“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” ...

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6 If I am going to drop the ball on anything in life, I do not want it to be on my parenting. Noelle and I have committed to raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. I frequently say that “someone has to disciple my kids, and that somebody should be me.” For no one will ever have a better opportunity to train my kids than I will; Noelle and I are more biologically disposed to influence them than anyone else, and they are not going to get another chance to spend 18 years in the homes of any other Godly influences during their impressionable youth. Likewise, God has given the charge of children to parents, not to schools, churches, grandparents, or screens (Prov. 6:20; 23:22; Eph. 6:1-4; Col. 3:20-21). Everyone I have ever discipled, or ever will disciple, is or was someone’s child. Most likely, the reason they need to be discipled by me is that they were not discipled by their parents. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in Proverbs 22:6, King Solomon wisely put forth the principle that adults normally behave the way they were trained to as children. People are like arrows; the best time to aim them is when they are still within your control. The time God has given children to be aimed is particularly from the day of conception (Yes, people start learning while they are in the womb) through two years old, as that is the most influential time in a person’s life. ...

And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Revelation 1:6 ( New King James Version) The first words of the New Testament introduce Jesus as the Christ (Matt. 1:1, depending on the version), and John wrote that the whole reason he wrote his gospel was so that people would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” so that they would receive eternal life in His name (NASB, John 20:30-31). Many people tend to use the word Christ as if it is Jesus’ last name, when it is actually a title referencing God’s special appointment of Jesus. Christ is the English transliteration of the Greek word “ Christos”[Χριστός], which translates the Hebrew word “ Mashaiah” [מָשִיח] from which we get the word “Messiah”. Both “Christ” and “Messiah” mean “anointed one,” a term that refers to a divinely appointed person. ...

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 Praise God! After years of planning, preparing, and patience, the Lord has given our school accreditation from the National Council of Higher Education here in Uganda! We are no longer Terebinth School of Discipleship, but are now officially known as Terebinth Bible College, the first and only accredited Evangelical Bible college in Northern Uganda. We strongly believe that it is God’s Word and His Spirit that truly equip His people to work in His service, not a piece of paper. However, we also know several benefits that come with this license. Firstly, seeking to meet higher standards is improving the quality of our product. Also, because of their love of formality, Ugandans will now have more respect for the education and discipleship they receive from us. Lastly, with accredited papers, the student’s churches will be safe from the likely coming of laws which threaten to shut down “unqualified” religious institutions. ...

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 I sat down and wondered how time had gotten away from us, how we managed to let a whole month slip by without writing home and letting you know how we are and what has been happening. Looking at the list Matt wrote to help me; well, now I remember how time got away from us. So many things have happened that it will be hard to include most of them beyond just mentioning them. From the student’s triple wedding, the Terebinth graduation, preparing official college-level courses for the accreditation, to our school registrar lamentably breaking his back. Also starting men’s and women’s soccer leagues in Adak, helping a new friend get testing for a 7-year-long sickness, and Emma turning 10, along with receiving additional visitors, our dear friends the Schroetlins, who joined the visiting team from Rocky Mountain Calvary. Yes, it has been a very full time since you last heard from us, and I am excited to share a few of the highlights with you.Finally, after 3 years of sacrifice by students and their families, a week of studying hard every single month, hearing teaching after teaching, discussing, writing, practicing in real life, and ultimately maturing in the Word of God, 36 men graduated from our school. Ranging from their early 20’s up to late 60’s, these were senior pastors, church leaders, and earnest disciples striving to understand Scripture. Our entire team, both Ugandan and American, worked tirelessly to prepare and deliver sound biblical teachings, insightful workbooks, fair testing, organize the welfare of the students during class weeks, keep good records, and provide discipleship for all the students. The graduation was held at the campus in Adak. The students and teachers marched down the path from our own old house to the cheering crowd of family, friends and alumni awaiting at the school buildings. Emotions were strong as each man was joined by his wife and walked the carpet to receive his diploma, the sign of their achievement. Everyone was beaming. Everyone was jubilant. And everyone was sweating profusely. It was a beautiful day, and I was proud to share it with our visiting friends. ...

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 After finishing their study through the book of Revelation in December, the church leaders returned for one last week to recap what they had learned through the Bible. It was a wonderful week of hard work, remembrance, and celebration. Each of the pastors had two final projects: they each had to present the Gospel through a sermon based on a biblical theme as well as prove their knowledge of the timeline of Scripture and the major points of the biblical themes, feasts, and covenants (if you do not understand what that is all about please ask me sometime). It was a blessing to watch them display what they had learned and how far they had come. To their surprise, on Friday morning, they retook the pre-course exam. We could not gain control of the room when the students received the scores they earned at the beginning of the school, along with the scores they had just earned. The commotion was thunderous! On the test covering basic Bible knowledge, men who had been serving as pastors for years and scored as low as 14% on their first day of class were overjoyed with scores of 99-100%! Directly after the excitement, we ushered everyone into the dining hall, where they received a word of encouragement to continue growing in Christ and serving Him. ...

(The votes are in… A Little Harris-y wins! Sorry to those who are disappointed:)) I love The Book of Esther; I often consider it my favorite book of the Bible, but it has long been shrouded by controversy. In his theological commentary, Paul Redditt notes that Eastern churches rejected the book’s canonicity and that the reformers did not devote much attention to it. Likewise, Samuel Wells points out in his biblical commentary of the book that these types of views are often related to the fact that the book “contains no promise to the Church, makes no mention of the Gospel” and “does not once introduce the name of God or recognize [H]is providence.” In fact, according to Reddit, “Luther could say that he wished the book did not exist at all, because it contained pagan impropriety.” So why do I love it so much? I would have to write more than I am willing to (and more than you would be willing to read) if I were to say everything I wanted to about it, but some of my favorite things about the book are how God is able to keep all His promises even though they seem to contradict and work out salvation even when He seems hidden. ...

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 We decided as a team to begin our year by separating from work and business and going on a retreat. Our team gathered at the source of the Nile River for a few days in Jinja. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, relaxation, recuperation, prayer, and worship. Since some of the kids are getting old enough to watch the others, the adults were able to meet and discuss important topics for long periods. During that time, the team had the incredible privilege of baptizing one of our director’s children in the Nile River! Also, Emma was privileged to be a flower girl at the wedding of a young lady who grew up under the provision of our Director and his wife. ...

I (Matt) recently decided to start sharing my thoughts on life, ministry, and God’s Word with all of you in regular devotionals. I have not decided whether or not I should name them, but if I do, I would like your help. Please email me back to vote on which name you like best: A Little Harrisy, Matt’s Musings, Matt’s Monthly Devotional, A Word of Wisdom, or some other suggestion you have (my favorite is the comedic A Little Harrisy). My prayer is that this helps us grow together into Christian maturity as we look forward to Christ’s return. ...