The Low Down

Compelled by Love

Last night we kicked off our first series of the fall. Over the past month, God has really been stirring my heart about what we as a student ministry and even more specifically, about what we can do individually for others. We have a major outreach coming up in just about a month that we call, "Battle of the Schools". It's truly the event of the year for us. However, the time in between returning to school and our annual big event is a very important and strategic time to speak into our students' lives about reaching the lost. While we were in Detroit for National Youth Convention, the NYM Team unveiled the new Speed the Light Theme for 2010-2011. As they unveiled the theme "Compelled by Love," I felt as if God was confirming in my heart the direction He had been leading us for our Wednesday night series. Up to this point I knew the theme in my heart, but I just didn't know how to word it. I'm excited because over the next four weeks we are looking at 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 14; and we are going to be talking about four things that Christ's love compels us to do. Last night, we looked at the topic of prayer. Do you realize that because of what Christ has done for us, by dying on the cross and forgiving us of our sins, that we are compelled to pray for others? Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 that we have now been given a ministry of reconciliation (which is a big word for saying that God wants us to place importance on reach others for Him). So what is one way that we can draw people back to God? It's through the power of prayer. I know that the topic of prayer comes with all types of anxieties, questions and preconceived ideas. However, over the next few days I'll be posting some practical thoughts and helps about prayer. You'll want to be sure to check 'em out!

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!

Family Relationships: Dealing with Sibs

The past few posts have dealt extensively with family and dysfunction in our family units. My last two blogs, have mainly shed some insight on how we can live and survive while dealing with issues that we face with our parents, but these are not the only relationships that seem to give students trouble. In this post, I want us to look at what it means to deal with sibs. Sort of sounds like a disease, doesn’t it? And it is true that our students deal everyday with how they are supposed to deal with their sibling relationships. So what does God say about our brothers and sisters? As I have already said before family is supposed to be a gift from God. So what do we do when there is trouble on the home front?  

All throughout scripture we see this relationship of brothers and sisters patterned for us in the lives of Biblical characters. We know that from the very beginning of time with Cain and Abel, the first two siblings, that there have been issues between children in the same family. We see the rivalry that takes place between Isaac and Ishmael. We know of the deception that drove apart Jacob and Esau. We know about the ten brothers who threw their younger brother Joseph into a pit and sold him into Egyptian slavery. Living with brothers and sisters can sometimes be a challenge. So how do we explain to our teens that there are good things in our sibling relationships?  How do we help them realize that brothers and sisters are not only worth fighting with, but that they are also worth fighting for?

Tell them that Siblings Appreciate their Differences

It’s funny how similar some siblings look, and at the same time some brothers and sisters could pass as complete strangers. Whatever the case may be, I think we need to learn to appreciate the fact that God has made all of us different and unique. Even twins in many ways are so very different. I grew up in a home with a brother who was six years older than me, so I understand that there is often competition in family (this is especially true for siblings of the same sex). There’s an extreme amount of competition to live up to being so and so’s brother or sister. But be thankful that you aren’t your sibling and that siblings have differences. That’s what makes us all unique and special. God has a patent on you – and you are one of a kind.

