Encounter at Illinois State University / ISU

Winter Retreat 2022 – Session 1 – Friday PM

God uses David’s meager giftings to defeat a giant. What do we have to offer the Lord?

I Sam 17:20-49 –

God reveals to David that he will be King of Israel, a calling that won’t be fully realized for another 22 years.  What do we do in seasons of waiting?

(Ps 51:1-4, 2 Peter 3:8-9, I Sam 1, 2 Cor 12:9, Mark 14:39, Luke 18:7, Matt 25:29, Psalm 27)

David became a larger than life hero in Scripture and cultural icon, but that wasn’t always the case.  His story begins in small spaces with an anointing from the Lord, and teaches us important lessons about the anointing that Christ promised us as well.

(I Sam 16:1-13, I Sam 8:5, I Sam 9:2, I Cor 11:1, Prov 24:16, James 4:10, Matt 7:21-23, Gal 5:22-23, John 16:7, I Cor 6:19, Rom 8:11, Eph 1:13)

God knew that we would be unable to save ourselves, and gave us a new path back to Him.  When we embrace Christ, we are freed from managing our own righteousness.

(Jn 14:1-7, Jn 10:6, Jn 10:9, Is 53:6, Rom 3:10, Rom 5:6, Is 7:14, Is 9:6, Micah 5:2, Eph 2:8-9, 2 Tim 1:9, 2 Cor 5:21, Acts 9:1-2, Acts 19:9, Jn 14:8-9)

How do we know when we are abiding in Christ? John 15 beckons us to look at our fruit to understand if we are truly dependent on our creator.

John 15:1-11

Our future glory gives us hope, but does not erase our current pain.  How, as followers of Jesus, do we live with grief and joy at the same time?

(Jn 11:17-44, I Cor 15:14, Jn 14:3, I Jn 4:8, Prov 6:16, Ex 20:5, Zeph 3:17, Gen 6:6, Ps 135:14, Ps 2:4, Heb 4:15, Phil 2:5-11)

When we see others as sheep that are entrusted to us by the Great Shepherd, we align ourselves with the heart of God.  When we see people only as resources, we are no longer seeing with shepherd eyes.

(John 10:11-15, Ps 100:3, Is 53:6, Jer 3:15, Psalm 23:1-4, Jn 15:12-13, I Peter 5:2-4, Ezekiel 34:1-12, Matt 22:36-40, Matt 20:28, Prov 27:6, Matt 9:36-38, Jn 21:15-18)

Matthew 11:28-30

John 15:5-8

Jesus has come as light into the world so that people will not live in darkness. We, then, reflect that light to others.

John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46