-the post about austin stone on campus-

last night was a very special event we have once a semester called Austin Stone on Campus

it’s something we do once a semester on campus, and it’s a time when thousands of students gather in one place to lift high the name of Jesus

take a gander

tyler david, our college director, talked on jesus being our treasure: that he is the most divisive individual, because he is the most valuable of individuals, and therefore he demands a response!

afterwards, all the ministries from our church, austin stone, stood outside connecting students with ways to help students share the valuable treasure they have found in jesus with the campus, the city, and the world

i really do believe that jesus is the best aspect of my life, and that what he’s starting here, in austin, really will change the world

-the post about my entitlements-

it’s interesting what you’ll find when you google ‘entitlement’ in the search bar. narcissism, land grants, and social security/medicare top the list. if i could personalize that search, it would come up with the results of this past semester coming to reality of how many ‘rights’ i believe that i have, or believe i should have.

i’m no webster, but entitlement is that attitude in all of us that believes we deserve benefits and prizes in our lives. i think we clearly see this in this time of the year, especially in kids but adults alike. we all anticipate a gift at christmas time. and even as adults, if we don’t get what we hoped for, there’s a sense of disappointment. this can sometimes escalate into temper tantrums, even for adults.

for me, it’s been a season of believing that my efforts warrant a certain result. i’m convinced that because i gave all my efforts into studying i should get such and such on my midterm. i constantly find myself thinking that if i say the right words to our leaders, then they’ll find such wisdom in my words and be on their merry way. i anticipate praise that because of my hard work, because i’m working harder than guy next to me. i believe that people should believe the gospel because i presented it tactfully. my mind is at ease with thinking that if people would just understand who i am, or my position, then everything in this world would just operate perfectly.

but the opposite has been true the majority of the time. even if things go the way i intend it to, then the sense of entitlement grows in me to believing that the same approach will warrant the exact results the next time. i believe the credit goes to driscoll for coining the term ‘methodolatry’, which i definitely have, believing that my methods will work every time.

the more and more i realize this in my life, the more and more thankful i am for a gospel that tells me that if god really gave me everything i was entitled for, i would not be able to write about this, or even process through this. one, because my complete existence finds its source in him. and second, scripture is pretty clear to what i’m entitled for: separation from him in death.

this sense of entitlement is just another form of rebellion in my life, showing my desperate heart for a father’s love. when the status of my family’s health doesn’t correspond to my efforts, it’s by god’s grace to show me his sovereignty and care in my life. to remind me over and over again that my world centers around a sovereign god who actually loves me and takes upmost diligence in taking care of me and my family. i think it’s most clearly outlined in romans 8: 32

he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

thanks to the gospel, i’m not entitled to my crappy rights and filthy rags, as the bible says. but now i’m entitled to the rights of a son due to the gift that was given to us through the gospel saving us.

so all the legalities we have in this world of what’s ours and what isn’t, pales in comparison to the legal rights we as sons and daughters of a king have due to the son of god who died. therefore, every action and word i speak is a gift from dad, with full assurance that he loves me and works all things out for my good.

christ has secured our entitlement. that very truth makes christmas so important: to know that all our hopes and fears were met in him that night!

-the post about erin’s baptism-

it’s about that time of year when everyone’s schedule is getting filled with parties, shopping, traveling, and festivities of all sorts. And I’ve always been a loyal passenger on the holiday band wagon with all the traditions and sorts.

but there’s another side of the busyness, which is I think this time of the year makes us more contemplative. Maybe it’s the implications the holidays have, or maybe it’s our innate nature to become contemplative as seasons in our lives come to an end.

I, too, am a sucker for this. And usually, I never really stop and celebrate all the things that happened. I remember joyous occasions, but I never really stop and take in the provisions that have been given to me.

But this season, I think it was hard for me to move past celebrating, because one of the highlights of this semester in my life was to see my friend, and one of the leaders of our freshmen ministry, Erin Thomas get baptized!

Erin and I got to know each other her freshmen year, my sophomore year, and she was in a missional community with some of my other friends, Lauren and Mary (in the pics below)

it’s crazy to think back and see all the blessings Dad had in store for her in Austin and in college, and to witness that was a blessing in itself. I approached her this semester about being baptized, and almost immediately she told me, ‘yes!’

And so we started the process of walking her through what baptism is and what it would look like, and it was such a refreshing time for her and her community to recollect and see the faithfulness of God in her life! At the actual baptism, it was a community celebration, for believers and non-believers. Believers were encouraged by the story of grace in Erin’s life, and to taste that goodness with her, while non-believers got to hear the Good News of Jesus!

I wanted to end with this from my REAP today, in how it reminded me of Dad’s glory!

2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised!

Psalms 113:2-3

I’ve loved celebrating this with Erin, our friends, and our leadership team! Hope this has encouraged you, and also encourages you to celebrate!

-the post about the four years in the making-

A few months ago, my missional community was approached about having a video done about our family, and what God had been doing in and through us in Austin and at UT.

I was hesitant on posting this, because I didn’t want it to become ‘The Paul Lee’ show, but after some thought, I think it’s everything in a nutshell of what’s been happening in my life in college.

I started off as a freshmen, coming in with a punk head attitude, and not knowing much about the gospel. And then to my upper classmen years, really being transformed by the grace God has given to me on the account of his son. That grace has led me to obedience in living on mission in community, and through that God has done amazing things: one of which is seeing my friend come to faith!!!

