Making Your Mark on Your Neighborhood As A Family!

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to preach on the importance of having your family be on mission within the neighborhood that you live in.

 

 

Here's why making your mark on your neighborhood as a family is so important:

 

1. God has called for you to live in a specific neighborhood. There are no "second class" neighbors.

 

Acts 17:26a - "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth."

 

Here Paul is preaching against the nationalistic Greek belief that if you aren't a Greek than you are a barbarian or at best a second class citizen. All human beings, including your neighbors, are image bearers of God and have value, worth, and meaning. There are no second class neighbors.

 

In fact, if you feel you are 'too good' for your neighbors than you are 'too good' for God! Jesus left his neighborhood in heaven to live and reside in the roughest of neighborhoods here on earth (John 1:14).

 

2. God has purposefully given you your neighbors.

 

Acts 17:26b - "and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands."

 

God has determined not only when we should be alive but exactly where we should live. Everything and everyone God has put in our place is for a reason, including your neighbors. Instead of complaining about what you don't have be thankful for what you do have (because God has given it to you for a purpose!) Use whatever he has given you: a yard, pool, TV, cooking gift, mechanical skills to invite your neighbors over and impact them for good.

 

If reaching your neighbors is difficult realize that the Bible tells us to love our neighbor and to love our enemies, probably because many times they are the same people! You can fulfill two commandments with one action. God has given you your neighbors for a specific purpose, be the initiator and not the instigator.

 

3. Making your mark in your neighborhood as a family will save the souls of your family and your neighbors!

 

Acts 17:27 - "God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."

 

The reason why God has placed people within your neighborhood who don't know Jesus is so that through Christians examples they would seek and reach out to God. This includes your own family.

 

Your family won't come to Jesus if they don't see that Jesus is important to you! More is at stake than your neighbor's souls, everyone who lives under your roof their souls are at stake too. When you live your life on mission for God it will become infectious within your family. You will be teaching them values of service, ministry, and living your life on mission!

 

If you are afraid to reach your neighbors remember that God "is not far from any one of us." You may be the closest thing to Jesus that anyone knows or sees. Be bold because the living God lives inside of you and me!

 

 

 

As I start my family, may my little girl come to love Jesus because her parents take God's commands to love their neighbors seriously!

Why Commitments Made at Momentum Matter - Momentum Youth Conference Recap '15

Many Christians tend to criticize decisions made by teens and others while at a youth conference or during a spiritual high moment. They claim those decisions are not valid.

 

This criticism is typically a self defense mechanism where the Christian making this claim feels guilty as they don't see fruit within their own lives. It's easy to simply dismiss what God is doing in the lives of teenagers as insignificant if it lets you off the hook.

 

Decisions at the Momentum Youth Conference matter! Just ask my friend Zach who gave his life to Jesus six years ago at Momentum. He graduated with a degree from Bible from Grace College, preaches as an interim pastor, and is working on his Master's Degree. His life was forever changed at Momentum.

 

Decisions for Christ matter. Period.

 

 Here is what God did in the lives of our teenagers at Momentum:

 

1. 5 first time decisions for Jesus!

2. 22 rededications for Jesus!

3. At least half of the group confessed and broke the bonds of sin issues within their lives!

4. We spent an afternoon in the Noblesville, IN downtown community trying to impact people for Jesus. Our teenagers cleaned up trash, prayed for people, and even stopped an oncoming train to pray with the conductor. People stopped members of our group multiple times asking why so many people were walking around downtown which opened up doors to share the gospel!



5. It became evident that our group is ready to take big steps concerning the future growth of our youth ministry. They agreed that we need to be more outward focused and they want more ownership within the youth ministry. I can not WAIT to see how God uses the spiritual momentum of this week to kick start our fall ministry! We had the largest group at Momentum with 104 teens/adults and we are poised for even more physical and spiritual growth!

 

On a personal note I continue to thank God for the way the Momentum Youth Conference allows me to connect and share with people.

 

1. I had an opportunity to teach a Power Trax on Finding and Discerning God's Will for Your Life. My youngest brother led in worship through a closing song. It was a powerful moment as many teens took time to reflect and clean their hearts. On top of that, it was a blessing to partner with my youngest brother in doing ministry!

2. I had the opportunity to connect with many former students who are now youth workers. My legacy lives through them.

3. I had the opportunity to connect with many other youth workers and talk about youth ministry. It's a joy to impart wisdom and advice to help others advance the kingdom. 

 

Here is a picture of our group praising God for all that he did during our outreach afternoon in Noblesville, IN!

Decisions for Jesus always matter! Always!

After a powerful confessional time at youth group we prayed for those who made commitments that they would remain strong in Jesus!

 

I do not get to see my family enough. It was a joy to do ministry together with my little brother during a Power Trax session.

 

These are some former students of mine who are now youth workers. With them I am well pleased!

Just a fun selfie with some teenagers that attended my Power Trax. Youth ministry matters!

 

Momentum Youth Conference