“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:24-26‬ ‭ We are just servants. We are not chefs! We are not cooks! We are just servants. We must never fail to preach the Word of God with clarity and simplicity. When we stop feeding the flock of God with the unadulterated word of God we have failed the people of God. His pure and inerrant word is their only hope in this wicked violent world. His word is vital to the spiritual development of the people of God. His word must be taught with depth and passion. His word is what changes the lives of people. We must present it with firmness, gentleness and kindness. We must believe that God’s word will never fail. We must not fail in our calling to proclaim His Word to this world. We must not get distracted by the... Continue reading

July & August, 2019 Ministry Report from Evangelist James Owolabi Dear Friends and Family, Hallelujah! Praise God! Praise the wonderful name of Jesus! I am so excited to let you in on something exciting that God has been doing in me, and through me. It is awesome! Over the last 90 days, I have spoken to over 2000 people in five different states all across the United States. Over the past twenty years, God has given me unique, amazing, and great opportunities to serve churches, camps, schools, and Christian organizations as a guest speaker. I have been blessed to serve the Body of Christ in Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, the Island of Dominica, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington. These opportunities have also complimented my responsibilities with Youth for Christ to teenagers on the southside of Chicago. Many of you have supported me prayerfully and financially in this endeavor. You have also encouraged me to pursue more opportunities to serve the Body of Christ as a traveling Bible teacher. As God continues to bless my ministry efforts in Chicago, He is also leading me to start a nonprofit, which will expand my... Continue reading

Dear Young and Gifted Leader, Watch your words. If you don’t, you will hurt people who are close to you, and you will ruin your testimony. Watch your words; it will keep you from making promises you cannot keep. I have done that so many times and lost credibility with great people. Watch your tone when you are hungry, hurting, angry, tired, or embarrassed by your mistakes. If you don’t, you will hurt people who are close to you, and you will ruin your testimony. Think with discipline, speak with discernment, and you will not make promises you cannot keep. Watch your words! A ”true” word spoken or texted/tweeted at the “wrong time” is a “bad” word. Stop, think, and pray. Then speak. You will never regret thinking and praying before you speak. Your job is not the place to give people “a piece of your mind”, but to reflect a life driven by the mind of Christ. Ask God for wisdom and discernment in handling conflict with both your “cheerleaders” and “critics”. I love you, and I am praying for you! Respectfully Pastor James Owolabi. Continue reading

My life is a walking catalog of testimonies of how God molds, protects, prunes, primes, promotes, preserves, pivots, picks at, prepares, and uses an imperfect weak vessel for His glory. My mentor Paul reminded me last month as I was preaching through Phillipians that this is what life's all about: “For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain!” The biggest lesson learned in 25 years of preaching the Gospel, it’s that ministry is most enjoyable when we the people of God obey His prompting through the Holy Spirit and let Him deal with the consequences of our obedience to His leadership. A month ago, I decided to pursue my passion as a “traveling preacher” with a greater level of intensity and commitment by walking away from two amazing opportunities, so that I may continue serving the body of Christ in Chicago and around the world. It has not been easy, I am not homeless, and God has been taking good care of me. Preaching in Alaska was awesome and serving my church family in Belfair this past month was electrifying.It all came at a cost. Yes! It was incredibly difficult to forfeit two out of three monthly... Continue reading

Contentment is a mindset!! Continue reading

A week ago I had the honor and privilege of preaching at North Mason Bible Church. Every time I get invited to preach it is always a special experience, however this particular trip really made me reflective and thankful to God as I transition this year into a new ministry as a “traveling preacher”. By the end of 2019 alone I will have been in over 25 different venues and spoken to over 5,000 people. North Mason Bible Church of Belfair Washington (NMBC) has been sowing seeds into my life since I started Seminary in 2002. When I became a part of the ministry I was young, prideful, immature, and totally clueless about God’s calling on my life. Full time ministry was something I knew I wanted to do, but I felt so unsure of how, when AND IF that desire would ever become something in real life. Pastor Jim, the church family and his wife Carrie were put in my life by God to disciple me, mold me and teach me what I needed to know. For TEN years they mentored me, loved me and cared deeply for me and I would not be the man I am without... Continue reading

Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of God has given you. Continue reading

