The Old Has Gone

A redeemed student, walking with Christ, attempting to be more like Him everyday.

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An Uncertain Future

College, for many, is a time full of uncertainty, worry, and anxiety. What major should I pursue? What will I do when I get out of college? How will my life play out? It is so easy to get caught up in the smallest details of our lives that we tend to overlook the big picture. At the end of the day, is one C on my report card really going to ruin my future? There's a viral Christian quote that I see all the time on the internet, in various artsy pictures and cool fonts: Let go, and let God. It may sound cliché, but it is so true. What could we possibly be anxious about or be dealing with that is so troublesome that the Savior of the World can't handle it?

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

This verse lays it all out for us and is normally the go to verse for anxiety about what is to come. It is comforting to know that The Lord has plans laid out that won't harm us and that will prosper us. 

In all seriousness, I need to take a chill pill. As long as I'm following Christ the best I can, keeping in constant contact with my Creator, and staying in the Word, I will be fine. He's got my life all figured out, and He's got a future for me. He's shaping me and molding into the best man I can be, and even with my endless imperfections, He will ultimately form me into something beautiful.

Yet you, Lord, are our Father, we are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. - Isaiah 64:8

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Power in Weakness

I'm a very material person, and I tend to focus on the wrong side of things. I worry about my perceived image to the others around me and how they might think about me. Am I wearing the right brands? Do my actions reflect who they want me to be? Do I live up to their standard? For me, college highlighted all of these worries. There were thousands of people I had never met, and all I wanted was to fit right in. Then it clicked.

All I had strived for was becoming perfect. It had ruled my life and was exhausting and I couldn't handle it anymore, and in that moment of weakness it made the most sense to open up my Bible that had been gathering dust since move-in day.  

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me"  -2 Corinthians 12:9

This verse was perfect in that time and is one of my favorites to come back to. I am weak. I was then, and I still am now. But it is in our weaknesses and shortcomings that Christ is truly highlighted. His power is the only sort that can fill the voids in our lives that we fill with meaningless earthly pleasures. Only His grace is sufficient for me. He is the only means of true fulfillment that I can find.    

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This Great Hope (Duane Mixon)

Tonight at Port City Overflow, a weekly college student service in Wilmington, Duane Mixon brought a great message about the hope we can have in Jesus Christ. He brought up the crucial point that we aren't defined by our respective sins.  We are defined by Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.  How amazing is it to think that everything that bogs us down through our everyday lives that we think dooms us is made completely new in Him?

He gives us the only means of a true hope because He has already won. He conquered the grave and our sin, and in Him we are made knew. That is the ultimate hope.

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Trials and Sorrows

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33

Jesus lived the perfect life. He overcame every possible worldly obstacle that you and me have or eventually will face.  He even overcame the one thing that we would never be able to: sin. Wouldn't it make the most sense that when everything seems to be taking a turn for the worst that we would turn to the only one who has ever lived a perfect life? 

Part of John 16, starting before verse 16, comes under the heading "The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy."  They knew that He was soon going to leave them.  They knew that a large part of the world would rejoice at the fact that Jesus was no longer on the earth. And they knew that things would become even more difficult for them without His physical presence with them. But Jesus gives them a peaceful reminder that He has overcome everything.  He has overcome everything that they are about to endure, and in God they can truly find peace and overcome their worldly trials and sorrows.   

This passage serves as an awesome reminder that regardless of what I may be going through, and what worldly sorrows come my way, the One who goes before me has done this all before. He will always be with me, and only by turning to Him will I find true peace.

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Your Love Never Fails by Jesus Culture

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My God's Love Never Fails

You stay the same through the ages Your love never changes There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage I don't have to be afraid Because I know that You love me Your love never fails

This is the chorus of a song by Jesus Culture that I've been stuck on recently.  It's just one of those songs that really hits me and makes me thing about how great my God is, and His unending love and protection. Every line of this song is packed with encouraging messages of hope and love, but the chorus is my favorite part.

Listening to the chorus of this song is an easy way for me to turn around my mood anytime, at any point in my day because the message is so clear.  HE stays the same through the ages...our God's love NEVER changes. Nothing can take away His love for us, and no matter what we may do, He never will stop.  Even through our toughest trials, we can find rest in Him, and know that he is always with us.

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The Love of God for Us

Last night, I went to an early service at the Brier Creek campus of Summit RDU, where JD Greear used the story of the prodigal son in his sermon.  I'm sure I had heard this story used in an Easter service before, but for some reason it had never stuck out and meant as much to me.  He broke the story up into 7 parallel points that ran together with the story if you were to replace the father with God, and us with the prodigal son. 

God loves us....

Even when you rejected him and broke his heart

As we wander in the darkness

As he brings us back

As he wraps us in his arms when we return

As he baptizes us with grace and makes all things new

When we're too proud to receive his grace

And the last point,

     7. We can even ultimately choose to stay outside of God's love forever

It really was a simple explanation of our relationship with Christ, and was made simple yet effective enough to reach everyone who heard it.  He also made several applicable points about God's grace that were incredible:

the cross was Jesus running to us and bearing our shame (the father in the storied ran to his son upon his arrival which was a shameful act in that time period)

the cross is not a decoration, it is a declaration

the resurrection was Jesus making all things new

none of us are beyond His grace

All in all, everyone of us is able to receives God's unending grace, it's just a matter of whether or not we choose to accept it and live accordingly. His grace is sufficient

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Just Read

"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4)

Today at Port City, Mike Ashcraft brought an awesome message from his series called "Just Read." This series has highlighted the significance and importance of staying in the word, and how it can strengthen you as a follower of Christ.

