Random Ramblings of a Youth Minister

How He Loves Us

2009-09-04T15:10:00Z

Well Its been awhile. I'd like to promise to do better and update more frequently but that's probably not gonna happen so I won't lie to you or myself. I've been waiting for something to write about for a while now and every time I sit down to write something I end up deciding I need something more important so I just give up and move on. Well at the time of this writing I am struck with the thought of God's love and the only reaction we can have to it. Stop reading this right now and go watch this video before continuing. Video

What would your testimony be? Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15 ... always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, I don't think any of us could deny His love for us or the hope that only comes from His love. However, we, all to often, recognize the love God has for us and the hope He gives but forget what our reaction must be.

1 John 4:7-12 7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 ,Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

DId you catch that? How can we, with hate in our hearts for people of other races, political ideas, sexual orientation, etc. claim to know the God who loved so much he died for their sins as well as ours? I'm not saying we have to love or even tolerate sin. However if God chose to look through our sin and love us who are we to say that someone else's sin is so bad that we won't love them. One last warning i can already hear people saying "well, I'll love them but that doesn't mean I have to like them." God covered that one too. 1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. You see, true love, that comes from God isn't some hollow feeling, it is an action.

So, do you know the love of God? If you do, who are you showing it to?

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2009-01-12T15:08:33Z

Well we're boarded and ready to take off from Quito. Pray coming home
is easier than leaving.

Sent from my iPhone

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2009-01-11T13:43:54Z

Well as u sit here drinking my coffee on our last day in Cayambe I'm
struck by the two sides of Ecuador. On the one side is the most
beautiful country I've ever seen. The mountains a beyond words with
their crop fields planted and tended and harvested by hand. The soil
seems to b able to produce the biggest and most gorgeous flowers and
fruits and vegetables. The people are so friendly and loving.

However on the other side this truely is a a country and a people in
need of the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ. The good news is
they are very receptive. They love to hear about Jesus. The bad news
is although the harvest is plentiful, the workers are few. I implore
you right now as you read to stop and beseech the God of the harvest
to send out workers... Did you hear that if you are a Christian God is
calling you to the harvest. When Jesus spoke of the harvest and the
workers He was talking about you and where you are right now. Now that
you've prayed for the harvest what will you do for God's harvest?

We'll be coming home tomorrow hopefully you will have stories of the
harvest.

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2009-01-07T04:42:39Z

We made it!!! I'm sitting in the motel as I type. We're staying in the
Jatun Huasi which is Quichua for big house. That was fun explaining
what the big house is back home. As you pray for our team remember our
translators Ruben and Cecilia as well as our driver Francisco. Please
by all means pray for the driver. Wait till you see pictures of the
roads.

The flight from Miami was great (better for some than others.) All our
bags made it and now we can't wait to get an early start tomorrow.

Neal, I'll get you a picture of your volcano tomorrow.

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2009-01-06T14:48:17Z

Well we do indeed serve a big God. As I sat down to do my quiet time this morning I was very discouraged. We left for Ecuador yesterday and due to some bad weather and a leaky coffee pot we missed the last flight from Miami to Quito. We have lost a whole day. I was very disappointed to say the least. We're booked on the next flight but it doesn't leave until 3:35 this afternoon. I challenged the youth to start reading a chapter a day out of Romans so I decided I'd go through with them and today was to be the first day. Imagine my surprise when I read the words that Paul wrote 2000 years ago. Romans 1:10-13 let's us know that Paul was longing to get to Rome and was detained. As I thought about that I realized that the same God that used Paul while he was longing for Rome will use us as we long for Ecuador. Please pray for safe travel today as well as eyes to see the ministry that God has for us today.

Please forward a link to anyone that would be interested in updates from Ecuador.

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2008-12-26T19:58:42Z

I'd like to take a minute to ask everyone who reads this blog (all 3 of you) to take a moment to pray for our mission grip to Ecuador. We're leaving on January 5th and we'll be back the 12th. Please continue to pray for the team and the trip.

Confessions

2008-12-18T17:04:00Z

Nothing new to report but I thought this might be a good reminder for all of us.

Changes

2008-10-21T22:15:00Z

Well as things often do things have been changing around here lately. Our pastor, Jeremy, announced last Sunday that he's resigning from our church. Even though I knew it was coming, hearing him say the words was quite a blow. Until Jeremy came to Addington there was no one to share in the frustrations of being a minister. Jeremy has been a confidant, an ally, a pastor and most of all a friend. I have come to trust and respect him greatly. Of all the pastors I've known Jeremy is the only one who truly is the same man in the pulpit that he is on the golf course or hunting. With his dry and ireverant humor he has a way of making you feel comfortable around him right from the start. The hurt will subside and the tears will dry but the things I've learned from Jeremy will last a lifetime. He taught me that who you are is more important than what you say. A good joke can change a room. Standing is always the right thing as long as you're standing for the right thing. Slow down, when you rush you're unapproachable. In closing the one thing I need to say to Jeremy is thank you for reminding me of all the things I love about ministry.

