Check out the Bowie State Team in Ministry Launch Video

This video was filmed when we first started the school year. So hear our stories, check out the man in charge of the whole operation, see the school!

Unfortunately I was sick that week, so you won't see much of me, which makes it an even greater video!!!

Click here to view BSU Ministry Launch!

Let's join Moses in Pointing to Jesus

Today I read something powerful. In Exodus 34:8, Moses prays for the Lord to be among the nation of Israel and for him to forgive them for being such a stiff-necked people. Then he makes the most interesting request. "Take us for your inheritance."

Take us for your inheritance.

I could not get passed this verse. I was moved by how all scripture points to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For every believer, we can delight in being the Lord's inheritance through Christ, for He bore our sins, drank the cup of God's wrath on our behalf, enduring the most horrible death--separation from God. By doing that he purchased a people for God and God gave us to Christ as a gift, as an inheritance.

Just recall Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:18, that we would have "they eyes of [our] hearts enlightened that [we] may know what is the hope which he has called [us], what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."

Moses was praying for Jesus, for only through Jesus can we receive forgiveness of sins! Wow. And to think that not only are we His inheritance, not only do we belong to Him as His treasure, He is also our treasure. He is our portion. We gain in Him.

I am his and he is mine!!!! What a glorious inheritance indeed!!! Oh God, thank you for answering Moses' prayer and for including us in that picture of plentiful redemption.

And thank you for being so faithful to preach the gospel in the old and new testament. I just realized that when you declared, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation," in Exodus 34:6-7, you were preaching the gospel. Through Christ we receive that grace, and mercy, and steadfast love. You will not clear those who remain guilty because they refuse to change their minds and turn to you, but how faithful are you to those who do. Moses repented for his people.

"O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities."
Psalm 130:7-8

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!" Psalm 33:12

Can we pray together for our hearts to be humbled at the revelation of who Christ is and what He is done that we might know Him? And will you join me in praying this for the girls I'm getting to know at Bowie State? That they will all freshly encounter the gospel and begin to live their lives in response to it?

Thanks!

--Laura

Thoughts From Bible Study Our Staff Team is Doing Calle Advance the Gospel

Without Christ our purpose is broken. We were created to bear the image of God, to be as close to him in likeness and in relationship as creaturely possible. We are most human and most fulfilled when receive restoration from Christ. For Christ also suffered once fo sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might... bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit. Praise Him!

Thoughts Before Next Semester Begins

Home is where my heart has not been....

"Home is in the will of my Father"--Lindy Black, the Navigators

I am homesick.

I want to go home.

I didn't realize I had wandered so far.

I'm hurting, because I fear that I cannot decipher the language of your heart anymore.

How is it that my actions can look the same from day to day (going through the motions of "pleasing God") and yet my heart be so cold, so unmoved, so unwilling to go deeper? And how is it that I can know this, ache because of it, and do nothing?

What happened?

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it.
Prone to leave the God I love,
Here's my heart. Oh, take and seal it.
Seal it for thy courts above."

If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
John 12:26

Mold me into Your servant, Lord.

A Change in Perspecitive Prayerfully

Since I've been back to Tampa for break many people have asked me how the first semester went, and I must ask God for forgiveness for the way I have been apt to respond. I tend to emphasize how hard it had been, how often I questioned why I told Him "Yes," how different the ministry strategy is from the one at the University of South Florida. My response, infused with negativity, prompts listeners to encourage me with truths about God's use of suffering to mature us. While it usually ends with a hopeful perspective on the fruit that will yield on the campus, I am finding that instead of focusing on God's great work in and through me and the rest of the team, I focus on my ignorant response.

The most difficult thing about this semester was not the part-time job that seemed to get in the way, the barrier to getting time in the dorms, the difficulty developing authentic relationships with the girls, the fight to be confident in who I am and how God has gifted me. The most difficult thing was not my campus director constantly challenging the way I think about and interpret life. It was not the discovery that I ultimately believe that no one really cares about me and that no one will meet my needs or yours. The discovery of my lack of trust broke me, but that was not what made this semester HARD.

My heart is what made it hard. My pride stood in the way of me being on the same page as God, so I often found myself fighting him. And of course being humbled by the fall. Out of this pattern came a desperation for the gospel in my daily life. I needed to be reminded that Christ died for my sins, all of them. That my sin does not surprise him. In fact, that is why He came, to save sinners, so why would that sin keep me from Him if I believe that?

I needed to be reminded of the perfect life he lead and His suffering. I needed to be reminded that because of his death and resurrection, I am united with Him. And rather than focusing on my shortcomings, I need to lean into Him and embrace all that I have in Him.

