Thankful for God’s Work
posted by Navigators on December 14th, 2023 in Discipleship | Generations | Prayer
By Levi Swartzentruber, Canberra Labouring Community
Looking back over the past year with thankfulness and looking forward in faith, I want to share a highlight over the year for me: seeing the work God is doing in and through Tim, who bears similarities to Paul’s Timothy in Scripture…
Tim got my contact details from a Nav Staff at his church in Melbourne and emailed me before the year started about “finding a solid Christian community in Canberra… and a group of people his own age who are passionate about Christ.” We met up shortly after he arrived in Canberra and I was excited at the prospect of having a solid and sociable first-year believer joining our group even before Market Day recruiting.
Tim integrated well into our Monday night group and, not long into first semester, I invited him to meet 1-on-1 to help him grow as a disciple of Jesus. We found our time together stimulating as I shared tools and resources and he asked great questions.
Even before our Monday night studies on the vision for labouring found in 2 Timothy, Tim was already displaying the heart of a disciple of Jesus who wants to help others also. A new non-Christian Chinese student started coming along to our group to learn about Jesus and Tim took the initiative to befriend him and begin reading the Bible with him. Much of our time together now involved helping Tim think about how to help this other student.
As we caught up a couple weeks ago, Tim asked me, “How do I find someone else?”
I waited for him to elaborate.
“I have grown heaps this year through being discipled and it has been great meeting with Edward, but he goes back to China at the end of the year. How do I find someone else to help?”
“Great question!” I responded. “How about we start by praying for God to give you someone and then see what God does?” We took time then to pray.
The next week, as we concluded our meeting in prayer, I smiled as Tim again asked God to give him someone to share Jesus with or disciple next year. He has the vision of Timothy, the heart to pass on to others what has been entrusted to him. Please pray with us that God would give him, and the other believers in the group, someone to read the Bible with or disciple first semester 2024.
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others also. – 2 Timothy 2:1-2