Appearances - December Ministry Update


 In your relationships with one another,

have the same mindset as Christ Jesus...

he made himself nothing ... found in appearance

as a man, he humbled himself...

-Philippians 2:5-8

...he looked like glowing metal ... like fire;

and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance

of a rainbow ... This was the appearance of the likeness of

the glory of the Lord.

-Ezekiel 1:27-28


Hello, my partners and friends!

    December was a great month. From wrapping up the first semester to celebrating our Lord's first coming, from wearing shorts on a warm Christmas to wearing Kanye swag afterwards (thanks, mom!), the month was restful, reflective, and rewarding. Thank you all for letting it happen! Here's an update on what happened.

Corefa Christmas Party:


    This is a picture I took of Garrett (my pastoral supervisor) and Renee (one of the other apprentices) eating tiny pieces of fresh Trinidad Scorpion peppers from Garrett's garden. Garrett is confident that they are the hottest pepper in the world, and who can really be sure? All I know is that they killed a squirrel in his back yard, and when I had eaten a piece just before they did, well, it was dang hot. 
    We did this, unplanned, during our Corefa (the word we use for small group leader) Christmas Party. It was a fun night of fellowship to remember what God had done over the semester in our Cores (the word we use for small groups). I'm again so thankful for the group of student leaders that God has put a passion for his Kingdom into. They are extraordinarily faithful and excited to pursue Christ and help others do the same. I'm so honored to work alongside them!

Collin Focus Christmas Party (with Blanket Forts!):



    Here are some of the members of our Core at this year's Collin Focus Christmas party! We worshipped, we built blanket forts, we had hot chocolate, and ate nachos. What Christmas would be complete without nachos? It was a great way to end the year for all our students, not just the ones from our Core.

Apprentice Sermons:



    The apprentices (all 19 of us) gave sermons one week over the topic: "This is my gospel", a phrase borrowed from 2 Tim 2:8. It was such a blessing to hear the diverse ways that God has worked and is working in the lives of my friends. Some days, driving back from the church after hearing 4 or 5 sermons in a row, I just felt heavy by the weight of all that they've been through. But in the end, they were all testimonies of triumph, God's triumph, not ours.
    One of the cool things about that week was getting feedback from various leaders in our church and in Focus about our sermons. The feedback I was given was, honestly, hard to hear and to put into practice, yet very encouraging and I have been blessed through it. I'm so thankful for the abundance of mentors and friends I have to sharpen me!
    The painting is titled "In His Hands" and was helpful for me to express a part of my gospel, something of what God "looks" like. He's got holes in his hands.
    I'd like to ask you, what does God look like? At the beginning of this post, I selected two verses about the appearance of God which seem at odds. One is lowly and dull, the other radiant and glorious. What does it mean? And what does God look like to you? I'd love to hear back from you!

Prayer For This Month/Student Story:



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