Returning to Gathering Hearts for Honduras was a long-awaited answer to prayer. Since my first trip in 2011, I’ve grown to love Gary and Cheryl, their dedicated team, former students I’ve kept in touch with, and the young people in English classes.

This trip focused on sharing the Lord’s healing and saving power in nearby villages. I helped teach English and Bible stories during the day and participated in three major evening events. One memorable moment was praying for a woman holding her granddaughter at the soccer field event—her rib pain lessened, and it reminded me how powerful it is to share God’s love in Spanish. I was especially encouraged to see how God is uniting local pastors. Many shared at the events, and the sense of spiritual unity was strong.

A personal moment of reflection came when a teammate called me “sunny.” I remembered that my name, Ellen, means “light” and comes from helios, the Greek word for sun. Realizing that God calls me to share His light with others was deeply affirming. I even had the chance to do just that recently at the Tulsa State Fair.

It was a joy to reconnect with staff and former students like Eva, Heydi, and Perla. I'm thankful for my Spanish-speaking family background—it helps me connect easily with others in Honduras.

With only six days this trip, and one affected by Honduran Independence Day, class time felt too short. I’d love to return for a longer trip to share more deeply about the Lord and give students more time to grow. I am grateful for the time we did share, and all that the Lord did, and I am hopeful I will be able to return again on a future mission trip. 

My journey in mission through First Methodist didn’t begin with a plane ticket or a big event — it started quietly, with prayer.

A few years ago, a friend and I began walking the halls of Eugene Field Elementary School, praying for the teachers, staff, and students. At first, I was self-conscious — unsure if I was doing enough, or if I was somehow in the way. But over time, I realized: God was already walking those halls, and I was simply joining Him in the work He was doing.

One day, as we entered the upper elementary hallway, a teacher stepped out of her classroom with a student — her face full of urgency. She was headed to the office but stopped in her tracks when she saw us. “You're praying, aren't you? Wait right there,” she said.

I did. I stood in the hallway and continued to pray.

Five minutes later, she returned — this time with tears streaming down her face. She said, “God sent you today.” That student’s father had just been arrested and sent to prison. The child was overwhelmed by trauma and heartbreak, and in a moment of emotional crisis, he threw a desk. It flipped — and landed exactly where two children usually sat. But that day, those seats were empty. No one was hurt.

The teacher told me she felt seen by God — protected, supported, not alone. And the student, through care and prayer, finished the school year with no more incidents. God was already at work, and I was simply there to witness it.

Over the last 12 years of prayer walking at Eugene Field, I’ve learned something beautiful:
What once felt uncomfortable has become natural. God continues to create divine appointments — moments of connection, comfort, and healing — in the most unexpected places.

Prayer is the foundation of everything we do in mission. If the fruit we’re after is eternal, it begins and ends with prayer.

God is still moving. He is still near. And sometimes, all it takes is a willing heart, a quiet prayer, and open eyes to see the miracles unfolding right in front of us.

I recently had the incredible opportunity to travel to Cuba, and I saw God move in powerful, unforgettable ways. It was a beautiful reminder that God is so faithful — He always shows up. Over and over again, I saw how He uses ordinary people who are simply willing to say “yes” to Him. I didn’t have all the answers, and I didn’t need to. Trusting God and watching Him move was one of the most awe-inspiring experiences of my life.

Worshiping with our sister church in Cuba was pure joy. The presence of the Holy Spirit was undeniable — vibrant, alive, and moving powerfully. People are coming to faith, and their passion is contagious. Being part of what God is doing there was humbling and exciting all at once.

One of the most miraculous moments happened during a street outreach event. Hundreds of children gathered from the surrounding neighborhoods near the church. While some of our team shared a drama and the Gospel, others of us were preparing small food boxes for the kids. Each box had bread, spaghetti, a slice of cake, and candy — but we quickly realized we didn’t have enough.

So, we prayed. “God, we need a miracle.”

And just like the story of the loaves and fishes — He provided. Every time we thought we were down to the last box, another would appear. We kept adding food, kept handing them out, and every child received a box. Not one was left out. And would you believe it? We even had one box left over. It was wild, unforgettable, and undeniably a God moment. Don’t just take my word for it — ask anyone on our team. God is still doing miracles. He is still saving souls. And He’s still working through people just like you and me.

I had no idea how saying yes to a trip to our sister church in Cuba would allow me to be part of something truly special. It was an incredible opportunity to grow in my faith, serve others, and witness God at work in powerful ways.

During our time there, I discovered just how deeply Scripture had been rooted in me — others began turning to me for biblical insight, something I hadn’t even realized was happening. What a blessing it was to be used by God in that way!

