January 16, 2025 • 35 mins
The episode revolves around the intersection of biblical artifacts that prove the historic value of the Word of God and the future of world missions. The conversation between host Helen Todd and renowned historian Dr. Scott Carroll emphasizes the importance of history in deepening one's faith. Dr. Scott Carroll shares insights into his extraordinary collection, highlighting how each artifact tells a story of God's word and mission throughout the ages.
• Overview of the Greater Purpose Conference in Branson, MO
• Significance of exploring rare Bible artifacts
• Dr. Scott Carroll's journey in curating biblical history
• Spiritual impact of ancient artifacts on modern faith
• Unique stories behind selected artifacts
• The challenges of acquiring and preserving ancient treasures
• Insights on who benefits most from the conference
• Importance of missions in the preservation of faith
• Final call to action for audience participation in the conference
The learn more about the Greater Purpose Conference and the Inspired Exhibit, go here: https://rfwma.org/greaterpurpose/
Thanks for listening! Visit our website rfwma.org and follow us on Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/limitlessspiritpodcast/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Limitless Spirit, a weekly podcast with
host Helen Todd, where sheinterviews guests about pursuing
spiritual growth, discoveringlife's purpose through serving
others and developing a deeperfaith in Christ.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hello and welcome to Limitless Spirit, the podcast
where we explore theintersection of faith and daily
life.
I'm your host, helen Todd, andI'm so glad you're here with us
today.
Our life has a greater purposethat God has for each one of us,
and if deepening your faith andliving a more purposeful life
(00:37):
is part of your New Year'sresolution, we're less than
three months away from theGreater Purpose Conference.
It is hosted by World MissionsAlliance and will take place
April 9th, 10th and 11th inBranson, missouri, at the
beautiful Thousand Hills Hotel.
Inspired is the theme of theconference this year.
(00:57):
It is really for anyone whoneeds a boost to truly live out
your faith.
If you're looking to acquire avision that has no limits or
overcome the fear of leavingcomfort zone, it's a great event
for you.
If you have a lifelong dream ofdoing something more for God
(01:18):
that you love and worship, ifyou have a heart for the Great
Commission, this is a perfectevent to attend.
And this conference reallystands out among many other
Christian events because itcombines the focus on the
present and the future ofmissions with an extraordinary
exhibit of some of the rarestarchaeological discoveries that
(01:41):
trace the history and the impactof the Bible through centuries.
There's so much more happeningat this conference and I'm going
to highlight it after theinterview, but in this episode
we're diving into the highlightsof this exhibit as I chat with
Dr Scott Carroll, aworld-renowned scholar,
historian and the curator ofrare Bible artifacts.
(02:05):
In fact, I call him in thisinterview a Christian Indiana
Jones.
Dr Carroll is here to tell youwhat you can expect to see and
experience while walking throughhis incredible collection of
artifacts that will be ondisplay at the Greater Purpose
Conference.
So grab a cup of coffee or teaand let's get started.
(02:27):
Hello Scott, welcome to theLimitless Spirit.
How are you today?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
I'm doing well, thanks, and I'm excited to be
with you.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I look forward to talking about our joint event
that we're doing in just oh mygoodness, what is it in?
Just three months?
It's coming up real quickly andit's Inspired Conference in
Branson, missouri, that combinesour annual missions event with
(02:56):
your incredible exhibit ofunique, ancient, rare Bible
artifacts.
So we're going to do our besttoday in our conversation to
highlight your exhibit.
And why would someoneabsolutely not want to miss the
opportunity to come to theconference and see this exhibit?
(03:20):
So first let's talk about you alittle bit.
So what inspired you to becomethe collector and the curator of
these rare Bible artifacts?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Right.
Well, I came to faith incollege to try to help people
understand its trustworthinessand reliability.
That led me into the study ofnot only the Bible but ancient
(03:57):
and church history and ancientlanguages, which eventually led
to a master's degree in churchhistory and a PhD in something
called ancient studies, which isbasically the study of the
ancient biblical world,languages associated with it and
archaeology.
And my career ministry begantraditionally in the university
(04:22):
and seminary and I taughtcollectively about 20 years that
way.
But because of my background inGod's providence, I had been
put in contact with collectorsof rare items.
They're around the world.
These people have outstandingcollections but oftentimes don't
(04:42):
know exactly what they have,and so my background and
training enabled me to help themunderstand, define what they
have, understand its importance.
This led then to a broadercommunity.
I began working with collectorsin the 1990s, worked with the
largest private collection atthat time of biblically related
(05:03):
things in the 1990s, worked withthe largest private collection
at that time of biblicallyrelated things in the world and
directed that.
I left the university In the2000s I directed the Hobby Lobby
Green Family Collection, whichis the basis for the Museum of
the Bible.
So they had nothing, zero, andduring my time with them they
(05:24):
collected 63,000 items.
So God allowed me to see andtouch and handle all kinds of
things that no one has been able, no one collectively, had been
able to see, and I realized theprivilege of that.
It was a schooling for me and Iwanted to use that for ministry
(05:45):
, and so we partnered withprivate collectors and some
things that we have of our own asmall collection and put
together a traveling exhibitthat would be very focused on
what we thought would be themost important spiritual issues
surrounding the history of theBible and its preservation.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So, basically, to put it in a nutshell, scott, you
are a Christian version ofIndiana Jones.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
In a nutshell, I don't know, but someone said
that In the 1990s we co-directedan excavation in the Sahara.
But my interests were less interms of working in the field
like that and more in terms ofdiscovery and identification and
certainly the ministry aspectof it.
(06:37):
But yes, some have made thoseconnections, but they're not
true.
So, for those who are notfamiliar with your exhibit,
let's talk about what makes yourconnection unique and
significant that we choose to doso in any location, tell a
unique story of how the Biblewas put together, translated,
(07:09):
preserved over history and theimpact it's had.
Of course, core to that is astory of missions.
I mean it's Romans, chapter 10.
The story of missions is theWord of God and proclaiming it,
and so so much entwined in thisnarrative is the story of the
(07:29):
creation of alphabets andteaching people to read and the
translation of scripture.
And so we wanted to puttogether, from items that we
borrow, that are loaned to us,items that we have, a narrative
that tells the story that theBible is reliable, that tells a
(07:50):
story that we have excellentevidence for it, that tells a
story that has been copiedaccurately over time, that tells
a story of missions andoutreach and the expansion of
the kingdom and tells the storythat it's been preserved
wonderfully by God.
