Parenthood: A Youth Pastor's Perspective

Our church just finished a series entitled, "Parenthood." It's always a youth pastor's answered prayer when the Sr. Pastor uses his pulpit on Sundays to preach about godly parenting so that the youth pastor doesn't have to.

During this series, my pastor challenged, convicted and affirmed our parents in their roles of our students. And for those in our church who don't have kids yet like myself, it was great insight for if and when I get there myself.

But not having kids doesn't mean I can't speak into parents lives. Given my age, conversations with students as well as staying up to date with youth culture, there are some things I have an edge on parents when it comes to their students.

Here is my list of 6 things a parent needs to know that their student already knows but sucks at communicating them to you:

1. They know you're not perfect so quit trying so hard.

Guess what? You're not fooling them. The fact that you drop them off at youth group communicates to them that you don't have all the answers. I realize that last sentence seemed cocky and it was but it doesn't make it less true. Read the next sentence slowly and maybe more than once: You are not perfect. There are two examples of a "perfect parent." The first one is our heavenly father and the other is someone who doesn't have kids yet.

2. Because you're not perfect, make room for grace.

The beautiful thing about grace is that it is for everyone. The problem I see with many parents is they struggle with giving their student grace because they struggle with receiving it themselves from God. Do yourself a favor, go back and read point #1 again. I don't care if you've read it three times already. You make your student eat their veggies, I'm making you read that point again!

3. Stop spelling "love" M-O-N-E-Y.

This is a big point for you if you're a dad. We men get great pleasure out of providing for those we love. And yes, provision is a great way to communicate our love. But it can't be the only way we show it and more specifically, we must redefine it. If you're a parent of a child, providing opportunities for them to grow is a very big payoff. If you're a parent of a teenager, providing them with emotional love will pay back dividends!

Confess this right now: The world has more money than I do. If you're a parent who is trying to spell love with money, you are losing your student's love and respect while at the same time living a very bad example that they WILL follow.

If you really believe parenting is one of your primary ministries, then give your student something the world can't give them: Jesus.

I understand you want to give your student the opportunity to play sports and get involved in clubs and activities that all cost money. I know you want them to have nice things and be fashionable. Your students want all of that too. But you must communicate the truth that all of those things come a distant 2nd to your and their commitment to Jesus Christ.

4. Please recognize the fact that you are more of a youth pastor than me.

This should really be #1 but the first 3 points are THAT big. You spend more time with your student than I do. You hear their conversations (we both know you've tapped their cell phone), you know their friends, you see their grades and you listen to their music.

Shame on you if you are not using those conversations, friendships, grades and music as conversation starters for you and them. Shame on you if you allow them to dictate how they should respond to gossip, bad grades and Gaga.

Double portion of shame on you if you don't communicate these things to me or my team to help you combat these issues in their lives with God's truth.

5. Being a parent will be the closest you'll come to being like God.

I see some of you let that point go to your head. I can see it from my house! Being a parent doesn't make you God (although I bet some of your students have heard you say otherwise). Being a parent helps you see things from His perspective.

You have His authority. You have His wisdom. You have His love. You have His grace. You must have His forgiveness. You need His power.

If you wake up thinking you can do any of those without Him, you're abusing them.

6. Recognize you have a team at your church to help you.

When was the last time you met someone on my team for coffee to talk about your student? Do you know the names of those on my team? Could you tell me the #1 reason they want to be on my team? Are you praying for my team? Because we are praying for you.

Did you know we have books that will help you in parenting as well as give you insight on your student? You can check them out for a week at a time!

Allow us to be mediators. We want to be your voice in a different setting. We want to be their voice back to you. My team can't do it without you. You can't do it without us. And if you or I try to do it any other way, guess who suffers?

Your student.

Parenting is YOUR job. Your student is YOUR responsibility. But they are OUR passion.

So stand firm. You are exactly where God wants you to be. The student that is under your roof right now? They won't be for long. So be faithful with the time you have left to instill them everything God is instilling in you. You can do it!

Seagulls

I have a dog that is so tiny he makes a zit on your cheek look like you're sharing a neck with another person. He's tiny.

Every now and then we'll give him a treat for good behavior. Or there are times when we see his toy or bone under the couch or table and play fetch with him.

