SOS Ministries

The Glorious Gospel Study Notes

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:59:32 +0000

An in-depth study through the first four chapters of Romans examining the biblical definition of the gospel. This study provides a wealth of commentary, outlines as well as discussion questions for group study.

Download: Glorious Gospel Conference Booklet

Teen Study Sheets

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:58:55 +0000

Study sheets designed to aid children and teens in their personal bible study.

Download: Teen Response Study Sheet (PDF)

Identifying False Teachers Bible Study

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:52:54 +0000

A verse by verse study through the book of Jude designed to expose the methods of false teachers during the time of the New Testament church, but with clear application to the many kinds of false teachers whose teaching is becoming prevalent today.

This study is designed to lead the participants to dig deeply into the text so that they can understand the authors original meaning and see what the Bible has to say for itself.

1 John Bible Study

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:56:59 +0000

A verse by verse study through first two chapters of 1 John. This study includes introductory material, passage outlines as well as in depth study questions designed to lead a small group through the process of digging into the word for themselves.

Download the PDF

The Quest for Truth

admin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:50:30 +0000

A Bible study for new believers that answers the questions:

What is religion?
Should I believe in God?
Is the Bible reliable?
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Who is Jesus?
Why did he come?
What must I do to meet God’s demands?

This study was borne out of Shannon’s own quest for truth and seeks to answer the common questions faced by new Christians in their quest for maturity.

Download: The Quest For Truth (PDF)

Historical Day in Kubamitwe!

Shannon — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:38:20 +0000

This Sunday, October 11, 2009 we commenced our inaugural church service in our new village of Kubamitwe. Excitement filled the air as the SOS team realized the significance of this historic day! We have started a local church for the village people with a Ugandan pastor. The Luganda service was complete with Luganda hymns and worship songs accompanied with African drums. We are now meeting in the Hurley home, but someday, Lord-willing, will have a church building. Unbelievers (including Muslims!) attended to hear the Truth of God’s Word! We were taught expositionally by Christopher Kezaala from John 1:29-36, reveling in the truth that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! It is wonderful to have a local church planted where we can invite those to whom we are evangelizing!

Youth Bible Conference – Aug 2009

Shannon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:22:14 +0000

In late August of this year, 6 members of Lakeside Bible Church joined us in Uganda to host a Youth Bible Conference. It was an adventurous time that reminded the team how sufficient Scripture is for everything in life and for everyone in the world.

Thanks for coming! We loved having you!

Movie Night @ Kubamitwe

Danielle — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 08:39:01 +0000

As we have only resided in this new village of Kubamitwe for 7 months, we want our new neighbors to feel welcomed and loved by SOS. We thought that hosting a movie for the community would be a great way to accomplish this goal. Last Friday night, SOS Ministries hosted a dinner and movie for our community. Over 450 villagers came to our home and enjoyed a traditional meal, complete with a soda. After the sun set, we projected Fireproof onto the big screen on our lawn. In light of the marriage problems that we have discovered within the community, we thought that a Christian movie dealing with marriage would be appropriate. Fireproof depicted the transforming power of God’s grace. Only God’s grace can transform a desperately sinful heart into a heart that can love. A translator used a microphone and translated over the dialogue. The audience grew deeply involved in the action as well as the storyline. They cheered and clapped at the victorious moments, especially when the couple reunited at the end. The generator didn’t work as a source of electricity for the sound system, so we relied on the limited solar energy from our home. We knew that the solar battery was running low and were concerned that the electricity would automatically turn off before the end of the movie. The SOS team fervently prayed throughout the movie, and God provided! At the moment the words “The End” appeared on the screen, the electricity went off and the screen turned black. But we made it to the end! God provides always just enough! God also provided a beautiful full moon to light the path as the villagers made their way back to their homes. We heard their whoops and hollers for ten minutes as they excitedly left our home. For many of them, this was the first time they had ever seen a movie. It was a night they will probably never forget.

Seeing The Hand of God

Shannon — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:31:30 +0000

When we look at the early New Testament Church, we see the hand of God at work among His people. This is clear by the fact that lives were being changed (“Those who received his word were being baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls” ~ Acts 2:41), God’s Word was being sought after (“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching” ~ Acts 2:42), God’s people were unified, sacrificial, and marked by love (“All those were believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need” ~ Acts 2:44-45), God was being praised (“everyone kept feeling a sense of awe…praising God” ~ Acts 2:43,47), and they were finding favor with all the people (~ Acts 2:47). Although we have a long way to go, I have seen (by God’s grace) these same characteristics describing our ministry throughout these past several months of conferences. God has so far through the conferences this year brought impact, unity, and a renewed passion for the exaltation of God and His Word.

These last three weeks God has been answering our prayers and doing the impossible — impacting lives! This past year God graciously gave us a new relationship with the Baptist Union of Uganda (BUU). The Baptist Union of Uganda is a denomination that according to its president in an address to his denomination, is “a mile wide and an ½ inch deep” and a denomination that may “have churches but has no content in those churches.” The Baptist Union has tremendous potential, but has been crippled by divisions and disunity. However, after our conferences the leadership is now saying, “The Baptist Union has been getting caught up into so many things, but we must turn our eyes back to the Highly Exalted God.” The Baptist Union president said, “I believe this is the beginning of revival within the Baptist Churches.” The vice president of the Baptist Union, who on his own initiative has attended in full all three of The Highly Exalted God conferences that we have put on for the Baptist Union this year said to the participants before the conference, “If you have come to this conference with wings (thinking you are someone great), this conference will cut them off (you will be humbled).” He continued to say (which has been repeated by most of the leadership), that “God has brought SOS Ministries to us at the perfect time.” The president himself said, “The world does not need more chiefs; they need more servant leaders and this is the thing that SOS Ministries is demonstrating.”

In preparation for these conferences, one Ugandan brother said to me, “Shannon, you should come up with a slogan that you repeat continuously for the participants of your conferences. Make it something that will stick within the minds of the Baptist pastors.” As I processed his statement, I came up with the slogan, “Baptists Back to the Bible.” By God’s grace, this slogan has become the common saying by everyone throughout the conferences. One sweet, older pastor responded to this chant with, “O.K., let me get back to the Bible.” Another participant wrote to us saying, “I am determined to see that the BUU gets back to the foundation, which is the Word of God. It’s time for us to arise from our sleep and get back to the truth found in what God has given us, which is His precious Word and ONLY His Word.”

As the one that God has entrusted the responsibility to lead this organization, I am most amazed by how God has molded such an unbelievably unified and likeminded team. We come to each conference with around 30 SOS staff. From the cooks to the main speakers there is such a sweetness of loving unity between everyone; a unity that is felt among all the participants. Each member of SOS is really part of the family and each person is serving God out of the overflow of his own passion for Christ. I praise God for this unity because it is really a result of the pruning through the suffering which God has brought us all for the past several years.

This is all the story of God’s handy work! Once again, the Master Craftsman finds a way to use sinners for His purposes. I am so thankful that I am one of those sinners being used. May the Lord bless all of you who faithfully pray and support this ministry. Please praise God with us as we rejoice in what He is doing through each of us playing our individual parts. “Now to the King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (I Timothy 1:17).

New SOS Video

Shannon — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 04:54:56 +0000

This new video is about 15 minutes long and will give you a clear vision for what we believe that God is calling us to accomplish here in Uganda.