The end of a semester
This semester has been, tough. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. This semester has been amazing.
Somewhere in the caos of finding a place to sleep at night, trying to find partners that would support me on campus, looking for a church home, meeting people I would soon call friends, and working on campus I found myself dreaming. Big dreams, dreaming like I’ve never dreamed before. To see God radically change this community, and especially this campus.
I found myself awake for the first time in a long time. No longer dead, no longer going through the motions. I’ve spent the last two years seeking my identity, trying to figure out who God, my creator, had created me to be. And I think I’ve known in my head for some time, but it never touched my heart. There were aspects there, but not fully. But than that ship thing happend. And I know now, more than ever, that I have a lot to learn yet of who I am. But the foundation is being set, the core of who I am flowed into my heart.
And so I chased those dreams. I ran full speed ahead, only to have every dream thrown to the ground. The world told me no, that I couldn’t chase those dreams. Every step was met with an unexpected road block. I was heartbroken. I wanted to give up, I thought about turning back. ”Let somebody else chase that dream” and “what’s the point?” were common though processes in my head. I questioned if my dreams were even from God, maybe I was just being prideful and selfish, seeking my will be done. Everything told me to quit.
I couldn’t quit. Somewhere in this process of me discovering me, I’d changed. My dreams are much bigger than me, so much more than I could every hope to accomplish on my own. So, with every ounce of strength that I have, I move forward. With every step, I move forward; leaving a bit of my old-self in the past and realizing more of my new-self. I’m still not perfect. I still have a lot to work on.
I’m starting to see fruit.
Every ounce of hurt and pain along the race has been worth it. I think today is the day everything changes. Today is the day satan cowers in the corner because he knows he has lost. Today is the day that God’s dream and reality start to look like one another.
And the point (aka application) of all this: Whatever your dream is, however big or small your dream is, however impossible your dream is, run has hard as you can and never give up. Because if you do, God will pick you up when you fall, God will carry you when you can no longer take a step forward, and God will fill you with an unimaginable joy in the process.
Read MoreWhat’s Up? – Not no more
Scratch that
A little over a week ago, while sitting in the Union at BSU, I became convicted of my use of “What’s up?” Sure, we use it all the time to greet each other and say hello. But haven’t we taken it too far? When was the last time you heard a response other than “not much, you?” or the infamous “the sky” answer?
This short little phrase is so un-relational. It’s like acknowledge that the person exists, but that you don’t really care how they are. Shouldn’t we care how people are!?!?!!
That’s why I challenged myself to go an entire week without saying “What’s up?” and instead ask “How are you?” followed by actually stopping to listen to how the other person is. I did a horrible job at it the first 3 or 4 days. I’d start a conversation and realize I’d forgot about my challenge and have to apologize (I got some weird looks) and half start our conversation over asking how the person I was talking really was.
We are well past a week, but I’m going to do my best to completely erase the phrase “What’s up?” from my vocabulary. I want to care for people and hear how they are doing. I’m going to listen to their response. And when I’m asked how I am doing, I’m going to answer them.
Join me in this challenge. Let’s make a difference in this world. Bless the people you come into contact with and ask them how they are, and make sure you listen to what they say.
Read MoreWhat is your dream?
Photograph by Kenneth Cratty
I’m curious to know, especially in the context of college ministry and church ministry: what is your dream? If the ministry you are involved with had unlimited resources and could do anything, what would you like to see?
Comment below with your response.
Read Morebut that is not what ships are for
The above was my Facebook status the other day. I spent a good deal of my day yesterday in a state of frustration with God. It seems like I keep finding myself in these places where I am just coasting along, doing the motions. It drives me nuts! I can’t stand it. I realized yesterday though something I hadn’t processed or understood in my heart before. I fall into those habits because I fear what would happen if I didn’t.
The quote on my Facebook status says it perfectly, a ship in a harbor is safe. There are no waves or storms that capsize it. There is dry and safe land just a few feet away. A ship, however, was not made to spend it’s days in a harbor. They are ment to sail the sea. They are built to go out. They are designed to cross the vast seas.
And that’s what hit me yesterday. I’m not built to spend my days in a safe harbor going through the motions. NO! I have a purpose and it’s to let the winds take me out into deep waters. There are many storms out in the sea. There are many unknowns. Will I get wet if I leave this harbor? Yeah, probably. Will things get messy? They very well might. Will Jesus be there to calm the storms, pick me up when I fall, and make things right? Most defiantly.
I mean, lets be honest. If my purpose to be out there, then that is what God designed me for. Even more so, that is His will for me to be there. I think Erwin McManus got it right when he said:
To live outside God’s will puts us in danger; to live in his will makes us dangerous.
Therefore, in reality, docking in the harbor is probably much more dangerous then being out where I belong.
So I declare now, for the world to know. I am setting sail. I’m not waiting for morning, or even for the weather to clear. I leave now. I trust in the Lord God almighty to take care of me. For He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Read MoreBold!?!?! I dont want to be bold.
I’m guessing from the title your thinking something along the lines of: God is trying transform Adam’s life into a life that is bold when sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, maybe your not thinking that, but if you were, you would still be wrong. The idea of being bold has been on my mind a lot lately. Even more so, the idea of how I don’t want to be bold (just like the title implies 
). Now you might be thinking that isn’t very Christian. Shouldn’t we be bold in sharing our faith?
