by Sam | Sep 5, 2014 | Inspiration
The start of a new school year means that there are also plenty of new faces and opportunities. You would be surprised to know just how much your campus has to offer you. Whether it is your first semester of college or your last, these 3 steps will be sure to help you thrive this coming year in college. 1) BE OPEN College is a great opportunity to learn more about the world around you and the person you are becoming. Don’t be stagnant, but rather go and explore. It might be challenging to go outside of your comfort zone, but an incredible journey always starts with that first step. Be open to taking new classes, joining new clubs, and meeting new people. And not just new people, but people who are actually different than you. Take on a challenge, learn a new skill, take up a new hobby. Be open to being stretched and letting your thoughts and ideas be challenged as well. Only then can you really take ownership of what you believe and why. Be open. 2) BE ROOTED The sky is the limit for you! But you will only go as high as your roots go deep below. Remember where you came from and all those who shaped you to be the person you are today. In college it can be so easy to succumb to peer pressure and just be another face in the crowd. By being rooted though, you won’t be swayed to the left and to the right into who others want you to be. Instead you can be free to be...
by Sam | Jul 31, 2014 | Inspiration, Reflection
Ever have one of those mornings where God is just speaking to you? And throughout the entire day, He just keeps confirming it over and over again through the most random ways? The other day was just like that for me. He was speaking to me that He will never let me down and He will never walk away from me. It was powerful. And that same truth came up as the day progressed. At first it was an encouraging reminder, then it turned into dread. Was God saying this to me because something bad was going to happen? Was He warning me of some unforeseen circumstance that will arise? Was He cluing me in on a time where I would need to clutch onto this? And in that moment I realized something was totally off! Instead of embracing what God has told me, I instantly made it about something bad that was bound to happen. So often my expectations of God and who He is and what He does is “bad”. Not that I believe God is bad, but the way I view life is through the lens of my circumstances and past experiences rather than His goodness. If I say that I believe in a good God and am saved by the Good News of Jesus Christ, then shouldn’t my expectations be good too? The Bible tells us over and over again that He is good and that He only gives good gifts (James 1:17)! Why is believing that so hard for me if I am a “believer”? Instead of saying “uh oh, things are about to...
by Sam | Jul 21, 2014 | Frontier
I first met John & Lydia Yoon a couple years ago while studying at Alliance Theological Seminary in NY. Through different classes and interactions, we developed a friendship. Since then I’ve personally been blessed and challenged by their hearts for the nations. They have lived out their faith by willing to go beyond their comfort zones and into the unknown simply because God was calling them. (Also they have the cutest little girl named Addy!) I am so excited to be able to share their story and their journey as our first feature ever on Pursuit: Frontier. Briefly describe your calling My wife, Lydia, felt the call to missions much earlier than I had. During my last semester of seminary, I felt the Lord calling me out of the church that I was currently serving (New Covenant Church in Little Neck, NY). I assumed it would be another pastoral position at another church and hoped it would be full-time. In October of 2013, our family visited some friends in Canada who were planning on going to Haiti long-term. During our conversation, I felt a new excitement for missions stirring in my heart. That night, past dreams and convictions were brought to mind as Lydia and I talked and prayed together. Everything aligned to God’s calling for our family to make disciples of all nations as full-time missionaries. Briefly describe your mission field We are part of a new breed of missionaries now being classified as ‘glocal’ missionaries. The term, ‘glocal’ is a portmanteau of the words ‘global’ and ‘local.’ As implied, we see ourselves as missionaries called to minister the...
by Sam | Jul 9, 2014 | Inspiration, Reflection
One of the buzzwords in the church today is community. And why wouldn’t it be? Who doesn’t love the idea of belonging to a group, having friends, and just doing life together? It seems to be only full of positives! Yet community will continue to only be a buzzword unless people learn to truly submit to one another in the name of Christ. Especially when it comes to discernment. In my own life there have been areas where I literally felt like God was telling me two different things. One day it seemed as if God was pulling me in one direction, and the next, the complete opposite. Was I going crazy? Does God constantly change His mind? What I’ve come to realize is that usually when I am emotionally invested in something, it is hard to be objective and to even hear from God without my own filter. This is where community is crucial. Proverbs (11:14, 15:22) emphasizes how in the multitude of counsel there is wisdom. Wisdom seeks out others. Pride says “I know better” and if it’s something personal, who would know better than me, right? Yet humility is being able to present something to others not just for prayer, not just for feedback, but for discernment as well. I’m all for hearing from God and being led by God no matter what popular opinion might be. I’m all for seeking God until you get an answer, but the truth is I don’t have a monopoly on hearing from Him. I need others to correct me, encourage me, affirm me in what I am hearing from Him, and...
by Sam | May 2, 2014 | Reflection
The areas of wounding The places that are most vulnerable Are the same places that Received special care, attention, and Ultimately healing… To know my scars is to know me. To know me is to know my Healer....
