The Low Down

Synergy '10

I'm currently working on my breakout session for Synergy Youth Worker's Conference and I am so excited to share what God is laying on my heart. I've been asked to share some thoughts from my book, but I'm not the guy who comes and shares word for word what I have already written. Yes, I'll share a few stories that are in the book, but I also have some others "up my sleeve". So come and hang with me. What God has lead me to speak about and identify are seven potential killers of your student ministry dreams. Please, don't become a casualty! Come check out the session. We're only a few days away! I can't wait.

C3 Conference Quotes - Ed Young Sessions

What an incredible day this has been. Today kicked off an amazing line of speakers and encouraging words from the Creative Communication's Conference (or C3) in Grapevine, Texas. This is my second year attending and today's communicators rocked the Word. Here are a few of the most incredible comments of the day and a brief description of the context they were used in from Pastor Ed Young.

Ed Young kicked off the day with an amazing message series entitled, "Crazy Pills". He mentioned that in ministry we come into contact with a lot of crazy people. Yes, there is a good crazy, but he was talking about the crazy crazy people. He said in his first session when talking about Daniel that, "Living a life of integrity allows you to eventually have opportunities to speak into people's lives." How true! We all remember the story of Belshazzar and the writing on the wall in the book of Daniel. When it came time for an interpretation of the writing on the wall, Daniel was called upon - why? Because of his reputation as a man of God. Belshazzar had 12 hours to repent, his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had 12 months to repent. Neither one did. The truth is that we really don't often learn from history. Powerful words.

Ed also went on to talk about another crazy king, Darius the Mede. In Daniel chapter 6, Daniel is accused of not listening to Darius by some envious satraps. Scripture says that the accusers tell Darius that "they are saying that Daniel is not listening to the King". Darius' first mistake was not calling on Daniel to get the real scoop. Ed says that a good rule of thumb is to always ask who "they" are. Chances are that "they" is not a group, but is in fact only a small few. Another issue was that Darius was dealing with pride. The advisors encouraged Darius to make a decree that no one would pray to anyone for thirty days except to him. Cool? No. Guess who he didn't seek counsel from? Yep, Dan the man. Ed Young says, "A pride ride is a wicked ride." I was also encouraged when Ed said that we need to, "Feel free to release people over the issue of pride." You and I can't afford to allow prideful people to minister in our churches. We have to be willing to confront in love, that's what pastors do. He said that, "ministry is brut-iful". It's a job that occassionally requires us to get in people's grill in order to help them become who God wants them to be. He said that when, "Pride walks on the stage, God walks off." So we have to do our best to discern the hearts of our people and call them to live and walk hunbly before their God.

Another great thing Ed said when talking about tithing, money and faith in reference to the lead pastor, he said, "Pastors, if a businessman can explain the way that you financially run your church, then you probably aren't running it right." Think about that for a minute and let it sink in.

Session two with Ed this morning was amazing because he was completely transparent with us. He talked about tough moments in ministry for him. The Monday morning blues, dealing with a spirit of competitiveness. He used the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. He said that, "After the showdown, there is always a let down." So we have to rest, refuel, and rely on God. He said to make sure we H.A.L.T. (Never make decisions when we are Hungry, Angery, Lonely, or Tired). Good stuff!

The two sessions with Ed were amazing. We also sat under the ministry of Bill Cornelius, Jentzen Franklin and Ben Young today. I'll be sure to share some of those quotes with you. So stay tuned for some more good stuff. God is just rocking my world and I am literally having the time of my life. Check back!

A Little More Like Jesus

Last night, I sat down in the comfort of my own home. Not the home that I live in now in Oklahoma, but rather the house that I grew up in – in Marion. It’s Christmas time and as I have been blessed with the opportunity to return home to spend time with my family, I can’t help but write a bit about the feelings that are overwhelming me right now. As I sit in the family room, the sky is dark and the silence is so quiet that in a way it is piercing. It’s late. I can’t help but be at peace, and yet at the same time my mind is racing so fast that it’s a little difficult to focus on what to say here.

 

The feeling that I have is simply amazing. My heart is slightly sickened because I know that in the morning I am going to be warming up our family vehicle to make the journey back to our lives in the west, but for a few more moments I want to just bathe in the memory of the home of my youth because needless to say I have incredible memories here. 