So each of the items that weselect is part of that
(08:13):
storytelling, the narration, andso we want to be in our case.
The items are very carefullycurated and they're not just
haphazardly chosen.
They're chosen specifically torelate to important theological
issues, to underscore, so that aperson leaving who's a person
(08:33):
of faith will not only beinspired to read the Bible, but
they'll read it with confidence,and that a person not a person
of faith will have a newinterest in exploring the
message of the Bible.
So the bottom line is that thethings that a visitor will see
at this exhibit cannot be seenanywhere else in the world.
(08:53):
You can go to the BritishMuseum, the British Library, to
the Vatican, to Pierpont MorganLibrary, to the Museum of the
Bible, and they'll have similarthings that overlap, and we'll
have things that they have.
But the whole collection ofitems that will be displayed
will be one of a kind andthey're not just put out and
(09:17):
displayed.
We have trained docents thatspiritually and energetically
interact with visitors so that,if they wish, they can know more
about the items that are there.
We really have a spiritualmission of what we do.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
I had the privilege of walking through the exhibit
very quickly because it was thevery last day.
It was so jam-packed withpeople, but I was fortunate
enough to have your personaltour of walking through it and I
was just blown away by some ofthe artifacts.
So, to highlight it to ourlisteners, what are some of the
(09:57):
most extraordinary or rarepieces in the exhibit?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Right, so happy to do that.
So things are arrangedchronologically relatively and
they fall, for the upcomingconference, into five areas.
The first area is the ancientworld, and this includes ancient
writings on clay tablets thatdate to the time of Abraham and
earlier.
They date to the time of Danieland Nebuchadnezzar and they
(10:25):
tell us about their world andthey tell us about how it
connects with the Bible and howthe Bible is accurate and can be
understood.
So I would point to that.
We have ancient non-biblicalpapyri, so early ancient paper
made from plant material.
We'll have an early fragment ofclassical writings like Homer's
(10:48):
Iliad that was kind of like theBible.
In the ancient world.
We have ancient seals fromscribes.
There are, I should mention,most.
Everything is authentic.
There are a few items that areon display that are exact museum
facsimiles because they can'tbe borrowed.
They'll never be borrowed,They'll never come to Branson to
(11:11):
a conference like this.
So in which case in ourdescriptions and everything
comes with careful descriptionsfor people to read it's
indicated clearly that it's anexact facsimile.
It will be the closest thatanyone will ever get to that
item ever in their lifetime.
So it's not to be concernedabout in any way.
(11:32):
I say that to introduce, wehave a seal, a scribe seal that
was recently discovered.
It's now in Jerusalem.
We have an exact copy of itfrom Isaiah.
It says this belongs to Isaiahthe prophet, and someone can see
that and it has his fingerprinton it.
(11:52):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
That was my favorite piece, by the way.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh, really yes.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Hearing that the fingerprint of Isaiah was a deep
spiritual experience.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It is, and it's selected for that, and it's
connected with writing.
And you know, in a day and agewhere we hear all these things
didn't happen, they didn't exist, our kids are taught that and,
grandkids, we have wonderfulevidence preserved by God to
show that they did.
And so the ancient world isdesigned to give us confidence
(12:25):
in the Bible.
In the Old Testament area wehave a copy of the Great Isaiah
Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
If you go to Israel to see theDead Sea Scrolls when things
settle down there, you'll neversee the real one.
You'll see a facsimile andthat's what you see with us.
It's way too fragile to put outon exhibit, but ours is the
(12:48):
finest copy in the world and youcan see the oldest complete
text of the Old Testament, 150years older than Jesus' time,
and when it's compared with theHebrew text of Isaiah today,
it's 99% the same.
So it's just amazing.
So we have Old Testamentrecords.
(13:08):
We have Old Testamenttranslations, which is a story
of missions, beginning thereWith New Testament.
We have the oldest fragments ofthe New Testament and oldest
copies of complete Bibles of theNew Testament, of the entire
Bible, with medieval, the fourtharea.
(13:28):
My reckoning is there are about15 major medieval languages
that scripture is preserved in,and this period is oftentimes
called the Dark Ages, from about400 AD to about 1450 AD.
But I hope the exhibit saysloud and clear that it was not a
(13:52):
dark age but an age of light,an age of the expansion of the
gospel, that God was not asleep,that he was alive and working
through missionaries who weretaking the gospel to faraway
lands, in this case, themanuscripts of the 15 languages.
We have about 12.
You'll never, ever anywhere,museum of the Bible, any museum
(14:16):
in the world, ever be able tosee that many languages of
scripture handwritten in oneplace.
I'm just telling you, this ismy world.
You'll never see that again.
And it's powerful.
And they're divided up bycontinent.
So what was God doing?
First in Asia, and one of thethings in Asia, we have a scroll
(14:38):
that comes from the end of theSilk Road in China of the Book
of Esther, and we have a copy ofone of the earliest Christian
texts in China, dating to 600,to show the expansion of the
gospel.
We have early manuscripts fromAfrica.
We have early manuscripts fromEurope.
(14:58):
So that's that area Veryexciting to me.
It always.
And the final area for thisconference is our scriptures
that have survived intensepersecution.
We call it theindestructibility of the Bible,
that God's Word stands forever,and so we have a scroll that
(15:20):
survived the Spanish Inquisition.
There are seven in the world,one will be in Branson.
Just to give you the idea theimpact of that, there's a scroll
that was attempted to be burnedby the Nazis.
There are books of scripturethat were cut apart to be used
in covers of later books thathave been preserved.
(15:41):
There are writings of scripturefound in the cover of Mao's
Little Red Book.
There's a handwritten prisonepistles Paul's epistles,
written in Russian by a Baptistpastor who was imprisoned three
times.
The third time he wasimprisoned and sent to a gulag
in Siberia was for printingscripture.
(16:04):
While in prison he's handcopying scripture and
distributing it to prisoners.
We've been blessed to have acopy of that, and so these kinds
of things culminate theexperience.
There'll be some hands-onactivity for people as well, but
that's the tip of the iceberg,helen.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Well, I'm getting excited, as you're sharing this,
because how inspiring it is forpeople who have a heart for
missions, who are perhapspersonally involved in missions,
to see how the Word of Godstands through the centuries,
the impact that it makes throughthe centuries, and that it's
(16:44):
indestructible, just like Godhimself is.
