Spring Outreach Week!

For the week leading up to Easter, we hosted 9 young missionaries from Western Washington University to help us tell the good news about Jesus on campus at UTD.

Each day from Monday to Thursday they were out on campus with our students and pastorsa engaging with people one on one. On Monday, they relived the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet by getting on their knees in front of strangers with shoe cleaning kits and cleaning their shoes for them. As they cleaned, they asked whether the person had ever heard the story of Jesus washing feet (many hadn't!), told the story, and started conversations about whether that was compatible with the person's views of God.

On Tuesday they engaged people to talk about what burdens them and burdens the world. They had them write those things on small wooden tokens that we took up and glued to a cross. Then, on Thursday, students were asked to share what they thought were the characteristics of a perfect world on colored tokens and glue those on top of the burdens. These kinds of conversations where we combine asking questions with acting something out physically create deeper interactions and memories that stick.

Wednesday was an extra special day, our annual Rez Fair (Rez for Resurrection as we celebrate Easter coming up) with all the other campus ministries and a bunch of area churches. Hundreds of students came through the fair for live music, giveaways, games, food, and spiritual conversations. At booth after booth they had the gospel shared with them in many ways as they experienced Christians of many kinds--Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant included--joining together in unity to celebrate the most important day in history!

Andrea from my team MADE this beautiful sign!

Our table that day was a classic--"Ask a Spiritual Question; Get a Cookie." This always leads to so many interesting discussions with people who don't yet know Jesus! We also ran all of the games and music, as well as all of the setup and tear down for the event. Many of our alumni and church members cooked and hosted so that we could make all these special things happen this week. Thank you for supporting us so that Jesus can be boldly proclaimed on campus. Salt and light! Pray that these seeds now planted and watered will grow.

Student Testimony

Darreyl is such a kind, godly man. I remember my first real conversation with him in Bellingham, WA, during SICM a few years back. He had a heart then to love and serve his peers in college, and he lived it out over the next few years! Now he is taking that same heart and the things he learned into a new context.

February Went Fast!

Our biggest event this past month was our Pizza Theology on the Bible. First Baptist Church Plano was SO GRACIOUS and generous in hosting us for this event when we couldn't get a large enough space on campus. Five FOCUS pastors did the teaching, helping students understand what the Bible is, how it came together, some of the challenges and choices of translating the Bible into our language, and what it means that the Bible is inspired. They did an amazing job! It should be uploaded soon to our Pizza Theology channel on Spotify for those who are interested in listening. 

One moment that was particularly encouraging was when the young adults pastor from FBC-Plano stood up to pray for the meal and told the students how this teaching was just as good as any seminary teaching and that he was blown away they were getting that (plus a pizza dinner!) for only $10. 

At the end of the evening, one of our pastors overheard a girl on her way out saying to her friends, "I wish everyday could be like this." Thanks for investing in us and praying for us and believing in our mission to train and equip young people rather than babysit them to keep them out of trouble. They can do remarkable things with our support!

Over 430 showed up to take notes and learn during 4 hours of teaching!

My beautiful wife was one of the teachers. She talked about the formation of the biblical canon.

Students lined up to get pizza!

Incredibly, it was over 80 degrees outside for a beautiful evening in February. We are not used to being able to eat outside at this event!

Student Testimony

Bonus Pic!

I love this picture. One of our alumni is a kindergarten teacher. They had a college day, and we were able to work out with student life to give every kid a UTD t-shirt left over from recent events. This is her class trying to do the UTD "Whoosh"

Best Winter Retreat Yet!

Over 570 people came out to our annual Winter Retreat a few weeks ago. You would have been so touched to hear student after student reading Mark 14:24-25 in their own native languages, languages from all over Europe and Asia and Africa, not to mention American sign language and Choctaw. I cried through the whole thing and so did basically ever other pastor I've talked to. The Lord has sent the nations to us here, and his kingdom is breaking in and doing a new thing in an age of division. I just kept praying Psalm 2:8 over our mission: "Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession." Join me in praying that the nations will know him because of the way we love one another here in DFW!

Students came to Retreat to hear Dr. Daniel Lee from Fuller Theological Seminary speak about Disruptive Grace. His talks were indeed disruptive for a lot of us--disrupting our subtle legalism and the lies we believe about God. As I've been sharing the audios with alumni and friends who weren't there, I'm continuing to hear how especially the first couple messages are ministering to people at a very deep level. I'm excited to share them with you here and I hope you'll take time to listen.

