Family. Boo Thang. Bestie. Yourself—Have you ever had a relationship that left you wounded? Or maybe you’re still dealing with the remnants of a rocky past? In this seminar, we will discuss how God wants to expose our hearts, redeem our story, and make us whole.
—Grace Ufot & Jessie Ellison
Some of us are familiar with theological categories that help explain what is wrong with the human condition and how redemption happens in our lives. Do you ever wonder how psychology intersects with these concepts? Come and hear from Elisa and Eric about their pursuits of how people change by combining the perspectives of theology and psychology.
—Eric Lonergan & Elisa Horning
Why Some Disciples Make and Others Don’t
'Disciple’ is who we are and what we do. It defines our identity in Christ and drives our purpose for Christ. ‘Disciple’ is our frame of reference for our entire Christian worldview and has grounded and grown the church for two thousand years. Join the most noble and urgent call of Christ, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”
—Andrew Knight
Have you ever opened your Bible and thought, "what does this mean?" Do you ever ask yourself, "why is it so hard to consistently study my Bible?" If you've asked either of these questions then join us as we explore how to study our Bible in a way that sticks and leads to intimacy!
—Lincoln & Ashley Peters
You have the most important truth to tell the world. What's one of the best and easiest ways to talk to people about this truth? It's through your personal story of how God redeemed you! God wants to use your story to reach other people! So, what does this look like? This seminar will seek to accomplish just that!
—Blake Buckman
Are you confused or intimidated by the Old Testament? If we are honest, studying these ancient texts is a daunting task. But what if I told you that every page of the Old Testament is as much about Jesus as every page of the New Testament, and even those obscure old stories are part of his greater story? Come and see the Big Picture of the Bible, and learn to see Christ in the Old Testament.
—Tyler Sole
Jesus left his followers with a clear commission: make disciples of all nations. Yet, billions around the world still live with no access to the gospel. Are we missing something? Come learn how you can and why you should join Jesus in blessing the nations.
—Tim Devane
We use stories to help us navigate through the mess that is life in a broken world. Many of these stories contain partial truths that were helpful at one point, but now are insufficient. Could it be that God is telling a better story for your life than the one you tell yourself?
—Chris Coons
Sexuality is as relevant, controversial, and powerful a subject as anything in our culture. We are constantly shaped and influenced by the commercials, shows, music, media, and conversations with others regarding our view of Sex. Even deeper, though, is our own experience and understanding of sex that influences our desires, identity, and struggles. That sounds like something we should talk about.
—Paul & Samm Poteat
This morning we welcomed our other speaker, Tony Dentman, and he talked with us about relationships on a very real and open level. He opened up with a reading from Genesis:
3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[c] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[d] 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
From this passage, Tony gave us a list of essentials to perfect love, he used scripture throughout Genesis to explain the acronym he created to gain “perfect love'“. He used relationships between a man and woman as an example of what our relationship with Christ ought to look like. Both relationships have progressional steps to more commitment and to greater intimacy. Just like a marriage on the Earth, you cannot half commit yourself to God, it must be a 100% commitment to live for Him. The ultimate description of a welcoming into relationship is Jesus’ death on the cross. Jesus proposed to us with his arms open and all we have to do is say “yes”.
Mack finished his time with us this evening talking about obeying Christ from a passage in John 14, titled “I Am the Way and the Truth, and the Life”:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God;[a] believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”[c] 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.[d] From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
He explained where Jesus discusses the importance of obedience and how Jesus links obedience to love. He lists a few ways for why we should obey Christ. In addition to this, he listed some critical things needed to live an obedient life. Obedience of God’s Word and to the Gospel is part of an obedient life. To say the Gospel takes but a minute, to learn it takes a lifetime.
Another passage Mack used was 2 Corinthians 5 to give a little detail on the opportunity given to God’s people. He has allowed us and called us to be ambassadors for Him. Being ambassadors for Christ calls us to be bold with the Gospel. Ambassadors, followers of Christ are called to other things as well. These are surrounded by being a part of a community of believers. We must; be a part of the church, know the church, and love other churches. The church being Christ’s body as a whole, including all its members. On way, Mack explains being a part of the church is to do as Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us, to build up others. Knowing the church means to allow the church to speak into your life and to understand the importance of having people pour into you as a member.
In conclusion, Mack states the kind of church we as Christians ought to want. That being a certain kind of church, not one that is American or African or Asian, but one that teaches Jesus’ Gospel. This Gospel centered community must be a community we live in for our lifetime, for the long haul, not just while in college and while you are a part of Campus Outreach.
We ended our first full day of New Years Conference talking about Christ’s lordship in our lives. Mack opened the session with a quote about our days. “There are two days we are really worried about, “today and “The Day”, meaning the day we stand before God.”, Mack Stiles.
Mack explained the lordship of Christ through a passage many have heard before:
I Never Knew You
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:21-23.
