Prepare to Share, Dare to Care

In our minds (those of Christians), we often picture ourselves standing on a stage with thousands in the audience. If we (the speaker) looked around, we'd picture some listening, some sobbing, some with their heads rested between their hands, some trying to hold in all the emotions with silent tears falling down their cheeks, while others sit as cold as ever. We imagine a beautiful, inspiring soundtrack playing, while the rest of the world sits silently as our voice echos throughout the giant stadium. We picture thousands falling on their knees with their hands raised high begging for the Lord to save their lives and break apart the chains holding them to their pasts, illnesses, and temptations. 

At least, when I hear the word evangelism, this is what I imagine.

The first time I shared my testimony, it was over a phone. Yeah, that's right. Horrible idea. The next time, I was sitting in the middle of a game room with clashing pool balls and loud, obnoxious music playing in the background so loud I had to repeat everything twice and I lost my voice. The time after was given over lunch in a room so silent I thought I could hear the drop of sweat that ran off my back hit the floor. 

Then, one Friday night I was driving home to finally share my testimony on a stage, which I thought would finally come close to what I pictured my "perfect testimony-sharing stage" to look like. Man...was I wrong. I walked out of church that Sunday from filling two back-to-back forty minute sermon time slots with my head a mess. I had said what I planned to, but somehow it didn't come out like I had practiced. I kind of got the reaction I expected to, but not totally. I went back and listened to the recording and, I kid you not, probably got a concussion from hitting my head against the wall every time I heard myself say "um." I hated every bit of how I told my story. I felt inadequate and I should have talked about God more. There are so many "should haves." I wish I could press rewind on the whole thing just to make a second attempt. 

The thing is, I walked away that day disheartened. I felt like I had failed God. I felt like I had failed everyone in my story. Returning home, I remember seeing some people in the following weeks who negatively impacted my life (though I had not mentioned their names) and getting glaring looks as if I had lied to the entire world. I remember Satan filling my head with the thought that I should quit sharing because nobody believes me and I am a liar--like the pain I had felt in my past was something I made up.

Little did I know in one of the rows near the front a very lost young man wept that Sunday. That day a child of God was returned after so much searching and years of pain. That man was not supposed to be there, yet he showed up. His grandparents approached me with tears in their eyes weeks after that Sunday and told me their grandson dedicated his life to Christ that day and he feels brand new. 

Little did I know.

I took a leap of faith and trusted God that He would use my story to save the lives of others. I told Him I wanted to be used. After beating myself up for weeks about how and what I had shared, God proved His faithfulness, even when my trust fled. The moment Satan tried to burn up my desire to share the Gospel, Jesus came and put it out. 

I would do it all over again. I would receive those hateful texts that left me wondering late at night why I try. I would stand on the stage and share the exact same message and go through the same experiences I spent my life trying to survive. I would do it again.

For that one person. For that one, young man who decided to randomly show up at church the same Sunday I thought I spoke and thought I totally blew it. 

How sweet is our Lord? How sweet are His mercies and His faithfulness to show up even when we flee the midst of the battle? He calls us back and not only allows us to continue fighting behind Him, but uses us to win impossible battles.

It was not my story that saved that man, it was the grace of God. How sinful is it to think of my story as my own--to place the weight of saving lost souls on my own shoulders? How much disappointment in myself must I experience before I realize how God sees me and allowing Him to "take the wheel"?

What about your story? Are you willing to allow Jesus to use you, despite any wounds you may receive from this fallen world?

Sharing your personal testimony is one of the hardest, yet most rewarding opportunities you will ever experience. The question is, how does one prepare a personal testimony? This summer we have learned that anything we say can be more effective if we know how to organize our thoughts. Testimonies have to be simple, clear, and intriguing. Here are some ...

Do's and Don'ts of giving a testimony:

| DO |

1. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and guidance.
2. Use a three point outline describing your life before Christ, how you came to know Him as your Savior, and what your life has looked like after receiving Him.
3. Use a attention-grabbing beginning with a thought-provoking ending.
4. Explain in a way that associates others to your story.
5. Arouse interest.
6. Use one to two verses.

| DO NOT!! |

1. Use Christian jargon, such as "saved," "convicted," or "converted."
2. Be too wordy.
3. Speaking extravagantly.
4. Mention denominations.
5. Give the impression becoming a Christian makes life perfect and easy.

When your are ask to share your testimony, be sure to:

1. Share with enthusiasm about how the Holy Spirit has transformed you!
2. Speak loudly and clearly.
3. Avoid mannerisms that distract.
4. Avoid using a preachy tone.
5. Smile!
6. Memorize it and practice until it becomes natural!

When sharing with a non-believer, make sure to ask questions to see where they are in their walk with the Lord by asking questions, such as:

1. What are three words that would describe your life?
2. Do you have any religious background?
3. How would you explain Christianity to a non-believer?

Moreover, when you are sharing, make sure you CARE for that person in a way that makes your testimony uplifting, not heavy or points them away from the Gospel.

DARE TO CARE ABOUT THAT PERSON THROUGH YOUR TESTIMONY AND PREPARE TO SHARE YOUR HEART!

I hope you share and fully trust that our gracious Lord may use you.

God's WILL for Your Life

Have you ever down and wondered why life just does not work out sometimes? Have you ever questioned God and asked Him why you had to go through the suffering or experience you did or why something you wanted ended up in total chaos?

Me, too. 

In fact, we all have. To say you have never questioned if God was real or if His plan for your life was actually good would be similar to a athlete questioning their coach if his or her workout plan is actually beneficial or if the purpose is only to inflict pain and injury.

Often times, I find myself questioning if God's plan is actually good--if in the end it will all be worth it--if the pain will be worth it. Looking back on life, I would not hesitate to say yes--it was all worth it. If I did not see the reward and strength I acquired from those experiences, then I would not be sitting here blogging today and you would not be reading my thoughts.

ALL Christians debate God's WILL for their lives. We know the Bible mentions our hearts and nature are controlled by God, as stated in Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, and Proverbs 21:1. We KNOW God is in control, but do we actually feel it? 

Often, we mistake God's WILL as a desire for something we think WILL happen verses knowing God is in control so it WILL happen as He sees fit.

Control is something we struggle with a human beings. We desire taking the wheel and going where we think is best, despite knowing God knows everything. Sometimes, we get caught up in the thought that God is too busy to help us, so we carry mountains of things that were only meant for God's shoulders and for us to climb. 

Even Satan knew of this deep desire for control. He knew he could tempt Eve with the thought of knowing good and evil in order to have control over her own life. We want control. God reveals Himself through nature and the Word, but Satan twists how we perceive those two things and convinces us with outstanding arguments that God is not _______ (whatever we are doubting).

