For many years I have been struck by the voluntary nature of Christian service. Our Lord Jesus served us with his life not because it was forced from him, but because he so chose. ‘The reason my Father loves me,’ said Jesus in John 10:17-18, ‘is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.’ Jesus’ sacrifice for us was a free choice he made, motivated by love. As we seek to walk in love as Jesus’ walked, the discipleship question we ought ask ourselves is not merely, ‘What must I sacrifice for Jesus?’, but ‘What could I sacrifice for the sake of Jesus and his kingdom?’ We have been so blessed by God with education, financial wealth, gospel training, peace and security. What might love-fuelled, voluntary sacrifice and extraordinary generosity for Jesus’ kingdom look like if we took it to heart?

As part of its 2030 ‘Big Kingdom’ Vision, the EU has chosen a ‘Big Kingdom Discipleship’ goal that seeks to grow our heart for this sort of generosity:

By 2030 the EU will be a community with a rich grasp of the gospel that bears fruit in loving, voluntary sacrifice & extraordinary generosity for Christ’s kingdom, investing in others that they might live likewise.

Imagine hundreds of EU students flooding out of Sydney Uni committed to a life of kingdom-focussed, voluntary sacrifice out of love for our Lord Jesus! What might such a community of Jesus’ disciples do for his global kingdom? Please pray that the EU might grow in sacrificial love more and more, to God’s eternal kingdom and glory.

In joyful partnership,

Rowan Kemp

EU Staff Team Leader

CEO, The EU GradsFund