significance

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine and I went to a worship service in the downtown Dallas area. She had been telling me about how great the worship and messages were, so I figured I would go and see for myself. She was right.

The people were warm and inviting. The worship was on point, and so was the message. Mind you, it has been several weeks since my visit, but one of the speakers main points is still fresh on my mind. He made a statement that I didn't think much of at first, but afterwards carried such depth and weight. He pointed out that, "the significance of the cross died with those who witnessed the cross".

Let that marinate in your mind for a minute.

In biblical times, the cross held great significance. It was a symbol of cruel and unusual torture. It was associated with criminals. It shook people to their core, and as a result they did what they could to avoid it.

The cross, in biblical days, was the equivalent to an electric chair. It was that terrifying.

The significance of the cross died with those who witnessed the cross.

How drastically different does our own culture view the cross? Think about it. I know I have dozens of crosses hanging on the walls in my apartment. I'm wearing a ring with a cross on it. Stores sell cross jewelry, decorations, and clothing with crosses decals in the plenty.

If someone from Jesus' day were to see the mass production of cross in our society today, it would be like seeing millions of electric chairs on display-all day everyday.

Those who witnessed the cross saw with their own eyes how brutal, degrading, and agonizing the cross was to those who unfortunate enough to be sentenced to its punishment. Today we walk around with bedazzled crosses on the backs of our jeans. Since when does the cross belong on our pockets?

The significance of the cross died with those who witnessed the cross.

As spring arrives, so does Easter. With Easter comes eggs, bunnies, chocolate, and yes, crosses. We place crosses in our yards, we decorate our homes with crosses, and wear that favorite cross necklace to go with our new Easter dress.

The cross isn't a decoration. It isn't a seasonal ornament. It is significant and has the power to create a ripple effect of change in each of our lives.

One professor stated that, "Peter knew that meditating on the cross would produce a heart of overflowing gratitude to the One who bore so much on our behalf."

1 Peter 2: 24-25
Through Christ's death on the cross, those who turn to Him are delivered from both the penalty and power of sin.

 

What if the significance of the cross was restored in this generation? What if through the body of Christ, people witnessed and experienced the significance of the cross?

 

We are human, and in this life we are going to struggle and suffer. If you are experiencing emotional problems-guilt, anxiety, depression, anger--guess what? There is supernatural healing in the cross.

 

The enemy, Satan, hates the cross with all of his being. It sealed his fate the moment, "It is finished" left Christ's lips. Satan wastes no time in doing all he can to undermine the power and significance of the cross, but don't give him a foothold.

 

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.

 

The cross reveals to us the character of God. The cross highlights his deep love for those who are lost and living in sin, and establishes his perfect justice that was completed in Christ's sacrifice.

 

As we enter into a season of celebrating the victory that was won, and is still winning, on the cross. I challenge you to make the cross significant not just on Easter, but everyday. Live in such a way to reflect the significance of the cross and the One who endured it for you.

 

Philippians 2:8-11
And being found in appearance as a man, he bumbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knew should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

i loved you before 'it is finished'

Since the beginning...
I have loved you.

I knew the things of this world would be tempting, but I valued you more than silver and gold.

I loved despite the 30 pieces of silver.
I knew what this world thought of me and my Father, but I continued to pray for you in the garden.

I loved you before the betrayal.

I knew the accusations that would be made against me.

I loved you before the trials.

I knew what I would face after the trials was going to hurt.

I loved you before the lashes.

I knew the words the crowd would shout at me.

I loved you before the insults.

I knew how the crown would feel.

I loved you before the thorns.

Arms stretch wide, I knew what came next.
I loved you before the nails.
I knew the end was coming, but also the beginning.

I loved you before the cross.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him, would not perish by have everlasting life." John 3:16

I loved you before 'it is finished'.

I love you still.

"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." Psalm 36:5

Since the beginning, He loved you and will continue loving you with an everlasting love when He returns.

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is RISEN!" Luke 24:5

the great american scream machine

One year my family traveled to Georgia to visit my dad's side of the family. I don't remember all the details of that trip due to the fact I was really young, but there is one facet of the trip that is still fresh in my mind to this day-my first roller coaster.

