Momentum 2008

Okay,

So, I mentioned that I was going to post about my experience at Momentum 2008, so here it is.

I went into the week, not really sure what to expect.

At first I was really regretting going, seeing as I had somewhat of a “Christianity crisis”, but the closer it got, the more I realized I would kick myself for not going.

So, I went.  Was that ever a good choice!!!

Monday evening, Francis Chan (Cornerstone Simi) prayed and shared his heart on how he didn’t want another Christian event that we all left saying that Francis, David, Jim, etc. were all great.  He wanted us to go away with an experience of something amazing and holy.  Something we could walk away saying that only God could do it.

Wow, was that what I needed to hear.  I was really afraid of just walking away from Momentum talking about the great speakers and not how God moved.

It seems like that is exactly how we, as Christians, act whenever we go to a “Christian” event (myself included).  We spend so much time talking about the speakers or the music (which are not bad things) and forget to look at what Jesus may have done or may want to do in our lives.  I know I walked away from Creation like that.

Yes, I did sponsor a child thru Compassion, but I was quite let down from the whole experience.  After talking to some very important people in my life, it was pointed out that I am putting my view of God thru the lense of other people.

I hope that makes sense.  My view of God was basically what I saw prominent musicians, speakers and authors do and talk about.  In my pursuit of making my faith my own, it actually turned into the faith of Rob Bell, Donald Miller, Anberlin, Chris Tomlin, and other “Christian” acts.

Very, very scarry thing.  Sadly, people will let you down.  I will let you down.  People we hold in such a high regard will fail us.

Anyway, back to Momentum.

Tuesday, Francis spoke again from his heart, this time on the subject of debt.

I really have a heart and a desire to do something in the non-profit field.  I love organizations like Invisible Children, Feed my Starving Children, Compassion International and To Write Love On Her Arms.  As you can guess, those organizations don’t really have the funds to pay a lot of money in salary (and I really wouldn’t want them to), so it left me in a slight predictament when it came to college.

As I have stated many times on here, I will be heading to Grace College in a few short days (I think it’s nine).  Grace is about $27,000.  With grants and scholarships, I am able to go for about $12,000.  Figuring in inflation, I figure it will be about $50,000 for the four years I will spend at Grace.  Now granted that not all of that will be private loans, I am looking at about $35-40,000 in private loans with another $10,000 or so in federal loans.

My original goal was to get into the Orthepedic Scholar Institute and get an internship and then a job right away and pay down a lot of my debt within five years.

Francis really blew my mind on this one.

Does God really want me to wait five years to get into a non-profit/ministry field?  Or does he want me to go and jump in right after college?

Francis told a story that really resonated with me.

Francis was talking to a guy who just graduated a Bible college with $120,000 in debt.  Francis said that this man has a heart for ministry, but cannot go into ministry because his loan payments are just too much!

I don’t want to be in that situation.  I really want to be able to just jump into the ministry/non-profit field right away and honestly I feel that that is what God desires.

God does not want us swimming around in our debt.  He wants us to be able to serve him fully, whenever and wherever.

I’m still trying to decide what to do with this….

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Then, on Wednesday night, we saw God answer Francis’ prayer.

Jim Brown, pastor from Goshen, Indiana talked from his heart on the issue of world poverty.  Let’s just say that he completely rocked every single person in the audience.  He threw out stats that just blew us all away.  He told stories that saddened us all.  He challenged us in the way we live our life.

In only a way that God can really do, Momentum 2008, a group of about 1500 students and youth pastors cleaned out their wallets and gave over $94,000.  Ninety-four thousand dollars!!!  $94,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is something that only God can do.

I now have the faith that God can and will provide the funds necessary for anytype of missions trip.

For example, DGBC just had a group of people return from the Central African Republic.  The cost for the trip was around $5,000.  If God raised $94,000 from teens and youth pastors, will he not take care of $5,000?

So, if you are reading this and you have a desire to go on a missions trip, go for it.

Don’t let money hold you back.

Don’t let your fear hold you back.

Don’t let your family hold you back.

Don’t let anything hold you back.

Have faith that the God of this universe can(and will) do all things!

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Now, yes I do realize that I am conflicting myself in this post.

On the first part, I am saying that that is a lot of money

but

Then I am saying that God can do anything.

That’s what I mean…

I really just don’t know what to do!

Will you please, please, please pray for me.

Please pray for clarity as I may be making another giant decision.

Please pray that I make the most out of my year(s) at Grace.

Please pray for safety as I head to Grace.

Please pray for calm nerves.

Please pray for the decisions that need to be made and the discussions that will occur because of these decisions.

Thank you so very much for reading this post!

I hope that you find a full and last love in Jesus.

Only because of His Love and Blood,

Zach