MENU

Resources

YWAM Montana Lakeside

Together we commit to the communication of the gospel by training, sending, supporting and being missionaries.

Facebook-f Instagram
DONATE
APPLY

Category: Missionary Member Articles

This Isn’t Just For You

Posted on by

In our first week of SBS, one of our teachers had us write down why we came. I wrote this in my notebook, “I came to SBS to gain my own understanding about this book I dedicate my life to and to gain intimacy with the One who called me.” My heart was pure and I believe my motives were good. Over the time I’ve been in SBS, my reason for being here has changed. Before I came to SBS, I desired to know truth. A common phrase I hear more often than I’d like is “my truth is my truth, and your truth is your truth”. I knew this went against everything I believed about Jesus being THE truth. What I didn’t understand was how God was calling me to be a part of blowing that phrase apart.

less than 20% of Christians have read the entire Bible and less than 45% have read the entire New Testament…

Over the course of the first quarter, I was overwhelmed as I dug into the Bible and uncovered things I’d never known before. I’ve known who Jesus was since I was three. How had I never known the difference between justification and sanctification? How had I never fully understood why Jesus’ death on the cross was necessary? Why hadn’t I ever heard it taught before that 1 Corinthians 14 isn’t about women not speaking in church, it’s about unity in the church? That first quarter, I really felt like I was uncovering gold in my studies. As I started to learn and understand these truths in the Word of God, I also learned that I’m not alone in my Bible illiteracy. Ron Smith, one of the founders of the SBS, shared with our class that less than 20% of Christians have read the entire Bible and less than 45% have read the entire New Testament. The fact that we call ourselves followers of Christ, yet walk around not having read the breathed out word of God, terrified me. My studying of the Bible went from an interest to a necessity. I realized that I’ve dedicated my life to following, loving and serving a God that I never took the time to fully know.

These truths are found in the Bible and the world around me is desperate to hear about it.

When we came into SBS, our staff said repeatedly “This isn’t just for you”, and I’d smile and think about how maybe someday I could share with someone an insightful tidbit I’d learned in my SBS and I’d have done my duty. During second quarter, I noticed a drastic shift in my mindset. No longer was I only studying to gain personal understanding, but everything I was learning I wanted to know well enough to teach other people. The Holy Spirit started working in me and stirring up a passion for truth. The thought came to me time and time again, “People have to know this. This is THE truth.” 2 Timothy 3:16­17 says “All Scripture is God-­breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” People can’t follow God if they don’t know his commands, they can’t have hope for the future if they don’t know what the promises are, they can’t live their lives as Sons and Daughters of Christ if they don’t know what their identity is. These truths are found in the Bible and the world around me is desperate to hear about it.

I started my SBS with the intention of gaining understanding about the Bible, and yes, over my time here so far I’ve started that never-ending journey. But the main thing I’ve gained through SBS is an understanding of how desperately I need to know this book. Not just for myself, but for the people who’ve never heard the name of Jesus. For the people who have heard his name and haven’t been shown his love. For the people who are followers of Christ and haven’t yet uncovered the depths of riches in the book they’ve hardly ever read.

 

Yes! I want to find out more about a School of Biblical Studies:

HTML Form Generator

How God Spoke to Me Through a Pineapple

Posted on by

Recently, God has been speaking to me through the use of Pineapples. Yes you read that right, Pineapples. How has a simple, common fruit become the source of Heavenly revelation you ask? Well, let me tell you.

First, did you know that pineapples didn’t use to be so common? In the 1600s, pineapples were so rare that only the richest of people would eat them. Sometimes, they would not even eat the fruit, instead they would have viewing parties and display the pineapple until it rotted completely. Later, pineapples became a sign of hospitality in the new world. If a hostess were able to get her hands on a juicy pineapple, she would be the talk of the town. Everyone would be lucky to attend said party because they knew that the hostess had spared no expense for them. However, today pineapple are some of the most common of fruits. Any grocery store you enter usually has a pile of these prickly pines. So what changed over the years to cause pineapples to become so common?

