How Do I Know What My Calling Is?

How Do I Know What My Calling Is?

by | Jan 25, 2019 | Uncategorized

How do I know what my purpose is? How do I know that I’m making the right decision and following God’s will for my life?

So many of us have asked, or are asking, these questions as we navigate the waters of adult life. Maybe you’re about to graduate high school and are feeling nervous about your next steps. Maybe you’re a bit older and even have some college/ work experience but are feeling disappointed and dissatisfied. No matter what situation you’re in, we’re here to say that it’s ok, and that there is so much reason to have hope for the future.

The Elusive “Calling”

So many in this generation are struggling with anxiety and depression. Much of it stemming from insecurity in identity and in life direction. I know this because this was my struggle, this was the struggle of many of my peers, and this is the struggle of many young adults that I speak to.

I’ve noticed that christian (and even non christian) culture can, at times, elevate the idea of “calling” to the point where many have come to view it as a lofty, elusive thing that doesn’t quite reconcile with normal career expectations. It seems more teens are stepping into adult life feeling a bit clumsy and confused about life in general. This confusion makes no exception to people who are navigating this and what it means to follow Jesus. I believe clarity will come when we demystify this idea of “calling” and bring the focus back where it truly belongs.

“We often think of calling as this mysterious, enigmatic idea. I know lots of people who are waiting around for a calling from God to come in the form of a dream or a vision or a crazy prophet who walks up to them on the sidewalk with fire in his eyes and a word from God – God become a rock-climbing instructor.” ¹

The Source of a Fulfilled Life

What we all really want is to experience the fullness of life. Being able to do the things that we are passionate about, the things that make us come alive, to feel fulfilled and content are all certainly aspects of that.

The truth is that all of life, every aspect and facet, flows from God. Learning how to recognize God’s voice and discover not only who He is, but who He’s made you to be, is the greatest step you can take toward discovering your calling or purpose in life. A life lived in intimacy with our heavenly Father is the definition of a fulfilled life. It is literally the most fundamental thing you were created for. When you discover your “calling” based in that relationship with God, you’ll see it’s less about what you do and more about who you are.

Redefining “Calling”

Discovering your calling is much more about discovering God’s desire in creating you than anything else. Psalm 139:13 says, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” You were designed by God for a purpose, and until you discover God, you’ll struggle to discover what that purpose is.

Your birth was the answer to a need on the earth. Think of how each part of God’s creation is endowed with irrevocable purpose. Plants that are not only beautiful but are used to nourish the creatures who eat them. The smallest animals that help uphold the delicate balance of an ecosystem. Why would your life have any less weight in the wellbeing of this world? Are you not of more worth to God than the lilies of the field? (Matthew 6:25-43)

So, who better to show you who you were made to be and what role you were purposed to fill, then the one who purposed you from the start? And what better place to uncover all of this than in intimate, close relationship with Him. 

The best place to start in discovering your call is in relationship with your Creator.

Knowing Truth

When this relationship with Jesus becomes our foundation, we always discover what makes us come alive. And His voice and lovingkindness gives us the peace that we can follow Him, one step at a time, and see His purposes for our lives come to fruition.

One of my favorite teachers, Steve Backlund, says, any area of your life that is not dripping with hope is under the influence of a lie. Do you feel anxious and uncertain about your future? Ask the Lord, “What lies am I believing about who you are (your nature or your goodness) and what lies am I believing about myself (who you made me to be)?”

When we are walking in true understanding of who He is and who He says that we are, we will walk in the empowering freedom that allows us to pursue our passions and discover our gifts.

You Uniquely Bear His Image

“If we fight the image of God in us – even if we succeed in the short run – it will come back to eat us alive.” ¹

It can be easy to dislike parts of our personalities. We can wish we were more outgoing, more straight forward, more creative, more whatever. But to accept who we are and who we are not will bring us peace.

You bear the image of Christ in a way that no one else does. He created you just as you are, once again, to fulfill a specific need in the world around you. When you step in to fill this need, it will bless the people around you, and make you come alive.

