SOCPM Newsletter | March 2024

Sheridan DVD Lessons Have a Fresh New Look

Thanks to the blessings of SOCPM donations, the Discipleship DVD lesson was once again in color, the picture sharp and clear, and viewed on a 55" screen. The long-awaited new flat-screen TV was inaugurated. It was anti-climatic but a joy nonetheless.

No longer was there a need to wheel in the old CRT TV on the falling apart compressed wood TV cart that must have weighed close to 200, if not over 200 pounds. Whether it was the TV or the DVD player was unknown, but the color faded to B&W a few months back, so a new DVD player also made its day view. The TV and DVD player are on a lightweight cart that is now stored off to the side of the altar stage. In short, praise God for the donations from the SOCPM ministry partners who made it possible.

The classes' Malachi Dad and Discipleship curriculums are nearing the end, and certificates will be distributed by the end of the month.

The following term curriculum for Malachi Dads will combine two books: Family Restoration and Psalm 1: The Blessed Man. The Discipleship curriculum will consist of two teaching series by Ligonier Ministries led by Ligonier founder R. C. Sproul. The Holiness of God and Assurance of Salvation. I'll give more details on all the curriculums in the next SOCPM newsletter. The start date is to be determined depending on the end date of classes at Dixon.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (ESV)

Dixon Lockdowns Continue, and the Situation is in a Muddled State

With 16 lockdowns more likely to occur in the coming weeks and six sessions to complete in both Malachi Dad's Heart of a Man Part 2 and What Does Revelation Teach Part 3, an end date is foreseen. I plan to add 3 to 4 weeks of optional bonus classes at Sheridan, but I need to move things on at some point. I am praying God will guide me on what steps to take at Dixon.

I have some ideas in Discipleship, which offer a different curriculum of only four to six weeks, but that makes weekly class planning more challenging and time-consuming. There is no alternative shorter curriculum in the established Malachi Dads curriculum. So, my options are even more limited if I want to go with an internationally recognized program like Malachi Dads that the Illinois Department of Corrections will welcome.

The bottom line is that a lot of prayer is coveted. Ideally, the lockdowns would stop with a significant increase in correctional officer staffing at Dixon. But God has unknown ways, so He may open the paths to something unseen.

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

Biblical Counseling

From February 11th through February 16th, I was in Lafayette, IN, attending a Biblical Counseling Training Conference hosted by Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries. Though I do not have an opportunity to do any one-on-one counseling with any of my students in Dixon or Sheridan, I have hopes of possibly pursuing the possibility of counseling inmates at Kane County Jail.

 

I had some counseling training previously through Chaplains Training Academy, where the issues were focused mostly on inmate issues. I wanted to get a wiser perspective on other counseling issues.

I first heard of FBC through a pastor friend who on staff as a counselor at a church back in early 2022. However, the start of the next conference was only a few weeks away. So, I made it a point to attend in 2023. Unfortunately, with my wife Michelle's going home to her Lord and Savior in December 2022, it postponed the February 2023 plans. But God paved the way for my attending Track 1 this year.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was well worth the wait. I won't bore you with all that I learned, but it piqued my desire where I plan to attend Track in February 2025, Lord willing.

I'll be connecting up with my friend Dan, who is a licensed Bible counselor, to see if he's willing to mentor me in getting my feet wet. Then, as what I will say may be a God thing, Josh, another member of my church who is a Bible counselor and who counseled one of my former students when he was paroled, contacted me after I got back and asked me if be interested in doing faith counseling with men getting out of Du Page County. My communication with Josh has only been through a couple of emails, but he said he would be willing to mentor me along the way. 

I ask for your prayers. If it is God's will for me to take the steps to do Biblical counseling, He would open the doors.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

Prayer Requests

Cameron: Sadly, Cameron's 6 months plus a few days of sobriety ended. He relapsed for two days earlier this month. In addition to the release, he lost his job. Praise God, he has not gone into a full-blown relapse. But he needs prayer. As always, first and foremost, his salvation. I've sent him a recent message from a message on 'Peace,' a part of a nine-part series on the Fruit of the Spirit from my church. Pray. He will listen to it, and I plan to send him the others. Prray He finds peace through Jesus Christ and God's Word as he goes through this trail. Pray he finds a job. He has enough savings to pay his bills to pay his bills to the end of the month. Pray he uses his savings wisely. Pray for me to speak words of wisdom to him and that I say them so he doesn't misinterpret them.

I've been experiencing some heart symptoms of late and made an appointment with my cardiologist's office. I'm scheduled to have a stress test, an echo doppler, and be fitted with a heart monitor on March 18th. Praise God, I listened to the Holy Spirit and made the appointment. Please pray all the tests come back with good results. If they show, I will need surgery that I handle well. Though I've been good at my exercise of waking 150 minutes per week, I have been doing poorly with my diet. I need prayer for me to have self-control to overcome my craving for sweets. Though I know it is a normal part of grieving, My missing Michelle has been at a high level for the past month or so. Please pray I can be more disciplined in finding the comfort and peace I need through God's word and prayer.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2 (ESV)

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