Love.Serve.Give...So Others May Live.

WOW…I can’t believe that Encounter 2012 has already come and gone!  If you weren’t able to come, then I’m not going to lie; you missed out big time!  God showed up spoke so powerfully into the lives of every student and to VOX Student Ministries as a family.

Night One Pastor Hayden and I were prompted to tag team a message titled: “Love.Serve.Give…So Others May Live.” It was a good word from the Lord and is worth us unpacking a bit more to make sure it sinks in how I believe the Lord wants it to in our lives.

Here at VFC our mission is: “We exist so people get it.” In a sense, you could also say: “So others may live,” because when people actually “get it” (a relationship with Jesus, victory, healing, etc.) they are able to truly live how God created them to live.  We are all about students “getting it” and that’s one of the main reasons we even have Encounter.  In order for students to get it our vision comes into play in which everyone must have this spiritual DNA: 1) Love 2) Serve 3) Give in them.  So naturally, if we all love, serve, and give, then other may live and have tons of opportunities to “get it.”

This is all great and true, but I have found it very difficult to walk out this vision without God’s help.  You see, in order for us to love, serve, and give to that people can get it, we must first experience these qualities of God in your own life.  You can’t give what you don’t have!

So if we want to love others, then we must first experience God’s love in our own lives like it tells us in 1 John 4:19.  If we want serve others, then we must first experience the Lord’s servanthood in our own lives.  We are always quick to serve others or serve the Lord, yet we miss that the Lord also wants to serve us just like Jesus washed His disciples’ feet. And if we are really going to give – of our time, energy, and emotion in attempt to reach the lost, then we must first come to the realization that God gave it all to us through His Son Jesus Christ! If are to experience God’s love, observe how He served, and learn to sacrifice and give like He did, then I believe we will be much more effective in reaching people for Christ.

So the question is: “Have you encountered Jesus in these areas lately?”  Let God minister to you in these areas first, then boldly step out and Love.Serve.Give…So Others May Live!

-Eric