God's Generals: The Faith That Shook Nations - A Deep Dive into the Great Awakenings

In this deep dive discussion of Roberts Liardon’s “God’s Generals: The Revivalists,” journey back to the 18th century to discover the revivalists who transformed two continents. Explore the lives of John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards—the spiritual leaders Liardon chronicles as history’s most influential faith pioneers.

Discover how a Moravian community’s 100-year prayer vigil sparked the First Great Awakening, how Wesley shifted from works-based religion to grace-centered faith, and how Whitefield’s dramatic preaching drew crowds of 60,000. Learn why Edwards defended the role of emotions in genuine conversion while warning against superficial faith.

This deep dive reveals the fundamental conflict that defined an era: seeking salvation through rigid works versus receiving it as a gift through personal faith. More importantly, it explores how these pioneers built the organizational structures that transformed emotional revivals into lasting movements—methods that still shape modern evangelical Christianity.

The episode concludes with Wesley’s own sobering question: Does lasting transformation depend more on the initial spark or the disciplined structure that follows?

Brought to you by Awake Nations with Glenn Bleakney and the Kingdom Reformation community. Learn more at KingdomReformation.org