Gospel Patrons: The Secret Behind Every Great Movement of God | John Rinehart | FDE Podcast Ep. 379

Description

A couple commits $5 million to fund the Jesus Film. The very next year, they go bankrupt. When asked if they regretted it, they said it was the best investment they ever made—because 45 years later, 650 million people have said “I’ll follow Jesus” after watching that film. That’s what Kingdom generosity looks like. John Rinehart, author and founder of Gospel Patrons, joins Justin Forman to uncover the hidden thread of generosity running through every great move of God in history. From the cloth merchant who secretly funded William Tyndale’s illegal Bible translation, to the aristocratic woman who bankrolled Whitefield and Wesley, to the businessman who turned John Newton’s hymns into Amazing Grace—the pattern is unmistakable: behind every great ministry, there’s a gospel patron. John shares his own journey from a 25-year-old businessman asking “what’s all this for?” to taking a 132-day trip around the world to discover his calling. Together, he and Justin explore the three enemies of Christian generosity, expose the lies the world tells about wealth, and reveal why focused, intentional giving—not scattered, reactive giving—is the quickest path to joy there is. [CHAPTERS] 00:00 Opening story: The Jesus Film and Bunker & Caroline Hunt 01:12 Welcome to the FDE Podcast: Generosity and the roots of the movement 02:07 Where we are now: The third generation of the generosity movement 03:58 Naming the villains: The world, the flesh, and the devil 06:49 Unmasking the lie: The world’s definition of wealth vs. Jesus’s 08:49 Serving one and a half masters: The danger of splitting allegiance 09:28 The early church in Acts 2 and Acts 4: Radical generosity as normal Christianity 10:43 Is Jesus our true treasure? What our bank accounts reveal 11:30 The detox move: Extreme measures and naming greed as greed 12:48 The rich young ruler: What if he had said yes? 13:55 Giving as losing vs. giving as winning: Impossible to lose 15:23 Gospel patron stories: Tyndale’s cloth merchant, Amazing Grace, the Jesus Film 18:23 Seeds vs. sil