"R" Rated Faith

Last Wednesday I talked about having "R" Rated Faith. I Googled the MPAA movie ratings sytem and reworded the descriptions to describe a person's faith. Here's a brief synopsis:

G = General Audience. Contains nothing in theme, language or lifestyle that would offend the status quo. There may be some snippets of talk about God, but they are common everyday expressions. Depictions of self-sacrifice are minimal.

PG = Partial Guidance. Some talk about Jesus as Savior and some depictions of self-sacrifice, but these are not deemed so intense as to require following the Biblical standard of living out your faith other than when at church or with the "Church Crowd."

R = Resticted. Depictions of activities related to a more mature nature. It is both realistic and extreme realizing there is a war going on in the spiritual realm for the souls of man. Their relationship with Jesus is taken very seriously. There are not the same, but have been transformed. "There's more to them than meets the eye." According to sceptics, this type of faith does not exist, "but when all else fails, they don't." This type of faith accelerates the possessor beyond normal human parameters by the power of the Holy Spirit. Parents and peers are strongly urged to find out more about how this "Restricted" faith can change everything!

Runing The Race

Last Saturday I participated in the race of the century, the Tour de Berryville. It was a gut wrenching race with arduous mountains to climb and unyielding valleys to cross. Never in all my days have I trekked upon such a rigid and perplexing terrain with this one thought in mind, "I must run with perseverance the race marked out for me." This grueling course also known as Berryville's annual Ice Cream Social 5K had met it's match.

Okay, so maybe those arduous mountains were only gradually sloping hills and the unyielding valleys actually slightly downhill breathers, but two things remain true, I did have to run with perseverance and it was a little grueling--for me. Until the first of this year my running consisted of about ten strides at any one time on the racquetball court and maybe the occasional half-court basketball or 50 yard flag football game. I hadn't ran for running's sake since about 2001. Consequently, eight years and about 30 pounds later I found myself out of shape and a little overweight.

I'm not really one of those people who can do something just for doing somethings sake. I have to have a goal that keeps me focused and gives me the conviction to finish well. The motivation I had for this goal was more than getting in shape or losing weight. I had been speaking to our students in High-Way 62 Youth Ministries from Hebrews chapters 11 and 12 for the entire 2008/2009 school year with the theme verses concentrated on Hebrews 12:1-3 which states:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

So, with this in mind, I decided to use the Ice Cream Social as a visual illustration, as well as, in a physical since, putting walk to my talk. I noticed a few things as I participated in this race. First of all, no one showed up in heavy work boots, jeans, or sweatshirts. They only wore enough clothes needed to adequately cover their bodies and shoes made for running. They didn't even run with their cell phones attached at the hip. The second impression I obtained was that the race was marked well. Whenever there was a turn that needed to be made the road was painted with arrows pointing in the direction we needed to go. Not only were there arrows, but there was also a person sitting there to guide us to the right way . The only way I could have gotten off track would have been to consciously choose the wrong direction or to have been deaf and blind. Another observation I took note of was that everyone was intent on accomplishing the same thing--finishing the race. There were no stops along the way or detours to get us off track. There were only two water stations to refresh us as we ran by. Even then, most kept running as they downed a couple of swigs of water. The final discovery I made came to me as I noticed the people along the sides of the road cheering us all on, as well as, the friends and students I had running the race with me. Even though we were not running side by side, just knowing they were there running helped keep me going. My goals were to run the entire race without walking and to finish in under 30 minutes. With God's help, I accomplished both.

(I only stopped once for about two seconds to take a couple swallows of water at the second water station. The only reason I stopped there was because at the first water station I almost drowned myself while trying to run and drink at the same time.)

The spiritual implications and parallels to all that I observed are interchangeable. I guess that's why God's inspired Word makes so many references to running in a race. God knew and knows how to describe the life He wants for us in terms we can comprehend. In fact, I memorized many passages of Scripture dealing with running well to encourage me along the way. Check these out: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 1 Timothy 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:3-5; 4:7,8; Psalm 18:29; 119:32; Isaiah 40:31; Acts 20:24; James 1:2-4,12.

