Seeking

When going through Isaiah I started asking God, “How do I seek you?” I started thinking about the word seek and I started to wonder if I really wanted to seek him. It’s been a challenging thought. Do I really seek God? Do I even want to seek God? What do I seek?

So, I've been seeking God and I've been growing so much. I'm looking forward to sharing this with others and getting back into minisrty.

Update: May 2011

It’s 7:30am now.  The sun is up and shining bright.

To start, I’m really excited to take what I’ve been learning and share it with places where there’s need for it.  We’re going through the prophets lately.

This week we’re going through Isaiah.  I see it as this huge mountain and I get to explore it, and look through the caves, and figure out and understand it and when I’m done, I can look back at the mountain and be like “Dude, you should check that out, and if you go this way there’s a really good look-out point.” I’m excited to dig into it and know it so I can get other people excited about who he was and all he said.

When I was trying to read Isaiah in one sitting (because that’s the first step we take in studying a book), and three hours had gone by and I was getting tired, bored and zoning out.  Then a thought came to my mind about how Paul had studied this book and he knew it, and I then got really excited and started putting effort into my reading because I really want to know what Paul knew.  I feel so honored to be able to study the same literature that Paul did.  How amazing it is that we still have these Scriptures!

One of the themes that I picked up is God’s focus towards people who have humility and who are not arrogant.  He will lift up the humble and bring down the arrogant/proud.  He will lift up those who turn to him and recognize him for who he is.

I’ve got two more months, and I am off to South Africa.  Hopefully you know that by now.  I’m going to be learning to teach the Inductive Method of studying the Bible and how to teach the Historical Background on the Bible.  Then I’ll be bringing that teaching to pastors and congregations around Southern Africa.  Right now I’m looking for people to partner with me in prayer and financially.  If you want a prayer letter, just let me know and I’ll send you one.

That’s it for now.  I hope you guys are doing awesome and being blessed.  If there’s anything you want prayer for, let me know.  I love to keep connected.

Isaiah 26:3-4

The Last Leg

The third quarter started about a month ago. I found out about a week ago that I was accepted to join a team with YWAM in Africa this summer. I’m still praying about it and working out details and I will send you more information as it comes together.

What To Do With Dirty Feet

I just returned from spring break and on my return I had an interesting conversation with a man angry at God and angry at the church.

Before I got on the plane I had prayed that God would open doors on my flight if he wanted to use me in someone’s life. When the man across the aisle started talking with me he eventually told me he hasn’t heard from God in years, and has lost his trust. His wife has turned from God. And he has noticed that the church is messed up, so he’s given up on the church. I encouraged him in the simplest way I knew and told him what I felt God put on my heart.

Later a thought came to mind, “Jesus washed the disciples’ feet!”

The church is not perfect, but Jesus set the example for believers in terms of the way we relate to a dysfunctional group of believers. We are not to tear it down, but to find ways to build it up. Our mindset should not be, “What church can I find for myself?” but rather, “God, where can I serve?” God can use anyone to humbly bring truth where it is lacking if they would only seek him and his kingdom first, to bring his Spirit and his love not just to neighborhoods, but to the groups of believers we participate with in simple ways.  

(Side note: I hurt for all the Christians out there who have been hurt by people in the church and I hope that they don’t judge God by the way imperfect people have treated them.)

The Last Leg

We’re on the last three months. Things are going well. We just finished Kings and Chronicles and continue to move forward. I can’t believe how fast it’s all gone. Over break I was able to do some teaching and participate/help with a few Bible studies, which was really good for me. I’m looking forward to the doors this training I am getting will open.

1st Quarter of SBS Montana

So...how has studying 8-12 hours a day going?

Well, we finished the first semester (the School of Biblical Studies is three semesters...a tri-mester if you will). So much has happened. I made another video : ) (click on the link to see it) about what life has been like in this first quarter and wishing you a Merry Christmas. Here are just a few highlights from the 1st quarter.

We've gone through 18 “books” of the New Testament. Studying Paul’s life was like taking him out to coffee. I was able to really learn his heart and situation and to know the hearts and situations of the believers he was writing to. And when we went through the book of Hebrews I felt like I got so close to Jesus that I touched the holes in his hands and in his feet. He has become so much more real to me as I've studied the New Testament this semester.

Over-all though, God has continued to impress on me that even more important than knowing so much about the Bible and having these incredible experiences is actually applying to my life whatever he is teaching me.

We had a time of prayer for healing and I saw with my own eyes a guy’s leg extend out to the same length as his other leg (I asked him about it a week later and he said that it was sore that week because of the change in muscles being used, but it was starting to feel normal). That really challenged me in my faith in God's power to do miraculous things through ordinary people, even today.