I always laugh at the students wanting to look nice for this picture. I'm like, "Your head will be smaller than the head of a pin when people see it." Feel free to play "Where's Waldo" looking for me. 

Bonus picture of Peter and me with Dr. Lee who spoke at Retreat. His class on grace was one of the major highlights of seminary for both of us, and we were so excited to share it with our whole community!

Is Faith a Noun or a Verb?

"Faithing"

A campus missionary to the University of Vermont wrote these words recently:

We often think of "faith" as a noun. Either you have it or you don't. You keep it or you lose it. You hide it or you share it. But for many emerging adults, faith is much more a verb. It's a journey of exploring, wrestling, deconstructing, reconstructing... Their "faithing" is a process of seeking and finding an adequate faith that makes sense of an increasingly complex world.

I don't think that definition is limited to emerging adults, but it is certainly true for them. It is a joyful privilege as well as a bundle of challenges to walk alongside them through this season of figuring out how to live on their own in this world. Our hope is to provide them with a community that exalts Jesus as Lord but where they can honestly and openly wrestle with doubts, ask any question, and go through real experiences of trying to love and follow our Lord in a world that doesn't honor him.  

I hope you see your own faith in these terms as well--not as something static or under threat of being lost, but as something active and growing and developing. Some of us need to deconstruct; just don't neglect the reconstructing as well. That would be as foolish as demolishing a section of your home for an exciting new renovation and then never rebuilding the section you destroyed. The rebuilding usually takes more work and time than the destroying part! But it's worth it in the end. God is big enough to handle our questions and doubts and fears, and he's certainly not threatened by them. He actually seems to like the people who will wrestle with him the most--men like Jacob and Job and Moses and Peter. So wrestle away!

Individually, and collectively as churches, there is often "remodeling" that needs to be done in our "faithing," and I pray 2024 is a year for it. Jesus deserves nothing less!

Thank you for investing in me and praying for me as I work in this important mission field! Here's a sweet story from the community college front to remind you that for all the negative college stories we hear, there are so many stories of God at work as well!

Reflections on Godly Leadership

I meet weekly with a number of young leaders to help develop their faith, their character, and their leadership skills. This week in those times we've been reading over an article by my dad, Ronnie Worsham, laying out some core essentials for spiritual leadership. We've had great discussions, and I thought I'd share it here for your reflection:

Leadership

by Ronnie Worsham 

False leaders lead you to them; godly leaders lead you to Him.

 

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).

 

Leaders can only lead us to where they are actually going. Character is much more caught than it is taught. If even an unwise association can prove harmful to our character, then most certainly associating with a bad leader can prove devastating to our inner being—“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Cor. 15:33). Too many are those who end up in horribly frightening places in life because they naïvely followed bad leaders.

 

To be led by others means to be guided down a path by them, either by their showing us the way or telling us where to go. Leadership can be exerted on us either directly from the leader to us or indirectly from the leader through others. The leadership exerted on us by others can range in scope from quite broad to very limited, spiritually, religiously, morally, socially, politically, philosophically, and so forth. A leader’s impact is ultimately determined by the willingness of others to follow them. 

 

Worldly leaders are by definition incapable of leading us in God’s way because they are in the flesh and not of God. Being “under the influence” of God is not at all the same as “being under the control” of God. Their leadership is corrupted even though certain of their character traits and life principles may even, within themselves, appear good—“For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God” (Rom. 5:5-8, Amplified Bible, italics and brackets are part of quote).

 

And all leaders along with their leadership principles and practices are a packaged deal; the bad comes mixed in with the good. Because of our inherent nature, made in the image of God, character is more caught than it is taught. Thus the worldly people we associate and live in partnership with, and especially the leaders we follow, will have a profoundly negative impact on who we are presently and what we are becoming—“Don’t be deceived, bad company corrupts good character. Sober up by acting like you should and don’t sin. Some of you are ignorant about God—I say this because you should be ashamed of yourselves!” (1 Cor. 15:33-34, Common English Bible). God is completely holy, meaning he is completely “set apart” from all that is not of him. And because we are like him, we must follow his example, especially in our associations. If we are ignorant of his nature, we are ignorant of our own nature. And because of who we are, bad associations will lead to the corruption and continuing erosion of our core character.

