as I sit in my usual place in the Daily Grind, waiting for the next student to come in... I am observing the room and I see 2 tables occupied by 4 Greek Impact (GI) students. This isn't all that unusual, but I am particularly touched today because of the partnership we share in the Gospel.
You see, as I am about to talk about the next issue of going on in the faith with the student in a minute; one of these tables is occupied by 2 sorority women. I know that this conversation is significant because the GI leader has been praying for an opportunity to tell the other student "her God-story". it is happening before my eyes! Because of the 'Foolishness of the Gospel' there is no reason that the listener should be interested, but because of the Holy Spirit's work in her life and her particular circumstances - all of a sudden there is a huge spiritual interest. Who knows what the result of this casual coffee time will be.
The other table is occupied by 3 GI students. One of them is teaching the other 2 to lead Bible Studies in their sororities. I can overhear part of this discussion as the leader is sharing Inductive Bible Study principles and they are each working off of a page from BibleGateway.com. "Questions need to be made so that the people in the group will look into the text for the answer and they shouldn't be YES or NO type questions." WOW! I can't wait to see how these women will begin to increase the ministry by leading in each of their sororities. But also how they will develop as leaders by starting these groups!
What an amazing partnership that is going on: Me in my one-on-one discipling, the evangelistic discussion at table 1 and the Bible Study training at table 2, What can I say?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Ya gotta love these guys!
The class of 1998 was an amazing class for me. There were a huge amount of Christian men in the InterVarsity Chapter. Many of these guys I met with weekly. Some of them were in a discipling group - that is a group that came together to begin to live out 2 Timothy 2:2 on campus ("Things you have heard me say, entrust to reliable people who in turn can teach others.").
As senior year rolled around these guys began to think about what it would mean to continue to grow together as brothers in Christ. Would they stay connected through an email listserve? They do, by the way, and it has been active for over 10 years. Would they just plan on meeting up annually for a vacation or mission trip? They still do that too. Or possibly should they be intentional enough to choose to move together to a location so that they could live in community and encourage each other in Christ. Well that is what happened! Not all of them of course, but a number of them moved to Houston and began to work for Teach For America (TFA) in a couple inner-city schools. Some moved to NOVA, some Massachusetts, NJ, Colorado, Romania etc. But they have remained close and challenging to each other all of this time.
TFA led the Houston boys to a Charter School system named YES Prep. They have worked hard in this system. And have accomplished many things. Some teach, some train new teachers, some work in the administration such as recruitment and development. But their vision for the kids in Houston is stellar. And their faith and commitment to each other has gotten some recognition! Houston School District has just chosen YES Prep Charter Schools as the # 1 school in the District! (see link & video above).
I am very proud of these guys and how they have chosen to live faithfully for the Kingdom of God in the midst of a broken & perverse generation!
As senior year rolled around these guys began to think about what it would mean to continue to grow together as brothers in Christ. Would they stay connected through an email listserve? They do, by the way, and it has been active for over 10 years. Would they just plan on meeting up annually for a vacation or mission trip? They still do that too. Or possibly should they be intentional enough to choose to move together to a location so that they could live in community and encourage each other in Christ. Well that is what happened! Not all of them of course, but a number of them moved to Houston and began to work for Teach For America (TFA) in a couple inner-city schools. Some moved to NOVA, some Massachusetts, NJ, Colorado, Romania etc. But they have remained close and challenging to each other all of this time.
TFA led the Houston boys to a Charter School system named YES Prep. They have worked hard in this system. And have accomplished many things. Some teach, some train new teachers, some work in the administration such as recruitment and development. But their vision for the kids in Houston is stellar. And their faith and commitment to each other has gotten some recognition! Houston School District has just chosen YES Prep Charter Schools as the # 1 school in the District! (see link & video above).
