Make an IMPACT!

As many (or all) of you know, my beautiful fiancee Shelley and I are joining full-time staff with Cru and Greek Impact. We recently returned to Columbia from an awesome 5-week training down in Orlando, Florida. There was so much that we learned and so much that I could write about, all of which would be relevant and good to hear. On the same note, I would love to write it all, but I don't know if you would have the desire nor the time to read 5 weeks worth of fantastic material. But there was one thing that I believe we all need to be reminded of throughout our time at USC...

Our ministry by no means stops when we walk across the stage and turn our colored tassels from one side to the next. Our ministry, our life, continues until our dying breath. What a burden!

Now, that statement may appear burdening, but it should be exciting! Our ministry continues throughout our life, and it could look countless different ways. Just as we aren't called to be college students the rest of our lives (though some may disagree), we aren't all called to work in full-time Christian ministry. But we are all called. After your time at USC, you might go on to be a nurse, or open your own practice, or photograph precious little brats (er, I mean children). You may be very successful, and the Lord may bless you financially. You might also struggle to get by. But thankfully, our success is not dependent on what the world sees as success. Whether you live on Easy Street or not, our success is in Christ. We are His. What He did for us over 2000 years ago, bought us into His family! What better successful life is there?

Even as we are His, not everyone knows this life, this eternal family, exists. So who better to tell them? US! We are ALL called to share the wonderful riches of God's grace. We are all perfectly placed for our time at USC to have our own ministry and share Christ's love with others, and that is awesome! What more influential time in a person's life is there other than college? Whether you are involved in Greek Impact or not, whether you lead a Bible study or not, we are all called by Christ to share His love and grace. But it doesn't stop in college.

Just as Christ's love never ceases and His grace always overflows towards us even when we don't deserve it, we should never cease sharing the Gospel wherever we are. It doesn't matter if you are on the Grassy Knoll in the Greek Village at USC, in a small cubicle working a 9-5, or working with orphaned children in a small village in Uganda. There are people in every segment of society and every corner of the world who do not yet know Christ.

I urge you to continue sharing your faith in college, and leading and attending Bible studies, and coming to Greek Impact! Those are all wonderful ways to grow closer to the Lord and have a deeper walk with Him.

But I urge you even more imperatively to continue sharing the Gospel and leading Bible studies and getting involved in a great church after college. You might go on to graduate school after your time at USC. What a great place to have a ministry! You might be employed as an engineer after graduation. What a great place to have a ministry! You might work in a small cubicle in an office. What a great place to have a ministry!

You see where I'm going with this. The point is, you don't have to join Staff with Cru and Greek Impact to have a ministry and live a missional life. We are ALL called to live out the Gospel and share it with others wherever we may be. We are Christ's Ambassadors. You can have a ministry in your sorority or fraternity RIGHT NOW. You don't have to wait to make an impact. You don't have to be a theological genius- God uses all of His children to change the world by changing people's lives with the truth of the gospel!

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us."    

 - 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

So live missionally. Seek to serve the Lord wherever you may be. And just be AVAILABLE. He will use you in amazing ways.

Written by Braxton Towery 

                           









                            

What I Learned about Relationships This Summer

As we grow up we are constantly given advice surrounding relationships, sex, and love. Whether you have taken your advice from a parent or friends, you have to remember that although they might have your best interest at heart, their advice is tinted by their own experiences and opinions. In the past I tended to run to the person that would build me up and give me the information I wanted to hear, not necessarily what I needed to hear. 


At the beginning of the summer I attended a Christian conference for college students where I sat in on a Dating and Relationships seminar class. Before, when I would attend classes on similar topics, I would pick and choose what I wanted to hear. I would take what I liked from the message and use it to justify my actions while neglecting the truth that I didn't want to hear. However, this time was different; I felt more aware and convicted. I learned about God’s design for love, sex, and marriage, and how my thoughts and actions were drawing me away from God’s truths. Below are just a few of the truths that stuck with me.


God's Design for Love: “It turns out that everything is the opposite of what I remember. Under the old model, you dated a few times and, if you really liked the person, you might consider having sex. Under the new model, you hook up a few times and, if you really like the person, you might consider going on a date…we’ve lost the ability to just ask someone out and get to know them.” –The Demise of Dating


What is wrong with this picture? Well for starters, we don’t understand love. Most people in today’s society think of love as “What can I get out of this relationship? Is this person willing to give me what I need to be happy and satisfied?” We see love as just a feeling; how someone makes you feel about yourself. If love is just a feeling then you will eventually leave when the feeling fades. The Gospel teaches us that love is a passionate commitment to put someone else first, a sacrifice, a dying to yourself. 


When Jesus found us we were not beautiful and we had NOTHING to offer, but yet he humbled himself into a servant and committed to us despite our running away. God designed us to love. First and foremost He designed us to be in a loving relationship with Himself, so that we are able to share His unending love with other people. With the love of God in our hearts we are able to love selflessly, to carry each other’s burdens, and to fill each other’s weaknesses with our own strengths. The more you see yourself as a sinner saved by grace, the more you will be able to love other sinners. 


