Hello there, friend. We’re just coming back from our Radical Staff Retreat. Having a team that is spread all over the globe makes our annual gatherings extremely special. Some of the jokes that don’t land over chat or a video call work perfectly when we’re together.

And while that’s great, what’s even greater is spending time in prayer, studying God’s Word, and planning for the future of Radical—together, shoulder to shoulder—with other believers who all have one mission in mind: To follow Jesus and make him known everywhere. We left this time refocused, refueled, and ready to tackle the tasks set before us.

In today’s edition:

• Praying for what seems impossible to happen 

• How to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord

• Jesus has to be the center for things to get better

🇹🇷 Less than 1% know Christ, but it wasn’t always like this.

The Details: Did you know that Turkey was once known as the capital of Christianity? In fact, in 325 AD, Christian leaders met in Nicea, Turkey—known as Isnik today—to write the Nicene Creed. That creed is still a core belief statement held by many churches around the globe.

But today, Turkey has a 99% Muslim population. There are only a handful of believers and churches, and Turkish churches face government restrictions, social opposition, and sometimes even physical violence.

The Takeaways: Despite such a small Christian population, we know that with God, nothing is impossible. So we pray that one day we may see Turkey be a capital of Christianity once again.

Pray that God would open the hearts of Turkish Muslims, to give Turkish believers the boldness and wisdom to share the gospel, and for persecution to lessen.

🧎🏾A life of reckless abandon for the Lord

Elisabeth Elliot once said, “I have one desire now—to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.”

And she did. After her husband Jim was killed by the Huaronai, the remote jungle tribe he was seeking to share the gospel with, Elisabeth could’ve walked away. A widow, a single mother, grieving the loss of her husband and friends.

Instead, she placed her focus on and faith in Jesus. She wrote, “But the question to precede all others, which finally determines the course of our lives is, what do I really want? Was it to love what God commands, in the words of the collect, and to desire what He promises? Did I want what I wanted, or did I want what He wanted, no matter what it might cost?”

A couple of years later, Elisabeth lived among and shared the gospel with the same tribe who had killed her husband. Many became believers. Today, there is a continued gospel presence among the Huaronai.

Elisabeth’s story may be unique, but her obedience to God—no matter the circumstance, pain, or cost—shouldn’t be.

Are you considering how you can live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord? Do you love God’s commands—like the Great Commission, sharing the gospel with your neighbors and the nations? Are you praying to God to lead you to do what he wants you to do, no matter the cost?

Let’s live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord so that we may show Christ those around us.

—Selah Lipsey

🇯🇵 Try as we might, if Jesus isn’t the center, things won’t get better.

From April 15th until October 13th, the World Expo is taking place in Osaka, Japan, receiving an estimated 28 million visitors. It’s an event that brings nations together, celebrates innovation, and tackles big questions to better society. This year’s theme is "Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”

But as Christians, we know a future that focuses on technology or economics or new inventions can’t actually be better if Jesus isn’t at the center of it all. And Japan, the host country, only has about a 2% Christian population. 

How to Pray: As nations come to Japan over the next few months to the World Expo, pray that believers may be among the travellers and that they may have the chance to have gospel conversations during their time in Japan. With such little gospel and church presence, pray for the gospel to be known and spread throughout Japan. Pray for missionaries to be equipped and sent, disciples to be made, and for healthy churches to be planted.

📍 Attention Worthy

• Why does it seem so rare to see young unmarried men on the mission field? Brooks Buser suggests three reasons and then issues a stirring call for young men to “give up small dreams and come fight for the cause of the King.”

• Do you struggle with daily devotions? Do you find it difficult to understand what you’re reading in Scripture? Here are 6 Habits for Successful Bible Study.

• Whether you're new to reading the Bible or seeking a fresh approach to study and apply it, How to Read the Bible (David Platt’s new book) provides the tools and insights you need to explore Scripture with greater clarity and purpose. Get a copy now!

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS:

Selah Lipsey, Steven Morales, Jairo Namnún, David Platt, Camille Suazo

MAKE JESUS KNOWN EVERYWHERE!