Shortly after returning home, I had an unexpected health scare — but even that became a divine appointment. I had the chance to pray with my ambulance driver just before he returned to serve in Israel. Those four nights in the hospital became, for me, a kind of Holy Spirit "sleep-away camp." I came out full of renewed optimism and courage, ready to pursue God's work with even greater passion.

This trip gave me a front-row seat to the incredible work our Mission Coordinators are doing. Their dedication and heart for service are truly inspiring.

You will not come back the same — and that’s a good thing.

If you’re ready for a journey that will stretch you, bless you, and change you, step out in faith and say yes to serving on mission.

God’s presence fills every part of my life—without Him, I couldn’t begin to do all that’s required to care for my family. I feel His nearness every day, all throughout the day. It’s a comfort, a strength, and a constant reminder that I am never alone.

One of the greatest blessings in my life is serving at Contact Mission. Though I’m not able to do as much physically as I once did, my heart is still fully in it. I currently serve at the prayer table, where I have the privilege of listening to the heartfelt needs and prayers of the people we serve. Their gratitude is humbling. Many of them have so little, yet their spirits overflow with thankfulness—and that has deeply touched and filled my heart.

Prayer has always come naturally to me. It’s my favorite way to connect with God—to sit in His presence and lift others up to Him. Sometimes, the needs shared at Contact Mission are so overwhelming that it breaks my heart. There are moments I have to hold back tears… and the urge to give everything I have to help.

I’ll never forget praying with a mother one day. I gently asked if she had any specific needs, and she quietly said her children needed blankets. That moment pierced my heart. I found someone from the Contact Mission team, and they were able to get her a blanket from the resource closet. After that, I started bringing a blanket with me each time I serve—just in case someone else might need one. It seems like such a simple item, but in that moment, a blanket became a powerful expression of God’s love. That simple act brought me to tears.

Serving here is not just something I do—it’s a part of who I am. And I’m so grateful for the chance to be a small part of God’s big work.

I saw God move in the life of one of our kids at Eugene Field. I learned that nothing is impossible for Him! I currently volunteer at Eugene Fields in Spark Bible Kids Club after school.

Last spring, one of our students shared with us—week after week—that her mom was in jail. She didn’t say why, but her consistency and sadness stayed with me. When school let out, I felt a strong nudge from the Lord to check in on her. I figured a little extra love and attention might go a long way.

I found out she and her younger sister were staying with their uncle. As we spent time together, her uncle opened up and shared the full story: their mom had been detained by immigration and was being held in a Texas prison. She had a lawyer and a court date on the horizon. He also said that letters to the judge could make a difference.

So, one of our team members and I wrote letters, while the rest of our Bible club team began praying… fervently. We waited and hoped. Her first court date came… and was delayed. The lawyer needed more time. To be honest, at that point, I started to fear the worst.

Then—just two weeks later—her case came up again. And guess what? GOD SHOWED UP in a powerful way! Her mom was released and reunited with her daughters in Tulsa. It was a miracle.

The last time I checked in, her uncle said the whole family is doing well.

This experience reminded me again: when we pray, care, and show up—even in small ways—God does what only He can do. What a gift it is to be part of what He’s doing in these kids' lives.

Redemption is the word we’ve heard over and over again this summer. Whether we were talking about Paul, learning about Hosea & Gomer, or reading a devo about God redeeming the Israelites, we have been tackling this word: redemption. It’s a process, but it is also a promise. Jesus now redeemed us because of what He did for us on the cross, but He also has promised a redeemed future.

Normally, I would not recommend the Message version of the Bible; however, I love how it paraphrases 1 Peter 1:3-5. It says, “What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.” 

This is precisely what God has in store for us; we have a new life because of Jesus and have a future in heaven to look forward to and live for! Even though there is still brokenness and sin in the world, there is a day when we will be completely healed and whole, redeemed by God. Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” This statement is not a “maybe” it is a promise. As we remain faithful and walk out what Jesus has called us to, He will keep this promise.  

Exodus 1-14

One of the most important and famous stories of redemption in the Bible is the story of the Exodus.  The Israelites, generations before, had to flee from the promised land down to Egypt due to famine.  Initially they were allowed to settle in Egypt and for around 400 years they flourished.  Eventually a Pharaoh came to power that was hostile to the Israelites and enslaved them.  They were subject to horrible conditions, living in squalor, and forced to do backbreaking labor.  Pharaoh even ordered all Israelite boys to be killed at their birth.  The Israelites desperately needed a savior, to redeem them from their awful situation.

God hears the cry of the needy, so he sent Moses and Aaron to redeem the Israelites from slavery.  God instructed Moses and Aaron on how to lead His people out of Egypt.  He did battle with the evil gods of Egypt and defeated them.  He sent plagues and troubles to Egypt until Pharaoh let the Israelites go and then split the Red Sea allowing the Israelites to pass before swallowing up the armies of Egypt.  He saved and redeemed the people of Israel.  After the yoke of Egyptian oppression was thrown off, He began the long process of guiding His people into the promised land and revealing to them His law.

