I remember back in elementary school having to stand up in class (while still groggy and half asleep) to recite these words:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I never really gave much thought to these words but these days, “justice for all” is taking on a great meaning for me. When I think about justice, my mind usually goes straight to the Jesus’ mission found in Isaiah 61: “To heal the brokenhearted, and set the captives free…” Ever since I was a child, I’ve resonated with the principle of justice in the context of defending the broken, the needy, the poor and the abused.

I wanted to do something about the injustice.

I wanted to contribute.

I wanted to change things!

I wanted to be like Superman who stood for truth and justice.

I sensed God offering us a chance to trust Him more than we had. I wanted to attempt something that could …
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My family and I recently had the privilege of spending some time touring around Boston following a speaking appointment. Not being a city person, I had but mild anticipation. The primary goals were to expose my boys to some American history, and to have a couple relaxing days with friends. Both of those missions were accomplished.

But God, as He so often does, surprised me with an unexpected blessing and message.

That blessing and message? Freedom! 

As we drove and walked from place to place, I was repeatedly confronted with this most basic longing of the soul––American, or otherwise. The famous Boston walk is called The Freedom Trail. From Lexington and Battle Road, to North Bridge and the site of Paul Revere’s capture, the whole land is steeped in the grand quest for freedom.

God made us free to be free.

The human soul longs to be free, and in this sense American history is everyone’s history. That freedom is a universal and fundamental longing is easily demonstrated. One need only grab another human being suddenly and firmly …
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It was a spring morning like any other for my wife, Kathy and then two-year old son Eliah: playtime at the local park. Our son was enjoying himself in the sandbox, when another little boy showed up with his mom. As the boys got busy playing, the moms exchanged small talk. Kathy immediately noticed the jogging stroller and running clothes. “Are you a runner?” she asked. “I’m trying!” replied the mom. They soon found themselves talking for quite some time about their running experiences, until before they knew it lunchtime had come and gone.

“My name is Kathy by the way.”

“I’m Adi. Nice to meet you!”

“We should run together some time.”

“That’d be great!”

Numbers were exchanged, and an appointment was made for a morning run later that week.

As spring turned into summer, Kathy and Adi’s morning run turned into a weekly engagement. Before long they were training for races together. As the miles passed under their feet they talked about life, family and God. Kathy would express her faith in and love for a God who …
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Have you seen the new Digma videos? If you haven’t, go watch them immediately at  digma.com , then share them with your social network. I’m serious. Stop reading this blog because someone on your “friends” list is waiting and needing to hear one of these messages. And the good news is, they are so well done that he, or she, will actually listen! After you’ve completed this modern mission trip, come back and read the rest of this article, and I’ll share with you another effective way to use these visually engaging and contemporary videos. OK, ready? Go to  digma.com  and I’ll see you in a few…

You’re back, great.

So here’s my own Digma story.

I was looking for a way to lead my junior Bible class into a discussion about theodicy; that is, how God can be all-powerful and yet allow an evil world to exist. The discussion would lead into a Bible study on the great controversy motif of Scripture, which they could then share with others. That was the plan.

So first we watched Ty tell his own story in the Digma …
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His right arm struck his right thigh whenever he made a good point. As Matt Parra preached on Acts 17, biblical balance, and the logical fallacies of traditional definitions of balance, one thought streamed through my mind:

I’m supposed to be here. I know I am. God called me here.

For some time I had wanted to attend  ARISE  and learn from David and Matt, the Rosario brothers and all the great teachers that grace the whiteboard. But then, when I realized it was going to happen, and that the calendar date for the  Cornerstone Program would soon be upon me, all I could do was question my motives.

“Why do I want to go?”

Did I want to flatter myself by being among men of God and showcase my talents? Was I merely following the footsteps of my best friend, a subconscious mimicry? Did I expect a fix-all-my-problems-and-spit-me-out-as-Mark-Finley treatment? Doubts, questions, and fears hung above me as I packed my suitcase, as Delta Airlines brought me to Eugene, and even as the dean picked me up at the airport. Trepidations floated around …
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It is no secret to those who know me that I regard New Zealand as “the best country on earth.” I’ve been there four years in a row, and have no plans or desire to stop my annual visits. My most recent visit, which I’ve just returned from, was a wonderful blessing, as it afforded me many opportunities for ministry and fellowship.