Tell them that Siblings Have Each Others’ Back

I love the story of Dinah in scripture found in Genesis chapter 34.  It’s a story that is so cool that Hollywood could take it and make a really interesting two hour blockbuster movie over it.  Dinah was so hot.  There was no doubt about it, she was a knock out – a perfect 10. She was out on the town visiting some of the women in her city and while she was out and about there was a guy from another tribe of people who caught a glimpse of her.  In fact, she was so beautiful that the moment he laid eyes upon her, he began to fall in love with her.  Instantly, Schechem began to devise a way that he could be with her.  He knew that it would be tough, because they were from two separate clans – two clans that never intermarried. However, his heart pounded for her, so he kept himself secret as he began to follow her. As she turned to leave the city and began to head home Shechem caught her by surprise. He ambushed her and as scripture says, “He violated her”. She was raped. Dinah went home and told her father, Jacob what had happened. Jacob was devastated. He set up a meeting with Shechem’s father, Hamor. Hamor relayed to Jacob how desperate his son was to have Dinah as his bride. However, Dinah’s brothers stepped up to the plate and this is what they said, “We will only give our consent to you on one condition only: That you become like us by circumcising all your males. Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.” Crazy, huh? Was all of that worth it for Schechem to have Dinah as a wife? It must have been because scripture says in verse 24, that all of the men in the city followed suit and were circumcised. Three days later, though, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. The men were too sore from their “surgeries” that they couldn’t even put up a fight. So what does this story teach us? It just goes to show that siblings have each other’s back.  I think it’s funny how you can beat up on a sibling, but if anyone else tries to touch them – it’s on man! Why? Because that’s my bro or that’s my sis – and siblings have each other’s back.

Tell them that Siblings Rejoice in Each Other’s Success

Sometimes that’s tough to do. Just ask the guy in Luke 15. The prodigal son comes back to the house, but unfortunately his brother isn’t too excited about his return and the party celebrating it. Obviously, he didn’t understand that siblings rejoice in each other’s successes. We celebrate their induction to the Honor Society even if we didn’t make it in. We celebrate their spot on the Varsity Volleyball team even though we are warming the bench on JV. We rejoice with our siblings when they succeed. That’s just what family does. 

So if we want to encourage our teens to have awesome relationships with their siblings, then we need to tell them these three things. Listen, we only have one family - and life is too short to be at odds with brothers and sisters, moms and dads. So let’s help our teenagers to see the best in their siblings before it’s all too late!  

Family Relationships: Why Dysfunctional?

It's true that for the majority of us, we live with dysfunctional families. Almost every family has a drunk uncle Louie or a crazy aunt Sally. Sure, some are weirder than others, and some are even a bit more difficult to deal with than others. AND it's funny how our families have moved from the Brady Bunch-like model to more of the Raymond and Rosanne family models.  So how do we help our students deal with dysfunction?  Well, first of all, it's not new. Just check out some of the crazy stories of people in the Bible. We know about the rivalry that took place between Ishmael and Isaac. We know about Jacob who stole the birthright from his brother Esau and damaged that relationship. We know about David's son Amnon who was crazy in love with his step-sister Tamar. So crazy that he deceived her and lured her into his bed and slept with her causing a huge family fued (as you can imagine). We know the crazy story of how Abram told Pharaoh that Sarai, his sister was his wife in Genesis 12:10-20. So how are we supposed to function in dysfunctional families? What do we tell our teenagers that will help them out?

1.  Tell them that people mess up.

     Where there are people, there will inevitably be mistakes. Once again, our families are human. What we need to understand is that people often tend to live according to their sinful nature. Abram made the stupid decision of asking his wife to say that she was his sister. How messed up is that? - And it happened simply because Abram, like the rest of us was born with a sin nature - and people with a sin nature - sin. It's true that people mess up. Sometimes dysfunctional families have been wrecked by divorce. I've seen parent splits literally shake some teenagers that I would consider to be very strong. Sometimes constant bickering and hatred between two parents is enough to really devastate a home. For some teens, it's a sibling rivalry that makes home a place that is no fun to be. However, what we need to help students realize is that because my parents, friends, or family have made bad decisions and choices in their lives, doesn't mean that they are bad people. They are just people who have made poor decisions. Deep down inside, their hurting - and as the saying goes- "hurt people, hurt people." Abram made his stupid decision out of fear, and many times the people in our lives will do the same.  People mess up.

2.  Tell them that mess-ups can be cleaned up.

     With God, the amazing thing is that as quickly as mistakes are made, mess-ups can be cleaned up as well. Sure messes are no fun, but there is hope. Wherever there are mistakes, understand that there is usually a distribution of God's grace in the area. AND here's the cool part for all of us, "God is the God of second chances." So don't give up on your situation. I have always heard that where there are mistakes, there are also opportunities for God to do miracles. And we know that God is still in the miracle working business! 

