Over 30 churches in Columbus, Ohio, worshipped the name of Jesus as one body for the third annual ONE NIGHT at the Celeste Center of the Ohio State Fairgrounds on March 10.  ONE NIGHT is organized by a team of 180...

Emma DeCaro is an alumnae of The University of Texas at Austin, who graduated in 2015 with a bachelors in Public Relations and Environmental Sustainability. During her four years at UT, Emma was heavily involved in Ignite, a camp to welcome...

I thought I had grown out of campus ministry, thought I looked too “adult” now to casually walk into a dorm building or sit down among a group of freshmen and instantly make six new friends. I began to buy...

It’s funny.  You can’t make this up.  I just opened my computer to write this article on the power of perseverance and presence, when Facebook kindly congratulated me on 21 years of work for Campus Renewal.  It’s May 1st, and I...

College Ministry Discouragement I walked back to my car from across campus, discouraged and lonely. It was a long day trying to meet new students and build relationships with them. As I sat down to drive home I could just...

Every Monday at 5pm, Christian student leaders at The University of Texas at Austin meet together for prayer. This meeting, known as “Fusion” at UT, or what Campus Renewal calls a Leader Connect Group, serves as a physical representation of...

Well, the skulls have been put away for another year.  Each year at the beginning of November, our Latino/a community at St. Edward’s University erects their altar in our Chapel commemorating Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. ...

Ever since my fellowship group started the Campus Renewal prayer guide, I thought revival would come soon to our campus. I imagined one day where there would be so many people encountering God and committing their lives to Him, that...

“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” – Hebrews 11:13 I believe that this is one of the...

I remember helping my dad build our swing set when I was a child. He handed me a hammer, and showed me how to pound, pound, pound a nail into a piece of wood while he looked on, guiding my...

In 2001, ten years into leading the united prayer movement at the University of Texas at Austin (UT), I had a great desire to see a campus house of prayer where students could pray 24/7.  Since Rez Week, the annual united...

What if we were able to interact with God the Father, not just as Jesus’ Dad, but as our own? As his child? At the end of John 16, things are tense. Have you ever walked out of a conversation...

Running through the garden with the wind on his back, the boy running from his pursuer suddenly finds a good hiding spot as he lays waiting for the pursuer to disappear, to ponder and glaze upon his stolen prize. However,...

In light of our first Friday Fast on April 3rd, which also happens to be Good Friday, we decided post on what fasting actually is. So if you’re a seasoned faster, or just starting out, here are some good tips...

I am currently watching a very dear friend fall in love. Have you ever had the chance to watch this process? Or perhaps walked through it yourself? Although the end result is not always what we might hope. The beginning...

Two years ago the Lord prompted me to ask Him for the mountain. God took me to Joshua 14 and reminded me of Caleb’s bold comments when Joshua was dividing up the Promised Land. Caleb asked for the mountain that...

“God spoke to nothing and created something, He spoke to chaos and it became order, He spoke to darkness and it became a light.” AW Tozer. I look back at Biblical characters, theologians, and heroes of the faith and find they have...

As I’ve shared the vision of missional communities with students, I’ve noticed a pattern. Most of the time, students get overwhelmed. It just seems like so much. Building relationships with non-Christians can seem daunting when you look at your schedule...

Growing Anxious A few weeks ago, a student from my on-campus Bible study expressed an interest in studying the book of James together in our group.  I agreed, forgetting for a moment one simple, long-standing opinion I have about the...

I hesitate to write on this subject because we all, including myself, know that we do not pray enough.  I assume that we already feel a bit guilty about it too.  I don’t want to stir up more guilt.  We’ll...

In the late 19th century during the golden age of alpinism, the English mountaineer Edward Whymper led an expedition to conquer one of the last mountain peaks of the Great Alps, the Matterhorn. He and others had failed in many...

I played basketball all through elementary, middle, and high school. I just loved the game. I even took it with me a bit to college (UT Coed Champs of 1999….My 15 minutes of fame).  In middle school I had this...

We never know, when the Lord weaves someone into our lives, how much He will use their life to impact ours. Such is the case with a special man my husband and I met 33 years ago at Church on...

I’ve been a book-lover since before I could read.  My parents would read to me every night from classics like The Chronicles of Narnia, A Wrinkle in Time, and The Lord of the Rings.  Mom and Dad took turns reading...

“For nearly a hundred years the Church in America observed a day of united prayer for God to awaken and revive our colleges. At a time when the spiritual needs of our nation and world are so great, and so...

A few years back I took my family to Home Depot to buy some materials for a side project we were doing for the house.  I remember clearly, that it was a typical hot and Austin day.  As a matter...

Today’s blizzard reminds me of wintery days at Cornell where the trek over the river and through the woods to class would require I bring two extra changes of clothes: one for if the temperature dropped and another for if...

I remember sitting in a room with my friend Scott when he recently moved from a hospital into hospice care. He had spent the past year battling cancer. His condition worsened and it was a hard pill for him to...

This Friday is Campus Renewal’s “First Friday Fast,” when we encourage students across the nation to fast from food for 24 hours in order to give their attention to prayer for their universities.  Some have wondered, is it Biblical to...

It was during my sophomore year in college that I really began understanding what it meant to walk with Jesus in relationship. It was God’s grace through faithful men and women who pursued me with the love and truth of...

Hook Em Horns! I graduated from The University of Texas in 2001. Back in the days when Riverside was still considered the “ghetto”(where I lived happily for 3 years), when Taco Bell and Wendys were the only good things in the...

So unlike most of you who have been a campus pastor for years, I just made the plunge this week. Campus ID and parking permit in hand, I am off to SMU to save the world. For the first time...

Jonathan Edwards, the great 18th century pastor and leader of the First Great Awakening, was one of the first in our country to ask the question, “How can we unite believers across the country in prayer.”  After hearing about how...

This has been the most difficult and unrewarding eight months of ministry in my life. Personally, I have been referring to it as the season of “buildings and bucks” because I have been acting as more of a general contractor...

Working for two campus-related ministries and being the mom of a college student, I read a lot of research, hear a lot of reports and am all too aware of how precariously close we are to having the voice of...

There is a mystery to the way prayer works.  Often the Biblical commands about prayer and the Biblical narratives about prayer seem to be at odds with one another.  Prayer often feels like a two-sided coin. This semester I would...

In September I had a simple dream: I saw a map of the United States, and a storm was brewing in the surrounding oceans. It produced two huge waves, one that rose over California, and another over New England. Like...

I’ve been wrestling with whether or not to write on this subject. I normally try not to write my opinion on things that tend to divide the Body of Christ because I am so personally invested in bringing the Christian...

  It’s so easy to get caught up in the things of this world. We quickly loose sight of the eternal purpose of God in our lives and allow our minds and hearts to focus on the temporal things around...

“I can’t worship a God that allows so much pain and suffering.” “I think Jesus was a great teacher, but I don’t think he resurrected after he died.” “How can you really believe that Jesus actually turned water into wine...

C.S. Lewis’ writings are, for most Christians, the most significant influence in their spiritual lives (second only to the Bible). His intellect, his wit, and his imagination have captivated both readers and thinkers, atheists and Christians, college grads and high school...

I grew up in church. I’ve always said I was born on a Friday and in church that Sunday. I love the church. Really, I do.  I see the full potential that God dreamed up in gathering people to be family. And really,...

I was recently reminded of one of my favorite books, Jonathan Safran Foer’s soon-to-be-required-reading-for-students, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.”  In it, 10-year old Oskar loses his father in the attack on 9-11, and is struggling to navigate life without his...

“A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain.” This past month, I read the story of a World War II veteran, Olympian, and POW. Louis Zamperini, born in Torrance, California, was a troubled child growing up with immigrant...

There is a mystery to the way prayer works.  Often the Biblical commands about prayer and the Biblical narratives about prayer seem to be at odds with one another.  Prayer often feels like a two-sided coin. This semester I would...

The culture in ministry today is obsessed with making an impact.  There is something so beautiful and holy in our desperation to serve God well and leave the world a better place than we found it.  We want to change...

Part of being a campus minister is getting the opportunity to pray with a lot of people each week, which means I see a lot of different styles of prayer. It’s good for me to pray with so many different...

Lord, Teach Me to Pray Throughout the past few years, many people from this community have been praying for a consistent prayer room in/near our local college in Kennesaw, Georgia. Until recently, I never understood why we pray other than...

This week, I was able to participate in my church’s missions conference. While we hosted 15 guests from a variety of nations, our primary focus this year was on South Africa. Our church sent a young woman as a missionary to South...

There is a mystery to the way prayer works.  Often the Biblical commands about prayer and the Biblical narratives about prayer seem to be at odds with one another.  Prayer often feels like a two-sided coin. This semester I would...

A Noble Request In an oft-quoted passage of scripture (Luke 17), Jesus’ disciples approach Him with a noble request:  “Show us how to increase our faith,” they say.  As far as requests from the disciples are concerned, this one’s pretty...

You just entered your senior and final year at MIT, are going to be graduating in May with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science, and today, you are asked by the university to pause for fifteen minutes to...

There is a mystery to the way prayer works.  Often the Biblical commands about prayer and the Biblical narratives about prayer seem to be at odds with one another.  Prayer often feels like a two-sided coin. This semester I would...

As I sat on the grass in the beautiful weather this Monday with one dozen UT Dallas students – praising Him for all He has done for us, asking for His kingdom to come and His will to be done...

How can you tell if someone is in campus ministry? Their calendar year doesn’t start on the first of January but at the start of a new school year. One of the realities of campus ministry is that it has...

Baylor, once relatively unheard of, is hurtling into becoming a household name.  The once small football program is now housed in a shiny new stadium, with fans desperate for tickets and expecting wins.  Robert Griffin III is championing a new...

There is a mystery to the way prayer works.  Often the Biblical commands about prayer and the Biblical narratives about prayer seem to be at odds with one another.  Prayer often feels like a two-sided coin. This semester I would...

John Donne famously said, “No man is an island” in his book Meditations XVII.  No matter who you are talking to at Texas Tech, the consensus is that God is revealing himself one day at a time as the God...

What would you do if you lived in a country where children are taken from their family, husbands are murdered and the wives raped?  What would you do if you lived in a region where up to 9 out of...

There is a mystery to the way prayer works.  Often the Biblical commands about prayer and the Biblical narratives about prayer seem to be at odds with one another.  Prayer often feels like a two-sided coin. This semester I would...

The Overflow Halleluia! We have twelve days left to pray on SMU campus to complete our 40 days of prayer. It’s been such a beautiful experience to stand in the center of the campus and praise and worship the Lord...

It has only been several months since the passing of Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. He was the man who unified South Africa. Ravaged by many years of apartheid and racial tension, many lives...

Jesus the Servant Jesus was a servant. This is a pretty straight forward fact shown to us throughout scripture. Jesus washed His disciples feet. Jesus humbled Himself and became a man. Jesus, most importantly, died on a cross in the...

There’s a phrase being bandied about the web in blogs and posts these days about leaning in. There are people who encourage this, people who disparage it, and people who are just confused, and that’s okay. But for me, a...

This semester I have been writing about how prayer and mission go hand in hand.  You can’t have one without the other.  There might be no better passage to prove this than the story told in Acts 10 when God...

I have been listening to sermons online, lately.  I heard one on Monday by Francis Chan about the power of prayer, and the ability of prayer to become a lifestyle– a way of walking in love with God.  He questioned...

Have you ever found yourself somewhere and wondered how you got there? That’s exactly how I am feeling today as we are kicking off our forty days of prayer for Southern Methodist University here in Dallas.  It’s been a five-year...

This semester I’ve been writing about how prayer and mission are inseparable.  Sometimes the prayer people can look at mission people and think, “You’re all about planning and strategizing, but you need to pray so you’re not operating in a...

About two years ago my wife and I were asked to move to Austin to help give leadership to an Epic Movement team there. Epic Movement is the Asian American reaching arm of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). Within...

Learning to Walk in Faith and Not By Sight “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase” (Martin Luther King Jr.). Living in the world’s most influential and powerful city, you are often reminded...

This semester I’ve been writing about how prayer and mission are inseparable.  Sometimes the “prayer people” can look at mission people and think “you’re all about planning and strategizing, but you need to pray so you’re not operating in a...

Relient K Have you heard of Relient K? I don’t know if you grew up in the Church, but if you were a coming-of-age Christian in the early 2000s then the chances are you listened gleefully to many a Relient...

On February 7th, a group of students plus a group of my adult friends gathered to watch the “Compelled by Love” documentary about Rolland and Heidi Baker’s life and work in Mozambique. There were many amazing things in the movie...

Christians pray a lot.  We pray before meals in restaurants and at kitchen tables.  We pray before a particularly hard day at work or a big exam.  We pray for peace and encouragement.  We whisper a prayer of gratitude when...

This semester I’ve been writing about how prayer and mission are inseparable.  Sometimes the “prayer people” can look at mission people and think “you’re all about planning and strategizing, but you need to pray so you’re not operating in a...

This semester I’ve been writing about how prayer and mission are inseparable.  Sometimes the “prayer people” can look at mission people and think, “You’re all about doing stuff, but you need to pray so you’re not operating in a worldly...

Other than getting married or becoming a parent, I cannot think of another thing that could bring so much transformation into a person’s life that getting into the ministry. To call me naive would be an understatement when I signed...

I have always been struck by the disciples asking Jesus to “teach them to pray (Luke 11:1).”  If I had been with Jesus for a year or so I think I would have said, “Teach me to walk on water,...

I’m a carnivore and proud to admit it. If I get to choose a last meal, it’s going to be steak. I will occasionally order a salad, but it will be a salad with lots of meat on it! Once...

One of the most intriguing aspects of working in college ministry is listening to Christian students talk about why they chose the church they attend.  If you think about it, for college students this may be the first time in...

College students are hardly ever still.  Our lives are full of competing voices and activities.  We watch TV and we text and we drink a five dollar cup of coffee and we do homework.  There is hardly ever a moment...

Let’s be honest.  I am always learning about prayer and have a lot more to learn.  I have many mentors in my life who excel in their prayer life and I have an unhealthy way of comparing myself to them. ...

This morning I received the devastating news that a good friend of mine lost his three-year-old son last night. There was no accident, no negligence, no one to blame: his son went to sleep and did not wake up the...

Social Pariah There’s been a story that has been on my mind the past couple of weeks.  It’s a story that seems to communicate the gospel message with clarity and fullness.  It’s about a woman – a woman who is...

Recently at a conference I was attending, I had a conversation with a worship pastor from another church where he insisted: “Sundays are for the saints.” I asked if it was important for those leading in different church communities to...

In John 17, in the high priestly prayer of Jesus, Christ prays that He would be glorified that He might glorify the Father. In verses 20 and 21, Jesus makes a point that is necessary for is to take seriously:...

In 1996, religious life at the University of Arkansas was pretty much like it is in many other places in the Bible Belt – lots of Christian groups each doing their own thing without regard for the other groups on...

This review is part of a series of book reviews of nine books and manuals on international student ministry written between 1974 and 2008 by both leaders within national ministries and church denominations as well as former international students. Each...

Since I was a child, I’ve always been a person of prayer. I was fortunate to have a really peculiar childhood which I often refer to as my Garden of Eden; because I really believed that I walked with God...

What if sharing our faith was simply loving people like Jesus did?  Evangelism can be an intimidating idea and often times have negative connotations. What if evangelism didn’t have to be so scary, what if it could be, dare I...

This will be my final blog post for Campus Renewal Ministries. I have worked as an intern for CRM for the past two years, and have loved my time with the organization—I would like to say thank you to CRM...

Those of you who know me, upon reading this blog post, will simply laugh. I’ve been known to be particularly anti-Church culture, meaning that I think the culture of Christianity cultivated in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s is mostly garbage hindering...

2 Peter 3:13 – “But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” Shutting Down For as long as I can remember, I’ve hated change. It’s just...

This weekend CRM staff attended the 6:4 Fellowship Conference in Dallas.  The 6:4 Fellowship is a network of pastors and ministry leaders committed to the priorities of the apostles in Acts 6:4 who said they would “give their attention to...

The Tragedy The bombing at the Boston Marathon last week was, of course, a tragedy. As Christians, we mourn with those who are hurting. But, as Christians, we also need to mourn with those who, despite having nothing to do...

Fear. I have a lot of it. I’m afraid that I won’t get into grad school. I’m afraid I won’t find a job for the summer. I’m afraid I’ll be lonely when my friends graduate and leave Austin and I...

The Man, The Myth It has probably already been established throughout my blog posts that I am a literature nerd. I love reading. I love books. God is really cool because He uses this love to teach me new things...

Obsessive Studying Spiritual rest is something that I’m really bad at. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with to do lists and getting things done and being productive. I’m sort of a freak when it comes...

A Question of Identity I’m not sure girls ever outgrow body image issues. I know I certainly haven’t yet. If you’ve ever been a girl, you’re probably familiar with feeling like there’s something wrong with your physical appearance. You’re too...

Who is a prophet? Is it someone who wanders in the wilderness and eats locusts? Is it someone who parts an ocean or sees visions of heaven? Sometimes. At the core, a prophet is someone who sees another reality –...

