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Four Passions of a Committed Discipler

Colossians 1:24-29 ESV

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, ²⁵ of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, ²⁶the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷ To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. ²⁹ For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

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When people truly encounter and respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ, a number of transformations happen:

First, they become aware that they are sinners, totally incapable of solving their sin problem.

Secondly, they realize that the only person who can do anything about their sin problem is Jesus, and that he has already solved their problem by dying on the cross.

Thirdly, a profound gratitude emerges in their lives. They are so grateful for having been set free from the penalty of sin, that they naturally seek to worship their Savior forever.

Fourthly, they have a strong desire to please Christ, and be transformed into his image as it is reflected in their daily walk. This is the desire to be discipled.

Fifthly, their hope is now firmly placed not in this age, but in the age to come. They now have the blessed hope: the hope of the glorious appearing of Christ – the expectation of his second coming.

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All of these transformations are the natural result of the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and the Holy Spirit who indwells believers. Yet, for some people that is not enough. The apostle Paul was one of those who wanted more, and God called him to be and do more. He was not content to be a mere disciple. The LORD called him to be a committed discipler.

I want to be that kind of a believer too. I want my life to make a difference in the lives of others, helping them to come to Christ, grow in Christ, and be more than conquerors for Christ. I do not think that this kind of life will require a second blessing, or second touch of the Holy Spirit. I think it comes to those who are willing to make discipling a priority in their lives. It comes when people embrace the passions that governed the lives of the great apostles and evangelists. Today’s passage reflects some of those passions.

proclaiming Christ

Let me draw your attention to today’s text, and three words which are found in verse 28: “Him we proclaim.” A committed discipler makes witnessing a priority. It does not say “ourselves we proclaim.” The gospel is not about us, our church, our denomination, our goals, our families, our programs, our methods, or even our doctrines or our choices or our lifestyles. The gospel is about him. Him we proclaim.

You can do a lot of things for your church that do not by themselves proclaim Christ. You can do a lot of religious things that never convey the fact of Christ’s existence. You can even say a lot of religious things without communicating the reality of Jesus Christ. A committed discipler understands that it’s not about me, it’s about him. When the apostle Paul entered a new mission field, he brought the message of Christ with him. Committed disciplers do that.

In order to capture the passion of proclaiming Christ, we need to really believe in the sufficiency of Christ. I think this is the reason there are so many Christians who fail to live up to this standard. They trust Christ for their eternal salvation, but they trust the doctors to heal them, and the lawyers to take care of their interpersonal problems, and the politicians to change their society. Those who have a passion for proclaiming Christ understand that he is not just one of the answers, he is the answer.

making God’s word known

Another passion we see reflected in Paul’s words here is in verse 25. A committed discipler sees his ministry as a “stewardship from God.” The purpose of the stewardship is “to make the word of God fully known.” I like that translation which uses the word “stewardship” because it implies that the word of God is a valuable treasure.

But there is a difference between the stewardship from God and other kinds of stewardship. Usually stewards are hired to protect a treasure, but stewards of God’s word are called to give it away.

Also, notice that Paul’s passion was not just to preach some of God’s word, but to make it “fully known.” Lots of preachers today are experts at proclaiming some of God’s word – usually the positive parts. But Paul made it his ambition to give people the whole message. His confidence was in the whole word, not just the parts that are easily digested.

The full word of God is not a simple message, and it defies our attempts to put it in a nutshell. Read your Bible. Read the whole Bible. Some parts you will cheer and proclaim with confidence. Other parts will confuse you. Some might even anger you. But if you are really going to make a difference in the lives of others, you will have to embrace and declare those parts too. The word of God is not a buffet table where people are free to pick and choose what appeals to them. It is a full meal, because it is a balanced meal.

laboring to produce mature Christians

A third passion revealed in this passage is seen in verses 28-29. Paul says “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” He worked hard to produce mature Christians. He was not just about bodies in the pews. He wanted to prepare disciples of Christ.

