June Update - Partnership Program

Hello family and friends,

Happy Summer! I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful and sunny season which the Lord has blessed us with here in New England. Though summer is just getting started, it has already been both eventful and fruitful.

Thank you for your prayers for my preaching during the Arabic Baptist Church of D.C.’s May Camp. The weekend was a great blessing, filled with conversions and baptisms. About 10 people gave their lives to the Lord and at least 7 were baptized. 

Some of you guys already know, my grandmother went to be with the Lord a few weeks ago. I was supposed to be in a week-long intensive class that week, which I immediately dropped in order to go home and be with my family and for the funeral. My family and I are very thankful for for God’s grace during that time period, and for the comfort of the Holy Spirit. 

I also recently turned 23 years old, by God’s grace. I am so thankful for the Lord’s love, mercy and provision over the past 23 years, and for his leading and guiding to this day.

Please pray for:
-Our annual 4th of July Conference - coming up in less than 10 days
-The Sunday sermon which I’ll preach on the last day of our One Name Boston Conference
-My Exegesis of Mark summer class - which starts in 3 weeks
-Continued provision from the Lord that I might be able to raise the support I need for the next school year

In Christ,

-Fady

May Update - Partnership Program

Hello friends and family,

Watch My First Video Update Here! 

Greetings in Jesus' name, I hope this update finds you well! The spring semester is now over and I am officially finished with my first year of seminary. I have successfully made it to the finish line only by God's grace. This has been a long, challenging and rewarding semester. I have grown and learned a lot about God and myself. I am excited that summer is quickly approaching and have a few things I'd like to share.

This week I started a new job at the seminary. I work alongside the Scholarship and Development faculty and will therefore stay on campus most of the summer. I will also be taking two summer classes, Pastoral Counseling and Exegesis of Mark, which I ask your prayers for. 

I recently had the chance to serve at the Boston 2020 Vision - March for Jesus, at the Boston City Hall Plaza. I lead worship with a friend of mine there and we saw hundreds show up to worship Jesus. This weekend I am also blessed with another great opportunity as I will be preaching at the Arabic Baptist Church of D.C.'s May Conference. I am also excited to spend time with my brother this summer until he starts school again in the Fall at Moody.

Please pray for my ministry this weekend, that the Lord would give me the words to say and that He would use me at the conference. I would also ask for prayers concerning my summer semester for the classes I will be taking, as well as for my new job. And please pray for my fundraising as well; I will be raising support for this next year of my Partnership Scholarship the next few months. Thanks for your encouragement and support, may the Lord richly bless you!

In Christ,

-Fady

P.S. This is a picture of some of my housemates and I at the place we share on campus called "Pilgrim Hall"

March Partnership Update

Hello friends and family!

I hope this update finds you well and that by now you have accustomed to dating things as 2013 and not 2012! The Lord is faithful and has brought us all to this moment and circumstance by his grace and I’m truly thankful to be sharing it with you. I appreciate the time you have taken to read my updates, remember me in prayers, and be so supportive and encouraging. This has been an intense semester, and I’m growing and learning a ton. Classes are going well; though the work load is heavy, the material is engaging and exciting. My classes this semester are Greek II, Church History, Interpreting the New Testament, and Spiritual Formation for Ministry.

The last two weekends my family and I were blessed to have my younger brother Joe join us from Chicago during his spring break. We were able to spend some time together which was really good for us, and last Saturday he went back to school to finish the spring semester. This past month has also been an exciting one for our church and youth group. As a church family, we are planning ahead for the July 4^th conference and our Good Friday and Easter services, which we are so excited for in the coming weeks. I’ve also been working with the kids’ choir at Arabic Baptist and they have learned a couple of medleys which they will sing on Easter.

Last week class registration took place and I’ve got my class schedule figured out for the summer and fall semesters. It’ll be a busy summer as I’m taking two full courses in addition to participating in ministry at the church and my job, but I’m looking forward to it. I also have a trip to DC planned for next weekend, where I’ll be ministering with my friend Fares at his church, preaching at the youth meeting and leading worship at their Sunday service. On a personal note, I joined an intramural soccer team with my housemates and we will be playing once a week at Gordon College for three weeks. I am also planning a silent retreat for this week, where I take a day of silence with the Lord, which is something I’d like to make more of a monthly discipline in my life.

Thanks for sharing this with me and taking the time to read my update, I appreciate you J I am praying that you would be “filled with the knowledge of his will and spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col 1:9) I ask that you would pray for my classes, that I would have understanding and be diligent in approaching my studies. Please also pray for my trip to DC, that the Lord would give me words to say and use me while there to further his work. That’s all from me. Happy Easter! May the Joy of the Lord be your strength and may the resurrection of Christ captivate our thoughts this season!

Blessings,

Fady

The Temptation Of Jesus

I was almost tempted to title this entry "How Can A Young Man Keep His Way Pure? -Part 2"
BUT! Since Jesus' application of what I talked about last time is the focus - namely his triumph over temptation in the wilderness after his water baptism - we will just roll with that!

King David had some practical words for us which we looked at already...

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
(Psalm 119:9 ESV)

I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
(Psalm 119:11 ESV)

...So what does that actually look like in practice? We can turn to Jesus - our ultimate example in the faith, and in living a life empowered by the Spirit and pleasing to the Father! The gospel writers record for us Jesus' temptation in order for us to see the reality that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."(Hebrews 4:15 ESV)

And in walks Jesus. He gets baptized. God the Father is pleased with him, though Jesus had done no miracles yet, not an ounce of ministry. The Holy Spirit rests upon him. And he is commissioned for ministry and led into the wilderness to be tempted.

Satan himself is now tempting Jesus, and how does our Lord respond? You know it! With the Word of God. Jesus demonstrates to us: 1- His understanding and application of the above verses from Psalms, and 2- The importance of scripture in spiritual warfare and in triumphing over sin.

We CAN have victory over sin and walk in obedience to our God. Jesus did it. So can we! But knowing scriptures is KEY. It is sad that we can memorize song lyrics, score boards and a profusion of stats but then complain about how difficult the scriptures are to remember. In my next blog entry I will share some of my favorite Bible memorization methods that have worked for me, as well as my favorite scriptures that I think we should all know by heart. Thanks for reading, I hope you have spent more time in the Word today than on my blog. If not then go do it now while you're online here :)