Lost and Found - Luke 15 at Cru

Last Thursday, we heard from Darren Holland about what it means to be lost. Here are some notes from the talk...

Have you ever been lost? When did you realize you were lost, and how did it make you feel when it dawned on you?

Our mission is to "turn lost students and faculty into Christ-centered lifetime laborers." With this as our mission, it is imperative that we understand what it means to be lost. Luke 15 has three different parables that help us understand what it means to be spiritually lost. We want to look at the middle parable, the story of the woman with the lost coin.

A few observations:

• Woman loses a coin – worth a day’s wage for a laborer.
  
• She has nine others. However, the 9:1 found to lost ratio doesn’t keep her from looking for the lost one.
• Searches diligently. Doesn’t rely on the coin just “turning up” in front of her.
• Finds it – this must be celebrated!
• Her community is part of the find – calls together friends and neighbors
• Jesus compares this to angels rejoicing when a sinner repents. Clearly, someone being “found” is cosmically huge.
• Jesus compares a coin being found to repentance (?!?)

 Some application...

• From these parables, it seems to be lost is to reside outside of the relationship you were designed for. When people live outside of the relationship with God they were designed for, they are lost.
• The lost can’t save themselves. Finding the lost is a work of the seeker, Jesus, who came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10).
  
• There is very little to be said about how they got lost. Little in the way of moral judgment. The main thrust is how the lost get found…by God.
• Have you been found by God? “Lord, you’ve found me.” This is repentance! We were lost, but someone found us. Since Jesus sent out the 12, Jesus has been using the found (fishermen) to find (fish).
  
• A story that illustrates the darkness of being lost, the celebration of being found, and the burden of seekers to find the lost.

Like the story immediately above, Jesus doesn't stop seeking the lost because they are too valuable to give  up searching for.

Are there lost people around you that God may be uniquely calling you to help find?

A revival of the campus, a revival of the heart

What would it look like for there to be spiritual movements everywhere at WSU so that everyone had a chance to know someone who truly followed Jesus? How would these movements start? Erin, a senior and student leader with Cru, has been thinking about questions like that. We asked her to share a little more with us....

"Thinking of what COULD happen comes naturally to me. I was given a vision of what might happen this year on campus--that massive numbers of students would return to the one who created them, with a passion and zeal to follow God and share about him with others. Some might call it "revival" or "spiritual awakening," something that we long for God to start in others through us.  However, there are a few things that need to be true about ourselves before he can use us.

Before revival can start in others, WE need revival. This is why:

1. I don't always believe that God can answer my prayers and I don't pray like I believe
2. I'm not humble
3. There's sin I haven't confessed
4. Even if I confess sin, it's hard for me to agree that God's forgiven me
5. I don't feel any compassion or burden for others
6. I don't move towards people
7. I don't feel like I'm hearing from God when I meditate on his word
8. I'm not willing to surrender

Stop for a minute to ask yourself if any of those things are true of yourself.

If you're ready, God wants to invite you to be his own servant. There is a way, that's beyond any of our small-minded notions of Christianity, beyond just going to church once a week.

Firstly, find out what is hindering you from hearing the Lord's voice. What haven't we surrendered to him? What am I fearful of? I've been finding out that a lot of my fears are caused by not believing in his sovereign authority to have his will done (or rather that I fear that my will won't be done). At the root of our sin, there's a idol. Power, control, pride--all these idols will cripple us from being revived and transformed by him. Think about the weight of these sins--if we continue in these sins, what might happen? Will we fall away? If we really understand how depraved we are, it's easy to feel a sense of hopelessness and grief.

The thread that holds us from really falling apart is the hope of our forgiveness. After agreeing with God that we've sinned, we need to also agree that God is Lord over everything, capable of forgiving even the worst sins. I feel worthless and inadequate, but because God is so good, he gave me the spirit to live in my heart and do his work on his behalf. This is the start of humility--recognizing our lowliness yet our value--because God is good and he lives in us, therefore, we are good.

Can you really believe that God is so good that he would choose to use you to fulfill his greatest plans? Can you believe that God is so big, that he CAN and WILL answer your prayers, that he listens and works for the good of the people he loves? Pray with faith, believing that God will fulfill his perfect and flawless plan, and for the knowledge of his will, so that you can pray what he wants you to pray for so he can accomplish it by his power.

When we truly recognize how good the Lord is and love what he loves, we begin to notice others around us. We notice their lives still enslaved to them, and can begin to have compassion on them. Pray to have compassion, to be broken and burdened for all the harassed and helpless wandering sheep in our midst. Move towards these people that the Lord loves, so much that he would die for them.

This is only a taste of what the Lord could do this year at WSU!

"And it will be said: 'Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.' For this is what the high and lofty one says--he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in the high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:14-15)

I've been marked by Isaiah's vision of the Lord's work in revival, as well as 'Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening', a short book by Dan Hayes. I'd love for people to develop their own vision for revival, in themselves and in others."

