Visionlife365

Revival is an often misunderstood word in evangelical circles. Recently we invited a special speaker to come to the Dominican Republic and encourage our hearts to return to the deeply committed living. Listen as Gary and Jason talk about the various aspects of revival. One of the most important aspects of revival is seeing our own personal need for a renewed daily walk. We hope this episode will be a practical encouragement.

It's incredible how small incremental changes can affect an outcome. Gary and Jason talk about a recent sermon that Gary preached regarding small changes that yield significant results in this episode. As believers, we often go to such extremes of change that we cannot maintain our set trajectory because it is beyond our ability to attain. An applicable analogy of this would be in the area of exercise. Rather than consistently deciding to do ten situps a day, we start with 100 the first day and never remain consistent because the outcome is not practical or attainable. Apply Gary's practical spiritual advice and begin to up your intimacy with God with small changes that yield significant results. You will enjoy this episode!

COVID restrictions have really affected ministry in the Dominican Republic. One of the ministry areas that has been hit hard by the pandemic is the seminary. Thankfully, restrictions are reducing and we have been able to return to a consistent teaching schedule. In this episode, Gary and Jason talk about the new Romans class and how things are moving along in the seminary.  The seminary is a tremendous opportunity to combine academic excellence with practical daily living. God is doing some really awesome things here in the Dominican Republic, especially in our seminary!

The Bible is the best source of practical daily living advice. Our life is about one thing...God. Walk with Gary and Jason as they walk through James chapter 5 and apply it to practical Christian living!

James is such a practical yet convicting book. Today Gary and Jason dive into chapter 4 which deals with the real source of wars and fighting. This powerful yet convicting chapter quickly helps us understand that it is our own sin that is the cause of wars and arguing. Dissension and arguments divide families and churches and ultimately do harm to the gospel. Listen in on this very important conversation about the necessity of an intimate walk with God which ultimately translates into subduing our sinfulness and divisiveness.

As we continue to walk through the book of James, Gary and Jason talk about the power of the tongue as laid out in chapter 3. The tongue is an influential body member and can do tremendous damage. What does the book of James say about the tongue? How can we tame our tongues? Join in on this powerful yet practical conversation about the power of the tongue and ultimately how to bring it under subjection!

Gary and Jason venture into the second of their series on the book of James. James chapter 2 gives some applicable advice in not being partial towards people in the church and the equal importance of faith and works. It is often easy to treat people within the church with partiality without trying. Sometimes we do it without thinking. Equally convicting within chapter 2 is the correlation between faith and works. If your faith is genuine, it will produce works! Jump into this practical discussion with Gary and Jason, applying scripture practically to everyday life. 

Gary and Jason venture into a new direction by taking a walk through the book of James. They take a practical approach to the book and apply it to everyday life. This series will be an encouragement to ministry individuals and the layperson.  What are the purposes of trials, and how can we benefit spiritually from them!

An undeniable part of ministering to others is that you will be the recipient of an attack at one time or another. As we all journey through the process of sanctification, often the Holy Spirit reveals some areas of our character that are tender spots. This is true as we engage in the discipleship process of others. Even when we are most well-intentioned, our help will not be received as help at all. Our help will provoke a sharp emotional response from those to whom we are ministering.  This is why it is essential that our focus and strength come from the Lord and not man. It is easy to get discouraged when you intend to help someone, and their reaction is to attack. The opposite side to this scenario can be equally dark as believers can elevate ministers to a "deity" status, which can be harmful to anyone who does not have strong accountability in their life. We have all seen the unfortunate demise of many in ministry because they grew in popularity, and the messenger became more important than the message. Ultimately they were vulnerable and succumbed to temptation.Listen in as Gary and Jason talk about their ministry journey. They both open their hearts and talk about different situations where they were intentionally investing in others. The unfortunate outcome was an attack from those to whom they were ministering. We must never forget that God is watching. God knows our motives and our shortcomings. Part of the price we will pay for investing in the lives of others is occasional attacks because we have dealt with a sensitive spiritual area in their life. To be clear, this does not always mean confrontation is present; at times, it can simply be our presence that frustrates someone because deep in their heart, they know they are doing wrong.This episode is a definite tool aimed at helping those who are investing in others not be discouraged and maintain a solid Biblical valuation of themselves!  

