Hello!This is Scott Paschal...
What a fantastic day here at the home of the International Christian Tennis Association in sunny and warm Florida.
The ocean breeze kept everything smelling fresh! My hometown of Palm Coast, Florida reminds me a lot of the way Hawaii and Jamaica feel, though both of those amazing tropical islands are a good bit higher up on the WOW meter.
The International Christian Tennis Association's academy students enjoyed a great workout today.
The main focus of the morning practice was to improve everyone's ability to change the direction of the ball.
Great time by all!
I wore my new shorts to the courts. How do you like them? Pretty loud, huh? I like 'em. Most everybody else gave me the thumbs down, but I think they'll get used to the look!
So, let's get to the good stuff for this journal entry...
I really enjoyed meeting so many new people via the phone this week. Thank you all for your friendship & support!
I have dedicated nearly a decade of my life to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mission trips, street evangelism, preaching, motivational speaking, coaching.... Along the way I have been blessed to meet many hundreds of fine, Christian men and women (and kids!) who have worked with me side by side as brothers and sisters in Christ.
This week, God has led me to help seed several new ministries for people here in the USA. It is such an honor when someone contacts me for ministry!
I'm a really smalltime ministry guy in a really smalltime ministry, so when God brings others to contact me to help them start growing an idea God has in their heart I feel so great and humbled.
I'm assisting a Christian brother to plant a sports ministry in Alabama, another Christian brother to plant a radical outreach ministry for the 2006 US Open, a Christian sister to plant an ICTA Homeschool Team in her area and connect it with the ICTA National Homeschool Team, and seeding the evangelistic ministry of a tremendously experienced Christian brother in the Bronx of New York.
And then today, I spoke with a lady whose husband is a longtime tennis pro in Virginia. They are interested in stepping out into ministry. I look forward to developing a relationship with them.
Often, several times each week, I meet someone new who is interested in developing ministry in their area. I listen to them and what they feel called to do.
Then, I take some time and pray about it to see if I feel called to assist in their ministry. Sometimes, the answer is no. We are a really small ministry and our resources, combined with my limited experience, allows me to do only so much!
But, often the answer is yes! They need help doing something I have done before or know how to do well enough to get them moving foreward.
Then, I come alongside them as needed and help plant a ministry. I receive no pay for this... but, I am building up LOADS of treasure in Heaven! Plus, I receive an incredible sense of satisfaction that helps me sleep well at night.
Tomorrow, students begin arriving for a highly focused 2 week tennis & missionary training camp. This camp is going to be awesome! In missionary training we are going to look deeply into spiritual warfare.
Why?
I'll tell you why!
In Revelations, we are told that Satan (Devil) and 30% of the angels were kicked out of heaven and cast down to your back yard! What do you think they are doing here!?
The English word "devil" is actually derived from the Greek word diobolos. Diabolos means "slanderer." In all but three occurrences of the New Testament, it is a title of Satan himself.
Satan is given this title because his primary activity is to slander- that is, to defame a person's character!
The first thing Satan attacks is the character of God Himself... such as in the Garden of Eden when he suggested to Adam and Eve that God was not treating them fairly by withholding from them the knowledge of good and evil.
Next up, Satan rips into the character of all those who in any way represent God! This is his main weapon against the servants of God! And we have to be prepared for the match!
As a Christian, have you ever been slandered?
Has someone taken your faults and mistakes and tried to punish you for them?
Or does someone just hate what you stand for?
As a follower of Jesus Christ, you must be prepared for the spiritual battle that will come. It is promised in the Bible!
Are you prepared? You can be!
As I said, this is going to be an incredible 2 week camp of heavy tennis training and powerful missionary training!
And this has been such a blessed, amazing week for me both personally and professionally while growing God's ministry in partnership with those He sends!
It is a great feeling to have a sense of purpose with my life.
Giving 'em Heaven!
Scott Paschal
386 793 0557