I do not know if you caught it but pay attention to the narrative - God redeemed His people before he gave them the law.  He saved them before they even knew how to be His people.  He delivered the Israelites knowing that they would sin against him and lose faith in the future.  He redeems before expecting something in return.  He does not need us to clean ourselves up and then ask for redemption.  He wants us to ask for redemption, be redeemed, and then learn how to live a Godly life with His help.  Like the Israelites, Jesus already did the saving on your behalf, all you have to do is accept it and after you have accepted it, you live your life like He has saved you.

Today I was talking to a friend, and she mentioned the faithfulness of God in her life, specifically His faithfulness through the trying moments in our lives. It reminded me of how God redeems the things in our lives for His glory.

Last Sunday we talked about Peter’s story. After denying the Lord three times, Peter was given the opportunity to his life redeemed by Jesus three times. There are times in our lives, like those in Peter’s, where we do something that is seemingly unredeemable; however, God takes those dark moments in our lives and gives us the opportunity to have those redeemed by Him. 

I Peter 1:18-19 says, “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

The word ransomed means, “to obtain the release of (a prisoner) by making a payment demanded.” We were once prisoners, shackled, imprisoned, and trapped by the things of the world, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ we have been released and obtained with the precious blood. Not only that, but we are fully redeemed, without blemish or spot. This message is simple, but it is so important that we remember it; everyone has parts of their lives that are not our proudest, but we can take the opportunities that Jesus has given us to embrace freedom through His redemption.

As this week goes on, I encourage you to ask the Lord what parts of your life He wants to redeem for His glory and then willingly give those things to Him. 

As we enter into a new season in our young adult ministry, you have probably heard me mention this before, the Holy Spirit is clearly ushering us into intergenerational discipleship. This does not just mean that we occasionally ask an older member of our congregation for advice, though that is a fantastic way to start (really)! I want to provide an alternative image for you.

In 1 Timothy 5, Paul teaches “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.” 

This is a very intimate image of church. This is real life. The people whom we’re around on a Sunday morning— what would it look like if we truly treated them like our own family? This means that we can’t hold people at arms-length. How would one encourage one another if you don’t know the first thing about your own family? This is what the Body of Christ does. 

We will not be perfect at this, we probably won’t even be good at it, but let’s take a stab at what Paul is exhorting us to here. 

Jesus came to the world as a revolutionary, showing us once and for all what it means to be a human.  He was radical, so radical in fact that it got him killed.  Clearly these ideas were dangerous to the powers of the world, but attractive and intoxicating to many others, the powerless.  His message was polarizing.  He made many enemies but also had devoted followers, so devoted that they would follow Jesus to their own deaths.

What was the world like before Christ came? Most people would probably be horrified by it.  The strong dominated the weak in every aspect.  Smaller nations were dominated by massive empires, subjects were dominated by their kings, slaves dominated by their masters, women dominated by men, poor dominated by rich.  This was seen as normal.  The strong had the right to assert their authority over the weak.  Being a bully was celebrated, and the meanest, most violent people rose to the top of society.  Julius Caesar was celebrated as a hero and a god because he killed a million enemies and enslaved a million more. The world today would be disgusted by this.  No politician would brag of genocide.  What changed?  Jesus came to the world and changed it.

Jesus lays it all out in the sermon on the mount.  He is clear that he has come to establish a kingdom that is upside down, opposite to the received wisdom of the day.  He tells the great crowds listening to him that the most blessed people are the meek, the poor, the downtrodden, the merciful and the peacemakers.  He flips the world upside down.  Although it may seem like the strong, the rich, the powerful, and the violent are blessed, they are not.  Many of his followers could not understand this at first.  Why would the lowest of society actually be the highest and most noble? Why would the most powerful actually be the most powerless?  Because this was the way it was always meant to be and Jesus is coming as a king to bring justice to the world.

His followers understand this after witnessing Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  God incarnate allowed Himself to be crucified out of love for the people that hate Him.  His followers would do the same and for the first 300 years of Christianity, followers of Jesus were prepared to be tortured or killed for their faith.  Because of Jesus they knew that humiliation was glory, poverty was wealth, suffering was comfort, and death at the hands of a persecutor was actually victory.  

The same is true today.  The powerful politicians, rich CEOs, and famous influencers are actually powerless, poor, and unknown to the kingdom that Jesus inaugurated.  In the true kingdom the weak are the powerful, the peacemakers are the leaders, the humble are the most exalted.  I often ask myself what kingdom am I actually pursuing?  Am I striving for glory, power, and riches, or am I striving for Jesus?

