Free

On Friday nights we have college students over to our house for dinner and discussion. They throw out questions and the group discusses them, bringing it back to what God's Word says about it.

I love hearing the real and raw questions:
* "How do you forgive someone when they have betrayed you?"
* "Do we send ourselves to hell or does God send us to hell?"
* "Why do you think even Christians are afraid to die?"
* How would you respond to the claim that Christianity is based completely on faith and that there is no proof?"
* "What does God think about suicide?"

Students and staff, new believers and old answer. It is a beautiful thing seeing a new believer answer a question according to Scripture.

This last Friday we had a couple from Iran join us. (Austin had met them the day before on campus, along with a student from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey. Wow! God is bringing the world, the unreached to us.) It was such an honor to have them. So inspiring and eye opening.

One of the questions asked during the night was, "What do you do if you want to get married but no one is pursuing you?" After talking about what the Bible says about this for 15 min. Austin asks our new friends to share thier experience. The sweet girl went on to describe her arranged marriage and how they knew each other for 15 days before getting married. Eye-opening! Talk about culture shock and perspective shift for our students. It was just plain awesome.

Austin gave them a ride home (since they rode the bus to our house which took 2, or was it 3, hours longer than expected) and in the car they noticed how "free" we were. I guess it takes someone from another country to help you not take that forgranted. They also said, "You know if we become Christians we will be killed." The cost of following Jesus is literally death for them.

I read not long ago in 2nd Samuel about David dancing before the Lord. He didn't hold back, he gave his all because Jesus is worthy. I questioned myself, "Is there anything I am holding back from the Lord? Anything I would not do out of fear of what people would think?" But this is a whole new level. Life is at stake. Would I be willing to follow Jesus at the expense of death? Would you?

Will you pray for our dear friends. That they would see Jesus as God and the One worthy of life and death?

#216 Voice of the Martyrs videos of awesome people who did what was right no matter the cost.
#217 Sweet Sara making a Cambodia video
#218 Our small group starting back up
#219 So many middle east students at the Auraria campus
#220 Angi's faith in raising support to join us on staff
#221 Great friends like Erin and Rhonda- women who push through in faith in spite of resistance.
#222 Kate Hurley's gift of music and her willingness to share it with students.
#223 The Lord leading me to start writing my 2nd 12 week Bible study.

I'm linked with...
Laura Boggess, Finding Heaven Today