It was a sunny afternoon. Six Flags over Georgia was packed with people. I can remember riding the kiddy rides with my little brother, "driving" cars with my older siblings, and then watching my dad, big brother, and sister all go ride the rides I was to short to go on. There was always a sinking feeling watching them head to the rides I couldn't go on. 

I don't remember whose idea, it was for me to check my height on one particular ride, probably my big brother's, but to our surprise and excitement I just so happened to be tall enough to ride The Great American Scream Machine.

Forrest Gump's mom said, "Life is a box of chocolates, ya never know what you're gonna get." I've always like that saying, but I think life is a lot more like a roller coaster.

While you are preparing to go over that first drop, butterflies of anticipation quickly morph in to dinosaurs of anxiety in the pit of your stomach. As you reach the top you become unequivocally aware of how high you are and far down the ground is. Instantly you wish you hadn't listened to your big brother convincing you to strap yourself into the seat that's fixing to race down the tracks. You wish you could drown out the chants coming from your older siblings in the seats behind you to put your hands in the air. You wish your arms were long enough to reach the bar in front of you so that you could grip something while your poor little life flashes before your eyes. You desperately try to close your eyes, but realize that they have quadrupled in size at the site of the water, no longer solid ground, that is hovering below the ride you are on, and are unable to close them. With each dive towards death, you try to muster up the words, "STOP!" or "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" but all you can manage is, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" When the ride finally comes to a stop, you sprout wings and fly to your mom so fast and wrap your tiny arms around her leg. Trying to recover from the last terrifying moments of your life you feel yourself begin to contemplate the meaning of life and can't understand why your brother and sister think that the ride was so much fun and keep imitating what you looked like on the ride. 

The Great American Scream Machine lived up to its name. I might have been small, but this ride managed to get a fierce scream out of me.

It wasn't until many years later that I rode another ride. Judge me.

Life is a funny thing. It's like a roller coaster-full of ups and downs, twists and turns. While you can have the time of your life on one, you can also experience fear that hits you hard and fast. Despite the ups and downs we experience in this life, there is one thing that remains constant-God is faithful. 

He's faithful in the ups.

He's faithful in the downs.

He's faithful in the plot twists of life.

He's faithful ALWAYS.

We all experience roller coasters of every make and kind, with outcomes we can't foresee. It is when we have a personal relationship with Christ that we experience the GREATEST ride of our lives. There will still be ups and downs, twists and turns along the way, but rather than experiencing the fear and uncertainty of what lies over the next peak or below the tracks, we are able to sit back and literally enjoy the ride and experience his faithfulness through it all.

"Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast."-Psalms 119:90

one small step, one giant leap of faith

Today was one of those days.You know, the kind that results in you drinking the orange juice straight from the jug. Eating the peanut butter straight from the jar...okay, I'll admit I do that anyway, but you get the point.

Ever been stress paralyzed? You become so overwhelmed with not just a few things in your life, but the sum of everything consuming your life that you literally can't move. Today was that kind of day.

I was told over the summer by a friend that I showed so much self-control and patience when stressful situations occurred. I laughed. While I'd like to think that I can keep it together when things get crazy, the truth is that I am freaking out on the inside-stress paralyzed, but to proud to let it show.

Paralysis seems to set in the hardest when faced with big, hard decisions or when faced with things close to my heart. Combine the two and I begin to literally unravel-drinking orange juice straight from the jug and eating peanut butter straight from the jar, for example.

All I have to say, is the Lord must be cooking up some kind of wonderful, because the unraveling has officially begun.

There are countless stories I have read regarding many who are actually paralyzed. In many of the stories, they could feel, but couldn't move. Sound familiar? Can you feel everything going on around you, yet can't seem to find the strength, the courage, or even the motivation to take that first step to keep moving?

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5-6 has, over the years, become one of my favorite pieces of scripture.The words serve as a source of accountability for me in my own life. In stress-paralyzing, unraveling times, these words bring not just feeling back into my life, but also give me the strength, courage and motivation to continually keep moving. When uncertainty looms, this verse pushes me to put one foot in front of the other. To walk by faith and not become overwhelmed just by emotions. 

Choosing to take that first step, despite the unraveling feeling inside, is a declaration that I am confidently and unashamedly trusting in the Lord. Choosing to continually place one foot after another is a declaration that I not only trust in the Lord, but trust in him with all my heart (and my feet). 

