Have you ever made the mistake of believing a task isn’t worth investing time on because it’s “just a little thing?” I have.
Ever wonder if the thought forming in your brain was from God?
I know I have many times. 15 years ago, I did my DTS and read the inspirational book by the founder of YWAM, Is That Really You God?
His stories left me wide-eyed and wonder-filled. I honestly couldn't put it down. He addressed the very questions I had about hearing from God.
Almost a year ago, I was on my School of Evangelism (SOE) outreach. Our team was at David's Tent, a ministry hosting worship 24/7 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. where I led an hour-long worship set.
In 2013, I attended a Season of Service and Training (SST), a summer camp for teens at YWAM Tyler. One afternoon, we teamed up with multiple staff members to help with their different roles on the campus.
Some of us helped in the kitchen, some in the Ag-Tech training area and some of us in the Hospitality department. 😳
In late November of 2019, my Dad and I stayed at a hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana. As we arrived to check-in, I noticed a man with crutches sitting on a couch in the lobby. As we approached the front desk, I heard a voice in my mind say, Go and pray for his knee.
"Go Now!"
The Lord had directed us to do a Discipleship Training School at YWAM Tyler in July 2016. We were sure it was to be the Crossroads DTS.
Is God calling you to step out in faith and apply for a Discipleship Training School (DTS) but fear keeps kicking you in the guts? What if this turns out to be the biggest mistake of your life? What if you're asked to do something way out of your comfort-zone? What if you don't fit in, or run out of money, or fail everyone's expectations? What if you're not really hearing God's voice after all? Something is gnawing away inside your head, saying, "I just don't think I can do this!"
In celebration of World Poetry Day, this poem just might be the needed inspiration to know that God speaks. Psalm 32:8 declares, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." Twelve years ago I did my DTS and learned more about hearing from God. I read this inspirational book, Is That Really You, God by the founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham, and the stories left me wide-eyed and wonder-filled. Learning to hear God's voice is a key part of all YWAM Discipleship Training Schools. I'm thankful I devoted five months of my life for this unique training. If you're wrestling with what it means to hear God's voice then do a DTS. You'll get to read this book and discover truths about Jesus that'll change your life.
In all the talk today of measuring success by numbers, based on how many “hits,” “clicks,” or “likes” we get on our social media, I am often taken back to the memory of my very first Youth With a Mission trip in 1984. We were traveling through the Atlantic Coast of Canada, performing an evangelistic drama known as Toymaker and Son. It was a 52 minute long drama performed in full costume to a soundtrack recorded by a professional orchestra. It was all mime and dance, a real workout for us young people to perform in the hot summer sun, and we performed it anywhere we could. One performance stands out above the rest to me because we performed it on an empty grass lawn, to no audience at all.
Ever wonder if the thought forming in your brain was from the Lord? I know I have many times. Eleven years ago, I did my DTS and read this inspirational book by the founder of YWAM. He addressed the very quesions I had about hearing from God through stories that left me wide-eyed and wonder-filled. I honestly couldn't put it down. I hope the poetic synopsis below, which I wrote during my DTS, will wet your appetite to want to read it for yourself!
If you've wondered what it might be like going on YWAM Tyler outreach, Casi's story will give you a glimpse into the wonders of hearing from God and doing what He says while on outreach.
“Nah, I don’t need to do that!” I emphatically told God one day after being asked by our ministry leaders to do a YWAM DTS. At the age of 34, my husband and I had already been serving the Lord in full-time ministry for years. We had worked as youth pastors in Kansas, while attending school. Then we planted a church in South Carolina. Missions was nothing new for us because we had led numerous teams around the world. Why would we need to do a Discipleship Training School?