Hopefully this is just the beginning. Anyone want to start training for a half marathon?

Summer Reading

Thought I would pass on to you all what I will be reading this Summer, mostly during the next two weeks of fireworks. I've got a wide variety for all sorts of moods. If you've read any of these, please feel free to comment.

This is Mark Batterson's second book. I've actually already started reading this one and it is proving to be as good as his first. The first was an outstanding work called In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day.
Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington DC. Targeting emerging generations, 73 percent of NCCers are single twenty-somethings that live or work on Capitol Hill. Currently one church with three locations, the vision of NCC is to meet in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the DC area. Mark is also a daily blogger at evotional.com. Mark lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Lora, and three children. (copied from website)




These two, Lunatic and Elyon are the 5th and 6th books in a Christian fiction series called The Lost Books by Ted Dekker. They coincide with The Circle Trilogy of Black, Red and White, as well as, Showdown, Saint and Sinner. Anyone who likes suspense thriller fiction with a twist, this is a great set of books to read.



I am unfamiliar with the authors of these two books, but they both looked like insightful reading material and I got them on clearance for $2.97 a piece. You can't beat that. Throw in some daily gleaning from and study of God inspired Word and I should be set for some growing time.

Lord, help not to be a hearer of the Word only, but also a doer of your will as I learn from You.

Working with Dad

I've told this story to several people, but I'm just now getting around to actually writing it down. This might be a little long, but here you go:

The date was March 2, 2009 and Malinda had finally had all she could stand of the kitchen faucet. It had not been working properly for a couple of months, but I was able to fix it enough to make it work. Nevertheless, it finally gave out so, with newly bought faucet and what few tools I have in hand I decided to give the whole plumber thing a shot. Mind you, I have never done any sort of plumbing in my life.

Now, for those of you who don't know me very well, I'm a little bit of a perfectionist. (Malinda would say that's the understatement of the year!) So, while I didn't know what I was doing, I was at least going to act like it. I laid out a towel on the ground, put a couple of tools on one side and a flashlight on the other and I was ready to go to work. I had no sooner got under the sink when along came my two year old son James to "give me a hand." The first thought that came to my mind was, "Malinda, come get your son!", but then I thought, "I really don't know what I'm doing so what can it hurt?" He then proceeded to help me "fiss (fix) it."

As we were "fissing it," I came to the realization that the fittings for the new faucet were not the same as the old one, so I was at an impasse not really knowing what to do next. Luckily my dad just so happened to be coming to visit us that night and he was able to tell me what I would need to make it work properly. The next day, I went out and purchased the parts I needed and, to my delight (as well as surprise), it worked. James was so excited, he kept saying, "I fissed it! I fissed it!"

So what's the significance of this? Well, there's a couple of different thoughts I had about this. First, as I reflected on James' actions in this whole ordeal, I began to wonder what was going through his mind. Was he there to really help me? Did he just want to be where I was, doing what I was doing? I believe it was probably both. What if we desired God in the same way? James wants to be with me all the time and he gets so excited when I ask him to help me with whatever I am doing. What's cool about the relationship we have with our heavenly Dad is that He asks for our help as well. Even though He could accomplish everything He wants to do on His own, He chooses to use us and allow us to get into the action. Do you desire to be where God is, doing what He is doing?

Secondly, I got to thinking about my dad's role in this "great undertaking." Although he was there to tell me what I needed to do, he didn't do it for me. Over the years the role that he has played in my life has changed. He's still my dad, but more than that, he has become my best friend. He has taught me what it is to be a man. When I was young, he did things for me. As I grew older, he showed me how. Now, he's there to guide me, but it's me who is doing the work. One of the most important things he taught me was the importance of God's Word in my life. I remember being not much older than my son is now while my dad would put my sister and I to bed by reading out of The Picture Bible. Now I am carrying on the tradition with my son in hopes that God's Word will sink deep into his heart and establish a firm foundation.

