"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17
One of my favorite moments working with young adults and college students is when they are willing to put their faith on the line and talk about what Jesus means to them. Another college senior encouraged a group to consider putting a story of their faith on social media and Rebecca took up the offer. I was blessed by her story of God's faithfulness and we wanted to share it for this month's Awake and Alive encouragement. I know it will be a blessing to you too! - Mike
      People often ask me, “Why are you always so happy?” I usually answer something to the effect of, “Life is too short, so I am going to choose happiness.” Although this statement remains true in my life, after engaging in self-reflection, I realize that this statement fails to explain why I am truly and genuinely happy – because I am a chosen and redeemed child of God. As a child of God, I can live each day happy and worry-free because I have a faithful Lord and shepherd who keeps me under his wing. When God is the leader and center of my life, I have nothing to fear. My favorite Bible verse at the moment is Jeremiah 29:11 which states, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

           Don’t get me wrong, this is often easier said than done. I have lost close family members, been heartbroken by friends and boyfriends, and gone through moments of sickness where I did not think I would truly ever recover. These low moments in my life left me questioning whether or not God truly cares about me, because I thought that if he did care he would not let me go through such pain and heartache. However, it is especially during these low moments that I turn to the Lord for comfort and guidance. God’s Word and prayer provide me greater comfort than anything else. It is through His Word and prayer that I am reminded that I am saved by grace and that I am a redeemed child of God. It is in His Word that I am reminded that God’s plan is bigger than my plan, and that he will give me hope and a future. No trials and tribulations could ever take that away from me, and for that I am thankful.

           So yes, I live my life to the fullest knowing that God has redeemed me and given me a new life through Christ my Savior through baptism. I am content in the fact that God provides all I need. When God is the leader and center of my life, I do not need to worry, because he has a plan for me. Living worry-free allows me to truly be genuinely happy and content. I hope to live my life as a blessing and light for others, so that they too can come to know the total peace and comfort that comes with being a Christian.

Rebecca Willer - UW-Milwaukee
National Summer Group June 10th!
“Yes, I’m saved. Now what?”
Working the eternal implications of a timeless gospel into a daily life.
Pastor James Hein will be leading our June session and will be recording special content when your local group gathers in July to continue the conversation. We'll be looking at Gospel implications, and to get a sense for where he'll be leading us in June, check out the brief session description.
"Studies and surveys show as fact, that the lifegoals of the average young adult Christian today are virtually indistinguishable from their secular counterparts. They want to have a great marriage, a beautiful family, a successful career, enough money to not worry about money, follow the deepest desires of their hearts, and, in general, be comfortable.

Put differently, the average young adult Christian today knows and can share the gospel news that Jesus died for my sins so that when I die, I can go to heaven. The average young adult Christian cannot, however, explain to people how the gospel affects their self-image, their relationships, their finances, their health, their career, their identity, etc. 

That’s a radically different life goal than the Early Church, which sought the goal of Kingdom Building. In this talk, we'll look at the "Now What" part of the Gospel story. If you know that your final chapter has already been written (Eternity with Christ), how should that reality impact the way we live as young men and women today?"
Registration for this event is FREE, but you need to register online.
Attend the event in Person at St. Paul's in Muskego, WI


  • Join us for a free dinner starting at 530pm. The address for the event is: 
 
The Bridge @ St. Paul's - S66W14325 Janesville Road Muskego, WI 53150
 
  •  Devotion and Main event starts at 630pm with a 1 hour community group to follow.

  •  Make plans to join an Awake and Alive group to .keep the conversation going in July.

Form a "Live Stream Group" through your Local Church

  • Form a group through your local church or ministry and plan to join the Live Stream starting at 6:30pm June 10th
 
  • Even though you can't join us in person, please register for free online. It will help us give you more information about the followup ministry opportunity in July.
 
  • If you can't find a group, we will have a livestream through Facebook and you can be part of the Facebook live stream and conversation there as well.
 
  • For Live Stream Groups, simply agree to a place where you can watch the event together. Make it a tailgate beforehand and enjoy some time together before the event.
 
  • At the conclusion of the event, agree to a date and location to meet in July when we release the July next step content and go deeper with the topic and conversation.
Awake and Alive 2018 Conference
Video Encouragements!
One of the great things about this year's conference was so many talented and inspiring speakers and leaders who were able to pour some life and Christian encouragement into us. We love that we have these encouragements to share with you as well. Remember that all of the recap and main session videos and pictures are now online at awakealive.com and on YouTube .
Main Session Leader
Mike Westendorf's recap on
"Open the Gift".

Main Session Leader
Amber Swenson's recap on
"Are You Willing to Stand Alone?".


Main Session Leader
Pastor James Buske's recap on
"Better Together".

Awake and Alive Summer Group is coming up with Author/Pastor James Hein
June 10th LIVE from Muskego, WI and
streaming nationwide.
Put it on your calendar - We'll see you there!
The Point of Grace Campus Ministry
The Point of Grace, one of our partner ministries to young adults from around the Milwaukee area continues to meet at various locations around Milwaukee in April and early May. We hope you'll consider joining one of the Bible studies or our Wednesday night Chapel. These events are open to all 18-25 year olds, whether you attend college or not. We want you to know you have a place to learn, to grow, to ask questions and to find Christian encouragement in Milwaukee and beyond!
Bible studies are held on Wednesday nights.

  • MSOE: 7 pm at the 3rd floor of the campus center
  • UWM: 7:15 pm at the campus house (2215 E. Kenwood Blvd) right across the street from UWM. Food is provided. Chapel will follow at 8:30 pm.
  • MU: 5:30 pm at the Brew of the AMU (Alumni Memorial Union).

The Gathering is the monthly presentation on a variety of important topics related to the 18-25 generation and is hosted at different college campuses throughout the school year. Look for these to resume come Fall.
We strongly encourage you to check out a way to continue the Awake and Alive connection through TPOG! Visit The Point of Grace's Website
Weekly encouragement on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram
Be sure to join us online through Facebook, Twitter , and Instagram . We will be sharing information concerning upcoming events in the coming months, and these online resources can be a great place to find some encouragements throughout the upcoming year as well!

If there is anyway we can pray for you, or if you have discussion topics that you would like us to cover in our upcoming Awake and Alive events, please let us know! Until next time!

The Awake and Alive Team!