Growing up it was always my goal to beat my Dad in anything, especially in wrestling. Wrestling is a passion of mine and my Father's. If people ask us why it is difficult to give a clear cut answer. We don't know why we do it or why we love it. We just love it!
It wasn't until I went to college and wrestled almost daily that I was able to beat my Dad handily. To be fair he isn't what he used to be. And actually if he read this blog he would deny that I could beat him let alone challenge him.
My Dad might not ever admit that but one thing he always will mention is that he has always by challenged by the faith of his kids. I've an older sister and a younger brother, which puts me in the middle. We didn't grow up passionate about our relationship with Jesus. But, as time went on, we began to respond to God. We began to talk about Jesus and what He was teaching us. We challenged each other with what we were reading in the Bible and what we were hearing on Sundays at church. We started to share about our prayer lives and how we could pursue more of God! It has been an extremely awesome last 6 years of my life with my brother and sister.
As my parents listen to us talk and join in on our conversations my Dad will slip in a little comment that he is challenged (in a good way) by what we are saying. By talking about Jesus we caused our entire family to start talking about Jesus.
My Dad will even tell his co-workers and friends, "I'm challenged by those kids, and their relationship with Jesus"
As I remember my Dad first saying that I start to sense a familiarity with that situation.
Right now I am a pastor of a UND Chi Alpha group. My main job is to support and be the right hand man for pastor Bryce Meyer. He is an amazing man to work with and learn from. But what I am noticing is the students he has under him have a desire to pray that I don't often see. Everyday students of this Chi Alpha group go on to campus and pray from 7am-8am. Everyday! Maybe 7am doesn't sound that early to you but keep in mind these students are in college.
When I miss a day of prayer or feel like I didn't give God the time I wanted to I think of the UND Chi Alpha students. I am proud to say that I pastor these students. They are becoming more and more precious to me and my heart desirous all that God desires for them. Just as much as I am proud of them I am challenged by them and their willingness to pray.
Now I can say just like my Dad does, "I am challenged by my kids"
Thank you UND Chi Alpha students! My prayer life needs your challenge.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
UND Update & Heart and Soul
Danielle and I have now been in Grand Forks for three weeks! A lot has been going on since we got here. We've had Chi Alpha services and events going on as soon as we got here, we are meeting with many of the students that are here for the summer, and the staff at Freedom Church are blessing us a lot with food and fellowship. Two weeks ago Pastor Nate Johnson the senior pastor over Freedom Church introduced us to the congregation at both Sunday morning services. It was a blessing that helped us meet a lot of the church and feel very welcomed. We are here and we are thrilled to be!
Pastor Bryce Meyer the Chi Alpha pastor that brought us alongside him gave me the honor of speaking at the first summer Chi Alpha service. I felt very trusted that he would give me the first service. I spoke on Outward Focus and how we need to look beyond ourselves to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. No recording of this one but we will have recordings in the future.
Meeting the students is still my favorite part of ministry. I feel that it is one of the most crucial parts of ministry. In a one on one sit down conversation you can go so much deeper than a message preached on a Sunday or a Thursday Chi Alpha service. You feel like you know someone after telling your life story.
To take one moment to speak into your life, do what I am talking about in the above paragraph. When I say life story and sharing it with someone I mean going deep into who you are with someone else. Tell them your greatest victories and your greatest defeats. Be open and honest. Most of all share with them your love for Jesus Christ. Keeping all your relationships at the surface level is no fun at all and lacks true meaning!
One story in the Bible that reminds me of this is Jonathan and his armor-bearer (1 Samuel 14:1-14). Jonathan wanted to attack the Philistines. No other men jumped at such an opportunity to risk death and seize glory. Jonathan wanted to go in against an entire army and come out on the other side with victory. Doesn't that just sound awesome and heroic! Maybe even a little crazy! But the point I am about to make comes with what the armor-bearer's response is to Jonathan's suggestion. The armor-bearer says "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." Did you catch that? "I am with you HEART and SOUL." It is people like Jonathan had in the armor-bearer that I want in my life. I want people to go with me into the greatest opportunities with their heart and soul! But, people don't just give their heart and soul to you overnight.
