Encounter at Illinois State University / ISU

Winter Retreat 2023 – Session 4 – Sunday AM

Winter Retreat 2023 – Session 3 – Saturday PM

Winter Retreat – Women’s Session – Saturday PM

Winter Retreat 2023 – Men’s Session – Saturday AM

Winter Retreat 2023 – Session 2 – Saturday AM

Winter Retreat 2023 – Session 1 – Friday PM

God calls us sons and daughters.  He calls us His spouse and friend.  Our God desires to intimately know us, and grace urges us to seek that out. The Christian life is much larger than just knowing more about God.  It is a journey to knowing Him.

(Jn 19:14-15, Jn 17:3, Matt 7:22, Rom 8:15, Matt 23:37, Rev 19:19, Jn 15:15, Phil 3:10, I Cor 13:12, Deut 31:6, Matt 28:20, Jn 14:26, Is 41:10, Ps 23:4, I Kings 19, Matt 7:7-8)

Grace, our great motive in the Christian life, will always lead us toward God’s truth.  Because God created us and knows us, He also knows what’s best for us.  A growing follower of Jesus begins to accept and practice the truth God reveals.

(Gen 1:27, Rom 7:18-25, 2 Cor 5:17, Isaiah 55:8-9, Psalm 119, Proverbs 14:12, 2 Tim 3:16, Heb 4:12, Prov 24:16)

God is not trying to hide the path that leads us closer to Him.  In fact, He has left many great landmarks for us to follow, and we therefore must learn to recognize them.  The first landmark in the Christian life is grace, the beautiful love of Christ poured out on His children.

(2 Cor 5:14-15, Heb 12:1, I Jn 3:1, I Jn 4:10, I Jn 4:7, Jn 3:16, Eph 3:17-19, Matt 18:21–33, Jn 21:15-17)

In the Christian life, our growth in Christ is beautifully mysterious.  Despite that mystery, we’re given many markers along that path to lead us toward growth and maturity.  What does that growth look like?

(Jer 17:7-8, Mark 4:26-29)