The Austin Stone Podcast

Believing the Lord was calling him to be on mission in the advertising world, Oliver applied and was accepted into the creative department of the University of Texas. However, feeling unqualified, he found himself failing his classes. As he began to question where the Lord was leading him, Oliver's childhood friends invited him to join their team in making disciples in South East Asia. Comforted by the truth that the blood of Christ qualifies him, Oliver joined his friends in answering God's call to the Nations.

Growing up, Sam developed a heart for unreached people groups. His passion for taking the gospel to the lost eventually led him and his wife to move to the Middle East, but he struggled with how ineffective his words seemed to be in drawing people to faith in Christ. A shift in theology encouraged him to remain on the field. Now, as a pastor of a church, Sam has found freedom in knowing that God alone is responsible for drawing the people of his region to Jesus.

Joe and Taylor had a longing to share the gospel in Central Asia for many years. When God finally opened the door for them to serve in that region, they immediately felt a tension between knowing there would be some difficulty serving overseas and thinking there would also be some "glamour" to the suffering. Heartache struck almost as soon as they arrived, and Joe and Taylor had to lean into God’s sovereignty more than ever.

Tyler David teaches on Peter's call for servants to be subject to their masters from 1 Peter 2:18-21.

During her first few months on the field in Central Asia, Janet struggled with loneliness and unexpected trials. Without the comforts of home to lean on, Janet knew that Jesus was the only hope she could cling to. As Janet and her team share the gospel in an unreached region, they are daily witnessing that God is bringing life to an otherwise spiritually dead country—and with this, they endure.

Greg Breazeale teaches on how Christians should relate to government from 1 Peter 2:13-17.

After serving overseas for just a few months, Alice travelled back to the States to visit family. Upon returning to her location, she was confronted by authorities and interrogated. During a long and uncertain court trial involving Alice, she experienced the love of Christ through the local community who testified in her defense and reminded her that it was worth remaining among the people God called her to. 

Matt Carter teaches on abstaining from fleshly lusts from 1 Peter 2:11.

“Rape, incest, terrorism…I think these things exist because people don’t know Jesus.” That is what initially spurred Kevin to the field. While in the Middle East, Kevin witnessed the aftermath of an attack from Muslim jihadists. In the midst of all circumstances, Kevin still encourages his Arab brothers in Christ to follow Jesus, despite the oppression they face from their culture. Through prayer and obedience to God, Kevin has seen the gospel transform the life of a man he is discipling and how it brought reconciliation to familial relationships that were previously bound by guilt and shame.

Matt Carter teaches on our identity in Christ from 1 Peter 2:7-10.