Titus touches hearts
Six Yembiyembi believers in Papua New Guinea were greatly impacted when missionary Tim Shontere taught from the book of Titus.
Attending a leadership workshop helped them to understand more about the role of an elder.
"We met with many other churches in the region," wrote Tim, "and learned about walking in the Spirit, how to teach, what to teach and how to lead. It was amazing. Two of our teachers taught the first session on what the Gospel is."
At the end of the week the six men met with Tim and discussed what they had learned from the workshop and from God’s Word.
One of the teachers-in-training told the group, "Everyone, listen, we who want to be leaders cannot be men of laziness. I will tell you, I am a man of laziness. I was shot in the stomach when he taught about how ’We have time to eat and feed our body’s, but how often do we feed our spirit?’ -- that really convicted me. I’m telling you guys I need to change this and become that diligent study man and that all-time-talker-with-God. That is my prayer."
Three of the men who went to the leaders training have wives who are not believers yet. These men are energized again to go back and love and win their wives to Christ. After the believers talked together, they gathered around each man and prayed over them and for their wives’ salvation.
Then one of the men expressed the sentiments of several: "My wife is not a believer yet, and man, I was convicted when I realized again that my first work is to my family -- my wife more specifically. I need prayer. But I need to show love to her everyday and teach her from God’s Word. I need prayer. This is going to be tough. Only by God’s strength will anything happen."
"God Spirit put my family in my thinking, said one of the trainees. "My children are older now, and they need direction. Even though they are older, God can still use me to teach them if they will listen. I want to go back and have my family meet and study God’s Word so that we will grow together."
Pray for the Yembiyembi men who desire to lead and guide their families. Pray especially that the wives who are not yet saved will understand and embrace God’s Word and trust Christ as their Savior.
Attending a leadership workshop helped them to understand more about the role of an elder.
"We met with many other churches in the region," wrote Tim, "and learned about walking in the Spirit, how to teach, what to teach and how to lead. It was amazing. Two of our teachers taught the first session on what the Gospel is."
At the end of the week the six men met with Tim and discussed what they had learned from the workshop and from God’s Word.
One of the teachers-in-training told the group, "Everyone, listen, we who want to be leaders cannot be men of laziness. I will tell you, I am a man of laziness. I was shot in the stomach when he taught about how ’We have time to eat and feed our body’s, but how often do we feed our spirit?’ -- that really convicted me. I’m telling you guys I need to change this and become that diligent study man and that all-time-talker-with-God. That is my prayer."
Three of the men who went to the leaders training have wives who are not believers yet. These men are energized again to go back and love and win their wives to Christ. After the believers talked together, they gathered around each man and prayed over them and for their wives’ salvation.
Then one of the men expressed the sentiments of several: "My wife is not a believer yet, and man, I was convicted when I realized again that my first work is to my family -- my wife more specifically. I need prayer. But I need to show love to her everyday and teach her from God’s Word. I need prayer. This is going to be tough. Only by God’s strength will anything happen."
"God Spirit put my family in my thinking, said one of the trainees. "My children are older now, and they need direction. Even though they are older, God can still use me to teach them if they will listen. I want to go back and have my family meet and study God’s Word so that we will grow together."
Pray for the Yembiyembi men who desire to lead and guide their families. Pray especially that the wives who are not yet saved will understand and embrace God’s Word and trust Christ as their Savior.