Filed under: life, ministry, youth ministry | Tags: create, creativity, matthew 25:14-30, spirituality
Have you ever pondered the idea that we are creative beings? We were created by the ultimate Creator, but he doesn’t expect us to all be the same. Nor does He want us to be robots who are made to mind their master. He wants us to want to mind Him. We can see that we are made to create from a couple of passages of scripture. The one I would like to focus on is found in Matthew 25:14-30. We find here a man who goes on a long journey and leaves some money with three servants. Five bags of gold with one, two bags with another and one bag with a third. He gives them responsibility over them; he entrusts these bags to them. We notice the master didn’t given them specific instructions on what to do with money, only to be responsible.
We see that all but the servant with the least amount of responsibility was both willing to take the risk and attempt to make his master more money and He was undoubtedly creative in doing so. The servant who did nothing, but bury his masters money say back and did nothing. the one with the mos to lose risk much more than the others and was richly rewarded, although not looked at with any greater joy or love from the master.
Creativity is a natural result of spirituality. The closer we get to The Creator the more creative we become. The master was not looking to see who out of the three servant won, he was looking to see which of them lived! When we are alive to Christ, then we will walk in a creativity that this world has not seen. Creativity isn’t a luxury of artist, but a calling of humanity. In my office at work I have a TV which my boys occasionally watch movies on. the one they have been watching lately is Wall-E. There is a line in the movie where the captain of the Axiom says ” I don’t want to survive, I want to live.” Isn’t that the cry of our hearts? I want to know what it is to truly live. Today as we set out on whatever lies ahead for us, lets create the life we have always dreamed of. Like the servants in the parable, let us go an create that our Master might say “enter into the my joy, be my partner.” Go and create!
Filed under: ministry, youth ministry | Tags: fast, prayer, psalm 63, teens
I felt impressed to open our church for 6 am prayer. To my knowledge this is a church that has not typically had an early morning prayer time. I would consider myself a morning person, and by morning I mean after the sun is up! Of this I am certain, if you want more of God you will need to pray. I know its not rocket science stuff that I am putting out there, but nonetheless we must pray. I remember reading something that Rich Wilkerson’s dad told him; “Rich, God will make a way for a praying man.” We don’t have to be the most talented, or the most gifted, just willing and obedient. Psalm 63:1-3 says O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life. The word earnestly literally means early. I want to give God the first fruits of my day, I want to give my best. God will take the His super and apply it to our natural when we press into Him. We are turning the corner on a 21 day fast, and I have an expectancy in my spirit about what it is that God will do here in Florence. I believe that what we as a church are about to step into is going to be amazing and I am thankful that I get to be apart of what God wants to do. I forgot to state that when I opened the church up it was to the youth group and youth leaders. When you can get teenagers out of bed at 5:30 or earlier in the morning to come and seek God and pray then God will show up and kiss that with His presence. Let’s go after Him today!
Authority is an issue that scares people in the church. at the very mention of the word people get terrified that the authority that is in place will take advantage of them, or that they will somehow be left out. This is for good reason. I believe that there is an authority that can be taken and misused by those seeking to get their agenda heard an in motion. While that is a type of authority it is not legitimate authority.
Legitimate authority comes from love, it is the foundation of authority. We see this modeled for us by Christ himself in John 10:10. Jesus loved his disciples and the people he was ministering to in that day so much that He laid his life down for them and us. He demonstrated true authority, that was backed by fruit that remained; you and I. Authority and leadership coincide. you cannot have legitimate authority and there be the absence of leadership. leadership is not for those that have an agenda, but often times we see people in positions where they have a a measure of authority and lack the back backbone to make the difficult but necessary leadership decisions and the result is a chaos. Conversely if you have a person who is making leadership decisions and lacks the legitimate authority then the result is sheep who have been sheared to close and bleeding to death. Authority comes first then you are qualified to lead, and by authority I mean a genuine love, enough to give your life. The good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
I found myself pondering this question last night. What would it be like to wake up in the White House? I think that it is safe to say that while President Bush was a great man, a godly man, our country is in shambles. The challenges that our new President faces are in his words great and many. The reason that I bring it up, is not to show my political stances, or try and bring on a debate with some, but rather to point out that I would not want to be in his shoes. It is our responsibility to pray for him. I remember watching the inauguration on my computer as two companies facebook and CNN collaborated to bring it to us live and seeing some of the comments of fellow followers of Christ and ministers of the sacred gospel and being disappointed. Let me make it clear and say that I do not agree with all of his views, but we have to know that God is really in control and that He will see to it that His will is accomplished. I don’t put my trust in a man in an office, I put my trust in the one who created the Heavens and the Earth, the Bright and Morning Star, the Alpha and the Omega, the Prince of Peace, The Christ the son of the Living God, Jesus.
