SYNOPSIS: One of the most profitable things you can do is to look ahead to the fateful day of your death and envision what will be engraved on your tombstone. That will become the final summation of your life—those half dozen words carved into granite by your loved ones. What do you want yours to say? Here is an idea: Start living that way now so that what you want your epitaph to say then will be a no-brainer for your family. If you want to be known then as a loving husband or wife, then start loving your spouse now! If you want to be known then as a good friend, then start now being the kind of friend that you would want to have! If you want to be known as one who served God wholeheartedly, then get with it right now. Whatever it is you want to be said of you then, start living that way now!

Moments With God // Proverbs 5:11 (The Message)

You don’t want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones.

RIP! Unless Jesus returns sometime in the next 50 or so years—which I hope he does—you and I are likely to have a headstone that marks our final resting place. Rest In Peace! I know, that is kind of a morbid thought to start off a devotional, but it is true. It is a sobering and inescapable reality for all people, since the last time I checked, the human mortality rate was hovering around, oh, about 100%.

I think one of the healthiest things a person can do is to take a look ahead to that fateful day and envision what will be engraved on our tombstone. That really is the summation of our lives, isn’t it—those half dozen or so words carved into granite by our surviving loved ones.

What do you want yours to say? Here is a great idea: Start living that way now so that what you want your epitaph to say then will be a no-brainer for your family. If you want to be known then as a loving husband, then start loving your wife now! If you want to be known then as a good friend, then start being the kind of friend that you would want to have! If you want to be known as one who served God wholeheartedly, then get with it right now. Whatever it is you want to be said of you then, start living that way now! As Solomon said in Proverbs 5:7,

So, my friend, listen closely; don’t treat my words casually.

Seriously, this is no casual concern. So, give that some thought, and then just get after it!

By the way, the final line you will read at the end of this devotional comes from the incredible life of a young man who died on his way to the mission field—William Borden. You can read the full story at http://home.snu.edu/~HCULBERT/regret.htm.

Borden was heir to the Borden family’s wealth, gained through real estate investments and their dairy business. Upon graduation from high school, he informed family and friends that he wanted to become a missionary—a waste of a bright future, according to some. To that, Borden wrote in his journal, “No reserves.”

Borden went on to study at Yale but turned down high-paying job offers after graduation. Reportedly, in his Bible, he wrote two more words: “No retreats.”

He went on to do graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Chinese Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead.

When the news of the well-known young man’s death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by multiple American newspapers. Author Geraldine Guinness Taylor wrote, “A wave of sorrow went round the world . . . Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice.”

As the story has it, prior to his death, he had written two more words in the back of his Bible. Underneath the words “No reserves” and “No retreats,” William Borden wrote, “No regrets.”

That was the summation of his brief life, and it is how I would like to be remembered, too: No reserves. No retreats. No regrets.

“ No reserves. No retreats. No regrets. — WILLIAM BORDEN

Why should you go on a mission trip? It’s the best way to discover Jesus’ heart for a lost world…and his will for your life.

Listen to the emotion in his words as he talks to us about lost people in Matthew 9:

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38)

When you and I hear Jesus’ appeal, we’re obligated to pray, “Lord, send me.” That’s how the prophet Isaiah responded to God’s call:

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isa 6:8)

God is still looking for “Lord-send-me” people to go to the ends of the earth with the Good News. His heart still bleeds with compassion for unreached souls who are harassed, helpless, and hopeless.

I’ve found that the best way to take Jesus’ heart as your own is to go on a missions trip…a gospel plunge in the under-served world to share, show, and spread the Good News of Jesus.

Years ago, on a trip to Africa with my eighty-four-year-old spiritual mentor, God dislocated my heart for the lost world.

Since then, we’ve taken other pastors, and they say “It’s made me a better pastor back home.” We’ve taken auto-mechanics to train others how to make a living repairing cars, they say, “I never knew God could use my job to do missions. We’ve taken doctors, dentists, nurses, carpenters, electricians, students who say, “it’s made me a better Christian.”

If you’re a pastor, we invite you to take a trip with us. It’ll not only transform you, the change in you will transform your church. If you’re a Christ-follower, go with us on a trip. You can be the change that changes you.

Like me, you’ll go as a citizen of your nation but return as a missionary to God’s world.

