Matt Whitlock's Podcast

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. Jesus didn’t come to make poor people rich. Jesus didn’t come to make weak people strong. Jesus came not to be an addition to ones life but a revolution. Jesus came so that we would be resurrected in Him. That we would have a new power to be restored. Not in our strength but in His. Not in our deeds but in His. Not in our wealth but in His.Jesus came so that we could be Made New.

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. Jesus didn’t come to make poor people rich. Jesus didn’t come to make weak people strong. Jesus came not to be an addition to ones life but a revolution. Jesus came so that we would be resurrected in Him. That we would have a new power to be restored. Not in our strength but in His. Not in our deeds but in His. Not in our wealth but in His.Jesus came so that we could be Made New.

What is a biblical view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and this election year? I did a short talk for my church in regards to these two topics in the hope of anchoring our community in God's word.

A lifestyle missionary lives with an awakened heart to the reality that God is everywhere, speaking and guiding us in all things. He or she asks good questions and makes an effort to actively hear what others and God are saying before responding. He or she seeks transformation over transaction with God.

We are determined to live out the goodness of God on Earth. Who are we? We are game-changers, play-makers, box-breakers, and risk- takers. We are a global family of visionary practitioners, poets, preachers and pioneers. We are sons and daughters. We are blessed to be a blessing, loved to be lovers, freed to be liberators, and called to rise above the status quo. We are a family of missionary servants. And this is what we believe: Every follower of Jesus, by default, is part of God’s trajectory of restoration. This mission requires active participation as we become the incarnation of love in a broken world. Being fully equipped by the Holy Spirit, we are united with one purpose expressed in infinitely diverse vocations. We are convinced God’s mission is simple, collaborative, and within arms reach. So this is how we choose to live: We embrace inconvenience, listen deeply, honor all, and live generously. We focus our energy locally yet still engage globally. We open our hearts, homes, and lives to all people in courageous acts of hospitality. When we gather we eat well, we pray expectantly, and we learn scripture. We will leave our communities better than we found them. We will promote peace, pursue unity and protect the vulnerable. Last but not least we seek God’s kingdom before our own. We hereby declare a new era in which these are our defining characteristics. An era in which we will shape culture together as an unstoppable surge of ordinary people. Through faithful presence and collaborative obedience we will see God’s kingdom come here and now. We are a global family of lifestyle missionaries.

A lifestyle missionary doesn't just read and discuss the stories of the missional calling of Jesus but actively lives it out within his or her own sphere of influence. A lifestyle missionary commits to reading the word and not just reading others opinions about the word, in order to actively pursue and live the mission of Jesus to restore all things. The bible is meant to shape our view of the world, our view of ourselves and how we live in the world.

A lifestyle missionary functions as part of a team, understanding that God created us for companionship. He or she values the benefit of accountability, assistance, and correction that come with working alongside others. Lifestyle missionaries are inclusive, living with open doors and an open heart, understanding that discipleship is something that happens when you open your life up to others (both to those who believe and those who don’t yet believe).

A lifestyle missionary lives with an awareness that he or she has the ability to shape culture. He or she understands a Kingdom lifestyle goes against the very grain of our human nature and our society. He or she lives counter-culturally and communicates relevantly, blessing those who curse, turning the other cheek, and losing their life to gain it. He or she believes the spirit of God has gone ahead of them and his or her job is to help make His presence known—to help build His Kingdom not their own. By living as restorers not consumers they see creation as God’s good world damaged by sin and in need of restoration, rather than a resource to be consumed on our path to a distant heaven.

A lifestyle missionary makes blessing and serving others a habit, practice, and priority instead of living a life of consumerism which drains the resources out of everything and everyone around them. By choosing to be civil and not divisive, a lifestyle missionary promotes unity at home, with their friends, at work and in the body of Christ.

A lifestyle missionary understands and embraces the reality that we live in a time where engaging the wider world is easier than ever before, creating endless opportunities to serve. A lifestyle missionary explores ways they and their friends can bring hope, salt, and light to those in greatest need globally. They do justice and love mercy. They look for ways to finish the great commission, eradicate bible poverty, meet physical needs, empower others and restore communities. A lifestyle missionary is known by his or her active pursuit of creative and sustainable solutions to global social injustice.

A lifestyle missionary, like Jesus, values depth of character over being impressed by numbers. He or she seeks to pour into a few life-long disciples rather than many partial converts. Disciples become disciple-makers. Converts become consumers. A lifestyle missionary walks with tenacity not apathy in his or her long-term commitment to discipleship.

