As we grow and adapt in our walk with Jesus down here in Garden City, SC, we are being flooded with the good news that sinners like us have the ability to be in relationship with a Holy God because of the riches of the grace of Jesus Christ.
In a conversation this week with Zach Simmons, a staff member at the University of Minnesota and leader of the Ministry talks this summer, explained the first section of Ephesians in the following way: “Our inheritance as believers is Christ, occurs through Christ, and is for the praise and glory of Christ.”
This is a sweet gospel truth if you look at it closely. What are we as the sinner doing? Receiving. We cannot work to get God’s attention. We cannot give God a little boost in order that it is easier to redeem us. We are dead men and women; we are simply seeing that we need a sacrifice and in turn receiving the sacrifice which is Christ as a gift from the abundance of Grace that God gives.
Sometimes, as believers, we get stuck in a cycle of trying to prove to God that we are worth loving, which nullifies our need for Jesus, and then we fail because we think that we can somehow need God less by doing enough good works and not doing enough bad ones. This is where hearing comes into play.
And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain,
growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold
and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4:8-9
As a ministry, Campus Outreach believes that it is crucial to continually share the gospel with both unbelievers and believers. Because of this belief, Campus Outreach has made it possible for you to listen and reflect on each and every one of the messages that we are experiencing down here. I encourage you to follow these instructions, download our talks and listen to them so that you may know exactly what your children, friends, and family are hearing.
I would also challenge you to communicate your partnership with us to the students that you know that are here in SC. Ask them questions about the talks. Reference the main points. Pray over the staff members and student leaders that are speaking truth over the students. Pray that the Lord gives the students “ears to hear.”
Listening to the talks is very easy. Simply follow these directions:
1. Click on one of the following links.
a. http://www.cominneapolis.org/stptalks/
b. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/com-summer-training-project-talks/id1243047102?mt=2
2. If you clicked on (a.), click on one of the four options that you see in the window:
3. If you clicked on (b.), follow the link to this window and choose accordingly.
4. Click on View in iTunes. This page will pop up.
5. Choose which Talk to listen to. Or click to Subscribe to stay updated with future talks.
Remember that future talks take a little bit of time to post to the website. Please stay tuned for more updates.