You know, we talk about we're gonna restructure
society. They're out doing the good samaritan, and
that is far
and do it because it's bright,
not just because of work
Hey welcome to the podcast, really good heavy
and today, we're gonna hear some reflections from
good friend and part of our family,
movement practitioner Steve Addison.
And Steve has
just being come back in from India actually,
and he's
he's also,
been on a journey since we've last spoke
and where we were
reflecting on Michelle slot. And
it's really good to be with you and
Steve.
Thanks for on the podcast.
Well, it's good to be with you again,
Dave. Yeah.
Steve, how how are you going? Since since
our last reflection on talking about
Michelle's passing, and you're having to find yourself
and, yeah. Most people when they're 18, they
go to India and find themselves in the
answering. What did you do, steve? Oh, I
went I went to Greece.
So
after we'd sort of put the house in
order and the legal...
Financials in order,
celebrated
Christmas with the family.
New year's eve. I hopped on it, the
plane and went off to greece for a
couple of months
just to get lost.
So I I didn't need so much a
holiday or I would have just gone camping
up and down and new South wales coast
or something like that.
I needed to be environment where there are
other people who I know and love
and that I could have some structure
without being a lot of demand. So
I have some,
good good partners in based in Greece, but
they work across Europe and the Middle East
and Central Asia and North Africa.
And I just
got myself an Air airbnb b for 2
months, which is pretty cheap in the winter
over there. Amazing. And and hung out with
them and
and and went on some some some trips
that
the ministry I could contribute without being responsible.
So down to down to the Middle East.
To to meet with some movement catalysts.
Had a great trip in a van with
some some
brothers and sisters
wandering around greece for 5, 6 days,
visiting the work in the various
refugee camps, meeting with the disciples and,
being encouraged by them and encouraging them. Mh
so I did that for a couple of
months, and it was... It's just what I
needed, some structure
without a lot of demands,
some community there. It's, lots of long walks,
I'm along the Greek Coast.
And then I I dove dived back to
full on,
schedule with a book tour of the Us
for acts and the movement of God. Yeah.
That was
28 days, 10 cities. Too So was full
on, and I I really didn't know how
I would get on.
But it went marvelous asleep. Wow.
And so I think it was good, you
know, after
significant loss of, you know, Michelle and I'd
be married 42 years we'd... Known each other
for about, you know, 44 years.
And
just to have
you know, if I started the year in
January, just
home
starting work again, it would have been terrible.
But to do something fresh and new,
and the amazing thing that happened,
was
I just felt like I'd unpack
my
calling
bag. Mh
And I just laid out everything before God
and basically said, Lord, what are you gonna
put back in the back? Yeah wow.
And the first thing that went back in
is my podcast,
I just had so many affirmations from people
in the field, the impact of it. Mh
So that's gone straight back in. Mh Then
the other big surprise was
Steve, nobody reads books anymore. So you better
turn your...
English language books into audiobooks.
So that was the the second piece.
Another piece was Yes. I've got another book
in me. Oh, wow. And that's why I've
been in India.
I can come to that, but,
the the gift of god was to have
that un relatively
unstructured time till I went to America. Just
to get used to life without Michelle, you
know, to grieve, to celebrate,
to think, oh, this feels strange. What do
you do at nights? You're just sitting around
an empty house. Yeah.
I mean, there are friends out there, but
it's like, yes. But when you come home,
the house is empty. Yeah.
And that's a good thing to experience.
You know, so many times,
I thought I must send Michelle text about
that. Oh, wow. You know, I I actually
caught myself doing this. I just woke up
in the middle of the night.
I think when I just got back from
India, and I'd had a nightmare, an occasionally
I do that. And so yelled out. And
I woke myself up, and I just went
sorry, Michelle.
You know?
And and now I mean, it's almost 10
months since she passed.
So
god met me in that, you know, of
not feeling like I had to have a
plan.
Empty out the toolbox. He gives me pieces,
you know, back. So... And that's why I
went to India.
Because the next book is gonna be, sort
of stories and case case studies from around
the world.
Most, I do that in most of my
books.
The difference here will be
those stories and case studies will be about
80 percent of the book, and the biblical
foundations
I'll pull in from the other books, but
that'll be about 20 percent. Normally, the the
percentages are reversed.
So I had 3 and a half weeks
on the ground in
in India and the nepal. Yeah. And had
an amazing time. Yeah. That's amazing. Well, before
we jump into
India? Why don't...
Well, we just... How's the book going? How
was your launch in the Us? And... Oh,
the export... Yeah. Well, it was launched before
Michelle passed away, but around September last year
when when
she was in her last weeks.
That's when the book tour is going be.
So we canceled that and then
it opened up for March this year,
and it went very well. Right? So
not that I necessarily draw big crowds,
But I did prioritize
doing, you know, that the host would be
actual practitioner. So it's going to help the
momentum of what they're doing locally. Mh. And
any stuff that I stir up,
I can feedback to some... A local team
who can follow it up. And in that
sense, it went it went very well because
we we've got some good people in the
room
Now we we would be very remiss in
the middle of this podcast, not to give
a plug for the book. Acts and the
movement of god. Where where do people go
and find 1. Well, if they go to
movement dot net. Yeah. They'll they'll find. You
know, available at all good bookstores.
We'll a k for Australians, K has for
the rest of the world, Amazon has it.
Yes.
Yes. Yeah. Now it's a great book. And
III...
If you haven't read it and you're listening
to this podcast, so go ahead and grab
yourself a call.
I'm I'm re I'm reading it now. On
because I'm doing it as an audiobook book.
I thought, wow, this is pretty good stuff.
You know what
whoever wrote this must been brutal. Although IIA
couple of times I thought those senses are
too long. Why didn't you say it's simpler?
You know, because now I've gotta read it.
And I Net never never use foreign language
names because it's so hard to say.
So I actually think my next book. Will
be even better
because
I'm actually going to read it out loud
in the editing process. Well, was just a
little thing I've picked up.
Really helps you understand from the readers point
of view. That's great steve.
What were you learning as you you were
in in the Middle East and in in
the Mediterranean and also
up into Europe, And I know you're doing
some training there
as you just
looked and you observed and you were seeing
what God was doing? What what were some
of the observations that came out of that
I think the principles and the best practices
are really important so being with practitioners in
each. Field and looking for the commonalities of
what they're doing just doing the basics
is really essential.
Alongside of that is just as important, is
the life of the catalyst or the worker
the guide is shaping us in terms of
our skills and
application of principles and best practice and all
of that.
He's also shaping who we are. Yeah.
And
they came very much out of the axe.
Here's some repeated patterns
of
of the mission of god in acts. Mh
But here is also, you know, what's what's
Paul doing in the middle of a Hurricane.
On the Mediterranean. He's about to be dropped
into icy cold water.
He probably can't swim,
his life's on the line. Mh And and
so how is that a good use of
his time? Or you know
So
There's a
there's a shaping of the practitioner and the
workers and the cattle.
That is just as important as the training
of our hands and in just the the
basics that we do to pursue movements.
And so we need to track it. We
mustn't see,
you know, when we get dropped into the
mediterranean or the equivalent, when the hurricane hits
Don't feel like it's a distraction because God
uses that hurricane. God uses paul's trials and
imprisonment
to get him before neuro in Rome. Mh.
And so it's not a straight line for
Paul. God gets him there, but there's a
lot of zigzag.
A lot of valleys.
Yeah. In, you know, Yeah. And yet, it's
a miraculous process,
and yet pulls always in trouble. Yeah. I'm.
And and I saw that in the field.
You know, that...
Here's some, you know, amazing
repeated patents
everywhere.
There's also, but how is god shaping this
couple of this family on mission together.
And at times, you know,
you just feel like Lord why are these
dis distractions coming, and the lord saying, well,
that's how I'm gonna get you to the
end destination. So lean into it, and
and just maybe
276
hardened
criminal sailors
and
soldiers,
gonna see and hear the gospel in the
midst of this hurricane. Mh. And then the
whole island of Malta
is gonna be touched.
