BYM March 2024 Update

March 2024

Dear Friends,

I trust this email finds you and your family doing well! Debbie and I are doing well, especially since we recently had the fifth addition of a grandchild to our growing family. Greg, our firstborn son, and his wife, Demi, had their second girl. Her name is Juliet. We are so blessed of the Lord to have another life that we can help direct in the ways of the Lord. In addition, we recently received more good news. We found out that our sixth grandchild is on the way. That's right, Will, our second son, and his wife, Lucy, are expecting a baby in September. This will be their fourth child and we could not be more pleased. Oh, and yeah, our youngest son, Geoff and his fiancé Michala are scheduled to be married on May 14, 2024. Needless to say, Debbie and I are very blessed!

During the year of 2023 BYM witnessed five men saved, twelve men discipled, three Bible studies started, three weddings officiated, four funerals officiated, fifty-two sermons preached on Sundays and thirty-six on Wednesdays. In addition, I traveled over 10,000 miles during the year and I produced two hundred and sixty blogs for the year. Our blog had over one hundred thousand hits during the year. Also, I produced two hundred and sixty podcasts on four different platforms, Apple Podcasts, Rumble, Spotify and YouTube. We had over five thousand podcasts listened to during the year. I do not tell you these things but for no other reason than to let you see what the Lord is doing through BYM.

Finally, thank you for your continued prayer and/or financial support! Recently I asked the Lord, "Why did you make the early years so much harder than these recent years?" He responded with, "You had to be convinced that you needed me in those earlier years." He also went on to say, "And, I do not want for you to be distracted by the things that distracted you in those early days from what is important today, the souls of people.” Please continue to pray for us as we seek to follow and obey the Lord regarding His calling on our lives. If I can be of any assistance to you and your family, please feel free to give me a text or a phone call.

By His Grace,
Bobby Young
A.C.T. International
803-260-6814
www.byoungministry.com
https://actintl.givingfuel.com/byoung

October 2023 Update

Dear Praying Friend,

Years ago, I heard Billy Graham say, "Two things in this world will last forever, the Word of God and the souls of people." When I heard those words, I knew they would have a great impact upon my days on this earth moving forward. Daily, I meet people who do not have a personal relationship with the Lord. And, as I get closer to my real home, the more I am moved to share the gospel with them. Please pray for effectiveness as I share with them.

Recently, I went in to a local restaurant and began a conversation with the owner. Almost immediately I knew that I would have to move slowly with this man and develop a relationship with him before discussing the things of eternity.  Sure enough, as the weeks rolled on we became friends. Then one day a few months later he asked me what I did for a living. At that point I was able to share my story with him and then the gospel. To my surprise, he was amiable to the things of the Lord. About two months later he made a profession of faith in the Lord.

Having said that, I cannot begin to thank you for your involvement in BYM. Your prayers and your financial support are a huge part of it all. It is by God's grace that I have been given so many opportunities to speak with people all over the world about their eternity. Just this past weekend I had the privilege of spending four hours with two childhood friends, one of which I had not seen since 1981. To make a long story short, one of those two guys has had a plethora of questions pertaining to God and salvation. In fact, he went on to tell me about five different men who have influenced him greatly; each one was a believer in the Lord Jesus. As he shared this with me I was reminded of the prayer that I have prayed for him since 1981. "Lord, send people into his life that know you and would be willing to share the gospel with him." Please join me in that prayer in the hope that he trusts Christ as his Savior soon.

I continue to speak every Sunday and Wednesday in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. What a blessing to share in the ministry of the Word of God in these various places. In addition, I am blessed to be working with several individuals right now encouraging them in their faith. With some I meet weekly and with others not as frequently. Currently I am discipling several different individuals and am preaching in six different churches with a certain measure of regularity. Please continue to pray for my wife, Debbie. As you may know, she continues to teach fifth grade at Ben Lippen School here in Columbia, SC. She is such a great teacher and her students love her dearly. 

Many of you may remember, our middle son, Will, was diagnosed five years ago with Brugada Syndrome. He, his wife, Lucy, and their children continue to do well. Will continues to enjoy teaching elementary age students at a charter school in Winnsboro, SC. Our oldest son, Greg, and his wife, Demi, will soon welcome baby #2. This is grandchild #5 for Debbie and me. Please keep Greg and Demi in your prayers as the baby is due in November. 