But don't expect to get those things back.

If you ever try to pull the treat away from him or get the toy back to throw it again, you'll get a growl that makes you feel like you tried to get a kiss on the first date and failed.

What is so funny about this is that he's had his treat for 5 seconds. The toy that he forgot even existed? It's now a matter of life and death to him.

I laugh because it is comical and I think it is safe to say he's a lock if there is ever a "Real House Dogs of Phoenix" But the idea makes me wonder about my own life.

I'm given new things that weren't in my world before and I act the exact same way. I give off a human reaction similar to the seagulls' "Mine!" in Finding Nemo.

Or maybe I'm reminded of a possession I've forgotten about or a friend whom I haven't spent time with in awhile or a skill or position that I have taken for granted and those things are threatened by someone else and all of a sudden, "Mine!" "Mine!" "Mine!"

It's the same when we lose things too. Our job is gone. Our car is totaled. People are taken from us by death. But that "Mine" turns into a "Whine!"

C.S. Lewis wrote in The Great Divorce, "Those who choose misery can hold joy hostage, by pity."

Am I suggesting we go through life with a smile on our face regardless of what happens to us? No. We're allowed to feel pain. It's a byproduct of living in a broken world.

But what I am suggesting is taking a second look at how we deal with it. How we process it. How we respond to it.

Paul writes in Romans 9:20-21 "But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?"

Dogs growl because they don't know better. Humans question because they think they do.

But what we both need to learn is Job 1:21, God gives and God takes.

After all, that is what makes God...well, God.

Just like I try to take my dog's toy so he can experience the pleasure and joy that comes from another fetch, perhaps God takes so that we can experience His promises we read about in Romans 9:23 "What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory..."

All of us fall short. That is what makes us seagulls. But are you willing to be the clay? Ready to be formed into a masterpiece regardless of the process.

Six Reasons Why I love My Youth Volunteers

After six years of serving youth and families, I have come to realize how hard of a job it really is. Sometimes I wonder if I have it harder than those people who refer to themselves as "leaders" in Washington, DC. But that is a different blog.

I think the greatest lesson I have learned in youth ministry is the importance of training, equipping and empowering my staff. I have a great staff. And I'd like to dedicate this entry to them and communicate my reasons why I love my staff!

1. They are faithful.

Whether one student shows up or 10, my staff shows up with the belief that they are colliding with a God-ordained service and they desperately want to be a part of it.

2. They put up with my ADD and regular stupid ideas.

Most times they laugh because they are crying on the inside. But boy are they patient. They are able to look past my flaws, personality and crazy antics and see that I genuinely try and they are more than willing to work with me (even if that requires them to treat me like a baby at a photography studio).

3. They put their money where their mouth is.

Each of my staff members have invested in their and our ministry through their own personal finances. They even paid their way for a youth worker convention to San Diego because they wanted to get inspired, encouraged, trained and equipped to do what God has called them to do.

4. They aren't afraid to make mistakes and learn from them.

I have very honest volunteers. They know they aren't perfect and they know I know that too. We are sojourners together. And I'm so glad that none of them think they are Jesus Jr. Otherwise they would take my job.

5. This is their secondary ministry but you can hardly tell.

I have many volunteers that are way more gifted and passionate about other ministries they are committed to but they match that passion and talent in our youth ministry. And for that I am grateful.

6. They are the fruit of my labor.

This is probably my favorite thing I love about them. My volunteers were once students of mine in the youth ministry they now serve in. Some people that hear that may think I'm just tooting my own horn (and perhaps I am). But another reason I state this as my favorite thing is because like I said at the beginning of this entry, youth ministry is tough and being a youth pastor is even tougher. So God constantly uses my volunteers to remind me of His faithfulness and that I occasionally do bear fruit. They remind me that I am on the right track and doing the right thing. They encourage me just by being involved and helping me out by sharing the load.

So next time you walk through the doors of Adventure Community Church or a Metamorphosis Student Ministry or On The Brink Ministry event/service, take a second to thank them for their faithfulness, human tendencies, and desire to lead. Not only because they deserve it but also because if they didn't do it, our students would only have me. Then we'd really be in trouble!

