This has been a big season in the history of the International Christian Tennis Association, ICTA.
Several key decisions have been made on the long term direction of our ministry's goals and focus. God has blessed me with mentors who know what it takes allow God to work in their lives. These mentors have lovingly allowed their experience to flow to me.
God has asked me to step out on faith from the first day He placed the ICTA dream in my heart. Remember, the fact that you are reading this blog is part of my dream come true! Now, God has called me deeper. He wants more from me. He wants to grow and shape me to become a stronger witness for His power and glory.
God is calling me into fulltime missions. I love it! This picture is of me and Joe, a former Mormon. We are traveling together with the whole International Christian Tennis Association gang on a mission trip. God used me to reach Joe for Him. Joe is now a Christian, boldly procaiming his faith and feeling called into fulltime ministry. I met Joe when he was just 14! Now, he is a 20 year old man committed to the Lord! Both of us are being called deeper into His ministry!
Jeremiah 32:17 NAS says, "Ah Lord God! Behold! Thou has made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee!"
What an impactful thought and realization.
This tells me that God created all, and that there is nothing He cannot accomplish. Thus, when God calls someone like me and you into ministry, either for the first time or deeper, He is in control. We have given Him our lives for His will to be accomplished for His reasons and in His timing.
This amazing scripture can be a source of comfort for those in difficult situations in their lives. "Nothing is too difficult for Thee!" Remember, whatever is going on in your life, nothing is too difficult for Him to accomplish. He loves you and He wants to help.
You are a child of God made in His image. His great power and His outstretched arm created everything! You are part of the everything He has created! God loves you and He is in control.
As I move deeper into ministry, my time for being used by God as a tennis coach will be limited. He is calling me into other roles and responsibilities.
Last summer, I enjoyed up to 15 fulltime students living in my house and training with me fulltime! What a great blessing and a great time in my life! Their parents have become some of my best friends and I have many, many cherished memories for the blessings involved in discipling teens.
This summer I have been called to a much different role and I am excited! The fire and passion I once had for coaching has been replaced with a God-blessed call to share the Gospel. You will see both myself and International Christian Tennis Association dive deeper into Him.
God is growing me! The creator of all is personally interested in me! I don't understand exactly how that works, but I am grateful it does.
God is all I want in this life. There is nothing more I live for. The creator of the universe loves me! He loves you! And nothing is too difficult for Him to accomplish in us or through us.
Deeper in Christ,
Scott Paschal
Ministry Director
International Christian Tennis Association
www.christiantennis.net