The fall of most people is not making Jesus the Lord of their lives, they do this because they desire to be their own god. If that is not the tendency of those people, it is they do not want God to mess up or change their lifestyles. They point to themselves and claim they are the reason they are able to get to Heaven. The tendency to make this claim is a tendency of a self-righteous person. God is the only one who makes a person righteous. Mack explains in detail that our desire should not be that we know Christ, but that Christ knows us and for Jesus to claim knowing us. Mack closes by asking eight important questions for the audience to ask themselves to investigate if they know God and He knows them.
In our second session, Mack Stiles continued to bring the heat of God’s Word to hundreds of college students. He began discussing the simplicity of living for God and serving him daily. Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate gift, freely given, that we don’t deserve, is it that difficult for us to live for him? Mack focused on a passage in Mark to better explain this concept;
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:27-38 (ESV)
Mack used this passage to challenge the audience with the question of “Who do you think I am?” that being Christ. After this challenge, Mack transitioned back to what it truly means to follow Christ and how it ought to show in our lives. He used the above verses to display that. Finally, we must consider a few things. If Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins, why not give up your life? What is there to lose on this earth if you will gain Heaven?
Mack Stiles started the first session off explaining the Gospel of Christ using four helpful questions to help the audience break it down. The questions Mack asked were not only for the students attending who have never heard the Gospel, but also the students who have heard it and need to teach it to themselves. Believers of Jesus Christ are encouraged to never stop preaching the Gospel to themselves.
Who is God? What does the Bible say about Him?
Who am I?
Who is Christ? What did he do for me?
How do I respond?
To briefly summarize the answers to these questions; it is important to look at what perspective we are answering them from. Often times people will try to answer the questions above from our own personal experiences or views. This way of thinking is faulty.
Final thoughts: Mack gave some really neat perspective for what living in this world is like. He compared it to living in a shipwreck; you will find much treasure (worldly pleasures) and much brokenness on the ship. This is not the way it is supposed to be. As we look at these treasures, we must remember the reality of Satan’s deception. He will minimize our sin, lie, and promise untrue things. Satan over promises and under delivers. The sin of disbelief, not believing who God says He is is what ultimately plagues us in our walk with God. To believe the truths God reveals to us, we must continue preaching the Gospel to ourselves. Ask yourselves these questions and search for the truths in God’s Word. Jesus was our ransom, which means we were kidnapped by Satan (Romans 5:12), but Jesus gave his life as a ransom or a payment for our bondage. This sets us free. The cross was not plan B, it was plan A (1 Corinthians 15:21).
Relationships are messy, and you may have a lot of questions. In this seminar Matt and Julia Bradner will answer 4 big questions about relationships.
Matt Bradner wrapped up New Year’s Conference with this last session. Some of our favorite combinations are the joining of a few good things to make one great thing. There is one particular combination that made Jesus marvel: a low view of self and a high view from others. This story can be found in Luke 7:1-10. Matt explained that this personal humility and public honor was a marvelous combo, one that Jesus marveled at.
Paul explained the qualifications for the overseers of the church in the same way that Luke described the centurion in the previous passage. He says in 1 Timothy 3:6-7:
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Bradner charged is his listeners to consider this combination as something to be pursued in their own lives: a low view of self and a high view from others. It is this combination that reflects the gospel and allows for us to be the force for good Bradner shared about previously.
Matt Bradner discussed the prioritization of doing good: making disciples. The Great Commission tells us everything the basics of what we need to know about making disciples. Here it is in Matthew 28:18-20:
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Jesus tells us why, tells us what, and tells us why again. Why #1: all authority has been given to Jesus. What: Discipleship. Why #2: Jesus gives the promise of his presence. But that’s not all. There’s another why in verses 16-17:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
The same message is for those who doubt and those who worship.
[note this talk’s first portion was corrupted and only the 2nd half is online]
Matt Bradner discussed different aims that we all have: do good, do bad, or do nothing. And doing nothing is not necessarily better than doing bad. God calls us to do good, to be a force for good in every area of your life for the rest of your life. Titus 3:4-8 says:
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
God says to devote themselves to good works, not just abstain from evil. Matt expressed the importance of doing good with everything you are: your mouth, your eyes, your hands, your heart and more. Be a force for good not to get salvation but because you have it.
Matt Bradner, the second speaker at NYC, started off his time talking about how there are things in our lives that are holding us back from accepting Jesus and following him. Even those of us who have said that we want to follow Jesus, there are still things that get in the way of our walk with him. Jesus encountered 3 different people who some of us can relate to in Luke 9:57-62:
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
Matt goes through each of these situations and describes each specific circumstance these people who approached Jesus were in at the time.
The Bible says that God created us male and female. What do our differences show us about God? We believe God's word paints a beautiful picture of gender that goes beyond cultural stereotypes and leads to freedom and flourishing for both men and women.
