Trusting God’s Calling: What to Do While You Wait

Ellen Krause: Welcome back to the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. I’m Ellen, your host, and today we’re talking about what it really looks like to walk in God’s calling.

Last year, Taylor and I attended the Beyond a Billion Conference with You Version. They were celebrating the incredible milestone of one billion downloads of the Bible app from people all over the world.

And while I was there, I ended up sitting next to a pastor who had come all the way from Germany to Oklahoma City for the celebration. And we just started talking. And as I listened to his story, I remember thinking, oh my goodness, I need to share this on the podcast.

So today I am so excited to introduce you to Franz Lüttmann.

Franz Lüttmann: .

Ellen Krause: He is a pastor and ministry leader in Germany, and he’s going to share what it really looks like to walk in God’s calling and how understanding God’s heart as a father changes everything. Franz, welcome!

Franz Lüttmann: Thank you so much, Helen. What an honor to be here with you. And it’s so, so nice to see you again.

Ellen Krause: Yes, it’s so good to see you again. I’m glad that we were really able to set this up. And I know sometimes you talk to all kinds of people at those types of events and nothing transpires, but here we are, Franz. I’m so grateful for this opportunity.

Why don’t you just start out by introducing yourself a little bit to our listeners and tell us, what does your everyday life look like in Germany?

Franz Lüttmann: Yes, well, my name is Franz Lüttmann. That’s actually a very German name. But I am from Guatemala and 18 years here in Germany, and long ago received a word about being in Germany and talking, preaching to German people about Jesus.

I’m full time in ministry, so every day looks a little different. But if I can catch, like, a regular day, normally I with prayer and Bible reading before everything starts, a little walking. I enjoy a lot to walk. I live close to the Alps—amazing mountains, great rivers and lakes—and

and I enjoy a lot time with Jesus walking through these places. And normally I spend % of my time with people and talking with my team, knowing how they’re doing, preparing for events

or just the Sunday preaching. We also a Bible school here and some other churches. So it’s great to be here. It’s great to see what God is doing now.

Ellen Krause: Franz, which town are you in in Germany? In case someone’s curious.

Franz Lüttmann: Sure, it’s a very small town. The name is Fössn. It means feet. And it’s because the town is right at the feet of the Alps.

What is famous about this town is that from here I can see we have this very amazing castle. It’s very famous. Actually, it was the inspiration for Walt Disney for all the movies. The moment that he saw that castle, you know, now because of internet and everything,

now it’s like a lot of people come here to this place and visit the castle. And therefore, it’s like you have a little life in a small town.

Ellen Krause: I’ve been there, and I have a dear, dear, dear friend who I love. family’s from Metzingen.

Franz Lüttmann: Wow, okay.

Ellen Krause: Yeah, so that’s kind of, I think, around there maybe. But I know we drove that castle, and it’s just really just incredible. It’s so, so beautiful there. And how amazing that that gets to be kind of part of your morning start—to just praising God and his creation.

Franz Lüttmann: It’s really a gift to be here.

Ellen Krause: It is, it is.

So what I found so fascinating was that, like you said, you’re originally from Guatemala. Tell us about what led you into ministry and pastoring.

Franz Lüttmann: Yeah, well, I’m the closest person that, when people ask me about someone in the Bible that I can identify with, that will be Jonah, because I received this word about preaching in Germany actually in same weekend that I give my life to Jesus.

I had an encounter with Jesus. It was a weekend. And Friday night I really understood what he did on the cross. Before, I was like just going to the church, kind of Christian. But then I really understood what he did.

Then Saturday was amazing. And Sunday morning one person comes to me, and he says to me, I see that you’re preaching in Germany. I was at that time in Guatemala.

And thing is, I was before in Germany when I was a teenager, and it was not like my favorite place in the world. And I was also not very used to the German culture, which is not always so easy when you come from Latin America.

But I start like serving God. I developed this passion to serve him, to preach about him. And thing was that we start in a small church in Guatemala.

And this church really developed in an amazing way. So we saw a lot of miracles. We saw a lot of revival—families coming together, and parents and children, you know, like restoration in families.