“We need to learn to embrace our potential and our limitations. Because both of them are signposts, pointing us forward into God’s calling on our life… I’ve learned what I’m good at, and I’ve learned what I’m bad at. And the more I embrace both, the freer I become.” ¹

The more we discover and accept and love and embrace who we are, the less we’ll feel lost in a sea of endless options. How else are you supposed to narrow down what to say yes to unless you also know what to say no to? Your energy and your thoughts and your time will be forever split until you pick something, try it out, and see how it goes. And if you fail, that’s ok because you’re not locked in that thing forever, and you’ve been brought one step closer to finding what you’re truly made for.

Just Take a Step!

Don’t allow worry of making a mistake stop you from moving forward! In the journey of life, there may even be times when we take a job just to have a job. When we have those seasons (of mistakes or making due) it’s ok – God has given us the ability to, in Him, thrive in every circumstance and situation. When He is our source and we are aware that He is always with us, the dullest of tasks can be life giving and fruitful because we’re doing them with Him! But we also live in the awareness that if something’s not good yet, it’s not the end. God is on the move to make all things filled with His glory and His life. (Even when it doesn’t look exactly how we first expected).

Giving yourself time to figure out what you’re good at and what makes you come alive – who God designed you to be – is one of the kindest things you can do for yourself. It’s much harder to change careers if you’ve spent thousands of dollars on an education, even one that you suddenly don’t want to use. (If you have found yourself there, or end up there, kudos for taking the leap of faith! I believe it will be worth it if you’re following the leading of Jesus).

Taking a gap year does not set you behind your peers. You may actually advance farther in your career more quickly than some of your peers who jumped straight into college, because you’ve given yourself time to discover what gifts and passions God has given you.

“It takes time to figure out our gifting. And then years to develop it. Most of us don’t really know when we’re young. So experiment.” ¹

Surround Yourself With Support

If you decide to take a gap year (or two), don’t do it in a vacuum. I mean, don’t do it alone. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, who will encourage you and give you honest, helpful feedback as you try different things. Do it in a place that will allow your relationship with God to take the front seat. You’ll find that you discover your giftings much faster when the Holy Spirit is the one directing you. You’ll find your passions as you partner with God in prayer for the things that are on His heart. Do it in a place where you can discover who GOD is and how to have relationship with him.

When I decided to drop out of college to pursue God and missions, the Lord lead me to a DTS. There I discovered intimate relationship with Jesus like I had never known. Fears and anxieties melted away in His love, and as I joined staff, I found lots of opportunities to discover what I’m passionate about. And I learned how to do it all for the Kingdom of God!

God moves in unique ways in all our lives, maybe he’s calling you straight to college, maybe to an internship, maybe to a DTS or another discipleship course. Whatever it is, make it your goal to do it with God. His presence will give you direction and peace and quiet those lies of fear and doubt. Take the step. There are good things ahead!

 

¹ Quotes from Garden City by John Mark Comer

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Resting through the Busyness

Resting through the Busyness

by | Jan 16, 2019 | Uncategorized

Rest. 

A word that means more to me now than I ever anticipated.

At the beginning of 2018, God gave me this word to hold onto. He told me it would be a word that would define my year and my relationship with Him. He said He would teach me more about it. 

I went through my year, as busy as ever. I had people who would come up to me, not knowing about this word, and tell me that the Lord was calling me into a season of rest. The Lord confirmed this word over and over. Every time He did, I would wait for this rest to come. I would expect to be less busy, less stressed. But month after month would pass by, and it never came.

It was September. I had just finished secondary school and was talking to a base elder about my next step. Just like many others, she said, “I think the Lord is saying you need a season of rest, and that the School of Biblical Studies will be the tool he uses to bring it.” I knew that it had to be the Lord, and so I signed up.

A week passed. Then three weeks, then six weeks. I was still tired and busy. Nothing had changed. In a cry of frustration, I prayed, “Lord, what is going on? Why do you keep talking to me about rest? This isn’t a season of rest. I am stressed, busy, and tired. The year is almost over and I haven’t learned anything about rest.”

 

I was learning a lot, but I felt drained.

I opened up my Bible to the book of Hebrews, and the verses leapt off the pages. 

“For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:16-19

The writer of Hebrews used the word “rest” to refer to the Promised Land.

