Week 1 of Interns. Wow.

It was a tremendous week 1 with interns. We went on the retreat, got back, did Jammin' in June, started planning for the summer and then now the weekend.

It has been a whirlwind week of craziness and yet, there is peace. God is a God of order and I resonate with that this week. Even though some things seem to be out of order and out of the ordinary, God is still a God of order. He is in control of everything and sometimes that is hard for me. Control is something that I need to continually give to him in every situation. I have to give him control of ministry, give him control of family, give him control of situations.

The intern team that we have is incredibly solid! I'm enjoying them and what they are doing. I think that each of them will grow a ton this summer in their walks with Christ but also in their understanding of ministry, teaching, and speaking. God is good and with him all things are possible.

God, in my weakness...YOU are strong.

JNJ

We do this thing called Jammin' in June. It is a vacation bible school put on downtown at Hilltop Urban Church. I'm pretty excited about tonight. Connecting with kids outside of my comfort zone is a good thing. It also gives the opportunity for our students to experience a different culture in their own city. I'm excited to see what God does to our students.

Father, please let Jammin' in June be a great experience and I pray that you would reveal yourself to each and every one of the students their so that they may know you completely.

-Amen.

Intern Retreat Tonight and Tomorrow.

We are leaving tonight at 5:30 for the intern retreat. It will be the first time that we are altogether in one place. It will be the first time that we work together as a team. I'm excited to see how God brings us together to be an effective team of ministers this summer.

God has gifted each of the interns in incredible ways for ministry and I am excited to see what he does with each of them as they learn and grow.

God, bless our time together. Help us to grow deeply in you in the next 24 hours!

Baby Road Map

Tonight, Cassie and I put together our "baby roadmap." Basically, Isaiah is getting dedicated on June 8th and our church has a policy that says we get to fill out a roadmap. It's kind of a long process but it is good for us to think through how we will intentionally disciple him in God's principles and values. I'm excited to think that Isaiah will grow up to know who God is and own the faith that we will teach him. My hope and my prayer for him daily is that he comes to know who God is and that it radically influences decisions that he will begin to make and continue to make throughout his life!

Preaching Sunday

I have the incredible privilege and opportunity to speak at Clearwater, KS on Sunday at an E. Free Church there. I'm excited to go and share God's word with God's people. I am speaking from Colossians 1 and really focusing on verse 10. There are significant things that we can learn from "Living in a manner worthy of the Lord" and Paul gives a description of what that looks like immediately following that phrase. God has taught me this week what it looks like to bear fruit in my own life this week. I am learning alot. My God is good and continues to teach me from his word.

Father, give me clarity of thought and a sound mind this weekend! Speak in spite of me. Amen.

Interns.

Jackie CavenderAmber Johnson Becky Lutes
Grant Galyon

Interns show up here shortly. Grant is one of our interns and he has been here all week. I'm excited to have them on board. On Monday we do an intern retreat and training. We will also be talking to Vinny on Tuesday about our SOI's. It will be interesting to see how God has wired this team. :)

Worship Stuff...

I know. I'm beating a horse that is half dead. But here's the thing. I think our American church has distorted the truth about worship. We have made worship into some sort of concert. And reality is, it's NOT that. And this video has been influential in my thinking this last year.

This last year.

This last year has been a busy one for my wife and I. A year ago, we were in Orange City, Iowa getting ready to move to Wichita, KS. We didn't know the future. We didn't know how we would fit in at West Evangelical Free Church. We didn't really know anyone. We weren't connected in West Wichita. But we were taking steps of faith that were harder than any steps of faith we had taken previously. We were trusting God to provide the financial resource to get from one place to another and at the same time buy a house where we simply had not had that expense before. God worked in incredible ways. He is faithful in all situations. He provided a house and a great church that has an incredible dream and vision. We are excited to be here and I hope that we are here for a long time. Someone asked me recently if I was happy. Within that question was the silent question of whether I ever regret taking the step of faith. Sometimes I miss Orange City and I certainly miss the people. But God has us on this path and is walking right with us. It is incredible to be seeking him and understanding his will.

God is faithful. In September, Isaiah was born. He was healthy, big, and alot of fun to be with. We call him Mr. Squirmy or Mr. Gee. (He calls himself Gee) I love him and can't imagine life without him. Sometimes, different things would be easier without a child, but there is no comparison to the blessing that we receive because we have him. It is an exciting process to be a dad and mom.

Ministry seems to have gone well in the last year. There were some significant changes that had to be made as I started ministry last summer and through those changes success came. I'm excited to see what God will do in students' hearts this next summer and fall. My desire is that God would renovate their hearts for him. That would be my prayer. Interns will be here this next week and I am excited to invest in them.

I love my wife. She is the love of my life and I don't know that I would function well without her. She is a helper and a foundation to the things that I am doing. She is a major help and support in everything that I do. She knows the right questions to ask and she knows exactly what to say. I appreciate her so much.

God, thank you for being faithful. Speak to me. Help me to learn from your word daily. This year has been an incredible year of growth and i want to continue to be stretched. Stretch me.

I know...A dangerous prayer to pray. :)

Amen.