Hello! I pray everyone is having a restful summer! For those of you who do not know me, my name is Emma Judkins. I am a senior at Oral Roberts University studying ministry and leadership. This summer, I will be one of the Young Adult Ministry interns. I cannot wait to see what the Lord does this summer!

The Lord has placed the word “lost” on my heart in the latter half of the spring semester. Of course, when I started thinking of what the word means, one of my classes started to discuss this word and its connotations or meanings. Lost has a negative feel to the word; when someone loses something, it is gone and out of sight. Lost things have a place, but they are absent from that place. As we discussed and pondered the meaning, our professor said something that stuck with me. “Rather than viewing people as just lost, view them as the people that God misses the most.” This statement cut deep because it is easy to take the meaning and not have any emotion tied to it, when we view lost things and people as being missed, it drastically changes how we feel.

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells the prodigal son's story. In short, one of two sons asked for his share of the property that would be his once his father passed. Afterward, he left and took that money and his share, wasting it recklessly. Eventually, after he spent all of the money, he found himself eating and living among pigs, realizing that he would be better off as a servant in his father’s house rather than where he was. He returned to his father’s house expecting to be condemned and disowned, BUT his father saw him coming home and felt compassion towards him. He missed his son. Yes, he was lost, but he missed his son so much that he celebrated his return instead of reacting as expected.

Just like the father in the parable reacted is how our Father in Heaven reacts. He misses those not with him and longs to be in a relationship with them. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” Jesus tells us to go and make disciples of all nations. It can be easy to be complacent in our faith and keep it to ourselves, but so many people do not know that they have a Father who misses and loves them. Our job is to share this good news with the world! This could look like sharing with your local barista that God loves them or going to lunch with someone you know does not have a personal relationship with Christ to be an example of Christ’s love.

Even better, we do not have to do it alone because he is “with us to the end of the age.” So, if you feel unqualified or scared to share, know that you’re not alone in those feelings, and Jesus is with you amid those feelings of uncertainty. Just as I feel the Lord tugging at my heart with this simple truth, I pray that you feel the Lord tugging at your heart to share with others that God misses them and desires to be in an intimate relationship with them.

Hi, if we haven’t met yet my name is Courtney Wright. I grew up in Colorado and came to Tulsa for ORU. I got my degree in dance and now am teaching competitive dance at a studio in Bixby.

Something that God has been teaching me recently, and really all my life, is that he is faithful when things feel out of control. I have never been great at adjusting to change (is anyone really good at that though), and honestly, I am worse at handling when things feel out of my control. I have had to lean on my previous experiences of God’s goodness recently as I have faced some life changes that felt too big for me to handle.

One example of this that I have been clinging to, was a time of change during my freshman year of college. I had made the decision to go to a school in West Palm Beach, FL, and was SO excited to be living in Florida and pursuing my dream of dancing. When that year started, I was confident that I was exactly where God told me to be. However, as the year went on, I felt myself falling away from God and I lost my joy for dancing. I knew I had to make a change which was very scary cause I thought I was living the dream. I felt like God was asking me to give up everything I really wanted. I had grown up hearing that he wouldn’t ask you to give up something without replacing it with something better but when I was faced with giving up Florida in exchange for Oklahoma and ORU I really wasn't sure. Ultimately, I was obedient (obviously) and transferred. Looking back now, I can see God’s protection in this hard decision.

I have had to recently make the decision to move back to Colorado which feels just as scary as leaving Florida to me. I have friends, a job, and a routine here that I am giving up, but I am confident that whatever God is asking me to give up here he will redeem during my time in Colorado.

A verse that I always go back to is Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” I have to remind myself that he is not done with my story, and he will be faithful to be with me no matter what I am going through.

My testimony is still unraveling, but man am I thankful for how the Lord has been weaving my life.

I grew up in a Christian household, to some incredible parents alongside four wonderful siblings. I am so thankful for family and its consistency in my life— especially growing up. I do not take the blessing it is for granted.

Growing up in the church, I wanted more... the knowledge of Jesus and upbringing that I had lent to a “seeing is believing” attitude and one that led me to a watered down faith entering high school. Junior year of high school, I spent time serving with a youth ministry called Young Life.

For a month I worked as a food server and grew so much in my confidence in the Lord alone— at the end of that month, during a break out evening, I encountered the Lord in a very vivid way. I was sitting in front of the dining hall in prayer, thanking him for the opportunity he had given me to serve for a month in Colorado when I started tearing up. The tears blurred my sight and I began to enter into a vision of the Lion of Judah. I was leaving a pit, a chimney of sorts— it was tight and dark— in the distance was the face of a lion and its floating mane moving towards me. It came closer and closer to me until He essentially kissed me and my perspective flipped. I was exiting the pit backwards looking down as the lion descended. I came out of the pit and rose higher and higher above this mound of black filth as the lion sunk deeper and deeper— His light growing smaller but not fading. I was free floating in space and then there was a bright flash waking me from my vision. So vivid, and so real: yet so humbling. Jesus reminded me of his love for me and at the same time told me that I didn’t have to live from one vision to the next, in fact, faith is believing in that you cannot see!! We serve a good God and he knows and gives what we need— not necessarily what we want.