I thought about the story of the Israelites, who time and time again struggled to keep their end of the covenant with God. They repeatedly gave sacrifices. Every time the high priest died, they had to appoint a new one. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years before inheriting the promised land- before entering the “rest”. They were afraid of the giants and they were disobedient.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say,

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

God showed me that like Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan, Jesus came to lead us into the promised land of inheritance. Jesus became the great High Priest, not to sacrifice animals like every other priest. He brought a perfect sacrifice, himself, to complete what only He could complete.

 

Therefore, the promise of entering the rest still stands.

God initiated a better covenant- one that is one sided. Even though we did not choose him, he chose us. His Word is saturated in grace and filled with the gospel to come.

The Israelites weren’t focused on the the promise of rest, they were focused on the giants in the land. Therefore, they were disobedient and didn’t enter. I heard God say, “You are doing this right now. You are focusing on the giants: your workload, stressful situations, finances, and everything in your way. But all you need to do is focus on my promise. Focus on my Word. Focus on the inheritance I paid for.”

I realized that rest isn’t the absence of work or the absence of busyness. It is found in trusting God to take care of the giants.

 

Rest is confidence in his Promise.

In a moment, the Lord shifted my entire perspective. I had been waiting for God to move the giants so I could enter rest, but God was waiting on me to enter the rest so He could get rid of the giants. Entering rest isn’t done once the giants are gone; it is done despite them.

For a year, I wrestled with the Lord over this word, but God was faithful to bring revelation.

So I want to pray for you today, no matter what giant you are facing, whether it be finances, a relationship, fear, doubt, or health. Take a moment right where you are and close your eyes. Ask the Lord what giants are hindering you from fully trusting Him. As He reveals them to you, I invite you to lay down those fears at the feet of Jesus. 

Say, “Father, I repent from keeping my attention on this giant. Today I surrender that, and choose to trust you. I want to look to your promises and your truth.”

Then ask the Lord what He is saying to you. Ask Him what His promise is to you- the truth that you can hold to. 

Jesus sacrificed himself so that you could abide in Him no matter what is going on around you. Stand confident in that today: you can be at peace in the middle of the storm. Your job in the battle is only to trust in Him who can do all things.

Trusting in him brings obedience to Him, and the fruit of obedience is moving into rest. 

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How to Share Your Faith with: co-workers

How to Share Your Faith with: co-workers

by | Jan 10, 2019 | Uncategorized

We’ve been discussing what it looks like to share your faith openly in the various environments that we’re in on a daily basis. Here we wanted to talk about sharing faith coworkers–this can be tricky, sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what role your faith should play at work. We all have the privilege to be a light in our workplaces, but it’s important to know how to utilize the opportunities we have.

No Fear

As we discussed in our last blog about sharing your faith, it’s important to not give into the fear that quiets us. There is always a fine balance, though. No one wants to be that obnoxious co-worker who is always making judgemental and legalistic side comments. We don’t want to force Jesus down the throats of those who we work with. The goal is always connection and friendship.

At the same time, it can be really intimidating when you feel alone if you don’t have any other believing co-workers or if you’re in an environment where you legally can’t share your faith. In situations like this reputation and integrity are everything. A bond of trust is formed when people see that who you are aligns with what you talk about or believe in.

When you’re working unto the Lord and showcasing good character in what you do– people will notice. Your refusal to gossip about others, positive attitudes in the midst of struggles, and honorable work ethic are all things people will notice. Walk out your faith in a real way, and your actions will give credibility to your faith.

On the Table

What we question the most sometimes is how to actually bring the subject of God, the gospel and our faith into the conversation. It’s important to learn how to put God on the table. It doesn’t have to be complicated, awkward, or pushy–speaking about Jesus should come naturally to us. Since He is the biggest, most important part of our lives bringing it up can come easily.

One important thing to consider is that your co-workers should really know from the beginning of where your faith stands. This will definitely make it less awkward than if they were to find out three months later when you offhandedly mention it. This plays a large part in them recognizing your integrity as an individual as well.

There are many ways to casually but confidently share your faith in Christ with your co-workers. When people ask you about your weekend, be honest–tell them about church, or the Bible study you attended. Don’t be afraid to identify publically with Jesus. Showing people how He’s a normal part of your life is a great way to get a conversation rolling.

