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
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)