I wanted to compile a list of links that have blessed me and might bless you too:
Breakaway Ministries - I can't say enough about Breakaway. It is truly how I met Christ. If you are College Station on a Tuesday night, you have no excuse not to go. If not, then subscribe to their podcast!
RVL Lecture - [LINK DOWNLOADS ZIP File] This lecture looks at Jesus from a Jewish prospective. I have never gotten so much out of one lecture. You will not regret sitting down and listening to this. I promise!
RELEVANT Magazine - This magazine has filled me up so much. It is actually how I found out about the World Race! Read online or subscribe and you won't regret it!
Radical - This book changed my heart on missions and many other things. Every Christian should read it.
John Piper - One of the best pastors of our time, his sermons and focus on missions have really blessed me over this process of contemplating the race.
Now that I have your attention, I have some news. As I make my way to Fundraising Deadline #2, the World Race has given us some incentive items if we want to use them. So here is my deal:
If you commit to donating $50 or more per month - Pick anything (we can talk about multiple items too)
If you commit to donating $25-$49 per month - Anything but shirts
If you commit to donating $10-$24 per month - Cups, nalgenes, bracelets, stickers, etc.
I can only purchase these things AT TRAINING CAMP so I need to know soon if you are deciding what you want. If you don't know how to get in touch with me, click the contact link in the top left of the site. Current monthly supporters, contact me about what you want please. Even if you are planning to give in the future, tell me now so I can make sure I get what you want/get your size.
Remember to pray for me and my team next week at training camp! Love you all!
I know exactly what you are thinking. Let me give it a shot.
"Man, I really am stoked about what God is doing around the world and want to be a part of the Great Commission. However I feel kinda weird giving money to organizations that I don't know much about. Isn't there SOME way to tangibly give things to spread Gods word and KNOW where its going?"
Friend, the answer is yes.
For those of you who would rather give something tangible (I am this kind of person too), you are not forgotten! I have created an Amazon Wish List of small items I still need before I embark on the World Race.
Pretty short blog for today. That's because a video blog is coming soon, so get excited and stay tuned. And for all of you who have already donated, you are gonna get a special shout out...
I recently talked with my cousin Cameron and he made a statement that stuck out to me. He said "Man you did a 180 huh? You were such a strong atheist". I smiled so big when he said that.
Some of you reading may remember that time in my life (high school mostly) where I was, what some might call, a militant atheist. I made a past-time out of finding Christians and debating them out of their faith. I was bringing people down to raise myself up. Pride. Plain and simple.
Guys, that's how you can know its real. I would have never believed and changed if Jesus wasn't who he said he was. In fact, I wouldn't be leaving the comfort of the USA to bring this message of Jesus to the world if I didn't know it was true and that it changes lives. Becoming a believer, being saved, being born again, or whatever you want to call it, is ALWAYS a 180.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24
Does that describe your walk with God? Can you say that you have passed from death to life?
I want to lay out a question for you. Everyone is betting on something. Every single person is betting on a belief of God, even if you don't think you are. So where is your bet? (Hint: your actions can help you figure out which one of these you are)
Maybe you don't believe there is a God at all and we just die and decompose. The life is just a big game to make us much money and have as much pleasure as you can. I was here at one point.
Maybe you believe that there is something out there, but just don't want to think about it. You are too busy with life to figure out what life is all about. I was here at one point as well.
Maybe you think that God judges based on Good and Bad, and as long as your Good outweighs your Bad, you are in Many world religions are based on this, and a lot of people who call themselves Christians believe this even though The Bible says nothing of the sort. (Quite the opposite really)
Or maybe you are like me. I am putting all my cards on that Jesus was/is exactly what he said he is. Now, I KNOW with 100% certainty that I am saved and a citizen of heaven, not because of anything I did in this life, but because of what Jesus did for me. I put my bet on that God is real, that he loves me so much that he sent his only son to die for me. The God of who's standard I fall short of, took my debt, and paid it FOR ME. Now I can live, do live, and forever will live, in a relationship with Him.
That's the one paragraph version of the Bible. If you want to know more, click the contact me link on the left.
This question though, is the most important question you can figure out. Yet most of us live our lives never wanting to think about it. If you think I am wrong, test it. Dig in! There is nothing more important you could be doing right now. Do not spend another day going through life apathetically. Do not spend another day living for pleasures that will never satisfy. Search for the truth, because the Truth changes everything. My life is a living example of that.
The 10-40 Window: the area between 40N latitude and 10S latitude. It holds 95% of the planet's un-reached people. 3.5 billion people live here (half of the worlds population). Yet only 7% of missionaries go there. Only .05% of ALL Christian giving goes to missions in the window. Does this make sense?
Jon Piper said this speaking of a smaller area:
"I cannot get over the fact that there are more churches in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis- St.Paul) than there are Protestant North American missionaries to 1,930,000,000 Muslim, Hindu, Han Chinese and Buddhist people who have not been reached by the gospel. "To whom much is given, from him much will be required" (Luke 12:48). Surely this implies that churches and denominations with many members and many ministers should be giving many of these people to cultures which have virtually no gospel witness. I cannot see how we can go on with business as usual while this intolerable inequity exists: 650 Protestant North American missionaries minister to 1.93 billion unreached people, while 1,000,000 Christian workers in America minister to 200 million people, most of whom are already reached. How will the church give an account of itself to the Lord?
6 of the places we will go on the World Race are in the 10-40 window. Please pray that whatever small impact our squad will have in those six countries, will blossom into a revival! Pray that we plant so many seeds that even just one might grow into a strong tree of faith.
Please consider supporting me and my squad IF ONLY to bump up that .05% number. By supporting me and my squad, you really are taking the Gospel to the lost and un-reached. Thank you to all of my current supporters!
This is another re-post from my friends at Missions Untold. I don't mean to keep re-posting other blogs because I am lazy (surely not). I just think these guys do an amazing job and I want to get their name out there as well as their message.
What's more important than being a missionary? Being a sender of missionaries.
Whether you're on the field or off, one of your main goals should be to send other missionaries, whether that's through your finances, your encouragement, or your knowledge...
Do not go another day thinking you out weigh your bad with your good! Pick up a Bible, find a Believer friend, find a church that preaches the truth and PRAY to the Creator of the Universe to help you understand what the heck this world is all about!
I'll keep this post short. I just got back from Passion 2012 in Atlanta (expect a lot more posts about that). I just wanted to share a small thing I heard that I loved. Christine Cane was preaching and told us this little story about her daughter...
Her daughter loves flashlights and Barbie. They went to Walmart one day to get her a barbie flashlight. She took it out and put the batteries in the flashlight and was at the register paying for it when the daugher turned it on. She saw that the flashlight wasn't very effective in the bright flourecent lit store. She turned to look up at her mom and said "Mom, can we go find some darkness?"
I dont think I have to unpack that story for you. I am so ready to light this world on fire with the Love of Christ!
Thanks for reading. Make sure to subscribe to this blog so you dont have to remember to keep checking!
