Archives For Community

International Summer Project Briefing 2013

May 19, 2013 — Leave a comment

The first night we got to hear about our students who or going overseas for the gospel. It was amazing to hear the paths it took for them to even come to Portland for this briefing. Thirty-two students and staff are going to four different countries, two of which are closed to the Gospel of Jesus.

  • One student did not believe that God would raise up the $5,000.00 that she needed to be able to go to Moscow, Russia. Sure enough, she stood in the middle of the room declaring God’s faithfulness with financial support raising.
  • Another student shared about the fact that he didn’t have other plans for the summer. So he figured he would apply to come on project and see what happened. And in no time at all he was accepted and encouraged to go. He had no idea that he would be called to go.
  • Even one of our staff shared that she had dreamed that she would be in the country that she is leading a team. She shared how she knew that she was supposed to go, even though she didn’t want to go. Another awesome way that God is working.
  • One last story, one of these summer missions projects is lead by students. And they are going into a closed country. Yes, they have staff that are going with them, but these students leaders will be guiding their teams direction spiritually, and in ministry.

Thirty-two men and women are taking the gospel to the nations. They are going to share Jesus with the multitudes around the world. They are sacrificing their summers… vacations… trips with families… jobs to support their educations… they are giving up six weeks for God’s Kingdom.

Please be praying for these students over the next six weeks.

 

Pray for their safety.

Pray for their travel.

Pray for their hearts and teams.

Pray for the people they will meet.

Pray for new brothers and sisters in Jesus.

In Church, Community, Evangelism, Jesus, Ministry, Mission, Prayer, Small Groups , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Running the Race: Pushing On

March 21, 2013 — Leave a comment

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” -Hebrews 12:1

I finished my 8K in about 54 minutes. I’m pretty proud of that time as you can see. I am also surprised at the fact that I was able to run the whole time. After all, I didn’t train all the way up to the full 5 miles. But I made it.

At about the two mile mark on the course I started thinking about the race in spiritual terms. It was about the time that I was having trouble talking while running. So the conversation was continuing in my head. I was reminded that things get hard. At this point my knee was beginning to hurt. I could have easily given up at that point, or stopped. But I didn’t.

run

When we become Christians we believe that life is going to be roses. At least in America where life is pretty sweet already. But after some time, we start to see sin habits in our life. Jesus wants us to shed the sin that we have in our life. He calls us to that. But its hard. And sometimes, we just want to give up. When I lived in Arizona during an internship I was deep into the sin habits of my life. I struggled against it, and I struggled with God over it.

There I wasn’t “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses,” most of the time it was just me. Or me and a couple of other Christians that I knew. After my internship was over I returned to the place where I first began to grow as a Christian. During the next few months, I had time to work through that sin. I started to work hard to eradicate that sin habit in my life.

Today, it is a whisper in the past. Sometimes there are still reminders of the habit, but it doesn’t control me. At mile marker three I had confessed my knee was sore, and was encouraged to push on into the race. I laid the discomfort down and continued on. That mile where I started thinking about stopping because of my knee, I did the same while I was in Arizona. Thanks to having someone there through, I didn’t stop.

As Jesus Followers, we need to set aside sin that holds us back. We need to not allow ourselves to be bogged down by unbelief or our personal will. We need to confess that sin to God and move forward. I want to encourage you today to do that. Maybe you need to confess sin out loud, to someone you trust. And as you do that, they can pray and work through it with you. Or maybe you need to sit quietly with God and lay down the things that are weighing you down, and trust Him.

If we do that, as followers of Jesus, we are able to not only push on, but flourish. And the beauty is we don’t do that alone. We get to do that with others in the body of Christ. We get help from the Holy Spirit. We can let go of sin and move forward, running with endurance.

Will you allow yourself to run with endurance this week? Will you let go of sin in your life, to follow hard after Jesus?

 

Read my other posts about Running the Race:

The Start

A Jesus Follower

In Church, Communion, Community, God, Jesus, Prayer, Spirit of God , , , , , , ,
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A Redeemed Man – David Hafner

March 19, 2013 — Leave a comment

“I am a man redeemed by the saving blood of Jesus Christ. Every day I live I grow closer to God in a relationship. The more I learn and understand God, the more excited I am to live my life for Him, because he sent his Son to give his life for me. I have a great passion for people, listening to them, and doing all that I can to help them. It is from God’s love that stems my desire to do these things for His Spirit lives within me. If you think I’m a Jesus Freak, that’s ok… I am. I hope to be able to talk to you about Him as well, because that’s what Jesus Freak’s do. God Bless! :) ”

David Hafner, what a guy. Always a smile on his face.

David Hafner was part of my New Staff Training Class in 2011. He was on staff with Cru with the Southern Minnesota Team. I admit that I didn’t know David well. But when I took a look at his Facebook profile and saw his description of himself, I realized I knew him well enough.

I don’t know any details other than he left to be with Jesus. When someone who follows Jesus leaves this earth it is always bittersweet. It is sad for those who are still here. We lose a friend or family member. But we can also rejoice. Because we know they are with our Creator. And I imagine that David would want us to be happy for him and to celebrate his life. So that is my aim in this post.

Happy. Caring. Including. Listener. Spirit-filled. Loved Jesus. Excited. A Good Man.

I believe that many people would agree with me that he was a good man, who loved Jesus, and loved people. His room was next to mine at NST, and whenever he headed out the door, he’d check and see if anyone wanted to go with him. Though the world lost a good man, he now is in the presence of our God. And I am fairly confident that he is rejoicing to be there.

Friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else. Please join with so many of us to pray for his family. Pray for comfort. Pray for encouragement. Pray for peace. Thank the Lord for David and his life.  Thank the Lord that he brings us to Him and that David is with Him now.

In Communion, Community, Ministry, Mission , , ,
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