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High School Guatemala Mission Trip – Update 3

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Hello again from Guatemala!

We completed our first day at our work projects yesterday. The rain stayed away for almost the perfect amount of time. We were slated to leave for work about 8am (and left a little late due to transportation delays) and slated to finish work about 3pm (because that is often when the rain begins.) Indeed it started raining almost exactly at 3 so we returned a little wet but having gotten in a full day of work. The electricity at the hotel went off around 3:15 and didn’t come back on until 7:30 so some of us got cold showers, but it wasn’t that big of a deal.

I am thankful to report that we have no illness at the moment. Those of you who’ve known about our trips in the past know that we have had many illnesses in past years. We’ve made a few changes to our menu and cleanliness on the site and so far so good. Thanks for praying about that for us; please continue! Also, we had largely a safe day on the sites. JD Roberts hit one of his toes with an axe. A few centimeters one way or the other could have been bad, but as it is, a bandage on his toe is all that is required and we think he will be fine. As we use lots of sharp equipment,, please continue praying for safety for us.

For all our work here in Santiago, we partner with the Alfa y Omega Church in Santiago. Christ Chapel first began working with them about 10 years ago. This year we are partnering with them for two projects so we split our group into two teams of 40.

One group went to The Colony. The Colony is a ministry of the Alfa y Omega Church where they have been building homes for widows, orphans, and homeless. Years ago they recognized that folks who did not own land would never earn enough money to own their own homes as they could barely earn enough money for food. So the church allows people to live in The Colony and tries to help them find jobs so that they can save money to buy their own land and home. There is also now a church at The Colony as well. Due to the mudslides in this area the past year, the number of homeless have increased and flooded the Colony (an increase from 65 last summer when we were here to 178 at one point this spring). They have worked hard to build extra homes and we can see big changes at the Colony compared to last year. All of those displaced by the mudslides who moved into temporary homes on the Colony have now left the Colony for other housing or moved into permanent housing that has been built on the Colony. Malcolm White, Andrew Haverly, and Tyler Roberts tore down the final two temporary shelters on the Colony yesterday. This year our main projects at the Colony are to build a retaining wall to help protect against further mudslides and to clear a new piece of land recently purchased to expand the Colony. We will be cutting down brush, removing stumps, and clearing trash on the land. On this site Brandon Stewart got the nickname lumberjack, and Jordan Young and Slava Seely worked particularly hard. You’ll also see pictures of lots of kids who live at the Colony who we get to play with and share the Gospel with.

The second group yesterday went to an area we first began working on last summer. The youth (and singles) of Alfa y Omega purchased a piece of land that they want to use as an outreach. Their vision is to build a soccer field, basketball court, and hopefully some cabins one day. The only soccer field now in Santiago is an a bad area of town (drugs, etc.) so their desire is that this area will be a retreat for Christian youth as well as an area that they can bring their non-Christian friends. In God’s providence many people will soon be moving to this part of town. Due to the mudslides some areas (including the Colony) are now considered high-risk areas and over the next 6-8 years will be moved to that area of town. A month ago the Alfa y Omega church called and told us that they are planning to name this outreach/retreat area Campamento David in memory of David Phillips, who had been coming to Santiago and working with the church for about 10 years. We are blessed by their kindness to us to honor Dave in that way and even more blessed to be working there this year. Last year we cleared lots of brush and trees there (removing many stumps and rocks). The Christ Chapel college ministry continued the work there in March and we will be leveling the soccer field, moving rocks, and much more this week. I was told that Hayley Holland and Kaylan Lee were amazing workers there yesterday.

Last night we had our group meeting as usual. Andrew Haverly (high school staff) taught about the purpose of missions and shared a lot of information with us about the number of non-Christians across the globe, specifically the third of the world that is “unreached” and has no access to the Gospel in their language and no stable, indigenous church. (Check out www.gmi.org/ow and www.calebproject.org for more info on this.)

Today (Sunday) is our day of rest and relaxation. It’s needed after a day of hard work. More tomorrow.

In Christ alone,

Kathy Harrelson

High School Director at Christ Chapel Bible Church

High School Guatemala Mission Trip – Update 2

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Hello from Santiago, Guatemala!

After a long day of traveling, we arrived safely at our home for the week: the Posada de Santiago. David & Susie Glanville own the hotel and host us; they do a great job taking care of and feeding so many folks.

