SCY Youth Minister’s Weblog

This January we will embark on a new journey for most of the youth (for some it will be a reminder of the good old times) at SC.  Starting Jan. 09 through March 09, Todd and Beth will be administrating a class that teaches our youth a better way to live- waiting until marriage before intimately pursuing a sexual partner.  We won’t reveal all here but in time this “favorite” class of many former SC youth will affect all of us.  Please be in prayer for this setting; pray it will bring our youth and other youth closer to God through allowing Him to affect the way they view sex.  WEDNESDAY NIGHTS!

There are times that I say a quick prayer for strength or guidance in my service to God.  I speak 5-12 times a week.  Lately it has been 5.  Last school year it was usually 12.  These are talks in front of different size groups; some very presentational, most to smaller groups, and many have discussion components.  Every time (unless I just get distracted) I ask God for guidance and to speak through me.  And it seems that He does.

I can say that because I know me.  I know what I have to offer and I like to be self critical and say “it ain’t much.”  But even though I tell the truth in saying God does guide me or help me I also know that He likes to work another way.

God works through those that give Him the Time and Control.  I can want Him to control me but he wants to always CONTROL me.  I can give Him the time to speak through me but He wants all of my TIME.  I know my God loves me and loves those around me enough to take over my life, my tongue, my abilities, but I also know Him enough that He expects more.

God wants me to give Him chunks of my life in prayer, hours of study, days of thinking about what says to His people.  Quiet reflection, reading books from God serving people, walking through my relationships and days with Jesus at my side, and feeling God’s presence with me are the ways God works in guiding me.

Make sure to pick up the Bible more than all other books, Make sure to pray until you’ve said all you’d like to say and then pray much longer.  Make sure to keep the Evil One out of your life.  Make sure to serve God in daily duty and in sacrificial effort.  Because if you don’t then God won’t ultimately work through you in your life the way he normally ejnjoys working through His children in their life.  Let God work through you by Totally CONTROLLING you and having all of your TIME. 

Going to Honduras was not a stretch.  Learning something from going to Honduras will be difficult.  Not just learning from God but accepting the teaching and applying it to my life.  The people lived without things.  But they didn’t have it figured out.  They weren’t spiritually deeper or in tune with God.  It doesn’t matter where you live or what you have or your education level, how much you eat, or what you’ve seen.  It matters (in Christ) how much you will dwell on and change to be like Christ.  Society in Honduras (males trying to have relationships with as many females as they can) (females trying to enjoy life and get things for their babies) is just as worldly as much of our society.  It is just different from our perspective because Honduras is easier to bless financially and physically which can be connected to our spiritual lives but we still need to be Spirit-led to bless them spiritually and they still need to be Spirit-led to accept the gifts as spiritual (from God).  It takes work and a relationship with God- in Honduras and in the U.S.  Go to Honduras and bless lives physically, Jesus did.  But also accept that we need to be changed or we can’t change anyone spiritually.  Grow closer to God before you go, and while there help others grow closer to God. 

Hey!

As the summer nears completion. 

Think BIG

Think GOD

What would you do with the rest of your summer if you were only trying to bring God glory.  Do THAT for the rest of the summer!

I dare you.  I already know you don’t have the gut/ faith/ strength.  But if you let God control your life your guts/ faith/ and strength will be exactly what he needs to DO THROUGH YOU Amazing things.

I get stuck some times.          At least I’m honest.

I get stuck in my faith trying to reach for a true relationship with God and not the kind people in churches have.  And I’m not alone.  Many people of faith mix and match different worship settings, favorite online teachers, kind of Christian music, ways how to read scripture- although it isn’t any different than it was years ago.  When people choose a church by denomination (they had brand pride) and would find the right fit or find faith in the fit chosen for them by the family.  It was a choice.  The combination of commitment, time requirement, study habit, etc. came into play in the decision.

I like the new generation of faithful people today that are kind of stuck what to do next- I envy those that keep no connection and can do what God leads them to do, but I also hurt because in that freedom many of the blessings of faith will never be realized by the mobile faithful.

We must respect and honor one another.

But all of this is just a lead in to what I feel is truly important tonight.  I’ve had this idea for some time that while Christ was here he was among inferior beings and had to deal with our mess (I was thinking of the smelly stuff).  He stepped in it.  He stepped in churchy stuff, family stuff, friendship stuff, false idol stuff, daily distraction stuff, animal like stuff.  And he did it so admirably-didn’t even get messy. 