This week, I’ll be writing about the missionary’s best friend. I think I’ve been burned out so much over the past two and a half years that now, when Satan tries to do it again, there’s nothing left to do;...

This week, I’ll be writing about the relationship between a healthy prayer life and a healthy dose of evangelism in the life of a believer. For stock quotes, comments on international politics, or my picks for this year’s World Series,...

Warning to my reader: this blog post will be an exploration, as I work through my own thoughts and feelings on my longing for heaven. Let me start with a C.S. Lewis quote: “The books or the music in which...

Woah, looks like we have a super fun, happy topic today! (That’s sarcasm, in case you didn’t catch it.) Suffering. It’s one of the most difficult mysteries of our Faith to understand. Why do we suffer? Why would a God...

A Cold Drink of Water Take a moment and imagine that you’ve just come back from a long run. It’s the middle of August in Austin, Texas. You pushed yourself and ran for a mile longer than you intended. You’re...

A small pack of monkeys has taken up residence in my mind. Let me be clear here, these new inhabitants are joining the two or three monkeys that live there year round. The regulars generally keep busy swinging about hooting...

This week Campus Renewal Ministries released its first app. Pray UT is a 31-day prayer guide for the University of Texas. It is written by 31 different college pastors who serve the University of Texas. Each day includes three components....

This week I’ll be dealing with an issue near and dear to my heart: exercising faith to pursue big goals. The entire article has a huge caveat, which I’ll address in the last section, but I still believe it to...

Grieving the Church You know that verse that tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit? Sometimes, I think we need to be be reminded not to grieve Christian community. The notion of “community” is something most Christians are familiar...

As I was driving home from winter break, that fabulous one-hit wonder song, “What is love? (Baby don’t hurt me)” started playing on the radio. As I jived to the funky techno beat, singing the main chorus as loudly as...

The first year we did a house of prayer in the middle of campus for Rez Week I met a few students who objected to the idea of such public prayer. They referenced the sermon on the mount when Jesus...

So begins my next series: Two-A-Days. The Gospel Rants are officially dead; I have killed them. Thus, the old has passed away—behold, the new has come! This will be a blog post explaining the goals and attributes of this new...

Today is the start of a new semester, and for me it starts the same as it did twenty-one years ago. It starts with 7am prayer. The second week of my freshman year at the University of Texas, a few...

 A few weeks ago I wrote about three ways Christian students get it wrong when trying to find “The One.” I said there are three things students should not do in their search for a husband or wife: don’t pray about...

It’s the end of the semester, so I thought I’d go a little bit off topic this week by writing about relationships. These are my opinions, not necessarily those of Campus Renewal Ministries. Many students come to college hoping to...

I was 16 years old when God first gave me a vision for uniting campuses in prayer. I heard Dan Hayes, author of Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening, speak at a conference and I was forever changed. I instantly started thinking...

Advent is the season leading up to, including, and following the Christmas holiday in which the church together anticipates and prepares for Christ’s return while remembering his birth. Way better than Black Friday and after Christmas sales. Advent and the...

Now that all of the hype from the election has gone down, I think it’s safe for me to talk about politics without being pummeled into submission (maybe). I just hope nobody comes to burn my house down after reading...

This blog is a little bit of a rant, but I believe it needs to be written, not to make anyone feel guilty but to encourage the body of Christ to better honor one another. I was talking recently with...

A sad reality of our society today is that celebrity scandals in the news are no surprise to us anymore. Headlines about the rich and famous having nude photos leak or getting DUI’s just make us go, “Meh,”. If you...

Here’s a beautiful article that popped up on my news feed one day: http://www.statepress.com/2012/09/27/from-atheism-to-catechism/ This article is about is a guy named Josh, who used to be the president of the secular society at Arizona State University, who converted to...

Here are a few thoughts as I have been meeting with students. Lost in a Fog In today’s society with a plethora of knowledge at everyone’s fingertips it is easy to quickly become overwhelmed with theological content. It is incredibly...

I’ve always said that my room mirrors the current state of my life. Before this weekend when I helped staff a retreat called Longhorn Awakening hosted by the University Catholic Center, my room looked like the “sour” part of a...

Well it seems that it’s that time of the year again: Midterms *dundundun* I know a lot of us had a hard week this past week, and as for me, it was both terrible and wonderful at the same time....

