To Know Him and Make Him Known

This past week has been heavy. The talks and sessions were centered around learning about our sin, things we idolize, and how we refuse to repent and turn from our sin so many times, meaning we choose sin over Christ. One thing I love about Beach Project is how real it is. It differs from a camp setting where lots of emotion and teaching is crammed into one week, with lights and loud bands, and an incredible speaker. Many nights we simply open the Word, and reflect on how Jesus is King, and we are His children. Some nights we get dropped off at the pier, a crowded restaurant, a tourist amusement park, or the beach and evangelize to others. The word “evangelize” has always scared me. Talking to someone I don’t know about such a huge topic terrified me. I would be nervous just thinking about it. One thing that has recently liberated me from years of feeling nervous, anxious or uneasy about “evangelizing” is the verse found in 1 Peter 2:9 that I have been memorizing all summer.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His wonderful light.”

All I simply have to do is declare the praises of the One who has changed my life. That’s it. I am not obligated to give some PowerPoint presentation and wait for a “yes” or “no” at the end of my conversation with someone. “Leading someone to Jesus” doesn’t have to mean a conversion to Christianity. Leading someone to Jesus is simply pointing their attention to Him, directing their thoughts to Him, or informing someone about His glory and majesty. This has dramatically changed how I view evangelism, and how I approach people. All evangelism entails is pointing others to Christ. When I see my heart change from fear to joy when it comes to telling others about the glory of our King, I can’t deny that Christ is real. I want to be a fisher of men and feed His sheep. That’s why I’m here this summer: to know Him and make Him known.

This past week, as we have learned about the specific sin that entangles us individually, my eyes have been open to many things. My heart is broken over my sin. Not just because it’s “bad” or wrong, but because it separates me from the One who has called me out of darkness and into His wonderful light. A few weeks ago we had a Hillbilly Hoedown Social and everyone dressed up as rednecks and country hicks. The costumes were hilarious! It was so funny to see people put pillows in their shirts, wear fake buckteeth, and have boots and cowboy hats on. As children of the King, when we choose sin, we choose to put on a costume. In reality, we are royal priesthoods, sons and daughters of the King. When we choose sin, we choose to dress up as something we are not, a lot like we did the night we wore flannel cut off shirts and bandanas for the social. It hurts to see my sin and it hurts to identify the specific idols in my life. Although it’s painful to recognize sin, it’s essential for growth and necessary in order to see our need for Christ. The enemy wants to deceive us and tell us that our sin will satisfy our desires, when really it satisfies us as long as an ice cube stays frozen on a hot pavement. One of the speakers this past week said something that has stuck with me. “Small sin requires a small Savior. Great sin requires a great Savior.” My need for a great Savior to cover my great sin has shown me that Christ is the only thing that can truly satisfy my heart.  

Pray that my heart will be open to truth and I would have a surrendered spirit.

Pray for Jesus’ strength to replace my weakness...I have a week full of early mornings and lots of hours at Starbucks, and I am exhausted! This week at work, Beach Project is challenging us to start an “Investigative Bible Study” with our co-workers. I am praying for God to help me, Emily and Erin to be lights to our co-workers at Starbucks and to lead us into spiritual conversations with them.  

Pray that I would love my roommates and serve them with joy.

Pray that I would continue to be broken over sin in my life, and desperate for God’s grace and character. 

Declared

As we finished our first full week at project, my D-Group and I reflected on our highs and lows last night, and what we learned from the past seven days. A verse I am meditating on and encouraged by is 1 Peter 2:9.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

My new job as a cashier, barista, drive-thru greeter, and dining room janitor at Starbucks has already taught me many things. There are times where I feel so incompetent when I mess up on the register, mess up yet ANOTHER latte or cappuccino, feel like I'm in the way of the experienced co-workers, or have another customer get frustrated with me. During these times it is easy to feel that I don't "belong", or I'm not even helping, but this verse tells me different. I have the privilege of being a part of a royal priesthood, a holy nation that completely and totally belongs to God. My job in light of eternity is not determined by if I made the best frappuccino or americano, but if I declared the praises of the One who has called me out of darkness.