 

Part of my bewilderment is the fact that this was the birth place and the origin of who I am today. As I think about it, this truly was the starting line for the person that I have now become. AND even though I am not where I would like to be, I must admit that I have never been in this home any happier than I am now with who I am in Christ. The Lord has blessed my life immensely. My relationship with Him this year has grown to new heights. Just from the last time I was here until now, I can measure the growth. (I don’t say this boastfully, but I write it because I am simply in awe of who HE is!)

    

My love for my wife and daughter have reached an entirely new level. The ministry that we are blessed to lead is amazing and moving forward. In the midst of a financial crisis in our nation, we have only seen the Lord’s hand of provision to be more and more prevailing in our lives as He has sustained us and upheld us with his mighty hand in health, and finances.

    

God is so amazing!

 

AND to think, that as I look out the frosty windows this winter night, and look upon familiar sights that I have once pondered before that I am still the same person as before – only this time, a little more like Jesus.

Dreams: The Opinion

I have always said that when it comes to your God-given dream, that everyone else will have their opinion about it. Everyone wants and believes that their dreams will come true, but when it comes to the dreams of others, we tend to see with a "clearer perspective" (or so we think). All of our dreams are possible, but others dreams are a bit far fetched.

Until recently, many never knew that I was writting a book. I purposely kept quiet about writing because I wanted to guard my dream. I wanted to remain hopeful about my project.

I think Joseph in the book of Genesis knew this all too well. He was sold into slavery and paid an incredible price for his dream. Yet he never gave up. Years later, as Joseph was holding down his new job in Egypt, scripture says that Joseph was now in his 30's. Nearly 20 years had passed since Joseph had delivered his "I had some dreams" speech, and now famine was hitting the land. Not just Egypt, but the entire region - including Canaan. And eleven hungry brothers set off for Egypt in search for some food for their families to survive.

At this time, Joseph was second in command in Egypt. He had an Egyptian name, married an Egyptian babe (probably twice as hot as Potiphar's wife), was a father to Egyptian children, wore the Egyptian garb, and spoke the language. If anyone had learned how to blend in, it was Joe. But we can only imagine what it was like when his brothers came through the city gates and bowed at his feet. Of course they didn't recognize him through his new look and new life, but I'm convinced that they also didn't recognize him because they didn't expect his dream to come true either.

So remember that when someone tries to crush your God-dream, that God gave that dream to you because He knew He could trust you with it. Don't let someone steal your God given dream, guard it. If you have allowed someone to steal it, fight to get it back. Remember that God's dream for your life is the best possible you.

Dreams: The Opposition

Another important thing to remember about your God given dream is that, Not Everyone Will Understand it. So don't expect everyone that you share it with to buy into it heart and soul like you have. In fact, understand that your dream from God is precious. As the gospels say, be careful, "casting your pearls before swine." In other words, keep those things that are precious to you close. There will be scoffers and nay sayers (count on that). In fact, I think that's one area of wisdom that a young Mary had when she was given word by the angel of the Lord that she would be carrying the Christ child. Scripture says that she, "kept the word dear to her heart." I don't think she went about blabbing her dream. Who would have believed her anyway? The Son of God, born to a virgin? No way.

Now for Joseph, I think that we can learn some lessons from his story by the reaction and the opposition that he faced with his God dream. In Genesis 37, Joseph begins to spill out his two dreams and their interpretation in front of his ten big brothers. He begins to talk about sheaves of grain and I can just envision Levi shooting a blank stare at Simeon. Over on the opposite side of the family circle, Gad nudges Ruben with his elbow as Joseph begins to talk about the sun, moon, and the stars bowing down to him. The young, exhuberent and naive Joseph was pouring out his most precious ambitions with people whom he thought he could trust. Which points out to us that sometimes even the people closest to us, people who we would deem as "safe," will often disappoint us when it comes to the affirmation of our God dream for our lives.

