Greetings,

No, events of significance this week, nor were there any 'Oh no, Mr. Bill' 😱 calamities this week. I marvel at how one's mind, or maybe it's just my mind, can recall things out of the past, like Mr. Bill, out of nowhere.

I did have one more respondent to the recent survey, yeah 🥳. Though there have been only three thus far, two of the three suggested a less frequent newsletter. As one of the respondents suggested, I'm seriously considering that time is a reason to do so. Because of my lack of creative writing skills, and poor typing skills, it takes me a few hours to write the newsletter, and my time would be spent stewarding other areas of the ministry. In addition, if Sheridan is to reopen in January, it will scrunch my time significantly. On top of all that, my wife Michelle said I still had errors despite using Grammarly, a grammar-checking software package 🥺.

It is still not too late to share your thoughts. SOCPM Newsletter Feedback

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate: Getting to know Henry and how God continues to show me classroom instruction is not the only purpose for SOCPM inside the gate.

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate: Seeking God's will and guidance on SOCPM can reach further outside the prison gate. Plus, last week's forgotten picture inserts. Michelle also mentioned that blunder 😲.

The Weekly Note - Psalm 9:1-2

On the Home Front: Making decisions on the final garage storage dilemma and one more important task concludes.

On the Prayer Front - A disappointing update on Cameron and sad news on another family member.

These are the topics for this week's SOCPM Newsletter. I hope you enjoy it, despite my lack of an editor.

To Him be the glory in ALL things and Him alone,

Scott Kalas
Soldiers of Christ Prison Ministries

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate

Classroom Christian discipleship and classroom instruction on Christian Living is the foundational call of SOCPM, but Biblical counsel is an area that quite often comes to the forefront. Such is the case of Henry. Henry started attending SOCPM's Discipleship class with SOCPM's return to Dixon this past October. Henry is also enrolled in the Malachi Dads Fatherhood class but was unaware he was on the movement sheet until I confirmed that he was with a Correctional Officer. As a result, he attended his first Dad's class this week.

When I first laid eyes on Henry, God planted him firmly in my heart. In the first week, I asked the students why they took the discipleship class; Henry's repled, 'to grow his faith.' I knew what Henry was saying, but I wanted Henry to understand his faith is subjective to being weak nor strong, but an objective faith in Jesus Christ. So, the following week I gave Henry some articles on what Christain faith. Though these articles may be insightful, Henry needed further teachings that I can not fully address in the limited class time. But, I sought to start a more personal one-on-one interaction with Henry. This past week, I gave students in both classes to respond to D. James Kennedy's Evangelism Explosion survey. The survey consisted of two questions;

Have you reached the point in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die tonight, you would go to heaven?
If you were to die tonight and God were to ask you, "Why should I let you into heaven," how would you answer?

I'm not going to include Henry's response but will only say he shared, 'No, he's done a lot of bad things and has hurt a lot of people.'

Henry shared some more personal struggles at the end of class, one being he was thankful for some Scripture I also shared with him, but he was honest and shared he doesn't always find comfort in Scripture, and even more so of late.

That part of me wants to be 'super Christian' and bring peace, comfort, and the joy of salvation to Henry in the coming weeks quickly rises to the top of my heart. But, thankfully, God has and continues to show me I'm not super Christian, and by trying to be one, I'm drowning in sinful pride.

The next time I have an opportunity to meet with Dixon's chaplain, I will share my thoughts on Henry. But God also put in my heart to reach out to a couple of fellow Christians; He has blessed me to know. One has a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and BA in Psychology, and another person has a Ph.D. and authored numerous books. Would you please pray God will draw Henry to Himself? Please pray He opens Henry's heart to know fully the love of and forgiveness that is his through Jesus Christ, and not rely on his needing to have a stronger faith, but he has all the Faith he needs in Jesus Christ.

Sheridan Correctional Center Lockdown 87 Weeks 🥺🙏

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate

As time-consuming writing is for me, I've been busy writing letters.

I sent two to my nephew Shane. I wrote him the first letter, but before I mailed it to him, his mom, my sister told me he was given a sentence of 6-years at the beginning of this month. So, I wrote a second letter and mailed both earlier this week. I forget how long Shane has been in LA County Jail, but it has been at least several months. I sent him a Bible a few months ago. He told my sister he was touched, I was thinking of him, and even though 'religion isn't his thing,' he would try reading it. My sister told me in subsequent conversations he was reading it with some fellow cellmates. Praise God! I have more thoughts, but it would take me another hour for me to get my fingers to type it all correctly, so I'll just ask will you pray Shane takes the Bible with him and continues to read it regularly, and God would open his eyes and heart to why Jesus needs to be his thing?

I plan to write a second letter to David. David is a prisoner who I became aware was seeking a prison pen pal. Would you please pray I can write a letter that David will respond to and begin a regular exchange of letters?

As I mentioned above, classroom discipleship and classroom instruction in Christian Living is the foundation of SOCPM, but I seek to know God's will if SOCPM should pursue more of a reach outside the prison gate. One area is, for lack of a better term right now, care boxes. Care boxes would be a box consisting of Christian booklets, articles, Bible Correspondent applications, and more. The hope is prisoners outside of the SOCPM classroom or their families, and loved ones can request via the SOCPM website. Would you please pray I will get clarity on God's will in pursuing?

