Old Friend, Continued Growth

I got a big dose of encouragement today. To appreciate it, here's a little background: Jason Dahlman and I met in Fort Myers, Florida, as interns at ECHO where he was in training to become an agricultural missionary. At that time, Jason was honestly wrestling through the Christian faith, mainly the inclusivist view of salvation. He, like me, had studied neo-hippie versions of other religions like Buddhism. He still struggled with some vices and we would talk long into the nights. It came to a point where it looked to me like he was going to turn away from the idea that Jesus was the Christ and had risen form the dead... then he decided to go to a solidly conservative seminary, TEDS, in Deerfield, Illinois. I was surprised and pleased, but after that, we more or less lost touch...

The other day he wrote and email and said "something you said to me years ago made it into a sermon I preached recently" at his church, CrossWay, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Listening to the sermon blessed me on many levels. Not only is it a home-run for biblical preaching, with a much-needed message for me, but it is evidence of the Holy Spirit's continued work in Jason's life, bringing him into more Christ-likeness and greater service to the Church.