God with us.
“They shall call His name Immanuel”- Matthew 1:23
In the hustle and bustle of life, it is easy to forget just how close Jesus wants to be with us. Sometimes, we fall into the trap of believing that He’s too far up there to be bothered with our everyday problems. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus is Immanuel, literally God with us, and knowing Him by that name changes everything.
Remember what it says in Matthew 1:23? "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel." That's not just some fancy title; it's a promise that God chose to be right here with us, experiencing life in all its messiness.
Think about it—Jesus didn't just come down to earth and hang out in some fancy palace. No, He walked the dusty roads, felt hunger and thirst, faced temptation, endured pain and suffering, and yes, even died a human death. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us of this: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."
Now, let's break down that word "sympathize" for a moment. It's from the Greek word sympatheo, which basically means "to suffer with." Jesus isn't just nodding sympathetically from a distance; He's right there in the trenches with us, feeling our pain and struggles firsthand.
Contrary to what some might think, God isn't some withdrawn deity who couldn't care less about our problems. Jesus' very presence on earth proves otherwise. He chose to obey the Father and bring His divine presence into our midst. John 1:14 puts it beautifully: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
And let's not forget about Philippians 3:10, where Paul talks about sharing in Jesus' sufferings. That's the kind of intimate relationship we're invited into—not just experiencing the highs together, but walking through the lows hand in hand.
Understanding that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human changes everything. It means we can approach Him with humility and reverence, knowing that He gets it, He's been there, and He's right here with us now.
Even in the busyness of everyday life, we remember the intimacy of Jesus as Immanuel. God with us. He is not some distance figure; He’s our constant companion, ever-present help in times of need.
Servant King.
A lot can change in 7 days.
From being praised as He entered the city of Jerusalem on Sunday, greeted with “Hosanna” (John 12:12-19), to being publicly mocked by the same people as they shouted, “Crucify Him,” on Friday (Luke 23:18-23), we witness Jesus, a servant King, at work on His last days on earth. We witness His death and His victory over it. Amidst the pain and agony, we see a journey of hope. The risen Savior.
As He approaches the last days of His life, Jesus gathers with His disciples and serves them, demonstrating the importance of humility and the need for His saving work. During this intimate gathering, known as the Last Supper, Jesus’ unwavering love and selflessness shine brightly, setting an example to all of us on how to serve others with humility and love.
During the Last Supper, “Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body’. And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many of the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28). By referring to the bread and wine as His body and blood, Jesus took two Passover symbols and gave them a fresh meaning.
During that same gathering, we see in John 13 that Jesus goes on to wash His disciples’ feet. During this time, foot-washing was reserved for the lowest of servants. Jesus willingly took on this role and His acts of love showed that no task is too lowly for a leader to undertake. He washed the feet of Judas even while knowing he would betray Him. Jesus tells them “Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him”(John 13:16). The act of washing feet was a true display of His humility and servanthood towards even the most undeserving. The lengths to which Jesus was willing to go for those He loved ultimately foreshadow the even greater place He was willing to go for us. The Cross.
The cross is so powerful because of Jesus' selfless actions. Jesus willingly laid down His life, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18), on our behalf, despite how undeserving we are of it. The Cross didn't just secure our entrance into Heaven; it brought Heaven to Earth.
How amazing is it that this is how Jesus chose to spend His moments? The Savior of the world chose to wash feet and break bread with those who were learning from Him! Even while He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus still serves us and allows us to receive his humility.
Lord, this week we as we lo0k back on Jesus' humility and servitude, help us remember the importance of the body that was broken for us and the blood that was shed as Jesus shared His last meal with His disciples. Let us never look at Holy Week or Easter as a once-a-year celebration, but as a heart posture that we carry with us for all the days of our life.
Jesus was one of us. He knows our struggles, He knows our temptations, yet He lived a blameless life. He took on the weight and penalty of our sin so that we may be forgiven and in relationship with Him. Knowing this, may our hearts cry to become more like Him and to lean on Him always.
Philippians 3:10 “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”
He’s in the Room
Philippians 4: 5b-7
“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
It’s often easy to overlook the first part of this verse and jump to the part where Paul tells us not to be anxious. But why exactly should we not be anxious about anything when there seems to be so much in this world that causes worry?
Because THE LORD IS NEAR!
Some of the biggest lies we allow the enemy to speak over us are that we are alone in our situations, that God has forgotten about us, or that God has more important things to listen to than our lowly prayers. When we allow these lies to control our way of thinking, we tend to feel isolated, defeated, and powerless.