I've learned enough about myself to know that my struggle with "self-worth" plays out in my being competitive in ministry. Just being honest.Here is what I've been maturing in. Christmas, the birth of Christ, is God's statement to me of my worth. Why? Because I was so valuable to God, He sent His son to show me that I was, "Worth It All".Christmas says, "We are WORTH IT ALL"!When I set my mind on this truth my struggle with self-worth fades and I am able to walk into this holiday season full of joy, confidence and generosity. Why? Because words said about me by others, my social status or career accomplishments do not determine my true worth. The incarnation of the eternal God has determined my self-worth and it is there I find my significance!I pray the same for all of you. You are Worth It All!

I've learned enough about myself to know that my struggle with "self-worth" plays out in my being competitive in ministry. Just being honest.Here is what I've been maturing in. Christmas, the birth of Christ, is God's statement to me of my worth. Why? Because I was so valuable to God, He sent His son to show me that I was, "Worth It All".Christmas says, "We are WORTH IT ALL"!When I set my mind on this truth my struggle with self-worth fades and I am able to walk into this holiday season full of joy, confidence and generosity. Why? Because words said about me by others, my social status or career accomplishments do not determine my true worth. The incarnation of the eternal God has determined my self-worth and it is there I find my significance!I pray the same for all of you. You are Worth It All!

I've learned enough about myself to know that my struggle with "self-worth" plays out in my being competitive in ministry. Just being honest.Here is what I've been maturing in. Christmas, the birth of Christ, is God's statement to me of my worth. Why? Because I was so valuable to God, He sent His son to show me that I was, "Worth It All".Christmas says, "We are WORTH IT ALL"!When I set my mind on this truth my struggle with self-worth fades and I am able to walk into this holiday season full of joy, confidence and generosity. Why? Because words said about me by others, my social status or career accomplishments do not determine my true worth. The incarnation of the eternal God has determined my self-worth and it is there I find my significance!I pray the same for all of you. You are Worth It All!

I've learned enough about myself to know that my struggle with "self-worth" plays out in my being competitive in ministry. Just being honest.Here is what I've been maturing in. Christmas, the birth of Christ, is God's statement to me of my worth. Why? Because I was so valuable to God, He sent His son to show me that I was, "Worth It All".Christmas says, "We are WORTH IT ALL"!When I set my mind on this truth my struggle with self-worth fades and I am able to walk into this holiday season full of joy, confidence and generosity. Why? Because words said about me by others, my social status or career accomplishments do not determine my true worth. The incarnation of the eternal God has determined my self-worth and it is there I find my significance!I pray the same for all of you. You are Worth It All!

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. Jesus didn’t come to make poor people rich. Jesus didn’t come to make weak people strong. Jesus came not to be an addition to ones life but a revolution. Jesus came so that we would be resurrected in Him. That we would have a new power to be restored. Not in our strength but in His. Not in our deeds but in His. Not in our wealth but in His.Jesus came so that we could be Made New.

Jesus didn’t come to make bad people good. Jesus didn’t come to make poor people rich. Jesus didn’t come to make weak people strong. Jesus came not to be an addition to ones life but a revolution. Jesus came so that we would be resurrected in Him. That we would have a new power to be restored. Not in our strength but in His. Not in our deeds but in His. Not in our wealth but in His.Jesus came so that we could be Made New.

With 6+ million tagged posts on Instagram alone,#liveyoubestlife or #livingmybestlife has become and anthem in our current cultural moment. Yet few consider that almost 2000 years before Instagram, Jesus had a lot to say about this very hashtag. While many think the beatitudes are a manifesto that flips the world upside down, Jesus was actually flipping the world right side up!Join us as we start a journey with our hearts to discover happiness in many of the things the world says to avoid. Let us #liveourbestlife according to the beatitudes of Jesus.

With 6+ million tagged posts on Instagram alone,#liveyoubestlife or #livingmybestlife has become and anthem in our current cultural moment. Yet few consider that almost 2000 years before Instagram, Jesus had a lot to say about this very hashtag. While many think the beatitudes are a manifesto that flips the world upside down, Jesus was actually flipping the world right side up!Join us as we start a journey with our hearts to discover happiness in many of the things the world says to avoid. Let us #liveourbestlife according to the beatitudes of Jesus.

With 6+ million tagged posts on Instagram alone,#liveyoubestlife or #livingmybestlife has become and anthem in our current cultural moment. Yet few consider that almost 2000 years before Instagram, Jesus had a lot to say about this very hashtag. While many think the beatitudes are a manifesto that flips the world upside down, Jesus was actually flipping the world right side up!Join us as we start a journey with our hearts to discover happiness in many of the things the world says to avoid. Let us #liveourbestlife according to the beatitudes of Jesus.