Blog Blits #3 - Boys

Just thought I'd throw up an update on the boys.

Asher is almost 2, and Lewis is nearly 7months.

Blog Blitz #2 - Leadership Recruitment Weekend

Two weekends ago, we had Friday evening through Saturday evening of our annual leadership recruitment weekend.  We invite anyone interested in knowing more about Equip, and anyone interested in considering applying for the leadership team to come join us.

It was a great time over all.  It's really packed with lots of teaching, from all morning on Saturday going through some important theological issues, to the how of ministry (discipleship, mostly), and some other distinctives (local church, etc.).

We had about 35 of us there, and for the first tie ever, we had two campuses, as we joined with USD!

Blog Blitz, anyone? (#1)

May I highlight a few things, in very close succession?  Does it still count as faithfully blogging about ministry stuff? (no)

But, I'm going to do it anyway, and try and catch y'all up on a few things that have been going on these past couple of weeks.

So....
This week, I spoke at two Equip meetings.  One was our USD location (Vermillion), down where Brandon is.  I redid a message from James, and then last night we continued forward in James 2:1-13, entitled "Show Me Your Faith by being Impartial like God". 

Here is the group down as USD:

Off and running, already parched

Just a quick note to check in.

We are now on our third Wednesday night large group of this 2017 Spring semester.  What?! 3rd!? Yes, the third week is upon us.  It has been a good start, though.  I've been really digging our series "Show Me Your Faith" - which is just the book of James.  I'm hoping to get "all" the way through the book, and so far we're on track.  Tonight's message is "Show me Your Faith by Hearing and Doing the Word", from James 1:19-27.  Last week was "Show me Your Faith by Desiring Divine Reward" from 1:12-18, and the first week from "Show me Your Faith by Counting it All Joy", from 1:1-11.

Anyway, we've had a men's and women's event already (concurrently), which the guys basically just hung out a bit and then spent an hour or more reading this article, "The Complicated Life of Lazy Boys".  I'd read it a couple times before.  It was a very good discussion, with what felt like some legitimate conviction from some of them.

As the title hints at, I already feel like I'm a bit tired.  I think this is in part because the last 1.5 weeks was really packed.  I spoke at Equip on Wednesday,preached on Sunday at Church, I taught the next day at Ratio Christi, and I speak tonight at Equip.  It feels like a lot...perhaps I'm starting to feel Brandon being gone more than last semester.  But, it's been good, and God has blessed the teaching and preaching.

Emma and I are headed to Bethlehem's Pastors Conference this coming Sunday night through Wednesday, which we are both very eager for.

Please keep us in your prayers, especially for a faithful perseverance this semester.

What gender are you? You have 77 options...

I'm about to sit in the Student Union for 2-4 hours for our "Free Book Friday" dealio.

Today's book is "Transgender".  The title of this post communicates just how terribly confused our culture is.  At one point, Facebook listed something like 77 options of gender, and now I believe lets you choose from an infinite list...or rather, you can type in literally anything you want to describe "your gender".

So, this topic is, to put it lightly, an important one.   And unfortunately, my generation (especially) has virtually no idea what they think about all of this.  We are an incredibly confused people.

So, I'm hoping to distribute a few books today and ask that God would do great things so such a small effort.

Bragging a Bit

So much to update...this time of the year has always got away from me.  Or rather, as I should say (and encourage the young men I meet with to do) I let this part of the semester get away from me.  Geesh...it's easy to always blame stuff other than myself.  Anywho... :)

Just a quick update to brag on my wife.
If you don't know already, she is an amazing artist.  She paints like no-body's business.

see the background through the glass? Those are the statues that these are a painting of...cool.

And now a couple of her pieces that she was commissioned for the Student Union at SDSU are hanging up in a prominent, visible place, just outside Einstein Bagels.  Thousands of students walk by it every day, and if you're ever in the union, stop by and check them out!

"The Nations are on our doorstep"

The title and the picture are (sorta) unrelated in content.

The title is something that "Jake" said last night at Equip Large Group.  He was referencing the fact that 95%+ of the unreached people in the world live in the "10/40 window"...basically from Africa through China and in between.  But at Universities like SDSU, they are literally living among us, and headed back home.  So, what an opportunity.  Jake, btw, is from "The Traveling Team", a missions mobilization ministry that goes all over the country speaking at college ministries.  They were great!

The picture is of the recently started "Reading Group".  There are about nine of us, and we are reading and discussing Doug Wilson's "Same-Sex Mirage".  We are three chapters in, and there has already been some very good discussion and interaction over the content.  I'm eager to see where it goes for the rest of the semester.

ps.  The more complete e-newsletter is forthcoming...soon and very soon!