2021 Session 6: The Call of Jesus

For our last session Patrick Lewis explains four distinctives of “The Call of Jesus”.

1. Jesus’ call is intrusive- meaning he has a tendency of stepping in to our lives in uncomfortable situations.

2. His call is clear

   1. Mark 1:15- And saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

   2. Luke 9:23- And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

3. His call is a command

   1. Matthew 28:18- And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (This is a command not a suggestion)

   2. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

4. His call is enabling

   1. When he speaks his commands, he also empowers you to respond

   2. Through his Holy Spirit he enables you to do the things you don’t think you can do

   3. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. This is how he enables us; he works through us and as we understand his love it compels us.

His call has gone out to us, do we hear it? It’s important to know that not responding to his call is to reject.

Patrick leaves us with some things to think about as we go home.

1. When was the last time Jesus interrupted your life?

2. What are the things that he has told you that were clear that you’re still avoiding and pretending they are unclear?

3. What are the things you are being called to do that you are afraid of?

2021 Session 5: Where Will Jesus Lead Me

This evening we were introduced to a new speaker Patrick Lewis. He reads from the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41.

35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Patrick Lewis explains:

1. Jesus is Lord over storms within us

2. Jesus is Lord over storms around us

3. Jesus leads us through storms to rescue others from the storm

When he leads us somewhere that is unfamiliar or scary, we start questioning Jesus and asking him, “don’t you care?”, and if you did you wouldn’t let me be here. This is a lack of faith, and we need to cling to him in the storms. Patrick explains that by having faith in Jesus means losing control and having an unpredictable irresistible force in our life. We need to know that we can run to Jesus with our storms, and he can end them. Jesus says in Mark 5:19, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you”. He’s explaining that he came here for you and he wants to rescue others through you, so follow him. When the ultimate storm does come, we can be confident and know that we’ll spend eternity with him.

2021 Session 4: There's Something in the Water

Paul Poteat began with addressing 3 Huge Questions that we should ask ourselves.

1. Who is God? (Satan says: He’s not trustworthy, he’s not out for your best)

2. Who are You? (Satan says: You can be your own God, you can choose to be good/bad)

3. How do You Live? (Satan says: Do what you want, create truth)

Judges 21:25 “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes”

Don’t drink the water! Our hearts are conflicted and is often being deceived. How do you set yourself up for these moments? Do you read your bible to be prepared? Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water”. When we get what we want its not satisfying us. Real freedom is to do what is right. We limit our freedom to experience greater joy in various things. (Sports, relationships, school, etc.. )

John 4:13-15 “Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” We all need living water and Jesus is that!

2021 Session 3: I Am The Good Shepherd

This evening Pastor D opens by reading from the next eight verses from John 10:

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

As we discovered in the previous session, He’s “the door” but now we learn Jesus is also the “good shepherd”. In order for us to get into the sheepfold, we must go through the door and through the shepherd.

The good shepherd not only protects his sheep but is willing to die for them. Why? Because there is an intimacy and closeness between him and the sheep. As the sheep, we know this and can recognize his voice. We know he gives us protection, care and recognize the benefits we get from following the shepherd. The issue is we as the sheep are prone to wander when we don’t get what we want. Pastor D explains two reasons why some of us struggle with our belief in Jesus.

1. We haven’t gotten to know the shepherd well enough so therefore we never have experienced his goodness.

2. Because of not experiencing his goodness we just keep on roaming around looking for better places, more satisfaction, more fulfillment, or places outside of God just like the sheep.

The word of God is a gift given to us from God that from the more we know it more connected we are to Christ.

Pastor D explains three things to look at if you are struggling with closeness and intimacy with God.

1. What do we do about being intentionally about spending time with God?

2. What does your prayer life look like?

3. You’ve simply left the sheepfold/community.

Jesus is the good shepherd that will die for his sheep and he’s not done saving his people and he wants us all to come to him.

2021 Session 2: I Am The Door

This morning Pastor D opens his second session by reading John 10:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 

Pastor D. explains that in today’s culture we do not like the idea of “exclusivity”. He encourages us to view this word differently as it relates to a relationship with Jesus. This passage is not meant to be exclusive it is meant to be inclusive. A relationship with Jesus is available to all people but the only way is through Jesus. Pastor D says, “God does not desire our good works he desires us to be Holy. When we believe in Jesus, we are now holy because God sees the believer covered in the righteousness of Jesus”. Once we believe in him, we don’t have to find our own way in life because he is our shepherd. All our satisfaction and fulfilment is found in him. All we need to do is trust him because he is the door and the one, we are searching for, its all found in him if we just believe.  

