The Hope of New Life at AU

With Easter on its way, & after examining the spiritual reality that is present here, all I can say is praise God for His promise of new life!! God is so GOOD! Even as Ezeikle saw the spiritual reality of the Israelites, God did not leave them hopeless.  He promised them that He would fill them with His Spirit. And God's promise holds true even to us today, including AU.  God is breathing life into the students on this campus.

One of the greatest blessings being a part of IV at AU, is being able to see God at work in this campus.  Seeing Him day after day, & week after week, & year after year, bringing new life to students that were once spiritually dead. Especially this semester I have seen God at work, moving on the campus, bringing life to those that greatly long for something more.

This semester 4 students have risen to the occasion to share the abundantly life that Jesus promises with their friends.  These students are taking time out of their busy schedules to meet up with friends, to study Scripture, ask meaningful questions, & come to, by the grace of God, come to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their Lord & Savior.

This is why I love AU, because God loves AU.  God loves it so much that He died on the cross in order to bring life to this campus.  He brought life in the only way life could be brought! So this Easter, as you celebrate what God has done for you, celebrate also with me over the joy that is the new life He provides also for the AU students who come to know Him.  God is GOOD.

Mission Aurora, a Blessing to Those Who Were Served & Those Who Served

My church, First Presbyterian Church in Aurora, has been spending quite a bit of time the past months preparing for ourselves for something new for us. Every summer for the past I don't know how many year, my church has done a Family Church Camp at a conference center in WI for a week during the month of July.  However, this year we didn't stick with tradition.  Last fall the idea started as whispers and then grew into something I don't think anyone really imagined.  Church leaders began to ask, "What if we stayed in Aurora for a week & served our neighbors?" What indeed would happen if we veered away from what we were familiar with, was a truly great time of fellowship & worship, to try something different, something new. Well I can say that when you step out in faith, trusting in where God is leading you, some pretty amazing stuff happens.

The slogan for Mission Aurora was "Go, Serve, Tell" & that is what we did for a week at the end of July.  250+ First Pres volunteers ventured into the areas of Aurora where the lost, hurting, & broken were to serve them through mobile food pantries, backyard Bible clubs, habitat for humanity, landscaping, nursing home visits, spa day at the local women's shelter, helping at the homeless shelter, & much more.  All the while our volunteers, young & old, were taking time to not just love like Christ through their deeds but through their words as well.  People would stop to pray with some of the ladies in line at the mobile food pantries, Bible Club volunteers were inviting neighborhood kids to accept Jesus into their hearts, kids were helping other kids that have special needs so they could experience a Bible Club & learn about Jesus, adults  were talking to the parents attending our various events inviting them to church & to hear their story... God was at work through His Spirit in every person, sharing His hope, His love, His peace, His healing, His saving grace with each of those people we came in contact with. God is so GOOD!

But what I found truly amazing was watching the people I was serving along side as the week went on. I saw light bulbs rise up & hearts change.  People started to talk to each and say, "You know we could get 10 families together & host a mobile food pantry. We could even get the Jr Highers to help volunteer." "You know we could volunteer at the food pantry more often." "You know there is an opportunity we could help serve (insert group here) coming up, who wants to join in?" "You know we could do this on a smaller scale over a weekend." As people served the lost & hurting in our community, God did an amazing thing in our hearts.  He opened eyes to see the need surrounding us & breaking our hearts for the hurting & spurring His hands and feet on to do something about it beyond Mission week. Little did we know that when we signed up to serve those in our community that they would serve us also by calling us to be a part of God's mission in our city. What a joy being part of such a great reminder of God's call to His people.

As the week progress, our theme song's chorus started to become more real.  Not just a prayer, but a desire to take part in it ourselves, in being God's hands & feet to a hurting world.

Build Your kingdom here.

Let the darkness fear.

Show Your mighty hand.

Heal our streets and land.

Set Your church on fire.

Win this nation back.

Change the atmosphere.

Build Your kingdom here.

We pray.

