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Tell Me More is a weekly podcast hosted by Katy Reed Hodges and Luke Stehr, where they unpack the Sunday sermon with Dr. Dennis Wiles. This podcast is designed on the premise that Dr. Wiles always has more to say than can fit in a 35 minute sermon - so we have fun discussing it here each week. We hope that in listening you are educated, encouraged and more connected to the pastor and his teaching!
Hey. Welcome to another episode of Tell Me More. I'm Michael, and we had a great conversation for you today, with Ashley Berryhill, Luke Stair, talking about all of the things that we got to be a part of with the Visit Jordan Experience, also Kinder Bible School. And, man, there was just so many great things we talked about today. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Speaker 1:Hey, friends. Welcome to the newest episode of Tell Me More. I'm with Luke and Ashley, and I am not K3 Hodges. Or Doctor. Myles.
Speaker 1:Or DDov. But so honored to be here. I don't know why Katie asked me of all people to host, but I'm honored that she would. I hope it doesn't go off the rails. But I'm super excited about our conversation today.
Speaker 1:We are gonna talk about Luke's sermon that he preached on Sunday. We're gonna talk about all the Jordanian things that we got to experience. We've just been basking in the joy of the Lord as he has given us these opportunities to minister to our Jordanian friends. And so, man, what a week, What a week.
Speaker 2:It's been a wild ride. It's been a great one.
Speaker 3:It's such Yes. A Yes. Yeah. Still just, I think, you know, I said it on Sunday, amazed at all the things that God has done Mhmm. And pulled together and absolutely nothing we could have ever orchestrated or planned on our own.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:If for those of you who are listening who haven't been here this week, we actually were able to host the Kingdom Of Jordan here on our property and across the way at the city of Arlington. It is the World Cup if you don't know, but it is happening in our city and we had Jordan had their last and final game here and so we spent the last few days really just with them, sharing hospitality, loving them, caring for them and supporting them and cheering on with them.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:It's been it was I think near and dear to our heart. I mean, I didn't know much about Jordan before this.
Speaker 3:No. I can't say that I did either.
Speaker 2:Okay. So I mean, they definitely won our hearts.
Speaker 3:Yes, they did.
Speaker 2:Didn't win the game.
Speaker 3:No. But they were the first team to score against
Speaker 2:Argentina. That was the goal. Let's let's
Speaker 1:It's win.
Speaker 2:Yes. Yes. So But with that to say, I think we walked away. Our people who volunteered and was interacting with them walked away with tendered hearts towards our Jordanian community and our Arab community as And so that was a huge win in our eyes.
Speaker 3:Amen. Yeah. Amazing stuff happened.
Speaker 1:Well, and I know Luke and Katie are normally hosting. So I'm putting Luke in a little bit of an awkward position where I'm gonna interview you and Ashley's gonna interview you today.
Speaker 3:Bring it on.
Speaker 1:We are gonna tag team this thing which I'm really excited about. But kind of in that same line of thought, I keep hitting this microphone, I apologize. Let's talk about how did this event come about? How did this partnership come about? I know it's been kind of a long time in the making and then it seemed like it kind of hit an accelerated rate of partnership and relationship, which is really beautiful to watch.
Speaker 1:Catch us up on the details because a lot of our church only saw, kind of the public facing part of that. So tell us how did these partnerships come about?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, we knew the World Cup was coming to Arlington and so I'd been talking probably for nearly a year, like, okay, this is coming. What do we do? And then as winter kind of hits, we knew we had to form a plan. And every time we tried to come up with something, it just kind of it would stall out, something wouldn't work.
Speaker 3:We started working with Texas Baptists. We hosted a World Cup evangelism training here on our campus in March. And so we're trying to work with them on what it would look like, you know, to host a large scale event. We're the closest Texas Baptist Church to the stadium, I think. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:The closest large one to the stadium that would be capable of hosting a large event. We're trying to figure that out and again it just kept
Speaker 2:Barriers. Were a
Speaker 3:lot Things weren't working, we were trying to figure things out with the city. And then out of the blue, genuinely
Speaker 2:I mean probably like six weeks ago maybe if that, maybe a month.