This week at project, we wrote down our testimonies, and practiced talking about them with partners, and we tried to narrow our testimony down to one sentence. If I only had 30 seconds to talk to someone in passing, or bring up my testimony, what would I say? After practice and feedback, we were able to narrow our testimonies down into one sentence. Doing this reminded me of the darkness I was once in, and how I used to only live for myself. I was reminded of how now I am able to walk in the Light, not because of what I did to deserve that, or because I went to church enough times, or because of all the verses I memorized, but because of the One who so graciously took my punishment and allowed me to walk in His wonderful Light.

I am excited to start another week of a jam-packed schedule: work, one-on-ones, three different training sessions, and fun times at socials! Please pray for my co-workers at Starbucks. I am an employee at a place with many lost people. Pray that they see Christ through me! Also, pray that my focus stays on the Lord and that I don't let any sort of distractions hinder me from focusing solely on Him. Last night was a sweet time of worship, with reminders of the gospel through song!

"When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me."

Your prayers mean so much to me!

Summer

Hello everyone! I never thought I would have a "blog", but I figured this would be a great way to keep friends and family updated on all the things going on in my life this summer! I will be spending two months in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, interning and learning as a disciple at Summer Beach Project. I found out about SBP through a ministry at Troy called Campus Outreach. After three semesters of hearing incredible stories of how God has used SBP as a tool to transform the lives of my best friends, roommates, and several others at Troy, I began to pray if that would be an option God would want me to pursue. Even if I wanted to, I could not escape conversations or events that mentioned or talked about Beach Project. Back in March, I attended a prayer conference at FBCPC over spring break with my mom, and so freshly heard God's word reminding me that He is my shepherd (Psalm 23) and that He would lead and direct my paths if I agreed to be fully surrendered. Throughout college I have often worried and struggled with the seemingly overwhelming unknown future that awaits me. That weekend was a huge encouragement for me, and began to pave the way to my journey leading up to Beach Project. I sensed the Lord saying to me "Taylor, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few" (Matthew 9:37). I knew that despite my confusion of what to do with my future post college, ultimately I wanted to be fully equipped to being a laborer and worker for Him, and saw that SBP was a great tool in preparing me to do just that. 

While in Ft. Walton, the 160 college students that are here will find a job, work 40 hours a week (during the day), and will be taught and trained on how to share our faith in the evening and night. A typical week at project looks like this:

Sunday: Church and restMonday: Day off from work and discipleship group at night with your roommatesTuesday: Work during the day, training at nightWednesday: Work during the day, free at nightThursday: Work during the day, training at nightFriday: Work during the day, training at nightSaturday: Work during the day, social/community builders at night

It's day 5 on Project, and I have one word to describe everything: whirlwind! I am living with 4 other girls in a tiny bedroom, so just the fact of my "personal space" abruptly coming to a halt was an adjustment in itself! On day 2, we were sent out to find jobs (Campus Outreach had some jobs available for us, but we had the option of looking for a job that we preferred over the ones that were already available), and that was one long, hot, exhausting and overwhelming day! We put in about 30 job applications, and called several other places inquiring about jobs. After hearing "no" in about 30 different ways, we were tired and discouraged. Our Bible study that we did together that day was based out of Psalms 119. In verse 105, David reminds us that God's word is "a lamp into our feet and a light unto our path". I am so comforted to know that even though that day we were upset about the discouraging news in front of us, our King illuminates the path at our feet and sees the big picture.After a second day of job hunting, I ended up getting hired at Starbucks, only 5 minutes from where we are staying! I will be working with two other girls from beach project.

I am looking forward to seeing how God uses me this summer, even with the role of serving coffee and drinks to the hundreds of people that will come into Starbucks each day! Please pray that I would be fully surrendered to God daily, and that I would desire His will over mine. Another prayer request would be for my co-workers at Starbucks. I haven't met them yet, but pray that as me and the other two girls join the Starbucks team, we would be salt and light to our co-workers, as well as the customers. The Lord is our Jehovah Jireh, He wants to provide for His people! He can mend a broken heart, change a rebellious spirit, comfort the lonely, give joy to the hopeless, rest to the weary, and even cure homesickness!