Lost Friends

Those of you that know me know that I often get frustrated with Christian pop culture. A great example of this is my news feed on Facebook. It seems like a single hour cannot go by without at least one picture popping up that tells me I'm not a "real Christian" if I don't repost. My Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds are filled with photos like this day in and day out. I normally just ignore them and continue wasting my time on social media. I know that my faithfulness to Jesus is not measured by how many inspirational photos I share. God, in His grace and love, has made me righteous in Christ through His work on the cross and for that I will always be thankful.

But this morning was a little different. This morning one of those photos came across my screen that stopped me mid-scroll. It was a snapshot of 5 simple words but it was convicting and powerful as I read it to myself. This is what is said: Pray For Your Lost Friends.

Wow. As I read this statement over and over again I was reminded of how powerful pryer actually is. I thought back to times in my life and in the lives of others when God has worked mightily through the prayers of His people. The book of James says very clearly that the prayers of righteous people are powerful and effective.(James 5:15) When I looked at my computer screen this morning, it was as if God was reminding me of how important it is to be in prayer for those who do not know Him. This photo was one I was willing to share, it was something I could get on board with. 

If you are like me, prayer can become routine and stale. I hope this isn't the case for you. I hope that your prayer life is always healthy and leaves you with the desire to spend every possible moment with the Lord. Today I am going to take the words of the apostle Paul from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 to heart: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. I am going to make prayer for my lost friends a priority. And yes, I want you to do the same as well. I am convinced that when we begin to pray, God will continue to move and will do incredible things in the world around us!

Bold In The Small Things

This past week I began reading in the book of Daniel during my daily devotion time. I try to swap back and forth between Old and New Testament books of the bible. My Sunday school class has been studying in Daniel for a few weeks and I wanted to get a more in-depth picture of it. When God spoke to me while reading Daniel Chapter 3, I was amazed.

I have heard the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego many times. I remember hearing this story as a kid in church and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the Veggie Tales version of it a few times as well.  Honestly, when I sat down to read Daniel 3, I was expecting to hear a familiar story and be reminded of familiar themes. But God had a different plan. God wanted me to see it with fresh eyes and in a new way.

After reading the chapter, I realized that believers in my culture are not threatened with a furnace. We get to openly worship and pray to our God day in and day out.  I won’t deny that there are some public restrictions to our expression of faith but overall, we get to worship freely and openly. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not have this luxury. They were literally being persecuted because of their commitment to the one true God.

You see, its easy for us to make a stand for Christ in public. Unlike these 3 men, our lives are not threatened because of our beliefs. We can boldly tell the world who we worship and how amazing it is to know Him. But what about in the small things? What about when no one is looking? Do we make a stand then? Are we just as keen to stand on our beliefs when no one has any idea what is going on? Its in these moments that we are threatened. Our pleasure is threatened. Our ability to be in control is threatened and its in these moments where being bold is difficult.

You know the moments I’m talking about. It’s when you’re typing the latest piece of gossip into a text message to your friends. It’s when you’re deciding what movies to rent, what songs to buy, and what websites to visit. Sometimes its as simple as deciding between more sleep and spending time with our Lord. It’s in these moments where we are truly tested. It’s these situations that call for us to be bold. And when we are bold, there will be no applause. No one will see or write a story about it. But we can be sure of one thing; we are bringing honor and glory to Jesus. We are letting Him know that His sacrifice means something to us and we are committed to following Him even when no one is looking.  Ask God for the strength to be bold today, even in the small things.

Ambassadors For...

During the first 2 years of her college career, Emilee (my amazing wife) worked as a student ambassador for the school. It was her job to show prospective students around campus and encourage them to choose to enroll. She was a representative and she represented our school quite well. There was a uniform involved and certain time commitments as well. In short, everyone knew Emilee was an ambassador because she looked and played the part well. Her brains and beauty made the school look good and that's why she was selected to represent them.

