Internalizing the Gospel

Fellow Partners in the Gospel,

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement throughout the holiday season. I love your Christmas cards and notes. It is crazy to see how fast your families are growing!

I have been back in Lexington since New Years, and am now in the thick of spring semester. Today I went with another member of my staff team and met people in the student center in order to ask them their thoughts on the earthquake in Haiti and how it effects people's thoughts about spiritual things. We talked with 4 freshmen, Alissa, Niesha, Ben, and Sean. It was incredible to see God open doors for the gospel through such a terrible tragedy. We were able to share the gospel clearly with all but Ben, and only Niesha seemed to clearly know the gospel and have a relationship with Christ. Please pray for the Lord to remove the barriers they have to the gospel. Pray that God will wake Ben up from the apathy he expresses towards God and any kind of spiritual life.

My staff team is seeking to develop hearts and minds that are more centered on the gospel. Each week we are memorizing a passage of scripture. God is really challenging me about what it looks like to follow Him as I am dwelling on his word. Best memory tip for me so far, print our the verse in a large font on cardstock. Cut and separate each word or short phrases and then practice putting the verse back together like a puzzle. It forces you to learn it, makes it much more fun, and helped me to think about the significance of repeated words and phrases. Our first passage was Romans 8:31-34. I never realized how often the word "Who" appeared....

"31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."

Did you catch it? It is listed 9 times in 4 verses. The "who" is pointing us back to Christ and what he has done. Memorizing it has made scripture come so much more alive in my life. The next passage is Isaiah 53:3-6. I wrote it out and was thinking on it on the way to campus this morning. I couldn't get past the first verse..."He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed Him not." This is the time of the semester where students are more open to accepting or rejecting relationships with God and involvement in the ministry. My natural instinct is to avoid rejection. This is saying that Christ was rejected, men even hid their faces from him! And scripture says that I am to be like Christ. Wow. I'll admit, I don't know how I feel about that most days. When I accept the gospel, it means I am accepting rejection from men. In return though, I am gaining acceptance from God which is unchanging and eternal.

Please pray for me and my team as we move past the rejection and barriers students and the University give, and pursue to follow Christ through introducing people to Him.

Prayer Calendar:
Wednesday January 27: Freshmen Dessert (Freshmen are leading it and challenging their friends and classmates to pursue Christ and get involved

Wednesday January 27: Program in a freshmen dorm on Beauty. Free makeovers and discussion on where true beauty comes from. Pray that students come and that I am free to share the gospel as I share how God has given be a source for lasting beauty.

Friday January 29-Sunday January 31: Preview Weekend in Atlanta, GA. Please pray for safe travel of our juniors and seniors and they meet up with other students in our region and are challenged for how they can follow the Lord post-graduation.

Small group Bible studies are starting back up - pray students will return from last semester and that we will continue to engage with new people who have yet to hear about Christ.

Fear Killers: A Pastor from Nashville is spending 4 weeks in our Thursday night meeting share about God's perspective of Fear, the ability to move past it, and Nehemiah's response to going where God is calling you. Pray that students take it to heart and are responding with steps of faith with their time, sharing about Christ with their friends, their future.

Saturday February 6: Service project with Habitat for Humanity and Bluegrass Technology Center.

Sorry for such a long message! A lot is on my mind and heart tonight. Attached is my update from the winter conference we took 30 students to over New Years.

Blessings,

Abigail