I was sitting in my DTS classroom, my head wrapped in thoughts of a family circumstance that was happening. We had teaching on Lordship and Surrender, which was timed perfectly for what I was struggling with. I had a sense of fear and lack of control over the situation, but throughout the class, God kept reminding me that He has control of the unknown and that I can trust and surrender it all to Him.
2 min read
Laying Down My Rights
Topics: Worship Freedom Hope Faith surrender life lessons relationship intimacy lordship perseverance create
5 min read
Breaking Out of the Box
There really is such thing as a Jesus glow. The glow where you’re so full of Jesus, it’s so evident and so seen from within that it overflows onto the outside of you. You see, it’s one thing to be beautiful on the outside, but it’s a whole other thing to become beautiful on the inside. There are a LOT of physically beautiful women in this world, but outward beauty means nothing when the fruit on the inside is rotten.The darkness in this world sucks the life out of you, and blows your flame out resulting in lifelessness. The only way I could ever describe myself before I knew Jesus was lifeless.
Topics: Purpose Identity Insecurity Freedom Hope Faith Confidence Beauty Deeper with God God's Love Overcoming
3 min read
Trusting God To Make A Way
Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is tell you to seek Jesus for yourself. In reality, as Christians, we should all be trying our best to seek Him first.
Kaleigh Seliskar helped disciple students while serving SSTs this summer. Listen as she shares an encouraging testimony of how God increased her faith through a student.
Over this summer, I had the honor of working with YWAM Tyler’s teen summer camp called SST. During this time, I had many roles. One of them included guiding and encouraging three teenagers to prepare a teaching. They would have the opportunity to share their teaching at a Vacation Bible School (VBS) they would help with during their outreach in Houston.
One of the students, "Josh", was preparing a teaching on Moses and the Red Sea. He came to me on the last day of preparation and said to me “Kaleigh, I want to give an altar call at the end of my teaching but I don’t know how to do that. Can you help me?” I asked him to pray about it and then come to me later and we could talk about how to do it. He never come back, so I assumed that he either decided to skip it all together, or that he went to another leader and talked about it.
The next week we were in Houston and Josh gave his teaching on the final day of VBS. The kids in the group were engaged the whole time, and consumed by what Josh had to say. Towards the end of his teaching, he began looking around the stage like he was missing something. At this point, I was pretty confused because his teaching appeared to be going as planned and he hadn’t missed anything. Suddenly, he stopped looking around the stage and seemed very excited and he did something that the other leaders and I had not expected. He asked the kids in the VBS if they wanted to accept Jesus, and if they did to raise their hand. Twelve of the nineteen kids responded immediately.
Josh ran to the side of the stage and pulled two cases of water to the center of the stage, got back on the mic and said, “If you just raised your hand, come onto the stage and walk between these cases of water like the Israelites did through the Red Sea to show everyone that you are going to follow Jesus.” All twelve of those kids got up and ran to the stage to declare their dedication to follow Jesus.
As a staff member for these SST students, I was so impressed with Josh's creativity and on-the-spot thinking. This is just one of the few ways that the teenagers in the SST were able to impact the people of Houston. Not only did they touch the people of Houston but I was also personally affected by them. At times I felt that I was too young or just didn't have enough experience to share my faith. The SST students blew those thoughts away. Their fearlessness and resilience showed me that age has nothing to do with my ability to talk about Jesus.
Did it ever occur to you that when you were all grown up the next generation would look up to you? It doesn't matter what you think you are capable of, God can and will use those with willing hearts to fulfill His plans. If you open yourself up and follow wherever the Lord may lead, He will amaze you every time. Seek Him first and He will always be there to help you.
Topics: Trust Knowing God Making Him Known Discipleship Opportunities Freedom Faith Teenagers SST Leadership Youth With A Mission ministry youth Red Sea
3 min read
I Am Not Disqualified.
It is well with my soul . . . Really?
