"My Spider Senses Were Tingling"

Every nerve, every sense was on high alert; the waves crashing over the nose of my canoe, wind driven rain lashing my face, as I struggled to keep the canoe on line; close to land, should we need a quick exit. My “partner” for the day was of no use, having empty the contents of her stomach on the previous portage with convulsive wretches, brought on by nothing more than fear. Now she was a liability, her few attempts with no timing or strength, as she tried placing her paddle in the water, almost capsized us. Though we were in the company of several other canoes, the water was cold this fall and hypothermia a reality. If they couldn't reach us in time; getting us out of the water and to shore, we’d be in real trouble. Given the wind, condition of the bay and my partner, it was obvious, we needed to move to shore and stop for the day; at least for the time being.

Ever been in a situation that commanded such attention? It seems the more experience I gain in life, the more I see clearly these moments others miss in the everyday events of life and growth.

I had such an experience when one of my sons announced on “Facebook” he was “in a relationship” a common thing in our world for a 20 year old. So why are my “spider senses tingling”?

It continues to be an expected, yet under-directed and under-informed part of our Students lives. What one thing, next to embracing Christ, will have more impact in their lives than this; their understanding, pursuit and marriage to a member of the opposite sex? (Never mind in today’s world we first have to convince them, though nature screams it, that it needs to be a member of the opposite sex!)

Most teaching handles the obvious of purity and appropriate behavior, but what of the underlying and necessary assumptions; shared values, goals, and life mission? Relational aptitude (treating others correctly) and monogamy aside, more relationships have been shipwrecked on these rocks, those necessary assumptions, than anything else. Even the number one thing that couples fight over; “money” carries basic and foundational difference of values at its core: Those embattled, holding views often unknown to themselves, born out by action and response more than conscious dogma (belief).

If you’re working with students, make sure to bring them to the foundation of their lives; an unwavering understanding of their own call and purpose in Christ for this life, their work and destination; before you merely succumb to the typical cultural model of handling all the expected transitions in their lives. The very heart of the issue is their design. We know that we shouldn't be “unequally yoked” (2 Cor. 6:14 KJV) specifically speaking of believers marrying unbelievers or partnering with them. At its bedrock it speaks of two individuals with distinct natures who will approach work (life) differently (Duet 22:10). If you are going to do justice to your students in the department of relationships, not only do you need to win the battle of Missionary dating, moral purity and being truly connected to Christ, but of personal nature and call. How does each of your students need to re-present Christ: One a gifted musician with a passion for people yet so very quiet, another boisterous commanding attention, sometimes demanding it with little concern for the given decorum of the moment? Where is God leading them? You will only be able to give small hints in this process, for it is a life journey and only their own relationship with God will unlock it fully, but you need them to be clued into the process and some important markers of their own wiring and destiny.  

“If you’re designed to be a distance runner it is a sure bet, you won’t be living your life in a series of sprints. So why do you keep eyeing the sprinters as potential partners to complete your race?”

Your Students need to figure out their own (God given) design; passions, skills/abilities, and dreams; their calling before they tie their hearts, lives and dreams with another’s; one who may be headed in an opposing direction. For those who find my words compelling make sure you champion the process for others. To those quick to dismiss such things; we'll just follow the trail of broken relationships, hearts and dreams you've propagated through denial, ignorance, or worse an embrace of our present cultures morays.

Are You A White Supremacist?

“…. Two things came to mind: the beautiful young things of the reformed renaissance have a hard choice to make in the next decade.  You really do kid only yourselves if you think you can be an orthodox Christian and be at the same time cool enough and hip enough to cut it in the wider world. Frankly, in a couple of years it will not matter how much urban ink you sport, how much fair trade coffee you drink, how many craft brews you can name, how much urban gibberish you spout, how many art house movies you can find that redeemer figure in, and how much money you divert from gospel preaching to social justice: maintaining biblical sexual ethics will be the equivalent in our culture of being a white supremacist.”     Carl Trueman  

Intrigued? Take a minute and read the entirety of this individual’s post; realize if you are under 30 years of age, in a position of leadership serving the youth of our day, you will face the greatest immediate challenge (next to parents) in dealing with this as you attempt to apply truth in their arena of life. The fact is your own worldview has been affected by the mores of this attitude so prevalent in our culture today. No matter the era “holding to a standard of truth in love” given a generations particular bent (its pushing of moral boundaries), is difficult. Now that the philosophy of “tolerance” has had its time to become fully entrenched as the standard to test all things by, it should be easy to see the truth of the authors last statement…. If you cannot you prove my point of your own capitulation. So how will you deal with this? Or will you be a "White Supremacist". Yes the world is painting you into a corner. it is up to you to re-present Christ allowing Him to do the thing he does best; not be contained.

