127. Reflections with Steve Addison

In this episode we hear from movement practitioner Steve Addison who has just returned from traveling overseas which included a book tour of his latest book, ‘Acts and the Movement of God’.  Emptying the tool bag Steve bravely shares with us how God wanted him to recently completely empty his ministry ‘tool bag’ and then wait on God’s lead to know what to put back in. Steve’s podcast, turning his previous books into audiobooks and writing another book (filled with movement case studies) is what Steve is looking forward to running with as he moves forward.  God shapes us through trials  Steve reflects on his recent trips by highlighting the importance of disciple makers he met not only living out essential movement practices but allowing God to shape them internally.  “When you hit hard times, don’t see it as a distraction. Lean into them. God uses these trials to shape us and position us where he wants us. Just like the Apostle Paul.” Going near and far Whilst observing movements in India recently, Steve kept hearing the same story time and time again of new disciples… Being intentionally engagement in prayer (accompanied by signs of wonders) Journeying through a slow discipleship process of going though the Scriptures (35 lessons from Creation to Christ).  Forming ekklesias or groups.  Multiplying the Gospel – going near and far Opportunity to give to the persecuted church in India  Dave encourages us to respond to an opportunity to give to the persecuted church in India via the Praxeis website. You can give by selecting ‘Persecuted Indian Church’ in the drop down options under ‘Support a Project’ here. Read the book of Acts! Steve urges us to go back and read the book of Acts again as disciple makers in the West. He challenges us to ground our practices in what Jesus himself did and what the apostles continued.  “Do it (disciple making practices) because it’s right, not because it works. Go near and go far. Discover Christ in the harvest because he is there. We can’t control and receptively of the western world, but we’re still called to go!” Final words of encouragement Speaking on our response to times of trial and testing, feeling like we have nothing left, Steve encourages us to keep pressing into God. The outcome of our ministries he says is only through knowing Christ in our weakness. ‘But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ (2 Corinthians 4:7) “As you engage in the harvest, take Jesus at his word and expect him to be with you. This is so that when the breakthroughs do come, your identify will no longer be dependant on your own ministry success.”