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."