And it was amazing. When we were leaving, we were like really enjoying what revival is—seeing healings and a lot of things. And we grew in an amazing way.

And, you know, I had a very normal work, like also my wife, a parrot, and I also have three children. And we really enjoyed being in Guatemala, seeing a lot of things, being also of the leadership also of the church.

And after seven years, I start, like all the time, there was always a reminder that at some point we have to come to Germany.

And it’s exactly like when the angel comes to Mary, and what Mary says is, how it will be? Like, you know, God speaks about things, but you don’t have a plan. How can it be? I don’t see that.

And when the time really came, my way was like I really wanted to remain in Guatemala. So I had the big hope like coming to Germany only for

a couple of months, but returning, making some connections and returning. But at the end is—or it’s already 18 years.

It was not an easy way, and I had like another plan for my life, actually. And I prepared for another plan.

And that plan was just like, you know, to lead a company, being a manager or something, and just like preaching in the time that I have, but like more focused on our normal life, if I can say it like that.

But God called me actually to be in full time. Now everything makes sense, but thing is a lot of times it doesn’t—exactly when we’re young and when we receive those words or we have dreams and we don’t know how it will be.

But now I can see that God has better plans than our plans, and it’s what the word also says—that his plans are more higher than ours. And that’s something that I believe.

Ellen Krause: Yeah. So your reference to Jonah is more about kind of this fight that you had with, you know, God’s telling me to go, but I’m really happy here. I’ll go for a little bit, okay, perhaps—and just this struggle.

So how did this relationship with God as a father personally impact your decision and your move and how that changed the way you’re living?

Franz Lüttmann: Well, I think one of the things that I enjoy the most is knowing God as a father. But the thing was that, for that time, I live under some lies because, you know, we were…

Being in that place, seeing so much revival, and feeling that God has for me another way, for a lot of moments it felt like, you know, like everybody has fun but I’m not allowed to have it—something like that.

And I had a couple of years, really, where I was even preaching about God as a father and the fatherhood and everything. I received the dream of writing a book about God as a father.

Ellen Krause: Okay.

Franz Lüttmann: Stories of the Heart of the Father is the name of the book.

And in all that time, I realized really that I had a lot of trouble in my identity. First with my name—it was always very fun that I have this German name, but I look very Guatemala. Everywhere where I was, it was something like that.

And then being here, a lot of times I felt like, are you really on my side? Why does it have to be so hard?

And a couple of people arrived to me from different moments, different places, and they said to me, I see your life like the life of Joseph. Sometimes it’s like that—that you receive some dreams, but the next thing that you receive is not being directly there where you imagine that it should go, or normally.

When we’re young also, we don’t know how hard the way it will be. But the thing is, God is something in us, and I realized that he was forming character in me to support everything that he was willing to give to me.

You know, now I—sometimes I felt in the past like God loved me, but he loved some other people more than me, you know? And that really changed now.

You know, I felt like, well, I think God really, really loved me. And it’s amazing to have him as a father and to understand also what it means to be a father.

Ellen Krause: Hmm.

Franz, I love seeing how God has worked that into your life. Tell us about your time—like, you had this incredible experience in Guatemala. How did God use that to prepare you for what you’re doing now?

Because I think that’s something that’s so cool about, you know, everyone’s story is we’re going through all these seasons and you wonder, and then it’s only until later when you can see how God really used that to prepare you for something or another.

Franz Lüttmann: Yes, I think.

Well, you know, when I just came to Germany, I didn’t realize that. I didn’t notice that. But there was a lot of pride in my life.

And first of all, like I needed to, you know—when I came from a mega church at the time that I lived in Guatemala, we were already like 10,000, 12,000 people, and it grew a lot more.

And when I came, first Sunday being in church here in Germany, I see 12 people inside a church. And I was feeling like I cannot breathe, you know?

And I came to the pastor and I was like, you know, I have to tell you how to do things, you know? I know a better way. But the thing was, I still needed to be really inside a culture.

What I’m thankful for is that I am seeing two times in my life a revival. I saw that in Guatemala. I see it now in Germany.

And the thing is, we have to keep our faith, you know?

