Let’s face it. Summers can pose a major challenge to our faith and obedience to Christ. It can be a very spiritually isolating time because you are away from the environment and friends that have helped you grow spiritually this past school year. It can be a dangerous time to your faith and your future.

But it also can be a great opportunity to see your faith tested and increase and an opportunity to make some key steps on your own. You can make some decisions now that will put you in a position of advantage and strength as you go into the summer. As a Christian, we can embrace challenges because we recognize the opportunity to trust God in new ways and see our faith grow in ways that we would have never seen otherwise.

Now is the time to act. How can you prepare to meet the spiritual challenges that the summer will bring? Three key essential elements will help you be “more than a summer survivor”. Click here to read more.

This past weekend I had a friend drop by for a surprise visit. It was great to catch up with the former Cal student and hear what he was up to. For awhile now, he has been working for a municipal water district with a focus on how to best manage and acquire clean groundwater.

As we were talking, I mentioned something about how we’ll finally have some water, now that the rain has picked up this past month. He responded by telling me something really interesting. It usually takes 3 years for a major storm with lots of rain to filter through the ground to the point where it can be collected for use. He said that you could look back at old weather charts, see when it was really rainy, and point forward 3 years from that storm and you’d find the water levels rise. That’s much slower than I thought!

The Christian life is like this. We can be surprised or frustrated when we don’t see the results from our obedience or acts of faith quickly enough, or at all. As we live in the midst of a culture that places a high value on immediate gratification, God’s timetable regarding our character development can often feel too slow. Like water filtering through a layer of clay.

Second Peter 3:8-9 says this, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.”

While this promise that Peter is referring to is that of Jesus’ return, it stands to reason that this is a perspective we should take with all of God’s promises to us. We don’t understand His timing, nor do we see things the same way He does with regards to time. Philippians 1:6 tells of God’s promise that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” But what it doesn’t say is how long that process is going to take, and how we are called to patiently persevere in doing good.

Paul puts it this way when he is writing to the church in Galatia. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows…Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal 6:7-9). For what other reason would Paul encourage the listeners to not grow weary other than the fact that, yes, it is challenging to continue to pursue righteousness when there isn’t the immediate payoff.

But God is watching, though. Each act of faith, each time you choose obedience over sin, (no matter how big or small) God is paying attention. This trust in God’s promise pleases Him. Placing our confidence in a satisfaction that comes from pleasing Him instead of our culture’s immediate gratification, although slower than we sometimes desire, really does honor Him. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Heb 10:35-36).

-Dan

What might you have felt if you were Mary, rushing to see your Lord’s tomb at the first light of the day, only to find the stone rolled back? Fear? Astonishment? Confusion?

What might you have thought when the angel told you, “He is not here; he has risen!”? Would you believe it was true? What about when He called your name, as you stood beside the stone? Would you have known it was Jesus, the One you were looking for? Would you run to tell others that Jesus lives?

Or what if you were Peter, racing with John to the tomb, finding only strips of linen and the burial cloth instead of the body of your Lord? Would you, like John, “see and believe”?

We’ve heard the story countless times. So many that perhaps we no longer respond in astonishment, belief, and worship. But the news of Easter is more glorious than we dare to hope – truly the “greatest day in history,” as we’ve probably heard sung in church. Because Jesus did rise from the dead, He not only proved Himself to be the Messiah, but also rescued us from our sins and the wrath we deserve. If I am honest, then I must admit that I often forget or minimize the news of Easter. I often forget that Jesus really did rise from the grave, and that, because He lives, I can be made alive, counted righteous, sanctified!

Paul puts this in perspective: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:17,20). We are not guilty before our holy God because Christ has been raised; we are no longer dead in our sins.

How can we be refreshed in the truth of the Gospel daily, rather than let Easter pass away in a flurry of peeps and Easter eggs? As we become more aware of our own sin, we can run to the cross, again experiencing the Gospel and resting in the truth of God’s grace and forgiveness. We can read God’s Word, seeing the Gospel throughout. We can seek out Gospel-centered community and preach this good news to each other often.

Because this truly is good news! Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed!

-Rebecca

I am thankful that spring has arrived. April is here and the earth shows it. There are tender green leaves budding out from the tree outside my window. The days stretch out a little more with each sunset, leaving more time to soak in the sweetness. Another sign of spring is that my urban herb garden is absolutely thriving. The plants grew a bunch over spring break and I’m excited to harvest some basil soon.