So that's that's that's what I saw. Yes.
It's a great observation. And the...
It's not that 1,
we we do 1 without the other. We
just don't
So they're important all. Yeah. And we just
don't emphasize the external. Yeah. And we see
the shaping of god. Yeah. Internally. I Mh.
Yeah. And so as we observe that, we
said, well god, what are you teaching me
as I go, Mh by the Great commission.
So Yeah. Yeah. Yeah really great observations.
And so you you you went and and
the book is being promoted and you're in
Europe came back and then you you just
had something in your belly of this new
book. You've just gone into India. Tell me
about the India trip.
Well, it it was a great eye opener.
You know,
in in 1... I mean, I was there
for 3 and a half weeks, but there
was an 10 time of about a week.
Well, I think we drove that week 45
hours. Like,
return trip from Melbourne to Brisbane for those
who know, Australia.
Although the roads are much better in
India than what I remember.
But still, and and staying in people's places,
the thing that hit me was how
I kept hearing the same story. Mh In
different
slight
variations. But, you know, we'd be in just
a simple home,
with the extended family and friends all sitting
around, and I just be saying. So how
did the gospel come to you and your
family?
And how has it gone out from you
to others.
And I just kept hearing, well, someone came
and visited our village or our home in
the city.
And they brought with a them... The off
of prayer. It seems like it's like a
universal. We've been out
in Albert Park, which is a posh suburb
if you know what posh means.
Today.
And that's all we did was offer. Can
we pray for you?
So the offer of prayer the differences in
India is we welcomed it,
and god healed someone. Mh.
Or and or delivered someone of demons,
and
dad or husband was a hopeless drunk.
Argument,
angry with himself and the world and us,
and god delivered him of that. And now
now he even helps with the household chores,
and he listens to me. Chase. This is
the great. The the wives wanted to say,
you know, they didn't talk so much about
the miracles as and the demons fleeing, but
My husband listens to me now.
The granny house out house does a house.
And that's the miracle.
And then
you know,
so now they're a a family together gathered
an extended family. Gathered around the scriptures learning
1 story at a time to obey the
lord Jesus.
And they're going both near and far. And
it's interesting. I've got this near and far.
We go near and we go far. So
near is our neighborhood or first of where's
our relatives. Let's go share with that family
here. Same deal We're just...
Then what about neighbors? And what about that
village, you know, walk away,
But the disciples are also saying,
hey, we... I met,
3 a family that like been in the
faith now for about 10 years.
And
and they... Like many had been lifted out
of poverty, partly through then you found faith.
Mh And they'd worked hard. They'd stopped drinking.
They'd taken an interest in the family. Now
they've got a couple of tractors.
In a farming community that they can hire
out their labor and the tractor and their
earning an income, 3 brothers,
and, you know, mom and dad were living
there too nearby.
But
2 of them
I'd stay back,
And 1, they've said, let's go over here
near this border.
And
so 1 of them has gone there to
work. For 2 or 3 months. Mh. It
works hard during the day and at 90
plant churches, in an un village. Mh. Because
all the disciples, not just the leaders or
the the missionaries or whatever,
were committed to near and far, near far.
And they would... That was happening. You know,
or maybe it's not... And by the way,
the the brothers and their wives
were contributing
for some lost income,
and we're gathering around the guy who they
sent. His wife and family stayed home. For
that 2 or 3 months. So everybody's is
helping to look after
the the family while the guys away.
But, you know, another 1 of these former
drunk,
you know, he's like a godly man, and
I stayed in his home for 3 nights.
I'm thinking, hey, he was demon possessed and
a drunk and Argument men it even violent.
He's like a man of god. Well, he
hops on the bus, and he might go
10 hours. Wow, and okay. I'm I'm gonna
stay in this village. Maybe he's got a
distant relative in that that village. And I'm
gonna bring the gospel. I'm gonna bring,
this good news
to somewhere far away. Yeah. I heard that
story again and again and again. Mh.
Another big insight with 1 of the movements
was
a technological
piece.
So a lot of ill, you understand especially
in the rural areas in in India.