That's it. Hopefully this blog will inspire you to want to be where God is, doing what He's doing, moreover, just to have a longing to be with Him. And for all you young dads, and you old dads as well, it's never too early or too late to lead your children in the ways of the Lord. You are their spiritual leader. They are going to follow your example. Be the man God designed you to be.

All At War

Okay, so my good friend Matt already posted about this band, but I was listening to it today and this reflection came to mind. This is a song from the Downhere album “Ending Is Beginning” by Germain/Martel called All At War. It reminds me a lot of Romans 7,

"The law is good, then. The trouble is not with the law but with me, because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it...But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do evil things...Oh, what a miserable person that I am! Who will save me from this life of that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord."

Here's the lyrics:

I'm learning to stand the more that I fall down
It's the law of inversion, and it's all turned around
And I'm staggered by the clash inside my soul
So purposed for good but inclined for evil

It's justice and mercy, the old dichotomies
All along the front lines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies
All at war in me

I was born depraved but created for the divine
With death in my bones, in my heart eternal life
I'd love for Eden, but I'd kill for Rome
I'm native in a land that is not my home

You are the beginning, and You are the end
Into your great reversal, I am born again
A beautiful redemption, You leverage even sin
In me your final victory, I know You'll win

Into light, from the shadows
Into life, from the grave
Into love, into love

Thank God for His power in our lives through Jesus Christ to overcome sin. I am nothing on my own, but, in Christ, I am more than a conqueror.

If you would like more info on this band, check out their website downhere.com.

Be Who You Are

The second chapter of this book is titled, "Who You Are Is More Important Than What You Do." How often we get caught up in this performance driven culture that says you have do this and that in order to be a success. The truth is, God made each and every one of us unique. He gave us each talents and abilities unlike those around us. Still, I find myself comparing what I do with others, as if I'm doing a good job only when my efforts are equitable or eclipse what their doing. What I must never forget is that God has called me to being not doing. The question is not, "What am I doing?, but, "What am I being?". If I am truly being what He has instructed, called, equipped and empowered me to be then the doing will come naturally. Not only will it come naturally, but it will also be unique to who I am.

Don't let what you do define you. Be what God has called you to be. My responsibility as a husband and father, moreover as a Christian in general, is to be an example for everyone I come in contact with, that they may see in me Christ's love and compassion for lost humanity and in turn be inspired to the same.

Lord, help me to be all you want me to be, not just do things because it's what my job demands.

Focus On One Thing

I've been reading this book, 10 Things Every Minister Needs To Know, my good friend Tim gave me last year for a Pastor Appreciation gift. It is a quick read that I would suggest to anyone, especially if you are a worker in a church.
The first chapter is what I would like to highlight today. It's called "The Power of One Hour." Here are a few quotes and then I will give my retrospection on the subject:

• "When you focus for a set amount of time, this difference elevates into becoming an impact. When discipline joins focus, you can change your world..."
• "I cannot expect to change 'the world' until I let God have more than ample opportunity to 'change my world by changing me first.'"
• "As your walk with God goes, so goes the rest of your life."
• "If you want to see what God will do through you, it all begins with what God is doing in you."
• "If you give yourself to doing anything for one hour a day consistently, you have the potential to become an expert. You have the potential to become proficient in something that you may know little about today."

