As most of you know I graduated from NTBI in May and then I got
married. My wife Felicia and I are starting up a new blog that you
can continue to follow us on and pray for us as we move towards the mission
field. The new blog address is http://sheridans-sufficientgrace.blogspot.com/and we will be updating you all and where the Lord is taking us, can't
wait to see what He does. If you want to get in touch with me, my email
is jsheridan03@gmail.com. God bless you guys and thank you for your
prayers!
Josh
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
March Update!
So it's been about 4 months since winter set in here up in Michigan and I'm here to say that it is still going strong, although it was 40 degrees the other day! Despite the 2 feet of snow on the ground and the freezing temperatures, my last semester here at New Tribes Bible Institute has been going great! Currently I am taking two classes; the Pastoral Epistles, right now we're in 2nd Timothy, and the class of Daniel/Revelation. The school puts the books of Daniel and Revelation together because there is a lot of overlap as far as prophetic events and end times is concerned. Right now we're in Chapter 7 of Daniel discussing the vision of the different animals which represent different kingdoms of Gentiles. It is pretty interesting stuff!
Prison ministry has been going well too. I haven't been in to prison very much this semester, but I know from the teachers I have been talking with that the study of Galatians has been going very well, thank you for your prayers!! This semester for prison ministry I am basically doing administration tasks, such as setting up orientation for new student volunteers and printing off the teachers' hand out notes for that week. Seeing how I'm graduating in May, I also have been wanting all the new teachers to get experience and more time in prison so that when the other seniors and I graduate there will be a core of teachers to carry it on. So that means I could use prayer right now as I am starting to look at different people involved in prison ministry for someone(s) to take over coordinating next semester.
I've been learning a ton lately just through classes and my continual study of the Psalms, but perhaps the most recent thing came from my class on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. I learned that the hope of the future with Christ is an appropriate motivation for godly living in the present. Paul wrote these two epistles to encourage and exhort this infant church to persevere to the end, especially in the midst of persecution. He accomplishes this goal by repeatedly pointing to the future to get them to see their need to walk consistently in the present. He encourages them with the doctrine of the Rapture, saying that believers are not destined to receive wrath, wrath being the wrath at Christ's Second Coming, but rather they were destined to be taken out of the world (salvation), this happening when they meet Christ in the air (1st Thess. 4:17). Something my teacher pointed out that is interesting to note is that every chapter of both Thessalonian epistles ends with a reference to the Second Coming of Christ. The Second Coming of Christ should motivate us to live in fellowship with Him now because we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ for rewards. But also Christ's coming brings encouragement because in the midst of trials and persecutions, we must not give up but hold confidently to the fact that Christ is coming, and he will establish justice and peace when he sets up his Kingdom. Christ's Coming and the Rapture are incredible in that they are appropriate motivations the apostle Paul used to exhort a sense of sobriety in his audience but also bring encouragement in the midst of difficult circumstances. What bearing does Christ's Coming have on your life right now?
I love you guys and appreciate your prayers and support, they are invaluable. Thank you for being my prayer supporters and if there is anything I can pray for you about please let me know! Also if you think you know of someone who would like to receive my blog updates please don't hesitate to pass my information on to them or give them my email!
Here are some prayer requests:
1. The summer: Job, car, place to stay as I will most likely be heading to Pennsylvania for the summer and work around their, spend time with my girlfriend, her family and her church.
2. My relationship with God: Pray that I would continue to trust him and walk by faith all the while making decisions in line with His Word. Pray that I would continue to send my roots down into him and send them deep.
3. My work in the prison ministry and youth group, that somehow, some way, people would be impacted through my life.
Prison ministry has been going well too. I haven't been in to prison very much this semester, but I know from the teachers I have been talking with that the study of Galatians has been going very well, thank you for your prayers!! This semester for prison ministry I am basically doing administration tasks, such as setting up orientation for new student volunteers and printing off the teachers' hand out notes for that week. Seeing how I'm graduating in May, I also have been wanting all the new teachers to get experience and more time in prison so that when the other seniors and I graduate there will be a core of teachers to carry it on. So that means I could use prayer right now as I am starting to look at different people involved in prison ministry for someone(s) to take over coordinating next semester.