The new life and growth of April reminds me of the hope that I have in Jesus. One of my all-time favorite songs is Chicago by Sufjan Stevens. In the song Sufjan sings, “You came to take us, all things go, all things go/ To recreate us, all things grow, all things grow.” This is true of a life that is made new in Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection make way for us to have new life. Just like the little basil seeds in my garden grow each day as I set them in the sunshine, we cannot help but grow as we walk with him. He brings new life as we abide in him.

Jesus himself uses lots of plant metaphors to describe the Christian life. In John 15:5 he says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is he that bears much fruit.” As we abide in (or live in) the true life that Jesus offers, we flower and grow and bear fruit for his glory. Let the springtime growth remind you of the true life and growth that is found in Jesus, the source of life.

-Sara

This past weekend, before the muddy madness of paintballs firing at unsuspecting opponents, the men of Cru gathered to discuss the all-too-important topic of community. Dave, our guest speaker, led everyone in a time of reflecting on the need all of us have for others in our lives. It is so easy for us to assume that the Christian life is one of “Jesus and me”, and therefore we hold the rest of our relationships at surface level, barely ever digging deeper than “How was your day?” “Good.” “You?” “Great!” “Awesome…..” Well, see you later!”

One topic of conversation that came up during our drive into cow-town (Vacaville) was the role technology can play in our struggle to grow in community. Now before I’m pushed aside for being a cave-dwelling, technology hating lunatic, let me say that I LOVE my technology. Love it. And anyone that knows me knows that I struggle just as much as anyone else in making an idol of technology.

But one idea that struck me still sticks in my mind, and it is Cru’s vision statement: “A community who follows Jesus Christ and takes the gospel to the world.” We have made it our goal to be a community, and the purpose of being a community is to show the love of Christ to each other and also to every single person on this campus and throughout the world.

With the entire world giving more and more time to shallow means of communication like technology, I think we have a unique opportunity to be different in the way we seek out real time with one another. I truly believe that if we modeled this well, it would be a radical and even refreshing example to those around us. Maybe that conversation over Facebook could be continued over lunch or dinner. Perhaps that email or text could go deeper with a cup of coffee in hand. I’ve not modeled this perfect in my life whatsoever, but in writing this I see it as a great opportunity to challenge myself too.

So Americans spend over 100,000 years on Facebook each month (see info graphic above(1)). Let’s be a community that doesn’t settle for just typing to each other. Let’s bring others into the wonderful, God-given blessing of community. He’s a God of community, and has created us in His image. So let’s go enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, or coffee to the glory of God.

-Dustin 

(1) www.statista.com.

http://img2.statista.com/uploaded/infografik/wide/chartoftheday_17022012_Time_is_Money_b.jpg

If you haven’t heard, Veritas is this week! In place of Cru’s Weekly Meeting, this Thursday we will be one of many groups hosting this year’s “Veritas Forum.” Professor Troy Van Voorhis will speak on, “Why Science Isn’t Enough: Faith, Reason, and the Human Need for Certainty.”

We are excited for Thursday, and hope you can join us. Be sure to stop by the Veritas table on Sproul anytime this week from 10am-2pm, and pick up some flyers to invite others. You can also RSVP, ask questions, and give your input at the official Facebook event page.

Today’s my birthday! Today I mark the fact that I’ve been alive for 24 years. Last night, as I was thinking about the significance of this day, I thought about how much my life has changed in the past 10 years. Or the past 5 years. Or even the past year! God has been so good.

It also reminded me of my spiritual birthday! I remember my pastor talking about Jesus’s conversation with Nicodemus about being born again.

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

How have I lived out of this new life in the past year? I want the life that comes from the new life that Jesus is talking about. I want to live out of the spirit that the Holy Spirit in me has given birth to.

I don’t want to try and live out of my own power, my own flesh. And I don’t want to live by chasing after the idols my flesh creates. I want to live out of the power of the Spirit in me and live for the things the Spirit wants.

As I face another year, I want to reflect the new life I have since being born again.

6.2 miles. That’s the furthest that I had run when I was training for my half marathon that I ran a few weeks ago. Though I told people that it wouldn’t be too bad, I doubted in my own mind if I would be able to finish. I started the race, music blasting in my ears, and it didn’t seem so bad… until I got to mile eight when the struggle began.

