Category Archives: Youth Ministry

Discipleship, Faith in Action, Film & Theology, Leadership, Life, Ministry, Youth Ministry

GATM: Iron Man

gatmironman2.jpgLast night I kicked off a new series called (creatively) God @ the Movies and we started with the first big movie of the summer, Iron Man.

Until last week I knew virtually nothing about Iron Man. I spent about three hours in a crash course study of all things Tony Stark. I was extremely thankful for two books that helped me craft my lesson for last night. First, I learned a great deal from Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels. This a brand new resource that I would define as the definitive tome on the Iron Knight. Mangels takes the reader from the jungles of Vietnam where Tony Stark was injured, captured, and forced to escape his captures in the first Iron Man suit through Stark’s battle with the bottle to the film and the current story lines found in the comic book pages. The book contains some great artwork and gives you all you’d ever need to know about Iron Man.

The other book that really helped me out was Who Needs a Superhero? by H. Michael Brewer. Brewer connected the life of Tony Stark with the life of King David. Both men had issues with their hearts. Tony Stark has a piece of shrapnel that inches closer and closer to his heart threatening to kill him at any moment but he struggles with the heart go deeper than mere flesh. He is unlucky at love (one girlfriend shot him) and business (he has made fortunes and lost each and everyone). All the pressures on his life drove him to battle with alcoholism. King David’s issues with the heart are also well documented. Bathsheba, Amnon and Tamar, Amnon and Absalom, Absalom and David. Heartbreak after heartbreak all because David began to trust in his armor over his God.

After his sin with Bathsheba, David penned this psalm:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Psalms 51:1-12)

So what can we learn from this multi-million dollar summer blockbuster and what can we learn from this ancient shepherd-king of Israel? We can look for purpose and joy in the things of this world and trust in the strength of our hands but it won’t heal our broken hearts.

Our hearts can only be made whole again in the hands of our Creator. When we give him our hearts of stone he will give us hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Only then will we find true purpose and lasting joy.

Yes Lord, create in me a pure heart!

Firm on the Rock, Insomnia, Ministry, Planning, Youth Ministry

Best Laid Plans

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It’s insomnia time again my friends so I’m making the most of it and I’m clocking in. Rather than lay in bed staring at the ceiling or flipping through the tv channels or playing some XBOX I’m prepping for my week ahead.

I’ve cleaned up my home office and I’ve laid out all the books I think I’ll be using for references this week. I teach 3 different classes, 3 times a week. Sometimes due to the nature of what we’re studying I need only two prep times because we will build upon (say) Sunday morning class during our Wednesday night class. That is not the case right now. On Sundays we are studying the life of Christ. On Wednesdays we have more of a discussion based class. We recently finished studying Philippians and I’ll soon start a class on God @ the Movies. Both of these teaching times are more or less formal teaching times with a big dose of discussion. Sunday nights are a bit different. On Sunday nights we gather for a teen worship time complete with singing, prayer, and a “sermon.” This week we will not do this on Sunday night. That means I don’t have to prep for this but I will spend a little time looking ahead and planing out the Sunday nights for the month of May.

In personal study time, I’ve been studying through Acts 11-15 and I’m working on a book proposal. The proposal has been time consuming but very enjoyable. I hope to have it finished in the next two weeks. As it comes together I’ll be posting information here and would love feedback from you all. I’m reading Bulletproof Book Proposals to aid in my completion of the proposal. Each chapter ends with a writing assignment that helps you think through the various aspects of a winning proposal. I have really liked working through and thinking through my ideas. I would buy my book idea! Maybe some editor will think the same thing!

So that’s where I’m at here at 1:50 in the AM. Maybe I’ll crash here a few hours. We shall see.

I hope that you are fast asleep. I hope that you are getting your rest.

I’ll join you sometime. Until then it’s back to work.

Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Faith in Action, Leadership, Theology, Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Cracking Under the Pressure

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A few years ago we were out at dinner with a few friends at a brand new restaurant. The place had only been open a week or so when we gathered together for some cheddar biscuits and conversation.

That night I ordered a big, tall glass of Coca-Cola. When the waiter brought me my drink I grabbed it, lifted it to my mouth, and the glass shattered into a million pieces mere inches from my face.

I would like to blame the demise of the glass on my bulging muscles but the truth is that the glass shattered because it couldn’t take the pressure.

This brand new glass succumbed to the pressure of the heat from the dish washer and when it came to doing its job, holding cold drinks, the glass cracked. Its integrity gave way.

So it is with us.

I spoke to a group of High School students yesterday about submitting to authority (a cracker-jack topic, I know). I told them that this is one area where their integrity can be compromised everyday. It is such a temptation to defy authority or to fail to understand the importance of living under authority. For us, God is the ultimate authority and learning to live under human authority figures helps strengthen our reslove and honors our heavenly Father.

