Week six has passed and we are starting to get excited for return training and to head back to campus. With just two weeks left, we are keeping our minds present where our feet are planted. This week was filled with many powerful talks that have made us recognize that God is for us, and we can take comfort in knowing the Lord is with us every step of the way.
Brian Phillips, a director on staff with CO for 20 years, shared about understanding our calling. Brian first debunked the common thought that our calling is a major event, but rather that our calling is a process of gaining confidence concerning God’s will for our future. Brian continued with how God has a plan for our lives so there is no need for anxiety because we can’t mess His plan up. A very popular verse from Jeremiah states this in the Bible, giving us truth to cling onto when we are unsure of our path.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Brian also took the time to introduce us to Campus Outreach Lead. CO Lead is a two-year, post-grad international mission experience with a focus on personal growth. LEAD stands for Learn yourself, Engage the world, Advance the mission, and Develop leadership skills. The program’s mission is to help college students across the globe establish a relationship with Christ and become a leader for others. As many of us will be thinking of post-grad plans within the coming years, we will keep this unique opportunity in mind. It is exciting to think that some of us here, may be called to further the kingdom through this experience.
At evangelism training this week we heard from Patch again, who shared how God calls the church to the mission, not just the individual. We see repeatedly in scripture how God never intended man to be alone. In the beginning, he created Adam and then Eve so they could be together. When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples, he sent them in pairs so that they did not have to minister alone but together. This caught my attention, as we always go out in two or three when evangelizing with others. Acts 2 talks about how the church is our community and together through community we can plant seeds in the lives of others. We learned that when we are faithful in planting seeds, God is faithful in growing them.
“And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Acts 2:44-47
This week’s word training was led by one of our team leaders, Cole, and was on the transformative power of God’s word. To understand the power of God’s word, we first must understand the purpose of the Bible which Cole outlined as to know who Jesus is, remember the gospel, and treasure Jesus above all else. Evils will try to conform us to this world, but because we do not belong to it, God’s desire is for us to fix our eyes on him and conform to the likeness of his son, Jesus Christ, who brings us the fullness of joy. If we become what we behold, holding fast to Jesus and God’s Word draws us closer to Him. During the talk, Cole explained that God’s Word has the power to transform us by addressing our sins. The only way to kill sin is not by trying to stop it, but by replacing it with Jesus who is the superior joy in our lives. By shifting our mindsets to focus more on God’s grace than the sin itself, we give him glory. God doesn’t want behavioral modification in our lives, he wants heart transformation. It is the Holy Spirit working through God’s word, that gives it its transformational power.
Word training ended with a workshop on Biblical meditation and how it helps us delight in God. Psalm 1:1-2 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Tiana explained this practice using an analogy of the Bible being food and Biblical meditation being the chewing of that food. Biblical meditation enables us to digest the truth in a way that nourishes us throughout our lives. We then took the time to practice some Biblical meditation of our own. One way to start practicing Biblical meditation in your life is by prayerfully preparing your mind and heart, not giving up when you get distracted, pausing and pondering, and prayerfully letting God’s word press home on your heart. Biblical meditation brings about valuable time spent with the Lord and is something we encourage everyone to consider making a practice in their life.
Some fun events this week included the social and attending a Mrytle Beach Pelicans game. This week’s social was planned by the Seadawg’s team, and we celebrated Christmas in July beach style. We enjoyed some good rotisserie chicken for dinner then followed the evening with pictures with Santa, a white elephant game, a water balloon fight, and decorated cookies. We attended the Pelican’s game on Wednesday night and were all excited to enjoy a night out together at the ballpark! Many two-dollar hot dogs were consumed, and we all cheered on the team!
As I write about week six, I have found myself reflecting on how much I have grown in the past month and a half. I have noticed how well these training have shaped me by how I approach different situations and how my heart posture has changed. One of my biggest takeaways from this summer is how to ask questions. It sounds like a simple and mundane thing but asking good questions is a great skill to have. They can lead to having a powerful conversation. Getting to know others through these conversations and taking what I have learned by putting it to use on the beach during evangelism, has allowed me to grow and try new things in a setting I normally wouldn’t have. Learning how to operate in an uncomfortable conversation has been such a skill to have and I am so grateful to have learned how to do that.
Throughout this summer, something that I have greatly appreciated and grown from is our daily devotionals. Every morning before work we pair up in twos or threes to study a few verses from 1 John. At the beginning of the summer, the staff taught us the inductive reading method, which is what most of us have been using during our devotionals. Also known as OIA, the inductive reading method helps us share our observations, interpretations, and applications. Diving into the Word with others has been a sweet way to begin the day and something I look forward to continuing after project. Intentionally making time to read and study scripture with others has been immensely fruitful in my walk with the Lord. Hearing other people’s perspectives and insights has also helped in my understanding of the Word. Each day has brought new “nuggets” of information and applications I can implement in my everyday life, with each one circling back to how I can abide in God more.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more updates!
