The Power of Personal Witness

Becoming a Faithful Gospel Presence

God has called us to reach our friends, families, neighbors, and coworkers with His story. In this final episode of Season Four, Brad and Trevor welcome their good friend Jeremy Jenkins from All Things All People to discuss the practicals of sharing our faith. What are the conversational tools at our disposal? What does it mean to bring our Gospel presence into our everyday life? Today’s episode is a call for courage to share the Good News with boldness.  Links and Sources:  * 1 Peter 3:15 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1PE.3.15.ESV] - be prepared to give an answer  * Missio Dei - the Mission of God * John 15 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.15..ESV] - Abiding and bearing fruit.  * Luke 10:6 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/LUK.10.6.ESV] - Find a person of peace * The Case for the Resurrection [https://www.amazon.com/Case-Resurrection-Paperback-First-Century-Investigative/dp/0310949890/ref=sims_dp_d_dex_ai_rank_model_1_d_v1_d_sccl_1_5/145-1104137-4550443?pd_rd_w=OLLyK&content-id=amzn1.sym.da0b205c-8cc7-4a8d-9d0a-8ed3705890a2&pf_rd_p=da0b205c-8cc7-4a8d-9d0a-8ed3705890a2&pf_rd_r=WDYT5G30J6SQEYE2F4B6&pd_rd_wg=adhcY&pd_rd_r=079198b7-de9c-4b66-b0ec-acc7d341aca4&pd_rd_i=0310949890&psc=1] - by Lee Strobel * The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus [https://www.amazon.com/Case-Resurrection-Jesus-Gary-Habermas/dp/0825427886/ref=sr_1_1?crid=296KWB9UKO8U4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lbAmLMeBfWlNMUy6cUJA2hMiygLBQE_AiqXx7OZV-XbO7dxLzo3chw4ZwxozoXfF8WdgeHkky8MgXOWHiGZ8ChrSBfrkcRlGbmEU15wFKTQPtbb3GCRRJiiSBBBP36CHxMrPgSPpM4nZBzuzBGwl7PRTk_vBHzTP5DbjejEgOjLxNHM7L8lic7Y-046PTMWm5A8Rne-l73vUv49nXsqlba_v8muDNpnR11vfP3x4Iwk.dV6dbk5mwRtImztHZ1Rdk8wNZ83K4GRklit9ApukwlI&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+case+for+the+resurrection&qid=1755634247&sprefix=the+case+for+the+resurrection+%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1] - by Habermas and Licona * Arguments for the Existence of God by Reasonable Faith [https://www.reasonablefaith.org/] and William Lane Craig * Is There Meaning to Life?  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKGnXgH_CzE&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=2] * The Kalam Cosmological Argument - Part One [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CulBuMCLg0&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=4] * The Kalam Cosmological Argument - Part Two [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vybNvc6mxMo&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=5] * The Fine-tuning Argument  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE76nwimuT0&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=6&t=2s] * The Moral Argument [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxiAikEk2vU&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=8&t=29s] * Leibniz Contingency Argument  [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPCzEP0oD7I&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=3] * The Ontological Argument [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBmAKCvWl74&list=PL3gdeV4Rk9EfL-NyraEGXXwSjDNeMaRoX&index=9&t=145s] * How to Talk about Jesus (Without Being That Guy): Personal Evangelism in a Skeptical World [https://www.amazon.com/Talk-about-Jesus-Without-Being/dp/0310112699] - Sam Chan * Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out: Evangelism the Way You Were Born to Do It [https://www.amazon.com/Sharing-Jesus-Without-Freaking-Out/dp/1535982187?psc=1&pd_rd_w=rBhIY&content-id=amzn1.sym.ea1d9533-fbb7-4608-bb6f-bfdceb6f6336&pf_rd_p=ea1d9533-fbb7-4608-bb6f-bfdceb6f6336&pf_rd_r=FTEQZ2GCES3NQPZPN3PY&pd_rd_wg=HEJ74&pd_rd_r=d4d72a70-5d81-4574-ab78-4d8ff4bc6bc4&ref_=sspa_dk_detail_sbt_2&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM=]by D. Scott Hildreth and Steven A. McKinion * BLESS: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World [https://www.amazon.com/BLESS-Everyday-Neighbor-Change-World/dp/1684510880/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PCW36KJCATQD&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.YTIdLLzhTJFA1LbQyyaF2csz-xdSKhAom3_4nMBMIz0haLRgYO9SwfYgjqYCPVdlEbIQ5U5KEDEwoQE7EvFzh-s6hUsVz2vJKmDLxmZxfe9UsrX7vB_C8DfCk7TWUVro.u79Oi1ctZdb6vrz2pFv0E-zRoaFDOqAqzYjiPm59EmU&dib_tag=se&keywords=dave+ferguson+blessed&qid=1755633800&sprefix=dave+ferguson+blessed%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1] - Dave Ferguson * FCA app for coaches [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fca-sports-coach/id1600051552]. * For resources from Jeremy Jenkins, go to AllThingsAllPeople.org [https://newspring.ccAllThingsAllPeople.orghttps://www.allthingsallpeople.org/]. Follow Jeremy on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/allthings.allpeople/].  * Books by Jeremy Jenkins:  * Explore and Engage: Latter Day Saints  [https://phyliciamasonheimer.com/product/explore-engage-latter-day-saints/] * Explore and Engage: Wicca & Neo-Paganism  [https://phyliciamasonheimer.com/product/explore-engage-wicca-neo-paganism-ebook/] Questions:  * Is there any area of your life not fully given to God?  * What does it mean to say evangelism is just joining a conversation God is already having with a person?  * How long does a person have to know you before they learn the most important thing about you? Is this question a challenge for you?  * How do we navigate the tension between deepening community with believers and being known by unbelievers?  * What has God put into your hands to leverage for the Gospel?  * How can you more fully open your life to others for the Gospel’s sake?  * Why is inviting unbelievers into your community important?