I've been learning a ton lately just through classes and my continual study of the Psalms, but perhaps the most recent thing came from my class on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. I learned that the hope of the future with Christ is an appropriate motivation for godly living in the present. Paul wrote these two epistles to encourage and exhort this infant church to persevere to the end, especially in the midst of persecution. He accomplishes this goal by repeatedly pointing to the future to get them to see their need to walk consistently in the present. He encourages them with the doctrine of the Rapture, saying that believers are not destined to receive wrath, wrath being the wrath at Christ's Second Coming, but rather they were destined to be taken out of the world (salvation), this happening when they meet Christ in the air (1st Thess. 4:17). Something my teacher pointed out that is interesting to note is that every chapter of both Thessalonian epistles ends with a reference to the Second Coming of Christ. The Second Coming of Christ should motivate us to live in fellowship with Him now because we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ for rewards. But also Christ's coming brings encouragement because in the midst of trials and persecutions, we must not give up but hold confidently to the fact that Christ is coming, and he will establish justice and peace when he sets up his Kingdom. Christ's Coming and the Rapture are incredible in that they are appropriate motivations the apostle Paul used to exhort a sense of sobriety in his audience but also bring encouragement in the midst of difficult circumstances. What bearing does Christ's Coming have on your life right now?
I love you guys and appreciate your prayers and support, they are invaluable. Thank you for being my prayer supporters and if there is anything I can pray for you about please let me know! Also if you think you know of someone who would like to receive my blog updates please don't hesitate to pass my information on to them or give them my email!
Here are some prayer requests:
1. The summer: Job, car, place to stay as I will most likely be heading to Pennsylvania for the summer and work around their, spend time with my girlfriend, her family and her church.
2. My relationship with God: Pray that I would continue to trust him and walk by faith all the while making decisions in line with His Word. Pray that I would continue to send my roots down into him and send them deep.
3. My work in the prison ministry and youth group, that somehow, some way, people would be impacted through my life.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
January Update!
January
19th, 2014
Dear prayer supporters,
So
I didn’t do many blog updates last semester, hope I didn’t keep you out of the
loop too much! But I wanted to write you
all and tell you how much I appreciate you and your prayers; they are coveted
and needed on a daily basis.
I
just began my last semester here at New Tribes Bible Institute and I am
extremely excited to dig in this semester.
Last semester was incredibly important as God and His Word unearthed
some pretty messed up worldview perspectives and He’s beginning to supplant my
false ideas with His truth, starting with relating to Him on a personal
level. See I’m beginning to see that my
wrong thinking can be a product of insecurity in my relationship with God. Last semester was huge in grounding me
according to my identity with the person and work of Christ. This semester I have classes such as
Colossians/Philemon, Philippians, 1st and 2nd
Thessalonians, Daniel/Revelation and Christian Life. I’m looking forward to seeing how God will
continue to reveal my need for Him and to become more grounded in my friendship
with Him.
Currently
I am reading through the book of Psalms, reading a psalm a day apart from my
other classes and it has been such a great study. It has been incredible to take a glance of
the relationship that David had with God.
It was just so intimate. David
didn’t hold back, he didn’t keep frustrations to himself, but he shared
everything with God. Even if he was
becoming discouraged with his circumstances, he didn’t try and not be
discouraged but he simply talked to God about it. And ultimately he continually came back to
God and His character which was enough for David to say “But I am like a green
olive tree in the house of God. I trust
in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
I will thank you forever, because you have done it” (Ps. 52:8-9). David said this when Saul was trying to kill
him. Does that challenge you? It challenges me and just how much I trust
God with everyday life.
So
that’s a little bit of what life is like and what I’m learning. Looking forward to talking or seeing some of
you soon! Keep walking with the Lord, he
is everything. If you would like to
contact me my email is jsheridan03@gmail.com. Until then here are some prayer requests:
1. That I would
be looking to the Lord, trusting him each and every day to step out in faith
and obedience.
2. In prison
ministry we are teaching through the letter of Galatians this semester so
please pray that our lives would be impacted as a result of Paul’s strong words
of caution in Galatians.
3. Please pray
for my girlfriend and I as we are trusting God and walking by faith as far as
the future goes. We both desire to go to
the Missionary Training Program with New Tribes Mission and church plant in the
future so please pray for wisdom and discernment and that we would be seeking
wise counsel in decision making.
4. I am an RA
again with 9 guys so please pray for unity in our dorm and that we would enjoy
our time together but also have good conversations and time challenging each
other.
5. In deciding
what my plans are for this summer, I will most likely be in need of a car so
please pray for the Lord’s provisions in that area.
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