Great News!, Part 2

CHIP: I think I was doing a pastor’s conference in Dallas and I taught on something, think it was at a Bent Tree if I remember right, and…

AARON: It was Good to Great… Good to Great in God’s Eyes.

CHIP: Yeah you know, one of my most favorite. People who become more and more like Jesus, they think great thoughts and they pray great prayers and they take great risks and all those things that were near and dear to me. And you came up afterwards and we talked a little bit and then, I forget, shortly after I found myself on a podcast with you and your brother and we’re just talking about things and I just remember thinking, you know, because I saw your dad on one of those and he’s got these dreadlocks, you know, down to the middle of his back.

For those of you that can’t picture in your mind what I’m picturing in my mind, Aaron’s dad is, in the most sanctified way I can say it, he is crazy. But I mean, he’s like crazy for God. He is radical. If you met him, you would look at him and go, Whoa, where’s this guy coming from?” And, well, I’ll tell you what, he’s coming from Jesus’ heart.

And all of a sudden I’m listening like these guys are in the thick of it in places that no one else goes, and they’re theologically sound. And uh as a result of that, I went to Germany and you, you know, that’s really your center, your headquarters, and there’s a training center there, and so all your staff came in from all around the world for about a week. And, you know, of course I taught through Romans 12, you know, because that’s the only chapter I really know. But I taught: this is what a disciple looks like. And, you know, as all these young people are coming to Christ, they need the profile of a disciple and learn to grow. And I got to see you all pray in ways that just humbled me and worship with such reckless abandon and just meet people from all around the world that have come to Christ through your ministry and are now leading it.

And I realized, Aaron, God’s shown you guys some truth that needs to really get codified and put in a way that we can get that to everyone. And that’s how we launched the book, Not Beyond Reach. But that then led to sort of phase two where you guys had a vision because you’re working in churches all across America too. But hey, why don’t we turn this into a small group video where we can train churches and pastors how to reach their own kids and the young people in their cities. And so that’s the story.

AARON: So good, Chip. I guess the only thing I would add is, in my early days of ministry I really felt like you were someone that was discipling me through the teaching and the broadcast. And that played a big role in the foundation that I now stand on. And so, I’m very grateful for that. And I know there are many other people that are, you know, that you’ll never hear those stories, but that also were impacted by your teaching. So I just want you to be encouraged. And sometimes the fruit of what God calls us to do, we don’t get to see it and hear it, and it’s always encouraging to know that God is using the things that we do so much beyond what we could ever take credit for. But you’ve been a huge encouragement in my life and God has used what you have implanted in my heart to have a big impact. A lot of what I’ve taught and how I understand the Word of God has come from things that I’ve learned from you.

So yeah, it’s encouraging and God is doing something really powerful. I have encountered so many pastors, so many parents and grandparents, so many young adults who are followers of Jesus that really desire to see their friends reached. And this resource that we’ve been able to produce together has been such an encouragement and such a tool of hope for people. I think more than anything, I think one of the things that the enemy wants to say to us, especially the older generation, is, you know, “This generation is beyond reach. You might as well just give up. Might as well just go to Florida, relax, enjoy yourself, and not engage this next generation.” And it’s a lie, because this generation is actually quite hungry and open, and we need everyone in the game. And so, I’ve heard so many stories of transformation.

I had a couple who are friends of mine, older couple that have young adult children and their son, their oldest son had walked away from the Lord, deconstructed, gotten very entangled in political things and was very hostile to the Church and it had really broken down their relationship with their son. And of course, when I would talk to them, they were filled with just a sense of regret of like, “Did we do things wrong? What could we have done different?” And my heart just broke for them. And so then when this book came out, my friend got it and read it and consumed it and he was like, “Man, that was so good.” And then he and his wife, the thing that they really were drawn to is to seek God, to pray with a new level of intensity.

CHIP: Yeah.

AARON: And so they just committed, he and his wife, they were like, “We’re going to do this.” And so, they sought the Lord, kind of that widow and the judge approach, just sought the Lord, “We need a breakthrough in our son’s life.” And they were praying for several weeks and months for their son. And then one day their son called and said, “Hey, have you guys been praying for me?

And then he began to share some personal things that he was wrestling with and the spiritual kind of bigger questions of life that that provoked and it changed their relationship, and in a sense restored it and opened their son up to the Gospel and they’ve been walking with him. And it was really the product of committing themselves to seek God desperately and then approaching their son in a different way.