Here’s a recap of some of our activities from yesterday. We spent Thursday night at the Posada de Don Rodrigo in Antigua and spent Friday morning sharing the Gospel in Antigua. I’ve included some pictures from around our hotel in Antigua and of the students sharing the Gospel. As the students returned from sharing the Gospel, I was able to see their excitement and hear some of their stories. Walker Johnson talked about how he had a “blast” with Kara, Kaylan, and Alex sharing the Gospel with the Guatemalans. They shared the Gospel with one gentlemen, left a paper explaining the Gospel and a Bible with him, and then later (when they walked back by the gentleman) saw him still reading the materials they’d left with him. Mary Norris was encouraged by the boldness of the people in her group who didn’t speak much Spanish at all and yet initiated conversations with folks.

The students also talked to some people who were already Christians and were encouraged by those conversations as well. Chris Cole talked to a man named Juan who, along with some other Guatemala friends, had been praying for Christian materials to read but they are too poor to buy some. Chris gave him some of the copies of the Gospel of John in Spanish that we brought with us. Robert Ryan also talked to a man who wanted to start going to church but didn’t know where to go. About that time Brent Kesler walked by with a Christian Guatemalan man who he’d met who goes to a church nearby. Brent’s friend planned a time and place to meet Robert’s friend to take him to church on Sunday.

After evangelizing in Antigua and eating lunch at the hotel, we boarded the bus for a three hour ride to Panajachel and a boat ride to Santiago . A light (and occasionally moderate) rain started toward the end of the bus ride and followed us to Santiago, even when we went to bed. We were grateful the rain ceased before this morning so we could go to the work sights. The rain brought some cooler weather so it’s not quite as hot today for our work. We pray the weather is good for the rest of our time here.

Last night after dinner we gathered as a group for our worship, teaching, and Give Glory to God time. I always love worshipping here at the hotel in Santiago. The acoustics are tremendous, ahd there are 80 folks singing in one room. Jon Dansby (on guitar and vocals), Alisha Wilkerson (on vocals), Malcolm White (on guitar), and Joe Burkett (on harmonica) will be leading us this week.

Give Glory to God is an opportunity for anyone to share out loud about how they would like to praise and glorify God. They share with the whole group by completing the sentence, “I give glory to God for…”.

This week in our large group teaching time we are teaching about missions. What is it. Why do we do it. What is the Great Commission. How can and should we be involved. Michael Burr (high school staff) taught last night and laid the foundation for missions, which is the glory of God. He spoke mainly from Isaiah 6 and Hosea about who we are before God without Christ, who God is, and who we are before God with Christ.

I thought it was appropriate that Jon started our service last night (our first group meeting since we started the trip) by giving glory to God for David Phillips, our friend and high school pastor who was killed in a car accident in February. This trip is a reminder of and a testimony to Dave (who planned many mission trips over the years, including this one). He loved the glory of God. He loved the Gospel. He loved missions. He loved students. And he loved students being involved in missions. I’ll close with the words to one of Dave’s favorite hymns which also communicates what missions is really about…laboring so that many people from many tongues will forever praise the glories of our great God and King!

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise
The glories of my God and King
The triumphs of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.

Jesus, the name that calms my fears
That bids my sorrows cease
‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears
‘Tis life and health and peace

He breaks the power of canceled sin
He sets the prisoner free
His blood can make the foulest clean
His blood availed for me

Blessings,

Kathy Harrelson
High School Director at Christ Chapel Bible Church

High School Guatemala Mission Trip – Update 1

Hopefully they don’t mind me posting these email updates:
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Greetings from Antigua Guatemala!

We (the high school ministry at Christ Chapel Bible Church) have all arrived safely in Antingua, Guatemala. As I type, the students are spread across different parks in the city sharing the Gospel. Their energy and excitement about getting to share about Christ is so exciting. Pray that the students will be bold in speaking about Christ and that the Lord would open the hearts of the folks they meet to respond in faith to the Gospel. I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow about their conversations.

A brief report from yesterday. 65 of us left DFW about 3:30 pm while the 14 folks on the Senior Extension left Belize at 2pm. We met up at the airport in El Salvador. Kate Dorris & I got the last two seats on that flight (we weren´t sure for a little while if we´d all make the overbooked flight but we did) and we arrived in Guatemala City about 9pm. Wayne Huff is already in Guatemala so he completes our group of 80. Everyone´s luggage arrived, except for one of Amanda Godwin´s bags (which we hope to locate soon). We then took an hour bus ride to Antigua, ate a late spaghetti dinner around 10:30, and then went to our rooms to do our daily devotionals.

