I’m calling it a night for day four.

This has been another awesome day.

We started the morning off by talking about how to sustain and support our faith…thereby producing the strength and courage needed to let our lights shine. I spoke about the need to get plugged into a Christian community that will help build us up and spur us on. We focused on Acts 2:42-47. This passage bears light on the things the early church found vitally crucial to life, health, and survival. I challenged the students to make commitments to build these things into their lives.

This evening, we had a powerful session that started with a beautiful song and a video that had statistics about world hunger and poverty. We then went into a pilgrimage where the students went to different stations to hear about injustice, oppression, and genocide around the globe. We returned to the auditorium and I focused on how one person can truly make a difference in the world…that if one person fed one hungry person they will have made a major difference. We looked at Hebrews 11-12:3 as examples of how God can use one person to bring about significant change.

Then, I stirred up a bit of controlled-chaotic-praise. I asked the students if they would become filled with a “holy roar” that says “enough is enough…no more.” I asked if they would let their lights shine? They apathetically said “yes.” So, I encouraged them to say it like they meant it…and they did. But, that still wasn’t enough. I told them I expected loud cheers, high-fives, and chest bumps. And, they went crazy.

Then I pulled them back and said, “You know, that’s great. But, the thing is, if our passion dies out when we get home we’ve missed the point. If we get home and don’t do any thing to help bring about change in our world, then we have wasted our week.”

That was followed with a powerful time of worship through song.

Tomorrow is our last day of services and we’ll return home on Friday. I’m excited about what tomorrow may bring!

I know that we’re already in the midst of day four, but…due to a slow wi-fi connection it has been difficult to post anything.
Yesterday was a pretty incredible day. Our general sessions went well. I felt pretty good about things (feeling good isn’t the point…but it is nice confirmation).
We had a powerful light-bearing element to end our evening session. I spoke about letting our lights shine in the way we care for others. We then challenged the students to let their lights shine and invited them to light a candle if they desired to declare “I want to let my light shine.” There were a lot of candles burning. It was powerful.
I joined our students for their evening prayer and share. It was cool to hear what God is doing in the lives of some of the students attending That Thing. God is good and really is working and moving in the lives of the students gathered here.