Giving the situations and circumstances that drive me to drink the orange juice minus the cup, is hard, but the promise that, "...he will make your paths straight", is well worth it.

While taking that first step may be one small accomplishment for some, it is one giant leap of faith. Trusting in the Lord with all your heart is one of the most difficult, and yet one of the most rewarding acts of faith we can do. If you are like me, sometimes that first step is unbelievably scary, and even the one after that, but its in those steps of faith and trust that the stress paralyzing, unraveling moments begin to fade and the once unclear path you were walking becomes a little more clear. 

So put the orange juice down and the peanut butter away, (yes, I'm talking to myself). Take a deep breath and get moving. 

okla{HOME}a pt.2

Meet The Family

 

Serving in Oklahoma was such an exciting site to be a part of this summer. This was the first summer that Next Step had worked in the state. That being said, there were a lot of firsts to be had while serving the residents in the area. One of the biggest priorities for the team was being intentional about being zealous developers while serving the community during the summer. It's easy to go into a site with the mindset of developing the community from a construction perspective, especially when working in a community recently hit by a EF5 tornado. However, my team and I wanted to go beyond construction and develop lasting relationships with the community. Finding ways to connect with the community became a big prayer of the team and once again, the Lord delivered in a big way. Meet the Magby clan!

 

Mel and Rusty Magby may be an ordinary married couple to some, but to the Oklahoma team they were much more than ordinary...they were extraordinary. They serve as the young adult Bible Study leaders at South Park Baptist Church. Being members of the church for 30+ years, this couple helped us get plugged into the church so fast that by the third week the church was asking us to help out in areas such as the nursery and worship band.

 

Mel and Rusty were so much more to the team than Bible Study leaders. Very early on in the summer, they became our adoptive parents. Both were constantly helping us out in and around the church whether it be in the kitchen, our laundry, or stopping by our construction projects to pray over us when we didn't know it. They attended our worship service nearly every night-hearing the same songs and messages every week, but loving them nonetheless.

 

Serving alongside this wonderful couple was their son and daughter. Just as Mel and Rusty became like parents to the team, Justin and April became like brother and sister to many of us.

 

On a number of occasions, and by that I mean throughout the summer, Justin came out to many of our construction projects and helped us out when we needed it. I personally got to work with him a lot on the home I was working on and can honestly say I don't think I could have got as far as I did without his help. If he wasn't doing construction, we could find him out back grilling burgers for the kids coming in that day.

 

April was just as supportive and helpful as the rest of her family. She is very active in the Children's Ministry at South Park Baptist, and had us hanging out with babies and toddlers whenever there was a need. I think it surprised her how often we would ask to work in the nursery, but after working with teenagers all summer, coloring with a toddler for an hour seemed like the perfect change of pace. She was a huge source of encouragement for the team throughout our time in Moore, and became like a sister to me by the end of the summer. Saying goodbye to her, our last week, was not easy. However, like the rest of the Magby clan, I know that we will see each other again soon!

 

One thing to know about the Magbys is that when you do life with them long enough, you become family. Within the church and their Sunday School class, Mel and Rusty have a handful of "kids" and "grandkids", one of which became another part of our team over the summer. Katie was up at the church almost as much as the rest of the Magbys. She would come hang with us on the weekends, help when she saw a need, and would swing by the work sites with Justin when she was off work. Kelsey, Audrey, and myself all clicked with Katie over the summer and hated saying good bye!

 

Once again God provided an answer to prayer in a way much greater than the team anticipated. He provided us with a solid support system within the church, but more than that He gave us a family. By the end of the summer, there were a handful of hard goodbyes we had to say. As sad as the goodbyes were, it was a huge blessing to hear that the church would miss us and was already making plans to host us again in the future.

 

I would ask that you join me in continuing to pray for South Park Baptist Church and the Magbys. It's my prayer the Lord continues to bless them and the ministry they partner in with the church. I pray that the momentum that sparked in the church over the summer carries on throughout the year and that the relationships built with those in the church and community would grow deeper, with Christ at the center of them all!

 

**Mama Mel**

Mel Magby will never know how much the team appreciated and loved having her and Rusty help us out over the summer!



