Don't forget to check the post below this one about the retreat for what to bring to the retreat this weekend. Also, remember that you'll need to come to the retreat having memorized all the Scripture references that are below!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
+ Post about Week 9
+ Memorize the assigned Scripture passages:
Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9; John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17
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I really liked the Jurassic Park Butterfly. A person with a small influence over time can massively change a person. Its not the "big push" that matters but sustaining an influencing presence in their lives. Also I got out of this week that people will turn to friends that are already in their lives, so if you are not in their lives it is highly unlikely they will turn to you and there is a "why" to our non-believing friends actions. Listen to them and they will listen to you.
ReplyDeleteDan Mohler
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will recieve an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24 This verse stood out to me because its such a great way to say strive for the things you do with a passion for Christ. Do it for the Lord. It was just a great verse.
ReplyDelete-Logan Gomez
This week, Day 1 hit me right off the bat. I was reading the bible when something popped out to me: "In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and havent stayed away!" this part surprised me because in God's eyes its like we have just found one of his many lost sheep, and that will earn us some major brownie points with the big man!
ReplyDelete-Tanner White :)
What popped out to me in day 1 was that we really need to be patient with our lost friends and keep influencing them all thoughout their life. To many times I am not patient with them and am like why don't you just recieve Christ now and if that now is later then I do move on so I need to be patient with them and stop just moving on expectually when they need me. Also, my family and I once had a discussion about Colossians 3:23-24 (day 3) and we notessed that the verse matched up with one of my family's sayings "Do your best and let God do the rest." The connection was that we actually do things for God and he helps us do well at what we do. :) Isn't that awesome!
ReplyDeleteBethany Metzler
As I am beginning to think about college and what the next steps in life may hold, I came across the three questions on page 180, day 3... They fit perfectly with what I am working to figure out. How can I use what God has given me to serve Him more & glorify Him? Also, the quote by Louie Giglio on page 171 could be a great challege for all of us... it made me think, anyways.
ReplyDeleteEmily Myers
I love the illistration of the shepherd and the sheep! I mean that is exactly how I need to treat people. Jesus is such a great example, the way he demonstrated love! showing us to reach out to the person who is maybe not the brightest or even the smartest but the love of Christ requires us to spread it to the ENTIRE world!
ReplyDeleteJessica Tuttle
This week what really hit me was the verse on day four from Matthew 5:16 where it says:
ReplyDelete"By opening up to others,you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."
This verse just spoke to me in a way that stood out clearly in what God was trying to say. To me personally this verse tells me that I need to stop hiding from the world in my shell and really open up with people. How can I expect people to even like me let alone listen to what I have to say about Jesus and his love for them if all I do is push them away.
-Haley Miller
The part that stuck out to me most was the salt and light part of Matthew 5. Especially what Haley was saying above. I want people to not see me and praise me for the light I shine, but instead have my light point to God as the source of my light. If you come to Converge tomorrow, I hope you will be challenged by this concept even more. Thanks for the retreat guys! It was wonderful! Thanks for being willing to share!
ReplyDeleteCortney Stace
Like Tanner said earlier, Day 1 hit me right off the bat. We need to model our lives after Jesus because He was never in a hurry to have an impact. In the same way, we need to show our lost friends consistency so that we can build leverage in their lives. We can't give up just because we got rejected or something didn't go our way. Instead, we need to ask God to give us an opportunity to demonstrate our patience to those who are struggling. In this way, we can build a bridge to better connect with our friends on a more personal level.
ReplyDeleteHolly Prawat
this week God has been really stretching me in my faith and trust in him and making me confront some of my fears and though its hard i know it can only bring good in the end
ReplyDeleteDana Keller
I liked in day 3 how it said, "you must work to excel in whatever arena God has planted you" I really liked that because it's so true. Just because you don't want to clean your room or do your math homework, you should try your very best because others are always watching.
ReplyDeleteKelly
what stuck out with me was day four and the whole light and city thing it like really showed me that even wen i dont mean to be im a beacon and my friends may look up to me and so it makes me a little more aware that i have to b careful of wat i do
ReplyDeletekylee stutzman
This week I've really felt God tell me that my focus on influencing my lost friends was a little bit off. The points they made in days four and five really stuck out to me.
ReplyDelete"there is no quota system. You're not collecting points to go to Disney World based on the influence you gain in your friend's lives. If your agenda of sustained influence has any fraction of selfish gain as a part of its makeup, you need to step back and rethink it"
- Day Five.
This struck me when I read it, and I took some time this weekend to really set my priorities in line and get my agenda back to a healthy state with how I'm going to gain influence and leverage in my peer's lives.