WWJRD.  what would Jesus really do? How can we live without getting it on us?

What would a Godly group of mothers do on Mother’s day?  Take their gifts and use the money for the poor.

What would a Godly church do for holidays?  Bless others with all they have.  Spend the free day doing something that would show the world Jesus.

How would we worship?  In a way, place, style, manner, with whatever it took that brought in floods of people from the outside.  (Instead of collection, give money away) Whatever it takes to develop their connection to God.  It is easy to see who is connected to God.  Help others be connected like those people are connected.  WWJRD?

If we could remove the blinders and live with the Spirit (which would allow us to see our material world for what it really is- the way Christ saw it) how would our lives be different.  It is very difficult to live in a nice home.  Am I doing what I see Christians do or am I doing what I know Jesus would do.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem there were many religions being practiced.  Jesus being the Son of God already knew the problems these religions caused for humans and their connection to our Creator.  We are already disconnected from God, and many things we do in our search for a filler for the emptiness of life are not helpful.

The Greeks had 100’s of gods.  The Romans embraced most idols and believed their earthly leader (even murderous emporers) was a god.  Buddhism, Hinduism, and even the Judaism of Jesus day all kept people from connecting to God.  Let us never forget the difference and uniqueness of our faith.  Jesus is the one and only Unique Son of God. 

Jesus taught us that ”the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”  John 10:10.  The thief will use any means possible (addictions, evidences against God, lazy approach to life, selfish desires, etc.) to keep you from God.  The thief also uses religions to steal peace, minds, hearts, to kill you inside and out, and destroy your connection to God.  Let us be clear to everyone that our place lives first and teaches second a pure dedication to Christ.  In so doing we will help ourselves, our families, and everyone we know from being taken in by Satan.

BECAUSE!  “Jesus came that [we] may have life, and have it to the full.”  I love this great life of faith.  It may lead to simplicity, lack of (worldly) productivity, not getting some extra attention, and curbing your appetite for entertainment, but it leads to LIFE, and a better life than any other. 

Find the life of overflow (connectedness to God) and live freely.

Other religions don’t have the unique son of God leading you into the life of connectedness to God.  They are flawed.  They do not love you.  They do not let you be free yet call you to love others as you are loved by God. 

Ask yourself> 

What does that life look like to you?  What would you need to remove from your present life to gain the life of overflow?  What would you need to add to your present life to gain the life of overflow?   

What a beautiful time to be alive.  And to be alive for us is to be in touch with God.  Nothing is more Right in life than to be close to our Creator God.  Never can any other thing substitute for a life that is with God.  When you are with God- in prayer, daily duties, sacrifice, friendship, goals, study, worship, you are alive and it is beautiful.  Maybe you know what I’m talking about, or maybe you don’t.  I am telling the truth. 

It is my prayer that there are beautiful things happening in your families.  We don’t see each other very often.  I pray you are whole, feeling good about your walk with God, feeling confident in your raising of children, in love with your spouse, honoring others and blessing them the way you have been blessed.  And in those things I pray your life is beautiful.  Admit that it is a beautiful time to be alive.

It is true that there are times of drought.  No water from above for those that are hurting.  Or at least it feels like that- sometimes it could be a small challenge from God for you to find water and be equipped to help the hungry find spiritual food.  But my response is usually that when I am dry, it is my own doing (or undoing), or it is the work of someone else in their hurting me- it is not because God wants you to suffer.  Imagine a downpour of Joy and love and you choose to hold an umbrella.  You don’t want to get out from under it becaues you don’t know the temperature of the water or how you will get dry or how funny you will look when drenched.  

Take away the umbrella.

Explore what God has for you.  Life is beautiful.  Even the clouds.  God is everything you could ever want or need.  I won’t try to get you to come to a class or event this time, but do find the life freely given to you from our Father. 

Sticks and stones, and motorcycles and horses and wrestling moves and hard collisions do all break bones, but words break more.

Some of our best, brightest, strongest have been physically hurt recently.  I am proud they did it expressing themselves without fear- in doing what they love.  God makes some of us so excited to physically move fast, be aggressive, compete well that we must suffer great pain before we slow down.  For those called to live this way.  Say your prayers and do it all again, and as soon as you can.  In sports there is risk, but take it unless you feel you are being unwise.  Know your body.  And when you get hurt, don’t stop performing because of fear.  You must perform again until you know it isn’t because of fear that you don’t want to do it again.  People get hurt without doing what they love all the time- do what you love.  And when you come back from pain you can be better than ever because of the struggle to regain your footing in sport, and because of the built up hunger that has always driven you.

