I find myself thinking on a fairly regular basis.
Like last week when the Lord confirmed His will for me to accept an exciting
ministry opportunity...a large college bible study. And by bible study, I
mean worship service.
Large weeknight bible studies for college students are offered in college
towns at several universities in Texas. At A&M it's called Breakaway and at
Baylor it's called Choice. One offered in Huntsville, home to Sam Houston
State University, is called Truth. Truth is only six years old and numbers
in the hundreds of students. It is dynamic in it's desire for genuine
worship and indepth bible teaching. Truth meets on Tuesday nights when class
is in session and offers a corporate worship experience for college
students--David Gentiles is the new worship leader and I'm the new speaker.
The way this came about is really inexplicable...until 3 weeks ago, I'd
never heard of Truth. A few weeks ago I spoke at the SBTC annual camp and
David Gentiles' band did the music. The band and I were a great fit AND the
Lord did some amazing things during the worship services. Everything just
seemed to click. Someone at the camp is a key player in the Truth ministry
and knew the previous band and speaker had felt called by God to leave Truth
last May. Unbeknownst to me, they recommended me to Truth to be the new
speaker. I'd been home from camp a couple of days when Truth called me and
asked me to pray about it.
To be honest, at first I was skeptical that I was the right one for the
ministry. I thought about saying no right off the bat. I've never thought
about being involved in a ministry like this and I don't fit the mold of a
normal college ministry speaker. But, two things got me thinking the Lord
could be orchestrating this. First, Nicole urged me to give it serious
consideration--that got my attention because a commitment to this ministry
would cost her more than anyone else. Second, Truth told me they had asked
David Gentiles to lead worship. He and I met this summer when we led worship
together at a camp in central Texas. I figured our paths might not cross
again for a long time. But then this ministry in Huntsville, Texas, asks
David (who lives in Dallas) and me in Houston to lead worship. What are the
odds of that? Only the Lord could orchestrate something like that. So I
began to earnestly seek the Lord's will through prayer and through the
counsel of key people in my life from other pastors, close friends, to
people at NEHBC. Nicole and I believe the Lord wants me/us to do this. Where
this is going and how this will play out is beyond me, I'm just stepping out
in faith. So, starting on Aug 31, on Tuesday nights, I'm headed to BearKat
country to teach God's Word.
Never thought I'd say this, but Go Bearkats!
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