I am always amazed at the excitement and nervousness from those going on their first short-term mission trip, most of the time they don’t know enough to know what they need to be nervous about. There is an excitement in their eyes as they head into the unknown. They prepare testimonies and lessons, not knowing how God will use them or if they will be effective. They pack what is recommended and wonder if it will be enough. They comfort their parents and loved ones, and try to reassure them everything is going to be alright, while at the same time not knowing what the future holds. But through leading and prayer, the journey begins.
A lot of mission team members, especially those who have never been on mission before usually become broken spiritually sometime during the week of the trip. They discover a new outlook on sharing, faith, trust, and God. Why is this? It is simple, during the week they are constantly hearing the word of God either from others sharing or through the preaching or their own study. They also see the word of God come to life. That doesn’t mean that the bible gets up and starts walking around. But they see the Spirit of God begin to work in the lives of the people they come in contact with. They walk the streets with a single purpose, to find the person of peace with whom they can share the good news of the gospel. Some are hit with the hard truth that not all will accept the gospel, so they plant a seed not knowing the condition of the soil. Other times they begin to pour out water onto unknown soil, unaware that a seed exist and has been waiting for the moisture that God will use to bring it to life. They get excited and don’t know what to do when out of the ground springs forth life. A miracle, they get to see cold dead bones come to life. After that experience, they have a drive to share and no longer need to be pushed in front of people to share with. Oh what it would have been like in Acts to walk the streets and see God work, bringing people to life through the proclamation of the Gospel. But wait, could that still happen? And could it happen here?
After returning home and a couple weeks of rest, life returns to normal. The mission was accomplished, people were saved and now we are back comfortable, safe, fed, and loved. Or are we? There is always a sense of completion at the end of a mission trip. Not that that would be wrong in the short term, but there is a since of that was where we were on mission at, but now we are back and we have things to get done. Real stuff, school, work, friends, problems, and you know life. Right?
One of the greatest tragedies we have is short-term missions. I know you saw a bunch of people get saved, and God really “showed up”, but stay with me. There is a since of awe and wonder during the week of a mission trip. And we look forward to the next year when we can go and feel that same since of awe and wonder. But let’s compare it to a race shall we. Anyone who runs foot races understands that you have different splits. These are markers throughout the race to gauge your progress, and to ensure you are on pace. A short-term mission trip is sort of like a split. It is a time to see if you are where you need to be in your spiritual life, in your reading and study of the word, apologetics, doctrines, and if you can articulate them to the world around you. The shortness of the week gives you the opportunity to push yourself hard and to evaluate yourself. The tragedy is that the short-term is looked at, as the race itself. We return with a sense that we ran and will rest up to run again next year.
The race however is not over. In fact it is just beginning. When you return home, it is like passing the first mile marker. The street is no longer filled with cheering fans, the road narrows, and the reality of the race sets in. Here is where we must work our hardest. This is where we must pull from prayer and scripture, the strength to press on. Where most might sit and rest, we must run to win. We don’t just return to normal life, we return with a renewed sense of awe for what God has been doing and we must now trust even more so that He will continue His work. We saw on foreign soil God work in others lives. Now we must trust that He will work in ours for His glory and to reach those around us. We are home; this is where we must turn from our sins, where we must love God more than mother and father, more than friends and things. This is where we live out what we preach, if we believe that which we have taught. Did we believe it? Do we believe it? If so, then are we disciplined for the miles ahead? Paul tells the church at Corinth “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified”. Are we disqualified or are we still in the race?
There are no short-term missionaries; there are only missionaries in different context. When we return to our Jerusalem, let us seek the hope that is only found in Christ. Let us not lean on our own understanding, our own wisdom, which is foolishness. Let us not fall victim to busyness and the lure of shiny objects that promise fulfillment. Let our knees be worn out for those nearest to us. Let our time be determined by the cross and His call, trusting that He will provide the time for work, family, fun, and ministry, as we continue the race. We have found our greatest joy in walking by faith; let us not check our faith with Homeland Security as we return home. But let us be reminded daily where our ultimate security is found and where our joy is greatest. Wherever you woke up at, wherever you find yourself, wherever you stand today, then that is your mission field. Time to get running.
