The Myth of Doing for God | Spiritual Formation with Brian Delamont (Ep. 218)
Transformed & Transformational
Release Date: 04/24/2026
Transformed & Transformational
About three billion people — a third of everyone alive today — still don't have access to the gospel. Dr. Marvin Newell unpacks five Great Commission passages and how we can take the gospel to those who still haven't heard the good news. Listen in to learn about the 10/40 Window, the International Day for the Unreached, and more! “There are about 9.2 billion people in the world today, and of those, about a third of them have yet to have access to the gospel.” “A third of humanity has yet to have a clear presentation of the gospel.” Matthew 28:18-20 “The core of what we’re to...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
Does God want me to do things 'for' Him? In this Spiritual Formation conversation, Brian Delamont unpacks the myth that our service somehow benefits God or earns His approval. More than acts of service or obligation, it's about the heart. Brian offers a question to guide our reflection this month as we consider our motivations and perspectives of God. Isaiah 41:10 Deuteronomy 11:18-21 John 10:27 “When I’m doing something ‘for,’ do I picture that as I’m doing God a favor or I’m actually bringing something to God that maybe He can’t do without me?” Jeremiah 31:3 “The thought...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
What does it look like to fully embrace the local church and global missions -- not as competing callings, but as one? Duarte Casmarrinha, National Director of TeachBeyond Portugal and local church pastor, has spent his life finding out. In this conversation, Duarte shares how camps became a thread woven through his entire ministry life, why he sees education as the greatest open door for the gospel, and how his involvement with TeachBeyond has allowed him to extend his gifts in ways he never expected. “The brethren churches in Portugal were basically founded by British missionaries in the...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
Paulo Jobim returns to explore what neuroscience reveals about transformational education and why it affirms what Christian educators have always believed — from the way teachers' and students' brains synchronize during genuine connection, to the role of emotional intelligence and novelty in learning. This conversation will give teachers both a richer vocabulary for what they already practice and fresh encouragement that the work of Christian education is written into the way God made us. If you want to see your classroom through the lens of both Scripture and science, this is the episode...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
In this important conversation, David Durance shares what it means to reach the nations through education. He shares why this moment in history calls for fresh obedience, renewed imagination, and a deeper awareness of how God is already at work around the world. As more people than ever remain unreached, this episode explores why education is not secondary to mission, but one of the most powerful ways the gospel is being lived out and heard today. If you want to better understand the heart behind TeachBeyond’s calling, this episode is a great place to begin. “As we see different cultures...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
As Brian Delamont returns for the monthly Spiritual Formation episode, Heather introduces the colloquial term “main character energy” as a cultural myth to unpack. Brian, Heather, and Keane walk through Scripture from Jonah to Jesus to Peter, exploring the importance of keeping a Kingdom perspective. Jonah 4:9-11 “He gives us agency, and yet He also offers us a much better story.” Matthew 11:28-30 “Being the protagonist, being the main character, is exhausting because you have to fight the fight [...] and yet, God is saying, ‘I have a path for you that is lighter and easier than...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
Studying abroad and serving missionally can go hand in hand! From the vibrancy of Ecuadorian dancing to the incense of Buddhist temples, TeachBeyond members share how their study abroad experiences exposed them to missions and helped them discern a calling to pursue teaching overseas. Zeke and Abby studied abroad with Nichole student taught abroad with “It gave me ‘family’ in another culture and another location, and I think people are [...] what you hold onto the most with study abroad.” - Zeke “That’s the difference [from] if you are just going on vacation or if you do a...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
Studying abroad and serving missionally can go hand in hand! From the vibrancy of Ecuadorian dancing to the incense of Buddhist temples, TeachBeyond members share how their study abroad experiences exposed them to missions and helped them discern a calling to pursue teaching overseas. Zeke and Abby studied abroad with Nichole student taught abroad with “It gave me ‘family’ in another culture and another location, and I think people are [...] what you hold onto the most with study abroad.” - Zeke “That’s the difference [from] if you are just going on vacation or if you do a...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
Hear from global storyteller Christopher O’Shaughnessy about the power of storytelling to build connection, shape identity, and help people navigate life across cultures. From the role of humor in bringing people together to the deeper work of putting words to our internal experiences, Chris shares practical insights into how stories create bridges between people. “Whether you’re intentionally saying it or whether people are unintentionally hearing it, there’s always some story in context.” “The more of your story you can refine, the more you’re opening up points of...
info_outlineTransformed & Transformational
From the process of data collection to the impact of women in the church to stories of conversions in West Asia, hear from social scientist Dr. Gina Zurlo about the current state and important trends in world Christianity. Whether you love numbers or are brand new to demography, there is something to learn from this conversation about the World Christian Database, and Dr. Zurlo’s passion is contagious! “I’m really committed to producing the highest quality, most comprehensive, reliable data that I possibly can because I know that people are using these data to help inform...
info_outlineDoes God want me to do things 'for' Him? In this Spiritual Formation conversation, Brian Delamont unpacks the myth that our service somehow benefits God or earns His approval. More than acts of service or obligation, it's about the heart. Brian offers a question to guide our reflection this month as we consider our motivations and perspectives of God.
- Isaiah 41:10
- Deuteronomy 11:18-21
- John 10:27
- “When I’m doing something ‘for,’ do I picture that as I’m doing God a favor or I’m actually bringing something to God that maybe He can’t do without me?”
- Jeremiah 31:3
- “The thought of me doing something ‘for’ God [is] because I’m questioning whether His love really is unfailing.”
- Hebrews 13:5
- Mark 12:41-43
- In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen
- “Caregiving, tithing, parenting, mentoring someone, gifts of time and helps are beautiful ways of doing ‘for’ God that become these tangible embodied expressions of His love when they are done as an act of worship.”
- James 2
- Ephesians 2:8-9
- Ephesians 1:3-4
- “Before I was capable of doing anything, before the creation of the world, God chose me, God chose to love me, God chose to love us.”
- Colossians 3:23
- “God is simply bigger than my understanding of Him. He is both grace and truth. He has fully paid for my salvation as the spotless Lamb of God, and He calls me to take up His cross and follow Him at exactly the same time.”
- “God said, ‘I want you to bring your tithes into the storehouse.’ So they’re doing what God said, but it’s a completely different story being told in worship or not worship.”
- “God does not demand that we do things ‘for’ Him – He’s more than capable of anything that needs to be accomplished, in this universe and beyond – but, we see from the beginning of creation, God invites us to partner with Him in this flourishing that is His design. He wants our love, which also means that He wants our highest allegiance.”
April Reflection: Does how I’m feeling about God as I serve Him align with who He is, what He has revealed about Himself, and the witness of Scripture and the Holy Spirit?
What’s changing our lives:
- Keane: Playing Frisbee with his sons
- Heather: Following the Artemis II space mission
- Brian: Anticipating a vacation
Weekly Spotlight: Bucharest Christian Academy
We’d love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org
Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast
Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/