The daily devotionals are based off the book ¨The Passion of Jesus Christ¨ by John Piper. He looks at 50 reasons why Christ suffered and died. Each day the students read a brief chapter, look up verses in the Scriptures, and then answer questions we´ve written. The 9 reasons we´ll be focusing on this week for why Christ suffered and died are: (1) to show the wealth of God´s grace for sinners, (2) to show His own love for us, (3) to give us a clear conscience, (4) to obtain for us all things that are good for us, (5) to reconcile us to God, (6) so that we might belong to Him, (7) to become a sympathetic and helpful priest, (8) to create a people passionate for good works, (9) so that He would be crowned with glory and honor. Please pray for the students as they study the Scriptures this week. By the way, when the folks who publish this book (Desiring God Ministries) heard we were taking 80 high schoolers on a mission trip, they offered to sell us a book by John Piper for $2.50 per book.

I also wanted to give you a quick report on the folks who went to Belize. I´ve been told that they played lots of Mafia, learned how to climb palm trees and pick coconuts, went mudding in golf carts (the laundry when they get home will be horrible!), went snorkeling to Hol Chan Marine Sanctuary, a few went scuba diving at the blue hole, and were on the beach a lot. They had a fun, relaxing few days.

We are in Antigua through lunch today, then we travel 3 hours by bus to Panajachel, and then another hour by boat to Santiago. We´ll eat and sleep in Santiago tonight and then begin our work projects tomorrow. Please pray for a day of safe, healthy (no motion sickness on the bus ride!) travel.

Again, thanks for your prayers, especially today as we share the Gospel and travel. It´s amazing to see God at work as we talk about Who Jesus is and what He´s done for us. Yesterday the gentleman next to me on one of the plane rides initiated a conversation with me when he saw my Bible. He asked me questions the whole plane ride, things like ¨Why do you believe in God?” and “I´ve heard that Jesus is coming back one day. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I ripped some of the pages out of my workbook that explain the Gospel and discuss answers to apologetic objections to faith and gave them to him so that he could look at it more later. Pray for him (his name is David).

If you would like to have your name removed from this email list, please email Richard Yantis at r.yantis at tcu.edu (sorry…the at sign doesn´t work on this keyboard). Or if you´d like to add someone to this list, please email Richard as well.

Hopefully tomorrow I´ll have some pictures to include.

Blessings,
Kathy Harrelson
High School Director at Christ Chapel Bible Church
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Praise God for the Freedom of this Nation

It’s purely the grace of God that we have sustained the freedom we have for 230 years. Praise God for His grace that moved the founders of this nation to formulate the doctrines they did, that have proved to be a great blessing to all of us. And praise God for giving soldiers the will to fight to the death for that freedom. And praise God for the fact that at the moment we aren’t persecuted and can preach the Gospel without fear of being beaten or tortured. Praise God for His grace in Christ that He purchased the freedom of souls from the reign and bondage of sin. Praise God for His grace through the blood of Christ!

Personal, Humbling Encouragement from Christ Today

Today was a very exciting day for me. Over time, by the mercies and grace of God alone, I have had the privelage of witnessing over and over again to co-workers, neighbors, and others I come in contact with, in hopes the Holy Spirit will use the discussions to bring people to faith in Christ for salvation (as He sees fit). However, I have seen very little evidence that anything was actually happening in the lives of these friends and have been a little discouraged. It is the equivalent of casting out seed and watering it, but never seeing anything grow. After you do that for a while and see no evidence of your labors, you can become a little discouraged and feel that it’s to no avail (though I know that’s not true in the context of giving God glory through witnessing, regardless of the outcome). And I’ve felt discouraged for a while now; that is until today.

This one particular friend (who will remain anonymous for obvious reasons) started talking with me about various random things and then all of a sudden the discussion turned into talking about God, Christ, sin, justice, the cross, mercy, salvation, etc. He told me his story about how when he was younger, he went to a Southern Baptist church and believed in Christ, but the teaching was very moralistic and left the sinner even more burdened before they came. And so as a result of this teaching (though he was still responsible for his actions), he turned to his sin, all the while feeling wrong about all he did (very similar to my own experience in regard to turning away and feeling terrible about it the whole time).