May 2019 Youth for Christ update from Chicago Southside City Life Director James Owolabi Dear Ministry Partners and YFC Supporters, I would like to thank you all for your prayers and the unwavering support that you have shown this school year. We have all played an important role in making an impact across the city of Chicago! Over 150 students in 4 different ministry environments have been touched with the word of God through our efforts! To God be the glory for each child that heard the Gospel and felt the love of Christ during the different programs we have in place. The past 7 months alone have truly blown me away and I’m grateful for our partnership with New Beginnings Church which made our impact even larger. I’m thrilled to share with you the following praise reports: Seeing our partnerships with teachers, school administration, and parents becoming stronger! We have already gotten requests to start more clubs at additional campuses this Fall! Students both during school and after school are now looking forward to learning about God. This year alone we have seen 30 students surrender their life to Christ. We have expanded our efforts serve schools outside the... Continue reading

Dear Young and Gifted Leader! In the past 20 years of being in ministry, I have experienced a lot of pain and joy from serving Christ. My life has been a joy ride filled with unexpected opportunities and obstacles but God has been faithful even when I have been faithless! I’ve made plenty of my own mistakes, as well as observed others that have fallen victim to ministry malpractice. As you grow in your leadership skills and continue your journey guiding the young people of this generation to God, I urge you to heed the advice I am about to give. Below is a list of seven bullets with which the devil keeps loaded in his gun. The bullets are busyness, bitterness, blurred vision, boredom, bad budgeting, bad buddies, and blind spots all have the potential to be lethal. Since I want you to thrive, and I want your ministry to be prosperous, I am using this moment to give you some knowledge that will hopefully allow you to make a bulletproof vest for yourself. I have watched way too many young leaders start well and end poorly. Leading a ministry is the most wonderful life calling if handled correctly.... Continue reading

Dear Prayer Partners, Many of you my dear friends and faithful stragetic partners have challenged me over the past two decades to fully embrace and celebrate the unique way that God has shaped and wired me as an itinerant bible teacher. In many conversations over a dozen of you have instructed me to be stragetic, patient, prudence, proactive and wise in stewarding the gift of public speaking that God has given me. The last 2 months have been a huge whirlwind of experiences and events that taught me to focus on my calling and my gifting as a missionary/traveling preacher and educator of teenagers. By reflecting on these and diverse speaking opportunities this year I can clearly see how God has used you to speak to me about my life. Friends! I have to be honest! In the past I have frequently allowed storms of doubt and fear to distract from that using this gift. Recently, God has impressed on my mind that I need to use my gift globally by pursuing opportunities to use my talents with wisdom and courage! A major part of using my gift of speaking is to be a global evangelist and educator. At the... Continue reading

2019 Speaking Itinerary for Pastor James Owolabi #traveling preacher March 24, 2019. Niles, IL with Pastor John Kim @ Joshua Generation Spring Revival April 2, 2019: Waukegan, IL with Miss Amanda Modloff @ Waukegan High School. May 18, 2019: Seminar at Chicago, IL with Monster Education Foundation May 19, 2019: “The Forum” at Northbrook, IL with Pastor William Pak, @ Lakeview Church. May 25-27th 2019: Great Oaks Camp in Lacon, IL with Pastor Jeff Aberia @ Adonai Presbyterian Church June 2, 2019: Port Alsworth, Alaska with Glen Alsworth @ Lake Clark Bible Church. June 3rd-11th 2019: Port Alsworth, Alaska with Mark McGee @ Talania Bible Camp. June 16th 2019: Belfair, Washington with Pastor Jim Porter @ North Mason Bible Church. June 23rd 2019: Chicago, Illinois with Pastor Bob Anderson @ North Side Gospel Center. June 28th 2019: Northbrook, IL with Jennifer Chang, @ Lakeview Church. June 30th 2019: Chicago, Illinois with Pastor Bob Anderson @ North Side Gospel Center. July 1-6, 2019: Panama City Beach, FL with Pastor Jeremy Shaw @ Vertical Student Ministry July 7th 2019: Prospect Heights, Illinois with Pastor Scott Ziegler @ The Bridge Community Church. July 14th 2019: Chicago, Illinois with Pastor Bob Anderson @ North... Continue reading

In this world it is important and crucial to decipher between the voice of God and the voices of “arrogant” mortal men filled with fear and “ mad” women with great intentions. It is so important that we listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in the word of God and obey God instead of waiting for others to validate all of our actions. They told me I should never work at a Korean church. They told me I was not black enough to work on the Southside of Chicago, they told me I was not equipped as a single man to preach to white married middle class people in the suburbs, they told me I was only at a Korean church to marry a submissive asian woman. God!... told me that I was called to love people and teach them the word of God. They told me I was too old to mentor middle school boys. They told me it was crazy to recruit white males to mentor black middle schoolers. They told me it was crazy to use secular music on Friday nights to reach teens with the Gospel. God!... told me that I was called to... Continue reading