Do your Students Know They're Geniuses?

My Daughter just popped in and in forty five seconds shared a piece of her heart. She had just worked on her schools “EDP”, short for, "educational development plan"and shared the results; the potential career paths offered to her by the information gathered.

I love being available for my kids in the course of their day. I love interacting with them in venues that allow deep touches to their souls that aren’t “scary” or confrontational. This was one of those moments. In those 45 seconds we spoke of the big things that motivate her and the general pieces of each of those life paths. I could tell as she ran across the hall to her next class, she had taken the thoughts with her. The biggest thing I took away was a reminder to connect the hopes, dreams and passions of a 14-year-old girl to God; His hopes plans, dreams, and mission for His highest creation.

Your ministry’s goal is not to get more students involved in your “contrived” programs; all programs not directed by life are contrived, which covers about 95% of what we do in typical ministry. Your ministry’s goal is not to please your boss, be it a senior pastor, executive pastor or a board member. (If you are keeping first things first and all share the same goal these should happen, they’re just not primary.) Your number one goal in introducing students to the Creator of the universe, seeing them reconciled to Him through His son, is to reconcile their original design to His. This design is what drives their passions, dreams and desires. They simply have no ability apart from life in Christ and all He has orchestrated to achieve it! His orchestration covers all we typically invest in; a morally changed life, bible study and prayer, church attendance, service, and genuine respect for authority (that honor your mother and father thing).

What goals have you set for your ministry this year? Do they support and facilitate the “main thing”; students, people reflecting the glory of God in all they (specific to them) do?

Help them discover their design and application!

Do this and it will be one of the greatest evangelism tools you ever invested in!

“… let your light shine (live your life) before men, so that they may see your good works (Eph 2:10, Psalm 139) and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Matt. 5:16

Making Disciples: How's Your Balance?

From the great "Theologian" Bruce Lee: 

"Balance is something you're always running to catch."

As you reach students for Christ, impacting their friends and culture; what's your plan? We've considered the power and synergy of large groups and your meetings briefly, but what's at the heart of your ministry? I ask, because I was reminded by a friend and missionary's recent status update, of Christ's call to His church; "make disciples", here is what he wrote:  

"Great thoughts on disciple-making: If you make disciples you always get the church. But if you make a church you rarely get disciples. "Most of us have become quite good at the church thing. And yet, disciples are the only thing that Jesus cares about, and it’s the only number that Jesus is counting. Not our attendance or budget or buildings. He wants to know if we are “making disciples.” Breen, Mike (2011-08-16). Building a Discipling Culture"

So the questions begging to be asked and answered as you plan and execute your ministry: "Are you making disciples or simply building a group? What does a disciple of Christ look like in youth culture? How would that compare to a disciple of your ministry? Would it be different?  

Those are tough questions to answer, given our propensity and bias to interpret all we do in our own ministries as being biblical. Before we measure our ministries by our own standards take a pulse of your "model" students and look at these characteristics; 

• What is their personal response to and awareness of "sin"? Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And •walk in love, as the •Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.  But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for •saints. Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. Eph. 5:1-4 Are they growing in their personal understanding, disdain and battle with sin?
• What is their personal awareness of righteous?  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light —  for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth —  discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. Eph. 5:8-10 Are they pursuing daily to discover God's directives for all of their lives; work, play love, friends, leisure?
• What is their personal awareness of their daily mission? And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col. 3:17 Do they recognize the strategic role each part of their lives play for the kingdom; in all they do; school, extra curricular, family, friends, etc.?
• What is their awareness of their need for community to do life? He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the •saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head —Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part. Eph. 4:11-16 They will never achieve all God has for their personal or corporate lives alone!

As my friend reminded me in his status.... make disciples build the church (youth ministry), make a church (youth ministry) and chances are good there won't be many disciples. It can be a real trick to focus on in our current church culture. 

So How's your balance?

 
 

 

Don't Be A Fool!

Our Students seem so unclear on the subject of friends, family and "Love". Give 'em a dose of Wisdom!