The Power of Two

2008-09-22T14:58:00Z

What to say?

2008-09-17T15:41:00Z

Well it's been awhile since I've written. I'm not sure why. It definately isn't from a lack of activity. I guess it's because I'm just sad. I'm beginning to wonder what's going on in the world. We've been going through a study on the church in youth on Wednesday nights. As I study I see more and more that we've missed the boat. Acts 2:42 says they (3000 new believers) continually devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching, to fellowship. the breaking of bread and prayer. The greek word translated fellowship is the word koinonia. This word is tied very closely with the first church. It seems to mean a sharing of lives. Do we share our lives with our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Throughout Acts we find the Church sharing their possessions and their lives. The good as well as the painful was shared equally. In a society where we are encouraged to be an army of one, Lone ranger or rugged individualist it is seen as weakness to share one's faults or even true situations. We don't want people to know about our financial struggles or our spiritual frailties.

The first Church prayed continually. While I don't pretend to know what they were praying about, I highly doubt that their prayer meetings went like ours do. Today we pray for everyone but ourselves. It seems the only time we pray for someone inside our congregations is when they have a dignified request such as a health issue. Otherwise we're afraid to admit we need prayer. Well to quote King David in 2 Samuel 6:22 I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes.... How can we claim to be of one mind heart and soul when we are so afraid to let our true selves be known?

Allow me to issue a challenge. Read Acts 19:13-16 and see what happens to those who bear the name of Christ falsely. After reading that look at how you do church. Are we doing the work of The Kingdom or are we just busy and putting a Jesus sticker on it?

Falls Creek

2008-08-12T15:06:32Z

Well it's been awhile. I assure you it isn't because nothing's been going on. It has been quite a summer. To look at our calendar you wouldn't think so but we have been incredibly busy. The kids go back to school on thursday so I'm telling myself it's gonna settle down. Myself thinks I'm lying. He's probably right. I'll have moe

Quarters or Dollars

2008-07-10T17:46:49Z

If you were to offer my 3 year old a crisp 100 dollar bill in one hand and a quarter in the other she would almost certainly choose the quarter. I'm not quite sure why but for whatever reason she thinks that the quarter has more value. If she didn't think that she'd surely choose the $100 otherwise she'd be stupid. Jesus says in Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Jesus seems to imply that in order to have the money to purchase the field the man had to sell all that he has. However it says "from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has." From joy over it. If Macy had a 100 dollar bill she would happily trade it to you for a quarter. Unfortunately many Christians have happily traded the treasure of knowing and walking with God for the trash of the world. I'm not talking about the things you do. Although they are a symptom of the problem they are merely and indicator of the true problem which is a disease of the heart. We have seen the treasure of God and happily chosen to cling to our crap piles. We cling to sports and clubs and friends and family and sex and alcohol and every other distraction. Revelation 3:17 says Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. We think we've chosen right and yet we don't know that we are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. What does your life say you've chosen. You can say with your mouth that you've chosen the treasure but remember in order to have the treasure you must sell all that you own. I know alot of Christians that are still clinging to the stuff they had before and claiming to have the treasure. WHICH IS IT FOR YOU?

Whitewashed Tombs

2008-07-08T16:56:00Z

Ok I'm mad. I was just online registering our group for Falls Creek when I noticed a forum feature. I like forums and I like Falls Creek so I navigated over there and started reading. It was pretty neat until I stumbled into the thread about dress code. I was in total agreement. I hate to see girls who seem to have left their clothes back at the cabin. It is such a distraction and not at all what we are there for. However, as I read on, the conversation turned to hats in the tabernacle. Now let me give you some background info. I am very traditional. I still require our students to wear pants or a skirt to the tabernacle even though that's not the Falls Creek Rule any more, and I don't let the boys wear hats. I'm not some hippie youth minister that lets anything go. So, why am I so upset? Well these people are using this forum to be pharisees. I know several students who want nothing to do with God or His church because of the way people like this act. They see a kid who has a peircing or blue hair and they assume they're a trouble maker. Well the pharisees thought the same thing about John the Baptist. Jesus said of them in Matthew 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. I just hope we haven't missed the real call of Jesus to follow the whitewashed crowd.

Oklahoma Fawns

2008-07-03T14:31:00Z

I so love living in a place where I get to see stuff like this. I tried to come up with something spiritual to write but nothing as of yet. Just really cool.

