What does it look like to run?

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  Hebrews 12 : 1 - 3 

What Is Your Testimony?

Tonight we were blessed with the opportunity to hear stories of how Jesus is present in our lives.  We got to listen as fellow students stood up and talked about the prayers God has answered in their lives, the moments where he has showed up and changed lives, and share the ways he has provided abundantly.  It was a huge encouragement to me and I am very thankful for everyone that had the courage to stand up and share.  This excitement to share has provided me with the opportunity to share a post that I've wanted to put up here for a couple of weeks.  Last year God kinda rocked my world and prayer meeting was a place he met me constantly, so this post is about how my life was changed and hopefully it will inspire you to share your stories!

What Is A Joyful Invitation?

"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.'" Luke 14 : 23

What Does It Mean to be a Jesus Follower at Mines?

"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down to Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.  This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isiah the prophet.  The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.'

"Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked

"'How can I,' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

"The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

'He was lead like a sheep to the slaughter, 

and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants?

For his life was taken from the earth.

"The eunuch asked Philip, 'Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?' Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, 'Look, here is water.  Why shouldn't I be baptized?'  And he gave orders to stop the chariot.  Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.  When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.  Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea."  Acts 8 : 26 - 40 

What is InterVarsity?

"The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.  When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, 'Look, the Lamb of God.'

When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.  Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?'

They said, 'Rabbi' (which means Teacher), 'where are you staying?'

'Come,' he replied, 'and you will see.'

So they went and saw where he was staying and spent the day with him.  It was about the tenth hour.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah' (that is the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said 'You are Simon son of John.  You will be called Cephas' (which, when translated, is Peter). 
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee.  Finding Philip, he said to him, 'Follow me.'
Philip, like Andrew and Peter was from the town of Bethsaida.  Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.'
'Nazareth!  Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked.
'Come and see,' said Philip.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.'
'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'
Then Nathanael declared 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.'
Jesus said, 'You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.  You shall see greater things than that.' He then added, 'I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.'"  John 1 : 35 - 51 

What does it mean to be a Jesus follower?

"'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life' ... The woman said, 'I know that Messiah' (called Christ) ' is coming.  When he comes, he will explain everything to us.'  Then Jesus declared, 'I who speak to you am he.'"  John 4 : 13 - 14 , 25 - 26

Is there a God?

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  2 Timothy 1 : 7