Category: Uncategorized

Today begins a great journey that we all can join in together in preparation for CTCYM Mission Trips this summer. Every year as we prepare to serve in the communities that God is calling us to in June and July we are given the opportunity to be in prayer together for the June Mission Trip and July Mission Trip. The CTCYM 100 Days of Prayer is a set of 100 daily prayers that are written by members of CTCYM Advisory Task Force team that organizes the CTCYM Mission Trips every year.

This is an awesome opportunity for all of us that are going, supporting, or a part of churches that have people going or people coming to stay at their church for this years mission trips. It unites us in prayer with our Creator. I hope you will join me in this awesome opportunity. Also encourage you to join us for the Instagram Photo Challenge as well. Instructions are below which are followed by the link to the 100 Days of Prayer so you can connect daily with us!

The age old question of the walk with Christ is how do we live into this call that Christ has given us. How do we daily live with Christ? The Bible is stocked full of how to live a life that is holy and full of love and grace, but one of the things that God has shown me during lent this year is not just giving things I do up, but noticing when I feel closest to Christ and what I am doing to feel that closeness.

Right now in this moment tonight I would ask you the same that God has asked me this season.

What activity in your life makes you feel the closest to Christ?

I think the best answer to this is listed in Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (NIV)

I might be crazy, but I think if we do things that are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy then we will draw closer to Christ. So….

What activity in your life makes you feel the closest to Christ?

This life in logic is not difficult. If you truly love your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ you will find ways to be close to Him as much as possible. We always say that the trouble begins when we apply this to action, but does it really?

Mike Yaconelli, one of the founders of really youth ministry itself once said this:

“There are a whole lot of people who are so freakin’ busy – they’ve so cluttered up their lives – they’re at their wits’ end. And if they’d only just stop for a minute, they could hear the God of the universe whisper to them, I love you.”

This quote always reminds me a favorite passage of mine from 1 Kings 19:11-14

Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.”
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?”

We can get so busy with school or work, friends, family, and life itself and ultimately lose touch with what life is really about. You were not created to be a Human Doing, always doing things and trying to become something. You were created to be a Human Being, always accepting who you are because in that God gave you something more than you could ever become.

Right now know that you are His masterpiece, you. You weren’t created to be busy all the time. You were created to be in relationship with your creator and to help Him create more love and grace in this broken world. At FUMC Student Ministries we have the same mission as the United Methodist Church: To Make Disciples

That EVERY STUDENT would feel loved and accepted here as Christ loves and accepts all of us where we are and for who we are, but doesn’t leave us there. We exist to encourage, empower, equip, and energize the young people of this world to be a partner with God in transforming the world.

So, I ask what God asked Elijah, what are you doing here?

Let’s pray.

“Becoming the Beloved means means letting the truth of our Beloved-ness become enfleshed in everything we think, say, or do. It means to pull the truth revealed to us from God to our lives in what we are, in fact, thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour.” (Henri Nouwen)

Essentially Nouwen is saying what Colossians 3:17 says. Let check that out:

“Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.”

As a disciple of Jesus Christ this is what it really comes down to. This should be our goal daily. Whatever you do, do it all in the name of Jesus, but this also implies a question. How does one do this in such a negative and broken world? Is what I do and you do really matter that much! YES IT DOES, and I will tell you why.

Because God chose you. You, to be His child and His representative to the world of His grace and Love, and yes it’s going to be hard but you can do this three ways.

Keep unmasking the world about you for what it is: manipulative, controlling, power-hungry, and, in the long-run destructive. Everytime you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: “These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am a chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity and held safe in an everlasting embrace.
Keep looking for people and places where your truth is spoken and where you are reminded of your deepest identity as a chosen one of God.

Celebrate your chosenness constantly. (Henri Nouwen)

That means saying thank you to God for having chosen you by the way you live. That is the most powerful worship you can do.

If the Gospel of Jesus Christ is readily and frequently in your heart and mind you will begin to reanalyze all that you do, all your thoughts and how you live.

I wonder what would happen if you commit to do this? It really comes down to you. Is your faith that important to you? If its not then don’t worry about it, but if it is commit to this.