God kept asking me to change my perspective on the situation.

Change Your Thinking 

One could say that pineapples haven’t changed but people’s thoughts on the fruits have changed. This is the first area in which God has been speaking to me. I recently come out of a season of being truly busy. Not the kind of busy where you just want to look busy to look important, but the kind of busy where I barely had a hour of free time during my daily day. In this season, I kept having some very negative thoughts about the load that had been placed on me. I was struggling and didn’t know how I was going to accomplish all the work, but God kept asking me to change my perspective on the situation. Although the situation wasn’t going to change, my thoughts and emotions on the situation could change. I needed to remember exactly how special the job I have is and that I needed God’s strength to complete the job anyways. I needed to choose joy in the midst. So although I was busy and overwhelmed, I could make it through. I just needed a mindset shift.

Slowly, I have been starting to realize that I truly need the repetition and the slow process.

Slow Down

Second, did you know that it takes a single pineapple three whole years to reach maturation? That is a LONG time for a single fruit. Through this, God has been showing me the importance of not rushing things.I love seeing a task finished. I love being able to check things off the to-do-list. I love the end of a project more than the start and the middle, but God has been showing me that I need to stop rushing to the end. He’s been doing this by repeating the same thing to me over and over, even when I feel like I should be done with that lesson and able to move on. He keeps speaking “hope” to me. Slowly, I have been starting to realize that I truly need the repetition and the slow process. Even when I think that I have already arrived, I begin to see how much I need to keep relearning the simple truths. I will never outgrow the simple gospel.

We need a solid community around us who will call us to higher things.

Be Rooted

Lastly, once harvested a pineapple will not continue to ripen. That means once it is removed from the root source, its growth is stunted. Through this, God has been showing me the necessity of being rooted in community and in Him. This idea is scattered all throughout the Bible. In particular, John 15 reminds believers that we need to abide in the vine of Christ because He is our life source. When we are cut off from the vine, our growth will be stunted and we will start to decay. Likewise, we need a solid community around us who will call us to higher things. Iron sharpens iron, as the saying goes. Because of these truths, I have been intentionally pursuing community with others and with God. My happy place of community with God is in worship. Nothing allows me to sense His heart and direction more than worship does. On the other hand, community with others isn’t always easy to fight for, but it is necessary. I need the strength of the roots of community around me, so I have been pursuing deep and meaningful friendships. As winter ends and the sun comes out, I’m fighting against isolation and pulling more people into my life so I can experience the true joys of community.

So the next time you see or eat a pineapple, remember there is a lot more to that simple fruit than meets the eye. And as you look at the world, never underestimate the power of God to speak to you through the most unexpected of places.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about the life God has for you, come join us for a DTS!

HTML Form Generator

What is Real Happiness?

Posted on by

A little bit ago, I was having a conversation with someone, when they made a comment that not only stuck with me, but has deeply troubled me since. The comment was this, “We don’t all get the life we want, some of us just have to deal with it.” This individual, searching so desperately for a fulfilling, purposeful life honestly believed that they weren’t important enough in God’s plan to live a life THEY enjoyed. At that moment, everything in me wished I could just reach out, shake that person and force them to realize that I’ve spent the greater part of the last 2 years of my life learning: not only do we get to live the happy, exciting, fulfilling life we want, but we are called to it.

As humans, I believe the main thing in life we strive for is happiness.

As humans, I believe the main thing in life we strive for is happiness. Everything in our culture is centered around what we think will make us happy. Our society has spent the entirety of it’s existence searching for happiness in all the wrong places and, realizing it, but not realizing how to change it. My heart breaks because I’ve experienced the struggle, I’ve lived it, I see it happening all around me daily and yet the solution is so simple. It lies in scripture, and it lies in the undeniable fact that everything about humans points to the conclusion that there is something greater to be done with life than live it for our own contentment.