Two masters

Jack Heimbigner has been involved with Cru since receiving Christ his sophomore year while living in Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He now works for the athletic department helping produce Cougar sporting events. He recently shared with us something the Lord has been teaching him...


"Do you remember the last time you saw a child with his or her parents in a store, and one parent says, 'Don’t touch anything' and right away the child reaches out for whatever is in reach? I have realized that I am like that child when God gives me truth or direction. I am always asking God to reveal his path for me. But when God says 'follow me', I immediately try and go a different way.

I currently work on campus. As I am no longer a student, I wasn’t sure how I could be best used to help live fulfill the Great Commission here at WSU. As I talked this through with a Cru staff member, he asked if I would consider coordinating many of the operational needs within the movement. Right away, as the child did, I said 'no'. I felt like that didn’t align with the things that I believed I needed to be doing this year.

As the next couple of days passed, I was reminded of something that same staff member had shared with me. He realized God was calling him to something specific but refused to do it right away. However, he said that he was reminded of how he would challenge students to take steps of faith because he felt it was part of God’s plan for them and realized that was the same thing he was being asked to do.  So he accepted the calling of God. I realized I was in the same seat: God was calling me to be obedient to his call.

There is a passage of scripture that has hit close to home in this process. It comes from Matthew 6 as Jesus speaks about serving God or serving other things. For me, it speaks of being obedient to God or rebelling against Him. Matthew 6:24: 'No one can serve two master. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.'

I want to choose the Lord...and obedience to him."

"...and I'll make you become fishers of men."

Some notes from Darren Holland's talk at the Cru large group meeting earlier tonight. Darren is the Missional Team Leader with Cru at WSU:

Last week we talked about the invitation Jesus gives to "follow me." But what comes after that? Jesus says, "Follow me and I'll make you become fishers of men." This is a small window in to what the future holds, though those fishermen being called could not imagine all the ramifications.

Jesus starts with average men. They were what amounts to commercial fishermen. Not highly educated religious leaders, but rather men that were teachable, would work hard and get things done, and most importantly, would follow Jesus no matter the cost.

Jesus promises to change these average men into something new. He will do it. It will be a process that is not completed overnight, but he promises these men are going to change others. The followers will fish, and they will fish alongside others. As commercial fishing was a team endeavor, fishing for men would be a community endeavor.

What if we all went fishing? Is it worth the cost, effort, and sacrifice to fish for men and women? If we are followers, are we not called to fish? And as former fish ourselves, don't we know how good it is to be "caught" by the gospel?

Perhaps Mark 1:17 could be summarized as "changed lives, changing lives". Is your life being changed as you follow Jesus? Who's life will be changed because of you?

New member of WSU Cru staff team - Rachelle Richardson

We are always praying for God to raise up laborers in the harvest (Matthew 9:35-38), both here at WSU and around the world. One of the ways God has answered those prayers for laborers is to bring Rachelle Richardson (photo at right) back to WSU to serve full time with Cru. After working for a while after graduating, Rachelle joined staff this past winter and just moved to Pullman this week. Here is a little bit of her story...

"I was the typical 19-year-old at Washington State University thinking about my next class, my latest crush and getting into the coolest sorority. I had no concept that I had a Father in heaven who was plotting a rescue for my life.  I was so far from Christianity that I thought when someone mentioned “Jesus Christ” that his last name was “Christ”!  I felt empty and unsettled.

Providentially, God put me in a room in my sorority house right across from a girl named Jenny.  Jenny was totally different.  She always hung out and had a great time but she never got wasted or hooked up. I kept seeing her love and help others with a quiet joy.  What did she have that I didn’t?  One day she told me about the God who created her and the relationship she had with Jesus Christ that changed her heart.  By God’s grace, I knew that same God had created me, and I desperately wanted to know Him and get this new heart.  So I knelt of the floor of my sorority and surrendered my life to Christ.

Later I found out that Jenny was a student involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. She felt specifically led to share Jesus with the women in my sorority. Her obedience resulted in my salvation. When I graduated last year, I knew that God was calling me to go back to WSU to share the gospel with girls like me by going on staff full time with Cru.  Jenny was my inspiration but my deepest prayer is that God would allow me to follow in the only footsteps that really matter-the footsteps of Jesus Christ."

We're excited to have Rachelle back at WSU. Undoubtedly she will be used in the lives of students in similar ways to how the Lord used Jenny in her life.

I just said "okay"

Eric LaPlante is a Cru student leader getting ready to graduate at the end of this semester in math education. He has lived in a residence hall throughout his time at WSU. We asked him to tell us more about why...

"The decision for me to stay in  the dorms was never a divine message sent from Heaven that I heard through the crack of lightning and the roar of thunder.  I simply saw a need for students to hear the Gospel in the freshman dorms and saw I could help fill that need.  God calls us to "make disciples of all the nations” and to simply follow Him. I just answered His call by saying “Okay!”

