We arrived to Calvary Chapel Bible College in Vajta, Hungary yesterday around dinner time. We had a great time of catching up with our Slovene students here, laughing at all the fun they have with Hungarians that don't speak any English or any other language than Hungarian :)
We started with the first session of Speakers week this morning.
Speakers week is a week of teachings on a specific subject or on a specific book of the Bible. It's a week in the semester where students don't have to do any homework but just listen to teachings, make some notes and be open for God's answers + direction about their lives. It's pretty amazing, really.
We'll be going through the book of 2 Corinthians and it's just all about ministry. SO ENCOURAGING! (Also encouraging to hear it as someone who is in ministry and not as someone who's hearing about their future ministry)! Phil Metzger, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Budapest, shared in the first 2 sessions, and Mark Walsh, the director of Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship in New Zealand, shared in the evening. I'll just share a couple of things that stood out to me:
- You need to be comitted for good, otherwise you're ineffective.
- Do you know what your calling is? Knowing your calling will be exceedingly important when criticism comes - it may be the only thing that keeps you where God has called you to be!
- Don't base your calling on response from people!
- Are you able to comfort others with the comfort you got from God?
- When in suffering, we think comfort is going to come in the change of circumstances but the only comfort can come through Jesus Christ! Comitt yourself to Christ! Don't run to other solutions!
- Apostle Paul didn't have to get a sense of gratitude from people, feeling he belongs to them.. He was receiving ALL he needed from God! Am I receiving all from God?
- God is the One that validates people and ministry, and no one else!
- Ministry needs to begin on the grace of God!
- If you are in Christ Jesus, no one has a dominion over you! Also, ministry isn't having dominion over people or to have control over them! They're in the hands of God, and you're just His worker!
- There is no "me" in Christianity; it's all about Christ!
5 things that show maturity in Christ:
1. The willingness to speak truth in love (even when you want to avoid it, when it's hard...) - 2 Cor 2:1-4
2. The ability to give forgiveness (+ comfort); Love = action = forgiveness. - 2 Cor 2:5-11
"Doctors practice medicine, lawyers practice the law and pastors practice grace." We are to be people of grace.
3. Being able to hear God's voice - 2 Cor 2:12-17
4. Bringing the frangrance of Christ into the situation (Do you smell like you or do you smell like Christ) - 2 Cor 2:16
5. Knowing we're sufficient in ministry in Christ - and never on our own. (Are my inabilities my excuse for not doing something for God?) - 2 Cor 2:16-17
We heard so much in just a day, and the Lord is good to be speaking to me; convicting, challenging and encouraging. I'm beyond thankful!
And it's so good to be here, for so many reasons. Bible College still represents home to me, even after being back in Slovenia for 2 years. And there's no place like home.
We started with the first session of Speakers week this morning.
Speakers week is a week of teachings on a specific subject or on a specific book of the Bible. It's a week in the semester where students don't have to do any homework but just listen to teachings, make some notes and be open for God's answers + direction about their lives. It's pretty amazing, really.
We'll be going through the book of 2 Corinthians and it's just all about ministry. SO ENCOURAGING! (Also encouraging to hear it as someone who is in ministry and not as someone who's hearing about their future ministry)! Phil Metzger, the pastor of Calvary Chapel Budapest, shared in the first 2 sessions, and Mark Walsh, the director of Calvary Chapel Bible Fellowship in New Zealand, shared in the evening. I'll just share a couple of things that stood out to me:
- You need to be comitted for good, otherwise you're ineffective.
- Do you know what your calling is? Knowing your calling will be exceedingly important when criticism comes - it may be the only thing that keeps you where God has called you to be!
- Don't base your calling on response from people!
- Are you able to comfort others with the comfort you got from God?
- When in suffering, we think comfort is going to come in the change of circumstances but the only comfort can come through Jesus Christ! Comitt yourself to Christ! Don't run to other solutions!
- Apostle Paul didn't have to get a sense of gratitude from people, feeling he belongs to them.. He was receiving ALL he needed from God! Am I receiving all from God?
- God is the One that validates people and ministry, and no one else!
- Ministry needs to begin on the grace of God!
- If you are in Christ Jesus, no one has a dominion over you! Also, ministry isn't having dominion over people or to have control over them! They're in the hands of God, and you're just His worker!
- There is no "me" in Christianity; it's all about Christ!
5 things that show maturity in Christ:
1. The willingness to speak truth in love (even when you want to avoid it, when it's hard...) - 2 Cor 2:1-4
2. The ability to give forgiveness (+ comfort); Love = action = forgiveness. - 2 Cor 2:5-11
"Doctors practice medicine, lawyers practice the law and pastors practice grace." We are to be people of grace.
3. Being able to hear God's voice - 2 Cor 2:12-17
4. Bringing the frangrance of Christ into the situation (Do you smell like you or do you smell like Christ) - 2 Cor 2:16
5. Knowing we're sufficient in ministry in Christ - and never on our own. (Are my inabilities my excuse for not doing something for God?) - 2 Cor 2:16-17
We heard so much in just a day, and the Lord is good to be speaking to me; convicting, challenging and encouraging. I'm beyond thankful!
And it's so good to be here, for so many reasons. Bible College still represents home to me, even after being back in Slovenia for 2 years. And there's no place like home.
You've written this very well and it is encouraging. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteShaunice