Earn It

I'm on my way to lead an FACS Leadership Retreat in Gulf Shores, AL. I'm super excited about the opportunity to invest in these seniors and coaches. I'm praying for God's strength, wisdom, and relentless love to overwhelm our meeting times. It's going to be a great week.

Here's a glimpse of some of the things we'll talk about...

EARN IT.

Saving Private Ryan is perhaps one of the greatest war movies of this generation. The movie takes place during World War II. After the invasion of fortress Europe on June 6th 1944, Captain John Miller (played by Tom Hanks) leads his squad from the 2nd Ranger Battalion of the 29th Infantry Division, on a mission to find and bring home Private James Francis Ryan (played by Matt Damon) after the death of his three brothers. The mission takes them through Nazi occupied territory to establish contact with Ryan's unit: an element of the 101st Airborne Division. However, during their mission several members of the squad are killed as they attempt to bring back Private Ryan. At the end of the Capt. Miller jumps in the line of fire and saves Ryan. Before his death Miller utters something into Ryan’s ear,

“Excuse me, sir” asks Ryan.
“Earn this…earn it.” says Miller as he dies.

Man, what a line. Can you imagine the enormity of the charge? Capt. Miller was telling Private Ryan to earn his death by living his life, and living it well. I’m not sure how I would feel holding the dying body of a man who just took a bullet for me, not to mention him telling me to earn his death.

I can’t help but to think about Jesus’ death on the cross for my sins. He sacrificed his life, experienced the pain of a criminal’s execution, and took on the wrath of God, so that I can live. Choosing to live my life for the moment, to live my life for selfish gain seems to cheapen the Jesus’ death for me. I know I can never earn my salvation, but I hope I’m living my life in such a way as to glorify His death that gives me life.


Pray for us this week.

Ministry Vomit

Several years ago I had an intern who replied, "we not to stop feeding our students so much - let's give them an opportunity to throw it up."

Although graphic, what he meant was, we need to provide opportunities for our students to apply what we've been teaching. C.S. Lewis wrote, "Experience is a brutal teacher, but you learn." In ministry, we are called to equip the saints through knowledge but we do them a great disservice if we don't help them apply their new found knowledge.

Last night we had our first of three planning meetings for our upcoming Student Led Sunday. On this special day we'll teach all of our adult connect groups, lead in worship, preaching, and the other duties of a Sunday morning - greeters, ushers, etc. It was really great to cast the vision and become a member of the group as they brainstormed and thought through how we are going to minister and share the gospel on this special day.

Some of my most rewarding moments in ministry isn't speaking in front of thousands, writing a published article, or being around giants of the faith. I find the most fulfillment in ministry when I see students grab vision and begin to apply God's Word towards serving others. I love hearing the conversations that are full of "what if's" and "maybe we could" and "what about" and "how can use God's Word".

I'm excited about what the next few weeks holds as we gather thoughts and begin working toward serving the body in this meaningful way. I'm looking forward to seeing our students stretch themselves in serving the Savior and see what God might do in the life of our church and our students.

Last night we had the beginnings of ministry vomit and I was feeling great.

Sweating Courage

I know that services all over the world will take place tonight in observance of Maundy Thursday...the beginning events of Jesus' trial and crucifixion. According to Wikipedia (not that I use all that often)most scholars agree that the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English, and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34).

As Jesus walked to the cross, he was leaving morsels of truth to help his disciples, of whom he calls friends in Jn. 15, continue in the work of the Gospel. But I can't help but wonder one if one of the most significant moments of the Easter events isn't in the garden before Galgotha...

It is recorded that Jesus sweat blood while in the garden...a sign of incredible stress and anguish. It's here that Jesus prays, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours, be done." Jesus is struggling, hurting, stressed, overwhelmed in such a way that his body responds by sweating blood. Although Jesus is obedient, sacrificial, unwavering, the word that comes to mind is courageous.

Jesus had courage.
Courage to go through with it.
It wasn't all just talk.
It wasn't all just a show.
It wasn't all just a put on.
More than prophecy fulfilled, it was extraordinarily brave.

Knowing that his entire incarnational experience is pointing to this moment, and knowing what he is about to endure, he courageously stands and meets the crowd of accusers who will lead him to six different trials, to be beaten, scourged, and eventually crucified.

What incredible courage our Savior had to meet his purpose head on.

I hope that when tests come my way to prove my purpose as a faithful follower of Christ, I'll be half as brave.

"Jesus, faithful King, Lord with grateful hearts we sing, how great is the love of our Savior. The weight of the cross, the curse of our shame, you carried it all and rose from the grave. How great is the love of our Savior!" - Meredith Andrews, singer/songwriter

Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night

A few nights ago I heard a cover of The Black Eye Peas song, I Got a Feeling at a Christian concert. I loved the way they redeemed that song and it sort of became the theme song for us tonight at SWITCH.

We hosted Super Switch: our quarterly outreach oriented Wednesday night service where we ask our students to bring unchurched friends, bring in a guest speaker, and challenge our students to be inviters and our unchurched friends to be responders to the gospel message. Tonight we had Mac Cockrell speak and wow, what a great job. For a young guy (only 25) God has blessed him and I expect to hear a lot more from him the future. Our students owned up to the challenge and we had over a hundred there (106 to be exact) with 8 public decisions....it was awesome. We had most of the Bartlett High Football team, the Arlington High Girls Basketball team, and a lot of guests... We gave away a free camp, enjoyed worship with our band, and even played ICE CHEST (boys are given oversized t-shirts and girls are asked to dump as much ice in their shirts in 1 minute to see who has the biggest ice chest).

We looked at Paul in Acts 17 as he "turned the world upside down" and most of our formal decisions were of students desiring to do the same. What a good word.

My team prepared, Mac spoke, our kids invited, the Lord moved...it was a good night.

We Go Together: a level playing field

Last night was just one of those nights.

it is interesting to talk to other youth pastors and I'm sure we all struggle with having to be four different people on any given program night: the tech guru, worship planner, preacher, gamer, janitor, etc. Last night was just one of those nights.

Our space has tech gremlins that like to hideout until we start our SWITCH Service and it can be overwhelming to try to negotiate with those suckers...especially while not losing it in front of your students. Alongside our tech issues, I just had a lot of distractions last night, especially before getting up to speak. Last night was just one of those nights.

We started a series last night: We Go Together. For several months I've been noticing this ugly virus that has been popping up among our students: "I don't like her." "He really bugs me." "I'm not going if they are going to be there." "I can't stand her." This virus of pride is dividing our group and it was time to open God's word to expose his position on unity and togetherness in the church.

We are ONE; we are MANY; and we are the SAME from 1 Cor. 12:12-13; 24-26; Eph 4:4-6 is what we tried to wrap our hearts around last night. I felt like it was a good night as our students seemed to respond with the conviction of, "I think he is talking to me, so I'm going to look down at the carpet as to not draw attention to myself." In all seriousness, we do have some students who get what the body needs to be about: encouragement, love, affirmation, discipleship, and welcoming others. I am so proud of those students who see church as more about others than themselves. I'm praying that that kind of attitude will bled over to the mainstream side of our ministry.

While speaking it hit me like a ton of bricks...students often engage (or as in our case, disengage) other students based on the social rules that they are most familiar with and spend the most time in: school. The social rules of school don't and shouldn't apply at church. School is a place of judgment, church should be a place of acceptance. School is a place focused on achievement, church is a place of humility. School is a place of social classes/orders, church is a place where we remind that Jesus destroyed the social order. We have got to re-train students to understand that church is not school and the same rules do not apply.

It was awesome last night, in the midst of so many distractions, helping our students understand that they go together as one, although they are many, because Jesus loves us all the same. Reminding them we are all sinners in need of the same Savior brings perspective to how we ought to treat and love one another despite our differences. We go together.

These pictures were taken at Half Moon Bay, Calif., for the Mavericks Surf Competition this past weekend. Apparently not only were the waves just incredible, but the spectators experienced a rogue wave that suddenly crashed against the shore engulfing everyone in it's path. Several people were injured in this freak incident. (View the story here http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2010/02/13/mavericks-surf-competition?slide=1)

I thought of how sin is a like a rogue wave suddenly descending upon spectators. Its easy not to see the wave coming, especially if you're not looking for it. Like any large amount of water, there is little to do to stop it's devastation once it hits land.

Often we allow sin the right to destroy us. That is the intent of all sin: destruction. It doesn't care who you are or what great things you've accomplished. It's like a virus bent on complete destruction of your life. Once it hits us we bend and break under it's weight and movement in our lives.

Scripture says that Satan is on the prowl and like a rogue wave, his strike maybe sudden and unexpected, but as believers we are to watch and pray, faithfully following our Lord, so when we see the wave coming we remove ourselves from it's purposeful path of destruction