In my time at the University of Oklahoma, I experienced loss— deep and extreme loss. Through loss, I spent a season coping in unhealthy ways. In my sophomore year I leaned into the ministry of Young Life and youth ministry. Discipling fatherless middle schoolers was something the Spirit used to speak to me in this season. At this point, one of my lifestyles had to drop: my party lifestyle or my Jesus-centric lifestyle. I was convicted and led to drop everything in the party scene— Jesus was so merciful to me in allowing me to leave such means of coping with pain in a “clean break” fashion. PRAISE HIM.

Life with Jesus didn’t mean I no longer struggled; in fact, the more I began to lean into Him, the more spiritual warfare I faced. It’s crazy how the more full of His Spirit you are the more suppressed darkness is put in the spotlight to burn up.

Jesus began to meet me in the most beautiful ways through both community and His creation. I began to seek out these things.

Post college I continued to pursue youth outreach with Young Life in British Columbia and worked with Beyond Malibu, a camp that sends teams of high school students up into the raw, untouched beauty of God’s creation. There I learned what it means to be his vessel/the humility involved, to practice his presence daily, to lead patiently and relationally.

I spent the last two summers 2022 and 2023 in Canada, and now I’m back in Tulsa. The Lord is calling me to more and He says it’s “soon”. I’m stoked for what’s to come and so thankful for the testimony he has given me and it’s seemingly random nature has allowed me to be relational with a diverse group of people. I truly see God in both community and nature, but pray every day that I would have complete faith that our Heavenly Father is capable of things far greater than any human explanation.

I’m so thankful for breath today and that we serve a God who knows us so well. He gives us enough for today and it’s so beautiful that we get to rest in that.

Something that the Lord has been teaching me lately is how to be faithful in the mundane. The Bible is full of stories about amazing encounters with God. However, these encounters and testimonies that we read about on each page are often the only time that individual has a transformative experience with God. For example, Moses. He only had one burning bush encounter, yet he is one of the most revered figures in the Scriptures. He saw evidence of God's faithfulness when he led the Israelites out of Egypt, but it wasn't until much later in his life that he met with God again when receiving the 10 Commandments.

It might be just me, but I think sometimes Christians put so much emphasis on life-changing encounters with God that we forget that is not what our everyday life looks like. Moses was not experiencing something like the burning bush daily. But he did wander for 40 years in the wilderness. And how did he and the Israelites experience God and His faithfulness during that time?

In Exodus 16, we read about how God rains down manna from heaven while the Israelites are in the desert. He gives them the food that they need daily, and any extra that they kept would be bad by the next day. The Israelites ate manna and quail every day for the forty years that they were in the desert. And to answer the age-old question, if I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would definitely not be flaky bread.

One of my favorite songs right now is "Manna" by Chris Renzema, and one of the lines in it says: "even when I've lost my taste for manna, it comes from heaven all the same." I so often forget that doing life daily with the Holy Spirit is not flashy and hyped up as we expect it to be. But it's beautiful and consistent and fulfilling. God's perfect daily provision is not thrilling, but it is faithful. And that's where He calls us too.

I grew up in a Christian environment, and I accepted Christ as my Savior at a young age. While I have had amazing experiences with the Holy Spirit and seeing the Lord's divine faithfulness, most of my life has been spent earnestly trying to remain faithful to the Lord and experience His goodness in the everyday parts of life. One of the things I have discovered is when I am faithful to God, my eyes are much more opened to the things He is doing to provide for me and bless me. On the days that I don't spend even a little bit of time meditating on Scripture or in prayer, I can tell a difference. I need the Holy Spirit so much to fill me up with love and grace for others - or else I'm just not a nice person or a good example of a follower of Christ. But when I am intentional about creating space to seek the Lord, even if just for a few minutes that morning, it is so much easier for me to recognize how God is providing for me.

This seems like a silly example, but there was one night this past week that I barely got any sleep, and it was not good sleep either. When I got to school that morning, I was praying that the Holy Spirit would help me be exactly what my students needed that day, even though I was exhausted and knew that "my all" was going to look different that day. I got an email that morning asking if my students could come in for extra music practice for the performance they are preparing for, and this time was outside of their designated specials time. Though it seems small, I recognized it as God's faithfulness. He knew that I was weary and probably would grow more frustrated at my students had I been with them all day. He provided me with the rest I needed to finish the rest of the day. 

