“What do they need to hear?”
For most of my life I have prayed, “Lord, what do I need to say?” But I’ve changed that prayer. Now I pray this prayer: “Lord, what do they need to hear?” My preaching and my ministry has taken on a new focus that I feel has really helped me to better minister to the people that God has given to me. That focus is to think much less about what I need to say and much more on what the people I am ministering to need to hear.
This may seem ‘six of one, half dozen of the other,’ as they say, but, in my mind, it’s a world of difference. It is the difference between focusing on myself and my thoughts, and others and their needs.
This small change has revolutionized my ministry. It really has. When I go on the street with this prayer and thought in my mind, I tend to forget about myself and, instead, become consumed with the needs of those that pass by. ‘What do they need to hear to be saved? What message will shake their thinking?’
I made a wallpaper for my phone with this new phrase of mine (see picture). I have to constantly remind myself to do this. It is so easy to revert back to thinking about myself. When I look at myself and my inadequacies, it’s easy to be filled with doubt. But when I think about how ‘God so loved the world,’ and know that God ‘desires all men to be saved,’ it is easier to understand how God can use a broken vessel like me to get his message into the hearts of my audience.
1,148% Increase!
In the past two weeks, people from all over the world spent over 3,580 HOURS watching my videos on YouTube. This is not a view count (which is much higher), but actual time watched. Not only that, but my subscriber count has now reached over 2,100 people. And, lately, that count has been rising by more than 50 people per day!
As I chatted about this recently with my wife, it occurred to me that I would have to preach in a church the size of mine many, many times to reach the amount that I have reached through YouTube in just the two weeks. To preach to 30,000 people in person is something that would take a lot of money and effort. But to do it on YouTube, all you need are lights and a camera.
I feel like the Lord has given me a message to share. It may be that God has opened the door of Youtube for me to share it with many more people than I thought possible. Pray with me as we continue to explore this avenue.
(To watch my videos, visit YouTube.com/c/HalChaffee)
Back Outside
It’s been cold, it’s been COVID, but outside is coming back!
Our normal preaching spot has been shut down for a long time now. But it is finally back open! (For now). Just the other day we were able to be out among the students at the University of Delaware, preaching the gospel, talking to students. It wasn’t the normal large flow of students that we are used to, but there were enough. I was able to put to use my new ministry philosophy (i.e. ‘what do they need to hear?’) as students passed by. I felt the Lord with me as I look the students in the eye and shared with them the Jesus that I love. We were also able to have one on one conversations with some students.
One conversation I had was very fruitful. He was a young man that had no religious context, for he had no religious upbringing. When I asked him what he thought about God and eternal life, he had no answer. He hadn’t ever thought about it before!
These kind of answers are becoming more and more common among young adults. Many young people have been brought up so distracted by tv, video games, sports, and the like, that they have no time to think about the important issues of life. Fortunately, this young man was open to hear what I had to say, and also very humble. I suspect that God did a work in his heart, and I hope to chat with him again soon. Pray for Josh if you think of it.
Pray for the Chaffees!
The Lord has been very good to us, we have been blessed beyond measure in so many ways. However, we do have uncertainties that we are facing. Our motorhome has had never ending problems and has now been at the mechanics shop for more than a week. It is there now, in fact, as I write this newsletter. In a way, we are homeless! But that doesn’t mean we haven’t been provided for. Our church has gone beyond the call of duty to help us. We are grateful.
Please pray for us as we navigate these waters. Thank you so much for your love and support. May God richly bless you!
Hal Chaffee Ministries
PO Box 1546
Elkton, MD 21922
Visit halchaffee.com/partnergive to give online.
Hal Chaffee 