One of the means that Paul used to make mature believers was the systematic instruction in the word of God. In some of the places where he planted churches, he spend long periods of time training them. In others, he send other missionaries like Timothy and Titus to do that. But he never dunked people and dropped them. He was a believer in intensive systematic training in the word of God. My challenge to you is that if you are serious about producing mature Christians, get all the training you can get, from whatever source you can get it.

suffering to build the church

My last inference from this passage is perhaps going to be the hardest to accept. I am convinced that there is a missing element in much discipling today. Paul says in verse 24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” I think that in some way suffering has a role to play in the process of disciple-making.

Now, I do not think that Paul is saying that it is necessary for disciplers to suffer for the same reason that Christ suffered. He suffered and died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world. There is not a one of us who is qualified to do that. Besides, Jesus has already paid the price for every sin of every sinner. When he said “it is finished” on the cross, God stamped the bill with the words “paid in full.”

So, what could Paul have been implying when he spoke of “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”? I think the key to interpreting this challenging text is seeing it in the light of the question we have been asking in this message. Just as Christ suffered in order to save us, he calls disciplers to suffer in order to build up the body.

If that is the right way to read his words here, it means that if we want to make a difference in people’s lives, we need to be prepared to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations for their sake. We need to cross boundaries that exist outside our comfort zones. Discipling is a messy business. Nobody comes gift wrapped in appropriate clothes, proper attitudes, and in complete agreement with our theology. If you are looking for people like that to disciple, you will never be a discipler.

In fact, I think it can get worse. Discipling means daring to represent Christ. As such the discipler will be praised by those who praised him, and quite possibly crucified by those who crucified him. Disciplers suffer at the hands of unbelievers because we represent a message that unbelievers reject, and a master that unbelievers have rebelled against. In one of Jesus’ parables, a master sent his servants among his people to collect his tribute, and they beat them, wounded them, and sent them away empty-handed.

Suffering, then, does not mean that we have failed at our job. It means that we are doing our job correctly. Fortunately, we do not always suffer. Sometimes by God’s grace, the rebellious repent and return to their master. But if we are serious about being disciplers, we will have to endure many hardships.

In fact, some of those hardships will be at the hands of those within the church, not outside it. Paul himself is an example of that fact. He wrote some of his epistles to churches which he had founded who were beginning to reject his ministry and criticize his methods. But some of the most profound and life-changing words in scripture are found in those epistles. By Paul’s suffering, the body was built.

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I want my life to make a difference in the lives of others, helping them to come to Christ, grow in Christ, and be more than conquerors for Christ. If you examine your heart closely, I think you will find that you want that too. Will you join me in praying that the Holy Spirit will make us more than just disciples? Will you dare to be a discipler?

Jefferson Vann

Maranatha Bible Church

Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Sunday, June 9^th, 2013.

India Journal–smiling faces

We went on a long road trip today. From Chennai south to Sankarapuram and back (304 miles). I saw lots of things that I was familiar with, because much of the terrain and buildings and traffic reminded me of travels during my years in the Philippines. The colorful Hindu shrines were an obvious difference, and I did not see one basketball court. So, no, it was not in the Philippines.

We stopped along the way for some traditional Indian coffee, and Immanuel showed me how it is cooled for drinking. It was surprisingly refreshing, considering the fact that it is served piping hot, in 80+ degree weather. I could definitely develop a habit on that stuff.

The highlight (and purpose) of our trip was a visit to Christ Special High School in Sankarapuram, a special school for disabled children and children from single-parent families. The campus is clean and simple, with not a lot of fancy adornment. But it is decorated with the smiling faces of (currently) about 100 wonderful kids. The atmosphere changed as soon as we saw those children. All those miles were worth it.

We had just arrived when some of the girls wanted to show us the craft projects they were working on. There was little shyness here. The kids wanted to get to know us, and they seemed genuinely happy that we had visited. It was hard not to fall in love with them.

There were smiles, songs, and dances as the kids put on a special program for us. We exchanged gifts, greeted one another, and prayed. We especially thanked God for the gifted teachers who have been giving of themselves to allow these kids to have a chance at a better life.

