Dear Friends and Family,
This has been a busy week! I know that everyone can say that but we have silly busy lately. It is June but it seems like we are busier with kid’s school activities than we were during the actual school year. We have busy running kids back and forth to summer practices for football, ROTC, and band. Ryne is working a lot at Chick fil A while Kelly and I have been working overtime at our jobs. I had the privilege of preaching this past Sunday morning at my church. That kept me busy because it is a lot of work to prepare but it was a blessing to share the Gospel in our church’s worship service.
Anytime I get a chance to be pulpit supply, I use the book of John and this past Sunday I used the text from John 11:45-12:8. There are two very different people in this passage: Caiaphas the high priest and Mary the sister of Lazarus. Caiaphas heard of and maybe even saw the miracles that Jesus did but he did not like Him and was afraid that if more people followed Him, it would result in the Romans taking away his position as high priest. Mary saw the miracle of Jesus bringing her brother back to life. She knew that He was indeed the Son of God and she responded by anointing His feet with the very expensive oil.
Caiaphas hated Jesus because Jesus got in his way. Mary knew Him as the only way and the only one worth following.
I am on my way to meet up with 12 other brothers in the Lord as we will depart for Central Florida for our 2nd Saints Prison Ministry Crusade in 2021 We will be proclaiming the message that Jesus is the only one worth following in four different prisons this week.
Here are a few prayer requests for our team:
Traveling Mercies– There are 13 men going on this trip. We are flying in from all over the place! New Jersey, Illinois, and Georgia. Please pray that transportation won’t be a hindrance to sharing the Gospel this week!
Team Unity– There are a couple of us that made the trip in April but this is the first post-COVID trip for several guys. This is a very excited and eager group of men and we will be spending several days together. Please pray that fellowship will be sweet and morale will be high as we serve together.
Team Performance– This is going to be a good team but still pray that we are able to play well and that we earn the respect of the inmates. If we play well and earn their respect, they will be more likely to stick around and listen to us share the Gospel.
Please pray for tired arms, legs, shoulders, knees, elbows, and backs as we go through the weekend!
Speakers– Pray for the Missionary Athletes who will be sharing their testimonies of how they met Jesus and for the Missionary Athletes who will be sharing the Gospel. I will be sharing the Gospel on Friday and will share my testimony on Saturday.
Families– Each of the 13 Missionary Athletes are leaving a family at home so they can minister this weekend. Please pray for all of the wives who have to brave work and parenting by themselves. I used to write this part of the email thinking of leaving my wife with a house full of small kids but these days my kids are old enough that they are driving themselves around and are pretty self-sufficient! Please pray for safety for our kids and for our wives as they minister at home!
Inmates– Most importantly, pray for the men that we will encounter as they are the purpose of this trip. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19a, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” He also says in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day”.
Please pray that God works in the inmate’s hearts and that they hear the Gospel and will see a need in their lives to follow Jesus. Softball is fun, the fellowship with other missionary athletes is precious, but sharing the Gospel behind the prison walls is why we are going. Please pray that our trip is fruitful for the Glory of God!
Thank you in advance for the prayer support and for all of the encouragement many of you have been over the last several years! This is the most excited I’ve been about a Saints trip in a long time. Lord willing, the wait will be over and we will be on the field this weekend!
I’m looking forward to sharing the stories from this trip!
Please keep checking my Facebook page for updates throughout the week!