Who is driving?

I came across this article while surfing some news websites tonight (please read before continuing):

http://aol.it/otFFdy

As embarrassing as it is to find out that this happened in my home state, it's just as funny and a double portion of stupid.

We read an article like that and think, "How could someone be so ridiculous?" We start to question that person's sanity, judgment, and even parenting. We cast judgment because, after all, we would never do that.

Would we?

How many times have you found yourself in a moral dilemma and you actually thought of ways to justify an unethical decision?

If you're reading this as a Christian, how many situations have come in the last week where you actually entertained (or dare I even say, acted) on your own power, knowledge, wisdom, strength, experience, ambition, will, pride, selfishness, and/or desire?

My point is this: whether it is allowing your 6-year old to back a car up because you couldn't fit in the driver's side door or gossiping about what the pastor said to you in a meeting because you felt "assaulted" and someone just had to know about it, they are both wrong. They are different actions, but equal in disobedience.

Look at Jesus' words in John 15:5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing."

Or even better, Matthew 13:21 "But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word."

When you don't submit yourself to authority, you make weak decisions that end up in pain. When you refuse to allow God to sit in the driver's seat and steer you through life, it results in head-on collisions and ultimately, death.

So, who is driving? Because if there was ever a time to call "Shotgun!" it is now.

Crippled

I was reading Acts 20 today and I wanted to share some points:

"As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” 11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left. 12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved." Acts 20:9-12 NLT

Here is what we can pull out from this text:

1. Youth can fall while at church (verse 9).

2. While a fall can be great and potentially dangerous, it doesn't have to be spiritually fatal (verse 10).

3. When the young boy fell, no one emailed the pastor. No one blamed Paul or anyone else. No one left the church. No, they all went "back upstairs, shared in the Lord's Supper, and ate together." (verse 11).

4. Despite the youth's fall, he went home unhurt because of the obedience the church displayed after he fell. (verse 12).

Here is the point: In church, casualties happen because the church involves people. And people are flawed. But the type of casualty and severity of the casualty is based on how we respond when the fall occurs.

If you leave church cripppled, you shouldn't have left until your limp was healed through love, grace, forgiveness and mercy.

7 Reasons Why You Need To Be In Our Community Groups

Hey Adventure! I'm beyond excited for our church to be launching our Community Groups. This is something I've personally been praying about for over 5 months and it's awesome to see several families step up to hosting our first 4 groups!

As a pastor of Adventure, please allow me to share 7 quick reasons why you should commit to a Community Group.

1. You can influence from a distance but can only make an impact when you're up close and personal.

Pastor Mike and I can influence you on Sunday mornings through a message but you're going to make life-changing decisions that only come from long-lasting relationships. Joining a Community Group will allow others to impact you personally and relationally that Pastor Mike and I can't do from a pulpit on Sundays.

2. You can not only create a wave but also ride it!

These Community Groups are new and they will change the relational make-up of our church. This allows you to be a part of something fresh and dynamic from the start and years from now, you'll reap the rewards of paving the way for the multitudes who will join us.

3. Adventure is a church for real people, not robots.

You are a real person with real stories, real experiences, real issues. And guess what? You're not alone. Each of us have a life full of dreams, interests, goals and personalities and we were created to share them with one another through community.

4. Community Groups will give us one more way to Go Wide.

Are you constantly getting rejected when inviting someone to church? There are neighbors, co-workers and friends who will be 100 times more open to checking out a Community Group before checking out a church. This gives you and your group the opportunity to show them love, acceptance, relationships, fun and most importantly, a unity that only comes through Jesus Christ without them even stepping foot in our church.

5. Community Groups will help you be obedient to the Bible.

Missions and Fellowship are what truly define a church as a New Testament church. Coming together and sharing life together is one of the purest ways Christians can demonstrate Christ's love to one another. Not to mention doing missions through Reason #4.

6. Community Groups will give us one more way to Go Deep.

When you combine #4 and #5 and do them correctly, depth will occur. You'll have deeper relationships, deeper fellowship, deeper unity, deeper vision, deeper purpose and a deeper understanding of who God is and His desire for His Church. And I know you want that because deep down inside, you've either told us or wanted to tell us that you want to go deeper. And the good news is you don't need to tell us because we already know. The Bible says so. God created us for depth.