I was honest with them and told them that I have struggled my whole life to live with integrity on this issue. I am independent and I am strong willed. I take issue with poor authority figures and struggle with following men and women I perceive to be weaker leaders. However, God doesn’t put caveats on submitting only to strong leaders or wise authority figures. In Romans 13, Paul states that Everyone must be subject to authorities. That’s a pretty definitive statement.

Standing before them I realized that I was 10 years older than those in the Senior class and I was about 10 years younger than most of the teachers. Every single one of us was under some authority. Some of these authority figures are good, godly, wise, nurturing individuals. Give thanks to God for these men and women. Some though are weak, selfish, and incompetent. Learning to live under both of these types of leaders ultimately gives glory to God and honors his commands.

Often times I have had to learn the hard way and have made many mistakes. Thankfully God keeps repairing the cracks in my heart. Learning to live under authority, good or bad, is just one way to make sure that you are living with integrity.

Don’t crack under the pressure and try to take out your King (1Sam 24). Honor them as you honor God. He is ultimately in control and the ultimate authority of our lives.

By the way, I still had to pay for that Coke. What’s up with that?!?!

Wrestling With Scripture, Youth Ministry

Difficult Passages of the Bible…

…to Teach to Teenagers on Wednesday Nights.

Our teen Wednesday night class has become my favorite night to be with my students. We meet together (7-12th grade) to pray, read, and discuss. Our discussions have been growing better and deeper over the last few months and it is just amazing how interested most of the teens seem to get into expressing their thoughts and feelings concerning certain passages. The overarching theme that has carried us over the course of the year is “Becoming a Disciple.” Right now I have been teaching through the letter to the Philippians. Last night we were in chapter 3.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

So I begin to walk through the passage. I remind them that Paul was writing to them to encourage them to keep holding on to Jesus in the face of opposition. In chapter 3 Paul gets specific about who or what is threatening these young Christians. It was the idea that these Gentiles must become Jews in order to become Christians. So far they are with me.

Then we get to the part about circumcision. I, gingerly, explained what it was and, because it represented the covenant God had made with his chosen people, why it was important to the Jewish believers.

I can start to see the guys squirm and giggle.

At that point I stop them and say, “Let’s not get caught up on circumcision, ok? Just understand that these people Paul was warning about were saying that just believing and obeying Jesus wasn’t enough. They were telling these new Christians that they had to do more in order to be saved. They had to “look” a certain way and that by looking that way they would find favor with God. It’s about outwardly appearing to be holy.” At that point they stop giggling and I hear a few “ohs” and “Ok I understand.” I am getting ready to to bring the comparison to today in and one of the boys raises his hand. He still has a confused look on his face. A confused look mixed with fear.

Teen: “How long ago was this?”
Me: “About 2000 years ago.”
Teen: “So there were no knives!?!?! (panic sets in) What did they use? Sticks!?! Rocks!?!”

I was so afraid at that point that “circumcision” was going to totally derail the discussion but it didn’t. I assured him that there were knives at that time and his face relaxed and so did the other guys. They stayed with the rest of the discussion and all went well.

I guess I learned, again, to never take anything for granted when it come to teaching teens. Don’t assume that they have been taught about the background to anything. Don’t ignore their concerns (even about renegade Rabbis with circumcision stones).

Treat them fairly and answer any and all questions no matter how funny, serious, or seriously funny they are.

Book Review, Discipleship, Ethos, Experience, Leadership, Ministry, Youth Ministry

Great Freedom and a Greater Responsibility

I’ve been reading Leading From the Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson this week. What a great resource this is! I only wish I had read it a few years ago so that I could have implemented some of its perspective in my first ministry position after college.

According to Bonem and Patterson, a Second-Chair Leader is a person in a subordinate role whose influence with others adds value throughout the organization(2). Basically it is someone who is a leader but is not the “lead leader.” Success for the Second Chair leader is found through influence and building strong relationships.

There is a great amount of freedom in that and I feel a great sense pride knowing that God has allowed me to gain influence and build strong relationships in every single working opportunity I’ve had. From working at a restaurant to campus security to my current position as a youth minister, being in the second chair (or third or eighth) has allowed me to serve in the most pure form of leadership there is: leading/serving without formal authority.

Have I always embraced this truth? Unfortunately not. I have complained and I have missed or refused many opportunities to look at the big picture. The reality is, thankfully, that God has used/is now using/will use my experiences in the second chair as a “transformational season” in my life. That is an awesome truth that I will and must embrace!

Bonem and Patterson go on discuss the three paradoxes of Second Chair Leadership: subordinate-leader, deep-wide, and contentment-dreaming. In discussing these paradoxes I realized how incredibly privileged I am to be in a second chair role. There is freedom but as the number two (or three or eight) I have a even greater responsibility not just to my particular ministry but to everyone that I come in contact with. I’ll unpack these paradoxes tomorrow.

Until then, Are you in the second chair leadership position where you lead? If so, have you ever looked at this position as an opportunity for growth and strength?

What would it take for you to begin gaining influence and building stronger relationships across your entire organization from your current second chair position today?

