Name: Jason
Email:
Web Site: http://www.jasonvana.com/about
Bio: Jason is an imaginative leader with a heart to ignite younger generations to impact the world for Christ. He currently lives in Monmouth, Illinois, and oversees Ignite Student Ministries - a dynamic ministry to train and equip students and churches to reach their youth, young adults and university students for Christ. Find him on Twitter: @jasonvana
Posts by Jason:
Complete Obedience
February 22nd, 2012
Photo Credit: Evan Almighty (Universal Pictures)
Noah’s faith amazes me.
At the age of 599 (which I imagine is the equivalent of being 50 years old today), God shows up and tells him to build an ark, gather seven of every animal and prepare for a flood that would wipe out all living beings. He was given the exact dimensions, specific quantities and clear directions on how to build this boat. He was told rough timelines of when he should have the ark completed. He even knew who God would spare and who He would allow to die.
And Noah obeyed.
Free Lent Resources
February 21st, 2012
Tomorrow starts the season of Lent - those 45 days before Easter where many Christians take time to reflect on the power of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and prepare themselves to experience new life. It’s a season of introspection, a season of reflection, a season of preparation and repentance as we journey to the cross and resurrection of Christ.
As part of my mission with this blog, I want to help equip you to dig deeper this Lenten season, face the darkness within yourself, and experience a true resurrection in your life with the following resources:
Longing for More
February 20th, 2012
Photo Credit: Vik Nanda (Creative Commons)
I love the church.
I believe it is meant to be the representation of Christ on the earth.
The church has the power to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and take care of those in need.
The church has the power to heal the sick and cleanse the lepers.
The church has the power to bring hope to the hopeless, love to the loveless, and faith to those who doubt.
The church is meant to be an agent of change in the world.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always act that way.
Don’t get me wrong, some churches are doing great things that are providing physical and spiritual change.
But I’m longing for more.
Count the Cost
February 17th, 2012
Photo Credit: Vicky Hugheston (Creative Commons)
Dreams don’t come easy.
They require hard work, dedication and a laser focus on your goal. They take planning and striving and evaluation. They will steal your time and energy and resources. They require early mornings, late nights and a lot of your free time. They are hard task managers, never taking a day off for vacation or holidays. They will push you to your breaking point, give the illusion that they will never happen and sap every bit of your mental, emotional and physical energy. They will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, from excited to frustrated to the verge of giving up and back again.
Dreams demand a lot.
It’s why so many are unfulfilled.
Dealing with Stress
February 15th, 2012
Photo Credit: Stuart Pilbrow (Creative Commons)
Last week at our Ignite Monmouth gathering, one of our student leaders posed a question that challenged me:
What do you do when you’re stressed?
Answers ranged from playing video games, reading, eating chocolate to running, going for a walk, or curling up on your bed with a stuffed dog and crying (no, that one was not me). Some students punch their pillows. Others talk to friends. Some take time away and try to relax. Others listen to music. Some like to freak out, scream, and vent. Others, take a calmer approach.
We all have our methods of dealing with stress.
The Practical Side of Dreaming
February 13th, 2012
Photo Credit: Petras Gagilas (Creative Commons)
Last week, we looked at pursuing our dreams.
I wrote about how it’s important to take time to dream.
We discussed the act of rediscovering the gifts and passions that form our dream.
We even talked about the time it takes for a dream to form.
We love talking about our dreams.
It’s easy to sit behind a computer screen and write about these big ideals we have for our lives. We like to share our dreams with friends and family and coworkers. We get a sense of satisfaction talking about what we want to do with our lives.
There’s no work involved in sharing a dream.
No risk, either.
But sharing our ideals and thoughts and desires doesn’t bring our dream any closer to reality.