Porn
Viagra
opi nail polish
I love looking through a post that can make men and women think.
Also, thanks for permitting me to comment!
Also visit my blog post … opi nail polish
color wow spray
After I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me
when new comments are added- checkbox and now
each time a comment is added I get four emails with the exact
same comment. There has to be a way you can remove me from that service?
Thanks!
Stop by my web blog: color wow spray
moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner
I have read so many content concerning the blogger lovers but
this paragraph is actually a fastidious paragraph,
keep it up.
my blog :: moroccanoil shampoo and conditioner
Shit
Buy Drugs
ThomasBub
Came across an interesting article, worth a glance https://www.thefalcoholic.com/users/worksale555
clipsex
Simply desire to say your article is as astounding.
The clearness for your submit is simply cool and i can assume you are an expert in this subject.
Fine together with your permission let me to snatch
your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post.
Thank you 1,000,000 and please keep up the rewarding work.
bokep simontok
Very nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to
say that I’ve really enjoyed surfing around your blog
posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write
again soon!
nailtiques formula
I seriously love your website.. Great colors & theme.
Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my
own blog and want to know where you got this from or what the theme is
called. Thanks!
Look into my blog post … nailtiques formula
slot gampang scatter x500
I do consider all the concepts you have presented
to your post. They are very convincing and can definitely work.
Nonetheless, the posts are too brief for starters. May just you please extend them a little from
next time? Thank you for the post.
사라 다바오
Seven Ways To Credit Card Death 사라 다바오
เว็บบทความ
Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I certainly enjoyed reading it, you
can be a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark
your blog and definitely will come back sometime soon. I
want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great posts, have a nice evening!
Take a look at my web page :: เว็บบทความ
the growth matrix
I am really loving the theme/design of your weblog.
Do you ever run into any browser compatibility problems? A couple of my blog
readers have complained about my website not working correctly
in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any advice
to help fix this issue?
Also visit my web site; the growth matrix
joico shampoo and conditioner
Awesome blog you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any community
forums that cover the same topics talked about here?
I’d really like to be a part of online community where I can get advice from other experienced individuals that share
the same interest. If you have any recommendations,
please let me know. Bless you!
Feel free to surf to my homepage joico shampoo and conditioner
Houston trucking contractors
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but
after checking through some of the post I realized it’s new
to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and
checking back frequently!
dewascatter
This text is invaluable. Where can I find
out more?
color wow style on steroids
Thankfulness to my father who informed me about this website, this weblog is actually
amazing.
Stop by my webpage color wow style on steroids
costco frozen chicken chick fil a
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly think this amazing site needs a great deal
more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more,
thanks for the advice!
construction innovations
What’s up, I want to subscribe for this webpage to get most up-to-date updates,
so where can i do it please help.
Vaping Legislation
Artfully expressed! You’ve covered it all about vape regulations!
dewascatter daftar
Great blog you have here but I was curious if you knew of any forums that
cover the same topics discussed in this article?
I’d really love to be a part of community where I can get feed-back from other knowledgeable people that share the
same interest. If you have any recommendations, please let
me know. Thank you!
cnd shellac colours
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Rarely do I come across
a blog that’s equally educative and engaging, and let me tell you, you
have hit the nail on the head. The issue is something that too few men and women are
speaking intelligently about. Now i’m very happy that I found
this in my search for something concerning this.
my page – cnd shellac colours
bokeb viral
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful info.
Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly comeback.
ngentot janda
Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up.
The text in your content seem to be running off the screen in Chrome.
I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web
browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know.
The layout look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Cheers
bokep indo
Do you have a spam issue on this blog; I also am a blogger, and I was wondering your situation; many of
us have developed some nice practices and we are
looking to swap solutions with other folks, why not shoot me an e-mail if interested.
