Dear reader,
It’s been a long time, I hope you are able to acknowledge the trials of refinement that our loving Father has been kind enough to lead you through.
I have just finished a few trials or chapters as I like to call them. I’d like to share them both with you.
About 2 months back God placed teaching/preaching heavily on my heart. To be honest is nothing new, at my job I have the freedom to teach and preach in everyday conversations to the kids that I counsel and teach. So I figured God wanted me to become more intentional in this area, so I started reading my bible more in the building, praying in front of the kids, and doing my best to acknowledge Holy Spirit moments and plant seeds as much as possible.
Well, at work nothing was happening.
The kids would listen, but there was nothing more than that. No questions, no nothing. It became very stagnant all at once.
I became discouraged and started to reevaluate my approach.
Nothing changed time and time again. I became a bit more reserved and calloused even.
But each day I kept looking for times to weave God and his Son into the conversation.
Then one night I met with a group of people who are combining their gifts and abilities to launch youth events for the sake of the Gospel Message being shared and with the hopes of plugging each kid into a respective youth group with the intentions of discipleship.
The Holy Spirit was urging me all night long to ask for the opportunity to speak at the event. So I piped up in the conversation, and the whole group decided that I was able to do so.
So boy oh boy was I excited.
I went and prepped for multiple days and nights.
I met up with many mentors and dear friends who loved God and knew the Scriptures better than I did.
But I ultimately went and sat with God all morning one day.
It was beautiful, picture this if you will… An 18-year old kid-
(That’s not my age, I’m just speaking hypothetically.)
The teenager is scared half to death about asking their Dad a question. He knows and trusts that his Father knows best, but the answer will probably be something he won’t understand.
That was me. I went to God, entered His throne room in prayer, and simply asked “What is it you want me to say?”
As clear as day I heard him gently say “John 3:16”.
Now. I know what you’re probably thinking, and yes I thought the same things.
Wow, first time preaching and He chooses John 3:16, the easiest and most well-known scripture in the whole bible.
Nice Mitchell. Very nice.
Well, maybe you’re less critical than my own thoughts are, which hopefully is the case. They’re quite brutal some days.
But, nevertheless, I heard that and I ran with it. I learned so much about Jesus’ character, and how He chose to speak and interact with Nicodemus the Teacher of the Pharisees.
There was so much love and truth perfectly blended together in his voice.
As the days went by I kept reading and praying. I wanted to make sure that I was humbled enough to submit to whatever God wanted me to say.
Weeks went by and I got up on the stage. I grabbed the pulpit table thingamajigger and brought it down to the students’ level. That’s always been something I’ve learned to appreciate when the teacher is on the same level that I’m on.
Might just be me.
And then I taught them what God had been reteaching me over the past few weeks.
The Gospel isn’t just a one-time deal.
It’s an every breath kind of deal. You need it.
The Gospel gives you purpose. It humbles you to where you ought to be.
I used an analogy of a bear attack, and how you’d never be the same after that. The marks made by the claws would be evident for all to see.
Just as it is with Christ. When He flips our lives upside down and inside out it is obvious to the world that we are forever changed for the better.
In a nutshell, did the sermon go well?
No.
It was sloppy as I stuttered and fumbled around, I forgot my PowerPoint presentation altogether, I messed up the details of a bible story, and I rushed to the end because I ran out of time so fast.
By human standards, it was a hot mess.
By God’s grace, I was encouraged by those who heard it, and even some of the students shared with me what they got out of it.
I have confidence God was glorified.
He wanted me to stand up and speak His Holy Word, and I did just that.
I am so eager to do it again, but until then I will continue to preach the Gospel in the small everyday conversations, just as Jesus did.
That brings me to the next trial I just finished.
Read onto the next letter if you want to hear an odd, but encouraging story.
