Will You...

We had another great day at the Project.  It is such a blessing to be able to come on these trips with our students and watch them come together in the name of Jesus Christ and serve to the best of their ability with all of their strength.  Weather our students are loving on little kids at the summer camp, painting a wall, ripping out old flooring in a kitchen, building a deck, or doing whatever else is asked of them they do it without question and with a smile on their face.   (The only real time they aren’t too happy with is when I don’t let them drink soda or any other caffeinated and sugar drink at 11 o’clock at night and make them go to bed, I know they won’t verbally thank me in the morning but their bodies will.)

One of the many aspects of The Philadelphia Project that I love so much is the evening club that they have.  For those of you who have never experienced club it is a time where we play some crazy game and then move into a time of worship, which is led by an incredibly gifted team of volunteers, and a message.  These first three nights at club our students (and leaders) have been asked the question “Will You…”  On Sunday we were asked “Will you allow God to renew your heart?”  We all have areas in our heart that we try to keep hidden from God because we know that He is not glorified through those thoughts and actions.  All of our students were challenge d to think of a specific area in their life that they feel God is calling them to turn over to Him and pray Psalm 51 where David prays to God saying “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  Just as we have all been asked what question I ask you, Will you allow God to renew your heart?”

On Monday night we were asked, “Will you live a radical, unashamed faith in God?”  Often times we do the right things for the right reason but we are afraid to tell others the reason why we are doing time.  We are called to be unashamed of our faith in God and to live our life that reflects our hope that we have in Christ Jesus and be share the hope with others.

Tonight we were asked, “Will you be a pursuer of Justice?”  The tricky thing about this question is that we have to make sure that our hearts match where our hands are.  We have to make sure that we are not doing “good things” because we know that it is the thing that we are supposed to do or well this is what God expects me to do so I better do it.  It is out of our response for the love that God has for us that we serve him.  It is our way of saying thank you God for the blessings that you have given me.  It is important for us to make sure that we are not just going through the motions but rather seeking out justice in response to God’s love for us.

Worshiping and praising God alongside of our students and working through these tough questions with them and watching them wrestle with their faith is incredible and I thank God for this ministry that He has called me to and I thank you all for trusting me and the other leaders to spend this week with your kids so they can have this opportunity to grow closer to God and serve others in His name!