Takin some time off, so I won't be posting over the next several days. This is one of the perks of saving most of that vaca until the end of the year ;)
Just wanted to give a heads up. Peace to you!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Matthew 2 Notes
To Think and Know:
1. Herod wasn’t the only one disturbed, all Jerusalem was. Despite the promised Messiah’s birth, all Jerusalem is disturbed? How complacency breeds disillusionment.
2. There is more to life than survival and holding on to what has already been given.
3. The star moved in front of the Magi. It didn’t just sit over Joseph and Mary’s place the entire time.
4. Unforeseen treasures of great wealth were given to Jesus. I wonder if these were provisions for the days ahead in Egypt?
5. Hearing from God demanded a different, perhaps longer and harder, route than the way they came.
6. Infanticide to protect a kingdom. Interesting that salvation to all mankind came amidst the same circumstances that salvation to the Israelites would come many centuries earlier. And how cool that Egypt is now the refuge this time around!
To Feel:
1. Awe and wonder: God’s redemptive plan is amazing
2. Reflective: God routinely used dreams to speak to people in the scriptures. How numb am I to his voice?
3. Shocked: Israel went from being rescued to being the executioners.
To Do:
1. Be more sensitive to hearing God’s voice. I long for the interaction of the ancients.
1. Herod wasn’t the only one disturbed, all Jerusalem was. Despite the promised Messiah’s birth, all Jerusalem is disturbed? How complacency breeds disillusionment.
2. There is more to life than survival and holding on to what has already been given.
3. The star moved in front of the Magi. It didn’t just sit over Joseph and Mary’s place the entire time.
4. Unforeseen treasures of great wealth were given to Jesus. I wonder if these were provisions for the days ahead in Egypt?
5. Hearing from God demanded a different, perhaps longer and harder, route than the way they came.
6. Infanticide to protect a kingdom. Interesting that salvation to all mankind came amidst the same circumstances that salvation to the Israelites would come many centuries earlier. And how cool that Egypt is now the refuge this time around!
To Feel:
1. Awe and wonder: God’s redemptive plan is amazing
2. Reflective: God routinely used dreams to speak to people in the scriptures. How numb am I to his voice?
3. Shocked: Israel went from being rescued to being the executioners.
To Do:
1. Be more sensitive to hearing God’s voice. I long for the interaction of the ancients.
Happy Birthday MOM!
Today I celebrate the birth of my wonderful mother. She celebrates her 35th birthday-give or take a few! I love you mom!
Monday, September 28, 2009
2 Timothy 4 notes
2 Timothy 4
To Think and know:
1. Perhaps my favorite passage of scripture in he entire Bible is 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I know of no other verses that speak so clearly to what a Pastor is called to do.
2. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” The word ought to be on ever word I say and every breath I take. A reminder of Deuteronomy 6:4-9
3. People pleasing helps no one
4. How I hope I can say the same as Paul at the end of my life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
5. At the end of Paul’s life, he is reminding Timothy to hold no grudges, to be wise, and to be forgiving. I can’t help but believe God wants the same of me, regardless of the challenging people and hurtful situations I face.
To Feel:
1. I read this and I can’t help but feel called!
2. Excitement: I always read this and feel ready to attack Hell with the good news of Jesus Christ!
3. Reprimanded: Am I keeping my head, enduring hardship, fighting the good fight as I know I’m called to do. This serves as such a great reminder.
To Do:
1. Live out verses 2-5 every moment of my life.
To Think and know:
1. Perhaps my favorite passage of scripture in he entire Bible is 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I know of no other verses that speak so clearly to what a Pastor is called to do.
2. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” The word ought to be on ever word I say and every breath I take. A reminder of Deuteronomy 6:4-9
3. People pleasing helps no one
4. How I hope I can say the same as Paul at the end of my life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
5. At the end of Paul’s life, he is reminding Timothy to hold no grudges, to be wise, and to be forgiving. I can’t help but believe God wants the same of me, regardless of the challenging people and hurtful situations I face.
To Feel:
1. I read this and I can’t help but feel called!
2. Excitement: I always read this and feel ready to attack Hell with the good news of Jesus Christ!
3. Reprimanded: Am I keeping my head, enduring hardship, fighting the good fight as I know I’m called to do. This serves as such a great reminder.
To Do:
1. Live out verses 2-5 every moment of my life.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Susan Boyle clip
Here's the clip I used for tonight. You can't help but be overwhelmed by this story...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
CRASH reflections from tonight
Despite my being ill, I felt like tonight's CRASH was great. Students seemed to be really engaged and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. I also felt like the message was really relateable, so I thought I'd share the outline for anyone who might be interested. Here's the notes I took with me up on stage. Blessings to you!