Get into the harvest—it’s ripe. You’ll make a difference. You’ll be changed. And you’ll make Jesus do a happy dance! Really! In Luke 10, Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples. They came back bursting with excitement for what God did through them. And we’re told,

“Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, ‘I praise you, Father.’” (Luke 10:21)

Now get this: the Greek word suggests that Jesus was “shouting and leaping with joy.” So yes, when you get into the harvest, and in some capacity serve as a conduit for the gospel—I don’t mean this irreverently—Jesus does a happy dance!

Check out our mission trip opportunities … let’s be the change that changes us… and makes Jesus pretty happy too!

This is how we change the world!

You Are Invited!

Learn More | Apply Today

“ The best way to take Jesus’ heart as your own is to go on a mission trip. —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK

Giving yourself to God’s mission is simply the wisest use of your one and only life. Proverbs 11:30 says, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and those who win souls are wise.” Soul-winning makes you wise because it exerts your greatest impact on eternity. It’s one of the few things that survives from earth to eternity, and when you share Christ, it changes people’s eternal trajectory.

William Carey, known as the father of modern missions, said all we need for knowing God’s will is “an open Bible and an open map.” The will of God is missions — the exaltation of God’s glory in all the earth.

Missiologist Ralph Winter said, “The Bible is not the basis of missions; missions is the basis of the Bible.” That means missions must be the core business of every church, including yours, and every Christian, including you! And giving yourself to God’s mission is simply the wisest use of your one and only life. Proverbs 11:30 says,

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and those who wins souls are wise.”

So, let me unpack that proverb by using two key phrases in it: “tree of life” and “wins souls.”

“Tree of life” is used only in Genesis and Revelation, the beginning and end of the Bible.

• Genesis says God created the tree of life for sinless humanity but sin cursed it into perpetual dormancy.
• Revelation says God restores the tree for redeemed man with perpetual access to its healing properties.

Between Eden and Eternity, Proverbs says the righteous are that “tree of life” through the life-giving power of their words. And nothing’s more life-giving than leading a soul to Christ through the witness of your words!

The second phrase, “win souls,” not used other than here, doesn’t refer to traditional evangelism. Here it means influencing another to righteousness — again, that’s missions!

So how do you do that? Three ways:

One, through persuasion — the compelling guidance of a reasoned opinion.

God gives insights for influence, so share your insights respectfully to attract others to Jesus.

Two, influence also happens through your example — an attractive lifestyle.

Titus 2:10 says that by your godly example you actually “make the Gospel of God more attractive.” Henry David Thoreau said, “People will believe what they see. Let them see.” So use your example to win souls to righteousness.

Three, influence happens through investment: the generous use of money.

Listen to Jesus in Luke 16:9,

“Use your wealth to gain friends so they’ll welcome you into your eternal home.” (Lk. 16:9)

Without apology, Jesus says to use your money for what’s eternal — winning souls. As you invest in missions, God easily turns your earthly money into helping people find eternal life.

Jesus turned water into wine; he has no problem turning worldly wealth into saved souls. Think of it this way: a missional investment plunders hell to populates heaven! Want an unbeatable ROI? Your missions’ investment yields a never-ending return. So give to missions—if not through Petros, then somewhere!

Final word on this verse: it not only assigns obvious benefits to a soul saved, but also to a soul-winner.

Soul-winning makes you wise because it exerts your greatest impact on eternity. It’s one of the few things that survives from earth to eternity, and when you share Christ, it changes people’s eternal trajectory.

But soul-winning also makes you wise because it bends the trajectory of your future. Daniel 12:3 says,

“Those who are wise will shine like heaven’s brightness and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.”

The soul-winner is wise, and apparently pretty bright, too! I want my place among the stars of heaven; I want that for you, too!

“ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and those who wins souls are wise. — PROVERBS 11:30

God wants you to be an agent of Redemptive Lift in your village: your home, school, workplace, neighborhood, social network, or wherever you do life. He desires wherever you live to be exalted by your righteousness. This is not just God’s plan for Africa; it is his plan for you!

Proverbs 11:11 tells us,

“By the blessings of the upright the city is exalted”

Not only are souls saved, but Redemptive Lift follows wherever the gospel is proclaimed. By Redemptive Lift, I mean that wherever people respond to the gospel not only are souls saved for eternity, but life for all the villagers gets better immediately.

In other words, when the Good News takes root in a place, the city is exalted.

This is exactly what has happened throughout history. Over the centuries, most of humanity’s great advancements and social reforms were inspired by believers carrying God’s message to their corner of the world.