CHIP: Yes.

AARON: The political thing was always this barrier and they were able to get around that and open, restore the relationship and have those spiritual conversations. And so, that was just one, in that case, it was like someone really close to me that saw a personal breakthrough. So there’s just countless stories like that.

CHIP: Well, I have many similar ones and you really identified coming to God with a sense of real desperation. “I can’t do this. I can’t figure it out. I can’t break through. Yes, my heart is broken. My grandson, my nephew, my niece, my daughter, you know, they grew up in a Christian home, they’ve rejected Christ. They don’t go to church anymore. We’re on the opposite sides of all the things in terms of values, politics, all of it. And I don’t know what to do.” And that first stage of seeking God, it’s the version of going into the forest like your dad did and saying, “I’m broken.” And God is near to the brokenhearted and He saves those that are crushed in spirit.

And what that book did was gave people a clear pathway of how us ordinary, regular people, possibly with no gift whatsoever in evangelism, but a heart for people could actually open the door, build relationships, care about them, find some common ground. And then as the spiritual conversations lead to Gospel conversations, “This is who Jesus is.” And I love what you guys do. You have a have a Bible study for non-Christians. And it’s just been so exciting to see how God has used the book. But now we want it to go to the next level because as you go across America or across churches around the world, it’s a lot of gray hair.

AARON: Yeah

CHIP: And there’s almost no young people. And pastors who care, “What do we do?” And God put on your heart: why don’t we take the content of this book and why don’t we get it in a small group video format that churches could use here and all around the world?

AARON: The whole idea is: how do we make this accessible? And also, I love the small group concept because I don’t believe we’re called to do life alone, and I don’t think we’re called to do evangelism alone. We have this kind of Lone Ranger mindset when it comes to evangelism. And for a lot of us, that’s intimidating and we don’t resonate with that. And we’re like, “That’s for those weird extroverted people. That’s not me.” But when you do it together, when you live on mission together, it’s powerful, (CHIP: Amen) right? ‘cause you’ve got a sense of accountability, you’ve got a sense of shared and complimentary gifts coming together. It’s this sense of when I’m strong and you’re weak, I can lift up your arms, And so the idea of doing it in a small group context, I think is probably the most profound way to do it.

And so doing this ten-week video series where you really wrestle through the concepts, but also we give you practical steps of engaging. One of the things we offer early on that I really encourage people to do is to go and do a prayer walk in their city. And as a small group, it’s kind of this prayer and observation. And doing that together as a small group is a powerful thing. So the small group is designed not only to be watching a video and discussing it in the comfort of your living room, but actually to go and take steps. And as you take those steps, God begins to do things, you see His power. So that’s the whole idea behind this. It really gets practical in its application.

CHIP: Well, it’s all digital. You can literally download it and then there’s the participants guide that is really, really well done, by the way, but also a leader’s guide because whether we like it or not, the small groups kind of rise and fall with the level of the leadership. I don’t mean you’ve got to be a great leader. You just need to know how to facilitate a group. Great small group leaders aren’t people that give all the answers, control the group. They’re people that understand: this is what God wants to do in this group. How do I create a safe area? How do I ask the right questions? How do I help those people that want to talk all the time to share, but not too much? How do I draw out those two people that haven’t said anything in the first half hour? And then how do I orchestrate this in such a way, cooperating with the Holy Spirit, that what we ask is not, “What are we going to eat afterwards, or what teams are playing?” Because that happens in lot of small groups. But what they really lead us to is, “So what are we going to do in obedience to where God has spoken to us?” And then helps them take baby steps to do that. And when that happens, small groups, I mean amazing things start happening.

AARON: Amen. We want to see lost young people come to know Jesus. We want this culture reached with the Gospel. So this isn’t a product. This is a resource for you to go and utilize it. And that’s the heart’s desire behind all of this. That’s why we’re partnering with Living on the Edge and it’s available for free for your small group right now. And I would also encourage pastors, go through this with your staff.

CHIP: Yes.