3.  Tell them that clean-ups cost a great price.

     However, just because mess-ups can be cleaned up, doesn't mean that we should take God's grace lightly. Why? Because clean-ups cost a great price. I hope that when you see or hear of a family that was in shambles that have been put back together by God's grace, that you also understand that a great price has been paid. We all know that almost seven years ago our country was rocked when two airplanes crashed into the twin towers in New York City on 9/11/2001.  Right now there stands a beautiful memorial in memory of that occasion and the many lives that were taken on that day.  However, what a lot of people don't know is that according to an October 2001 article from CNN, here on the web, the clean-up was estimated to cost the city of New York over 1 billion dollars in clean up costs. I hope you understand that clean-ups cost a great price. For Abram, Pharaoh was able to over look his mistake. Once Pharaoh figured out that Sarai was Abram's wife he had her sent out, thankful that he had never touched her. However, when it came to Abram, Pharaoh was pretty ticked at him for lying and say that "she is my sister." So in the midst of the famine, Abram and Sarai were made to leave Egypt. Their place of rescue. Their city of safety and food during the famine, the entire reason they had moved in the first place was now forfeited because the cost of clean-up is a great price. Scripture tells us of one who has come to pay the price for us. His name is Jesus. Our lives were such a mess, but Jesus came to clean. He has come to bring us hope once again. He has come to wipe away the messes that we have made, and the messes that our families have made - and it cost Him a great price - His life. So won't you submit yourself to Him?  

Here's the crazy part, Hollywood wants to justify your dysfunctional family by helping you to have the mind-set that because everyone lives in a dysfunctional family, it's alright that your family is messed up too. It's alright for my family to be messed up because everyone else's family is messed up in America. Listen, it's not alright that my family is screwed up.  It's not ok any more that our families compare more evenly to the Conner family more than they do to the Bradys. It's not alright for me, and I'm going to fight to win my family back for Christ, but the only way the battle is going to be won is on our faces in prayer. So I'm going to fight. What about you?

Family Relationships: What Does it Mean to Honor?

In my last post on family, I mentioned that we need to help our teens deal with the families that they are living in - the types of families that many of our teens are trying to survive living in.  As I mentioned before, our teens aren't living in the family units that you I grew up in. (In the next post, I will deal quite a bit with dysfunctional families). However, I think it's important that we help our students develop a good foundation before we attempt to fix any of their problems. Now, I'm a big fan of Jeanne Mayo and one of the quotes that I often take from her when it comes to family relationships comes from a sign that hangs above the Mayo family door (according to Josh Mayo's book, Help! I'm Raising Kids while Doing Ministry).  It says, "This is my family which will always be an anchor for me when the world turns on me and when my friends wrong me. I know that this unique group of people will always have my back and be a group of people who I can run to." Isn't that awesome. Family should be a tight-unit and home should be a place that we can run to when we need that special comfort.  However, even when families aren't tight - we still have a God given responsibility - AND that is what we first need to help our students understand.

It's so difficult, and tough for a student who has been dealt a pretty crappy family to understand, but we need to help them understand that it's the WORD of God and not man.  Check out what Ephesians 6 says, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." I think there are three key components to laying the foundation for students to understand.

1. First of all, they need to understand that Parents are Human and will unfortunatley make mistakes.

     Children, kids and teenagers aren't the only ones who make mistakes in life, so why do they seem like the only one's who have been given a free pass to mess up. Why not parents too? Aren't they human as well?  Another thing we often forget is that though, a lot of parenting does come natural - for many of us this is our first shot at it. Unless you have siblings that are a whole lot older than you are, your parents had to learn as they went - AND this means learning on the fly. I had a great laugh the other day when I saw some students at a local high school carrying around their "flour babies".  I laughed because I remember carrying my bag of flour in the eighth grade and now as a parent to a nearly four year old little girl, it is quite comical because that bag of flour taught me nothing. Absolutely squat. AND it's amazing to me that the slack that we normally cut people, we don't so easily cut for our parents. So I think that the first step as a mentor in helping kids with their family life is to remind them that their parents are human and to expect some mistakes. Teach them to be quick to forgive! 

