How The Gospel Changed My Life

While walking out of the building, I found myself walking the same path as a classmate who was also leaving. “What did you think of that, Taryn?” With a smile upon her face, she looked up and said, “I just love how great it is to have that time to fellowship and have with God during a stressful week.” Her answer summed up my feelings perfectly. “Have you joined?” Not

This summer, I got to see firsthand the way my liberal arts education impacts the way I share Christ. Along with ten other OBU students, I was given the privilege of serving through the North American Mission Board in Portland, Oregon. My job as a church-planting intern was to build relationships with unbelievers, share Christ with unbelievers, learn what it would be like to actually plant a church, and ultimately, learn to live life on mission.

Our YRG arrived at the work site we were sent to. We realized that this area we were working in was suffering. The town had poverty all over and it seemed like it was in bad conditions. Even though we saw that, it made me more excited to work on something because I knew whoever we were doing it for they would be thrilled to see something new. That day we met an elderly lady that had been living in this community all her life. As the week went on with building a ramp and painting, I had a better chance to get to know her. We talked about the community, interests we had, joys, and so much more in just little time. Thursday came too quick. That night for worship we had a time to let God come in and remember why Jesus died for us. It was a time to be with our church group and a time for tears throughout the whole camp. That night it was emotional, but warming. Through the tears, I thought about what the elderly lady had told me. She reminded me that the things that we complain isn't as important as something that someone is suffering through. The community we had been in was one that was suffering with insurance an financially. She reminded me that we should be thankful for all the

Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do (“Steve Jobs Quotes”).” In order to be successful, a group of individuals work for something they are passionate about. During the summer of my eighth grade year, I embarked on a mission trip to South Dakota along with 25 other individuals. The purpose of this trip was to spread the love of Jesus Christ with the people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that may not know who He is. Despite the differences and challenges, the reward at the end of the trip made it all worth it.

My fear was that I may say something inappropriate or unhelpful, and I do not want to mislead or hurt anyone. However, what has helped me in overcoming this fear is a piece of advice that Dr. Cook shared and I will never forget which was to make sure that the person in front of me is the focus. President Jimmy Carter further put this concept into perspective last week during his visit to Candler to meet with the Baptist students. He told the story of how he could count 15 people of whom he brought to Christ as opposed to 600,000 handshakes and votes for himself during the time of his first run for political office. He lost that particular election. But when his focus shifted from himself to the mission, his world and everyone else’s changed for the better. The day I met LaVetta Green I can honestly say that she was first. After hitting several roadblocks to getting her the help she needed, I excused myself to go to the restroom and there had a conversation with God. As my prayer came to close, the director of the Ministry walked in and asked why I was so troubled. I shared with her what I knew of Ms. Green’s story and her response was like music to my ears, “Bring her in; I think we can help her.” All of the training in the world will not take the place of heartfelt prayer and strong intentions. Today, Ms. Green is a resident of the Women’s Transition Center at First Presbyterian Church, where she is receiving help in finding a job, counseling, assistance in getting re-connected with her family, and a place to lay her

For three years now, I have participated in a leadership development program through a Christian camp called New Life Ranch. As you progress through the program, you are handed a new set of tasks every summer that are designed to challenge you as an individual, make you question your current worldviews and perspectives, and ultimately help you grow in your spiritual faith. This summer however, I entered my final step of the program in which you are given a job and required to serve for three weeks in that

This past summer, I had the privilege to go on my very first mission trip to Arlington, Texas with my youth group. One Wednesday night, my youth pastor told us that we were going on a mission trip to Arlington, Texas to serve alongside the Mission Arlington workers. I have always felt the calling to go out of the country to serve others, so this was the perfect opportunity to get a taste of the mission life. I started to prepare in advance by praying for my youth group to be spiritually ready, praying for the children I was going to meet, and praying that the will of God would be done. So on July 16, 2016, we took the long haul to Mission Arlington Metroplex.

I have looked into their eyes and felt their devastation. I have encountered their pain, their lack and their fear. Now, it is time to bring hope and the everlasting love of Christ in a greater way! I am excited to announce to you that God has called me to be a full-time missionary and I am answering the call!

