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.