Steve Addison's Blog

Tony Lasavath talks about finishing well in SE Asia and returning to multiply disciples and churches in the United States.

Enrique Simonet - Flevit super illam (he wept over it) 1892

The tenth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches .

In 1979, when God handed Iran over to an Islamic revolution, there were about five hundred Muslim-background believers. A generation later, following widespread disillusionment with radical Islam, there are now over 1 million Muslim-background disciples of Jesus. What began as the Arab Spring became the Arab Winter as wars spread across the Middle East. Yet amid the turmoil, unprecedented movements of disciples and churches are multiplying across the Muslim world. I met some movement catalysts who were experiencing rapid growth in the Muslim world. When I asked them what they were learning, they told me they were learning to “move toward the chaos.” God is at work in the chaos of human history.

This pattern of God working through human turmoil is consistent with Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, the pages of the Bible reveal the one true God: Creator and Lord of history.1 God chose Israel to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6). He promised blessing for faithfulness to the covenant and judgment for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). Either way, Israel was to be a witness to the world. The way God dealt with Israel sheds light on how he deals with all nations. He determines their rise and fall according to his purposes (Exodus 9:16). Israel’s example and God’s response send a message to the nations that they, too, will be held accountable.

Judgment in history was never meant to be final, but the road back to a relationship with God. Although we cannot always discern his ways, God is constantly at work in the lives of nations and individuals, judging evil and promoting what is right.

Jesus warned Jerusalem that rejecting him would bring God’s judgment, culminating in the destruction of the Temple and the city. That judgment fell in AD 70 as a warning, intended not only for Israel, but for the whole world. Individuals and peoples are responsible to God for their response to Jesus and his messengers (Matthew 25:31–46).

Paul reminds us that God’s judgment is a present reality: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18). God’s judgments in this life anticipate and warn of the final judgment. He intervenes repeatedly throughout history. This redeeming judgment falls on nations and on individuals. For instance, after Herod Agrippa murdered James and persecuted Peter, an angel struck him down when he refused to rebuke the crowd for hailing him as a god (Acts 12:1–4, 22–23). Our faith must be defined by God’s sovereignty over nations and history. Given the scarcity of multiplying movements in the Western world, and knowing that he is Lord of the harvest, our response should take three forms. First, we continue to do what is right, following Jesus’ example in entering unreached fields, proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, forming healthy churches, and multiplying leaders. We follow his example. Second, we discern God’s present work and learn from those exceptions, such as what God is doing in Texas prisons or in Southern California. Third, through it all, we remember that God holds the nations in the palm of his hand. The same God who shook the Muslim world will shake the Western world. We need to be ready.

Read Acts 4:23–31.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about God’s sovereignty and movements?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

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The nineth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

Trading his work as a carpenter for the roads of Galilee, Jesus called his first disciples to leave their nets and follow him as he taught them how to fish for others. Together, they traveled light, supported by the hospitality of receptive people (Luke 10:5–7), the financial gifts of a group of wealthy women (Luke 8:3), and, at times, through miraculous provision (Luke 9:10–17).

When his disciples were sent out, Jesus told them to leave their wallets behind, trusting God to provide through the people who welcomed them and their message (Luke 10:1–11). Jesus did not leave detailed instructions for funding the movement. Instead, he set an example and gave his disciples his Word, the Holy Spirit, and the missionary task, promising that as they went to the ends of the earth, he would always be with them (Matthew 28:18–20).1

Paul didn’t want to be a burden on new disciples, so he worked with his hands to support himself and his coworkers (Acts 20:34). However, he accepted gifts from believers and established churches if the money came without strings attached (Philippians 4:10–20). There were times he was unable to work to support himself, especially when he was in custody or in a location for a short time.

In a movement, no one is paid to do what every disciple should naturally do. Ordinary disciples share the gospel, make disciples, and plant churches without pay. You can’t pay enough people to create a disciple making movement. Volunteers do most of the work in any movement, not professionals.