First, before anything else, we have to truly believe that God is head over heels, endlessly, relentlessly, passionately, fiercely, unconditionally IN LOVE with us and He so greatly longs to see us happy. Secondly, we have to believe that His plan for our lives isn’t a takeover, or a manipulation, but a beautiful story waiting to be written. From there, we can ask ourselves a series of questions and hopefully, in answering them, find the answer to the lifelong search for fulfillment.

What if we transformed our idea of happiness from what we thought we wanted to what the Maker of the Universe has in store for us? And what if we died to ourselves and our fear just enough to let Him show us what that looks like? And, what if we surrendered enough to follow through with whatever it is He revealed He had for us? What might that kind of life bring? What endless, unimaginable adventures and pleasures come from a life fully seeking after Him?

 

Yes! I want to find out more about a Discipleship Training School:

HTML Form Generator

How do we Find Jesus in the Outdoors?

Posted on by

We’ve all been a part of some kind of team building exercise, low ropes course/initiative game or high ropes course. Some of us have been on multi-day or multi-week expeditions where we’re intentionally pushed to live in the “growth” (or groan!) zone. We’re encouraged to embrace the physical challenge, marvel in the majesty and beauty of the surroundings and engage with nature by simplifying our lives, tuning out distractions and meditating while on the journey. Inevitably, there is a time of briefing and debriefing and connections are made between the physical activity and how it relates to growing as an individual, building teamwork and how the lessons learned in the outdoors relate to life back home in the “real-world”. These are good experiential learning activities and a good facilitator will go deep and find ways to help participants make significant and lasting connections.

In Christian outdoor ministry circles, we add the dimension of using the experience to highlight, or deepen, our understanding of God, faith, trust in him, overcoming fear, worshiping freely and connecting with our Creator. Unfortunately, I’ve observed that drawing connections and helping “outdoor people” receive revelation about God by engaging with the created order can sometimes fall short, leaving people thinking, “That’s it? I want solid food, not milk.” We want deep, meaningful revelation about God through our adventures and experiences in the wilderness, but all too often we settle for a shallow reminder, the low hanging fruit, the “right answer”.

So what would it look like to go deep with God in nature or while engaging in outdoor pursuits?

So what would it look like to go deep with God in nature or while engaging in outdoor pursuits? Something at a deep level… something that brings life-transforming revelation and action? Does it depend on the person? Does is rely on sound facilitation? Is it done individually or does it come in the context of community (the church)? Can you do it only in silence and solitude? Does it only happen if you’re dirt-bagging it and don’t have any creature comforts around you?

We don’t have all the answers in Endurance DTS or at YWAM Montana – Lakeside, but we have learned a few things through the years. Here’s some food for thought… First, we’ve observed that incorporating the Word of God into outdoor programming is integral to fostering an environment of growth that creates sustained change. Meditating on Psalm 36:5-6 for weeks on end while pushing yourself physically in Montana’s Big Sky Country doesn’t leave you hanging! Second, we see Jesus when we serve others. Others – both outdoor enthusiasts and those who have needs and happen to live in the most beautiful parts of the world (remote locations off the beaten path!), that is where Jesus is found! He is on the field, fulfilling his mission to merge heaven and earth together. It is when we use our God-given passion for adventure and partner with him in his ministry that he gives us revelation about his father, his kingdom and who he has made us to be.

We desire the deep things of God in the Endurance DTS. We desire lasting transformation. Want to join us? Be part of it!

 

Yes! I want to find out more about the Endurance Discipleship Training School:

HTML Form Generator

Living a Life Worthy of the Calling

Posted on by

Worthiness.

Worth is something the Lord spoke a lot to me about this Fall. The fact that though on my own I have nothing, I am nothing; I am worthy because He calls me such.
When I was in Nepal, a couple verses had me thinking…

“Live a life worthy of the calling you have received” – Ephesians 4:1

“Aim for perfection” – 2 Corinthians 13:11

God had been working in me tremendously, bringing me to a place where I could see my worth through His eyes. The idea of living a life worthy of His calling was overwhelming to me, but I realized He deemed me worthy even when I myself may think I’m not. This is an extremely weighty charge; one that I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to meditate on for about a week. I think I’m getting used to the whole idea of grace. I know I fail, I know God loves me anyway. But, how often do I take on the charge that I have a responsibility – a responsibility to live my life worthy and to aim for perfection?

