Strengthening faith

Unchained after Purdy concert

I richly enjoyed participating with the band, "Unchained," at women's facilities Mission Creek in Belfair and the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Purdy, these last two weekends.  Jessica Parker joined us in Purdy as the PFC group leader.

Robbi Baskin, from my home Faith Church in Kent, recently joined this band and plays the keyboard and sings back-up.  Other members of the band are Chris Sherry, Jeff Reed, Homer Haynes, Terri Gierke, Kent James, Bob Steen, and leader and song writer Geoff White. 

When I am with them, I provide prayer, listening and encouragement. We nearly did not get into to Purdy because of a paperwork disruption.  Our group gathered around a table to pray to lay everything before the Lord, whether we entered or went home while Jessica and Geoff interacted with the gracious officers.  We received favor from Him and were able to enjoy great ministry.  The band rocked for two services and Terri preached  Spirit-empowered messages.

Jim Dixon

Steve Lamken

Last Saturday, I accompanied Steve Lamken and Jim Dixon for a concert at Olympic Corrections Center in Forks.  I was pleased to preach on "you must be born again," from John 3:1-16.  We saw two men make first time commitments to Christ.

Daily faith needs constant focus.  Growing Christians are supernaturally enlightened and given faith by God.  

At the same time, we cooperate with God to progressively strengthen our faith--to nourish, feed, and cultivate living faith--sanctification, the empowering work of the Holy Spirit.

“Poor coming soul, you are like the man that would ride full gallop, whose horse will hardly trot! Now, the desire of his mind is not to be judged by the slow pace of the dull jade he rides on, but by the hitching, and kicking, and spurring, as he sits on his back. 

"Your flesh is like this dull jade; it will not gallop after Christ; it will be backward, though your soul and heaven lie at stake." (John 1:47; Psa 51:6; Matt 26:41).” 

~John Bunyan minimally edited

I visit with 20-25 men each week as part of my PFC ministry at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in downtown Kent.  I meet with many through one-on-one discipleship to build up their living faith.

I often share, "Men, this is His local church as you meet together, right here at the RJC.  His church is a living organism. It lives, and grows, shrinks, and changes. Your life can change forever, here.  Your faith can get very strong.  Sometimes, you don't come because you get discouraged or conflicts develop.That is the real church.  Sometimes, it's messy. You don't all stay the same amount of time.  While you are here in this unit, you can enjoy coming to church for the first time."  

These men share with me about weakened faith.  Some think they might be Christians and recount some church attendance as a child or teen-ager.  The common cycle begins with drugs and alcohol, disruption at school that leads to dropping out, dysfunctional family relationships void of a present father.  They entered into gangs and street life all spiraling downward to jail and prison time.

If there was any church attendance and introduction to saving faith, they often chose drugs and alcohol.  Any attachment to religion or genuine church involvement was commonly through their mothers or grandmothers. Some were living with a woman and have several kids.

Faith is strengthened by standing on what the Scriptures proclaim about who God is and what He promises to do in, through, and for us.  We gain confidence as we watch Him work over time.  He is faithful. Christians meet in and around the church to encourage each other.  In the jail settings, the men can develop local churches as they meet together regularly. 



I often take them to Romans 1:4-7, 4:20-24, 5:1-3; Ephesians 2:8-9; and Hebrews 11:6.  I am providing the focused text in each passage.

"...Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,  including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ..."  Romans 1:4b-6

 " No unbelief made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised."  Romans 4:20-21

 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Romans 5:1-2

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."  Hebrews 11:6