You know, I feel like combinedwith the event that is purposed
to point you towards.
You know, discovering yourgreater purpose through missions
.
This is just this perfectcombination of history and
future put together.
(17:04):
So I have to ask do you have apersonal favorite artifact and,
if so, why does it resonate withyou personally?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Yeah, my goodness, that's so hard.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
It's like asking who your favorite child is.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I know that's unfair, helen, that's not fair.
Let me pick something that iscompletely off the map.
All right, I love it all.
Everyone has been selected fromother items and they're
personally chosen specificallyfor your event, our event
(17:43):
together.
Let me just point out one thatjust is a curiosity that would
be missed on people.
There are a number of examplesof medieval.
So this period between 1400 and1400, handwritten copies,
translations of scripture fromvarious continents, many of them
(18:03):
date before the conversion of,like Constine and rome.
So people were being convertedto christianity with missionary
efforts in armenia and in africaand other parts of asia before
rome was being converted, andpeople are unaware of that.
So let me choose one of theobjects that will be on exhibit
(18:26):
which is just to someone, mightbe a walk-by or pass-by, but
underscores this story ofmissions and scripture.
We have a fragment there areonly a handful in the world of
scripture in old Nubian Now, theNubian people lived beneath it
would be modern-day Sudan,war-torn, civil war Christians,
(18:49):
muslims, situated between Egyptand Ethiopia.
Well, these people wereconverted to Christianity in the
300s, in the 400s, bymissionaries, in this case from
Egypt, and going back evenearlier to the Book of Acts,
with the Ethiopian eunuch, goingback to the time of his service
(19:13):
in the court of Candace.
Candace is a name, like Caesar,it's a royal title.
She was a queen of a city ofMeroe, which is in Sudan.
So we know Christianity gotthere very, very early on, but
there are very few records ofScripture that survive.
Well, one of the fragments willbe on display and it's a
collection of verses that areread in the liturgy for the
(19:36):
church, so throughout the yearthey would read different
passages of Scripture.
In this case, the page that'sbeen preserved is the reading of
the liturgy for Christmas, andone of the verses that's in
there is, on God's word, that itstands forever and cannot be
destroyed and is the bread ofour life.
(19:56):
And to think that over athousand years ago they're
reading that and that it's thesame kind of thing that
resonates to us in this season,it's just powerful, it's just so
.
I would choose that one out ofthe 50 that will be on display.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
That is incredible and you're so right.
I would have walked past it andprobably missed it, but that is
absolutely phenomenal.
Well, hopefully our listenerswill come to the conference,
(20:31):
listeners will come to theconference and, thanks to your
highlight, don't miss on thisvery, very inspiring and unique
piece of history.
So, going back to our IndianaJones angle, I have to ask are
there any interesting orunexpected acquisition stories
of how certain artifacts werediscovered or acquired for this
exhibit?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Yeah, for this exhibit.
You know a lot of them becausethey come from private
collections, are private stories, but there are many, many
stories of discovery that areabsolutely thrilling, absolutely
(21:10):
thrilling Indiana Jones-likethroughout history, as God's
preserved his word.
There's a story of two sistersfrom Cambridge, self-taught
scholars in a world wherescholars were all men,
presbyterian sisters.
Their husbands died.
They went off on an adventureto discover manuscripts in
dangerous places.
They went to Cairo, to asynagogue in Cairo, and they had
(21:31):
heard that things were comingout of the synagogue.
The curator of the synagogueallowed them to go in to the
second floor.
They put a ladder up to anopening in the wall.
One of the sisters climbed up.
She looked inside.
She looked down to her sisterand to a Cambridge scholar who
was there.
They said what do you see?
She said it's simplyindescribable.
(21:54):
There was a pile of over 200,000manuscripts in a closed off
room and it's taken over 100years to go through.
This is 50 years before theDead Sea Scrolls, but in that
assortment there are over400,000 together.
There are over 25,000 texts ofScripture that were found in
(22:15):
that, and these are things noone in the world even knows
about, and we will have afragment that came from that
that will be on display in theOld Testament area.
So that's one small example.
There are many, many examplesand we try to tell some of the
stories when we bring thevisitor through, to make the
experience meaningful.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Very good point.
So our listeners will have tocome to the exhibits to find out
some other exciting stories.
The real life Indiana Jonesstories.
The real life Indiana.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Jones stories.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Let's talk about the spiritual significance of these
artifacts.
So in what way do they bringthe scripture to life and deepen
people's understanding ofBible's relevance for today?
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Right.
So God's word is so precious,it's precious to him, it's his
message to us, and I look atthese objects as having been
preserved by God for us, notjust preserved for an academic
library or for a museum wherethere's no connection spiritual
connection with people, butliterally preserved to help
(23:22):
further his will in our lives.
So each and every one of theseitems, you know, is handwritten
by individuals and took years todo and to preserve, and that
they've been preserved.
He has a purpose in it and wehope, by prayer and design, to
fulfill that purpose, so thatthese things are meaningful and
(23:46):
memorable in the life ofChristians and for those who are
non-Christians that might opentheir eyes to the incredible,
spiritually significant messageof the Bible.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
You must have faced some challenges in curating or
preserving these artifacts.
Yeah, Would you mind sharingsome of them?
Yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
I mean just in general, to do what we feel
called to do to assemble itemsfrom, to know where things are
around the world, to haverelationships with people,
genuine relationships where youcan borrow treasures that are
extremely valuable and extremelyrare, and then to ship them,
(24:28):
oftentimes to dicey areas wherewe feel called and have an open
door to go to, and then tocreate something and the
security, the shipping, the carefor them around that, the
research that goes on and theteaching and the training of
volunteers and people.
It's a lot.
(24:49):
It's a lot of work and a lot ofmoving parts.
We've had items in countrieswhere they've held them up and
have wanted us to pay bribes toget them out, and we don't.
We prayerfully wait for God'sintercession and he has
interceded.
There are all sorts ofchallenges along the way that
way, but there are a lot ofmoving parts and it's not a
(25:12):
simple thing to do, but we'regrateful to have the opportunity
to do it.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Well, and I know that you have presented the exhibit
in some countries that are evenhostile towards Christianity.
I find that extraordinary, howyou have that opportunity.
You know it's the mission field, so God opens doors for you.
Have you experienced anyhostility towards the exhibit
(25:40):
because of its spiritualsignificance?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Well, let me say I mean I want you all to know that
we are a ministry.