Speaker 3:We get a text, Ashley and I get a text from doctor Wiles and he's like basically saying, hey, the consulate of Jordan has flown in from Washington DC and wants to meet with us this afternoon. So you know, this was April, May.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Somewhere there. It wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 3:And so, you know, we sat down on a Thursday afternoon at like 5PM with the consulate of Jordan. Wow. And our PCB upstairs. So if you know those little little seating area right by the stairs with those very low chairs. I don't know why we met there but we did.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. And started talking about what it would look like for us to host the Kingdom Of Jordan and their Visit Jordan experience. And then we got on some Zoom calls with the person who organized the event and then she said, I'm actually gonna fly out next week and
Speaker 2:Two days later, she was here.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And it just kept rolling and
Speaker 2:Yeah. It was a great thing. I mean, because they had already decided with the city of Arlington to do something and so when they realized our property was the other piece that they needed in their visiting Jordan experience, they said, you know, this is a great partnership, let's talk to them, let's do this together. And you know, the Lord did what the Lord does. Brings people together across boundaries and borders
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And maybe perceptions that we have Yeah. And opens our hearts and uses us in ways that we wouldn't have known how to orchestrate.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so, yeah.
Speaker 1:Well and I think from us as a church, it took every single person.
Speaker 2:Oh, took everybody. Just To ask? Yeah. I mean Let's
Speaker 1:talk about that, because I know an entire choir and orchestra showed up for Thursday. Like those that couldn't experience the event on Thursday, walk us through a little bit of that. Give them a little bit I know we could talk about it for hours but if you give us just a snapshot of who that all took, what what took place?
Speaker 3:You know, Tuesday of this week, we were sitting in a meeting. The lady who was organizing all these things passed us off to a guy from the embassy. Ashley and Erica and I were in a meeting with him and then all of a sudden here comes Doctor. Wiles and Minister of Tourism and the lady who's designing this Visit Jordan experience and two members of the Jordanian Parliament. And the event kind of starts flowing and at one point they go, it'd be so good if we could have music and so we start reaching out to Aaron.
Speaker 3:This is Tuesday Oh, yeah. Before the event and Aaron just being the wonderful, gracious, accommodating person he is just said, absolutely. Yeah. And you know, within two days had pulled together. Just a top notch worship experience Oh my from our choir and orchestra.
Speaker 3:It was not it did not seem like a last minute thing at all for them.
Speaker 1:It never does.
Speaker 3:It never does. Yes. Just such a high degree of musicianship and a love for leading and worshiping just came through so beautifully. So Thursday night, we had photo exhibition of Jordanian sites and artifacts. We had
Speaker 2:The biblical sites.
Speaker 3:The biblical sites. Mhmm. So like Mount Nebo where Moses sees into the promised land, the mountain where Elijah gets taken up into heaven. Those are all in Jordan. The baptism site of Jesus obviously being the focal point.
Speaker 3:And we had Jordanian sweets and coffee. So we had some vendors who were in helping with that. And that night, we opened with our wonderful classic worship ministry and then there were presentations from the minister of tourism, parliamentarians from Jordan, and then they had an archaeologist who does extensive work in Jordan basically walk through the Christian history of Jordan Yeah. Which is extensive. So you know, she's showing things like Mount Nebo, Petra, the monastery there, the very first, at least identified purpose built church.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. So not a building like a house or a business that was changed into a church, but the very first structure built to be a church Mhmm. Is in Jordan. And so she walked through all of that with our people. And then there was just this beautiful moment with an exchange of gifts.
Speaker 3:So the ambassador from Jordan to The US was there, presented us with, her and the minister of tourism presented us with that beautiful mosaic that was on the platform on And we also presented them with a gift. Mhmm. And then we had to wrap it up and hightail it over to the grand opening of the Visit Jordan experience. Yeah. So incredible evening.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I I would say that that the main focus of why they wanted to partner with us is they're pushing for 2030, the anniversary of Jesus' baptism in the And Jordan for them, the main point of, I mean, the main spot that Jesus was baptized is on the Jordan side, not the Israel side. And so they wanted a church who could come and walk with them in that and really celebrate that and see that in them. And so we were able to do that. Think just when we look at what Thursday night's accumulation of people, we had about 400, three fifty to 400 people on our campus that night.