Then it all clicked once again, the concept so simple that I constantly lose: it’s never me, it’s always Him.

To me, a person worthy would be one who exemplifies the fruits of the Spirit day in and day out. We all know the fruits of the Spirit, our grandmothers have them crocheted on a wall hanging or pillow. But, I have to admit, I never gave them much thought until now – until I started to ask myself what would being “worthy”, what would “aiming for perfection” look like..

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

No, that’s not me… maybe in moments, but not consistently. For days I sat with this thought. “Lord, how do I go about this correctly? How do I, as a sinner, live a life that would be deemed worthy of the amazing life you’ve given me?” As I asked Him this question, He answered me something He’s been speaking to me repeatedly over the last year,

“Abide in me”.

“For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17. Live with me daily, invite me into your life, consult me in everything, pray for my heart and there you will find your freedom.

He invites me to live this kind of intimacy with Him. Not only does He invite me to it, He reminds me it is the only way I have hope. For without Him I fail. But, with Him, I have a chance of becoming the type of woman, the type of wife, the type of leader I want to be. With His Spirit, there is freedom. Freedom from fear that I will never be worthy, freedom from feeling like I need to do it all on my own, freedom from the burden of works. Then it all clicked once again, the concept so simple that I constantly lose: it’s never me, it’s always Him. I could never be worthy of the calling I have received, but I can constantly put Him above all else. I can never be perfect, but I can strive daily to be one step closer to Him. There is responsibility on my end but, along with it, there is a never ceasing source of empowerment that comes from Him.

There was my answer. Abiding in Him daily.

From abiding will come direction, and from direction will come action, and from action growth, and from growth I will be walking towards worthiness.

 

 

Yes! I want to find out more about a Discipleship Training School:

HTML Form Generator

How do You Move Mountains?

Posted on by

I love the mountains.

I love waking up in a dew-drenched tent after a frigid night under the stars and feeling the stiffness of my legs as they stretch and creak like the wood of an old house. I love the shock of crisp mountain air as it surges into my lungs while I desperately try to warm myself up in the dawning sunlight before packing up for the day. I love feeling the tenderness of my shoulders and hips as I strap on my pack for the journey ahead. I love everything about being in the mountains. But, some days, it feels like the mountains don’t really love me back.

These are the days when getting out of my tent seems like the worst idea I’ve ever had; when I wonder if I even have what it takes to carry my pack just one more mile; when I really wish I wasn’t a leader and didn’t have to set an example. These are the days when what I usually love seems more like an insurmountable obstacle than a life-giving adventure.

One of these days occurred while overseas last fall. I was co-leading an outreach team with Youth With a Mission (YWAM), a large international Christian mission organization that trains and sends young missionaries all over the world. Our team was deep in the mountains of Asia working in an extremely remote village with people who had never seen foreigners before. The living conditions were rough, to say the least, and from the time we woke up until we went to bed we were interacting with the local families and trekking to other nearby villages (who had never heard the name of Jesus). It was amazing, but as the week wore on it reminded me of those days back home backpacking in the mountains: When everything in me says, “Stay in your tent;” when I doubt if I have what it takes; when I doubt if God is really with me, and if He really can use what little I have to bring to the table.

It wasn’t until the end of our outreach, as our team trekked through the heart of some of the tallest mountains in the world, that I could reflect back on our time. I remembered how disheartened I felt some of those days, waking up feeling like there was no way that I could do it. But then God reminded me of what He said to His disciples: He told them that if they had just a mustard-seed amount of faith, that mountains could move! And He wasn’t kidding! On those mornings, when my faith was but the size of a mustard seed, God said, “I can use that”. Those were the days that God used me in more miraculous ways than I ever could have imagined. He taught me that when He says, “Ben, you bring a mustard seed, and I’ll move the mountains,” He means it.



Do you want to see how God can make your faith the size of a mustard seed grow?