I lead a small Bible study group of people in their 20's and 30's on Sunday mornings. This last couple of weeks we have been discussing growing in our relationship with God. One of the exercises that the book we're using asks us to do is to have a time of "solitude" for at least an hour, but preferably a half of a day. How many people do you think accomplished this task? Zero! Not even me and I lead the group. Now given, it is the Holidays and it's been really busy, but not even an hour... I did have one person who tried to cram it in on Sunday morning right before they came, but even then they were only able to spend fifty minutes instead of the minimal hour. How negligent is that on my part. If the statement indeed be true that "I cannot expect to change 'the world' until I let God have more than ample opportunity to 'change my world by changing me first,'" I'm not doing a very good job at being a world changer. (Jesus help me to be better!)

How true it is though that one hour of focused tenacity can make a big difference. Why do we let ourselves get so distracted by the menial things of life. The things we really want and desire get put to the side, because they actually take a little work. In this microwave world of "now mentalities," if something takes much time and effort we abhor it. For instance, I would like to become a better musician, but it seems I can spend a maximum of 30 minutes playing before I feel I need to be doing something else, even then it's probably only once a week.

Therefore, with all that is in me, I am going to strive to spend a focused hour daily this new year on things I truly want to accomplish. Here's my list:

1. My relationship with my Creator and Lord Jesus Christ.
2. My relationship with my family.
3. Being a better youth pastor.
   
4. Becoming proficient in playing the guitar and bass.
5. Getting into shape. (Of course I can't leave this one out!)

May God give you a blessed 2009!

System of Governement

I'm not a huge Richard Dreyfuss fan, but I found this interview with Mike Huckabee pretty thought provoking. What are your thoughts?

I was just thinking about the different historical figures in the Bible that we've been talking about lately, how God was with them and he blessed them even though they occasionally made mistakes because they put their faith in Him. I've made many mistakes in my lifetime, but looking back I can see that God has never left my side. He's been guiding my steps all along the way and He's blessed me with much more than I deserve because I've put my life in His hands.

One of those blessings is you! You are what makes me want to do what I do. This youth ministry wouldn't be the same without you. Your bright young faces full of life, filled with hopes and dreams still scratching at the surface of genuine existence further endorse the pivotal role we as youth leaders of High-Way 62 Youth play in your road trip called life. Thank you for letting me (as well as the rest of the youth staff) be a part of your journey.

Love ya, mean it!

Wes

Stuff you don't want to miss:

• Hayride/Bonfire - This Saturday, October 25th - We will leave the church at 4:30 P.M. and return at 9 P.M. Dinner will be provided.
• 5th Wednesday Game Night - Wednesday, October 29th - Get your game face on for a night of crazy games and friendly competition.

See/Saw You At The Pole Report

Hey everyone,

So Wednesday was the big day for SYATP! We had 80 students and 26 adults show up at 7 A.M. for a total of 106. (Yeah, I can add!) The number was a little down from last year, but great none the less. The FCA officers did a wonderful job getting everything together. Aubree, Jessie, Chelsea and Mallory, you gals are amazing!!!

Saw YATP went good as well. I believe we had close to 200 people. Several churches came together. Southern Heights, Freeman Heights, Towering Oaks, Valley View, and Church On The Hill (a.k.a. First Assembly) were all a part of the celebration. Thanks to all of you for being a part. It's awesome when we can all come together as "The Body" to lift up the name of Jesus. Ricky Sowell, youth pastor at SH and a great man of God who I am growing to love more and more every time I'm around him, was the MC for the night. The band, Dash-3, led the praise and worship and did fantastic. Eric Diez from VV shared his powerful testimony and challenged the students to trust God even in the hard times. There were six students who rededicated their lives to Christ and one who did for the first time! (Whoo-hoo!!! God is good!)

I guess that'll do. If you would like to see pictures of either event, here are a couple of links:

• SYATP


• SawYATP

Have a great weekend everyone and "Go Bobcats!"

Wes

High-Way 62 Youth Weekly Update

Hey everybody,

Wow, what a night we had Wednesday. I think my cell phone bill is going to be about $50 more than normal with all the text messages I received from you guys. I guess I should of thought of that before I decided to play that little game. I suppose I'll finally have to break down and come into the 21st century by adding text messaging to my account.