Like Paul is speaking about, I do one thing, and it’s I forget what is behind me and I focus what is in front of me. And Paul was always moving about something that was to keep the faith.

And as for me, it’s amazing to read how he speaks to Timothy. It’s like, it’s not like I already reach everything, but I do this one thing. Then Timothy says, I’m arriving to the place that I have to be, and what he’s saying is, I keep my faith.

And for me, it’s amazing that he’s not saying, you know, I started so many churches and I did so many miracles and I preached to so much people. But the thing that’s really packed for me is that he keep his faith.

And I think that was what God was proving inside me and inside every one of us.

God is never going to prove our identity, but he’s proving our faith—what we’re believing. And that’s the difference, you know?

Through all these years, sometimes I was proving my identity, and I realized that was the voice of our enemy telling me, are you really a son of God? If you’re really a son of God, then this and this and that should be different, you know?

But I realized how God is proving our faith. And he’s speaking things, he’s telling things about the future, and it’s just our job to believe that and to go for it.

When I see now, back through everything what he did, we see a lot of things right now here. It’s such a difference.

And it’s not about our capacity, it’s not how good we are, it’s not how good we preach or how we organize—it’s all about his grace, you know?

He’s always searching for people who is just telling, like Isaiah, here I am, use me. If you think that I can be, send me.

Ellen Krause: What’s the greatest obstacle that you’re seeing in your environment now for people being willing to be open to that?

Franz Lüttmann: Well, it’s different countries, a different continent, and you know, culture is a big thing.

So I come from a Latino country. I was just a couple of days ago also in Argentina. It’s for me amazing how our cultures in Latin America are so…

close, you know—people all sitting at the table, eating together, being loud, being family.

And the thing about Germany is that before, the normal way to live in Germany was one family in one house, you know? And now the very normal thing in Germany, and in a lot of parts in Europe—and I’m sure also in the States—is

one person in one apartment.

So people not being open to community, it doesn’t help you to develop also the fruits of the Spirit, you know? Because patience and love—everything—it’s developed when you’re spending time in community.

And that’s something that we see in the culture in the country. But we’re so happy to see that we’re building another subculture, another culture—a Christian culture.

It’s great to see that, you know. We’re seeing the first fruits of what is about to come.

Ellen Krause: That’s so exciting. Franz, do they have small groups there where people can form smaller communities?

Franz Lüttmann: Yes, that’s something that we’re building here.

Well, to tell you a little about what we have here, we start, like I told you, one church—12 people—but we were serving the main pastor. I was also having a very normal, regular job.

It developed, you know. He had the vision to start new churches, some small churches in the towns in the surrounding area. And up till now, we are 14 churches.

And we have, like in the same place, three things. The one thing is the Bible school, which God is really blessing. Also the church itself, where I have the honor to be the pastor together with my wife, and also the movement on starting new churches.

So we all three are together.

For the church, we have this vision of all people being part of small groups, and that’s something that’s developed in the last weeks and months, and much better.

Ellen Krause: I know for me personally, I love being part of small groups where you really can develop that sense of sharing maybe more deeply and having people there to support you in good times and bad times. So that’s exciting to see that you’ve been able to start to make that happen—

to kind of get back to your roots, right, of just the community aspect.

Franz Lüttmann: Yes, I love to see that.

If we see in Acts 2:42, that’s what the church—the first church—were doing, you know. They were doing these four things: being in community, praying together, remaining in the word, and just breaking bread together, eating together.

And I see a lot of examples in the Bible. Like what I love is the story about these two—

Ellen Krause: Yes.

Franz Lüttmann: —disciples going to Emmaus, the last chapter of Luke, and how they’re walking with Jesus through the way, you know—like the story of my life and the story of a lot of people also.

Walking through the way, but not knowing that Jesus is actually with us. But we’re so frustrated and so sad about things that are not going our way, how we are expecting that they should go.

But then at the end, sitting at a table with Jesus and having community with him, breaking bread together—it’s like the moments when our eyes are being opened.

So that’s very important, I think, for us here, but for every Christian everywhere in the world. We have to have this kind of community.

Being also able, even if I’m a leader or not, being able to talk with people and telling about our fights, what we have to do, what we’re dealing with—that’s so important.