I think this calling to the dorms was exactly what I needed. For so long in my Christian life I wanted to be called in a grand way where I would never question my path. I've realized, however, that there isn't much faith required in that scenario. It forces you to have faith to follow the path God sets before you when the path is actually a direction without defined boundaries."

Eric is one of many WSU Cru students that have chosen to live in Stephenson complex, and other WSU campus living groups, with a purpose. We look forward to posting stories of lives being impacted by Eric and others as the year goes on and the gospel goes out.

NW Winter Conference - Venture 2010

Is it too early to start making New Year's plans? Though it is a few months out, some details for this year's NW Winter Conference have been released by the conference design team, which is facilitated by WSU Cru staff member Jason Larsen. The following is an excerpt from an update that went out tonight to Cru staff throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Montana, Nevada, and Alaska...

"The theme this year is 'Venture 2010'. Why 2010? Well, if you remember, the dates of Venture 2010 have been changed to span further into the new year... from Dec. 29th to Jan. 2nd. We're excited about this change and what it could mean for the last day of conference (Jan. 1st).[The conference will again be in Portland, OR at the Doubletree Hotel and Oregon Convention Center]

The theme "Venture" will drive the heart of the conference this year, inviting people to 'venture' into the journey of following Christ. The verse that will saturate the conference is Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus calls his first disciples to follow him.

The speakers have been invited. Our very own Regional Director (and author) Matt Mikalatos will open and close the conference as our main speaker this year. Dave Horner is our other main speaker. He is currently an associate professor at Talbot School of Theology and Biola University. Other guests for seminars, etc. will include Dave Butler and Cas Monaco. Our band will be Page CXVI.

The website, venture2010.com, is under construction but will soon be up to speed. You can also follow the conference at twitter.com/venture2010."

Has a past Winter Conference changed your life? Are you going this year? Who will you bring?

"She has got to be out of her mind!"

One of our student leaders with Cru, Jessica Stebbins (on right in photo), has talked about how she has seen God use her despite feeling inadequate for the task of leading. We asked her to talk a little more about her process over the last year or so.

"It was only last December when Megan Yen (one of the Missional Team Leaders with WSU Cru) and I sat down for our last coffee date at Zoe cafe before Christmas break. I knew we would probably discuss my strengths and areas to be developed for the following semester. What I didn't expect was the challenge to lead a bible study in my sorority, Chi Omega, the following spring. "Who me?" I thought to myself, "She has got to be out of her mind!"

I was open to the idea but terrified to say the least. I had been attending a bible study at AGD's since there wasn't one in my own house. But I didn't speak up much and was still struggling with how to walk by faith in the Greek system. Over Christmas I had the opportunity to attend Winter Conference in Portland. During these four days God revealed to me that I didn't have to have it all together or need to know it all in order to have a leadership position.

From that point forward there was no looking back. I knew it was time to blaze a trail and I couldn't do it if I was ashamed of the gospel. Throughout the spring I was able to rely on the Cru staff and other student leaders as a resource. Did I make mistakes? Absolutely. Do I feel worthy of this position today? No way. But I know Chi Omega is the nation that God has called me to. I'm excited to see what He has in store for this year."

How is Chi Omega a nation? Jessica read a passage from the bible daily last semester. Jeremiah 1:4-10 is an account of the call of Jeremiah, and his appointment "over nations and kingdoms." Jess says "it transformed my attitude and helped me develop compassion toward the lost women in my sorority."

3 attributes of a leader

Matt Mikalatos is a Regional Director with the Northwest region of Campus Crusade for Christ, giving focus to our Worldwide Student Network (WSN). He just had his first book published titled "Imaginary Jesus" and is going to be one of the speakers at our NW Winter Conference this year. He posted some thoughts today on leadership:

"Tomorrow morning is the first regular meeting of my team... we meet once a week for three hours to cover the most important issues facing us at the time. I'll be leading our devotional time tomorrow, and I'm going to walk us through three attributes that the apostle Paul said made a leader worthy of respect."

Read the rest about working, caring, and instructing on Matt's blog - it's worth a read (as is his Amazon.com profile).

My major and my God - Neuroscience

What does our major have to do with God? We asked Sam Kammerzell, a WSU senior in neuroscience and student leader with Cru, how his studies have informed his faith...

"The more I learn in neuroscience the more I am humbled by how little we know. We still don't understand exactly how memories are formed or why some memories are able to persist so much better than others. We have good guesses and can identify some of the major players like serotonin leading to a cascade involving PKA, CREB, MAPK, etc. but we are still at a loss to how a lot of it goes down. The complexity of the human nervous system is truly awe inspiring. Neuroscience helps me affirm there is absolutely no way (in my opinion) that we are here by accident. There had to be a someone who created us."

Do you have a story of how your major has informed your faith? Are there times where your major has caused you to question your faith? Affirmed it?