Let me introduce you to David. I have only know David for a short time and from a distance but his faith has encouraged me from the beginning. I met David on a trip to visit dear friends in St. Louis. When my friend and I showed up by invitation to a small group, David, along with the rest of the group, was so kind and made us feel like we’d been friends for years. I learned of David’s ministry which, safe to say, isn’t contained to one thing but is the outpouring of his life in everything. I think you will be strengthened by his words to us today.

In his own words : A Missouri native, David Peterka, founded the non-profit organization “When the Saints” in November 2010. David’s passion is to eradicate sexual exploitation from our world, and help teach churches the role they play. But more than that, his desire is to bring glory to the name of Jesus. Although David is in his late-20s, he has extensive “hands on” experience and has been an advocate for social injustice issues for over seven years. He loves soccer, playing the guitar, traveling and watching documentaries or movies with a strong female lead.

To the irresistible bride of Jesus,

Sometimes I wonder, “Am I missing something?”. Most of the time I live a Christianity that is relatively easy. Church, pray, Bible, be nice… You know, the usual. I do these things most people, whether they are Christian or not, find respectable.

“Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

-2 Timothy 3:12

Wait a minute, persecution? When was the last time I was persecuted because of my Christianity? Umm, well…. This is actually the opposite of what I experience most of the time as a result of my “godly life in Christ Jesus”.  What am I missing? Did I make Christianity something that it was never intended to be? Sugar coated, watered down, dressed up? Have I disguised what it means to be Christ-like?

Back in the day most of the leaders in church hated Jesus. Do you know one of their most common critiques? “He is a friend to sinners.”

Have you ever spent a significant amount of time sharing your life with an alcoholic? If a girl were given money for sleeping around, would you ever ask her to hang out with you? If you knew that someone was using their position of power to steal money, would you see if you could mentor them? Jesus did.

When was the last time I befriended a “sinner”? Umm, well… Ouch. Now we’re getting somewhere, but I’m still not fully convinced this would cause me to be persecuted.

Jesus says that those who follow him will pray for and love their enemies by doing things like feed them when they are hungry. Now that seems incredibly difficult.

I work in a country called Malawi. Jesus has brought me to this place in order to show me and invite me into what He is doing to end sexual exploitation here. Desiring to help girls who have been systematically raped is the easy part. People show me a great deal of respect for this.

But, more recently the Spirit is showing us that if we only bring girls out of situations where they are being sexually abused, something else horrific happens. The same number of men want to abuse the same number of girls and, indirectly because of our work, more girls are trafficked to fill the void we created. Many people believe that these men should be “taken out back” and shot in the head. But Jesus says that those who follow Him will love the enemy. This is the part that isn’t so popular.

Last year I walked into a room with men who had molested young girls. The last thing I wanted to do was love. Seven men attended that first class. By the end, four of them got on their knees and asked Jesus to give them a new heart. Sexual exploitation can be eliminated at its root and we don’t have to just treat the symptom.

Here’s the thing, I don’t believe that Jesus actually wants us to be successful when it comes to Christianity. If we feel like we are succeeding then maybe we missed it. I fail, often. All the while He demands things of me that are impossibly difficult.

I have no desire to do ministry that is easy. I have no desire to be a part of a ministry that is possible and powered by man. I want to wake up every single morning with this on my lips. “Jesus, I’m stepping into something that will cause me to fall flat on my face. If you don’t do something miraculous, I won’t be able to make it through today. I desperately need you.”

Walking into a room with pedophiles, I found myself saying those words. He demands the impossible of us with a hope that we realize our utter dependence on Him.

I want to challenge and invite you into a Christianity that is not easy. It will cause you to suffer and make people hate you. It will make little sense and you will look absolutely foolish. It will also be unimaginably incomparable to any other existence that you could ever know and makes the God of impossibilities and miracles known.

Meet Andrea. Isn’t she gorgeous?! When I met this lovely woman, she was entering her sophomore year of high school and I was the summer intern in the hills of Austin, TX. Andrea was an intense pursuer of truth then and she continues to be today…perhaps with a bit more clarity on what it is she’s seeking. I love this woman and God was so sweet to reconnect us a couple of years ago. She has grown into a beautiful woman of God.

In her own words: I’m passionate about life and freedom. My dream is for everyone to know their true identity and walk into freedom in Christ and their purpose. I’m addicted to coffee and laughter, I love to travel and experience new cultures, kayaking is my favorite activity and beaches bring me great joy. I love hugs! I thrive on deep conversations but also love the light easy ones as well. I live my life to please the Father and know Him more than yesterday. I’m an myers briggs ENFP to a T, but don’t put me in a box. You can most likely find me staring off into space day dreaming or wondering why things are the way that they are. 

