They tell of the glory of your Kingdom

Firstly, before any complaints about a misquoted Bible passage, we had an extraordinary number of team on Wednesday night at Text a Toastie! It is a sign that God is building a community and an army of believers who passionately and boldly proclaim the Gospel. I am excited again to see how many people wanna get involved this week and we know that the amount of team intrinsically meets the work that God lays aside for us on a Wednesday evening!

Many conversations led people to think deeply about the message shared and as it was evident that we are beginning to walk with a greater recognition of the authority that we have as people had a lot of respect for what we have to share (turning off music, not drinking whilst we were there and listening to what we have to say!). Light and darkness can not co-habitate, light always prevails!

One conversation ended with the chance to pray for someone, give him a book and invite him to Alpha! Let’s pray he comes this week! After over an hour with this person, we can testify that the Truth was setting him free! quote “buzzing”…! oh and this person didnt even want a toastie! just wanted to chat…

There is a buzz about Alpha based on the hunger and interest of the people we have spoken to about it! i am intrigued to see and hear of how many people go this week! Pray it in, it could be mind-blowing!

Other snippets include leaving someone with a large smile of their face! Another conversation began mockingly but ended with a genuine interest about ‘how can i get to Heaven?’. 

Lets keep praying for more! Thank you Jesus

Last Friday at Unite God gave me a picture. There was an empty church, with stain glass windows and light shining through them, down onto the stone floor. Then, in the middle of the floor there was a man who was bent down on his knees, face to the ground and he was praying, arms stretched out to the heavens. I asked God whether I could see the man’s face but he didn’t reveal it. So I prayed to understand what the picture meant. Then it hit me- Prayer.

Prayer is the way that we can get close to God, and how we get to know him personally. It is the foundation for all the other things we do in our spiritual lives. I believe that God was showing me how much He values prayer and how he wants us to make the most of it. I felt God was encouraging us to continue to approach Him in prayer whether that be at EMP, the Pre-unite meeting and especially in our own personal lives. As this realisation dawned on me, the light that was shining through the windows in the church filled my heart with such warmth. I believe that that was God confirming my thoughts. A week later I am still thinking about this picture, and so excited every time I get the opportunity to pray!

To start, a massive thank you to all involved in Text a Toastie this week, you are all a blessing. Lots of new faces and its so exciting that God is growing the team we have. As I have warned, it is dangerously captivating!

Firstly we have an extended testimony from last week! We met someone who was talking about marriage and divorce and we were ministering the Father’s love to him. Remember? and on Tuesday he turned up to hall group and asked for a Bible which he took! Praise Jesus! more Lord!…

We also had the chance to chat to one guy who shared his story: he had a ‘big’ night during Fresher’s and ended up on the grass outside the Cube. He said he prayed for God to show himself. In a moment, 2 members of the Inside Out team laid hands on his shoulders and asked if he was ok! The Inside Out guys gave him a jumper and got him in a taxi. A pair met him on Thursday, and he said that in that moment his faith went “from 30% to 80%”. wow! Jesus this is truly amazing, we pray that this guy’s faith will increase to 100%! 

One of the team, met a guy who hadn’t even text in! He was upset and in a lot of emotional pain. Jesus really ministered through the team again this guy left saying he felt up-lifted! Glory to Christ the Lord!

As a team , we are just growing in boldness and confidence of the Gospel week by week! We prayed for a girl with Fresher’s flu, she wasn’t healed at that time but lets pray that she is well now! Also prayed with someone experiencing pain from family losses, we pray that the Father’s arms would embrace him. Thank you Jesus for your love for them!

Let’s pray for each of those who we encountered. I pray that our eyes would be opened to the bigger picture to see what Jesus is doing. The challenge for us now, is to let the confidence and authority that we walk in on a Wednesday night overflow into our day to day lives. The more we testify, the more we realise it is only Jesus moving, and we all have the full access to be led by the Holy Spirit at all times! 