The truth is that God has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us so that we may know who God is and how to follow Him (Acts 2:38-29). The Holy Spirit walks alongside us in every circumstance, and because of this, we can have a peace that surpasses any anxious thoughts. It’s up to us to allow Him into our lives and give Him the authority to speak over our situations.
Accepting this peace is not always easy. More often, we find ourselves doubting God because of our circumstances. We may feel like our lives are too much of a mess for Jesus to be in. However, we see on multiple occasions where no matter the circumstances, JESUS SHOWS UP.
In the Gospel of John, we discover a time when the disciples were in a bad situation and felt completely alone. In John 20:19-23, the disciples were huddled together behind locked doors, hiding out of fear of the Jewish leaders who had just persecuted Jesus. In the room, they sat without expectation of Jesus showing up because of the shut and locked doors. Thankfully, Jesus is greater than any shut or locked doors, and He appeared in the midst of their situation. Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
When Jesus entered the room, the disciples experienced a peace that surpassed all understanding.
But what changed? Nothing, other than the fact that the disciples recognized Jesus’ presence. The door was still locked, and the danger and threat to the disciples was still present, yet when the disciples recognized that Jesus was in the room, nothing else mattered. Nothing around them changed, but Jesus came into the room and everything changed.
How often are we shutting Jesus out rather than opening and unlocking the door to allow Him into our lives? Sometimes we are sitting around, waiting for our circumstances to change, rather than leaning on Jesus and letting Him be our strength and guidance in the midst of those circumstances.
Jesus comes to us and knows how to meet us right where we are. He is always in our room, but we must recognize His presence and hear His voice. The disciples received the same Holy Spirit that empowered and enabled Jesus, and we have received it too. He’s not just with us, He lives inside of us. We can take on each day with the promise that we are not walking through it alone.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Running the Race
“Therefore, since we are surrounded so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also set aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”- Hebrews 12:1
ON YOUR MARK… GET SET…
Wait wait wait before we start running, let’s have a little chat.
Sometimes it’s hard to find motivation when we are actually running, it's too hot out, it's raining, we’re sore, or maybe we have no one to run with. These obstacles can weigh us down and knock us off of our pace. Imagine trying to run while carrying a dumbbell in each hand, you would never be able to run at your full capacity. The good news is when we run the race that God has set before us, we don't have to hold onto anything weighing us down!
In order to let go of these weights and run with our full endurance, we have to have our eyes locked on Jesus for the entirety of the race. Jesus has gone before us and shown us what it looks like to run with endurance, He is our example. We must follow in His steps (1 Peter 2: 21).
But when we look back on Jesus’s time here on Earth, it wasn’t necessarily a walk in the park. In fact, He faced some serious backlash along the way.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world; therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)
Jesus calls us to live a life that is set apart in the same way that He did.
So what does it look like to be set apart in our everyday lives?
When living a life that is set apart, we are living in a way that is pleasing to God, not pleasing to man. (Galatians 1:10) On a college campus, that can feel a lot like swimming upstream, against the current, in a sea of 40,000 other students.
To avoid being swept up in the current, we must be willing to live a life set-apart, to stand out, and to be different in order to honor God and live according to His purposes. We have to be in the world, but not of the world. It’s about trusting that God's approval is worth far more than any fleeting praise or recognition from others.
Sometimes we create the false reality that Jesus had it easy and that in our day and age, we could never live a life that is a reflection of His. But it wasn't.
Jesus endured pain and persecution even after living a blameless life. But still, He endured the pain of the cross to atone for our sins. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that we wouldn’t have to walk around carrying dumbbells. Because of the cross, we can run freely with that same endurance as we gear up to run His race. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty grateful that I don't have to walk around curling 25 lbs ;)
So, as we're about to kick off this race, let's ditch every burden and sin that slows us down. Let's run with endurance and our eyes fixed on Jesus throughout. May our journey be set apart to show how faith and persistence can truly change the game.
Alright, now that we've dusted off those weights … GO!
Preparing Our Hearts
“consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”- Joshua 3:5
God showed up in such an incredible way this past month on our campus. If you read our last post, you’ve heard all about Unite, the lives that were changed, and the miracles that happened! While it’s easy to let that stuff distract you, we don’t want to overlook the ways that God showed up before any of this even happened. Preparing your heart for a God-sized move is essential as it transforms your mindset to possess what God has promised.
So what does it actually mean to “prepare our heart?”
The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 paints a perfect picture of the importance of the condition of our heart. If you’re a farmer, you plant a seed and expect to reap something that is even bigger than that seed. However, this can only happen if there is good soil. In the same way, our hearts can only be used by God if our soil is softened. When the Word of God is planted in a good heart, good things will be produced in that person’s life. We have to allow God to plant a seed and produce a harvest from within our hearts.
