The Download

Oh Catalyst. Catalyst. Catalyst. WOW. Just I’m still in wow. I literally felt like every single talk was directly for me…it was like ok here is what you’ve been having issues with, here is how to change it,  and here is where you are to go. 

So in SHORT summary here is my take a ways this year….

Andy's first talk: That was the; who are you & what breaks you heart talk….from that I felt like that was for me in that, everyone is supposed to “change something.” I think for me its time for me to stop living under the EXCUSE that I don’t have “resources” to be affective. Bunch of crap. I do and just because I have small children doesn’t mean I cannot be affective in ministry and I’ve been believing that lie for a year & ½ now and it is ending now. He said if you opt for fear instead of purpose you will regret it many years from now. I have not had the “go ahead” to leave student ministries for whatever reason, and I really believe he gave me a glimpse of that reason. Also he said , you have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to embrace the burden God put in your heart. Oh my oh my that fired up me. .Ok Lord…listening.

Christine: from this talk I got, that people burn out because their spiritual core is not strong. Jesus said we would RUN and NOT grow weary….we would mount up on wings like eagles, we would walk and NOT faint….God doesn’t want visitation rights to your life he wants to MOVE INTO your life—huge! Declaring what he says! Taking a standing KNOWING what he says and speaking it into life and motion was huge for me too. And then lastly I have got to know HOW to wield the sword of God. He has given us this mighty powerful tool in the Bible and if I don’t know how to use it how can I become an affective fighter for him? I can’t. Then we reproduce who we are….I want to reproduce the best of me, then part that loves God to an undeniable extent. Wow….sermon over haha moving on.

Tim Keller: You can’t change something if you don’t know how to change you. Be expectant…great things can and will come if you pray intently and intentionally!

Dr. Leaf: Oh my oh my don’t even get me started on this….mind. Blown! WOW this was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMAZING!!!!! I have always thought: why can’t science and God coexist? He made EVERYHING and if you think about how intricate our bodes alone are….why wouldn’t’ God be in science??  I have already read her entire book. Haha I am not a reader. I Loved this one. I love factual evidence for things and she was so brilliant and was able to bring it down to my level. I think in the whole of this is that God made a powerful mind that he ALLOWS us to use so we need to start using it for HIS glory. And that mind work is hard work—you have to KEEP fighting the fight! Don’t give up keep going!

Robert Madu: this was major heart check here for me in this talk….he talked about running the race….and just his example of running with your eyes to the side on someone else….what is going to come? A crash! So it just hit home for me when he said “whos race are you running?” And I think ive been so focused on watching others around me race that I’ve not been focusing on MY race. Then enemy’s biggest weapon is comparison ESPECIALLY in girls…and that we have EVERYTHING I need inside  of me to be affective for God. I am to STAY IN MY LANE and stop looking and comparing how others are running their race and RUN MINE! Run on sista, run on!

Matt Chandler: again – smack in the head. Oh I loved this one too. The one thing that stood out was “ the man goes in the ground, and the message goes on, because its HIS STORY NOT MINE!” oh I get so caught up in this, its NOT ABOUT ME> and what I do, or what I don’t do…its about him and my EVERY LIVING BREATH needs to be because of him. Only. Period. Then the fulfill YOUR ministry part…God put YOU where you are for a REASON. You are wired and gifted and he put you where you are for a reason! STOP wanting to be someone else and be you! Seek to learn, grow, but be YOU. I think again I just get in this “oh I can’t be affective for God because I don’t have resources or I don’t have this, or I can’t leave b/c of the kids” blah blah blah blah blah Time to SUCK it up LADY! You could pray!!! Ever think about that?!!? Get on your face, intercede and get the hard brunt work of ministry out there & PRAY! With EXPECTATION! You DO have resources—its ME! Now get your eyes off you and GO! (that was me hearing God yell at me!) haha 

Oh boy—day over….shew. amazing. 

Day Two: 

Craig Groeschel: again—amazing. Just affirming matt chandlers point, God has given me everything I need to reach who you are supposed to. God doesn’t give us all we “think” we need because he wants us to need HIM—duh, right? He was talking about when we don’t have resources it can be a catalytic event for what God really wants. I am to embrace my limitations, thank him for giving me what I need, and limited resources help us think outside of the box.  Then the failure part, how the fear of failure drives us to even try new things….and just how they would not have been successful without the failures….they are necessary! The pathway to yoru greatest potential is straight through your failure! And that failure is and EVENT not a PERSON. Do not internalize lies from the enemy. And then if you have been transformed by the gospel then you have to share it—its in you and it must come out. So so good.

Charles Duhigg: he was a little bit just informational and I wasn’t quite sure how to apply this one to me other than figure out when my brain is turning off and turn it back on. Haha 

Andy’s second talk: what stood out to me here was that church should be the safest place on the planet to talk about anything. That was huge….I mean I know this, but I don’t think we “know” this in the way that its open for kids to know this…make sense? Then Jesus always raised the standard not lowered it, to prove we need a savior! He said what if people said “our community is better because there are Christians here” oh man I want that to be true of me. And then the last thing that was my MAIN take away and what is fueling me today, is that The church must keep and capture the hearts of students! Oh goodness this is what breaks my heart. Culture markets for the young why don’t we? He is right I feel like we push small kid ministry then middle school and high school are just –eh….then why are we so shocked when they fall away at college?? It IS possible to change a generation for the Lord! It IS! And I don’t think we as a student ministry lead like this. I know I HAVEN’T! Partly because I didn’t have the paradigm to lead like this, and didn’t “know this” but now, I know. I want to become leaders that lead EXPECTANT that God is going to change this generation. I think it would totally change how we interacted with students, I think it would change the way we pray for them intercede for them, love them, and LEAD THEM! We have got to become leaders that lead like we are CONFIDENT a generation can and will be changed for Jesus, and get on our faces before him begging him to revolutionize this generation! To start building up kids who are serious about loving him—and that starts with us. 

So yah wow….that is my major take away from this year. I loved every single minute of it, I feel like God has birthed a new passion inside of me and I can't wait to watch how he brings it to fruition…however he wants!! 

This song my Matt Redman has been the thing I am singing, praying over and over again “Arms open, wide as the sky, I lift you high, lift you high—let all the other names fade away….let all the other names fade away, until there’s only you!” OH let that be true of me!!