For the last two months of the race, I have the absolute privilege of living with all 12 men on my squad. These men have honored me, taught me, loved me, and sharpened me in thousands of ways over the last year and I wanted to share with you the greatest things I have learned from them. I wanted to write the ways I see the Lord in them on a daily basis. They are some of the most glorious gifts from the Lord that I have received over the last year. I’m overhwlemingly thankful for their presence in my life.
MATT: COMMITMENT.
Matt is a man of follow through and dedication. He consistently demonstrates patience and extends grace like Jesus does.
JOE : JOY.
Joe shows me Jesus in the way that he encounters kids. Jesus said ‘let the little children come’ and I’ve seen Joe say that with his actions countless times.
HUNTER : FREEDOM.
Hunter fully enjoys the presence of the Father and is free to find fullness in God. The limitlessness of God doesn’t scare him, but brings him confidence and assurance.
ZANE : DUTY.
Zane has amazing perspective on his purpose as a Jesus follower: to know Jesus, to be more like Him, and to inspire others to be more like Him also.
NICK : GLORY.
Not only does Nick, by nature, display the glory of the Lord through his very existence, but he also is constantly moved by the glory of God in creation. It physically drives him to dance and sing and exalt the Lord.
DAKOTA : BELIEF.
Scripture says the word of God is a light to our feet, not a spotlight over the whole path. Dakota fully trusts the Lord with his life and is content with the light that shows him where his feet and next step are.
ANDREW : EXCELLENCE.
I have had the privilege of listening to Andrew play the guitar for most of the race. He’s led worship for our teams countless times and his desire to make the very best music for his Maker inspires me to work at whatever I’m doing as though I’m doing it for the Lord.
ZACHARY : GRACE.
Zach is my squad leader, but I’ve never questioned our friendship. He approaches my team and I as a brother and he extends feedback with overwhelming grace. He’s humble in the way he seeks to lead and he’s the most sure of God’s grace in his own life.
ZACH : WORSHIP.
I’ve learned the most about worship by the way Zach lives his life in full confidence of who he is as a son, heir with Jesus Christ, and worshipper. He’s taught me so much about being a child of God and what that means for me.
NOAH : LISTEN.
Noah hears the voice of the Lord clearly and truly delights in obeying it fully. He knows that the direction and guidance of his father is the most valuable voice he can listen to.
BEN : LIFE.
Ben has a zeal and zest for life and he loves adventure. He loves community. He loves being exactly who God created him to be. He loves sharing the things God puts on his heart and seeks to breathe life into others.
SHANE : SONG.
I’ve never seen anyone more moved by music than Shane Clardy, but I truly believe he encourters the Holy Spirit in melodies, sweet jazz solos, and perfect pitch. It’s inspiring to watch Shane live a life of song to the lord, especially in his gratitude for music.
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I am so grateful for these men. They’ve changed my life. They’ve made it better, more fun, way more sassy, and the most filled with the Lord. Could never say enough good things about them, but there’s a glimpse. They’re going to make it especially hard to go home, but that’s sweet in itself.
Here’s to three more weeks of blogs!
-k