Karl Geary said in the talk, "God's Will for Your Life,"

“Rebellion against God is rebellion against goodness itself.”

As humans, we put on masks. We pretend everything is okay. As a Christian, I myself have put on a smile and "faked it till I made it." I told people I was trusting in the Lord with specific things and for His plans in my life, but inside I was fearful. Outwardly I would confess that God would supply for me, but inwardly I was still trying to convince myself of the words I just spoke to someone else. 

It was inauthentic faith. Instead of practicing my faith, the Lord showed me I was practicing my doubt. Let us be honest, we do not have faith a lot of time. Instead of faking faith, I needed to become honest with God. He wants us to talk with Him and He already knows what we have to say, all we have to do is open our mouths. 

Authentic faith is trusting in things we cannot see. It's not just believing in God, but BELIEVING HIM (AND HIS WORDS). We must believe Him to believe in His works. 

So, the question is...

Do you not only trust God's power, but do you trust His love?

God's WILL will happen.

Chances are, if we had met the Pharisees and if they were living right now, we would feel guilty (the Church) for trash talking them so much because in our eyes they would look like the perfect Christians. ARE WE NOT PRETENDING LIKE WE ARE PERFECT? Do we not pretend as much as the Pharisees and sometimes MISS THE MARK and what God ACTUALLY HAS IN STORE FOR US? 

Last week, a staff member spoke chapter 8 of Romans from memory. I looked around the room and realized only a few students were watching him, while the rest were looking down at their Bibles. IS THIS NOT LIKE THE CHURCH TODAY? Only a small percentage of believers will see God's miracles and experience His wondrous love because the rest are too busy doing other things in His name and so wrapped up in living a perfect life to even LOOK UP AND SEE HIS POWER. No, this staff member is not God, but that moment, in my eyes, made me recognize how blind some of us are--how arrogant we are to think we can read or live out the Bible better than anyone else to even look up and sit in awe of who God is.

Max Lucado once said,

And it also makes me smile to think there is a grinning ex-con walking the golden streets who knows more about grace than a thousand theologians. No one else would have given him a prayer. But in the end that is all he had. And in the end, that is all it took.

It blows my mind to realize God is more concerned with what we are doing, than what we achieve. Many Christians will have huge testimonies and will have saved thousands of others, but there will be saints among them in Heaven who did not save one other person, but loved unconditionally and like Jesus did. So, do you treasure Him? What are you pursuing? What do you delight in, daydream about, long for, or ask God for?

God wants you to have those things, but if those things are what you desire over God, do they even matter?

Psalm 27:4 speaks to this. In order to pursue God, we must remember the gospel every day and the miracle that takes place (2 Peter 3:9, Hebrews 12).

Once your eyes are set on God, how will God work?

Sorry to break it to you, but you are not that important. Psalm 103 speaks to this. You will become dirt when you die.

Therefore, we must remember God is God. We are small and He is large.

John the Baptist was questioned about how he felt about Jesus baptizing people and "taking away his business." He responded, "He must increase and I must decrease. Therefore my joy is complete."

God's love is not a ditch where He is waiting for us to fall off on either side of. It is a valley where we are taking little steps in the right direction trusting that God will show us the way. 

Karl dove in Matthew 25 that talks about the master who entrusted his servants with a sum of money. One of the three doubled the money because he had faith. Karl then said, "Make sure we're faithful in the small decisions now and God MIGHT entrust you with more in the future."

We may never be entrusted with anything more, but we must trust everything to Him. We must know what God wants and how He works through reading the Bible and seeing what He says.

Psalm 37:4 talks about delighting in the Lord. We must pursue Him by examining our desires and having a heart after the Lord. We must not only examine our desires, but our abilities and opportunities as well. God gifted us with abilities and moments to use for His glory. We must be faithful with what we have now.

All in all, "If you can't walk a direction do not try going there."

I Want A Relationship!!

Lucas and Ariana Cecka gave the relationships talk yesterday before church.

The Goal?

To establish your view of gospel-centered relationships and to give you some guiding principles.

THE Relationship

The ultimate relationship our hearts were designed for would be the vertical one -- the one that ties us to our Heavenly Father.

We are all spiritually unclean. On the outside, we can portray ourselves white as snow, but on the inside we have leprosy. Not only are we unclean, but our hearts are damaged and not white as snow in any regards. 

Ariana presented a clip from the original Disney Beauty and the Beast. This clip included the scene the very beginning of the movie where the young man is turned into a beast because there was no love in his heart. In some ways, we are the beast. Our hearts are just as ugly as his. However, Jesus was Belle--the woman who fell in love with the ugly beast and saved him from eternal death. Belle saved the beast, even though he deserved death--this is true love.

Jesus loved us when we were unlovable. We, as Christians, need to realize we need Jesus more than a significant other or friend. Our hearts are craving someone to fill us up completely and look at our ugly, sinful hearts and love us despite the darkness in our lives. Only God can fulfill that desire--the desire to be loved unconditionally and completely. 

"Everyone is looking for someone who is looking for you" - Ariana Cecka.

We are all searching for something or someone to fill the emptiness inside our hearts, until we allow Jesus to overwhelm our hearts with HIS love we will search for eternity for something to fill only He can.

God created horizontal relationships for us to delight in, too.

If He is filling us up, then He can fuel and lead our horizontal relationships as well. Our hearts will overflow with love that can seep into all of our other relationships if we allow God to work.

Marriage is a biblical example of the closest relationship we have that can relate to ours with God. However, marriage is NOT the mission. Marriage is disappointing because we are human and sin exists. 

C. S. Lewis once said, "There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love, or first think of some foreign country, or first take up some subject that excites us, are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning, can really satisfy."

This is so true! However, Jesus is our mission so marriage is being on mission together. Jesus IS the mission. Marriage can be a shadow of the pleasure God will offer in Heaven. Yes, it is broken, but it is also a glimpse of how much He wants us to delight in His works and in each other. 

Colossians 2:17 states, "Theses are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah." 

Though marriage is NOT the mission, it IS being on mission together -- to image Christ and the Church. Ephesians 5:22-23 talks about wives submitting to their husbands and husbands are also called to love their wives how Jesus loved on earth. Husbands are called to give all of themselves for their wife's joy, while wives are called to respond attentively and joyfully to his lead. It should look like a dance where the man leads while his wive submits but is attentive and helping him lead in the best way he can. Genesis 2:24 talks about Adam and Eve and their perfect relationships before the fall.

There are two biblical principles to build a marriage on:

1. Must be someone of the opposite sex
2. Must be a Christian

Love is not a feeling, but a commitment. Feelings can come and go and if we built marriages upon those feelings that relationship will break when the feelings are no longer there. However, if we look at it as a commitment it will fuel the feelings and affections, such as in 1 John 4:10.