Being in community, having people to pray for us and pray for other people.

Ellen Krause: Absolutely. Well, we started this conversation talking about helping people discern their calling. What advice would you give someone who is in that particular stage of, you know, where they’re just really trying, you know, or maybe their heart’s saying one thing, but God’s telling them to do another? What advice would you give someone?

Franz Lüttmann: Yes.

What an honor to answer this question. I will say, starting with two things.

The first thing is, did God spoke, or is something that we’re thinking? Because I hear a lot of time, God had told me about—and a lot of people, like for us Christians, like something that we’re using to do things or not do things, you know, even like dating also.

No, I pray and God told me no. I mean, we have to be honest and maybe say, well, I don’t like you that much. But we’re like putting that as an excuse for doing or not doing something.

So when you’re sure that God spoke, then I’m sure he’s going to do it, you know? So sometimes it doesn’t make any sense.

I was 24 years old—God spoke about one day being in Germany, preaching in Germany. And the thing is, he give you one piece of the puzzle, and then a couple of months later, a couple of years later, he gives you another piece.

And it’s not like having all the picture, but he’s giving us just a little. He’s also telling us we have to pray, and he’s going to reveal amazing things that we haven’t hear or nobody has seen.

What I think is, if God spoke, the best that we have to do is to keep our faith and to be obedient.

You know, sometimes we think like, God spoke to me a lot of time ago, but he didn’t spoke again. And the thing is, sometimes he’s waiting that we’re doing the first thing that he said.

Because sometimes we want new instructions, but we still haven’t fulfilled what he tells the first time.

So being obedient, following his voice, being patient—and you know, it’s like in Hebrew it’s reading, through faith and patience we’re going to receive all of His promises.

Thing is, a lot of people have faith for a moment, but have the patience to know something is gonna happen and God is going to do something, even if we cannot see it right now.

Faith, patience, and obedience—I think those are key words if we know that we have a calling.

Even if we’re not in full time. But I know, if you’re here in the podcast also, that you have a calling. And for, yeah, I don’t know—I can feel the Holy Spirit touching some people who are thinking God spoke about something, but it never happened.

And the thing is, you know, sometimes it’s patience what we need. So God spoke about having a son for Abraham.

He has to wait 25 years to see this promise fulfilled. So I think sometimes it’s about patience and not stop—not stop believing.

Ellen Krause: Yes. Yeah, and that can be so hard to do. I think especially, you know, in our fast-paced world and sort of selfish nature, right? It’s a battle.

Franz Lüttmann: That’s true. We’re used to have everything right away—microwaves and internet and social media and everything.

And sometimes there are some things that needs to wait. The way that I see it, it’s like, you know, when we plant a tree, we cannot tell the next week that the tree should give us some fruit.

You know, there is a process, there is a time. The tree has to grow.

It’s very important that the roots are also growing down so that the tree can support everything that’s coming, and fruit is going to come.

Thing is, a lot of people want to see fruit, you know. A lot of Christians need to see—I want to see a stadium with thousand people, and I want to see healing, and I want to see miracles, and I want to see…

And the thing is, we have to wait. First of all, God wants to build character in us so that we are ready for what’s next.

Ellen Krause: Yes.

I love that you said that. You know, now that I’m looking out my window here, because it’s kind of crazy—like probably five years ago now, I planted an apple tree, and it was, it’s a honey crisp apple, which is a certain variety.

And year one, no flowers. Year two, no flowers. Year three, no flowers.

And so I literally called, like, our arborist, who came, and I’m like, can you just look at my tree and see if maybe I’m doing something wrong?

And then sure enough, I found out that that particular variety takes five years to have fruit—to have the flowers and then the fruit. I was like, I hope I’m still alive.

I love that you use that example, because God’s timing isn’t always ours. And there’s so much to learn in the waiting and for God to be molding and shaping us, like you described of yourself.

Franz Lüttmann: That’s something that I see a lot in young people, you know, like focusing on the fruit. We had to focus on our roots.

It’s the time alone that we spend in the presence of God—in prayer, reading our Bible—where nobody’s watching. That’s what really is making the difference.