However, recently, he told me he has been very convicted about his actions and how they haven’t lined up with that of Christ’s, and it started bothering him even more. And when I asked him what led him to this conviction, he told me, “Seeing your life and the way you live has been the Gospel to me, and I thought to myself, ‘I want that again, I have missed it for so many years.'” All I could do at that point was not point to myself and say, “Well done, David. You really are a righteous guy, good for you, you’re a great example and he should follow your pattern,” but rather point him to the One who has changed me of His free grace and mercy and attribute any change in me that works itself out in my life to God alone, mainly because simply following my example won’t produce the change he so desperately needs. And all this in hopes that my friend would look to the beauty and worth of Christ alone even moreso than he is now, in order that he may be forever changed (sanctified) and drawn near to the Father through the blood of Christ.

If my life, my actions, and my words were a witness of the Gospel to him, praise God for using such an unworthy sinner as me to do His divine work. Praise God He works despite the vessel He chooses to use. I am in no way qualified to be a witness of God on my own, but I preach the Gospel only on the basis of the death and resurrection of Christ. Firstly, who am I that He would choose me for salvation to begin with; but then secondly, who am I that He would use me as an instrument to do His mighty, powerful work in the life of another soul? How glorious is this, that the righteous, holy, perfect, just God who spoke the universe into existence, with whom there is no imperfection, would use the crooked, defiled, lisping tongues of sinners to save sinners? How humbling …

But at the same time, I was very encouraged because it was so refreshing to see that God has indeed been using me and that my work (to His glory) has not been in vain. How uplifting this has been for me today! All glory to God! This also illustrates something else I have been talking about recently a lot in my blogs: that in this instance, and every instance, it is God alone who changes people’s hearts, we do not. That is our only hope in witnessing and teaching. All we do is open our mouths and God either sovereignly (on the basis of His own will, design, purpose, and counsel alone) convicts someone to the core of their being, or He sovereign chooses not to and thus leaves them (justly) to their own sin. It’s His doing and His perogative to change the disposition of someone’s heart in order that they believe in Christ, as well as grow in Him. In addition to this point, just as much as preaching a clear concise Gospel is so important, so also living that Gospel out in our lives is equally important. Toward the end of our conversation, my friend told me that he had heard what I had to say in the past, but he said that seeing it work itself out in my life and how much joy it gave me on a day to day basis was what struck him even more than my words. As he said, “Your actions reinforce what you said, and I see what you mean by those words.” Man, praise God that He alone sovereignly saves and changes people. What other hope do we have?

The Holy Spirit Alone Effects Change

Even though I intellectually assent to the doctrine of Grace Alone, that the Holy Spirit alone is what effects change within the believer, many times in my day to day routine, I forget about it and other times I just simply don’t believe it in my heart. Recently, the Lord has opened my mind to consider more the work of the Holy Spirit in everything I do. When praying, witnessing, working, hanging out with Courtney, hanging out with high school students at CCBC, worshipping, in everything, the Holy Spirit alone effects change both in me and others. And so when I pray for unbelieving friends of mine to be saved, I must pray that the Holy Spirit would work in the midst of witnessing in power to open their minds, ears, eyes, and hearts to the Gospel of Christ. When spending time in personal communion (fellowship) with Christ, I need to pray that the Holy Spirit would come and change me from within by His mighty hand and conform me to His will (not vice versa, i.e. conforming Himself to me). When teaching students, I need to pray the Holy Spirit would effect change within their hearts. And the list goes on … Truly believing that it is by the power of God alone appropriated by the Holy Spirit, that work itself made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection, we can then see that in everything we do, we (and other people we minister to or fellowship with) are not changed and conformed to Christ-likeness by personal moral performance, but by the power of God alone working in and through what we do and say.

Naples, FL was Awesome!