Recently, our youngest son, Geoffrey, has gone through many tests to determine whether or not he also has Brugada Syndrome. He is waiting to hear from the cardiologist any day now regarding the results of genetic testing that has been recently performed on him. If his doctor informs him that he has Brugada then he will have a defibrillator inserted just under his left arm similar to his brother, Will. Please pray that we all roll with the punches when it comes to the will of God for our lives. On a brighter note, Geoffrey also recently became engaged to Michala, whom he met on a missions trip a couple of summers ago. We look forward to her joining our family.

Finally, our website and our other social media spots indicate that we have had well over 42,000 hits in the past year. The countries represented by those who visited our social media spots are Canada, China, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, Kenya, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. Every week I hear from those who have either read the blog or have listened to a podcast. Almost always they ask a pertinent question regarding the content of the blog or the podcast. What a blessing to know that we are bringing together the Word of God and the souls of people. Please continue to pray!

Sincerely,

Bobby Young

www.byoungministry.com
https://actintl.givingfuel.com/byoung

April 2023 BYM Update

Dear Praying Friend,

Hello from Elgin, SC! I cannot thank you enough for the prayers that you and your family lift up to our gracious God on my behalf. The life that I live is without a doubt out of this world; there is so much that is unexplainable apart from the involvement of God. As children we all dreamed of what our lives would turn out to be and I can tell you, I never guessed that I'd be doing what I am doing. Your prayers are crucial for it to continue.

It has been a while since you last heard from me, and in the last four months a lot has happened. You may already know it, but on Christmas we returned to our home in Elgin, SC from Debbie's mom's in Wilmington, NC to burst pipes. I had left all of the pipes in the house dripping, too. After some intense investigation and 35K dollars worth of damage, it became evident that I failed to drip the hot line in the kitchen. Ouch! It has taken four months to get back to normal. I am grateful to many who have helped us get back to normal! Among the many lessons learned about our God and ourselves, we are learning that our pain enables us to have a ministry of empathy with others. And, often we discover that the said empathy aids in sharing the gospel with others. If it means people are coming to the Lord Jesus for salvation and a personal relationship, so be it.

Speaking of salvation, in the past four months we have witnessed three different individuals come out of the darkness into the marvelous light of the Lord. Please pray for me as I work with these young believers. Pray also that their hunger will deepen them in their walk with the Lord Jesus. Currently, I am discipling about six different men one on one. Then there are a few Bible Studies that I am leading. One of these Bible Studies is with a group of men from Hammond School. For years I vowed to never be of any help to the folks at Hammond, but the Lord had different ideas. It always amazes me when I see the unfolding of His will in my life. He truly has a huge sense of humor.

Last month, I flew out to Phoenix, Arizona to officiate the wedding of my good buddy TJ whom I met in 2010 at the College Baseball World Series. When we first met, TJ wanted to fight; over time he has become one of my best friends. TJ was wed to his wonderful wife Marie who is a native to the Phoenix area. It was amazing, the whole wedding party was housed together in a house with eight bedrooms and four baths. Boy was I living the dream for a fleeting three days.

I continue to speak every Sunday and Wednesday somewhere in the southeast. In fact, I am booked for the coming two years. Please pray that the Lord's favor continues as I really enjoy teaching God's people His word. You may also have noticed that I expanded my podcast into Apple Podcast and Spotify. Through the blog and the podcasts, we are discovering that the Lord has continued to give us favor with many throughout the world. In fact, a growing part of the ministry has come through the questions that many have regarding the blog and the podcasts. Currently, we are reaching about a thousand each month through the blogs and the podcasts.

Finally, please continue to pray that I remain faithful to God, my wife, and His word. Pray that I am able to do a good job at being His servant. I find as long as I follow Him, He does the work. I am blessed that He includes me along on this great adventure. And, thank you for your walk with Him. It is your walk with Him that enables you to be sensitive in heart regarding our prayer needs and our financial needs. As has been the case since June of 2018, He has met all of our needs every month since. When I first stepped out in faith, not knowing where my next months pay check would come from, He from the outset had been most faithful. You play a major role in it all for which I am profoundly grateful. Should you and your family have any needs that I can help with, I would be honored to be of any help. May God richly bless you and your family, my dear friend.