When we are faithful in seeking the Lord out, we will easily recognize when He provides for us. Even though it may not seem like much, it comes from heaven all the same.

Hello! My name is Cori Sowah. I live in Tulsa, but I grew up in Collinsville, Oklahoma my whole life. I am married to my best friend, Roy, and we started going to First Methodist in 2019 when we woke up one morning and searched “Church near me” and landed here!

Growing up I went to a cowboy church enough to understand who Jesus is, but not consistently enough to understand why we need him. When I was about 15 years old my best friend at the time invited me to go to her Wednesday night church services with her. Her mom would come and pick me up each week, and from there my faith blossomed. I felt as though I had a true understanding of what it felt like to rely on God and seek him in every situation. When I was 16, I then got baptized in a horse trough by my pastor!

It feels as though testimonies are never ending, and each day we are still on our faith journey. Once I was in college and met Roy, who has an in-depth knowledge of the Bible compared to what I know of the Bible, I realized that I am now an adult who doesn’t know the books of the bible or even popular children’s stories of the bible that are shared. Roy and I were watching a TikTok with Bible trivia questions, and I didn’t know any of them. While Roy and I lived in Stillwater, I went to his church and heard the Lord’s prayer for the first time since I was a little girl, so I could not recite it with the rest of the congregation. I also felt extremely lost on what we were doing each time we had communion. I never felt ashamed by any of this, but extremely curious. Thankfully, Roy answered all my random questions to the best of his ability, but I soon realized the state of my faith felt very surface level. I had a relationship with God, but I did not really know God or His word. It was like having a friend you can talk to but not knowing anything about that friend.

In October of last year, I started to get a hunger for reading God’s word and started doing everything in my power to soak up as much information. I signed up for Bible studies, listened to the Bible while walking, reading each day, and being determined to not miss a Sunday service. It truly felt like a renewed strength. Little did I know, God was preparing me to go through one of the most difficult experiences of my life. Just a couple of months later, Roy’s mom unexpectantly passed away. It truly felt as though the world was crumbling below. Being in pain for losing someone you love and watching those that you love be in so much pain is and was a very difficult process. The future seemed so daunting on how to move forward. Four days after my mother-in-law passed, I randomly woke up from a deep sleep at 4:30 in the morning and grabbed my Bible and chose to open it and start reading to calm my anxiety. With tears in my eyes, I randomly chose to read Romans chapter 6 for the first time in my life. Through this, I felt as though I had a true understanding of what it meant to give my life to God. To die for our sins and allow Jesus into your heart. From this, it means that when you give your life to Jesus our hearts are already set in eternity; our bodies are merely temporary vessel to do God’s work. I felt extreme peace and comfort knowing that the best gift my mother-in-law could have ever given to those she loved was to live her life with unwavering faith, so those that are washed in the blood can have the confidence that they too will see her again. I decided I also wanted faith like that. One that doesn’t sway with the wind but stands firm with confidence and understanding of who God is and is yet to come.

The next following day was New Years Eve, Pastor Todd preached about Making a Martyr. He then invited those that felt called to give their life to Jesus to come to the altar, so I walked up to the altar and gave my life to Jesus all over again with the understanding of what it means to die so that I may live through him.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Emma Judkins, and I am currently a senior at Oral Roberts University majoring in Ministry and Leadership with a concentration in Evangelism and Outreach. I will graduate in the fall of this year and am so excited to see what the Lord has planned! This week, the Lord put it on my heart to share some of my testimony, specifically regarding giving up my plan to follow the Lord’s. I pray as you read this you feel encouraged to pursue what God is calling you to wholeheartedly!

In high school, I thought I had the entirety of my life planned out. My stubbornness to stick to my plan rather than God’s plan led me to the University of Oklahoma during my first year of college. The entirety of that first year of college was the hardest year I had ever been through. Not only was I surrounded by a secular university, which was a challenge, but in addition, the Lord was not my priority. I was more willing to hold onto the idea of what I wanted my life to look like so I would not lose anything here and now rather than surrendering to the Lord and gaining everything in Him. Through that challenging year, the Lord brought me to a place where my only choice was to surrender everything to Him and fully devote my life to His plan for my life. As a result, I transferred schools, changed my major to study ministry, and, in the process, learned what it meant to lose my life to save it. 

The Lord has continually highlighted the importance of denying everything to gain everything in Christ through the past couple of years of my life. Matthew 16:25-26 says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” The more we try to cling to the things of the world the more we lose our souls. It can be scary to surrender everything to God, but I promise it is worth it to find your life in Christ.

