Mission to Africa (Day 1)...

I got up about 4:00 that  morning to get ready to be at church by 5:00am. Lauren and Price got up with me and we all drove to Tabernacle Baptist Church for devotion and last minute instructions. Lauren dropped me off, and it was very hard to say goodbye. I tried not to let my emotions show because I knew Lauren was already struggling with the fact that I was going to be gone for 10 days. I kissed them goodbye and met my team inside the church.

Matthew Early, a past member of this trip to Africa, gave the devotion and he asked us, "What was Jesus' purpose for coming to Earth?" His purpose was to restore the relationship between God and man, and to tell people the truth. And the last part is what God was calling us to do in Sesheke, Zambia...tell people the truth about why Jesus came to Earth.

We left for the airport and arrived to check our baggage around 6:30am. We went through security, and after we put our shoes back on and gathered our belongings we realized we were 2 team members short. We looked...and looked...and looked! Sydney and Eric were no where to be found. I heard that Johannesburg, South Africa was the world's most dangerous city and possibly expected something unfortunate to happen when we arrived there, but in Atlanta??? Finally, someone pointed out that Eric and Sydney had been chosen to do the full body scan, so our hearts were at ease.

Our flight didn't leave until 8:30am, so we grabbed some breakfast and chatted before we loaded the plane. I sat with Zack Philliber (Philly) on the plane ride to Washington, D.C., which seemed to be a short ride compared to the 16-hour flight awaiting us. We arrived safely at Washington Dulles International Airport. By now it was lunch time and we had about 6 hours to kill during our lay-over. Most of the team ate at Fuddruckers, a few grabbed pizza, but after lunch we made ourselves at home at our terminal.

Let me introduce you to our team before I finish the story of Day 1. The captains of our trip were Joe Carp and Clift Dempsey. Mr. Joe and Mr. Clift were a perfect combination because they are both great leaders. They were very quick to get on to one another (out of love and fun) when the other took the lead and made the slightest mistake (I will get to that in a second). Next we had Mr. Gary Glaze who has been on many mission trips. He even went on trips when I was in high school. He was our photographer and the "ham-bone" expert (if you don't know what that is, that is where you use your hand and leg to make a music beat). It was my pleasure to get to know Eric Webster, who has to be one of the most genuine people I know. He has a true passion for Jesus, he is a great teacher, and I was blessed by being on this trip with him. The college teammates were Richard Downer, Zack Philliber, and Sydney Carp. All 3 have made the trip to Sesheke before, so I was interested to learn from their experience. Then came 3 of my students from the high school: Ty Downer, Clifton Dempsey, and Pierce Dempsey. All in all we had an outstanding team that was ready to tell Sesheke, Zambia about Jesus Christ!

Back to Joe and Clift ragging each other...

After lunch, Clift found nothing better to do than to rag Joe about losing 2 team members before we left Atlanta, arriving at the Atlanta airport 3 days before we were supposed to leave (really just a couple of hours), and now Clift found out that Joe had a better seat on the plane than he did. Clift's seat was on the very last row where he could not recline...for 16 hours! We were all laughing pretty hard and it became a joke the rest of the trip. We passed the rest of the time by playing games, eating ice cream, and talking to our family before we left for Africa. I called Lauren and Price one last time to say goodbye. Lauren was out "bargain" shopping with her friend Shawna, but I was so happy that she was occupied. I sure was going to miss my family over the next 10 days, but I was excited to see how God was going to work in my life and work through me to change lives!

Tune in tomorrow for the 16-hour plane ride to Africa...

(To view my "Mission to Africa" photo album, become my friend on Facebook...Drew Startup)

Verse for Week #3...

I thought this week we would go with Ephesians 3:20, which talks about God's POWER!

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us..."

I think that we forget sometimes that God is an all-powerful God! When we ask God to do something, He wants to do it according to His will, but we must BELIEVE when we ask. Is there something you need to believe God to do in your life? The verse says that He is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we ask or imagine. Ask and believe!