We never see the roots of a tree. They’re just growing in a different way than we think. But that’s the key.

Ellen Krause: Yes.

Before I let you go, I just want to tap into your thoughts a little bit more on prayer, because our small group right now is doing a study—an in-depth study on prayer—and I’ve been learning so much.

Tell us about your prayer life and how you’ve seen God work through that.

Franz Lüttmann: Wow. That’s something—you know, I have to be honest, and I have different seasons.

You know, times where I feel like I really have to pray and everything—I really need to see something—and times where you’re not seeing what you’re expecting, and there you’re kind of, okay, it takes a little time, and then going back again.

And I think prayer is what changes everything.

Next year, 2027, it’s going to be 300 years since this movement here from Germany started—and I’m sure you hear about them, the Moravians.

And they start this prayer of not ending, you know. They pray for 100 years, something like that, and always having these people praying at all times.

The thing is, sometimes when we’re praying, we start to pray about something—I don’t know if it happened to you—but a lot of time it gets a little worse than it was before.

And it’s something like, okay, it will be in another direction.

So my prayer time, normally, it’s when I start the day. You know, we have to give God always the first things, and therefore it’s my wish always to wake up, to spend time in prayer, worship.

And just as a father with a son, just sitting before my father and telling him how I feel, what I’m dealing with—but also having some specific prayers about some people in my life.

You know, in the past it was prayers about me, but at some point you change it for children, if I can call them so.

I remember praying about people who are waiting to have a child—you know, six and a half years—and I take that so personally, you know.

It was 2022, I started praying. 23—never happened. 24—I asked, how should I pray? You know, I pray every day.

And this year, 24, that they can be pregnant, you know—just to be pregnant in 24. That was my prayer.

You know, I did it every day, every day. And at some point it arrives December 24, and I’m like, God, it’s only one month left. Are you still going to do it?

And I remember we were praying, we were feeling, we were like, God is going to do it, you know—believing.

And at some point, we have dinner, and we’re excited because we feel like the time is now. And the next day, they call us and say, no, it didn’t happen.

And it was such a big disappointment, you know.

And for a couple of days—the last days of 24—I was like, God, help me. I know you can do it. I know you want to do it. I know you spoke about it.

So what should I do? What should I pray? I pray every day.

You know, I just took it from Jesus about learning about this widow who asked day to resolve the thing.

And for that time, I was kind of lost, you know—like, I don’t know what to pray. I don’t know how to pray. And to be honest, kind of, yeah, disappointed.

And then, 4th of January, they just sent out a picture. And the picture was a photo with a pregnancy test with the two things. I was just crying and crying and crying and being so thankful.

And that child is already born, and they are already pregnant with the next one. So we’re so happy about what God is doing.

So through that time, God showed me about not giving up in praying.

And I just prayed about them being pregnant in 24, and for a moment I thought it didn’t happen. And at the end, it did happen. It was just that I didn’t knew.

So like that, you know, I have moments of praying a lot and moments of just sitting before God and being quiet, you know—just enjoying the time, not feeling all the gaps that we need to fill, just being honest before Him.

That will be my personal prayer time.

Of course, we also develop and want to develop more and more in the church. We have the dream about building a prayer house because, at the end, Jesus also said, my house will be a prayer house.

So we want to have prayer. Being right now also—the last couple of weeks—in Argentina, it was amazing for me to see how people are praying for 24 hours and even more.

So, yeah, I think it’s something that you have to build—an intimacy—and also something that we need to build in community.

Ellen Krause: Yes. And that’s just something that you have to step into willingly. It’s so crucial for all aspects of our lives, but especially this one where people are trying to discern their call.

And just—you have the opportunity for praying to God and asking for clarity and Him guiding your path, and so, so important part of the discernment process.

Franz Lüttmann: If I can add something about what you just said—a lot of people, I’m seeing that they just want to hear what God is saying about things.

But sometimes we want to use that as an excuse. We want to have guarantees about, you know, what is about to come.

You know, do I have to start this job or not? Do I have to start this company or not?

And a lot of times, we don’t hear that God speaks. Sometimes we hear, and it’s amazing. A lot of times, we don’t hear that.