I appreciated meeting with pastor Paul Nilavan. It was impressive to see a man give so much of himself for the ministry, and sacrifice without complaining. Since 1993, this school has been making a difference in children’s’ lives, and providing a better future for the community. People like Paul and the other members of his team have been taking the hurting and helpless and putting smiles on their faces.

India journal – encouragement

We have had a long day of meetings, and a trip into the heart of the city of Chennai. I came to India to learn more about the missions, schools, orphanages and other such ministries my organization is currently helping to support. I also wanted to be an encouragement to the workers, many of whom are toiling long hours in difficult situations with little or no contact with the people who have been praying for them. I wanted to be a face to the “we’re praying for you” message that these good people have been hearing. Please pray that I fulfill that mission of encouragement.

Today I was given more encouragement than I gave. I saw first-hand some men of God who are pouring their lives into ministry and making a difference. Let me highlight two such men:

M. M. Immanuel is one of those people who is always doing something. He and his cellphone are constantly connected. He’s the man many of us come to for answers, particularly when the questions are hard. Immanuel does not always tell us what we want to hear, but he has the courage to tell us the truth we need to hear. We thank the LORD for him. Please hold this servant up in prayer.

Ravi Paul is one of the more enigmatic characters I have met today. He is an impressive lawyer with an analytical mind and a reserved composure. Yet underneath his calm is a man passionate about the gospel. When he told us about the ministry his church is doing among the slum residents in his area, you could hear that passion. They are helping to transform entire communities by giving young people a help out of the trap of poverty, not by just giving away food or money, but by assisting in their education. Their church provides a place for young people to study, and covenants with parents to keep distractions away so that the students can succeed. It is working. Already several of the youth have obtained good jobs and are on their way to a future that would have been much different if it weren’t for people like Ravi. Join me in thanking the LORD for Ravi, and pray that he continues to display integrity in a profession that is often type-casted for the lack of it.

ACST 57: The Transformed

The author of Hebrews identifies the church as a people caught up in what God is doing. At first, the prophets spoke of Jesus in the Old Testament, then Jesus fulfilled what they predicted, then the apostles and other early believers attested to that truth. Finally, God has continued the testimony through the church, verifying our words “by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”[1]

Just how does the Holy Spirit verify the gospel we preach? There are at least three ways: 1) He transforms us into the image of Christ, 2) He brings about new growth in the church by helping us reach people with the gospel, 3) He breaks through the normal issues of life and manifests supernatural interference – i.e., miracles.

new people

When the religious traditionalists of Jesus’ day complained that his disciples did thing differently that theirs, Jesus responded to their complaint. He implied that we should expect his church to be different. Believers in Christ were “new wine” and cannot be contained in the “old wineskins.”[2] If anyone dared to put new wine in a wineskin that had been previously expanded, it would expand again, and he would have a mess to clean up. That is why those who make wine start afresh with a new skin. That is what God has done.

It is true that there is continuity between ancient Judaism and Christianity. Most of our biblical content is the same. Most of the spiritual principles taught in the New Testament have their origin in the Old Testament. But the questions asked in the Old Testament which had no answer are answered in the New Testament. In many cases, the Old Testament testified to a “what” but did not prescribe “how.” The New Testament fills in its blanks.

One of those all-important “whats” is the concept of the new covenant. Jeremiah predicted this:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD,

when I will make a new covenant with the house

of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the

covenant that I made with their fathers on the day

when I took them by the hand to bring them out of

the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke,

though I was their husband, declares the LORD.

33 But this is the covenant that I will make with

the house of Israel after those days, declares the

LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will

write it on their hearts. And I will be their God,

and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer

shall each one teach his neighbor and each his

brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall

all know me, from the least of them to the

greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive

their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no

more.”[3]

The old covenant was the result of God’s grace rescuing his people from Egypt, and leading them to a new life governed by his laws in the promised land. There was a time when that was the new covenant. It promised the newness of freedom rather than the oldness of slavery. Yet, following it proved to be problematic. It can be stated in this way: if God’s people will follow his laws, he will keep them free and give them new hearts. We all know what happened. The people of Israel as a whole never got to the “new hearts” part.