Speaker 2:I think throughout the whole weekend, counting the choir and orchestra, we had 150 to 200 volunteers. That's including staff as well, just interwoven into this hospitality set. And and you know, I love this about Erica because she said, I don't think anybody else could have done this except us. Like just the heart that we have to serve and to see and we're gonna go beyond, really spoke so well to their community, so much to where in Jordan, they're already talking about it. And so it it really not only opened hearts and minds for the people there, but also our Christian Arab neighbors, our Arab neighbors, and then also the city.
Speaker 2:We served the city so well in this. Just so thankful. So I mean, have to think about what does that say about witness? What does that say about servant leadership? What does that What say can we learn from that?
Speaker 2:Know, When there's you when you read scripture, I think of the Samaritan woman, Jesus crosses intentionally lines to meet her.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And it's not something she can give anything to them. So, you know, we received a ton of gifts from them, they were so gift giving.
Speaker 1:Oh, sure
Speaker 2:is. But when you're serving someone in a hospitable way, you know, you're intentionally crossing barriers but you're also giving out of love and grace and knowing that they may not be able to reciprocate any of that. And Jesus is the best model for that.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And I love Can I just go ahead and transition into
Speaker 3:a little bit about not in charge of this podcast today apparently?
Speaker 2:I I love kind of that thought and peace especially when you were talking about Philemon and just how the need to reconcile with one another with other brothers and just talk a little bit about just that you've got the slave, you've got the master and when Jesus enters into the story, what that really does for us.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, you know, one of the things when I was We were talking about the fruit of the spirit is we live in a town where people are from all different faiths, all different backgrounds. And, you know, I think as you start to live life among people from other religious backgrounds, you realize, oh, these people are kind too. And so I just kept kind of grappling with this question of, well, the kind of kindness that the spirit grows in us actually has to be something deeper and bigger than that. And so just starting to think through where in scripture does that actually come through and what is the kindness of God?
Speaker 3:Mhmm. Because that's what the fruit of kindness will be in us that only the spirit can bring about.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And so where does that play out in scripture? And there are so many places but there's this short little letter that we I think don't pay a ton of attention to. Partially, it's complicated. We're not really sure how to talk about it sometimes. But you have this, you know, if what God's kindness does to us is change our status and relationship before him from alienated, sinful, disobedient, malicious, that's even one of the words that gets used in the New Testament, to children of God and heirs, co heirs with Christ, then if that's God's kindness to us, then that's gotta be what kindness looks like in kingdom relationships and kindness is a fruit of the spirit and that's Philemon or Philemon, depending Yeah.
Speaker 3:On you know, how you were taught the bible. But, that's God's kindness shines through this letter because it is this complete change of status within relationships within the church and it just shines through so beautifully in what Paul is doing in relationship with these two men. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:You said something yesterday. For those of you who don't know, we have our all staff meeting on Monday mornings. And it's a it's it's a wonderful time where we get to celebrate everything that God is doing in our church. Mhmm. Because the same way for those of us that are in the business world or hospital work or whatever, you can get so busy that you forget to celebrate what is God doing in my organization?
Speaker 1:What is he doing in my business? What is he doing in whatever place that I'm employed by? And so it's just a beautiful time. We got to talk through that. And Luke, you said, I'm not gonna quote you by word because I won't remember it exactly, but as we celebrated everything happening with the Jordanians, we said only by the spirit of God could this have happened.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And we all gave an amen to that. And I think too, you know, when when we think about mission, when we think about how does God's kindness flow through us in life, how are we to take what we have read in Philemon or Philemon, however we say that. I'm gonna I'm gonna probably summon that many times because I've said it one way my whole life. How are we to live led by the spirit? We we hear that as Christians as almost Christian lingo.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. And I think maybe for those of us that grew up in the church, we hear that and we just kinda go, yeah, I get it. But what does it truly mean to be fully led by the spirit of God knowing that kindness should be a fruit of the spirit in how we reach our neighbor? And our neighbor is obviously bigger than those that are in Arlington, those that are across the Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, the first thing that comes to mind is, you know, there are not a ton of things that are forbidden for Christians, but having enemies is one of those things that is forbidden. Yeah. We're called to love our enemies, which just fundamentally means they cease to be our enemies. Mhmm. And so I think what we see in Philemon, what we see across the New Testament is God is actually calling us to something so much bigger and it's to see the world not through the lenses that this broken fallen world gives us
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And shapes in us, but to actually see the world through an eternal kingdom perspective.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And so, yeah, fight Onesimus continued to be a slave Mhmm. As far as we know. And he may have been, the official word would be manumitted. But again, even in Roman society, that wouldn't have changed his position and culture much. But what Paul's asking Philemon to do and for Onesimus to live into in this relationship is to live with a kingdom, eternal relational perspective in which status is completely different.
