I’m in love. The Legacies of Light podcast series by Stephen Davey’s Wisdom for the Heart Podcast is phenomenal. I could put it on a loop and just keep it playing.
Stephen shares the amazing stories of 16 legends such as Charles Spurgeon, George Mueller, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, and Fanny Crosby.
One of my favorites is the two-part podcast on Katharina Luther—Martin Luther’s wife. We really don’t hear much about Katharina in history, but she was every bit as impressive as her Reformation-founding husband.
Martin and Katharina’s marriage became one of the first examples of a godly marriage — or any marriage actually — of the religious leaders in their day.
Martin became quite the matchmaker—except for himself. How he came to embrace it for himself is fabulous. Listen and learn. And laugh.
The story of David and Svea Flood didn’t make me laugh. Their episode left me crying in my driveway. I couldn’t get out of my car until the episode ended. Their story gripped me. Ever heard of David and Svea? No? Me either. But, oh my. You don’t want to miss their story. Or any of the Legacies of Light episodes.
Powerful but Imperfect People
One of the aspects I admire most in Stephen’s treatment of these powerful legacies of light heroes is how he reveals them as they truly are—imperfect people. David shares their highlights but also their struggles.
As a fellow imperfect person, it encourages me to see our heroes being “normal.” Many of them were regular folks like us who followed God up an unusual path that left a powerful mark on history and in eternity. All for God’s glory.
Listen to this series and comment below which episodes are your favorites!
LEGACIES OF LIGHT EPISODES
1. David and Svea Flood
Of all the amazing biographies Stephen brings us in his “Legacies of Light” series, perhaps none will pull on your heartstrings like this testimony of faith. It’s a story of a woman’s endurance, a man’s despair, and a Savior’s incredible mercy. (Description quoted from the website.)
2. Amy Carmichael
1 Corinthians 3:12-13
A good missionary convicts the world, but a great missionary convicts the Church as well. Amy Carmichael was one such missionary. (Description quoted from the website.)
3. A. W. Tozer
1 Corinthians 3:12-13
Few men have magnified the Church’s perspective of God’s holiness and utter transcendence like A.W. Tozer. His deepest desire was to see the glory of God, and his words still radiate from the vision. (Description quoted from the website.)
4. Susanna Wesley
Proverbs 1:8-9
The pervasive ministry of John and Charles Wesley is a direct result of the private ministry of their mother, Susanna. Her home was her mission field; but her legacy reaches worldwide. (Description quoted from the website.)
[The above description doesn’t do this episode justice. Wait until you hear all Susanna endured.]
5. Oswald Chambers
Luke 11:13
Oswald Chambers alleviated so much of the so-called mystery of God’s Will by offering believers a simple proposition for life: just trust God. (Description quoted from the website.)
6. Adoniram Judson, Part 1
John 12:24
Few missionaries in history ever suffered as much as Adoniram Judson, but that is also why few have left such a profound legacy. His biography is one of those rare stories that captivates like a grand novel but convicts like a great revival. (Description quoted from the website.)
7. Adoniram Judson, Part 2
John 12:24
The words of our Lord as He enters Jerusalem knowing that within days He will be crucified, still echo to this day with this lasting principle: a legacy of spiritual fruit belongs to that man or woman who effectively says to Christ, “Here am I, bury me.” Here am I, willing even to die, bury me.
If there was anyone included in this description by our Lord, of a fruitful life of surrender, it would be the man who became America’s first foreign missionary. He would experience incredible suffering; bury all but one of his children; dig graves for his first wife and then his second wife 19 years later. Many of his associates would die from disease and stress.
Long after becoming a living legend, he would write this kind of appeal to potential missionary candidates – and I quote – “Remember, a large proportion of those who come out on a mission to the East die within five years after leaving their native land. So walk softly . . . death is narrowly watching your steps.”
