What a week…

This week, 15 of us joined with about 700 other young people from across Scotland. We camped in a field, saw enough rain to re-enact the story of Noah and more importantly prayed, worshipped and heard the word of God together. On Sunday I will be sharing with you on our series looking at the Psalms, but I thought that it would be good today to hand over this space to our young people so they can share some of the things that God has been up to and saying to them:

Aaron: I have been very overwhelmed but peaceful at the same time. I feel more free and able to cry from the spirit in public.

Angus: This week I got more into worship, especially during the last few days.

Rachel: I was feeling slightly out of things, but I was unsure what was wrong. Then without warning, during a morning session I just burst out crying having had a sudden realisation of what it was. I was lost and all I could think of was that Jesus can open any door he wants to open and shut those that need to be shut. It just filled me with a sense of security, like I didn’t need to worry because Jesus can guide me through anything even if I take a wrong turn.

Caleb: I felt really shaky throughout the entirety of Magnitude until the second last day where I was called up to the front and I felt Jesus’ love pour from Bob on the stage. It made me more shaky than usual and also scared. I felt God say relax and I then had a deep sense of peace. It also changed my view of worship.

Hannah: Before going to Magnitude, I went through long stages of feeling empty and slightly alone. That gradually changed throughout the week, I learnt more about myself – and God.

Erin: I have been struggling with being anxious for a while now to the point where I constantly had felt that there was something to worry about, a constant pressure in my chest telling me that something is wrong. Whilst over the week at Magnitude it hasn’t gone away and even on certain evenings it had been worse God has shown me that he knows and was always there with me throughout periods of darkness where I saw no hope and pulled away from him. He has reassured me through my friends praying and speaking to me that he will always be with me through the storms no matter how hopeless or broken the situation seems.

Katie: Sometimes I wish that I came into Christianity from a different background so that I could say Jesus changed my life more drastically, like the really cool testimonies we heard this week. Although I grew up going to church every week and knowing that God was somewhere up there, I felt detached and distant. There have been moments where I told myself I would be a better Christian and follow him, but went back to filling my life with distractions and temporary things that don’t fulfil me. Being surrounded by Christ in all ways this week – through the people, the music, and the spirit itself – I can finally, confidently, say that I’m ready. I’m ready to follow Jesus. I hope that anyone else needing that push will come to Magnitude to be happily enveloped and drawn into the truth.

Abi: Ever since i was a kid, I’ve had a sense that I’m really annoying to my friends and people around me. I’ve been told to “Shut up! You’re so loud.” From this I really folded in on myself and held in my excitement and joy. This year at magnitude, God kept putting one word in my head. Freedom. During worship I started to really connect to myself and felt God’s absolutely unending love rest on me, a love that I really needed when I didn’t feel it towards myself. Then one night, deep in worship, we just started singing let it rain. I felt those words in my heart and soul, and outside, rain started pouring from the sky. I wanted to fall to my knees in praise. I finally felt free from the chains that I had placed around my soul. On the last night, I got these words: Let it rain. Let God’s love rain down. Let it flood your heart and soul and overflow.

Gavin: God has done so much this week that I don’t even know how to start. Over the last few years, I have clung to my faith throughout all the recent challenges, but I spent so much time anxiously praying that I forgot what it meant to have a real relationship with God. During the worship and prayer in our main sessions, God has slowly been wearing away the walls I unintentionally put up. I came to magnitude expecting to hear some inspirational talks and catch up with friends, and while I got all that, I got something even better. I got to rebuild the foundations of my relationship with Jesus and once again draw closer to Him. And the anxiety that has been plaguing me in recent years completely diminishes in His presence.

David: where do I even begin? I arrived at magnitude going through a lot spiritually, so my expectations were uncertain and I really didn’t know what to expect, as it had been a long time since I had been to an event like this. On the first day of magnitude when in worship a wave of peace was given to me and all I was going through became so irrelevant to a God so good. I found the sermons extremely encouraging (Especially the one about stepping out) which was very powerful and moving. As a whole God has been so good and Magnitude has pushed me into a closer relationship with Jesus, relighting my fire for the Lord.

Samuel: I arrived at magnitude on the morning of day 2 and very quickly settled in and felt at home. I have enjoyed all of the sermons but particularly a talk titled, ‘Heaven Rules’ which was about being bold and stepping out your comfort zone. This was then followed by some very motivational words from the speaker and one of my favourite worship sessions of the festival.

Eilidh: While having to sit on a grass covered floors for multiple hours every morning and night was not the greatest thing – the atmosphere that the worship brought into the tent made it all worth it. The freedom the Holy Spirit brought into that tent, allowed God to work the way he needed to in me. On the first day I came to Magnitude locked in shackles, but by the last night, by the power of the Holy Spirit I was broken free.

Bob: Gathering together to worship with so many young people, is great. I have really appreciated how worship has been led, by all three of the worship leaders. As this was my first time as a leader, I have really loved seeing our young people respond to God, what He is saying and asking of them.

Josh: I’ve felt like God has been reminding me of just how all encompassing, how expansive, how inclusive that God’s love is. What Jesus offers is open to all, irrespective of where they are at.