I forgot to mention some time ago that my grandfather, Rex is back at home and out of the hospital. He is a tough guy and doing well, but it is apparent how full a life he has had. I praise God for his continued health and strength and pray that God will continue to sustain him and build him up in his faith.
Hello all,
Once again it has been a while since my last post so I do apologize. I am beginning to see the inability of words to describe what God is doing in my life and the lives of everyone here in Jax. It makes me awe even more at God's Word and how he was able to use our words to communicate who he is. It is astounding to think about. Here are a few high lights of the last couple weeks:
Week 4 was themed "Identity and Christ" and we talked about what it looks like and why it is important to find your identity and purpose in Christ and not someone or something else. The most impacting thing from this week was a list of "Who God says I am" verses. It looked at about 30 different verses that tell us how God views us, that we are secure in him and that He gives us significance. It was challenging to look at some and believe them, but I continue to pray that God will speak the truths of his word into me so that I may more fully know his grace and mercy in my life.
Week 5 just ended and was focused on "Other centered living". It might seem strange to order the weeks like this, but I have learned that only when we are overflowing with joy and humility from where God has rescued us can we truly be free to serve other out of a heart that desires for God to get the praise and glory and not ourselves. This is so contrary to our culture which tells us to work hard for ourselves so that we can be successful and prosperous. I think this includes doing good, but who can really say that deep down they don't want some form of praise or recognition for the good that they do? Christ working in us allows us to do good because He did good, because he is transforming us into himself. We are tied to our own selfish desires and wants even if that includes helping others because if we look long term, would we still serve others if we never ever got another "thank you" or "good job" or some other form of recognition. I doubt we would. The sign of a true servant is one who is able to serve while being treated like a servant. This is how Jesus came and how he lived. He came to serve and he was treated like one.
Please continue to pray that this would be instilled in my team (Derrick, Cody, Ryan) and myself.
In Him,
Sorry to all who have been patiently waiting, but I am finding it is much easier to start a blog than keep it running. The summer is starting to catch up with me and I am starting to feel the drain on all 3 "tanks" (emotional, physical and spiritual). However, it really is amazing the sustenance that comes from reading the Word and the rejuvenating potential of others (although I am a people person).
Week 3 focused on Relationships. It really was a blessed week, not just for my own intake and transformation, but of my team members as well. Looking at the first and second chapters of Genesis we see the essential human relationships and how they relate to man and God. First we see our relationship with God and his position to us as creator and master. Next we see God giving a mission/ purpose to Adam. These are crucial because if one's mission is first it will ultimately lead to a self-driven, works driven life that seeks to accomplish the goals of "self" as a priority over friends, family, etc. God then sees that Adam needs a helper to accomplish his mission, but knows that there is no beast suitable. Enter Eve. The perfect mate and helper for Adam who rejoices by crying, "This at last is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh!" His joyous cries of finally finding a helper that perfectly matches him AND his mission is amazing and beautiful. We must see this mate as 2nd to our master for several reasons. 1) We live in a world of broken humanity where relationships between people are not as they should be and we as humans cannot be the purpose and drive for our life. We cannot satisfy and bring life to one another the way that God does. I know this personally and lived in the depravity of seeking purpose and meaning in another besides God only to hurt those in my life, her's and each other. 2) It is God who gives us our mission AND our mate. Adam was asleep in the garden of Eden when God brought Eve to him, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!! God is the initiator, not Adam. Our purpose here is to glorify God, to bring him glory in a life filled with praise and obedience, even in our relationships by making sure that He is the center of them all.
3 Questions:
1) Who is your master?
2) What is your mission/purpose?
3) Are you truly committed to let God's timing with a mate take precedent over your own desires?
Just some thoughts, joys and questions I am pondering.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that last post was from 5/31/09.
