In this heartfelt episode of Grace at the Fray, Jim welcomes “John,” a longtime pastor and current member of Serge’s Missionary Care team. Together, they explore the profound intersections of grief, ministry, and God's sustaining grace in the face of immense loss. With wisdom, vulnerability, and deep faith, John shares how leaning into grief brought him closer to the Lord and shaped his ministry. If you or someone you know is navigating grief, allow this episode to offer comfort, encouragement, and a reminder that God's grace meets us in our sorrow.

In this episode, they discuss…

• Reflections on the grief journey (9:26)
• Grieving a spouse (17:45)
• Journaling to process grief (24:37)
• The role of community in grieving (35:56)
• The profound hope of heaven (42:00)

Thank you for listening! If you found this conversation encouraging or helpful, please share this episode with your friends and loved ones. Or please leave us a review—it really helps!

Referenced in this episode:

• Learn more about Serge’s Missionary Care
• George Herbert’s “Grief”
• Grief Share
• 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘰𝘺 and 𝘈 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 by C.S. Lewis, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦...𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 by Joni Eareckson Tada
• Shane and Shane’s “I Will Wait for You (Psalm 130)”
• Bible references: Colossians 3:2-4, Psalm 126

Credits:

Our guest for this episode may be a missionary or ministry leader, whose identity is anonymous in order to protect their safety and the safety of those they serve. At Serge, we have many workers serving in closed-access countries around the world and we prioritize security, which is essential for the success of their mission. This episode was hosted by Jim Lovelady. Production by Evan Mader, Anna Madsen, and Grace Chang. Music by Tommy L.

𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝑷𝒐𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 is produced by SERGE, an international missions agency that sends and cares for missionaries and develops gospel-centered programs and resources for ongoing spiritual renewal. Learn more and get involved at serge.org.

Connect with us!

• Instagram: @graceatthefray
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sergeglobal
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraceAtTheFray
• Tik Tok: @graceatthefray
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serge/

Sign up here to get notified when new episodes are released: https://serge.org/podcast/#subscribe

Questions or comments? Reach out to us anytime at podcast@serge.org.