So they
sort of found their way to using Sd
cards. Yeah. So the phones are, like 10
or 15 dollar phones, but every Indian family
has a phone, virtually. Yes.
But there's simple phones, so take an Sd
card, memory card, but they're not like smartphones.
They're bit more... They're are a lot more
expensive.
So on the Sd card
is the audible bible in their language.
And all that they do 35
studies Mh. In,
like creation to Christ. Yes.
They can sort of read the text if
they want,
but the phone will read it for them,
what to do in the study.
But they don't just drop an Sd card
and we'll see you when you finish the
35 lessons.
The people who bring the Sd card will
loaded on from, say, and we'd love... When
when would you be ready for us to
come back? You know, we'll talk about. So
there's... And they just
They just work through that household 1 at
a time. It was a bit slow.
Well, at the end of the 35 weeks,
instead of a hindu world view. They've got
pretty much a basic Christian, probably better than
most Western Christian did terms of the 1
true creator god
who sent Christ.
They're... They they don't ba ties
and they don't get to repent and believe
and be baptized till they've been through the
35 lessons. Yeah.
But immediately, that's happening... They're already gossip. They're
sharing the stories they're learning. Mh But now,
whoever's taken you through those studies says, let's
let's go to your relatives. Yeah.
And so all of a sudden, a very
slowed disciples
to conversion processes going on.
But because that's happening
there's a lot lot of this is going
on at any 1 time, It looks like
an avalanche.
Mh
Because if you've got almost 80 percent of
your people who've have come to know Christ
out
winning and disc cycling others,
it doesn't take too long before that's exponential.
And this movement gone
exponential. Mh
In those Sd cards, you cut the
the life of god
can't you can't put it on an Sd
card. Mh. So it comes with a a
messenger.
But on that sd card, is the living
word of god.
Is lessons in into disciples ship. They work
through it together, and then they're ready to
go.
And the figures are absolutely
breath in the hundreds of thousands. Yeah. Yes.
In the hundreds of thousands. Mh. As best
as you can, verified by a research to
you know, a team of 7 who researched
it over a couple of weeks.
But what struck me because a household after
a household and I'd never tired even though
I was getting the same thing in every
household. Yeah.
Was the god
the biblical
literacy of these folks,
to see whole families and extended households sitting
around, they many of them had got paper
bibles by then and were... You know, had
Had learned to read.
And everyone had a story of taking
the gospel and disciples ship and the word
of god to places near and far.
So I'm really hearing
intentional
engagement in prayer. Mh. So for the miracles
to happen. Yeah. And gospel open. All they
got. All we got is a prayer.
That's our resource.
It's a prayer accompanied with signs and wonders.
Yeah. I'm hearing,
a a process of going through scriptures, 35
lessons,
and and leading into culminating a following Christ
and forming
some sense of ec or group. And I'm
hearing multiple location. Yeah. And our families and
the near and fast like what Peter this
is for your children and for all those
who belong to you far off as well.
You know that in acts chapter 2. Peter,
really, because And and normally, we're just focus
on the near. Yes.
And I think it's important
to do... Because that's Pent. Pent is an
near and far.
We're not gonna limit ourselves to Jerusalem. Mh.
And
and I and I say the other thing
is is the life.
I felt like I was in the book
of acts. Yes. Wow. You know, here's 1
it's a dramatic 1, but here's a widow.
Husband's died.
She's elderly,
his family
abandoned her.
By the side of the road, she thinks
I'm I'm here to die.
The disciples
come across her, take her home.
Feed her, help her get back to health,
find a replace to stay,
you know, her own own place.
She in the process, she comes to no
Christ.
And I said to my host, well, I
guess she's not. She's 1 of those
19 percent who aren't really able to go
out
near and far.
And well, she's probably not going far. But
they, oh, no, no. She she doesn't wanna
lead a study. She she's illiterate, and she
doesn't feel comfortable doing that. She just wants
to go. But with the person who's gonna
need the study. And she's out
taking the gospel. 1, to to other house
or. And I met her. She's like, Well,
for this she's a saint. You could just
see the life of Christ in her.
