You have heard the stories in the Bible. In Genesis, God said to Abram, “Go…”. In Matthew, Jesus calls Simon (Peter) and Andrew and says to them, “Follow me…”. In John, Jesus speaks to the people saying that he is the light of the world and once again invites them to follow him. But these are the stories of people long ago. I grew up thinking the reality of these things happening again is so far-fetched and unforeseen. Is that really how God works today?
3 min read
The Greatest New Year’s Resolution I Ever Made
Topics: Crossroads DTS Family Adventure Family Adventures Missionary Missionary Life Family DTS Family Missions Missionary Training
4 min read
Fundraising Doesn't Have To Suck
Fundraising is a huge part of missions. Whether you are raising money for yourself to be supported as a missionary, or for a project to help others, it takes funding to accomplish our God given goals. Although it can be overwhelming, it doesn't have to suck.
Topics: Provision Fundraising Missions Trust God Trust Missionary Missionary Life Faith Missionary Training Money support work funding support raising
2 min read
Dealing With Fear
I know a lot of people who no longer watch the news. Not just because they are overwhelmed, but they question the sources. 44% of the worldwide news is reportedly inaccurate. The other 56% leaves enough to cause a lot of concern.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Missions Missionary Life Overcoming Fear No Fear Missionary Training fear
2 min read
The Spirit of Jesus
In an upcoming social media post that you'll see in the coming days, we are posting the caption: "The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intense of a missionary we become." As part of the editing team I wasn't 100% convinced of this statement.
So, I decided to reach out to some long-term, incredibly thoughtful missionaries at our campus to ask them their opinion. What I got as a response was quite incredible.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Missions Following Jesus Missionary Missionary Life Making Him Known Make Disciples Missionary Training ywam missions unreached jesus spirit of jesus
5 min read
I Don't Want To Do This Anymore
I’ve been re-reading a book that my husband Richard and I read when we planted the church ReaLity in Greenville, South Carolina. No Compromise is the life story of Keith Green written by his wife, Melody Green. It tells the story of how Keith and Melody came to believe in Jesus and then follow Him.
Something about their story and Keith’s music resonated within us as we were ministering to young people in Greenville. Not only were Richard and I drawn to Keith Green’s life and song, but the people in our church were as well. His songs were raw, deeply moving, and full of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. Keith’s story changed us. We were challenged to live fully surrendered and love sacrificially.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Following Jesus Families in Missions Missionary Life YWAM Faith Following God Transformation Band surrender devotion revival keith green melody green no compromise legacy last days ministries
3 min read
Evangelism Outreach Gone Bad
THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN TO ANYONE ON OUTREACH
We zigzagged up the dirt roads into the mountain jungles of Thailand to visit a small children's school for our Discipleship Training School outreach. Our team had prepared well, but not for what was about to happen to me.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Missions YWAM DTS Thailand Story YWAM Outreach Missionary Missionary Life YWAM Family Missions Mission Trip Missionary Training ywam missions
2 min read
Valuing Students through Christian Education
Discipling students through Education
The future leadership of our communities, churches, businesses, and families is developing in our current children and teens. Their success is highly dependent on how they are educated.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Teaching Missionary Life Nations YWAM Education Teacher Appreciation Christian Heritage School Family Discipleship discipleship principal approach CHS christian education
5 min read
How I Became a YWAM Missionary
Become a Missionary at Youth With A Mission
It was a huge shock to everyone around me when I decided to become a missionary in 2016. Having come out of 6 years of deep addiction before entering 3 rehabs, I was the last person you’d expect to see joining Youth With A Mission, Tyler.
I was totally living for myself. I thought I was the center of the universe back in May of 2015 before I entered my last rehab. I finally came to a point of surrender about four weeks into that program, when I felt God’s love for me for the first time. It was game-over after that! I was hooked.
Prior to that encounter, I was so consumed with myself I did not ever really love, or allow myself to be loved. Everyone and everything around me was a resource to get whatever I was looking to gain in the moment.
My self-absorbed life stifled love from every crevice and corner of my life.
[Photo: I know right? A mug shot. That's how bad my life had spun out of control.]
However, there was a moment which changed everything for me. A true encounter with God can accomplish what one hundred counseling sessions could not. Something changed when I allowed myself to be stripped before God. No mask, no presuppositions, just a real, vulnerable openness to Jesus as my Savior.