Dear Bride, Beloved, Body of Christ,

My head and my heart have been everywhere in regards to you. I’ve found myself praying on your behalf a lot lately. I’m not exactly sure why. The Lord will say, “pray for my people” so I do. And then I really feel it.

I feel the burden that you walk in fear.

I feel the burden that you may not know your purpose, so you give up.

I feel the burden that you’re stuck in confusion in regards to your calling.

I feel the burden that you don’t truly know you’re loved by the Father.

I feel the burden that you’re ashamed of your past.

I feel the burden that you don’t really know who you are and whose you are.

I feel the burden that you’re living a performance driven life and it’s burning you out.

I feel your burden, your uncertainty, your frustration, your pain, your anger, and your sadness.

And with all of that said…

I’ve also feel the heart of the Father in the midst of those burdens.
It breaks and it cries.
I feel His heart for you.
I feel His love for you.

Church, the Father longs for a more intimate relationship with you! He wants you to know Him!
And I believe this is the invitation and word for us. He needs us to be his hands, his embrace, his touch, his voice, and his healing.

I feel like we over complicate it, Church.

It’s like we get so caught up in ourselves and what church should look like, we somehow miss the point. The point isn’t to go to church on Sunday to leave feeling good and it’s definitely not to check it off our list of duties for the week.

The point being that maybe there’s something more to this whole following God thing.
That maybe He’s a loving Father who truly delights in us.
That maybe He’s still alive today just as He was 2000+ years ago.
That maybe He still speaks to us.
That maybe He cares more about His relationship with us than He cares about our “calling”, purpose, or what we are going to do with our life and where we’re going.

These past few days I’ve had the opportunity to sit at the feet of two missionaries that felt called to move to the middle east years ago where persecution is happening all around them. As they talked, I felt like a little kid, with wide eyes in amazement that there’s actually men and women who risk their lives for the Kingdom of God every single day.

They live their lives discipling the younger generation.
They know that if they go outside of their home to meet with another believer there’s a high chance of getting caught by the persecutors, and they will go Home.

I sat there convicted. I’ve heard the voice telling me to go. I’ve heard the voice telling me there’s something more. I’ve heard the confirmation that ministry isn’t a calling, it’s a lifestyle. And I do my best to live according to these things…But I still find myself afraid to tell the cashier in front of me at Walmart that God loves them.

Church family, what if we lived our lives according to the gospels and walked outside of our comfort zone? What if we believed everything that the scriptures say about us, about Him, and about His love for us? What if we let go of those worries and burdens we have about ourselves and the energy we use on worrying we use on caring for those around us? What if we loved the Lord so much we would risk our lives for His name to go to the people who have never heard of the name of Jesus before.

And because we’re not, I’m beginning to realize there’s something affecting our relationship with Him; because if we know we’re truly loved in full by the Father, that we’re truly free, that we’re Sons and Daughters of the King, that our home isn’t here on earth but in Heavenly places, then maybe… just maybe, our lives would look a little different.And maybe… just maybe, we wouldn’t be afraid of man and what man might think of us or do to us.

I’m not saying drop everything you know and move to the middle east, but I am saying there’s an urgency that the Father wants to pound in our heads.That there’s something more that He offers and all we have to do is receive it and live it out.

There’s an invitation, He calls us to live uncomfortable lives, church. He’s telling us to let go of the comforts and place them in His hands, “The comforts” being that thing we hold on to so tightly, we would be an absolute mess if we no longer had it.The thing that makes our heart fall to the pit of our stomach if it were no longer a part of our lives.

Yeah, that comfort… that’s the comfort he’s asking us to let go of.

And when that comfort is gone, we begin to walk into an uncomfortable place.

It will be unfamiliar, it might even be a little challenging.
But it’s in those places where we lean into the Father…
It’s in those places that fear, anxiety, and uncertainty will leave.
It’s in those places we will find so much freedom.
It’s in those places that our eyes and ears begin to open to the world around us and we begin to see others the way God see’s them.
It’s in those places that we begin to tap into something that these missionaries already possess and walk in.

It’s in those places that I believe we will truly live, find freedom, and become revival.

So church, here’s my challenge to you:
Will you let go? Will you step outside of comfort and embrace the uncomfortable?
Church, will you go outside of your four walls and hug a stranger? Tell the cashier they’re loved? Pray for a person in need?

Todd White once said, “2/3’s of God is Go.”
You’re called to make disciples to all the nations; maybe that means internationally and/or domestically, I’m not one to make that call, but God is.

So that’s the invitation I think the Father wants to extend to you, church, will you let go and just go?

Y’all, I’m so excited to introduce you to B&B’s very first guest blogger, Anna. Anna is a high school student and one of my role models. She is absolutely one of the sweetest souls you could ever hope to meet, and her smile and accompanying nose scrunch is just the greatest! She is the embodiment of not letting her youth hold her back from setting an example in life and godliness. She brings much to the table and adds important thoughts to the discussion of faith.