Discipleship Exposed

2008-06-27T00:41:00Z

My Girls

2008-06-24T05:40:00Z

Love One Another

2008-06-19T04:39:00Z

Here's the audio from our Sunday night service. Do you see the theme?

Falls Creek 08

2008-06-18T14:50:59Z

Well the time is here again. We're getting ready for another year at the creek. Billy is coming back to do the music, we're in our same cabin, and it's gonna be a great year. We leave on July 21st at 1:00 and we'll be back on the 26th about noon. The cost is $55 but don't let that be a problem. If you need some help with that just let us know. There'll be more info coming but for now I want to give you the links for the forms you need. Go here and print and fill out the student release form and student profile. Bring me those forms filled out and signed by your parents with a check to Addington Baptist Church for $55. If you have all your stuff in by July 9 you'll be gaurenteed the shirt size of your choice.

Super Summer

2008-06-16T02:29:00Z

Here's a pretty funny video from Super Summer.

Church Cannibalism

2008-06-15T12:00:00Z

Well after a week at Super Summer it's good to be home. Super Summer is a leadership camp held at OBU for three weeks in June. Each week has a new set of students and adults. It was a great week. God was so good and He gave me a great ministry idea. More on that later.

This is one camp where the youth ministers really get to work together. Each school has at least 3 and sometimes 4 youth ministers that work together to pull off Super Summer. I had such a great time fellowshipping with my fellow ministers. Youth ministers are great fun to be around. One thing that has really bothered me however was the large number of ministers who were facing extreme hardship in their churches. It seems that churches all over are eating their ministers.

If you talk to a farmer he'll tell you that in order to sustain significant yields of crops you have to let your land rest every so often. As a matter of fact this is a biblical concept that goes back thousands of years to the old testament. Churches all over seem to be trying to harvest from their ministers year after year without granting any rest. I'm not talking about just over working them. Although, that is a serious problem considering that the average minister works over 60 hours a week. Church people all to often are quick to criticize and slooowwwww to commend.

Most people have one or two people at their job who watch what the do and criticize or commend when they feel necessary. While this can be a pain to find a job where this is done properly, imagine having a couple hundred people who watch what you do and feel totally free to criticize (mostly behind your back) at will. Unfortunately people only see from their prospective. A senior adult only sees that the youth minister seems to always be breaking things or staining the carpet. What they don't see is the phone call at 2:00 am that wakes up that same youth ministers family because some student has a life crisis. Another person only sees that the pastors sermon was hard to understand or to long or to short or didn't "touch him." What he didn't see was the hospital visit that kept that same pastor out till all hours last night. The average church member has no idea that each staff member puts in around 60 hours a week, most of them not sitting in an office. All they know is when they called, their minister wasn't there. People don't understand that ministers don't leave their work on their desks when they go home. It follows us home and most of the time goes to bed with us. In a regular job your boss can see all the good you do and it offsets the things you could do better. All to often in church work the ones who scream the loudest are the ones who have an ax to grind.

I'm not saying that ministers are perfect in any way. I'm not saying that you shouldn't ever have a complaint about the ministers in your church. Please do pay attention and if you have a concern GO TO THEM. Don't see what everyone else thinks. Don't whine about it at Sunday lunch. First get on your face and pray for him then make an appointment and talk to him. As a minister I appreciate someone who cares enough about me to come and tell me what they think, good and bad. However, if you go to complain you need to be just as willing and ready to go to commend. Whenever someone comes to you to have a good whine about a minister simply say "hey I bet he doesn't even know that you feel that way, let's go tell him so he can have a chance to change it."

One of my heroes in ministry told me this week that he had resigned at his church and he didn't have another church to go to. This man has been in ministry some 23 years. I don't know his reason for leaving other than he's been burned. This guy is the best youth minister I know. I owe a lot of who I am and most of what I know about youth ministry to him. He also told me that in his 23 years in ministry it's worse now than it's ever been as far as churches treating their ministers poorly. Ministers aren't just moving on to other churches either. many of them are leaving the ministry altogether. The really scary thing is in my experience it's the good ones that are leaving.

Church people of the world hear me now. If you don't stop acting like this your children aren't going to have spiritual leaders. There really isn't going to be anyone in your church office. The pastor really isn't going to visit you in the hospital.

Random Ramblings of a Youth Minister

How He Loves Us

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Confessions

Changes

The Power of Two

What to say?

Falls Creek

Quarters or Dollars

Whitewashed Tombs

Oklahoma Fawns

Discipleship Exposed

My Girls

Love One Another

Falls Creek 08

Super Summer

Church Cannibalism

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