Here's something to thing about: The big idea of the message was that "When God calls you, it's best to obey." We discovered through the life of Abraham that faith in God and obedience to God are inseparable. One of the important lessons we learned was that faith and obedience always involve separation. My question to you is, "What are some things you might need to separate yourself from in order to be obedient to God's will?" God gave Abraham many great promises, but they required his obedience and personal commitment to Him as Lord in order to receive those promises. In the same way those promises in God's Word are for us today, but they require our obedience and personal commitment to follow Christ, allowing Him to be the leader of our lives. (If you have questions about any of this stuff, or just want to talk about it, please feel free to email or call me anytime.)

Here's what coming up:

• Ultimate Frisbee - This Saturday at 1 P.M. at the Berryville practice field across from the new choir and band building. Anyone is welcome, so invite your friends and come hang out with us for an hour or two.


• See You At The Pole - Next Wednesday at 7 A.M. at your school's flag pole. Don't miss it!


• Saw You At The Pole - Next Wednesday night at 6:30 P.M. at First Assembly. (Many great churches are coming together to celebrate the goodness of God.)

I think that's it for now. Don't forget to check out the youth website www.hwy62youth.com. We've been adding pictures just about every week, so jump on there and see if you can find your beautiful face.

Love ya, mean it!

Wes

P.S. If you're a Guitar Hero fan, you'll like this video:
Guitar Hero - David Crowder

High-Way 62 Youth Weekly Update

Hey everybody,

I sincerely hope you learned a lot at "Video Night." I've watched these videos two or three times now and every time I learn something new. For those of you that were not here, we are going through a series of videos on the first Wednesday of every month called "Demolishing Strongholds." The first session established the authority of the Scriptures and helped us to understand that what the Bible says about creation is true and the scientific evidence all points to that conclusion. I realize that's pretty fundamental and that most of you believe that already, but it has to be set as the foundation of our faith in order for us to fully understand what God has done and will do in the future. Being a follower of Christ at this time in history brings us the most extraordinary journey.

Here's what's around the corner:

• Ultimate Frisbee - Saturday September 20th at the Berryville practice field


• See You At The Pole - 7 A.M. Wednesday September 24th at your school's flagpole


• Saw You At The Pole - Wednesday evening September 24th (location TBA

I guess that will do for now. Don't forget to bring someone with you next week as we dig into God's Word and begin our series on "RUNNING WITH GIANTS!" As each of us deals with the reality that life has up and downs we can be encouraged that we're not alone in this race of life. You won't want to miss it.

Love ya, mean it!

Wes

"Don't Let Life Pass You By!"

High-Way 62 Youth Weekly Update

Hello,

Hope you all are having a fine day today. We have cause to celebrate. We had four people become followers of Christ last night!!! (Whoo-Hoo!!!) Heaven is rejoicing and Jesus is celebrating you today before God. We are so proud of you for making this decision. Maybe you're wondering, "What's next?" Well, first and foremost, you should begin to pray and read the Bible every day. This is how you can connect and grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Secondly, be in church every chance you get. This is where you can learn from other believers on what it means to truly follow Christ. Third, connect with other students that can encourage you along the road. If you don't have a Christian friend, then get one. They can also help you and keep you accountable when the temptations you face all the time come your way. If you need help finding one, let us know and we'll get you the hook-ups.

On another note, I want to welcome all the newbies that last night was your first night back with us at our youth gatherings this year. I believe there was about 18 of you who were either here for the first time ever or for the first time this year, so I want you to know, we're glad you're here. Keep coming back because we have some great things in store this year and you won't want to miss a single week. Don't forget to check out the youth website www.hwy62youth.com for upcoming events, downloads and maybe even find yourself in some pictures. New stuff get added all the time, so check back often.