A season of preparation is more often than not also a season of waiting. There is a waiting period where God is not only preparing our hearts, but also preparing the situation. Nehemiah sets an example of a man who was responsive to the calling God placed on his life; but, also patient enough to wait for God’s timing in the situation. God placed the calling on Nehemiah’s life to travel back to rebuild the walls and temple of Jerusalem, but only with the king’s blessing. Nehemiah 1:4 says, “When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” In chapter two, Nehemiah then approaches the king and gives him wine; but, it is significant to recognize that this happened five months after the events in chapter one took place. Nehemiah prayed and waited for five months with the same heart that he had on day one when God initially burdened his heart. Coming to the king with such a large request during this time period was no small task. The usual response in a situation like this would’ve been to kill Nehemiah; but, because of his sympathetic heart and months of prayer, the king was enthusiastic about supporting his venture. If Nehemiah did not take the time to allow God to go before him and prepare the situation, he never would have gotten the king’s blessing and the revival that followed wouldn’t have occurred. When God gives you a vision, don’t run ahead of Him, sit in prayer.
We’ve seen all of this play out firsthand in our own lives. Recently we met a group of ladies who were saved in the Jesus Movement that began praying for the city of Tallahassee 30 years ago! These women experienced a revival of their own and were desperate to see it happen again for our generation. They showed us what it means to be devoted to prayer wholeheartedly, to continually and steadfastly pray without ceasing (Colossians 4:2-6). Our hearts have been on fire for our city for a few months, yet they have been praying for the same thing for 30 years! In addition to this, God united so many of us across different ministries all for the same mission. Many of us had never met before, yet God was individually preparing our hearts for such a time as this. We all recognized this and in God’s timing, were able to be the hands and feet of the Lord to carry out His work.
When we allow God to prepare our hearts, we allow Him to make our hearts firm and stable in alignment with His word. Preparing your heart is not a one-time occurrence but an ongoing process. We have to be consistent in interaction with God through prayer and time in His Word. We must let our own selfish desires die and approach God with humility, allowing him to pour out His wisdom on us.
Join us this week as we continue to prepare our hearts and focus on aligning our lives to the will of God.
I’ve Witnessed It
“You will witness to all of His people what you have seen and heard” - Acts 22:16
We have seen God move so evidently throughout Tallahassee these past few months, and after everything we have witnessed, it is an honor to speak about how Jesus has moved in our lives and those around us.
One thing that has really been on our hearts since moving to Tallahassee was how lost our campus and even the city was. So many were wandering around, feeling like they had no purpose. With all that FSU has to offer, this could have been an easy trap for either one of us to fall into if our purpose was not grounded on the truths and promises of Jesus.
The longer we were up here, the more and more we realized that so many souls on campus were searching and longing for something more. We knew that more was Jesus; we'd experienced that more, and we wanted that more for all those wandering.
Back in December, we heard that Unite, a movement that began at Auburn University, was coming to Florida State with the mission of uniting Tallahassee students under the name of Jesus. We were beyond excited when we heard about this. It was everything we had hoped and dreamed of; but, we would be lying if we said we weren’t a little nervous. Florida State is one of the top party schools in the nation and is filled with students who are so lost and consumed by this world. Would anyone even show up to an event to hear about Jesus?
We gathered every week along with several other college students and began to pray boldly and confidently that our campus would forever be changed. Our doubts quickly faded as God revealed Himself more and more every day. We prayed big prayers and continued to grow our faith. There were moments when we weren't sure how all of the parts were going to come together, but we knew that with His hand over it all, He would continue to provide and make a way even when it seemed impossible. We trusted in His promise, and over time, all of the pieces started to come together.
He indeed did exceedingly and abundantly more than we ever could have imagined (Ephesians 3:20-21). On February 15, 2024, 4,500 students gathered in the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center for one night, under one roof, and under one name. The name of Jesus. 4,500 people heard the gospel clearly presented, 4,500 people connected with a community of believers, 400 people responded to God's call on their life, and over 200 were baptized in the name of Jesus! PRAISE GOD!
What a joy it was to watch people step into a life that we know to be SO GOOD, what an honor it was to see God's kingdom grow on our campus, and what a pleasure it was to be in the room where it happened.
This was a night that we will remember for eternity, but it doesn’t stop here. This is just the beginning. The Bible tells us that “for where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). SO IMAGINE 4500! There is no doubt that God’s spirit has lit a fire and is moving through this city. But it’s up to us, God’s laborers, to fan that flame.
We wanted to leave you guys with a few things that have been on our hearts lately…
Are we praying with the confidence that God is able and wants to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask for?
What would happen if we started believing more confidently in God’s promises?