How’s that for a recruiting strategy? Are you willing to be a seed, planted in the ground, and by suffering – even dying – bear a harvest for the gospel of Jesus Christ? This missionaries name was Adoniram Judson. (Description quoted from the website.)
8. Fanny Crosby
John 9:3
Fanny Crosby is known for 2 things: her blindness and her remarkable hymns. But understanding how she endured her blindness and why she spent the latter part of her life writing hymns is where her real legacy is found. (Description quoted from the website.)
9. Jim and Elisabeth Elliot
2 Cor. 5:18-20
He was the model of sacrifice and she was the model of forgiveness. Together, they reminded the Church that while the cost of discipleship is great . . . the reward is far greater. (Description quoted from the website.)
10. Hudson Taylor
John 19:30
Have you ever witnessed a riot in the parking lot of your church or been threatened by an angry mob of civilians? For us, that would be extreme persecution. For Hudson Taylor, that was just another day at the office! (Description quoted from the website.)
11. John Newton
1 Chronicles 17
It’s often been said that God brings us to the breaking point so that we can see our need for Him, and that was certainly the case with this slave-trader turned Pastor known as John Newton. His beloved and inspired hymn, “Amazing Grace,” is merely a personal recounting of his own astonishing conversion. (Description quoted from the website.)
12. Charles Spurgeon
Isaiah 45:22
Spurgeon isn’t called the “Prince of Preachers” because of his uncanny way with words. He’s called that because of his undeniable dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit. (Description quoted from the website.)
13. George Mueller
Psalm 84:11
Jesus promised in Matthew 6 that our Heavenly Father will daily supply our needs, and the legacy of George Mueller is simply that he took Christ seriously. As a result, his life literally became a stage whereon God constantly displayed His faithfulness both in great and small ways. (Description quoted from the website.)
14. William Cowper
Romans 3:25
Discouragement is one of Satan’s most powerful tools against believers and unbelievers alike. This was true of 18th-century English poet and hymn-writer William Cowper, whose life was riddled with bouts of severe depression and asylum stays. But the Lord used one such residency to reveal to Cowper the Truth of the Gospel. His life of struggle demonstrates several valuable truths for us today. (Description quoted from the website.)
15. Katharina Luther, Part 1
Romans 1:17
Katharina, the wife of Martin Luther, is one of the unsung heroes of the Protestant Reformation. She lived as a revolutionary role model for her time–and ours–devoted to her husband and family. She and Martin established a godly partnership for the Gospel, profoundly impacting the definition of Christian marriage. (Description quoted from the website.)
16. Katharina Luther, Part 2
Romans 1:17
Katharina, the wife of Martin Luther, is one of the unsung heroes of the Protestant Reformation. She lived as a revolutionary role model for her time–and ours–devoted to her husband and family. She and Martin established a godly partnership for the Gospel, profoundly impacting the definition of Christian marriage. (Description quoted from the website.)
17. E.V. Hill and S. M. Lockridge
Acts 4:13
“What if the gospel was your priority? What if you shared the Truth to those around you without holding back? Like Peter and John in Acts 4:13, E.V. Hill and S.M. Lockridge preached with confidence inspired by their passion for Jesus. What if we followed their example–and changed our world?” (Description from quoted the website.)
18. Viggo Olsen
“How did this brilliant agnostic physician go from having a certainty of evolution to believing in the magnificent creative hand of God? Discover how the Lord brought Dr. Olsen and his wife to saving faith through intensive scientific research and observation, and then carried them to Bangladesh where they served in medical missions for decades.” (Description quoted from the website.)
Meet Stephen Davey
Stephen is the Founding Pastor, and the current Pastor/Teacher of Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, North Carolina. He also serves as the president of Shepherds Theological Seminary, and leads the international broadcast ministry, Wisdom International. Stephen and his wife Marsha have been married more than 30 years and enjoy spending time with their grown children and growing grandchildren. (Quoted from OnePlace website.)
Learn more about Stephen Davey and Wisdom for the Heart
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