Spring planting

Spring is Here! While some of you struggle with flooding and unseasonable snow, our team in southern Florida has been planting spiritual seeds, watering, weeding and watching them grow. Here are a few examples ---

Dean finished the 3-part series on the reliability of the Bible at two universities (Johnson and Wales, and Barry). I presented the second part of that series, on Archaeology and the Bible. Eric completed his three-part series on Christian Worldview to the U of Miami students. Then just before Easter I followed with a two-part talk on apologetics (the defense of the faith) and the proof for the resurrection.

The students showed great interest in these talks and some have started reading the book The Case for Easter by Lee Strobel. One student asked for more information to use in his liberal-leaning “biblical” archaeology class. Another wanted information on how Bible manuscripts are dated.

The Easter weekend was very busy. Saturday was the Miami Metro Breakfast and Beach event for our Campus Crusade students from various universities in southern Florida. We started with breakfast, a devotional and sharing at Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church, and then the students went to the local beach. About 50 students attended the breakfast and more showed up for the fun and fellowship at the beach.

Eric’s daughter Rebekah invited a Russian teacher and a Middle Eastern Muslim student from her college to come home with her for Easter weekend. They stayed with Eric’s family and enjoyed a big gathering for Easter dinner. The Muslim asked many questions about Christianity, watched the Jesus film in Arabic, attended the Miami Metro breakfast on Saturday and then Easter services on Sunday at Eric’s church. He continues to be interested in Jesus and Christianity, so please keep him in your prayers.

In early March, my church in Miami started a new church plant in a school near where I live in Homestead. While our attendance has averaged in the low to mid 300’s, for Easter services 490 attended, 10 received Christ and 8 recommitted their lives. One of my neighbors came and now wants to join a small group. The Homestead area has experienced a huge influx of people. Existing churches can’t handle the volume so there is a desperate need for more churches and outreaches.

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." From the Parable of the Sower, Luke 8:8