The new covenant would reverse the process. It would be the work of the Holy Spirit, who would first write God’s laws on the hearts of the forgiven, enabling them to know him. Then, he would bring them to their new land. Instead of being attested to by the sacrifice of a lamb, this new covenant would begin with the death of Christ on a cross.[4] Once initiated, the new covenant was meant to replace the old one, making its provisions obsolete.[5] There was nothing wrong with the old covenant, except that it only offered a temporary inheritance. It was designed to point us all to the new covenant, which promises an “eternal inheritance.”[6]

It is in that sense that the church today can be called the new Israel. God’s new covenant with Israel is not intended to add to one nation but to multiply through all nations. The blessing of faith that Abraham manifested is now possible for all of those who believe in Christ, no matter who they descended from. Rights to that new covenant were purchased for all through the blood of Christ.

Just as people served under the old covenant, we also serve under the new covenant. The difference is “that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.”[7] We begin with grace and we end with glory. If we attempt to get to the glory by means of keeping the law, we will fail. But if we dare to walk by the same Holy Spirit who has regenerated us, we can become like Christ. We can give others a taste of that new wine.

new growth

There was a missions aspect of the old covenant. People were supposed to be drawn to God by seeing his blessings and glory manifested in loyal Israel. God wanted Abraham’s faith to result in blessings for all the nations surrounding Israel.[8] The surrounding nations were blessed occasionally, but the process was often overshadowed by the opposite affect: people ridiculing God because of the sufferings and disloyalty of Israel.

Missions was built into the DNA of the new covenant. Jesus commanded his church to make disciples of all nations,[9] to proclaim the gospel to all nations,[10] to offer repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations.[11] If the old covenant could be described as “come to us,” the new covenant is best described as “go to them.” In the Great Commission text, the participle “go” does not have the same weight as the imperative “make disciples.” However, the fact that Jesus was sending his disciples somewhere (in actuality, Jerusalem) was significant. It set the stage for a church that would always be going with the gospel.[12]

That role of expanding ourselves through reaching new lands and cultures with the gospel is also described by Jesus in his “vine and branches” message. He told his disciples “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.”[13] Jesus did not simply command us to stay where we are and bear fruit. He appointed us to “go” and “bear fruit.” The word translated “go” in that text is not the same word used in Matthew 28. It is the word used for sending someone off in a particular direction for a particular purpose. The mission of reaching new lands, peoples, and cultures with the gospel is built into our new identity as branches of Christ’s vine.

The church is made of people who have found the greatest thing that could ever be found. It is therefore no surprise when we selflessly abandon all that we have for that treasure. As Jesus put it, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”[14] Here again, the words “he goes” are a form of that same mission we were appointed to by Jesus. However, the motivation for our mission is made clear in this text: “in his joy.” The church expands and permeates not because we are bound by some solemn obligation. We have good news to share with the nations. We go in our joy.

The cultural mandate is also part of our great commission mandate. Jesus told the rich young ruler to “go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”[15] Some people will never be able to come to Jesus because they will always refuse to go away from their possessions. The rich young ruler went away sad and unchanged, because what he had was more important to him than what he could gain in Christ. There are some people who are like this with their homes and families. They will not come to Christ because Christ would require that they give up life in their comfort zone.

For believers in Christ, what we have now is his to give away through us. We embrace the cultural mandate to bless the nations with food, clothing, and other things they need. We do not see this as something separate from spreading the gospel. It is a way of our divesting ourselves of that which is superfluous in our lives so that we can share him. It is also something that brings us joy. We can either give as Christ compels us, and gain joy in doing so, or we will “go away sad” as this young man did.

