Learning to lead.

The last few weeks have been jam packed! I am all moved into my new apartment. It is honestly such a blessing. I love it. I've also been calling a lot of the students that are going to be here in 21 days, so exactly three weeks. I have been touching base with them, praying with them, just starting the investing now. It's been so wonderful. I am so stoked about every student we have coming this quarter! I get so excited when I talk to them because I know that if they let it, this next 6 months could totally change their life. And that is so exciting.

This week I have been in the Circuit Riders program. What is Circuit Riders? It is learning how to boldly proclaim the simple gospel.

"250 years ago a wild breed of men were unleashed into the wilderness of America not unlike the 12 young, zealous disciples that Jesus sent out in Matthew chapter 10. The mandate for these young circuit riders: Take the gospel to the remote corners of America’s frontier.

“No family was too poor, no house too filthy, no town too remote, and no people too ignorant to receive the good news that life could be better.”

Their message: The kingdom of God has come, repent, be baptized and follow Jesus.

The Circuit riders of old were forerunners in their day. The same call is going out again, God is raising up their example for today’s forerunner generation! The mode and methods have changed, but the mandate, message and cost of the Circuit Rider remain the same. The nations are crying out in darkness. Who will go and gather the lost all over the Earth? Who will go and awaken the Church to the joy of living fully alive in Jesus?

A generation is responding like perhaps never before in history. Confident in who Christ has called them to be and what He has given them, they go forth proclaiming freedom to the captives. Knowing the living God through deep friendship and trust in His Word, they gladly lay down their lives. There is immense hope for the hardest and the darkest, as this generation rises to its feet and lays hold of its destiny!"

I realized that I had never shared the gospel by simply talking about the man Jesus. I have many times tied it into my testimony. But never laid it out as,

There was a God that out of love created man, someone to choose to passionately follow Him. They lived in love, but out of an act of rebellion man turned his back on God. But He had a plan to bring restitution, and out of His love sent His son to die for our sins. Jesus. Fully God, came in human flesh and went through being tortured and was nailed to a cross, for love. His fierce extravagant love for mankind would have put Him in that place even if it was to save one person. 

The simple gospel of the Jesus. The intricate love story that has been weaved since the beginning. 

It has totally blown my mind, even as we were just talking about it in the course, I was again awed by who this man Jesus is.