Connection

As mentioned before, an intentional bond and connection is the goal. People need to see that you care about them. It can appear hard to break professional/personal barriers, but persistence is key. Work to establish a relationship beyond the office–try to grab coffee with someone after work or dinner on the weekend.

When people see that you care about them beyond what they do at work, it will automatically give you an opportunity to share openly with them. Creating a relationship where mutual openness is important–this will help you take your conversations beyond shallow topics.

Even in this place, consistency and living with integrity and openness are still essential. Perhaps when you invite co-workers to church they will refuse, but you still have the opportunities to invite them to a movie with your other believing friends or a BBQ with some of your church members. The outward influence that comes through good character and kindness.

Mindset

Your mindset when it comes to your work atmosphere is everything. Come into your day having prayed for God to increase your care and compassion towards your co-workers. Often it’s easy to think that we only need to seek God’s heart when it comes to mission trips or a specific nation–but our offices and business places are our mission field! Ask The Lord to break your heart for the lost who are closest to you.

Our jobs and career lines give us the opportunity to break into a subculture that other people may not relate to. This is just as important as overseas missions, or inner-city outreaches. You relate to your co-workers in a way that no one else can!

Raise your expectations for what God can do in your workplace! When you are seeking Him on a daily basis you allow Him room to move in every area of your life–including work. Jesus wants to impact people in the “ordinary” office spaces just as much as he does in foreign countries.

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Honoring the Man We Knew | What John Chau’s Life Teaches Us

Honoring the Man We Knew | What John Chau’s Life Teaches Us

by | Nov 30, 2018 | Uncategorized

In light of recent events and articles revolving around John Chau, we wanted to take a moment to honor the life of this remarkable young man. Many of us at YWAM Redding and in the city of Redding had the privilege of knowing John when his work brought him to the nearby Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. John was a friend, brother, and son, who was dearly loved by many.

We are thankful to have known John and for the impact that he had on our community. He inspired us (and continues to inspire us) to keep an intense focus on the eternal lives of people who have never heard the name of Jesus. As a missions group who are dedicated to the unreached, John felt like part of the family. His love for Jesus and for the lost spurred us again to hold eternity in much higher regard than our own comfort or the difficulties of this life.

Others who knew him here in Redding remarked of the light and energy that seemed to always emanate from him. He is known for having genuine care for people that made friends feel loved and pursued like Christ. His dedication to the call God placed on his life is an amazing example to all of us who profess to follow Jesus.

It was clear that the radiant joy and humility John carried was absolutely pure. He was vibrantly passionate to see the Sentinelese people come to know who God is. The love he so purely had for these people showed that nothing he did was out of selfish ambition. He had gained God’s heart for them and simply desired to worship God in obedience born of love.

No one has greater love than one who lays down his life for his friends. John was a true friend of Jesus.

John’s life challenges us to wrestle with what it means to be a friend of Jesus. In the Gospel of John, Jesus instructed us, “…love one another as I have loved you.” Then went on to say, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Just as Jesus showed us, sacrifice for the sake of another is a mark of true love and friendship. John Chau clearly was a friend of Jesus and of the Sentinelese.

Godly love calls us to consider the needs and desires of those we love as more important than our own. So then, if we profess to love Jesus, do we also know his desires?

The Desire Of Jesus

In John 17 we see Jesus with his disciples just before he is betrayed. In his last moments with those following him, Jesus prays, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you… I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world… and they have believed that you sent me.” v 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Verse 24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory… I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

His desire was (and is) for us all to eternally know the love and glory of the Father; to be with him forever in heaven. For this reason he willingly became the sacrifice for all to enter into eternal life. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

This was the motivation and chief desire of Jesus; that the world would be reconciled to the Father, that they would know him and know the Father, and that they would be made one with Him and filled with His love.

So what are we willing to lay down to fulfill the desire of Jesus? What would you give to tell the world that they can have eternal life through Him? Many of the world is still unreconciled, and in fact have never even heard who the One true God is. If we confess to love and follow Jesus, this love should lead us to declare his name and reveal his love. To what end are we willing to do this? At what point do we do we decide that something we have is greater to us than the love we have for our Savior?