What would happen if we lived in the freedom God called us to?
What incredible ways would He show up then?
How radically would our lives be changed?
He’s just getting started, we ain't seen nothing yet :)
Welcome to the Blog!
Hey, hey! Welcome to our first post. We wanted to start by giving you all a little background about the two of us. What better way to do that than to share our testimonies? Revelations 12:11 reminds us of the power that our testimonies hold.
“ And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony”
We have VERY different testimonies, which is a testament to the many ways God works. We hope that in one way or another you can connect to our stories and see the ways God is moving in your own life.
Here we gooooooo !!!
ASH
My testimony began when I was just a little girl. My grandparents were pastors of the church I grew up in, and I can still remember looking forward to going to church every Sunday in one of my favorite dresses. However, it wasn't until recently that I realized how significant this part of my life was.
As I entered my teen years, my grandparents were adamant about me getting involved in a church with a larger youth and student ministry. They knew the importance of building a community and walking through life together, and let me tell you, I did. Church was my LIFE (and still is), and around this time, things with God started to change. I had believed in God for as long as I can remember, but I began to form a relationship with Jesus that was more than just following a religion.
Thankfully, I had an amazing community and some people who took me under their wing to disciple me and grow my spiritual relationships.
Looking back at my life, I had my fair share of struggles and a lot of small bumps to work through. But there was never one moment where my life was radically changed, which led me to believe that I didn't have a testimony and that my story would never be powerful. At every youth gathering, summer camp, or church summit, I always heard stories of people living in a dark place and doing terrible things, but then all of a sudden, God showed up in a supernatural way and radically changed their lives. I didn't have that big moment, and I thought that meant I didn't have a story to tell.
But let me tell you, I am so THANKFUL that I don't have to deal with past decisions or skeletons in the closet. Even though it was a slow and steady story, it is my story, and my story holds power. When I look back at my life, I see HUGE growth that I am so proud of, and I see God moving in miraculous ways that could have easily been overlooked.
Even though I don't have a moment that changed everything, God was moving constantly on my straight and narrow path. And if I never looked back at where I came from, I would have completely missed how His hand was there for the whole journey.
BRY
Growing up, God was not the main topic of conversation in my household. Every once in a while we might hear about that Jesus guy on holidays like Easter or Christmas, but other than that, I never really knew who this guy was or why He had all these days dedicated to celebrating Him. My family was more of a lazy Sunday than a get dressed up for church on Sunday morning type of family.
I always believed in God and told people I was a Christian, but I never actually understood what that meant. When I got to middle school, I started to see firsthand through my friends what it meant for people to actually be living a life in relationship and on mission for the Lord. I was drawn to the light of Jesus shining from within them even though I might not have realized that that’s what it was at the time.
My last year of middle school is when things really started to change in my life. I was always a great kid. I had straight A’s, I never got in trouble, I was involved in clubs and on my school’s dance team; so, there wasn’t necessarily something radical that needed to change in my life. The problem was that these things became my identity. If I got a B in a class, I simply thought my life would end (don’t worry, college really changed that for me). I was constantly seeking validation and approval from the people around me and struggling to find what my purpose was. Every day felt the same and I was just stuck in this constant loop. I just sort of felt lost.
One day my friends invited me to a friend’s night at their youth group, and if I’m being honest, the free Chick-fil-A is what really made me want to go. Little did I know that this was the night that was going to change not only the rest of my life, but also my eternity. For the first time ever I heard the Gospel. I finally understood who Jesus was and what He did for me on the cross. Those little things that would consume me suddenly dwindled away as I found my identity in Christ. I recognized the need for Jesus in my life and ultimately made the decision to make Him my Lord and Savior.
I didn’t quite know what came next, but I knew that my life was about to change. My friends were so supportive and immediately started to invite me to youth groups and to come to church with them. Deep down though, I struggled with comparison and was really overwhelmed with stepping into a church. I was scared they were going to ask me questions I didn’t know the answers to. I was scared I wasn’t going to know the words to any of the songs. I didn’t even own a bible. Fear was holding me back from fully surrendering everything to Jesus. It took time, but once I broke down those walls, I found my second family in my church. I eventually made the decision to get baptized and live a life that was just fully devoted to growing closer in relationship and on mission for the Lord. Jesus became a real presence in my life as I allowed Him to take directional control and lead me down the path He set before me.
Fast forward to where we are now! God has continued to move in ways that I can’t even comprehend. College has been a huge season of growth in my spiritual life. I’ve really started to grasp what a personal relationship with God is like and am learning more and more every day!
We truly could sit here and talk about how faithful God is and all of the amazing ways He has moved for HOURS…
but we’ll have to save that for another day ;)