I can remember as a young boy how difficult it was to learn to play the guitar. With only Alfred's guitar chord chart to learn from, I can remember grabbing a small acoustic guitar that I had received as a Christmas gift and I can remember plucking and strumming that little guitar until my families' ears were soar. Needless to say, if my hopes of playing the guitar were defined by the feedback that I received, I would have never learned how to play. But today I have the honor each Sunday of leading worship and playing with an incredible worship team. Every Wednesday night, I have the opportunity to lead students in some pretty incredible praise and worship.

The bottom line: You have to have a passion for God's dream that will drive you past the opposition. And you will face opposition. Scripture says that, "In this life you wil have trials, but take heart for I have overcome the world." Friend, God has given you a dream for a reason - it's simply because that dream fulfilled in you is the best possible you! So whatever the larger than life size dream that God has given you, learn to guard it with all of your heart!

Dreams: The Origin

As promised, I wanted to bring you a five part set of posts that God has spoken to me recently about "Dreams".

One of the most important parts of a dream is how it is concieved. Whether a dream is worth dying for or not depends upon the origin of that dream. What is the dream, and where did it come from? And probably even more importantly, who gave you the dream?

What we have to understand is that all dreams are birthed somewhere. The dream of a young boy to grow up and carry on the family business was one that was nurtured and passed on by family. The dream of a woman to find that fairy tale romance, marry, and have children was a dream that, though it is a good one, was probably developed in her as a little girl by the constant whispering of her culture.

The dream of a teenage boy Joseph, in Genesis 37, that his entire family would one day bow down before him, sounds like a wacked out dream. It sounds like a crazy, self-centered dream, but when we understand the origin of the dream and who the creator of the dream is...then it all begins to make a little more sense.

Sure, sometimes the dreams we have are just that - dreams WE have. And those dreams usually always fizzle out over time or they crash and burn. But when it comes to a God originated dream - though it may be larger than life, it will consume us.

As a young boy I wanted to play in the NBA. I grew up in Indiana and I loved to play basketball. Then I found out that a 5'2'' Sophomore doesn't typically make the team at a large high school. My dream was crushed when I was asked not to play, but instead fill the water bottles. On the flip side though - two years ago, I began a journey down an amazing road chasing a dream that God gave me as I began to write. Tonight, I received an email from the publisher that my book is going to be published (and I'm totally stoked!). The difference in the two dreams, one was mine - the other was God's dream for me.

Back to the story, why was Joseph's dream such a stretch? Because most of the time, God's dream for us can only be accomplished with Him by our side. In fact, I'm convinced that most of the dreams we have we can accomplish on our own - but God doesn't want us to be safe when it comes to our dreams for Him!

So think about it today - how big are your dreams? Are they God sized? Because if they aren't, then don't waste your time. Just ask Joseph!

50 Down

50 miles down for the day. We are facing 10-15 mph head winds. It's quite a challenge! But we are having a blast and making an impact for the kingdom of God!

No Longer New

The year is no longer what we would call a "New Year," being the first of May - and I can't help but think that many of us made some resolutions at the beginning of 2008.  So how are we doing?  How many of us have given up?  How long did it take you to give up on your diet, your goal of reading the Bible in a year, your goal of spending more time with your family?  For me, there are some areas of my life that I am honestly proud of while other areas generate thoughts of failure. I know that's not what God wants. The last thing we should ever do is beat ourselves up for the mistakes that we have made. I know that the devil loves it when we begin to look at certain areas of our lives and begin to say to ourselves - man what a loser. However, do you know what God says? "There are new mercies every morning."

There are times when our goals that we have set are like getting a new car. It's exciting to drive the new ride home off of the showroom floor.  We baby it and wash it every other day.  No one can eat in it because it's "new".  For the first few weeks and months this car is in the fore-front of our minds.  People comment on it, conversations center around it, and ladies smile as you pass them by in it. Everything about the new car makes you feel good. However, after some time (and normally it doesn't take long), eventually that car becomes common place and usual. After some time, it seems to lose it's zing and the incredible thing is that the car has never changed. So what about your challenge? Guess what - it's still there. Just because you have lost your excitement about it doesn't change the fact that the challenge is still on the table. So what do we do? We press on.