Speaker 3:And so, you know, when we think about our Jordanian friends, there is no such thing as an eternal world government. There's no such thing as an eternal world citizenship or nationality. Those are temporary. Mhmm. And I think as Christians we recognize first and foremost, we have one citizenship that is eternal.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. And so much more real than anything else we have. And that's citizenship in the kingdom of And that's something that Christ gives us. We clothe ourselves with Christ. And you know, this is Galatians, you know, in your baptism, you're clothed with Christ, you put that on.
Speaker 3:There's no Jew or Gentile, slave or free Mhmm. Male or female. It's not that those differences get erased necessarily in the world's eyes, but the church lives into this higher kingdom reality Mhmm. It's our in Christ status that changes everything. And so when we look at people around the world, next door, whether they are believers or not, we look at them with the eyes of eternity, with God's eyes, which are that he actively desires to be reconciled with those people, for those people to be adopted into his family.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And so when we look at, you know, we've spent so much time with wonderful Muslim people from Jordan this past week. Mhmm. We look at them with the eyes of hope. Mhmm. That these are people who will one day be reconciled to God.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. And I have a role to play in that. And so I'm going to, even though they may not be Christians, I'm going to live out the kindness of the fruit of the spirit, changes the way I fundamentally view any of the world's statuses. Mhmm. I'm gonna live that out now.
Speaker 3:Yeah. In the hope that they actually become my brother or sister in Christ Mhmm. And they truly become this kingdom citizen with me and a co heir with Christ of God's eternal life.
Speaker 1:That's good. I think, too, we and and this was a great example, this this this experience that we get to be a part of with our Jordanian friends. But when I think about kindness, when I think about the fruits of the spirit, when I think about what should inform us, which should be the scriptures, it shouldn't be Fox News, it shouldn't be CNN, it shouldn't be these things. But it's it's so overwhelming that that's kind of just what it becomes. And so I love of thinking through that kingdom mindset.
Speaker 1:And the first thing that I think about is that this radical hospitality that we all got to put our hands together in partnership with God, it is uncomfortable because it's not in our time. It's not in our schedule. You said that you got a call on Tuesday for an event that was happening on Thursday for details that we were still ironing out, which is a beautiful thing. Right? But it is going to the the kingdom spreading is going to cause discomfort.
Speaker 1:It's going to cause us to understand that the kingdom of God is on a timeline. And it doesn't equal Michael Glynn's timeline or Luke Stair's timeline or Ashley Berryhill's timeline. It is so much different. And then you add in this, you know, we use the phrase cultural competency. I have a lisp because that's really hard for me to say.
Speaker 1:But we we talk about that a lot. It's gonna cause us to understand their culture. And that doesn't happen in a five minute conversation. No. No, it doesn't.
Speaker 1:How how can we do that better? We we have this was a very special event for Blair and I because our neighbors are from Jordan. And we have been living next to them for eighteen months, and we've built relationship with them. And of all countries, for us to get to partner with as our church Yeah. It's the country of Jordan.
Speaker 1:Praise the Lord, the spirit of God is moving. So, but how can we, for for maybe those that are listening or maybe those that even had that experience with this event, they're like, man, I don't know really anybody that's not an American. I've never really spent time with someone differently than me. How can we just take some small practical steps to do that, to get on a kingdom timeline
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And to understand that it's not just American culture that God is calling us to Yeah. Understand and interact with.
