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Our new worship leader

Meet Impact's new worship leader, Brandon, as he climbs to roof of downtown sky-rise;)

Another World

I know for many people the idea of traveling to a third world to serve sounds like something they'd like to do sometime or some day.  For me, I have made a commitment to do my very best to do this once a year.  There is something about serving in a different culture that totally recalibrates me.  A fish doesn't know he is in a fish bowl because he has never experienced anything else.  Plus fish are dumb, but that's beside the point.  When I am in our culture for long enough I start to think that this is all there is.  I start thinking, believing, and living much like what everyone else around me does.  But, it has been times where I've rolled up my sleeves and gotten to know other cultures and other socio-economic realities that I've been able to get an outside perspective on my own life.  When I stand by the hospital beds of the sick and dying in South Africa or feed those digging through the trash in Mexico I'm reminded that my reality is not THE reality.  Sometimes I feel guilty that we only have 55 serving spots to overseas locations here in Student Impact.  However, we've never had a surplus of students wanting to go at the same time and that amazes me even more.  I'm sure God has his own timing in mind for who and when, but if you are reading this blog and want to get out of the fish bowl I suggest you get an application and turn that puppy in soon!

POST YOUR SOAP

Impact,

I'll take a risk and post some impactful 'Marching Orders' from my times of Scripture Reflection if you will!  Each week we will begin a new SOAP POST and various Impact staff members will be adding their own marching orders.  Feel free to comment on other person's SOAPs, add your own, read through them, etc.

You Can Now Comment on Blog!

What is a blog with no comments?  Starting with the post on the Holy Spirit all future blogs will become interactive.  Pose questions, give your opinions, and make comments!

New Blogs Going Up!

Be sure to check out blogs in the coming weeks as we begin to put up reflective content stemming from our past series!

Discerning God's Voice

We just finished up a four week series about the Holy Spirit called, 'A Fire Inside'.  We spent one week learning how to discern when God is speaking to us, and I'll post the cliff notes of those marks of God's voice below:

(Authority)

First, God’s speaking has an authoritative something about it.  Notice how Samuel misperceived this as his Father, the highest official in Israel calling.  God’s voice is authoritative.  When someone in authority speaks you listen in a new way.  Your friends talk and banter and speculate all day long but when your principal or father or president speaks directly to you there is a ring of authority to it.  I sometimes think of God’s words spoken to me somewhat like getting a brand stamped in your brain.  In Mathew 7:29 the crowds around Jesus knew there was something different about the way Jesus spoke.  Here is how they described Jesus’ voice, ‘he taught as one who had authority, not as the (other) teachers of the law’.  When God speaks it has authority to it.

(Clarity)

Second, God’s voice has clarity.  Our thoughts tend to bounce around in our brains and meander this way and that way in a kind of fleeting manner.  God’s voice doesn’t meander or ramble like our thought patterns.  His voice is clear, it is distinct.

(Brevity)

Third, God’s voice is often brief.  It is very rare that God ever speaks in paragraphs.  Even in life the best communicators are those who are able to say a lot in only a limited amount of words.  I have to speak for so long because I’m just not that good.  But God is the master of mind, soul, body and language.  When he speaks it is usually very brief, but only a few words from God seem to carry much more meaning than normal human beings can pack in.  You know how when you really know someone you can just give them one little wink or facial gesture from across the room and they know exactly what you are thinking?  Or how when you know someone really well you have little inside jokes where you can say one word and there is tons of meaning behind it?  Well, God knows us inside and out and often he speaks in only a few words but these few words could not be described fully in any amount of words.