I’ve been hurt physically many times- concussions, fractures, breaks, sprains, pulls, tears, heat stroke, dehydration, cuts, scrapes, burns, etc.- and will again.  It’s cool, no problem.  Take the rest, work on another area of your life (something pleasing to God), heal up, and have more success in the future. 

Nothing I’ve written is new to anyone that likes sport, but there is a similar teaching we all probably need to hear again.  The Spiritual life is like a flower more than a bone.  They have occasions of bloom and beauty.  And the memory of those moments (for humans/ animals) does much to determine how they always feel.  A flower can be covered up for a few days and when it gets sunlight again the growth often never again reaches full speed.  It was not just hurt, it was hindered and hindered doesn’t always make you stronger- it makes you go slower.  When a flower, even a tough one, doesn’t get water it grows hard and tough- losing it’s color and appeal.

When I deal with the youth on the playground, we really play.  But in the classroom or with emotions and with their Spirit they need gentleness because every pain, every insult, every lack of care will affect more of life than we can imagine.  And in the business of doing God’s kind of stuff, it isn’t cool hindering other’s growth- especially in the spiritual matters.

Since we are all called to do God’s stuff.  Make sure you are treating others with the care they deserve.  I often fail in this, and (especially to adults) treat them how they treat others.  I have a mirroring personality that way.  But I never forget, even if it isn’t noticeable, how I am called to treat everyone.  Others deserve your gentle love, so they can bloom when God wills, so they can grow without a glass ceiling, so they can prosper despite a difficult world, so they can be free to experience God how HE desires they know him.   blessings   

I know you hurt.  There is no other way to explain the make-up of this body.  You are not OK.  But as a Christian we must begin to embrace our -not OK/ yet OK-ness.  You are OK and healthy when you embrace the fact that the natural pains, uncertainties of self, and just plain weaknesses are FROM God to help us carry out our mission.  It can be more possible to grasp the fact that 1. others are hurting and 2. those that hurt without God cannot be whole.  It is our duty and call in life to help others be whole through knowing God, not to care for ourselves constantly so that we feel whole all the time.  Accepting that our wholeness gift from God isn’t always easy and that brokeness and worthlessness is in the depth of those without Him is helpful and tranformational.  It doesn’t matter how others appear from the world’s perspective, it matters that we know and they know (when they reach deep inside and find nothing) that they must connect with truth and that they know and we know that when we live we are full. 

Hurting is OK, but not helping those who truly hurt is unacceptable.  It is what you are still hurting and remembering for (to help others). 

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT OF MYSELF IF I AM  GROWING SPIRITUALLY?

 HOW MUCH OF ME DOES GOD WANT?

AM I CURRENTLY MORE HOSPITABLE THAN I WAS TWO MONTHS AGO?

DO I LIVE A LIFE OF PRAYER?

please comment and share your thoughts to help our family

Hey Youth,

when we have a party, let me know of someone you may be able to invite.  And I’ll let you know of the details of the event.  That way we’ll be able to get him or her here in case we think it will be a good event for them.  I really appreciate it when you are able to bring someone with you.  Something that is said or done may really benefit them even though it seemed really normal to you.  It could be that God is wanting you to bless them with your invitation and has a message or some hope in store for them through you. 

It is my constant desire that what you experience will help you in your life and help you be better for the lives of your friends and families.  Continue to do the hard job of treating people better than they deserve, giving the benefit of the doubt, as well as helping them connect to our church family.  It really does matter when you reach out and bless others.  Thanks for everything you do.

John

This new year imagine yourself doing something for Jesus.  Something he’d do if he were in your shoes, your school, your job, your friendships, your family.  Would it be a service you can provide, conversations you can have, a thing you can give, or just treating someone differently?

After you imagine it, do it (for a short while).  Then step back and make a decision whether or not God can use you to do this good deed on a regular or daily basis.  Now pray that it be effective at changing you and the other parties involved, and accept the gift God will now give you.  A gift that will make you better.

You are always changing in your faith- for the better (more glorious) or for the worse (more hurtful).  You change in the faith for yourself and for others.  Allow God to use your efforts (the above mentioned activities) to mold you into someone that will continually bring glory to God and continually have a more fulfilling life.

John

The adaptation of “Living God’s Love: An Invitation to Christian Spirituality” to classes for Christian youth was an easy and natural process.  It is ‘on time’ for our church family. 

At first read I thought the book was too easy, already in play in our christian lives, and would not whip us into the shape a family of our age should be in.  But after further reflection and realization that the practices in this book are re-center my faith, I changed my mind.  We are a fragile group.  I believe there is fine line between letting God recreate us into something useful and burning us up.  And I believe this study is perfect for walking that line for me and SC. 

If you’ve not yet read the book, please do because it will be the foundation of much of what we are going to do as a family in the near future.  At our stage the Spirit will should speak communally, and we should set aside our sin of pride and commune together to accept its guidance.  It is my belief that the prayers of our leaders for a more active faith community are going to be answered in part through this Sunday morning (and more) plan of Discipling Groups and the study of this book- take full advantage.

Young people.  Accept the fact that you are blessed to have an older community to learn from that will allow the Spirit to convict and alter their lives.  Your faith will be better for it.  The kingdom will benefit from your increased awareness of the hard work and dedication it takes to initially let go and let God.  You are going to see SC start from scratch in its ministry to the world.  You will see us admit we aren’t close to God.  And you will see grown people (the madness) do whatever it takes to step out of our worldly lives into a life full of God.

To live God’s love (in all of life) is to live, everything else is just a waste of time.  Believe it.   

Should we love God more than life?

Do you?

Just looking for some responses.

The Zoe conference was a holy time.  Just hanging out with/ worshiping beside/ praying around/ and learning beside other SC leaders (outside of Sunday morning) was special.  But even greater is the fact that we took a step together.  Combine the step with the blending and we are in the process of becoming a team.  We went to Nashville in close quarters and were mashed like a four pack of playdoe into a rainbow of one.  Get us together a little longer and we’ll become the same. 

In ministry you always depend on the consistency, faith, and commitment of each minister to carry out their part in the mission.  This was only one step, but the first is often difficult (although the next one may be harder).  What will we do for step two.  How can we be equal and powerful and one at the same time?  Time together, Shared commitment, Spiritual growth, Honoring each other. 

Thanks SC leaders for giving me a glimpse of what is to come.          

Our WILDERNESS TREK journey provided a wide variety of experiences. We traveled, slept, ate, packed, prayed, worked, struggled, encouraged, and helped others as a team- depending on God for every step/ every breathe.-Our experience fell under important spiritual categories-

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care– then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death– and the worst kind of death at that– a crucifixion.

service, worship, leading, teaching, living. You, me, your parents, the Bible, and most importantly God’s Spirit all need to come together to develop your faithful path (and future).1. Begin by praying about this transition every day.

2. Talk to your parents about it.

3. Read the Bible.

4. Start writing down your thoughts as God shares them with you.

5. Let’s talk about our plans as a group and individually.

Please be open to this adventure

Gorham B, Michael E, Michael B, Jake N and Lane T,I am so very proud of you guys. You are strong, courageous, and willing to honor God with your lives. You are leaders of tomorrow. As leaders all you must do is 1. follow God closely, 2. be open and honest in everything, 3. and gently serve others. We will help you find a way to be bold in life, to trust God, and yet put yourselves last; In other words, to be like Christ.

9-Man born blind

 10-Shepherd’s life threatened

11-Friend of Jesus dies

12-His time is coming to an end, give him your gifts now

There is no substitute for being in class, but there is no substitute for looking at a text after you’ve taught/participated in/heard a lesson either.  I will not try here to reteach or even cover the issues address from class (although I have thought it would be cool to record your comments), instead I’ll just highlight the scripture.

We are not of this world.  When our lives are broken we are temporarily messed up.  By temporarily I mean for a very short time.  During that time we are offered temporary healing (although ultimately eternal), and in ch. 9 we get to see, feel, and imagine God doing this for a guy.  What kind of healing do you need?  What kind of healing does God give everyone?  Where is the dark part of you?  In the story some didn’t believe the man, Who would not support your faith? Some wanted to rebuke him for telling of the beauty among the ugliness that is Christ’s redemptive work, do you have a rebuker, a discourager, a slow you downer?  What does God have to do to help you live for Him?  Wouldn’t it be sad if the guy wnet and lived life just like he did before?