It all started at a retreat I was at. The topic: God’s Crazy Love. We spent time studying how God was crazy in love with us and learned through a real life situation how to love those around us. After returning home, the idea started forming in my head. What if we love people so crazily, that the concept of being bold had no meaning because we loved them so much that we just didn’t care about ourselves.
What would the world look like if that is how we treated each other. What if we loved so much, that those we loved would want to have what we have? What if we loved so much, that sharing the gospel was an act of love and not one of those things that we just have to be “bold” about and do?
Thoughts? I’d love to hear them. Post in the comments.
Read MoreIf we really knew you..
For those of you who are not on Facebook, there is an event going on today called “If we really knew you..” where basically, all the members are posting as their status one thing following “if you really knew me.” I’m going to copy my status for you all to see, but I want to pose the same question to you. I invite you to go to the comments and finish the sentence “if you really knew me…”
Read MoreIf we really knew you.., you would know that I am just as big of a mess as everyone else. You would know that I struggle just like everyone else does. You would know that I was addicted to porn. You would know that I spent most of my life an outcast and unloved, and that I would be someone I wasn’t to fit in. If you really knew me, you would know that I long for nothing more than to hear my dad tell me that he loves me.
If you really knew me, you would know that it was Jesus transformed my life almost 4 years ago. You would know that he gave me a community of people that loved me for who I was. He freed me from my chains and told me I no longer had to be someone I wasn’t. You would know that He created me, a masterpiece to do good and be good. (Ephesians 2:10). You would know that God is my father and I am His son and that He tells me that He loves me all the time.
Atheist Poem by Richard Coughlan…and my response
I came across this video on youtube the other day. It’s a poem written and read by Richard Coughlan. I’ve copy the text of the poem after the video for your reference.
(source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww7ZhBN6iIM)
Atheism offers nothing to me,
it never has and never will,
it doesn’t make me feel good or comfort me,
it’s not there for me when I’m sick or ill,
it won’t intervene in my times of need or protect me from hate,
it doesn’t care if I fail or succeed,
it won’t wipe the tears from my eyes,
it does nothing when I have no where to run,
it won’t give me wise words or advice,
it has no teachings for me to learn,
it can’t show me what’s bad or nice,
it’s never inspired or excited anyone,
it won’t help me fulfill all my goals,
it won’t tell me to stop when I’m having fun,
it’s never saved one single soul,
it doesn’t take credit for everything I achieve,
it won’t make me get down on bended knee,
it doesn’t demand that I have to believe,
it won’t torture me for eternity,
it won’t teach me to hate or despise others,
it won’t tell me what’s right or wrong,
it can’t tell nobody not to be lovers,
it’s told no one they don’t belong,
it won’t make you think life is worth living,
it has nothing to offer me, that’s true,
but the reason Atheism offers me nothing is because I’ve never asked it to,
Atheism offers nothing because it doesn’t need to,
Religion promises everything because you want it to,
You don’t need a Religion or to have faith,
You just want it because you need to feel safe,
I want to feel reality and nothing more,
Atheism offers me everything,
that Religion has stolen before.
And to be perfectly honest. I 100% agree with the video. I look around at my generation. A generation walking away from God. A generation that associates religion with God. If all I heard was the things being said in this poem, I’d want nothing other than to be an atheist myself. So why do we tell people that religion does things things? It doesn’t. That’s a face. Religion won’t make you feel better or or help you fulfill your goals. It won’t intervene for you or wipe the tears from your eye. But it makes you get down on bended knee and demand that you believe!!?! It teaches hate and to despise!!?! It tells people they don’t belong!!?! So atheists out there, I come along side you and say way to speak Truth.
But I’d like to share something else with you as well. A third path (and one that is often mistaken as religion). That path is the God of Abraham, of Jacob, of Adam Lepp, and many others. You see, my God does none of those bad things religion does. My God does not make me bow to Him. He won’t tell me to stop when I’m having fun. He won’t demand that I believe Him, He won’t torture me for eternity (quite the oposite in fact). He won’t teach me to hate or despise others. He won’t make you do anything at all actually. However, my God does confort me, and is there for me when I’m sick or ill. He intervenes for me and takes care of me. He does care about me. He wipes the tears from my eyes. He holds me close when I have no where to go. He shows me right and wrong. He inspires me and gives meaning to life. He saved my soul. My God is so good to me that He sacrificed His own life so that I might be spared from that eternity of torture that you hear about. If you don’t believe me, just ask Him. I choose to, out of my free will. Because He offered me something that no other religion (or lack there of) ever could. He offered me life. He offered me His love. How could I not receive that. It was the best decision of my life.
I mean seriously, there are two options right? You say “Hey God, if you are out there, would you reveil yourself to me?” If He is out there, He will. If He isn’t., you might look like a fool for a few minutes but survive just fine.
Read MoreAbout Me
Hello world! My name is Adam Lepp and have I got a story to tell you. It starts off pretty average, has some major roller coaster moments in the middle, and has the besting ending ever. It's still being written, so join me as I continue to tell the story of love.