John’s Speaking Engagements & Events
Calendar
February 2023 Partner Update
Dear Partners in Ministry,
It was a joy to teach an overview of Biblical Prophecy in Central America during February. As we normally report, the students we teach in person are amazing, very responsive, and a great encouragement to our hearts as we serve. But what is not normal is the impact of sharing those classes online.
In February the online students taking the prophecy course called "Return of the King" were the most people we have ever had participating in one series. As we expand the new site DTBM Academy ("DTBMA"... with all the study guides for each lesson of each course) we see the Lord multiplying our shared impact.
We have had more questions and more requests for help, counseling, and resources than we can ever remember seeing. The uncertainty of the world around us has been used by the Lord to open many hearts to His Word.
During this month it has also been a joy to continue with our classes taught in Acts as well as prepare for March & April's classes at the Word of Life Bible Institutes in New York and Florida. Teaching through Acts is a great reminder that God wants to use average and normal people to accomplish extraordinary ministry for Him. The anticipation of Christ's coming and our calling to be witnesses is so clear as we weave Paul's Epistles into the Book of Acts.
Please pray for us as we continue to study and prepare each day. Also as we travel between those campuses and conferences these next two months. Your love, prayers, encouragement, and support are how the Lord keeps us going. We thank our God upon each memory of all of you.
Your missionaries sharing God's Word with the Next Generation,
John & Bonnie Barnett
Hebrews 13:20-21
January 2023 Partner Update
Dear DTBM Partners in Ministry--
Bonnie and I have had an incredible month of January serving. We couldn't teach, record classes, travel to conferences, and serve at mission stations without your prayers and support. Thank you for standing with us in every way.
Here is what the Lord has done through us, because of your prayers and investments.
1--PRISON MINISTRY: We have seen the Lord bless our prison ministry as several Christians who work in halfway houses that transition prison inmates back into society, are using our courses to disciple these men and women. We hear from them as they study, and are so blessed to be able to pray with them and rejoice in the ways the Lord is leading them into new lives for Him.
2--NEW BELIEVER FOLLOW-UP: We were able to go to our home church in Michigan where we were commissioned and sent out to missions in 2017. While there I taught three services and had many meetings with staff, missions team members, and so many dear saints we have known and loved since 2008 when we started serving there. But the most amazing part of the visit was getting to meet two couples who live next to Calvary Bible Church who were each SAVED during Covid, watching classes on YouTube. They thought we still were at the church across the street so they walked over and asked to meet with me. The short story is they were enfolded, disciples, and have become a growing part of that local church. We met with them shared Scriptures with them, and were overwhelmed to see again the greatest miracle of all that God is STILL DOING!
3--PAUL'S LIFE & LETTERS: We are still working each day preparing, teaching, and recording the classes for each chapter of Acts through Philemon. This current course is proving to be so exciting to do and then teach. Please pray as we labor every day on these 115 chapters of the New Testament. Our goal is to have the entire survey of the NT taught and captured for the DTBM Academy to make available to students globally, free of charge. We are making study guides, charts, and everything needed for the Lord to use these classes in many lives.
Well, that's enough for now. We head to the airport at 430AM in the morning and fly on these next three months of mission work. You are going with us because of your partnership. May the Lord richly bless each of you for your kind and encouraging partnership with us.
With our love,
John & Bonnie Barnett
Hebrews 13:20-21
2022 Yearly Partner Update
Dear Partners in Ministry,
Happy New Year! Last year was full of ministry opportunity and thanks to your continued faithfulness and God's favor, Bonnie and I were able to teach around the world, seeing Pastors trained, Christians challenged with Scripture and the lost come to saving faith in our Lord Jesus.
Looking ahead in 2023, Lord willing, we will continue to develop class materials, lessons and teaching videos. We will begin our travel this year in February and be mostly on the road through July. After a quick turnaround, we will be back on the road all over the world until Thanksgiving.
We have exciting plans for the launch of Discover The Book Academy. With the Lords favor, we hope to launch that within the next month or so. The Academy will be free, and will allow you to access and view all the lessons in one given series conveniently from one site. We are planning lots of content, tools and resources to help you 'discover the book'.
We covet your prayers for provision, safety and success in ministry this coming year. It's all possible because of God's faithfulness and your continued partnership. We could not be more grateful or feel more loved and appreciated. May the Lord bless you richly for your faithful participation in our ministry work.
Thank you and bless you in Jesus name,
John & Bonnie Barnett
1Thessalonians 3:12-13
December 2022 Partner Update
Dear Partners in Ministry,
As I type this thank you note for your continued faithfulness in supporting us and praying for us along the ministry road—my heart is flooded with so many faces and voices of those we have seen God transform their lives this year. We are seeing men and women, young and old come to Christ for salvation and start growing in amazing ways. In 2022 we heard from dozens and dozens of them. We have challenged, counseled, nurtured, and rejoiced with each of them. Most have found a local church where they have gotten baptized and are starting to become a part of an active body of believers.
One of the most stirring reports was sent by one of our students named Phil, that God used us to be a part of his radical transformation. Here is his testimony he wrote out and gave to me:
Several years ago the Holy Spirit used you and your ministry to reach me when I was in total darkness and sin. I was a loveless person in the deepest despair. I was a drug-addicted homosexual, homeless, HIV positive, having practiced witchcraft, and for lack of better words completely destitute. While in my sin the Holy Spirit reached me through your sermons on YouTube. Your videos would pop up in my video feed! Your teachings on homosexuality were eloquent and I understood my sin was not too big for God. Your teachings on drug addicts as people and sinners made sense to me, even while I still used drugs. He used you to reach me.