This week, I’ll be tackling a question I’ve had since I was a little kid: How can people live the way that they do? How can they lose everything in their life that matters to them, their wives, their children,...

This weekend I had the privilege to be the cantor at a Catholic wedding. It was at a beautiful little church amidst the hills of south Austin called St. Catherine of Sienna. The ceremony was touching, and as a hopeless...

Here we are again, folks—The Gospel Rants have returned! I’ve had this Rant on the backburner for a long time because there’ve been so many other things to write about, but I think it’s enough of a softball for us...

I haven’t blogged in a while, so I wanted to write up a quick post on spiritual disciplines. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor is it meant to say that if you don’t do some of...

  I sat there across the table from him and I could see the pain in his eyes. He tried to smile at me, like everything was okay, but we both knew it wasn’t. That’s the thing about hurt. Even...

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have...

The other day I found myself thinking back to a particular moment in my life, about 3 years ago. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you might know that from the summer of 2008 to November...

Last week, things got a little heady. I think it’s time to take things back down to earth. To do that, we’ll be talking about a few implications of the law of grace that we went over in TGR 10....

Are we more sinful or more sanctified, more flesh or more Spirit? Why don't Christians follow the Torah? What law now applies to us, if we have died to the old?

The topic this week will be works; what do my works really mean, now that my flesh has been crucified? Am I still functioning as I was before, or do my actions have their genesis from another entity, such as...

I’m taking a class this semester called “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement.” It’s an intriguing course about cross-cultural evangelism, or what has traditionally been called “missions.” There’s no way I can summarize the class in one post, so I...

Last week was a particularly unique week in Austin. My beloved city hosted three unique events, each with its own “revival lens.” Austin hosted the Verge Conference, where about 2000 pastors and ministry leaders from around the world gathered to...

God’s pursuit fuels passion, which fuels missions. I am a father of two sons (5 & 3). One of their favorite movies is “Finding Nemo”. During a window of about 3 months we watched the movie 84 times. To be...

God is bigger than the Bible. However, I think sometimes we limit God to only the Bible. And by the way, just to avert any misunderstanding whatsoever, I am in no way undervaluing the Scriptures. By placing greater emphasis on...

If you’ve studied the history of revivals for any length of time, at some point you should arrive at an interesting fact: many of them were birthed through students on college campuses! I suppose that fact shouldn’t be too surprising...

To wrap up the blind man’s rambling on discipleship, I’ll take two common questions and throw some thoughts at them. This is a much shorter post than normal because these questions, although asked often and important to understand, aren’t difficult...

Often I get asked to teach on the topic of prayer.  I find it to be one of the most difficult topics to teach about.  It’s not that the Bible has little to say on prayer.  It’s that everyone already...

Are you convinced Bono is the Antichrist? Do you still wonder why so many people started saying "Your Mom goes to college" at exactly the same time? Is Harry Potter really Satan? This post is for you.

“The gospel isn’t one class among many that you’ll attend during your life as a Christian—the gospel is the whole building that all the classes take place in! Rightly approached, all the topics you’ll study and focus on as a...

Twenty-one days ago a dozen college pastors stood on stage before 150-200 of their students to explain why we felt God was calling us to unite in a 21-day fast.  You may be thinking, “Twelve pastors!  How long did they...

We’re in the last week of a 21-day media fast with over 200 students here at The University of Texas. Students, along with several staff members from different ministries have chosen to actively give up forms of media like facebook,...

Here at the University of Texas we are 13 days into a 21-day fast.  About 200 students and staff from about a dozen ministries are fasting together and praying every day at 7am, 8am or 8pm.  It has been wonderful....

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” -Proverbs 3:5-6 It’s interesting how much we tend to rely on ourselves....

The last two Gospel Rants have been pretty heavy on theology. In the interest of keeping everything practical, I want to get things back down to earth this week. Now almost as much as I love evangelism, I love discipleship,...

“Are you waiting on God or something else?” That was the question that was posed to me today, and it stopped me dead in my tracks. But you obviously have no idea what led up to this moment, so let’s...

More than 200 students at the University of Texas are 7 days into a 21-day fast. Why are we doing this?  It’s not because we thought it would be neat.  It’s not because we were looking for something else to...

Yesterday at The University of Texas, we kicked off a 21-day fast with almost 200 students from about 15 different ministries. Over the next 3 weeks, these students, along with many of their campus ministers and leaders will be committing...