At first when I knew the Lord had called me to transfer universities that was the last thing I wanted to do; I had a large scholarship, a signed apartment lease for the next year, and a year’s worth of school done. If I transferred, I would lose my scholarship, I would have to either pay my lease or find someone to take it over (which was highly unlikely) and hope my credits would transfer to a private university. Nonetheless, after taking that step of faith and “losing” what I thought was a LOT, the Lord provided every single one of those things for me before transferring. I got a new scholarship, someone took over my lease, and not only did my credits transfer but I am graduating a semester early. At that moment, it felt like I was losing everything and gaining nothing, but that was not the case; I gained everything in the Lord. He has revealed Himself to me in new ways, my relationship with Him has grown, and though giving up what I thought my future would look like was hard, it is incomparable to the riches of what He has bestowed and the future ones in store.

That said, I encourage you! Ask the Lord, “What am I holding on to that is causing me to lose my life?” And once the Lord reveals it, ask Him how to lay it down. He is so good, and it is worth it to lose whatever is keeping you from fully stepping into His plan for your life. When those challenging moments arise, go straight to the Father and He will give you strength. I pray that through the difficult moments, we all remember whose we are and where we are seated with Christ. 

As a seminarian, I am reading, writing about, and studying the miraculous all the time.  Deep dives into Bible passages, theology, and the history of the relationship between mankind and humanity. Pretty miraculous stuff. After a while the miraculous begins to sound normal, common…everyday. Maybe these things sound normal, common, and everyday because they are normal, common, and everyday?

To be clear, I do believe in the uncommon and miraculous interventions of God in this world but I have found that often these are the only events that we consider miracles and acts of God. We fail to consider how mysterious the providence of God is. How it operates and makes itself manifest in ways that we can never understand or recognize. The fact that I was born, that I woke up today, that I cut my hand and it healed by itself, that I am able to pray to the Creator and Sustainer of all things–nothing short of a miracle! The fact that the sun shines down, giving plants nutrients that would be used to feed animals that would in turn be used to nourish humanity is normal. It is only normal because we observe it every day, but with some larger perspective I’m convinced that it is not so boring. God had a perfect, infinitely complex, plan in mind when He designed His creation and every single soul that would inhabit it. If that is not miraculous, I do not know what is. The fact that God breathed everything into existence is maybe the most miraculous event ever, and we live in it.

If maybe you feel as if you are struggling to see God in your day to day, open your mind to the possibility that miracles are happening all around you all the time. Someone saying something encouraging when you are down, seeing the beauty of blooming flowers, hearing the harmony of a piece of music, experiencing the love of a friend or family member. These may all be commonplace, but they are also miraculous. Every Sunday we gather together and one of the things that we do is participate in the sacrament of communion. We ask the Holy Spirit to make the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, and it is. Boom…miracle! That is at least one miracle that we can count on every single week among many others that we are too blind to see. Remind yourself that the everyday, common, boring is actually exciting, rare, and miraculous. If you need even more reminding, open your Bible and read about the miracles of old. I'll let you in on another secret that the Bible tells us. Those miracles in the Bible are happening today. We are actually in the Bible too. Between Acts and Revelation is God’s people…that’s us. Turns out our boring day to day is actually pretty miraculous.  

Acts 5:17-42

Looking at Acts 5, I’m blown away by unconventional and unexpected ways the Lord moves. This story includes a miraculous jailbreak for the people of God! But I’m not even talking about that. It’s so subtle that you might miss it. 

Let’s set the scene — this is the big showdown. The Apostles have already been warned not to preach in the name of Jesus. Then they break out of jail and continue to preach and teach in the name of Jesus. The entire gang is on trial now. The Apostles v. The Sanhedrin. 

When questioned this time, this group proclaims the name of Jesus yet again. How could they not? 

The response from the Sanhedrin is quite startling. The Sanhedrin were so furious, they were ready to kill. If we cut to a commercial break at that point in the movie, you’d be convinced the apostles were going to die. How could they come back from that? Their opposers have all the authority and all the desire to order their death. 

Then, the Lord intervenes. This time with a guy who doesn’t even know what he believes. Mr. Popular of the Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, stands up and says the equivalent of “Hey you guys should be real careful what you do next. If there’s even the smallest chance that what these guys are saying is true, do you really want to oppose God?” 

This should be seen as a miracle in itself! Did the Lord just intervene in the group we view as the most lost? Did one of Jesus’ opposers have their heart softened by the testimony of Peter and the Apostles?

Instead of death, the Apostles end up being released. Although most people focus solely on the Apostles being physically beaten as a punishment in this scene, to do so would be to miss something substantial.

What we have just witnessed is the sovereignty of God. The Lord uses testimony to cut through even the toughest of shells.

If the Lord can stop a bloodthirsty group from murder with a testimony, what can He do with yours? If the Lord can use this guy, Gamaliel, to speak on something he knows nothing about to a group who wants nothing to do with it, how much more could he use your testimony? 