We're driven by a passion forministry.
At the same time, god has givenus our Roman citizenship, which
is I'm an academic, I'm a PhD,I'm a scholar, and so we end up
not always, but a lot of times,the majority of times we're
(26:03):
doing things at nationallibraries, at museums, at
universities, and so we'recoming in at a level that's
unique and it provides a kind ofcredibility.
It provides a covering ofcredibility for the church in
that country or in that region.
The guard is let down and a lotof we have very commonly, a
(26:26):
large majority of people thatcome to the exhibit are not
believers.
We just came from Seoul, korea.
Probably 40% of the people werenot Christians that came to the
exhibit.
We had just one small example.
A guy came up to me afterwards.
We were talking aboutmanuscripts and handwriting and
reading ancient texts.
He's a PhD student in ancientphilosophy, a Buddhist.
(26:50):
He came from three hours away.
He gathered up four of hisfriends.
He spent hours in the exhibit.
This is not uncommon in thesettings that we're in, so it's
a very kind of uniqueopportunity that God's given us.
Hong Kong.
We were in Hong Kong when itwas still more open.
What we did in Hong Kong wecould not do in Hong Kong today,
probably more open.
What we did in Hong Kong wecould not do in Hong Kong today.
(27:12):
Probably We'd have to have manyrestrictions and hurdles.
We had a problem there withsomebody that was a fascist, a
Nazi, who many of the items areHebrew scrolls and Jewish
writings, and he came in and wehad troubles with him there.
(27:33):
That led to an arrest, but Godpreserved the items and the
ministry.
We've had troubles in EasternEurope at that level with border
control and things of thatnature.
We had an exhibit in Russiawhere we were part of the
international Russian culturalevent in St Petersburg.
(27:57):
So we were one of theinternational exhibitors, so we
came under an umbrella.
That was completely differentthan coming in with a church.
We were in Belarus for a monthat their national library and
they very kindly said it was thelargest cultural experience
they've ever had in the historyof their country.
There were people.
(28:18):
They were being bussed in fromall the surrounding countries.
They would line up for a half amile waiting to come in in the
courtyard.
Tens of thousands of peoplecame, but surprisingly it was
not with.
Even Lukashenko's.
One of his sons came to theexhibit, so it was amazing.
(28:41):
Putin sent some of his securityguard to come for me to take
them through because we weregoing to Russia.
Next In Belarus, the KGB theleading officials of the KGB
came to the exhibit and I tookthem through the exhibit.
They wanted me to take themthrough.
Like you, helen, I took themthrough and we got two Armenian
(29:04):
manuscripts and two of them litup because they were from
Armenia and they began takingselfies in front of the Armenian
Gospels and they said to mehave you ever been to Armenia?
And I said no.
They looked at me and they saidwe can get you there.
So I'm thinking you know.
(29:25):
Inspired exhibit sponsored bythe KGB.
Who knows what God will do?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
That is incredible and that drives the point.
This exhibit is going to be inBranson for two days only, and
it's an extremely rareopportunity.
So I encourage all of ourlisteners who can make it to
Branson, or maybe live close toBranson, not to miss that
(29:51):
opportunity.
Just the impact that you'redescribing, I think, highlights
perfectly how extraordinary andvaluable this experience is.
So, as we're talking about this, who do you think is going to
get the most out of this exhibit?
Is it for history enthusiasts?
Is it for anyone who ispassionate about their faith?
(30:14):
Is it for families?
Who do you think is the targetaudience?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah well, let me presume to try to say it from
God's perspective.
The 50-some items that will beon exhibit have been preserved
by him to tell a message to hispeople.
These things have beenpreserved thousands of years.
They're brought there for themto see and for them to hear the
message from each and every oneof them, to give them a greater
(30:40):
love for their Bible and adeeper appreciation for it.
Don't be deceived, listeners.
Satan has had a plan throughouthistory to undermine God's
truth, and he's very activedoing that in the university.
He's very active doing that inthe pulpit of the church.
He's very active doing that atall levels of our society.
(31:00):
This is for you.
If you're listening to this,you have friends, you have
university students.
It's a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity to learn and
appreciate from these things.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
And, of course, since this exhibit is happening in
the combination with the GreaterPurpose Conference, that has
the theme inspired.
It's kind of a full,well-rounded experience of being
exposed to what is happening inthe Great Commission today.
What are people who are calledto missions not necessarily,
(31:39):
maybe, to long-term missions,but even fulfilling the Great
Commission short-term?
What opportunities do they havetoday to do the same thing that
people who are highlightedthrough your exhibit have done
in history?
History continues and thefuture is ahead of us and we're
told to go and make disciplesshare the good news, and so I
(32:04):
can't imagine an experience moreuplifting for any believer in
Christ or anyone maybe who iseven just curious about
Christianity to see thiscombination of past, present and
the future.
I think it's a great, greatexperience.
(32:24):
Thank you so much, Scott, forthis interview.
I look forward to hosting youguys and Branson, to doing this
event together and reallywatching what God accomplishes
through it.
We're just his instruments inthat and the rest is up to him.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
We're thrilled to be there with you, so we're looking
forward to it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Personally, I would not want to miss such a rare
opportunity.
I encourage you to register assoon as you can.
As we mentioned in theinterview, the exhibit is on
display for two days only andthe conference consists of five
incredible sections, with DrCarroll's final presentation
that will tie everythingtogether at the very last
(33:12):
session.
If you have a heart formissions, there is so much more
happening at the conferencebesides the exhibit.
You will receive the latestnews from what's happening
around the world and the world'shot spots.
In the Great Commission youwill find practical advice on
how to get started in missions.
If you're a seasoned missionary,there are plenty of
(33:34):
opportunities to serve in theupcoming year and you will even
have a chance to win a freemission trip for the year 2026.
So to register and find outmore information, you can visit
the website rfwmaorg forwardgreater purpose.
That's where you can register.
(33:56):
That's where there is a list ofspeakers, a schedule of events.
You can RSVP for the welcomereception that kicks it off.
Again, the website is rfwmaorgslash forward greater purpose.
Thank you, dr Carol, forsharing your expertise and
(34:16):
passion with us, and thank youfor tuning in to Limitless
Spirit.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to subscribe, leave
a review and share it withsomeone who would love to hear
it.
