Perspectives

I am taking this course called Perspectives. It's a 16 week course to help believers from all walks of life see how they can get threaded into God’s story of redeeming people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to Himself. From Genesis to the prophets, Jesus Christ to the early church, and Constantine to today, I will see how God has been moving, how the global Church has responded, and what the greatest needs in world evangelization remain today. It isn’t a class about missions, but a course on how every believer can be intimately woven into the story of God using His people to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth. 

Perspectives has been a great new experience for me. I am so glad I decided to take this class. After I had decided to take it, my Aunt signed up too. It has been a really fun experience so far, especially since I can ask her if I have questions about the review. I have listened to all the speakers with the greatest intention to take in their every word. They have some great perspectives themselves. I also really like that the study guide goes along with the readings. I didn’t realize it would be so intense, but I am up to the challenge! This course is really eye-opening to circumstances, ideas, and viewpoints that I have never thought about before. Each chapter introduces me to new ways of thinking about verses I have read over and over. And I never knew that there was so much in the Bible about missions! The authors of these articles are using scriptures I’ve heard a million times and completely flipping my perspective one hundred eighty degrees in a better direction. I can’t believe how this course has changed my life and my view of most verses and of missions in general. I am so excited to continue this course!

I have learned a lot over these last five weeks. Being a high school student while taking this class is really opening my eyes to the rest of the world in contrast to the daily routine I am so used to. I know now that there are 16,000 people groups that are unreached. That seems like a lot more than I thought there were. With all the many times I hear about missionaries going out on trips it seems like I am not needed because there is already enough called to do the work. But over these past weeks I have realized that I and every other believer are to be a part of this global purpose God has for us. We are to evangelize the world and we have a lot of work to do. From the first week I learned from Philip Nelson that the biggest ability we have with God is availability. I have come to understand that I need to be available for everything and anything God wants me to be. I found out the first week that seven countries have launched perspectives classes which seems like a lot to me, but in retrospective, it’s really not, because there are over a hundred countries. I also learned the first week that I need to integrate my story into His story because His story is history. I love that it fits together into like a little pun. After learning that a billion and half people haven’t heard the gospel, I am ready to run over and tell them right now. The fact that those many people have not heard about Jesus is so appalling to me.      

Throughout the many weeks of taking this class I have also learned that the purpose of missions is the glory of God. It’s not to have more people in heaven. It’s not for creating a Jesus cult. The sole purpose that God has revealed for missions is for the worship of Himself. Now that I say that it, it kind of sounds selfish of Him, but I understand it in a non prideful way. I have also began to question what my identity. I have ever really thought of myself as anything but a Christian, student, and lifeguard. But I am following Jesus and to disciple other people. My identity is Jesus and I model after his life. I also learned just this past week that not only did Jesus call to disciple the world, but he did it in three different ways. He systematically called to the Jews for faith in Him, of His own people, in His own nation. Secondly, he sent seventy disciples out to the seventy gentile nations at the time. And lastly, but not least, he called all peoples from all nations to follow him. It was a threefold mandate. I had really never thought about Matthew 28:18-20 that way before. I have really enjoyed learning these and many other new things and look forward to learning so much more. We are blessed to be a blessing!

Click here to find out more about Perspectives

Dreams

Night dreams.

Day dreams.

Nightmares.

Late Night thoughts.

Discouraging thoughts most of the time.

All those famous people you want to meet. 

All those things you want to do with your life. 

Every possible combination of a perfect day you can think of.

Am I the only one who lays in bed at night thinking about all the things I could have done?

Am I the only one who lays in bed at night thinking about the past?

Am I the only one who lays in bed at night thinking about the tomorrow?

Am I the only one who lays in bed at night thinking about the future?

Am I the only who daydreams before I fall asleep into a deep unconsciousness? 

Am I the only who has a dream of a day that I wish would happen in real life, 

or a dream that I never want to cross my mind again?

You wish.

You hope.

You believe.

You convince yourself that it's gonna happen.

But sometimes, it's impossible.

Maybe a 1% chance, but only if you try with everything you've got.

You feel like your deepest desire at that moment is to find out who that person really is.

You make up scenarios in your mind that you think are so great but know are never going to happen.

You start believing but you just eventually give up even though you want it to happen so bad.

You get inspired.

You see a video online, a TV show, movie, or start talking more about it, 

and the feeling of urgency overwhelms you.

Your focus is on one thing and one thing only. 

One person.

One goal.

One event.

One circumstance.

One situation.

One more chance.

One more time.

I've had some really weird dreams, and some really scary ones.

I've had a nightmare about Hell once.

And you can't get out.

There's no chicken exit.

There's no magic lamp to rub.

There's no apologies accepted.

God won't hesitate to say no. 

He won't listen to your apologies.

You are there burning for all of time.

I've also had a dream about Heaven.

It's wonderful.

Beyond anything you could ever imagine.

And the only thing you have to do is repent of your sins and follow Jesus.

That's it.

Sounds simple right?

I think so.

You don't have to live in a nightmare forever.

Why not live in a dream?

The best dream you've ever had. For eternity.

It's your choice though.