Christchurch is New Zealand’s second largest city, and it was my first stop. I was looking forward to catching up with some of those who had been baptized as a result of our efforts over the past few years. As providence would have it, I was able to reconnect with more than a dozen of them. What a joy it was to see their bright, happy and energetic faces at church on Sabbath morning. I hadn’t alerted any of the three churches I visited about my arrival, so my presence was a genuine surprise. A good one, I hope!

My heart leapt with joy to see Debbie and her mother sitting in church soaking up the sermon. And Theresa and Collin …
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If you had told me eight years ago, when I graduated from high school, that I would be hanging out with people from all over the world and be afforded the opportunity to share the gospel with them, I would have laughed at you. I was unconverted; definitely not a preacher or speaker, and I didn’t know very many people outside of Southern Illinois, let alone North America. Then, if you had told me that I would be doing it 15 miles away from where I was currently living, I would have said that you were absolutely insane.

Yet that’s exactly where I find myself, surrounded by beautiful people from other countries who don’t know the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Or even worse yet, they’ve been given a horrible depiction of Him by the media, and other poor messengers as we’ll see here in a few moments as depicted in the book of Ezekiel. But God works in mysterious ways, and upon returning to my home area for a funeral, after being gone for a couple years, …
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After completing the four month Cornerstone Program this past December, eight of us graduates were asked to be a part of the new ARISE Internship Program . Each of us were assigned to a project in the Eugene and Springfield area. I, along with three others, was assigned to the University of Oregon to make connections with people interested in studying the Bible and learning more about the gospel. This could potentially lead to planting a church on campus someday.

After learning of our assignment, we set out to explore the university and become familiar with the campus. After receiving some information about starting student groups and wandering around with the team for a little bit, I strayed over to a radical environmentalist meeting called “The Survival Center.” I curiously looked around at the array of literature and pamphlets that were organized on bookshelves and surveyed the room strewn with banners, provocative protest signs and various themes displayed to awaken the attention to serious problems in the world. I could tell without even meeting the group that these people were all …
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Placing an order in a café recently, the server said, “You don’t eat meat? That’s weird.” I responded, with a smile of course, “Yeah, it’s way less weird to catch a beautiful creature, look into its frightened eyes, cut its throat as it struggles to get free, dismember its body, slice it in pieces, fry it up in a pan and eat it with laughter around a table with your friends as you look into one another’s eyes and give no thought at all to the whole brutal affair.”

Too much said, I know, but sometimes the words just fall out of my mouth before I can stop them.

Once a man came to my house to make a repair. He commented: “It’s weird to come into a house that doesn’t have a TV on in the background that I have to talk over. It seems oddly quiet in here.” I thought to myself, “Huh. Are we at a place where it’s just ‘normal’ to live with a constant backdrop of TV murder, lust, profanity and deceit, and it’s weird …
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For almost a decade now we’ve had the privilege of training over 800 people through our ARISE training programs . It’s been a powerful and beautiful experience! But we’ve always dreamed of having a longer, more thorough training program.

Thankfully, now that we have our own facilities since our recent merger with Light Bearers , we now have an opportunity to provide a longer program of training, discipleship and mentorship.

This is the ARISE Internship program. A 12-month extension of our Cornerstone Program . A select number of students are enrolled in this graduate program to continue learning in class and applying what they learn in the community.

The eight interns that are part of this internship program are actively engaged in frontline ministry. They are serving in local churches giving Bible studies and preaching, conducting training for the laity, organizing small groups, visiting backsliders, integrating into the overall life of the churches, and targeting the University of Oregon  (which has over 20,000 students) with outreach ministries. We’re excited to see young people committing their lives for Gospel ministry and being used by God in real ways to impact real people.

Meet the interns