Thank you for your partnership in the jail ministry! I really appreciate your faithful prayers and support. I hope you all had a great 4th with friends and family. I thank God for the liberty He has afforded us in this country to worship freely and do jail ministry.
Bible Study & Reformers Unanimous Update
Thus far, July has been a very encouraging month of jail ministry. Attendance for the Bible studies led by myself and the volunteers has been up 30% for the month. The Reformers Unanimous classes are also starting to fill back up. I currently have 9 men enrolled. There are 3 women enrolled. The spiritual activity in the RU classes has been very encouraging as well. The group I have now is very committed to growth and they are doing very well with the challenges and daily journal. I want to share a brief excerpt from a letter I received from an inmate this month that really touched my heart:
"I am truly grateful for your devotion to God and the work that you put in to exemplify His Word to us during this valley in our lives and for whomever else's life you may impact outside these walls; turning our focus towards Biblical wisdom rather than worldly."
I was deeply humbled by these words, because I know how imperfect I am, but I was also so thankful to know that God is using me to His glory. I was edified too, because I desire to keep God's Word central in my ministry and I desire to help these men keep God's Word central in their lives, since it is His Word that feeds us. That personal pursuit of Jesus is critical for all of us. I was also impressed by this man's writing skills. He's a good writer, isn't he?
In Men's Bible study in July, I taught from 2 Peter. What a fantastic and underrated epistle! I never picked up on many of the details before, since it wasn't a major topic of study in seminary. However, Peter's emphasis on the certainty and authority of God's Word amid a world filled with scoffers and false teachers is a very appropriate message for the age we live in.
Departure
One of the inmates I worked with extensively over the past 6 months, Eric, was deported to Mexico on Monday. My wife and I were able to put some care items in his personal property before he left. Eric was always a fun guy to hang out with. He tried hard when it came to English and he was good at teaching Spanish. One time we were teammates in a game of jail corn-hole (which the men play in rec). He really carried our team. I saw Eric's attitude towards God dramatically shift towards the positive while he was in our facility. I noticed that his demeanor changed for the better as well, especially the last three months. He became much more engaged in the Good News Bible studies. He seemed more joy filled and hopeful, despite his concern about his ICE case. In our last meeting before his departure, I asked him about the change in his life. For the first time, he told me that he committed his life to Christ while in the Geauga jail. Praise God! Please pray for Eric's safety and the safety of his family especially his mother, Maria. His hometown in Mexico, Moroleon, Guanajuanto, is rife with cartel activity. Please pray for Eric's spiritual growth as well. Also, please pray that he can be reunited with his wife, who lives in Delaware.
Officers & Facility Needs
I've been looking for more ways to bless the corrections officers. Recently, Angela found some great deals on donuts and jalapeno potato chips, so I brought those into Central Command for the officers. While it might not be the most healthy way of providing encouragement, it is always well-received.
* I need more Christian books in Spanish - other than the Bible. If you have any soft cover Christian books in Spanish, or want to help me obtain some titles, please let me know. This is my most difficult resource to obtain and the Spanish speaking inmates are hungry for discipleship.
Golf Classic
This is the last call for our 3rd Annual Golf Classic at Fowlers Mill Golf Course on Monday August 8th. There are only 28 golfer spots remaining (7 foursomes) if you want to golf. Also, I could use more sponsors.
There are two ways you can support this event:
1) Register your own foursome to participate
2) Sponsor the event or Sponsor a hole and have your business recognized with a sign on the course
In both cases, use the following online registration link.
Notice: If you're registering a team, please provide names of all who are on your team. Even if you have verbally told me that you're playing, you need to use the online registration link. Thank you so much.
Prayer Requests
1. Please pray that inmates give their lives to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Please pray that those who commit their lives to Christ fully rely on Him and His Word.
2. Please pray that the Lord would continue to give me opportunities to bless the corrections officers and share the Gospel with them.
3. Pray for chaplains in Ukraine. Pray that God would continue to strengthen them mightily and that He would continue to use the tragedy of war as an open door for the Gospel.
4. Please pray for genuine repentance of this nation. Rebellion towards God always has a ripple effect. The expansion of the drug culture and the increase of those struggling with mental illness are issues that especially impact the jail.
God is working powerfully through your prayers and partnership in this ministry!
Serving the King,