Mikey Osborne (center back) and the leadership team for the Disciple Now weekend at Camp Holy Wild
A testimony of God's movement
This space is typically used for news, but we want to use it now to share a simple testimony of God’s movement through TBM’s student discipleship work.
Mikey Osborne, TBM’s discipleship and outreach coordinator, is frequently a speaker at youth events, including Disciple Now weekends.
This past weekend, four churches held a joint DNow at Camp Holy Wild northeast of Houston. About 90 teenagers gathered. A band led worship. And Osborne preached.
Here’s his report of what happened:
“It was set up like a Disciple Now weekend. It was a smaller event. Less than 100 students, more than 80.
“At this retreat, we had three main sessions, small groups, breakout groups, hangout time, etc.
“From the first moment of the first night I could tell something was different. Typically, the first night is used as an introductory session and very rarely are students corporately ready to worship and respond to the Word. This one, however, was entirely different.
“Joseph Walter, the student pastor, had ‘broken the ground’ prior to the weekend in prayer, and it made a huge difference. He didn’t just plan an event, run registration and book personalities. They had done the greater and often neglected work – spending time asking the Father to radically transform their students. The atmosphere was insane!
“The group was worshiping so loud that it was feeding into the mics on stage. Not for show but out of joy and out of desperation.
“The presence of God was so tangible in the room everyone had to take notice. From seventh graders to seasoned leaders, there wasn’t any doubt in anyone’s mind that God was present. The band sang. I preached. Neither of us warranted anything special, but the One we were speaking of and singing about obviously communicated something extraordinary and supernatural, not because of us but in spite of us.
“There was not an emotionally stirring appeal for an altar call. We simply gave an invitation to come. Students and leaders lay broken before the Lord, worship and prayer flowed spontaneously throughout the room. And that was only the opening session. It was insanely refreshing, but that was just the first session of an entire weekend filled with God moments.
“Students were releasing burdens, confessing sins and receiving grace in small groups, breakout sessions and even during free time.
“The next day consisted of God moment after God moment. Divine encounter after Divine encounter. Each just as exciting as the last.
“I’ve always been drawn to an encounter recorded in the Old Testament – 2 Chronicles 5:14.”
And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God
As a preacher I always have something to say, but when a moment is so marked by the tangible presence of God it becomes difficult if not impossible to speak. That is what happened Saturday night.
“The last session of the weekend was scheduled for 90 minutes, but it far surpassed that. The schedule for the service became somewhat of a joke. No one was looking at a watch to determine what was next or griping about being off schedule. Even the type A people in the room tossed their schedules to the side. All that mattered was the present moment.
“We worshiped until our voices gave out, and then we worshiped even more. The media team couldn’t keep up, but it didn’t matter. I was scheduled to preach but didn’t have to! Why speak with one voice and one message when the Spirit was clearly speaking to individuals on a level I could not?
“At one point the worship team fell to their faces in awe, as well. No one felt the need to break the silence because the King was whispering louder than any music ever could have been played.
“I saw a glimpse of 2 Chronicles with my very eyes. I wanted to preach again, even fought a battle for the first hour regarding how to make the transition occur, but the Lord did so much more than I could have done. Chains of addiction were broken, forgiveness was both given and received, and the miraculous gift of salvation transformed multiple lives.
“And all I got to say was Amen!"
