WHERE DO YOU STAND?

I feel like I'm getting a more and more clear understanding of the incredible task it is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I tell our students often that if Jesus Christ were to literally walk into the room and ask for a show of hands who wants to be a disciple. If He promised to give you the strength, boldness, and courage, I would imagine that most people would raise their hands. So then what is the deal? Why aren't we living it? Why is this young generation falling over the same stupid things that almost every other generation has tripped over? I wrestle with this question. I'm not going to try and sum it all up and say that I have figured it all out but I do know after 7 years of serving a younger generation that I am fully convinced that many students in the church today don't understand what it means to be a disciple.

This last Sunday I stood in the student center of our church and spoke and prayed over our lowest group of the year, why? Homecoming. There was a dance on Saturday night. Now hear me loved ones, I'm not saying that every student that missed because of the dance isn't a disciple of Jesus Christ, but I will say that our priorities are completely out of whack when I, as a student pastor, know that the sunday after homecoming, prom, the opening of deer season, some concert in town, etc... will be a low Sunday. I also know that there is not one student that went to homecoming that at the end of it would say it was so worth the money and time. If you are saved then meeting together regularly is not an option it is your responsibility and if you drop the ball on that then biblically speaking you dropped the ball on one of the biggest responsibilities you have been given, not by me or any other pastor, but given to you by Jesus Christ. I have missed Sundays here at Texarkana, but wherever we are as a family we give HIGH PRIORITY to getting together with other believers and being fed and I know that many of our families in the student ministry feel the same way. This is the bride of Christ, it shouldn't be losing out to standing out in the middle of nowhere to shoot a stinking deer or dressing up to impress others and take pictures for a school tradition. Lets stop taking the responsibilities given to us by a school district and placing it over the responsibilities given to us by Jesus Christ.

Our theme this year in the student ministry is LOUD - and we are going to speak out into this city to a young generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but to do that we must be confident followers and disciples. Not confident in ourselves but in HIM, Jesus Christ. I am on my knees for this student ministry and excited to see all He does in us and through us in the weeks to come.

A NOTE TO FUSION STUDENT MINISTRY

Last night was an incredible night at FUSION - we saw about 7 students come to know Jesus Christ as their SAVIOR - THAT NEVER GETS OLD. We also saw some students make a huge step into breaking free from the "sin that so easily entangles us".

i wanted to write a note hitting two things that happened last night that i think applies to a lot of our students:

1- if you have taken that first step into knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior I want to challenge you to take two steps. First tell someone that you know is a Christian what you did. Satan always wants to trip us up and confuse us and it is always so much better to have someone standing with you then to stand by yourself. Second, make sure you have a Bible and start reading it. Read it slowly so that you can think about what you are reading. Start with Ephesians 2:1-10. In those 10 verses the entire Gospel is spelled out really clearly. Then slowly read through the book called John, it is all about Jesus.

2 - there were many last night that needed prayer because they feel caught in sin. I want to challenge you to get alone some time today and talk to God about that sin, about how you are tempted, and about how you feel afterward. Get honest and open to God. Then open you bible and read Romans 8:28-39. You are a conqueror. It is not about your power but about the power of God in your life.

God is doing awesome things here in the student ministry and it is because we are expecting big things from our God who is for us and not against us. God is so good. Cant wait for the launch service next week, remember to invite some people this week and we are going to pack this place out.

A NOTE TO OUR STUDENT MINISTRY

Hey everyone, wanted to communicate just a few things to all our students and parents.

1 - I'm praying for you - especially all of our seniors that are about to step onto a college campus. it is tough no matter how you slice it. But i do want you to know that I am not just praying that you survive college ok, I'm praying that you CONQUER college. you are not there to just make good grades and get in a good frat or sorority. God has positioned you there on purpose. i hope you can be an incoming freshman that is a leader of all the others that arent ready.

2 - Take you aim - As you guys get ready for the fall i am praying that you are aiming at something worth while. i told our group on sunday morning that we as a student ministry need to be after a MOVEMENT OF CHIRST and not just a MOMENT WITH CHRIST. what are trying to become this year?

3 - Lets get it done - There is so much that we can accomplish this year and i pray that everyone of our students this year walks away with an incredible testimony of how God did IN them and THROUGH them.

God is moving and I pray that we are humble before Him and then confident to lead the way for this city.

THE HALLWAY IN OUR OFFICE

So several weeks ago I was walking into my office and noticed that the long hallway going into my office was looking a little bland. There was so much space for something cool and we had nothing there. I was thinking of some cool mural or painting or something and then the thought left me. Later that day I was praying about our student ministry and so desire for this next year to be outward-focused. As christians we can be so focused on ourselves as we live in a culture that consumes. This year though we want to follow Christ's examples and be about seeing the lost be found. So back to the hallway. I thought instead of a painting or mural we have chosen to give that whole wall to our students. We have cards that we printed up and are asking our students to write their name on a card and put it on the wall. What that single card means is that they are actively praying for, witnessing, and serving a single person that they want to see come to know Christ. Each day since we started this I have prayed over these cards and for the lost souls that they represent. I am so amped up by what this whole process has meant to me and to our students. I am excited to see more and more cards up on the wall and then finally see those cards come down as we will see those lost students come to know Christ.

READY TO CHANGE

I am so excited to see all the things God is doing in our student ministry. Week after week I have been able to engage in conversations with students that have begun to truly walk with Christ. Yesterday I shared 4 verses that I feel are becoming more and more real in our student ministry. I shared with a group of teachers after church that I was so excited that I could share that message and be sincere. I wanted to highlight one point that was made yesterday here in this post. Although God is doing incredible things and we are seeing students move onto the NEXT step with Christ, I know that we still have students that are flat out bored in their walk. Listen closely, I think that is a very dangerous place to be and want to help out any way possible to get any student out of that place. Here is what I want you to know if that is where you are finding yourself. You may be bored, but it is not because you are following Jesus. Somewhere you got off track and stopped following HIM and you started following rules. Get off that track fast. Now I'm not saying you should do whatever feels good and don't worry about boundaries, but don't ever worship the boundaries over loving Jesus. Jesus is more concerned with your heart than your behavior.
I am excited for the future here in the student ministry. It is going to be AWESOME. We have a new theme that we will launch in September so be looking for that.

3 things for students of Fusion Student Ministry

i am not sure about you but i have had one of those weeks that i am not going to miss when it is over. i can so tell that God allows some of these trials in our life to train us and strengthen us, and when all is said and done i am thankful that He loves us that much.
i am excited about some things coming up in the student ministry here but even more excited about what God is doing here at Fusion Student Ministry. Here are a few things that i want each student here to know:

1) keep going. If god has been doing something in your life or been pushing you in a certain direction: GO! always listen to His voice and never fear that He will lead you in a wrong path.

2) keep coming. We have had some incredible Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights here in the last several months, be apart of that. God is showing up and speaking loud and clear. i was amazed last wednesday as we worshipped God after the message last week, it was powerful and i needed it.

3) keep up. We have some awesome things coming up in the summer and i want everyone to stay connected with the church so keep up. you do not want to miss camp this year, both middle school and high school. I say this every year and it is still true, MONEY IS NOT A REASON TO MISS CAMP. we will find a way but it takes you making the effort to come talk to us and let us know that you want to go. DONT MISS IT.

I love you guys so much and we are praying for you and can t wait to see you tomorrow night. we are continuing our MAKE WAR series and it is going to be good. See ya!!!

I want to be happy!

Matthew 5-7 is Matthews account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. It is something really popular that most people who have been in church have heard and can recognize portions of. The beginning few verses are called THE BEATITUDES. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled" Mt 5:6. There are 9 of them in total.

I say this a lot in ministry; when you read the Bible read it slowly so that you can catch all that is going on and ask yourself questions along the way.

One thing that became so powerful to me from these verses was the fact that the word "Blessed" in the original language means "Happy". Jesus was talking about happiness here and how to get it.

Our culture and humanity is pretty much built on a search for happiness. Everything that is advertised to us is advertised in a way that shows us how we will be happy if we buy this or that. Think of the things that you have purchased in the last few weeks, some of them may be based on a need, but there is a certain element of a search for happiness in there.

Human beings are searching for happiness and Jesus hits this topic at the very beginning of his message.

Here is what i see from these 9 statements about happiness. You can not attain happiness by trying to gain happiness. WEIRD right. But the Bible never says that we can gain happiness if we search for happiness but rather we will gain happiness if we search for something higher than happiness.

I think about it like this, i love New York Yankee hotdogs. Yes, the actual hot dogs from the stadium. But you cant get a hot dog from the game if you do not buy a ticket to the game (more expensive than a hot dog). You must go out and search and pay for something much higher than the hot dog, and the same is true with happiness.

If we are searching for happiness we will never get it, but rather if we search for righteousness we will gain both righteousness and happiness. INCREDIBLE>

we need to make sure that the way we are spending our lives are not simply for happiness but for the much higher calling we each have, righteousness.