(Ex. “Let it Out”)

As an example, a few years ago I was at a wedding of a good friend of mine in Oklahoma.  But I did not really know many of his friends or family.  So, I am basically thrown into this social gathering surrounded by tons of people I don’t know.  And then out of nowhere I am gripped by an awareness that God has something he wants to say to me.  God has my attention.  So learning from previous mistakes I immediately retreat from the crowd to the quietest place I can find, and as soon as I got into a quiet place and listened God says to me, ‘let it out’.  And that was it.  3 words.  ‘Let it out.’  But for me He filled these three words with worlds of profound meaning.  I knew instantly that God was telling me that while He had grown me to a place where I had tons of passion and love and concern for god inside of me, I kept it bottled up inside of me.  I never wanted to be the super spiritual weirdo who was always talking about God or whatever and because of this distaste for those types of people I very rarely let out what was true inside of me.  At one point earlier in my life I was a hypocrite because I appeared on the outside better than I was on the inside, and now I had hit a point where I was a hypocrite because I had all of this good on the inside that I was covering up by my outward appearance.  So God said, ‘let it out’.  Very brief, but tons of meaning.

(Tone)

The fourth thing that helps me discern what is coming from God and what isn’t is the tone of His voice.  What I mean is that His voice matches his character as revealed in the bible.  The best way of course to learn about God’s character is by meditating on Scripture every day.  You freshmen will have an incredible grasp on how to do this well by the end of this year in your small groups.  But as a general note for all of us, over time I have learned that God never speaks out of character.  So his voice never has a frantic quality about it, but a peaceful one.  His voice is never hurried or worried but calm and steady.  His voice does not sound sarcastic but is always constructive.  When thoughts come into your mind that have a spirit or tone about them that doesn’t match God’s character you can bet it isn’t coming from God. 

(Presence)

As a fifth quality about hearing from God to note; God’s presence often accompanies his speaking.  His presence can sometimes be described as a ‘heightened alertness’ or an incredible ‘focus’ that goes beyond normal.  It is like God grabs your face and commands your attention.  Not harshly but that level of alertness.  You cannot help but think of God and listen in these moments.

Do not expect this to always accompany god’s speaking but if it does you will not lack much for wondering if it is from God.  However, if you sense a presence that feels different while accompanied from some thought that doesn’t match God’s tone or quality of voice then be aware.  We do have spiritual enemies in this world that try to masquerade as angels of light, and this can be a sign you need to do a little spiritual warfare.  But that is a lesson for another day isn’t itJ

Last word on His Presence is that it tends to leave you feeling more peaceful and joyful than you normally do.  The presence of His spirit will match the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians.  Love, joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithful, Gentle, Self-Controlled.

(Unforgettable)

The 6^th thing to pay attention to is the unforgettable quality of God’s voice.  We come up with ideas that flitter around and are quickly forgotten, lost, become unclear.  Specific revelation from God is unforgettable.  The words are branded in your brain.  This is why we must pay attention to recurring thoughts.  When a thought comes back or we can’t forget it we should ask God, ‘Are you wanting me to really do this?’  ‘Is this from you?’

(Result)

Number seven is the Result.  What is the result of this thought you just had.  God’s speaking will not leave you feeling anxious, worried, hate-filled or ashamed.  His speaking heals, brings peace, humility, and forgiveness to heart.  You can gauge if it came from him by the result this ‘thought’ has on you.  If you hear some word of accusation towards you that should always put you on guard since Satan is called the ‘accuser’.  Don’t throw it out right away because if God is convicting you of something you don’t want to ignore that.  God’s conviction always comes to you as helpful and constructive and motivates you to want to change.  An accusing voice just wants you to feel ashamed and feel worthless.  If the result of this thought is just feeling ashamed or worthless it is not from God.  So pay attention to the result or effect it has on you.

(Content)

The last thing I’ll mention is Content.  The actual content of what God will say to you will never contradict the nature of who God is as revealed in the bible.  His words can go beyond biblical revelation, but they will not contradict the bible.  This is why knowing the scripture through daily meditation is so important in learning to know God personally and hear his voice.  The Content will always line up with what has been revealed in Scripture.  Again, Sophomores should have a firm grasp on this by the end of the year in their small groups.

What's This Year?