To gain friendship and trust that goes to the Heart and Soul we need to get deep. The armor-bearer had probably been with Jonathan for sometime. They had conversations about the general things but even more so the deeper things. The armor-bearer trusted Jonathan so much that he was willing to risk death and follow Jonathan with his HEART and SOUL!!!!
I want to be the kind of leader, husband, friend, pastor that gains friendship and trust down to the heart and soul. To do that I need to be open and honest with people. I need to move past the surface and share the deep, the worst, the best, my heart and my soul. To gain friends with the heart and soul you first have to give yours. Open up to people, share your heart, make a friend for a lifetime.
With that being said I do want to share a word of caution.
Matthew 7:6
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
Don't open up your heart and soul to any passerby. Use wisdom in deciding who you want to trust your heart and soul with.
I pray and hope that this blog updated you and blessed your life! Thank you for being apart of our team. Without your help we would not able to reach the UND students. Thank you!
-Mark Erickson "Love God. Love People. Work Hard."
Pastor Bryce Meyer the Chi Alpha pastor that brought us alongside him gave me the honor of speaking at the first summer Chi Alpha service. I felt very trusted that he would give me the first service. I spoke on Outward Focus and how we need to look beyond ourselves to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. No recording of this one but we will have recordings in the future.
Meeting the students is still my favorite part of ministry. I feel that it is one of the most crucial parts of ministry. In a one on one sit down conversation you can go so much deeper than a message preached on a Sunday or a Thursday Chi Alpha service. You feel like you know someone after telling your life story.
To take one moment to speak into your life, do what I am talking about in the above paragraph. When I say life story and sharing it with someone I mean going deep into who you are with someone else. Tell them your greatest victories and your greatest defeats. Be open and honest. Most of all share with them your love for Jesus Christ. Keeping all your relationships at the surface level is no fun at all and lacks true meaning!
One story in the Bible that reminds me of this is Jonathan and his armor-bearer (1 Samuel 14:1-14). Jonathan wanted to attack the Philistines. No other men jumped at such an opportunity to risk death and seize glory. Jonathan wanted to go in against an entire army and come out on the other side with victory. Doesn't that just sound awesome and heroic! Maybe even a little crazy! But the point I am about to make comes with what the armor-bearer's response is to Jonathan's suggestion. The armor-bearer says "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." Did you catch that? "I am with you HEART and SOUL." It is people like Jonathan had in the armor-bearer that I want in my life. I want people to go with me into the greatest opportunities with their heart and soul! But, people don't just give their heart and soul to you overnight.
To gain friendship and trust that goes to the Heart and Soul we need to get deep. The armor-bearer had probably been with Jonathan for sometime. They had conversations about the general things but even more so the deeper things. The armor-bearer trusted Jonathan so much that he was willing to risk death and follow Jonathan with his HEART and SOUL!!!!
I want to be the kind of leader, husband, friend, pastor that gains friendship and trust down to the heart and soul. To do that I need to be open and honest with people. I need to move past the surface and share the deep, the worst, the best, my heart and my soul. To gain friends with the heart and soul you first have to give yours. Open up to people, share your heart, make a friend for a lifetime.
With that being said I do want to share a word of caution.
Matthew 7:6
"Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
Don't open up your heart and soul to any passerby. Use wisdom in deciding who you want to trust your heart and soul with.
I pray and hope that this blog updated you and blessed your life! Thank you for being apart of our team. Without your help we would not able to reach the UND students. Thank you!
-Mark Erickson "Love God. Love People. Work Hard."
Friday, May 9, 2014
God's Got My Back, But More Importantly He's Gone Before Me
*****A moment of caution, I'm writing this post with a cup of coffee by my side, Hans Zimmer station on Pandora playing and fresh off a reading of the beginning of Joshua from the Bible. *****
It is always an empowering feeling when a friend says "I got your back!" I love it! You feel covered, you feel approved in whatever you are about to do. In the sport of wrestling it always felt good the moments before you are about to step out on the mat and your coaches and teammates give you a slap on the rear or back. It's the non verbal of "You've got this! I'm confident in you! Give it your all! WORK HARD!" Then you step out on the mat with a confidence that it's not just you on the mat against some guy. It's you and all your teammates, friends, family, coaches, all of them plus you going out on the mat. They've got your back!