 

God has given each one of us individually the right to come into a relationship with and follow him, without any necessary approval of others—“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12–13). Further, he has given us, as his children, the wherewithal to hear his voice over and above the din of all others, and he expects us to follow his voice rather than others—“They will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (John 10:5, italics added). Our following another then must always be based on their following Christ—“Follow my example, just like I follow Christ’s” (1 Cor. 11:1, Common English Bible).

 

Thus it is the responsibility of each of us to take care in determining our leaders—“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matt. 7:15, italics added). Carelessness and naiveté on the front end of our following others can lead to disaster on the backend! Because we are morally and spiritually vulnerable beings, we must choose most carefully those we allow to influence us in any way!

 

The test of authentic, godly leadership is in the long-term outcome, not in any short-term appearances. The one who leads best for God is the one who lives best for God—“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7). And the fruit of one’s life is not to be measured by short-term appearances but rather by the long-term effects of our life on others. Short-term impressions can be most deceiving—“They come to you in sheep’s clothing…” Looking like a harmless, domesticated sheep does not make one a harmless, domesticated sheep. Let the follower beware.

 

Satan is a liar and a deceiver. Thus, so are those leaders who are, wittingly or unwittingly, being influenced by him—“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:13–14). Looks and words can be most deceiving. The test of a leader must then be the “outcome of their way of life,” the only “fruit” that cannot be faked.

 

Godly leadership is the exact opposite of worldly leadership in all the basic ways. Worldly leadership seeks control; godly leadership seeks surrender. Worldly leadership assumes power; godly leadership surrenders it, instead choosing to empower others. Worldly leadership seeks attention for itself; godly leadership eschews attention and seeks to call attention to God. Worldly leadership seeks personal gain; godly leadership seeks, in this life, nothing for itself. Worldly leadership follows in order to lead; godly leadership leads in order to follow. Worldly leadership seeks to be served; godly leadership seeks to serve. Worldly leadership is prideful, even if it may at first seem humble; godly leadership is humble, even if it may at first seem prideful.

 

The one who leads best for Christ is the one who follows Christ the best. Christ is the one who calls and places leaders among his people—“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–13). Before we follow others, we must ask whom they follow, how they follow, and how they came to be in the positions they are in.

 

Christ’s authentic leaders understand that their calling and appointment is from him, that it is not earned, that it is not a right, and that Christ is the supreme Lord and leader. Therefore they understand that their purpose is to go make disciples of Christ and to mature those disciples in their ability to follow him (Christ), not them—“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). Although there is always weakness and humanness in all leaders, there will ultimately be no equivocation in the direction and purpose of a genuine Christ-appointed leader. Godly leaders know their abilities and their calling are from God and not from themselves or others, therefore they seek only his interests.

 

Bad leaders always lead followers; godly leaders lead leaders. Bad leaders want no rivals; therefore they mature others primarily in the skill of following them rather than maturing them in personally following him (Christ). Bad leaders are at their core filled with pride and will always seek to be at the center, in control, and recognized. Godly leaders are humble and are always seeking to elevate others to the leader’s own spiritual maturity level and beyond—“The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2, italics added), and “He must increase and I must decrease” (John 3:30, Common English Bible). The perfection of Christ is the goal, not conformity to anything worldly—“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28).

 

Bad leaders lead from the top down; godly leaders lead from the bottom up—“You know that the rulers of the non-Jewish people love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority over the people. But it should not be that way with you. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant. Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave. Do as I did: The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people” (Matt. 20:25–28, Easy-to-Read Version, italics added). Godly leaders strive to look and lead like Christ and therefore they serve others on behalf of Jesus. They eschew esteem, honors, titles, and the best seats and parking spots. Godly leaders lead as lowly custodians rather than as high-minded CEOs.

 

The test of leadership is in the long-term outcome, not in the short-term appearance. Bad leaders will often at first seem confident and secure but in the end be found to be fearful and insecure, as was King Saul (1 Sam. 15:24). On the other hand, godly leaders may at first seem unwilling and unconfident but in the end show themselves to be most surrendered and therefore supremely bold, as was Moses (Exod. 3:11). Godly leaders will ultimately see themselves as the least, the last, and the worst because they see Christ as the greatest, the first, and the best (1 Cor. 15:9, Matt. 20:16, 1 Tim. 1:15).