Well things are off and moving here in Jax. Team members are hear, people are getting jobs and we are about to start our first official week (that is, first full week with everyone here). I am excited to get moving with everything and have more of a routine although extra meetings and stuff will certainly ad an air of busyness. It has been a great week getting to know all the people here and I have made some great relationships with people (although I hope to make many more). What an exciting summer this will be!!!! Saturday (the 30th) we went out to the beach for evangelism and to talk to people about Jesus. This was many of the member's first times sharing the gospel especially in the form of in Nav's Bridge illustration. It was amazing though for many reasons. Here are a few:
1) 18 people of all ages entered the Kingdom
2) Many of the people from our group saw how God worked despite their fear/nervousness
3) I got to meet Darrell. Darrell is a fairly young man who recently moved to Jacksonville. We found him sitting alone just looking out at the ocean reading. After talking with him for a while Darrell told me that he had recently gotten a divorce and was in the hospital only 2 weeks earlier because he attempted suicide. He said that he knew he was living on borrowed time. Darrell knew that there was something else out there and had already decided to try Jesus. I was all sorts of emotions, but couldn't help but think about Matthew 9:35-36
"And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."
Everyone on the planet has some mess in their life they just can't seem to clean up. Some are worse than others and some seem like there is no soap strong enough to wipe the dirt away. But what Darrell and so many people on Saturday were beginning to realize is that Jesus is able to clean up their mess. And not only that, but that he is willing to clean them up. AND what is even more is that he has already done all the work to clean up our lives and is waiting for us to invite him into our lives to begin the cleaning work. After talking to Darrell my heart sang and I felt more joy than I could possibly describe with words. I was so honored to be used of God to talk to someone who was so in need to hear.
In Him
Team members arrived yesterday and it seems that STP just became official! Everyone (especially staff) was really excited because it has been so quiet around here so having some more people around is a welcomed change. I am leading a team of 3 guys. 2 from NWMSU and 1 is from KU. They are all great guys and I am really looking forward to getting to know them better and see their hearts. I have become more and more aware of my own stubborness to just accept people for where they are at and instantly think of things they are doing wrong. An aweful behavior that isn't biblical at all! The worst part is its always thing to make them more like me instead of Jesus! What a realization and conviction from the Spirit. Things will get interesting tomorrow because we will all be going out to search for jobs. I have been very fortunate and have already been blessed with a job at Windsor Parke golf course. However quite a few team members and some team leaders still don't have jobs. Please pray that the Lord would provide jobs which would place them where he wants them.
In Him
It is Sunday down here in Jacksonville, FL and these last few days have already been more than I could have hoped for! But this is already getting ahead of so many blessings and good times on our way down. In short, I left last Wednesday to stay at Collin Edwards' house in Olathe. Drove up with Kristin Deckert and met Amos Christner there. It was a great trip despite some to-close-for-comfort encounters with deer on I-335, and overshooting an exit, but we arrived safely none the less. We spend the next 3 days driving down to Jax with a stop Thursday night in Clarksville, TN and a stop Friday night in Roswell, GA. We arrived Satruday in Jax around 2:30pm and were imediately greeted and welcomed in. The campus here at UNF is gorgeous and the doorms are amazing! Big rooms and lots of space (pics to come soon!). The team leaders and staff members are amazing people and I look forward to spending the summer and am already a little sad because I know that there will come a time when we will part (although I am expectent for lasting friendships). I am so thankful for the wonderful godly people God has placed here in my life and soon to be in the lives of the team members. It is a beautiful sight to see and experience the grace that pours out of their hands and mouths because of their joy in Christ. What a blessed summer this will be!!!! Please pray for God to do big things in our lives, to use us how he sees fit and for us to be open and receptive to His call.
Tomorrow (Monday) we are going to the beach for evangelism - we will be sharing a simple illustration known as the Bridge that uses Romans 6:26 to convey the main message of the Bible and ultimately the Gospel. Pray for boldness as we go out and pray for open hearts and minds from people we will talk to.
I got to name my team and I have decided on Team Fancy Feet. It comes from Isaiah 52:7:
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
What a joy it is for us to be able to serve God by proclaiming his love to the nations with the message of his son, Jesus who sacrificed himself for us so that our debt before God may be paid and our eternity secured. I feel truly blessed to be apart of this call and trust that God has made my feet beautiful because He has called me to bring this good news to the nations.
Also please pray for my grandfather, Rex Scott who is in the hospital due to fluid around his heart and pnumonia. He will be having some tests done soon, but things could be delayed because of the holiday so pray that God may extend him mercy and the strength to endure and for his body to fight the infection.
Hope to be on here again soon.
Love you all,
Taylor a.k.a. Mr. Fancy Feet
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