As as young boy, I was very involved with the Royal Ambassador program at my church. Each Sunday night we would meet and discover what it meant to represent Jesus by living on mission. But it wasn't until I was much older that I realized that everyone is an ambassador for something. Just like Emilee was an ambassador for our school and I was encouraged to represent Jesus to my friends, we all choose to stand behind something. Everyday, we make the choice of who or what we are gong to represent as we go about our lives. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the apostle Paul tells the believers in Corinth that their lives should be committed to pointing others to Christ:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God."

I came across this verse the other day and read it in a new light. I was amazed at the fact that God chooses to use us as His ambassadors. Paul says that we are to "plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God." If you are a believer, you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ. You are His representation in the world. I am blown away that God would not only redeem us, but also let us play a part in His mission. As Christ followers, when we wake up everyday we should remind ourselves that we are God's representatives in the world. 

So let's represent Him well. Let's love one another in ways that don't make sense to the world around us. Let's make it a point to share the gospel. Instead of representing the latest trend or selfish desires, let's be ambassadors for Christ. If you are like me, maybe you need to take a moment and ask yourself "What or who am I an ambassador for?" My hope is that we can call grasp the fact that we have a purpose, and that purpose is to show Christ to the world in everything we do. Let's live our lives on purpose today. We are ambassadors for Christ.

Crying Out

Have you ever been in a place where you are desperate to see God at work? A place where you feel alone and helpless? If you are like me, then you have. There have been seasons of your life that seemed to have no end; weeks where each day gets a little harder to fight through.

It's during these times when we cry out to God. We call to Him in our need without fail. But, if truth be told, I don't think we are honest enough with our Heavenly Father. I think we are afraid to show God exactly how much we need Him. We've been told our entire lives that "God will take care of you in His timing" and that "Maybe God is answering your prayer and you just can't see it". These things are very true. After all, God is sovereign and He does answer our prayers in ways that we don't always like or understand. But I think we have let these truths affect how honest we are with God as we call out to Him in our time of need. I think it hinders us from truly crying out; from calling out to our creator with everything that we have.

The bible is full of instances when God's people cried out to Him in sincerity. The psalms are packed full of honest pleas before the Lord. Take for instance Psalm 143. This is a Psalm of King David and it is honest, real, and sincere. Verses 7-8 say this:

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Don't hide Your face from me, or I will be like those going down to the pit Let me experience Your faithful love in the morning, for I trust in You. Reveal to me the way I should go, because I long for you.

In the verses above, David doesn't just ask God to hear him. he asks God answer him quickly. He is honest. In verse 8 he says that he needs to feel God's faithful love; he feels alone and helpless. But the key is in the last sentence. David wants to hear from God and see God move because he wants to follow his Lord as faithfully as possible. David wants to know God's plan for his life and he longs to see Him at work. He doesn't cry out just to get what he wants or even what he needs. David cries out because he wants to be closer to his Lord.

So the next time you are in a season of life that calls for crying out, Cry out like David. Don't be afraid to be sincere and honest. Ask God to answer you quickly; ask to feel His love in a new and refreshing way.  But only ask if it's because you long for your Lord and to know His ways.

Transitions...

Transitions can sometimes be good. Like a couple of months ago when I transitioned into a new vehicle because the previous one was costing way too much in gas each month. They can sometimes be difficult as well. Like when I transitioned back into another semester of balancing a full time seminary course load with my full time ministry back in in August. And then there are those transitions that are right in the middle. The kind of changes that you know are good but at the same time are difficult to handle. This post is about one of those transitions.

Our pastor has sensed God's call to lead another church and will be moving into that position in the coming month. So, here I find myself in the midst of a transition. And it's one of those transitions that are bittersweet. My wife and I will miss his family. I will always treasure the months and years I had to serve alongside of him as well as all of the wisdom that he has given to me. I've learned a lot over these past 2 1/2 years and I am grateful each and every day that I have been able to serve the wonderful people at Springhill with him. And at the same time, I am still excited about ministry. I'm looking forward to what God has in store for our church in the coming days. I know God is at work in this and that He has awesome plans for Springhill baptist as we deal with this. This transition is bittersweet.