~"Build Your Kingdom Here" by Rend Collective

"'Come,' he said." ~Matthew 14:29

I'm sure many of you have heard the song "Oceans" by Hillsong either on the radio or at church (if you haven't check out the video I posted bellow). It has become popular pretty quickly & is everyone's new favorite. I typically get hesitant about new crazes in Christian songs because they get over played very quickly. I enjoy them the first few times but after the 50th time of hearing it on the radio, I'm generally tired of it & want to hear something new. Though I fear they are on the verge of overplaying this song, it has struck a cord with me that makes me tear up ever time I hear it. So what it is it about this song you ask that makes it different from the other crazes? Well first lets take a look at the Scripture this song so easily draws me to, Matthew 14:22-33

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said,“why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Jesus' call to Peter to step out on the raging waves feels a lot like the call to ministry & this song really encompasses all the emotion that comes with that. First, this song is my prayer for the work God has called me to. Doing ministry calls me to places that are uncertain & to do things that need me stretch beyond my comfort zone (ie like Jesus calling Peter to step out on the water). In fact, Peter said that if Jesus really was Jesus to tell him to come.  Why would he do that? Because Peter trusted Jesus.  So I too trust Jesus & pray call me where you want me to go.  But that isn't easy, so to remember God's promises & comfort are the things that give me the strength to take that next step. I'm sure Peter was thinking about all he'd seen Jesus do before he took that step out of the boat. So this song really is my pray to trust where God is sending me & to remember that God is good, faithful, sovereign, & my source of strength.

This song is truly beautiful & my prayer, but it also terrifies me & that is what causes me to tear up. When you really sing this song as a prayer, really wanting to step out on the water & go where He might send you, there is a moment when you realize just exactly it is that you are asking. I'm sure it is similar to that moment Peter says, "Lord if it is you tell me to come," & Peter hears the answer of "Come". Jesus told him "Come," to step out a midst the wave, far from land in deep, open water. And Peter did come but then it really sunk in what he was doing, & he was afraid. He saw the rough waters & was afraid & began to sink. I might not have ever actually been asked by God to step out on a turbulent sea, but campus ministry is a pretty good metaphorical one. When I sing this song & really pray "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders / Let me walk upon the waters / Wherever You would call me / Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander", the whole time I am thinking about AU & being sent to do ministry there.  Then I have that moment where it sinks in what I just prayed.  I just prayed for God to send me to the students that don't know they need Jesus & are more concerned about where the next party will be. I just prayed for God to send me to do a job that I need to raise financial support for on a yearly basis in order to have a paycheck & the means to pay for expenses of ministry. I just prayed for God to send me to have to daily overcome my fears & be a leader when I'd more comfortably be a follower.  I just prayed for God to send me to do a work that is emotionally, mentally, & physically draining. I just prayed for God to send me into an environment that will constantly challenge my beliefs & scoff at what I say is Truth. I just prayed for God to send me to a place & a people that might ridicule me, reject me, & maybe never appreciate me. That is hard stuff & that is why that prayer, why this song, terrifies me at times. I can sing this song all day long, but what do I do when Jesus says like he did to Peter, "Come"?

But the fear doesn't last long. As Peter was sinking Jesus was right there ready to reach out & save him. Jesus is right there to remind me to take my eyes off those "waves" & focus on him.  "Your grace abounds in deepest waters / Your sovereign hand / Will be my guide / Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me / You've never failed and You won't start now" He has called me to come.  He will guide me.  Even if I'm afraid, I get to experience his grace & he will never fail me. I can trust him. So tears of fear turn to tears of joy, because my eyes are on His plan & purpose. So I trust & I see Him come through.  Those students that are so concerned about partying find themselves empty & they begin to investigate who Jesus is. That budget I need to raise, I get to experience God's perfect provision & His Church steps up to invest in & love on college students. Those fears I have become nothing when I watch a student commit their lives to Christ for the first time. All the hard work & long nights become worth it, & though I feel exhausted I am satisfied & full of joy. And the fear of rejection & scoffing becomes a heart that breaks for the campus & now sees these people as empty & broken in great need of hope & love. When you keep your eyes above the proverbial waves of life, things look differently. Once you've seen what God has done & how He is always faithful & never fails, you can only respond in worship to Him. Just like the disciples in the boat after Jesus calmed the stormed. Your soul really does rest in His embrace, because there is such great peace in knowing & trusting Jesus.  And that is why I can keep singing this song with a worshipful heart, because He is far greater than the waves.

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" Lyrics

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

[6x]
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine

Chapter Focus Week, 2014 Photo Album

Check out all of our awesome adventures at Chapter Focus Week this year by clicking on the link bellow!

IV at AU, Chapter Focus Week 2014