Those God Gives You

In John 17, Jesus prayed what we call His High-Priestly prayer. It's a moving prayer that includes petitions for unity and protection for those who follow Him. One of the most remarkable claims He made in the prayer was this - "The ones you have given me, I will not lose." That statement is so filled with insight. All through His ministry, there had been those who were connected with Him for a season, but ultimately walked away. However, God had given Him some who would stay connected and turn the world upside down! 

I believe the same is true today with those we disciple. Many will be connected for a season, but what we have to figure out is who God has given us! Those are the ones we want to pour our lives into!

I'm so thankful to be reconnected with one of those God has given me! His name is Jason Rhoades. The connection was made back in 1996 when we moved to Atlanta, GA. Jason went through our leadership training there and our Master's Commission program. We have remained connected all these years. He moved to Lafayette several years ago to help us launch our Master's Commission program here and now he and his wonderful wife Amanda and their two beautiful daughters Jalin and Abby are moving back to be connected with us once again in ministry. Jason has taken a job with an oil company here and he and Amanda will get deeply involved with our church to learn the Crossroads model of ministry from the inside out so they can be our first church planters in the days to come. 

I am so excited about what God has in store for the next season of my life as He allows me to place the ones He has given me over great churches we will plant across the country and around the world!