Bobby Young

BYoung Ministry Website

BYM Givingfuel website

October 2022 BYM Update

Dear Friends,

I trust you all are doing well and experiencing the Lord's blessing in tremendous ways during these days of great uncertainty. Our family continues to enjoy the blessing of God's leading and direction  in our lives. Debbie and I really enjoy spending time with our children and get lots of laughs from our four grandchildren. Our oldest son, Greg, and his wife, Demi, have a daughter. Our second son, Will, and his wife, Lucy, have two daughters and one son. Our youngest son, Geoffrey, is a junior at USC and spends quite a bit of time ministering with a college group. Someone asked me recently what it is like to be a grandpa, I responded with, "I'm trying to get used to being married to a Grandma." 

As you know, I taught Bible and coached at Ben Lippen School for thirty-one years. I remember very clearly the first baseball game that I was a part of at BL. Hammond beat us unmercifully. That day, something really bad happened in my heart regarding Hammond. In fact, that day I vowed secretly and in my heart to never do anything to aid Hammond school. I have discovered, when we protect disdain in our hearts toward anyone, the Lord will be faithful to address that in us. Let me tell you what I mean.

The Lord has shown me that it is really useless to say that I would never minister to a particular person or to a particular group of people. Many of you may know that the Offensive Coordinator at Hammond is Eric Wilson. And, recently Eric contacted me about what to do for a Bible Study with the Hammond football coaches. My first response was to say to the Lord, "I hope you are not telling me to be a part of this!" Well, to make a long story short, the Lord was telling me to be a part of a Bible Study with the Hammond football coaches, and, I might say, it has been a blast. We have been meeting for a couple of months and the discussions have been some of the best that I have been a part of in my forty-one years as a believer in Christ.

The other day, I was speaking with one of my closest friends, and he said, "Today, I realized that all that you are doing, I have a part in. The fact that I pray daily and contribute often, that makes me a very important part to what you are doing. So, when you teach someone God's word, it is as though I am, too." Do you know what? My dear friend is right. In fact, you are also in his shoes. Every person who has read one of my blogs or listened to one of my podcasts, you have indirectly been involved with by virtue of your prayers and your contributions. That means you have been very involved in the production of more than 1,192 blogs since we began this ministry in the summer of 2018. Of the more than 53,000 hits on our blog, you have played a very important role in making that possible. You, due to your prayers and contributions, have made it possible for the 17,382 who have listened to one of my 970 podcasts. I would say that you are far more involved in ministry than you know.

Finally, please continue to pray for me as I speak every Sunday and Wednesday somewhere in Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina. It is a blessing that I am booked for the next two years to speak every Wednesday and Sunday. Also, pray for those whom I am discipling currently. Pray that they will have a hunger for God's word. Thank you for obeying the promptings the Lord has sent your way to be involved in this ministry. Your prayers and contributions are greatly appreciated. To God be the glory!

Bobby Young

A.C.T. Intl
803-260-6814

www.byoungministry.com

https://byministries.blogspot.com 

https://actintl.givingfuel.com/byoung

June 2022 Update

June 2022

Dear Friends,

God gives us stories with Him which enable us to know Him better but also to make Him known to others. We love the pleasant stories, but we do not like the not so pleasant ones. I have found that the not so pleasant ones render the greatest yield. Those not so pleasant moments not only hone our heart's ability to see the Lord more clearly, but those not so pleasant moments help us in describing to others what it means to have a personal relationship with God. I have found throughout my life when things get a little quirky, God is doing something that will have important outcomes in and through my life. And, if I practice patience and give Him enough time, He always produces a masterpiece as only He can. So, I find patience to be a very valuable commodity when it comes to knowing God and making Him known.

The purpose of this update is to let you know how your faithfulness plays a major role in this ministry. I thank the Lord on a daily basis for your prayers and/or your contributions to this ministry to which He has called me. In large part, your walk with Him has enabled you the ability to recognize His call to you to be involved in this ministry. For that, I am eternally grateful!

