John David Merithew is the oldest son of Shawn Merithew. He is currently a senior in High School, planning to study Aerospace Engineering in College. He is a starter on his varsity football team, a 6 year competitor in speech and debate with NCFCA, and a leader in his youth group and on the youth praise team at Morningview Baptist Church.
Regarding the Present in Light of the Future
An analysis of socioeconomic classes in America focused on the observable differences evident in value systems, behavioral patterns, and customs that exist between the classes. One of the most interesting dimensions of the findings was with respect to the question of how people regard the present in light of the future.
People in the upper levels of the class register tend to be much more future-oriented than those in the lower range. The trend in the lower classes is in the direction of immediacy. Consumption of goods, spending money, and other decisions are made with a view to short-range gratification. Planning for the future, sacrificing present impulses for future reserve, capital investment for long-range benefits, and the setting of goals are endeavors not often found in this segment of society.
The societal phenomenon illustrates an important lesson for the Christian: one’s future orientation often has a significant impact on one’s present patterns of behavior and an enormous impact on our growth as Christians.
Everybody has some kind of eschatological viewpoint or expectation. The viewpoint may not be consciously developed or carefully worked out, but some assumption about the future is made by everyone. It is unavoidable. As creatures of time and space, we are tethered not only to the past, but also to the future. Hence we say, “Right now counts forever.”
Coram Deo
What decisions are you making today that will affect your future? Remember, right now counts forever.
Passages for Further Study
Matthew 24:14
Matthew 24:30–31
From: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/regarding-present-light-future/
Shawn Merithew was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, and by God’s grace, became a believer while in college. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, and his Master of Divinity (MDiv) and Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Shawn has served churches in The Netherlands, Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama. He was a Professor of Preaching at Southern Seminary, and has served since 2006 as the Senior Pastor of Morningview Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. He has participated extensively in international mission work, training pastors and church leaders in Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, and Romania. He has written various articles for publication and is currently working on his first book which addresses the subject of church discipline. His wife, Lisa, was raised in a Christian home and became a believer at a young age. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and served on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ before marrying Shawn and completing a Master of Arts (MA) from Southern Seminary. Through birth and adoption, Shawn and Lisa have been blessed with 8 beautiful children, 5 girls and 3 boys, ranging in age from 20 to 8 months.
Anticipating the Day of the Lord
In the Old Testament, the prophets spoke of the day of the “visitation of God.” It was seen sometimes as a day of great comfort and rejoicing, and at other times as a day of great distress and judgment.
At the birth of Jesus, God visited the earth. This visitation is celebrated in the Spirit-inspired hymn of Zacharias, in which he twice makes mention of God’s divine visitation (Luke 1:68–69, 78).
The New Testament calls Jesus the “Bishop of our souls.” He is the Bishop Incarnate. His visit to this world has changed the course of history. The initial visit of our heavenly Bishop was cloaked in mystery. He came not as a military general but as a baby in a rock-hewn manger. But He came to care for our souls. He came to see our situation. He came with divine blessing and redemption. He also came with a divine warning.
Our Bishop announced to the world that at some future date He would make a second visit. He promises to appear once more to review His troops. For those who love His coming, His next visit will be an occasion of unspeakable joy and glory. At that visit, the consummation of His bishop’s task will be complete.
For those who ignore the first visit of the Bishop, His second visit will be one of sudden disaster. That will be the day of the Lord, the day Amos described as a day of darkness, with no light in it (Amos 5:18).
Coram Deo
Thank God for the unspeakable joy and glory that awaits you in the day of the Lord.
Passages for Further Study
Luke 1:68–69
Luke 1:78
From: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/anticipating-day-lord/
My name is Jason McGough. I am originally from Massachusetts. I have been married for 12 years to my lovely bride Missy. I have 4 children. Morgan (19), Jayce (10) Lillie (7), and Knox (1). And now one grandchild. Kennedy (6 mos).
I served in the U.S. Navy for 5 years aboard the submarine USS Miami (SSN-755) otherwise known as the “Big Gun” as a Mess Specialist (Cook). I departed the military in 2003 and moved to where I now call home, South Carolina. I began work at the Outback Steakhouse as a grill cook and at that time met my beautiful bride, who was a server, Missy McGough. After hearing the Gospel and Christ regenerated my heart a year after meeting Missy, we were joined together in marriage and began our life together as one.
For about 8 years we immersed ourselves into a local Baptist church right down the road from where we lived and served in children’s ministry and choir singing. About 4 years ago a friend reached out to me about a local street ministry opportunity in Myrtle Beach. I had felt a burning desire to tell others about Christ, so this was my chance. After that night, I began to minister in the streets and joined my 1st outreach with a large group at the Fall for Greenville Festival in 2013. After attending this outreach, I was introduced to SFOI and the SBO by a friend, and now this will be my 5th Super Bowl. My 2nd as Co-Director and 3rd as an unofficial Team Leader. It has been a great pleasure serving with SFOI for the past 5 years as a student and helping hand to the ministry. I have met so many wonderful saints and look forward to serving more and more until the Lord returns or calls me home!
Soli Deo Gloria.
God’s Spirit in Your Heart
There is honor among thieves; so the saying goes. And it’s true. The thief takes a dim view of stealing. And so you had better not steal from a thief. You could loose your life. All of this goes to show there is a sense of right and wrong within each of us.