Speaker 3:Oh. There's so many layers to that that I could get into. You know, but the first thing I'll say is, know, and I'm gonna butcher the quote but C. S. Lewis talks about how you've never met a mere mortal.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. So it's recognizing that every single person you encounter is actually eternal. Mhmm. They have a beginning, but they don't have an end. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:We don't know necessarily what their destiny will be, but that's up to, you know, their relationship with God. Yeah. So you're dealing every day in every interaction with someone's eternity, and you're dealing with someone who is going to be around for the rest of time, whatever that means, they're not, like, even after death, they continue.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And that's something we believe as followers of Jesus. Mhmm. So how are you and your interactions navigating that person's eternity? Mhmm. And your own, because you're also shaping your own Christ likeness in this So, you know, I think it's easy to wanna get in a rush.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. You know, one of the my dad's a minister and one of the things that he really instilled in me is that the people are the work. Yeah. That's good. And that's true for every believer.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. The people are the work. Whatever your job is, really your calling is this witnessing presence of Christ. You know, you're carrying around, you are this fragile jar of clay and you are carrying around this incredible treasure. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And you're actually called to share it. You know, Paul connects that with the idea of we're Christ ambassadors, which is very much connected with this idea of anyone who's living the new life in Christ, the old is gone, the new has come. Mhmm. So you're living this new eternal life now here today and you want to constantly be inviting people into that. That's why Paul also writes, you know, you're this aroma of Christ.
Speaker 3:And so there's an urgency to that. Mhmm. Not a hurry. You know, I wanna split that apart. Think sometimes we can get in a hurry and get in a rush and when we do that, that's when we start leaning into maybe coercive methods or abusive methods of sharing the gospel.
Speaker 3:So we're not in a hurry, but it is urgent. It's pressing. It's very near and dear to God's heart, this cosmic work of reconciliation with everyone. So keep that in mind with everyone you deal with, everyone you interact with. But then the second cultural piece, you know, live in Arlington.
Speaker 3:Whether you have adjusted to it or not, your reality is a cross cultural, intercultural reality on a daily basis. Every store you go into, your doctor's office, whatever it is, you're dealing interculturally. So start with grace and start with curiosity. Curiosity is a great place to begin. So, you know, I think it can be easy when someone violates your cultural norms to go automatically to feeling offended.
Speaker 3:That's actually a normal human reaction when people violate cultural norms. That's kind of, for whatever reason, baked into human psychology. But Mhmm. Those things are not the same across every single culture. And so when you start to feel that offense rise up in you for when someone from another culture has maybe done something you think is wrong, instead of going, how don't they know?
Speaker 3:How could they go, I wonder why they do that? I wonder why. What's a what do they think about this?
Speaker 1:Curiosity.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Start with curiosity, lead with curiosity. Don't start with judgment. Things are so different in different cultures. You know, I think the first time I was in Asia and you're trying to get onto a train.
Speaker 3:Well in the West we get in line and we wait in line for things. Mhmm. They don't do that in India. No. You mob and you press and people get on and or they don't and it's whatever.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. You lived in Indonesia, you're nodding. Mhmm. Mhmm. That's not them being rude, that's we have a culturally different view of even something as simple as just getting in line.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. And one isn't right and one isn't wrong. Yeah. So just start with your curiosity.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 3:But take a step. Start with food. Food's a great way to get to know other cultures.
Speaker 1:Praise the Lord it is. Yes.
Speaker 3:Praise the Lord for food. So enjoy food, share food, share your culture's food. Mhmm. You may not think you have a food culture but you do. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And receive their food culture as well. Mhmm. We've got a saying in our household with our kids that we don't yuck, someone's yum. Mhmm. So don't yuck, someone's yum.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But those are, I mean, are just really basic things. Don't let language barriers intimidate you. Stay patient because most of the time the problem in the situation is you.
Speaker 2:Yeah those are very practical next steps Yes. That everybody can apply anywhere. Mhmm. I think one thing that we also have to realize is God is active.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And he wants active participation. Oh yeah. Don't just sit back and wait for something to happen.
Speaker 3:No that's urgent.
