Tag: Sacrifice

Posted on

The Payback

For approximately 7 years I served both as a volunteer lead youth worker and as a full time youth pastor at a former church in our local area. I’ve seen hundreds of students come through the doors of our student ministry, some stuck with us, while others moved on. Many received Christ and others chose their own paths. I’ve sat and listened and shared with those who were broken and in need, while others felt they had their life in the palm of their hand with no worries in the world. I prayed and cried and sacrificed for student after student.

There were many days (usually Mondays and Thursdays) that I questioned whether it was all worth it. There were many days I wanted to throw in the towel and give up. There were many occasions where my heart was ripped in two because of the lack of vision for students by people who just didn’t get it, but then there was today…

The Payback. It was a long day and a very sobering one at that. Nicki and I attended two graduations that contained many students who I had the privilege of loving and investing my life in from our former church and in the community, but there were two who held special places in Nicki’s and my heart, because of their investment into our lives and into our family. We consider both Diana and Sequoia a part of our family; our adopted children. As I sat in my chair at each graduation, I could not help but to ask myself the question, “Did I do all that I could to help prepare these students for what’s going to hit them next?” “Did I help strengthen their faith to help them stand strong and hold to their beliefs?” – I guess over time I will receive my answer, but I believe because of the foundation the parents of these students helped lay for them, these students will continue to shine for Jesus throughout their life. My job was always to come along side the parents and support them and reinforce them in the life of their children as I pointed them to Jesus. These students made it. They have made me proud. And now as I look back, every Sunday was worth it, every mid-week student service was worth it, every small group lesson was worth it, every prayer…every tear…every frustration, because these students have the potential to change the world!

Who are you investing in?

Posted on

Do

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOG_GHNVq0]

I’ve been thinking about this commercial for a while now. I have had the privilege of attending some of the greatest conferences in this Country for church leaders, yet it seems that year after year we discuss some of the same issues with ministries in the church and in the Christian culture as if nothing is changing. Research data shows that nothing much has improved. This is in no way to take away from what a lot of churches are doing, trust me, there are a lot of churches who are rocking it for God! However, we as an “unified” body are doing nothing, and it bothers me.

This post or video is not to take away from what I am learning at the Orange Conference. Some of the key words reminded me of this commercial today. “ReThink” “Programs” “Processes” “Innovate” “New Ideas” – All great terms, but meaningless unless there is substance to back them up. There was one breakout that confused me today, but that is not to take away from the conference as a whole, everything will not be 100%, but it seemed that people were sharing a lot of their Ideation, but no solid “hows” to move the Church and Christian culture in a direction to answer these issues that we are focusing on. I think there has to be a time and place to quit discussing and thinking and start doing.

I think it is time that we as the “Church” stop Ideating and start DOING! I am passionate about this, but feel I do not know what I can do to influence people to ‘do,’ except post this on my blog. Will you start doing with me? Maybe if a few of us join together we will see some changes. I heard Rick Warren say this past week that he wants to be a part of starting the 2nd Reformation of the church. The first Reformation was about Creeds (we know what we believe now) so the 2nd Reformation will be about “deeds.” – If your ministry, or if you are doing something personally to “Do” versus “Ideate” please share with me what you are doing…If you are Ideating and not doing, please share with me what you are praying God will use you to do – Then we can do it together…

Posted on

Thought for the Day

I have been thinking about this verse a lot lately, not because of it being the Easter season and the natural reflection on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. I have been thinking about it before this past week. It puts Christ’s love for us into perfect perspective:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

I cannot count the times that I thought highly of myself, or I thought that I had accomplished something great. Yet, Christ had equality with God, he had divine privileges, and he counted it as worthless, because he valued loving us more! Verse 5 is the hard part, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” That’s the verse that lets me know that I am not all that I think that I am at times!

Would I give up divine privileges for someone who would eventually murder me? Would I give up my position in a comfortable, perfect Heaven, and my equality with the Creator of the Universe? I wouldn’t, but Christ did. How can I even come close to that attitude? It’s possible through Christ, or we would not be told to do it, but that is a huge mountain to climb. I know one thing, it will humble us to realize we cannot accomplish such an attitude on our own, but it is through Christ that we can. How then can we think highly of anything that we do?

Posted on

Thank God for the Sacrifice of the U.S. Soldiers!

This is a very touching picture. It reminds me that while we enjoy freedom and liberty some have paid a very high price on our behalf. Soldiers have sacrificed the greatest thing anyone could give…their life. They have sacrificed months and years a part from their families; and the families have had to sacrifice being away from them. As this picture so sadly reminds us, many families have paid a steep price for our freedoms as well. The young man in the picture lost a parent, for you and for me. The sacrifices made by these soldiers and their families are taken so lightly everyday by each of us, yet we so easily take advantage of their benefits, our freedom to worship how we choose, our freedom to say what we want, our freedom to vote, our freedom to do what is right and good, and our freedom to simply live free in the best country in the world.Today would be a good day to say a little prayer and thank God for the freedoms he gives, but to also thank him for the soldiers and the families who have so selflessly given up so much in order for us to live with freedom, liberty, and justice! Enjoy the freedom, but don’t forget the cost, and don’t just give it away to the government or to anyone for that matter…I am sure this young man would say the same.