So, what about friendships?

For the most part, there are two ditches when it comes with growing close to the opposite sex. The first is avoidance and the other is over indulgence. For avoidance, ask yourself why you avoid and what your fear actually is. When it comes to over indulgence, ask yourself what you are really chasing after.

To have quality, God-honoring friendships, we must relate to one another as family. John 13:34-35 talks about Jesus and His calling of us to love one another as He loved us on earth. Our mission must be to: Display the love Jesus has for you in your friendships.

Why do we date? We either date coming from a cultural perspective or a Christian one. Culture tells us dating is for "trying on" people to see who you will best "fit" with while Christians date to pursue marriage. 

As a Christian, how can we pursue dating relationships that honor God?

For one, we can PURSUE CLARITY over intimacy. If intimacy is prioritized then emotions and physical affections will lead the relationship, but if clarity becomes the priority then pursuing relational purity will be a bit easier. Dating is the evaluation stage--look for someone who is mature and surrounds himself with good community while pursuing you with God-honoring intentions and don't forget to have FUN. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 and 1 Corinthians 6:18 seek to this standpoint.

Secondly, date to PRIORITIZE Jesus. Let your dating mission become: displaying Jesus as you pursue clarity for marriage.

Thirdly, use COMMUNITY! Date vulnerably by telling every detail of your relationship to an individual or group of women or men who will lead your intentions, heart, mind, and emotions back to Jesus. Proverbs 18:1 backs this up. 

Take risks because we're safe with God"
- Ariana Cecka (Proverbs 11:14).

Built Up

Zach Simmons has led the last two personal worship training talks: "Built Up by the Bible & Built Up Through Prayer."

Built Up by the Bible

He introduced the session by saying,

"Christianity is about a person, not an ethnic idea."
- Zach Simmons

His goal for the session was for students to treasure the means God has given to them to relate to Him. 

Colossians 3:16 says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

Simmons summoned three questions to the front of our brains:

1. Why do we need the Bible to be true?
2. What does it mean for us to dwell richly?
3. Why should we want it to dwell in us richly?

Jesus is on every page of the Bible, whether or not we recognized that. We need to dwell richly in the Bible because it is required in order to stake our lives on it. We have to submit to it--sleep on it. Also, we should want and desire it to dwell within us in order to see God's glory.

He wrapped up the conversation by using an analogy between a window and chalet. Most of the time, we stand in the window looking at the Swiss Alps, aka. our lives or faith or anything really, but that was not what we were created for.

We were made for mountains, not mirrors.

Built Up Through Prayer

The goal of this talk was to establish how we treasure God's gift of prayer.

Colossians 4:2 states, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." The Bible calls us to prayer, but why?

Simmons made three points.

1. Why is it so difficult?

• To experience God, we must be present.
  • Real moments evoke things we don't want to feel. There are three ways to push off feelings:
    1. Distract ourselves / capture feeling
    2. Dream of things we want / desire
    3. Divulge very little
  • We are afraid of God
  • We don't want to really feel God

1. What is prayer?

• Prayer is answering God
  • It is based off what we know of God - regardless of religion.
  • God is relational.
  • God demands a response to His glory.
  • Question: Am I worthy to pray?

1. Why should we want to pray?

• It is an invitation into the dance of God's glory.
• It is an extension of His glory.
• Who do we dance with? 
  • We dance with a King who is majestic, just, merciful, and gracious.
  • We dance with a Father who sees us as His delight, He is our friend, and His dependent.

God loves you just because He loves you. He does not have to love you, but He chooses to. 

Takeaway:

To be established in Christ, how important is it for you to continue steadfastly in prayer?

Prayer should be a conversation. It should be candid and completely honest. It should be consistent and specific.

Prayer should include:
A. adoration - what is praise-worthy
C. confession - how have I rejected God?
T. thanksgiving - how has He provided for me?
S. supplication - what are my needs and what do I need to resupply?

Ain't Nothin Like The Country Life

Week 1's LOW COUNTRY BOIL SOCIAL was sweeter than some southern sweet tea.

Or was it...

Festivities included some redneck eatin' of some tasty corn, sausage, and potatoes, goodwill-bought outfits, carnival games, prizes, a watermelon eating contest, kickin' karaoke, and line dancing.

Can I Trust Jesus With My Money?

Alberto Ramos opened Sunday's life training topic on finances by asking the question,

"How do you view money?"

Students took a few moments to write down their thoughts. Then, Alberto went on to say the Bible brings up the topic of money 2,000 times, so it must be important? 

"We don't worship money, we worship what money can give us."
-Alberto

Matthew 6:1-4 talks about giving to the needy. It mentions those who practice righteousness in front of others in order to be seen by them will not receive their reward in Heaven. It pleads for believers to give in secret. Verse 24 draws in the idea that man cannot worship both money and God. Man, when put in that position, will hate one and love the other, but not serve both equally well.

Alberto made three points:

We use money as a means to happiness.

• Why do we strive to buy earthly happiness when we have treasures in Heaven?
• Matthew 6:19-21 discusses this,“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
• Whatever we spend our money on, that shows where our heart is.
• Many believe if we can get _____ or be ______, then we will be happy, but this is not true.

We use money as a means to acceptance.

• We compare and want to be a part of the "in crowd" so much.
• We desire status and fame, often times we use money to achieve both.

We use money as a means to get security.

• There is no promise our money will be there tomorrow.
• James 4:14-15 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
• The desire for money is not bad. What is bad is how you go about that.

So, the question is: 

What are you longing for?

God offers us all of these things!!

Hes offers us:

1. Joy - Psalm 16:11 - He will give joy to us HIMSELF!
2. Unconditional Acceptance - Colossians 1:21-22 - He RECONCILED US!
3. Security - Hebrews 13:5-6 - What can man do to us when we have God?
4. Grace - Romans 8:32 - If He gave us things based on who we are, we'd be in Hell.

God gave up His son for those who rejected Him, so who are we to become stingy and not give to others? Luke 18 goes on to describe how it is important to give up everything in our hearts, but it is impossible without God. Only He can change our hearts.

Practicals:

1. Be Thankful - 1 Timothy 6:6-10
2. Be generous
3. Give sacrificially - Trust giving will hurt and cause us to have to say no to other things.
4. Be a steward of your money - spend wisely.
5. Be accountable
6. Spend time in prayer - We are naturally selfish, so God must change our hearts.

Evangelism Training - Bridge to Life

On Wednesday the entire population of project walked to the beach and shared the gospel.