2. Secondly, we need to teach our teens that Parents are given Authority by God.

     Ouch! This is definatley a part that we have some struggles with right off of the bat. However, just because they have been given authority over us doesn't mean that parents get to Lord over us, either. Understand that God has some strick rules for parenting that parents have to submit to and that they will one day answer to Him for. As Peter Parker's uncle said, "With great power comes great responsibility" - and he's right.  I know that sometimes following our parents in obedience is tough. Now God makes a disclaimer, when He says to obey your parents, "in the Lord". Now does this mean that if your parents aren't Christians, and you are, that you are exempt from obeying them?  Of course not, but what it means is that unless they are telling you to do something contrary to the Word of God, then you had better obey. Why? Because it is "right" - and it's what God has commanded us to do because our parents have been given authority over us. Help your students to realize that they will be judged according to how they responded to that God-given authority in their lives! 

3. The last thing that our Students Need to Understand is that Parents are to be Honored.

     Not only are our parents to be obeyed and their rules for us to be followed through, but understand that our parents are also to be honored in special ways.  In other words, we are to go the extra-mile to serve them for they are the only mother and father we will ever have. In fact, scripture emphasizes this point so much that it even extends a promise that he/she who honors their parents will enjoy an even greater life.  We need to encourage our teens to respect their parents by the way they talk to them and by the way they respond to their parents' rules.  Why do we always expect our parents to initiate the conversation and enhance our relationship as parents and children?  Instead, we need to urge our students to take some ownership and plan out dates with their parents - to plan out family nights.  Encourage your guys to buy their mothers flowers for no reason whatsoever, and for daughters to bring home a bag of popcorn, pop, and an action movie to watch with dad. Why? Because Colossians 3:20 tells us that when we honor our parents, "God is pleased".

I understand that sometimes life deals us a tough family to cope with, but I also understand that there are certain things in life that we have no control over. The only thing that we can control is what we do with what we have been given. So let me urge you to encourage your students to go to every length to love their parents as best as possible. I know that there are certain instances where even students who try hard to love their parents and who work hard at being obedient are dumped on. However, for the most part, I believe that if students will understand these three thoughts...(1) That parents are human (2) That they are given Authority over us from God and that (3) It is our calling to do everything possible that we can to honor them.  If students truly try to understand and put these thoughts into action - it will literally change their lives. So teach it and have them try it - I bet it works!  After all, it is God's Word to us.

No Longer Yesterday's Family

As you and I very well know we are no longer dealing with yesterday's family. I remember watching the Brady Bunch re-runs on television when I was growing up, and I can remember imagining that my family could look and act just like theirs.  It seemed as if their family had it all together.  It was amazing to me that four ladies and four guys could join together and form a family unit that was so tight - so tight in fact, that they looked more "together" than my family.  Dad (Mike Brady) had a great and stable job as an architect, while mom worked hard around the house.  They had a live-in maid, Alice, who loved the kids like they were her own.  She had a boy friend, Sam the butcher, and we have no reason to believe that their relationship was anything but innocent.  As I look back on this television show, and even watch re-runs today I ask the question, "what was Hollywood trying to tell us about the families of that day?"  Because, times have definately changed.  Those families are no longer the families of today.

My heart aches and is broken for the types of students that I have the opportunity to hangout with and minister to every day.  We have students going home to junk that you and I would have never dreamed of as a kid.  We have kids who leave our youth ministry on Wednesday night praying that mom or dad is sober.  We have kids who are being abused by parents and family members sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally.  We have students who wake up in the morning with strangers in their home because mom or dad has brought their one-night-stand home.  Does this sound like the Brady Bunch anymore? 

