I recently read this summer the book "Radical" by David Platt.
I whole heartily recommend that people should read and consider the thoughts and teachings presented. It is certainly a challenge laid down to the American Church.
I would also point anyone who has read this book to a blog response by Kevin Deyoung. One of my pastors, Doug Phillips, recommended this blog post of Kevin's. I respect Doug, Kevin, and David for their faithful handling and teaching of the Word of God.
Thank you Doug for leading me to this post.
Thank you Kevin for your helpful insights and thoughts regarding "Radical".
Thank you David for your passionate plea laid out in "Radical".
By far my favorite chapter in the book was chapter seven " There is no plan B". This was a great reminder of the gospel and the ministry that we as people touched and transformed by the gospel have.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Update 8.3.10
I just returned to Chicago last week and have been able to continue working for Moody in their facilities department. I wanted to write and share with you how my time in Japan went. It is hard to imagine that I was actually able to spend seven weeks in Japan. Of course the time flew by, especially when your weeks are full of responsibilities and appointments.
During the seven weeks that I was there in Japan five of those weeks I was responsible for the running of the Lighthouse ministry. Many of you know that this is the same ministry that I was able to do an internship at last year. Of course the responsibilities that I had this time were different than when I was an intern. Running things while Jim and Martha Bowden were gone was a big responsibility. It was a great blessing that my mom was able to come out for three of the weeks to help with the kitchen and cooking responsibilities. I was blessed to have the opportunity to preach five times. This was a great opportunity and responsibility that I am so grateful for. Recognizing the great responsibility that preaching is; it was great to see how God used it in my life and in the life of the community to encourage and challenge growth.
One of the other opportunities that I had involved teaching a Bible study at a Japanese prison where American sailors are incarcerated. Three different times I was able to go and lead a Bible study with 10-12 guys. During one of these visits I had the opportunity to meet one on one with one of the men named Jeff. During this meeting I had the joy of seeing the Holy Spirit work in his life and lead him to Christ. Praise God for the salvation of Jeff and the work that He is doing in many of the inmate’s lives.
Overall my time in Japan served to encourage and remind me of all the ways that God has been working in my life. There is no reason that I should be known as a child of God, that I should have the opportunity to study at Moody Bible Institute, or that I should have opportunities to minister to people, like I did in Japan. I have two more years of schooling to do at Moody. I am looking forward to see how God is going to continue to grow and challenge me through the teaching and instruction that I will receive here. I am also looking forward to the continued opportunity to invest into the lives of younger men and women at the school. Pray that this year I will be able to influence and impact the guys on my dorm floor in a positive manner. My desire is to minister, mentor, and mobilize men while here at Moody. I thank God for the opportunities that he has already given me to do this.
This upcoming year, as part of my schooling I have to be involved in a ministry on a weekly basis. This year I will be given the opportunity to go to Great Lakes Training Center. This is the Navy’s boot camp and training location which is 45min north of Chicago. I will be going there every Sunday and will have the opportunity to teach in a Sunday school class at the recruit’s chapel. This ministry will be with Campus Crusades Military Ministry. This will give me a new exposure to military men and women, and will help me understand more what it is like for them at their boot camp. Doing this on Sunday mornings means I am having to find a new church in Chicago. I am planning on finding a church that offers a Sunday evening service which I can attend. Please pray that God would lead me to the congregation that he would have me commit to.
It will be interesting to see where and how God works over the next two years. I don’t yet know for sure what direction specifically that God is moving me in, but this I know, that my time back in Japan this summer has helped to confirm my direction towards fulltime pastoral ministry. Whether this takes place in a local church or on the mission field I am uncertain, but I am excited to be moving in that direction. Thanks for all your prayers and support over the years and this past summer.
Sola Die Gloria
“He is no fool who gains what he cannot lose to lose what he cannot gain.” Jim Elliott
During the seven weeks that I was there in Japan five of those weeks I was responsible for the running of the Lighthouse ministry. Many of you know that this is the same ministry that I was able to do an internship at last year. Of course the responsibilities that I had this time were different than when I was an intern. Running things while Jim and Martha Bowden were gone was a big responsibility. It was a great blessing that my mom was able to come out for three of the weeks to help with the kitchen and cooking responsibilities. I was blessed to have the opportunity to preach five times. This was a great opportunity and responsibility that I am so grateful for. Recognizing the great responsibility that preaching is; it was great to see how God used it in my life and in the life of the community to encourage and challenge growth.
One of the other opportunities that I had involved teaching a Bible study at a Japanese prison where American sailors are incarcerated. Three different times I was able to go and lead a Bible study with 10-12 guys. During one of these visits I had the opportunity to meet one on one with one of the men named Jeff. During this meeting I had the joy of seeing the Holy Spirit work in his life and lead him to Christ. Praise God for the salvation of Jeff and the work that He is doing in many of the inmate’s lives.
Overall my time in Japan served to encourage and remind me of all the ways that God has been working in my life. There is no reason that I should be known as a child of God, that I should have the opportunity to study at Moody Bible Institute, or that I should have opportunities to minister to people, like I did in Japan. I have two more years of schooling to do at Moody. I am looking forward to see how God is going to continue to grow and challenge me through the teaching and instruction that I will receive here. I am also looking forward to the continued opportunity to invest into the lives of younger men and women at the school. Pray that this year I will be able to influence and impact the guys on my dorm floor in a positive manner. My desire is to minister, mentor, and mobilize men while here at Moody. I thank God for the opportunities that he has already given me to do this.
This upcoming year, as part of my schooling I have to be involved in a ministry on a weekly basis. This year I will be given the opportunity to go to Great Lakes Training Center. This is the Navy’s boot camp and training location which is 45min north of Chicago. I will be going there every Sunday and will have the opportunity to teach in a Sunday school class at the recruit’s chapel. This ministry will be with Campus Crusades Military Ministry. This will give me a new exposure to military men and women, and will help me understand more what it is like for them at their boot camp. Doing this on Sunday mornings means I am having to find a new church in Chicago. I am planning on finding a church that offers a Sunday evening service which I can attend. Please pray that God would lead me to the congregation that he would have me commit to.
It will be interesting to see where and how God works over the next two years. I don’t yet know for sure what direction specifically that God is moving me in, but this I know, that my time back in Japan this summer has helped to confirm my direction towards fulltime pastoral ministry. Whether this takes place in a local church or on the mission field I am uncertain, but I am excited to be moving in that direction. Thanks for all your prayers and support over the years and this past summer.
Sola Die Gloria
“He is no fool who gains what he cannot lose to lose what he cannot gain.” Jim Elliott
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