year-end + senior sunday.
happy wednesday y’all.
the semester is drawing to a close. it felt like it has gone by way too quick. hope all of you are doing well grinding for finals and year-end projects. you’re almost there. two more weeks until the beginning of summer break.
don’t want to do too much recap this week because… all of the recap is going to happen at our year-end bible study via a special year-end video.
but suffice to say - this past week was great. noblemen fort week + commissioning night. very ambiguous what they did. but it was epic. and if you want to find out more… come join noblemen next time.
a2f tgif also had their final tgif of the year and it was a sweet one… farewell + words of gratitude for brandon + lilly as we send them off to be missionaries in vietnam.
here at a2f. we’re going to end the year off strong. two key events. our year-end bible (5/1) study and then senior sunday (5/3).
more info below in our announcements but for YEAR-END BIBLE STUDY - please come to krach by 6p for a ride if you need one.
dj.
what’s upcoming.
year-end bible study.
friday. 5/1. 630p. faith west gym.
come join us for the last a2f bible study to wrap up the year. we’ll start with dinner. show our end-of-year recap video made by two students (abby r + hannah), have a time to hear from the bible, and end the night with a sports night. come take a break from studying and unwind, have fun, and remember all that we got to experience together as a2f. rides will be at krach at 6p for those who need it.
senior sunday.
sunday. 5/3. 12p. walc 1018.
come join our senior sunday as we’ll get an opportunity to celebrate people who are graduating. we’ll have a time to hear a testimony from one of our graduating seniors, james peng, and hear words of gratitude + wisdom from the graduating seniors + grad students. have a time in god’s word. a special song by the graduating class. and then, of course, end the time off with lunch. please come join us to support those who are graduating!
blind spots.
everyone starts with good intentions. but not everyone finishes well.
that tension shows up in 1 samuel 8.
samuel is one of the most faithful leaders in israel’s history. scripture says none of god’s words fell to the ground through him. he led a national revival in the chapter before. if anyone seems steady, it’s him.
and yet… he had a blind spot.
samuel appointed his sons as judges, not realizing they were corrupt, taking bribes and perverting justice. the consequences were massive. it didn’t just affect his family. it contributed to israel demanding a king and shifting the course of their history.
even samuel didn’t see it. that’s what makes blind spots so dangerous. by definition, you don’t know they’re there.
you can be wise, self-aware, even spiritually mature, and still have areas of your life you’re missing. areas that, left unchecked, can quietly lead to real damage over time.
so the question isn’t if you have blind spots. it’s how you deal with the ones you can’t see.
and the answer scripture gives is surprisingly simple - community.
not surface-level connection. not just showing up once a week.
but people who actually know you. people who see your patterns. people who are close enough to notice what you can’t. people who love you enough to say, “hey, watch out.”
as proverbs puts it, iron sharpens iron. that kind of sharpening isn’t always comfortable, but it’s necessary. it’s one of the primary ways god protects us from ourselves.
this is why “lone ranger christianity” doesn’t work. we weren’t designed to follow jesus alone.
community isn’t just a nice addition to your faith. it’s one of the main ways you grow. it’s one of the main ways you’re kept from drifting. it’s one of the main ways god exposes blind spots before they turn into something worse.
so here’s the invitation - find people you can actually do life with. not just attend with, but walk with. people who know your life, your rhythms, your struggles. people who can speak truth into places you can’t see.
blind spots aren’t something to be ashamed of. even samuel had them. but ignoring them is costly.
and one of god’s greatest gifts to help you see what you can’t…
is the people he’s placed around you.
until next time.
dj.