I just wanted to share a quick testimony from iwelcome week: During the week I moved in an international student into her halls and was able to invite her to some of the meals happening that week and she took away a Bible at the end of the week. When I saw her recently I was so encouraged to hear her say that she had been going along to some Friends International events and the thing she loved most about them was that she was able to read and discuss the Bible with other people and was finding it really exciting. How awesome!

I know she is not yet a Christian but I wanted to testify to the work that God has clearly started in her life and in sharing this proclaim that God is going to do it again. Let us keep praying for the international students we met during iwelcome week.

God has been all over Freshers week this year, in the masses and with individuals. Just a few things to praise & thank God for; across halls on Monday hundreds of students joined in with BBQs put on by the CU, most going on all afternoon, and great conversations happened. Unprecedented numbers joined Hall Groups on Tuesday night; non-Christians coming to find out more, and Christians coming and finding support amongst the madness of Freshers Week.  Wednesday saw 360 people sign up to join the CU at the Bunfight - It’s not about numbers, but I love remembering how God cares so deeply for every single son and daughter of His… Relationships continued to be built at the Trago trip and we had the most gorgeous weather at the Sports Tournament on Thursday.  Great joy. On Friday, at the pre-Unite pizza event, Freshers came and shared food, chilled out and listened to some great live music. Was overwhelming to see so many at Unite itself, and encouraging to be worshipping with the next generation of students ready to start uni life… As posted below, TAT was fantastic. Inside Out continued to serve students clubbing in the Cube - most biscuits and drinks were gratefully received!  I thank God that every day the gospel was proclaimed, through words and actions, and that many hundreds of people heard about God this week, and we are praying that seeds have been sown. 

I smiled this morning at church while singing “Our God saves, yes our God saves, there is hope in His name” as this is SO true; he saves - he has, and will do, and wants us to be part of his work.  What a privilege!

Throughout the past 2 weeks this psalm has been on my mind;

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I will cry to You.  When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.” (Ps 61)

In times when i’ve felt overwhelmed this week, God has provided peace.  I pray that many more students of Southampton University will lean on the Rock that is higher, trust in God, and know his forgiveness and freedom.. Amen ! 

What a week with Text A Toastie; Hundreds of texts, many seeds sown, and one soul saved!

This is not everything that happened but just a few stories:

Every Night the Gospel was shared with many people, hungry to know more about Jesus. On Monday in halls, the team stepped out in boldness to pray for someone. to quote the testimony book: ” After praying, we began to feel just amazing and full of the Holy Spirit. I thought God might do something amazing tonight, and He did!”.

On Tuesday we had the amazing priveledge to lead someone to Jesus Christ. Jesus is just so amazing and this person was just so hungry to know more about Jesus. They didnt just want answers but they wanted the fullness of Christ and it was the greatest joy to see someone saved. We had so much reason to celebrate how amazing Jesus is and what amazing things He is doing! 

On wednesday we gave away a Bible to someone who was very grateful to receive! There was also a guy who God had just started to reveal himself too! He was just sitting in his flat and he just began to see that there must be a God dwelling among us! As with every encounter this week, we did not initiate anything, we just had the priveledge to co-operate with what Jesus was already doing! Jesus receive the Glory of every encounter!

On Thursday, people we met said we had left the, ‘with a lot to think about’ and all through the week we thank Jesus for every word that he gave us to speak.

All conversations started with one question, but the large majority continued to a greater depth. It is a great joy to have been able to share the Gospel to so many. As a team, we all met Jesus in a new way. Our minds were renewed, our hearts were filled with joy and our passion for Jesus has increased! We testify to what he was doing to those who dont know him yet but also for what Jesus is doing in us. Someone said last night, ‘it has been the most challenging, equipping place to grow and share!’.

Jesus we thank you for everything you have done and continue to do! We Glorify and worship your Name! For only you are Good!

This isnt the start, this is a rapid continuation of what Jesus has been doing in the lives of all of us! John 4: 35 says “Do you not say ‘four more months and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for the Harvest.”

We thank you Jesus and we pray for more…