Johnson Raih, PhD student in Homiletics and a right hand man to Paul Windsor at SAIACS (South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies) in Bangalore shares a few snippets in his own words about his involvement in Langham Preaching.
How did Jesus find you?
Jesus found me on my sick bed. I was 16 and living far from home at a boarding school. After a week of sickness with no loved ones around and no telephone facility, my only hope was to turn to Jesus. During this time of anxiety and fear for my life, the Holy Spirit helped me remember my Sunday school lessons and my parents’ teachings that I must receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour to inherit eternal life. The Holy Spirit convicted me of my sins and I confessed and surrendered my life to him.
What does serving Jesus look like for you this week?
I am pursuing my PhD in Homiletics at SAIACS and so, at the moment, I am spending more time in my research work than in preaching and training preachers. But, I assist Paul Windsor in his teaching of preaching at SAIACS and I am also involved in a local church in Bangalore, volunteering myself as a Sunday school teacher. In the college cell group setting, I try to meet and encourage fellow students.
What do you enjoy about working with Langham Preaching?
I like feasts, especially ‘Word feasts’. Langham Preaching is like this, prioritising the authority of God’s Word ahead of techniques, no matter how vital they are for good preaching. Working with people who revere God’s Word brings deep satisfaction and tranquillity. On a practical front, the simple, yet systematic, materials for personal development and training make the learning process memorable.
Langham Preaching is like this, prioritising the authority of God’s Word ahead of techniques, no matter how vital they are for good preaching.
Share a resource that has helped you in your preaching.
For me, with the Holy Spirit’s leading, it was John Stott’s book, I Believe in Preaching that influenced my call into the preaching ministry. It has become one of the pillars that anchored my heart in the necessity, power and confidence of preaching. Darrell Johnson’s The Glory of Preaching and Timothy Keller’s Preaching have also had a tremendous impact on my understanding and passion as a preacher.
Whilst pursuing his own doctoral studies in preaching, Johnson is also Paul Windsor’s (International Director for Langham Preaching and lecturer in Homiletics at SAIACs) Teaching Assistant in the MA and MTh modules. Johnson has been very involved in grassroots training in NE India with Langham Preaching, and will continue with this in the future.