Consider the example in Rajasthan, India, where an extended household of grandparents, three brothers, and their families helped one brother travel to an unreached area for three months. During the day, he worked in the fields. At night, he planted churches. They didn’t seek or need any outside support or permission. The movement was internally funded by sacrifice and shared vision.

Movements fund multiplication, not addition. Addition means paying someone to plant a single church. Multiplication involves funding leaders who multiply disciples, leaders, and churches. Funding includes a living allowance and expenses, such as transportation or moving costs to a new, unreached region. Salaries are reserved for movement catalysts responsible for multiple streams of churches. Some movements have thousands of churches and yet have fewer than thirty catalysts receiving salaries.

In the New Testament, Peter’s clash with Simon the sorcerer is a powerful illustration of Jesus’ teaching that you cannot serve both God and money (Acts 8:9–24). Leaders who exploit their position for personal gain and power will corrupt a movement. The oxygen of a movement is the commitment of its people—to give, to go, to serve without pay, to open their homes, to work with their hands, and to trust that God goes with them.

Read Luke 10:1–11.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about money and movements?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

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The eighth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

Our mission begins with making disciples, but is not complete until those disciples are formed into a community.

When Troy and Rick first met Shane and his two friends in California, they didn’t just teach them; they walked alongside them in discipleship. Then they equipped them to reach their relationships and challenged them to form the new disciples into a church.

God wants a people who will display his glory to the world, now and into eternity.

From the beginning, God’s purpose in calling Abraham was to father a nation that would become a witness to the nations (Genesis 12:1–3). That vision was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, who embodied faithful Israel.

The call to follow Jesus was a call to form communities of his disciples. Jesus taught his disciples what it means to follow him together. He taught them to obey his commands. He taught them to live a life of love, forgiveness, generosity, and servanthood. He taught them to proclaim the good news of God’s reign and to make disciples. He taught them to pray and expect God to answer. He taught them not to fear persecution. He taught them to baptize new disciples and to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together. Most of all, he taught them who he is—Messiah, Lord, and Savior of the world. The identity of the people of God was formed from the life and mission of Jesus.

Luke provides us with a clear picture of the life of the first church as God’s intention for all churches (Acts 2:36–47). He shows us how churches should function. They are devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to each other, and to prayer. They gather publicly and from house to house, sharing meals, experiencing the power of the Spirit. They meet the needs of the poor within the community.

In Texas, prisoners gather daily in day rooms to pray and worship, share their burdens and breakthroughs, study the Scriptures, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and give to those in need. They are not just a Bible study; they are the body of Christ, the people of God, the new Israel.

In a movement, the task doesn’t end with a profession of faith but continues to the obedience of faith in a community of disciples. There’s no evangelism without discipleship and no discipleship without church formation.

In Acts, wherever the gospel finds faith, churches are formed from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. The core missionary task is about taking the gospel to every people and every place, forming new disciples into churches to the glory of God.

Read Acts 2:36–47.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about church and the movement of God?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

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I talk to Troy Cooper in Porto Rafti, Greece, about the links in the chain.

left Don Waybright middle David Ludwick right Steve Addison

The seventh of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

In the book of Acts, Luke doesn’t record any mission trips by Paul beyond Ephesus, so it’s widely assumed Paul was in the city for up to three years. Yet, through the disciples he trained, “all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord” (Acts 19:10). In Ephesus, Paul worked as an outsider who trained and sent out insiders throughout all of Asia Minor. One insider was Epaphras, who planted churches in the Lycus Valley in the cities of Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colossae.

Many movements have started with a partnership between an external catalyst and an internal leader. When Don Waybright entered Darrington Prison, Texas, he intended to train disciples to follow Christ and make disciples. He aimed to start a movement that he would not lead—a strategy rooted in his complete confidence in the Word and the Spirit, as well as the clarity of the core missionary task. He provided disciples in prisons with a clear 4-Fields strategy and simple yet effective methods. Don watched for disciples who quickly obeyed and built coaching relationships with them. His focus was on those who shared the vision for a movement of disciples and churches. He coached inside leaders like David Ludwick to take ownership of the core missionary task. As they stepped forward, Don stepped back.

