Volunteers For Christ

Hi Again!

It’s our pleasure to introduce to you Josh Shaffer. He’s a senior in architorture at UT, and this week’s installment of Catching Up.

So Josh,

How did God meet you this past year?

• This was my first year with VFC and God met me in miraculous ways. Two members of the invite team, on the pedestrian walkway, introduced me to VFC. It was at a moment in my life when so many things were flying through my mind at a thousand miles per hour. I was given a chance to talk honestly with two complete strangers about Christ, and that’s what lead me to VFC. At Anthem that fall I felt real forgiveness for sin that I had never been fully aware of before. Through hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ I repented of my sin, and it came without fear of losing worldly things, but with a joy of gaining Christ and gaining eternity in Heaven. I was then baptized at Vision Quest in the spring as an expression of the transformation that had taken place in my heart.

What are you doing this summer and how do you want to redeem it for God’s glory?

• I’m working full time this summer as a surveyor with a local construction company. I typically have time to read or listen to messages while driving to job sites, or when I’m in the office doing mindless tasks. I’m really thankful for the down time when it allows me to grow spiritually. My big plan this summer is just that – to grow- by reading, listening to messages, and sharing what I’m learning with my loved ones.

Good deal. Thanks Josh!

Pray for Josh and all our other friends this summer, that we would seek to honor God with our time and relationships, and try to max them out for His glory!

Welcome back to another summer edition of “Catching Up”! Glad to have you join us. This week we’ll get to hear from a young lass from Knoxville’s own backyard, Maryville. Introducing, Lydia Pair, the sophomore.

So Lydia,

How did God meet, challenge, or encourage you this year?

• The Lord really used Vision Quest, VFC’s Spring Break trip, to awaken in me a desire to read His Word. I have often found it difficult to find motivation in having times in the Word, and this new desire was such an encouragement and a blessing! Over the past six months, I have been praying to grow in godly wisdom—and how awesome is it that He gives me a desire that in its very nature imparts wisdom (Proverbs 2:6; 1:1-7)?!!

What is your plan for this summer?

• Actually, I plan on hibernating this whole summer so that I won’t have to sleep during next semester. Haha.

• I don’t have many plans. I have delegated the upkeep of the yard and surrounding areas to me, and that should keep me outside for some of the time. I would really like to orchestrate some get-togethers with local VFCers so as to stay connected and get to know them better. Ideally, I’m going to be reading, too.
  
• Some areas that I desire to grow in are grace and sin (ie, how evil and bad sin really is—therefore realizing how great and glorious and fantastically awesome the Gospel really is!), and am planning on reading Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges and The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgard. I’m also going to be pursuing membership at Cornerstone (Yay!). Overall, my plan is to stay busy and utilize my time well.

How do you want to USE your summer instead of waste it? Got any plans?

• I want to view this summer as a time of spiritual growth and maturity. Likewise, I desire to use this summer to explore aspects of the Bible that I don’t understand . I desire to move forward spiritually, and not be content to be stagnant and static. As mentioned in the previous question, I plan on reading some books. Ultimately, I’m going to be praying for the Lord to sustain my soul and give me strength during these next few months to battle the flesh and sin.

Thanks Lydia! Sounds like a plan!

Throughout the summer, we would like to highlight a few people that are either The-People-Formerly-Known-As-Freshmen, Graduating Seniors or next years’ Interns. They will be answering questions to try to fill us all in on how they got involved in VFC, what their plans are this summer, how they intend to make the most of the break, etc etc. For lack of a better name, we’ll call this series “Catching Up”. Hope you enjoy and it spurs you on to glorify Christ with your summer too!

So, Evan:

How did you get involved in VFC?

• First, I was searching for a church and heard about Cornerstone Church of Knoxville through a friend of a friend.  My first time to Cornerstone I heard about VFC on campus.  I decided to go not knowing what to expect at all, and it turned out to be a great decision. It has changed my life forever.

What has God done in your life through VFC?

• God showed me my need for a Savior in Jesus Christ.  This is the most important thing that God has done in my life, and he used the people and the preaching of VFC to show me my dire need for Himself.  I cannot wait to serve VFC next year by spreading the Gospel on campus at UT. Second Timothy 1:8-12 describes mine and every Christian’s calling better than I can…”Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”

What are your summer plans and how do you want to use them for God’s glory?

• I would really like to find a job. I am raising financial support so I can do the VFC Internship next year by sending letters and calling folks. I am reading some books and  studying for the MCAT. (Although, each time I open the book my desire to take the test shrinks dramatically.) I want to stay “in shape” [editor-inserted quotation marks, for humor] by lifting and running…It has been going swimmingly for two weeks and hopefully I will be able to keep that up.
  

What are you most excited about for next year?

• I want to see people converted to Christianity through VFC.  I want to learn more of what it means to die to self each day for the sake of the gospel.

Right on, Evan. Thanks for your taking time to answer these questions, even though it must not be that much of a sacrifice considering your current time-laden, unemployed life status. We’ll pray for you to get a job.

Tune in next time for another invigorating episode of “Catching Up”!

Unsure what to read this summer? The guys at Monergism.com have put together a pretty sweet Readers’ Guide for the Christian Life. Why not take a look and see if anything meets your fancy?

Download the guide here.

Happy readin’!