If you know me very well, you know that it’s not typical for me to voluntarily go running. But, I had decided to run the race to celebrate having almost-fully-functional feet! I realize that might sound strange, but that’s only if you don’t know that I broke my foot three years ago and got surgery two years ago. The recovery took a long time, but it is finally healed!

As I was running, especially by mile eight, I didn’t think that I was going to be able to finish. I doubted myself. I wondered why I hadn’t trained more. And then I saw a man running in front of me who had a shirt on that said “Focus on Finish.” Oh yes, the finish line! (This man seemed to appear every time I doubted if I’d finish, and, though he had no idea, he was such a blessing to me.)

Though “Focus on Finish” man was encouraging, the run continued to be difficult. But then I started to look around. Though people standing on the sides were cheering us on, it wasn’t as motivating as simply looking at the people who were running alongside me. Had I run this race alone, I doubt I would have finished. But, knowing that we were all running toward the same goal in mind, in unity, I could persevere. We were all on the same team.

We, as believers, are running a race, and our goal is Christ! We know that we will meet him face to face, but, until then, we are on this crazy race of life on this earth. As I finish up my last semester at Cal, and I reflect back, I realize how much I’ve desired God, but how much I’ve needed my community around me to encourage me, challenge me, and help me along the way. It’s true that there were a few people at home who also encouraged me to persevere in my faith, but it has been those who have been running alongside me, so to speak, who have actually made the most impact on my walk with Christ. Through my trials, heartaches, joys, and triumphs, God has used specific members of my community to continue pointing me toward Christ… and I couldn’t have done it alone.

As the body of Christ, we have the unique opportunity to be a community. Not just a group of believers who gather… but those who walk alongside us in the ups and downs of life. I cannot stress enough how vital it is to have a community, but also how difficult it can be. But it’s worth fighting for, believe me. What would it look like for us to be a community of believers who fight for one another, knowing we’re all on the same team with the same goal in mind? Though completely different from one another, we are unified in Christ. Are you willing to fight for this?

-Melissa

It’s fairly ironic that our country celebrates one of the hardest, never-ending, fatigue-inducing jobs with a day off for everyone except furniture stores and car salesmen. Happy President’s Day, everyone!

This past year, I’ve really begun to enjoy reading about the lives of some of these great men. During their time and era, each one of them exemplified the direction of the United States with strength and guidance, for better or worse. They were able to galvanize the majority of the country around their compelling vision, gaining the opportunity to become the most powerful leader in the land for four years. Each one is a compelling leadership story.

Leadership is an interesting thing, and we talked about this at our last Living On Mission last Thursday. It is my opinion that God has created each one of us to demonstrate and live out leadership. Obviously, every person has a different capacity and a different set of strengths. But I am convinced that God desires for each one of His children to grow into becoming a spiritual leader.

“The Bible shows us that when God does find a person who is ready to lead, to commit to full discipleship and take on responsibility for others, that person is used to the limit. Such leaders still have shortcomings and flaws, but despite them, they become spiritual leaders. Such were Moses, Gideon, and David,” J. Oswald Sanders once wrote. [1]

What God desires from each one of His followers is that they would love Him and love others. It’s not a far stretch to think that ‘loving others’ would include serving them, and putting their needs first. This is what spiritual leadership is all about. Being the one who is serving others so that God receives the honor. The one who is the spiritual leader is the one who is compelled by God’s vision, and makes himself a servant of others in order to help them move closer towards its realization, and help them see it for themselves.

George Washington, before he ever became our country’s first president, was a significant player in the effort for independence from Britain. He strengthened others with the vision of “the importance of the great Cause we are engaged in.”[2]

As followers of Christ, it’s not too hard to imagine what our ‘great Cause’ is to be. What would it look like if we caught the vision of the Gospel reaching the furthest corners of Cal? Of the world?

So here’s my question: Who’s ready to lead?

 -Dan

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[1] J. Oswald Sanders Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer, Second Revision, (Moody Press, Chicago 1967) 17

[2] David McCullough 1776, (Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York) 69

This Thursday (2/16) marks the beginning of our 5-part “Living On Mission” training times. Join us from 5-6pm in 242 Dwinelle to learn more about “Becoming a Leader Others Follow”.