to summarize challenge...

My friend Glenn summarized the CHALLENGE experience really well in his recent note sent out.  Basically he said...

"Faithful is the new Radical."   This is a quote that God has seared on my heart since returning from the Challenge student conference.   In our world, we are always looking for a new or better way of doing things.  I want to be efficient and effective in the work that I do.   As a result, I find myself running to the next thing that will help tomorrow be easier or better. The book of Colossians starts out with who Christ is and what life is about.   Then it transitions to our freedom in Christ.  We are free from the chains that tie us down, and no longer need to live with sin.  I am called to live a holy life that is dead to myself and alive in Christ. I would think the next thing we'd find in Colossians would be, so go help the helpless, feed the hungry, release the slaves, or change the world in my name -- but that is not what is said.  Instead, the Word of God talks about some of the hardest areas for us to consistently honor Him:  "Wives submit to your husbands, husbands love your wives, children obey your parents, husbands don't embitter your children."  (Col. 3:18-21)    Could it be that the most radical life for Christ is found in living  faithfully in the common areas of relationships?  When I hear Jesus say you can sum up the Bible by loving God & loving people, it starts to make me think that faithfulness -- in my relationship with GOD and in my relationships with the people closest to me -- is the Radical life that God has called me to.

Note from a student's perspective

Jordan Immermann

I couldn't describe Challenge 2012 in one word...so here are a bunch of synonyms for the word "epic"

bigger than life, bold, classic, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, elevated, epic , exaggerated, fearless, fire-eating, gallant, grand, grandiose, gritty, gutsy, gutty, high-flown, impavid, inflated, intrepid, lion-hearted, noble, stand tall, stouthearted, unafraid, undaunted, valiant, valorous

We are leaving...

Bitter sweet to see our conference come to an end.  Incredible experience as usual.  The EFCA puts together the best student conferences.  Thanks for praying.  Next stop I breakfast in St. Louis.  Check out the challenge channel on vimeo for the main Gathering messages.

Prayer walk day.

Love moves

Breakfast

Bryan McWhite

Bryan really nailed us tonight with the question of what does it mean to be alive?  "____________ is the way of the dead but I am ALIVE and I choose _______________!"

After dinner fun

Worship and challenge

After some awesome worship and humbling reminder of the price paid for our sins by Francis Chan we are off for more training in our afternoon seminars here at challenge. Thanks for your prayers. One awesome Thu.g we did was have all 5500 people lay hands on and pray over two church planters here in new Orleans.  So cool!

Francis 1

Francis Chan nailed it tonight. Colossians 1:15-19 and described Jesus....well tried to.  Great description and reminder of his pre-eminence and position.  Reminding us we are the created made to honor the creator.  So much so fast.  More from Francis in the morning which will come fast. 

Love moves

Josh carrying our supplies for the love moves Haiti project.

Church at challenge

We begin our week with worship.