This semester, our ministry has been walking through the Gospel together, week by week. And I want to be honest with you: for most of my life, I assumed I already knew what the Gospel was. Maybe I did, to a degree. But it hadn't really sunk into my heart, or even my nervous system, in a way that felt personal.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good idea. Concepts, parables, abstractions, anything that gets me thinking and pondering life. But the Gospel that has started taking root in me lately isn't one I can just think about and check off. It's one I keep coming back to, re-clarifying and re-applying as I go.
Here's how I've been telling it:
- God is Love & Life.
- God created you in Him.
- The Devil and man brought death into life.
- Man needed God to heal him.
- To save His children, God brought death to death.
- God brought man back into Himself.
- God freely restores you if you freely choose Him.
Take a minute with that. How does it feel when you read it? Is there one number that resonates more than the others? Have you ever unpacked it line by line?
For me, I've spent most of my life camped out on #4. Sin, pain, trauma, and emotional wounds made me deeply aware of how much I need God. But my version of the Gospel didn't have a true starting point or a destination. It never reminded me where I came from or where I'm headed.
And that matters. Yes, we know we need Jesus. But if our identity isn't rooted in who we were created to be, in the One who created us, and in how that fits into the cosmic story God is writing, then our Gospel might be only a partial one. Or worse, a false one.
Many of our students at Dallas College FOCUS grew up in and out of church communities, and at best they've heard a partial Gospel. So this year, with the help of the Holy Spirit and to the best of our ability, we're unpacking the whole story so they can see just how beautiful it is. It really is too good to be true. (And somehow, it is.)
We're almost at the halfway point of the semester and, as we go into fall retreat (in a couple of week), we are hoping to unpack sin in a way where students can truly see: God isn't mad at you. He loves you and is crazy about you. He loves you so much that He wants to go into the (your) mess with you ❤️
Would you pray for us? Pray as we walk through this with our students, and that we'd discern the next steps for them and help them walk in faith.
Thank you for your support and for believing in this mission. We couldn't do it without you.
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| Sloan & Anaya ❤️ |
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| Anaya did such a great job at her first haircut! |
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| Thank you for your support! Our Richland FOCUS students say thank you & we love you! |
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| Wednesday nights have been a blast! We feel so grateful for the space we have & those who show up each week have been attentive and playful every week we gather! Let's gooo! |
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| A picture of me & the fellas this year. These guys have been a consistent & faithful group to show up to our men's Bible study each week. |
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| Moses! We've been meeting up and studying the Bible with one another. He was the student testimony for this month! Moses has been a faithful friend to me and a consistent part of our ministry - grateful for him! |
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| Wednesday nights have been a blast! Each week, we've been gathering to connect, share about life, and worship together. The feel of our ministry, this year, is so much more...authentic. The students who show up truly want to be themselves and be a space for others to encounter Christ! Thank you, Lord! |
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| Becca did a great job preaching last week at WNF - she has become a powerful force in our ministry as she loves & connects with the women in our ministry! |
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| Anaya says this cool weather deserves a thumbs-up! |
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| Casey Hopper preached last week and did a great job! He's been a huge blessing to our Dallas FOCUS team ❤️ |
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| A sweet picture from one of our early WNF's of the school year. Our students, from early on, were open & excited to worship together and connect with Jesus together! |
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