Hi friends! In case you can use these resources in your life, relationship and ministry. Also, if you can please pray for the requests below, that would be wonderful. Thank you so much.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please pray for World Youth Day happening in Lisbon, Portugal next Wednesday. It’s an event that will bring together over a million Catholic and Protestant youths!!

One of my ministry friend is already there and will be volunteering at the event. Please pray for the safety and health of all the volunteers, organizers, speakers and attendees. Pray for smooth accommodations, city road closures, city staff/workers organizing for the massive number of people coming to Lisbon, Portugal. Pray especially that many souls will be saved, believers refreshed, and that new believers will settle into a good church community for biblical discipleship and accountability. Also pray that the organizers, volunteers and supporters will receive an abundance of funds in their sowing for this event. Please pray for good, cooler weather too. 🙏 

Here is the link to learn more about World Youth Day event. The 3-Day Change Challengethechangechallenge.com

Sound of Freedom movie is growing in its reach and now will be playing in other countries! Praise God! I thought this article by Newsweek was very interesting and it also has a summary of Christian entertainment history in Hollywood. Personally whenever I watch secular shows, I noticed that Christians are generally depicted dark, negative and wacky. I’m really happy to see that Hollywood is going to make entertainment so Christians will be depicted more positively. I’ve been following Jesus Christ wholeheartedly for the last 13 years and I think I’ve become less selfish and angry; I’ve become more kind, tender and honest. It’ll be nice to see more of these  positive characters depicted on secular media about Christians. 

‘Sound of Freedom’ reveals rising power of Jesus in Hollywoodnewsweek.com

I’ve read some secular articles that said human sexual trafficking is overblown by this movie. I was appalled to read this. There are many documentaries and research reports about human trafficking and so I was shocked that these reporters did not do their research first. Here are latest USA and UN annual reports on human trafficking. Any charities that work with vulnerable populations will also tell you how prevalent human trafficking is today.

https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Trafficking-in-Persons-Report-2023.pdf

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons.html

Tim Tebow has a new foundation that helps the most vulnerable people. Please take a look at their website for some statistics worldwide.

Changing Lives Through Faith, Hope & Lovetimtebowfoundation.org

Please also pray for the protection of those in the frontlines in fighting and rescuing those caught in human trafficking. They and their families are targets by the traffickers; they need extra supernatural protection from God and His angels. When we pray, we can ask Almighty God to release more angels to protect them and their families. 

Leadership training: 

I’m not sure if you have heard about TD Jakes’ new business ministry specifically for black entrepreneurs. In case you want to check it out, please see their website and sign up for their free newsletters and resources. They also offer more in-depth resources for paid members. Always check out free resources first before you sign up anymore for a fee. – https://www.goodsoilmovement.com

Carey Nieuwhof is another pastor who turned into a leader on training other leaders. I find him and his guests very good and helpful in giving advice on everyday situations and relational challenges. He recently had guests, Jon Gordon and John Maxwell who are leaders in training other leaders in business and sports. Both men are Christ followers too. I find that many of my stress comes from difficult relationships. Listening to leaders has always helped me. I hope they help you too.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carey-nieuwhof-leadership-podcast/id912753163

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-carey-nieuwhof-leadership-podcast/id912753163

Around year 3 of following Jesus Christ, I was approached by other leaders to lead community groups in my church and later on in parent groups at my children’s schools. Biggest challenge for me was when the Holy Spirit told me to start a women’s prayer group in 2016. I mean how can I say no to the Holy Spirit! I discovered quickly that there is an unseen enemy (aka demons) out there who hates organized prayer groups. Only way I survived the first year of leading the prayer group was having a greater fear of God and disappointing Jesus, than my fear of Satan and demons. Satan and demons don’t like prayers, especially corporate ones because they work and are very powerful. 

Friends, rather than living your life to please yourself and live in ease; live your life to please God and endure hardship for Jesus Christ. We only have one life to live – let’s live it for God. I’ll be praying for you and me too. It’s not easy following Jesus wholeheartedly, but it will be worth it…sigh.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)

Bible Gateway passage: Hebrews 12 – New King James Versionbiblegateway.com

Testimony:

Dennis Quaid shared about his faith in People magazine. Let’s pray that his story will inspire others to return back to their faith in God and seek out Jesus Christ. People magazine has a very far reach to many people in the USA. There is something remarkable happening in Hollywood. Praise God! 

Dennis Quaid Reveals ‘White Light Experience’ That Led to His Salvation Through Christwww2.cbn.com