At Petros Network, our goals aren’t just to plant a certain number of churches or get a certain number of converts but to train our church planters to be the voice of reform, education, and vision casting for all that comes from the domain of God’s goodness within their communities.

The gospel demands of people a better way of living — and it shows them how: better hygiene, clean water, environmental stewardship, human rights, women’s empowerment, protection of vulnerable children, food security, and government that serves the best interest of the people, better family relationships, ethnic harmony, and even taken proper care of animals.

“By the blessings of the upright, the city will be exalted.”

This is our goal, that in place after place, we will see impoverished villages transform into shining lights for all of Africa to see. A pretty lofty goal, I know, but we’ll prevail because the gospel will prevail. Jesus promised it would.

Which brings me to you: God wants you to be an agent of Redemptive Lift in your village: your home, school, workplace, neighborhood, social network, or wherever you do life. He desires wherever you live to be exalted by your righteousness. This is not just God’s plan for Africa; it is his plan for you!

So, is life in your “village” better simply because you’re there? It should be! After all, the gospel is meant to overflow from your life, making you an agent of Redemptive Lift.

Would you join me in asking God where and how he wants to use our righteousness to exalt the little corner of the world in which we live? Seriously, life in your “village” ought to get better simply by virtue of you being there — and with God’s help, it will! 

This is how we change the world! So let’s do it!

Consider partnering with us to create Redemptive Lift around the world as we share, show and spread the Good News of Jesus among the unreached. Learn more about Petros Network and how we are transforming unreached communities with the Redemptive Lift Cycle at petrosnetwork.org.

For decades, it’s been reasoned that having a corporate or a personal mission statement is critical to success. But for the Christ-follower or the Christian organization, nothing could be further from the truth. We shouldn’t be asking “what’s my mission,” but what’s God’s mission, and how can I get on mission with God.

And just what is God’s mission? Nothing less than his glorious rule over a redeemed creation. That means our mission is to proclaim God’s free offer of saving grace through his Son to lost people near and far, inviting them into his loving rule. Especially people who’ve never heard the Good News—the unreached—because where a person is born shouldn’t limit their access to Jesus.

So if we’re to live on mission, then getting the Good News to the unreached must become a driving conviction. I say “driving conviction” because our sin nature is self-focused. We do our best to avoid the determination and discomfort that being missional requires. But when you think about it, being on missions with God is actually self-serving.

You see, missions is the best way to get what you, me, and everybody desires: impact. You best multiply your life impact by being missional.

Your greatest impact will be wherever you do missions.

When you PRAY, GIVE, and GO missionally—to Asia, Africa, South America—people’s response to Christ in those places is your influence over there.

In a real sense, missions is simply you exporting your spiritual DNA to people afar.

The Apostle Paul described it that way when he spoke of the Galatian church he planted in Galatians 4:19,

“I feel as if I’m in labor pains for you…and they’ll continue until Christ is fully formed in you.”

The church in Galatia had Paul’s spiritual DNA! Linda and I came into that revelation a few years ago when we personally sponsored a church planter in Uganda. Watch the video below to hear the full story!

Do you want to live a life of eternal impact? Then live on mission.

Through your praying for, giving to, and going on mission, people will receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus. And throughout eternity, they will thank you for being the conduit of God’s amazing grace to them.

Your missional impact now will yield ever-increasing eternal return on investment.

Friends, this is how you can change the world and impact souls for all eternity.

Learn how you can make an eternal investment today at petrosnetwork.org.

“ Missions is simply you exporting your spiritual DNA to people afar. —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK

SYNOPSIS: My ambition is to plant to plant a church within walking distance of every unreached village on the planet. Why? Because the local church is the hope of the world! So why would I say that? I mean, isn’t Jesus the hope of the world? Well, a church planted in a place—a city, a community, a village—is the most compelling expression of Jesus people will ever see.

Moments With God // Colossians 1:27

God has chosen to make known among the lost the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.

In Colossians 1:27, Paul said that through the church,

“God has chosen to make known among the lost the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you …

In the Greek text of the New Testament, “you” is plural … Christ in the church, “the hope of glory.”

That’s why church planting is the primary passion of Petros Network.

In ten years, we’ve planted over six thousand churches that have preached the gospel to over five million people and have led over 1.1 million people to faith in Jesus.

And the testimonies coming from these churches are like what believers in the book of Acts experienced‚signs, wonders, miracles, even resurrections from the dead. Be sure to watch the video below to hear an incredible resurrection story that happened just a few months ago.