The fathers of the church, the apostles, knew the worth of Jesus and were willing to give everything for the one they loved. It was for this reason that they chose to lay down their lives to advance the kingdom of God. They gave up everything to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to make him known and reveal his glory. This lead them away from their homes and families. It lead them to being hated and outcasted. It lead them to imprisonment and to persecution. Ultimately, for many of the apostles and early church, this love for Jesus lead them to death.

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

We don’t need to go looking for persecution. But we should not be surprised when it comes, and we should not be surprised when obedience to God puts us in a position to endure it. Paul, friend of Jesus, even said in James 1, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” and later in verse 12, “blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life.”

Extravagant offerings of love often don’t make sense to the world (Mark 14:3-9) but we are not of the world. In the end we know that every tribe, nation and tongue will surround the throne of God; and this is the inheritance of Jesus (Revelation 7:9). It is our privilege as friends of Jesus to take up our own cross and follow him. But take heart, for one day we will stand face to face with Love. In that day we will see His full glory revealed, and we will be with Him forever. We know that it says, “They [we] overcame [the evil one] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives, even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11)

Biblical References

Love and Friendship

(Hover or tap the reference to read the verse)

John 15:12-17 (no greater love)

Philippians 2:1-11 (the example of Jesus)

Mark 14:3-9 (extravagant offerings of love)

The Desires of Jesus

(Hover or tap the reference to read the verse)

John 17 (Jesus’ prayer before being betrayed)

Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission)

Persecution

(Hover or tap the reference to read the verse)

John 16:1-4,33 (take heart; I have overcome the world)

John 15:18-21 (the world hated me before they hated you)

Matthew 10:16-39 (whoever loses his life for my sake)

2 Thes 1:4-5 (worthy of the kingdom for which you suffer)

James 1:12 (remain steadfast under trial)

Hebrews 12:1-3 (running the race and the example of Jesus)

Acts 5:27-42 (continuing to spread the gospel in the face of harsh persecution)

Matthew 5:11-12 (blessed are the persecuted)

1 Peter 4:12-16 (rejoice in suffering)

The Outcome

(Hover or tap the reference to read the verse)

Revelation 7:9-10 (every tribe nation and tongue)

Revelation 12:11 (they loved not their lives)

Matthew 16:24-28

Luke 9:23-27

Mark 8:31-38

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Woman Walks 6 Miles for Jesus The Healer

Woman Walks 6 Miles for Jesus The Healer

by | Nov 7, 2018 | Uncategorized

One of our current outreach teams is in South Asia, despite some political unrest in the area, they have been able share the Gospel and minister to many people! Here is a testimony that we received from them about a week ago!

“Hello from Asia! It has been amazing journey over the course of the past several weeks here. We wanted to take a moment and give you all an update. God has been doing so much in the hearts and lives of the people! The door has swung wide open for us to go into areas that have not heard the gospel before.

In our first week here we held three nights of open air healing and evangelism meetings. During this time we had the opportunity to see the gospel preached with power and encouraged the persecuted church who were also in attendance. On the first night a lady who was partially blind and deaf came up for prayer had her vision and hearing completely restored! She already had made a decision for Jesus and was elated and thankful that the Lord healed her. At the closing of the week the team co-led a children’s camp with the Gospel Movement Church for all the local children from various churches in the area.

During this past week of ministry the team has visited remote Hindu & Muslim villages that had either been partially reached in the past and some that had not been reached at all! The team shared their testimonies, prayed for the sick, and preaching the gospel.

One day, a Muslim lady had walked 6 miles one way because she had heard that Jesus was healing people.

She had suffering from back and leg pain for some time and Jesus healed her after a team member prayed for her. The student explained the gospel through a translator and the woman made a decision to follow Jesus in that moment! Our ministry partners are now working with her to begin discipleship, lead her through baptism, and walking with her through the process of publicly converting from Islam.

There are so many testimonies like this one that have come out of the doors Jesus has opened here! Conservatively, we have seen 50 decisions for Jesus and over 120 people miraculously healed!”

