I would increasingly become curious about what God was doing and who we were like-minded with in Saint Louis, our Samaria. Surely, of all our churches in Kansas City, we are connected with someone in Saint Louis, right? The silence was always louder than I expected. So, I simply began to pray about the city and the many souls that dwell there; I had no interest in being sent.

First, do we have a plan? Second, and just as important, is our plan flexible enough to allow God to participate and make changes as he sees fit? Finally, when he speaks, how long do we wait before responding in obedience?

As a newbie to Mission Focus, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The reality is that it was exactly what I needed as a pastor to bring the totality of the Mission into clear Focus. I was able to witness firsthand the culmination of evangelism, discipleship, ministry training, and church planting. I heard personal testimonies of people who were won to Christ through evangelistic Bible studies. People were open and excited about being involved in discipleship. We celebrated those graduating from LFBI. Andew Ong was ordained into the pastoral ministry. Missionaries from all over the world were prayed over and supported. And many surrendered their lives completely to the Mission. 

In a word, it is the work of local churches to reproduce local churches all over the world. Anything short of that is a compromise.

I believe Satan knows that if our leadership will not stand united, then we will never accomplish the Great Commission. And so because of that, I would rather choose to be defrauded; I would rather choose to take the wrong with my brother or sister if it means God’s kingdom is expanded by one soul.