How should missionaries, churches, and sending agencies think about danger on the mission field? In this episode, Caleb Greggsen joins the conversation to explore risk, suffering, resurrection hope, and what it means to count the cost of obedience in global missions.

Topics Discussed

01:00 – A Missionary Kid’s Story of Evacuation
Caleb shares his personal experience of evacuation from Pakistan and how risk affects entire families—not just individual missionaries.

03:15 – Resurrection Hope and Risk
Why prioritizing physical safety above all else can undermine belief in the resurrection—and how eternal hope reframes danger.

06:00 – Biblical Patterns of Risk (Acts & Paul)
How missionaries should weigh counsel from others against personal conviction and calling.

08:50 – Personality, Wisdom, and Risk Tolerance
Recognizing natural tendencies toward caution or boldness—and how they shape decision-making.

10:30 – The Sluggard vs. the Wise (Proverbs)
Understanding the difference between avoiding responsibility due to fear and wisely navigating real danger.

12:45 – Counting the Cost Before Crisis
Why missionaries and sending churches must have conversations about risk before entering the field.

18:30 – The Pressure of Real-Time News
How instant global information creates anxiety and pressure—and why on-the-ground perspective matters most.

24:30 – The Role of Sending Agencies
What a healthy risk posture looks like and why agencies must accept the possibility of loss.

31:45 – Risk as a Discipleship Issue
How missionary decisions influence local believers watching their example.

34:00 – Unity Amid Different Decisions
Why two faithful missionaries may make different choices—and how to maintain charity.

36:00 – Worldly vs. Godly Wisdom in Crisis
How comfort, pragmatism, and cultural norms shape evangelical responses to risk.

39:00 – Authority, Responsibility, and Decision-Making
The importance of collaboration between agencies, churches, and field leaders.

42:00 – Final Reflections on Gospel Priorities
Letting mission and faithfulness—not fear—drive decisions.

Mentioned Resources

Risk Is Right: Better to Lose Your Life Than to Waste It – John Piper

John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides – Paul Schlehlein

In the Presence of My Enemies – Gracia Burnham