And sometimes it’s just—you know, I love the story about Jonathan just thinking, we’re going to go to the other side and we’re going to fight. Maybe God is with us.

You know, he was risking his life for a “maybe God is with us.” And if he’s with us, he will give us success, he will give us a victory.

So he’s taking everything—not in a prophetic word—but in a moment to start something.

And sometimes God is not speaking because He also wants to develop mature children who can decide based on His Word.

Ellen Krause: Yes, absolutely.

Well, Franz, how can we be praying for you and your ministry in Germany?

Franz Lüttmann: Thank you so much.

Well, you can be praying for everything that is about to come, you know. We have this vision in this place about a river who’s flowing from the mountains in all Germany.

And a lot of times, God is always confirming this vision.

So we started a vision about discipleship, and we want to have more disciples.

Jesus says that we need to pray for workers because everything is ready. We just need to have more people who can help us to bring everything—all the fruit, all the persons who are about to come.

So that’s what, for me, is more important right now—to have a bigger team. We have a lot of people, but we need a bigger team—people who are also committed to God’s principles, to God’s Word, to this vision, what He gave us about discipleship, about a community.

And we’re very, very thankful.

We need a lot of new pastors, new leaders. We’re developing new churches, but we need more people who can also connect there and be mature and take their responsibility to lead a church.

So that’s something that we need here.

Ellen Krause: Yes, okay. Well, we have a lot of prayer warriors, I’m sure, listening here that would be delighted to lift those up. And of course, we will here at Coffee and Bible Time as well.

Franz, I really appreciate you taking your time to share this—your story with us.

It’s encouraging to see how God is moving in all parts of the world, isn’t it? I mean, that’s how the YouVersion conference was—it was just so incredible to see God at work in mighty places.

And you’re just such an incredible example of allowing God to lift you out of what was comfortable to put you where He needed you.

How exciting that is to see the fruit of that.

Franz Lüttmann: Mm-hmm.

Thank you.

Ellen Krause: Well, Franz, before I let you go, I have to ask you our favorite Coffee and Bible Time questions here.

What is your go-to Bible, and what translation is it?

Franz Lüttmann: Well, Spanish is still my mother tongue, so it will be versión viviente—that’s New Living Version, if I can call it like that.

That will be the one that I read all the time.

Ellen Krause: Okay.

Very good. Okay, do you have any favorite Bible journaling supplies? Do you like to journal?

Franz Lüttmann: I love to use the YouVersion app, actually, you know. And it helps me a lot.

And I love that I can write there. So I love to write. I love to change, you know, from one language to the other.

Sometimes in English it’s something more specific, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes it’s in German.

And I love to write there a lot, and so I use it all the time.

Ellen Krause: I didn’t even realize you could do journaling inside the YouVersion app. That’s so cool. Okay—learn something new today.

Lastly, I know you just said the YouVersion app is your go-to for the Bible. Do you have any websites that you like to use for Bible study tools?

Franz Lüttmann: Well, I’ve been so blessed in the last weeks about people from Argentina.

So there is this amazing group of people—a church in Argentina, in Córdoba—the name is Toma Tu Lugar. They do also amazing worship and Bible studies.

So I’m hearing them a lot.

And also still hearing my former pastor in Guatemala—name is Cash Luna—I still hear a lot of his preachings.

And also Mariano Sennewald—those are, well, Spanish speakers—those are the websites that I use.

And yeah, they’re a big blessing. Maybe you have some Spanish community here also listening, so that’s a big blessing.

Ellen Krause: Yes, most definitely. Well, we will make sure we include those links in our show notes.

Franz, again, thank you for your time, sharing your story and your heart with us. Such an encouraging conversation.

Franz Lüttmann: Okay, great. Thank you so much. It’s an honor, really, for me. Thank you for taking the time.

Ellen Krause: You’re most welcome.

And to everyone listening, I hope today’s message reminds you that God wants to use your story to do something beautiful, and He is faithful to lead us when we listen.

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So thank you so much for joining us, and we’ll see you again next time on the Coffee and Bible Time podcast. Have a blessed day.