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.