This video is not college specific but I like it so much I have to post it up. Enjoy!

Mars Hill’s Red Letter and Reach Records artists Lecrae and Tadashi perform the song ‘Send Me’ live at Mars Hill Church’s Ballard campus on June 22, 2008.

Last night Pastor Bubba and I had the privilege of baptizing five dudes from the College Ministry. After Pastor Bubba shared the gospel, each guy gave their testimony. It was powerful.

Each of their stories made me praise Jesus for His goodness. He drew each of the men to himself in different ways, but the amazing grace of the cross was so clear in each of their stories.

I have come to realize that being apart of someone’s baptism is probably the second best part of my job, just behind seeing people meet and be transformed by Jesus.

Thank you to all the volunteers that made the night come together in amazing fashion with good food and friends!

For more pics go to our Facebook Group.

After Pastor Mark ended his sermon last week recognizing the abundant grace of God in his life and in the life of Mars Hill Church, I feel compelled to praise Jesus for all he has done so far in the college ministry.

“I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…” (1Cor. 1:4)

When we launched the college ministry in October, I literally didn’t know a single college student at the University of Washington.  Not only has God graciously allowed me to quickly connect with tons of college students at Mars Hill and UW quickly, but he has led me to some of the most amazing students I have ever worked with.

A week after we launched I went from knowing no one to not having enough time to get to know everyone.  I try to connect with new students as quickly as possible, so I have like 2 lunch appointments a day! (Thus the need to get a gym membership).

By God’s grace:

Leaders
We have seen God raise up some absolutely amazing student leaders who are growing in their faith faster than I or anyone can keep up with.  Most of them have been Christians for less than a year!  My awesome wife is discipling about half a dozen girls towards leading missional community groups and knowing Jesus more.  And I am leading about a dozen men through missional living, Systematic Theology, and how to keep their…, well how to walk with Jesus on a daily basis, repenting of sin.

Community Groups
We have gone from having zero “College Community Groups” to having 10 started and at least four more leaders in the queue.  With 2 of those in Fraternities where almost everyone that comes doesn’t know Jesus yet!

Vintage Jesus
God has been amazing in bringing out almost 1000 people between the two Vintage Jesus lectures we have had so far.  With hardly any promo, leveraging good old Facebook, we have been greatly encouraged.  In the last event we took in 100 questions via text message, so students definitely have some questions about Jesus!  Sign up for the Round three in April on Facebook.

Song of Solomon
As we start to look to next fall’s Song of Solomon series, my wife and I get the chance to take some students through the material this Spring, so that we can launch some “Relationship” community groups during the series in the fall.  One of the awesome things God has done so far has been to get some great college dating, engaged, and married couples involved in the ministry.

We will be taking seven or eight couples through this awesome book of the Bible this spring with the hope that some of them will lead other groups in the fall.  Please pray for this group; Amy and I were greatly transformed by this book in college and we hope God will use it in the lives of these couples.  If you’re in college and interested in this, email college@marshillchurch.org.

Me
God has taught me more over these last few months than I ever imagined he could.  Meaning he’s also teaching me I don’t know much!  Most of all he’s teaching me to trust him, and that he is faithful when he calls me to do something.  Jesus has been so faithful.

Gospel
Most of all I am thankful for Jesus and his Gospel, because every bit of grace comes from his life lived on my behalf, his death in my place, and his resurrection for my new life. My only response to him can be my life lived as worship, trying to see as many people as possible experience the grace he has poured out on me, through the transforming power of the Gospel.

Even though this commercial is about Monday mornings, it relates well to the beginning of 1 John that we’ve been studying lately.  We dread the light because it exposes our sin, and we’d rather have a longer weekend living life our way!  But John talks of “walking in the light” as acknowledging and repenting of our sin.  Without this, we can’t have fellowship with others and with Jesus because we’re lying to ourselves.

But with the light, we’re free!  We’re not perfect, we still sin, but Christ will cleanse us!

Eph 5:13
‘But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
   and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”‘

On a mission, I check my local Game Spot - sold out. I check Toys R US - sold out. Finally, almost $600.00 later, I have a brand new Xbox 360 with 4 controllers and the only game necessary, Halo 3, from Best Buy.

On September 27th Halo 3 broke a bunch of records by making $170 million dollars in sales during its first 24 hours of action, conveniently released just a day after thousands of students went back to school in the Northwest. No one is quite sure what dudes were more excited about: a new school year or a new Halo release.

It’s always been pretty obvious that college guys are looking for a little more adventure than just settling down into a cubicle and working up that 401K with no purpose. But I’m not sure it’s registered for many college dudes that Jesus is calling us to something larger than Halo 3, where the battle is completely real and the consequences are eternal.

“.the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.”
(Matt. 11:12)

As the kingdom of God presses into the world, we must seize it with the most intense zeal. This is where the real battle is, where the souls of men are at stake and the glory of the King is being revealed.

The popularity of Halo screams that men yearn for a battle to fight and a hero to fight alongside of. The real warrior hero is Jesus, not Master Chief, and He’s calling us into a real fight with real consequences and an eternal kingdom to reckon with.

Have you ever had the opportunity to talk about Jesus with someone but didn’t take it because you didn’t want to be “that hypocritical judgmental Christian”?  I think I used to be “that guy,” but if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and what He has done for us we can’t help but speak humbly about what He’s done in our lives.

Most college students struggle with not wanting to be “pushy” or “judgmental” and therefore shrink back from sharing the Gospel with their friends.  It’s true, many Christians are “pushy” and “judgmental.”  When they talk about Jesus with their friends they come across as “me and Jesus” vs. you.  I think that’s because they don’t understand the Jesus they are talking about. The only difference between you and your friend is that God has granted you repentance.

Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12, “let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.”

It’s very hard to be “pushy” and “judgmental” when we share our faith if we look to Jesus.  If we see Him on the cross dying in agony for our sin, God dying for us!  It must humble us, break us and cause us to see ourselves as the chief of sinners.  How can we be pushy and arrogant if we are so bad that God had to die to forgive our sin?  The sins you committed before you knew Christ and the ones you’ll commit today.  Your humility when speaking about Jesus and the Gospel is a sermon in itself.  It tells your friend, room-mate, co-worker or family member that you are jacked up and need Jesus too.  The Gospel is for you now too and you’re asking your friend to believe it with you presently.

Nonetheless, scripture is clear people will find ways to avoid the Gospel because it exposes their sin.  John 3:19 tells us that “.the light [Jesus] has come into the world, and the people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”  Jesus is unique.  Sometimes when you get closer to certain people you feel better about yourself because your life seems more put together than theirs.  Well, the exact opposite happens when you get next to Jesus.  You can’t help but realize that He’s holy and you’re not.  Without the eyes to see that He’s come to forgive your sin and help you, you’ll run and deny that you’re messed up.

Understanding that it’s sometimes awkward to call someone on their sin, call yourself out first, so that whoever you’re sharing the Gospel with sees that they aren’t alone.  It’s not that you used to be a bad person and now you’re a good Christian person; you’re still a jacked up sinner that God is making more like himself.  This is what John calls “walking in the light” in 1 John 1:7.  “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Remember: Jesus is the perfect missionary, preacher and conversationalist.  His perfect evangelism has been accounted to your life and He’s in you through His Holy Spirit empowering you to represent Him well and speak about him with humility and confidence.