Tyler and Hannah in Thailand: An exhortation to bible college students.

On Thursday morning I had the opportunity to address the student body at VABC during their morning chapel. I was not fully sure what I wanted to say, having a few different ideas bouncing around. I had kind of settled on the idea of reproaching my "Dream Big Enough for God" message that I gave in India, but felt it was not quite what I wanted to say. I thought it would be good to give a message that would encourage the students from the different years and thought "What did I need to hear in bible college?" So I picked four "things" to say to the students. After the message was done I felt it could have been more polished and there were a few things that could have been made clearer...that is when I remembered that I have this wonderful blog and I can say what ever I want to say. So now here is a variation of my message to the bible college students and anyone else needing a bit of encouragement. I hope it brings life.

Looking at the 14 of you reminds me of when I first step through the doors of my bible college 14 yeas ago. Full of purpose and vision, passion and a desire to see God change the world through my ministry: I knew I was called of God and he had a plan for me. What I didn't know was the journey he would take me on as I pursued that plan. As I look around this room at your smiling faces it causes me to pause and reflect: 'If there is something that I would have wanted someone to say to me when I was in college, what would it be?'

Now I know I do not have all the answers, I don't pretend to be someone who has the wisdom of the teachers and leaders who teach your classes, but I do have a few ideas that I know would have really encourage me as I completed my bible college and even as I journeyed from being a bible college student to where I am today. While I may address each point to a specific year of college, do not think that I am only speaking to that group...truly I am speaking to everyone here, but these are just what I feel would most encourage each specific group:

First Years: You have taken a huge step, leaving behind the familiar and stepping into the unknown. You have chosen to not go with something that would be comfortable but instead of chosen to challenge yourself. Remember why. I went into bible college when because I felt God's pull of destiny on my life and I believe that all of you have came for the same reason: Because God has put a dream in your heart, a dream that can only be fulfilled by doing something crazy like come to bible college in Thailand. I know I was not brave enough to do this - I had the opportunity to come here, and instead chose to stay in Canada. So why did you, whether you come from Canada, or the UK, or Pakistan, or India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, or simply the north of Thailand, why did you come all this way into a culture that is not your own to be trained at this college that makes you get up at 5:30 in the morning to go running? I know it was not for the running. And who does this anyway? Who pays for a college education and the first thing the college makes you do is go running every morning? NO! You are not here to go running everymorning. You are here because you believe God has called you to great things and the best way to achieve those dreams is to be mentored and trained at this college, and it just so happens that one of the ways we mentor you is by asking you to go running with us in the morning.

It is an amazing student body we have here, every single one of you has proven themselves in the area of servant leadership. We ask you all to do some pretty tough work and I have yet to hear a single complaint about it. The college I went to had a little over twice this many students, and we did not have this many with a heart to serve. Do not loose that. However, do things with purpose. Remember why you came here and serve your best in the areas that will build you into the leader you need to be for God's purpose. Do not do things simply because you were asked to do them...well ok maybe you might need to do something just because we asked. But what I am saying is that you do not need to do everything. That is how you get burnt out. If you want to do children's ministry, then do children's ministry. If you want to play on the band, then play on the band. If you want to be in Pastor Al's mentor group, than go ahead and join. However, you should have purpose behind all this. If joining all these ministries causes you to have no time to sleep, study, or eat. If doing all that you "want to do" causes you stress, or to feel overwhelmed, than stop. Yes we need students help in keeping everything running, but we also want to see you healthy and fulfilling your purpose. So remember why you came here, do not get pulled too and fro by all the ministries you could be doing. You are all here because you felt God's tug towards your destiny. Trust that leading and He will lead you into the ministries that will best develop the skills you need.

