Sermons Preached: The Oft Overlooked Part of Mid-America’s Practical Missions Report
The Apostle Paul urged Timothy to, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 3:15). There is a great need in our world today for biblical preaching and teaching. Unfortunately, we are living in a day when too many have “gone away from the truth” (2 Timothy. 2:18). Paul warned Timothy of a day when people will “have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth” (2 Timothy 4:3–4). Thankfully there are places like Mid-America who still hold to the conviction that, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work,” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Mid-America has always held the conviction that students must not delay putting into practice what is being taught in the classroom until after graduation. Through its practical missions programs—Witness One:Seven for the Seminary and the GO! Program for the College—students make the immediate connection between the classroom and contemporary ministry. Through practical missions students are not only sharing the Gospel on a weekly basis, they are also involved in local churches and ministries in which they encourage and equip God’s people through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Each week, across the Mid-South, Mid-America students are involved in making an eternal difference.
What is the result? For the student, their studies become extremely relevant, and their ministry matures quickly. In terms of practical theology, it does not get any better. Students grow in the application of their studies and local churches and ministries benefit from their investment.
For the local church, ministry trust is built because local churches and ministries are confident of the foundation in God’s Word that Mid-America students are receiving in the classroom. They know that the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture are not just talking points, they are core convictions that impact the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. When a church is centered on the Word, that church is impacted by the Word. A church that is encouraged in the Word is a church that worships God. A church that is educated in the Word is a church that walks with God, and a church that is equipped in the Word, is a church that witnesses of God.
For the local community, lives are changed, disciples are made, and new communities of faith are planted. Students involved in the community, while getting their education, later become invested in the community because of the relationships built and ministry seeds sown.
Mid-America’s practical missions program requires students to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). In the end, the things that they have learned in the classroom, they are able to “commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).