The Bible maintains this truth when it says, “They show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending themselves” (Romans 2:15). Yes, even if you have never been to a church service or ever read one line from the Bible, you cannot escape Gods’ Ten Commandments. The requirements of God’s Ten Commandments are written on your heart. That’s why you have a conscience and why you sometimes feel guilty. That’s why you sometimes have a debate in your own mind over what is right and what is wrong. You can’t ever escape God’s Ten Commandments.
But why has God put His requirements for living into your heart? The answer is quite wonderful. The Bible says, “The law has become our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ” (Galatians 3:24). In other words, when you begin to see yourself in the light of God’s Commandments and when you being to feel guilty because of your sin, you also begin to see your need for Jesus Christ. Christ is the way of salvation from the penalty for sin. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). So if you really understand God’s Ten Commandments, you also understand your need of salvation.
To help you get a better hold of this, click here and listen to a message called “God’s Spirit in Your Heart.”
Bobby is the husband of an excellent, devoted, and prayerful wife and father of three wonderful daughters and one son.
Bobby was raised in a Christian home, and around age 8 prayed a “sinner’s prayer” and was told if he meant it then he was saved and would always be saved. He walked in darkness loving his sin for over 20 years until God granted him true repentance and faith and made him a new creation in Christ in January of 2009. Glory to God alone!
Bobby attended Living Waters’ Ambassador’s Academy in August 2009 and is also grateful to God for the mentoring he has received from experienced evangelists around the world. This will be his ninth Super Bowl Outreach and sixth as a team leader. He has also had the privilege of speaking and/or leading outreach teams at events like The Kentucky Derby, Fall for Greenville, London’s 2012 Summer Olympics, Wimbledon 2013, and several local churches to name a few..
Bobby is the founder of To the End of the Earth ministries and left his secular job to respond to the Lord’s call to full-time evangelistic service in January 2011.
His main mission fields are the Atlanta and Douglasville, GA areas, where he preaches on the campuses of the University of West Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, at a nearby abortion clinic, and anywhere else people can be found.
He holds to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. His great desire is to by the grace of God is to honor Christ by loving his wife and children first while serving, encouraging, and equipping the local church.
My name is Dick Maxwell and I surrendered to Christ in 1985. I came from a background steeped in drugs, alcohol and sinful dysfunction. At first I didn’t have any strong discipleship and suffered emotionally which resulted in a long road out of sin and into knowing His Lordship. I was eventually led to a church in 1990 and have been a part of it ever since, interrupted by five years helping establish training schools in the Dominican Republic. The name of the church is Calvary Chapel Worship Center in New Port Richey, FL and I have been on staff since October 14, 2002. Around 2010, the Lord called my wife and I to minister the Gospel at abortion facilities in the Tampa Bay area. For me it was both terrifying and fulfilling as I was forced to depend more and more on God to empower me to deny myself and obey my Lord.
Through relationships built in this ministry to God’s image bearers, we came to know Scott and Patti Smith and through that friendship I found myself not just introduced to open air preaching but invited to the 2012 Dogwoood Festival to receive training from Bill Adams, Scott Smith and Tony Miano and to put it into practice on the streets of Atlanta. I was off and running from that point forward.
Since then, I have been a part of a few training events with SFOI and this will be my third SBO. We are still heavily involved in ministry to the preborn. Our ministry around Tampa Bay and elsewhere in the country to the preborn holds me back from the time I would like to spend with other street preachers at times but that very same ministry would not be nearly as powerful if it were not for the fellowship that I have with SFOI and the guys I have come to know. SFOI is every bit as responsible as my own church in the work that God has done in my heart to prepare me to fulfill His calling.
In addition to proclaiming the Gospel at an abortion facility, we preach regularly in downtown Clearwater around Scientology facilities and during their outreaches, at various LGBT events as well as at public events in New Port Richey and surrounding cities. I recently taught a class at our church on proclaiming and was able to use the book “A Certain Sound” by Scott Smith and Ryan Denton. I thank God for the fellowship of SFOI and for the iron sharpening iron which God has done through those whom He has placed me beside.
Put God’s Promises into Circulation
God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as wastepaper; He intended that they should be used. God’s gold is not miser’s money but is minted to be traded with. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him and say, “Lord, do as you have said.”
We glorify God when we plead His promises. Do you think that God will be any poorer for giving you the riches He has promised? Do you dream that He will be any less holy for giving holiness to you? Do you imagine He will be any less pure for washing you from your sins? He has said, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”1
Faith lays hold upon the promise of pardon, and it does not delay, saying, “This is a precious promise–I wonder if it be true?” but goes straight to the throne with it and pleads, “Lord, here is the promise. Do as you have said.” Our Lord replies, “Be it unto you even as you will.” When a Christian grasps a promise, if he does not take it to God, he dishonors Him; but when he hastens to the throne of grace and cries, “Lord, I have nothing to recommend me but this, You have said it,” then his desire shall be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes.
Never let the promise rust. Draw the word of promise out of its sheath and use it with holy violence. Think not that God will be troubled by your importunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favors. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. The sun is not weary of shining, nor the fountain of flowing. It is God’s nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne with, “Do as You have said.”
1) Isaiah 1:18
We are busy preparing our Get in the Game Newsletter and need you to fill out the below questionnaire so that we can publish your responses on one of the magazine pages. We pray that you will take five minutes to fill out the short questionnaire and thank you in advance for doing so.
Name:
What made you start open-air preaching?
What was your favorite memory from preaching in the fall of 2020 and why?
New Field:
What is the scripture verse you use most when preaching and why?
If you could open-air preach anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted your preaching?
SFOI ARCHIVE