7.

I'll let you decide the 7th reason why you should join a Community Group. After all, it's your group.

So there you have it! 7 Reasons why should join one of our Community Groups. What are you waiting for? People are waiting on you to share your life with theirs!!!

A Caboose Full of Leaders

All through my life, I have heard people say, "Don't try to be someone you're not." And as a kid and teenager, I always thought that applied to copying others and trying to fit in with people who weren't like you and you weren't like them.

Fast forward to where I'm days away from turning 29, I have learned that saying has another meaning, especially when it comes to leadership. So let me give you a different version of that saying as it regards to the leadership topic.

If you have to tell people you're a leader, you probably aren't one.

The word "leader" is more of a verb than a noun. A leader is an example; a model; a demonstration. A leader points in the direction one should go. And a leader motivates that one to want to go there.

But so many people think of themselves as leaders and call themselves leaders but they don't have much to show for it. I, too, have fallen victim to this trap. It's so easy to fall into because we tend to think of ourselves in a way that isn't very realistic. We tend to believe that we are somewhat better than what people think or know. Which is probably why we justify our sins as "not that bad." Sin is sin right?

So wouldn't leadership be.....leadership?

You're either a leader or you're a follower. You can't be one car ahead of the caboose and think you're the leader.

So what we must do is strive to seek our unique design and calling that only comes from God. Allow Him to not only lead us, but to lead through us. Allow Him to give you a vision. Allow Him to establish your authority. Allow Him to guide you as you guide others.

Otherwise you're just a follower who isn't willing to be led. I know that may not make sense.

But calling yourself a leader when no one else is following you doesn't make much sense, either.

How To Support Children's Ministry Without Getting Sucked In

When you hear the phrase, "Children's Ministry" and you're not currently serving in children's ministry, you automatically try and find the nearest hiding place.

But let me give you 3 quick ways to support your local church's children's ministry without having to step foot in the classroom:

1. We know children's ministry is always looking for helpers but ask yourself, "What else do they need help with?" You can usually be a blessing to the children's ministry, it's staff and the children that attend by helping with snacks, putting together any crafts or providing classroom decorations.

2. Most children's ministry workers are overworked and underappreciated. Before or after the service, make a dash for the children's ministry wing of your church and pray over the workers and/or thank them for what they are doing. This also gives you a chance to see what God is doing in those classrooms and to find out directly from them how you can do step #1 above.

3. Welcome new families by guiding them to their kids' classrooms or welcome center. You don't need to be serving in children's ministry to welcome people and show them where they can drop their kids off.

I challenge you to do at least 1 of these steps (although we both know you could do all 3) tomorrow.

Front and On Bottom Instead of Behind and On Top

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Religion with a concentration in youth ministry in 2005 and for the last six years, I have had the opportunity to hold a number of leadership positions in the secular world as well as serve as a pastor of a local church in Phoenix, AZ.

With those six years of experience combined with four years in school, here are six things I've learned about leadership (1 for each year out of school):

1. Leaders are visible.

There is nothing scarier, frustrating, or discouraging than being part of group, team, ministry or organization where you can't tell who or where the leader is. Not only is it essential to know who and where they are but it's also important that they spend some time out and about with those they are leading. Which leads me to #2.

2. Leaders are available.

Leadership is a people-oriented concept and people are relational beings. So it only makes sense that someone in leadership is all about people. The only way to do that is to be available to them. Otherwise you're just a manager, not a leader. When people are part of something bigger than themselves, its because they see the value in that cause. But fewer things will make a volunteer or subordinate (and for the record, I hate that word) quit, than when they don't have the training, coaching, motivation and support they want/need to do their job effectively and efficiently. And that requires a leader does two things: communicate and be personable.

3. Leaders ask tough questions.

A great strategy is born out of a great leader. And a great leader is born out of humility. A person's level of humility will always dictate their ability to change their strategy if it's not working. And to be able to change a strategy that isn't working, that takes a leader to act out points #1 and #2. Be among your people and communicate with them; not to them. And then take some time to digest, analyze, evaluate and address issues as needed. Which makes for a great transition to #4.

4. Leaders are learners.

To learn is to live and to live is to lead. I cannot begin to tell you how much of who I am is a result of other people. Never underestimate the power of allowing others into your world to leave their mark on your life. I am wiser because I have given authority to mentors, picked up numerous books, attended conferences, asked hard questions and, above all, allowed my failures to teach me. Enter point #5.

5. Leaders are human.

As an employee, I've been written up, investigated by HR, and passed over for promotions. As a pastor, I haven't done much better: received countless emails and letters (many of them anonymous), been told by parents that I shouldn't be a pastor, been told by other parents that I have bad judgment, and even preached a Sunday message out of 1st Kings but kept referring to Acts instead. But for every mistake I have made, I have at least 100 success stories. A great leader has to fall in order to stand.

6. Leaders are servers.

A great leader has to fall in order to stand. No, you're not reading a typo. That last sentence from point #5 has a double meaning. This time I'm referring to the fact that a leader must be willing to serve those he/she is leading. This ensures you are committed to your own cause. This communicates you mean what you say. This creates influence and credibility to your position. And that position starts and ends with the duties that are not in your job description.

Left

I played soccer my entire life. I started when I was five, played all through high school and college and can even compete with the best soccer players in the world on my Xbox 360.

But despite playing my entire life, I was never the best. I wasn't the fastest or biggest or strongest. I didn't score a lot of goals and I certainly let my fair share of balls go in while playing goalie. I didn't start much. I wasn't the best passer. I was horrible at juggling--I think my all-time high is in the 20's. I was afraid to use my head when the ball was falling from 40 feet in the air. Sometimes, I got injured more times than I touched the ball in an entire game. I watched a lot of soccer and knew how it was played and knew what to do but it never translated into physical skill.

In case you're not picking up what I'm putting down, I sucked.

But every year I showed up and played. Why?

Because of my left foot. Ah ha, that was what I was great at. If my right foot made contact with the ball, no, no, if my right foot even made eye contact with the ball (if my right foot had an eye) it would look like someone was trying to play hockey with a piece of licorice as their hockey stick.

I made a career out of my left foot.

What I learned is this: on a team where everyone's dominant foot was their right one, it made it very difficult to see or handle a ball that was kicked from something so unique: a left foot.

When my team would do shooting drills, it went like this: Right foot. Right foot. Right foot. Right foot. LEFT foot! Even the goalie would say, "Even though I know you're left footed, I can never determine where and how you're going to kick it."

When it comes to ministry, everyone has a left foot (No, it didn't take me a college degree to learn human anatomy). It's a metaphor (for my uneducated readers).

Everyone is GREAT in at least ONE area. In soccer, it was my left foot. In ministry, it's teaching my youth group. What is your left foot?

In our culture and the world around us, we tend to focus on the all of the right foots we have. Those are the excuses we come up with to NOT do ministry. Your licorice leg is people, speaking in front of an audience, Bible memorization, too young of a Christian, too poor, too weak, too shy, too new, too introverted, too EVERYTHING. Except your left foot.

Deep down inside each of us, is a left foot that the church needs you to use. And only you can use it. So you need to identify what it is.

My left foot made the difference in me wanting to continue to play. My left foot made the difference in me feeling like I could contribute to a team of right-footed teammates. My left foot gave me belonging. My left foot gave me value.

You have value, you have belonging, YOU MATTER TO THE BODY OF CHRIST!

So what is your left foot? Dream it. Develop it. Do it.

Find out what your left foot is. Otherwise you'll always feel left out.

-NW

Love Maybe/Doesn't/Might/Probably/Possibly/Never Wins.

I read Rob Bell's book, Love Wins, in 4 days. This entry is dedicated to my personal thoughts, ideas, opinions and conclusions from what I read.

I've read 2 other books by Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis and Drops Like Stars) and have used many of his NOOMA videos for my ministry here in Phoenix, AZ. Based on those resources, I am a fan.

When this book was being marketed, a fury of blogs, links, and social media sites went crazy over his "heresy."

I tried to stay away from that fanfare so that I could approach the book with some sort of objectivity. I failed.

So let me be very clear as I start this review: From the bottom of my heart, I approached this book with the intent of finding the universalism. My goal was to find what everyone said was there.

Having read the book front to back (and re-reading many paragraphs for clarification), I have come to the conclusion that Rob Bell is what I thought he was: creative, artistic, outside the box, insightful, challenging, thought provoking, and above all, loves to help you draw your own conclusion.

His teaching style is very much like Jesus. He loves to question. He leads your thinking and guides it down a very wide road but still allows you to make a decision on what you think and believe. Because after all, the Christian faith is a personal one, correct?

Heaven forbid we walk around being spoon-fed our faith. I believe this to be a major issue in some churches in America. Too many Christians spiritually plagiarize their faith from their parents, Sunday school teachers, youth pastors, pastors or even reading one particular author.

And from the books I've read and the videos I've shown and the discussions I've led, Rob Bell doesn't do that. And as a pastor, he refuses to let his work and ministry to do that.

Your faith is YOUR faith. Therefore, he asks the questions for YOU to answer.

And this book does that. Yes, it's about heaven and hell and the fate of every person who has ever lived. But it's more than that.

I was really disappointed with the book. Everyone built this book up to be about universalism and how Bell doesn't think that hell exists and everyone goes to heaven.

Wrong. Dead wrong.

Rob Bell even says, "Do I believe in a literal hell? Of course."

People need to understand one thing: Rob Bell isn't writing to Christians. If a Christian happens to pick up the book, great. But this book is for non-believers. In case you missed it from the front cover, you get it within the first couple of paragraphs in the preface.

He goes after preconceived ideas of who Jesus is. You know, like hypocritical parents, fallen pastors, and cults like that group from Westboro.

I loved this: "If you asked an atheist why they don't believe in God and really listen to their answers, you'd probably reply with, 'I don't believe in that God either.'"

This book is about going after the REAL, Biblical, God-Man Jesus with a biggie size of Hebrew and Greek on the side.

But having finished the book, here is my conclusion: The REAL reason so many Christians are up in arms over this book is two themes that Rob Bell pushes: free will and social justice.

And since we're talking about two themes that are non-essential to beginning a relationship with Jesus, let's throw the stones down. In the end, does it REALLY matter if a person CHOSE Christ or if Christ CHOSE them? Are there two lines in Heaven and the pre-destination line goes first like SkyMile members in an airport? C'mon. Are we really going to put God in a box like that?

The whole meaning behind the title is the fact that God is love. And in the end, Love wins. Does God lose if people go to hell? No! He is still God! God still wins and since He is love, love wins! Will people choose hell over God? Yes. Do Christians choose the world over God every day in at least ONE area in their life? Yes!

Rob Bell makes you think about hell. Hell is now and it is later. There is an eternal separation from God and there is an earthly separation from God. Think about it. if you're not currently a Christian, you have sin separating you from God. Is that not hell? Absolutely! And that is one of Rob Bell's biggest points. Enter the social justice theme.

One way we as Christians can bring people heaven on earth is to go to their hell. Missions. You know, that very important, non-optional commission Jesus gives us in Matthew 28? Yeah, those missions.

But there is a problem: "Christians who are concerned about the hell that comes LATER are not concerned enough about the hell that exists NOW."

Saving someone from their hell now (economic, physical, emotional, political, etc) is a means to save them from their hell later (eternal separation from God).

If you read this book, read it slowly and carefully, or else you'll miss it. You'll miss what Rob Bell is trying to communicate. That God is, without a doubt, love.

According to my ability to read a book, Rob Bell is NOT a universalist. Instead, he wrote a book about how Jesus is universal. Jesus is for everyone. Not everyone will choose Him. Yet God...still...wins.

Aside from the book itself, I'm really disappointed in many of my brothers and sisters in Christ. So few are willing to read this book yet so quick to judge it and slam it. They don't know the author on a personal level and are taking what others say about him as truth.

Does the Bible not talk about bearing false witness against a brother?

The world has watched us fight over a book written by a man who is fallible. When we should really be engaging that same world with a book inspired by a God who isn't.

But don't take my word for it. I sincerely hope you read it. You may not agree with Bell and you may not agree with me. But perhaps you'll be challenged on a point or two and realize that you can't put God in a box. It might even help to read a different book by Bell first just so you can understand his teaching and writing style.

