The planking generation.

So unless you have been in a sewer drain or something for the last year you have heard of this new fade called "planking." It's funny to watch people lay on something for no reason except that a friend may capture the right moment of them making a fool of themselves. I actually thinking it really fun to watch people come up with different things to "plank" on. This generation of young people are daring and creative. Coming up with the most unusual places to get these pictures. But this activity can also be dangerous, as it has been in Australia. I heard of an Australian planking on a seventh floor hotel balcony railing and sadly fell off and fell to his death. What causes people to do things that push the limits of their life? What gives people the idea that they are in control of their life?
As a youth pastor I see teenagers all of the time. I see them at church, at school, and football and baseball games. I see them around town and at their homes. I see a generation of teenagers that seem to think that they hold the controls of their life. I see a generation of kids that are losing the battle. I see a planking generation. Kids who don't care what they are doing or how dangerous it is. A group of kids who would rather lay on top of the fence to be seen(planking) then stand on this side of the fence or that side.
A generation that is not understanding that Heaven and Hell are real places and based on how we live here now determines how and where we live in eternity.
See a "planking generation" equates to those who choose to ride the fence. They are neither Hot nor Cold they are lukewarm!
Rev. 3:15-16 MSG "I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit.
My heart breaks when I see kids who say and confess to follow Christ but end up only meaning it half heartedly. Those teens are the ones that I see "planking." They don't realize the danger of riding on the edge. They don't see the risk they are taking being lukewarm.
These kids are more worried about what their friends think and what feels good now, rather then what god thinks and what will feel good for all eternity.Their reputation is to important to them to give up. It's to much for them to give up the flesh in order to live by the spirit.
I fear for those who would rather be on the railing then in prayer. for the one that would rather stand on the edge, then fight the battle.
Oh and by the way it's not just on them. We as leaders and parents must come to the point where we care more about their eternal destiny than their temporary reputation. Parents and leaders we are allowing this generation to much time to close to the edge. It's time to speak up and to speak life.
I fear for a generation that is lost, deceived and dieing and for generation that is to blinding, scared and careless to speak out.

God is not pleased with riding the fence. It makes him vomit!
Students choose wisely, parents be encouraged.
Lets save a generation of plankers!

The Temptations

Last night at ONEyouth God definitely showed up. Like His actually presence was in the room dealing with our hearts, and bringing us closer to himself.
The message last night was about temptations.
The Temptations were a great band in the 1960's, with chart topping hits coming out right and left. This band was the stuff back then with their good looks and choreographed moves, they had a huge fan based and all the girls loved them. they have stuck around for a long time, the songs are still listened to on radio and in many movie soundtracks. The temptations seem to not want to leave, they are just so good.
One of their most recognized songs starts out with, I know you want to leave me, but I refuse to let you go!
We talk last night about how so many times we have temptations in our life, that seem so good, they stick around for years, we know that God wants us to leave them behind, but we refuse to let them go.

We took a look at James as we have been walking through the entire book. James 1:13-18 was our passage last night.
He talks about how we cannot say that it is God that tempts us but only have ourselves to blame. We fall to temptation because of the desire that is in our heart for it.
So many times in our walk things come into our life like lust, doubt, and greed that we really don't want there. But time after time we say that we can deal with it on our own. But trying to take care of it on our own doesn't replace the desire for it inside of us. Temptation is never satisfied it always wants more, it is always looking for more.

It is not until we cut out the desire for evil, and replace it with the desire for God that our problem leaves us.
God doesn't want us to keep temporally filling up on our desire for those things, but instead he would want us to fill up with desire after him which never ends and never runs out. We need to replace the temporary with the eternal.
Temptation effects everyone.
What do we truly desire in our lives?

Temptation for evil will continue until we learn to replace it for the desire of god things.
I believe we can all overcome our temptations and grow in desire of more of God.

fixer-upper

So the past few days Kristen and I have been looking at houses on the internet, dreaming and hoping that soon we will be able to have our very own home.
Now girls always have seemed to dream about their wedding day right?
Well I have always dreamed of buying a fixer-upper or building my own. I always thought it would be amazing to build my own home with my Dad, like he and my grandpa did years ago with our first home. But I have realized that is probably better to just get a fixer-upper.
So as the two of us have been looking and dreaming and searching and figuring out what is affordable and have been praying for God to show us where and when, a thought dropped into my spirit this morning. I am a lot like that house that I have always wanted.
I am a fixer-upper. I have a good foundation, just like a good fixer-upper. I now how to stand on God's word, I know that he is the most important thing in my life. It's what people look at when searching for homes. If the foundation is messed up then its not worth it. If I don't have God at my foundation then trying to be good and live good isn't really worth anything.
I have an okay exterior. I might forget to shave from time to time but over all I look have decent, I could lose some weight, but I try to wear clothes that fit. A fixer-upper has an okay exterior as well. Maybe it needs a paint job but it is sealed and watertight. We need to have a good exterior a good protection of the Holy Spirit or else things will get inside that shouldn't be there.
But see on the inside there are still some major issues, and also some minor ones. Any fixer-upper that you look at usually has a handful of minor issues that can be fixed and then there are those major issues, a wall needs to be moved, electrical needs to be fixed, plumbing redone. What ever it maybe be a fixer-upper has things that need to be fix and redone.

I am a fixer-upper.

I have some minor issues on the inside that are easy to fix, anger, my thoughts, actions, relationships.
But then there are some bigger issues: sin, hardness of the heart at times, faithlessness, doubt.

See when looking at the inside of the house, its the big fixes and problems that we look at. It's what sways us from wanting the house to saying no thats to much to fix, to much money, can't get enough return on it.

The awesome thing about being a fixer-upper is that God is like me. He loves a good fixer-upper! He relishes for a new one to come onto the market.

But the best thing is that those big issues that we have, that turn most people away. He says. "that's an easy fix."
See most of our big problems have already been fixed before he enters our house, he paid for those big rapirs like sin and doubt and faithlessness a long time ago with Jesus dieing on the Cross. God takes what we see as big problems and works on them until they are no more.

In some cases those problems take a little while to fix. Like sin. Sometimes the house isn't willing to let all of it go so God has to wait until the house is willing to let that problem get fixed.

I am a fixer-upper.
I think we are all fixer-uppers in the market of life.

When was the last time you let God fix your house?
what have you been holding on to because it feels good, that doesn't belong in there?

I pray that you let Jesus buy your house today.
I pray that as God continues to fix my house, may he also fix your house.
I pray that when construction of our house is taking place we are like Tim Allen and ask for more power!! ARRRarrrrrARRRRRR

Common Ground

Well dear friend it has been way to long since I last wrote you. I wanted to just express something that has been on my heart the past few weeks and years. It is the fact that we are all on common ground. I have been preaching about it and trying to stimulate the thoughts of our church and youth and myself on how to be a more effective church in the community.
What things can we do or pray about?
What are some areas of need in Ozark?
What people need to hear the gospel?
How can we share this love story with them?

These things have been consuming my mind and thoughts lately. What will it take for use to reach out to somebody else, that quite possibly could be spiritualy dead and going to Hell. What will it take for us to fulfill our Christian duty and not just go on with our normal routine?

This past weekend we got to hear Pastor Jim Raley speak. Wow what an anointing he has!
Two things that he said, well maybe three:
1. Minister to the Father and take care of his sheep.
This is the biggest job for myself and anybody in ministry. Serve God day and night, like a waiter. Wait on his needs and not our own, move when he says go and listen when he says be still. Minister to the Father, and take care of the sheep.
Taking care of the sheep: Taking care of those who God has placed in your care. Looking out for them, feeding them and leading them. Protect them from the things of this world that can hurt that or kill them, feed them the word of God the bread of life, make sure that they have the rights things in order to grow into the man or woman God has intended them to become. Lead them by what you do. A great blog was just recently wrote about this by my great friend Amanda Bock www.amandabock.com
We must lead our sheep to God and what he has for them.
2. You don't create what you want, you reproduce what you are.
I can try and create the atmosphere of worship for our kids.
I can try and show them how to read the Bible more.
I can try to create relationships.
But in reality I can only reproduce what I am as a Christian.
If I don't read the word, if I give my life to worship, if Im not relational, if any of those and others things are lacking so they too will be lacking in their lives. We reproduce what we are. We need to start living like that as pastors. We want revival to break out in our youth, we need to have it break out with us first. We cannot ask our kids to do something we are not doing.
3. The four things Hell has that we need in church!
Pastor Raley preached on these four things that Hell has that we as the church needs. It was so good. and so true. The point that stuck out the most for me was that Hell has a burden for the lost! We so need more of a burden for the lost and dieing in this world, in or country, our state, our county, city, town, village, apartment complex, neighborhood, and home. We need to have a great desire to see the lost saved.

God wants us to get uncomfortable and spread the gospel, he wants you and me to reach out and touch a life.
What are we willing to do with the opportunities at hand?
What would it look like if our schools were turned upside down for Jesus?
What would it look like if our church came together to prayer weekly for the city?
What would it look like if the passion that Jesus has for the lost became our passion?
We are all on common ground, we all need hope , love, and a saviour.