Speaker 2:For someone to walk across your path or into your rhythm of life. Mhmm. Sometimes you have to go outside of your rhythm of life to realize that person on the other side. Just like Jesus went across Samaria and I mean he he crossed all these boundaries. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:He was intentional in doing so and so God is moving and active. The question is are you moving with him?
Speaker 3:Yeah. So stay open to the spirit, stay open to the spirit's movement. Yeah. It's actually the question I was gonna
Speaker 1:ask Ashley next. So Ashley and I were talking yesterday as we were just unpacking everything we got to experience over the last week. And one of the things that you said, Ashley, you said it's not a question if the spirit of God is moving. It's actually a matter of where is he moving Mhmm. And what am I gonna do about it.
Speaker 1:And so I know you kind of just briefly mentioned that, but I wanted to kinda nail that flush to the plank. Mhmm. I wanted to hear what do you sense, the spirit of God is doing right now, in terms of the way that we minister globally. That that's obviously your position in our church, one of the hats you wear of many in terms of discipleship. And so what do you sense God is saying even in an event just like this?
Speaker 1:And tell us, what should we do about it?
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's a great question. I think I'm still praying and discerning with everybody on this together. But I would say one of the things that we're noticing is, you know, there's a lot of conflict around the world, and that is happening. But I think what the Lord has uniquely positioned our church to be a part of is really walking alongside the Arab community.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:The Christian Arab community as well. Mhmm. And so we have leaders who are Arabic speaking who are from Lebanon. And they have been faithful followers here in The US and have such a network that we, our hearts were already looking towards Lebanon. And there were multiple other streams of connections with that through Ascent and the Baptist World Alliance.
Speaker 2:And so I think we came back out of last year's Baptist World Alliance Congress being moved towards that direction thinking, okay, Lord, what are you doing? But us sitting back and discerning, okay, how are you moving, Lord? What does this look like? You've placed these people in position within our church who are incredible, have character, have integrity, have competency, have a calling, and have culture, you know. So those are main things we look at from a sending standpoint.
Speaker 2:And then who else are you building into our pathways? And so, you know, outside of certain other ways that God speaks to us individually, without expressing too much of that, I would say that this weekend was a culmination of just a spark of fire of saying okay, now go. Yeah. And so yes, it may be Jordan, yes it may be Lebanon, yes it may be Palestine and Israel. I mean all of that over there.
Speaker 2:Yeah. But here as well. I mean people were coming out of the wood works. Christian Arab believers saying, oh my gosh, here's a church who sees us.
Speaker 1:You see me. And
Speaker 2:so I'm just thinking, oh, we are now becoming a magnet for those conversations. So how do we lean well to walk alongside our brothers and sister in faith in those areas of the world and even here. What does Well, that it means we're gonna have to get uncomfortable. It means that we're gonna have to eat different food. But it means we're gonna have to listen.
Speaker 2:We're gonna have to listen well. Talk a lot about, you know, receiving the global church. Well, the global church is here, so what do they have to say to us that needs to correct us? How can we be corrected? Because we need to be corrected.
Speaker 2:Yep. And we're gonna get corrected, and that's okay, we need to be humble with How do we understand really the complexity that's happening over there that our media has, our media is just dividing us. Yeah. But when we go human to human and we understand the full complexity, mean, I was talking at the event, I was talking with a Palestinian Christian who goes to Nazareth every six weeks. And just his heart to be seen and just him to also tell us that we have loved and cared and supported the Jordanians in this and it's not missed on anybody?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Huge. And so God is moving. He just decided to say, hey, hold off on plans. I mean, this last year, hold off on plans because there were other churches and other in our BGCT Texas Baptist family who wanted us to really take
Speaker 3:To engage some other things.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And so and we just said no, that we're not supposed to. Y'all, there is enough churches to take that on.
Speaker 3:Well and if you
Speaker 2:We're being called elsewhere.
Speaker 3:You know listeners, if you remember at engagement month last year, we had this really complicated web of spaghetti Mhmm. Diagram of just our church's relational web and our missional work and Mhmm. We just keep seeing God add more lines of connection and continue to weave what I think on paper looks like a jumbled mess but then you start sifting through all of it and you realize God is really creating this beautiful story, this beautiful tapestry that our church is just a part, it's one small part in this really big expansive world we are just part of this massive reconciliation project.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. So what does it mean to be peacemakers?
