Encounter at Illinois State University / ISU

The Holy Spirit is alive and working. How can we practice reverence in hearing His voice and where it leads us to in our everyday lives? (Acts 2:1-41, Rom 8:11)

Throughout Scripture, waiting on God is spoken of in a very positive way.  If waiting is such a good thing, why do we hate it so much? (Acts 1:4-5, 12-14, Luke 24:46-49, 2 Peter 3:8-9, Ps 130:5-6, Ps 27:14, Ps 37:34, Is 30:18, Is 40:31, Gen 15:1, Gen 16:3, Gen 21:5, Ex 2:11, Ex 3:1, I Sam 16:12)

The Christian life is one of transformation.  But if we’re being transformed, what’s the final version of us supposed to look like? (Rom 12:2, 2 Cor 3:18, Gal 4:19, 2 Cor 5:14, Eph 3:14-19, Matt 7:21-23, Rom 8:15, Gen 1:27, Is 43:6, Rev 19:6-9, Jn 15:15, Heb 10:24-25, Matt 28:18-20)

Fall Retreat-Session 4- Sunday AM Living the Story of the Kingdom on Behalf of Others and the reality of the Kingdom Advancing (1 Sam 17, Lk 4:18-19, Mt 20:25-28)

Fall Retreat-Session 3-Saturday PM The Story of the Kingdom and the Realities of Heaven (Rm 12:2, Mk 1:15, Lk 4:18-19, Mt 20:25-28, Gal 5:22-23)

Fall Retreat-Session 2- Saturday AM The Story of Sin and the Realities of Hell (Col 2:13-15, Ps 8:5, Gen 2:7)

Fall Retreat-Session 1- Friday PM The Stories we Believe and the Realities they Create (Rm 10:10-13; 1 Jn 2:28, Philip 4:6-7, Eph 4:31-32)

Before Jesus ascends, he promises his closest disciples that they will become his witnesses.  What does it mean to be a witness for Christ? (Acts 1:4-11, Luke 12:32, Jn 12:46, Jn 10:10, Matt 20:28, Lk 19:10, Rom 10:9-10, Acts 2:38-39, Jn 13:34-35, Matt 5:14-16, Gal 5:22+, I Peter 2:9)

Going back further into the teachings of Jesus we find a lesson on trust. “Your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom” is a little phrase that the disciples don’t understand in real time, but will be played out throughout the book of Acts.

What happens in our lives when resurrection goes from being an idea to a lived reality? (Luke 24:13-50, Lk 11:1-4, Acts 1:1-3, Jn 20:19, I Cor 15:6, Jn 11:17-26, I Cor 15:4, Rom 6:5, Rom 6:8, 2 Tim 2:11-12, Col 2:12, Rom 6:4, Gal 2:20, Col 3:3, I Jn 5:12, Eph 2:1-7, Rom 8:11a)

God is writing a beautiful story in our lives, but sometimes our desire to be the author of our own story cuts God out of the equation.  Nicodemus points us toward the importance of having a hunger and curiosity to seek out that better Author. (John 3:1-17, 2 Cor 5:17, Jn 7:51, Matt 16:24-25, Matt 7:7-8)

Practice 3: Wonder – What does it mean for us to regularly be taken aback by God’s glory? How can we continue to be held in wonder at the sheer scope and size of who He is?  (Psalm 33)

God makes it very clear that He cares deeply about lost people.  This was Jesus’ mission statement, and should certainly shape our own. (Lk 15:4-7, Jn 10:10-15, Lk 19:10, Lk 7:34, Psalm 23, 2 Peter 3:9, John 10:11, John 21, I Peter 5:1-4, Ezekiel 34, Gen 4:1-16)

We are the receivers of God’s deep blessing and grace, and yet feel slighted when we sense that others get more than their fair share of the very same thing. (Matt 20:1-16, Gen 1-3, Rom 7:18-22, Matt 19:29-30, Ps 103:10-13, Rom 8:1, Luke 15:11-32, Heb 12:2)

Practicing Celebration – In our lives, joyfulness, prayer, and thankfulness should be a part of the language we speak to those around us. In fact, this is literally “God’s will” for our lives. How do we do this on a daily basis? (I Thess 5:16-18)

Jesus wants us to understand how His Kingdom works, and gives us 2 small parables that help us understand the incredible value of His good news and the high cost of accepting it. (Matt 13:44-46, Matt 23:13, Matt 13:33, Matt 16:25, Matt 20:16, 2 Cor 12:9, I Peter 5:6, Eph 2:1-2, 4-7, I Jn 1:9, Eph 1:13-14, Rom 8:11, Eph 2:19-21, I Cor 3:9a, Rev 21:3-5, Matt 16:24-25, Rom 12:1, Rom 6:4)  

We all desire a deep sense of peace, but the path to shalom requires us following Christ into some very hard places. (Matt 7:1-6, Isaiah 26:3, Jn 14:27, I Jn 4:1, Gal 6:1, Eph 5:11, 2 Tim 4:1-8, Is 33:22, Ps 75:7, Rom 2:16, Matt 18:5+, Prov 18:2)

Jesus shatters our expectations on who “deserves” our love. Who is our neighbor? Connect this to our prayer discipline for the month. Who are we praying for? Who have you decided it is “ok” to hate? (Luke 10:30-36)

Prayer is the conduit by which we experience God in relationship. Let’s experience what prayer is and what it does in and through every follower of Jesus. (Luke 3:21, Matt 14:23, Mk 6:46, Lk 6:12, Mk 1:35, Lk 5:16, Lk 9:18, Matt 26:36, Matt 17:20, Jn 14:26, Jn 16:13, Jn 16:8, Acts 1:8, Matt 5:23-24, Is 1:8, Lam 3:22-23, Jn 10:27, I Thess 5:17)

Winter Retreat – Session 4- Sunday AM

Winter Retreat – Session 3- Saturday PM

Winter Retreat – Session 2- Saturday AM

Winter Retreat – Session 1 – Friday PM

In Jesus’ short parable about light, we learn a great deal about how our faith, connected to our behaviors, is a powerful beacon in a very dark world. (Matt 5:14-16, Matt 5:3-12, I Jn 1:5, Ps 4:6, Ps 27:1, Ps 28:28, Ps 89:15, Jn 1:9-10, Col 1:11-14, Jn 15:19, I Cor 6:11, Eph 5:3-8, Jn 12:47, Jn 13:35, Jn 8:12, Ps 36:9, Ps 119:105, Jn 3:20, Is 9:2)

In this parable, we see people who are entrusted with differing resposibilities by the master. The only worker reprimanded was the one who did nothing out of fear. Jesus doesn’t require success. He does require you to offer what has been given to you back to Him. What has been given to you that He may desire to multiply? ( Matt 25:14-30)