The power that emanates from The GYC experience is not found in a speaker, a seminar or even the plethora of ministries on exhibition at the conference, but the power comes from The Holy Spirit.
It is The Spirit that convicts, changes and converts an attendee; and that same Spirit was present throughout the extended weekend.
I attended the Cross-Check seminars by Sebastien Braxton. The strange thing about this seminar was that I didn't plan to attend them at all! I started on my way to Eugene Prewitt 1888 seminar class and I never got there.
I was passing by Sebastien's class and next thing I knew, I walked in and took a seat.
The rest, as they say, is history.
You know how some people say 'The Spirit led me...' or 'The Spirit spoke to me...', well I believe the Spirit ushered me into that seminar because it was truly life-changing. I cannot even begin to express how applicable the messages were for me in this present phase of my life!
Since I arrived Thursday morning, I had missed the morning seminars, but was able to catch the 2pm class titled 'Why Am I Struggling With This Sin'. This seminar tackled our 'darling' sin; that sin that keeps rearing its ugly head when we thought we had gotten the victory over it. It robs us of our joys and leaves us defeated. Because of our sinful nature, we may be plague with one or more of these besetting sins that cripple and destroy our hope in salvation. The scriptural example he used for this presentation was Judas; whose love of money ultimately led to him giving up Jesus. We were encouraged to know/own our besetting sins, to seek to destroy them once and for all as it may be the very thing the enemy may use to make us 'give up Jesus' and be lost.
The rest of the seminars was equally as powerful and life-altering. The last seminar was named ' I Want It To Matter That I Lived' where Sebastien started with speaking about a website that is filled with testimonials of people who don't believe their lives matter and how they don't see the point of living. It was very sad and hurtful to hear what some said about their lives. This seminar was a call to move; a call to matter that we live; a call to do something for God and the gospel. I was moved. I want it to matter that I live, and I want to do all I can for God and the gospel movement.
Outreach was on Friday, 12/2. There were thousands of us who went out. My friend and I knocked on over 15 doors and had pleasant encounters with the people of our neighborhood but it was the experience with the postman that remained the most potent. The postman (while driving his postal van) while we were going door to door stopped and asked us what we were doing. We went to him and explained who were where and he was so encouraged to see fellow Christians spreading the gospel. He shared that he had started a clothing line for Christians and actually gave us encouragement and a few laughs :-). It was an unforgettable appointment.
Sabbath is always the high point of GYC. Pastor David Shin spoke on the importance of the sanctuary, and how it should always be the focal point of all of our messages. I was encouraged, broken and filled with spiritual food by all the messages by Pastors Adam Ramdin and Stephen Bohr, and the plenary sessions by Christian Berdahl and Sex-Trafficking/Human intervention ministries.
Our final charge was given by Pastor DeVasher. He broke down Christ's condescension to such a point, that it ripped my heart out. Never had I heard the depths of Jesus' love and sacrificed explained in such a powerful heart-wrenching way. And even so, we as mere mortals still don't understand the full breadth of His Sacrifice. We had to leave close to the tail-end of the message (to catch our flight back home), but this message has gave me renewed insight to how to relate, study, understand and share His Sacrifice.
As spiritually filling as all of these seminars, presentations and messages were, it would amount to nothing if I am only a hearer of these things and not a doer. I am encouraged to do more for Christ this year.
As I have already mentioned in my last blog message: I am staying at the cross in 2015!
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~ To listen to messages from GYC 2014 (a.k.a. GYC Phoenix), go to http://gycweb.org/resources/
~ To watch videos from GYC 2014, go to https://www.youtube.com/user/GYCresources