AARON: We’ve had a lot of pastors and church staff go through it together. It’s like you said, it’s about leadership and you can’t lead your people to do something that you yourself are not doing. So start with your staff and take it seriously. I’ve had, so many pastors that have been encouraged by this because sometimes when you’re a pastor, there’s so much work to be done in running the machine (CHIP: Yes.) and caring for all the people. And then to get back to that frontline work of reaching those that are far from God, man, it’s invigorating your faith. It’s gonna bring all sorts of new illustrations to your sermons. And so, I really encourage you as pastors, start with yourselves and then bring it to your whole church.

CHIP: Well, I couldn’t affirm that more. I have a heart for pastors. Being one, and I just know it’s a really, really tough job. And one of the things I say to them is, you just have to get out from behind the screen.” Pastors are to shepherd. And candidly, life ends up being meetings and in front of a screen doing all kinds of things. And you’ve got to be with people.

And I would just say to every pastor, every church leader, “You care about young people, you care about the next generation, I mean, you see what’s happening in the culture, in the world, just say to a handful of people, would you be willing once a week to get with me and spend an hour or ninety minutes and go through a study? And let’s just let God speak to us.’” And when He puts on our heart what’s on His heart, amazing things happen.

Tell me some stories about how the small group is going and maybe some pastors or churches that are experiencing God working as a result of it.

AARON: What I think is encouraging to me is that it’s gone in every kind of church context that you can imagine. Big church, small church, Sunday school classes. Christian education networks where teachers are using it and then integrating that with their work. We’ve seen it as part of, like, Christian crisis pregnancy centers where they’re integrating it because they have the opportunity to share the Gospel with these young girls that are coming with these pregnancies. We’ve seen it in Christian colleges, Christian business professional networks, all sorts of contexts. And I think that’s the beauty of this is that it allows anyone to be a missionary in their sphere of influence.

I mean, for me, what I love about it is like the crisis pregnancy center, that is something that’s very dear to my heart, but that’s not what God has called me to be actively, you know, leading in terms of ministry. But the fact that now I know that there are staff at these crisis pregnancy centers that are learning how to more relevantly share the Gospel with these young girls who are in the state of crisis and show them the hope of Jesus, man, it’s so encouraging.

So there’s been just all the different expressions of how it’s utilized, I think that’s been one of the most encouraging things for me.

CHIP: I know one of your values is let’s not reinvent the wheel. I’ve been in ministry for now forty years. And I go to some place and there’s this group doing something and another group doing the same thing and another group comes into that country and they’re doing the same thing. And they don’t help each other; they don’t know each other.

And so, when we partner, you are doing things that we’ll never be able to do at Living on the Edge the way that you do them. The average Living on the Edge listener, is probably not going to be at the next Gay Pride parade handing out water and building relationships. They probably not going to do a Bible study with people far from God to explore who Jesus is. But because of our partnership with you, we feel like we get to be a part of that. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Now, we want to learn from you because what you’re doing isn’t like, ‘Oh, only Steiger can do this.’

AARON: No, absolutely not.

CHIP: It’s what Jesus did.

AARON: Exactly.

CHIP: And what I saw when I was in Germany was actually very convicting. I mean, people were face down as we prayed, crying out to God for those that didn’t know Jesus. When I was there and, you got your different regents from around the world and you said, “We’re going to spend some time praying.” Oh, okay. Maybe ten, fifteen minutes, whatever. I mean, thirty-five, forty-five minutes, an hour later and people, “Oh, God! Oh, God!” And people were praying with such passion and intensity. And some of them had only been Christians three or four years. I went away going, God, would You give me more of their heart?

AARON: Amen. And if I could just say one more, word of encouragement is raising up a new generation of young missional leaders and we’re seeing that take shape around the world, but we’re seeing it take shape here in the U.S. And so I want you to be encouraged that as we’re resourcing you with these tools to reach your sons and daughters and those around you, God is also raising up a generation to go after your kids.

CHIP: Yes.

AARON: We’re seeing that happen. And the vision that we believe God’s put on our heart is a thousand burning arrows, young mission leaders that are gonna be sent to fuel these missions, movements in cities around the world, and the U.S. is part of that.

Just a month and a half ago, we had a hundred young adults from all over the country come to Austin, Texas to participate in basically this intensive training bootcamp that was ten days long and took place during South by Southwest. And it was this intense time of seeking God, prayer, teaching, and action and learning how to share the Gospel. And it was life transformative. And just from that, there’s already six new movements in cities around the countries led by these young leaders (CHIP: Wow.) that are grassroots evangelism movements that are going after our sons and daughters, we’re hearing stories of parents praying over their kids, and then people on our team reaching those kids and seeing that prayer answered in that way.

