have the Gospel heard in all languages and embraced by those in spiritual captivity around the world. It is not…