 

**April's Daughter Candice**

This little munchkin was one of the first of my nursery babies over the summer! She may be sassy but she's still sweet!

 

**Justin Magby**

Justin gets major brownie points for knowing every single word to the Frozen soundtrack!

 

**Justin's Daughter Irlynn**

Probably one of the sweetest babies ever! It was hard not to hold her all the time this summer! 

**Miss Thang!**

Avery was my color buddy in Sunday School. We are masters at taking Sunday Selfies.

**Katie and Avery**

The sister from another mister! Katie and her sassy sidekick became like family by the end of the summer!







okla{HOME}a pt.1

A common phrase you will hear used in the Next Step community is "life changing mission trips". Serving with this ministry, you go into the summer with the idea you will be apart of a team that will ultimately change the lives of the students who come to serve in the sites and the lives of the community members in the name of Jesus. However, it is those same students and the community members that in fact change your own life, and as a result transform your own walk with the Lord into something greater than you could have imagined.

I've been home a few days from serving in Oklahoma this summer, and in those few days all my thoughts have been spent reminiscing over the summer. I've had a few people ask me how Oklahoma was, and the first thing that pops into my mind each time is Ephesians 3:20-21.

 

 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus thoughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."- Ephesians 3:20-21

 

Serving in New Mexico last summer, challenged me in so many ways but it was through all of the ups and downs I came away with a closer and stronger relationship with Christ. Unsure whether or not I would be serving in another community this summer, I began praying for God to guide me towards the path he wanted me to follow. He led me to Moore, Oklahoma.

 

The summer can be summed up in one word...MORE. From beginning to end, the summer was full of more blessings than I could have asked for. From my team, the church, the communities my team and I served in, to the relationships with the youth groups we served alongside, the Lord had his hands all over this summer and truly moved in more ways than any of us could have asked or imagined.

 

The Team

 

The eight individuals that I had the privilege of serving this summer with were beyond incredible. All of us came together in Madison, Wisconsin for a week of training from nine different states. The North, South, East, and West were all well represented within our team. Though each of us came from different backgrounds and brought a variety of skills and personalities, I truly believe that God brought each of us together to know him more and to make him known in Oklahoma this summer.

 

Training week definitely allowed the team to get to know one another, but it was during our first week on site in Oklahoma that we quickly shifted from a team to a family. We quickly became each others support system throughout the summer. I think that the 14 hour drive down to Oklahoma from Wisconsin definitely helped grow us closer together, but it was our staff devotionals and prayer meetings that held us together over the summer. From the very beginning of the summer, we strived to stay committed to Christ, each other, and to keep in step with his Spirit.

 

By the end of the summer, I walked away with six new brothers and two fabulous sisters in Christ. Saying goodbye to each of them wasn't easy, but I have complete confidence that God is going to continue using each of them in the hometowns and that our paths will cross again one day...and I just hope that one day is sooner rather than later!

 

 **Team Bonding Tie-Dye Style**
We wore our tie-dye shirts every Tuesday.
 

 **Wake Up Crew Week 1**
These guys have a God-given set of pipes and could scream (I mean sing) notes no one should be allowed to hit.
 

**Sister From Another Mister**

Audrey and I in our perfectly over-saturated tie-dye shirts Week 1

 **Our Area Director A.J.**
He gave me a ride to the airport at 4:00 in the morning so he's pretty cool, I guess.
 

 **SAMS CLUB RUNS**
Picking up food for anywhere from 70-100 students each week with Kelsey and David was always a blast!
 

 **LATE NIGHT HOME DEPOT RUNS WITH THE DRUMMER**
Tommy and I definitely know how to make Home Depot an experience.
 

**OATMEAL MASKS WITH THE SISTER WIVES**

When you work on a team with six guys, you have to find time to have girls night!

 

**Sleeping Selfies**

You fall asleep, you get your picture taken.

 **FUN DAY AT THE LAKE**
Each Friday we took the students to Lake Arcadia for an afternoon of fun in the Sun!
 

**Our Fearless Leader Jeremy**

We appreciated him (inside joke).

**FAMILY**

Back Row: Lex (Guitar Player), Tommy (Drummer), David (Construction/Media), Jeremy (Team Lead), Devin (Construction Manager), & Curt (Construction)

Front Row: Audrey (Worship Leader), Kelsey (Chef), & Me (Emcee)





 

 

 



zeke and the zombies

"The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked  me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?'

