Thoughts from Curtis- Kingship

In desperation internship right now I am in a class called World View. The class explains about how different people have different views according to religion, Social status ECT. One of the issues that came up in the book was about The Kingship triangle. In this triangle it shows the connection Between Man and Creation, and how they Work together. The link between them is Stewardship.

I think that Stewardship is a big part in our walk as a Christian. In the bible Jesus uses the parable where the master gives his workers money as he goes on his journey, Two out of the three went and invested(not gambled) the masters money. The third on the other hand did not invest but buried it in the ground ther for not gaining any value. When the master returned, he praised the two for they had made more than what was given, but he rebuked the third for he did not use Steward what he had.

I believe that we need to be GREAT stewards of the things that God gives us so he can trust us with more. God says if we a faithful with little he can in trust us with more. I want to challenge you right now, if you have something little on your hands (like a small school prayer meeting, or meeting with one guy on a weekly basis to talk), don’t be discouraged. Just stay steady and be faithful with what you have and God will give you more.

Thoughts from Aaron- Kansas

I grew up in the country, on the plains of Kansas. Most people go through Kansas on their way to some place exciting, they look along the highway and see the most boring state there just might be. However, they don't see the side of the Kansas country that I do. I used to go outside in the afternoon and just sit on our hillside during the late summer when the wheat is tall; I would just go out and stare at it. I have only been to the ocean once when I was little, but this was just as good.

When the wind starts blowing through it, the wheat generates waves of texture; the birds diving in and out; it’s quite a spectacular site. The wind would whistle through the trees, and I could start to hear faint songs that feel as if God Himself was singing to me. And when its night, the view is amazing, I can see all the stars plain and clear, it’s so much more beautiful when you see more than just the major constellations. They fill the sky and you can see galaxies themselves. The ocean of wheat still waving with the wind, all of it would bring me an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort.

I love sit and watch and listen to the very creation God made, knowing that He desired me over all of it. This world can seem ugly, filthy, and boring most of the time, but I try to realize what it would be like without all of the industrialization, and constant mutilation we put it through. I like to think of what this world would look like in its original state, at the dawn of creation, the beauty that it was designed to be. Every time I get over-taken by the materials of this world, or I can’t find the beauty in the earth that I stand on; I think about my home. I can see myself on a hill side, staring at the handy work of God, and its helps to bring me back to my senses. It helps me realize that the work of God is far more creative and satisfying than the work of man. It’s good to know I'm in His hands.

Thoughts from Tiffany- Awakening

At the end of December 6 of us went to One Thing at Bardle Hall in MO and I was captivated by the passion in the leaders and the body of believers there. It was so encouraging to me and made the passions in my heart for the Body of Christ even stronger and even clearer. Like I mentioned at our class today, my passion for around 1 year now has been to help usher in an awakening in the Church, although now over the last 6 months it seems to have become more urgent in my spirit. This passion and urgency was burned deeper into my heart while I was there and my understanding of our position in the awakening in the church as well.

Corey Russell’s teaching at One Thing really brought more understanding of the blindness of the Church and how much more serious it is. He was also talking about our inheritance as God’s sons and daughters to, first and foremost, be in a place of intimacy with God that surpasses all we have known. It is this that we need to fight for, that the Church would be awakened to see their inheritance in Christ, and be completely free from the entanglements of this world. My heart has been stirred to a greater level to fast and pray for the Bride of Christ to also have a revelation in who She is, and to stand firm in that Bridal Identity to Usher in the Coming of the Kingdom of God.

Lou Engle was talking about the judgments to come because of the innocent blood we have shed of over 50 million babies killed from abortion, saying their blood cries out louder than that of Abel. During the Call, I was captured by the seriousness of the sin we have allowed in our nation and the blindness much of the world has toward these issues. Lou said “Abortion is not a political issue it is a Kingdom issue” , I had not thought of it in that way separating it like that although I knew (to the best of my ability) it was something that grieves the heart of God . As the Call went on, I continued to be awakened to see the true light of my life here on earth and finding that “I” don’t matter but it is all about Christ receiving the reward of His suffering. So I find it easier to lose myself to gain the joy of giving it all to glorify Christ…

Thoughts from Curtis- Jesus on Leadership

Hey Everyone
So I have been reading this book called Jesus on leadership and I love it. If you are or you think you are a leader I would highly recommend this book. One point of this book that I just love is that a leader is like a person on a soccer team, more then someone playing golf trying to win a tour. I love this because a leader is one that is not self focused but team focused. Instead of trying to see what the best is for you, you think of others and always have the end in mind. Golf players are in it for themselves; They train for themselves, motivate themselves and get all the glory when and if they win. Soccer players on the other hand, they have to be motivated together. If one person does not see the same as the others they can easily give the game away because of their lack of focus on the end result. We as leaders need to work together in this world and not be so caught up in ourselves that we don’t see how our team is suffering from our independence. And when we start to work together like a team we will see how easy it is to lead others.

Thoughts from Macy-Heart

After long conversations with close friends and relatives, I’ve become more and more sensitive to the facts of heart, or rather what we’re feeding our hearts. Matthew 15:18 says, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’” To really understand what’s in the heart, you have to see the heart under the most intense situations, for example: a bad day.

Consider this scenario: you’ve had a really rough day at work. On top of your boss yelling at you, you spilled a double tall mocha on your brand new white shirt. You trip on the random curb as you finally arrive at the place I hope you treasure most, home. What is the first thing you do? Maybe you run for the fridge to pull out your half pint of Ben and Jerry’s half baked ice cream, or perhaps you just go straight to the TV to numb out the days worries. Who or what do you first turn to?

