Crazy Summer, Crazier Fall....

My friend in Louisiana reminded me the other day that some people read this blog, so I do apologize for not writing on here lately. It has been a very crazy but very amazing summer, which mostly consisted of watching God do some amazing things and I was blessed to have a front row seat. When God first gave me this vision last fall to preach to anyone, any time, and most importantly anywhere, my number one desire was that I would just be able to see God do some amazing things in the lives of people around me. Looking back on this summer I see that He has shown me just that. I assume that if I could even explain all that God has done this summer it would take me until next summer to write it all out, and I’m sure nobody would read it all. For now I will simply say that it is an amazing thing to watch a student decide for the first time that Jesus is more than just a sermon, but that Christ is real and alive. I was blessed enough to watch students step out in faith to accepting the truth of the substitution that Christ gave us on the cross, and seeing students awake to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God. It reminded me that it is the simple things in our walk, with God, the most foundational beliefs we hold so close, that seem to be the most glorious. Praise God for a glorious summer that was full of rejoicing and learning!
For the past few weeks I have been looking back on my first summer in itinerant ministry and savoring the experience to learn everything that God brought my way. I have spent the last few weeks in deep reflection of how to carry this forward into the fall and winter. One thing that has always been consistent in God’s calling on my life is to always be available. I remember playing little league baseball as a kid and seeing all the kids running up to the coaches on the first day of practice with their parents behind them screaming, “I’ll only play short stop, and if you really want to win you will consider me your best pitcher too!” A few things that God has shown me over the last few years is that first, ministry must be embraced with humility. As ministers we must hold onto humility like it is our only child, and embrace it with all that we face in these times. We must also be on guard against shoving our plans in God’s face, proclaiming that our vision and our clocks are bigger and better than His. Not to say that vision is bad, not at all. Vision is a must in every walk of life. However, if we are to follow the vision of God we must be open to following Him wherever He leads us and at any time. Jonah was the perfect example of someone who heard the voice of God and decided that his own vision was bigger and better than God’s vision. It is with this thought that God has opened my mind and heart to continue to preach His word to anyone, any place, and at any time that He says so. This probably goes against some popular preaching that says that our visions have to be specific and have to work out in the end without any failures or changes, but that is not the way Paul lived his life. Paul had Rome always in his mind, however he also had a heart to be in many other places as well, before going to Rome.
With all that said I am looking forward to an amazing fall and winter with many different ways of preaching God’s word. I am currently working on a speaking schedule that will keep me close to the south for the first part of the fall, but hopefully will take me to other areas later on with the possibility of going overseas to preach too. I plan on meeting with some folks this week about spending some time in the next few years speaking some overseas so please pray for God’s providence and my discernment in these areas of this ministry. Lastly I plan to begin working on a book called, “more than enough”. The book will focus on one specific passage in John about Christ being the center of all of our needs, and how that truth alone sustains us for now and throughout all eternity. I am really excited about this opportunity which just fell in my lap one day when a publisher approached me about the idea of writing. Other than that I plan to spend much time in personal study walking through the Old Testament and many of C. S. Lewis’ writings which I am excited beyond words to dive into. Again, please pray for God’s leading and my following to preach His truth to whoever, whenever, and most importantly wherever He sends me. I plan on writing on this blog a lot this fall so check in daily for updates and other random thoughts on the greatest person mankind has ever known, the son of God, Jesus Christ.


For His Namesake,
John Pond