What is Prayer without Faith?

Over the last week, the Lord has struck me with conviction over my lack of faith in many areas of my life. I got the chance to share this at our weekly CRU meeting last Friday and I wanted to share it on the blog as well.

James 1:6-8 "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

After reading this verse, my heart sank. I have been praying for support to come in for project, but a huge chunk of me always doubted that it would. There are other areas of my life where this is true to. Areas of sin or areas of needs... so many places in my life where the Lord will not provide, simply because I am foolish enough to think that my life is too complicated and too challenging for the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE! Man, what an idiot I can be!

I want to let you know that the Lord has been strengthening my faith this past week. I am giving up those areas that once lacked faith and allowing Him to work his wisdom and glory. I hope this short testimony of mine is an encouragement to you as well! Have faith in the Lord! Pray with a heart that trusts Him to work big!

Support Update!

I am currently at $1565, which is about 47% of my total! Keep praying and if you have not yet decided to join my team in financially supporting my mission of spreading the gospel in Clearwater, I humbly ask you to consider!

Walk Humbly and Love Mercy!

Cody

BTWs- If you wanted to know what the coolest family photo looked like, look no further! These are my brothers and sisters in Christ in the Shreve Ministry at Purdue University. Be praying for their summers!

Support Raising and Ending the Semester

Today is my last day of regular classes in Sophomore year! Next week is known as dead week (professors are given the legal right to intellectually murder their students with anything and everything but a final) and then finals! It has been such a great semester.

Right now, I am reading through Proverbs and Phillipians simultaneously and it has been so good! Solomon is a boss (I think I want to name my kid after him... Solomon. Seriously how neat is that?) and Philliapians is all about cultivating a positive attitude. It has been so uplifting as well as practical.

Support is coming in and I want to thank everyone who has given! I have reached the $1000 mark, which is just about 30% of my support!

Please keep praying for me and my support! I'm remaining strong in the faith I have that the Lord will provide for me. Have faith as well!

Praying for Support and More about Clearwater

So far, I have been blessed with about $800 of my total support! I am so thankful! over to be over 20%! I will keep praying for support to come in, and you should too!

So, before signing up for this project, I was unsure of what Clearwater Beach was really like. To be honest, I even stopped and thought "Do they really need me to bring them Jesus?" The answer to that is an emphatic- YES!

(Wikipedia, do yo thing)

Clearwater is in the Tampa Bay area and has a population of about 107,000 people. It is a community of almost 80% white, and while a very beautiful area, over 15% of the population is below the poverty line. Nevertheless, there is most certainly a wealthy side to the area.

Most notably, Clearwater, Flordia is the homebase to the Church of Scientology.
http://scientology.fso.org/
About 10% of Clearwater's community considers themselves a part of the Church of Scientology. If quick summery of Scientology:

Many would consider Scientology a cult (though, as a sociologist, we have classified almost every religion as a cult as some point). However, Scientology rarely starts as a religion for most. Scientology is often used as a alternative-psych self-help lesson, which turns into a religion as members become more and more involved. Many secular psychologists and other scientific experts have noted the damaging effects these "counseling session" can have on their patients, however. Below is a BBC documentary about the church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwPMHM3qC9w

One of the elements of my summer will be sharing the gospel in Clearwater. Undoubtedly, some of the people that I meet will be a part of this Church. Please be praying for these people and my ability to share the gospel while I'm down there!

Cody

Just an update!

Last week was spring break for me, so I was able to send out another round of letters! Still be praying for support to continue coming in!

So far, I have received $185! Thank you so much to everyone that has sponsored me so far and is already praying for me.

Another fun update: a friend of mine, Logan, is going to Clearwater with me! I met Logan this last December and am now discipling him (which basically means I am pointing him to Jesus as an older Brother in Christ).

I still have a few more support letters to send out. Hopefully, I will be able to finish those within the next week. With school, work, and student organizations, I wonder how I manage to find time for sleep.

I hope you will continue praying for me! Let me know how I can be praying for you!

Support Process Begins

Last week, I sent out my first round of support letters. Be praying for the Lord to move in the hearts of the people who receive them. I need both financial and prayerful support from my ministry partners.

Oh! And one of my disciples has applied to go to Clearwater with me! I have been praying for his application and acceptance. I would be so pumped to have another Boilermaker going with me.

What is Summer Project?

Yesterday I got an email from Mark Valentine, the Projecter Director for Clearwater. I am now officially on the project! There is a lot I have to do to get ready and I am a little nervous.

BUT!

I am faithful that this is what the Lord has called me to do and I will trust in Him. I have faith that he will provide the funds for my summer.

I realized that I never really said what Clearwater Summer Project is!

Summer Projects are a ministry in Campus Crusade for Christ, an interdenominational Christian organization with partners around the globe! I am a part of the campus ministry at Purdue University.

Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru for short) has been so impactful to my life. It has taught me how to grow in my faith, challenge myself and others, lead spiritually, mentor younger believers, love others well, share my faith, and be a REAL Man of God.

On Summer Project, I will continue to grow in all these things so that my life will be one full of eternal impact! I will also get the chance to minsiter to the people in the Clearwater Beach area. I will be spending my summer there, learning, growing, and seeking the Lord. It's basically a mission trip.

So that's a real short blurb about Summer Project. If you have any questions, post them!

Accepted!

The Lord is good! I have been accepted on the Clearwater Beach Summer Project! I just a few short months, I will arrive in Florida for one of the most life-changing summers I will ever experience. Time to start raising support!

2 Corinthians 9:10 -} Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. (NIV84)