Summer survival guide

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Regardless of where you go. Or what you do this summer, the best investment you could make, with the most profitable returns will be the time you take each day to be alone and communicate with your God. This time will not only give you a heavenly outlook on each day, but also on your entire life and those people and circumstances around you.

How can you cultivate your relationship with God this summer?

Our pattern of life should be one of development and growth in at least these four areas; mental, physical, spiritual and social. I Cor 9:24,25 "Run in such a way that you may win... therefore I run in such a way as not without aim." We need to go into this summer with some goals and plans in regards to developing or meeting the needs of these four areas.


Contents

Guidelines in Developing a Personal Strategy (Life Goals)

  1. What's the ultimate purpose of my being here?
  2. What do I honestly want out of life?
  3. What are some things I'd like to accomplish by the time I'm 75?
  4. What price am I willing to pay to get what I want?
  5. What are some Scriptures that I can claim as verses for my life?


Summer Planning

The summer months can be valuable times of growth, but are often wasted because the time is not planned for and used wisely. You need to think seriously about and plan for your continued spiritual growth now. These questions are designed to help you plan your summer wisely.

  1. Where will I most likely spend my summer?
  2. Spiritual Development
    1. Personal Devotions
      1. How much time do I plan to spend in personal daily devotions this summer?
      2. Where and when will I do this?
      3. What portion of the Bible do I plan to begin with?
    2. Prayer
      1. Do I plan to spend time in personal and intercessory prayer? How much time?
      2. When and where do I plan to take this time?
      3. Who/what (leaders on campus, in my country, around the world, friends, nonChristians, Christians etc.) will I pray for specifically?
      4. What plan should I take? (eg. Pray specifically for one category each day of the week - family, personal needs, friends, etc.)
    3. Bible Study
      1. What specific Bible study do I plan to do this summer?
      2. When, where, how long?
      3. What method should I use? What tools will I need to help me?
    4. Personal Walk
      1. What can I do to increase my understanding and application of the ministry of the Holy Spirit?
    5. Fellowship take to make sure that I have that fellowship?
      1. Where will I get regular fellowship
      2. What church will I get involved with?
      3. What steps do I need to follow?
  3. Mental Development
    1. What personal reading do I plan to do this summer? (books, Christian/secular)
  4. Physical Development
    1. What specific exercise or recreation do I plan to do this summer? ## What habits (eating, sleeping, etc.) do I need to change or develop?
  5. Social Development
    1. What specific Ways can I show love to my family?
    2. Which friendships would I like to strengthen this summer?
    3. What creative social functions would I like to initiate? Go to?


Ministry Development

  1. Ministry skills
    1. What specific action can I take to use the training I have received?
    2. What are my areas of strength in ministering to people?
    3. In what areas do I need improvement?
  2. Evangelism
    1. What is my Jerusalem (Acts 1:8)? That is, where would I most naturally concentrate my ministry this summer?
    2. What means can I use most effectively to win people to Christ? (casual sharing using the Four Laws, evangelistic Bible study, surveys, evangelistic party, church visitation, etc.) 3. How much time will I plan weekly for this ministry? When?
  3. Discipleship
    1. How many people can I believe God for, to pass on the things I have learned?
    2. When and where could I begin a Bible study to teach these things? ## When and how will I challenge them to join?
  4. Future Development
    1. How do I want to be involved with Campus for Christ next fall?
    2. What do I need to do this summer to prepare for that?
    3. Have I decided to go to Summit?
    4. How much money do I need to put away each month this summer in order to attend conferences and retreats next year?


Helpful Tips

Pray for someone to whom you can be accountable to this summer Encourage others by writing them notes or praying for them Keep in touch with others listed on the Summer Address List.


My Summer Commitment

Finish the following statement with respect to your summer...

In a unique way God has chosen to use college age men and women throughout history as the driving force behind the expansion of His church. The great awakenings of past centuries which were the seed-beds of missionary expansion usually began as students gathered to pray. As students experienced personal and corporate spiritual renewal, they invariably came away with a burning desire to help evangelize the world in their generation.

One such student mission thrust was the Student Volunteer Movement. In the latter part of the 19'h century, the Student Volunteer Movement saw over 30,000 students, the "cream" of an entire generation of American society, sail for foreign mission fields. The torch has now been passed to me and to my generation of Christian University students. I have accepted the challenge of helping reach the world for Christ by deciding to...