The thing I love about a new school year is how many students decide to reinvent themselves.  It never fails that someone shows up on the scene with a whole new wardrobe, a whole new vibe, new commitments, and new outlooks to bring into their school life.  Inevitably, some of these reinvention efforts fail, but some succeed.  I can't help but dream of what would happen if a thousand high school students in our area reinvented themselves this year.  For most of us, our friends don't really consider us a force to be reckoned with spiritually speaking.  From the outside looking in many would guess that a lot of us are pretty much all about the same things that the rest of the world is.  But what if?  What if suddenly the eyes of a thousand were opened to see beyond what is temporary and into what is eternal?  What if we lived for things beyond what this world lives for, and transcended the worries and mongerings of everyone around us?  2 Cor says 4 says, "Set your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  I'm praying that our community would open their eyes in a whole new way this year, and dreaming of the unstoppable army of saints canvassing the campuses of High Schools this year.  Heck, we might even look like the revolution Jesus came to create!

SOAP

It has been incredible to see the stirring among High School Students to begin reflecting on Scripture regularly.  SOAP is a word you hear a lot around Impact these days, and it simply refers to a tool that people use to meditate or reflect on the meaning of scripture.  If you'd like to begin reading a chapter of scripture a day and meditating on it here's how to do it

01.  Begin by praying and asking God to let this be more than a task to check off a list, but a time of really applying truth about who God is and what His plan is to your life.

02.  Read a chapter (or more) of scripture.  Use the bible reading plan in your SOAP journal or just begin reading in Luke or John chapter 1 and read chapter by chapter from there.

03.  After reading a section of scripture you begin to work your way through the SOAP acronym.  S stands for 'Scripture'.  So, out of the section you just read which Scripture Verse stood out to you the most?  Which phrase, sentence or piece of scripture popped off the page, or stands out in your mind once you have finished?  Write that down.

04.  The 'O' stands for Observation.  This is where you make observations about the context of this Scripture Verse.  You are trying to really discern its original meaning.

05.  The 'A' of SOAP stands for Application.  Now that you have made observations about this passages original meaning, it is now time to ask God how it applies to your life today.  Another way we ask this is, 'God, what are my marching orders?'  Or, 'How should I live my life differently because of what I have read today?'  Once you reflect on the meaning of this passage and apply it to your life in this way, try to boil the key learning down into just one short phrase or sentence you can remember and carry with you throughout the day.

06.  Lastly, 'P' is for Prayer.  Now that you have reflected on the meaning of scripture and applied it to your own life, pray that God would help you to really live this out during your day, your week, etc.

Key Summer Dates

June 28 -- Meet in Impact lobby a bit early, around 10:50, and then head over to Mainstage together.  We will sit all the way up and to the right (sections 308, 307, and 306)

July 5 -- NO IMPACT / 4th of July Weekend

July 12 -- NO IMPACT / Away at Sandblast

July 19 -- Impact resumes @ 11:15 in Lakeside

July 26, August 2, August 9, August 16 -- Join Impact for our Summer Series, 'Series of Fortunate Events'

August 23 -- FUSE (Impact, Elevate & Axis Unite for a prayer and worship gathering)

August 30 -- LAUNCH!!!! (Fall launch and House Group launch)

September 13 -- 2nd LAUNCH!! (Labor day is over and we're launching back up, Small Groups launch for the year on this Sunday!)

Reflecting On The End

We just wrapped up our last week of the End is Near Series.  I couldn't have been more excited when Carlos, the Lake Zurich Area Leader, told me that his students' main takeaway has been, 'bring heaven to earth'.  I hear that and go 'YES'!  That is what Jesus was all about, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to this world!

The first week of this series we rolled up our sleeves and looked at how the events of REvelation were fulfilled in such precise detail as God used Rome to bring destruction upon 1st Century Israel, along with Israel's Holy City, Jerusalem.

The second week we took a look at the hope we all have that while we may be able to know God in part in this life, someday we will see His glory fully. 

For the final week we looked at resurrection.  Resurrection is the hope of the New Testament.  Resurrection means for us that Christ defeated the power of death in this world.  It means Christ has overcome sin in this world.  It means that we who follow Jesus have a purpose, and it gives us a solid hope that we will share in His resurrection when He returns at the Last Day.