Speaker 1:As I saw you, you know, it it's it's making you emotional to talk about. And I think it does any of us to watch and hear from someone from Lebanon or someone from Jordan or whoever that just says thank you for seeing me. Where is that emotion coming from? As a global engagement minister like what is that? Give more on that.
Speaker 1:What is that?
Speaker 2:Well I work with a lot of people on the fringe on the And I think one of the things that the American church in this whole just shift in in mission globally, what we're looking at is we have to think through who is being on the margin that we need to be listening to. The Christian believers who are suffering, who have been persecuted, who have really have the sweat and the markings, the sweat equity, but also the markings and the scars
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:For ministry and living out as kingdom workers. What does it mean for American churches to come alongside them? And so that's where you're getting that a little bit about. Yeah. But also, like, the Lord burdened me, I would say, it was probably more so two years ago, has burdened my heart of saying, okay, you hear of churches, which is good, don't hear me say this is wrong.
Speaker 2:You hear churches really connecting with other works around the world, but it's more of multiple, like the quantity of churches. So sometimes you have a little FOMO of like, okay, we're not a part of that, should we be a part of that? You know, those things. But the Lord has called us somewhere else. And we've always been a pioneer catalyst for different things that have happened.
Speaker 2:That's just who we are as a church. We can take on hard things and do it well. And so I just felt the Lord calling us towards, we need to start shifting our gaze towards the Middle East. No one's talking about the Middle East in terms of the Christians that are living there, the persecution that's happening
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And and how we can come alongside them. They're just more talking about the wars or one side of the issue. Yeah. It's a complex issue. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so
Speaker 1:Or longing for just conversion of the of the Muslims that live there. It's it's not really much about the Christians that
Speaker 2:are Right. Living so Top note. I I think, you know, one of the DNAs that we have is a church is a healing balm. Mhmm. You spoke about a healing balm
Speaker 1:Mhmm. In your sermon.
Speaker 2:Tell us, remind us what you said.
Speaker 3:Oh gosh. You know, kindness destroys the world's broken relational patterns but it also heals and restores and reconciles. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:Our church has that in the DNA of the healing balm and so Mhmm. I think just the connections and the voices that I'm hearing
Speaker 3:from the
Speaker 2:region, they're asking where's the church?
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And so our answer is okay, we're coming alongside you. Not the answer but we will carry this burden with you as much as we can. And
Speaker 1:I think that you, and the reason why I pushed you on that is because I know you are having very unique conversations that not a lot of us get to have. And I think that's the honest truth. If you asked many people just in the American church Mhmm. They would say, yeah, we're talking about the Middle East. We're talking about the Muslims that need to come to know Christ.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. But I think that differentiation is extremely important, and to watch that firsthand with a Palestinian, with a Jordanian, with a male or a female from Lebanon, like whoever, of saying thank you for seeing me for the first time. Feel seen. Mhmm. And as a Christian, as a fellow brother or sister in Christ.
Speaker 1:And so I long, and just alongside you guys, I know it's the worship minister and to have engagement ministers sitting at a table so we could talk for a really long time. We got just probably two more minutes that I want to just talk through something that we completely we got really excited about Jordanian and and the our event that we did with them and all the different things that happened last week. But we would be missing a huge point of celebration if we did not talk about Kinder Bible School.
Speaker 3:Oh, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:I would love to talk about Kinder Bible School for and just celebrate it and all that happened. And this was right in the thick of everything else. And so it feels like it was a month ago but it was just a few days ago.
Speaker 3:So I think that's a testimony as to what the week was like. But man, just an amazing event. Think Casey said they had so many new volunteers Yeah. Coming and join. You know, as a parent of a kid who participated, I'm so thankful.
Speaker 3:Know, bring my youngest home every day and get to talk with her about what she was learning. She just had a great time and you know, again, what kind of church in one week can pull off? Well, we did. Yeah. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 3:This one.
Speaker 2:It is.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So so thankful for the excellent work that Casey and Susanna and Steven and Angela have done and Tiffany as well. And just to pull this off and Yeah. Do such a great job. So many wonderful volunteers making it work, watching kids herding balloon sheep.