This outsider–insider partnership is a recurring pattern in all our case studies. The same pattern can be seen as Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure.

In India, God brought Gary and Ravi together in an outsider–insider relationship. They were drawn together by their uncompromising commitment to the Great Commission and developed a father-and-son bond. For over seven years, they persisted in refining their methods before achieving a breakthrough. Through the struggle, God shaped their identities.

In Ghana, outsiders Terry and Amy Ruff teamed up with insider Isaac to address challenges related to strategy and methods. Although breakthroughs led to growth, Terry recognized that movements require more than just the correct strategy and processes. He took on a father-figure role to confront Isaac’s moral failure, which was a critical identity issue rooted in disobeying God’s Word and resisting the Holy Spirit. Isaac turned back and was restored.

We see the same outsider–insider pattern in Lebanon with James and Ibrahim. Though James is the outsider, he is half Ibrahim’s age and treats him like a father. Their relationship works because both men practice humility.

Outsiders are clear about their identity, confident in the Word and the Spirit, and committed to the core missionary task. They are not trying to promote their ministry; they are looking for inside leaders. Insiders are resilient and eager to learn. They take responsibility for the core missionary task and demonstrate this through their actions. They are the ones who say, “If no one else will do this, I will!”—even if they don’t know how! Outsiders and insiders are drawn to each other because they share a common heart. Once the partnership is established, they spend significant time together.

For a generation, most movements were built through an outsider–insider partnership, with the outsider often a Westerner. However, outsiders from the non-Western world are now replacing them. Movement practitioner and strategist Stan Parks observes that movements are now “cascading from their initial peoples and places into other peoples and places, both near and far.”

Globally, over 90 percent of new movements in the last five to ten years were started by teams sent out from existing movements—without any involvement from Western cross-cultural workers. It’s not the end of the outsider–insider roles; rather, it signifies the end of reliance on the West.

This is what we hope to see: movements initiating other movements, no longer relying solely on dependence but working together in partnership to fulfill the Great Commission.

Read Acts 20:4, 17–38.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about developing inside leaders in movements?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

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Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, 1890 - Henryk Siemiradzki

The sixth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

In Laos, Peter went looking for a person of peace—a receptive individual who would open the door to their community. Peter found this person in Daw, who then secretly gathered other families to hear what Peter came to share. Daw became the first disciple in his village. As Peter continued to train and disciple him, Daw grew into the village’s first evangelist, disciple maker, and church planter. The outcome was an indigenous movement of disciples and churches.

Peter pursued this strategy by following the model Jesus set. Near the end of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, to fulfill his mission to seek and to save the lost, Jesus deliberately invited himself to stay at Zacchaeus’s house (Luke 19:1–10). When Jesus left, Zacchaeus remained as a transformed witness to his community. Jesus modeled what he taught his disciples to do. His encounter with Zacchaeus parallels the instructions he gave to the Seventy-Two before sending them out (Luke 10:1–11; 19:1–10). The purpose of their mission was to find receptive households before moving on to the next village.

Following the day of Pentecost, the movement of God spread from Jerusalem to Rome primarily because Jesus’ disciples followed his example and teaching about using receptive households as doorways into communities.

Author David Matson points out that in Acts, “Household conversion stories provide several firsts in bringing salvation to the unreached peoples of the world: the first Gentile man (Cornelius), the first Gentile woman (Lydia), the first pagan (the Roman jailer), the first synagogue ruler (Crispus). Their conversions led to even more Gentiles coming to faith. Each resulted in a new church.”

These examples from Acts demonstrate a consistent principle: People are more likely to adopt the faith of those closest to them. As the number of converted friends and family increases, the likelihood of conversion increases. But there is more to it than good sociology. It’s consistent with who God is. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit—eternally in community. Made in his image, we are social beings. That’s why the gospel spreads through social networks as God goes before the messengers, preparing the way. God led Jesus to both Zacchaeus and the woman at the well, preparing their hearts for their encounter with Jesus. Similarly, God prepared both Peter and Cornelius for their meeting, ensuring that Peter arrived to a full house of Cornelius’s friends and family—a gathering that made church formation far more likely.

