Be the Church

When I gave my life to Christ, I felt a drive to truly learn as much as I could and I found myself asking so many questions to mentors in my life. I started to develop my relationship with Jesus through reading my Bible, praying, and watching a lot of sermons online about how Jesus wants us to live. That led me to look deeply into the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew chapter 28, after Jesus had resurrected, He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

The Great Commission always stood out to me, but when I first read it, I wondered how to make disciples? Well after talking to some wise men I learned that you have to be a disciple in order to make disciples. That shifted my focus. I began to prioritize becoming a true disciple of Christ: a journey that never really ends. It’s a daily process of refining ourselves and deepening our relationship with Jesus. For me, that looks like regular prayer, reading God’s Word, and having intentional conversations with other believers I admire. Through those practices, I’ve felt more equipped to go and make disciples myself. I think everyone who is a follower of Jesus should make disciples and work on becoming a disciple. 

Just like a football team huddles before a play to strategize and encourage one another, church is the moment we gather as a team to get equipped and refocused. The Super Bowl is what happens Monday through Saturday. That’s when we go out into the world and make an impact. No matter what your week looks like, every person you encounter is an opportunity to reflect Christ through your words and actions. So here’s the challenge: don’t just go to church, go and be the Church. Live it out. Make disciples.

- Kainan Wade

When the Gospel Changed Everything

For the first nineteen years of my life, I wasn’t a believer. My parents told me early on that we do not believe in God, and that I should just try to be a “good” person. But being a “good” person felt impossible, and no matter how hard I tried, I failed. I lived a life that did not reflect Christ and I had selfish desires and wanted what was best for me. I was selfish, mean, and lost. Then one night in my dorm room a friend told me to read the Gospel of John, and I decided to read it, and that changed my life forever.

Once I became a follower of Jesus, I realized what I had been missing out on my entire life, and I was not living the life God called me to live. When I started my walk with Jesus, everything was new. I did not know how to pray, where to go to church, or the names of the books in the Bible. I knew nothing at all, and I found myself at a college that, like most of the world, was a dark place. Thankfully, I realized that the answers I needed were in Scripture and that Scripture was God's word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “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.” Paul let it be known that Scripture came from God himself, and it is beneficial in many ways, ultimately leading us to righteousness, maturity, and service. 

When I started following Jesus, I felt relief in my life. I no longer had to think about what happened when I died, or wonder what the purpose of life was. I learned in John 3:16 “For God loved the world in this way He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God, out of love, sent his Son to die for a believer like me who believes but still struggles with sin and temptation and lived many years away from my Lord and Savior. I now find my peace in Jesus and his love. My life has been changed because of Him, and I want to live out the mission He intends for us. To hear about what the mission is, tune in to my next staff journal.

- Kainan