The Apostles could not have known what was going to happen next. They too likely thought their fate was sealed. But we have no idea what the Lord can do. He wants to crack through to the places and the people in your life who are the most far gone. Do we believe that the Lord can use our best efforts like He did with Gamaliel? 

Praying for you all as you discern where the Lord wants to use you next. 

One of my new favorite songs is Waves by Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine, and Chandler Moore. The premise of the song is that there are a lot of things in life that will be overwhelming or create fear in your life and it may feel like you are drowning from time to time. But the chorus has such hope. It states “But I know these waves will crash over me. But I’ll have faith that the tide won’t take me. And even when the water’s rising, you’ll help me swim to shore. I know these waves are rough. But you’ve never let me drown before.”

That is a powerful reminder for who the Lord is for all of us. In this season since graduating college, there have been a few strong waves. I struggle with anxiety, fear, and perfectionism. There have been some moments in the past that have really hurt me or moments currently with my clinical rotation where my anxiety has been overwhelming. But in the hardest moments, the Lord has seen me through. He has shown up in ways that I couldn’t have even imagined and has blessed me. Sometimes that blessing has not looked like what I thought it should. For a while it looked like walking through a difficult season and still trusting Him. If you want to know more of the details of that story, I would love to share it. It is just too long to fit in this post.

Throughout my life the storms have come. One of the biggest things I have learned is what is embodied in the song above. When the water is rising, He helps us swim ashore and doesn’t ever leave us or let us drown. He is always faithful to work everything for our good (Romans 8:28). If anyone is struggling in a difficult season, know that the Lord is for you, and He wants to be your comfort and strength!

On Tuesdays we have been talking about listening to the Lord. I'm curious, how does the Lord speak to you? I’m a words of affirmation girl when it comes to my love language. Knowing this, the Holy Spirit frequently uses songs to speak to my soul.

While reading about the early church last week in Long Story Short, the song “Church (Take Me Back)” by Cochren & Co. played in my car and has since been playing in my head. Here is the chorus:

“Take me back
To the place that feels like home
To the people I can depend on
To the faith that's in my bones
Take me back
To a preacher and a verse
Where they've seen me at my worst
To the love I had at first
Oh, I want to go to church.”

I have been following Jesus Christ almost as long as I can remember and because of that, I need the reminder to go back “to the love I had a first.” You can find that same reminder in Revelation 2:4-5.

It is time to go back to our childlike faith, to the passion and fire we had for Christ at first, and not resist the promptings of Holy Spirit like the people in Acts 7:51. When you hear the still small voice, listen and act.

Today I would like to share about a recent spiritual breakthrough of mine.

During our Holy Spirit Weekend, Dr. Kim Maas challenged the older generations to share their testimonies with the younger generations of the church. It was a beautiful sight to see people flooding the aisles, committing to sharing their stories.

It was that night that I decided to be bold and ask for someone to share their story with me. Knowing that so many were willing to share gave me the courage to simply ask a member I admire to share her story with me.

What surprised me was that this member then asked me to share my story. She listened so well and took an objective look at my life. Then she spoke truth over me as she said, “Natalie, you have been so faithful.”

When thinking of sharing my testimony, I usually assume it is for the good of others. I now realized that sharing your story is mutually beneficial. The act of sharing reminds you of the Lord’s goodness and the feedback from your listener can also speak life into you.

All that to say, I challenge you to think of someone you’d like to hear from and set up a time to talk.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 (ESV)

Hey friends! It was so good to finally meet some of y’all last weekend. I cannot emphasize enough how fired up I am to jump into ministry with you.

On Tuesdays, we want to make a space for Listening to the Lord. Where do we see or hear the Lord moving? Maybe it’s in a devotional word or a personal testimony. Whatever it looks like, we need to dig in.

For me this week, I have become fixated on the idea of testimony. As Pastor Andrew is beginning to walk us through testimony in the book of Acts on Sunday mornings, I am noticing there’s a gap between where I am and where the Apostles are to proclaim the word of the Lord with the great boldness and authority that they do.

What would it take for my faith to look like that? How do we as followers of Christ have a posture to recognize and receive what God’s up to in us and around us? And then proclaim it?

Interestingly enough, I am currently taking a class on Acts. Today, our professor reminded us that this is not simply history. This is not an account of “the facts”. If Acts was just there to give us a briefing on how the church started, I’m not sure it would have made it into our hands in present day.

There is power in testimony.

The Holy Spirit desires to move in us and through us in this way.

It doesn’t start with testimony, though. When we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is moving in a powerful way, it just overflows. If don’t try to contain it by putting up walls, we just end up embracing it. There is no neutrality to the move of God. It just changes you.

Let’s be on the lookout this week to embrace the move of God. And on the other side of it, I can’t wait to hear your testimony.