This episode is a unique exchange between Gary and Jason as they explore the two extremes of the pendulum of Christian celebrity culture. Many times as believers we are quick to idolize someone for their faith especially when they are a famous personality. We must be very careful that we don't get lost in idolizing someone just because they are famous. The other side of the pendulum was brought about by Jason as he responds to a social media post that was very condescending regarding a famous person so supposedly professed Christ, but there were glaring inconsistencies in their post-conversion testimony. We must remember that as believers our job is to be faithful to the message of the gospel. We cannot force change on anyone. If there is going to be a genuine change in someone's life it must be through their surrender to the Spirit. Being critical or condescending does nothing to help anyone grow.  We must sow the seed and allow God to bring the increase. 

This is part 2 of "When American Patriotism And The Gospel Collide". Patriotism is ingrained in our American culture, but when you step outside the borders of the United States you find that not everyone shares the same view of our country that we do. In this episode and the next Gary and Jason talk about their experiences on the field have helped them navigate these difficult waters. Both Jason and Gary are proud to be Americans, but their first and foremost focus is the gospel. These two episodes are guaranteed to make you think!

Warning: There is an abrupt ending to this episode due to a power outage.Patriotism is ingrained in our American culture, but when you step outside the borders of the United States you find that not everyone shares the same view of our country that we do. In this episode and the next Gary and Jason talk about their experiences on the field have helped them navigate these difficult waters. Both Jason and Gary are proud to be Americans, but their first and foremost focus is the gospel. These two episodes are guaranteed to make you think!

We need help! God has been growing the ministry here in the Dominican Republic for nearly two decades. There are many ministry opportunities here if you feel God leading you towards full-time or even part-time mission work. Gary and Jason pull out the stops and talk about the different places in our DR Vision team that are in need of missionaries right now! Would you listen and prayerfully consider serving as a missionary in the DR?   

Expat life shapes how you think. Listen as Gary and Jason talk about how living overseas as missionaries have changed the way that they think both spiritually and practically!

Life on the mission field can present some situations that are not contained in any college or seminary textbooks. When you mix in some cultural anomalies, your job becomes very interesting. In every culture and situation, the most important thing is to always base what we believe and what we do on the scriptures. The Bible must be the final authority. Listen in as Gary and Jason talk through a situation presented to them as they weigh in on how they would Biblically handle the situation. Coming to a correct conclusion means having a solid hermeneutic and relying on the Holy Spirit to guide us each and every step of the way! You will definitely enjoy this episode!

This episode touches on the topic of spiritual abuse. As ministers of the gospel, we are tasked with making disciples and then teaching disciples to make more disciples. Unfortunately, there are missionaries and pastors who sometimes abuse their position of leadership and stewardship as platforms to build their own egos and kingdoms. We must be reminded that our job as ministers is to constantly point others to Jesus and teach them to learn to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit in their life. Training disciples is accomplished through life-on-life discipleship. There is a danger in making those to whom we are ministering co-dependent upon us where they look to us for their spiritual answers instead of going to the Word and discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit. Listen as Gary and Jason tackle this delicate subject and give practical advice on forming a solid Biblical philosophy of ministry!     

This episode will challenge you to expand your horizons. It is very easy to fall into traditional ruts! As Americans we often don't realize how much we do is based on our American culture and traditions. It is so important to constantly evaluate and challenge ourselves so that we are the most effective we can be in ministry. Listen as Gary and Jason talk about how reading has challenged, encouraged, and even changed them. When you are done with the episode, go grab yourself a book and begin to     

Do you have someone who is pouring into your life? Do you have a person who has walked the path that you are walking that is helping you navigate the journey that they have already made? Listen as Gary and Jason talk about spiritual mentorship. Spiritual mentorship is more than just discipleship, it is placing yourself under the tutelage of someone who has experience and expertise in the particular field where you are working. Many fortune 500 companies find mentorship vital. What about believers? If the secular world finds mentorship so important, it is worth consideration on the sacred level as well!  Who are you pouring into, and who is pouring into you? 

Cue up the action music when you listen to this podcast! Paul and Trey from Harvest Baptist in Blue Springs, MO talk about their literal last-minute passport experience. Once you listen to this podcast you will most certainly conclude that it was God's will for Paul and Trey to go to the Dominican Republic. They received their passports within hours of leaving. This episode will keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat the whole time as they share from their perspective how God opened some pretty incredible doors and did some very miraculous things for them to be able to take their short-term mission trip!

Join as Gary and Jason talk with Tyler King, who came in for a short visit to the Dominican Republic with a group from Harvest Baptist in Blue Spring, MO. One of the main topics of the conversation with Tyler highlights his experience with discipleship and being discipled. This episode will both challenge and encourage you towards making disciples. You will definitely enjoy this episode (there might even be a little humor involved!)