Waking up in the White House today for the first full day of service would be an unbelievable feeling. Emotions would be high and expectations higher. The entire world watching you as you make your first move. The challenges he faces are huge and people everywhere are waiting to see how he will handle the pressure. I want to commit to pray for our president, not that he would just do the “right thing,” but that He would find God in a new way. That Jesus would reveal himself in such a way that it would be undeniable.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: frost fest, gatlinburg, youth, youth ministry
I find it an incredible honor to be a Youth Pastor. It is the most rewarding position one can hold in the church in my opinion. I truly never thought I would see the day that I would be doing this full time, but after the past four months I cannot see myself doing anything else. I love my job and my students more than I can express in words. We have been in Gatlinburg for three days now and it’s awesome. The weather is cold, the students are having fun and I am loving being here with them. I Pastor a group of about 100 students throughout the week, and this job would be impossible without a group of dedicated volunteers. This trip has done wonders for my relationship with my leaders. Thrive youth ministry is ran and operated by the best staff in the world, and I am blown away by how each of the leaders on this trip has laid down their life not just for the students, but for Lauren and I as well. You guys are amazing. I watched some of my students today ride go-carts and I remember looking at a fellow Youth Pastor and saying “is there anything better than being a Youth Pastor?” The answer is NO!!! I love this job, It’s not really a job, but a privileged. My wife and I have a great group of students, and they will stand before kings and queens and proclaim the goodness of God one day……You guys are the best and we love you all very much and are so proud of you guys.
it has been a while since the last post, and this post comes from a place of expectation. I am expectant. I want God to move so bad in every area of my life right now that I can hardly stand it. Our church started a 21 day fast last Saturday night, and I believe that the Lord wants to do some very specific things not only in the church, but in my life personal. I am expectant. While that is true I am also more scared than I have ever been in my entire life. It would be very easy for me to look at my circumstances in the natural and get discouraged. I refuse. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound mind. He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. I could go on and on about how faithful, good, and loving He is. This is a hick-up and a distraction form the enemy. To those who may feel like throwing in the towel…..don’t. To quote a line from batman and I am sure somewhere else “the night is darkest just before the dawn.” We have a great hope and a secure future. Let’s move forward and trust God with all we have. Let’s waste our lives on Him this year.
I have been without my family for a week now…(they just went home for Christmas) and I must say the house is almost silent. With the exception of a bark from Charley every now and again it’s quiet, to quiet in fact. I miss my wife and boys and am looking forward to seeing them in a couple of days. The past couple of weeks I have heard and spoke messages about the real meaning of Christmas and have some thoughts on all that I have heard and preached. First, we really wait to long each year to have this epiphany that it really is all about Him. Not the gifts and the lights and the food and, well the list goes on and on. Second his birth was not the greatest gift ever given. I know this sounds like heresy, but stay with me here. I was in prayer one afternoon in preparation for a service and what hit me was that it was in fact the death of Jesus that was the greatest gift ever given. The sins of mankind placed upon Him so we could be free. I have heard people say that “He came to die” and where I know that this is true, we often overlook the fact that while He was all God, He was at the very same time all man. What an unimaginable mystery. You try to explain it to someone and at least for me I am at a lost for words. What love, what sacrifice. The same God who separated the dry land form the sea, the same God who cast the stars into the sky, the very same God who spoke and created man and all we see, came in the form of a baby and made a choice to die. No may took His life but He laid it down freely for you and I. This season my prayer is that as you are with your family and friends take a moment and ponder, like Mary all that God has done for us. Merry Christmas!
Filed under: life | Tags: ben kennedy, christmas, family, friends, God, snow
It’s only 13 day until Christmas and I feel a bit unprepared. We got some snow here last night which was really cool for the boys. As soon as I got home we ran outside and played in the snow for a bit it was fun. My wife and kids leave on Tuesday for Florida, and I will be here all alone……well not all alone. I am going to have some company in the form of my best good friend Ben Kennedy which should be a blast. I will miss not being with my family until Christmas day but distance truly does make the heart grow fonder. Thinking back over some of my most memorable Christmas celebrations I cant help but think of how faithful God has really been to me. Take a moment to stop, play in the snow or whatever and remember how good He is and what it cost to see us free.
One thing that I have learned over the past almost three months is that there isn’t enough time. Time is the only commodity we cannot recover. Once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. I sat with my wife, Lauren last night putting the final touches on our 2009 ministerial calendar…….UUGG! this seemed like something that would never end. While there is so much that I want to do, I understand that there is only so much time. Since there is so little I want to use the time I have as best I can to have the most impact on as many people as I can. Seems so logical right, wrong. Right now I am over three ministries, and time is required of all of them. I refuse to neglect my family so I have to use my time wisely. I have seen people use their time poorly, and I myself am guilty of using my time poorly, and it’s not an option in ministry. The adversary will take our planners, PDA’s, and iphones and turn them against us so fast so that we are not only ineffective, but so that we get so caught up with the Lord’s work, that we forget about the Lord of the work. He is after our affection and time. Today let’s pull away and make time for Him and watch as He expands our time in order for us to do all He has placed in our hearts.