Here's some stuff to remember:

• The New Great Passion Play - We're going to be going Sunday night if you would like to go. It will be free for everyone who goes with us. We will meet at the church at 7 p.m.
• After School gatherings start next week - Girl Friends (7th-9th Grade girls), P.I.N.K.S. (10th-12th Grade girls), Thrive (7th-12th Grade Guys) - The vans will be at the school in the circle drive by the band room if you need a ride.
• Next week is also "Video Night" - The videos this year are going to awesomely entertaining and amazingly informative. Bring a friend and enjoy.

That's it for now. Love ya' mean it!

Wes

Fishing

Well, I was on vacation last week and went fishing at a "secret" pond built by some in-laws of mine two years ago. It is a large horseshoe shaped pond with trees sticking up on both ends of the horseshoe and 25 feet deep at it deepest point.
Anyway, my dad and I went fishing there last Thursday morning and caught 193 fish in about six hours and that's no fish tale. We were using a bate that attracts all kinds of fish. We caught perch bigger than my hand (and my hands are pretty big), crappie and bass. These weren't just any fish either. It has been stocked with hybrid perch that can get up to three pounds, while the bass are also Florida strain. None of the fish we caught are full grown yet, but it was a lot of fun catching them on ultra-lite reels. We put them all back to caught another day, but I'm not sure I will ever catch that many fish in such a short amount of time again.

How To Be Wise (Part 18)

(Written Tues. June 10)
Today I'm sitting with my smokin-hot-wife on an overstuffed leather couch peering out a wall of windows from an amazing log cabin overlooking a small lake. It is located just outside of Chandler, OK and is the future campground of the Oklahoma District of the Assemblies of God. It will be awesome when it is finished. The cabin we're staying in is free to ministers; they just ask that you leave it clean. It is such a blessing to be able to stay at a nice place and get away from all the stresses of life.
My family is on vacation this week so Malinda and I decided to drop of James at the grandparents and come here for a couple of days. It's been nice to just sit and talk about life and our relationship, as well as, church and youth ministry without having to stop every two or three minutes to tell James to "get down," or "put that back."
So, here we sit in the peace and quiet of the morning reading. Mo's reading Gone With The Wind and I'm reading the Bible. As I read chapter 18, sitting here, once again, with my smokin-hot-wife, a couple of verses really jump out at me.

• Verse 22 "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." I have to give a shout out to my wife here. I have definitely found a good thing. Even though she is about to turn "25+" she gets more and more beautiful every day. She is the best mom to our son James and I'm glad we're doing life together.


• Verse 21 "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." This verse has realms of meaning far beyond my comprehension or understanding. The proverbs are packed with wise sayings about how we use our words, none more prominent than this. "The power of life and death," what a thought provoking statement. The idea that I can bring life to a person who is dying spiritually or emotionally distraught by what this fallen world has brought into their life. The concept that I can kill a person's hopes and dreams by mere words makes me look back at the words I've used; moreover, it makes me want to choose my future words carefully. Verse 10 of this same chapter states, "the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Names are meant to be spoken. It's in the spoken name of Jesus that Peter and Paul healed the sick, opened blind eyes, and raised the dead. Jesus himself said, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." (Jn. 14:13) Revelation 19:13 proclaims, "...his name is the Word of God." The Word, Jesus, was with God in the beginning and by the Word the worlds were formed. Life came into existence. It wasn't until man messed it up that death began. God's Word brings life!

May God's Word bring life to you. May God, through your words, bring life to those around you.