And so, I just believe this is a, this mission is a shared mission, and we’re all playing our part, and God is raising up a generation of Jesus followers that are going after their peers, their friends, and I just see something starting and birthing and I’m just praying that God would continue to move and He would use us in any way He wants and He would use all of us collectively in any way He wants. But I just want to encourage our listeners that God is moving in this country. We’re seeing something fresh taking shape.

CHIP: Well, Aaron, the research actually supports what you’re saying. I read an article just recently where Bible sales are skyrocketing and the people that are buying them are Gen Z. And can I say something just off the cuff here? Stop watching so much of the news, okay?

AARON: Amen, amen.

CHIP: And I don’t care whether it’s MSNBC or FOX or ABC or NBC, stop watching so much of the news. You will have a worldview of doom and gloom. We’ve got research of the joy factor, the happiness factor, and the emotions of people who watch the news or even hear a newscast for five to ten minutes, and it’s unbelievable the negative impact. Get in your Bible and read that.

AARON: Preach.

CHIP: So that was all unplanned, but that was for free. And I went off on a rant. But partnering with you has made a huge difference in our commitment to reach the next generation, and especially young adults, I think that’s the real key. From those late teens into the early twenties, that zone is where people were making up their mind.

AARON: Yep.

CHIP: And so, in the fall, we are launching a whole new strategy about reaching directly the next generation. You guys go where they are physically, we’re going to go where they are digitally. We have to get God’s Word to them where they get their information. It’s Instagram, TikTok. And it’s not in forty-minute messages. It’s in a three-minute here and a five-minute there. God has brought an incredible new director of marketing that’s young and has a Bible background and um, you know, in the fall we’re going to be launching a tremendous outreach to the next generation. And, by the way, I really want them to hear from younger communicators like yourself. Who have an understanding and a niche and a way to reach and communicate to young adults in a way that I can’t. And so, we’re really excited about that birthing in the fall. Any suggestions you would give to those listening today who are thinking, Hey, this is hopeful, I’m encouraged, I think God’s at work.

AARON: Yeah, I think it’s get in the game. God is moving and He uses all of us. And He’s not looking for super talented, highly charismatic people. He’s looking for those fully surrendered, offering all that they have, the five loaves and two fish, and saying, Lord, it’s not enough, but I give you all I got. And so that’s my encouragement. Get in the game. Don’t listen to the lies that God can’t use you. He can and He will. And it starts with that desperate prayer and broken heart, but yeah, get in the game.

CHIP: And I want to say a word as we close to maybe those that are midlife and especially those a little beyond midlife. I remember sitting with your dad, it was an outdoor courtyard in Germany there is as much fire in your dad’s heart and your mom’s heart today. I mean it was like there’s times when you get talking to him he gets not just emotional, he gets very declarative and it was like, “Chip, this is what we’ve got to do!” And, how old is he by the way?

AARON: 72.

CHIP: 72. I knew he was in his 70s. And I just, I thought we don’t have to lose our passion. And I want to say to those in your 60s and those in your 70s and beyond, I met a man who reminded me that it’s not how old you are, it’s how you think and where’s your heart and your passion?

AARON: Amen.

CHIP: And you tell your dad, by God’s grace, I want to be more and more like him and I want to care about lost people the way he does, and I want to be bold and declare because the power is in the message, not the messenger.

AARON: Amen.

CHIP: Lord, we thank You for this time. God, You so care as Your eyes go to and fro throughout the whole Earth and You see young people that are hurting and lost and they’ve been taught so many things. They’ve been so indoctrinated, but none of that changes their loneliness or their hurt or their confusion.

Almighty, ever-living God, we ask You, will You please empower us and every single person listening to our voices right now to be broken for those that are lost? Would You grant us the grace not to judge and criticize and, Lord, we don’t have to compromise the truth to feel the pain and the hurt behind some of those actions and some of those values.

And God, would You, by Your grace, give us Your love for everyone, but especially young people that don’t know You? Would You help us to build the kind of relationships that would open their heart so that You could speak to them about how precious they are to You and that Your Son, the Lord Jesus, died and paid for their sin and rose from the dead, and there is new life now and it can be forever and ever. That’s our prayer. We ask it boldly and confidently in Jesus’ name, amen.

AARON: Amen.