When I last posted, I encouraged our parents to be prepared for a great work that God is doing at ACS. You read about my plans to preach on hypocrisy and my belief that the Holy Spirit would be convicting hearts. In that next high school chapel, the Spirit of God moved in quite a peculiar way. I had truly never experienced such a service. Scores of students moved to apologize to other students, to pray with a friend or teacher about an issue, to give a testimony to their peers, to sing a song, to rededicate their life to Christ, or even to surrender their heart and life to Him for the very first time. It was an unbelievably moving service. God has dealt so mercifully with us and deserves so much praise for the work He is doing!

As I have discussed the service with various parents and teachers, one common theme has consistently crossed my mind. GOD IS ABLE! Have you ever prayed for a certain person or about a certain situation for years without seeing much evidence that things were turning for the better? I know I have and suspect you have too. This recent chapel was an “in your face” kind of reminder that God answers prayer and that He moves in ways we cannot see or understand. The New Testament attaches faith to prayer. Keep in mind that we know faith operates without sight. It functions without proof. Faith often defies facts. Yet there is a serious temptation to lose heart when prayers seem to go unanswered day after day, month after month, year after year. When one can’t see progress, he is naturally persuaded to doubt. It makes perfect sense then that there is something so invigorating about moments when God moves specifically in the situation for which we have prayed.

As I watched students move across the drama center to surrender to what God was impressing upon their heart, I could not help but weep as I realized many of these had parents or other loved ones who were praying desperately that God would move in their heart. We had one student who gave his heart to Christ apologize to his mother for his actions in front of his peers. How does that happen? How does a teenage guy humbly apologize to his mother? GOD IS ABLE! I could write page after page about the different victories gained that day. Yet, one theme resounds: GOD IS ABLE!

That one truth is enough. He is able.

What have you given up on? Who have you given up on? What about yourself have you given up on? I get it. Most of the evidence says otherwise. Your experience leaves you depressed just thinking about it. Yet, whatever “it” is–GOD IS ABLE! Perhaps it would do us a lot of good to just say it out loud. God is able! Perhaps your kids need to hear you say it. God is able! Perhaps you need to just keep saying it until you really believe it. God is able! Marriages, Children, Sickness, Jobs, Finances, Depression, Bitterness, Anger–God is able! Though my experience, those close to me, and the facts all say otherwise…

I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that HE IS ABLE to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.                                                                   -2 Timothy 1:12

There are a lot of things I do not know, a lot of questions I cannot answer. Yet, there is one thing I know. I know on whom I have believed and I am confident that He is able. I closed my last blog mentioning what a shame it would be for our students to commit to being real for Christ while we fail to make the same commitment. Similarly, let us not be leaders of doubt, lacking in confidence, worrying about tomorrow. Instead, let us be firsthand examples to our students that faith moves mountains, peace passes understanding, and HE IS ABLE to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.