Weekly Meeting: Ephesians study

Since the beginning of January, USM Crusade has been meeting weekly, on Wednesday nights @ 8:00, to study the book of Ephesians. Andrew (our MTL: ministry team leader), has spent the semester slowly working through the first chapters of Ephesians and challenging students (and staff) to spend time meditating on the fact that Christ has reconciled ALL to Himself and how that fact should affect every single aspect of our lives.

In addition to worshipping through song and studying the Word, this week we began our "Senior Spotlights." With graduation right around the corner, we will be hearing from several of our graduating seniors through out the next couple weeks about the amazing things God has done and is doing in their lives. Last night, we were able to hear from a sweet woman whom God has given the desire to pursue ministry in the future. Although she confessed that she was nervous to speak, she spoke so honestly and surely about the ways God had been moving in her life that I would have never known that she did not enjoy speaking in front of others! I am so thankful that God blesses us with the opportunities to share with others the amazing things He is doing in each of His disciples.

Mitch speaking at our weekly meeting

During our weekly meeting last night, Mitch had the opportunity to speak on Ephesians 4:17-32 and the importance of the mind in the Christian life. Mitch began by focusing on how Paul urges Christians to not be ignorant in their thinking, but to follow the example that Christ has set before us. Furthermore, he discussed how filling our minds with things of this world inhibit us to completely set our minds on Christ. To show how this is true, Mitch presented the students with some common phrases and movie quotes and asked them to fill in the blanks: "May the ________ be with you." (force) For the Hunger Games fans out there, "May the _______ be ever in your favor" (odds) And for the football fans out there, name the 12 SEC football teams. Pretty easy for us to do right? He then presented this: "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- ______________" (John 18, to bear witness to the truth) And lastly, name the 12 tribes of Israel (The night before, Mitch and I tried to name the 12 tribes.... we only got 9; pretty embarrassing and convicting). How quickly one can answer the beginning quotes and questions, but the last ones take real thought- if we can even answer them at all! Ending his talk on Psalm 1, Mitch urged students to meditate on the Law and to consider what things might be taking Christ's place in our minds and ultimately our heart's desires.