Break and Pre-Break

Sorry, it has been a while since I have updated y'all on my life! So the week before the break we had an awesome time learning from Frank Turek who co-wrote "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist". We learned and re-learned some very important issues necessary to defend our faith and some talking points to bring up with atheists or agnostics. His lecture was very insightful and helpful. Sunday we had a Christmas party at Chickfila and we were able to meet the founder of Chickfila, Truett Cathy and his wife. We also met all of Truett's children who are all involved with Chickfila. Throughout this year, I have grown to respect and love Chickfila even more than before I started IMPACT 360. Chickfila is such a solid and grounded company, willing to hold fast to its values in the midst or radical attacks from an increasing immoral generation. We had a white elephant gift exchange on Thursday which was pretty fun. It got quite loud with all 30 of us in the living room, talk about the noise! We ended off the week before heading home with a day of prayer. It was pretty awesome. I flew home December 7th and was pretty excited to come back. I was the only one from my core group of friends to come home so early. But I had a friend from LSU come home the next day, so it turned out to be fine. I hung out with that friend for pretty much the first week till the rest of my church's old senior bible study group showed up. I got a job at UPS the week of December 9th and started work that next week. I have had a lot of free time, and the UPS job was fairly easy and I got paid fairly well. My last day for UPS was Christmas Eve, so that was fun. I got my wisdom teeth taken out the 19th, and didn't really do anything for a few days, so I hung out and slept and watched movies without my parents getting upset! I had a few other friends who also got their teeth taken out, so I hung out with them as well. My family had a chill Christmas this year which I really enjoyed. I loved being able to celebrate Christ's incarnation as a man and the gift of salvation He brings through His birth. I worked on a puzzle with my family and we looked at lights and I went to the Meineke Bowl game this past friday to watch Tech wreck Minnesota! This break was definitely needed, but it was not without its struggles. I definitely found myself slipping back into apathy and laziness and not being proactive. Please pray that  I would be self-motivatated in the coming days as my team leaves for Brazil January 7th. Thanks y'all for reading and Happy New Year!

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray pray for my team and me as we head out for our mission trip to Brazil in a week!
• Pray for my family and that God would bring His peace and love into our house
• Pray for my friend's father who was recently diagnosed with cancer- pray that God's will would be done and for peace my his family
• Pray that God would reveal what I am doing this summer

Praise:

• Jesus became flesh a little over 2000 years ago and He died for me and you!
• ALL my funds have been raised for Brazil! Praise God
• For awesome time with family and friends
• A new year full of new and amazing opportunities

Thank you for reading!

Gig 'em & God bless,

Stephen Hargis

His patience

Today in quiet time as I read 1 Timothy 1-4, one verse just jumped out at me. I have never noticed it until today, but it speaks volumes about who God is and how patient and loving He is. The verse is 1 Timothy 1:16 "But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life." 

   1 Timothy is written by Paul who was a terrible dude. He was a killer, liar, slanderer~ just an all- around awful person, but I am no different, and neither are any of us. We are all fallen, broken and torn, but that's why God's patience is so amazing. We run away time after time, commit adultery, lust and lie, but God is always there waiting for us. If God can wait for a killer, blasphemer and hater of Christianity, how much more does He wait on us! Christ's love, goodness, and patience are shown most through the broken. Paul was a murderer, but now he is an apostle of the Most High. He was a deceiver, but now he speaks truth. When God changes you, go out and share the change that God has made in your life so that you may be an example of His patience for those who might see, believe and then receive. You are a tool that Christ can use to show His unlimited patience. Use that and walk in the light! If Christ can and did save Paul, He can and will offer us life. Live the life in which Christ has called you so that others can see His patience and might live. 

Grace & Peace,

Stephen