Chapel

One of my new roles is to speak at chapel every Tuesday morning. There are children present from 5-18. It's a joyous challenge to speak on things that are relevant to all age groups. My topic today was evangelism. Yet I wanted to present it in such a way that all age groups could understand. 

I used [II Cor 5:21] as my text about being made righteous in Jesus. I put on a white shirt and had students list different sins they had committed. For each sin we wrote it down on the white shirt. Sins like telling a lie. Fighting with siblings. Disobeying parents. Losing tempers. Having bad attitudes. It did not take long and the once perfectly white shirt was stained with the black marks of listed sins. 

As we discussed Jesus taking our sin and offering forgiveness, one of the students took a red marker and drew a red cross down the center of the  white shirt. Little children immediately recognized it as the cross. As we discussed forgiveness and what Jesus did for us, another student brought out a white robe. She slipped the robe on covering all the black marks on the shirt. 

This is when we discussed righteousness. To put that another way, we discussed how Jesus cleanses and purifies us. He covers our sin. He clothes us in righteousness. 

At this point, we dismissed the younger students but kept the older ones behind. I asked any of the older ones to stay put who wanted to talk further about salvation. Many parents were in the room waiting for a meeting with the Head of School after the chapel service. They got to hear the message just like the students. Quietly everyone filed out of the room. Everyone but two boys. They came up where I was standing and sat down. Both wanted to know how to be saved. We talked our way through the plan of salvation. 

They both prayed a simple prayer asking Jesus to forgive them and to save them. What a tremendous way to start the school day! Two saved! The angels in heaven rejoice. God allowed me a front row seat to witness His glorious saving work. He did the convicting. He opened their eyes. He did the drawing, the forgiving, the saving, and I just got to be there for the final work. 

Those two young men had a life transforming God encounter today. I am still walking on clouds this morning. It fires me up. So humbled and honored to play any role at all in God's work. Even speaking in chapel. 

People Need the Lord

 When Brenda and I started dating we adopted a theme song for our relationship, People Need the Lord. The song's message is that people go about in private pain, they pass by everywhere needing to hear the good news about Jesus. When we came to Spring Creek in view of a call, we sang that song during the worship service. We had no doubt we were supposed to serve God there. 

Fast forward to yesterday. We both had an appointment with someone who has come to mean a great deal to us to talk. It did not take long to discover the person had questions about salvation. We listened and presented the plan of salvation. There was a little reluctance. It was hard for this person to surrender control. The pain and conviction were stronger than the fears of losing control. 

We bowed our heads and prayed trusting Jesus for salvation. Through faith we believed God to wipe away the past, to make all things new on the inside. What a beautiful moment and all the more meaningful because I got to share it with my bride. The angels rejoiced and so did Brenda and me. 

She has always been a part of this ministry. It started back in college when we joined together to start a Bible study for dating couples in the home of the President of the college. Then she followed me to my first church in Rochelle, TX as youth minister. That church had few members, but we were thrilled to teach students the Bible. God even saved some of those students in that little white wooden chapel. 

Just before we got married God called us to Spring Creek. We were married about two months later after we started. What a ride that was. God saved teenagers often. We rejoiced. We thrilled to see them follow in baptism. We started with a group of seven. God increased that number to an average of 40. Many times, we saw God save multiple students and then celebrated with numerous baptisms. 

Brenda stood by my side when I transitioned into pastoral ministry. Again, we saw God save numerous people. We celebrated those salvations. I spent four years traveling full time. I hated being away from Brenda and our four sons in those days. Life on the road was lonely without her. I did it for the sake of the call of God to preach Jesus. I was able to take her and the four T's to a few youth camps. What a thrill to watch God save children and teenagers. 

One of the highlights of our ministry was the revival God broke out at FBC Seminole lasting 23 straight days and God saving 37 people during that time. We baptized someone nearly every night of that revival Brenda stood right there praying for me as I preached night after night and working in the counseling room leading people to meet Jesus as Savior. We have not experienced anything like that since then. It was like haven came down and kissed Seminole for those days. 

She talks to people about Jesus at work, drive throughs, and other places she frequents. She pours her life into women in a small group class on Sundays and into children on Wednesday nights.  

When we walked home after our appointment yesterday, I reminded her of our song People Need the Lord. She teared up and we kissed. I told her I could get used to her being by my side day in and day out in ministry. God saved another one. Even now we turn with expectation to see whom God will save next. We are humbled God chooses to use us to be a part of His great salvation plan for others.