IGNITE Class 14 Intern, Micah, is getting ready to head to Guatemala for his six months of field time. Be encouraged as he takes you through a bit of his journey, all the Lord has done so far, and extends his thanks to you for being a part of it.
My name is Micah Martin. I am 22 years old, I was born and raised in Oklahoma City, and I’ve been attending Calvary Chapel OKC for about a year and a half. I am a member of IGNITE Class 14 in the Training Phase of the program. The story of how I decided to come to IGNITE is really a tale of how God has showered grace upon my life. I first came to hear about the ministry at a church service when I was 17 years old. At that time, I was encouraged to be passionate about the idea of being used by God to build His Kingdom during my time on earth. But ultimately, I still clung to my pride and my desire to stay safe and secure, apart from any area of ministry that would force me to get too involved, thinking that I wasn’t good enough to be used by Him. But I was very wrong about what God’s plans for my life were.
IGNITE Class 14 in worship {Psalm 33:1-3}
What I failed to realize was that joining IGNITE was always God’s plan for my life, and there was nothing I could do to change that. He let me live in my disobedience for the next two years, and at that time I hit the lowest point in my life. It was the start of God’s plan to get me moving in the right direction as it taught me to start trusting and seeking Him in a way I hadn’t searched for Him before. He began to show me that the passion He had placed in my life for building the kingdom wasn’t for nothing. It was a slow process, but I began to want to do more for Him, especially after delivering me from my lowest point. I owed God a debt I could never repay, and I sought to do something more than what I was doing.
A conversation with my pastor about the IGNITE Program seemed to be confirmation to me that this was God’s plan for me as He put it on my heart earlier that year to join something like it. Naturally, though, I resisted the idea of going right away. When I told my pastor this, He said, “Why wait? What’s holding you back? Just go! Start living!” And it hit me that I hadn’t really felt alive up to that point in my life. I had been asleep, in the comfort of my own world. God wouldn’t be able to use me had I stayed in that place. So, I got the application filled out, booked a flight, and now, here I am.
Micah helping clean the kitchen during servant time.
Since coming here, God has shown me a lot about who He is and how He’s working in not only my life but the lives of everyone else here. It’s been incredible and inspiring for me to see, and I’ve truly been blessed with being here. I had been struggling with hearing Him speak, and I was in such a place of confusion and desperation that I fell flat on my face in prayer, asking Him to speak to me in some way. Well, He spoke, and I broke. He showed me how legalistic I had been towards myself. I had fallen into the trap of thinking that I had to be good enough for His purposes and that I had to work to earn His grace. But grace isn’t earned, it’s given, and given freely. But I hadn’t been asking for it. I was trying to live up to an impossible standard that Christ had already met. Now I feel free in a way that I haven’t previously felt in Him. His grace is boundless, and His love everlasting. Though I shouldn’t have any value, He has counted me as valuable to Him. I continue to learn more about who He is and how wonderful it is to be able to be just a small part of His plan for the world.
IGNITE Class 14 — Team Guatemala.
I’m excited to see what God will do through me and the other members of the team that is being sent to Guatemala. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be given a chance to be a part of the work God has called me to do for Him and for those who haven’t yet heard the Gospel. I thank you very much for making it possible for someone like me to be a part of something greater than myself, something that will serve the Lord and His purposes. We here at IGNITE are all learning so much about the callings God has for each of us, and God has used your support to make this happen. Again, thank you for all of your support.
I pray for grace, peace, and blessing upon you for your support. With much love and gratitude,
Micah Martin
pottersfieldministries 