A Lesson From 1 Peter

Last weekend Pioneer’s college leadership team went on a retreat where we learned valuable things about approaching our plans for this year with college ministry. Although we were there to learn about our roles as leaders and to talk about what this ministry can look like, I gained insight on areas in my life that I feel need changing. I’ve felt through this semester that God has called me to live a different way than how I am going about my life right now. I came to realize the amount of time I spend taking naps, getting on facebook, checking email, and just hanging around my room is far too much. I have known for some time there are habits in my life that need changing and now I feel ready to actually try and change them. I say try, really it will mean surrendering it all to God and allowing Him to work in me and provide the resistance to temptation I will need.

As college students it is so easy to rationalize taking time for ourselves. We feel like we really need that two hour nap, or that it’s okay to splurge on some cheesecake and chocolate cake during fiesta day in the Caf (guilty!), or that checking facebook 10 times a day is no harm as long as it’s not an hour at a time. But as I came back and glanced through His word, I found the inspiring and convicting verses written above. We are to be self-controlled, to resist our fleshly desires, and to be holy in all we do. That might sound like drudgery, but it can actually become a great joy when we follow in the ways Jesus wants us to. If I would start studying more, spend less time with social media, take care of my body by not eating all the junk food I see in sight, and maybe just walk around campus and enjoy the beautiful weather; I would feel more accomplished, less stressed, and it might even give me opportunities to talk with people and invest in others lives instead of thinking of myself. A challenge for this week is to evaluate how we live each day. Are there things we do that seem self-focused instead of God-focused? Is there a way we can honor God more with how we conduct ourselves and how we spend our time? Are we being holy (set-apart, conducting ourselves in a way that is God honoring) in all we do? If you feel there is something in your day to day life that could be changed to better honor God, start now! There is no time like the present.

S

This Week:

Join us Friday morning at 7a.m. for coffee and prayer at John and Elya's!

Sunday morning at 9a.m. -Coffee, donuts, and Bible Study!

FREE! Meal is Sunday night at 6! Follow us on Twitter to find out what's for meal!

We are looking for two male student's to mentor 2 young boys from Bonham elementary school in need of a male role model. Time commitment would be about one hour per week, just hanging out, playing video games, or eating lunch. The commitment would need to be through May. Let us know if you are interested in helping serve one of our neighbors!

Have a great week!

Seeing God at Lunch

So I have been reading a couple books lately about Corrie ten Boom, and it hit me how reluctant I have been the past few years to share my faith with people. It’s an easy thing to do on Sundays or around Christian friends when topics present themselves, but actually bringing up a spiritual conversation with someone in regular conversation, especially around a non-Christian has been something I haven’t done in a really long time. So the other day I was praying and asked God to provide a conversation at lunch the following day that would be God-centered, one where I might even be able to tell someone about Jesus! The next day I was a little skeptical, seeing as I hadn’t done that this whole semester and wondering how the following 30 minutes spent in the Caf would be any different from other days. I get my food and see a girl sitting alone so I go and sit across from her. She happens to be someone I have met before. We had talked previously some about how she doesn’t really have a religion, she has never been to church, and a majority of people around her back home are of a different religion. We started talking about school, places to go visit, education and the culture difference between where she is from and here…just carrying on a normal conversation. Then, I find out she went to a Bible study last week and I asked her how it went. Later she asked if I knew much about Buddhism, and I said I had heard about their belief in reincarnation. She asked if Christians believed in reincarnation and I said “No, we believe God created us and he came to earth in human form (Jesus) to die for us and take away our sins so we could be forgiven and live forever with him in Heaven…” and the conversation was off! We talked about creation, Jesus, sin, the joy I have from a personal relationship with God etc. At the end she mentioned how she has never felt that joy before and wondered if being a Christian is the only way to feel that. I said yes, it comes from having the Holy Spirit inside of us and being able to talk with Jesus and know him personally (a lot to take in for someone who hasn’t been exposed much to the faith, I know!). Then she asked about why there are evil people in the world, but I had four minutes to get to class, so we decided to continue talking later. …What an answer to prayer! I left the cafeteria feeling completely joyful and excited that God actually gave me an opportunity to share about him! He is so good! Its little things that happen like that which serve to remind us of His constant and living presence in our lives. May your week be blessed and may you see the fingerprints of God through situations you’re in as well!

Here's what's happenin!

Join us Sunday morning at 9a.m. for a time of fellowship, worship, and discussion! Donuts and coffe, followed by Bible Study!

FREE! Meal is Sunday night at 6p.m.

Camp Eagle Fall Retreat is November 4-6th! Mark your calendar, you won't want to miss it! Weekend full of relaxing, community, and more fun than you can handle! Let us know if you are interested.

