The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Yeast
31 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”
The Holy Bible : Holman Christian standard version. 2009 (Mt 13:31–32). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
I cannot even express how grateful we are for all that God has been doing with APOLOGIA! If you have just a few moments I would love it if you would take time to rejoice with us and praise God as you look at what God has been doing through your prayers and support. Over the last few-months:
1. I have done numerous radio programs equipping Christians to defend the Gospel.
2. God has brought more people to Himself through our ministry and we are making disciples out of them!
3. We held a public debate in Tempe with two local-atheists. The event was packed with people and it was stellar.
4. We handed out countless tracts at the Mormon temple in Mesa during their Easter Pageant. A lot of people who joined us were new-believers that have only recently come to Christ and were so excited about Christ they just had to join us to proclaim the Good-news!
5. I spoke at 3 very large winter camps for about 8 churches with several hundred teenagers from Chicago and Arizona.
6. APOLOGIA CHURCH services have been going great! You should see all the lives being changed! We're talking miraculous things here folks!
We feel tremendously blessed to be a part of what God is doing and we simply feel so unworthy to be used to the degree that we are. God gets all the praise for what has been going down.
We wanted to present something to you that has been a burden on our hearts and we are asking for your prayers or possible support.
Over the last year, Pastor Luke and I have learned a lot. We have learned that only God can transform people's hearts. We have also learned that God is truly faithful to His promises to grow His Kingdom and that he does so through really easily broken jars of clay like us. God has given us a special heart and ministry to people that generally are deemed as 'hopeless'. God has granted to us the very special privilege and honor of leading people who have struggled with intense drug and alcohol addictions to Christ and then walking with them as they grow in Him.
Where have we struggled? One of the greatest difficulties we have found is that as these wonderful brothers and sisters have come out of these addictions many of them have to take time putting their lives back together and need extra special care and shepherding. I wish you could see them it really is amazing. However, Pastor Luke and I have a real burden to help them get grounded in Christ and to help them get their feet on solid ground as they grow while in a very fragile state. Many of the people that have come to Christ and are now at APOLOGIA spend time living in half-way houses or three-quarter houses. They range from doctors to janitors and from realtors to financial advisers. So where is the difficulty? Many of these new believers are in half-way houses that actually make it difficult for us to shepherd them in the way they need it. Some of these places actually prohibit them from getting to church to grow and worship. Many of these places make it difficult for Pastor Luke and I to be intimately involved in their spiritual growth and accountability.
So what are we thinking? Pastor Luke and I are praying for God to give us the funds to purchase a house. Our hearts desire is to have this house as a discipleship-house. Pastor Luke is focusing on intense discipleship at APOLOGIA and would spend his time shepherding those who are in the house as they get grounded in Christ. Our desire is to help these new-believers be in a safe, godly environment that will help them get to know God at a deeper-level, while encouraging discipleship, accountability and a life saturated with a love for God and a pursuit of delighting in Him!
We know this is a huge and seemingly (humanly speaking) impossible goal. But with God "all things are possible"! Will you join with us in prayer over this? Perhaps you know someone or you yourself have the ability to make something like this actually happen. We are having "big-faith" with this one and are grateful for the grace of God given to us even in the possibility.
Based on our current outlook we would need somewhere in the area of 150-175k to buy a house that would meet our needs. Our hope would be to be able to have about 10-beds in the home. Today alone, I spoke with 3-people who would love to be residents in the house. If God gave us this house we could surely fill it!
Would you join with us in prayer over this? We would be so grateful for any consideration you would have in this goal we have to grow God's Kingdom and to make disciples through the ministry opportunity provided by this house.
If you should have any questions please don't hesitate to contact either Pastor Luke or I personally. Also, we want to thank you for any regular giving you felt led to give through APOLOGIA at this time as we are trusting in God to provide for our every need!
Here is a link to our ministry wishlist on Amazon as well. When you purchase from our wishlist on Amazon your gift is sent directly to us. Bless you!
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