In 10, the good shepherd lets us know how it goes down everyday.  Everyday some try to jump out but are rescued, everyday some avoid protection, everyday some close their ears and eyes and minds and hearts to goodness.  And rightliving, goodness, holiness, and mission can get you hurt by the world.  rightliving rarely does, goodness rarely does, holiness will get rediculed, but mission will get you hurt.  But don’t get tight, live lose in your mission.  Live with passion.  When you have a car accident and are lose the impact isn’t usually as bad.  Live lose in Mission for Jesus, active faith that attempts to influence others for Christ is the only way. 

We leave for Wilderness Trek Thurs. July 19th.  John D., Gorham B., Lane T., Michael E., Jake N., and Michael B.

Please pray for our safety.  We will drive carefully and we have serviced our vehicle.  We are trusting God to protect us.  Please pray for Kathleen, Avery, and Elijah.  I am trusting God to watch them and help them.

Valarie T. will be working with the youth while we are gone.  I hope both those that go and those that stay will be better in their faith after these next ten days. 

We will return the evening of July 29th.  Thank you for your support, your prayers, and the teachings that will help us experience this adventure fully in God.  Bless one another while we’re gone.   

it feels like God loves this community of faith.  We must remember that none of us are perfect/ all of us are guilty.  Guilty of neglect of the Spirit, each other, our mission, our commitment, our love.  You are forgiven. 

Remember the blessings.  Blessings of health, sustinance, opportunity, family, and grace.  As we are convicted to get better, and reminded of the mercy/ gifts from God we will be changed.  And it is that changed (out of the worldness) state that God is in love with.  Pray that God will use what we have/ what you have experienced to grow into a perfectly lovable being. 

You have been loved, you are loved, and you will continue to be loved by the Creator God.  The judge is lenient but His love compells us.  Be compelled today to commit to a life of renewed faith.  Renew your purpose.  Renew your mission.  Renew your focus.  Renew your heart to put God in the pole position of your life.  I don’t know what that will look like for you, but I do know that you will be better for having done it.  Set all the worry aside and embrace Jesus.  Feel again the presence of the Spirit.  Dream again of the day you will have no more pain.  Imagine again what your life would be if God were in complete control- and live it. 

Take in God.  Breathe Him.  Be one with Him.  There is a better way to live than your current life.  And it helps with headaches too, John 

Since Avery can’t verbally tell me what he’s thinking, I have to watch for clues.  I can usually tell when he’s hungry, thirsty, tired, dirty, wants to go outside, or when Elijah has done something wrong (it brings Avery great joy to tell on (not great) and protect (makes me proud) his little brother).  But other things are more ambiguous.  Like when he sees something in the distance; that something can be so important he will not rest until I recognize it. 

It works best for me to stand really close to him, his level, look his direction, put my face against his, and look down his little finger (which does not point very accuarately).  Not only are my chances of knowing his thoughts and seeing his sights increased, he also gives me more time.  He appreciates communicating with me as I appreciate being told.

When you look at a landscape, a setting, a day’s worth of events, a newsclipping, a job, a person, or a group of people, you see your perspective of it or them.  It is impossible to see another person’s perspective.  Through communication (talking about how they see it), compassion (you caring how they see it), and commitment (you working to have common experiences or doing mental excercises to see like them) we are able to stand closer to them in their view.  If you look at a view from the other side you will see a different picture (Christ always came near).  You can’t occupy the same space but you can stand near a person to see what they see.  In going to Juarez we will have a chance to see a little of what they see.  We will see life a little like a Mexican citizen living in Juarez that needs others to build him or her a home sees.

In labeling our future friends ‘they’ I’ve already made a mistake in seeing what someone else sees.  I’ve started a pattern of seperation from them.  In showing up with possessions I am making a mistake.  There is no way we will be able to live the full experience, but we could do more to improve our understanding, it’s not always convenient, it’s not time conscience, but it is just what Christ would do.

Make this trip about seeing through other’s eyes, and make your life about seeing others through Jesus’ eyes.  Christians have chosen to think about others more than I think about theirself.  Called to trust God, and be less selfish than natural animals and non-Christians.  Put the future in God’s hands and allow his type of work fulfilled through you. 

Define who your others are.  Mine are the youth in the region of Tyrone.  And when you take yourself out to help those unlike you (Juarez) remember to let Jesus’ sight control your own.