MISSIONS INSIDER BLOG

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Richard Fish

Richard Fish

Richard blogs with the YWAM Tyler writing team and currently serves in Media Communications at the Twin Oaks campus in Garden Valley, Texas. His water bottle is anywhere but in his hands and walking and texting is in his wheelhouse skill set. You may find him directing a play at CHS or trying to get his life sized John Wayne cutout to stay standing in the office.

Recent posts by Richard Fish

1 min read

How to Create with the Holy Spirit

By Richard Fish on 25 May 2023

Designing stuff can either breathe life into me or hover over me like a dark cloud. I can stare for hours into the pixel abyss of my computer screen wondering if anything meaningful can pop out my head. I've had writer's block. I've thrown a thousand scraps of paper ideas into the waste bucket. I've made stuff which stuck around forever in the parking lot of "could've been." 

4 min read

What Will You Give Your Life For?

By Richard Fish on 12 May 2023

It was Saturday morning and slightly overcast when the van with 7 students and 4 adults heard an alarming bang under us. Our driver carefully brought the 75 mile an hour trip to a halt on Highway 20 heading to Dallas Love Field Airport. The tire on the Mercedes van was shredded, and the wrenches on hand to change the tire were the wrong size.

We had a feeling this might be an eventful trip.

Topics: Destiny Education Christian Heritage School America CHS christian education ywamtyler washington dc tyranny
2 min read

Your Life Matters

By Richard Fish on 10 Mar 2023

"Well, I don't want to kill myself anymore!" That was not the response I was expecting to hear when Mia was asked at a staff meeting interview how going through discipleship training and serving at our mission affected her life! As we applauded her answer, I realized a lot was packed into that simple arresting statement.

Topics: Freedom Love Hope God's Love suicide discipleship jesus death suicide prevention
3 min read

Jesus Revolution

By Richard Fish on 3 Mar 2023

The chilly air in the theater lobby reminded me I should have brought a hoodie to stay warm. As my wife, and the 16 year old young man we invited to watch this film with us strolled past the marquee, he asked, "What kind of movie is this, anyway?" That's fair. The photos of hippies and what looked like a Jesus type character decked out in psychedelic garb made it clear this would not be a Liam Neeson thriller. 

Topics: Following Jesus Hope Transformation awaken revival jesus spirit of jesus great awakening jesus revolution revolution darkness spiritual darkness joy
6 min read

Revival Wave at Asbury University 2023

By Richard Fish on 10 Feb 2023

Is this the start of another Great Awakening? As believers and missionaries, we have hungered for more of God in our land, churches, families, communities, and schools. Has it begun in a tiny school in one of the smallest of towns in Kentucky? My daughter is there now in the midst of this move of God.

(UPDATE 2.22 — This will be our final update to this published blog. After two weeks of non-stop worship, prayer, and repentance, those who desire to continue to gather in central Kentucky will meet in an off-campus location. It was reported 20,000 were on the campus on Sunday the 19th. After some safety concerns and the sheer volume of people, the revival had spread to two other campus buildings, along with outdoor video streams, where worship and prayer continued.)

Topics: Worship Prayer Holy Spirit revival repentance great awakening project asbury university great awakening john wesley forgiveness asbury
2 min read

The Day I Got Saved

By Richard Fish on 13 Jan 2023

My phone buzzed on silent mode in my pocket while I was busy just doing normal old stuff. But that vibrating buzz alarms me everytime. Glancing at the shortened notification on my homescreen I saw the first line, "… I heard the Gospel for the first time." It was from Glenn. Glenn reminds me of speaker Bob Goff, the writer of Love Does, because he lights up the room wherever he's at and makes you feel like you're the boss. I was honored to be on the list of umptine friends in his contacts⏤my name and number got the text. 

Topics: Missions Following Jesus Missionary Hearing God's Voice Salvation surrender saved lordship bible study
2 min read

Why You Should Read the Bible Every Day

By Richard Fish on 6 Jan 2023

Every year for the past 20 years I've read through the entire Bible. I remember the daunting task of the daily reading schedule and thinking there was no way I could do it. But I did! The first time it was a "resolution" of sorts. Now, I read everyday because I can't imagine a day without hearing from the Lord through His word. 