Until next time, I'm Helen Todd.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Limitless Spirit Podcast is produced by World
Missions Alliance.
We believe that changed liveschange lives.
If your life was transformed byChrist, you are equipped to
help others experience thistransformation.
Christ called his followers tomake disciples across the world.
World Missions Alliance givesyou an opportunity to do this
(34:55):
through short-term missions inover 32 countries across the
globe.
If you want to help those whoare hurting and hopeless and
discover your greater purpose inserving, check out our website,
rfwmaorg, and find out how toget involved.
Welcome to Limitless Spirit, a weekly podcast with
host Helen Todd, where sheinterviews guests about pursuing
spiritual growth, discoveringlife's purpose through serving
others and developing a deeperfaith in Christ.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hello and welcome to Limitless Spirit, the podcast
where we explore theintersection of faith and daily
life.
I'm your host, helen Todd, andI'm so glad you're here with us
today.
Our life has a greater purposethat God has for each one of us,
and if deepening your faith andliving a more purposeful life
(00:37):
is part of your New Year'sresolution, we're less than
three months away from theGreater Purpose Conference.
It is hosted by World MissionsAlliance and will take place
April 9th, 10th and 11th inBranson, missouri, at the
beautiful Thousand Hills Hotel.
Inspired is the theme of theconference this year.
(00:57):
It is really for anyone whoneeds a boost to truly live out
your faith.
If you're looking to acquire avision that has no limits or
overcome the fear of leavingcomfort zone, it's a great event
for you.
If you have a lifelong dream ofdoing something more for God
(01:18):
that you love and worship, ifyou have a heart for the Great
Commission, this is a perfectevent to attend.
And this conference reallystands out among many other
Christian events because itcombines the focus on the
present and the future ofmissions with an extraordinary
exhibit of some of the rarestarchaeological discoveries that
(01:41):
trace the history and the impactof the Bible through centuries.
There's so much more happeningat this conference and I'm going
to highlight it after theinterview, but in this episode
we're diving into the highlightsof this exhibit as I chat with
Dr Scott Carroll, aworld-renowned scholar,
historian and the curator ofrare Bible artifacts.
(02:05):
In fact, I call him in thisinterview a Christian Indiana
Jones.
Dr Carroll is here to tell youwhat you can expect to see and
experience while walking throughhis incredible collection of
artifacts that will be ondisplay at the Greater Purpose
Conference.
So grab a cup of coffee or teaand let's get started.
(02:27):
Hello Scott, welcome to theLimitless Spirit.
How are you today?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
I'm doing well, thanks, and I'm excited to be
with you.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I look forward to talking about our joint event
that we're doing in just oh mygoodness, what is it in?
Just three months?
It's coming up real quickly andit's Inspired Conference in
Branson, missouri, that combinesour annual missions event with
(02:56):
your incredible exhibit ofunique, ancient, rare Bible
artifacts.
So we're going to do our besttoday in our conversation to
highlight your exhibit.
And why would someoneabsolutely not want to miss the
opportunity to come to theconference and see this exhibit?
(03:20):
So first let's talk about you alittle bit.
So what inspired you to becomethe collector and the curator of
these rare Bible artifacts?
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Right.
Well, I came to faith incollege to try to help people
understand its trustworthinessand reliability.
That led me into the study ofnot only the Bible but ancient
(03:57):
and church history and ancientlanguages, which eventually led
to a master's degree in churchhistory and a PhD in something
called ancient studies, which isbasically the study of the
ancient biblical world,languages associated with it and
archaeology.
And my career ministry begantraditionally in the university
(04:22):
and seminary and I taughtcollectively about 20 years that
way.
But because of my background inGod's providence, I had been
put in contact with collectorsof rare items.
They're around the world.
These people have outstandingcollections but oftentimes don't
(04:42):
know exactly what they have,and so my background and
training enabled me to help themunderstand, define what they
have, understand its importance.
This led then to a broadercommunity.
I began working with collectorsin the 1990s, worked with the
largest private collection atthat time of biblically related
(05:03):
things in the 1990s, worked withthe largest private collection
at that time of biblicallyrelated things in the world and
directed that.
I left the university In the2000s I directed the Hobby Lobby
Green Family Collection, whichis the basis for the Museum of
the Bible.
So they had nothing, zero, andduring my time with them they
(05:24):
collected 63,000 items.
So God allowed me to see andtouch and handle all kinds of
things that no one has been able, no one collectively, had been
able to see, and I realized theprivilege of that.
It was a schooling for me and Iwanted to use that for ministry
(05:45):
, and so we partnered withprivate collectors and some
things that we have of our own asmall collection and put
together a traveling exhibitthat would be very focused on
what we thought would be themost important spiritual issues
surrounding the history of theBible and its preservation.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
So, basically, to put it in a nutshell, scott, you
are a Christian version ofIndiana Jones.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
In a nutshell, I don't know, but someone said
that In the 1990s we co-directedan excavation in the Sahara.
But my interests were less interms of working in the field
like that and more in terms ofdiscovery and identification and
certainly the ministry aspectof it.
(06:37):
But yes, some have made thoseconnections, but they're not
true.
So, for those who are notfamiliar with your exhibit,
let's talk about what makes yourconnection unique and
significant that we choose to doso in any location, tell a
unique story of how the Biblewas put together, translated,
(07:09):
preserved over history and theimpact it's had.
Of course, core to that is astory of missions.
I mean it's Romans, chapter 10.
The story of missions is theWord of God and proclaiming it,
and so so much entwined in thisnarrative is the story of the
(07:29):
creation of alphabets andteaching people to read and the
translation of scripture.
And so we wanted to puttogether, from items that we
borrow, that are loaned to us,items that we have, a narrative
that tells the story that theBible is reliable, that tells a
(07:50):
story that we have excellentevidence for it, that tells a
story that has been copiedaccurately over time, that tells
a story of missions andoutreach and the expansion of
the kingdom and tells the storythat it's been preserved
wonderfully by God.
So each of the items that weselect is part of that
(08:13):
storytelling, the narration, andso we want to be in our case.
The items are very carefullycurated and they're not just
haphazardly chosen.
They're chosen specifically torelate to important theological
issues, to underscore, so that aperson leaving who's a person
(08:33):
of faith will not only beinspired to read the Bible, but
they'll read it with confidence,and that a person not a person
of faith will have a newinterest in exploring the
message of the Bible.
So the bottom line is that thethings that a visitor will see
at this exhibit cannot be seenanywhere else in the world.