In my haste last week I forgot to include the pictures of Chaplain McClimans and the picture of Rodney and me at the New Life Corrections banquet.

Sheridan Chaplain Leon McClimans and me (aka Scott)

The Weekly Note - A Study of the Psalms

This week's Weekly Note was on Psalm 9:1-2

Again thus far, the survey has only been three respondents, but the response is those of you who do read teh SOCPM Newsletter aren't big readers of the Weekly Note section. So, as a first step in reducing my time writing the SOCPM Newsletter, future editions will only have the link to the Weekly Note, similar to Student and Ministry Prayer Requests.

On The Home Front

I mentioned in the greeting how last week I was having a joyful morning, but I did say how an uncaring person squelched the joy.

My morning was on the open highway of joy and happiness. I finished my marathon stretch of writing the SOCPM Newsletter, and I completed several administrative and hands-on tasks in my to-do lists. Plus, the headache of attaching some hardware to a bamboo cabinet I was attempting to finish was relieved by the helpful Ace Hardware men of my local Ace Hardware in Batavia. I don't know if Ace Hardware still uses the jingle, the Ace Hardware man, but he lives on in Batavia. Actually, two men, Jerry and Monti, and in an attempt to forgo my wordiness, will only say Monti said he attach the hardware to the appropriate pieces if I could bring them in. Within the hour, I was back with cabinet pieces in hand, and shortly after that, Monti accomplished in minutes what I had already spent over an hour doing on my own. So, I was feeling the 'joy of God's daily blessings.' Only discovered while I was in the Ace Hardware, someone had hit 'my new Outback.' 😡 I didn't have Rodney's smile on my face.

I didn't cuss the missing individual who left no note. Still, my sinful nature was hoping I could be present when the person stood before God's judgment for their evil act of hit and run 😇. However, God reminded me there would be a day when I would have to answer not to an immoral act of hit and run, but much worse evil acts I afflicted upon others.

I did finish assembly the cabinet and have put it to use in our laundry room. But, did you know bamboo is the hardest wood known to man? So, says the helpful Ace Hardware men. The home to-do tasks are still plentiful, and I hope to check off a few more in the coming days.

Would you please pray the forgiveness in my heart remains? Would you also pray I will accomplish or find solutions to several tasks, the most pressing being the garage storage and ramps Michelle can use to avoid missteps entering and leaving our home?

On the Prayer Front

Cameron - In exchanging text messages with Cameron's mom this week, I found what I had assumed Cameron was back in rehab. It explains why I was getting a recorded message his phone was unable to receive calls. Though not surprising, it is disappointing. I'm at a loss for words and thoughts but ask, would you please pray for Cameron? First and foremost for his salvation, but once his rehab stint is over, he can find employment and housing. Also, in a way only God can bring about is that God bless Cameron with solid Christian support and fellowship.

Another update that came via text messages with Cameron's mom Anne Marie is her brother JP was diagnosed with kidney cancer. He is having surgery today to remove the kidney and then will begin chemotherapy. I think JP is in his forties; he is married and has a step-daughter. None of Anne Marie's family, as best I know, are believers. Would you please pray for JP's surgery and chemotherapy to be successful and that God would use this time to draw all of Anne Marie's family to Him.

Michelle (aka my lovely bride) - Michelle continues her requests of prayer for continued diligence at work. Would you also continue to pray God will open the doors for her to see Pops, possibly next August? Finally, heavy on both Michelle's and my heart is the salvation of many family members, but the heaviest on our hearts is Pops and her brother Darren. Both are solid in their worldviews without a need for Jesus. Yet, Michelle and I foresee them taking their strong willingness of why they don't need Christ to them to using their opinions for God's glory.

Self - In addition to prayers for my stewarding of SOCPM, would you please pray for my continued discipline in my studying of 1 Peter and reading of the book 'More God, Less Crime' and to have discipline in diet and exercise. And last but not least I can improve my typing skills

Citations

Scripture

SOCPM - All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

CHS - Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from Clarke, Roy H, editor. The Treasury of David: Spurgeon's Great Commentary on Psalms, by C. H. Spurgeon, 3rd ed., vol. 1, T. Nelson Publishers , 1997 are from the New Geneva Study Bible published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., using the New King James Version of the Bible, ©1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

FDK Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from Derek Kidner, Psalms 1–72: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 15, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

JMB - Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005) is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.TM

WAV - Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from VanGemeren, Willem A. “Book 1 Psalms 1 - 41.” The Expositor's Bible Commentary Psalms, by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Revised ed., vol. 5, Zondervan, 2008 is taken from is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

WSP Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from “Psalm 1.” Psalms: A Critical and Expository Commentary with Doctrinal and Practical Remarks, by William S. Plumer, Banner of Truth Trust, 1975 is taken from the Holy Bible King James Version.

If you are interested in subscribing to the SOCPM Newsletter via e-mail, contact SOCPM and mention your interest in subscribing the SOCPM Newsletter.

Soldiers of Christ Prison Ministries
A ministry of Redeemer Fellowship Church St. Charles, IL

You can support SOCPM by clicking here