South Africa – SparkLit https://sparklit.org Igniting Christian Writing Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:45:46 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://sparklit.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-0600-x-0600_SparlLit-bubble_Red_250526-1-32x32.png South Africa – SparkLit https://sparklit.org 32 32 God has lavished on us the riches of his grace https://sparklit.org/2024/12/20/god-has-lavished-on-us-the-riches-of-his-grace/ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 04:53:15 +0000 https://sparklit.org/?p=54376

“I have been encouraged by studying the history of Christian mission. Transcultural missionaries have built and grown the church. Each generation has to take seriously the call to go and make disciples of all nations.”

You can help young leaders like Lunga Makhanya teach and serve a growing church.

 

In 2015, I had a clear and vivid encounter with Jesus. I was a first-year student at the University of Johannesburg. Together with other men from my residence, I attended a Bible study on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Pastor Mbulelo Maliza explained the gospel from Ephesians chapter 1 and answered our questions. I was compelled by the love God showed sinful people like me in gifting us his Son. Before this, I was unsure what Christianity was all about. Many ­variations and popular false teachings had led me away from the faith.

 

In Jesus we were chosen

 

At Christ Church Leondale in Germiston, Gauteng, Pastor Mbulelo gave me many opportunities to serve. During my two-year apprenticeship, I worked with students, youth and children. Leading tender believers taught me to be gentle and patient. Experience in the pulpit grew my preaching and exegesis skills. I learned that fruitful ministry is governed by good theology and good administration.

 

Christ Church Leondale sent me to study at George Whitefield College (GWC). I desire to go back to this church and resume my ministry there but I also wish to use my studies to develop the field of biblical scholarship and serve the church throughout South Africa. The church in South Africa is growing exponentially and it needs not only preachers and evangelists but also readers, thinkers, scholars and teachers. I wish to make my humble ­contribution.

 

He guarantees our inheritance

 

I am especially interested in the Old Testament. I sense that we misunderstand and misuse this part of the Bible. In some churches, the Old Testament is used as the law for Christians to live by as if we were still in the Old Covenant instead of the New Covenant. The Ten Commandments must be understood and applied in the light of Jesus, his words, life, death on the cross and resurrection. Otherwise we moralise rather than trust in Jesus and live in the Spirit.

 

To answer my questions about the Old Testament I will need a better understanding of Hebrew and the African church. At GWC my studies are enriched by brothers and sisters from numerous nationalities and cultures, and with different ministry experiences.

 

We are his possession

 

There is much work to do and I still struggle to establish a good study routine. Will you pray that I will balance my academic life with other healthy habits? I also worry about the well-being of my family in Soweto.

 

Please pray that God will provide for my family. Pray that God will use me to equip and empower believers to share the transforming message of the gospel.

 

Lunga Makhanya is studying for a bachelor of theology at George Whitefield College in Cape Town.

 

$66 will provide a student of missiology at George Whitefield College with a copy of Encountering Theology of Mission.

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]]> Just as I am https://sparklit.org/2022/11/21/just-as-i-am/ Mon, 21 Nov 2022 01:56:57 +0000 https://sparklit.org/?p=53859

You can help prepare leaders like Joseph Abosi to reach young people with the good news.

 

When I was a teenager, responding to altar calls became routine. Time and time again, after giving my life to Christ I found myself falling back into sin. This was the constant state of affairs until October 2016.

 

In June 2016, I started studying business administration and accounting at the University of Ghana. I joined a Christian youth organisation called Teens Aloud. During one of their fellowship meetings, I had a lightbulb moment. I realised that once I had surrendered my life to God, there was no need to repeatedly respond to altar calls, because God was not counting my sins against me. Instead, God wants me to draw closer to him. This is the only way I can live out his righteousness. This was good to hear. Later, in October 2016, in my heart I proposed to pursue intimacy with God, no matter what the setbacks. I have not looked back. During the next five years, I served with the Teens Aloud Foundation. Our vision is to challenge a young generation to passionately pursue Jesus Christ and believe in their gifted purpose to take his life-giving message to the ends of the earth. I have been on missions to South Africa, Nigeria, Liberia, and Eswatini.

 

My desire is to serve as a full-time missionary to students. Leading people is no small task. Like any occupation, leading the church requires adequate preparation. I accepted an opportunity to study theology at George Whitefield College in Cape Town.

 

Simply knowing the word of God is not enough. I also need to understand the word’s context, origin and structure. I enjoy studying the Pentateuch. I always avoided the Old Testament because I found it difficult to understand, but now I am beginning to love it.

 

For all three years of our bachelor of theology course, students use Encountering Theology of Mission in our missiology classes. Thanks to SparkLit we each have our own copy and don’t have to share the copies in the library. Having this core resource is a huge help and is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Joseph Abosi is from Ghana. He is studying for a bachelor of theology at George Whitefield College in Cape Town.

 

$32 will provide a bachelor of theology student with a copy of Encountering Theology of Mission by Timothy Tennent, Stephen Strauss and Craig Ott.

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