It is very exciting to be a part of a needed effort towards teaching Biblical principles and challenging teenagers on the southside of Chicago to live a life for Christ through the ministry of Youth for Christ. Continue reading

Friend: Why do you live on the southside of Chicago, and when are you moving from Englewood? Me: Look into the eyes of these students and their body languages during a club meeting with youth for Christ, and tell me that I am crazy for living on the southside of Chicago. Look at the responses of these students after the preaching of God’s Word, and let me know if God doesn’t grab your heart for these students. I love living and working on the southside of Chicago because teenagers there are full of life, promise, and vision. Do you know that less than 10% of seminary graduates serve teenagers in the inner cities of America? God has gifted me, and given me the opportunity to attend seminary so I may teach teenagers deep Truth from the Word of God. This is why I love teaching teenagers on the southside of Chicago the Word of God. Their desire to learn is so deep; their passion for truth is so remarkable! It is an honor to serve churches and schools on the southside of Chicago. Continue reading

Dear Young and Gifted Leader, Reflect on your past mistakes. Bad experiences and difficult people are designed by God to teach us great lessons about life. Seeing any setbacks in the correct perspective and allowing them to be teachable moments can be a powerful tool. Never waste any crisis in life by not learning from you past mistakes. Learn from your mistakes. You will be surprised the skills you could develop every six months when you learn from your mistakes. Be honest about your past mistakes, humble yourself before God and learn how to learn from your mistakes. As you allow your experiences coach you for success, you will develop emotional endurance and overtime you will eliminate self sabotage in your life. I love you! I am praying for you. Respectfully PJ Continue reading

Dear Young and Gifted Leader, Please!Stop talking! - A Greek philosopher once pointed out that we have two ears, but only one mouth. The perfect human design that God created reflected the idea that listening is more important than speaking. Of course conversation and good communication are both essential, but those things can not happen if you never stop talking. To truly listen is not simply to hear a person's words, it is to genuinely give attention to the knowledge they are speaking so that you can apply it. If you want success one of the best things you can do is learn how to ask great questions to wise people in your life. This takes self control, but it pays off to develop this discipline. DO NOT CRITICIZE WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. Just keep working to gain clarity in your daily dialogue. If you listen, learn, and love each day you will prosper in multiple ways. I love you and I am praying for you. Respectfully Pastor James Owolabi Continue reading

“If I were the devil...I would get control of the media, so that every night I could, I would, persuade people that the Church is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naive; I would dull the minds of Christians, make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional.” --Paul Harvey Imagine a world without the Word of God. Imagine a family where the Bible is never read. Imagine a school where the Bible is not taught. This is our America! We can change this! We must change this by reading the Bible everyday so that people can see the effects in our lifestyle. Reading the Bible everyday will change your life. Last Sunday at Northside Gospel Center was a blessing to my soul because it reminded me of the power of the Word of God in the life of the church. It also reminded me that teenagers are important to God, and that it is a sin to teach them the Bible in a boring way. It was a blessing to see that God is always speaking through His servants, but it makes me sad how often I miss... Continue reading

Life is hard but God is good! God is good! I am blessed! God is working in Chicago and it is a joy to be a part of his work! Nothing warms my heart like depositing truth in the mind of students. Nothing! Absolutely nothing gets me fired up like baptizing a teenager. Nothing wakes me up like mentoring teenagers in a classroom. Nothing makes my day like seeing a teenager become a follower of Jesus Christ. 2019 has started as a great year! 5 students baptized! 100 students in clubs and youth outreach programs! Yes! It has been a good year already! Thank you Lord!#slingshots#yfcusa#nsgc#projecthood#impactchurch#youthforchrist#campuslife#nbcrefuge#january2019reflections Continue reading

NSGC WEEKLY Dear NSGC Family, This past Sunday we heard an edifying and piercing message by Pastor Bob on the topic of pain and suffering in the life of a Christian. I appreciated this message because he did not give us a surface level sermon, but rather allowed God to use him to deliver a message that would challenge us to examine every situation we encounter carefully and reflect on what God can do through us, in us and for us during seasons of disappointments with God. This Sunday after church we will be having a family meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to listen, love and pray for one another. It is a time to share our desires for the future of our church and express concerns while we also allow God to show areas of life where we as a body of Christ can grow and develop. As a leadership team, we truly want this meeting to be comfortable for everyone involved. Its purpose is to get us all on the same page as a church unit. I understand that many of you have attended NSGC for over a decade and have seen it go through many... Continue reading