INTRO:
Two weeks ago we began this GodView series, and Catherine Sharpe did a great job talking about how our view of God shapes every area of our life.
Last week I talked about what happens when our GodView gets distorted because of circumstances in our lives.
Tonight I want to talk about what happens when we live life with a healthy, ever-growing view of God.
TENSION:
I think we walk away from God because we think we know all about Him. The mystery is gone. We make assumptions and we think we’ve got it all figured out.
We do that a lot, don’t we? People make a lot of assumptions. We judge a book by it’s cover…
VIDEO: Britain’s Got Talent-Susan Boyle premier
So what are we to do? We’re to live our lives with our eyes wide open!
TRUTH
Exodus 3:1-10
God showed up in ways no one would have expected.
-He was a friend to Moses
-He provided food in the Widerness
-His presence was displayed in a cloud by day, fire by night
-The ten plagues
-describes him as a loving father
All these things would’ve been missed by Moses, if he’d just said no. If he’d just overlooked the bush, I believe God would’ve provided their salvation in a different way
For a God who had revealed Himself in so many ways to His people, there was still more for them to discover.
APPLICATION:
When we think about an extraordinary life it can sometimes sound overwhelming. I understand that normal is pretty appealing sometimes. But God is big enough to make extraordinary things out of our ordinary lives. It all begins when we have a big and ever-growing GodView and when we say yes to God’s request. When I know the big and ever growing God, when I spend time with the One who loves deeper and wider than I can comprehend, then my life can be nothing short of extraordinary.
LANDING:
If you want to live a secure ,normal, ordinary life, you best not follow Jesus. People who live with an ever-growing picture of God live amazing lives. If you want to live an amazing, adventure-filled life, follow Christ.
“God surprise me. Wherever. Whatever. I’m in!” That is the prayer of the follower of Jesus.
INTRO:
Two weeks ago we began this GodView series, and Catherine Sharpe did a great job talking about how our view of God shapes every area of our life.
Last week I talked about what happens when our GodView gets distorted because of circumstances in our lives.
Tonight I want to talk about what happens when we live life with a healthy, ever-growing view of God.
TENSION:
I think we walk away from God because we think we know all about Him. The mystery is gone. We make assumptions and we think we’ve got it all figured out.
We do that a lot, don’t we? People make a lot of assumptions. We judge a book by it’s cover…
VIDEO: Britain’s Got Talent-Susan Boyle premier
So what are we to do? We’re to live our lives with our eyes wide open!
TRUTH
Exodus 3:1-10
God showed up in ways no one would have expected.
-He was a friend to Moses
-He provided food in the Widerness
-His presence was displayed in a cloud by day, fire by night
-The ten plagues
-describes him as a loving father
All these things would’ve been missed by Moses, if he’d just said no. If he’d just overlooked the bush, I believe God would’ve provided their salvation in a different way
For a God who had revealed Himself in so many ways to His people, there was still more for them to discover.
APPLICATION:
When we think about an extraordinary life it can sometimes sound overwhelming. I understand that normal is pretty appealing sometimes. But God is big enough to make extraordinary things out of our ordinary lives. It all begins when we have a big and ever-growing GodView and when we say yes to God’s request. When I know the big and ever growing God, when I spend time with the One who loves deeper and wider than I can comprehend, then my life can be nothing short of extraordinary.
LANDING:
If you want to live a secure ,normal, ordinary life, you best not follow Jesus. People who live with an ever-growing picture of God live amazing lives. If you want to live an amazing, adventure-filled life, follow Christ.
“God surprise me. Wherever. Whatever. I’m in!” That is the prayer of the follower of Jesus.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
One of the blogs I read on a daily basis is More than Dodgeball by Josh Griffin. Josh is a veteran Youth Worker who serves as the High School Pastor at Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California. He has a heart for the church, and he's a SICK leader! He regularly has great insights into youth culture and the heart of student ministry.
This is a post of his from earlier in the week that is too rich to be ignored. All the information is his, so for clarification on copyright and everything else: he wrote it! I hope this helps some of you youth workers out there in the blogosphere....
3 Things Youth Workers Need to be Good At
It is easy as youth workers to get bent out of shape when we don’t get recognized for something we did. There’s nothing more painful to be forgotten in the wake of the other initiatives and projects of the church. At times, affirmation seems to be elusive, in fact, sometimes we tend to feel that we hear only criticism.
Knowing and experiencing this reality on a regular basis should give youth workers cause to develop these muscles to be used on a regular basis. Here are three things you probably don’t get enough of that we need to make sure as youth workers we give out generously:
Followup
Who needs a call back this week? What email has been sitting in the bottom of your inbox that needs a reply? What made it on your task list, but sits there with persistence week after week? Who did you promise something to, but haven’t delivered on? Follow-up is a scare commodity in our fast-paced, disorganized world.
