http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/ Thoughts on ministry, the university, and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:18 GMT en-us Copyright 2012 Reformed University Fellowship http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/why-be-an-ruf-intern/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/why-be-an-ruf-intern/ Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:15:53 GMT Being an RUF Intern changed my life... it’s true! There are two things that the internship taught me especially well. As cliché as it sounds, I learned to trust God and I learned to love the Church more. As far as trusting God is ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/amazing-grace-360-conference/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/amazing-grace-360-conference/ Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:03:15 GMT Christian Education and Publications (CEP) in Atlanta will be hosting another one of their Women’s Conferences, Amazing Grace 360. The conference will take place in Atlanta from Friday, October 7th – Sunday, October 9th, 2011 at ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/summer-conference-podcast/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/summer-conference-podcast/ Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:17:24 GMT We hope you were able to join us for one of the two weeks of summer conference we hosted in Panama City Beach, Florida. If you weren't able to hear Joe Novenson or Richie Sessions preach on the power of the Gospel to sanctify us, then check out ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/from-the-perspective-of-a-graduating-college-senior/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/from-the-perspective-of-a-graduating-college-senior/ Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:34:34 GMT These past few years have been a time of growth. Ironically, the basis of all my progress is in acceptance that I know very little. It is in my trying to become an adult that I realize how small I truly am. In seeing and feeling my frailty, I ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/come-everyone/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/come-everyone/ Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:33:23 GMT “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1,2 At RUF we like to feed the flock.  As you can guess, in ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/a-big-lesson-from-a-two-year-old/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/a-big-lesson-from-a-two-year-old/ Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:09:15 GMT In our attempt to be “good” parents, we taught our two year old son a song that might be familiar in your home.  The tune is catchy and the lyrics are easy to remember (which in turn has led our son to sing this song loudly at ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-churchs-bridegroom/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-churchs-bridegroom/ Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:23:13 GMT Do you like weddings?  Chances are if you are a girl you do and if you are a guy, you tolerate them.  I completely understand.  Before I was married, I felt neutral about them, at best.  Now that I am married, I tend to enjoy ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/heavenly-minded/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/heavenly-minded/ Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:29:01 GMT There is an old saying that says "those who are heavenly minded are of no earthly good."  Some Christians even think the sound of heavenly-mindedness sounds a bit extreme.  For many, the idea of heaven seems nice and all, but ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/a-parents-perspective-on-ruf/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/a-parents-perspective-on-ruf/ Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:53:21 GMT  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness …" The opening line of Dicken’s classic work, A Tale of Two Cities, captures perfectly the feeling most ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/christmas-theology-and-final-exams/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/christmas-theology-and-final-exams/ Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:34:00 GMT It is December, which means that I, as an RUF campus minister, am dealing with students who have two “seasons” impinging upon them. One of those, of course, is the Christmas season, where we all focus on Jesus as Will Ferrell as ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/july-in-christmas/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/july-in-christmas/ Sun, 21 Nov 2010 04:25:29 GMT Everybody loves Christmas in July, but who ever heard of July in Christmas? Well this winter we have a surprise for you. After a significant technical hurdle, we have finally recovered the audio from our 2010 Summer Conference. You can download the sermons directly from the resources section of ruf.org or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You will also find an archive of the sermons from previous years of Summer Conference. Enjoy! We hope that these messages will be a blessing to you over the holidays. http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-importance-of-prayer/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-importance-of-prayer/ Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:41:02 GMT Every Monday morning, around a half dozen Texas A&M students gather at a local restaurant, converse over breakfast tacos, and pray together.  The impact of this little gathering cannot be overstated.  Talking into the air, as some ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-living-original/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-living-original/ Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:59:17 GMT "An operation of common grace is discernible not only in science and art, morality and law, but also in religions. Calvin rightly spoke of a 'seed of religion,' and a 'sense of divinity.' The various religions, however mixed with error they ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/faith-and-college/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/faith-and-college/ Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:15:27 GMT Are you about to leave for college? Is your child about to leave for college? I'm sure there are numerous questions, practical and/or theoretical. The staff of RUF would like to assist you any way we can. Are you anxious about this time of transition from home to campus? It helps to remember that the college years are a transitional time, temporary by definition. The goal of RUF's ministry is to love students and pastor them during this time of growth and transition. When life is changing, it is important to be connected to Christ and to His Church. The Church offers the benefit of community (relationships, opportunities for service, a place to love and to be loved, acceptance) to the student. We want students to develop healthy relationships as they fulfill their calling as students. What are some things that may frighten or unnerve you just a little? http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/lazy-summer/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/lazy-summer/ Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:05:11 GMT “So what do campus ministers do in the summer time anyway?” I hate answering this question. I understand that most people are not being mean; they are genuinely curious. “What are you doing? How can I be praying for you? What ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/planting-and-watering/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/planting-and-watering/ Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:37:50 GMT I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. I Corinthians 3:6 Do you ever get discouraged about telling people about Christ — ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/fearfully-and-wonderfully-made/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/fearfully-and-wonderfully-made/ Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:40:12 GMT “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:13-14. Since 1995, my sophomore year in High School, this has been a verse ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/generational-blessings/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/generational-blessings/ Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:32:53 GMT I have been reminded of one of the treasured aspects of R.U.F. over and over again during my first two years of ministry at the University of Southern Mississippi. It first came to me by way of a story from one of the most active students in our ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/of-faith-and-inadequacy/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/of-faith-and-inadequacy/ Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:56:19 GMT I am sitting in a tiny Mexican cachina in midtown with a student. It’s a different meeting than the sort I am used to because he is a vocal and self-conscious skeptic of all things Christian. For some reason, he has been attending our ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/loneliness/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/loneliness/ Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:59:51 GMT Woody Allen once said that he couldn't stand two things: personally watching his own movies, and the thought that no one watched his movies. He stayed away from watching the final product because it was just unbearable to observe all the ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/little-square-inches/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/little-square-inches/ Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:00:18 GMT “What do you want to be when you grow up?” In kindergarten, you might say, “I want to be an astronaut!” Fast forward to your senior year in college and that “exciting” question now keeps you up at night. ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-hardest-person-to-love/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-hardest-person-to-love/ Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:22:06 GMT I don't have trouble getting students interested in caring about orphans in Africa (which they should). Even my kids get this. My daughter asked me last night, rather, told me that we need to support a child in Africa. I said that was a good ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/where-would-he-hang/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/where-would-he-hang/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:55:14 GMT I heard a story not too long ago that was really interesting. It was about a pastor who went to Hawaii for a conference. He was only going to be there for a couple of days and he lived on the East Coast and so he didn’t want to get his ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-riches-of-being-spiritually-poor/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-riches-of-being-spiritually-poor/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:09:52 GMT In the 1908 the London Times invited several eminent authors to write essays on the theme "What's Wrong with the World?" Arguably the most famous response was that of G.K. Chesterton, the “prince of paradox,” whose contribution took ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/hey-arent-we-friends-online/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/hey-arent-we-friends-online/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:43:27 GMT “Hi. I’m Rob. I’m 6 foot, 200 pounds of pure awesome.” What do you call it when you only share the information about yourself that you want people to know and nothing that you don’t? It used to be called ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-heart-of-ruf/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-heart-of-ruf/ Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:18:19 GMT One of my favorite things to do with our daughters is to read the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones. At the present time my 4 year-old daughter, Kate, is fascinated with the story of Genesis 3: The Fall. Every time we read she says, ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/whats-a-branch-to-do/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/whats-a-branch-to-do/ Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:24:34 GMT When I opened up my front door last week, I was greeted by a large dead branch in my yard from the top of one of our oak trees – not exactly an encouraging sign. There was a thunderstorm the night before (typical for a Tallahassee ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-everyday-stuff/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-everyday-stuff/ Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:56:22 GMT Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. I Peter 5:7 I am thirty-four years old and have been a Christian all of my life, and yet I do not think it was until this past year that I really believed in the power of prayer. Of course ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/favoritism/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/favoritism/ Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:56:43 GMT Favoritism is a survival mechanism; it is actually very much like a parasite. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense. Two things: (1) Favoritism is a ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/who-is-the-campus-minister/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/who-is-the-campus-minister/ Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:00:52 GMT Who is the Campus Minister? This is one of the most important questions students, pastors, and supporters of RUF can ask. It is important because it reveals RUF’s deep commitment to both the church and the student. So who is the Campus ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-learning-process/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/the-learning-process/ Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:03:41 GMT But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. (Eph. 4:20-21) How do you know if students are learning and growing in their understanding of the gospel? ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/world-missions-that-is-cost-effective-and-culture-changing/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/world-missions-that-is-cost-effective-and-culture-changing/ Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:26:22 GMT In economic downturns, faced with lower contributions, churches take a sharp pencil to ministry budgets.  While a “willingness (may be) there,” “the gift (must be) according to what one has, not according to what one does ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/doughnuts-and-the-constancy-of-life/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/doughnuts-and-the-constancy-of-life/ Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:44:16 GMT It’s a tradition I’ve repeated 10 times. Every year after the RUF Summer Conference in Laguna Beach, Florida I go to my favorite hole-in-the-wall doughnut shop, “Thomas’ Doughnuts”. Two weeks ago while taking part ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/wrestling-with-rest/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/wrestling-with-rest/ Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:11:12 GMT By the look on her face, one might have thought I had just suggested she murder her own mother.  It was that horrified, yet puzzled look that is often the response to a statement so bizarre that the hearer does not have time to mask her ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/does-my-ministry-matter/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/does-my-ministry-matter/ Wed, 20 May 2009 01:35:08 GMT Signs of Life The abundance of quality parking spaces, the lack of lines at the Union Café, and the empty loneliness of the library this time of year can mean only one thing: the glorious reality of summer break has displaced Davidson ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/i-am-not-who-i-thought-i-was/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/i-am-not-who-i-thought-i-was/ Wed, 20 May 2009 20:34:37 GMT Recently I was listening to a podcast of a popular radio show. A young man, I’d guess in his mid twenties was telling the story of how, in Junior High, he was in a TV commercial for his father’s furniture store.  An aspiring ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/everyday-faith/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/everyday-faith/ Thu, 07 May 2009 20:23:24 GMT “The B-I-B-L-E, Yes that’s the book for me, I stand alone on the word of God, The B-I-B-L-E!”   Every night as my wife and I put our children to bed, we sing this song as a family before we read the Bible.  We ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/jesus-through-the-eyes-of-faith/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/jesus-through-the-eyes-of-faith/ Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:25:01 GMT Maybe it’s time for you to look at Jesus through the eyes of faith. Maybe you’ve grown up in church all your life, and these stories have grown cold and dry for you. Look again at the wonder of the cross. Feel the weight of your sin ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/hearts-not-hard-drives/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/hearts-not-hard-drives/ Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:35:51 GMT There was a point in my life when I believed that Christian growth was simply about knowledge. Honestly, knowledge was a huge idol of mine, and I believed the more I fed this idol, the more holy I would become. Maybe you've been there? If so, ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/christmas-thoughts/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/christmas-thoughts/ Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:21:44 GMT As silence is descending upon our college campuses, our students' lives are being engulfed by the noise of the season. Noise isn't simply audible. It is everything that distracts us: the stresses of the season, Christmas shopping, countless ... http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/truth-for-all-of-life/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/truth-for-all-of-life/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:53:16 GMT While I have asked students hundreds of questions over the years, not many have evoked a stumped silence from them, but this was one of those questions. http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/god-is-at-work/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/god-is-at-work/ Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:02:57 GMT Much like a child finger painting and making a big mess, God's people are attempting to accomplish the work of making disciples of all nations. The church is trying to make something beautiful, and it often ends up being disorderly and confusing. However, God takes over and uses ‘finger paints' to create a remarkable masterpiece for the world to see. God's work gives great hope! http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/ruf-and-the-church/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/ruf-and-the-church/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:09:09 GMT Formatted onto the spiritual hard drives of his "images" is an instinct for community. To adequately embrace God's mission for the world, we must be about the development and mission of more than isolated redeemed individuals. RUF is convinced that we are to be assembling what the Bible calls the Church, "called out ones" who take up the mission to restore God's creation that is marred by the systemic effects of human rebellion. http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/sell-the-long-distance/ http://www.ruf.org/ruf-blog/sell-the-long-distance/ Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:50:02 GMT When I was in seminary, my wife took a part time job selling long distance for a phone company. It was a good product at a good price and needful to others. It also provided our family with a modest but sufficient income to help in lean ...