These last two weeks I have challenged my students to look at authentic faith...week 1: What is Faith? Week 2: Grace (defining grace and mercy leading us to love).
I defined faith to my group of students by using Andy Stanley and Stuart Hall's 7 Checkpoints book. Faith is defined as "Believe that God is who He says He is and will do ALL He has promised to do." When looking at this we have to match this up with a daily walk that is minded in the things of Christ. If we truly believe He is our guide and that He, alone, is enough we shall desire all that He desires for us disbanding everything in our human nature and following Christ with reckless abandonment!
I transitioned into grace (getting what we don't deserve). We absolutely are depraved people in need of Christ's redeeming love. Grace ultimately is love! This second part was short as I just shared from my heart about love...using Francis Chan's idea from Crazy Love using 1 Cor. 13 and placing my name in the place of love. Wow this was powerful as I read...you do feel like a liar when you do that. Shows how much we don't add up to true love.
Upon the verge of the SBC and their GCR I desire to see churches be missional. Fully confident our faith is to be active and out reaching the lost...I mean if that's taboo or touchy then we have become too comfortable in our church settings. For the ones who need a doctor are the sick and not to mention Christ has COMMANDED us to "go"...make disciples who make disciples. I finished with Amazing Grace by Chris Tomilin...telling the students "they (the world) will know we are Christians by our love, by our love" as Francis Schaeffer says, "The distinguishing mark of Christianity is our love for one another".
#1 Love God, #1 Love Others
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Youth Ministry: Constantly changing...A view from Greg Stier
This note is a copy of a blog from Greg Steir the leader of Dare2Share...
This blog says exactly what we strive to do at 121 Student Ministries...we are in the process:
Change is counterintuitive to the typical person. Most of us like some semblance of order, synchronization and structure to the chaotic worlds that we live in. It brings us a sense of pathway and progress. We tend to work within the system that we’ve become accustomed to and it comforts us when we excel within that system. But what if that system has reached its limit? What if that system is as good as it is going to get? That’s when systemic change must take place.
It takes pioneers in various fields to push us average Joes and Jolenes above the fray and help us to look at the system in a different light. At some point, somebody riding a horse thought, “What if we could lay down some tracks and put some kind of motorized machine on those babies that would propel it along faster and to take more cargo with us?” Then, at another point, somebody riding a train thought, “What if this train had wheels and ran on the road instead of tracks? What if it was driven by a gasoline engine instead of a steam one?” Maybe it was riding in a Model T that propelled the Wright brothers to come up with the idea of making a machine with wings that flys. From airplanes and automobiles to cell phones and microwaves, just about everything we enjoy as a modern convenience is a result of pioneers saying, “The old system was good but there’s a better idea awaiting.”
I believe this same thing needs to happen in youth ministry. We need pioneers in the field of youth ministry who are going to think Biblically, creatively and relevantly to say “the old system was good but here’s an idea to get us there farther and faster.” Now you may not think of yourself as a “pioneer” but most of the pioneers in the past were people like you and me who were discontened with the system and set out to improve it.
Systemic change comes from asking hard questions. These questions fly in the face of “we’ve always done it this way” and “don’t rock the boat.” But who said change was easy, or comfortable for that matter?
Jesus called it “new wine in new wineskins.” I call it making systemic change. Whatever you call it, now is the time for innovation in youth ministry: to dream, create and refine a new system of youth ministry that gets our teenagers farther and faster toward the ultimate destination of Christlikness.
What is our little contribution to this process at Dare 2 Share Ministries? To recalibrate youth leaders toward THE Cause of Christ and to get them on board with youth ministry as a mission and not just a meeting. For more information check out http://www.dare2share.org/thecause .
What will you contribute to the systemic transformation of youth ministry? It may be something little or big but it is needed. I am calling all Henry Fords and Thomas Edisons to kick your creative juices in gear, dust off your Bibles and open your eyes to the new possibilities of youth ministry in a postmodern, economically-depressed, spiritually-open age.