The answer to this question, although it may seem simple, will tell what you fill the void in your heart with. Even a husband or best friend can take the place specifically meant to be filled by Jesus. That’s why you need to learn, as I am learning, to make God your default button. An easy to do this is to have a scripture on your tongue always, and for every occasion, that way when your boss comes in yelling instead of spiraling into self doubt and pity you first reaction will be, “He who loves discipline, loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” So, friends I encourage you all to really observe the issues of your heart this week. Find out what God is trying to tell you to fix and fix it!

Thoughts from Tiffany- Mission

So over the past week God has been speaking to me through many different sources about my Mission in life, and how important it is. In our class on Leadership Management we are reading a book called Jesus On Leadership. In this book I have learned a lot about what a true leader looks and lives like. In Principle 5 “Take up the Towel” there were some things he said that jumped out to me. He said:

“When one becomes servant to the mission, that mission becomes the resolve (stead fast purpose) that is the basis of strong leadership during critical times.”

“Leaders falter in the face of challenge when they don’t have or fully understand the mission”

This struck me and really got me thinking about my mission in Life. Then we went to our Furnace spring retreat (Encounter) over this weekend. On Saturday we spent 1 ½ mapping and writing out our mission statement through a series of questions having to do with our passions and core values. It really helps to clarify what I should have my focus on in everyday life, and keeps my mind on God’s plans for me and not my own. I would encourage you to sit down and map out your missions statement to help direct your focus in life to God and His plans for you.

Thoughts from Aly- Ultimate Frisbee

Get this mental image. City Park in downtown Denver. 16 college students. Sunny skies. A light breeze. Patches of snow. Patches of mud. Dead grass. A Frisbee and a field covered in goose droppings. THE ULTIMATE FRISBEE GAME OF THE CENTURY! This past Saturday, we were in Denver for our Furnace Encounter. For the afternoon we split into 10 or so groups to go on excursions.

I led the excursion for Ultimate Frisbee. First we waited for the hotel courtesy shuttle for fifteen minutes. We decided to walk since the park was “not very far”. A mile and a half walk later, we finally arrived at city park. (We kind of cheated and used Google maps on someone’s phone because we were concerned about walking around aimlessly for hours). Most of the fields were covered in snow. In fact, there were children skiing on one of the soccer fields.

Finally in the distance we spotted an open field. It was free of snow, had trees lining one side, and had enough room to play a decent game of ultimate. Once we got closer, we came to the realization that it was free of snow but covered in goose poop. And I don’t mean just patches, I mean COVERED! Since we had already walked so far, we weren’t about to surrender now. We played for two hours. It was an intense game. Each team answering the other with points. Extreme competition was present...all this was accented by trying to keep our footing on the slippery field. Normally you don’t want to fall, but with goose poop everywhere you REALLY didn’t want to!

The ending score was 10-9. The last point took probably twenty minutes to score, but finally my team triumphed! By the end of the game, 3 out of the 16 of us were NOT covered in goose poop and mud. (I was one of the three!) It was absolutely incredible... easily the best Ultimate game of my life!

Thoughts from Whitney-Encounter

Hi Everyone! We just got back from our Furnace spring retreat: Encounter. God really opened my eyes to a lot. He made me realize true happiness only comes through Him, and the longer I go on trying to find my own way through life, the more unhappy I will become.

This past weekend taught me that I have to make an EVERY day commitment, not just a day or a week or a month or a year, but an EVERY day commitment to Him. Every day I tell God I am His, and I am committed to following His will. I find I am learning more everyday about Him with this commitment I am choosing to make daily. Although the commitment I have made this past week is a hard one, I know that His all-powerful will is all I need. No matter where He places me in the world, I will find joy and happiness.

Thoughts from Aimee- Trust

Growing up in a Christian home I always thought that I trusted God in every area of my life. I am slowly learning how untrue a statement that is. Whether it is a lack of money, a question about my future, or even a tragic event, I cannot comprehend how much my life is being revolutionized by the idea of trusting God.

Before this year, my life was stable. I knew what I would be doing the next year, that there was enough money to provide for my needs, and though there were at times tragedies, the negative effects were short-lived. Never before have I had to so fully rely on God. I have been utterly terrified by the thought that I am not in control of my life. Not having control goes against everything in my nature. I am a planner and a fixer, and for the first time in my life, I am not able to figure out how things in my life will work.

Fortunately for me, even with a somewhat chaotic life and unplanned future, I have a God who is faithful and mighty. God has promised I can trust in Him because He has an awesome plan for my life. God is not going to call me and then abandon me. I am on God’s side and He is going to guide me and take care of me.

Psalm 112:7-8 says:
He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
My prayer is that my heart would be steadfast, trusting in the Lord no matter what my circumstances are. Life may not turn out the way I expect but God is faithful and trustworthy. There is no need to fear.

Thoughts from Cassie- Glory

The other day I was sitting in a prayer meeting and quietly singing along with the band. I was singing quite contentedly when I realized what the words were. They were, “Let your glory fall.” I thought struck me, what is glory? Not just any glory, but what is God’s glory? How can it fall? How can we give Him glory? Just some food for thought.

I looked up glory at dictionary.com and it really cleared it up for me, check it out http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/glory. It appears glory is also another word for beauty or splendor. I also looked up verses on glory and my favorite was:

2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes fro the Lord who is the Spirit.

Bless you and may you discover the glory of God this week!