Find out more about our Endurance Discipleship Training School!

HTML Form Generator

Does God Give Us More Than We Can Handle?

Posted on by

Most of us have heard this at least once, and it goes something like this: We’re going through a difficult season and someone well meaning tells us, “God won’t give you more than you can handle” and, at first, it seems comforting. The idea that we won’t receive overbearing circumstances sounds like a wonderful statement to cling to. But, what happens when we are stuck in a season that seems too much to bear? I have to say, I don’t think the above statement is entirely true and it’s no longer comforting because there is a far better truth for us. If you want to know what I mean, keep reading.

What happens when we are stuck in a season that seems like it’s too much to bear?

Last year was one of the toughest seasons I’ve gone through. I would like to believe that I can do it all, and nothing is impossible with a strong-willed heart and your chin held up high. Needless to say, my perspective changed. Whether it was anxiety, a dream falling through, unmet expectations, or the loss of a loved one, nothing in my head or my heart said, “You’ve got this”. It was much more than I could handle. l was left with hard questions such as, “God, I thought I heard your voice?” and, “How could you let this happen to me?”. The result was pent up anger and no immediate answers. I was hurting. However, God worked through this situation by addressing the question of, “Will I get more than I can handle?”.

Instead of posing this question we should be searching our hearts and asking these in response: 1) Where do I place my hope? 2) Where am I cultivating my strength?

Our hope is not in good circumstances nor in a perfect life. Our hope, as stated in Hebrews 6:19, is “a steadfast anchor of the soul that enters into the inner place behind the curtain”. In the Old Testament, God dwelled with his people through the means of the tabernacle, the High Priest only being able to draw near to the presence of God once a year. When Jesus came, he anchored us into the Holy of Holies and, by this, we are able to draw near at any time to the very presence of God. Our hope is spelled out in the Gospel: Christ died and rose again, redeemed us and opened the way for us to draw near to God and be in a relationship with him. While we are still living in a sinful world that is full of suffering, our hope lies in what Christ accomplished at the cross.

We are living in the current reality that God is with us.

We also have a choice to make: take on the world in our own strength or in the power of Christ. The Apostle Paul said it best in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

We are left with two assurances: First, our hope is in Christ, not in the circumstances we see around us. Second, we’re not supposed to be able to handle life on our own, we are supposed to be living in the power of Christ because he is with us!

So this is how my story went: God challenged where I placed my hope. Was it in my own strength or in him? I could let bitterness towards circumstance and tragedy take hold, or to allow his grace to pour into all of my questions and all I couldn’t understand. It wasn’t an easy process, but it was worth it. When you allow for God’s grace to reign in your life…everything changes. Life’s circumstances do not speak for the hope I have, Christ does. I don’t want to claim that I can work through life on my own, I want to live a life of hope and experience the grace of God. I don’t want to be falsely comforted in thinking I can do it all, instead I want to be assured that Christ already has.

Yes, you will get more than you can handle, but you will never get more than God can handle. We have the power of Christ to help us in our weakness and the assurance of steadfast hope. When life gets tough, we don’t always get answers. But, Christ did not die for us to fight through life on our own. In our own strength we cannot possibly take on the world, but Christ has certainly overcome it.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Want to spend some time learning how to put your hope in Christ instead of your life circumstances? Join us for a Disciple Training School!


Yes! I want to find out more about Discipleship Training Schools at YWAM Montana-Lakeside:

HTML Form Generator

Finding Heaven on Earth in the Outdoors

Posted on by

Question: What happens when you get outdoor educators, hikers, environmental stewards, guides, gear junkies, outfitters, Leave No Trace gurus, thrill seekers, camp counselors, trekkers, travelers, backpackers, mountaineers, conservationists, adventure racers, mountain bikers, whitewater river rats and dirtbag climbers doing life together?
Answer: A beautiful picture of the kingdom of God.