As I gazed around the church I was able to see love and an abundance of warmth generating from the elder parents to the young within the chapel. The service although I was unable to understand it, promoted an overwhelming feeling of acceptance and respect from those around me as we engaged in the reading of the scriptures, songs being sung and the blessings being given to all those asking. The parishioners beamed with an elation of learning the word of Christ, and did not make me feel as if I were an outcast; those seated around me apologized for their children, and guided me to receive the message from the priest. The emotional response I have for the people of the church was an elated since of hospitality and acceptance, which I thought would not be give; a preconceived idea. From the moment I arrived I was able to feel as if I belonged in the church family, the feelings of inadequacy faded. I found that being engaged within this experience has challenged me as an individual to become more open to those I am the most uncomfortable, have little knowledge, or preconceived images of, in other words judge from the inside not from the outside, take a leap and learn whole heartedly about those I know nothing about. The challenges I faced where to put aside whatever misconceptions and prejudices I have from my personal beliefs, values and experiences and be

I have now a greater understanding of what it means to be a world Christian. Not only that, but I have formed a new love, concern, and awareness for the outreach of the unengaged and unreached people of the world. The importance of reaching every man, woman, and child and presenting the gospel has been and is today the least important task on the church’s agenda. While my major is Pastoral Leadership I know Gods global purpose includes me at home or abroad. Right now I do not have a calling outside of America. Though I have learned that there are many opportunities for myself to reach out to foreign people groups and different cultures without leaving my own state.

I have been a missionary kid ever since I was approximately ten years old. I have lived in South Africa for a total of about 6 years within 3 terms. My dad was a successful businessman, but one day he felt the Lord calling him into full-time ministry. I can recall him telling us as a family about what was happening. Before we even went onto the mission field, God was placing in me a personal zeal for people. I remember receiving a picture in my mind of me playing with the kids in Africa and doing crafts with them. I told my mom and dad about this picture, and we began collecting craft supplies from craft stores around our area. It was a really awesome project and some people even heard about it and stopped by to give what they had. I was able

Small group communication is basically the most imperative skill that any individual will ever have to learn. On that cold night of December, it seemed as if I had a more difficult time getting everyone’s attention. I had large number of small group who turn up that day. I had a bit more of a challenge that night. Because people learn from one other, it important to me to provide them with volumes of information s and many experience illustrations to made them to understand the Bible and to live with its principles. The small group teaching was different from Sunday morning, so I felt a little bit like unprepared in my mind. Since this first lesson, I learn my lesson how to prepare for small group setting. My second week I have started off with a prayer in the same way that Pastor Joe usually does. Overall, these two weeks of teaching turned out to be a blessing evening for us all. I felt that everyone beneficial to some degree, including myself.

About a month ago, I embarked on a mission trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand. My college, Southwest Baptist University, sends out several teams to various countries for different forms of work. My team was sent to Thailand to support a local orphanage, and to share the word of God with a village Hostel. This was my first overseas mission trip, and actually the first time that I had ever been out of the United States. To that point in my life, I had been on several mission trips in the United States. The opportunity to go overseas never presented itself, however. SBU finally gave me that opportunity. The trip to Thailand blessed me in more ways than I could count. I’m so excited to continue going

An event within my life that will influence my academic work and goals at Colorado Christian University (CCU), will have to be the way that I acquired my current job. I am an ordained minister and have been doing my best, by the grace of God, to live the gospel lifestyle we are all called into. I mention this fact simply because at first glance or mention that I happen to work at a brewery; a lot of believers take issue and/or offence, and feel compelled to question my authenticity as a “man of the cloth”. I have to admit, I fully understand the questions that are raised and the motivations behind them…In a society that has turned its back on the teachings and practices of the True and Living God, and one that has found itself flooded with contrary blasphemous “preachers of the Gospel”, the masses and babes in faith, often don’t know who to trust and what the spiritual realities are when they see something that appears to go against their understandings. When the opportunity first presented to me I also struggled with the idea of it for a very long time, however when I sit back prayerfully meditate on the circumstances that afforded me role that I’m currently in I see nothing short of the grace of God moving me into position. To be clear I must relay the events that have gotten me where I am…The previous job that I held prior to coming to MillerCoors I held for 10years, I was happy there for the most part however towards the final years of my employment there I was starting

I discovered my servant’s heart through mission trips with my youth group. These mission trips were one of the major factors that inspired me to become a medical missionary. I had the opportunity to work with underprivileged individuals in rural areas and I got to witness the decreased access to basic needs such as health care, food, and proper living conditions. I have always had access to these and I believe they are essential to sustain life. It never really occurred to me that so many people in our world do not have access to these until it was right in front of me. These trips allowed me to take the initiative at a young age to make a difference in the lives of many people. At the Gateway Center in Atlanta, Georgia, I was able to help prepare meals and provide a comfortable environment for the women and children that were staying there. The local community showed a sincere appreciation that emphasized the conviction in my heart to improve the lives of others. I was then able to apply this conviction to other areas in my life outside of mission trips. These trips inspired me to pursue a career where I could help provide access to basic essentials to communities that are underprivileged.