We see this played out in movements today. In Indonesia, workers prioritize households and groups rather than individuals. In Lebanon, Ibrahim repented and believed and followed Jesus. He was a person of peace, having been spiritually prepared and waiting for the messenger God had promised to send. At first, his family was suspicious, but they were won over once they saw his transformed life. One by one, they joined him, and the gospel spread throughout his clan. From this receptive household, the movement grew to other clans and networks across the region. Every multiplying movement I know employs this principle.

Read Acts 16:6–40.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about movements and the person of peace?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

Download the 10  Deeper  Studies

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The fifth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

In Rajasthan, India, I met an eighty-year-old grandmother who cannot read or write. Yet she shares her story, proclaims the gospel, prays for the sick, recites Scripture, makes disciples, baptizes them, and teaches them to follow Christ. I also met a young woman who has been doing the same work alongside her father since she was twelve. From an illiterate grandmother to a daughter who began as a girl, whole families embody the priesthood of believers. This is what sets movements apart: Everyone joins in the work.

When Jesus called fishermen to be his disciples, he called them to follow him and fish for others (Matthew 4:18–20). He gave them something to do. These men were ordinary and unqualified. The woman at the well became the first missionary to her Samaritan village (John 4). The demoniac was the first missionary to the Decapolis (Luke 8:38–39).

God chose all Israel to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation that, through their obedience to the covenant, would bear witness to him throughout the world (Exodus 19:4–6). Tragically, Israel fell well short of God’s intention. Jesus fulfilled God’s plan for Israel and established a renewed Israel, composed of Jews and Gentiles who put their faith in the Messiah (Ephesians 2).

Christ is our Priest, and all believers share in his priesthood through union with him. There is no priestly class. Jesus gave the Great Commission to every disciple. Our Priest and risen Lord gave us the authority to make disciples of the nations by going, baptizing, and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded (Matthew 28:16–20).

The royal priesthood is evident in Acts as the priests of the new covenant baptize, pray, worship, read and obey the Scriptures, love one another, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, give sacrificially, and proclaim the gospel from Jerusalem to the world (Acts 2:36–47).

This is what Peter means when he says, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

In John’s vision of heaven, he sees the Lamb that was slain who, with his blood, has purchased people from every tribe and language and people and nation. For what purpose? That they would be a kingdom and priests to serve our God forever (Revelation 5:9–10).

The gospel goes out in the power of the Spirit through these royal priests as God gathers his people from every tribe and language. For all eternity, they will be a kingdom of priests, God’s chosen people, proclaiming his glory.

Read Romans 16:1–16, 21–23.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about a movement of priests?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

Download the 10  Deeper  Studies

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The fourth of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

Both prophecy and persecution marked the life of Jesus, a pattern he taught his followers to expect. Simeon prophesied over the infant Jesus that he would divide Israel (Luke 2:34–35). This opposition began early, when Jesus was rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, grew throughout his mission, and culminated in his death in Jerusalem.

Jesus taught his disciples to expect persecution not just as a sign of the very end of time but of the present age. New believers today can be rejected by their families and thrown out of their homes, mirroring the experience Jesus faced in his town. Persecution can also come from authorities. For example, in India, Hindu nationalists often accuse Christians of forced or induced conversions and pressure the police to investigate. Though these accusations are eventually proven false, Christians are punished in the meantime through interrogation, threats, temporary imprisonment, and trial.

Elsewhere, in Laos, Communist officials warn leaders to stop taking the gospel to new villages and people groups. Failure to comply can lead to charges of “fomenting social division,” followed by a trial and a prison sentence lasting months or years. If the leader persists after release, they are added to a list and may end up being found dead by the side of the road.

While so far, none of the Iranian disciples I know have been imprisoned or killed, the risk is always there. Every time they share the gospel, gather around the Word, or worship secretly, they face danger. Similarly, in the Texas prisons, every gang member who turns to Christ counts the cost, asking himself, What will my gang do to me if I leave?

