Wrapping up

This past week was full of lasts. Last theme training, last beach evangelism, last social, last Bible study training, last day of work, and last day at church. This morning, at the final Life Training, Mike Polley talked about staying awake to the gospel and spiritual realities when we go home.

The month of August isn’t always easy for students. It lies right between intense community at Project and at school, and without that community, it can be easy to sleep all day or forget about getting time in the Word.

Mike said this is something to be aware of, and he went through four areas of caution: pleasure, comfort, personal performance, and emotions. Many of these require us to look inward and determine whether or not what happens at Project is because of God or because of the community. Performing for others comes from forgetting the gospel, thinking we can add things to the table.

“It’s so dangerous because it just slips in,” Mike said.

He also stressed how falling into this still just brings us back to the gospel – how it’s these times of personal performance that we can fall back on the cross and know that we’re forgiven.

Talking about emotions, Mike said that they should influence our decisions in light of truth. In the moments of lacking or negative emotions, we get to cling to Christ, because he is what’s true.

“How we feel does not change what is and is not … He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Colossians 2:6 says, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

Going in home in August doesn’t mean we have a month to take a spiritual break. We should still do things out of a love and desire for God. But, if it’s hard, that doesn’t mean our faith has taken a huge step backward.

“You faith is perfected in Him and not what you do,” Mike said.

After Life Training we spent time meditating on these things. Then, after church, many people went to Garden City Baptist Church for a church potluck, and many others went to Rioz, a Brazilian steakhouse. Tonight is our final D-group, and this week will be filled with more lasts as we continue to prepare for home.

Working to rest

For a lot of students on project, today has reflected this morning’s message at Life Training. At 8:45 before church, Mike Polley talked about working to rest, saying that Christ has given us rest in the gospel.

“Stay in the rest that we’ve been given,” he said.

At this point at Project, weariness has started to set in for many people. Full-time jobs and nightly project activities, for some, make schedules much busier than what is normal.

Mike reminded us how we have already received ultimate rest, and how we have the opportunity to give it to others.

“Only Christians can share eternal rest,” he said.

He also went into some helpful tips about working and resting, explaining how there is a rest in remembering that God sanctifies us.

So today, in a very practical sense, people have been resting. Many have visited the beach in the 95-degree weather, and the local coffee shop has had people in and out of it all day.

Here are the tips Mike gave everyone to think about when it comes to work and rest:

1. Know yourself.

When it comes to a work ethic, are you on the lazy end or the over-working, anxious side?

2. Get good sleep.

3. Be efficient in the use of time.

Be devoted to work when you work and be devoted to sleep when you sleep. This will result in better work and better rest.

4. Be thankful.

“When you’re thankful, you’re awake to the gift you’ve been given?”

5. Take a day off.

This doesn’t mean sleeping all day. It’s a day for whatever is refreshing. This may be going for a run, taking a nap, or reading a book. It depends on the person.

6. Pace yourself.

You don’t always need to go 100 percent. It’s OK to run at a slower pace that can last.

7. Make a weekly schedule.

Schedule a time to rest, and make sure to make it a priority.