Teaching Resources International

Family Blessings … (July 2017 Update)

John said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4). John was speaking about spiritual children in this passage.  But the same is true about our earthly children.  There are few blessings better in the world than having a wonderful family!  I have really been blessed with great children who have great families.  I have watched them go through many difficulties and walked through them honoring the Lord and coming out stronger.  It has also been a great joy to see how they have served the Lord in various capacities.  One of my great joys has been watching Sean and Meredith serve as missionaries through the Traveling Team in the US.  We were able to have this joy doubled as they came to visit us in Ukraine under the month of June.

Also, one of our greatest joys is to see our students walking in the truth as well!  It is an amazing experience to work with students for 4 short years and then to see how God is using them in their ministries.  We get to see this often and it is a real encouragement to us.  It is a struggle to know we miss so much time with my physical family (kids and grandkids) in the states, but that sadness is replaced when we see our students ministering here in Ukraine!  “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (more…)

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Bearing Fruit … (June 2017 Update)

Colossians 1:10 says that we are to walk “in a manner worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” May is a month for classes and also for graduation.  It is a time when we get to see some of the fruit of our labors at the seminary.  Colossians also reminds us of the central important of helping these students grow in knowing God better.  We pray that our labors will be fruitful for God’s kingdom – not only this year but for many, many years to come! (more…)

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Grace upon Grace … (May 2017 Update)

John 1:16 says, “For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” This is a difficult passage to translate.  It literally means something like “grace in place of grace.”  It emphasizes one grace coming in succession after another.  The idea is that through Jesus, we receive grace after grace after grace.  In other words, an endless supply of grace!  I like to translate this as “grace piled upon grace!”

In a sermon on this passage, John Piper hits the nail on the head in his exposition: “He could have said we received “truth upon truth.” But he said, “grace upon grace.” In fact, after this verse the word grace will never turn up again in this Gospel, but the word truth or true or truly will occur 55 times. In other words, there is no minimizing of “truth” in this Gospel. Truth is the way grace works: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). But here, at the outset, the emphasis falls on grace.”

We can never minimize the importance of truth in the gospel.  Without truth, we have no gospel.  Without truth, we have no confidence in that gospel.  But without grace, we miss the whole point of the gospel.  It is good news, not simply because it is truth but because it is grace – grace piled upon grace!  That’s what we have in Jesus!

Last month (April), I had a break from teaching but not from working.  I spent the entire month working on the house, building furniture and moving us into our new house.  As we watched the building process week by week this last year, we were continually reminded of God’s grace upon grace for us.  Now that we are living here, we can see His grace piled upon grace. This month, we will tell you more about our new home, but first a few ministry updates … (more…)

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It Won’t Be Long! … (April 2017 Update)

For some reason, a number of Andre Crouch songs have been floating around in my head this month.  My favorite is “Jesus is the Answer”.  I love the words and the melody.  “Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above Him there’s no other, ‘cause Jesus is the way. That song expresses why we are doing this work and this ministry.  There is no other answer for the people of the world today! Another song has also captured my mind – “It Won’t Be Long.”  In the process of building a house and even doing ministry in Ukraine, it is a good reminder of where our focus needs to be: “It won’t be long, till we’ll be leaving here….”  (more…)

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Just around the Corner! … (March 2017 Update)

A lot of things are happening for us this this month and next so we have a lot coming “around the corner.  We have ministry opportunities with English clubs and also with teaching at KTS.  Additionally, we are trying to get everything ready for moving into our house, hopefully at the beginning of April.  So we have a lot coming around the corner this month.  (more…)

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside! … (February 2017 Update)

Yes, I’m still fixed on Christmas songs!  It takes a while for me to get Christmas out of my system.  But it really is cold outside!  Last week, we returned from the warm weather of Arkansas to the arctic cold of Ukraine.  At times, we have had temperature down to -18 C (0 F) and it really is cold.  But fortunately, we have a warm home to stay in when the temperatures drop like this.  We also faced more than just the challenge of the weather when we returned – most of all, lots to do and very little time to do it.

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Exceedingly, Abundantly … (January 2017 Update)

As I look back on 2016, Ephesians 3:21 constantly comes to mind: “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”  What stands out to me is that God has repeatedly blessed us with far more than we ever thought possible in all areas of our lives this past year!  And for that, we are exceedingly grateful! (more…)

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