Today, Monday October 31st, while thousands of students at the University of Texas are celebrating Halloween in some innocent ways and some perverse ways, 170 students are uniting in worship to kick off a season of prayer and fasting. Some...

“I’m on a technology overload.  Inundated with information that is inapplicable to the vast majority of my life.  I check my Facebook profile 22 times a day with the hopes of a red button notifying me of my importance to...

“Before God can use you greatly, He must test you deeply.” This is what caught my eye today amidst the many facebook status updates on my newsfeed. That’s the neat thing about being facebook friends with pastors and other people...

Naturally Automatic Have you noticed that just about everything in our world can be automated for us? Automatic transmissions are the norm and most of us never learn to drive standard. It seems almost awkward to me to have to...

A couple of months ago, my best friend Andre and I started up a bible study for the Christians in our missional community. It’s our way of making sure we have time to connect with one another on a deeper...

God is doing some awesome things on college campuses today! Students are starting to catch the vision that God has placed them on their campuses to reach out to their peers and share the Gospel with them. Many are recognizing...

“Nevertheless let us not forget that the stops, as well as the steps, of a good man are ordered of the Lord. If the work is His work, let Him control it, and, whether we expand or contract, let it...

When the Lord first put The Gospel Rants in me, I had no idea where He would take them. I still don’t, but I think this week’s article is an important step toward TGR becoming what the Lord wants it...

The following is an excerpt from my book Campus Renewal – A Practical Plan to Unite Campus Ministries in Prayer and Evangelism. Trent Sheppard is part of a collegiate prayer movement called Campus America. Campus America is an initiative of 24/7...

I’ve always been a doer. If it’s a choice between doing something tranquil and quiet versus running about planning, making phone calls, and talking to people, it’s pretty much a no-brainer which one I’d choose. I suppose that’s one of...

Soiled Jeans of Glory It’s once a century that I hear a true, God-given gift of a story. They make me pee my pants when I do. I don’t mean like Aladdin—I don’t want your daily provisos, as glorifying as...

The following is an excerpt from my book Campus Renewal – A Practical Plan to Unite Campus Ministries in Prayer and Evangelism. Pattern for Revival Revival is always preceded by a growing movement of prayer. It is the clear pattern seen...

You Just Go For The Throat I have too much ambition. I remember the first day I hit the UT campus, the snot-nosed freshman looking to change the world dressed in his high school letter jacket, seeing atheists and agnostics...

Summer is over and students are pouring back onto campus. As the semester gets started, it’s sometimes hard to stay focused on the things that are most important. Here are a few things that are really helpful for me to...

Your campus will not be reached without a core group of empowered leaders taking bold steps of faith in unison. Building a core group of leaders presents many challenges since students often misunderstand their purpose and ministry leaders can use...

About a year ago, as I made my way up to Tennessee for a staff summit, I received a phone call from my doctor’s office. They told me the kidney disease that I had been battling since the summer of...

God has a mission: He “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:4). God has called all believers to join in His mission by becoming Christ’s ambassadors to the world...

I am not the most patient person. Telling me I need to wait for something is almost a surefire way to get me slightly agitated and irate, especially over those oh-so-important things, you know, like waiting for a webpage to...

  Street Youth Ministry hosts a prayer hour each week at the Campus House of Prayer (CHOP). It is attended by my summer intern (a Bible college student from Missouri), by a food volunteer (a different person each week makes...

That’s me, months before God got ahold of me during my freshman year of high school. I was an angry teenager looking for meaning in athletic success and popularity, when a man named Barry Bowling, from Student Venture (Campus Crusade’s...

This week I had the joy of meeting two students from the University of Texas at Arlington.  A group of students on their campus had been leading united prayer on campus for a few years.  Recently, one of them started...

For the first time this semster, I had a roommate I didn’t choose. We had never met before we arrived at our apartment to move in, and we didn’t know anything about each other. Many college students experience this with a “potluck”...

4 days later and I still can’t believe another Rez Week has gone by. There’s something exhilarating about being together with hundreds of other students from different ministries, all unashamedly worshiping Christ as the united Body of Christ on campus....

This past Monday I found myself in our regular weekly prayer time with a couple of my interns. Amidst worship and just taking time out from work to pray and sing songs to God together, the subject of quiet time...

For the next several weeks I would like to write about reasons why we do not pray like we should. My hope is not to induce guilt. We all know we do not pray as much or as well as...