We've been here before. Emilee and I served as the only staff members at our previous church while they were also in transition. We learned some things during that time and hopefully we will learn some things through this process as well. Maybe you're in this same spot. Maybe you are part of a church that is in transition. Well I haven't been in ministry for a super long time but I do know the emotions and fears that come along with this. This next list are just a few things that we have figured out to be helpful during times like these. Please pray for us as we navigate these waters.

1. Pray for your church
Some of your people are hurting, some are confused, but all are worried. There will be fears that the next leader won't be as good. Pray that God might reveal Himself to your church in a big way. Pray that they will be more committed to His plan than anything else.

2.Pray for your future pastor
Pray that he is aware that God is arranging things for him to come serve. Pray that he is excited about what God is doing in his life and that he is committed to serve God with all he has once he is on the ground.

3. Let your people know that you Love them
Take every opportunity you have to tell your church how much you care for them. Don't overkill yourself, but let them know that you are committed to doing whatever has to be done in order for things to keep running smoothly. Stay committed to where God has called you.

The coming months are likely to be difficult for us. Pray that Emilee and I will be able to do all of the things above with ease. And if you have any suggestion, please, comment and encourage us. God is sovereign, God is good, and we are His people. I am confident that He will work anything that happens in this situation for our good and for His glory.

Friday is for Blogging

To answer your first question: Yes, I do know that I'm posting this on a Thursday. I try to post at least once a week and it usually gets pushed back to Friday though because my weeks get so busy.

I've been thinking about why my weeks are so busy. Yes, I do have a full time job and am a full time student at the same time. But really, what fills my time in the office? This post is more of a confession. I, like many of you, love to read blogs. I love to find out the next best tip for making your ministry more kingdom focused. Specifically this week I've been researching blog posts about the pros and cons of Super Bowl parties in student ministry. Blogs are helpful, insightful, and a lot of the time a great way to spend my time.

But I've been wandering this week if it's the BEST use of my time. For the past 2 years we have taken our students to a winter retreat in the East TN mountains over New Years. This year one of the speakers made a point that not only spoke to our students but also resonated with me. This is what he said: "There is no substitute for spending time with Jesus." Read that again: "There is no substitute for spending time with Jesus." This phrase really convicted me. I spend time reading the word of God and in prayer everyday. I make it a point to. And then as soon as I say "amen" I'm scouring the web to read all of the important blogs. I check them several times throughout the day to make sure I don't miss a new post.

If I were honest, I would have to say that more days than not I spend more time with blogs than with Jesus. This breaks my heart. While blogs are good they are certainly no substitute for time spent with my Savior. This post isn't trying to deter you from ever reading a blog again. If that were so then it would have to be my last post. But it I hope it will challenge you. Do you, like me, have days where you spend more time reading the hottest ministry blogs than you do spending time with Christ? If so, I encourage you to make that phrase a theme in your life this year. Paul knew what he was talking about in Philippians 4 when he said "Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything." Dedicate your life to following Christ completely and He will make sure everything else falls in to place. Even your ministry.

3 Things

If you are a youth worker and you do not make it a point to watch the Simply Youth Ministry Show then you are missing out. The 10-15 minute show is hosted by Jason Carson and Kurt Johnston and it always proves to be at least entertaining and very often helpful.

In this week's episode Kurt and Jason take some time to give practical teaching tips. In doing this they stress the importance of scripture and also the fact that teaching is a high calling. One of the questions they asked each other was: "If you could only teach on 3 subjects for the rest of your ministry  what would they be?" I posted the link below and I hope you will take some time to hear their responses.

That question is a tough one. After thinking about it for a few minutes here is my answer.
1. The Promises of God from the Old Testament
2. The Life of Christ
3. The Purpose of the Church

Maybe you completely disagree with me. That's okay! What about you? What 3 subjects would you teach on for the rest of your ministry?

http://show.simplyyouthministry.com/2013/01/sym-show-happy-birthday-to-kurt/