Jesus taught his disciples not to fear people who can kill the body, but to fear God, who loves them and counts the hairs on their head (Matthew 10:28–31). He prepared us for the reality that family and friends will betray and hate us. We will be brought before the authorities. But we will not be alone; the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say (Luke 12:11–12). Jesus’ predictions were fulfilled in Acts and continue to be fulfilled around the world today.

The book of Acts reveals a recurring pattern—miracles and gospel preaching lead to new disciples and churches, followed by persecution. Persecution always results in planting a new church. The messengers suffer, but the Word keeps advancing.

Stephen was the first to die for his faith in Jesus. In his final moments, he looked up and saw the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand. Stephen discovered he wasn’t alone (Acts 7:55–56). Similarly, Paul and Silas, after being beaten, bruised, and chained with their legs locked in wooden stocks, were found worshipping God at midnight (Acts 16:24–25). They too discovered they weren’t alone. Jesus was with them.

We follow a crucified Lord who won his victory through weakness. He suffered, and therefore we suffer. The secret to success in the face of persecution is not natural bravery—in the garden, Jesus’ own disciples fled in fear. Instead, the secret lies in discovering we are not alone.

Read Acts 7:54–60; 8:1–3; 11:19.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about persecution and movements?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

Download the 10  Deeper  Studies

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Christ in Gethsemane by Heinrich Hofmann

The third of ten studies from Everywhere: How God Multiplies Disciples and Churches.

A body, brutally murdered, was found by the side of the road in Laos. This tragedy did not have to happen. If Noy had only stopped speaking about Jesus, he would still be alive today. Yet Noy knew that the battle was worth the cost. When his widow, Chantha, with five children to raise, heard God’s call to continue her husband’s work, a great victory was won. This is spiritual warfare at its finest; not just prayer but the prayer of surrender at the very moment when nothing makes sense.

Jesus faced that same battle. Satan tempted Jesus to betray his Sonship and his mission. Tired, alone, and hungry, Jesus won his fight in the wilderness by surrendering to his Father’s Word and remaining faithful to his mission. Then he marched into Galilee in the power of the Spirit, casting out demons, healing the sick, and proclaiming the gospel (Luke 4:1–14).

The movement is born out of battle and born for battle. The Gospels and Acts reveal how Satan attacked and undermined every new stage in God’s plan of salvation. He sifted the disciples like wheat and inspired Judas to betray Jesus.1 Satan’s purpose is to snatch away the Word of God so that people do not believe and are not saved (Luke 8:11–12). Jesus won his battle against Satan through obedience to his Father’s Word, dependence on the Holy Spirit, and faithfulness to his mission to lay down his life as a ransom for many. He won the victory, but the battle rages until the end. Jesus enlisted his disciples in the battle and shared his power and authority over the Enemy.

In Acts, when Satan stirred up the rulers of this world to destroy the movement, Jesus’ disciples prayed for the power of the Spirit and boldness to proclaim the Word (Acts 4:23–31). The victory over Satan was tangibly demonstrated by the establishment of disciples and churches learning to obey Jesus.

Today, the attacks come in many forms. Family rejection. Fruitless years. Team conflict. False accusations and imprisonment. It’s in the darkest places that the battle is fought and won, when we have nothing left, yet cling to Christ. There is no greater weapon in our warfare. The fiercer the attack, the more we trust and obey. This is how victory is won—alone in the storm with nothing left except God’s faithfulness.

Terry and Amy Ruff learned this when God called them to Ghana. Over fourteen years, they faced life-threatening cancer, criminal violence, and leadership moral failure. They clung to Christ and continued the work. In and through their weakness, God brought victory.

Satan aims to destroy faith in God’s Word, which alone brings salvation. The key weapon in Jesus’ arsenal was his surrender to the Father’s will.

Revelation reminds us, “They triumphed over Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” (12:11). This is the way of the cross. This is how the battle is won.

Read Ephesians 6:10–20.

What do we learn about God from this story?

What do we learn about people?

What do we learn about the battle?

What do you need to do to obey what you’ve learned?

Download the 10  Deeper  Studies

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