I’ve heard these words many times. Something about them stands out to me, but can I say it is well with my soul and really believe it is? Loving God is one thing, but living with Him fully enthroned can be difficult sometimes because it's not about me anymore.
It’s hard. I desire. I fear. I feel.
Topics: Purpose Trust God Belief Life-Changing Spiritual Growth Freedom Hope No Fear Overcoming surrender Called to Mission God's will perseverance
2 min read
Overcoming Lies through Discipleship
I never thought I’d experience the freedom that I so desperately prayed for when I was younger. Believing every lie the enemy whispered in my ears paralyzed me with a fear that enslaved my mind, and suffocated my identity. I was a Christian to the best of my knowledge,
Topics: YWAM Tyler Freedom Sin YWAM Truth Overcoming DTS testimony joy lies
2 min read
I Found Freedom from My Sin
Forget the world and give me Jesus! Quinn Evans, a Crossroads DTS student on outreach, shared a radical encounter when God pulled her out of a life of sin, and set her heart ablaze to share the Gospel.
Her experience gives hope to the brokenhearted! When you make the conscious decision to fully surrender, you'll discover what it means to truly be free.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Freedom Sin YWAM surrender repentance lordship
3 min read
Find Healing by Forgiving Your Parents
"I don't think I can forgive him." Perhaps you have used or have heard this phrase used when it comes to the topic of forgiveness. If we rely merely on our own strength to forgive others, forgiveness will seem impossible.
Recently, we had the privilege of hosting a retreat for Shiloh Ministries who equips men to conquer addiction. Throughout their classes here, God revealed, healed, and delivered these guys from so much! The story you're about to read is about one man who was able to claim his freedom as God walked him through the process of forgiveness...
Topics: Healing Freedom forgiveness wholeness alcohol fathers parents alcoholism abuse abusive
2 min read
Your Life Matters
"Well, I don't want to kill myself anymore!" That was not the response I was expecting to hear when Mia was asked at a staff meeting interview how going through discipleship training and serving at our mission affected her life! As we applauded her answer, I realized a lot was packed into that simple arresting statement.
Topics: Freedom Love Hope God's Love suicide discipleship jesus death suicide prevention
2 min read
How DTS Set Me Free
Fighting for my relationship with God 24/7 was one of the most challenging actions I've ever taken in my life, however, I knew what I wanted was worth it and fulfilling. I was yearning for God to awaken these dry bones and transfigure me into a new creation. For Him to continue to transform me, I had to build up my spiritual endurance and become stronger in my faith in God and rest my worries upon Him.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Change Belief Following Jesus YWAM DTS Spiritual Growth Depression Freedom Anxiety Sin Faith Following God suicide DTS Youth With A Mission relationship ywamtyler pain
2 min read
The Day I Turned Around
We are so proud of our students here at YWAM Tyler. Please read Rose's story of how God set her free from self-harm and a slow suicide. God is so kind and so gentle to lead us from our dark situations to places of freedom, and being able to minister to others.
Before being saved, I was in and out of treatment centers, on and off of drugs, putting myself in deadly situations, searching for love and validation through people that never ceased to disappoint me.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Life-Changing YWAM DTS Freedom Love God's Love suicide life
6 min read
8 Steps To Frustration Free Fundraising
Sometimes, people want to step out in faith to attend our training schools here at YWAM, Tyler. But fundraising can feel like a frustratingly insurmountable hurdle. One of our missionaries, Megan Bixler, would like to share some of the wisdom and encouragement she has learned from fundraising. Please read this and be encouraged that God really will provide for all that he has called you to do.
Topics: Training School School of Evangelism Fundraising YWAM DTS Insecurity Freedom No Fear Faith Mission Trip Money giving DTS
3 min read
Does God Really Set The Lonely In Families?
In 1982, I entered the foster care system. I was three months old. My parents moved out of our apartment without me. I spent the next 16 years, before my legal emancipation, bouncing from foster home to foster home. From the time I was three years old, I longed for a forever family. For me in my life, a forever family never came, but for some, it does...
