December 9th, 2009

I wanted to express my gratitude for all of you who read this blog and pray for the things I post. I was thinking on this early in the morning...how grateful I am to you and your involvement with my ministry. Without prayer, I would be like a man going into battle unarmed. In a very real way, you are a part of my ministry. I know the effect will echo into eternity. The growth that has occurred in Jordan's life, in Ben's life, in Cavin's life, etc. is the power of God working through your faithful prayers!

With that in mind, would you pray for Rudy this week? He recently had his girlfriend break up with him, and is going through a rough time.

1. Pray for comfort for him.

2. Pray that God would use this situation to draw him closer.

3. Pray for a heart to reach out to the people in his dorm and in his studio.

December 2nd, 2009

Well, things are beginning to wind down here at Long Beach. The students have a week and a half of classes as well as a week of finals. I have about two more weeks with these guys before break. So, my prayer request for this week is simple:

1. Pray that the semester would end well for the Bereans, spiritually and in their classes.

2. Pray for some good conversations to end the year with non-Christians, both for me and for the guys I meet with.

3. Pray for wisdom in prepping these guys for their break. I want to help them have a spiritually enriching break.

November 18th, 2009

Some of you may remember me asking you to pray for a group of non-Christian guys in the "A" building. I have gone in to try and read the Bible with them a few times, mostly unsuccessfully. The only one I have been able to read with is Chris. I sense God asking me to continue to go into that dorm, but it has been discouraging.

Encouraging, however, is an opportunity I have to read the Bible with another group of non-Christian guys...this one through one of the guys in my Bible study. Jaime lives with two guys named Tory and Matt, both of whom I met this last weekend. Jaime decided that this Friday we would ask them to read the Bible with us. This is exciting!

Pray:

1. For continued open doors in the "A" building.

2. For Matt and Tory to have open hearts prepared to hear the gospel!

3. That Jaime would get a heart for evangelism and the lost through our experience.

November 11th, 2009

I have started to ask a few of the Bereans to think about their summer plans...last summer, many of them made the decision to stay at home the entire time. Long Beach State has a very long summer break, and almost all of them struggled and felt isolated. This summer, I am hoping that several of them will decide to either go on overseas trips, or go to a "summer training program" as the Navigators call our summer opportunities here in the states.

These summer trips are so often incubators for spiritual growth, and can be key times in the lives of students. God used one of these in my life in the summer after my sophomore year. Would you be praying that these young men would choose to use their summers for God's purposes?

1. Pray for the courage to risk going on a mission trip.

2. Pray for the vision to see the value of these programs.

3. Pray that these guys would make a decision by faith!

November 4th, 2009

I am not Paul. The Apostle to the Gentiles was a bold evangelist, a man of great intellect, a man with unparallelled knowledge of the Scriptures.

But even Paul felt it was necessary to ask his friends to pray that God would open doors for his Gospel to be spread! Being a man of much less talents and giftings, how much more do I need such prayers!

The truth is, the power behind the spread of the Gospel is the power of God! The Holy Spirit must go before us to open eyes and hearts, so that when we speak the Word, it is heard with power. Therefore, I am asking for your prayers.

1. For open doors for the Gospel in the dorms at Long Beach.

2. For open doors in Residence A.

3. For boldness in sharing the Gospel for me and the guys I work with.

October 27th, 2009

This post is coming a day early, because tomorrow I leave for our "once every four years" (quadrennial?) National Collegiate Conference, for everyone in the US who is working on college campuses for the Navigators.

While I am gone, Cavin is going to lead our Berean Bible study. One thing that I have been praying for for a while is that the guys would deepen in their relationships and be able to deeply trust one another. I want them to give each other strength and to encourage each other.

Honestly, I haven't seen that too much yet. There are some friendships among them, but the really deep level of friendship where there is sharing of lives has not yet occurred.

Would you pray for this?

1. That the guys would have a desire to hear with one another in this way.

2. That they would have the courage to be open with on another.

3. That the Holy Spirit would knit their hearts together.

October 21st, 2009

I have been asked by our regional Navigator leader to lead a summer missions trip to Russia this coming summer. I am really excited about this opportunity, because Russia has been on my heart for a while now.

The trip will be similar to the trips I have been on for the past two summers. I will be leading a slightly smaller group of people, probably around 8 students and staff. I will be doing the recruiting and planning myself, but I will be working with the local staff in St. Petersburg to plan everything that happens in Russia.

Of course, the trip won't be leaving until mid-June, but I wanted to get a headstart praying on it, because even though it is exciting, it also scares me!

1. Pray that I can recruit the right students to this trip, and that God would be moving in the hearts of those that he wants to come.

2. Pray that I would have wisdom and foresight as I plan.

3. Pray for confidence, humility, and good leardership for me as I take on this exciting new task.