But what's even better is when you watch one of your teammates come off the mat with a win and then you get sent out to do what he has just done.
I had the blessed opportunity of wrestling with some of the best teammates in the country: Hayden Zillmer, Steve Monk, Joseph Garner, Trevor Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Tyler Diamond, Evan Knutson, Josh Rodriguez, Kurtis Julson, Mac Stoll, Kenny Moenkedick, Justin Solberg, Will Johnson, Geoff Martin to name a few. Top shelf men on the mat and off of it. But one more wrestler I have not yet named always gave me the confidence that I could win any match because he always went out and did it before I was even on deck, Trent Sprenkle. Whenever he went out and dominated his opponent or won a tough match or even lost but gave his blood sweat and tears to win the match I had a confidence that was more than a friend having my back, I had someone going before me. Trent led the way, set the pace, went out before me and showed me how to attain the victory and win the match. It empowered me, made me fearless and confident in the gifts God has given me to compete.
God is much the same but even better. God's got your back, but even more importantly He goes out before you and gets the victory.
Joshua's (of the Bible) life represents this so well.
Joshua 1:5 As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you
Joshua 1:9 for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 3:11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you
Joshua 6:2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands,
God always went before Joshua and led him to the victory. God wants to, will do, and is doing the same in our lives!
As Danielle and I move to Grand Forks and join the UND Chi Alpha staff when any fear comes in that I'm not good enough, I'm too young, I'm not knowledgeable enough, or whatever the enemy decides to attack me with, I will remember what God's Word has taught me: God's Got My Back, But More Importantly He's Gone Before Me.
The UND campus is already won! The Chi Alpha staff and students there are amazing. But, just as Joshua had to go out and still fight the battle to win the battle, Danielle and I will go out an fight the battle as well. We will fight with a passion that we've never known for the UND students. Our mission: to love the UND students the way God loves us.
"Hell hath no fury....that can withstand the love that Jesus has put inside this heart."
Yours for the UND students.
It is always an empowering feeling when a friend says "I got your back!" I love it! You feel covered, you feel approved in whatever you are about to do. In the sport of wrestling it always felt good the moments before you are about to step out on the mat and your coaches and teammates give you a slap on the rear or back. It's the non verbal of "You've got this! I'm confident in you! Give it your all! WORK HARD!" Then you step out on the mat with a confidence that it's not just you on the mat against some guy. It's you and all your teammates, friends, family, coaches, all of them plus you going out on the mat. They've got your back!
But what's even better is when you watch one of your teammates come off the mat with a win and then you get sent out to do what he has just done.
I had the blessed opportunity of wrestling with some of the best teammates in the country: Hayden Zillmer, Steve Monk, Joseph Garner, Trevor Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Tyler Diamond, Evan Knutson, Josh Rodriguez, Kurtis Julson, Mac Stoll, Kenny Moenkedick, Justin Solberg, Will Johnson, Geoff Martin to name a few. Top shelf men on the mat and off of it. But one more wrestler I have not yet named always gave me the confidence that I could win any match because he always went out and did it before I was even on deck, Trent Sprenkle. Whenever he went out and dominated his opponent or won a tough match or even lost but gave his blood sweat and tears to win the match I had a confidence that was more than a friend having my back, I had someone going before me. Trent led the way, set the pace, went out before me and showed me how to attain the victory and win the match. It empowered me, made me fearless and confident in the gifts God has given me to compete.
God is much the same but even better. God's got your back, but even more importantly He goes out before you and gets the victory.
Joshua's (of the Bible) life represents this so well.
Joshua 1:5 As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you
Joshua 1:9 for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 3:11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you
Joshua 6:2 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands,
God always went before Joshua and led him to the victory. God wants to, will do, and is doing the same in our lives!
