Missions

Episode 26- Why The Local Church Matters with Luke Tolbert

When you consider your responsibility as a Christian to engage the world around you with the gospel, you may think about apologetics training or mission conferences. But, Luke Tolbert argues that the church is the most important ingredient in training Christians to engage the world with the gospel. The church is God’s institution to carry the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission. Local churches are the proving ground for missionaries and the sending agencies that can best support international efforts.

We also discuss how a local church can minister to missionaries, cold beet soup, and SEC football (Luke is a Clemson fan, but he acknowledges the supremacy of the SEC). If you have ever questioned the importance of belonging to a local church, this podcast may help to answer some of your questions.


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Will You Go?

Several weeks ago we commissioned Luke and Patty Tolbert as missionaries to Latvia through the International Mission Board (See my post about them here). Here is the sermon from that Sunday.

There Will Be More Tears

“I don’t know.” That is the only answer I could muster, choking back tears, as I sat in the newly vacant office down the hall from mine. The Tolberts had just finished packing and organizing, Luke’s office was empty and he had turned in his keys (Luke Tolbert was our student and discipleship pastor for …

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The Patience of God

Patience is a virtue. But it is also a Fruit of the Spirit and it is an aspect of God’s nature. He is patient, but he is not patient without purpose. God is patient because he is a God of redemption. God is patient precisely because he longs to save sinners and restore them to …

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Don’t Be A Mission Trip Hero

As a pastor, I love it when people “get it.” When the gospel finally clicks and people get saved, when parents figure out their responsibility to spiritually shepherd their children, when men begin to share the gospel regularly, all of these are examples of people “getting it” that thrill my soul. Recently a young woman in …

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The Pride of Humility

I once read that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking about yourself less. I find that the times in my life when I struggle most with pride are not the times when I’m confident and satisfied in my accomplishments (thinking of myself) but rather when I’m focused on me, on what I …

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reFocus on The Gospel and The Great Commission

I’m excited to be a part of reFocus next Tuesday morning at the SC Upstate Evangelism Conference. reFocus emerged from some conversations and visioning between me and Jay Hardwick, and what we believe to be the passion of many other young pastors in our state. In light of the work of the GCR Task Force …

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