 God's Design for Sex: A lot of people in the world experience sex as just another step in a relationship; as a way of showing the other person you care about them in a physical way. By jumping into sex we try and take a short cut to feeling wanted and alive. Sexuality becomes all about us and OUR needs and OUR “drive”, but what about the One who created sex? Don’t take Him out of it! Sex was designed uniquely by God as a gift to unify two people in a marriage relationship. Sex was meant to bind a husband and wife together not just physically, but spiritually as well. It is drawn from emotion and it creates vulnerability. It is powerful because it serves a purpose. It can work to heal and restore when viewed as a gift in marriage. 


So how can we approach sexuality in our current relationships? First, know that your body is not your own. If you're a Christian it belongs first to God, and second to your future spouse. God created us in His own image as one being with three parts. We have a body, soul (your mind, will, & emotions), and spirit. The three are deeply intertwined. Sex is never "just sex". So whenever you give your body to someone, whether just a kiss or something more vulnerable, like sex, you end up with less of yourself to give your spouse. Outside of a marriage relationship we can’t expose ourselves to something as powerful as sex without being damaged or hurt. 


Second, asking questions such as “How far is too far?” or “Is foreplay considered sexual sin?” are the wrong questions to ask and are completely missing God's purpose for our lives. God's purpose for you and me, is to make us more like Himself. He wants us to grow in holiness. If you love Jesus and want to become more like Him, then you should be pursuing holiness. I know I used to wonder the same things and get caught up in the ambiguities of everything, but really I should be asking "How can I keep this relationship holy?" and "Does this action honor God?"  1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us to "Flee from sexual immorality". Not so that we can be seen as “good,” but because we love God and trust that He knows what is best for us. Trust the Lord and put Him first in all your relationships. 


 I know I have only hit a few points on dating/relationships, but I hope you find truth in these words. I learned so much, these are just a few key things that stuck with me. Whether you are currently single, in a relationship, or married, know that God has a design for how we interact in those relationships. Seek the Lord first and then wait for someone who loves Jesus more than they love you. 

-Written by Dendy Steddenbenz




















For more resources on God's design for Love, Sex, & Dating, check out Pastor Andy Stanley' sermon series here.


Or for girls, buy Marian Jordan's book, Sex and the City Uncovered.


If you want to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus and what that looks like contact scgreekimpact@gmail.com. 

For Freedom

             Today, beaches are packed and lakes are crowded with star spangled citizens. Jean shorts are painted red white and blue, sleeves are cut off of tacky t-shirts, and coolers are packed for the day’s activities. We Americans love to celebrate freedom. We post facebook statuses thanking the men and women who have fought for our freedom and we glorify the nation that was birthed 236 years ago.

What about the one man who gave his life for our freedom? What about glorifying God, the author of life and of liberty?

On July 4^th, 1776, The United States was declared independent from Great Britain and we were free to establish democracy. But, in the year 33, you were declared free. YOU WERE DECLARED FREE because Jesus died for you that day in Calvary. He paved the way for you to have a personal and real relationship with God.

When you accept and believe that this is true, when you decide to rely on God, you are free. Free from sin, free from guilt, free from bad habits, free from insecurities, free from inadequacies. Because of Jesus (and only Jesus!) you are perfect, you are innocent, your bad habits are broken, you are confident and powerful, you are completely qualified.

One of the hardest things for me to believe is that I am really free. I have a difficult time thinking that I am a new and different person. It’s tough to realize that Jesus did change me, that he is changing me, and he will continue to change me…Romans 6 has helped me understand the truth. Verses 6 and 7 tell us, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him (Jesus) so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin”

If you feel chained by guilt, if you are struggling with something that you can’t handle anymore, or even if you can’t kick your bad habit of biting your nails, read Romans 6. Ask God to change you. About 14 months ago, I sat on the ground and prayed that God would change me. I listed out every single thing that I hated about myself and that I wanted him to change. He has opened my eyes to so much. He has done incredible things in my life, and will continue to. In the moments when I don’t believe it, I have to remember what God has done, turn to Romans 6, and continue to trust him.

So, please glorify Jesus today, because it is “for freedom that he set us free” (Galatians 5:1). Enjoy the blessing of living in this country and being able to celebrate freedom when so many cannot. But, do not forget that God is the creator of life and the commander of liberty. He is the ultimate.

Challenge yourself

1) It’s easy for me to equate freedom and independence. Don’t fall into this trap! We can only have continual freedom from sin if we are dependent on God. We also need Christian friends and a solid church to help us. In what ways are you being too independent? What is keeping you from depending on God? What do you not believe about him or about yourself? Apart from God you can do nothing. John 15 explains that. You can also read Psalm 145 to learn more about God, see that he is worthy to be praised, and that we can rely on him.

2) Don’t become complacent! Don’t just settle into your freedom - that’s when we become lazy, taking God for granted, not continuing to learn and grow. Hebrews 6 is helpful when I need a kick-start.

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If you have any questions for me, want to know more about God, or have any reactions to this post, please email me, Laura Dwight, at dwightl@email.sc.edu . I’d love to talk about it with you!