The mission to go does not always mean to cross geographical boundaries. Sometimes we want to go away and the LORD calls us to go home. The delivered Gerasene wanted to hop in the boat and go away with Jesus and the other disciples. Jesus would not allow him to do so. Instead he said “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”[16] Sometimes abiding in the Vine means abiding in your own hometown. It is still a mission, when it is responding to the “go” from the Master. It is still a mission when its end result is more people in the kingdom.

new normal

The new people that is the church of Jesus Christ is a people born of the Spirit,[17] having the firstfruits of the Spirit,[18] set free by the law of the Spirit,[19] and setting their minds on the things of the Spirit.[20] Outwardly, they still look like they did when they were merely of the flesh, but inwardly, they have undergone a transformation. Normal is no longer what it was. There is a new normal, because everything believers think and do is now judged by a new standard: the image of Christ within. People without the experience of regeneration cannot understand this new disposition. The things of the Holy Spirit are foolishness to them.[21]

That original disposition toward exalting and caring for the body of flesh has now been – not removed – but challenged. Believers still want to be preserved from death and hunger and the like, but they also have a strong desire to care for and promote the welfare of Christ’s body, which they are now a part of. Just one look into the eyes of Jesus makes the born again person want to be like him, to introduce others to him, and to experience his power. The Holy Spirit inside believers wants our sanctification, our involvement in evangelism, and our experience and demonstration of his miracles.

The Holy Spirit is an amazing person. Although fully equal to the Father and Son in deity, he seeks to manifest himself through mortal and imperfect human beings. He is both the key to unity in the church, and the reason for our glorious diversity. He embraces our differences, and instead of causing us to suppress them, he utilizes those differences to mature us, and to reach the most with the gospel. Any time the church seeks too zealously to manufacture an artificial unity, we tend to squelch the Holy Spirit’s work. He is too big to fit within our carefully constructed labels.

The Holy Spirit works within each believer individually, and wants to manifest his power through each believer “for the common good.”[22] He makes each believer a gift to the group as a whole, by ministering his spiritual gifts, and manifesting his spiritual fruit. He is the author of supernatural miracles, transformed character, and church growth. Church traditions tend to push cooperation with him in one area or the other, but he seeks all three at the same time. To put it negatively, a believer has not yielded to the Holy Spirit unless she is willing to let him manifest his power in her life through miracles, renewed holiness, and outreach.

The Spirit and the word

The word of God is the Spirit’s weapon – the sword of the Spirit.[23] Those who hear and believe the word are sealed with the Holy Spirit.[24] He uses the written and spoken word to accomplish his purposes in and with the church. He uses the Scriptures to catch us, change us, turn us into evangelists, and give us faith to receive his miracles. Theoretically, one might say that the word alone is powerless to do anything. For example, demons laugh when unbelievers attempt, apart from the Holy Spirit, to use texts from the Bible as some sort of animistic charm to ward off evil. In the church’s hands, however, the word is backed by the power of the Holy Spirit. In that case, the word is anything but powerless.

Prayer and the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is also the key person in the prayer ministry of the church. Paul encouraged believers to pray at all times, but added the explanatory phrase “in the Spirit.”[25] The prayers of unbelievers are always heard by God, but the church’s prayers are actually sponsored by God. When we pray in the Spirit, we are praying words which are not just intended to reach the throne, but words which actually originate there. Prayer by believers is cooperation with God and affirmation of what he is doing and wants to do.

Refusing to pray leads to powerless people, limited growth, and hardened hearts in the church. A church can have all the right theology of the Holy Spirit in their creeds, but if they do not pray, those words are empty. The act of prayer substantiates what a person or group believes about the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit is so eager to touch this world with manifestations of himself, he often uses praying people who have seriously defective theologies. This happens to the shame of many more “orthodox” churches, because they do not pray as they aught.

Worship and the Holy Spirit

One of the ways that the Holy Spirit speaks to believers, and through them, is the act of corporate worship. He is the means by which we manifest authentic worship: it is by the Spirit.[26] The apostle Paul taught that the true circumcision – that which really matters – is that which is done by the Holy Spirit, and it results in praise from God.[27] The text is a bit ambiguous about whether that praise is being received by the true Jew, or given by him. It could be interpreted either way, because God honors authenticity, and authentic people give authentic worship.

One of the Old Testament predictions about life under the new covenant is that believers would be characterized by gladness and joy instead of sadness and sorrow.[28] When the church worships, we celebrate the reality of this age of grace, and our new status as part of that reality. Worship flows from who we are, who Christ is, and what our future is because of what Christ did. The Holy Spirit within us serves as our guarantee of this future inheritance.[29] No matter what might distract us in the present, he helps us remember what we were made for – glorifying, enjoying, and worshipping God throughout eternity. While we are worshipping, we are more in touch with who we truly are and will be than at any other time.