As Danielle and I move to Grand Forks and join the UND Chi Alpha staff when any fear comes in that I'm not good enough, I'm too young, I'm not knowledgeable enough, or whatever the enemy decides to attack me with, I will remember what God's Word has taught me: God's Got My Back, But More Importantly He's Gone Before Me.
The UND campus is already won! The Chi Alpha staff and students there are amazing. But, just as Joshua had to go out and still fight the battle to win the battle, Danielle and I will go out an fight the battle as well. We will fight with a passion that we've never known for the UND students. Our mission: to love the UND students the way God loves us.
"Hell hath no fury....that can withstand the love that Jesus has put inside this heart."
Yours for the UND students.
The Adventure Continues North
We are so excited to announce that last night at NDSU’s Chi Alpha Mark and I finally shared that we are answering the call from God to go to Grand Forks, ND and join the UND Chi Alpha staff there. We are so stoked for this next adventure!! Let's be real, it takes a call from God to make two former NDSU Athletes go to the UND campus.
We will forever cherish the memories & friends we’ve made at NDSU but are looking ahead seeking & expecting God to do the impossible on the campus of UND – for our God is a consuming fire!
UND here we come!
"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'"
-Hebrews 12:28-29
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Monday, December 2, 2013
Living Praise
Psalm 67:5-7
New International Version (NIV)
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
Ushering in the month of December has been an amazing experience with God! Last night, after enjoying a great Thanksgiving weekend in Forest Lake, MN, Danielle and I prepared to attend the Shift service at our church, Fargo First Assembly of God. I was a shuttle driver for the NDSU students that get picked up and brought to church. I could not help but feel an excitement in my soul about the evening. "Finally! Back at home with my church family," were my thoughts as I drove to NDSU. The excitement in my soul was more expectant than normal. I did not have a reason for it besides being glad to be back. I knew the preacher was going to be my teacher, pastor and friend Pastor Dave Schuster. Perhaps that was enough of a reason for my excitement.
After I picked up the NDSU students I queued them in on my unusual excitement. I stated as I dropped them off, "It's going to be a good one!"
I made my way into the service and sat by a new friend that I had met a month before. Service was going as usual until worship started. Immediately as we entered into worship my hands wanted to reach out to usher in God's presence with not just my words or my heart but my very actions. It was more urgent than usual. After a few songs into worship God's presence was just there, for lack of better words all I can say is that it was there. On occasion I would open my eyes to see what the church family was doing in the time of worship. The musicians leading us in worship were jumping, some kneeling, the pastors were enthralled with God's presence, some plummeting their face into their hands, others swaying with hands in the air. The congregation was some standing a few kneeling in the small space between their pew. I almost felt guilty for intruding on their moment with God and yet missing out on my own time with the Creator, The Father, My Father.
One section of our church family during the initial worship time
As worship was appearing to end (after the 4th song worship is over according to our schedule) one of the pastors went up to the microphone. He spoke to the church that this was not usual. God was doing something different, he could sense it. It was obvious that the whole church sensed it. Then after the meet and greet, Pastor Dave Schuster came forward to the pulpit as if getting ready to speak (according to our schedule). But, Pastor Dave routed my expectant thoughts of normality and said, "The Holy Spirit is doing something new tonight. I will not be preaching. Instead we are going to respond to this and press into God with prayer, praise, and WORSHIP!" He gave the worship team instruction to lead us in more worship and said that we could move to the altar and seek God or move anywhere and seek.
The worship team played , our church rushed to the alter and I found myself going from places of tears of joy to praying for more joy into my life. I remembered God's faithfulness and provision throughout my life but, most of all I remember the day I was saved from death by Jesus Christ. That memory and truth fueled my praise to God to the point that I was not just standing while worship played but I was singing and jumping in praise to my God (The King of All Kings).
It was in that moment that I knew I needed to remember why I'm doing what I'm doing. The reason why I tell people about Jesus is because I have never been over the love he showed me by saving me. God wanted to bring us (I believe more than myself had that truth spoke to them) to a place of praising Him. He is worthy not just for what He has done but because of his worth, because He is who He is.