The main points that I took away from his sermon were the following points about how we must Read to Believe:

Read Relationally

Read Submissively

Think Hard

1. When we read with a relational mindset, it make it easier to relate to God's word and helps us to receive what God intended us to receive.  Although some passages may be difficult to relate to, there is always some something we can take away, even if it doesn't seem like it on the surface.

2. This one is something I tend to struggle with, and it was great to hear how Mike thought about it. We must read submissively, and with awareness that even though we may not grasp the stories in the Bible, or even if it's difficult to believe some stories, if we read submissively we can truly take something away. Reading requires for us to think. We must read to understand, and by doing so we will better understand how God works and his motives. 

3. Me must think hard. Why do we read? What are we reading? Our wisdom begins with God, and our fear of him. Our thinking is affected by our respective sins; we must learn to look past our own troubles and make sure they don't get in the way of what God is trying to tell us. Another interesting point Mike had was the fact that taking God out of our everyday lives removes the wisdom from where it originates.

The word also works by teaching us, convincing us and giving us the ability to comprehend His teachings, correcting us by shaping us into how He wants us, and by training and building us upon the corrections from Him.

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrew 4:12)

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The Great Commission

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mat. 28:19-20) 

This is the last command that the disciples heard upon Jesus’ ascension into Heaven. If I was in this position I have no clue what my reaction would have been.  Just think about it. Jesus had been crucified. The disciples’ minds were all over the place. They were full of doubt and had no idea what to do next. They had spent the last couple years giving up everything for Jesus and it all had come crashing down in front of them.  And then He rose again. “It is finished.” And commanded them to go and make disciples themselves. The past couples days had been insane for them and they were only getting started. 

The Great Commission has seemed to change from when it was first commanded for our modern-day churches and us.  As Chan says, we “pay ministers to do the ministry, show up and put money in a plate, and leave feeling fed.”  It’s ridiculous for us to feel as though the Jesus’ command has changed for us.  I know for me that I have spent way too much time just relaxing on the sidelines, showing up to services and going home.  Hell, I’ve even been sitting on the bench during mission trips but haven’t had the initiative to put myself in the game. It’s an unfortunate truth that is present everywhere today.

The Great Commission can be broken up into three key commands.

Go

Baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Teach them to obey everything He has commanded

Focusing on the baptism aspect, this is a ritual that was crucial back to the early followers of Christ. This event was HUGE for the person being baptized. It immediately marked them down for martyrdom, and cast the whole worlds persecution onto them.  It was an extreme profession of faith and has seemed to almost die out as of late.  No one should fail to recognize the importance and symbolism of this act. I myself even should probably be baptized again.  When I was 8, what did I know? I definitely didn’t realize the significance it once had, and knowing this now has produced the urge to possibly do it again.

In order to fulfill His command to the best of our abilities, we need to make sure we continue to spend as much time as possible in the scripture.  By equipping myself with His word, I will gain the wisdom He has in store for me and fully reach my disciple-making potential.   He didn’t create the Bible for no reason.  We were meant to read it.  Preparation through scripture is a crucial key to successful discipleship, and without it our efforts will come short. 

We all have excuses that will get in the way of our effort to make disciples.  “Oh yeah, I’ll get around to it, I just have so much school work.’’ Or “Yeah, I just haven’t felt the Holy Spirit yet, it isn’t my time to share the Gospel.” When it comes to it, there is no excuse.  The Holy Spirit is always working, even in our extremely busy daily lives.  Just slow it down and listen.  The simplest instances in our everyday lives can be prime opportunities to share the joys of Jesus Christ and further His kingdom.

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Being a True Follower

Many people tend to think that being a "follower of Christ" is solely taking the name of Jesus. Chan illustrates this scenario by saying that this would be like if Jesus said,"Hey, would you guys mind identifying yourselves with Me in some way? Don't worry, I don't actually care if you do anything I do or change you lifestyle at all.  I'm just looking for people who are willing to say they believe in Me and call themselves Christians."  When it's phrased like this, how can people do this? It makes absolutely no sense and in practice is meaningless.  Till recently, I definitely would have fit into this lifestyle. I have lived for myself, done whats pleased me, and looked for gratification in what the world sees as "good." 

If you look at Ephesians 2, we are made alive in Christ.  In CHRIST.  Too often people, including myself get too caught up in attempting to save ourselves.  We simply can't.  It's something I've always struggled with this.  As much as we like to think volunteering somewhere, or just doing good deeds all day gets us somewhere in our eternal security it doesn't. Sure those things are all great and things we are called to do, but the only way to truly be saved is through God's grace. 

Jesus is our Lord.  "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body" (1 Cor. 6:19-20). After confessing He is our Lord, we must treat him as such.  We shouldn't see ourselves as in control of our destiny.  God is.  We don't tell him what we want for the rest of our lives. He tells us.

To many, the last section may seem that God has taken the joy out of our lives.  However, this is completely false.  God's sacrifices for us give us reason to follow Him, and to keep Him at the center of our everyday lives. His love is everlasting, the least we can do for our Savior is make sacrifices and live for Him. Any attempt to live without Him is guaranteed to not be sufficient in the long run.  But at the end of the day it won't matter, because His grace is sufficient for us.