Recognizing the Holy Spirit

Jesus is the only person of the Holy Trinity who can be seen in bodily form, because he is the only one who has taken on flesh. If one wants to look for the Holy Spirit, one has to look for the evidence. If you want to see the wind, you look for open sails and fast moving sailboats. If you want to see the Holy Spirit, you look for growing, maturing, gift-manifesting churches. The transformed church is his calling-card.

[1] Hebrews 2:4 ESV.

[2] Matthew 9:17.

[3] Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV.

[4] Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25.

[5] Hebrews 8:8-13.

[6] Hebrews 9:15.

[7] Romans 7:6 ESV.

[8] Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4.

[9] Matthew 28:19.

[10] Mark 13:10.

[11] Luke 24:47.

[12] When Jesus gave his Great Commission, it was to the eleven in Galilee, just before they were to return to Jerusalem. It would make sense to take the participle of poreuomai (go) as adverbial of time, which would result in Jesus telling them that after they go (to Jerusalem) they were to make disciples. Translators usually take the participle as having a practically equal status with the imperative (matheteusate from matheteuo) in that text. Each case when Matthew uses the aorist participle of pereuomai with an accompanying verb, the stress is on the action of that accompanying verb. See Matthew 2:8; 9:13; 11:4; 21:6; 27:66. The command in Matthew 28:18 is to make disciples. Going places is incidental, but necessary to obeying that command.

[13] John 15:16.

[14] Matthew 13:44 ESV.

[15] Matthew 19:21 ESV.

[16] Mark 5:19 ESV.

[17] John 3:5-8.

[18] Romans 8:23.

[19] Romans 8:2.

[20] Romans 8:5.

[21] 1 Corinthians 2:14.

[22] 1 Corinthians 12:7.

[23] Ephesians 6:17.

[24] Ephesians 1:13.

[25] Ephesians 6:18.

[26] Philippians 3:3.

[27] Romans 2:29.

[28] Isaiah 61:3.

[29] 2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14.

road trip

Have you ever had one of those “Aha” moments, where you realize that the LORD is making your schedule for you, and you are meeting just the people you need to meet to get the job done? Penny and I had lots of those moments in our recent road trip to Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Each of us wear a number of “hats” – having three part-time jobs apiece, and a number of volunteer positions. We had initially planned a trip to Florida so that I could do some church business as elder of the McAlpin Advent Christian Church. As time went on, we began to see that we could kill a whole flock of birds with this stone. So, we planned meetings at the Advent Christian Village, and Bixler Memorial Advent Christian Church. The LORD provided key people for us to meet with about some projects we are working on as Asia Pacific Area Directors. He provided key people for us to meet with concerning the new ACGC Global Training Initiative. We were amazed at the number of new contacts and the amount of helpful information we received – all in one place.

The return trip was just as helpful. We stopped at Columbia International University for some missions research, and – you guessed it – meetings. We caught up with people who had studied with us when we attended there. We met and prayed with one of Penny’s former professors. One of the things that has always impressed me about CIU is how its core commitments are clear in all the classes. It can even be seen on campus. There are monuments throughout the campus to EVANGELICAL UNITY, AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE, WORLD EVANGELIZATION, and VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIVING. In many ways, coming back to the CIU campus is like coming home for us.

Lastly, we stopped off to visit the Walsh family, and for some … wait for it .. meetings at the ACGC denominational offices in Charlotte NC. We have been meeting quite regularly with Jeff Walsh, the ACGC world outreach director, by video conferences. The face-to-face meetings we had with Jeff and all the other helpful people in the denominational offices were encouraging and productive.

This is just a summary of our road trip. It was busy. We had the chance to interact with some great people – some of whom we have not even mentioned. (You know who you are). Returning home to Virginia now, we thank the LORD that he has allowed us to serve him through ACGC, and to be a part of this team. He is sovereign, and there are no chance happenings with him.