Florida was amazing. We all had such a great time; it was really one of the best vacations. It was really awesome to take a vacation with such close friends. The first day we got there we just hung around and then went to dinner at a great Italian restaurant. The next day, we went to the beach until about 3 and then swam in the pool for about an hour. That night we went out to eat sushi at a restaurant called Blu, very good. The next day we went out to the beach for about 4 hours (I stayed under the umbrella most of the time so I didn’t get burned anymore). Then that night, we went out for seafood. The next day (Sunday), we attended Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL. to hear the Executive Director of the Founders Ministry, Tom Ascol. It was such a great, Gospel-centered message. There was nothing particularly new about the content, but it was just an awesome, reformed message about the hope we have that comes as a result of the death and resurrection of Christ. The Dansby’s left that afternoon (they had to get back a day early). Us and the McCarthy’s stayed one more night and then left early in the morning. It was such an amazing trip. Praise God …

I Have More Respect for the Construction Profession Now

This weekend I dug up a new flower bed in the backyard and man was it a killer. Apparently when the house builder poured the foundation, some of it spilled in the back and they covered it up with dirt (right where I was digging up the flower bed). Thanks guys. So I had to go to my neighbor across the street, borrow his rock bar (giant steel bar used for digging up rocks underground), and attempted to break it up, which only marginally helped, but did make it a bit deeper than it was before. It was quite a chore. The easiest part of the whole day on Saturday was planting a new bradford pear tree in the backyard. Finally, we have a tree back there. I don’t think I’ve done that much physical labor since either moving or doing work in Guatemala. I do have to honestly say I have more respect for those workers in the construction industry. I’m such a weakling … thank God for creating the computer industry and opening the doors for me to work in it.

Believers Are Truly Aliens in this Life

Ever since Dave Phillips went to be with Christ, I have been feeling more like an alien here in this life. The reason for this has a lot to do with the knowledge that Dave has gone home, his true home, to be with the Lord forever in glory. That’s my home, this earth is not. What matters then? Christ. “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Everything is temporal here, but everything is eternal and perfected there where Christ is. Dave loved the things in this life that the Lord blessed him with, but He loved Christ more and desired to be with him more, because Christ is everything; He is truly lovely and He is life, and knowing Him is eternal life (John 17:3). Not knowing Him is dreadful and terrifying, because there is no good apart from Him. There is no life apart from Christ, there is only wrath and fury against you. Dave has been glorified in the Lord, something I cannot even begin to fathom. He’s been made perfect because of Christ’s death and resurrection. I’ve been thinking a lot more about heaven and being perfected in Christ, about no longer having a struggle with sin, but being freed from it! How wonderful. What an awesome thing to look forward to! The past week and a half or so, I have just been longing for my true home more. What a glorious day it shall be when I see Christ face to face, no longer living by faith but by sight! Dave has been finally conformed to Christ, and oh how I long for that day! Christ is my Savior, King, Lord, God, Stronghold, Strength, Deliverer, Righteousness, Rock, Fortress, Shield, Protector, my everything (Psalm 18:2). I have nothing apart from Him, even if I possess the whole world (Mark 8:36-37). I have found so much joy in knowing that Christ will rule one day forever and that I will go to be with Him because of His glorious work in my life through the cross. On the cross, He took my punishment on Himself, having become a curse for me, He then died, rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and then at His pre-appointed time, applied the work of the cross in my heart by the Holy Spirit, that I would be regenerated from my dead, wretched, sinful soul that wanted nothing to do with Him, given the eyes to see and ears to hear the wonderous work and call of the Gospel, and He then gave me the gift of faith (provided through the cross) that I would apprehend Him and love Him (Acts 16:14). It is this truth that has set me free and given me life. God saved me, it is all His work, I was only a dead recipient, made alive by the Gospel. There is nothing I desire more than Christ. And it is this truth that Christ will ultimately conform me to Himself in glory that has given me so much hope in all my trials throughout my whole life. Dave is there in glory and perfected, no longer entangled in this mess of sin and corruption. And though I will miss him for a time, how wonderful is it that He sees the glory of Christ, right now!? The Dave we loved, talked with, interacted with, is now with the Lord. How I long to be conformed to Christ! This event has just driven me closer to Christ and desiring to be like Him, loving the things He loves, and hating the things He hates, and sharing the Gospel with others. Man I want to be there with Christ. He is my all and my wonderous God and King. He is so faithful and glorious. And it is through the cross that this has been made actual for Dave and will be made actual for me when I die and can be made actual for any of you who do not know the Lord, who do not know Him savingly. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Then with this truth, do not be conformed to this sinful world any longer, but walk in the renewal of your mind (Romans 12:1-2), casting off sin by the work of the cross and look forward to the hope of the complete redemption of your soul at death, and the resurrection of your body on the Day of the Lord. O Lord, come soon, we love You and need You. Send Your Spirit in power that we may live lives pleasing to You. O Lord, teach us to love the things You love and hate the things You hate. Teach us and work in us, Father, to love and exalt Christ more than anything in this world. O Lord we are weak and frail sinners, corrupted by our wickedness and the vile that remains in our hearts. Cleanse us with Your blood, remove our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh (Ezekial 36:26) that we may live our lives in submission to Your sovereignty and rule over our lives, giving You glory in any and every circumstance (Philippians 4:12-13). O Lord, we are aliens in this life, and we should live as such, preaching Your cross and the redemption You have provided through it (Romans 10:14-15). Lord, as the song It Is Well with My Soul states, “Haste the day when my faith shall be sight.” Let us always consider that our dwelling is not here, where moth and rust destroy, but where the great God of glory lives, where the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world lives! You are holy and glorious! There is none like You.