Getting our teenagers down the road of becoming like Jesus is what we’ve all been driving for in our Model Ts. Getting them to their ultimate destination faster is where your prayerful innovation kicks in.
To go where you have never been you have to do what you have never done
This blog says exactly what we strive to do at 121 Student Ministries...we are in the process:
Change is counterintuitive to the typical person. Most of us like some semblance of order, synchronization and structure to the chaotic worlds that we live in. It brings us a sense of pathway and progress. We tend to work within the system that we’ve become accustomed to and it comforts us when we excel within that system. But what if that system has reached its limit? What if that system is as good as it is going to get? That’s when systemic change must take place.
It takes pioneers in various fields to push us average Joes and Jolenes above the fray and help us to look at the system in a different light. At some point, somebody riding a horse thought, “What if we could lay down some tracks and put some kind of motorized machine on those babies that would propel it along faster and to take more cargo with us?” Then, at another point, somebody riding a train thought, “What if this train had wheels and ran on the road instead of tracks? What if it was driven by a gasoline engine instead of a steam one?” Maybe it was riding in a Model T that propelled the Wright brothers to come up with the idea of making a machine with wings that flys. From airplanes and automobiles to cell phones and microwaves, just about everything we enjoy as a modern convenience is a result of pioneers saying, “The old system was good but there’s a better idea awaiting.”
I believe this same thing needs to happen in youth ministry. We need pioneers in the field of youth ministry who are going to think Biblically, creatively and relevantly to say “the old system was good but here’s an idea to get us there farther and faster.” Now you may not think of yourself as a “pioneer” but most of the pioneers in the past were people like you and me who were discontened with the system and set out to improve it.
Systemic change comes from asking hard questions. These questions fly in the face of “we’ve always done it this way” and “don’t rock the boat.” But who said change was easy, or comfortable for that matter?
Jesus called it “new wine in new wineskins.” I call it making systemic change. Whatever you call it, now is the time for innovation in youth ministry: to dream, create and refine a new system of youth ministry that gets our teenagers farther and faster toward the ultimate destination of Christlikness.
What is our little contribution to this process at Dare 2 Share Ministries? To recalibrate youth leaders toward THE Cause of Christ and to get them on board with youth ministry as a mission and not just a meeting. For more information check out http://www.dare2share.org/
What will you contribute to the systemic transformation of youth ministry? It may be something little or big but it is needed. I am calling all Henry Fords and Thomas Edisons to kick your creative juices in gear, dust off your Bibles and open your eyes to the new possibilities of youth ministry in a postmodern, economically-depressed, spiritually-open age.
Getting our teenagers down the road of becoming like Jesus is what we’ve all been driving for in our Model Ts. Getting them to their ultimate destination faster is where your prayerful innovation kicks in.
To go where you have never been you have to do what you have never done
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Every man dies, but not every man lives
I love country music. Trace Adkins sings a song called "Songs about me" and that is how I feel when I listen to music period, but country especially. Jason Aldean has a song titled "Every man". The key line that I love is that every man dies but not every man lives. I want to live. I live cautiously most of the time but I want to be daring...bold...wild at heart...strong...
I want to talk to that student who looks like they are at the end...the kid no one gives a chance...I want to go for it and ask that cute girl out...I want to go without find out some adrenaline rushes I have been missing out on...experience God through nature...grow a beard...have massive pecks and washboard abs...lol...(I can dream a little right?)!!!!
I do not want to conform any longer to the pattern of this world - Rom. 12:2 - and be passive, not accepting responsibility, but challenging myself as a leader and investing in those around me. Being the best in life that I can be...saying yes to God before I know where He wants me to go and then being courageous enough to step out into the unknown and follow Him.
I want to be an awesome boyfriend, then an awesome husband, then an awesome dad...I want to love God and make Him known...I just want to live and be alive.
