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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My experience at ARISE can be simply described: God-planned. It is such a jaw-dropping feeling to look back at my life and see how God planned every step of the way. He even turns our mistakes into stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. That is exactly how God got me to ARISE. I’m originally from Georgia.  But, after God resolved my financial situation with a snap of His fingers, I found myself on the other side of the country in Sonora, CA (I’m originally from Georgia).

While at ARISE, God opened my eyes to see the world in a whole new light. No longer did I want to get a college education to become successful on earth, but I wanted it so I would be better equipped to share with others about heaven! My focus shifted from always looking for earthly, selfish benefits to focusing more on selfless, heavenly matters.

The way God reached me at ARISE is by far one of the most impacting experiences of my life.

Sharing what I learned with others through outreach was my favorite …
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ARISE, for me, is the continuing of a journey. My journey became a reality two years ago with a challenge from a friend who said, “If we believe this stuff, we should do it.” At that point I wasn’t even sure if I “believed this stuff” but I decided right then to not fake my way through life pretending to be a Christian. I prayed an earnest and sincere prayer for truth and it was then that a new life of meaning began. ARISE promotes this earnest searching and enables the students to have confidence in the Bible as the living, powerful, life-changing Word of God.

ARISE, for me, is about relationships. In the class of 2010 there were about 50 students from all over the world. I found that friendships formed through the common denominator of the love of Christ are the strongest friendships that exist. True joy is experienced in sharing the love of God with others, and for three months my wife and I were able to experience this real joy on a daily basis. I remember …
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I knew I was in for something special.

As Randy and Shandra Ban picked me up from the airport, I asked them what ARISE was all about – was it a school for missionaries? They told me it was a school that connected people with Jesus. I nodded my head, pleased.

We drove up a steep, winding road for what seemed like hours. As the sun was setting, I looked out through the trees to the world below. Eventually the “ARISE” sign came into view and we came to a stop in the parking lot.

“What is this? The United Nations?”

Upon climbing out of the van, I met my roommate; a Frenchman named Gaetan. I stepped into the kitchen where I met my British classmate, Yon, whose style words cannot describe; Rayon, from Holland, was the ideal European; Nelis, a dashing white man from South Africa; and KC, a friendly girl from the Philippines who immediately offered me tiny tropical bananas.

I thought to myself, “What is this? The United Nations?”

That feeling that this was something special was …
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Grace.

What a fantastic and wonderful word! The free, unmerited favor of God.

When my carnal heart first came to the realization of what was offered to me though Christ, I was a heathen. No, worse than a heathen; I was a Christian who knew all about God. I had grown up in a Christian home, but I never made the religion of my fathers my own.

Upon entering college, I surrounded myself with bright students who worked hard but partied harder. Marijuana was our drug of choice, but through God’s illimitable wisdom my thoughts were turned from the vanity of materialism back to a belief in God.

I was a heathen. No, worse than a heathen; I was a Christian who knew all about God.

I didn’t know who He was or even what that meant, but I was determined to find Him. I naturally gravitated to Eastern thought and spiritual awakening through drugs. I became enthralled with meditation and would practice the clearing of my mind. Dwelling on nothing allowed my mind to reach higher and still higher …
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ARISE graduate, Joshua Cunningham and ARISE Director, David Asscherick are featured in this inspiring video from Church Support Services . Joshua, a member of a popular Australian band, recounts his meeting Pastor Asscherick, conversion to Christ, and attendance at ARISE in 2010. His first Christian album, titled Into Tomorrow, is now available on his website .