August 15, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

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New Missionaries

The Least of These

Matthew 25:37–40 (NIV) 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Although many, including Mother Teresa, have understood Jesus’ reference to “brothers” to include all the poor and oppressed in the world, I don’t believe that fits the context or the way that Jesus uses the term “brother” in the Gospel of Matthew.  Instead, I believe that Jesus is referring specifically to those who are his disciples and are suffering deprivation because… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Missiology

EMS Occasional Bulletin on Same God Question

This morning I opened my email inbox to find a Special Edition of the Occasional Bulletin of the Evangelical Missiological Society. The Topic: Wheaton and the Controversy Over Whether Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God” was compelling and realigned my plans for today to read through the 32 pages. After an introductory article by Robert J. Priest, the president of EMS, the bulletin includes 22 short articles that briefly address the question: “What are the missiological implications of affirming, or denying, that Muslims and Christians worship the same God?” I was happy to see in the word from the editor that “While our Occasional Bulletin is normally only available for EMS members, this special issue is open to the public.” So I am free to share with you the link to the bulletin.… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Training

Missiological Reflections on Christmas

At the first Christmas, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” John 1:14 (ESV).  The Son of God is described as the Word, the means of communication.  Our God is a talking God. In fact, he is the first user of language. On the first day of creation “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” Genesis 1:3 (ESV).  Throughout the Old Testament, we find God speaking to His people.   That emphasis on speaking is no less evident in The Christmas story.  Christmas music, Christmas sermons, and Christmas cards all emphasize that message is central to the mission of God. The angels brought to the shepherds “good news of a great joy that will be for all the people” Luke 2:10 (ESV).… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Character, Lifelong Learning, Spiritual Formation, Christ

Who Are the Best Students When God is the Teacher?

In the past month, I have been meditating on the idea of awe and reverence.   A spiritual audit I took in early November asked the question, “Have I maintained a genuine awe of God?”   I realized that this was a weak area of mine, and I decided to take a month to reflect on different Bible verses that spoke about awe of God. One of my last meditations was on the passage from Hebrews 5:7-10 which speaks of Jesus’ reverence for his Heavenly Father. Yes, Jesus, though he was God Himself, had a deep reverence for his Father in heaven, a reverence that enabled him to be a great student.  Hebrews 5:7–10 (NIV) During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. … Read the whole post
Ken Guenther2 mins read
Book Reviews, Evangelism

Developing the Art of Conversational Evangelism

I found David and Norman Geisler’s book, Conversational Evangelism: Connecting with People to Share Jesus while doing some reading on contextualization.   I thought it would be interesting combining Norman Geisler’s expertise in apologetics and his son, David’s experience on college campuses and 7 years serving in Singapore. I was not disappointed. This is a very helpful book. Similar in some ways to Randy Newman’s book, Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did, the Geislers’ book has more emphasis on worldviews and apologetics. The first chapter, “The Need for Pre-Evangelism in a Postmodern World”, makes the point that evangelism is a process. Then chapter 2 introduces the model with four types of conversations: “Hearing Conversations, Illuminating Conversations, Uncovering Conversations, and Building Conversations”.  The Geislers relate these conversations to four roles we play:    … Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
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