Looking for Change

One of the biggest fears I have as a student pastor are students that don't have a grasp on what salvation really is. Because we live in an area where religion is part of the culture salvation can easily get mixed up in a jumble of routine. If there is anything I want make sure I am clear on it is this. Here are some things I have learned about salvation from my own life:
1 - Get it from the Word - we live in a media driven world and because of that it is so important that we know how to get our info from that main source, the Bible.
2 - It doesn't just happen - sometimes we act like salvation is just part of life. It is so important to remember that salvation is a miracle, not a phase of life. We are born dead in our sins and salvation is being given a life that you don't deserve.
3 - Look for change - the evidence that your saved is not in some prayer you said a while ago it is change that has taken place in your life. When you get saved there is a change that takes place. It may not be huge but there will be consistent change in your life. The main change will be freedom. When you are saved you are not bound to sin as you use to be. You will still sin and make mistakes but there will more and more freedom that develops in your life.

I am so amazed that God by his grace has saved me. I pray that it never gets old and that I spend the rest of my life serving Christ for all He has done for me.

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!!!