Monday, September 29, 2014

How a little girl can make a GROWN MAN cry!

Overall, I feel like I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. (When I was in 6th grade I had an open dislocated bone, where the bone popped out of my right ring finger, and while wincing a few times I never cried).

If you are trying to get me to cry it's probably easier if you'd use emotional tactics instead of physical ones. In fact, I almost cried after speaking with a 5th grade girl this Sunday.

This girl and her mother told me that she asks to pray for my grandfather, (Papa), almost every single night! This deeply impacted my heart.

My grandfather, (Papa), is slowly dying of pulmonary fibrosis which is a disease that scars the lungs. He's losing weight and energy. He will be lucky if he makes it much past the holiday season.

You see while I am worried about Papa's health physically I'm even more worried spiritually. He doesn't know Jesus. As a whole, in his life, he's wanted nothing to do with Jesus. The reality of his impending death makes that fact sink deeper into my soul.

Who knows though that due to this young girl's prayers for salvation that God will open up his eyes as he nears death? Can you imagine that it may be because of a young girl that my Papa will be in heaven?

If all believers in Jesus are part of a royal priesthood (i.e. I Peter 2:9) than this girl has a direct connection through Jesus to the Father! Her prayers are just as powerful as any other human beings.

Children's prayers are important and powerful. Who knows, maybe it will be this young girl's prayers that will tip the scales whereby the Holy Spirit will move in my Papa's life? Wouldn't that be something!?!



Friday, September 26, 2014

Why the LITTLE things are the BIG things in YOUTH MINISTRY - AXIS Recap

"It's better to be limping in the right direction than to be charging like a bull in the wrong direction."

I will never forget this saying from my father. It rings true! Life is all about heading in the right direction, even if you have to limp or take baby steps to get there.

Over the course of the past year I have seen our youth program take small steps every week in heading towards the right direction. This past Wednesday I saw a lot of neat things (small as they may be) that confirm that we are heading in the right direction.

1. Almost ALL of our teenagers/youth staff played in our opening games/activities. (It's important that teenagers feel like 'we are all in this together'. We played a bunch of silly group games and our youth staff where right in the middle of the game conveying that we are all equals). Even some of our adults that had physical limitations jumped in which showed our students that you can't use your physical limitations as a crutch!
2. We took up an offering to help with our church-wide effort in purchasing apartment complexes for refugees in Iraq. In meeting this physical need it would then open the door for us to meet a spiritual need. Our students gave $656.43. That's a lot of money coming from a group of people that don't have a lot.
3. We partnered with Grace College in hosting college students that take a youth ministry class. The Grace College students who come have had their hearts moved to help out more than just coming to view our ministry. I watched as college students opened up their wallets to give to our offering. One of the college students bought a second time visiting Jr. High girl a Bible because she didn't have one. When people on the outside see God working and want to jump on board it reaffirms in my heart that God truly is working!
4. We've added some incredible youth staff who are doing a terrific job in loving on our teenagers. This past year we've added teachers, former youth pastors, parents, youth counselors, college students, and people who just care about teenagers. Your youth ministry is only as strong as the adults that help within it. You can never have enough good help.
5. During our large group time there was an atmosphere of fun yet purpose. Different students led and our teens (while having fun) allowed them to lead. When students got up to share our teens were intently listening. There is an atmosphere of purpose that is developing. (It's something you can't put your finger on, but that you can intuitively feel). It's apparent that teenagers are buying in.

In the course of a year our group will meet regularly. Every week you can move your group to take the right step. We've taken over 50 steps in heading in the right direction...I'm looking forward to taking our next step together!

Remember, the little things are the BIG things when it comes to youth ministry. These small steps are really GIANT mile markers in the life and history of your youth ministry.
 
We encourage our teenagers to be able to pray out loud! Now during prayer time most do and are able to pray out loud. Just another small step that really is a BIG step!

Monday, September 22, 2014

The State of the NFL - When the Noise Becomes Deafening!

I LOVE Football. Consequently, I enjoy watching NFL Football.
 
The NFL has come under scrutiny of late for two reasons. First, some of it's high profile players have been charged with some possibly serious criminal charges. Second, to many people the NFL has not handled how it's disciplined its players well.
 
For example, Ray Rice (running back for the Ravens), was charged with domestic violence for punching his then fiancée in the face while in an elevator. Limited hotel footage captured some of the incident. Initially, Ray Rice was penalized two games. Soon after the incident the NFL stated that a first time domestic violence charge would receive a mandatory six game suspension. (Luckily for Ray Rice, since the new rule installment was not retroactive, it seemed like he got off the hook with only two games). Unfortunately for the NFL and Ray Rice a video camera inside of the elevator caught the actual incident where Ray Rice punched his fiancée and was later leaked after everything had been 'settled'. Once people actually SAW the incident they were outraged and the NFL has suspended Ray Rice indefinitely.
 
Other NFL super stars such as Adrian Peterson have come under public scrutiny for other criminal issues and the disciplinary process has been lacking in judgment and public satisfaction.
 
Here's the main problem: When the public noise and commotion becomes deafening the NFL is reactive to address the issues.
 