One particular challenge, among many that the Lord has thrown at me this year, is the goal of reading four books a month. I'm working on my 18th as we speak and the sense of achievement is incredible. I'm learning so much as I read, and even though there are other areas of my life that need tons of work, I'm not giving up on those goals either. Sure I may have dropped the ball and I may be struggling in a few areas, but tomorrow's a new day. So let me encourage you to not get caught in the trap of thinking that says, "I let a goal slip and now it's too late". No, instead pick that dropped goal back up and start again. If you have to - start again, and again. Keep moving forward until that goal has become a lifestyle. I read a quote from a good friend's blog today.  Doug Reed is an incredible evangelist traveling the globe and I think it is appropriate to share his quote here in this blog.  He said, "The day you think that your history guarantees your future is the day that your destiny is in trouble." Think about it and realize that even though this year is no longer new, it's no where near over either.  So pick up the torch again and move on.  You can do it!   

*I know that I haven't been an incredibly consistent blogger over the past few weeks, but I want to thank each of you who read my blog.  Thanks for being patient with me. I hope that at some point in this new journey of blogging that something I say may be used by God to speak into your life. If there is ever anything that I can do for you. Please feel free to comment or email me at ignitionstudents@hotmail.com.  Thanks.

Spell it with an "R"

One thing that I appreciate most about the life mission that I have been given are the many opportunities that God has given me to build and develop relationships with people.  I don't think I have to tell you just how important relationships are - or wait - do I?  You see, the funny thing is that it would make sense to have to talk to laity in our churches about the importance of relationships and not those of us who are in full-time ministry - but unfortunately that isn't always the truth.  On the flip-side, sometimes lay workers are the ones who are knocking the ball out of the park and it's those "holy keepers of the desk" who have a difficult time with relationships.  I think as Pastors and shepherds we need to be drawn back to scripture from time to time and remember that Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to, "Love the Lord your God with all of your heart" and that the second greatest was to "Love your neighbor as yourself".  Not to create and develop a killer program or to drown yourself in office work.  Sure these things are important, but as a pastor in Kansas always said - success in ministry is spelled with an "R".  Remember, in order to be the shepherd of the flock you have to be with sheep, smell like the sheep, and play with the sheep. Yes, you have to be willing to give out your sacred cell phone number.  You have to be willing to drop some things for coffee or in your case youth pastor - pizza - AGAIN.  So let me encourage you to get out from behind the desk, lock the office door behind you, throw on something comfortable and spend some time with the very reason that God has called you into ministry - His people. 

Upgrading is Tiresome

Today some of my co-workers and I spent the entire day working on the renovation of our youth room. My youth assistant Matthew and I kicked off the day with an early morning visit to Lowe's. No...it wasn't our only trip. Hey...so I am not that much of a construction buff. But we had a pretty successful day and got quite a bit done. Yet it was such an extremely tiring day.

Have you ever thought about how hard God must work on us? Have you ever thought about how tired He must be after working on our lives? I feel like everyday He must wake up in the morning to a very strong cup of coffee, catch a quick look at the "Planet Earth Gazette" newspaper, and then straps on the tool belt to begin working in my life for yet one more day. Isn't that how our God is? Sure today our crew worked hard, and we are completely exhausted, but as I rest here in the comfort of my own home I have the satisfaction of knowing that I did something incredible today.

Do you realize that God feels that way about you? Sure, for some of us, He really works hard and labors quite a bit over us. Character, Integrity, Forgiveness, Love, Compassion, Perseverance, and so forth. I understand that He has His hands full with me, and that my short-comings probably keep Him busy. Surely, God gets messy with the paint smears and the saw dust particles of our lives during the renovation process, but I think that to an extent He enjoys it! Scripture tells us in Philippians 1:6 that, "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it." What this means to me is that God sees something incredible in us worth working for even when we don't. Underneath all of the rough edges, God sees a masterpiece. We catch just a piece of the puzzle at a time, but He sees the entire picture. I know that you may be worn out today, but won't you take just a few minutes to thank God? Won't you take just a few minutes to let Him know that what He has done and is doing for you hasn't gone unnoticed? We serve an awesome God, and no matter where you are at today or how tired you may be, He deserves your utmost praise.

So once again today, I confess that with all of my heart I will praise Him! The question I leave with you is this, "will you choose to do the same?" Yes, as usual...this is my low down, and until my next blog let me just encourage you - keep pressing in.