Speaker 3:Mhmm. Just a highlight of
Speaker 1:my week. Hurting or hurting did you
Speaker 3:One of the I said hurting, with a d, but but I don't know, they may have been hurt as well.
Speaker 2:They had a lot of fun with it. Let's Hello. Just say
Speaker 3:That was good. It was so good.
Speaker 2:But it's a good picture of what our church is the KBS whole to Jordan Mhmm. The choir. I mean, all of it. That's a good glimpse of who we are. I mean, what not lost on us, we had teams leaving on Saturday as well.
Speaker 2:So for summer trips. So,
Speaker 1:yeah. This could be five hours if we talked through all the ways that God has ministered through this place. And it is overwhelming
Speaker 3:It is.
Speaker 1:And humbling
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And all kinds of different words I think we could articulate here in this room. And I think I wanna Luke, I wanna let you kind of give us a closing charge here in a second. But before we do that, I just wanna say that it is really easy to have a big church. It's really easy to make a really attractive worship service or have a really great communicator, which thankfully we have, I think, one of the best preachers of the gospel that that we are blessed with Doctor. Weil's.
Speaker 3:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:We obviously are blessed with with Aaron leading our worship and just an incredible team But of when you think about it, it's much harder to love all people of different colors and different backgrounds and experiences and those who may hate us. It's a lot harder to be a part of a church that does a bunch of different things because we have said yes to God. Ultimately, he is the one we're accountable to. And so I'm just I'm honored that we get to be on a church staff that says we're not just gonna do a Kinder Bible School. We're not just gonna do camps.
Speaker 1:We're not just gonna do and send teams on trips, on mission for the gospel, but we're also going to host events of people that we don't really know. But we know that God knows and sees and loves and values them, we want to do that and express that and show radical hospitality. Because we know that radical hospitality will be the key that opens the door for the gospel. And I think even more so, opens the door for Christians to understand their identity and that they belong and that they are seen even though they feel extremely lonely across the pond, whatever country they're in. And so, man, it's a blessing.
Speaker 1:And so I don't wanna us to breeze past that here in this room. But Luke, would you just give us just a final challenge?
Speaker 3:You know, I think when we think about Philemon, Philemon, whatever we're gonna say. You know, obviously Paul is trying to help the church grapple with a really concrete social reality at the time which was slavery in the Roman Empire and how does the church live in the midst of it. You know, at one point in my sermon I listed, you know, how is the church grappling with these questions of status today, whether that's race, caste, which, you know, in our church we have people from varying castes, from the caste system of India. It's not like a throwaway word Yeah. In our congregation.
Speaker 3:But, you know, race, caste, class, nationality, immigration status, all of these things. If we're gonna read Philemon faithfully today as Christians in Arlington in 2026, what are the social realities the gospel is calling us to redefine in our midst and to think through powerfully and live differently than the way the world operates. Mhmm. So be kind. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean be nice but also be kind like God is kind. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Sounds good. Ashley, anything to add?
Speaker 2:No. Great job, Luke. Really Luke, great
Speaker 1:it was incredible. I told you this, but it was my favorite sermon that you've preached here.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1:Even in the midst of an incredibly busy week, I think I told you, it seems like that's where God does his best work
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:When our brain is flooded, either with adrenaline or a lot of busyness. But thank you for the way that you pointed us to Jesus. Well, thanks. It was just a powerful Sunday. But I also wanted to say it's an honor to serve next to both of you.
Speaker 3:Oh, thank you. I'm in
Speaker 1:awe of the way that God has gifted each one of you. And we don't get to have conversations like this a lot, but I'm glad we did today. And specifically, I'm glad our people got to see a little bit behind the curtain of what you do and what you think about all the time. And thank you for letting me put you in the awkward position of you not hosting and me getting to interview you and Ashley getting to interview you today. That's it for us for today, for, this episode of Tell More.
Speaker 1:We'll see you on next one.
Speaker 4:Thanks for listening to the Tell Me More podcast today. You can subscribe to this podcast on your app of choice, or you can visit us at fbca.org to find out more information about the podcast and our church. Thanks for listening. Have a good day.