For three months last fall, my wife and I were caught in a beautiful net—Vida Net! We served as volunteer “grandparents,” helping to encourage and disciple the young participants of Vida220. As I watched Jesus transform lives right before my eyes, He was also transforming my own life in a deep and personal way.
I experienced a beautiful international community of about 35 people who came together in love, humility, and under the inner leading of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). Each morning, we spent 45 minutes individually listening for God to speak to our hearts. We often entered into sincere, heartfelt worship together (John 4:24). We shared our testimonies with one another (Revelation 12:11), confessed and prayed for one another (James 5:16), and taught one another through morning devotions (Colossians 3:16). We also sought to practice and obey the more than 50 “one another” commands found throughout the New Testament.
Being part of such a community touched me deeply. Seeing people openly and freely express their love for Jesus and for one another was powerful and life-giving. This experience drew me out of my naturally introverted tendencies and enabled me to connect heart-to-heart with more brothers and sisters in Christ. It created a contagious atmosphere, and for those three months I was fully immersed in the presence of Christ—caught in His “net.” Today, I love Jesus even more and seek to obey Him more faithfully because of my VidaNet experience.