Emotions regarding this afternoon activity were all over the board varying from nervousness to excitement. The best part of sharing the gospel is you start to realize where you stand yourself. Your own beliefs, insecurities, and questions are uncovered by the simple arguments non-believers present.

Right before walking to the beach for the first time to evangelize, Alberto Ramos offered up knowledge on establishing evangelism through hands on training and discussion. He talked about what the Gospel is and what it is not. First, he asked us to write down and describe what we thought the Gospel is. Many responses stated it is sharing what God did through the death of His son, Jesus, on the cross (Romans 1:16-17). Then Ramos brought up what the Gospel is not by listing several things:

• Is not good news without bad news
• A call to perfection
• A formula
• The Basics (Meaning, the Gospel is not ABC’s, but A through Z).
• Good Advice

Alberto went on to discuss four points: (1) Who is God, (2) Who are we, (3) What God has done, and (4) How should we respond.

1. Who is God? Acts 17:5 says we cannot serve God. We cannot serve someone who cannot be served because He does not need us to serve Him—He is all powerful. Colossians 1:15-20 says we are not like God because we are human.
2. Who are we? We are broken image bearers of the true King. Genesis 1:27 says we were created in His image, but we are sinful, so we are broken. Colossians 1:21 and Colossians 2:13 back up who we are also.
3. What has God done? God has made a way. Colossians 1:13-14 says He has not only delivered us from sin, but transferred us. Colossians 2:13-14 proves Jesus paid our debts. 2 Corinthians 5:21 claims God made Jesus to become sin in order to take our own upon Himself.
4. So, how should we respond? By faith—we should respond with overwhelming faith. Our heavenly father wants nothing from us. All He desires is us to want Him back. God has not only desired us but sought after us when we were sinners. Even when we did not want Him, He ran after us and continues to do so. He wants our attention—our lives. He also wants us to share with others.

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

-Proverbs 24:11

To evangelize, we used the Bridge to Life diagram.

We based our evangelism on Romans 6:23—For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Basically, we offered a bridge to fill the gap to life. People truly believe there are different paths to God, but only one leads to eternal life. The Biblical way is found within Romans 6:23. The left cliff, where we are stuck before accepting Christ into our hearts, finds us burdened and cut off from God due to the wages of our sins and our eternal death due to those sins. Wages, sin, and death are three words that can describe non-believers and the unsaved. However, on the right side God stands calling out to us. He is offering, through Jesus, a free gift—something without cost. Words to describe the cliff that God stands on are: free gift, God, and eternal life.

So, how do we bridge the gap? Well, we bridge it through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. However, receiving Christ requires repentance and trust. We must turn away from rebellion and trusting that good works can save us because they cannot. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly points out we cannot save ourselves.

Three questions we must ask ourselves are:

1. Which side of the chasm are you on?
2. Which side do you want to be on?
3. What is keeping you from trusting Jesus?

Really, you are asking yourself if you see yourself as your own savior or if you see Jesus Christ as your eternal key and savior.

Before accepting Christ to bridge the gap between us and God, we are sinful and try to save ourselves with good deeds, religion, mortality, and philosophy. However, John 14:6 clearly points out the only way we can be saved, such as described in the image below.

There are four things we must recognize when a person receives Christ:

1. God forgives all of your sins – Colossians 2:13
2. You become a child of God – John 1:12
3. You will never be separated by God’s love –Romans 8:38-39
4. The Spirit of God dwells in you – Ephesians 1:13-14

We are no longer condemned to eternal Hell. Jesus Christ saved us from that horrible, everlasting death—how blessed are we?!

Week One - Worth It or Nah?

Wow.

An entire week at project has already come and gone.

According to some people, the days have flown while others claim each day felt like an entire week. I think so far the realization that we are literally living on the beach in South Carolina (hopefully) pursuing Jesus with everything we got has not hit a lot of people.  It definitely has felt like a whirlwind—kind of like summer camp where people arrive with abounding energy only to realize a week later that this summer will not just be constant rap battles, pool time, or walks on the beach. In fact, the level of energy it takes just to pay attention to daily devotions or life training surprises me.

From figuring out dress codes, recognizing how difficult it is to build deep relationships, breaking down walls that have been deeply imbedded into our hearts, becoming familiar with work, scheduling, and co-workers, and taking the first step towards sharing the gospel for the first time with a stranger on the beach have all had its challenges. Project so far has felt like a mixture of school, daily counselling sessions, figuring out how to live like a vacationer trying to eat healthy and richly while on a poor college student’s salary, yet feeling a strange mixture of highs and lows—abounding joy and overwhelming darkness on a wide scale for everyone. For some, project has become an amazing outlet to connect with other believers, while for others it has become a place that requires processing that causes both joy or pain. Everyone signed up for this trip, but not everyone brought the same type and amount of baggage. Personally, I think it is so neat to see how much one person can impact another, especially in a Christian environment—how each of our broken and overbearing baggage can help heal each other.

Looking back on the last ten days, I would not have it any other way. The pain we’ve felt—that I’ve felt—cannot compare to the joy that is coming. At least that is what my Bible continues to scream at me. Looking towards the coming weeks based off this past week makes me question if project was worth uprooting myself, moving across the country, leaving friends, family, plans, and summer traditions behind.

It was—and is—and I know will continue to be.

God is good. Whether we know it or not now, this summer will be the hardest, yet best summer of our lives. We all will grow in ways we never thought we needed to grow in. Jesus will break us and continue to do so until we realize He is the only glue that will permanently fix us. In fact, He will become the glue that not only fixes us but makes us better than we were brand new.

To become new, we have to expect tough growing pains. We have to prepare for battling our deepest, darkest parts of ourselves.

But I believe we are ready—and it will be worth it.

Summer Theme Announced!!

Lucas Cecka introduced this summer’s theme in the first session, which is:

ESTABLISHED!

The thought behind the theme is that we are all projects ourselves. Working on ourselves
as Christians calls us to become more established in Christ. The theme verse is:

COLOSSIANS 2: 6-7

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to
live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened
in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Why must we become established? Lucas gave an analogy of two ditches. One ditch represents our worldly thoughts and desires. Colossians 2:4-8 talks about how Paul was absent in body, but he was present in spirit and desired to encourage their walk with Christ. Paul calls his readers to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and to continue to build themselves in Him, “be rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing in thankfulness.” He also warns them to become dependent on Christ, not to become captives to deceptive philosophy and dependent upon tradition or spiritual forces. Therefore, we must be established so this doesn’t happen. The world is constantly pushing us to pursue things of this world that look satisfying. The second ditch described is that of self-righteousness. Colossians 1:23 talks about continuing in one’s faith by establishing and firming their spiritual foundation. “Both of these ditches are rejecting instead of receiving Christ,” Lucas pointed out. 