I am very proud of these guys and how they have chosen to live faithfully for the Kingdom of God in the midst of a broken & perverse generation!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Foolishness in April
Carolyn was (is) the April Fool-er in our family. She is the one who would be awake and move through the house early in the morning on April 1st wrecking havoc wherever she went. It might start with me. Usually it would be about some overnite equipment or appliance failure. "Marty, wake up! The Dishwasher overflowed all over the kitchen last night!" or "There is no hot water in the house!" Or "That big oak tree fell across the driveway and we can't get our cars out!" I would leap to my feet already to put my best problem-solving techniques to work, until I would catch a glimpse of Carolyn snickering in the corner!
Then she would move to Tripp's room (me close behind, just to watch her get another victim) and she would say: "Tripp, time to get up --- OH MY GOSH, look at that SPIDER climbing on the wall there! (Tripp is very afraid of spiders - by the way)" He would leap into the air and out of bed - with Carolyn laughing hysterically! Then the 3 of us would creep into Bobby's room, and watch the master at work once again: "Bobby, did you forget to turn the washer on last night, I think your clothes are still dirty?" Once again the victim would leap to attention while the torturer and previous victims would be rolling on the floor in pure hilarity! April Fools day had arrived at our house once again.
God had to have the same type of humor himself. Just think of the Tower of Babel. People from all over the world coming together, speaking the same language, trying to get to God - on their own strength. With one swoosh of his Word all peoples began to speak in many languages so that no one could understand the other.
Then there is poor Samuel, a small voice calls "Samuel, Samuel". Samuel trudges down to Eli's room and says "Yes Eli, I am here!" Eli says, "Go to bed boy, I didn't call you." Three times this same thing occurs. Finally Eli says: It's not me, boy - it's probably God, next time ask Him what he wants." Then there was Enoch who was walking with men one minute and then walking with God the next! God has a huge sense of humor all through the Bible.
Then in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul writes about God & Foolishness. God's foolishness in wiser than all of man's wisdom put together! The folly is in the fact that even since the Tower of Babel man continues to try to get to God on his own. And God must just laugh!
But God has (at least) one more act of foolishness. He allows one man (His Son Jesus Christ) to die in humiliation. On a cross, a death of a common criminal. so that all of us who ask for mercy & forgiveness from Him shall walk with Him for eternity.
This Gospel message is just foolishness!
Then she would move to Tripp's room (me close behind, just to watch her get another victim) and she would say: "Tripp, time to get up --- OH MY GOSH, look at that SPIDER climbing on the wall there! (Tripp is very afraid of spiders - by the way)" He would leap into the air and out of bed - with Carolyn laughing hysterically! Then the 3 of us would creep into Bobby's room, and watch the master at work once again: "Bobby, did you forget to turn the washer on last night, I think your clothes are still dirty?" Once again the victim would leap to attention while the torturer and previous victims would be rolling on the floor in pure hilarity! April Fools day had arrived at our house once again.
God had to have the same type of humor himself. Just think of the Tower of Babel. People from all over the world coming together, speaking the same language, trying to get to God - on their own strength. With one swoosh of his Word all peoples began to speak in many languages so that no one could understand the other.
Then there is poor Samuel, a small voice calls "Samuel, Samuel". Samuel trudges down to Eli's room and says "Yes Eli, I am here!" Eli says, "Go to bed boy, I didn't call you." Three times this same thing occurs. Finally Eli says: It's not me, boy - it's probably God, next time ask Him what he wants." Then there was Enoch who was walking with men one minute and then walking with God the next! God has a huge sense of humor all through the Bible.
Then in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Paul writes about God & Foolishness. God's foolishness in wiser than all of man's wisdom put together! The folly is in the fact that even since the Tower of Babel man continues to try to get to God on his own. And God must just laugh!
But God has (at least) one more act of foolishness. He allows one man (His Son Jesus Christ) to die in humiliation. On a cross, a death of a common criminal. so that all of us who ask for mercy & forgiveness from Him shall walk with Him for eternity.
This Gospel message is just foolishness!
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