This past month at White Oak we’ve been studying some of the many One Another commands in Scripture. From the responses of many from our White Oak family, it’s clear that God is moving on our hearts to further his Kingdom impact through the way in which we “one another.” Here’s one story shared with us because of the One Another Challenge cards distributed during the One Another series:
I completed several challenges this week. I gave an unexpected gift to my brother, wrote a card to my grandmother, showed appreciation for guidance to my father, and asked my brother how I could pray for him and it has made me feel so fulfilled. God has blessed me in so many ways and it made me feel a little uncomfortable at first but the feeling I got from god after completing several of these makes me just wanting to do more for people I love and for those that are strangers. God has blessed me just this week for challenging myself to complete some of the challenges from the one another challenge. -C.W.
I truly believe that if the people of God embrace our mission in encouraging, loving, serving, and praying for one another, that we will see a revival in our city and our hearts will be molded like that heart of Jesus. The gates of hell will not be able to withstand and onslaught!
One of the one another challenges I stepped into was through White Oak’s recent trip to Senegal. Last week, seven of us traveled to West Africa to encourage and learn from the Brane family and Minta Berry as they minister to unreached people groups in that region. Kingdom impact is being made through agricultural education, medical outreach, and educational opportunities. I saw brief but profound snap shots of the lives that are being changed in the name of Jesus. Farmers are coming to know the mercy of God, people are being healed of their ailments and meeting the great Healer, and young women are experiencing the love of Jesus through caring hearts. The multiplication of God’s Kingdom in West Africa is happening and people are meeting Jesus in life-transforming ways.
We saw this at a farm where Tom Brane teaches men biblical principals that they apply to farming. They read from God’s Word and pray together. These men take these principals back to their Muslim neighbors and showcase God’s power in the way their farms serve their community.
We saw this in small medical clinics where Suja Brane sees patients who have all but given up hope and, here, they meet caring compassionate staff who love them in the name of Jesus. We met two men who have come to put their faith in Jesus as a result of the medical outreach.
We saw Minta Berry teaching English to a group of Muslim young women at a Christian school praying for chances to show them the love of Jesus as she helps prepare them for their future.
It was challenging for me, personally, when I met a man who worked at one of the clinics. He is a Muslim man who works with many Christian staff. Somehow we clicked and he sat down with me in an office and offered me a cup of coffee (it was instant coffee and tasted horrible, but I digress). We talked through his broken English which was very challenging. I showed him pictures of my family and he did the same. We talked about his job at the clinic and I told him I was a pastor. When I shared this with him his face lit up. We talked some more about our lives and then I asked him if I could pray with him. He had previously told me that he followed Mohammad but I asked him if I could pray with him in the name of Jesus. He enthusiastically agreed and I prayed with him. We exchanged contact info and hugged one another.
I saw so much one anothering on this trip as our team loved on the people and they loved on us.
The challenge is for all of us. The opportunities are everywhere. I’m praying for our White Oak family to step into both the familiar and the uncomfortable so that we may love one another like Jesus.
Let’s get to it,
Nathan
Nathan Hinkle
Lead Pastor
White Oak Christian Church