In this special extended episode of The Missions Podcast, Alex and ABWE president Paul Davis engage in a wide-ranging, deeply reflective conversation with Paul Washer of HeartCry Missionary Society. Washer recounts the founding and growth of HeartCry, emphasizing the importance of supporting both indigenous and cross-cultural missionaries. He stresses that indigenous missions must be grounded in strong local churches with biblical eldership and doctrinal integrity.

Paul Washer also tackles how local churches can develop missions strategies, emphasizing prayer, discernment, and doctrinal clarity over formulaic planning. Washer calls for renewed focus on developing biblically qualified leaders through discipleship and robust prayer life.

Key Topics

• Origins and philosophy of HeartCry Missionary Society
• The role of indigenous vs. cross-cultural missionaries
• Biblical qualifications of missionaries
• How churches can prayerfully discern mission priorities
• Practical discipleship for young men sensing a call to ministry
• The dangers of performance-driven or celebrity church culture

Download the show transcript

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Should Christians reject or embrace wealth and prosperity?

In this episode of The Missions Podcast, Scott talks with Josiah Stowe, co-founder of Dominion Wealth Strategists, on the often-overlooked yet vital subject of money and prosperity theology in the context of missions and ministry. Their conversation explores the tensions missionaries face regarding finances—especially retirement planning, family provision, and legacy—while challenging the assumption that piety must equate to poverty.

Josiah argues that wealth-building can and should align with biblical stewardship and that Christians are called to be faithful stewards who multiply their resources for God’s glory and the good of future generations. Their discussion critiques both the prosperity gospel and the poverty gospel, emphasizing a balanced, exegetically rooted theology of money. Finally, Josiah emphasizes the importance of legacy planning—wills, trusts, insurance, and investments—as essential tools for sustaining ministry impact across generations.

• Misconceptions about wealth in missions (piety vs. poverty)
• Biblical foundations for wealth building
• Distinction between biblical stewardship and prosperity gospel teachings
• The moral imperative for Christians to build and steward wealth wisely
• The need for long-term financial planning including retirement and legacy

With over 3 billion people in the world who have never heard of Jesus, the global need is tremendous for workers to go into the harvest fields (Matthew 9:37-38). Is God calling you to missions? We'd love to have a conversation with you on how you can use your gifts and talents to advance the Great Commission at home and abroad. Visit abwe.org/SendMe for more information and to take your next step in missions.

Show Transcript

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The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org.

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Has modern evangelicalism forgotten about key aspects of who God is?

In this episode of The Missions Podcast, Alex and Scott welcome Dr. Peter Sammons, Associate Director of Academic Development at Founders Seminary, to discuss the "forgotten attributes" of God—those less-discussed incommunicable aspects of God's nature. Sammons argues that modern Christians tend to focus on God's relational and communicable attributes (like love and kindness) because they are easier to grasp and more emotionally resonant. Sammons stresses that a proper understanding of God's essence and metaphysical attributes is crucial for true worship and doctrinal precision.

The discussion also explores why understanding God's immutable nature is essential, especially in missions. Many pagan and world religions depict gods as moody and human-like, but the Christian God stands apart as wholly other, unaffected by human emotion or manipulation. This, Sammons emphasizes, highlights the necessity of theological depth for missionaries. Without it, missionaries risk portraying God as just another tribal deity.

• Forgotten Attributes: Focus on God's immutability, impassibility, and aseity, which are often overshadowed by more "relatable" attributes.
• Essence of God: Importance of understanding God's essence versus merely his relational attributes.
• Modern Challenges: Cultural and intellectual laziness has led to theological illiteracy and avoidance of difficult doctrines.
• Missional Importance: Proper theological understanding is critical for distinguishing the Christian God from false deities in missions work.
• Training Solutions: Founders Seminary offers a Master of Arts in Cultural Apologetics and Missions to deepen theological literacy for missionaries, even remotely.

Do you love The Missions Podcast? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber!

Premium Subscribers get access to:

• Exclusive bonus content
• A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts
• Invite-only webinars
• A free gift!

Support The Missions Podcast and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionspodcast.com/premium

The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org.

Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodcast.com.