a2f newsletter.

happy thursday y’all.

can’t believe the semester is over (for many of you and for those who aren’t done yet - stay strong. you’re almost there).

this past week - we got to celebrate our graduating seniors. proud of them and all the ways they’ve grown and taken steps over the years - from just beginning to check out our church to getting plugged into our community to then wanting to grow and serve as student leaders. leading small groups. putting on seeker events and specials talks. just being an older brother or sister and opening up their lives and apartment and food to the younger ones.

and through it all, like many of them would testify, they got to experience so much joy. how it is so much better to give our lives to god and to others than to withhold, save and preserve.

and that’s what they got a chance to testify to this past weekend - the story of god’s leading in their lives. from salvation to serving. given such an amazing purpose and vision of being campus changers that can make eternal impact on this campus and on people’s lives. and not through some charismatic talent but, as a group of friends, trying their best to love students on this campus through open apartments, hosting meals, being a listening ear, etc.

from the oldest to the youngest - tabby + i also got to host the freshmen tgif group over for a meal. and it was neat to think that just several months ago - we didn’t know any of these freshmen but now they’ve become really important and precious people to me and i feel so excited for all that god has in store for them these next 4 years. to experience all that the seniors got to experience but to do and experience so much more.

dj.

sunday. 5/10. 12p. walc 1018.

our last sunday on campus. for those of you who are still around - please join us as our church family gathers together to worship, hear from god’s word, and have lunch afterwards.

i was challenged recently by the response of the men of valor when saul was declared and anointed king over israel.

because if you step back and think about the historical context, israel asking for a king was ultimately a bad decision. samuel and god make it very clear that this request was sinful and that there would be consequences.

and yet what’s incredible is the mercy of god.

even through an imperfect and unwise decision, god continues unfolding his salvation plan and it begins with saul.

immediately after saul is anointed, some people respond with cynicism. the bible calls them “worthless fellows,” and they ask, “how can this man save us?”

and honestly, their question isn’t entirely wrong.

this man cannot save them.

but the point was never ultimately saul. the point was the god behind saul. god is able to work even through imperfect people and imperfect situations to accomplish his purposes.

in contrast, there are the men of valor. they allow themselves to be rallied. they choose to stand with saul and support him. their posture is essentially, “if this is where god is leading, then i’m in.”

that really challenged me.

what is my default posture when things are imperfect, unclear, or messy?

is it submission and openness to god’s leading even when i don’t fully understand? or is it cynicism disguised as practicality?

because practicality can sound wise. and sometimes it is. but there is also a kind of practicality that slowly leads us toward unbelief.

after all, so much of christianity seems deeply impractical.

galilean fishermen becoming world changers.
a small group of disciples transforming the world.
college students becoming instruments of revival on a campus.

from a merely practical perspective, it sounds unrealistic.

but when god is involved, his promises become more than mere possibilities.

the question is whether we will respond like the men of valor or like the cynical voices in the crowd.

will we allow ourselves to be rallied by god’s calling?

or will we surrender to the voice of cynicism that tells us nothing significant can really happen?

i genuinely believe that god can use all of you to make an eternal impact on this campus.

the question is whether you will believe it too.

until next time.

dj.