From Tragedy to Global Impact | Micah McElveen
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About
“Life is like vapor.” Micah McElveen learned that the hard way at age 15, when a freak swimming accident left him clinically dead for five minutes—and potentially a paraplegic for life. As he fought to regain the use of his body, though, Micah also found a new sense of gratitude and focus that eventually led him to found Vapor Ministries, an organization offering food, health, and hope to thousands in some of the most impoverished places on earth. In this week’s episode, Micah talks to Nate Dewberry about that journey and the direct instructions from God that inspired it and sustain it today.
Show Notes
Segment chapters
0:00 Intro/Opening questions
2:55 The near-death experience that catalyzed Micah’s spiritual life
10:03 Navigating a long recovery, and learning a new sense of gratitude
18:30 The people who encouraged and advised Micah along the way
23:52 What drew Micah to ministry and a life of caring for the poor
30:10 Micah expands his ministry to another continent
35:25 Micah’s partner in work, ministry, and life
40:28 Advice for men seeking to refocus their lives on serving those in need
47:11 Lessons and practices that help keep Micah focused and grateful
51:57 How you can participate in Vapor Ministries’ work/Closing thoughts
Snippets/excerpts
4:51 to 6:42—Micah narrates the harrowing near-death experience that changed his life
12:54 to 14:57—A humbling transformation from popular, talented athlete to a small, physically broken “nobody”
15:54 to 17:56—“God, if I could please just scratch this itch on my nose, I’d be satisfied”: Micah’s catastrophic injury instills a new sense of gratitude and reverence
25:02 to 26:30—“All of a sudden, I related to brokenness”: How Micah’s eyes were opened to Christ’s directive to care for the poor
30:31 to 32:18—What “extreme poverty” really entails, and the shocking number of people who are experiencing it worldwide
42:27 to 44:28—Serving the poor and helping those in need is a direct order from God, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult as we sometimes try to make it
Discussion
2:32—Have you found the adage “What starts well ends well” to be mostly true in your own experience? What are the very first things you do in the course of a typical day, and how do they set the tone for what’s to come? Do you make prayer a regular part of that early routine? Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
13:48—Micah went from being popular and athletic to being physically broken and virtually invisible—a “nobody”—at a new school. Have you ever been through a humbling life change like that? What caused that change, and how did it alter your outlook on life? Who did you turn to for guidance and reassurance? 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
16:45—What’s the smallest thing you’ve ever begged God for in a moment of desperation? What were the circumstances that led you to ask for something so minor? Why did that relatively trivial thing matter to you so much in that moment? Did it cause you to re-assess some of the blessings in life you’d taken for granted? Psalm 50:15 (NIV)
26:32—Was there ever a period of your life when you were indifferent to, or even openly disdainful of, the poor and homeless? Why do you think you held that attitude? When and why do you think your attitude started to change? 1 John 3:17 (NIV)
38:22—If you’re currently married or in a committed relationship, would you describe that person as your “soul mate”? At what point did you realize that’s what they were to you? Did you ever think there was something about you that they wouldn’t be able to accept, but were surprised when they did? Ephesians 5:25 (NIV)
45:23—So often we look for excuses not to give to the poor and truly serve others. What are some common ways you’ve tried to rationalize your own inaction? What are some lessons from scripture that negate those excuses? James 2:15–17 (NIV)
Additional resources
Dying for Purpose: Light for Lost, Direction for Found by Micah McElveen
Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
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