Life on Mission

We’ve officially settled into the home in Juarez, Mexico. For us at Ace in the City, this is an exciting trip. It’s our BIGGEST trip yet (with 27 people). It’s a trip filled with newly weds, entire family units, brothers, best friends, mom’s with daughters and dad’s with daughters….what a cool reflection of family!

And yet, as we lead another trip to this beautiful place, we’re reminded yet again that God desires to do so much more beyond a one-week trip.

God desires to do BIG THINGS when we return home.

This week is a stepping stone to a life more intentionally, relentlessly, passionately lived on mission back in South Minneapolis—or wherever it is that we call “home.”

This morning, we started off of the week climbing the mountain that overlooks the city. Together, we began diving a bit deeper into Jesus’ ministry launch: the greatest life on mission this world has ever seen.
And for Jesus—his life on mission actually began in a desert place, overlooking a vast cityscape and being offered a chance to have it all if he would just bow down to the enemy.

Thousands of years later, here we are in our desert place called Juarez, overlooking vast cityscape. And while billions of people have come and gone, empires have risen and fell, history written and rewritten since Jesus’ time in the wilderness—we are still left with but one choice:

Our empire or God’s Kingdom?

Jesus left quite the example for us to follow. As we see in Matthew 4, Jesus demonstrates that life on mission begins in the wilderness. Life on mission begins in the desert place. Life on mission begins with the complete emptying of one’s self.

Because it’s when we are vulnerable and empty and rid of self, the Spirit has room to make “home.” And when the Spirit is at home in you, your world and the world around you will never be the same again. It can’t be.

Our prayer this week is that as we empty ourselves, we’re filled up not with pictures and memories (though we hope we walk away with those too), but rather filled with the Spirit. Our world needs it.
Come, Lord Jesus.