i realize that i don’t update this blog that much, which is okay, since i’m not sure how many actually read it 😛 haha! but i do realize that it may be helpful to document in one place the monthly updates i send out to the supporters of the ministry (contact me if you’d like to be added to the mailing list). i know some have supported me or would like to but do not get (or do not want) the monthly email updates, so this could be a place for folks to check in on what we (or more so God) has been up to in the ministry here.
with that in mind, i’ll (try to) be posting slightly edited versions of my updates here (to protect privacy of those i mention, unless they’ve given permission for sharing in this more public arena). i generally write the updates to capture testimonies of God’s work in our midst, so hope they can be an encouragement to you.
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Judean Desert (phot cred. B1408-WIKI-CC-BY-SA-4.0)
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” – Matthew 3:17-4:1 (NIV)
The new year brings new goals and opportunities. It also brings some transitions.
For me, God is challenging me to step into more courage, more spiritual authority in my outreaching, pastoring, mentoring. For Ji, there’s challenges as she needs to scale her CourseKata work to more schools (a research responsive online textbook in stats, a class that has kept many 1st generation college students from graduating).
In ministry, there’s going to be some transition in our staff and we’ve started a new season of life groups. A new class of 10 students have begun Discipleship School (aka D-School) this month (4 from New Life and 6 from our sister church, Epicentre WLA). Our Young Adulting Fellowship (aka YAF) group also started up again this month, and I was amazed to see so many new faces to the group, more evidence of a Generation Z that is hungering for God and community. All 4 of New Life’s d-school students are young adults.
But along with these transitions comes testing, trials, and temptations. There have been multiple hard conversations that we’ve had to have. In listening to the young adults I am shocked by how many are struggling with crippling anxieties, often from abuse in the brokenness of urban poverty. Most of our D-School has already experienced some form of nightmares, even demonic dreams. Year after year, each time some of our folks choose into more intentional discipleship through D-School, circumstances around them seem to flare up and spiritual attack and temptation seems heightened.
We see this in the life of Jesus. When does the devil show up in Jesus’ life? When Jesus transitioned into his earthly ministry it began with a baptism and our Heavenly Father speaking love over his identity as the Son of God. But a curious thing happened right after that; the Spirit of God led him into a “wilderness to be tempted.” Why would God do this? And how does the devil begin his temptations? Satan immediately casts doubt on the very loving identity that God spoke over Jesus by saying “IF you are the Son of God…”
Oftentimes, when we are going through a transition, the testing will come to reveal who or what we’re relying on, where our identity is actually rooted. In the testing that comes with transitions, we want to be more deeply rooted in our identity as beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. This week we’ll be meeting again as a YAF group. This weekend our D-School will be going on a retreat through the book of Jonah. In preparation, our D-School has entered into a 48 hour fast before the retreat. We’re praying that, like Jesus, we’d draw upon God’s word for strength even more than food, we’re praying for God’s Kingdom breakthrough in and through our lives.
Won’t you join us in praying for His Kingdom to come, His will to be done, here in our midst as it is in heaven?
treevalley in the inner city 