Recently, I found it amazing when a young man whom I've been meeting with for fourteen years came to faith in Christ. Just the other day, we were meeting and he said, "I've something to tell you. Do you remember the last thing you said to me when we last met?" I was clueless. After I made a few guesses, he then quoted me, saying, "You will never fix yourself, only God can do that." After this twenty-nine year old man told me those words that I had spoken to him just a week before, he then told me how those words drove him to crying out to God late into that evening. Then he told me that he invited Christ into his life. I was ecstatic within, yet, I modulated my outward response. Mind you, when I first met this young man for the first time in 2008, he was an atheist. What a joy to watch God work in his life over these many years. Without your involvement in this ministry, it would not have happened as it did.

A couple of weeks ago I received a phone call from a former student who attended Ben Lippen School in the early 2000's. After the small talk, he asked if I would perform his wedding. What an honor! I was elated to be able to tell him that I would be able to do it at no charge to him. I can not tell you how satisfying it is to be able to tell all who I officiate their wedding that they owe me nothing. Of course, often they ignore that statement, but it is down right cool to be able to make that offer since they might not be in a position to pay for such services.

In my last BYM update, I asked for prayer for Jonathan Britton who had a small benign tumor on his brain stem. This tumor was causing many difficulties for Jonathan, and the surgeons were fearful of trying to remove it because of where it is located. As a result of a certain magnetic procedure, there have been significant changes in Jonathan. In fact, the numbness and tingling in his appendages have disappeared. In addition, the panic attacks that he was experiencing have waned. This was in response to your prayers. Amazing! Please keep praying for him!

With regard to prayer, please be in prayer for some precious friends with whom Debbie and I are actively sharing our faith. Pray that Jack and Sue, our neighbors, will come to faith in the Lord soon. Please pray the Lord will convict them of their sin, His righteousness, and the judgment to come. 

Also, please continue to pray for the salvation and the spiritual growth of those who access our social media sites. I hear from many on a weekly basis with whom I engage in dialogue either on Zoom or by way of email. I find it amazing interacting with so many from the Philippines, India, Russia, and Africa. We are up to 179 YouTube subscribers and 304 Rumble subscribers. On our YouTube channel, we have had 2,426 views since the beginning of the year and on our Rumble channel, we have had 1130 views since January 1. See the links below to those sites. 

Finally, please pray for me as I continue to meet weekly with different individuals,  blog, and podcast every Monday through Friday. Also pray that I will communicate effectively when I speak every Wednesday and Sunday somewhere in the southeast. To the glory of God, I am booked to speak on Sundays for the next two years. I thank my God for you and your faithful involvement in this ministry.

Sincerely,
Bobby Young
A.C.T. Intl
803-260-6814
BYM WEBSITE
BYM YouTube
BYM RUMBLE
BYM Giving Fuel Page

January 2022 Update

Dear Friends,

Can you believe it is January 2022 already. I guess the old saying is true. You know the one that goes like this: "Time flies when you're having fun." Don't get me wrong, my thirty-one years of teaching and coaching at Ben Lippen School were fantastic. I have so many great memories the Lord often uses to encourage me in a way that only He can. But, what I'm doing now is off the charts. I continue to speak every Sunday and every Wednesday somewhere in the southeast. In fact, I am booked to speak on Sundays and Wednesdays for the next two years. I can only say God is so good to let us peek into what He is doing in this world. And then, He includes us in on what He is doing. Amazing, simply amazing!

Today, I received a phone call from a young man named Kelly whom I have been working with for some time. When I answered the phone, I could hear the anxiety in his voice. He then told me a story that was simply heartbreaking. After a lengthy, yet, substantive conversation, we prayed about his situation, asking the Lord to reveal Himself, then we hung up the phone. In the meantime, I asked several people to pray for this man and his family, and no sooner had I asked for prayer, Kelly called back. This time there was a different tone in his voice. It was an excitedly happy tone. Kelly went on to tell me the coolest story about how the Lord had already answered our prayer. I love it when the Lord does these things. At the end of my second phone conversation with Kelly, I reminded him the most important thing God does for us is NOT that He meets our material needs, but that He reveals Himself to us. Kelly had the choicest words at that moment; he said, "Yeah, it's like God is giving me a story with Him that I can tell to others!" That is so spot on, isn't it? And, that is what it is all about.