Discipleship, Faith in Action, Ministry, Youth Ministry

Gonna Fly Now

I had the opportunity to speak in chapel at my high school alma mater last Friday. It was actually the third time I’ve spoke there this school year. I got the call on Wednesday that the scheduled speaker wasn’t going to be able to make it. I made it clear that I would happily fill in. When I asked what I needed to speak on (in two days!) the campus minister told me that January’s theme was on the spiritual disciplines.

I laughed because I had been spending the week working through Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. In fact I was reading it when I got the call. Who says God has no since of humor!

I challenged the students to look at the spiritual disciplines like they look at training for an extra curricular activity. I read them my favorite passage from 1 Corinthians.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” – (1Corinthians 9:24-27)

When I read this passage I can’t help but think about Rocky Balboa.

Let’s face it, when we meet Rocky at the beginning of the first movie he is a loser. He is washed up, down and out, and punch stupid. He is a loser.

When Apollo Creed offers him a shot at the big time no one would have blamed Rocky if he just entered the fight to lose. In the boxing big-time, even the losers become millionaires. No one expected anything from Rocky except to lose.

Instead, Rocky trained. He ran, punched frozen slabs of meat, ran, drank egg yolks, ran, and ran some more. He trained to win. He beat his body and made it a slave.

Compare that to our spiritual bodies. Most of our spiritual bodies are fat and flabby. We spend so much time training our physical bodies for athletics, work, and free-time leisure activities yet we neglect the part of us that will live forever.

I’ve been recommitting to a few spiritual disciplines this month. I have been making a true effort to commit to personal scripture reading. Believe me, I spend a great deal of time reading scripture. However, like most ministers I struggle with making a break between personal study and professional study. I read and study for what I’ll be teaching or speaking on but I feel like I too often neglect my personal study.

I’m learning to meditate upon the word of God.

I have been struck by what Joshua and James have to say on the subject.

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.– (Joshua 1:7-9 TNIV)

“But those who look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continue in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”– (James 1:25 TNIV)

Of course, with meditating on the Word of God I’m not chasing after the blessing of the world (crowns that will not last).

I’m more concerned with peace and guidance, humility and freedom, love and understanding. I want to be blessed with connection to the Father, communion with the Son, and direction from the Spirit.

Well, I’m off to work out. Train hard brothers and sisters. I hear the pay off is awesome.

Church Marketing, Ministry, Resources, Youth Ministry

Peer Review

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Earlier today I submitted two postcard designs for peer review with the Church Marketing Lab. The aim of the lab is to help ministers share their work and to get feedback from their peers on creating and designing quality pieces for communication.

Below are the two designs I submitted. They are postcards that will be mailed out to High School students inviting them to our Tuesday night Bible study, CHIAlpha (Christ First). This semester we will be getting a bird’s eye view of the entirety of God’s story. Our goal will be to read through the major stories of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Couch Postcard_front

This will be a reminder postcard that will be mailed out one week before the study begins.

Tattoo Postcard_front

So, what do you think? Give me some feedback. I’m looking for anything positive or negative that will help me create the best designs possible. Thanks for helping me out.

Awesomenessness, Youth Ministry

Like a Bandit

Everyday I am so amazed that I get to minister to and with some of the greatest teenagers on earth. It is such a blessing to be a part of this family. Thank you guys so much for giving me a great year. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”- Eph 1:3

Tonight was the annual youth group Christmas party. What a blast!!!We sang carols, roasted s’mores, ate some great food, goofed off and, of course, exchanged gifts. The best part of “Dirty Santa” is being last to pick a gift. There was one lone envelope left when it was my turn. I was destined to get that envelope.

It held the most coveted of all gift cards: a $10 Starbucks gift card. (see photo)

Merry Christmas

I totally made out like a bandit! Thanks to everyone for a great night!

Merry Christmas!!!

Randomness, Youth Ministry

Today

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Yesterday someone asked me what I do during the day.

It is the question every youth minister gets asked at least once a quarter.

I told this person that my schedule varies from week to week but sometimes I study, I prep for classes, sometimes I work on the schedule or budget, I call retreat centers, I meet with other ministers, I visit schools, I watch band competitions, I visit students after surgery, I make teaching plans, I walk bookstores to glean ideas… I guess I do a little bit of everything each week.

Case in point: Today I built chairs.

I built 30 chairs for the youth room at church. On Monday a student and I drove to IKEA and purchased the chairs. It took us so long to drive to Frisco and back that we were unable to assemble the chairs then. We left them in the youth room over night and this morning I went to work at putting them all together. It took me the better part of the afternoon to finish them all but I got it done. Check out my photo essay of my day.

BTW, if anyone needs a hex key give me a call. I have 30 of them.

Let's Get Crackin'

Opening the Box

Halfway

Homestrtch

Almost Finished

30 Fresh Chairs

Hexapalooza

Bible study, curriculum building, relationship growing, and now chair building. Ministry is the wildest job on the planet. I live for this stuff!