Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery around you. I am emphatic about this. The moment any of you submits to circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ's hard-won gift of FREEDOM is squandered.
galations 5. 1-2
So often I find myself taking up my yoke of slavery because it is all I know. Comfort is a big motivation to remain stagnent. In this verse I realize that who Christ sets free from sin & everything that encompasses it, is FREE. HE alone makes me worthy and makes me useful. As soon as I try to take up what or who the world tells me I should be is the same moment I claim that I am not free. If I can encourage any of you in this season it would be: live loved and know that who Christ sets free; is FREE indeed. Nothing and no one can claim your worth besides Christ alone, and when HE calls....GO.
FRIENDS & FAMILY.
As I read over that verse more and more I smile realizing the simplicity of loving Christ like a child. When you tell a child they are free, they never question. Through these last couple of weeks I have found myself asking questions like: "Why have we not gotten into the school yet?" or "When am I going to get any opportunities to have a true vulnerable conversations with students I have just met?"
Through these questions God has allowed so many pivotal moments to conspire, reminding me, yet again that HE is alone is GOD. Case is point: the Judson High School Football coach, Jim Rackly, is a Christian. Through different contacts we were able to meet up with him. He told us that the Lord has given him the gift of coaching, therefore he uses every opportunity to be a light in a very dark place. In that he has the entire team sit through a devotion every Friday. You could only imagine the look on our faces when we sat through one of these devotions where every young man listened with attentive ears. In two to three weeks, we will get to lead those devotions! We get the opportunity to speak to 60 high school boys about the Lord in a public high school. God alone makes these things possible.
Please pray that we continue to be available for any and every moment God wants to use us. Pray for open hearts and doors while we prepare and deliver the devotion.
Our new High School Gathering at Journey Fellowship has been able to see a consistent 30 students come every week. There is a couple of girls I have been able to chat with outside of church prior to our new gathering. As I sat with these girls the first night and asked them to fill out cards with their information, I felt prompted to share my story. With the Lord's perfect timing a few of them opened up about the brokeness they face on a daily basis.
Please pray that I would not rush any emotion, but listen with a open heart. Also that I would seek wisdom and insight on how to best encourage these beautiful girls.
Some other God ordained moments include: meeting several other students at Judson through my host family, starting a breakfast club on Wednesday mornings right next to the school where just this past week a boy asked "what is the meaning of life?", meeting three new girls that faithfully serve in the kids ministry and hopefully being able to serve alongside them, having a high school student say she feels the Lord's presence when I am around-Thank you Holy Spirit!-, and sharing dinner with our homeless friend Mark who asked if he could pray for us as a team!
I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to boast of the Lord's goodness. Thank you for the encouragement that you have sent through letters, emails, and phone calls. The Lord has used those to remind me of His great LOVE.
As I share all the new memories I realize what the joy of the Lord is exemplified through. It is found in the moments we know we are FREE and dare to live it out.
love you all,
jessica.
