Love in LoCo

Do you ever read stories in the Bible like God providing manna for the Israelites in the wilderness or Jesus healing the blind man at Bethesda, and think, “I wish we could still see miracles like that today?”  For those of us who have grown up in church and heard these stories since we were children, I think we are especially susceptible to wonder about this at times.  Like many who have grown up in church, by the grace of God, I believed in Jesus as my Savior at a young age.  At the ripe old age of eleven, I didn’t notice a particularly miraculous life change at the time.  It is only as I’ve matured that I’ve realized my salvation, and everyone’s for that matter, is a miracle in and of itself.  The Bible says we were “dead in our sins…but because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5).  Even if God were still literally raining down manna from heaven, ...

A few weekends ago, I had the privilege of attending the Cultivate Conference at Reston Bible Church.  The main speaker of the event was Kelly Minter, daughter of RBC’s pastor Mike Minter, who is a gifted teacher, author, and speaker in her own right.  The theme verse of the conference was John 15:16 which says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit –fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”  Even though I’ve heard and read about John 15 countless times, Kelly brought new life to this passage.  Perhaps the reason it resonated so much more this time is that I’m embarking on this new journey with FCA and I know that now, more than in my previous career, any fruit I bear is going to be directly from the Lord.  Kelly made an important distinction between achieving goals and bearing fruit.  Achieving goals is based on our own dreams, striving, and effort....

FCA recently announced its 2017 camp theme will be ONE , based off of Philippians 1:27 (Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.  Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel.).  In light of Election Day tomorrow, I don’t think this announcement could have come at a better time.  It’s no secret that our nation is divided right now.  Just turn on the news and all you see is moral, political, and racial tension.  It would be easy to worry about what will happen over the next four years if we forget Who is on the Throne.  Psalm 20:7 says, “Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”  Let that be true of us.  Let us live in such a way that the rest of the nation, the rest of the world even, has to take notice and ask why we...

Last week I had the opportunity to travel up to Pennsylvania for the FCA’s Mid-Atlantic Region Capacity Conference at Spooky Nook Sports , the largest indoor sports complex in the U.S.  The theme this year was “Fill Your Bucket” and focused on renewing our passion and purpose for the ministry. Although there was certainly a bit of a “drinking out of a fire hose” element to the week, I left feeling so encouraged and I loved getting to meet some of my fellow teammates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.  We talked about everything from how to manage our time/energy in a job that is far from 9 – 5, to developing a culture of prayer, to leading the way as a ministry in terms of diversity and racial reconciliation.  In addition to being filled with lots of helpful information, we also had plenty of time for fellowship and competition with corn hole, can jam, volleyball, and dodgeball.  My team, Huddle 16, held our own in the sports competiti...