So how do we help these teens?  What do we say to them to help them to live and survive in these unbelievable conditions?  Better yet, how do we help them to see and understand that even though their parents are being bone-headed that they are called by God to "honor thy father and mother"?  How do we help them to deal with sibling relationships that are infested with conflict and hatred?  Over the next few days, I am going to blog and share with you some of the things that we have done and talked about with our students to help them with some of these issues that they have faced, and are even facing right now in their lives. 

It's easy to see that we are no longer living in a world full of Leave it to Beaver or Brady Bunch families.  Just look at the sitcom's that run on the air today.  Hardly any of the shows that are on deal with solid family-units.  If you want to watch that you have to catch re-runs of Home Imporvement on Nic.  However, the shows that run today deal with broken families and alternative lifestyles.  In other words, Hollywood has changed their tune because the viewers have changed theirs.  This issue that we are talking about is very real and it's an issue that has burdened my heart.  So over the next few days, let's look to see what God says about the family unit, and what His word says about family matters. 

No Free Lunches

I was talking with the Lord during some quiet time tonight and this is what I felt led to pass along to you - my blog family. As I was listening for the voice of the Lord in that still small voice - I believe He was saying to me that, "There are no free lunches." I remember talking to a good friend of mine about a year ago. His name is Steve Smith and he is an incredible school teacher in Indiana. As we were chatting, he related to me a story that took place one day at a local elementary school. Mr. Smith, as the students call him, was in the cafeteria on lunch duty one day when he over-heard some young elementary students talking about how they had obtained their lunches that day. One student proudly stated, "I get a discount on my lunch. My momma doesn't have to pay full price." His friend puffed up with even more pride as he raised up and said, "Oh yeah, well I get free lunch, and I don't have to pay for any of it." The teacher inside of Mr. Smith instantly came out as he made his presence known at this particular lunch table. He jumped right into the middle of the conversation with the two boys that day when he blew them by surprise and uttered these words, "Boys, there is no such thing as a free or discounted lunch. You can thank me, because I payed for it." He went on to explain to them how lunches are awarded to students who need help and that they are paid for by tax payer money. He added, "So whatever you do, when you get those lunches, be thankful because someone else payed for it. Just because it didn't cost you anything doesn't mean that it was free."

Tonight, as I was listening to the Lord, He was reminding me of this story. Why? You see, it is good for us to remember that our invitation to the marriage feast with Jesus wasn't free. Sure, it was paid out in full for us, but it came with a very precious price - the blood of Jesus upon the cross. Many times we have a tendency to remember the twelve full baskets of food and the 5,000 filled stomach's but we forget that a young boy had to be willing to give up his five loaves and two small fish. We remember the fourth person in the fiery furnace and the rescued boys who were brought before Nebuchadnezzar and honored for their faith, but we forget about their courage and their unwillingness to bow down before the statue of gold. We remember the comments that Jesus made to a certain woman about the love that she had poured out on Him, but we forget that it cost her the most prized possession of alabaster that she had.

So the next time you hear the word "FREE" realize that someone somewhere is covering the tab for you to be able to have that item at no cost. AND remember that just because our invitation to the Lord's table costs us nothing - doesn't mean that our lunch was free. Jesus picked up the cost and He has it paid in full.

A Great Night with Telemachus

This evening was an awesome night at Ignition.  We had a great crowd and there were 5 decisions for Christ and 2 re-dedications to the Lord.  I shared with the students our first message in our Epic series.  The night was awesome and I had the opportunity to share with them the story of Telemachus.  I promised that story to you as well, so here it goes. 

Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. One day, he felt that God was speaking to him about leaving the monestary and heading to Rome.  So Telemachus gathered all of his worldly belongings and placed them in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city the people were filled with excitement in the city streets. He asked why there was such a comotion going on and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the coliseum.  Telemachus, being a man of God thought to himself, "Four centuries after Christ and they are still killing each other, for enjoyment?" To say the least, he was a bit disturbed.  So, he ran to the coliseum to see the events for himself.  It was there at the Coliseum that he saw the gladiators and heard them saying, "Hail to Ceasar, we die for Ceasar."  Telemachus thought to himself, "this isn't right."  So filled with passion against what he was seeing, he jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field and stood between the two gladiators.  Telemachus held up his hands and began to shout at the top of his lungs, "In the name of Christ, forbear."  As the crowd noticed him standing in the middle of the field, they quited down enough to listen to what he was saying.  After hearing his words, the people began to protest and to shout, "Run him through, Run him through." A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword sending him to the sand. However, Telemachus dusted the sand off and got back up and again cried, "In the name of Christ, forbear."  The crowd continued to get all the louder chanting, "Run him through."  Finally, one gladiator, to appease the crowd, came over and plunged his sword through the little monk's stomach.  Telemachus fell into the sand, which began to turn crimson with his blood.  Holding onto life, Telemachus gathered the strength and one last time he peered out at the crowd and gasped while sharing these final words, "In the name of Christ forbear."  Then, Telemachus collapsed and died.  A hush came over the 80,000 people in the coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another.  Within minutes all 80,000 had emptied out of the arena.  To this day, that was the last known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome. 

I told the students tonight that Telemachus was the epitome of Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 3:3 when he told the people of Troas that they were, "a living letter, written not with ink but by the Spirit of God not on tablets of stone, but on the tablets of men's hearts."  AND that is what God is asking us to do as well.  To live our lives, and pen out our story in such a way that our actions, our words, and our love will be written on the hearts of those around us.  What kind of story are you writing for those who follow ages from now to read about you and your life?  I hope it's a good one.

Are You Transformed?

Are you transformed? As a kid I grew up on a cartoon that featured robots who had the incredible ability to morph and transform themselves into jets, cars and all kinds of machinery. In 2007, Hollywood took the cartoons to a whole new level with their blockbuster movie, "Transformers." Throughout the movie, the unparalleled special effects keep you glued to the screen. AND yet, while the movie is called, "Transformers," it's interesting that very little time and attention are given to the actual transforming of the Autobots. Why? Because the ability to transform is simply a part of who they are. Transformers transform, right? But what about Christ followers? Why is it that sometimes we don't focus a whole lot on a believers ability to bear fruit? Why is it that we don't pay a whole lot of attention to the transformation process in the lives of those we are helping to become Disciples? Is it because that's who we are as believers or is it because sometimes we mess up, majoring on minors and harping on the petty things? As John Ortberg asks in his book, The Life You've Always Wanted, are you truly transformed or just pseudo-transformed (not truly transformed)? Isn't it true that many times we make the mistake that the Pharisees made with Jesus? They were Pharisee by name which supposedly labeled them as righteous and religious, giving them the permission they needed to look down upon the likes of prostitutes and tax collectors. But this was just a pseudo-transformation, for in fact the truly changed and transformed people were the ones who acknowledged their sin and intimately drew closer to Christ. As Ortberg says, "sometimes the righteous are worse off in their righteousness than the sinners are in their sin." So why is it important for us who claim Christ to have a true transformation? According to Sheldon Vanauken, "the greatest argument for Christianity is Christians when they are drawing life from God". Unfortunately however, the greatest argument against Christianity are Christians as well, "when they become exclusive, self-righteous and complacent". So let me challenge you to really search deep. If you know Christ and proclaim to have a relationship with Him, are you any different than you were before you met Christ? I know that God has changed my life and I know that the process of daily transformation is far from over. It's a journey. God is working on me and is helping me to develop and grow in the many different areas of my life that require His help. I know that God is holding the blueprints of my life in His grip, and each and every day I am getting one step closer to being the person that He has always intended for me to be. What about you?

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.