And what was she? She was a... She
was...
She was thrown thrown out like a piece
of rubbish on the side of the road.
Wow.
And that that... Sort of thing, you know,
the disciples in 1 city when Covid hit,
you'd know there are a lot of day
workers.
Like,
agricultural factory workers. They just... They get work
1 day at a time, paid 1 day
at a time. They're from other
places.
States. Parts or they might even be from
the pole. Yes. So
Covid shutdown, all work stops,
they've got no income, and the government won't
let them travel home.
So what are the beliefs that they just
got a whole lock lot of
packages of food,
and I went around the streets giving out
food, praying for people sharing about Jesus. And
the thing exploded, you know, with people coming
to know Christ and into disciples ship. Yeah.
So
You know, we talk about, we're gonna restructure
society we'll get political power and fix this
and fix it. They're out doing the good
samaritan.
And with the gospel.
And that is far more effective. The hands
in the feet, hands and feet of christ.
And that's normal for them. You know, an
ax talks about no 1 considered their own
money and property and wealth
as their own. But as God led them,
they were being gen generous with people in
need, and that's what I experienced.
And, you know,
for the listener, right now, we're taking up
an offering
for the
persecution in India.
And we're we are or working in numbers
of context but in central India,
is a just a dramatic increase. And persecution.
Yeah. And murders
and widows,
etcetera. And
and I was listening to this a few
weeks ago in And tears were in my
eyes and I thought, I I can't simply
just say me warm be feel we've comfort
Pray for you.
I wanna I wanna a give. Yeah. And
I wanna...
My little amount will put rice in the
hands of some
situation where,
believers have come to Christ and
they're not allowed to shop in their, they're
local village. They're not... They don't have access
to it or access the...
Communal well or water supply. That's right. You
know, you don't last long when they cut
off the water. That's right. So if you
want to give to that. And just go
to the practice give page, and the drop
down menu is the Indian
persecuted church, Indian Per church offering to we
guarantee that every dollar you give on that
offering will end up in the hands of
a family somewhere in India. That that is
there. So just just a quick bite by
mention on that in the podcast.
Awesome, Steve. I just... Just some inspired. I
mean, inspired by what God is doing in
North India and Central India, the the Hindi
speaking belt.
This is a is an amazing season an
amazing time.
Let's let's reverse that and reflect that back
to us. U.
Here in the west. Mh. As we us
we are,
looking around. We're inspired by movements, and then
we go out and we go Well, how
many groups have we planted this This this
month. Yeah. And we kinda shuffle that around
and feel...
Maybe discouraged. On yeah heating out against the
wall. Yeah. What's some of the reflections or
encouragement that we can grab
from this that we'll inspire us to be
faithful per
in the harvest and yeah. Moving forward.
Well, bit of perspective,
You know, 1 perspective is a hundred years
ago, people were saying, how could Christianity be
a a true
religion when it's the white man's religion.
Well, that's been turned around. You know, it's
it's a global faith and the most rapidly
growing
you know,
groups of disciples are are in places like
Iran, Nepal, India across Africa. So
Let's just have some perspective
and and realize there's some mystery
about history.
Think the other thing to do even more
important is let's read the book of acts.
Yeah.
And ground our practice
in the patents of
the gospel and acts.
And what we see reflected in the epi,
let's do what Jesus did and what he
continued to do,
through his disciples in acts because that's right.
You know, I like to say to people
unless albert doesn't work in the west I
sort of think, well, Jesus is hanging on
the cross.
And we're gonna ask him, is it working
for you Jesus?
So And he he... Why does he do
what he does? Not just because it... I
mean, it works,
He knew he could just do miracles
and just provide bread
And they would make him king by force,
and he would have a mass following. Maybe
we'll take on the Romans.
But he walks away from all of that.
Even though he loves the crowds because he's
looking for disciples.
And
he's working out
the father's plan and purpose.
And he's doing what's right... So our first
priority should be let's learn those patterns of
engagement, the disciples ship church formation, leadership development
that we reflected sea reflected in in the
scriptures.
