G.R.I.T.

Leadership Thoughts

This is Jacob writing. Here is a combination of two posts- one about this past weekend and another about this coming week for our team:

(written Sunday night, June 8th)
My sermon went about as well as I could have hoped. God taught me a lot through it. I was faithful in studying what I felt God was leading me to study, that is, courage, and He was faithful in doing the rest. Indeed, it was a growing experience like no other. I don't know if/when I'll have internet access next, but just know we are growing individually and as a group more than I ever have in my life. This is just before the halfway point for our group, and I await the return to the states with both eager expectation for what the next year holds for me and also with sadness too- knowing that the time I have spent with this group here will probably come to an end. Iowa is a long way from Tennessee, but who knows?

It's all in God's hands anyway. That's the main thing I've been learning here is that He can, will and wants to provide richly for us who are in His Will. Very few times in my life have I been able to say that I believe I am 100% in God's Will. Well, right now is one of those times. The life I am living isn't anywhere near perfect, but I'm able to follow passionately after Him in this setting. I want to transfer that back to Tennessee and wherever Jesus leads me from there.

I hope that although this (my writing on the GRIT blog) isn't how I've normally blogged in the past, it will still share my heart with you and what I am experiencing as much as I can in the little time I have to write. We are busy, but it is all for the name of Jesus and His Name and Renown. Hang in there tough. All of you. We're doing the same here-

physically (with exercise 6 days a week),
mentally (learning and using what we know about God's will to grow to become more like Him),
emotionally (learning to keep self-control in all situations- especially when someone is intentioally pushing you to pop),
and spiritually (using the spiritual disciplines to train ourselves and be prepared for the battle- both the ones we'll face this summer and the ones for the rest of our lives)


(written Tuesday, June 10th)

So as I sit here and think about what's going on with what we do in life wherever we are in this world, I was thinking of the challenge we have over the next few days as a team. Norman has challenged us to really be intentional on making a great impression at Kumamoto University so that His (not Norman's) future ministry there will be able to succeed and flourish there in the future. Really, it's a challenge in our lives to us all.

When we think about making "good first impressions," do we really understand in detail what that means or do we just pass it by? Are we constantly looking for a place of "security and safety" when we should be preparing for the spiritual battles that lie ahead? Every day, subtle habits, patterns, and passions will fill our lives- but do we take all of them and make them all slaves to Christ as God's Word says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 ? Are we so consumed with our own lives, thoughts and dreams that we cannot do anything better than look for a place to prop our feet up and relax?

That's the challenge our group is going through right now. We are at a point to where we're becoming comfortable with each other, but we aren't quite yet where God wants us to be. He wants to use that comfortability to grow us and use us in even more incredible ways than we can imagine. "Ministry" has always been done in such a way that nobody gets hurt, no one has their emotions stretched and their motives questioned all for the sake of "peace." Conflict in and of itself isn't a good or bad thing. We mistake it for bad so often, yet we cannot get a good grip on why things blow up and one point or another later on in our lives.

This is first and foremost a challenge to myself and then the GRIT group. Please pray for us to have the wisdom, courage and strength to do what God has called us to do. This is a very important opportunity for all of us to gain great position for Jesus and what He is doing in Japan.

On behalf of the entire team, we thank you again and again for all of your thoughts and prayers as we are here over this long time intensely training for what God has for us in each of our lives. I look forward to (which Norman will probably post) sharing even what this week God works in our lives.

-jct

posted by Norman @ 9:20 PM