Kicking off the fall semester

To this day, whenever I warm up on the basketball court, I have the same routine. 5 right-handed lay ups, 5 left-handed lay ups, and then start in front close to the basket. I have to make 5 consecutive shots in before stepping backward until I am at the free throw line. After ten free throws I do I little around the world warming up the shot and getting a feel of the space. Always the same. It prepares me mentally as well physically. The basics never get old when you know a big game is approaching! And I enjoy it!

As we wrapped up LINC, 10 days of focusing on seeking God’s face and deepening our connection with God through prayer and reading the Bible, we have much to praise God for and much to anticipate in moving forward. The students that participated experienced God at new depths and displayed joy and a hunger for more. Getting back to basics is never old! There is an invitation to simplicity to either discover for the first time or rediscover the abundance of joy and hope that is only found in knowing Jesus as Lord. There is an internal motivation and peace in walking in truth and grace being freed from the things of this world that can easily entangle us. It was a gift to have Riverbend Home Groups each pray for a student during these days and can trust that those prayers are being answered!!!  And the semester has just begun!!!

As I look forward to what the next three months will be about, there is a desperation building in seeking God to move and change the spiritual climate of our churches and our city. Meeting with the campus ministry leaders last night, it was a great testimony to hear how being a part of the ministry was the key in maturing in their faith. I am excited to continue to be a part of establishing students and young professionals in their faith, seeing them empowered and equipped in their gift mix, and seeing them own a vision to see their generation reached for Christ!

• Praise God for the answered prayers during LINC and the break throughs that happened.  Pray for more break throughs as students respond in obedience to seeking God and His truth
• Praise God for Miranda, who gave up her two-week vacation to come and serve with us.  Pray that God would bless her and allow what she learned here to be lived out in her home town of Batesburg/Leesville
• Praise God for colored pencils and manuscripts studies where we just got to enjoy reading and understanding His Word in new ways that makes the text so much richer. Pray that students would continue to hunger to know the Word of God and see the truth transform their lives
• Praise God for you and for all you do and sacrifice to make this ministry happen! May God bless you, your families, your finances as you so willingly give to see the Kingdom of God expand here on earth!