How To Be Wise (Part 17)

I'll get to the Proverb in a minute, but I have to share this with you first. The last couple of weeks I've been reading Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill. I can't say that I've enjoyed it, but I can say that I've been convicted deep in my soul. It was written in 1959, however, it is as relevant today as it was then. The entire book is centered around prayer and the desire to see souls saved. Ravenhill states one of the reasons revival tarries is because we lack urgency in prayer. "We have not yet resisted unto blood in prayer; nay, we 'do not even get a sweat on our souls,' as Luther put it. We pray with a 'take-it-or-leave-it' attitude; we pray chance prayers; we offer that which costs us nothing! We have not even 'strong desire.' The only power that God yields to is that of prayer. We will write about prayer-power, but not fight while in prayer. A title, undeniably true of the Church today, would be 'We Wrestle Not!'" He goes on to ask, "Who will storm hell's stronghold?...Who will deny himself...that hell may gaze upon him wrestling, embarrassing demons, liberating captives, depopulating hell, and leaving, in answer to his travail, a stream of blood-washed souls?" CONVICTED YET??? That's just a small portion of what I've been dealing with as I read it. If you prefer the status quo or life as usual, don't read this book, but if you are hungry for something more, I encourage you to read this entire book and let it prick your heart to prayer and a freshly broken heart for people dying without God.

Okay, so enough of that for now, I may do a set of blogs on each chapter of that book in the future, but for now, on to Proverb 17. What I would like to do with this chapter is quote John Maxwell's comentary on verse 2 from The Maxwell Leadership Bible:

Our influence has less to do with our position or title that it does with the life we live. It's not about position, but production. It is not the education we get, but the empowerment we give, that makes a difference to others.

The key word is credibility. We gain credibility when our life matches our talk and when both add value to others. In the words of Proverbs 17:2, It's better to be a wise slave than a foolish son. Answer the following questions:

1. Consistency: Are you the same person no matter who's with you?


2. Choices: Do you make decisions based on how they benefit you or others?


3. Credit: Are you quick to recognize others for their efforts when you succeed?


4. Character: Do you work harder at your image or your integrity?


5. Credibility: Have you recognized that credibility is a victory, not a gift?

We all influence the people we're around every day, whether for the good or for the bad. May you be a positive influence that people may see Jesus through you.

How To Be Wise (Part 16)

Today I am really excited about going to see Prince Caspian. I have been a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia ever since I was a kid. We are taking 28 people to Branson Meadows to see it, which should be fun.

Okay, so on to chapter 16. Three verses capture my attention: verse 3, 9 and 20. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed...In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps...Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord." (NIV) Growing up in church all my life, I have heard these verses over and over again, so much so, that I could probably quote them in three different versions of the Bible. However, truth be told, I have failed to put them into practice more times in my life than I care to count. It never fails, after the fact, that I look back on my mistakes and think, "If only I had prayed or sought council and then trusted God to work it out, the outcome would have been much better."

Now, the older and hopefully wiser I get (with slightly less hair), I tend to lean on God more for guidance and trust Him to bless what He has called me to do. I encourage all of you to start doing that now. Don't make the same mistakes I made as a young man wanting my own way. I'm still paying for some of those mistakes ten years later. Trust God now knowing that He orders your steps and will bless and prosper you if you will simply listen to Him and follow the path He has laid out before you.

May you commit to the Lord everything you do and allow Him to bring you success.

How To Be Wise (Part 15)

At the prompting of my good friend and fellow youth pastor Ricky Sowell, I'm finally getting around to chapter 15. I'm horrible at doing these things on a regular basis. I guess it stems from feeling like I don't have anything worth while to say or that you, the reader, would be interested in. Nevertheless, here we go.

The first several verses of chapter 15 give great advice on wise communication principles. Verse 1 states, "A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire." (MSG) When I sit and meditate on this verse I imagine a scene from one of those spy movies where there is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode while the hero of the story calmly tries to defuse it. There's always the antagonist looking over his shoulder spouting the obvious, "Hurry there's not much time." or "Are you sure sure you know what you're doing?" The response is generally a calm, "You're not helping!" So, with the seconds counting down to annihilation: 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - and then the hero cuts the red wire, no, I mean the blue wire and all is well. Since everyone wants to be a hero at some point in their life, think of it this way, every time you "defuse anger" by giving a "gentle response" consider yourself as an Indiana Jones like character or maybe even the master 007 Sean Connery saving the planet from destruction! Okay, so maybe not the planet, but at least a relationship.