I want to talk to that student who looks like they are at the end...the kid no one gives a chance...I want to go for it and ask that cute girl out...I want to go without find out some adrenaline rushes I have been missing out on...experience God through nature...grow a beard...have massive pecks and washboard abs...lol...(I can dream a little right?)!!!!
I do not want to conform any longer to the pattern of this world - Rom. 12:2 - and be passive, not accepting responsibility, but challenging myself as a leader and investing in those around me. Being the best in life that I can be...saying yes to God before I know where He wants me to go and then being courageous enough to step out into the unknown and follow Him.
I want to be an awesome boyfriend, then an awesome husband, then an awesome dad...I want to love God and make Him known...I just want to live and be alive.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Getting a new start
The past few weeks have been a little rough....
I have tried to keep my focus by remembering the things I learned in college with my mentor Dr. Tom Hufty. He always called us "future success stories" and that is the reasoning for the title of my blog. I strive to make God look good with my life. As of late I have felt pulled in the other direction...being surrounded by influences that are tempting and lifestyles that glorify myself instead of the boss and savior of my life. This is the continuous struggle of the human heart...and I realize, again, that I am not immune to the attacks of Satan upon my life.
In the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 4 verse 24 we read about God being a consuming fire, a jealous God. This statement comes by way of Moses, the leader of Israel, to the faltering nation chosen by God in previously warning against their past idolatry. I see this jealousy not being as a human-kind of jealousy of one human jealous of or over another human but a God-kind of jealousy. One that has a deep zeal, passion, desire for that of the heart of His creation (all mankind). It has been His desire and His real character since before He created the world. Genesis 1:27 more or less says He created us to be with Him.
God is jealous of us having our hearts lent to anyone or anything else above Him. We call these priorities. One thing I have realized as a believer in Christ is that my life is given to Him and I have to die to myself. There is no other option...it is what has to happen or there continues a love affair for our hearts. Without Christ that is a continual love affair that is never put into its right relationship until the surrendering of the heart because "He created us to be with Him!!!!" But, when I made that decision in my life I have and continually re-evaluate my heart condition.
Lately...I have been tempted to leave this love that has captured me...the love that has set me free. But the longing to be loved by the God who created me has continually brought me back through His word, music made to glorify Him and awesome Godly friendships that have helped me remember that I am here to serve, love and make God look good.
....future success story...
I have tried to keep my focus by remembering the things I learned in college with my mentor Dr. Tom Hufty. He always called us "future success stories" and that is the reasoning for the title of my blog. I strive to make God look good with my life. As of late I have felt pulled in the other direction...being surrounded by influences that are tempting and lifestyles that glorify myself instead of the boss and savior of my life. This is the continuous struggle of the human heart...and I realize, again, that I am not immune to the attacks of Satan upon my life.
In the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 4 verse 24 we read about God being a consuming fire, a jealous God. This statement comes by way of Moses, the leader of Israel, to the faltering nation chosen by God in previously warning against their past idolatry. I see this jealousy not being as a human-kind of jealousy of one human jealous of or over another human but a God-kind of jealousy. One that has a deep zeal, passion, desire for that of the heart of His creation (all mankind). It has been His desire and His real character since before He created the world. Genesis 1:27 more or less says He created us to be with Him.
God is jealous of us having our hearts lent to anyone or anything else above Him. We call these priorities. One thing I have realized as a believer in Christ is that my life is given to Him and I have to die to myself. There is no other option...it is what has to happen or there continues a love affair for our hearts. Without Christ that is a continual love affair that is never put into its right relationship until the surrendering of the heart because "He created us to be with Him!!!!" But, when I made that decision in my life I have and continually re-evaluate my heart condition.
Lately...I have been tempted to leave this love that has captured me...the love that has set me free. But the longing to be loved by the God who created me has continually brought me back through His word, music made to glorify Him and awesome Godly friendships that have helped me remember that I am here to serve, love and make God look good.
....future success story...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)