I said, 'O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.'

Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.''

So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered him, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet-a vast army." -Ezekiel 37: 1-10

 

I'm a Disney freak (and proud of it, I might add), so naturally I would think of a scene from The Lion King where Simba and Nala are checking out a graveyard full of elephant bones. I can remember as a kid, pretending with my little brother that he and I were Simba and Nala, sliding down our staircase as if it were the inside of an elephant like in the movie. However, what these two cubs experience in the elephant graveyard is not even close to the experience Ezekiel had in the valley. Can you imagine being led by the Lord to a valley full of dry bones-ew, but it's in this valley that he got to see first-hand the work of the Lord come together before his very eyes.

 

I love how God asked a simple question and Zeke (my nickname for Ezekiel) just responds with probably the most perfect reply-one we all should take note of. The Lord asks if Zeke thought the bones in the valley could live. I imagine good ole Zeke looking up at the sky, shoulders shrugged and wearing a kind of dumbfounded look saying, "I don't know God, but you obviously do or you wouldn't have asked me."

 

Can you imagine how different our relationship with the Lord would be if we would just acknowledge the fact that we don't hold the answers, but He does. I know in my own life, that would literally flip my walk with the Lord inside-out and right-side up. Rather than simply looking at the bones resting at his feet, Zeke acknowledges the sovereignty and ability of the Lord.

 

I imagine God smiling, cracking his knuckles (maybe not, but that's what I do when I get ready to get to work), and then giving Zeke his instructions. Zeke follows what God commanded and something incredible began to take place. Bones began to zip together, like magnets, forming skeletons, then muscles started forming together around the bones, and skin to form around the muscles.

 

I don't know what Zeke's reaction was while he was speaking the words instructed to him from God, but I think my jaw would be at my ankles and my eyes would literally be bulging out of my head. He literally just saw what was dead come back to life, except not. Why not, you ask?

 

The body was there, but there was no breath.

 

(Allow me to, "chase a rabbit" for a second,as my dad would say) According to zombiebiology.com, a zombie is, "a human that has died for a period of time and re-animated with a reconfigured central nervous system and without a beating heart."GASP. ZOMBIES...BIBLICAL ZOMBIES! All I'm saying is AMC, all comic book writers, and Hollywood producers probably think they hit the jackpot when they created all the zombie shows, cartoons, etc., but I've got news for them. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts..." Isaiah 55:8 The God I serve created them long before they were on the big screen and in comics. (Consider the rabbit chased.)

 

Here stands before Zeke, a vast number of breathless bodies.

 

What I find absolutely inspiring about Zeke, is that while watching an incredible resurrection take place while he is carrying out the message God instructed him to, he doesn't stop. I would be pulling out my phone to Instagram, Tweet, and Facebook what was going on, but Zeke obediently does what was instructed of him, and when he finishes that task, God gives him the words to speak next and he does it- no questions asked. No time to recover from the shock of watching bones come together, then muscles, then skin.

 

I have to think that he might have been wondering what move God would make next, therefore he did what was asked of him, so that he could experience what would take place next. And he was right.

 

He watched as God breathed life into the vast number of once dry bones. He watched as what was once dead was instantly brought to life through the power of both the Word of God and the breath of God.

 

I love the way Louie Giglio describes the scene that takes place in Ezekiel 37, "The Word of God comes first, then the breath of God...the breath makes all the difference."

 

I have been reading a book that I purchased at the Passion Conference this past February. This passage from Ezekiel 37 was used in one of the chapters and it literally has been stuck in my mind the last day or so. As I reflected over these few passages, I was reminded of Romans 6:11

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ."

 

You and I were once dead-to sin that is. We were the real life walking dead, but through the Word of God and the breath given to us by Him, we are made alive.

 

I don't know about you, but I'm incredibly thankful to be breathing. Though each breath I take could easily be my last, I know that those breaths are saturated in life-eternal life found in Jesus Christ.

Are you waiting to catch your breath? Wait no longer, the Lord desires to breath life into and have a personal relationship with you. Don't hold keep holding your breath. Take a deep breath. Breath Him in and taste and see that the Lord is good.