The other verse I would like to stress is verse 4, "Kind words heal and help, cutting words wound and maim." (MSG) I have to ask myself, "Do I speak words that bring healing or words that only wound?" I would like to think mostly the first, but as I reflect on my words over the last week, I can see that both are true. Words that wound come easy to most people disguised as jests or jokes. The New International Version says they, "crush the spirit." Has your spirit ever been crushed by someone demeaning your dreams or abilities? It's not much fun. If I have ever done that to any of you reading this, please forgive me. God, help us all to remember what that feels like so that we don't do the same to others. Words that heal and help, on the other hand, are harder to come by and take perceptive thought and sincere sentiment. One encouraging thing is that the more you do it, the easier it becomes.

May you be the hero in volatile situations. May you always speak with kindness words that give life to the soul.

How To Be Wise (Part 14)

I can't believe it's Friday already. I've decided that I blog about as well as I do exercise regiments; I start strong; however, it's not long before I begin to get a little lackadaisical and my motivation wavers. Why is that? I guess it's like a lot of different things that you try to do on a regular basis, such as, praying or reading your Bible or even going to church. The effects are gradual instead of instantaneous. It takes time to see what affect you're having. Only after a couple of months of steady discipline do you realize the change.

Anyway, there's just a couple of verses I want to point out from this chapter:

• Verse 4, "An empty stable stays clean, but no income comes from an empty stable." Have you ever been to a church that is spotless, but has very little people, specifically young people. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for organization and keeping things clean, but not at the extreme where we turn people away because they are messy. Let's face it, kids are messy: they mess up walls; they poke holes in chairs (which drives me insane); they think the floor of the church van is their personal trash can. My son James makes messes all the time, but there's no way I would trade him for a perfectly clean house. I love him too much. Maybe that's what it boils down to. Maybe some people love their building more than they love souls. (OUCH! Did I just say that?) Thank the Lord that's not the case at my church. Even though our students can be "messy" at times, I love them too much to turn them away. (Our students are the best in the world by the way! I'm not trying to put them down by any means. ) Moreover, God loves them just as they are and has sent them here to be shown His love. I just pray He finds us reliable stewards of all He has given us.
• Verse 12, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." Not only are there obvious eternal implications in this verse, but I believe there is also temporal significance. How many of us make choices regularly based on our personal feelings. Generally it's the path of least resistance we decide must be the right one. So often, however, it's the struggle or the uphill climb of a different direction that brings the most reward and satisfaction. How many times have we settled for "good enough" when "great" was just over the next mountain?

May you choose the mess over an empty house. May you never settle for "good enough." May you never choose the path of least resistance just so you don't have get your hands dirty. Why not be great!? Why not go all the way to the top? It's at the top we have the best view of what God has brought us through and accomplished because we were willing do all He has asked of us.

Great Quote

I had to write about this quote. It comes from the movie Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium.

"Life is an occasion, rise to it!"

How many of us get so busy with the mundane and monotonous aspects of life that we forget to truly seize the moments we're given. Erwin McManus, in his book, Chasing Daylight, states, "I am convinced the great tragedy is not the sins we commit, but the life that we fail to live...There are few things more inspiring than a life lived with passionate clarity." Am I rising to the occasion or am I satisfied with the mundane? I want my life to count for something. I want to live passionately instead of passively.

So much of life is wasted on repetitious reactions to societies suggestion of what it means to be truly alive. All the while, we remain passive to the true purpose for which we were put here on the earth. God wants to interrupt our average everyday existence longing for something more and give us a life we could only dream of: a life of passion, a life of purpose, a life of meaning. It's time for me to stop sleepwalking through life. It's time to wake up! It's time for me to rise to the occasion of life before I miss the God-given opportunities set before me.