It Started With a Text...

My wife and I, along with the rest of the FCA leaders, had just returned to Cartersville from FCA Camp. We were pulling into the Target parking lot around 7:30pm on Sunday evening, and everyone was beyond ready to be in their own bed to rest. As we were pulling in, Lauren pointed over to Bruster's Ice Cream and saw some of my students from the high school enjoying ice cream. I saw one of my baseball players over there and decided to tease him a little about hanging out with some girls. I shot him a text and he text back. He asked where we were coming back from, so I told him we just got back from FCA Camp. He asked me if it was fun, and that is where it all started...

I had the choice to tell him that camp was fun and be done with the conversation, or I could apply what I learned at camp and show him that I cared about where he spent eternity. I waited for a few minutes before I text back and asked him, "If you died today, do you know where you would spend eternity?" Several minutes passed after I sent that text and I thought to myself, "Great! I lost him, but at least I tried." I decided to send another text, which said, "The reason I ask is because I actually care about where you spend eternity." As soon as I hit "Send" I received a lengthy reply back from him.

He said that he was happy with life, but not as happy as he could be if he were completely right with God. He believes in God and he knows that when life is over he has to come face to face with God. He told me that he is not sure where he will spend eternity when he died. He hangs around good people and makes very wise decisions, but he admits that he is not as spiritually active as he should be. He knows that he needes help, admits that he has messed up many times, and said that he knows he needs to repent, but doesn't know how. He knows what he should do, but doesn't know how to get there.

I was blown away by his honesty, but also by the thought he put into his response. I immediately asked if I could meet him somewhere for coffee so I could share how he could know where he would spend eternity, but he sent me a text back saying that he would love to sit down and talk with me face-to-face when he got back from playing baseball out of town on Friday. I was so thankful that he was willing to meet with me, so I told him to let me know when he got back in town.

I spent the next several days praying that God would prepare his heart and that He would keep him alive long enough to hear how he can be born again. I sent him a text Thursday reminding him about meeting with me and he assured me that he would be there. I contacted several prayer warriors and asked them to be praying that God's power would be present when we met.

Friday finally came, and Lauren and I were up early to take Price to get his 6-month shot. We did a little shopping while we were out, and while we were at Wal-Mart I got a text from him asking if we could meet after he worked out. We decided to meet at 1:00 at Applebee's, so all I could do now was pray. When Lauren and I got home, I rushed to help put up the groceries before my meeting. There were still groceries left on the counter, but it was time for my appointment. This was the first time I was not nervous about sharing Jesus with someone, but confident that God was going to change someone's life!

I arrived at Applebee's and we walked inside. We sat down and talked about what we have done this summer, baseball, and then Jesus. I asked him what his thoughts were about the question I asked him on Sunday and he said that he was ready to make an impact in the lives of the people around him for a better reason...Jesus. I shared with him how sin separates us from God, how Jesus came to be the sacrifice for our sins by dying on the cross, and how Jesus can forgive him of his sins. The scripture I shared with him was Romans 3:23 (we all have sinned), Romans 6:23 (because of our sin we deserve to spend an eternity in hell, but God's gift is eternal life through Jesus), 1 John 1:9 (God will forgive our sins if we confess them), Romans 10:9 (you will be saved if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart God raised Jesus from the dead), and John 14:6 (Jesus is the way, truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Jesus). I asked him if he had any questions and he said, "Coach, I am ready to give my life to Jesus."

On a Friday afternoon in a booth at Applebee's, one of my baseball players gave his life to Jesus! He confessed his sins to God, asked God to forgive him, and asked Jesus to take control of his life. Words cannot describe how I felt hearing him talk to Jesus, and words cannot describe the peace and excitement he felt giving his life to Jesus. I have a brand new brother in Christ! I asked him, "Who are you going to tell about your decision today?" He began to rattle off names to no end. I encouraged him to find a church to get plugged into, get plugged into FCA, and to read his Bible and talk to God daily. I assured him that many of his friends would be so excited to hear the news of his decision and that he would have many people praying for him and supporting him in his new walk with Christ. I explained that many people in the Bible died because of their faith and that being a born again believer is not always easy, but God promises that He is always with us!