(08:53):
You can go to the BritishMuseum, the British Library, to
the Vatican, to Pierpont MorganLibrary, to the Museum of the
Bible, and they'll have similarthings that overlap, and we'll
have things that they have.
But the whole collection ofitems that will be displayed
will be one of a kind andthey're not just put out and
(09:17):
displayed.
We have trained docents thatspiritually and energetically
interact with visitors so that,if they wish, they can know more
about the items that are there.
We really have a spiritualmission of what we do.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
I had the privilege of walking through the exhibit
very quickly because it was thevery last day.
It was so jam-packed withpeople, but I was fortunate
enough to have your personaltour of walking through it and I
was just blown away by some ofthe artifacts.
So, to highlight it to ourlisteners, what are some of the
(09:57):
most extraordinary or rarepieces in the exhibit?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Right, so happy to do that.
So things are arrangedchronologically relatively and
they fall, for the upcomingconference, into five areas.
The first area is the ancientworld, and this includes ancient
writings on clay tablets thatdate to the time of Abraham and
earlier.
They date to the time of Danieland Nebuchadnezzar and they
(10:25):
tell us about their world andthey tell us about how it
connects with the Bible and howthe Bible is accurate and can be
understood.
So I would point to that.
We have ancient non-biblicalpapyri, so early ancient paper
made from plant material.
We'll have an early fragment ofclassical writings like Homer's
(10:48):
Iliad that was kind of like theBible.
In the ancient world.
We have ancient seals fromscribes.
There are, I should mention,most.
Everything is authentic.
There are a few items that areon display that are exact museum
facsimiles because they can'tbe borrowed.
They'll never be borrowed,They'll never come to Branson to
(11:11):
a conference like this.
So in which case in ourdescriptions and everything
comes with careful descriptionsfor people to read it's
indicated clearly that it's anexact facsimile.
It will be the closest thatanyone will ever get to that
item ever in their lifetime.
So it's not to be concernedabout in any way.
(11:32):
I say that to introduce, wehave a seal, a scribe seal that
was recently discovered.
It's now in Jerusalem.
We have an exact copy of itfrom Isaiah.
It says this belongs to Isaiahthe prophet, and someone can see
that and it has his fingerprinton it.
(11:52):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
That was my favorite piece, by the way.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh, really yes.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Hearing that the fingerprint of Isaiah was a deep
spiritual experience.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
It is, and it's selected for that, and it's
connected with writing.
And you know, in a day and agewhere we hear all these things
didn't happen, they didn't exist, our kids are taught that and,
grandkids, we have wonderfulevidence preserved by God to
show that they did.
And so the ancient world isdesigned to give us confidence
(12:25):
in the Bible.
In the Old Testament area wehave a copy of the Great Isaiah
Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
If you go to Israel to see theDead Sea Scrolls when things
settle down there, you'll neversee the real one.
You'll see a facsimile andthat's what you see with us.
It's way too fragile to put outon exhibit, but ours is the
(12:48):
finest copy in the world and youcan see the oldest complete
text of the Old Testament, 150years older than Jesus' time,
and when it's compared with theHebrew text of Isaiah today,
it's 99% the same.
So it's just amazing.
So we have Old Testamentrecords.
(13:08):
We have Old Testamenttranslations, which is a story
of missions, beginning thereWith New Testament.
We have the oldest fragments ofthe New Testament and oldest
copies of complete Bibles of theNew Testament, of the entire
Bible, with medieval, the fourtharea.
(13:28):
My reckoning is there are about15 major medieval languages
that scripture is preserved in,and this period is oftentimes
called the Dark Ages, from about400 AD to about 1450 AD.
But I hope the exhibit saysloud and clear that it was not a
(13:52):
dark age but an age of light,an age of the expansion of the
gospel, that God was not asleep,that he was alive and working
through missionaries who weretaking the gospel to faraway
lands, in this case, themanuscripts of the 15 languages.
We have about 12.
You'll never, ever anywhere,museum of the Bible, any museum
(14:16):
in the world, ever be able tosee that many languages of
scripture handwritten in oneplace.
I'm just telling you, this ismy world.
You'll never see that again.
And it's powerful.
And they're divided up bycontinent.
So what was God doing?
First in Asia, and one of thethings in Asia, we have a scroll
(14:38):
that comes from the end of theSilk Road in China of the Book
of Esther, and we have a copy ofone of the earliest Christian
texts in China, dating to 600,to show the expansion of the
gospel.
We have early manuscripts fromAfrica.
We have early manuscripts fromEurope.
(14:58):
So that's that area Veryexciting to me.
It always.
And the final area for thisconference is our scriptures
that have survived intensepersecution.
We call it theindestructibility of the Bible,
that God's Word stands forever,and so we have a scroll that
(15:20):
survived the Spanish Inquisition.
There are seven in the world,one will be in Branson.
Just to give you the idea theimpact of that, there's a scroll
that was attempted to be burnedby the Nazis.
There are books of scripturethat were cut apart to be used
in covers of later books thathave been preserved.
(15:41):
There are writings of scripturefound in the cover of Mao's
Little Red Book.
There's a handwritten prisonepistles Paul's epistles,
written in Russian by a Baptistpastor who was imprisoned three
times.
The third time he wasimprisoned and sent to a gulag
in Siberia was for printingscripture.
(16:04):
While in prison he's handcopying scripture and
distributing it to prisoners.
We've been blessed to have acopy of that, and so these kinds
of things culminate theexperience.
There'll be some hands-onactivity for people as well, but
that's the tip of the iceberg,helen.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Well, I'm getting excited, as you're sharing this,
because how inspiring it is forpeople who have a heart for
missions, who are perhapspersonally involved in missions,
to see how the Word of Godstands through the centuries,
the impact that it makes throughthe centuries, and that it's
(16:44):
indestructible, just like Godhimself is.
You know, I feel like combinedwith the event that is purposed
to point you towards.
You know, discovering yourgreater purpose through missions
.
This is just this perfectcombination of history and
future put together.
(17:04):
So I have to ask do you have apersonal favorite artifact and,
if so, why does it resonate withyou personally?
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Yeah, my goodness, that's so hard.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
It's like asking who your favorite child is.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:21):
I know that's unfair, helen, that's not fair.
Let me pick something that iscompletely off the map.
All right, I love it all.