During a 2004 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail God showed me what “on earth as it is in heaven” looks like today in the 21st century. Jesus really means for things to happen on this earth, and this side of eternity, as they are happening perfectly and beautifully in heaven right now. His kingdom and his ways, which were ushered in through the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus, are still flourishing in every arena of life and society, and, in particular, in the outdoor scene.

Living in community and caring for those in need. Thinking about and discussing deeply the meaning of this life. Creating space to hear each other out and to consider other perspectives. Crying, laughing, celebrating, hurting, forgiving and encouraging. Time and time again, I see these guideposts for healthy Christian living which were written about in the Bible being lived out in both Christian and non-Christian outdoor communities alike.

The Endurance Discipleship Training School (EDTS) at YWAM Montana-Lakeside exists to do whatever it takes to know God and make him known in the outdoor industry and to the ends of the earth.

The Endurance Discipleship Training School (EDTS) at YWAM Montana-Lakeside exists to do whatever it takes to know God and make him known in the outdoor industry and to the ends of the earth. Being an international Christian missions organization that trains and sends young missionaries, YWAM and EDTS endeavor to engage individuals across the globe with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We seek to live out the kingdom in, and among, the outdoor industry. Calling out where we see “heaven here on earth” is our great privilege. Sharing about the King within communities who have never heard of Him is our calling. Going to the least, the most remote, the forgotten and praying that their lives would be impacted on earth as it is in heaven is our joy.

Be Part of It!

Yes! I want to hear more about the Endurance Discipleship Training School

HTML Form Generator

Overcoming Our Default Settings

Posted on by

The printer in our staff office is my enemy… to the point that the thought of needing to print something gives me anxiety. Honestly, I do not mix well with most technology but printers especially seem to harbor a certain vendetta against me. My personal struggles aside, I think we all have experienced printing a single sheet and then panicking when forty unwanted sheets are spitting out at you. After regaining composure and murmuring a quiet apology to the family of trees you just gave a pointless end to, you reset the default settings.

Default settings run our lives in many ways from the alarm clock preset to the same time every morning or the GPS set to avoid traffic. This week, I’ve been fixated on this concept of my own personal “default settings”.

What if instead of fear, I was set to courage? What if instead of doubt, I was set to faith? What if instead of self-preservation, I was set to generosity?

The fixation began last week when I realized that my default setting is often set to undesirables. One small glitch in the schedule and I sat there impatient, annoyed and wondering why it was impossible for anyone to get anything right ever. Needless to say, I was being irrational. The Holy Spirit whispered gently and lovingly something along the lines of, “You’re being ridiculous, calm yourself” and I sat there embarrassed. The next morning, after a couple hours of internally beating myself up about my lack of maturity, I sat and listened as the Lord spoke to me about this concept of my “default settings”. He opened my eyes to these areas where through life or my own defenses, I had reset myself to a setting He never intended me to be on.

I started to take a closer look at the unsavory areas of my heart. What would it be like if instead of immediately reverting to impatience, I was patient and gracious? What if instead of fear, I was set to courage? What if instead of doubt, I was set to faith? What if instead of self-preservation, I was set to generosity? It’s the same lesson we all hear about allowing the Lord to refine us, but this new visual somehow struck a chord with me. So, I began to pray. With unashamed honesty about my faults, I gave control over my “default settings” to the Lord, asking Him to change me from the inside out.

Did I wake up the next day perfect? No. Is there a glow about me and birds following me dropping rose petals as I walk? Not yet. But to be honest, I can feel a shift inside of me. Something about taking away the permission I gave myself to default to those ugly things and giving permission to the Lord to reset me has awakened something in me. I encourage you, friends, to do the same. Be gentle but honest with yourself and take a look at your “default settings”. Are there certain things you would like the Lord to work on in you, things you would like to be reset? I can’t promise you that it’s going to be enjoyable or easy, but I can promise you that the Lord is good always and in all ways.

A reset sounds great. Please tell me more about your schools and programs!

HTML Form Generator

WNA-ACT Gathering 2024 | Lakeside, Montana

REGISTER

WNA-ACT Gathering 2024 | Lakeside, Montana

REGISTER