Thank yous
Who needs a note from you this week? Can you crank out a couple emails that would mean the world to people who receive them? Who did something for you that needs to be appreciated? Build this into your routine of the week, or chances are you’re unintentionally burning bridges behind you if you say nothing after the ask.
Affirmation
To me this is different than thank yous – thank yous are for people who have given you something and need to be appreciated for something they did. Affirmation is for who someone is. It is an appreciation of their legacy and character that is making an impact. Affirmation is also ultra powerful way to build up someone’s self-esteem.
Take a second and create a short list of people who need one of these actions this week.
This is a post of his from earlier in the week that is too rich to be ignored. All the information is his, so for clarification on copyright and everything else: he wrote it! I hope this helps some of you youth workers out there in the blogosphere....
3 Things Youth Workers Need to be Good At
It is easy as youth workers to get bent out of shape when we don’t get recognized for something we did. There’s nothing more painful to be forgotten in the wake of the other initiatives and projects of the church. At times, affirmation seems to be elusive, in fact, sometimes we tend to feel that we hear only criticism.
Knowing and experiencing this reality on a regular basis should give youth workers cause to develop these muscles to be used on a regular basis. Here are three things you probably don’t get enough of that we need to make sure as youth workers we give out generously:
Followup
Who needs a call back this week? What email has been sitting in the bottom of your inbox that needs a reply? What made it on your task list, but sits there with persistence week after week? Who did you promise something to, but haven’t delivered on? Follow-up is a scare commodity in our fast-paced, disorganized world.
Thank yous
Who needs a note from you this week? Can you crank out a couple emails that would mean the world to people who receive them? Who did something for you that needs to be appreciated? Build this into your routine of the week, or chances are you’re unintentionally burning bridges behind you if you say nothing after the ask.
Affirmation
To me this is different than thank yous – thank yous are for people who have given you something and need to be appreciated for something they did. Affirmation is for who someone is. It is an appreciation of their legacy and character that is making an impact. Affirmation is also ultra powerful way to build up someone’s self-esteem.
Take a second and create a short list of people who need one of these actions this week.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wedding and a couple of days off...
Just an FYI-Carrie and I are part of a wedding in California and then will follow up the weekend with a few days of vacation before heading back to Friendswood. That should account for the blogs missed coming up over the next week or so.
As for this week's posts....
;)
As for this week's posts....
;)
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Acts 16:25-34
Did you catch the scene in this story?
Paul and Silas are in prison. They had cast a demon out of a slave girl, she lost her allure to her owners, who proceeded to incite a riot. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail. In the middle of the night there's an earthquake. The jail doors jar open. The jailer discovers this and prepares to end his own life. Only a fool would've stuck around when given a chance to escape. Why? The normal person runs when given an opportunity to get out of jail free. The average person doesn't consider the well-being of the jailer who ensures his captivity.
Now if I'm Paul or Silas, I'm talking to God about getting me out of there. I'm expressing that it's not fair that I'm in prison and that he should definitely send a way of escape. And when the shackles become open, I'm not questioning why, I'm simply saying thanks Jesus as my feet hit the ground running.
I wonder how many people have come to Christ because I didn't do what was the norm? I wonder if any?
When we act differently, people want to know why! What are we doing to ensure that people see we're not normal.
Paul and Silas were freed the next day. There entire purpose of prison this time around was to share the gospel through an act of lunacy.
Don't be normal. Allow God to show the extraordinary through your unnatural choice to follow him and listen to him!
Paul and Silas are in prison. They had cast a demon out of a slave girl, she lost her allure to her owners, who proceeded to incite a riot. Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into jail. In the middle of the night there's an earthquake. The jail doors jar open. The jailer discovers this and prepares to end his own life. Only a fool would've stuck around when given a chance to escape. Why? The normal person runs when given an opportunity to get out of jail free. The average person doesn't consider the well-being of the jailer who ensures his captivity.
Now if I'm Paul or Silas, I'm talking to God about getting me out of there. I'm expressing that it's not fair that I'm in prison and that he should definitely send a way of escape. And when the shackles become open, I'm not questioning why, I'm simply saying thanks Jesus as my feet hit the ground running.
I wonder how many people have come to Christ because I didn't do what was the norm? I wonder if any?
When we act differently, people want to know why! What are we doing to ensure that people see we're not normal.
Paul and Silas were freed the next day. There entire purpose of prison this time around was to share the gospel through an act of lunacy.
Don't be normal. Allow God to show the extraordinary through your unnatural choice to follow him and listen to him!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Going deeper....
I read a great post this morning from a Groups guru named Heather Zempel. Check it out by clicking here I'm sending it to my entire team that works with students!
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