 

Godly leaders will also always be seeking God’s approval by careful regard for scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit—“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), and “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (Rom. 8:14). They seek to please only one—“We make it our goal to please him [Christ]” (2 Cor. 5:9, bracket added).

 

Because of the seriousness of the responsibility, godly leaders will choose to lead out of humility before God and will do so only after carefully considering if such a role is God’s will for them or not—“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1). Any reluctance they may have to leading is only a reflection of their reverence for God; not a fear of others.

 

Godly leadership will be most careful in the charge of leading others to and for God—“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16). Because godly leaders are seeking to lead us to him, not to them, their careful leadership will constantly point us only to Jesus—“I’m deeply concerned about you with the same concern that God has. As your father, I promised you in marriage to one husband. I promised to present you as an innocent virgin to Christ himself” (2 Cor. 11:2, Common English Bible, italics added).

 

All in all, godly leaders not only look like Jesus, they are like Jesus, and the outcome of their ways will bring the life of Christ to those who listen to and follow them—“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

 

 

A Prayer:

 

Lord, help me to follow only those who follow you.

And help me to influence and lead others only to follow you.

Give me trusting eyes that are wary only in the right way.

Give me a careful heart that discerns rightly.

Be my only supreme leader, and lead me to life everlasting!

Amen.

I hope you are encouraged by that in your own leadership, whether in your family, your friendships, your church, or your workplace. Thank you for all you do for college and university students, as well as for all your other contributions to building the Kingdom of God. In His economy, even small things can have far reaching significance, so don't grow weary in doing good!

KFG Fundraiser Update

We are almost there! We're still accepting donations and hoping to get all of the matching funds. If you'd still like to give a gift, you can at anyfocus.org/kfg. 

Student Testimony & Prayer Requests

Introducing Our Apprentices! (Plus KFG Coming Up)

Since 2010, the FOCUS apprenticeship has been a key part of expanding our mission and preparing a new generation of leaders. Each apprentice has completed at least a bachelor's degree and commits to working on one of our campuses for the entire school year. We have a fantastic group of 10 this year, and I want to let you know who they are. Thank you for making stories like these possible--your prayers and gifts are bearing good fruit!

Student Testimony (one more from a current student!)

Our Annual Fundraiser Coming Up

This Story Touched My Heart

I have a special place in my heart for Richland College since it was the original birthplace of FOCUS when I was still in high school. That campus is still sending out new leaders to bless people in other places. This story is so sweet.

Invitation for UTD FOCUS Alumni

If you've ever been a student or worker in our UTD ministry, we are inviting you to join us for Friday Night Fellowship later this semester! Of course, any of our supporters are welcome to visit any time, but this is a good chance to see old friends and reconnect.

A Book to Check Out

Speaking of alumni, one of the young men I had the honor of mentoring while he was at UTD has written a short book sharing his testimony. Adam has become a son in the faith, and I'm so proud of the man he has become in Christ. His story here (some details of which I had never heard before) was a powerful reminder to me of why we do what we do on campus, of how we have the opportunity to intersect someone else's story--often a story we couldn't even imagine--and be the hands and feet of Jesus to them. I know you would be encouraged if you have time to read it.

The Words of Jesus On Campus

Lastly, I want to tell you about a project we have bringing the words of Jesus to our campus. Yard signs have always been one of our most effective ways of communicating with the campus, so we decided to go a step further than using them to tell about our events and let Jesus' words speak directly to the campus. Stian, our newest pastor at UTD, designed these eye-catching signs--66 signs, each with a unique teaching from the Gospel of Matthew. Here are some examples.

Our goal is for students who may never go to a Christian event to get to consider the words of Jesus for themselves. And it has not been without some controversy! We put these out on 33 double-sided signs, and a week and a half later, only 12 remained. Others were thrown away, damaged, or simply disappeared.

 

While that might seem discouraging, we are actually encouraged! It means they are being noticed and getting some of the same reactions that people had when they originally heard these words nearly 2000 years ago. These signs probably cost about $15 each all considered, but we are replacing the ones that we've lost and are planning to do a new set of teachings from the Gospel of John in the coming weeks. Please pray that the seed of Jesus' words will bear much fruit on campus! (Mark 4:1-34)