The Power of Personal Witness

In this episode, Brad and Trevor welcome Dr. John Dickson to talk about faithfulness, hospitality, and unsung witnesses of the kingdom. John shares the story of his conversion and his teacher’s role in glorifying God through her faithful witness. In this conversation, we discuss how the kingdom moves when ordinary figures step into the sweeping Story of the Gospel to participate in the glory of God in salvation.  Links and Sources:  * Undeceptions [https://undeceptions.com/] - a podcast from John Dickson * John Dickson books:  * Simply Christianity: Beyond Religion, and A Spectator’s Guide to World Religions  [https://www.amazon.com/Spectators-Guide-World-Religions-Introduction/dp/0825462525/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2DO8A3OQ0H0LC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TiWgZaWrEhwBn9RvTchcWg.MIRCsaQHsZVpBnJ8hnpSdZPlfQi-B_u55VGg2jIQjS0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Simply+Christianity%3A+Beyond+Religion%2C+and+A+Spectator%E2%80%99s+Guide+to+World+Religions&qid=1755632587&sprefix=simply+christianity+beyond+religion%2C+and+a+spectator+s+guide+to+world+religions+%2Caps%2C63&sr=8-1] * Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History  [https://www.amazon.com/Bullies-Saints-Honest-Christian-History/dp/0310119375/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3B1OJE1ZJYYTG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gWqxsbDkMt7gOLDP47yIBg.ydmlHcTud6iryE_9J6qdTEmTvs2ASHh2tGVEwb-CgZA&dib_tag=se&keywords=Bullies+and+Saints%3A+An+Honest+look+at+the+Good+and+Evil+of+Christian+History&qid=1755632608&sprefix=bullies+and+saints+an+honest+look+at+the+good+and+evil+of+christian+history+%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1] * The First Hymn: Resurrecting [https://undeceptions.com/thefirsthymnproject/] a song buried for millennia, was released in April 2025. It tracks the world’s oldest Christian hymn with lyrics and musical notation from its discovery in the ruins of an ancient Egyptian city to the middle of a modern rock concert in the heart of America. * How to Talk about Jesus (Without Being That Guy): Personal Evangelism in a Skeptical World [https://www.amazon.com/Talk-about-Jesus-Without-Being/dp/0310112699] - Sam Chan * Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion [https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Christianity-Questions-Largest-Religion/dp/1433564238] - Rebecca McLaughlin Questions:  * Who was instrumental in your coming to faith?  * Who has been important in your spiritual journey? Why?  * How does our cultural moment war against the idea of living a faithful, unknown, life of obscurity? How do we face this challenge? * How do we move past this “the church will do it” mentality into “we will do it, because we are the church"? * What is God’s reason for including us in Gospel work?  * How do we cultivate a love of hiddenness?