Every time the public does not like what at NFL player does and the outcry becomes so loud than in many cases the NFL will overreact to what the naysayers want. While it may silence the crowd the first time the next time an NFL player does something wrong the public cry will be even LOUDER because the crowd and general public knows that if it creates enough of an outcry the NFL will have to react. The public has been reinforced by the NFL to cause an uproar to get what it wants!
 
For example, take a young child into the store. If your child throws a 'hissy' fit every time you walk past the candy section in order to get a candy bar and you reward him with a candy bar than he will make a scene every time! You are reinforcing bad behavior which is what the NFL has been doing recently. 
 
When the noise become deafening to an organization that organization MUST address the situation BUT stand firm as a unified front and not overreact but come to a reasonable consequence and STICK with it! (While the general public won't like this....they will respect it)
 
As a leadership guru here are a few other lessons to be learned from the NFL:
1. Be proactive instead of reactive! If the NFL had come up with rules and standards before these issues it would have helped their situation. Instead they had to react instead which generally leads organizations to overreact causing people to think the organization can't make up their minds and are weak.
2. The commissioner needed more accountability. The NFL commissioner had too much power and it was only a matter of time until he made a false step. He needs help through committees and other influential people in designing player fines and suspensions.
3. Most importantly, when the noise becomes deafening you must address the situation but don't make a bad situation worse by reversing everything you committed to do (unless you are obviously wrong) just to appease the public eye. People may not like your decisions, but they will respect them. Simply put, leaders have spine and know how to diagnose, evaluate, and come up with a reasonable course of action when turmoil hits.
 
 

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Why YOU might be a MEGA-CHURCH PASTOR...and NOT even REALIZE it!

Influence.
 
At the core of the human heart people want their lives to matter. They want to exercise influence on other people.
 
I believe that this desire to influence others is one of the main reasons why people are involved with Social Media. (Let's be honest: I get followed by some new author of a book, pastor, blogger on Twitter almost daily).
 
Our world is becoming a virtual world where you can exercise influence on people easily through technology.
 
One of the greatest ways to make a difference in other's lives is to pastor and encourage the people that are your 'followers' on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
 
To date I currently have 2,497 Facebook followers and 811 Twitter followers. I do my best to write encouraging and beneficial information through my social media outlets because I take pastoring and shepherding my virtual flock seriously! In other words, I'm part of a virtual world where I can pass information on to a mega-church size of followers!
 
Can you imagine if people saw all of their 'social media friends' as people that they could reach out to and encourage! Can you imagine if Christians viewed their social media friends as being part of their personal flock and ministered to them?
 
There are a CROWD of people that you are influencing with every post and click. How are you LEADING your followers?

 
Are you effectively getting your message out to your social media followers, to your crowd? How are you leading them?

Friday, September 12, 2014

When is the LAST time you prayed for BOLDNESS?

I don't know about YOU but I know that I need to be more BOLD in my walk with Jesus.

This past Wednesday our youth ministries wrapped up our 'Missing' series by talking about a missing component within most Christian teenagers: SOLD OUT/BOLD for Jesus!

Boldness takes on many forms within the Christian walk:
- Boldness in seeking God
- Boldness in repenting of our sins (especially if we need to do it publically)
- Boldness in sharing our faith with the lost
- Boldness to do our best each day (even though we don't know what lies ahead)

I have the opportunity to visit teenagers within their local high-schools. It's an awesome opportunity to rub shoulders with teenagers that come from all walks of life. I've been visiting teenagers like this for seven years now and I still get nervous and anxious. (Just think: It's 500 teenagers against ME). Before I go into the schools I pray to God to give me boldness to show the love of Jesus to others in a bustling cafeteria. My God allows comes through in those prayers!

 I pray this prayer every time: "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" (Psalm 118:6) No matter if teenagers throw food at me, curse at me, or are impolite, my God is with me.....what's the worst that people can do to you?

When is the last time YOU prayed for boldness?

In the book of Acts the disciples prayed for boldness and looked what happened (Acts 4:31):

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

It's ironic that we need to go to God in our weakness and brokenness as we pray for boldness. We MUST do that so that others know that our boldness comes from God and not from us! Just like the disciples God wants to shake the world through passionate Christ followers if they pray to him for boldness.

My favorite analogy on being bold is found in the book of Proverbs (28:1)

"The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion."

Lion's do NOT live in FEAR. Lions do not LOOK OVER their shoulder as if being chased, they STAND their ground!

What our world needs are Christians to be BOLD!

God wants to make you a BOLDER......have you prayed for it?


Monday, September 8, 2014

Riding a Pink Bike......People's Reactions!

I'll admit it. I rode my wife's pink bike this past Saturday.
 
I wanted to go for a bike ride and the only bike that we own is my wife's pink colored 10 speed bike that she had in high-school.
 
The color and over all quality of the bike still did not hinder me from going on my bike ride so off I went.
 