Justin Krakowski
In this week what really stood out to me was that in whatever we do like either it be school and stuff around the house we need to give it are all and do it threw god and we need to step out of are comfort zone and do things we normally wouldn't
ReplyDeleteBobby krakowski
this quote really stuck out to me " if at first you don't succeed, find someone else." i know thatthis quote fits me. for a long time i tried to bring my non believing friends to christ but then i always just gave up right away because they didnt accept christ right then and there. I need to keep trying but don't make them angry and push them farther away from god.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Hiester
Matthew 5:14-16...The presence of Jesus in us produces a light, a different attitude and mindset. We need to make sure to not hide that light and to let it out to shine and show Christ to others. This will help us gain leverage because over time it shows that we are genuine. We show that we are led by Christ through all situations, good and bad, and that we sincerely care about people.
ReplyDeleteI love the story at the end of the week about Mother Teresa. I always love reading about her or hearing stories about her because she definitely lived the barbarian way. We had some great discussion in our group on Saturday about the barbarian way and I hope we all continue to review that book and pray about living this way. It's nice to live in a place that is relatively safe and very conservative, but sometimes that makes it harder to live the barbarian way because we settle in to the easy routine of civilized Christianity. I'm praying that God would work in all of us to help us to "simply" follow Him....wherever!
Ok so this week ive felt god telling me to influience my lost friends and focus on them and also whatever we do we should do it for god this is what stuck out to me the most this week and especially the part about doing EVERYTHING we do in christ.
ReplyDeleteAustin Sanders
I'd say day three stuck out to me the most, I've always had a problem about doing everything I do to my best. Because it's really easy for me to get lazy or procrastinate and get off track on things. But I'm going to do my very best to try my best in whatever I do, and not slack off.
ReplyDeleteMatthew prochno
Some of my thoughts are...
ReplyDelete"To be a student of influence among your peers, yo must develop patience and reject the mindset that says, 'If at first you don't succeed, find someone else."
"Most of your peers will not immediately give their lives to Christ. In fact, for the majority of them, the process will be long and difficult. Months or even their past, address their present, and satisfy their questions to the point that his beauty becomes too overwhelming for them to resist."
These were two comments that I found pretty key to remember.
Day one was really impactful for me because of Luke 15:1-10. The point Jesus made was that we are called to save the sinners, not the Christians, for they've already been saved. Just like the doctors help the sick, not the healthy, we are to help the ones who don't know the love of God!
ReplyDeleteEmily Hoffman
this week i found out i hang back to much let the other people make the desition to come to me and ask about christ. insted of me going to them and telling them about him. this is what i need to work on from this week. not hang back and just go out and do it. i need not to be afried.
ReplyDeleteshayna gravy
by doing everything with all your heart you will recieve rewards in life so go out and do what god is telling you to do and you will recieve great rewards upon listening to him.
ReplyDelete-Austin Conrad
The way we should live our life is for God and only for God, not for our reputuation or for sports, or trying to be cool and popular. And if we live this way, their will be benefits for living that way.
ReplyDelete-Daniel Clickovich
God created the heaven and the earth in perfect harmony but then we disobeyed and the consequence was eternal separation from God but God made a promise and he kept that promise when he died for us on the cross and rose from the dead and promises us eternity with him when we accept and believe he is Christ our Lord and with that he makes all things new so we can live forever with him...as I was typing this out I was doing the dance moves to it that we learned at the retreat. Booyah!
ReplyDeleteI made this my post because it played heavy part in my week when I realized
1) the dance thingy is fun and
2) knowing how to share the story of God and his love is crazy helpful I believe
bailey dahlgren
What really stuck out to me was the "Lost Sheep". In my life, it would be like having 1 lost friend in a big group of believers. If you just dwell on your believing friends, your non believing friend (the sheep), could wander off. Would you stay with your close believer friends, or take the big step and go find your sheep, share the gospel, and bring him back to God? That's my main focus this week.
ReplyDeleteMegan Reed
Something that stuck out to me this week was Colossians 3: 23-24. This just reminded me that whatever I do in life, I do it was all my heart for the Lord! A quote that i also like was Jesus was so influential because he was exactly who he claimed to be! This just reminded me to be consitent between what I say and what I do.
ReplyDeleteJaylin Miller
The part that really stuck out to me this week was the laws of acceptance, I liked how it laid it all out so plainly and gave good examples of how the laws are carried out . My favorite was the law of empathy, and how we really need to listen and feel how others feel.
ReplyDeleteAmy Fanning
i feel like i am too comfortable with my friends and in general. i need to step out and take a risk for God. He is worth the risk.
ReplyDeletespencer dahlgren
Something in this week just really helped me with acceptance.
ReplyDeleteIn day two it talks about how there is a what and a why behind why people act the way they do. I realize that i need to learn to not judge because i have no idea what is going on in there life.
Danielle Hudson