[Photo: Graduating from Shiloh Ministries after 1 year of rehab.]
After I graduated from Shiloh, I joined my first Discipleship Training School at YWAM Tyler. Youth With A Mission understands knowing God is paramount. Understanding I am His child is vital. Everything else hinges on this realization.
I believe, “you don’t really know yourself until you know Jesus.” Through my discipleship experience, I finally understood, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) is a remarkably freeing statement.
While I was still self-centered, caring for no one, stealing, and lying–Jesus died for me! I love Jesus now and do my best to genuinely love the people around me, but Jesus died for the version of me who cared neither for myself, or the people around me.
Whether I am still roaming the streets with a pint of vodka in my belt strap, or I am preaching in front of thousands, Jesus’s love for me is the same! It never changes.
Knowing God, really knowing Him is what life is all about. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and the one whom you have sent.” (John 17:3) Each time I read this verse it chips away at the block of religion that has crusted up around me through years of never actually encountering and pursuing God for myself.
To know God, and to make Him known. This is the motto of Youth With A Mission. I love the simplicity of this, because when you boil it all down, it is what life is really all about.
Now do we just spend our time alone in a room, with a Bible and a cup of coffee? Heavens no! James says, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I’ll show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:18). Such a confident statement that my personality appreciates!
I love being active, pursuing, and creating alongside God for His name’s sake. Prior to coming to YWAM Tyler, I thought all missionaries were old, white, married couples. I thought a missionary wife wore a bonnet (no slight to bonnet wearers!) and the husband had spent years in seminary and pastoral training. The thought of becoming a missionary wasn’t in the solar system of my thought process, but boy did that change after coming to YWAM Tyler.
My understanding of being a missionary changed when I ran into a former X-Games athlete, met men and women who had struggled with addiction, eating disorders, vanity, homosexuality, been through a divorce, and the list could go on. These people were seasoned missionaries who had been around the world several times over, impacting lives every step of the way, yet had a life transformation with Jesus!
This was me too! I was just like these people!? “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)
[Photo: Making God known took me to Korea with my Discipleship Training School.]
Out of an overflow of intimacy with a living God our life begins to move. A true faith—a living faith—has the natural outworking of good works. To Know God and Make Him Known. This really sums up how I became a missionary.
If you are ready to take the next step in your personal life of Knowing God and Making Him known, today is the day to sign up for the next training school at YWAM Tyler. We are here and ready to help you discover God's purpose for your life.
Other blogs by Anthony:
Topics: Training School School of Evangelism YWAM Tyler Missions YWAM DTS YWAM Outreach Missionary Missionary Life YWAM Missionary Training ywam missions DTS
6 min read
What am I going to do with my life?
What am i going to do with my life?
I put in my earbuds and tuned into the podcast I usually engage with on Monday mornings. Little did I know, I was about to uncover the reason for the battleground surrounding my destiny.
Topics: YWAM Tyler Purpose Life-Changing YWAM DTS Missionary Life YWAM life Sigmund Freud Viktor Frankl
3 min read
What My Mom Thinks of Me Being A Missionary
WHAT MY MOM THINKS OF ME BEING A MISSIONARy
Ever wonder what your parents might say if you decide to become a missionary? Aimee interviewed her mom about her experience, and you might just find some encouragement to overcome your fear of stepping into what God's calling you to do.
Topics: Training School Family Family Adventure Direction Obedience Knowing God Life-Changing YWAM DTS Calling Missionary Missionary Life Overcoming Fear Spiritual Growth Encounter God YWAM Education No Fear Following God Children in Missions FOMO ywam tyler staff fear
3 min read
One Dream God Didn't Let Me Forget
ONE DREAM GOD DIDN'T LET ME FORGET
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. 😳
Topics: Training School YWAM Tyler Missions Direction Obedience YWAM DTS Missionary Missionary Life Hearing God's Voice Redirection Missionary Training Teenagers SST plans ywam staff
2 min read
Reaching the Nations in Your Own Backyard
Reaching the Nations in Your Own BackYard
As believers, we understand that part of the commission given to us by Jesus is to go into all nations. With the times we are living in today, it’s not always possible to do what's on our hearts in following Jesus' command.