But don't burn the book because it's not exegetical, pro-free will and pro-social justice. Because after all, you never learn or grow if you only hang out with those you agree with.

Just one sinner's opinion who is grateful, humbled, thankful, and totally-100%-without-a-doubt-in awe that Love really does win.

-NW

Don't Soundproof Your Life!

Tonight my wife is leading band rehearsal for Adventure Community Church. So it's just me, our two cats and our dog. I wanted to journal tonight but before I did that, I wanted to worship and get my heart right. There's something about worship that gets my juices flowing, I feel open and vulnerable, yet reassured.

Tonight, I put on my iPod and listened to Jesus Culture's "Rooftops." The chorus goes as follows:

"So I'll shout out Your Name, from the rooftops I'll proclaim that I am Yours. All that I am I place into Your loving hands and I am Yours. I am Yours."

With music blaring in my ears and the drum beat getting harder and harder, I felt like singing out loud. I even became a kid again as I envisioned myself on stage leading hundreds of fellow Adventurers in worship.

Here's the thing. I live in an apartment complex. Our walls are thin. Very thin. Since we've lived here, we've heard numerous melodies through our various neighbors' walls: dogs barking, Koreans playing the keyboard, someone hammering nails, the sound a kid enjoying their Wii with the TV volume on max, etc. etc.

Yet, when it came to my attitude of worship tonight, I didn't care about that. I didn't even take it into consideration. I just kept singing. For all I knew (or cared), my neighbors could have been banging on the walls for me to stop. Or maybe someone was walking their dog and heard me through my door.

Then the irony of the lyrics I was singing. I will shout out Your Name. From the rooftops I'll proclaim that I am Yours.

I want God to be known in my life. I want Him to be seen. I want Him to be felt. I want Him to be shared. My relationship with Him is so personal, yet He desperately wants me to keep it from being private.

I want everyone around me, yes, even my neighbors on the other side of the wall, to know that I am God's. I am known, loved, accepted, forgiven, justified, sanctified, glorified BY HIM!

So why keep soundproofing our lives? Why keep that relationship with God private? It's personal but was meant to be made public.

My neighbors can only hear me through the walls. But God intended us to be SEEN.

So before climbing onto the roof, consider Matthew 5:14-16: “'You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.'"

-NW

Seriously Serious

There is a sermon that every youth pastor wants their Sr Pastor to preach and it is one that tells the congregation that the youth and youth ministry is not just important, it's essential.

Yesterday, my Sr Pastor preached such a message. But he didn't just stop with the youth. He also went into the spiritual casualty-ridden demographic of young adults too.

Adolescents are a seriously underrated, seriously overlooked and seriously serious generation when it comes to church. If you allow me to take my youth pastor hat off for a moment and speak as a sinner saved by grace, you'll see what I'm talking about.

One hundred years ago, the term adolescent was used to describe the period in one's life that started at puberty and ended when society expected that individual to contribute. Because females hit puberty earlier, the adolescent stage started at 15 years of age and ended at 16.5 years of age. Fast forward to 2011, and, based on the average female, adolescence ranges from 12 to 26. So we have gone from a period of 18 months to 14 years!!!

Our youth are going through emotional, physical, intellectual and relational changes earlier in life and have less and less responsibility later on in life.

So what should be an exciting, changing and empowering time in their lives has unfortunately turned into an apathetic, disorienting and enslaved lifestyle.

Our youth don't care about Church because the Church doesn't care about them (notice the capital C, Christian!)

Instead of embracing the changes they are experiencing, they are wondering where they fit in this world. And instead of feeling empowered and unleashed to lead, they are forced to sit at the kids table when it comes to communion and community.

They don't need purpose. They need permission. They don't need detention. They need attention. They don't need our titles. They need our time. They don't need lectures. They need mentors.

If you want to be seriously serious about following Christ, then be seriously serious about pouring yourself into a young person. It is the only way to really leave yourself behind in this world. You can have a career, a family, material possessions and collect fame and fortune, but if you really want to create a lasting ripple in this life, help a young person become devoted to teaching, serving, leading and witnessing for Christ!

-NW