2021 Session 1: I Am The Bread of Life

Derrick Puckett also known as “Pastor D” opens this first session with a question, “Do you really believe in Jesus and does Jesus truly satisfy me?”. Next, he explains the importance of Jesus using the phrase “I am”. He explains that “I am” means that God is: 

 #1 Self-existent

 #2 Not dependent on anything else 

#3 God is immutable (unchangeable) 

#4 God is eternal 

Exodus 3:14 says, “God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you”. He is trying to remind Moses and the people that he is God and he always with you no matter how far you get off track he is still God and still for you. Jesus uses this phrase twelve other times in the book of John and seven of those times he uses this phrase to explain who he is. He explains the importance of recognizing our idols whether it be sports, people, ourselves or other things we all have idols. The problem with idols is that we always will try to look for more from these things. This causes us to misplace our trust and hope. God says that I'm here and I'm trying to get your attention! He will always be forever. We always get in the way of ourselves to experience God's great glory. Pastor D reads Philippians 4:13 and reminds us that we need to be content with knowing God is with us. He ends with the same question he began, “Do you really believe in Jesus and does Jesus truly satisfy me?”.

2019 Session 7: Live your Dash

Tony closed this years New Years Conference with a very applicable message on time. This session was all about how we ought to live our “dash”, meaning our life. Bringing in the New Year we have to consider our time and how we will spend the year. Our lives are a very short “dash”. How are you going to live your “dash”? Tony read and focused on Matthew 9:35-38:

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

He shared some very insightful tips to live our “dash”. Tony encouraged us that our “dash” should be spent in the world, being a laborer in the harvest. Our lives are not just about getting saved, but getting to experience the work that God has done and continues to do. God chooses to use His people as laborers. Tony closed with a spectrum of where these students were at in their walk with God. From conversion (trusting in Jesus to making disciple makers. Where are you? Where do you want to be? How do you get there? Tony answers some of these questions in this session.

2019 Session 6: Faithful Watchman

This evening Tony brought us a quick, but very necessary message about being faithful watchmen and watch women. His message came from a passage in Ezekiel 33:

7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

He gave us three important points to be watchful men and women of the faith. We have this calling to be the watchman in others’ lives. This call is given to all believers of Jesus Christ, in order that the Gospel would be spread. The message was very powerful and brought a helpful mindset for how all believers of Jesus Christ should ring in the New Year and every day of their lives.

2019 Breakout: Divided or United by Faith?

Analyzing the Complexities of Race & Christianity

God’s eternal Word has much to say to us about how we understand race and race relations. This seminar is designed to draw us back to the Bible so that we might better understand the gospel’s implications for racial reconciliation.

—UIC Staff Team

2019 Breakout: The Path to Greatness

We all have a passion to be great, to be significant, and to be successful, and Jesus says he knows the way to true greatness: Humility. By magnifying the virtue of humility, he obliterates the world's view of success, frees us from the constant demands of performing, and reminds his followers of their desperate need of Him. On the flip side the Bible also shows us the dangers of pride, and how it will distort the grace of the Gospel and our minimize our need of a savior, or blind us to it completely. "If you want to be first, you must be last of all and servant of all."

—Chase Smith

2019 Breakout: Masculinity and the Intention of God

When we hear the word ‘masculinity', it often conjures up images of men who are muscular, rude, and perhaps a little stubborn. Some celebrate this as true masculinity. American pop culture is (rightly) shifting away from this view, but now masculinity is seen as a dangerous social construct that should be minimized. But is that how God intended it? What does it really mean to be a man created in the image of God? This seminar looks at God’s design in creating men, what it means to live out of this design, and how to create a culture where both masculinity and femininity are celebrated. 

Note: We think that a better understanding of masculinity and femininity results in a greater understanding of God’s heart and greater love and friendship between genders. This talk is meant to be paired with the seminar on femininity, so students are strongly encouraged to attend both!

—Zach Simmons

2019 Breakout: Life Beyond College

How do I make a decision about what to do after graduation? How do I think biblically about discerning God's will for my life? We will look at what the Bible has to say about making big decisions that impact your future.

—Chad Mary

2019 Breakout: (Re)Introducing Prayer into Your Life

Prayer is a clear mandate from God, but isn't it entirely too tough to thrive in? Everything is going against you: busyness, distraction, social media, etc. We're going to spend time looking at what prayer is, why we pray, and how to pray in hopes that our prayer lives become constant, enlivened and new!

—Aaron Wilson

2019 Breakout: Two by Two: Jesus' Plan for Mission Together

Evangelism is better together. Jesus sent his disciples "two by two" to share his gospel, and he continues to send communities of his followers to love people and share his good news together. This seminar will cover how doing evangelism in and through community is more powerful, more dynamic, and more effective than doing it alone.

—Josh Crawford