омг ссылка тор браузер
Aw, this was an exceptionally good post. Finding the time and actual effort to
make a really good article… but what can I say… I hesitate a lot and don’t manage to get anything
done.
Amos
Helplo there! Do you know if they make any pluigins
to protect against hackers? I’m kinda paranoid about lksing
everything I’ve worked hard on. Any tips?
como conseguir seguidores en twitter (Amos)
demo slot pragmatic maxwin olympus
Nice post. I was checking continuously this blog and
I am impressed! Extremely helpful info specially
the last part 🙂 I care for such information much. I was looking for this particular info for a long time.
Thank you and best of luck.
bokep gangbang
Good information. Lucky me I came across your site by accident
(stumbleupon). I’ve book marked it for later!
e visa vietnam application
Heya are using WordPress for your blog platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get
started and create my own. Do you need any html coding expertise
to make your own blog? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Bengal Kitten Price
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought
this post was good. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going
to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
lab centrifuge
A lab centrifuge is an essential piece of
laboratory equipment that uses centrifugal force to separate components of a
mixture based on their densities. The centrifuge works
by spinning samples at high speeds, forcing heavier particles to
settle at the bottom while lighter ones remain at the top.
This process is crucial in various scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry,
and medicine. By enabling precise separation and analysis of components, centrifuges facilitate numerous experimental and
diagnostic procedures.
color wow money mask
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my website thus i came to “return the favor”.I am trying to find things to improve my web site!I suppose its ok to use
a few of your ideas!!
Check out my blog … color wow money mask
Bahasatoto
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
Your web site provided us with valuable info to work on. You’ve
done an impressive job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
출장안마
Nicely put. Regards.
Also visit my page: http://www.Xatrivietnam.vn/question/learn-how-to-%ec%b6%9c%ec%9e%a5%ec%95%88%eb%a7%88-exactly-like-lady-gaga-35/
hospital.tula-zdrav.ru
Whoa quite a lot of very good facts.
Here is my blog post … https://hospital.tula-zdrav.ru/question/seven-tips-to-%ec%b6%9c%ec%9e%a5%eb%a7%88%ec%82%ac%ec%a7%80-much-better-while-doing-other-things-21/
หวยงวดนี้
You could definitely see your skills within the work you
write. The sector hopes for even more passionate writers
like you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe.
At all times go after your heart.
cyberdataconnectcloud.site
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on https://cyberdataconnectcloud.site. Regards
خرید ویندوز اورجینال
An impressive share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who was doing a little
homework on this. And he actually ordered me dinner because I discovered
it for him… lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending the time to discuss this topic here on your web site.
phising
This information is priceless. Where can I find out more?
criar conta xtb
Wow, that’s what I was looking for, what a information! present
here at this weblog, thanks admin of this web page.
home inspection costs
You’ve made your point quite nicely..
web page
Thank you a lot for sharing this with all folks you actually recognise what you’re speaking approximately!
Bookmarked. Kindly additionally visit my web site
=). We will have a link trade agreement among us
zoegilbert.com
Appreciation to my father who stated to me
regarding this website, this blog is really amazing.
thetesla.ru
Hi to all, as I am actually keen of reading this web site’s post to be updated on a regular basis.
It carries pleasant material.
expertkvf.ru
I quite like looking through a post that will make men and
women think. Also, many thanks for allowing me
to comment!
Heaven Magic Beauty
Thank you for the auspicious writeup It in fact was a amusement account it Look advanced to more added agreeable from you By the way how could we communicate
carbon offset projects
I like the valuable info you provide in your articles.
I will bookmark your blog and check again here regularly.
I’m quite sure I will learn many new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next!
magmagrandnew.site
Hey there, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, wonderful blog!
keys hyundai
The Most Important Reasons That People Succeed In The Hyundai Spare Key Cost Industry
keys hyundai