Dear Friends,You are probably landing here because you have had some connection to my life over the years. Hopefully I have been a blessing in your life, but assuredly many that I will direct here have encouraged me and shown me great love over the years. I don’t use this page very much, but I’d like to use the opportunity to ask you to pray for my wife Lauren and I in the next few weeks.
We have been students at Southeastern Baptist Seminary since January of this year. It has been nothing short of incredible to see how God has used this, so far short, season of our lives to mold us, shape us, and broaden our perspective of His glory. Every class lecture, every homework assignment, every conversation with other students and professors has both increased our knowledge of theology and the Bible and our love and praise to God. Beyond that, every step we make has taken us directly into a challenge for discipleship, for increased holiness, for a bolder witness, for more and more crafting into the image of God as we seek to imitate Him (Eph 5:1). Nearly every church we have stepped into, especially including the church we now serve and have joined, has been a guidepost and sending point for God’s glorious gospel, a bold proclamation of Jesus’ sacrifice to atone for our sins.
As we have joined along this community, we have prayerfully decided to go intentionally on mission with the Seminary on a trip to Denver during October 1-8. As the final few days of preparation go on, I’d like to lift up a few prayer requests for you.
- Pray for the city of Denver and all those we will come into contact with in our time there. The city is largely unchurched, perhaps 99% non-evangelical.
- Pray for the church we are working with, The Summit Church Denver, as they work to build disciples and reach the city for God (you may want to visit www.summitdenver.org to learn more about their work).
- Lift up Lauren and I as we prepare and go. We need a sense of peace, joy, and most of all a trust and faith in God as we seek to follow Him in this trip.
- I would also quote fully Paul’s prayer and challenge in Colossians 4:2-6:
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
We are very excited about going to Denver and we would love for you to be able to join alongside of us in support. If God leads you to give financially in the next week, this post is not to beg for money but I will not avoid directing you to http://sebts.edu/cgcs/mission-trips/ and mentioning you can click on the right-side button “Click Here to Give.”
Thank you for reading this post. I pray God blesses you in the coming days, to His glory.
In everything we give thanks to Jesus Christ, for surely
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
And for those who have trusted in Him, we praise God that
You, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven (Colossians 1:15-23)
May God also be with us as we join with the church in presenting this hope, the good news for all creation, to the city of Denver.