The local church—the collection of God’s people in a specific place—brings the hope of glory to the world because it’s the most compelling expression of God’s love, his grace, and his power.

It’s the conduit of healing, deliverance, restoration of marriages, reconciliation between people, and yes, even literal resurrections from the dead.

Sign up for our Petros Network newsletter, we’ll keep you up to date on these modern-day miracle stories.

Petros Network’s mission is sending missionary church planters because that’s how Jesus becomes known among the unreached.

So I invite you to leverage your praying and your giving to help us plant the church within walking distance of every village on the planet!

You can save a soul and transform a village by sending an indigenous church planter today.

This is how we change the world.

Check out the different ways you can give today at petrosnetwork.org/donate.

“ A church planted in a place—a city, a community, a village—is the most compelling expression of Jesus people will ever see. —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK

SYNOPSIS: Every time you look into the eyes of another person, you’re seeing a soul God so loves that He sent his Son to die for them. So if lost people matter to a missionary God that much, then crossing borders—the street, the railroad tracks, the ocean—to reach them with his love must become our driving mission as well. Now that will require the realignment of our priorities, it will take our focus, and it will demand our sacrifice, but it will be worth it because it will put us squarely on mission with God.

“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.”

So if getting more intensely missionary means getting closer to Jesus, and if getting closer to Jesus requires getting more intensely missionary, then sign me up!

How about you?

But that’s easier said than done. You see, if you’re like me, your fallen nature is self-centered. We focus on ourselves … we put our wants, our needs, our preferences ahead of everything else.

So being on mission with God requires the realignment of our priorities and sacrifice and focus. It requires fierce conviction that becomes our driving force for being fully on mission.

Bottom Line: Lost people matter to God, so they must matter to us, as well!

Click below to hear an inspiring story of a woman in East Africa who has given her live to take the Good News of Jesus to her own people.

I invite you to partner with me today to tell the whole world about Jesus, one unreached village at a time.

Did you know that when you partner with Petros Network it only costs $3600 to plant a thriving reproducing church in a difficult, hard-to-reach place through an indigenous missionary?

Check out the different ways you can give today and join me in being intensely missionary at petrosnetwork.org/donate.

“ Let God dislocate your heart for the lost … it’s the first step for becoming intensely missionary! —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK

Why do we plant churches? Simply because the Church is the only hope of the world. For this reason, Petros Network is passionately committed to planting local churches among those who have no access to a gospel witness.

You see, the Church—the spiritual community of Christ-followers in a particular place—is the most compelling expression of Jesus a village will ever witness. I further explain this in the video below.

That is why the Apostle Paul said that through the church, “God has chosen to make known among the lost the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you [that is, Christ in the church], the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27) Yes, the church planted in a village is its only hope.

So, we invite you to join us in the mission of planting churches within walking distance of every unreached village on Planet Earth. Let’s join Jesus, who proclaimed, “I will build my church, and not even the gates of hell can keep it out.” (Matthew 16:18) Let’s plant the church.

It costs $3600 to engage, equip and empower an indigenous missionary to plant a reproducing church in an unreached village. See how you can get involved at petrosnetwork.org.

“ Friends, this is how we change the world. —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK

Missiologist Christopher J. H. Wright states, “It is not that God has a mission for his church in the world but that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission.”

That is a clear and compelling call to get on mission with God.

And just what is God’s mission? It is the establishment of God’s glorious rule over a redeemed creation. Therefore, that is your mission, your church’s mission, and the mission of Petros Network, too. That is why we exist.

Now, God has called Petros Network to particularly focus its mission on reaching the 3.2 billion people on the planet who have never heard the gospel before. Our vision is to plant gospel preaching churches within walking distance of every unreached person in the world. For sure, that is a lofty, if not impossible goal, but it is our goal, nonetheless.

You see, we passionately believe that where a person is born should not limit their access to Jesus and the blessings of his kingdom. For that reason, we have established our missiology upon taking the gospel of the kingdom to each of the world’s 7,200 unreached ethnic groups.

In fact, we believe it is these unreached people groups to which Jesus is referring when he said,

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations [Greek: panta ta Ethne], and then the end will come” (Matt 24:14).

In this series of video blogs, we want to lay out that missiology in such a compelling way that you and your church will embrace it as your own as well.  Thank you for taking a moment to watch this brief introductory video that makes the case for reaching the unreached.

“ Where a person is born should not limit their access to Jesus and the blessings of his kingdom. —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK