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How God Spoke to me Through Push-ups

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All I had ever wanted growing up was just to be loved for who I was not for what I had done, was doing, or for anything that I was ever going to do. Instead, I only felt I received attention for the things I did. I felt like I had to earn love, like I had to do something to be recognized. This created in me an obsession with trying to be perfect because I was desperate to be loved. This also led me to feel like God expected perfection, and then I began to wonder if that’s why He gave us the Bible.

Why was I trying to be perfect?

It wasn’t until I learned how to study the Bible that God showed me that I was running to work, sports, grades, ministry, working out, etc. thinking that He, along with others, would love me because of them. God showed me that in reality these things had become idols in my life. It’s not that any of these things were bad, in fact most of them were really good but, God was wanting to deal with the reason why I was doing those things. Why was I trying to be perfect?

It was through studying His Word that God showed me that I wasn’t loved for what I had done, was doing, or was going to do, but because of what He had done for me on the cross. I was loved because of what He did. Did I deserve it? No. But that is the unfathomable mystery and beauty of grace.

If the details of your life are important to you, they are infinitely more important to Me.

A couple of months ago (after a long process of God bringing healing to how I viewed myself), I felt like God told me to start working out again. This time, though, it wouldn’t be because I had to prove something, but so that I can be healthy, safe, capable, and sure… look good for my future wife! Now, you might be thinking: “why would God care if this guy works out or not? Surely God doesn’t care about such trivial matters. Isn’t God only interested in ministry and religious stuff?” Believe me I’ve wondered that too. One day I decided to ask Him about it and here’s what I feel like He said… “Caleb, if the details of your life are important to you, they are infinitely more important to Me.  You were worth dying for so that I could be with you and you could be with Me from now, unto every second of eternity.”

So, when God told me to start working out again I decided to ask Him to be a part of that too. The first day I started working out I asked Him, “how many pushups do you want me to do?”  He said “15”. So I did 15, took a minute break, and then I asked again. He said “10.” So I did 10, took another minute break, and I asked again. It went on like this until I was so sore and tired that I could barely finish the number of pushups. I got up thinking I was done and felt like God said, “What are you doing? I didn’t tell you that you were done.” I said, “God I’m super tired and sore. There is no way that I can do another set.” He said, “Caleb, you are capable of far more than you know or realize when you let Me help you. I’m not saying it will always be easy, or that it won’t hurt sometimes, but if you trust Me, I will empower you to grow stronger and healthier in all aspects of your life, especially with Me.”  

He will be with me in the seemingly insignificant details of my life.

I got down on my hands and knees, and then on my hands and toes… and I finished my last set of pushups. It hurt, I didn’t think I could do it, but with my arms shaking God met me.  He reminded me, even during that last set that He is with me, and that if I trust Him He will empower me to do all that He has asked me to do and even more. He will be with me every day, all the time, loving me and even being with me in the seemingly insignificant details of my life… like doing pushups.

What areas of your life do you need to invite God into, even if it doesn’t seem important?  Will you allow God to love you for who you are and not for what you do?

Want to learn more about hearing God’s voice in your own life? Consider doing a DTS with us!

What are you willing to give up for Jesus?

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You know that feeling you get when you are totally out of your element – your palms get sweaty and it seems like the room you’re in is shrinking?  That’s how I felt when I found myself sleeping on the ground next to 60 high schoolers in a nation that is totally different from my own.  The high schoolers couldn’t speak much english, so communication was difficult. I was totally out of my element and it wasn’t just 1 night, but a week long camp that my outreach team was leading.

I was about to learn what surrender really looks like.

My role in the camp was to teach about surrendering all things to Jesus and saying yes to him no matter what the cost might be. I had no idea that I was about to learn from them what surrender really looks like.

At the end of my teaching, most of the students kneeled at the cross – bringing something that they wanted to surrender to Jesus.  This was incredible to see in a nation where most people have never heard the gospel!  One particular boy traveled very far from his village in the mountains, even during a Hindu holiday, to attend this bible seminar rather than participate in rituals with his family. This took tremendous courage.

This boy knew that Jesus was worth everything.

In the middle of worship during this seminar, his mother came in – she yelled at him, trying to pull him out the door of the church. She had been afraid that he would make a decision to become a Christian, and now it had finally happened. He refused to come, so as she left she disowned him from the family.

This boy knew that Jesus was worth everything, and this gave him the courage he needed to say yes to God in the face of being disowned by his family.

If he can do that, what are we able to surrender to God?  I thought I was giving up a lot for Jesus being in such an uncomfortable place, but I was so challenged seeing what this boy gave up – he counted the cost and decided that Jesus is worth everything.  What cost are we willing to pay to be a disciple of Jesus?

 

If you would like to learn more about what it means to actively pursue Jesus, come join us for a Discipleship Training School (DTS)!

Please Don’t Wait for Marriage

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It has been an undefined expectation in my head that marriage would fulfill or complete me…

“How am I supposed to wait patiently for marriage?” This is a question I have been seriously mulling over the past few months. In order to wait patiently for something, I realized that I had to actually understand what that something was. It has been an undefined expectation in my head that marriage would fulfill or complete me in some way, shape or form. I thought this because I was looking at myself being served through marriage, which is something heavily emphasized within our culture. However, while studying the Bible and being surrounded by Christ centered marriages, I’ve come to realize that my part in marriage will not be about finally receiving the love I was waiting for, but rather serving my spouse even at my own expense.

You see, those who are married are to love each other as Christ loved the Church. The love that Christ demonstrated included being brutally tortured and killed on the cross for our sins. This goes to show that marriage is not meant for one to selfishly receive, but for one to selflessly give of themselves, as Christ gave Himself completely. In doing this, with Christ at the absolute center, marriage portrays the gospel to others, and the husband and wife carry the image of Christ by serving each other selflessly through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

So, why wait?

No, I’m not talking about waiting for sex (please wait!). While the romantic aspect of marriage is exciting and quite an amazing gift for two people to share (so I’ve heard), we see that it isn’t the foundation of marriage. The romance and the mountain top emotions are not what will get a marriage through the extremely difficult seasons. The foundation is the commitment to unconditionally love and serve. We do not need to wait in allowing Christ to teach us how to mold our characters into those who serve unconditionally. We are able to learn how to walk in selflessness now, which will not only prepare us for marriage but also for eternity with Christ.

How do we learn to serve?

This is what prepares us for marriage.

Actively pursue Jesus. As we focus on knowing Jesus more in the midst of singleness it allows our character to be refined in His humility and love, which produces the ability to serve one another. This is what prepares us for marriage. But what’s awesome about a Christ centered marriage built upon Christ centered singleness, is that it actually prepares us for eternity with Christ by continually refining our character in selflessness.

So, let’s not wait for marriage to actively pursue Christ in a way that allows us to serve. We have an opportunity every day to become more conformed to His character and love for the Church.

 

If you would like to learn more about what it means to actively pursue Jesus, come join us for a Discipleship Training School (DTS)!

This Isn’t Just For You

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In our first week of SBS, one of our teachers had us write down why we came. I wrote this in my notebook, “I came to SBS to gain my own understanding about this book I dedicate my life to and to gain intimacy with the One who called me.” My heart was pure and I believe my motives were good. Over the time I’ve been in SBS, my reason for being here has changed. Before I came to SBS, I desired to know truth. A common phrase I hear more often than I’d like is “my truth is my truth, and your truth is your truth”. I knew this went against everything I believed about Jesus being THE truth. What I didn’t understand was how God was calling me to be a part of blowing that phrase apart.

less than 20% of Christians have read the entire Bible and less than 45% have read the entire New Testament…

Over the course of the first quarter, I was overwhelmed as I dug into the Bible and uncovered things I’d never known before. I’ve known who Jesus was since I was three. How had I never known the difference between justification and sanctification? How had I never fully understood why Jesus’ death on the cross was necessary? Why hadn’t I ever heard it taught before that 1 Corinthians 14 isn’t about women not speaking in church, it’s about unity in the church? That first quarter, I really felt like I was uncovering gold in my studies. As I started to learn and understand these truths in the Word of God, I also learned that I’m not alone in my Bible illiteracy. Ron Smith, one of the founders of the SBS, shared with our class that less than 20% of Christians have read the entire Bible and less than 45% have read the entire New Testament. The fact that we call ourselves followers of Christ, yet walk around not having read the breathed out word of God, terrified me. My studying of the Bible went from an interest to a necessity. I realized that I’ve dedicated my life to following, loving and serving a God that I never took the time to fully know.

These truths are found in the Bible and the world around me is desperate to hear about it.

When we came into SBS, our staff said repeatedly “This isn’t just for you”, and I’d smile and think about how maybe someday I could share with someone an insightful tidbit I’d learned in my SBS and I’d have done my duty. During second quarter, I noticed a drastic shift in my mindset. No longer was I only studying to gain personal understanding, but everything I was learning I wanted to know well enough to teach other people. The Holy Spirit started working in me and stirring up a passion for truth. The thought came to me time and time again, “People have to know this. This is THE truth.” 2 Timothy 3:16­17 says “All Scripture is God-­breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” People can’t follow God if they don’t know his commands, they can’t have hope for the future if they don’t know what the promises are, they can’t live their lives as Sons and Daughters of Christ if they don’t know what their identity is. These truths are found in the Bible and the world around me is desperate to hear about it.

I started my SBS with the intention of gaining understanding about the Bible, and yes, over my time here so far I’ve started that never-ending journey. But the main thing I’ve gained through SBS is an understanding of how desperately I need to know this book. Not just for myself, but for the people who’ve never heard the name of Jesus. For the people who have heard his name and haven’t been shown his love. For the people who are followers of Christ and haven’t yet uncovered the depths of riches in the book they’ve hardly ever read.

 

Yes! I want to find out more about a School of Biblical Studies:

How God Spoke to Me Through a Pineapple

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Recently, God has been speaking to me through the use of Pineapples. Yes you read that right, Pineapples. How has a simple, common fruit become the source of Heavenly revelation you ask? Well, let me tell you.

First, did you know that pineapples didn’t use to be so common? In the 1600s, pineapples were so rare that only the richest of people would eat them. Sometimes, they would not even eat the fruit, instead they would have viewing parties and display the pineapple until it rotted completely. Later, pineapples became a sign of hospitality in the new world. If a hostess were able to get her hands on a juicy pineapple, she would be the talk of the town. Everyone would be lucky to attend said party because they knew that the hostess had spared no expense for them. However, today pineapple are some of the most common of fruits. Any grocery store you enter usually has a pile of these prickly pines. So what changed over the years to cause pineapples to become so common?

God kept asking me to change my perspective on the situation.

Change Your Thinking 

One could say that pineapples haven’t changed but people’s thoughts on the fruits have changed. This is the first area in which God has been speaking to me. I recently come out of a season of being truly busy. Not the kind of busy where you just want to look busy to look important, but the kind of busy where I barely had a hour of free time during my daily day. In this season, I kept having some very negative thoughts about the load that had been placed on me. I was struggling and didn’t know how I was going to accomplish all the work, but God kept asking me to change my perspective on the situation. Although the situation wasn’t going to change, my thoughts and emotions on the situation could change. I needed to remember exactly how special the job I have is and that I needed God’s strength to complete the job anyways. I needed to choose joy in the midst. So although I was busy and overwhelmed, I could make it through. I just needed a mindset shift.

Slowly, I have been starting to realize that I truly need the repetition and the slow process.

Slow Down

Second, did you know that it takes a single pineapple three whole years to reach maturation? That is a LONG time for a single fruit. Through this, God has been showing me the importance of not rushing things.I love seeing a task finished. I love being able to check things off the to-do-list. I love the end of a project more than the start and the middle, but God has been showing me that I need to stop rushing to the end. He’s been doing this by repeating the same thing to me over and over, even when I feel like I should be done with that lesson and able to move on. He keeps speaking “hope” to me. Slowly, I have been starting to realize that I truly need the repetition and the slow process. Even when I think that I have already arrived, I begin to see how much I need to keep relearning the simple truths. I will never outgrow the simple gospel.

We need a solid community around us who will call us to higher things.

Be Rooted

Lastly, once harvested a pineapple will not continue to ripen. That means once it is removed from the root source, its growth is stunted. Through this, God has been showing me the necessity of being rooted in community and in Him. This idea is scattered all throughout the Bible. In particular, John 15 reminds believers that we need to abide in the vine of Christ because He is our life source. When we are cut off from the vine, our growth will be stunted and we will start to decay. Likewise, we need a solid community around us who will call us to higher things. Iron sharpens iron, as the saying goes. Because of these truths, I have been intentionally pursuing community with others and with God. My happy place of community with God is in worship. Nothing allows me to sense His heart and direction more than worship does. On the other hand, community with others isn’t always easy to fight for, but it is necessary. I need the strength of the roots of community around me, so I have been pursuing deep and meaningful friendships. As winter ends and the sun comes out, I’m fighting against isolation and pulling more people into my life so I can experience the true joys of community.

So the next time you see or eat a pineapple, remember there is a lot more to that simple fruit than meets the eye. And as you look at the world, never underestimate the power of God to speak to you through the most unexpected of places.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about the life God has for you, come join us for a DTS!

What is Real Happiness?

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A little bit ago, I was having a conversation with someone, when they made a comment that not only stuck with me, but has deeply troubled me since. The comment was this, “We don’t all get the life we want, some of us just have to deal with it.” This individual, searching so desperately for a fulfilling, purposeful life honestly believed that they weren’t important enough in God’s plan to live a life THEY enjoyed. At that moment, everything in me wished I could just reach out, shake that person and force them to realize that I’ve spent the greater part of the last 2 years of my life learning: not only do we get to live the happy, exciting, fulfilling life we want, but we are called to it.

As humans, I believe the main thing in life we strive for is happiness.

As humans, I believe the main thing in life we strive for is happiness. Everything in our culture is centered around what we think will make us happy. Our society has spent the entirety of it’s existence searching for happiness in all the wrong places and, realizing it, but not realizing how to change it. My heart breaks because I’ve experienced the struggle, I’ve lived it, I see it happening all around me daily and yet the solution is so simple. It lies in scripture, and it lies in the undeniable fact that everything about humans points to the conclusion that there is something greater to be done with life than live it for our own contentment.

First, before anything else, we have to truly believe that God is head over heels, endlessly, relentlessly, passionately, fiercely, unconditionally IN LOVE with us and He so greatly longs to see us happy. Secondly, we have to believe that His plan for our lives isn’t a takeover, or a manipulation, but a beautiful story waiting to be written. From there, we can ask ourselves a series of questions and hopefully, in answering them, find the answer to the lifelong search for fulfillment.

What if we transformed our idea of happiness from what we thought we wanted to what the Maker of the Universe has in store for us? And what if we died to ourselves and our fear just enough to let Him show us what that looks like? And, what if we surrendered enough to follow through with whatever it is He revealed He had for us? What might that kind of life bring? What endless, unimaginable adventures and pleasures come from a life fully seeking after Him?

 

Yes! I want to find out more about a Discipleship Training School:

How do we Find Jesus in the Outdoors?