Topics: Knowing God Bible Hearing God's Voice God's Presence Get to Know God bible poverty devotion ending bible poverty bible reading plan daily devotions quiet time intimacy listening
2 min read

Discipleship is the Key to Missions

By Richard Fish on 2 Dec 2022

This is me with one of only 800 copies of the Bible in the Sakari language. Honestly, it was a holy movement grasping this book. Even my co-workers were drooling over it. It’s not fancy. No gold leaf.

But it’s special.

Topics: YWAM Tyler Missions Bible Missionary Global Missions Missionary Training bible translation ywam missions Youth With A Mission Called to Mission ywamtyler mission adventures south asia ending bible poverty school of strategic missions
4 min read

What You Need to Know Before Taking a Gap Year

By Richard Fish on 9 Nov 2022

What if you could graduate high school, and you and your friends could travel the world with purpose? Would you consider it?  Does it sound too far-fetched? Deep down doesn't it sound exciting⏤taking a year "off" and discovering everything God has for you before your next big decision?

Well you can, and for many it's been the best decision they ever made. I've talked with a whole bunch of students wanting to take a Gap Year and interviewed a few who already did it.

Here is what you need to consider before taking the leap: 

DOWNLOAD THE GAP YEAR PLANNING GUIDE ebook / pdf

Topics: Purpose Growth Knowing God Gap Year YWAM DTS Encounter God Travel Education Get to Know God Redirection Missionary Training Teenagers World Changer Deeper with God ywamtyler
2 min read

How You Can Champion Generation Z

By Richard Fish on 4 Nov 2022

There was a holy stillness in the classroom of 23 students. Some had hands in the air and eyes closed, others knelt, but all were under deep conviction⏤committing the rest of their entire lives to following Jesus. All under the age of 30, these Gen⎻Zers are Discipleship Training School (DTS) students, and they will strengthen our next generation of Christian leaders. 

2 min read

The Spirit of Jesus

By Richard Fish on 9 Sep 2022

In an upcoming social media post that you'll see in the coming days, we are posting the caption: "The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intense of a missionary we become." As part of the editing team I wasn't 100% convinced of this statement. 

So, I decided to reach out to some long-term, incredibly thoughtful missionaries at our campus to ask them their opinion. What I got as a response was quite incredible.

Topics: YWAM Tyler Missions Following Jesus Missionary Missionary Life Making Him Known Make Disciples Missionary Training ywam missions unreached jesus spirit of jesus
5 min read

Missions on the Ukraine-Poland Border

By Richard Fish on 10 Mar 2022

ministry at the ukraine-Poland border

When war erupts we cry out, "God, what can we do?" Right now, there are solid ways to impact this crisis. Mercy Works, a ministry arm of YWAM Tyler, has sprung into action to help. I caught up with Debbie Lascelles, director of Mercy Works, to find out how we can use this window of opportunity before it closes.

Topics: YWAM Tyler Rescue Mercy Works Hope YWAM mercy war Ukraine orphans
2 min read

Courageous Women

What does it take to become a courageous individual? William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, observed that...

3 min read

Building Foundations

How do you increase your faith? Former student Sarah Horan shares her heart on how God revealed His truth to her during...

2 min read

Missions Changed Me

From as far back as my junior high school, I remember struggling to find happiness. I felt like I didn’t fit in and...

2 min read

Unexpected Friendships

When we follow God, sometimes we have our own expectations of what God will do through us. This can sometimes cause us...
2 min read

Miracles in the Classroom

What does a young person chasing after God's heart look like? Christian Heritage School desires to fan the flame of the...

4 min read

Cross-Cultural Christmastime

Have you ever wondered how Christmas is celebrated around the world? We asked four of our YWAM Tyler missionaries to...

3 min read

My Stepmom Thinks YWAM Rocks

Have you ever been curious about going to a Discipleship Training School but don't know what to expect? In a recent...

2 min read

Marked by God

Can you imagine God sending someone from another country to see you? While in Thailand, Jess Reminger encounters a man...

2 min read

The Day I Thanked God For Losing My Job

One morning I sat in the classroom during my training school with YWAM, and I was crying, thanking God for the loss of...

2 min read

Sharing The Gospel Isn't Complicated

God has been doing amazing things with our DTS team on outreach in Thailand. As the team has made themselves available,...

2 min read

How DTS Changed My Child

Before I left for my Discipleship Training School, my family really had no idea what YWAM was. If your family...
2 min read

Laying Down My Rights

I was sitting in my DTS classroom, my head wrapped in thoughts of a family circumstance that was happening. We had...