What I've learned about God from being a parent

We are about to experience some big changes around my house. We are having a boy in just a few days. We are all so excited and cant wait to have him here in our home without being inside my wife. Getting ready for another has made me think back to all that being a parent has taught me and it is incredible what parenting teaches you about God and your relationship to him. Here are a few:

1- It is incredible how courageous my kids are when they know their dad is there to catch them - My kids are pretty daring but their courage is amped up 100% when they know that dad is their to catch them. My youngest will climb and jump off anything if she knows that i am there to catch her, and she knows i will never drop her. So true spiritually. I want to always know that if i am walking in obedience he is right there with me and i can be filled with courage and be daring in this life.

2 - It is awesome to see my kids not walk in fear because i am with them - the dark is scary when you are young, but when i am holding my daughters hand we are ok. Let go of that hand and you will hear it in the next county, but if i am there holding her hand we can trek through the darkness with no problem because she knows i will not lead her into a bad place. I am realizing that it is never God's hand that pulls away but rather mine and if i am willing and seeking after him, he is there.

3 - It is amazing how my kids will give away almost everything when they know i am willing to buy them something better - Now that might sound pretty shallow but i think there is a huge truth packed in there that you can find in Malachi 2:8-10. When they know that i am going to buy them something they are so willing and even excited to give away what they currently own. Amazing how i forget that what i own currently is and will always ultimately belong to God but i get so nervous and try to hold onto it all.

4 - It is humbling how my kids ask for the biggest things thinking their dad can do anything - I both love it and hate it when my girls ask for something so outlandish that it is almost funny. I love it because they think I'm superman, and i hate it because i know i can not give it to them. How awesome is it that we can ask those big things to God and not have to be worried that He cant handle it. Now maybe He will in His love say no, but "Sorry i cant" will never be the response. God ahead and ask - He can do anything.

YOU ARE OR YOU ARENT

Im a huge Yankee fan and I love being a Yankee fan. WHat i love most is when i walk into a ball park, other than Yankee stadium, wearing my Yankees jersey and showing my dedication to my team no matter who is with me or against me. Thats the best part of being a Yankee fan. Either people hate the Yankees or they love them. There aren't many baseball fans that are neutral about the Yankees, and if they are they aren't true baseball fans.

I have been so challenged by a few different books that i am currently reading and of course God's Word and one challenge that i really feel God has been speaking to me is that this: EITHER YOU ARE FOLLOWING ME OR YOU AREN'T. There is not such thing as a seasonal follower of Christ. Someone who who goes to church but isn't doing or striving to do what God's Word has revealed to them is not a follower of Christ. Praise God for His grace that He is there with open arms when we return to Him and realize how great His love for us is, but there must be a point where you turn your back on the world and its desires and follow Christ. And remember He will walk through some circumstances that are not fun and entertaining. He may bring you to a place where close friends won't go and you will have to end some dear relationships. If you think i'm wrong, read about the disciples journey with Christ. Look at your week or even just your day today and ask - DID I FOLLOW CHRIST TODAY - and remember - EITHER YOU DID OR YOU DIDNT.

5 things I think every student needs to know about God

I love my job. I have an incredible opportunity to help students grow closer to God and equip them with the tools they need to walk close with Him in one of the most difficult times in their lives. Here are 5 things I wish every student knew about God:

1. God loves you. But understand this: His love is perfecting not pampering. He is more concerned about you growing more like him, not simply you being happy.

2. God has spoken to you. God wrote a book and He wrote it to you. READ IT. Don't try and just open it when you have a problem and expect it to all make sense. Get into a habit to reading a little each day, but remember to dig into it and see how it applies to your life and what it has to teach you.

3. God isn't acting on your terms. Don't wait for God to light up a burning bush in your locker. He has spoken and the ball is on your court.

4. God had a plan for you. Don't let this statement freak you out and make you think that if you ever make a bad decision your screwed and you will never be able to live up to what God made you to be. What i mean by that statement is that God has gifted you and is going to open doors for you to live the abundant life if you give him your all.

5. God wants to hear from you. Going to church is awesome and having good biblical morals is great, but what God wants most of all, and this blows my mind, is a relationship with us. He wants to walk with us through life and guide us. He is looking for people who are willing to follow him.

To know God is our goal, not simply know about Him. Do you know Him?

Am I Losing the Race?

In the student ministry this month we are studying the word love on Wednesday nights with a series called THANDA=LOVE. Thanda is the name of a ministry we are supporting in south africa that is helping kids who have lost parents to AIDS. We are studying different aspects of Love that we are called to. Putting these messages together has caused me to look at myself and whether or not i am where i need to be in this category. Now i "love" a lot of things - but what we are realizing is that we are not only called to choose to love stuff and people that are easy to love but to love those that are not so easy also (Matthew 5:43 - 48). I want to make sure that you and i understand that this category of love is the BIG ONE - just read 1 john 4. GOD IS LOVE. He is serious about this characteristic. So if i am failing in this category than i need to be able to honestly understand that i am losing the race that God has set out for me. I want to be great - not in a prideful way but what i mean by great is being exactly who God made me to be. Not letting dumb worldly stuff get in the way. Are you there? Are you loving? Don't say yes just because you love your mom and dad and your best friend, but think about the ones that are difficult to love. Think about the people who have hurt you and those who have forgotten you. Remember God's love is an action love, we need to act it out.

The Tough Question

I am writing this entry about something that God has been urging in my life for the last year or so. It is this statement that He has continually been pushing into my path and i am so thankful that He did. The statement is "Ask the tough question." I find that there are many times that we surround ourselves with some thing that we know shouldn't be there, but we simply don't want to face the difficult or uncomfortable situation of dealing with it. It might be something that isn't even a SIN but just something in our life that is a waste and is pulling us from something better. It might be a weight issue that is there but you haven't faced it, or a personality issue that everyone else can see but you can't, and it all boils down to the fact that you don't want to ASK THE TOUGH QUESTION. Here is the incredible thing that I have learned in this: every time i ask the tough question, it is always a positive result. It may not be fun or comfortable but in the end i am always thankful that i asked. I challenge you to do the same. Face those things in your life that are bugging you and are pulling you away from being who you want to be. ASK THE TOUGH QUESTION.

Blown Away

I had the incredible opportunity to speak at Crave (college and young adult worship service) last night. Crave is easily one of my favorite programs at the church. Goesles Parade was here to lead worship and absolutely brought us into the presence of God. I was so excited to walk through a passage that has meant so much to me in the last two years of my walk with Christ, Isaiah 6: 1-8. It is an incredible story of how the life of Isaiah begins to move from normal to incredible. I am not going to lie, i want my life to fall under the incredible category and i think you should feel the same thing about yours. We unpacked two truths from that passage:
1 - God wants our attention - Isaiah had an incredible calling and was going to go on to do and say some very powerful things but it was never about him, it was always about Jesus. We need to not be focused on our questions in life, but rather be focused on Jesus. Jesus didn't say he would show you the way, He said He was the way (John 14:6).
2 - God wants us to see Him accurately. Christian t-shirts and clever little bumper stickers don't give a lost world a good idea of who God is. God is not corny and unoriginal to the point he has to take a "Reeses" logo and change it to say "Jesus". We need to be getting a view of God from His Word. Not the world, not tv, not even our own feelings. I am nervous about our generation so being concerned with feelings and emotions, get over your feelings and hear from God first and then look at your feelings.
We should desire to see God do great things in us, He spent so much for us and has incredible plans for us but we need to get to the point where we are focused on him and not our future.

2 things we will NOT say anymore

there were 2 things that i have heard a lot of over the last two years here and several weeks ago i stood before our students and committed that we will no longer allow these 2 excuses out of our mouths as they pertain to our walk with Christ.

1- I can't do it - the christian walk is tough, especially because it involves loneliness sometimes and having to watch others leave and make decisions contrary to what we feel is right. That can be a very difficult place to stand, but it breaks my heart that many times a student will make a decisions that they know is wrong simply because they can not face the situation of being alone. we may choose that we do not want to live it, but we will not say that we can't.

2 - I am too busy - this world and this area of Texarkana is low population and high activity. Definitely not a bad thing in and of itself. i love this city and i am excited that my kids can grow up with things to do and places to learn, and in no way do i feel like a martyr in that God called me to move here. However, we can not let business overtake our walk with Christ, and for many it is. Flat out, programs and events have become more important. Again we may choose other things over Christ, but we will not cowardly say anymore that "I am too busy". Now, be mature enough to know that this does not mean if you miss a bible study one time because you had a final exam and needed to do well on it that you are going to hell because you obviously hate Jesus, not the case. but I find it interesting and even in my own life sometimes how we are so willing to plan out shopping trips and games around our lives but not meeting together as believers and worshiping him and our own personal time with him.

It will not fly anymore and we are not going to throw these pitiful excuses to a God that gave it all for us.

God in Motion

Last night we had an incredible group in both services. I had the incredible opportunity to communicate God's Word to over 200 students and something that i have been feeling for a while, GOD IS IN MOTION IN OUR MIDST. There is an incredible sense of clarity that is washing over students through-out our ministry that is simply addicting to watch. Of course from a student pastor's perspective I see myself asking "What did are we doing?" It is God moving among His people and we are simply trying to not get in the way. We do not focus on our students as "7th graders" or "10th graders" but as people who are lost without Jesus. We do not try and make it cool and clever but simply true. We are teaching the Word and teaching students how to get into the Word and dig out its truth and it is an incredible thing to watch. We love what we are doing and pray that God will continue to move among us.