God orchestrated this whole encounter over the course of this summer. In Africa I learned how to share my faith. At FCA Camp I was challenged to be bold about sharing my faith. Then God simply gave me the divine appointment and left it up to me to me to decide whether or not I cared about where this young man would spend eternity. All glory goes to God for giving me the boldness to share and for saving a precious soul today!!!

Verse for Week #2...

I hope you followed along with us last week in memorizing Galatians 6:9. This week's verse comes from Ephesians 2:8-9...

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

Do I Care Where You Spend Eternity?

Lauren and I just got back from spending 4 days with students from our local schools at FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) Camp. The last day, Mark Cahill (the camp speaker) asked all of us this question...

"Do you care where your friends, family members, and the people you pass by will spend eternity?"

He told us that when someone dies they are still very much alive either in heaven or in hell. I never thought of it that way. I have been asked this question many times before, but for some reason it actually stuck with me this time. I can say all I want to that "I care", but the reality is that I don't care if I don't share Christ with the people around me. True or not?

Maybe the reason that it actually stuck with me this time is because Mark Cahill (www.markcahill.org) is constantly sharing Christ with everyone he meets: waiters and waitresses, passengers on the plane, hosts and hostesses at restaurants, workers in the cafeteria at camp...literally everyone. He is not willing to ask you to do something that he is not willing to do himself.

When I asked myself that question, my answer was obviously "NO", I do not care as much as I thought I did about where people will spend eternity. I had to swallow my pride. I have family members that I do not know if they are born again, I have neighbors that I do not know if they are born again, and I have people all around me that I do not know if they are born again. I will only know if I actually ask them that question. But even if someone says they know where they will spend eternity, you have to know if they know the ONLY way they can be with Jesus when they breathe their last breath.

Here is how you can know...

In John 3, a man named Nicodemus asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" and Jesus' response was, "You must be born again." (The following scriptures will explain how you can be born again.)

Romans 3:23 says, "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (I have sinned, you have sinned, we all have disobeyed God and His standard.)

Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Because you and I have sinned, we deserve to live eternity in hell, BUT God sent His only son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins when He died on the cross. He rose again 3 days later and is alive in heaven right now longing for you to come spend eternity with Him.)

1 John 1:9-10 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives." (You must confess your sins to God and He will forgive you of all of your sins.)

Jesus said in Luke 5:32, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (You must feel extreme sorrow for your sins and turn away from your old ways.)

Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved." (You must confess that you want Jesus to be Lord of your life and you must believe that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved.)

Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jesus is the ONLY way anyone can go to God the Father in heaven when they die. There is no other way.)

Jesus said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life." (God loved you and me so much that He sent His only son Jesus to die on the cross. Whoever believes in Him will live in eternity with God.)

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (There is NOTHING you can do to earn salvation. You cannot be good enough, you cannot go to church enough, you cannot do enough good things to earn salvation. It is a free gift from God through His grace that we are saved.)

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." (You do not have to change yourself. God will give you a new heart and a new reason to live. He will change you if you truly believe in Him.)

To be born again you must confess your sins to God, repent and turn away from your old way of life, and ask Jesus to become Lord of your life. This is what Jesus described to Nicodemus in John 3 about how to be born again. Wherever you are (at home, at church, out shopping), you can ask God right now to be the Lord of your life.

If you are reading this and you would like to give your life to Jesus Christ, I would love to know about it so I can rejoice with you! If you have any questions, I would love to help you find the answer. You can email me at drewstartup@yahoo.com .

Once you are born again, the Bible commands us to be a part of the body of believers (Acts 2:42-47). Find a local church that teaches the truths of the Bible and get plugged in quickly. As a new believer the Bible also commands us to be baptized. Once you find a local church, let someone know that you would like to be baptized because you are born again. This is an outward symbol of your inward commitment to Jesus Christ to let everyone know that you have made Jesus the Lord of your life. Finally, go tell other people about how Jesus changed your life and how they can be born again.