We had the first snow. It had been two years since I saw snow falling and it was really weird, and also really fun for me. There were many epic snowball fights after that.

I taught a section from 2 Timothy (specifically 2 Timothy 2:22-26). I shared a story of when I was attacked verbally in the UK by an entire shop of people for being a missionary. I was able to share that as those who trust God through Jesus, when we are affronted by people who challenge us or mock us in what we believe we shouldn’t be argumentative. Instead we need to be kind to everyone and to speak the truth and correct with gentleness.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

End of November Update

Hey friends and family,

I know this is long. Feel free to skip through it here and there.

Things in Montana
Things here in Montana have been very busy in studying and learning about God through the Bible. I've really grown deeper in my relationship with God through this time as I've come to understand who God is from Paul's perspective, through cultural and historical context. And of the early church who through persecution from their countrymen were learning to follow Christ within their cultures and contexts.

It's really been challenging. If there was one word I could use to describe my time here so far it's "deeper".

Who Would Come Here?
The range of ages doing this school is between 18-30. We've got people from South Korea, Ukraine, Nepal, Kosovo, UK, Canada, but most are from the States. Some have never been to college, others left in the middle of college, there are married couples. One guy is a mechanic, another is a musician, and another a missionary. Some don't even know how they got here because they've never been good with school and struggle with studying.

God is pouring into our lives and through us. We're all learning to live humbly with God, to serve one another and trust him. One guy said, "The last thing I was expecting to get out of this school was that my leg would grow out to the same length as my other leg." This happened instantly during a time of prayer for healing, and I saw it with my own eyes (yeah, I couldn't believe it). And with this we recognize and seek after the greatest way described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13, and that is love.We're here to get deeper with God, to set aside all that we've been taught about him and learn who he is through our fathers who knew God and who God chose God above absolutely anything the world had to offer in terms of wisdom, greatness, wealth, popularity, etc. And who chose to write these documents that have been passed on and put together to make up the Bible.

ThanksgivingHAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all!!! I went to Washington for Thanksgiving with family, which was really amazing. On my way back to school here I realized that I oftentimes told my family that I was very thankful for this time in the School of Biblical Studies. I really am thankful for this time of study.

First Snow
We had our first snow a few weeks ago. It was amazing. There were probably over 20 people outside in a massive snowball fight tackling each other and whatnot. I haven't seen snow falling in nearly two years, so it was really exciting for me.

Hope this letter finds you well.

Joel

SBS Montana: First Few Weeks

if it doesn't work you can click here.

Thought of the day from studying Acts: The first believers of the Way -- recorded in Acts -- responded to God's love and grace by asking, "How can we give?" rather than, "What can we get?"

This nine months of study with YWAM is about trusting and listening to God, taking what we learn through prayer and study of the Bible -- his heart expressed through others -- and applying it to our daily lives.

Bio

Hey, my name is Joel. I’m a musician, writer, and teacher. For the past two years I’ve been serving as a missionary around the world.

Growing up I was "the small kid,” and was teased constantly for it. As a result I came to the conclusion my life didn’t matter. But halfway through high school things changed.

I stopped trying to do life my way and asked God about his way. In the mornings I prayed that God would use me to show His love to others. And things started to happen. Peoples’ lives began to change around me, and they were saying it was because of me. I couldn't believe it.

In college, during a time of worshiping God, the Holy Spirit sat me down and told me to open my Bible. He directed me to 1 Timothy 4:12 where Paul wrote to Timothy, “Set an example for all the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.” I could feel the Holy Spirit speaking those words directly to me.

Throughout my life while learning to trust God and changing my focus from myself to loving Him and loving others He's made it clear that the plans He has for me are far from small or insignificant. But it isn’t what I do that makes me feel “significant.” It’s Him.

Since I graduated from college I’ve served in missions on the six livable continents. I've spent time with youth living in streets and helped men and women left to die on sidewalks and train platforms. I’ve shared my relationship with God in the States and abroad, in churches and schools, on planes and taxis, in offices and the wilderness. Now from Sept. 2010-June 2011 I'm receiving a stronger Biblical foundation through Youth With A Mission to prepare myself for what's ahead.

I know that we cannot save the world; we cannot end poverty, disease, loneliness, war. But we do have the open arms of a God much bigger than our comprehension inviting us to become a part of an eternal hope, love and redemption He offers. I hope that together, in putting ourselves aside, we can allow God to do His work of transformation through us in our communities, our schools, our workplace, and the world.

Thank you for your time and your prayers. Grace and peace be with you.