And do it because it's right. Yeah. Not
just because it works.
The other thing I'd say is okay. Maybe
we're not seeing,
you know,
14 or 20
generations of disciples and churches that you can
see. In other parts of the world.
But everywhere where we engage with some simple
disciplines
and obedience with those tools,
people are coming to no Christ. Yes. And
going into disciples ships. So start there. Yes.
We
I was out with just a local pastor
in out neighborhood, which is white and wealthy.
And
so many doors, you know, wear right thanks.
Where right things.
Self contained people who are at, but, you
know,
they're doing well.
Then we just bump into a young man
out on the street. He's an Indian student,
And he's hungry to meet again and no
more.
And I say, well, you know, go to
the people who are around you,
go near, go far,
and discover Christ in the harvest.
Because he's already there.
You can't control
the rec of the Western World.
But you still called to bring the gospel
to them. Yeah. You know,
Jesus didn't just talk to responsive people.
So
you just don't get in this game unless
you've got skin in the game unless you're
sharing
inviting,
reading the scriptures and see what god opens
up. Yeah.
Amen, Steve. Amen. It's just as we finish.
I love you to just jump over me
and speak directly to the listener,
who's who's doing this and there, in all
sorts of situations. Yeah. And and working this
out.
Wonderful people.
And just bring a word of encouragement talk
finish us in in
sense of what would you like to say
to them?
I think that from time to time, you're
gonna find this The task is too hot,
or life is too hot.
That's what's really grabbed me when I was
writing the book on ax.
That that acts... What's Acts 27 doing that?
You know, it's a long chapter, a lot
of technical
firsthand knowledge of of
maritime
terms and... In fact, if you wanna know
about sailing in the ancient world, you read
acts 27. It's the authority.
So what's it doing there? Why has Luke
under this inspiration of the spirit?
Got it there. Well.
Because every now and again, you're gonna be
dropped into the freezing war of the mediterranean.
You, you know, you you're trying to
dog paddle towards of a piece of wood
so you can float into the beach where
there's a snake waiting to bite you,
And you're gonna think, Lord, what... What's what's
your messenger doing in such a a situation?
Because he's headed them for you know, custody
and trial and all of that. He's in
the will of god.
So hang on to that plank.
Trust god for the 276
people, not just gonna be saved
from drowning,
but those soldiers
sailors
and criminals
are gonna see and hear the gospel from
Paul. And then the gospel is gonna
go out across Malta. The island of malta
to these barbarian,
and realize in your weakness,
This... That's all you have as a practitioner
or a disciple or a lost person, all
you bring are your... Is your need of
god.
And say, Lord, I got nothing left here.
I'm just clinging to this piece of timber
hoping I'll get washed up on the beach
so the snake can bite my arm.
And say, well, Lord,
just all I bring to you is is
my weakness,
reveal your glory and power. That's what Paul
says is This you know, we carry this
treasure
in earth vessels.
So how we get saved, it's no different
to how we
get san,
the
or how we fulfill the task and the
mission he's given us. You you don't do
it by relying on your strengths and your
capacities or even you will power and hard
work.
You you Lord we've been out we've been
out fishing all night and we've caught nothing.
Yeah. You know, and and
okay? Well, why don't you just try this?
And what's revealed is the power of god?
So when you've got nothing left, when when
when when you feel like I'm trying to
fight this this battle.
With 1 hand. My right hand tied behind
my back and then occasionally both hands.
That's the time to say this is a
season.
Where where I'm pressing into god,
trusting him because the outcome of my ministry,
the outcome of my life,
is the fruit of knowing him.
You know, you've got to engage. You can't
just sit in your lounge room and, you
know, But as you engage,
Jesus said, as you go make disciples, I'm
gonna be with you to the end of
the age, the end of the earth.
Expect that. Expected with you. He's already there
in that place.
And
and then
When the breakthroughs come,
you won't be touched by them Them in
the sense your identity is not dependent
on success in industry. Took about 40 years
for the lord and knock that out of
me.
But
but it's worth it. It's a battle worth
fighting.