Have a great weekend!

Through the Darkest Times, His Light Will Shine

After being told I need to read The Hiding Place several times by my mom, I finally resolved to push pas the first 5 pages and actually finish the book. And it was worth it! For those who haven’t heard about this book by Corrie Ten Boom; it is an inspirational true story about an amazing Christian family who helped protect Jews during the time of the Nazi invasion. Two sisters, Corrie and Betsie, got captured and sent to various jails and labor camps. Amongst these terrible conditions, they were able to adopt an attitude of joy and see God’s love shining through even when their surroundings seemed so dark. They lived in insanely crowded and miserable conditions, with lice and fleas everywhere. They had reeking and soiled straw they used for bedding; they ate little food, were summoned for hours of role call in the middle of the night, and were forced to do hard labor, among other things. But through this seemingly hopeless situation, Corrie and Betsie knew there was hope. They saw God work in amazing ways while going through their darkest time in life. They were able to sneak their Bible past all the guards, they had “sermons” in their barracks which many women gathered for without guards noticing, and the Lord even supernaturally extended the small supply of medicine they had so help the sick around them. The Ten Booms were selfless in every situation, and because of their desire to obey the Lord and the faith they had in Him, they witnessed amazing changes in the people around them and they were able to experience His comforting presence even through their tough trials.
Here is a passage from page 177 of The Hiding Place:

“It grew harder and harder. Even within these four walls there was too much misery, too much seemingly pointless suffering…But as the rest of the world grew stranger, one thing became increasingly clear. And that was the reason the two of us were here…from morning until lights-out, whenever we were not in ranks for roll call, our Bible was the center of an ever-widening circle of help and hope…the blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God. ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ...Nay. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.’
…More than conquerors…it was not a wish. It was a fact. We knew it, we experienced it minute by minute - poor, hated, hungry. We are more than conquerors. Not “we shall be” but we are! Life in Ravensbruck took place on two separate levels, mutually impossible. One, the observable, external life grew every day more horrible. The other, the life we lived with God, grew daily better, truth upon truth, glory upon glory.”

Sometimes situations in our lives seem hopeless. Things happen and we don’t understand why. We feel stressed out, exhausted, and lonely. But we have a Savior who adores us to no end. We have a Maker who knows everything about each of his creations and He has a plan for each and every one of us. He can use the seemingly impossible situations in our lives to bring glory to Him. Sometimes, it is through the darkest places in our lives where we see God the fullest. The harder things get, the more we need God and the greater his glory and unsurpassing beauty can be displayed for all to see. God is good. May we be encouraged this week, through whatever we’re going through, and remember that God is right here with us, he will never leave us, he desires to reveal himself through our situation, and he cares deeply.

This week!

Hey friends!

If you are interested in joining a Home Team let us know and we will get you more information!

Join us Friday morning for a time of Prayer at 7a.m. at John and Elya's house.

Sunday morning at 9a.m. we will have coffee, donuts, and Bible Study in room 150!

Sunday night is FREE! Meal!! It starts at 6p.m. Look on Twitter and Facebook Sunday at noon to find out what we are having!


Have a great week :)

Justin's Story

Howdy all!

My name is Justin Sizemore I am a sophomore at Hardin-Simmons. It sure is crazy we are already in our third week of classes and school is in full gear. The quizzes, tests, and essays have started to pile up. The weeks are always busy and I look forward to a time where I can just sit back and be with other guys and talk about life, a break from the hustle-n-bustle. Last year I got connected at Pioneer through “Home Teams.” It was that break I needed, it got me off campus, and it allowed me to really get to know people I would have otherwise not. Home Teams are great because it gives you an opportunity to just talk about life; they are a place of refuge and safety. Home Team are what “sold” me on Pioneer as a church home while here in Abilene. They are a great way to develop that community we all desire. I want to encourage you to consider joining a Home Team, it can be a blessing if you let it…It is for me.

Adios!

JS

Currently listening to: “Moving Backwards” by Ben Rector

Weekly Update-September 6, 2011

Hey everyone!

It has been such a blessing to part of a community who serves, worships, prays, and has fun together! The semester is off to a great start and we are looking forward to what's ahead!

If you are interested in joining a Home Team, it's not too late! Home Teams meet each week at 6:30.

Join us for prayer Friday morning at 7a.m. at John and Elya's house. There will be COFFEEEEEEE! :)

Sunday morning at 9a.m. there will be coffee, donuts, and Bible Study!

FREE! Meal is Sunday at 6p.m. Check out Twitter (@pioneercollege) or Facebook (Pioneer College Ministry) for clues to what the meal will be. Be the first to guess the meal and you will get to jump to the beginning of the line!

Have a great week!