This is what Christmas is really all about. True biblical Christian faith is believing in AND following the real divine person Jesus who gives us new life in Him! The eternal Word of God took on human flesh and entered into this world (John 1:14). This conception was accomplished by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).
This is so amazingly fantastic! It is way better than any Marvel or DC (or any other) superhero plot because it really happened! Jesus is the unique God-man! He came here in order to be the walking, talking explanation of exactly who God is and what He is like and to accomplish the work of redemption. He really lived, died and rose again… all verifiable in reliable historical records.
Jesus was born to die… and after he arose, He appeared to many witnesses, proving that death was defeated and the promise of eternal life is real (1 Corinthians 15). We have new life spiritually in Him right here and now. This real spiritual life gives us strength to persevere or “overcome” whatever we face in this world which seems to become darker by the minute.
We pray you will have a very merry Christmas as you celebrate Jesus, the one true superhero, without whom there would be no Christmas.
GARRETT'S EXPERIENCE WITH CULTIVATE...
Thank you for enabling us to come alongside emerging adults as they wrestle through their challenges and opportunities in life. This is our friend, Garrett's perspective on his experience with Cultivate. Video 1
As some of you know, we have rekindled our love for the book, Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby. Throughout the book, Henry exhorts us to join God in what He is doing. When we started Cultivate, we believed we were doing just that. Now, over five years later - with all the rapid changes, tragedies, and instability in our world - we find ourselves needing more than ever to seek God more fervently as we enter the new year..
In January, we will be starting a 21 day fast to refocus on Jesus in order to deepen our relationship with Him, and to clear away the "clutter" so we can see what He is doing in the world and in the next generation. This has the potential to change the plans that we have initially made for the year. Please pray for us as well as others who will be on their own journey of fasting and praying.
Perhaps you are sensing the need to refocus your life as well. If you are interested in doing a fast, please follow us on Instagram for further details.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS...
Cultivate is receiving new requests for COMPASS consultations virtually every week. In order to help meet this demand, in January we will begin training three new COMPASS facilitators.
We also are blessed to have Dan and Katie Judy joining us in providing premarital counseling through SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) and leading a small group for young married couples. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming year...
Back on October 26, we celebrated our first five years as an organization! A group of supporters together with young adults who have participated in Cultivate activities discovered how we really are “Better Together.” It was an evening of tasty desserts, fun and games between the generations, and a thought provoking message.
A huge word of thanks to Kevin Paul Scott, our guest speaker for the evening, who brought a terrific word of encouragement by way of story. His message showed just how long the trail of life changing impact can lead from one person and from one generation to another.
Also, a big shout out is in order for our dear friend Luke Ayers who was able to host the evening’s activities for us. Luke was the perfect choice to MC this event because his journey to become Co-Founder and President of Hope Global Initiative was part of the Cultivate backstory.
We so appreciate ALL OF YOU who were able to share the evening with us. We can’t believe we have been at this work now for over five years… it has literally flown by. We look forward to what God has in store as we move into a brand new year of ministry!
THANK YOU!
Cultivate is committed to provide services to young adults free of charge. This means our ability to continue to do what we do is wholly dependent on God continuing to send supporters who believe in this ministry and generously support this work financially.
So many of you already support Cultivate through your prayers and financial support. We cherish your continued support and cannot tell you how thankful we are for your partnership. If you aren't yet a Cultivate partner, we ask that you consider joining our support team.
The easiest way to give is to use our online platform, provided by PushPay. Visit cultivatenext.org/give or simply text the word "Cultivate" to 77977 from your mobile phone. You can also contact elise@cultivatenext.org for more information.