Jesus commands us in Matthew 28:19-20, "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 commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

May God speak to your heart as you allow Him, and ask yourself...

"Do I really care where my family members, friends, and the people I meet will spend eternity?"

Memorizing Scripture...

My wife and I were talking the other night and we came to the conclusion that one aspect of our spiritual life that we are extremely weak at is memorizing scripture. So we decided to commit to learning one verse each week. We would love to encourage you to memorize scripture as well because David says in Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden Your words in my heart that I might not sin against You." To help us hide God's Word in our hearts we are going to make note cards and place them in places where we will constantly see them. This week's verse is Galatians 6:9...

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

We must continue to do good and trust God for the results! We will reap a harvest of blessing in God's perfect timing.

The Meaning Behind "Immeasurably More"...

My wife and I already had all the details of our future planned out while we were dating in college. We would wait a year to get married after we graduated, then wait 3 more years till we started having kids, and we would have our third and final child by the time my wife was 32. The plan started off pretty good. We graduated from college, we worked for a year to save money and got married, then three years later we started trying to get pregnant and we did. Life was great! Everything was working out just like WE had planned, until 6 weeks into the pregnancy when my wife miscarried. People told us that it wasn’t unusual to miscarry on your first try, so we shook it off and tried again. Boy, were we good at getting pregnant! Six weeks passed by and we miscarried again. This time we didn’t shake it off as well. We tried again…miscarried. Tried again…miscarried. By this time bitterness and frustration were setting in and we didn’t know what to do. After 10 miscarriages we stopped counting. My wife didn’t want to be around anyone with children, so as our friends began to have kids of their own we quietly withdrew ourselves from their company. It was hard. It was painful. It was tough, as a husband, to watch my wife stare into nowhere knowing there was absolutely nothing I could say, nothing I could do, no love that I could give her to ease her pain. I prayed that God would work on her heart in a way that would allow her to feel like her life was worth something. You see, my wife’s only desire was to be a mom to our kids. She knew that is what she was created to do, or at least that’s what she thought she was created to do.

Time passed by and not much changed. We kept to ourselves and we didn’t want to hear anyone tell us that everything was going to be ok. The only people we were receptive to were the ones that had been down the road we were traveling. I remember my wife telling me years before we had pregnancy issues that when she got pregnant she didn’t want to tell anyone until we were far enough along in the pregnancy to know that our child was going to be ok. For a long time we told no one about our miscarriages. We kept our burden to ourselves. A couple of years into our troubles God gave us a peace about telling our family and a few friends. Of course they were heartbroken for us, but instead of feeling sorry for us they decided to pray relentlessly. One night my wife and I were in the bedroom and she looked at me and said, “I can’t do this anymore. I have to let God have total control of this situation and I must be ok with the fact that He may choose not to give us children.” She had been doing a Beth Moore Bible study and God had spoken to her heart and told her that she had to be willing to give up her desires and allow God to do what He needed to do in His perfect timing. She read Ephesians 3:20-21 that said, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”This verse became my life verse and we expected God to do more than we could ask or imagine!

We began praying this over and over again, and asking God to go above and beyond what we thought He could do. He began using me and my wife in ways that we never imagined, and we were given the privilege to disciple and minister to high school students and watch their lives change for God’s glory. As soon as we let go of our plans, God’s plan began to unfold. It was a plan that far exceeded the plan we dreamed up many years ago. Through the prayers of family members, friends, teenagers, and people we had never met before, God gave us a miracle. It wasn’t until we completely surrendered EVERYTHING to Him that He said, “Let me give you something you weren’t expecting.” Our son, Anderson Price Startup, arrived December 8, 2010 at 7:11 in the evening. Our hearts melt when his eyes meet ours because we see our faithful Lord and Savior in the eyes of our son. Surrender your desires to God today and let God make His desires your desires!