I can’t emphasize it enough that this is not a platform for me. My hope is that it would encourage you through informing you about the great things our God is doing at UT, Austin, and the nations!

Thank you for watching, and especially for the prayer and support you guys are doing for me in seeing more students coming to a relationship with a love that is so relentless!

-the post about the first month of the internship-

Just past the month mark of this year…and I’m already anxious and tired. Seems about right for a child who always forgets that his Dad will come through.

Overseeing our freshmen ministry has been a unique experience for me, in that my natural go-to skill sets doesn’t include pastoring or leading groups of people. In the past month I’ve repented, apologized, and listened more than I can remember in any other time in my life. All of this has constantly guided me back to the truth that: I’m not in this place or position because I was good or had anything to offer, but because my God is in control. If anything, I’ve made more fires to put out, and more restless anxious nights worrying if things would work out.

Amazing isn’t it? That in one month all these things would creep up. But it really reminds me of my friend who just had a baby. He was telling me that his kid would cry every morning, at the same time, because he was hungry and thinking that his dad would not feed him. I remember hearing that, and just chuckling at how we are so much the same way. We cry and we cry, and when we get older we actually leave our Father and cry whatever pigsty we end up in. And then he brings us back to his presence, and we cry there some more. Or we stay in his presence, and cry and cry wanting even more attention. And the amazing thing through all of this, is that he listens intently to his children, and he never fails to provide and take care.

So the juxtaposition to my failures that I’ve listed, is God’s faithfulness. He has heard our prayers, and he has come through again and again. Just like my friend, he always does feed his kid, and the kid just forgets.

A praise in the past month is seeing a girl come to faith!! In the midst of all the anxiety and chaos, it was humbling to our team when we got to witness our Dad bringing home one of his daughters, our sister, home. I mean, if the fact that a perfect God would come and save a sinner, doesn’t get you pumped up and remind you about the goodness of God, I don’t know what will!!

We’ve started to build relationships with Turks through our community, and I’m pumped for our community to continue to hang out with them and love them. Moreover, there are a lot of opportunities within our freshmen ministry right now. Our college ministry is trying to reach new groups of students on campus that would never go to a church service on a Sunday. And one of the ways we’re doing this is to start missional communities and making disciples within student organizations. These are the constant factors at any university at any given time. We want to engage with them, serve alongside them, and share the gospel with them. What better way to do this, then with freshmen who join all these organizations? It’s been a blessing to see freshmen taking Acts 17:26-27 to heart, and obeying the fact that God has placed them at UT for 4-5 years for a purpose, and that might mean to sacrifice everything for the sake of the gospel, to live among these students in these organizations, for the sake of the gospel.

Keep praying for what our Dad is doing at UT.

1. Pray for our ministry and leadership to see that obeying the Bible means to make disciples that make disciples. We want to see obedience not to be going to a meeting or Sunday service, but making disciples that obey the King.
2. Pray for our freshmen ministry that God would raise leaders for the church and for the harvest. Pray that these freshmen would take the gospel into UT, Austin, and the nations!
3. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for the salvation of the girl, and pray for more!
4. Lastly, pray for me. I’m just a sinner, and I need Jesus bad every day. Pray for me that I would go back to the gospel day after day. Sounds like a simple request, but I don’t do it enough. Pray that I would be reminded that I’m not a good leader because I’m great or have anything to offer, but because God is in control.

Thanks for reading, and interceding on our behalf!!

One last thing. I’m still finishing up raising support for this year, and am still looking for partners in what God is doing in Austin. I need $60/month for this year, so if you’re interested please let me know!

-first-

whether you’re a friend, family member, acquaintance, supporter, and/or all of the above:

this is officially my first post

wahoo!

i am currently still in summer school, with 3 classes down and 2 more to go (1 wk left)

it’s been an interesting summer raising support for the upcoming year and internship:

i really came into the whole process just assuming things were going to happen-and i didn’t give it much more thought than that

but the more and more the process continued, the more and more i saw god’s heart for money, stewardship, and provisions

there’s definitely been a lot of help along the way from other interns going through the same process, resources online and in books…but now as all of this is wrapping up i have seen concepts and a summer project become obedience and a challenge in my life.

as i ask friends and family to partner with me in what god is doing, it has shown so much of how my own heart is not sacrificial and generous. i saw how possessive my heart was, and through the support raising process there came a shift where i began to be disgusted with how my heart contradicted the gospel and the generousity displayed by christ.

as weeks went on, god’s grace emerged time and time again as he dealt so gently with my wicked heart.

now i can say that i’m at the end of this sanctifying time and can see god not only teaching me, but others around me.

there are several interns who have reached 100% of the support goal, and its just another testament to god’s provision. and how great it is that as i have seen my wicked heart, and how he has given his son to me-it gives me assurance to know that the good news declares that i have a god who did not spare his son, so he will give me everything. and due to this, i can make plans to finish strong in this support raising process.

currently i am hovering around the 50% mark with a few more weeks to go in august. and with it being august, we are in full swing of getting ready for school to start up again. i can feel the momentum building up in me and around the office.

i cant wait for all the students to be back. new ones, old ones, changed for the better, changed for the worse. whatever story this summer has written in the lives of the students at ut, i’m getting ready for the gospel to keep going forward at ut to give new identities to students as sons and daughters of a god who has given us everything

pray for these students

pray for our team-but more importantly our missional community leaders

pray for the finish of the support and more partners wanting to see the gospel change the hearts of students at ut