Doing the Lord’s Work in Youth Ministry
A couples years ago, I decided to read the Bible all the way through, chronologically. I found a great chronological guide online and I’ve been working through it for a while now. The problem is that I keep getting distracted!
I keep on reading a lot of Proverbs and I often just want to page through the Gospels and Epistles. Some days I want to read chapter after chapter, while other days the Lord speaks to me through just a couple of verses.
One theme that has struck me from throughout scripture is the work of God in relation to the work of man. In fact, it’s really starting to rock my paradigm of ministry.
You see, I had come to see ministry as a whole lot of hard work. As a servant of the Lord devoted to doing His work seeing “His kingdom come and His will be done” here on earth, I had to put in my time, blood, sweat and tears.
I’m happy to do that and I’m more than willing to go the extra mile to serve the Lord and serve others. But as I try to flood my mind with the reality of God’s word, I see a different strategy at work.
Instead of God relying and working through people’s hard work, God often works miracles in spite of what believers do or don’t do. God isn’t just sitting around waiting for believers to take action. He’s got a plan, and He is doing whatever it takes to make that plan come to pass.
This came to mind especially as I read about Peter ministering to Cornelius’ family (Acts 10). God spoke to Cornelius to send for Peter. Then God gave Peter a vision to show him that salvation was for the gentiles, too (because Cornelius was a gentile the Jews originally thought salvation was only for the circumcised). When Cornelius’ servants arrived, Peter went with them, preached the Gospel, and then the Holy Spirit fell on the entire family–shocking even the circumcised believers that were with Peter!
What an amazing meeting to have been in, to see God working in such a way! And that is just my point: It was God working. Peter didn’t plan this trip. He didn’t knock on Cornelius’ door to share the Gospel. From beginning to end, this meeting was a work of God.
I’m not trying to say that we need to sit back and can’t do anything unless God begins to work supernaturally. What I am saying is that we all need a wake up call every now and again–especially me!–to remember that the Lord is the Chief Minister and we are His servants–and friends. He has given us much to “work” with through prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the truth of the Gospel. But we can never take what He has given us and try to “make ministry happen” on our own.
I pray that this quick nugget is an encouragement to you as we continue to strive to serve the Lord by ministering to students!
What stories or verses come to mind for you when you think about God moving in spite of man’s work? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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I want to care my beliefs, but In between my friends, It’s really difficult.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, Even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12
SOUL2SMINISTRIES
P. O. BOX NO. 3. TENALI- 522 201. GUNTUR (DT) A. P. INDIA
=====================================================================
Rev. P. EPHRAIM
To,
Dear servants of God
Greetings to you in the most precious name of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Let me introduce myself that my Name is Rev. P. Ephraim, We have established a Christian Organization named “Society of the Prince of Peace” with the Help of some Faithful Christians. We established this society only because that we can proclaim the spirit of God in our Area. Some of our Gospel Teams have been Distributing the Bible free Tracts and Booklets in the particular centers Hospitals, Educational Centers and some Remote villages of our Area. By the Grace of God we are running a Christian Lending Library in my town since 1997. So many people are come and search the scriptures and saved their souls to our Lord’s kingdom through these scriptures. I will be able to succeed this program. So we request you please pray for my spiritual need and send some Bibles, Bible based material to my library purpose.
We have A Good Team of Youth 15 member, they are all involved Tracts distributions, street preaching and they are visit to some remote villages and proclaim the God’s words and distribute the free tracts and new testaments. So we need some more Gospel tracts and Library material to my area people spiritual help. Kindly consider my request and send the above material to me. We win some souls here through these materials. God bless you always. I am waiting for your kind reply.
Pls Prayer for our Need ‘s : - OUR TEAMS ARE VISIT TO SOME REMOTE VILLAGES , AND SPREED THE WORD OF GOD AND DISTRIBUTE THESE TRACTS FREELY. OUR TEAMS VISIT TO HOSPITAL EDUCATIONAL CENTERS WEEKLY ONCE I HAVE NEED OF MORE THEN TRACTS & BIBLE’S . . .
Therefore Brother as you too know pretty well as all these services are Herculean tasks and as such, we are humbly and earnestly requesting and imploring that please kindly pray for the total augmentation of our respective ministry here in India . With pleasure, your physical presence here with us is highly solicited according to your tentative schedule and as per God’s Will. We will pray for your visit to India and its grand success. We do hope you may react peacefully and consider our this specific request with kind heart and also with prayerful outlook.
It is our humble request please kindly visit once our ministry website with pleasure.
See Our Web Site : - http://www.soulsaveministriesindia.blogspot.com
Please pray for us as we pray for you. We shall await for your further the most valuable and prayerful response at an earliest with good anticipation and fervent hope.
We pray for you and your Family and also your ministry in my Regular prayers.
I Have need Computers in my ministries work
WE NEED YOU! Please Help Us. We especially need monthly donors
May God Bless U
Yours in His service forever
Rev . P. Ephraim
congratulation .i am from Burundi.i used at going in streets and in hospitals .now i am in south korea for master’s in divinity next year.now i am in english track