Are You Killing Your Church?

Rick Warren writes in the Purpose Driven Life…

What happens when one part of your body fails to function? You get sick. The rest of your body suffers. Imagine if your liver decided to start living for itself: “I’m tired! I don’t want to serve the body anymore! I want a year off just to be fed. I’ve got to do what’s best for me! Let some other part take over.” What would happen? Your body would die. Today thousands of local churches are dying because of Christians who are unwilling to serve. They sit on the sidelines as spectators, and the Body suffers.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT) says…

A Spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

Rick points out in the book that we are do not serve to be saved, rather we are saved to serve. One of the reasons Christ gives us new life is so that we can die to our old selves and live as Christ has called us to live. As Christ Followers we are given gifts and according to 1 Corinthians that gift’s purpose is to help each other.

Join the Conversation: Are you killing your church by sitting on the sideline and not serving? Or are you using your gifts and new life to help your church thrive by helping others, what does that look like in your life?

I am Evil

Well, today I found out that one of Nicki’s aunts and uncles thinks that I am evil because I am associated with the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry (Purpose Driven in general) and because I freely and willingly will give the PD Life book to someone who is searching for “purpose” to their life or a PDYM Book for any youth pastor who is looking to bring balance to his or her ministry.

Hmmm…I guess there is nothing to worry about since this is the same couple who will place their hands on you as if they are giving you a friendly gesture, but what they are really doing is “silently casting evil spirits out of you.” I wondered why they always laid their hands on my shoulders!? Their friend has admittedly said that she has tried on several occasions to cast an evil spirit out of my wife’s step dad who is a devoted follower of Christ. I wonder if I can get them to help me fund my trip to the Gathering in September? Probably not.

So do you have any weird family members? What makes them weird or different?

Are You Listening?

I just finished reading this article by Doug Fields on Simply Youth Ministry’s Articles page. It was so good I wanted to share. Take a minute and read the excerpt and head on over to check out the whole article! It doesn’t matter who you deal with in Life, children, adults, or teens, this article is transferable…

Are You Listening
By Doug Fields

I was recently at Weinersnitzel eating one of America’s finest meals-the tube steak kabob…affectionately known by connoisseurs as a Corn Dog. As I was moving to my seat, I see a high school student reading the Di Vinci Code. I asked him, “How do you like that book?” Honestly, I thought that it was a very easy question and I would get a very quick response! That’s not what happened! Continue Reading