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We’ve all been a part of some kind of team building exercise, low ropes course/initiative game or high ropes course. Some of us have been on multi-day or multi-week expeditions where we’re intentionally pushed to live in the “growth” (or groan!) zone. We’re encouraged to embrace the physical challenge, marvel in the majesty and beauty of the surroundings and engage with nature by simplifying our lives, tuning out distractions and meditating while on the journey. Inevitably, there is a time of briefing and debriefing and connections are made between the physical activity and how it relates to growing as an individual, building teamwork and how the lessons learned in the outdoors relate to life back home in the “real-world”. These are good experiential learning activities and a good facilitator will go deep and find ways to help participants make significant and lasting connections.

In Christian outdoor ministry circles, we add the dimension of using the experience to highlight, or deepen, our understanding of God, faith, trust in him, overcoming fear, worshiping freely and connecting with our Creator. Unfortunately, I’ve observed that drawing connections and helping “outdoor people” receive revelation about God by engaging with the created order can sometimes fall short, leaving people thinking, “That’s it? I want solid food, not milk.” We want deep, meaningful revelation about God through our adventures and experiences in the wilderness, but all too often we settle for a shallow reminder, the low hanging fruit, the “right answer”.

So what would it look like to go deep with God in nature or while engaging in outdoor pursuits?

So what would it look like to go deep with God in nature or while engaging in outdoor pursuits? Something at a deep level… something that brings life-transforming revelation and action? Does it depend on the person? Does is rely on sound facilitation? Is it done individually or does it come in the context of community (the church)? Can you do it only in silence and solitude? Does it only happen if you’re dirt-bagging it and don’t have any creature comforts around you?

We don’t have all the answers in Endurance DTS or at YWAM Montana – Lakeside, but we have learned a few things through the years. Here’s some food for thought… First, we’ve observed that incorporating the Word of God into outdoor programming is integral to fostering an environment of growth that creates sustained change. Meditating on Psalm 36:5-6 for weeks on end while pushing yourself physically in Montana’s Big Sky Country doesn’t leave you hanging! Second, we see Jesus when we serve others. Others – both outdoor enthusiasts and those who have needs and happen to live in the most beautiful parts of the world (remote locations off the beaten path!), that is where Jesus is found! He is on the field, fulfilling his mission to merge heaven and earth together. It is when we use our God-given passion for adventure and partner with him in his ministry that he gives us revelation about his father, his kingdom and who he has made us to be.

We desire the deep things of God in the Endurance DTS. We desire lasting transformation. Want to join us? Be part of it!

 

Yes! I want to find out more about the Endurance Discipleship Training School:

Living a Life Worthy of the Calling

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Worthiness.

Worth is something the Lord spoke a lot to me about this Fall. The fact that though on my own I have nothing, I am nothing; I am worthy because He calls me such.
When I was in Nepal, a couple verses had me thinking…

“Live a life worthy of the calling you have received” – Ephesians 4:1

“Aim for perfection” – 2 Corinthians 13:11

God had been working in me tremendously, bringing me to a place where I could see my worth through His eyes. The idea of living a life worthy of His calling was overwhelming to me, but I realized He deemed me worthy even when I myself may think I’m not. This is an extremely weighty charge; one that I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to meditate on for about a week. I think I’m getting used to the whole idea of grace. I know I fail, I know God loves me anyway. But, how often do I take on the charge that I have a responsibility – a responsibility to live my life worthy and to aim for perfection?

Then it all clicked once again, the concept so simple that I constantly lose: it’s never me, it’s always Him.

To me, a person worthy would be one who exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit day in and day out. We all know the fruits of the Spirit, our grandmothers have them crocheted on a wall hanging or pillow. But, I have to admit, I never gave them much thought until now – until I started to ask myself what would being “worthy”, what would “aiming for perfection” look like..

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

No, that’s not me… maybe in moments, but not consistently. For days I sat with this thought. “Lord, how do I go about this correctly? How do I, as a sinner, live a life that would be deemed worthy of the amazing life you’ve given me?” As I asked Him this question, He answered me something He’s been speaking to me repeatedly over the last year,

“Abide in me”.

“For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17. Live with me daily, invite me into your life, consult me in everything, pray for my heart and there you will find your freedom.

He invites me to live this kind of intimacy with Him. Not only does He invite me to it, He reminds me it is the only way I have hope. For without Him I fail. But, with Him, I have a chance of becoming the type of woman, the type of wife, the type of leader I want to be. With His Spirit, there is freedom. Freedom from fear that I will never be worthy, freedom from feeling like I need to do it all on my own, freedom from the burden of works. Then it all clicked once again, the concept so simple that I constantly lose: it’s never me, it’s always Him. I could never be worthy of the calling I have received, but I can constantly put Him above all else. I can never be perfect, but I can strive daily to be one step closer to Him. There is responsibility on my end but, along with it, there is a never ceasing source of empowerment that comes from Him.

There was my answer. Abiding in Him daily.

From abiding will come direction, and from direction will come action, and from action growth, and from growth I will be walking towards worthiness.

 

 

Yes! I want to find out more about a Discipleship Training School:

What Led Me to do a DTS

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It wasn’t until I was nineteen that I actually gave my life to the Lord. I had grown up in church and had plenty of opportunities to hear about Him, but my life was transformed when I “met Jesus” and had a real encounter with Him at nineteen. I couldn’t believe that I had missed out on the awesomeness that was life with Jesus for so long. I had heard about Him my whole life, but there was something completely different between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Jesus! I was determined that other people needed to know Him like I knew Him.

It was after giving my life to the Lord that I heard about places and people who have never heard about Jesus before. I had grown up hearing about Him all the time, but many people have never gone to a worship service, heard the name of Jesus, or even had someone pray for them. I was shocked (and I still am amazed) at the reality of our world 2,000 years after Jesus rose from the dead. There remain places where literally hundreds of millions of people in the world do not yet know who Jesus is! I knew I had to do something, but I didn’t know what. So I asked God, “What can I do?”

I wanted to be a part of the answer of reaching those people who had never heard His name.

It wasn’t because of a specific teaching or message that I heard about missions and the great need overseas – I just had this desire in me. I can’t explain it, and I didn’t know how to satisfy it. I just knew there was a need and I had to do something. God’s answer to the question, “What can I do?” was missions. I never had a great “call” or “the heavens split open” kind of sign, just a deep desire to fulfill God’s dream that everyone would hear the gospel. I knew I wanted to do missions but had no idea where to start.

I was in college and at the point when I needed to choose a degree, and God just kept highlighting missions. One of my closest friends and mentors knew what I was thinking through and suggested I look into a Discipleship Training School (DTS) with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). I had no idea what it was – I just knew I needed to respond to this longing inside of me to go. I wanted to be a part of the answer of reaching those people who had never heard His name.

When you don’t know where God is leading you, continue to trust Him.

I took a semester off of school and did a DTS. It was absolutely life changing. I spent three months being trained and equipped, then two months overseas on outreach. After my DTS, I moved to Southeast Asia and volunteered with YWAM. God is doing amazing things among the nations and I have seen His dream of people hearing His truth coming true. Before my Discipleship Training School, I was struggling with what I was going to do with my life. After my time in Southeast Asia, I knew I wanted to serve overseas so I went back to my university with more clarity and motivation and finished my degree in International Studies. Since graduating, I have been serving with YWAM both in Southeast Asia and in the States. I’m so thankful for my mentor who encouraged me to pray about doing a DTS – my life has never been the same!

It is amazing to look back on my life and see how God was leading me through the various decisions I had to make. When you don’t know where God is leading you, continue to trust Him. God has always been faithful and will continue to be faithful to you as you look towards the future. For me, taking a leap of faith and doing a DTS changed my life and it will never be the same. If you are at a decision point in your own life, or feel that longing to do more, then trust Him! He may be asking you to take a leap of faith and be a part of His answer.


If you’re feeling the same call as Stephen, come join us for a DTS!