the mustard seed power

I got really excited today just in thinking about how huge of an impact that even one Stanford student surrendered to Jesus can and will have on the world. At first I was saddened to think about how hard it is for a Stanford student to be set free from the values of the world system and to surrender their lives to Christ, aligning themselves with His values. There is so much pulling at them, so many promises the world is making to them, and so many enticements of wealth, fame, power, etc. Then I thought about some of the students we have seen fall in love with Jesus over their years at Stanford, and the beautiful freedom they have joyfully entered into. I get so excited thinking about what the Lord can do through even one surrendered person. Look at how dramatically the world was changed through the handful of disciples! Our God does not need vast numbers. His Kingdom will advance, and He will use those who are in love with Him and who are surrendered to Him. We desire to see students discover the life that is in Jesus, the adventure He has in store for them, and for them to wisely spend their lives on things that will last for eternity (and we desire this for ourselves too!) We are praying for God to bring the hungry and thirsty students our way. The good soil who will produce a crop thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold. Those with ears to hear.


I read a really awesome quote the other day by David Livingston, a missionary to Africa during the 1800's. He said to a group of college students at Cambridge, "People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. I never made a sacrifice. We ought not to talk of 'sacrifice' when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His throne on high to give Himself for us." Another one of my all time favorite quotes is similar to this by Dallas Willard in talking about the costs of NOT following Jesus. He says, "Though discipleship does cost us something, the cost of non-discipleship is far greater than the price paid to walk with Jesus. Non-discipleship costs abiding peace, a life penetrated throughout by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God's overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil. In short, non-discipleship costs you exactly that abundance of life Jesus said he came to bring (John 10:10). The cross-shaped yoke of Christ is after all an instrument of liberation and power to those who live in it with him and learn the meekness and lowliness of heart that brings rest to the soul."

These two quotes really reflect what we desire to see students come to believe the most: that nothing satisfies like Jesus!