What does it mean to receive Him? First, it requires dying to self. Philippians 3:8 calls us to consider everything we once held close is now a loss because knowing Jesus Christ is worth more than anything we could ever desire. The overarching question is are we able to hold loosely to the things of this world? Secondly, receiving Christ is free and salvation is given away freely, without any catches. Colossians 2:13-14 states we are dead in our trespasses, but God made us alive by cancelling our record of debt. Overall, we must stop trying to earn what Jesus offers for free. 

Establishing ourselves within Christ and building a firm foundation within the Word is necessary. Developing a yearning for Christ to lead our lives is something we should desire as Christians. This summer is all about establishing a foundation within Christ. 

2018 Internships

Finance Internship

Need a financial internship this summer? Want to go to project, work part time at a job in SC as well as work a part-time finance internship?

Apply to be one of the two STP Finance Interns and help manage the budget, reimbursement process and manage our finances this summer. Work with Nick and gain valuable and transferable skills towards your future career while investing your summer in Myrtle Beach growing spiritually.

Internships starts in April, so apply by March 20th at noon and hear back by March 23rd. Applications are open to students confirmed attending STP 2018.

Pay is $10/hr for the STP Finance Internship.

Design Internship

We're looking for a design intern to help design the *top secret* STP theme logo! This internship takes place in March and the beginning of April and some additional hours during the summer. Applications are due March 20th at noon! 

The design internship includes working with Karen, COM's Communications Director, to develop a logo that will be used in the STP Notebook, banner and T-shirts. Also work with the STP student directors to coordinate the final design for the banners and T-shirts. Applications are open to students confirmed attending STP 2018.

Estimated commitment will be about 20 hours and the intern will be paid $10/hour.

Why are we so afraid to share the gospel in college?

This is an important question to ask while any Believer in Jesus is in college. I believe that the university setting is one of the best places to share with people the good news of Jesus Christ, but why is it that we so often do not? Steven Lee, the new lead pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church North Campus, wrote an article called Four Reasons We Don’t Share the Gospel last year, and I thought that it would help explain much of what we students learned this summer at Summer Training Project. 

Steven Lee goes through four obstacles to evangelism for most people, and I will do my best to connect these same points to college students:

1. Lack of Gospel Knowledge 

College students, even at Christian schools, have a huge problem sharing the gospel simply because they do not understand the gospel enough to articulate the truths of the gospel in a simple and coherent way. 

2. Apathy

This obstacle became increasingly evident throughout this summer as students began to look at their lives and reflected on what Christ’s work on the cross actually did. Students are perfectly content making friends and going to dinner with people, but when it comes to sharing the gospel with people, it always seems that we don't have enough time. 

3. Fear 

College age students already have many insecurities. We are still growing and becoming who we want to be, and we are afraid of people rejecting us because we are not enough for them. Sharing the gospel is just another reason for which people could reject us. We do not want to push people away, so we just end up saying nothing.

4. Lack of Compassion

God has revealed to me that in my heart, as in many other college students’ hearts, I do not understand the urgency for those who do not believe in Jesus, and because of that, I, most times, do not have compassion on them as I should if I truly understand the gravity of the situation. 

Summer Training Project has pointed to the good news of Jesus that changes everything. The community that I have gained while being in South Carolina, and the community that many other college students have gained will forever change the way that these students look at the world.

Steven Lee’s Four Steps to Sharing More:

1. Pray Together for the Lost

Throughout the summer, more than 100 students have prayed fervently for the students on their campus to understand that they can be made new through the truth that God sent Jesus down to earth so that we who are sinners could be in a relationship with a Holy God that has come to save us and be in a relationship with us. 

2. Recall the Gospel Together

After going through Ephesians, the students at project were able to not only preach the Gospel to each other, but the students were able to live in a community where each and every person was reminded of the gospel each and every day.

3. Apply the Gospel Together

Throughout the summer, we as students were able to not only remind each other about the Gospel, but we were able to apply the Gospel in real ways. During conflict, arguments, joys, pains, and victories, we were able to see how God has given each of us the ability to live freely in the joys of the Gospel and to unite in the comfort of Christ’s care. 

4. Prove the Power of the Gospel Together

With the believers at project, we were reminded of the sufficiency of God’s word to do his work for his purposes. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that the Gospel saves by grace through faith — apart formworks — as a free gift, and during the summer, many were able to trust, believe, and declare it for the first time.

God’s sweet love has been so evident this summer, and it was my pleasure experiencing the joys of Gospel-centered community with so many college students. Amen.

Powerlessness of Pain by the Suffering of Christ

Love is a dangerous thing; real love, even more dangerous, because real love opens the door to a grand world of pain. This week, Harmon Squires, the Project Director this year, led a discussion on Pain and Joy, which is usually a very difficult talk for all of us students here at Project. The more that I talk with students and ask them questions about their lives, the more I understand one simple truth: pain is everywhere. 

Pain is when your parents decide to separate you are only 10 years old, and when your little sister dies. Pain is when you get molested as a child, and when your dad abuses your mom. Pain is when you have never even met your dad, when you have no friends. Pain is when you think you are worthless, and when you can’t stand the sight of your own face in the mirror. Pain is when your boyfriend breaks your heart, and when you have a baby, and the father is not in the picture. Pain is when your mom has cancer, and when you have OCD. Pain is when you have a miscarriage, and when you try to commit suicide because life is just not worth living. 

Pain is real, and pain is hard. 

How can a college student possibly cope with such difficult pain in the midst of such difficult life transition? It seems almost impossible. However, the good news is that it is not impossible. 

I think of the overwhelming joy that I have in Christ. How can I have such joy with such horrific pain? The answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

We do not have a father that cannot feel our pain or that does not see our anguish. We were stuck in the pit of misery and hatred, but God did not let us wallow and die, but he took on flesh, came down to the lowest places (Ephesians 4:9), took hold of us in his arms (Mark 10:16), died for our sins so that we may be alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5), reconciled us with God (Ephesians 2:16), and ascended into heaven to free the captives (Ephesians 4:8). 

Because of this Good News, we are able to be free from our pain and suffering because of the pain and suffering that Jesus endured for us on the cross. This is all that we need. Pain doesn't just disappear then, we still experience pain because this world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14), therefore let us follow the words of Hebrews 12:2, and lift our eyes to Jesus and rest in his unfailing love.

As a Believer, when pain comes our way, it is different. On this earth, God does not necessarily take away our pain, but He promises to meet us in our pain. God promises us that He will comfort us in all our troubles because our comfort abounds through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-8). God’s goodness outweighs our pain. God’s glory shines brighter than the darkness of our troubled hearts. Because of that, we can take joy when we go through suffering because Jesus made it possible for us sinners to be with Him in paradise where no one will take away your joy (John 16:22). 