As I was riding along I noticed that I received some 'shocked' and 'surprised' reactions from people. Among those that gave me the 'shocked' and 'surprised' reaction were:
 
1. People who were driving by
2. A pair of bikers who actually had legitimate modern bikes designed for long distance biking
3. Amish people
 
A thought soon hit me as I was riding. Most of the time, as I am driving by the Amish people in my community I see and perceive their modes of transportation and style of living to be different, unique, and in some instances weird. Here there was the perfect role reversal as I was the one that was being perceived as being weird!
 
You see, we normally think that whatever is different than us is automatically weird and this is generally not the case!
 
As humans we compartmentalize information. We struggle with new information that does not fit neatly into one of our compartmentalized boxes and we therefore become shocked and surprised. Once we learn the motive and rationale behind that new information we then store it into a new compartmentalized box within our brain that becomes part of our "norms."
 
This is the value of culture. Culture allows us to understand behavior and fit it with perceived proper living standards.
 
Remember, our ways of thinking are probably weird to the Amish!
 
In many instances, perceived cultural differences are not right or wrong.....they are just that, different. If we want to reach those segmented people with the gospel we must work hard to understand their line thinking.
 
Let's be honest: there is nothing truly wrong with riding a pink bike, right?!? ;)

 
This is not a picture of me...just one to help your imagination. :)

Friday, September 5, 2014

Why I will one day be the 'HIPPEST' EIGHTY YEAR OLD AROUND and why YOU should be TOO!

Let's face it: the world is changing at a rapid pace. How we as humans communicate, do business, and live is changing too....whether we like it or not.
 
I was thinking yesterday. Will my kids know what a USB port is? What all will a cell-phone be able to do ten or twenty years from now? Will my kids know what a CD is? 
 
If you want to be able to communicate with people, especially the younger generation, you must be able to communicate on THEIR wavelengths. Not your own.
 
I desire to have the best relationship that I can, if God will's it, with my children and one day grandchildren. I also want to be able to communicate with younger generations when I am older.
 
Even though you may personally enjoy a specific style of communication or way of life you must know and be up to date with the current mode of communication and lifestyle of children, teenagers, and young adults.  
 
Therefore, much to my wife's dismay I will continue to listen to hip-hop (I actually enjoy it), have a Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Blog (and whatever else comes next), and I will always enjoy hanging around where younger people are gathered.
 
What I am NOT saying is that you MUST adopt whatever the current trendy style is, but you must KNOW why it is currently trendy. Students are amazed when I am able to have conversations with them about relevant music, fashionable clothes, and trends. It shows that I care about their world and it is an open door to communicate what is going on in my world.

 
I may not dress the 'hippest' when I am 80 but I will still know what the current best selling video games, music, and clothing styles are so I can best relate to my grandchildren.
 
If you want others to understand your world you MUST take the initiative to understand theirs first!
 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

NFL Kick Off Brings the start of FANTASY Football - How much HOPE do you have in your FANTASY Team?

Ask fans of all 32 teams and they will give you reason for optimism and hope in their team this NFL season!
 
Sports teams and players can install hope within a city or within an individual. Fans feel like they are part of the team and when their sports heroes win or lose so do they. In some cases a sports team can provide hope for people in a nearby area that are undergoing a difficult time. For instance, the 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers gave hope to the city of Pittsburgh while it was suffering a recession due to steel mill and factory layoffs. In 2005, after hurricane Katrina, the people of New Orleans rallied around their beloved Saints.
 
Hope is a powerful motivator. Without hope in one's life a person will feel depressed and a lack of meaning and purpose. People need hope!
 
I am passionate about Steelers football. If the Steelers are winning I am glued to the TV and am ecstatic. When the Steelers are losing I start cleaning while still watching the TV so as to feel like I am being productive (Don't think it's true...ask my wife). After a tough loss it would really dampen my mood after a game.
 
Then came the rise of fantasy football. I loved fantasy football because it combined a number of my passions. Football and managing a team. As a teenager playing Madden I preferred building and managing a team in Dynasty mode than in actually playing the games. I loved building an All-Star team that was underneath the salary cap!
 
I played fantasy football religiously for years. Fantasy football bled over to playing fantasy baseball and basketball. I became a year round fantasy sports manager. I would manage three to four teams a season and would generally win or come close to winning every team I managed.
 
After playing in fantasy leagues for a number of years I suddenly became convicted. Where does my hope truly lie? In human football players or in my God? Why am I spending so much time managing so many teams? If I truly hope in God shouldn't I spend more time with him?
 
I decided from that day on that I would stop playing fantasy football because it showed that my hope was in something that was a fantasy. It wasn't even real!
 
Can you imagine standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ and saying - "God, I was the best manager of fantasy football ever!"
 
I have been asked to play in a bazillion fantasy football leagues since my decision and have declined every time. I can honestly say that I have fully overcome the fantasy addiction syndrome.
 
I want my extra time to count for something more. I want my HOPE to be in something GREATER!
 
Is your hope in Jesus or in a bunch of over-weight men running around in pads?
 
People spend meaningful time on what they truly hope in!
 
Psalm 147:11
The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

 
While I love the Steelers (even my office is decorated in black and gold) it's good to remember that there are more important things to place my hope in!