What is True of Christ is True of You

(Taken from the book Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson) Who am I?

  • I am the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13)
  • I am the light of the world (Matt. 5:14)
  • I am a child of God (John 1:12)
  • I am a part of the true vine, a channel of Christ' s life (John 15:1,5)
  • I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
  • I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit (John 15:16)
  • I am a slave of righteousness (Rom 6:18)
  • I am enslaved to God (Rom. 6:22)
  • I am a son of God; God is spiritually my Father (Rom 8:14,15; Gal. 3:26; 4:6)
  • I am a joint heir with Christ sharing His inheritance with Him (Rom 8:17)
  • I am a temple - a dwelling place - of God. His Spirit and His life dwells in me (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)
  • I am united to the Lord and am one spirit with Him (1 Cor 6:17)
  • I am a member of Christ's Body (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19)
  • I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17)
  • I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18,19)
  • I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal 3:26,28)
  • I am an heir of God since I am a son of God (Gal. 4:6,7)
  • I am a saint (Eph 1:1; 1Cor 1:2; Phil 1:1; Col 1:2)
  • I am God's workmanship - His handiwork - born anew in Christ to do His work (Eph 2:10)
  • I am a fellow citizen with the rest of God's family (Eph. 2:19)
  • I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph 3:1; 4:1)
  • I am righteous and holy (Eph 4:24)
  • I am a citizen of heaven, seated in heaven right now (Phil 3:20; Eph 2:6)
  • I am hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)
  • I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life (Col 3:4)
  • I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved (Col. 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4)
  • I am a son of light and not of darkness (1 Thess 5:5)
  • I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling (Heb. 3:1)
  • I am a partaker of Christ I share in His life (Heb 3:14)
  • I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5)
  • I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession (1 Pet 2:9,10)
  • I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live (1 Pet 2:11)
  • I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet 5:8)
  • I am a child of God and I will resemble Christ when He returns (1 John 3:1,2)
  • I am born of God, and the evil one - the devil - cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)
  • I am not the great "I am" (Exodus 3:14; John 8:24,28,54), but by the grace of God, I am what I am (1 Cor 15:10)

"Because you are in Christ, every one of those characteristics is completely true of you, and there's nothing you can do to make them more true. But you can make these traits more meaningful and productive in your life by simply choosing to believe what God has said about you. One of the greatest ways to help yourself grow into maturity in Christ is to continually remind yourself who you are in Him." Neil Anderson (Victory Over the Darkness, pg. 47)

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work; growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. " Col 1:10-12

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No " to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age". Titus 2:12


Recommended Books

Title Author
Prayer
With Christ In The School Of Prayer Andrew Murray
Prayer O'Halsby
Power Through Prayer E.M. Bounds
Prayer Richard Foster
Grace
The Grace Awakening Charles Swindoll
Healing Grace David Seamands
Devotional
The Calvary Road Roy Hession
The Saving Life of Christ Major Ian Thomas
Knowing God J. Packer
The Knowledge of the Holy A. W. Tozer
Pursuit of Holiness Jerry Bridges
Loving God Chuck Colson
Restoring Your Spiritual Passion Gordon Macdonald
Relationships
The Secret of Loving Josh McDowell
Why Am I Afraid To Tell You Who I Am John Powell
Passion and Purity Elizabeth Elliot
Apologetics
Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis
Answers - Tough Questions That Skeptics Ask Josh McDowell
The Resurrection William Craig
Evangelism and Discipleship
Master Plan of Evangelism Robert Coleman
The Lost Art Of Disciplemaking Leroy Eims
Spiritual Leadership Oswald Sanders
Tell It Often Tell It Well Mark McKlosky
Witnessing Without Fear Bill Bright
Personal Disciplemaking Christopher Adsit
Foundation
Power For Living Bill Bright
First Year of Your Christian Life Pogue
Missions and Biographies
Bruchko. Bruce Olson
Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor
Peace Child Don Richardson
Shadow of The Almighty Elizabeth Elliot
In The Gap David Bryant
A Mind for Missions Brothwick
Come Help Change the World Bill Bright
Self Image
His Image, My Image Josh McDowell
Victory Over the Darkness Neil Anderson
The Bondage Breaker Neil Anderson
Spirit Filled Life
How To Be Filled With the Holy Spirit A.W. Tozer
The Holy Spirit The Key to Supernatural Living Bill Bright
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