As you kneel at the foot of the cross and look at the sight unfolding before you, the Holy Spirit begins to flow. He is a river, not a pond; rivers flow and are not stagnant. He desires to flood your heart with such love (Romans 5:5) that it has to go somewhere! You have to share it! He wants to flow into and out of you! So, He calls you to drink from the river and flow to your students! Ponds become polluted and defiled, as the water just sits there, there is no flowing! The Holy Spirit is a river inside of us that flows to us, then to our students. He is a fire inside that first sets our own hearts burning, then passes warmth to our students. This daily viewing of the cross enables us to fulfill Romans 12:10-12:
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer." -Romans 12:10-12 NASB
We must be receiving the message of the cross daily. Sitting and looking at the cross is the best thing you can do to prepare you for ministry. Gazing and gawking at it until you sing, “May I see it like the first time, standing as a sinner lost. Undone by mercy and left speechless, watching wide-eyed at the cost.”
Oh, friend, this is how to minister! It is to come to your student speechless, yet filled with fiery words! It is to be wide-eyed, having just seen and experienced “the cost” of Jesus spilling His blood for you, laying down His life for you, giving up His Spirit for you. Oh yes, friend, serve others from this position, being aghast at the love of your Savior, made speechless by love, yet with your bowels yearning to tell someone about Jesus! Then your words to your students will hit their hearts, warm their hearts, humble, and heal their hearts!
And when your students are not getting it, do not have any passion of the cross burning within them, are answering the questions in the course with one sentence answers in a "take it or leave it" manner, you will be able to press on in mentoring, for your own heart will be burning with the love of Jesus. And as you continue to present the message of the cross, some will get it. Some will indeed change.
All because you are speaking of Jesus’ blood He shed for their forgiveness, Jesus’ taking the curse to give them the blessing, Jesus hanging in darkness to bring them into the light, Jesus being condemned to free them, Jesus’ dying that they might receive love and life!
Oh friend, away with apathy! Rid yourselves of lukewarmness. Put your heart on fire at the cross and then talk like it!
"Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:8-11 NASB
Question 5. Why is it important to have your heart set on fire at the cross as you minister to your students and your brothers and sisters in the weekly check-in?
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Friend, we care about you and don’t want to see you stuck in apathy. We want you to have your heart filled to overflowing with the joyful experience of ongoing viewing of the cross of Christ. We want you to be overflowing with cross-focused love daily, and with resurrection power moment by moment.
We also care about our students here at Setting Captives Free, and we want them to experience your passion for the cross, not indifference and lukewarmness.
For this reason, we have weekly writings from the board of directors, simply called "Weekly Encouragement", where we encourage and inspire one another with cross-centered messages and also keep a check on our passion for the cross of Jesus. We want to provide you with gospel material that you can rejoice in weekly, as well as share with your students when appropriate.
If you ever sense that you are becoming lukewarm and need to take some time away to be refreshed and to have the fire stoked in your own heart again, we understand. Talk to your mentor coordinator and discuss the best course forward.
We’re looking forward to seeing you continue in the course.