For the next several weeks I would like to write about reasons why we do not pray like we should. My hope is not to induce guilt. We all know we do not pray as much or as well as...

For the next several weeks I would like to write about reasons why we do not pray like we should.  My hope is not to induce guilt.  We all know we do not pray as much or as well as...

Last Friday, we had our first community night of the semester. It was really great meeting different people, who prayed at the CHOP and shared the same vision of seeing God transform this campus by fueling the 24/7 prayer movement....

The following is an excerpt from my book Campus Renewal – A Practical Plan to Unite Campus  Ministries in Prayer and Evangelism. For a long time, prayer in our campus ministries was relegated to a weekly meeting that often consisted of...

For the next several weeks I would like to write about reasons why we do not pray like we should.  My hope is not to induce guilt.  We all know we do not pray as much or as well as...

It’s survey week here at The University of Texas at Austin. For the past few days, 138 students and campus ministers from various ministries have been intentionally going to specific areas on and around campus asking people questions. These questions...

The start of the semester is always an exciting time. College campuses that have been dormant over the break come to life again as students, administrators and faculty bustle about in a flurry of activity. Here at the Campus House...

Psalm 23 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For...

I was praying for a family member a week or so ago when I noticed something dark in my heart.  I could  tell that I was not praying with belief.  It was more than me not believing God would answer...

Will You Not Revive Us Again Psalm 85:6-7 says “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?  Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation.” When you look at our Nation and college...

If a fire broke out on the roof of your dorm or apartment right now, you would have some choices. One option may be to immediately scream, run outside to turn on the garden hose and begin squirting the blaze....

The following is written by Steve Shadrach, author of Fuel and The Flame Prayer: The real work of the ministry I didn’t say it, 19th century Christian leader and author S.D. Gordon did. “Prayer is the real work of the...

The following is an adjusted excerpt from my book Campus Renewal: A Practical Plan for Uniting Campus Ministries in Prayer and Mission. Biblical Prayer and Revival Revival is always preceded by a growing movement of prayer.  It is the clear...

The speaker told all of us at the conference to stand up, grab a piece of chalk, and scatter ourselves out across the cement  floor of the gymnasium we were meeting in. After instructing us to draw a circle on...

“Ohmigosh I am soooo annoyed!” I ranted to my roommate Jill. “I mean, seriously? I just… really really don’t like her!” Jill nodded her head, sympathetically agreeing with me. *sigh* “I guess you know what this means,” I said. “We...

I don’t know about you, but my Mondays are always hectic. Mornings begin with a 9am conference call to pray with all our staff around the country, followed by organizing and planning for the week. Before I know it, it’s...

Today I woke up and I felt like my head was about to explode. Ever have one of those days? With one day left before our annual President’s Banquet, a big gala dinner event where we present the past year’s...

What A Great Day To Run It was 2:15am, and my samsung phone alarm sounded as I awoke from 4 hours of sleep. I got up, put on my Florida State University sweatshirt and thought, “What a great day to...

I was leading a Bible study on the topic of prayer with some students today.  We all admitted that sometimes we feel too busy to pray.  We tend to think that we can accomplish more by “doing something” instead of...

This past June I was traveling through Mizzoula, Montana with the desire to go fishing. Mizzoula, Montana has always been in my mind the perfect place to go fishing.  I think this idea came from the movie “A River Runs...

This semester, Wednesdays have seen me showing up to campus by about 8.30am. Usually armed with music sheets and my guitar (though I switch it up and play the piano every now and then), I wait for the clock to...

College campuses are great places to “people-watch.”  The best time to  people-watch is between classes when students pour out of their classrooms.  You can sit in one spot and within a ten minute period see thousands of students walk by....

I like being upside down. Strange, I know, but it’s something my friends have discovered that happens to me if I’m a) tired, or b) it’s late at night. I’m not quite sure why I usually end up with my...

On college campuses, it’s easy for groups of Jesus-followers to feel like they are alone in a vast sea of people who could care less about God. Many Christian students aren’t even aware that God is moving in incredible ways...

We’ve all been there before… everyone’s looking around, no one wants to volunteer, and finally, after some awkward glances and not wanting to prolong the silence, some self-sacrificing individual finally sighs and says, “Okay, I’ll say grace.” As comical as...

In most cases, the prayer meeting is the least attended gathering of every campus ministry.  The prayer meeting is the least emphasized and least supported.  We may say that prayer is a part of all of that we do, but...