Well, I wanted to drop you all a line to thank you for being used in my life by the Lord. Your constant support through prayer and/or contributions mean the world to Debbie and me. He is using you to enable us to work with several that we are coaching right now. As I have mentioned so many times before, no two days are the same. In fact, I have been hearing from more and more people who read our blog, www.byoungministry.com , and access our podcasts through our YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTKZiqx7pvirBvDDOIROy4w?view_as=subscriber and our Rumble channel https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all . This has been rather challenging and yet rewarding because so many people are not versed in the Scriptures. It is my prayer that the four or so hours that I spend on the blog and podcasts each Monday through Friday are blessed by the Lord and are useful to the spiritual growth of many we will not meet until we are in heaven. The analytics from our blog and our YouTube channel and our Rumble channel are really encouraging. We have up to 159 subscribers on our YouTube channel with over 500 podcast views each month. The analytics from our blog reveal that 42,525 people have visited my blog since its inception. This month 1,510 people have read the blogs, and people from several countries including: the United States, Turkey, France, Canada, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, and unknown regions (including China) are regularly accessing the blog. Periodically, I receive emails from some of these and we have been known to have conversations that have gone on for months. The analytics from our Rumble channel reveals 219 podcasts have been watched this month.

Finally, let me encourage you to continue in prayer for several who are in need of God's intervention right now. I will list their names and needs below.

1. Please be in prayer for Jonathan Britton who has a small benign tumor on his brain stem. This tumor is causing many difficulties for Jonathan, and the surgeons are fearful of trying to remove it because of where it is located. There is a procedure that will be performed on Jonathan soon that perhaps will reduce the size or even eliminate it entirely. I will be in touch with you regarding this. Please pray for a miracle.

2. Please be in prayer for those whom I am coaching right now, including Kelly, Kevin, Jim, Brenda, Troy, Ty and Jeff.

3. Please be in prayer for some precious friends with whom Debbie and I are actively sharing our faith. Please pray that Ian, Ryan, Scott and Kim, Michael and Buffy, Tony and his son Aaron, Tony and Fashawn, and Jack and Sue will come to faith in the Lord soon. Please pray the Lord will convict these of their sin, His righteousness, and the judgment to come.

4. Please pray for the salvation and the spiritual growth of those who access our social media spots.

Sincerely,

Bobby Young

A.C.T. Intl

803-260-6814

www.byoungministry.com

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTKZiqx7pvirBvDDOIROy4w?view_as=subscriber

https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all

https://actintl.givingfuel.com/byoung 

October 2021

Dear Friends,

It is October 2021 already and time is flying. Since the last email that I sent to you, I am discovering more and more that our time here on this earth is short. Having said that, let me encourage you to take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives you to share the Gospel with anyone who will listen. Eternity is a very long time for anyone to spend in hell needlessly. 

I have found this little chart that I got from J.D. Farag to be a very helpful tool in witnessing to the lost.

 

Speaking of the lost, please be in continual prayer for our dear friends, Jack and Sue, who have yet to come to the Lord. The Lord continually gives Debbie and me much favor in their eyes. I trust that it is a matter of time before they come to the Lord. Please pray that they are convicted of their sin, His judgment and His righteousness.  

Also, continue to pray for new believers, Kevin, Ty (12 year old neighbor), and Jeff. As you know, over the last few months each of these guys came into a personal relationship with the Lord. Please pray the Lord grants them a continual hunger for His Word. Pray also for me as I teach them God's Word. 

Also, as I am sure you remember, three weeks ago today, my friend Will Jones went to be with the Lord after getting into an auto accident on I-20 here in Kershaw County. Please continue to pray for Will's parents, Scott and Bridget, and his sisters Skylar and Macaylee. Please pray that the Lord will comfort them deeply.

Finally, as I asked in my last email to you, please continue to pray for our other neighbors who are not yet in God's kingdom. Please pray for Ryan, Scott and Kim, Michael and Buffy, Tony and his son Aaron, and Ty's parents, Tony and Fashawn. And, please do not forget Ian, a young man that I have been working with for about eleven years. Please pray the Lord gives us favor in their eyes, and that they will inquire of the things of eternity.

Thank you all for the many ways you are supporting us. God uses you mightily, never forget that. And, may the Lord continue to use you all for the advancement of His kingdom in this very dark and needy world. 

Bobby Young

A.C.T. Intl
803-260-6814

www.byoungministry.blogspot.com

https://actintl.givingfuel.com/byoung