Al Gordon, Pastor at Saint Church in London, dives deep into the themes of Space and Risk in the context of Missional Formation. He emphasizes the necessity for followers of Jesus to embrace the Holy Spirit's leading, advocating for a willingness to take risks in our spiritual journeys. Gordon also reflects on the revitalization of faith in secular landscapes, sharing inspiring stories of spiritual awakenings and highlighting the importance of engaging with God's grace to foster transformation. His insights are both challenging and uplifting for believers.
Emphasizing the significance of community, the podcast illustrates how mentorship and shared moments foster spiritual growth among believers.
The speaker encourages believers to embrace risk and waiting on God, highlighting how these practices lead to transformative encounters with the divine.
Deep dives
The Importance of Community and Encouragement
A profound sense of community can significantly bolster faith among congregants. The speaker illustrates this by sharing their admiration for a mentor who has played a pivotal role in their spiritual journey, emphasizing how mentorship and encouragement help individuals grow within their faith. The act of celebrating families during special occasions, such as child dedications, serves to inspire and strengthen the community bond. Such moments foster a sense of belonging, and when shared with others who share similar beliefs, they can lead to transformative experiences and spiritual growth.
Recognizing Signs of Spiritual Renewal
Observations of spiritual hunger and awakening within communities signal a broader trend of renewal. The speaker notes that despite living in one of the world's most secular cities, there have been remarkable changes, with an increasing number of individuals expressing a desire to know God. Anecdotes of spontaneous awakenings and miraculous transformations demonstrate that people are experiencing the presence of God in their lives in unexpected ways. This growing interest and turning towards faith hint at a larger cultural shift and reinforce the idea that God is actively working in contemporary society.
The Call to Wait and Watch
Waiting on God is framed as a crucial practice for believers, emphasizing its importance in experiencing spiritual breakthroughs. The analogy of waiting serves as a way to prepare one's heart to receive the guidance and presence of God, akin to a water container that holds precious water rather than letting it seep away. The practice of waiting should not be seen as passive; instead, it should encourage believers to actively look for what God is doing around them. Through this waiting, believers can recognize opportunities for engagement and be ready to act when God reveals himself in their lives.
Embracing Risk and Expectation
An encouragement to embrace risk is presented as integral to deepening one's faith journey. The speaker highlights that engaging with God's presence may require stepping out of comfort zones and taking chances, making a plea for believers to stretch their faith during this critical time. Biblical examples are used to illustrate that believers must be open to miraculous outcomes, emphasizing that God often works outside conventional boundaries when individuals take risks for Him. Ultimately, this call to stretch and expect is aimed at preparing believers for genuine spiritual encounters and transformations that can ripple throughout their communities.
This week, Pastor Al Gordon from Saint Church in London continued our Missional Formation series with a word on Space and Risk. As followers of Jesus, it is mission critical for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As God’s work continues to accelerate on the earth, we must be a people who are willing to not only make space for the Holy Spirit’s leading, but take hold of every risk He puts in front of us both as individuals and as a body of believers.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode