Broken
This semester, seven brave young men joined us at 7am each Wednesday to discuss the challenges and temptations they face, and receive strong exhortations and encouragement to live out of their true identities as new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
These Into the Light groups have played a significant role in helping students find freedom to live holy lives, after years of living in the deep darkness of their sin.
This year, we decided to try something new, adding a "closing ceremony" at the end of the semester as a rite of passage and jump-start into their summers. We read from the Scriptures, lifted each young man up (literally!) in prayer, burned pieces of wood with words written on them describing each's former life (some words that came up: fugitive, unprepared, bitter, slave to sin), and finally, gave them an opportunity to exhibit some holy zeal against the unrighteousness and sin that kept them in chains for so long.
We collected some old computer equipment, a reminder of the internet pornography that enslaves most men, and gave them some weapons to destroy them with. With a sledgehammer, baseball bat, and iron stake, these guys took it to the computers in what was a very solemn act of godly anger. I saw fire in some of these guys I had never seen before, as they took out their pain and shame on those pieces of metal and plastic. It was incredible. Below are a couple pictures of the aftermath.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. --1 John 3:8
Praise God for what He's doing in the lives of each of these guys. Please pray that they would continue to vigilantly pursue Christ and lives of holiness!