Everyone has been selected fromother items and they're
personally chosen specificallyfor your event, our event
(17:43):
together.
Let me just point out one thatjust is a curiosity that would
be missed on people.
There are a number of examplesof medieval.
So this period between 1400 and1400, handwritten copies,
translations of scripture fromvarious continents, many of them
(18:03):
date before the conversion of,like Constine and rome.
So people were being convertedto christianity with missionary
efforts in armenia and in africaand other parts of asia before
rome was being converted, andpeople are unaware of that.
So let me choose one of theobjects that will be on exhibit
(18:26):
which is just to someone, mightbe a walk-by or pass-by, but
underscores this story ofmissions and scripture.
We have a fragment there areonly a handful in the world of
scripture in old Nubian Now, theNubian people lived beneath it
would be modern-day Sudan,war-torn, civil war Christians,
(18:49):
muslims, situated between Egyptand Ethiopia.
Well, these people wereconverted to Christianity in the
300s, in the 400s, bymissionaries, in this case from
Egypt, and going back evenearlier to the Book of Acts,
with the Ethiopian eunuch, goingback to the time of his service
(19:13):
in the court of Candace.
Candace is a name, like Caesar,it's a royal title.
She was a queen of a city ofMeroe, which is in Sudan.
So we know Christianity gotthere very, very early on, but
there are very few records ofScripture that survive.
Well, one of the fragments willbe on display and it's a
collection of verses that areread in the liturgy for the
(19:36):
church, so throughout the yearthey would read different
passages of Scripture.
In this case, the page that'sbeen preserved is the reading of
the liturgy for Christmas, andone of the verses that's in
there is, on God's word, that itstands forever and cannot be
destroyed and is the bread ofour life.
(19:56):
And to think that over athousand years ago they're
reading that and that it's thesame kind of thing that
resonates to us in this season,it's just powerful, it's just so
.
I would choose that one out ofthe 50 that will be on display.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
That is incredible and you're so right.
I would have walked past it andprobably missed it, but that is
absolutely phenomenal.
Well, hopefully our listenerswill come to the conference,
(20:31):
listeners will come to theconference and, thanks to your
highlight, don't miss on thisvery, very inspiring and unique
piece of history.
So, going back to our IndianaJones angle, I have to ask are
there any interesting orunexpected acquisition stories
of how certain artifacts werediscovered or acquired for this
exhibit?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Yeah, for this exhibit.
You know a lot of them becausethey come from private
collections, are private stories, but there are many, many
stories of discovery that areabsolutely thrilling, absolutely
(21:10):
thrilling Indiana Jones-likethroughout history, as God's
preserved his word.
There's a story of two sistersfrom Cambridge, self-taught
scholars in a world wherescholars were all men,
presbyterian sisters.
Their husbands died.
They went off on an adventureto discover manuscripts in
dangerous places.
They went to Cairo, to asynagogue in Cairo, and they had
(21:31):
heard that things were comingout of the synagogue.
The curator of the synagogueallowed them to go in to the
second floor.
They put a ladder up to anopening in the wall.
One of the sisters climbed up.
She looked inside.
She looked down to her sisterand to a Cambridge scholar who
was there.
They said what do you see?
She said it's simplyindescribable.
(21:54):
There was a pile of over 200,000manuscripts in a closed off
room and it's taken over 100years to go through.
This is 50 years before theDead Sea Scrolls, but in that
assortment there are over400,000 together.
There are over 25,000 texts ofScripture that were found in
(22:15):
that, and these are things noone in the world even knows
about, and we will have afragment that came from that
that will be on display in theOld Testament area.
So that's one small example.
There are many, many examplesand we try to tell some of the
stories when we bring thevisitor through, to make the
experience meaningful.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Very good point.
So our listeners will have tocome to the exhibits to find out
some other exciting stories.
The real life Indiana Jonesstories.
The real life Indiana.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Jones stories.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Let's talk about the spiritual significance of these
artifacts.
So in what way do they bringthe scripture to life and deepen
people's understanding ofBible's relevance for today?
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Right.
So God's word is so precious,it's precious to him, it's his
message to us, and I look atthese objects as having been
preserved by God for us, notjust preserved for an academic
library or for a museum wherethere's no connection spiritual
connection with people, butliterally preserved to help
(23:22):
further his will in our lives.
So each and every one of theseitems, you know, is handwritten
by individuals and took years todo and to preserve, and that
they've been preserved.
He has a purpose in it and wehope, by prayer and design, to
fulfill that purpose, so thatthese things are meaningful and
(23:46):
memorable in the life ofChristians and for those who are
non-Christians that might opentheir eyes to the incredible,
spiritually significant messageof the Bible.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
You must have faced some challenges in curating or
preserving these artifacts.
Yeah, Would you mind sharingsome of them?
Yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
I mean just in general, to do what we feel
called to do to assemble itemsfrom, to know where things are
around the world, to haverelationships with people,
genuine relationships where youcan borrow treasures that are
extremely valuable and extremelyrare, and then to ship them,
(24:28):
oftentimes to dicey areas wherewe feel called and have an open
door to go to, and then tocreate something and the
security, the shipping, the carefor them around that, the
research that goes on and theteaching and the training of
volunteers and people.
It's a lot.
(24:49):
It's a lot of work and a lot ofmoving parts.
We've had items in countrieswhere they've held them up and
have wanted us to pay bribes toget them out, and we don't.
We prayerfully wait for God'sintercession and he has
interceded.
There are all sorts ofchallenges along the way that
way, but there are a lot ofmoving parts and it's not a
(25:12):
simple thing to do, but we'regrateful to have the opportunity
to do it.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Well, and I know that you have presented the exhibit
in some countries that are evenhostile towards Christianity.
I find that extraordinary, howyou have that opportunity.
You know it's the mission field, so God opens doors for you.
Have you experienced anyhostility towards the exhibit
(25:40):
because of its spiritualsignificance?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Well, let me say I mean I want you all to know that
we are a ministry.
We're driven by a passion forministry.
At the same time, god has givenus our Roman citizenship, which
is I'm an academic, I'm a PhD,I'm a scholar, and so we end up
not always, but a lot of times,the majority of times we're
(26:03):
doing things at nationallibraries, at museums, at
universities, and so we'recoming in at a level that's
unique and it provides a kind ofcredibility.
It provides a covering ofcredibility for the church in
that country or in that region.
The guard is let down and a lotof we have very commonly, a
(26:26):
large majority of people thatcome to the exhibit are not
believers.
