December Update

It is hard to believe that November is already over but in fact it is! This month has been one of my favorites because so many exciting things happened this month! I am thrilled to share them with you; thank you for taking the time to read about our ministry updates! 

The first event was Pizza Theology. Besides Winter Camp (which is coming up, yay!), Pizza Theology is our biggest event we host of the year. We hold one in the Fall semester and one in the Spring semester each school year. In the past we have had a variety of topics ranging from a detailed study on the book of Genesis to race and ethnicity. This year we examined the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7. We recently read Matthew in our Christian Ministry Essentials class but I really appreciated having the opportunity to learn about the Sermon on the Mount even more in-depth. 

Although our Old Testament class finished back in October, I am still learning so much in regards to the connections that lie between the Old and New Testaments and how the New Testament is built on the foundation of the Old Testament. Reading through the New Testament has been more impactful to me than ever before because for the first time I am reading with a better understanding of the God of the Old Testament. 

The Sermon on the Mount has so many references to the Old Testament law and way of life and during the lecture more and more of them were made clear to me. Pizza Theology is one of my favorite events because I always learn so much and gain fresh perspectives on scripture. 

Another exciting event that I had the opportunity to attend, was an exclusive lecture at SMU by N.T. Wright, who is considered to be one of the leading New Testament scholars in the world! Although I have not yet had the chance to read any of his books, after hearing him speak, I plan on doing so during Christmas break. The topic of his lecture was "Faith and the Secular Academy" and he gave an overview of seven universal issues all humans face, regardless of whether or not they identify as religious. He ended the lecture with proposals of how we as Christians can address this issues and share the gospel in doing so. 

This month was so busy but so so fun! Thank you for your continued support and prayers throughout the course of this year! 

I want to leave you with one of the passages from the Sermon on the Mount that I find challenging and encouraging as a disciple working to make more disciples for the glory of God.  

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16