You can’t choose your family; you can’t choose, whom it is you love; you must extend that act to all: You can choose your friends; those you would emulate, embrace and take into your confidence. You can choose, “who” you give your heart too!

Are you clear on the difference? Love is not an emotion to be controlled by; it is a gift to be offered. While we are to love all, we do not, should not, offer unwittingly, the key to our hearts and lives to one who would do us great harm.

We are told to: “guard your heart”, to: “…not go with the angry man”, lest we become like him. An English proverb says: “A fool is known by the company he keeps”. A biblical proverb says it this way: “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Prov. 13:20

How clear does it have to be? Love all, embrace wisely: give no fool your heart! (No matter the illusion of beauty, wealth or position!)

DON’T BE A FOOL!

Ever Have An Out-of-Body Experience?

Ever had an out of body experience? I have, several times, and it’s always deals with the same thing.

I was driving down the road, hand draped over the steering wheel, drumming a beat on the dash as I hummed the song on the radio. Suddenly I had this surreal feeling, like I was seeing myself from a different vantage point. It was an epiphany and a visual experience. Another occasion I had just gotten out of bed with a terrible cold. As I walked toward the bathroom I found myself making this unconscionable noise but it wasn’t me; it was as if I were an observer looking at myself. Sometimes these times are accompanied by the experience of “deja-vu”: An intense feeling that you have experienced the exact thing, time and moment before.

As I said, I’ve had this happen on several occasions, all revealing the same inescapable truth. As I watched myself; a rush of self-knowledge, a moment of Zen enlightenment struck me: “I was my Dad!” Not only had I left my body; he had taken over! Sayings, sounds, habits, all things I had observed him doing as a child; out of nowhere, here I was, but not me; it was him, doing those same things as I watched!

You have had that happen! Haven’t you? A moment where you found yourself reflecting; imitating reflexively someone you thought you never would. (obviously any references to "out-of-body" experiences were satirical.)

The reality: We imitate the people we are surrounded by. We imitate the individuals we value; the ones we esteem. Who are the people, shaping your life and ministry? We were meant to mature in community, being mentored and influenced by the mature. How do you define this quality, “mature”, in today’s world? As you chew on this and kick it around with your peers, remember this:

Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

Imitate God! So what’s that look like? The rest of this section, in light of all our youth experience in their world: The blue humor, the innuendo, and the open contempt for purity; has a bit to say…. dig in.

A View of Life: Lies, Parties, Casual Sex and Facebook

It's How They See the World

“I just said; ‘You’re going home.’”

“Why didn’t you just drop them off right there?”

“You’re telling me she was out all night with you guys?”

“I guess, her mom thought she was staying at her friends house, then going shopping on Black Friday with her friend and her mom… so Yeah”

“How did they end up with us?”

“I don’t know, but when she threw her cell phone a second time after I told her to not bounce it off my dash and it cracked my windshield, I said that’s it! So I took them home.”

“You gonna make her pay for it? I’d be over there talkin to her mama telling her we gonna sit up a payment plan!”

“Wha’d your mom say?”

“He told her a truck threw a rock at it….”

I here it all the time, a casual handling of truth: Along with stories of sexual escapades, parties, 420 episodes, and the drama of “Facebook” statuses.  There are days I confess, I become numb to it, calloused, almost accepting it as the norm; they certainly do! Then from no where some of those same voices mention what they were doing at their churches on Sunday, or activities with their youth groups and it jolts me awake. I see for a moment with fresh eyes, the impact of relativism and the loss of absolute truth have had on our student population.

It doesn’t take a genius to see this; I know! It does take a purposeful focused approach to deal with it! My heartfelt prayer is that you as a servant to this population are making every effort to educate yourself, and transform your students, using materials like Focus on the Families; “Truth Project” or Charles Colson’s; “Doing The Right Thing”. Both are great resources for helping your students build a worldview based on God’s unchanging truth. Remember there are at least ten things written in stone with a myriad of life applications that render a “wishy-washy” approach to life, antithetical to truth, right and wrong, no exceptions! How are you doing in delivering this to your students? Remember never give them a what, or how, with out telling them why! In this case it’s about design, immutable laws, and the path to success now and in eternity future. It’s about LIFE vs. DEATH.

Not sure how to start? Try signing up and reading the “Break Point Daily”, then check out the resources in the links to the right like the two I mentioned earlier! If you really want to educate yourself start with Francis Schaeffer’s “How Shall We Live”.  You are on the front line of the culture war: Don’t be a victim the results are DAMNING!