After many years of this lifestyle, I had overdosed on drugs and I could literally feel death all around. I cried out to Jesus and begged him not to send me to hell. I knew I was going to go to hell. I knew I was destined for a place that was separated from him. I told him I was sorry for how I lived my life. I told him I needed him because I couldn’t save myself from hell. And Jesus did save me. He transformed me. Today I am married to a beautiful woman and she is pregnant with my second child. She is HIV-negative and both of my children are healthy and beautiful. Can you believe how good The Lord is? He is so good. He is amazing and wonderful. Today I have a career and we own our home. Jesus Christ restored me more than I could have ever known. But, what is most important is I have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I love when he gently wakes me up in the wee hours of the morning just so I can pray and commune with Him. God is so good. I cannot wait to meet Jesus one day.
I wanted you and Bonnie to know that your ministry reached me when I was in great darkness and the Holy Spirit used your words and led me back to Jesus. Remember me in your prayers. I’m still learning how to guard my heart and mind against besetting thoughts. The wickedness of the flesh and devil is real some days and I find my mind is the area I have the most difficult time. But, I introduced your teachings to my wife and my mother and we watch your teachings now. In my personal reading, I’m in Isaiah. And I love your study guides online.
That is what God is doing through your investments in us as we serve.
We are scheduled to teach all during 2023, Lord willing. We are scheduled at training centers in the US, Canada, Central America, Europe, and Asia. All that is only possible by God’s grace. The empowering of the Spirit of God. The provision of all expenses by faithful saints like you, and your partnership praying for us each day.
Thank you in Jesus' Name for loving us, helping us, and cheering us along as we serve Him together.
Yours Because His,
John & Bonnie Barnett
Hebrews 13:20-21
November 2022 Partner Update - A VIVID Reminder for Eternal Thanks
As Bonnie & I waded through the crowds at Denver airport this week and stood in line (it was full like the picture above shows), we were again reminded of one of the shared ministry gifts the Lord sent us.
A smiling man pulling his bag walked straight up to us, hand extended. He looked us each in the eyes and said, "You led me to Christ and discipled me with your YouTube messages all through Covid." He then sweetly thanked us, turned, and melted back into the crowds. I turned amazed, and said to Bonnie, 'Do you think that was that an angel, or a real person?"
After 10 weeks on the road, teaching 5-6 days a week across four countries we were full of joy and tired. The Lord reminded us there at DEN (one of our favorite airport codes that signal we're close to home) that we are TAKING PEOPLE with us to Heaven. But, the very next thought that flooded our hearts was that each of YOU is what makes it possible for us to lead more than 100 people to Christ over the last 36 months of Covid.
Your investment in supporting us financially and prayerfully makes us partners in taking these people to Heaven. Just like this man walking straight up to us at the airport, I believe we will each have similar experiences in Heaven when we meet those the Lord SAVED using US together in partnership--as His tool.
May your hearts be full of joy this holiday season. Remember what Paul said in 1 Th. 2:19-20, that we will share the joys of taking people with us to Heaven. It is a THRILL to see the Lord doing that through us as we serve in partnership with each of you!
With our love,
John & Bonnie Barnett - 1 Th. 2:19-20
October 2022 Partner Update
Dear Fellow Citizens of Heaven--
Thank you for helping us to serve here in Europe this month. This comment from one of our students captures what we love to do so much. The student said--
Teacher John that class message was deep, it went straight to the heart, it was confirmation and the answer to my spiritual warfare. Now I feel comfortable, talking to the saints of God and the Lost. Thank you so much for helping me with this spiritual warfare, God Bless
Bonnie & I live in student housing, walk almost a mile each way to the grocery store, carry our food and water back to the apartment, and then climb four flights of stairs to our place. When we open the door and walk into this totally different world than we ever dreamed of when we started on the mission field in 2017--we both smile, and one or the other says, "These are the BEST days of our lives!"
We love every challenging and tiring minute we are here because God is using us to touch so many students' lives.
Here are our three BIGGEST delights of October--
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- TRANSFORMED LIVES--We taught several classes on "Denying Ungodliness by Grace" where we taught the students the daily disciplines of reading the Word devotionally, applying it to specific areas of our lives by prayer, and finding a small group to cultivate personal accountability.
- LIFE-LONG HABITS: One of our precious moments was when we explained, demonstrated, and testified about how "Scripture Memorization & Meditation" has changed our lives. I showed the students my verses cards I'm using here in Europe each day (they are picture files in Apple Notes of the dozens of worn-out, dog-eared cards I carried in the USA over the years). Then we showed them how to choose a verse, memorize a verse, and start to prayerfully meditate on that verse. The results are astounding when they see life-long struggles with specific sins start to fade as they apply the Sword of the Spirit to their specific struggle.
- EUROPEANS REACHING EUROPEANS--We were able to lead a "How to Share the Gospel" training session complete with marking the Romans Road in their Bibles, a demo on how to witness, and a long-term prayer strategy for reaching people around us with the Gospel. Then we launch them each week to go out and try to share what God has done in their life with someone this week. We also participate and have some wonderful witnessing appointments the Lord always gives us.
We all have been through an amazing month of global and local events. I just love reading the news over here in Europe that is so completely different than the news we hear in America. Praying for each of you who so faithfully stand with us over here as we serve. We hope to make it back to the States by Thanksgiving unless the Lord Returns--and then we will look for you in Glory!
Yours Because His,
John & Bonnie Barnett
Hebrews 13:20-21