I needed this!!!! And the more I clung to it, the more I saw hope. And the more I spoke of him, our Lord, with power and conviction from His Spirit. I remember one student who attended our large group study faithfully for weeks and then disappeared. I called her one week to see to if she wanted to get lunch and catch up. She mentioned that she hadn't been to the study because of her rigorous soft ball schedule and mandatory study hall. I asked her if she wanted to get together weekly to go over what we discussed in bible study and she said that she would love to.

The first week she brought a friend and it was amazing. We were looking at an encounter with Jesus in the gospels with an inductive or investigative approach, asking questions like, "Who is in this passage? What stands out to you in this verse? Why do you think he said this? Why do you think Jesus said that? How do you think the rich man felt?" and etc. In the end, we were looking Jesus in the face and hearing his message, and it was beautiful. After praying, I asked if they wanted to do this again. My friend from the study said she really wanted to and that she would invite others as well.

This excited me because you only invite people to something that you enjoy. The next week she ended up being sick and we weren't able to meet, but I'm looking forward to the spring semester to meet with these girls again.

Why don't I share that story more often instead of focusing on my hardships? God gets the glory out of it all, but I pray that I would fight for joy and a more positive, loving, and gracious perspective.

Go Fish!

Last Thursday our large group bible study looked at Luke 5:1-11. We all dug into the scriptures like detectives trying to discover exactly what God wanted to say to us through the. We looked at the details and the significance for them and saw how God puts us into impossible situations so that we can depend on Him. Sarah, my co-laborer, roommate, and friend, facilitated the discussion and did a great job. The study is actually called a bible discussion group, designed to draw in believers and non-believers a like. We say, "We just get together and discuss the Bible." But we know as leaders and followers of Christ, who is the Word, that the word is living and active. Each Thursday we experience it piercing our hearts and the hearts of students.

This past Thursday meant a lot to me. While responding to the verse 10-11, one of the students, Ashley, pointed out each of us (Nav Leaders) as fishers of men.

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. (v.10-11)

She said that each of us were examples of fishers of men. We left everything to come on this campus and be fishers of men and that's why all of them were in that room, because were doing that. We were about saving people. A tear began to well up in my eye as she recounted why in the world I was here, in Bowie, MD, going through the growing pains of ministry and challenged to persevere. For souls. And a student, A STUDENT, saw that. She sees what we are about. And that is so refreshing. Now I am praying that as people see us they will also catch the vision to be fishers of men.

One Shot of Rest Please!

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. (Isaiah 30:18)

After work Monday evening, I couldn’t ignore the knot of anxiety twisting in my chest. Would I cook when I got home? I still needed to write my newsletter. I was behind in my administration work, and I needed to call and connect with some of the girls on campus. There was so much to do, and I had forgot to put my shift at Barnes & Noble in my planner. The weekend had been full and awesome, but being an introvert, I felt like I was being pressed by an unyielding iron, and I was calling that iron God. I ended up picking up something to eat and choosing to take some personal time to refresh myself. But the knot would not let up.

“Should I write? Should I read the new Nicholas Sparks book? Should I practice the guitar? Or should I take a bath?” I asked myself over and over. Surely, I wouldn’t waste my little bit of alone time just sitting here. Between these questions I felt an urge to spend time with God. “But I already spent time with you today. Good, long time! How much more time do you need? I need my time!”

And so I resisted. I read. I played the guitar, but the anxiety refused to subside. So I took a bath, got ready for bed, and “relaxed.” Afterwards, I laid in the middle of the floor of my bedroom. I could feel God drawing me to spend time with him, drawing me to His waters to be refreshed, but I didn’t trust that He would really refresh me. I was too tired to get into the word. So I just started talking to Him about everything, about the tears behind my eyes that I had been holding in all day, the emotions I did not understand. I had been reading The Cross-Centered Life by C. J. Mahaney earlier that morning, and yearned to live a life centered on Christ, and most of all, I wanted to be with him, and I wanted to throw off my flesh that taints all my good intentions. It was beautiful. I ended the time singing hymns and praising him.

“Why should I gain from His reward?” I sang. “I cannot give an answer! But this I know with all my heart, his wounds have paid my ransom!”

I thought of Samantha, one of the students God has allowed me come along side and mentor, and I praised God for His grace towards her. I thought of my team and His grace towards us. And I thought of you....Oh, how I praised God for you, that you would even desire to be apart of this team through gifts and/or prayer. God has been brewing something in me. He let me taste a little bit last night and it was so sweet! In the midst of my imperfections, my being prone to wander, in the midst of my doubts and fears, He gave me a taste of his goodness. And it was better than my Cafe Au lait w/ Soy and two pumps of vanilla. It refreshed me inwardly. I was touched by the lover of my soul.


Sipping the Love Latte
I came here wanting to blow Bowie out of the water with my ministry plans. God drew me here to teach me about love--His love, my love for Him and how to extend that same love to others. I’m learning how to love my teammates, the students I reach out to, and those I work under. To sum this first quarter up,
I’m learning to let go, trust God, who is love.