Update 1: January 2021

For quite some time now, I’ve been wanting to start a monthly or bi-monthly update on the ministry God has given me. I’ve perhaps been lazy and put this off, but as I sit in a hammock at the park, spending time with Jesus this evening, it seemed today was the time in which it was supposed to start. I plan to have a separate email list for this for those who care, so if you would like to be included on this in the future, please comment below or let me know somehow so I can keep you in the loop. This will be for ministry updates specifically, so no hard feelings if you are not interested in that. I still plan to post daily here.

This first ministry update I haven’t set anything up, so I’m simply posting it here on my blog, but in the future it will likely only be sent through email. Do let me know if you would like to receive it.

Today was an incredibly encouraging day. I’ve been feeling a bit discouraged over the last few months in the ministry God has given to me in this season.

In December, I had some tough conversations with a few of the guys I had been discipling, one of whom I had even baptized back in October. During our conversation, I realized that what I thought had been a true profession of faith was only a partial understanding of the gospel. My heart broke for these guys, knowing that if they didn’t believe in Jesus Christ of the Bible, they couldn’t be saved.

In general, I am not an outwardly emotional person, but I found myself pleading with my three friends through tears to reconsider their thoughts and believe in Jesus. But no matter the questions I asked or the “answers” I gave to their questions, they were not to be convinced.

They had been heavily influenced by a conglomerate of eastern religion and perhaps a mix of new age Christianity. I’m honestly not sure what it would be called. By the end of the conversation, it became clear, even from their own mouths, that logic could not be used to disprove their “religion,” because they said it was outside of logic. It couldn’t be understood.

At this point. I realized there was no use in continuing the conversation. We would simply talk round and round. All I could do was continue to love them and pray for them. The gospel is living and powerful, and I could only pray that it would drive into their lives in a way I couldn’t control. Indeed, more and more I understand that nothing is in my control anyway, it is only through the loving arms of Christ that I am able to be used at all.

After this disheartening conversation, I soon traveled up to Kansas and then immediately to Oregon to spend time with Lia’s family and my family for the holiday’s. I spent a month away from Austin, which was restful, but by the end, I felt in some way like a Jonah. God has given me ministry in Austin, and I was spending as long as I could away from that so that I could feel comfortable and good about myself again.

It worked. I felt extremely comfortable. But at the expense of being a bit sick to my stomach that I had tried to escape from where God had placed me.

Today though, I was encouraged in many ways, though. The Austin Stone finished their Vision series this week with their sermon on “the nations.” This always encourages me and pumps me up. God has called ME to be a part of His plan. From Abraham to me, God is using His people to expand His kingdom (whether we see it or not).

I also went to the initial leader training for the Austin Stone’s Disciple Making Intensive (DMI) program. Click here for the official synopsis on what it is

I will be co-leading a 10-week group and though I was initially scared (and still am in some ways), I am super excited. It will be a full semester, but since I want to share my faith and teach others to do the same, leading a group like a DMI seemed like a natural next step to be able to do that. In my experience, I learn best when I have to teach.

After the training, I was excited, but I was still feeling a bit like “who am I to do this?” And it just so happened that I was reading Exodus 1-6 in my Bible reading plan today. It’s the story of Moses being called to lead God’s people out of Egypt, and if there’s anyone better than me at avoiding responsibility, it was probably Moses. At one point when he is trying to tell God he can’t do the job because he’s not “eloquent” God replies:

“Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” – Exodus 4:11-12

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if I were mute and deaf. If God wants to use me (and he does. He uses everyone) then I simply need to come before Him and say “here I am Lord, send me.” To say anything more or less is to try and take control over something you have no power over.

All this is not to say there will be no hard work on my side. Last night we went over passages in James, Hebrews, and 1 Peter, all talking about the trials and troubles we will face along our journey. But even with all of that, I am encouraged and excited.

If God uses the weak things of the world to shame the strong, then he must be planning something crazy for me.

Please join with me in praying for God to continue to reveal Himself and his plan for us through his Spirit he has given to us (both the word and inside us). What things are we avoiding that God wants to challenge us in? We are right in thinking we will fail on our own, but with God, we are not on our own.