Reaching the Unreached

In today’s episode of Develop in the Dark, we listen in to a NewSpring staff gathering where Brad Cooper interviews Ken Katayama, the president and CEO of Crossover Global about reaching unreached people groups with the Good News of Jesus Christ. How can we make a difference in God’s global mission?  Links and Sources:  * Ken Katayama’s Information:  * Follow Ken on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kenkatayama/]. * Crossover Global  [https://www.crossover.global/] * Illuminations [https://illuminations.bible/], a partner of NewSpring Church, is an alliance of Bible translation partners and resource partners working together to eradicate Bible poverty in this generation. Their goal is to make the Bible accessible to all people by 2033.  * Vision 2030 is a NewSpring initiative to become debt-free, secure permanent locations for all our NewSpring campuses, and to plant ten autonomous churches by 2030.  * Crossover Global’s mission- A church planting organization that provides gospel access by planting multiplying churches among unreached people groups.  * “Gospel Access” is defined as “an indigenous church capable of evangelizing its own people.”  * Acts 2:42 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ACT.2.42.ESV] * To learn more about Global Gospel initiatives, visit the Lausanne Movement [https://lausanne.org/]. * Colossians 2:6 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/COL.2.6.ESV] Questions:  * How do you respond when you hear that finishing the Great Commission is an attainable goal in our generation?  * How can every person play a role in global missions? What part can you play in reaching the unreached with the Gospel?  * What would it be like to not have access to the Bible?  * Are there people in your circle of influence who have never heard the Good News? What’s your plan?  * Why is it important to place evangelized people into faith communities?  * What does it mean to have a “desperate faith”? How does the persecution of believers across the world challenge our daily practice?

Church Planting City to City

In today’s episode of Develop in the Dark, Brad and Trevor are joined by Chris Dew and Josh Bull to discuss the importance of “sending” in the life of a disciple and the work of the church. Church planting is such an important part of evangelism. What can we do to contextualize the Gospel for our city?  Links and Sources:  * Chris Dew’s Info:  * Follow Chris on Instagram.  [https://www.instagram.com/chris__dew/?hl=en] * Ask Chris Dew to speak: Chris Dew Ministries. [https://www.chrisdewministries.com/]  * Artisan City Church [https://artisancity.church/] in St. Petersburg, Florida * Josh Bulls info:  * Follow Josh [https://www.instagram.com/joshuabull_/?hl=en]on Instagram.  * Ask Josh Bull to speak: Joshua Bull [https://www.joshuabull.org/] * Society Church [https://www.societychurch.org/] in Melbourne, Australia * Ephesians 4:11-12 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/EPH.4.11-12.ESV] speaks to the role of pastors in equipping the saints for ministry.  * C.S. Lewis addresses the false divide between sacred and secular in The Weight of Glory, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, and Mere Christianity.  * Acts 4:22-26 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ACT.4.22-26.ESV] addresses the church gathering in large and small groups.  * Romans 10 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ROM.10..ESV] speaks to the importance of preaching and being sent.  Questions:  * Why is sending and being sent so important in our spiritual formation?  * What does it mean to contextualize the Gospel? Where do you see this working well?  * With so many existing churches, why is church planting important?  * What’s the difference between the Gospel and Evangelism?  * Why is it important to clarify the purpose of spiritual disciplines? * Have you ever experienced a gospel goodbye? What was that experience like?  * Why is it unhelpful to divide sacred and secular?

Gospel Opportunities for Everyone, Everywhere

In today’s episode of Develop in the Dark, Robbie Green, the Network Director for NewSpring Church, joins Brad and Trevor to discuss global and local missions, church planting, and resourcing pastors. Robbie shares his heart to see our church help finish the Great Commission. There are so many Gospel opportunities. We have the challenge from Jesus to be witnesses locally, regionally, and globally. How will we answer? Links and Sources:  * For more on NewSpring’s residency program, email Robbie.Green@NewSpring.cc [https://newspring.ccRobbie.Green@NewSpring.cc].   * View NewSpring Network resources at NewSpring Network  [https://newspringnetwork.com/] * For more on NewSpring Missions: Nations | NewSpring.cc  [https://newspring.cc/missions] * https://www.untold.org/ [https://www.untold.org/]Untold is one of NewSpring’s ministry partners. They exist to equip people in Sub-Saharan Africa to live a life beyond AIDS.  * Visit Newspring.cc/locations [http://Newspring.cc/locations] to reach your campus pastor.  * Free download on God’s sovereignty in missions: Let the Nations Be Glad! | Desiring God  [https://www.desiringgod.org/books/let-the-nations-be-glad] Questions:  * Why is it important for churches to cultivate a kingdom mentality? * How should Acts 1:8 [https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ACT.1.8.ESV] inform the current church of its responsibility to the Gospel? * Why is humility such an important aspect of ministry?  * What about your salvation story inspires you to reach others for Christ?  * When was the last time you surrendered or sacrificed something for the mission of God?  * Why does a new place and a new pace bring a new perspective?  * What opportunities are you taking to participate in the work of God?