Kevin Pike Ministry Blog #52

 October Update 

    Hey everyone! Get those jack-o'-lanterns, spider webs, and nine-foot-tall skeletons out because it is Halloween time! Like the recent weather, we've had a cool month with lots of neat things going on at Collin!

    Ministry Update:

    I am currently meeting up with seven students one-on-one to disciple them and mature their faith in Christ. We are going through our study FOJ (Focus on Jesus), which goes through the New Testament to see what Jesus really said and how we can follow him. These one-on-one studies are the most fulfilling and enriching part of discipleship to me, as I can dig deep into these students' faith and see Jesus transform their lives. 

    One of the students I've been discipling, I'll call him H, has been such a blast to meet up with this semester. H went to church growing up only a handful of times, so his involvement in FOCUS is the most he's ever pursued, Jesus. Every week, he comes to our studies with great questions and does the homework/challenges I give him. A couple of weeks ago, I gave him a challenge: be outside in nature for two hours, with no phone and nothing on him. Just praying and walking around. At first, he was baffled at how long he had to do it, even though most of these students spend four-plus hours on their phones, including myself, but I assured him that he had the patience to complete this and that it would be a meaningful experience. The next week we met up, he told me he loved the experience! H said he was able to reflect on his relationship with God, friends, family, etc., as there were no distractions. This experience ultimately brought him closer to God, and he wants to incorporate some sort of distraction-free nature experience into his weekly routine. 

    Unlike previous years, all the students I'm doing FOJ with are excited to be there every week and are eager to learn more. I am very excited for these students and can't wait to see the fruit they will produce by the end of the school year!

    Here are some pictures from this past month:

(Some guys from FOCUS and I went to one of our students' football game)

(One of the students I meet up with weekly to study FOJ)

(After our small group, we went to a local park and played football)

    TNF (Thursday Night Fellowship):

    This semester our sermon series is based on Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing, and perfect will." We want our students to realize that Jesus's teachings are counter to the world and what they are normally hearing, whether it is from their peers, social media, their teachers, etc. We are to reject the norms of society which are shaping all of us whether we know it or not. 

    Our latest sermons have been on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as Jesus lays out the foundation for what a new life looks like in the Kingdom, which goes along with our theme. Here is one of the sermons from the series so far:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3qXOPZSJqxHuXIq84psFgJ?si=fbfa01cd320040b1

I will be preaching on Matthew 6:5-31, which will go over the Lord's Prayer and wealth and worry. I will post those in next month's blog. Here's a picture from our 30-year TNF celebration:

    Prayer Requests:

    Please be praying that our students choose to follow Jesus's way rather than the world's way. Pray that our staff is able to engage them and lead them to know Jesus in the best possible ways we know how. 

    Thank You: 

    Thank you all so much for your generous support and prayers for my ministry at Collin College. It is such a blessing to be able to disciple young men, and your support is the only reason that I get to be on campus full-time. You are making a tangible impact on changing the lives of students at this college by getting them to know Jesus as their Lord. Thank you so much, and may God bless you all!