This past week my beloved Chicago Cubs made some trades to try and get better for a hopeful upcoming playoff push.
Some of the moves were exciting…and, some of the moves were head scratchers...but, at the end of the day, the Cubs made roster moves that should help them finish strong.
This past Sunday our church went through Acts 23 during our worship service. The first point of the message was about finishing well.
Acts 23:1 says:
Acts 23:1- And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
My goal, and the goal of every missionary athlete across the country should be to say the same thing once we get to the end of the season. We should all want to finish strong. We should have a clear conscience that we gave everything we had.
I have some prayer requests for our team at the end of this email but please pray for me, my teammates, and the other Saints teams across the country that we finish well this year. Please pray for me that I am faithfully in God’s Word, faithfully praying, and faithfully sharing the Gospel in prison during the remaining month and a half of the season.
This Saturday we are going to FCI Greenville for the first time in 11 years. FCI Greenville is the very first visit for our Illinois team way back in 2012. It is exciting to finally get a chance to go back and revisit where it all started!
There will be some time to be nostalgic but there will be softball to be played and some time to minister to the men we see as well!
We are planning on having two speaking times and will hopefully see a few hundred guys.
During our morning session, we will play two games and share the Gospel in between. Hunter Stewart will share his testimony and Kris Mettelmann will share the Gospel. During the afternoon session, we will play another two games. Jon Isbell will share his testimony, and Kyle Krall will share the Gospel.
This will be another really early morning and it will be a little hot toward the end of the day so please pray that we can stay strong throughout the day.
Thank you to everyone who has been praying this year. It has been a blessing to continue to share the Gospel in Prison with the Saints Prison Ministry!
IN OTHER NEWS....
My plan next week was to head to New Hampshire for a four day trip to visit four different prisons. Unfortunately, the scheduling with the prisons fell apart and the trip was cancelled. This is a bummer and a tough pill to swallow as several Missionary Athletes from across the country were looking forward to traveling and sharing the Gospel. However, this is in God's perfect timing.
PRAISES
- During our last outing at Southwestern IL CC, we handed out 43 Gospels and saw 6 men make professions of faith during our time there.
- Earlier this month we had a Crusade to Southern IL. We visited three prisons, handed out approximately 330 Gospels of John, and had 42 men indicate that they made a profession of faith.
- Things are coming together for our upcoming trips to New Hampshire, and Angola, LA.
- God has been good to us and allowed our Illinois team to minister without any cancellations so far this year.
- We have had the opportunity to meet with some men who are interested in the ministry and who will be joining us later this year- this is an answer to prayer!
PRAYER REQUESTS
- Pray that God continues to keep the doors open for our remaining three Illinois visits.
- Pray for all of the other teams going out this coming week.
- Pray for the hearts of the inmates we will see the rest of this summer. Pray that God draws their hearts to Himself.
- Pray that God provides more missionary athletes across the country for all of the opportunities to go in and share the Gospel!
- Pray for the hearts of our own missionary athletes and pray that we are bold in our prayer lives and bold sharing the Gospel this summer.
- Pray for the upcoming Angola, Louisiana trip coming up in September.
- My son, and Saints teammate, Joe, is having jaw surgery in less than two weeks. Please pray for the surgery and his recovery.
