What’s the difference between true revival and revivalism, and how should Christians respond when God seems to be stirring something fresh? Mark reflects on the Salt Company Conference and the broader signs of spiritual hunger he’s seeing among Gen Z. He explains why this moment is deeply encouraging, while also offering a needed distinction between revival and revivalism.
Mark draws from Iain Murray’s Revival and Revivalism and echoes a helpful framework often attributed to Tim Keller: in true revival, dead Christians come alive, sleepy Christians wake up, and non-Christians are converted. As he looks ahead, Mark shares both a fear and a hope: that momentum could drift toward big event “mountaintop moments,” or instead fuel a lasting renewal centered on the local church, discipleship, and church planting.
Episode Highlights
00:04 — What does it look like to be deeply rooted in Christ in a world of cultural chaos?
00:32 — Reflecting on Salt Company Conference and what God is doing through it
02:29 — Introducing the key question: revival vs. revivalism
05:03 — Defining revival: God’s Spirit igniting ordinary means of grace
06:06 — Defining revivalism: using human methods to produce extraordinary results
06:57 — Mark’s fear: momentum gets centered on big events and emotional moments
07:29 — Mark’s hope: a renewal movement that strengthens the local church
10:13 — The main point: God’s plan is the local church (not revival events)
15:43 — Luke 10:2: pray for laborers and for lasting fruit through church planting
Resources
- Cornerstone Church Sermons: Listen online
- Salt Company Conference: Listen to Sessions & Breakouts
- Revival and Revivalism — Iain Murray
- The Gospel Coalition — "It's Here: Gen-Z Revival Hits Campuses This Fall"