That Name

So tonight I am preaching on the Third commandment.
I have been writing my sermon and I'm now getting to the end.
As I approach the end.
I feel the need to explain the power in the name that we so easily throw around.
Here is what I love about my God's name.

See the name of God can make the blind see, the dead rise the deaf hear, the lame walk, the mute talk, the dirty clean.
The name of God can save the unsalable, forgive the unforgiveable, give grace to the ungraceful.
The name of God is bigger then death, stronger than cancer, greater than sickness and better than drugs.
The name of God can move mountains, split rivers, and turn water into wine.
The name of God can lift oppression, it can take away pain and it can heal the broken.
The name of God is more powerful than we will ever know.


I really think it is time that we start paying attention to what we say and the words we use.
There is just something about that name.
It's so misunderstood, we must teach about it more.

LiFe

So, I get to work today(early) by five minutes! I love working at this church! I get ready for the day, check e-mail, facebook and twitter. I start preparing for ONEyouth tonight, I'm excited God has been speaking to me and using this series for His glory. Im writing this thing for service tonight its like a worship invitation almost. God has really just been saying come up higher, help this group coming to a higher place with me. It's funny how that also fits in with the series Im preaching. So Im writing this introduction and then my sermon material. I'am feeling really good about it all. It's only 1030 and I already have a bulk of tonight ready. I have been listening to worship music and really just enjoying the presence of God.
and then all of a sudden...
This feeling of discouragement hits me.
Like a blow to the heart and lungs when all of your air has escaped you. I can't breath anymore, I can't catch my breath.
This voice is saying your not good enough, you dont ever do things right what makes you think your doing this right, what if your not suppose to be here, what if this isn't what your called too, You will never be good enough.
Like I am in one of those interrogation rooms from T.V. and this voice is on a loud speaker.
these thoughts are just punching punching punching me into the ground. Until I feel like poop.
I start wondering if some of that stuff is true, I call my wife and she is discouraged too, so its like what if this is true, what if this is all wrong.
But then...
God starts to speak!
This is where I have put you.
This is where I have put you.
Let me say it one more time for those of you who don't hear it.
This is where I have put you!
I get this idea then to start speaking life into things that are uncomfortable (an idea I got from a pastor in Florida)
God I speak life into my house,
I speak life into my job,
I speak life into my marriage,
I speak life into my choices,
I speak life into my work ethic,
I speak life into my words and actions.
I speak life into my life.
God bring me your life.

See I cannot not control what others say or how they treat people, but I can control how I act and treat people. I can breath life into my action and words.
I can lift people up with love.
I choose to give life and speak life.
God help me to be more like you every day, I pray.

One for One

Well once again I have found my way back to my keyboard and to my blog. It has been some time since I have wrote a real blog. One that comes from thoughts. So today I will attempt to do just that. Write a thought driven post.
As most people that are close to Kristen and myself know we are Youth Pastors. On top of that we are blessed youth pastors!!!! Well this next week is Pastor and staff appreciation week at our church and that includes us. Its a crazy thought that we are on staff at a real church. Anyway back to the thoughts of this blog.
Last night one of our youth surprised me with a pair of Toms shoes. He wears them all the time and I always say something about them and how I wish I had a pair. Well now I do. They are great!!! So light, and comfortable. Perfect in every way. I was so thrown back by getting this present when I haven't really been here that long. But anyway it was a real special feeling as he gave them to me. Something I will never forget.
And as we were finishing our night at the church I grabbed the show box which now was filled with other things because my feet were nice and cozy inside my Toms! I grabbed the box and looked at the side, it simply said "One-for-One" TOMS shoes gives one pair of shoes for every pair of shoes bought. So with the pair of shoes that I recieved last night somewhere in the world someone else will recieve a pair of shoes free.
Ok so I need to add this Oct. 17th is our Speed the Light sunday at OFA and ONEyouth is in charge of both services!!!! I love the opportunity that is here!!!!
So as I saw that saying the message for that Sunday dropped into my spirit. ONE-for-ONE. One death for one life. the power of one death, the power of one life. Because of Jesus death we each have the power to change another life. We have the opportunity to extended the invitation of eternal life because of the one that died for it. It is a ONE-for-ONE kind of thought. So as this develops in my spirit over the next few weeks I pray that each of us take the one opportunity we get every-time we encounter another to offer that love that beats all others. make it a ONE-for-ONe moment.