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Why “Encounter” DTS? | What it means to Encounter God

Why “Encounter” DTS? | What it means to Encounter God

by | Oct 25, 2018 | Uncategorized

“How do we encounter God? Can we encounter Him?  Does God even want to reveal Himself to us? And if He does, what does that look like?”

The Discipleship Training School (DTS) is the foundational school for all of YWAM. Every staff member in our global mission, whether with us for 1 year or 30 years, has begun with this step. It’s where many of us get these questions answered. It’s where we learn what it really means to “Know God and Make God Known.”

While every DTS has the same core curriculum, the distinct heart-beat of each base creates a unique experience. Our heart for our students is that they truly encounter the living God. This is how students are transformed into world changers. Therefore, we have called our school the “Encounter” DTS.

What does it mean to “encounter” God?

The word “encounter” means, “to meet face to face.” Therefore, we desire that our students would not just grow in the intellectual knowledge of  God, but would have radical encounters and experiences with God. We want these experiences, these face to face encounters, not just study, to shape their understanding of who He is. We know that experiences shape our core beliefs much more than an intellectual idea, even perfectly conveyed, ever will.

God wants to personally introduce himself to us so that we can know him, not just know about him. In fact, His desire for his creation to meet him face to face has been written for us to see throughout the Bible. He has spoken it loud through His Word again and again.

God’s Plan For Nearness

In Genesis, we see God breathe life into man. I would like to suggest that God did not just blow some mighty gust of breath from the sky that eventually made its way down into Adam’s lungs. Rather, God got down into the dirt which He used to form Adam and put his face to the one He had just crafted. Right there, nose to nose, He breathed. The breath that brought Adam to life was given during a face to face encounter with His Father.

Even before man sinned and caused separation, God had a plan to restore nearness. Jesus, the incarnate God with whom man would speak face to face, was already in place to close the gap. But God didn’t remain distant until that moment of restoration. He didn’t want to wait. He looked for someone who would seek Him, someone with whom He could speak. And so God would speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:7-11).

Our God has always had the intention of nearness. He shows us from the beginning in the garden, through the old testament with Moses in the tent of meeting, throughout the life of Emmanuel, to the gift of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Face to face is His goal.

Encountering All That God Is

Encountering God is coming face to face with Love.

Song of Songs 2:10 says, “The one I love [ The Bridegroom-King ] calls to me: Arise, my dearest. Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out.” Then, Song of Songs 3:4 says,“Just as I moved past them, I encountered him. I found the one I adore! I caught him and fastened myself to him, refusing to be feeble in my heart again.”  His love creates in us a desire for intimacy; desire for nearness which gives us strength!

Encountering God means coming face to face with the Healer.

Matthew 12:10 says, “He [Jesus] encountered a man who had an atrophied, paralyzed hand. Then he turned to the man and said, “Hold out your hand!” And as he stretched it out, it was restored, exactly like the other.” Jesus consistently met the needs of those who he encountered as he traveled. A face to face encounter with God means putting yourself within direct reach of the hands that healed lepers, smeared mud on blind eyes, and lifted the lame to their feet.

Encountering God is coming face to face with Truth and Identity.

It says in Acts 1:3, “After the sufferings of his cross, Jesus appeared alive many times to these same apostles over a forty-day period. Jesus proved to them with many convincing signs that he had been resurrected. During these encounters, he taught them the truths of God’s kingdom realm.” Jesus wants to show us that He is alive by letting us encounter Him! And when we are in these encounters, He instills in us truth and teaches us who we are.

 

God’s Invitation To Us

The God of love, healing, power, truth, and life, is waiting to encounter us – to draw us to His heart as we ask. Encountering God means coming face to face with the greatest friend we could ever imagine, if only we’ll seek Him. This is what we want our students to experience. We have designed our school to provide opportunities for face to face encounters with the God of creation. We know that this is how real world changers are raised up.

When we seek God, we will never be rejected or turned away. He longs to embrace us and reveal Himself through intimate relationship. Everything our hearts could long for is found in His love as we cling to the One we adore. Through these encounters we truly come to know God, and only out of these encounters we can make Him known.

 

Do you want to encounter the living God of love, healing, truth, and life? He is longing to encounter YOU!

Know God and make Him known by signing up for an Encounter DTS today!

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