We, as Believers, also have the gift of a Community of Christ. When I feel defeated, I am able to turn to the people that God has provided to me in order that they may point to Christ when all seems hopeless. This is a simple but powerful gift. 

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Stop your Striving, Rest in Christ

By Madeline Heidi Meidt

Week Two After Relationships Week!

Pursuing a man or women and pursuing God have proven to produce an attitude of works based righteousness. The majority of my life has been trying to prove myself. My motives have changed throughout the years out of seasons of insecurity and confidence. Out of a spirit of insecurity, trying to prove to myself that I am worth it and that I am worthy of a relationship. In a spirit of confidence, thinking that I deserve a relationship because of how great I have made myself think I am. Both are seasons of selfishness, thinking I am entitled to a relationship and the pursuit of a man. I am human and deserve nothing but hell. I do not deserve a relationship, but because of the cross and the fact that Jesus is the son of God and died for my freedom, I am able to participate in the joys that this life brings and experience life eternal.

In this striving to prove myself, I become weary. It is so tiring trying to prove that I am worth it. I feel like I am not good enough the way I am, but need to put in extra effort to ensure that I am seen as someone worth spending time with. Laughing a little louder, telling extra funny stories, and perfecting how I look to make myself just a little more noticeable. All of these things are striving, trying to make myself better than I may seem, or than I view myself. At times, I’ve wondered why I go to bed so emotionally drained when I am interested in someone. It is this reason: I strive, and I end up dissatisfied and empty when the attention is not returned. I want to be pursued, I want someone to desire me.

The saddest part is that I do the exact same thing with God. I do not believe that the cross is enough. I pursue God, trying to make him notice me more. I read my Bible, make sure I go to church, and write an extra page in my prayer journal, all with the motivation of making myself seem more desirable to God. I want to gain his attention so I can take from him, not to know his heart more. This is striving. I am striving to gain God’s approval. I want him to look at me and say, “Wow, you are so good. I am so proud of you for doing all of these great things. Great job finding and choosing me.” None of that is true! God does not look at me, proud of my good works. He looks at me and sees Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus is saying, “Father, I paid it all. It is finished, they are yours forever.” My good works are useless compared to what Jesus did on the cross. Thinking that I can earn God’s approval is saying that Jesus is not enough and that Jesus paid most of the debt, but the rest has to be completed by myself. I did not choose God, he pursued me. He came after me into this world to free me forever.

There is no way I would ever desire to turn from my sin and toward Jesus. It is a miracle that the Lord would enter into my heart and change me forever, so I would despise sin and want to know him more. I am SO unworthy, incredibly undesirable, and the lowest of the low. My freedom from sin cannot have anything to do with what I could do. That does not make sense. It has everything to do with Jesus! Jesus did everything. Jesus came, died, rose again, and conquered death, and now reigns forever in heaven with his Father, having freed the world from sin by bridging the gap. It is finished. The work I do on earth does not change that. Because of that, I no longer have to prove myself to God. I can read my Bible with the desire to know Jesus more and to see more of the Gospel, not because I want Jesus to love me more. I go to Church because I want to be around believers and because Church shows me more of Jesus, not because I want other people to see how good I am. I can find joy where I am because Jesus freed me from my sin.

God doesn’t love me because of the things that I do. He loves me because of Jesus. He is constantly pursuing my heart and has been since the beginning of time as he constantly proves himself faithful, kind, and beautiful. He allures me. “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Heartbreak, a door of hope,” Hosea 2:14–15. He knows me, he created me, and he understands my heart better than I could ever understand my heart. He does not want me tired and worn out in my pursuit of proving myself. Instead he says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” Matthew 11:28–30. How amazing is that? Jesus is saying, “stop your striving! Instead, take my yoke. Take what I have done on the cross and there you will find rest for your soul.”

Stop striving, stop trying to become enough. You will never be enough apart from Christ. Allow God to pursue you and experience that rest. The same is true for our earthly relationships as a marriage between a man and a woman represents Christ and his pursuit of the church. As I said in point one, your relationship status has nothing to do with you. God is completely sovereign, completely in control, he knows what is best for you, what will give you the most joy, and the most growth. Rest in God’s merciful kindness and your identity in Christ.

Hope Found in Christ, Not in Relationships

The following two blog posts come from my Fiancée, who was, at the time of her writing, single and in no way expecting to be engaged one year later. Please enjoy her thoughts and be encouraged.

From Madeline,

Last week was the culmination of a long expectant “Relationships Week” at Summer Training Project. This is a week devoted to discovering what is biblically said about relationships involving your family, friends, and significant other. I was excited for this week knowing that our God is a relational God and desires us to have healthy relationships, reflective of his character. Being in a season of singleness for almost a year now, there have been many things revealed to me about relationships, especially in this past year.

Here are just a few:

1.   Because God is sovereign, the reason anyone is single or in a relationship has nothing to do with them at all and everything to do with God’s plan. The reason why I am single is not because I am lacking or exceeding in any area of my life, but because that is what God has for me now for his glory and my joy. This season I am in will produce the most growth and the most joy possible. My ministry is strongest right now in a season of singleness and when God sees fit, I will only be brought into a relationship to make his ministry through me stronger and for me to see more of who He is. It has nothing to do with me.

2.   I am undesirable, but Jesus is infinitely desirable. For a long time I felt like I was invisible to any man because of who I am and what I felt like defined me (my major, my career aspirations, etc.). Because of this lack of attention, I deemed myself as undesirable and therefore unable to be desirable enough to be pursued. I felt like this was wrong that I should not feel this way about myself. I felt entitled to a relationship and that I should be thinking of myself as incredibly desirable, that this was just a confidence issue. The truth is, I am undesirable. A holy and mighty God shouldn’t desire me. But because of Jesus, I am no longer defined by any of these things. God sees me and smiles. He is confident in his decision to save me and joyfully took the cross for me because he is merciful and just. Because of Jesus, God sees me as desirable. Apart from Christ, I am completely and utterly undesirable. Nothing that I define myself as in this world matters. It makes no difference. My ultimate identity is in Christ. I am completely undesirable, but because of who God is, and what Jesus did on the cross, I no longer have to be defined by my undesirability in my sinfulness, but I am defined in Christ as free and new and lovely.

