Intensives finished a few weeks ago and we’re into the meat of our semesterly (I think I just made up a word) schedule. I absolutely love the classes and teachers that I have. I have three different music classes a week, two Old Testament classes, two personal leadership, and then chapel four times a week.

A few weeks ago, I went with three incredible people from my tutorial class to Mona Vale and went to the beach there. That was such a fun day and it ended with me getting probably the worst sunburn I’ve gotten in my life.

Then this last Monday, my entire tutorial class took a trip in to the city to do the touristy thing down at the opera house.

I love being here. This college and this church are challenging me constantly to become that man I was born to be. I leave every class feeling more like that man I was born to be.

This wasn’t very many words and only had a few pictures. But I will try to do better at updating this thing.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:10

There are flashy gifts in the Kingdom of God. There are the more prominent gifts. There are gifts that are more noticeable because it involves being on a platform singing or speaking. But those gifts don’t say anything about the person who has received it. It’s a testimony of God’s goodness that he would gift us. Like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. Ferguson then went on to say that it is our character in which we use the gifts that says something about us.

This was making sense to me, but my spirit hadn’t fully received what he was saying until he illustrated it out for the class. He opened his wallet and took out a fifty dollar bill. He asked who in the class room needed fifty dollars. A few people raised their hands and he walked over to a young woman from New York who raised her hand. He asked her if she needed the money. She said yes. He asked if she had prayed for God to provide. She said yes. He then gave her the fifty dollars from his wallet.

He asked the class, “What does this gift say about her?”

The room was amazed. I may have had to pick my jaw up off of the floor.

“Nothing.”

It spoke of his generosity, but it spoke nothing of the young woman from New York.

In the same way that Robert Ferguson’s gift of fifty dollars to the young woman said nothing about her. God’s giftings he’s given us say nothing about us. But it is a testimony to who He is. It’s what we do with the gifts that says something about us.

Fiji was gorgeous.

I’d love to actually get to spend some time there.

Bondi Beach says, “Welcome to Sydney”.

The harbor and the opera house.

I’m here.

In under two weeks, I leave here to go to Sydney, Australia to be a part of Hillsong College and Hillsong Church. I decided to start a new blog from scratch. For those who have kept up with and read my previous blog(s), this blog will be similar but different in some areas of content as well as the goal.

The biggest thing is going to be my attempt to keep content within one of four main categories:

1. Australia
2. Church
3. Hillsong College
4. Life

The purpose of these categories is to not only keep friends, family, and loved ones in the loop as to what’s going on, but to also serve as a resource for anyone who is thinking about going to Sydney to be a part of this college and this church.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me. And please pass along this blog to anyone you know who is interested in going to Australia and attending Hillsong College and make sure to subscribe to posts via this little guy in the sidebar:

or by clicking on “subscribe via email”.

God Bless,
Dustin