REJOICING IN GOD'S WORK

We are now over half way through the teaching week. After 15 hours over three days I am finished teaching the book of Mark. All day Thursday and Friday morning each of my 13 students will preach the 15 minute sermon they have prepared and then be evaluated by the class on particular principles of interpreting a bible passage and preaching it. Training Leaders International (TLI) has been teaching and practicing these principles with these students in the last 6 courses taken over the last two years. In the next year the students will complete their 3 year program by taking the books of John, Galatians and 2 Timothy and preaching more sermons.

 

 On Tuesday it was my turn to preach my 15 minute sermon from a passage in Mark in the morning opening and demonstrate to the students how I interpreted the passage, formed a main idea, outlined the message and applied it. I preached from the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the Temple in Mark 11.11-26.

I am very much enjoying this trip and seeing the impact of repetitively teaching the same principles of bible interpretation and preaching to these students and their finally catching on. Thank you for making this trip which I never anticipated going on possible.
We are posting trip updates every second day this week at this link <http://trainingleadersinternational.org/trips/183/philippines-may-2017>

And now to bed as the time zone change, the hours of teaching, the humidity and heat, take their cumulative toll on my body. Because of the time change my roommate and I wake up anywhere from 2 to 4 am and make coffee and then study our notes. When we get back to the hotel at 4:30 in the afternoon we have a nap until 6:30 and then go down for supper, staying up after that as long as we can, preparing for the next day. We are certainly not starving as Pastor Levi (in picture) our national host feeds us at lunch each day. 

See you guys soon. May the love of God compel you.