We need to teach our teenagers the attributes of God. When we teach them about God It will cause them to listen more, talk less and pray more! To truly know God is to desire to spend time with Him in prayer. One of the reasons we should be excited about teaching students the attributes of God is that you learn so much about the mercy of God. It is important to teach your teenagers under your care about the mercy of God because it causes them to pray to God daily for his mercy. Nothing makes a teenager fall in love with God and grow more deeply with their parents than learning about God of the Bible. Nothing changes your prayer life like learning about God through His Word. When a teenager is taught properly the doctrines of God, God ignites in that church a passion for prayer, and a passion to know Him more closely, personally, and intimately. Let us teach teenagers about God by reflecting the joy of the Lord in our lives! Respectfully Pastor James (PJ) Continue reading

Parents! Our painful experiences in this world with our children are not meant to break us! God can use those events to help us know him better. They are also not designed to be the lenses that you see God as a divine oligarch but a kind and loving father. As children of God we should allow His words not our experiences teach us about God. His ways our higher than our ways. We show the children in our lives that the God is a loving parent and Bible is real by how we correct them. Do not allow your parenting to be driven by your emotions. A.W. Tower in his awesome book “The Knowledge of Holy”, reminds us that an important part of emotional perspective of how the world of parenting works is what we think about God. How we view “God” is the most important “thought” in our minds because it affects everything we say to children. It affects our perception of right and wrong, the way we treat teenagers when they get bad grades, and the way we think about ourselves when we fail God as adults. Many parents in our society today claim to believe in... Continue reading

I love seeing Christmas lights during Christmas. I love seeing the smiles on the faces of children as they make Christmas lists for Santa, homes decorated with the nativity scene, and I love to see cars decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments. At North Side Gospel Center, I see a lot of good things from God happening, and what I see, brings me joy this Christmas. Do you see what I see this Christmas season? Do you see the “gifts“ that God has given us this season for our church? I see the gifts of changed lives in adults and children; I see God working through our church to grow His Kingdom. Do you see what I see? Here are some more great things that I see God doing this year during this Christmas season: The power of God has awakened a passion in the lives of teenagers to make church attendance a part of their weekly routine. Every week, during this past quarter, we have seen half a dozen teenagers attend our church without a parent or guardian. These teenagers are a gift to our church, and our church family is a gift to these teenagers. Friends, teenagers in... Continue reading

Look at God! His is so kind to me. Wow! I had nothing to do with this! He is kind to me! Wow! Dear Close Friends and Prayer Partners, For the past twenty years , God has been good, generous, and kind to me but professional I have “felt” like a failure in many ways. I have always considered my “professional and personal life” mediocre at best, though I have worked hard to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ to teenagers and adults across the world. Then this weekend. God opened a big door (without my help) to speak as a guest teacher at a large church. I was recommended by one of my mentors. In the interest of full disclosure, I was so scared of failure I almost declined this ministry opportunity because of my ego and pride. Many times the “fear of failure” in my life has been fueled by my ego and my desire to preserve my comfort zone. Silent Night (Randhurst) from The Bridge on Vimeo. Never in my adult life have I ever been asked to teach the Bible during three services at a vibrant (multi-campus) and growing, warm, friendly church with a weekly attendance... Continue reading

It takes courage to believe in a God when you regularly hear gunshots in your neighborhood. It takes courage to believe in a good God when your school is located in a neighborhood where people get shot at least once month It takes courage to believe that God is a good father when you have never met your earthly father. It takes courage to believe in heaven, smile at a Pastor, go to church when you know some one in your family was killed last night by a senseless act of cruel violence . It takes courage to walk back and forth to school every day, get good grades, and focus on your dreams to go college when you know you could stop a bullet. Continue reading

Over the past 5 decades our American culture has effectively redefined Christmas. We have slowly lived through the depreciation of Christ being the focal point of this holiday season. Dating back to October we have seen more information about decorations than the recognition of God having sent a form of Himself into this world so that we could have eternal life. This season would sooner be defined as a time to giving and receive, a season to spend and splurge, or the worst….. A season to impress those we don’t care about before it was defined as the birth date of Jesus. God’s words in the Bible remind us that Christmas is not just about a day but it is a season of allowing the birth of Jesus Christ and His message to invade the darkness of our world. From the way He was divinely conceived to the intentional orchestration of the birth in a manger… the coming of Jesus reminds us that God is not mad at the world! This is a great message that should transform every Christian. God is not mad the world! We know this because He sent His son, the prince of peace, to reconcile... Continue reading