David Phillips (Life Stage 1 Pastor @ CCBC) Has Passed Away

“…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24

“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” – Job 1:21

“Frequently it is when we are crushed and devastated that the cross speaks most powerfully to us. The wounds of Christ then become Christ’s credentials. The world mocks, but we are assured of God’s love by Christ’s wounds.” – D.A. Carson.

For all of you who have not heard, David Phillips, the Life Stage 1 pastor over the student ministries @ Christ Chapel Bible Church, passed away this morning in a car wreck on his way to preach at the main services. This has been quite a shock for everyone, but Jesus is Lord, and nothing happens apart from His will. That, in addition to many other things (the death and resurrection of the Son of God being the main thing), is our comfort in the midst of this trial. This is a part of His perfect plan that we cannot fathom. Romans 5, Romans 8, James 1, all of Job, and the Psalms come alive even more so during times like this. This is for the Lord’s glory and the ultimate good of those who love Him. For me personally, as with many others, David Phillips played a huge role in my developmental process. As God’s instrument, he was one of the main influences Christ used in bringing me to Himself after having turned my back on Him in anger for the things He ordained to happen to my family. In addition, Dave was one of the main influences on my theology. When Dave first came on board @ CCBC, one of the biggest things he brought in his teaching was Justification and all that entails. Though I didn’t know that at the time (as far as the formal doctrine), his teaching of this essential piece of the Gospel, was one of the biggest reasons for my change, to trust in and fall on Christ and His perfect righteousness on my behalf, having taken my sin and it’s punishment on Himself and having imputed His righteousness to me through the cross. In addition to all of the doctrines he taught that are so essential to the Christian faith (5 Solas, Doctrines of Grace, Reformed theology), the one thing He brought that revolutionized my walk with Christ was his teaching on loving Him first and foremost above all other things, in all the facets of my life. Eating, reading, talking, thinking, in everything, do all things to the glory of God. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone). I was changed because I saw the practical, applicational nature of this in Dave. All of the theology undergirded that one thing, that one command even. He didn’t just talk about theology in some stoic, academic sense alone, but lived it out, applied it in his life, and as a result, many lives (including mine) have been transformed by the Gospel of Christ, under David Phillips teaching. I thank Jesus immensely that He sovereignly brought Dave Phillips into my life as God’s instrument of grace that I may live my life in love for Christ and pointing others toward Him. And Dave wasn’t only my spiritual father in leading me back to Christ, but he then became an amazing friend of mine. Praise God for Dave’s life, and praise God in his passing. I will miss him immensely, along with so many others, and I am deeply sorrowful for this loss. But what we mean for (or understand as) evil, God means for (designs for) good (Genesis 50:20).

Please pray for Dave’s wife, Jen, as well as both sides of their families as they mourn this great loss. And please pray for the student ministries at Christ Chapel as students process this information. Pray that many unbelieving students would come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior, and pray that those who do know Christ would persevere and endure in their faith, to the praise of the glory of the grace of Christ.

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Obituary

Services:

The Viewing will be held at Greenwood Funeral Home, Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Funeral will be held at McKinney Memorial Bible Church Wednesday, Feb. 22 @ 4 p.m. with a reception following the service at the “Bubble” at Christ Chapel Bible Church.

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Amazing. On Friday, Dave posted the sermon he was going to give (it is amazing because he had never posted his sermon notes online before and wow did it speak to the exact situation that occurred) …
Dave’s MySpace Sermon Entry

News articles:
Star-Telegram Article
Article 2
CBS11TV.com Article

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Philippians 3:20-21

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