3.   I may be single for the rest of my life and that is okay. This whole last year, I knew that I could be single forever and tried to play the “I’m really tough so I shouldn’t be sad about this reality because God is sovereign” card, but found myself continually discontent. Asking God for a relationship and ending my time in tears, desiring the desires of the Lord, even if it meant singleness, and yet desiring a relationship. This past relationships week I was again reminded of this truth. Yes, I cried real tears when earthly singleness was mentioned, knowing it may be my reality, but was reassured that the Lord is constantly providing for me. I do not need a relationship to be satisfied because my satisfaction comes from the Lord alone. No man will ever satisfy me and if I am expectant of that, I have put my hope in an idol. I may have momentary happiness but that deep joy and security comes from God alone. “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.” Psalm 145:15–16. God is faithful! He keeps his promises and he has promised to satisfy me. I do not need to look to a future husband for any bit of joy, happiness or satisfaction, that, in itself, is idolatry.

Understanding The Forest from the Trees

This summer, we are studying the letter from Apostle Paul to the Church of the Ephesians. Ryan Potter, a staff member at Michigan State University and seminary graduate, explained the study to the leaders the night before the students arrived. There is always a little bit of fear going into a new book of the Bible. The spectrum of knowledge of the students coming into the summer ranges from very knowledgeable to almost no bible study training at all. The question that needs to be answered is simple in nature but complex in application. What kind of Bible study will foster an environment where the depth of the Bible is grasped while retaining the beautiful truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

The summer is organized so that for each day of the summer, there is a scripture that is to be studied going along with STP theme “NEW.” Some days, students will read a whole chapter or the whole book, but most of the time, they will study through three or four verses from the book of Ephesians or a related passage. By August 3rd, the students will have read through the book of Ephesians three times.

The whole purpose of reading through the book three times is to – as Ryan Potter says –understand the forest from the trees. With each week that goes by, the students move close to see the details and wisdom of the passage and then step back to see the overarching purpose and meaning of the entire book.

This week, staff members introduced a method of studying the bible that gives the students the tools to properly evaluate the meaning of the passage that they are studying. Larry Martini, a staff member at the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, walked the students through the Inductive Method of Bible Study. The Inductive Method of Bible study comes in three parts: observation, interpretation, and application. The whole purpose of the method is to start at the surface level of the text and dive deep into the meaning and practical implications of the passage. The following explains, in short, the purpose of each of the pieces of the Inductive Method:

Observation: The purpose of observation is to help students point out what the text says without inferring too much about what the text means. Observation strives to answer the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how. It includes repetitions, pronouns, and possible reference words like therefore, but, and however. In this section, students should be able to objectively distinguish important parts of the text.

Interpretation: The purpose of interpretation is to answer the questions brought up in the observation section using concentric circle context. Concentric circle context encourages students to look at the immediate passage, the immediate chapter, the immediate book, other books by that author, and then other scripture. This teaches the students that many answers of tough questions lie in the text that they are studying.

Application: The important purpose of application is to give the students practical implications that the text has for their lives. The focus on application should not be how now the student must act, but instead focuses on how the text should connect to the heart. This helps the student find the heart-level meaning of the text and looking for realistic ways that they can apply it to themselves.

As the summer goes on, we pray that the Lord gives the students a passionate desire to know Him more through His word. We believe that scripture is the inspired Word of God, and because of that we find that it is crucial to the growth of any believer. Sometimes the Word of God seems like a scary forest, and by studying and searching through small portions of it this summer, it is our hope that we come to see Jesus more clearly and know Jesus more dearly.

The Good Soil

As we grow and adapt in our walk with Jesus down here in Garden City, SC, we are being flooded with the good news that sinners like us have the ability to be in relationship with a Holy God because of the riches of the grace of Jesus Christ.

In a conversation this week with Zach Simmons, a staff member at the University of Minnesota and leader of the Ministry talks this summer, explained the first section of Ephesians in the following way: “Our inheritance as believers is Christ, occurs through Christ, and is for the praise and glory of Christ.”

This is a sweet gospel truth if you look at it closely. What are we as the sinner doing? Receiving. We cannot work to get God’s attention. We cannot give God a little boost in order that it is easier to redeem us. We are dead men and women; we are simply seeing that we need a sacrifice and in turn receiving the sacrifice which is Christ as a gift from the abundance of Grace that God gives.

Sometimes, as believers, we get stuck in a cycle of trying to prove to God that we are worth loving, which nullifies our need for Jesus, and then we fail because we think that we can somehow need God less by doing enough good works and not doing enough bad ones. This is where hearing comes into play.

And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, 
growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold
and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 
And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4:8-9

As a ministry, Campus Outreach believes that it is crucial to continually share the gospel with both unbelievers and believers. Because of this belief, Campus Outreach has made it possible for you to listen and reflect on each and every one of the messages that we are experiencing down here. I encourage you to follow these instructions, download our talks and listen to them so that you may know exactly what your children, friends, and family are hearing.

I would also challenge you to communicate your partnership with us to the students that you know that are here in SC. Ask them questions about the talks. Reference the main points. Pray over the staff members and student leaders that are speaking truth over the students. Pray that the Lord gives the students “ears to hear.”

Listening to the talks is very easy. Simply follow these directions:

1.     Click on one of the following links.

a.     http://www.cominneapolis.org/stptalks/

b.     https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/com-summer-training-project-talks/id1243047102?mt=2

2.     If you clicked on (a.), click on one of the four options that you see in the window:

3.     If you clicked on (b.), follow the link to this window and choose accordingly.

4. Click on View in iTunes. This page will pop up.

5. Choose which Talk to listen to. Or click to Subscribe to stay updated with future talks.

 

Remember that future talks take a little bit of time to post to the website. Please stay tuned for more updates.

Psalm 40 and Tomah, WI

When you are young, waiting seems like the worst part about any day. Waiting for lunch, waiting for naptime to be over, waiting for dad to come back from work. Waiting has never seemed to be fun.

This was my experience in Tomah, WI.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

Psalm 40:1-3

Psalm 40:1-3 makes it seem so easy – waiting for the Lord to act, but most times, especially in Tomah, WI, waiting is horribly difficult and uncomfortable. On the way to Summer Training Project 2017, a few guys and I were driving through the middle-of-nowhere Wisconsin when my car started jolting side to side as if one of the tires was busted. After a few choice words with Gideon Burnham, the driver, we finally pulled off to the right side of the road to see what was wrong with my car. The good ol’ Camry seemed fine. I then went and looked under the rear bumper to see a rod broken on the axle. That is when the fun started.

For the sake of your time, I’ll skip the really fun stuff and get to the “mud and mire” that Psalm 40 talks about. Greg from AAA towed us five miles down the road to a small town called Tomah and after hours of calling, we figured out that we were going to be stuck there for 18 hours.

Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.[b]
Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:4-5

In this instance, I didn’t feel very blessed. I was in a place that barely had any cell service – God forbid – and I was frustrated that the whole situation was out of my control. In no way was I in awe of how marvelous God’s plan was for me at the moment.

Since then, we made it safely to Project and are now in the swing of things. As I reflect on Psalm 40 and how it relates to my adventure in Tomah, WI, I see what the Lord was doing.

Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.[e]
I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”

 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.

Psalm 40:8-9

The Lord was breaking down my heart. He was preparing me to be molded and sculpted. It sounds extreme, but I believe that God planned out my car to break down before I was born so that I would be forced to see more of Him in tiny Tomah. How often do I close my eyes to what God is doing? How often do I blame the hard things in life on everyone around me?

But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
    you are my God, do not delay.

Psalm 40:17

The Lord is my deliverer, but I often treat Him as one who simply wants to tell me “I told you so.” While we are here, the students (and myself) are put into situations where they are unconformable. Many times, these situations feel like a pit, but maybe God is trying to help us proclaim about his saving acts wherever we are.

Continue to pray that the Lord will teach our hearts to say, “The Lord is GREAT” (Psalm 40:16).

Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

As Summer Training Project approaches, the leaders, both veteran and first-time, tend to shake in their proverbial boots. Questions that would have normally never entered their mind now seem to flood their heads with anxiety and worry.           

“Do I have what it takes? Will I know what to say? What do I do if someone in my rooms runs in crying and asking me about hard things?”

Churches, youth groups, and Sunday school classes make it seem like a piece of cake, but leading a group of college students is anything but easy. There are so many variables and unknowns. Some might flaunt the fact that they have been to two or three projects already, but when push comes to shove, they are just as scared as the next person. This is one of the main reasons that Staff at Campus Outreach decided to do leader’s retreat in the first place; they want students to be able to slow down and understand what leadership at Summer Training Project is all about, and for most leaders, it is exactly the opposite of what they assumed. 

The sad truth for every leader on the trip is that there is nothing that they can do to save a student that is going on the trip, but this seemingly sad truth is also the most freeing truth that any of the leaders will ever hear – the freedom of self-forgetfulness.

Tim Keller, a Pastor and Author that shepherds Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, wrote a book about the Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, and Devin Smith, Staff for Campus Outreach, spoke to some of the students about the freedom that is found in serving Christ.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul exhorts the Church in Corinth.

“I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.  For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it."

Believers must understand that their striving is never for their own good. Believers share the gospel with others because God put the words in their mouths. If Jesus had not made it possible to love God, humanity would never have picked him. Because of this truth, believers have no right or reason to take pride in their leadership abilities or decision to lead freshman and sophomore students for a summer.

Therefore, students are then completely free to love the Lord because there is no weight on them to succeed. Jesus finished it. He died and resurrected. The battle is won. There is no need for worry or fear of failure surrounding leading groups of college students, because Jesus gave his life and took the wrath of God so that humanity could be in relationship with God.

The application for these leaders that are about to step out in faith this summer is that Jesus already took the weight of sin and the responsibility of salvation, so all they have to do is walk by faith that Jesus will finish the work that He started.

            Remember, these same leaders were at one point dead in their sins, but because of God’s love, they can be alive in Christ.

The End

When you live somewhere for two months, it starts to feel normal. Natural. Like you’ve always lived there. You’ve gone through the weird phases of “I don’t have any friends,” “I don’t know where anything is,” and “The culture here is different.” You’re comfortably settled into a routine...and then all of a sudden you have to leave.

That’s what happens at STP. The two months we spend in Myrtle Beach are an amazing time of learning and growth, but project isn’t designed as an end, but a means of equipping us to go back to campus as students with a heart for sharing the Gospel with others.

The end

Paul Poteat gave the final talk of the summer on “The End” and detailed three ends we should consider as we leave for home: Jesus, love and heaven.

• Knowing more of Jesus was the end goal of project and is the end goal of returning to school...and for the rest of our lives.
• Loving the Lord and others more is the end of knowing more of Jesus...it should be an overflow
• Heaven is the ultimate end of our walk with the Lord. And it’s going to be better than we could imagine.

It was such a sweet ending to a joyful, eye-opening summer to hear what we have to bring back to our homes and campuses, but even more amazing was thinking about heaven. I realized I am very earthly-minded when it actually comes down to my day-to-day life. Heaven isn’t something I dream about. I don’t look forward to it like I should; I find myself thinking that it would be great if God would just wait until I have the chance to do things I dream about, like have my own apartment, get married, travel overseas, find my dream job, or any number of other things.

But when you actually stop to contemplate heaven, it changes everything.

It changes how you view your work. It makes you see the value in giving away your life because this life isn’t all that there is. It makes you long for the final and ultimate restoration of the world. It makes you want to bring others into that future with you. In the end, everything else (even STP) pales in comparison to heaven.

Heaven and home

Thinking about heaven rightly has made me more ready and more excited to go back to campus. I want others at my school to know the security and joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus that will ultimately end in us being brought to live with Him forever.

Going home from project can be hard because something so good is ending, and that doesn’t feel right. But seeing STP as a launching pad to share the joy of the cross and of heaven, not to mention knowing that one day we’ll all be together again forever...well, that makes it all so much better.

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Life is a Vapor - Post Project

We’re finally back in Minnesota, trading palm trees for pine. This summer seemed to go by way faster than any other. It feels like STP was just a dream. Although it’s been really nice to be able to sleep in and see family again, I’m definitely missing the environment and community of project. STP was filled with so many memories and sweet relationships. We all grieved the separation of a place that has become so dear to us. Ocean View Motel in Murrells Inlet has become a second home.

Our last theme talk was; “Three Ends: Jesus, Love, Heaven.” While we mourned our final evening of STP, we rejoiced in the hope of heaven. Heaven is real. Heaven is tangible. Heaven is forever. We will constantly be in community in the presence of our Savior.

Paul Poteat asked the question, “Would you be beside yourself to leave earth and be in heaven with Jesus?” I instantly responded to the question with uncertainty. I’m so young and have so much life to live. I’m not sure if I would necessarily be “beside myself” to leave earth. As I thought about the question more, God showed me how He is greater than I can ever imagine. My ignorant, human mindset is so focused on the insignificant details of my life that won’t matter when I’m in heaven. Marriage, success and fame are such insignificant things in light of eternity.

It is so different to look at this earth as a temporary home, even though I know that it is only a vapor. As God has been changing me to have an eternal mindset, I can answer Paul’s question with, “Yes. Nothing would be more exciting to me than to be in the full presence of Jesus.” I praise God for the gifts that He has given me that point me to Him. My community and the environment of project has been a small taste of heaven.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” ~ Colossians 3:2-3