We just came from Seoul, korea.
Probably 40% of the people werenot Christians that came to the
exhibit.
We had just one small example.
A guy came up to me afterwards.
We were talking aboutmanuscripts and handwriting and
reading ancient texts.
He's a PhD student in ancientphilosophy, a Buddhist.
(26:50):
He came from three hours away.
He gathered up four of hisfriends.
He spent hours in the exhibit.
This is not uncommon in thesettings that we're in, so it's
a very kind of uniqueopportunity that God's given us.
Hong Kong.
We were in Hong Kong when itwas still more open.
What we did in Hong Kong wecould not do in Hong Kong today,
probably more open.
What we did in Hong Kong wecould not do in Hong Kong today.
(27:12):
Probably We'd have to have manyrestrictions and hurdles.
We had a problem there withsomebody that was a fascist, a
Nazi, who many of the items areHebrew scrolls and Jewish
writings, and he came in and wehad troubles with him there.
(27:33):
That led to an arrest, but Godpreserved the items and the
ministry.
We've had troubles in EasternEurope at that level with border
control and things of thatnature.
We had an exhibit in Russiawhere we were part of the
international Russian culturalevent in St Petersburg.
(27:57):
So we were one of theinternational exhibitors, so we
came under an umbrella.
That was completely differentthan coming in with a church.
We were in Belarus for a monthat their national library and
they very kindly said it was thelargest cultural experience
they've ever had in the historyof their country.
There were people.
(28:18):
They were being bussed in fromall the surrounding countries.
They would line up for a half amile waiting to come in in the
courtyard.
Tens of thousands of peoplecame, but surprisingly it was
not with.
Even Lukashenko's.
One of his sons came to theexhibit, so it was amazing.
(28:41):
Putin sent some of his securityguard to come for me to take
them through because we weregoing to Russia.
Next In Belarus, the KGB theleading officials of the KGB
came to the exhibit and I tookthem through the exhibit.
They wanted me to take themthrough.
Like you, helen, I took themthrough and we got two Armenian
(29:04):
manuscripts and two of them litup because they were from
Armenia and they began takingselfies in front of the Armenian
Gospels and they said to mehave you ever been to Armenia?
And I said no.
They looked at me and they saidwe can get you there.
So I'm thinking you know.
(29:25):
Inspired exhibit sponsored bythe KGB.
Who knows what God will do?
Speaker 2 (29:30):
That is incredible and that drives the point.
This exhibit is going to be inBranson for two days only, and
it's an extremely rareopportunity.
So I encourage all of ourlisteners who can make it to
Branson, or maybe live close toBranson, not to miss that
(29:51):
opportunity.
Just the impact that you'redescribing, I think, highlights
perfectly how extraordinary andvaluable this experience is.
So, as we're talking about this, who do you think is going to
get the most out of this exhibit?
Is it for history enthusiasts?
Is it for anyone who ispassionate about their faith?
(30:14):
Is it for families?
Who do you think is the targetaudience?
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah well, let me presume to try to say it from
God's perspective.
The 50-some items that will beon exhibit have been preserved
by him to tell a message to hispeople.
These things have beenpreserved thousands of years.
They're brought there for themto see and for them to hear the
message from each and every oneof them, to give them a greater
(30:40):
love for their Bible and adeeper appreciation for it.
Don't be deceived, listeners.
Satan has had a plan throughouthistory to undermine God's
truth, and he's very activedoing that in the university.
He's very active doing that inthe pulpit of the church.
He's very active doing that atall levels of our society.
(31:00):
This is for you.
If you're listening to this,you have friends, you have
university students.
It's a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity to learn and
appreciate from these things.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
And, of course, since this exhibit is happening in
the combination with the GreaterPurpose Conference, that has
the theme inspired.
It's kind of a full,well-rounded experience of being
exposed to what is happening inthe Great Commission today.
What are people who are calledto missions not necessarily,
(31:39):
maybe, to long-term missions,but even fulfilling the Great
Commission short-term?
What opportunities do they havetoday to do the same thing that
people who are highlightedthrough your exhibit have done
in history?
History continues and thefuture is ahead of us and we're
told to go and make disciplesshare the good news, and so I
(32:04):
can't imagine an experience moreuplifting for any believer in
Christ or anyone maybe who iseven just curious about
Christianity to see thiscombination of past, present and
the future.
I think it's a great, greatexperience.
(32:24):
Thank you so much, Scott, forthis interview.
I look forward to hosting youguys and Branson, to doing this
event together and reallywatching what God accomplishes
through it.
We're just his instruments inthat and the rest is up to him.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
We're thrilled to be there with you, so we're looking
forward to it.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Personally, I would not want to miss such a rare
opportunity.
I encourage you to register assoon as you can.
As we mentioned in theinterview, the exhibit is on
display for two days only andthe conference consists of five
incredible sections, with DrCarroll's final presentation
that will tie everythingtogether at the very last
(33:12):
session.
If you have a heart formissions, there is so much more
happening at the conferencebesides the exhibit.
You will receive the latestnews from what's happening
around the world and the world'shot spots.
In the Great Commission youwill find practical advice on
how to get started in missions.
If you're a seasoned missionary,there are plenty of
(33:34):
opportunities to serve in theupcoming year and you will even
have a chance to win a freemission trip for the year 2026.
So to register and find outmore information, you can visit
the website rfwmaorg forwardgreater purpose.
That's where you can register.
(33:56):
That's where there is a list ofspeakers, a schedule of events.
You can RSVP for the welcomereception that kicks it off.
Again, the website is rfwmaorgslash forward greater purpose.
Thank you, dr Carol, forsharing your expertise and
(34:16):
passion with us, and thank youfor tuning in to Limitless
Spirit.
If you enjoyed this episode,don't forget to subscribe, leave
a review and share it withsomeone who would love to hear
it.
Until next time, I'm Helen Todd.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Limitless Spirit Podcast is produced by World
Missions Alliance.
We believe that changed liveschange lives.
If your life was transformed byChrist, you are equipped to
help others experience thistransformation.
Christ called his followers tomake disciples across the world.
World Missions Alliance givesyou an opportunity to do this
(34:55):
through short-term missions inover 32 countries across the
globe.
If you want to help those whoare hurting and hopeless and
discover your greater purpose inserving, check out our website,
rfwmaorg, and find out how toget involved.
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