A Ministry of Graham County Christian Youth Ministries Inc.
THE STABLE
Sharing the Gospel as we share our lives with the youth of Graham County
* 1 Thessalonians 2:8 *
Dear Friends of The Stable,
"Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm" (2 Corinthians 1:24). The apostle Paul recognized that there were significant problems at the church in Corinth. But rather than show up and use his apostolic authority to deal with the culprits, Paul recognized that it would be better for him not to go to Corinth in person (v.23) but let them deal with these issues before he got there, so he didn’t have to visit them in sorrow again (2:1). In the midst of explaining to the Corinthians his motivation for not coming to see them in person, he explains what his role in ministering to them was: we "are workers with you for your joy." This shows us two things. First, it takes work to maintain the joy of our faith. Second, we see that God puts people in our lives to help us maintain that joy.
Here at The Stable, we recognize that our main job is to come along the youth of Graham County and be workers with them for their joy. That doesn’t mean we don’t talk about difficult issues or sin. The context of 2 Corinthians 1:24 is Paul confronting the Corinthians so that they would deal with their sin Biblically (i.e., repent and take it to Jesus). Similarly, we seek to come along and help the youth experience the joy that is found only in walking with Jesus (whether that means confronting sin, encouraging them in righteousness, or teaching them).
Joy comes from the hearing and applying of God’s Word to our lives, so God’s Word is central to what we do at The Stable. We desire young people to see the greatness and worth of God’s Word and begin to hunger for it like we see in these passages:
Jeremiah 15:16, "Thy words were found and I ate them, And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart."
Psalm 119:11, "I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, For they are the joy of my heart."
Thank you for the role you play in working for the joy of the youth in Graham County. We can’t do it without your partnership. May God bless us with strength and perseverance in His work and may many people experience the joy of Lord through our efforts!
To God be the glory,
Scott Kamps
Ministry Director
Prayer Requests:
- That God’s Spirit would change many kids’ hearts to hunger for Jesus and His Word
- That many young people would experience the joy of the Lord
- That God would provide wisdom and direction regarding the building we are in
- That God would provide financially for The Stable
We appreciate your prayers!