The Bible tells us that when we praise God blessings will come. That is why I believe God did what He did that night. He wants to do amazing things in Fargo Moorhead this month, tomorrow, the next semester, forever! We (meaning me) need to live a life of praise to God. Join us in this: Live your life as if you have never been over the day you were saved.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Twitter Ministry Works!
To be honest with you, social media is not one of my favorite things. But, recently I'm beginning to warm-up to a social media network called twitter. Twitter allows users to post statements, quotes, and really anything in 140 characters or less onto the internet and the public can read what random information the users are willing to share.
To keep a long story from getting too long I am going to share with you a recent victory for the Kingdom of God through a simple post onto twitter (also known as a tweet).
About a month ago from today a woman posted onto twitter about a family in need of help moving furniture into a house. One of my fellow missionaries Stephen Glasser was informed about the tweet and felt the need to respond to this tweeting distress call for muscles to move furniture.
The day after the tweet occurred I found myself with two college students and two other missionaries moving furniture into a house. It was a fun and different opportunity to bless someone we did not know previously. The initial "God Thing" of this whole furniture moving experience is that we were moving furniture for a woman that attended the church we go to, First Assembly of God in Fargo. The woman's name I will not share to protect her privacy. She was moved by this random gesture of young people coming to help her, especially people that she had never met! She thanked us multiple times and was moved to tears multiple times as we carried in beds, a couch and chairs.
It was a blessing to get to help this woman but the story does not end here.
Two days ago this woman and her two youngest sons came to church. Unknown to myself this woman had gone forward during an altar call at the end of the service. Fellow missionary Stephen Glasser was up at the altar ready to pray with people and to his surprise the youngest boy came up to him. Stephen simply asked how he was liking the house since he moved in. The boy replied, "Ever since I've lived there I've wanted to accept Jesus into my life but I haven't yet." Stephen was moved with joy and prayed with the young boy to accept Jesus into his life for the first time.
God is always at work in our lives. He constructs and orchestrates every relationship we have and every connection we make. We need to be ready to act when opportunities arise to share the love of Jesus Christ, even through twitter. God uses everything to His glory at the times of His choosing.
"Be blessed, be a blessing to others"
-Mark Erickson
Do you have a Twitter? Feel free to follow us both at @MarkE116 & @soccerpnut!
To keep a long story from getting too long I am going to share with you a recent victory for the Kingdom of God through a simple post onto twitter (also known as a tweet).
About a month ago from today a woman posted onto twitter about a family in need of help moving furniture into a house. One of my fellow missionaries Stephen Glasser was informed about the tweet and felt the need to respond to this tweeting distress call for muscles to move furniture.
The day after the tweet occurred I found myself with two college students and two other missionaries moving furniture into a house. It was a fun and different opportunity to bless someone we did not know previously. The initial "God Thing" of this whole furniture moving experience is that we were moving furniture for a woman that attended the church we go to, First Assembly of God in Fargo. The woman's name I will not share to protect her privacy. She was moved by this random gesture of young people coming to help her, especially people that she had never met! She thanked us multiple times and was moved to tears multiple times as we carried in beds, a couch and chairs.
It was a blessing to get to help this woman but the story does not end here.
Two days ago this woman and her two youngest sons came to church. Unknown to myself this woman had gone forward during an altar call at the end of the service. Fellow missionary Stephen Glasser was up at the altar ready to pray with people and to his surprise the youngest boy came up to him. Stephen simply asked how he was liking the house since he moved in. The boy replied, "Ever since I've lived there I've wanted to accept Jesus into my life but I haven't yet." Stephen was moved with joy and prayed with the young boy to accept Jesus into his life for the first time.
God is always at work in our lives. He constructs and orchestrates every relationship we have and every connection we make. We need to be ready to act when opportunities arise to share the love of Jesus Christ, even through twitter. God uses everything to His glory at the times of His choosing.
"Be blessed, be a blessing to others"
-Mark Erickson
Do you have a Twitter? Feel free to follow us both at @MarkE116 & @soccerpnut!
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