I was 12 when I first received a prophetic word about being called to be a preacher. I thought it was cool, but I was thinking small. I thought maybe I would run my own church in my hometown someday, or maybe I would run a ministry in one of the bigger cities. If you told me that in 20 years I would be on the other side of the world preaching to people in India, or encouraging students in Thailand I would not have believed you. But God's plan for my life is so much bigger than I could imagine: "For no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him" 1 corinthians 2:9. Even through college I still had a small mind towards my thoughts and plans. I could not imagine, even a little, what God has planned for me. The same is true for all of you. So do not allow limits to be placed on your dreams, and be prepared for God to take you through something you may not understand. I did not expect it to take another 10 years after I graduated from college before I started working in the full time ministry. I thought I would get my degree and then take on a youth pastor position and after a few years of that I would move up to the associate, and then after a few years of that I would either start a church or take over for my pastor as he retired. I did not expect God to remind me of the love for other cultures he placed in me. I did not expect him to get me a job in retail where I could learn and develop people leadership skills. I had no idea that He would allow hard times to come through unemployment so I would learn that it was He who supplied all my needs and not a corporate paycheck. How was I to know that he would bring me into another labour intensive job to remind me the value of hard work and pushing oneself to the limit. All the time through these areas he had me working along side people of different nations and cultures so I could learn to show them love and respect as I shared the truth of God with them.

And what for you, have you considered what more God wants to teach and train you in? Have you considered that these two year might only be the beginning? Perhaps God is calling you to take a step and sign up for the four years. Maybe He is calling you to some other vocational school so you can learn a trade that you can put to use for income as you build a minsitry. Maybe He has something he wants to lead you through that will bring you into far greater things than you ever imagined. Which brings me to my third point.

To the Third years: Trust God's timing. In the last few years of college I was starting to get a bit discouraged with the pace at which I was moving a head in the ministry. I was feeling like I was ready to take on more leadership roles in the ministry and thought doors were not opening soon enough. So I tried to make things happen on my own, and when that did not work I got discouraged and almost gave up on the ministry. I was expecting God to drop my ministry in front of me and that would be it, I would be set for life. So when that did not happen I decided to begin exploring career choices outside of the ministry, but even those did not work out. I was pretty discouraged and frustrated, and really the only reason I stayed on with the ministries I was with was because I did not want to look like a failure, I did not want to be the person who didn't finish what he started. So I finished my college degree and interned at a church in Lethbridge, all the while looking for a way out, always looking for what would be best for me, and the quickest path. But God brought things across my path that reminded me of my dreams and calling and I felt that tug of His destiny on my life again. It was through the church in Lethbridge that I was reintroduced to Pastor Al and His ministry here in Thailand. And through that connection I had the opportunity to get plugged into this ministry and I sensed God was calling me into world missions. But even after I was rekindled and rediscovered the purpose that I seemed to have lost, I still had to trust God's timing. I once again tried to rush things along, but it did not work out so well. In truth, the reason it took me 10 years to get here as a full-time missionary is because it took me `10 years to learn that I need to work with God and His timing. So if you find that you are waiting, trust God. He has a plan. Also, do not waste your time waiting. Everything God leads you through has a purpose. God does not put people on a bench to sit there twiddling their thumbs; there is no bench. Even while we are waiting God is using us and developing us. So trust God's timing and do not give up when it seems like you are in a time of waiting; you may be there to learn something.

Finally, to the fourth years: I would exhort you the same that Paul encouraged Timothy: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands." 2Timothy 1:6 You all have a gift that has been imparted to you by your mentors and teachers. You all have skills and abilities that have been deposited to you from God, remember that. God has given you the skills and abilities needed to achieve His purpose. Pastor Al once preached that "Resources needed for your next victory come from your last victory. Everything you need is already there." That is the skills, talents and abilities you need to succeed at your next challenge has already been developed, you just need to remember that and use them. You, as fourth years are about to step out of the confines of this college and into ministry. You are about to start programs and missions and there will be times you feel like you do not have what it takes, or others will tell you that it cannot be done. DO NOT BELIEVE IT. God has given you everything you need. So as He leads you into the next thing, whether it be a ministry, or more training, or something else, remember that God has provided everything you need.

So students (and whoever else has read through this) please remember these things: 1. Remember your calling: God has a purpose for your life, do not forget that he has called you, do not let it be choked out by the busy-ness of life. 2. Ensure you have room for God in your dreams: If your dream does not challenge your idea of what is possible, dream bigger. 3. Trust God's timing: He is preparing you and building in you the things you need to fulfill His purpose. 4. Remember that God has provided you with the resources and the gifts you need.