integration

One of the course requirements at Biola University is to take an Integration Seminar class as an upper division Bible Elective. As a Christian Education Major I decided to go with the class topic of Christian Ministry. The class is well done, a lot of stuff goes over my head, but there are some gold nuggets that I pull out every once in a while.

Today was a good day in the class and I took away some great stuff. One of those things was how do people come to be a Christian? What makes someone want to choose being a Christian over living the "good life" in the world? How do I, as a Christian leader in the church present the Christian life with all of it's ups and downs as better than living in the world?

It came down to two things that really struck me between the eyes.

1) For a long time, the church has tried to present the Christian life as something far better, and in a way easier, than living in the world. We came to the realization that this isn't true. Being a Christian is hard, probably the hardest thing any of us could ever do. But it comes down to instant versus delayed gratification.

Living in the world allows for instant gratification through sex, drugs, alcohol, and other things that allow for a momentary high but not a lasting one. Many people live high to high because that is "the good life".

However, for a Christian it is all about delayed gratification. Matthew 10:39 says, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." This means that as a Christian we must deny self and take on the attributes and lifestyle of Christ. In this way we will find deeper and more meaningful life. It is a hard thing to do because it means denying the instant gratification of the world in order to have greater fulfillment both on this earth and in eternity.

So to apply this to kids, students and adults it is important to capitalize on their desire to learn based on their life stage and create a desire for delayed gratification. If a deep desire for this can be attained, churched kids would not fall away from the faith because of the denial of self that is so prevalent in their lives.

2) The other conclusion from class is that soul work is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit. It is not for me to carry a burden to keep kids out of this or that, but for me to pray for their souls and the burdens that people face each day. Through prayer and faith the Lord's will is done and people are changed for eternity.

There is much work for me to do, I can not think it's all the Holy Spirit's job because it is his job to work in people's hearts through what we do in ministry. But with prayer the responsibility is lessened and our faith and love for the Lord is strengthened.

I hope this isn't too jumbled to understand...I'm still working through it myself. I just have a strong desire to see pain and suffering be a result to living for the Lord and not for the world.

life is good

So I haven't posted in about a week, so I thought I would update (to the zero reader base that I have...) that life is good! In the last week I was able to finish a research paper on time, get through classes and excel at them I believe, and to attend Biola's annual Mission Conference.

Missions Conference, MC, is completely student run and is all about mission work in the world. It was a very exciting time on campus and I'm sure many people made commitments to missions. For me however, I heard more than anything the call to release our lives to God and live missionaly. This means to me, to allow God to call me anywhere and believe and trust in him of the plan he has for my life.

So I'm doing that. God is taking me in new places, and new adventures are beginning. I can't wait to see where God takes me over the next weeks, months, years, and for the rest of my life. I'm on borrowed time, so I'm going to live for the lender: My King!

i can only imagine...

Every time I think of death I come to this song by Mercy Me. It all started my junior year of high school when my band director passed away very suddenly to cancer. At his funeral this song was played and since then I use it to reflect on life and death and heaven.

Why am I listening to it now? Well I just found out that a former professor, mentor, and friend of mine has brain cancer. Why? Why God would you allow him to get sick, especially like this? There is no hope to be seen except in a miracle. Please Lord, give him a miracle.

Why is there so much pain and suffering in the world? Why does God allow for people to suffer and die, especially people who have lived their whole life in service to you and desire nothing more than to raise up the next generation of Christian leaders.

And how could this be your plan, your will? I know it is, I don't doubt, but why? That's my real question...why would you let this happen? Why would you will it to happen? Why can't I see what you see, the bigger picture? Father God, I don't understand...

Isaiah 45:9 says: “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?"

God I'm not questioning you because I know in my heart that you are in control. I do not doubt, but it still hurts. And on a surface level does not make sense at all. Please Lord, help me to see your will. Maybe it's for me, for me to be processing and thinking through this...but I sure hope not because no man's life is worth that lesson.

Father, I pray for a miracle. I ask you to save his life, to cure him from the cancer and do your work through his sickness and not through his death. Please father, spare his life and allow him to continue serving you. I love you and trust in you God. I trust in you. Amen.

global freedom

Tonight I got the privileged to attend a special event at my church. It was called a spotlight dessert which is a fancy way of putting together a night to talk about giving to the capital campaign at my church. However, this is like no other capital campaign I have ever seen.

The campaign is called Global Freedom: Empowering Tomorrow's Generation Today. It's really an amazing vision and I am so excited to be apart of it. The idea is that our church is called to something great. We are going off of Acts 1:8 where Jesus says to the leaders of the early church at his ascension into heaven to go be his witness in Judea, Samaria and even to the ends of the Earth. For my church we are breaking up this campaign into 3 phases.

Judea: Our local church. Building projects on sight to increase our home church ministry.

Samaria: Our community. Partnering with existing ministries in impacting the people throughout our community.

The Ends of the World: Specifically for my church this is India. We believe that we have been called to eradicate the caste system there and free an entire people group, the Dalits.

This spotlight event however was very moving for me. It was a time to hear about the vision in a very media driven way. But it was very personal as well. Personal stories were shared about the vision and how financially supporting the campaign would impact lives for the Kingdom of God.

As a college student and an intern at the church I don't have that much money rolling around for me to put towards a capital campaign. But the beauty of this whole Global Freedom Movement is that I believe it to be necessary. Necessary to act, to be apart of, to sacrifice, and to trust.

Yesterday I was writing curriculum for some elementary age students on the story of Moses. It was about how he had to trust in God to help him lead the Israelites out of Egypt and towards the promised land. As I got to the end of the lesson and started hitting on some application points I asked the kids if they could trust God. I then started piecing together in my head, that just like Moses, my church is trying to free a people group.

I got some goosebumps then, but tonight at the spotlight dinner the story of Moses was brought up again. I feel like God is calling me to be apart of another story of Moses. I don't know what it's going to look like or how I can possibly be financially involved in this, but I am going to trust God to make it work.

God places opportunities in our life for a reason. Global Freedom is an opportunity for me to be apart of what God wants to do in the world, but more importantly it allows God to do something in my heart. God doesn't force his way into my heart, he allows me the opportunity to meet him and grow by experiencing his will.

Global Freedom is his will for my church and for me personally. I am getting on board with the expectation for great things, both in my life and in the world.

the beginning of this journey

Life is a journey. From the moment we are born to the moment we die we are all traveling on the road of life.

ὁδὸς is a Greek word that means road or journey. The word is pronounced hodos with the vowel "o" being pronounced long. ὁδὸς has become the definition of life to me.

As I begin this blog my desire is to share this journey (ὁδὸς) with you. I want to share with you what the Lord is teaching me and how I am growing into the person he desires for me to be. I'm not sure what this is going to look like yet, but it is bound to be interesting. As you read this blog you will learn more about who I am and hopefully more about how God is actively working in my life.

Will you join me on "myhodos"?