A Passion For Truth, A Love For a People
Timing is Everything
Mike grew up listening to Pastor Adrian Rogers but had no way of knowing Pastor Rogers’ biblically sound teaching would multiply his ministry as a missionary to India a quarter century later.
“Even though we did not attend church with Dr. Rogers, my father used to get his tapes and listen to his sermons to and from work on his commute,” Mike said. “I was just a small child at that time, but Dad was impacted first and we often talked about things he learned in those audio messages. And as I have listened to some of Dr. Rogers’ recordings on the radio, I’m always blown away with how he’ll say the same thing in ten unique ways and by the end of the sermon, the truth is drilled in.”
Time Past
Mike grew up in Memphis but went to college in Alabama (Roll Tide!) and landed in New York to apply his efforts to a career in music. Sarah also grew up in Memphis too…in the same church! She too moved to New York to apply her hand to a career in fashion design having studied it at a rival Alabama university (War Eagle!). Each took a life-transforming mission trip at that time—Sarah to the Philippines and Mike to Germany—which inclined both their hearts independently to God’s work in missions around the world.
Get this—the two had never officially met! But when they did, sparks flew, and their careers merged. They had discovered through their time in New York and on mission that their shared passion for God’s Word and God’s people— for those who did not yet know Him and those who needed to be discipled—was greater than either’s passion for music or fashion.
“We knew God was calling us into His work,” Mike said. The two returned to Memphis, attended seminary, served in their church and got married. Mike completed a masters in missions. Sarah completed the hours needed to enter the mission field. And together they started a family.
Time Well Used
While in seminary, Mike and Sarah were teaching ESL courses and starting Bible studies with internationals, working with many peoples, but one passion captured their hearts—sharing the Gospel of Jesus with people who came to Memphis from India.
“As we were considering places for missions, our hearts were soft for Asia,” Mike said. “In India, religion is animistic. Animism is usually centered around trying to get the spirit-world to give you what you want.” Mike and Sarah wanted to share Jesus because, in His grace, He already gave us all we need.
“God’s Word is sufficient. That was our focus,” Mike said. A few years later, He and Sarah moved with two small children (today they have four) to Western India, where the Marathi language is spoken. There, they found a big gap compared to Western Christianity. “Today there is not a lot of biblical Christianity in Western India, and very few resources available,” Mike said. For most people, representing the Church, “the pastors are less equipped to preach the word of God faithfully.”
Perfect Timing
In His time, God nudged John, a good friend of Love Worth Finding, to become involved in Mike and Sarah’s ministry. John made four trips to India during one of the seven years the couple served in country there.
Mike and Sarah were thrilled to discover that Love Worth Finding was going “beyond the tent” with several initiatives that involved international ministry. Partnering with a local funding church, they asked leaders at LWF if Marathi, the 16th-most-spoken language in the world, could be added to the list for translation and distribution of core LWF content (44 audio messages and 22 e-booklets).
LWF said yes. Next, the team began developing an App to distribute the material and had LWF’s “New Every Morning” devotional translated in addition to the audio sermons.
Time Future
Mike said of the LWF partnership. “I wanted a resource for expository preaching because TV preachers and YouTube videos are insufficient to provide faithful teaching and, in many cases, may not be biblical at all. Pastor Rogers’ teaching is faithful and biblical. When the App is complete, we’ll begin to reach more people by His grace—both pastors and church members—with these sermons and many other teachings. More and more, the lay person or lay pastor will be able to get access to a seminary education through these sermons and other good resources.
“A few years ago, I also discussed with our local coworkers about a devotional people could glean from every day.” These coworkers have been able to print and distribute the “New Every Morning” book to more than a thousand people. The devotionals were also developed for e-distribution and reached up to a hundred thousand believers daily last year!
The story is far from over.
Mike, Sarah, and John’s passion for truth, along with LWF and a generous church partner, has resulted in a ministry that could impact as many as 99.3 million Marathi-speaking people—in God’s time and by His grace.
How far would God have you go to share His Word?
When you give to Beyond the Tent, you help expand Love Worth Finding’s impact both in the U.S. and around the world by making the truth of God’s Word accessible to those who are hungry for hope.
“Enlarge the place of your tent… Do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.” Isaiah 54:2
Together, let’s go further than ever before.
Learn more about the Marathi language and religious beliefs.
