Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Last Night's Service and...Day 2
Last Night's Service
The Holy Spirit came BIG TIME during last night's service. I've never before seen our young people so engaged in worship than when they unashamadely lifted up the Lord last night! Our God is so big, so wonderful, and so holy how could we hold back even the slightest bit of our heart? A God like that deserves our all!
Pastor Kevin Bates brought a wonderful word which was recieved very well by our students. He talked about hunger and thirst for God. He talked about how we must empty ourselves out so that we can fill ourselves with the things of God! Its awesome to just sit back and watch God be God. You don't have to "hype things up." You dont' have to control or manipulate kids into coming to an altar. When we allow God to "do His thing" He is the one who does the drawing of the hearts and that is what will "stick"!
Day 2
We had some cool random relay games down by the beach this morning to help kick off our day. Our students have been split up into six different teams for the week which include Team Hurricane, Tsunami, Tidal Wave, Sting Ray, and Rip Tide! They relayed sandbags, water balloons, and an oil fish! (yes, it looks like it sounds).
Tonight my expectations of what God will do is very, very high! Please pray for us!
The Holy Spirit came BIG TIME during last night's service. I've never before seen our young people so engaged in worship than when they unashamadely lifted up the Lord last night! Our God is so big, so wonderful, and so holy how could we hold back even the slightest bit of our heart? A God like that deserves our all!
Pastor Kevin Bates brought a wonderful word which was recieved very well by our students. He talked about hunger and thirst for God. He talked about how we must empty ourselves out so that we can fill ourselves with the things of God! Its awesome to just sit back and watch God be God. You don't have to "hype things up." You dont' have to control or manipulate kids into coming to an altar. When we allow God to "do His thing" He is the one who does the drawing of the hearts and that is what will "stick"!
Day 2
We had some cool random relay games down by the beach this morning to help kick off our day. Our students have been split up into six different teams for the week which include Team Hurricane, Tsunami, Tidal Wave, Sting Ray, and Rip Tide! They relayed sandbags, water balloons, and an oil fish! (yes, it looks like it sounds).
Tonight my expectations of what God will do is very, very high! Please pray for us!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
We are here...safe and sound! (Day 1)
So after having a bit of bus trouble we finally made it to Laguna Beach yesterday! What great attitudes our students had as they patiently waited to switch buses!
After a few hours on the beach yesterday the students had NO problem warming up in some high-energy, upbeat worship during last night's service! It was intense and they sweat was pouring!
This morning we kicked it off with a few very creative games on the beach, some tug-of-war, and the beach blast game (recommended not to play if you get tired easily which I fall into). The food is scrumptious, the weather is great, ministry is happenin in small groups, and tonight we dive head first in! Our worship team will be leading us into some intense worship before Kevin Bates comes up and brings the word to this generation! I can 't wait!
Parents, your kids are doing great and are safe! No worries! :)
I'm having a bit of trouble downloading pics so I hope I can get that fixed soon!
Keep praying for us!
Beck
After a few hours on the beach yesterday the students had NO problem warming up in some high-energy, upbeat worship during last night's service! It was intense and they sweat was pouring!
This morning we kicked it off with a few very creative games on the beach, some tug-of-war, and the beach blast game (recommended not to play if you get tired easily which I fall into). The food is scrumptious, the weather is great, ministry is happenin in small groups, and tonight we dive head first in! Our worship team will be leading us into some intense worship before Kevin Bates comes up and brings the word to this generation! I can 't wait!
Parents, your kids are doing great and are safe! No worries! :)
I'm having a bit of trouble downloading pics so I hope I can get that fixed soon!
Keep praying for us!
Beck
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Submerge...Getting in Over your Head
Well...it's almost here. This years 2008 E3 Student Ministry Summer Retreat to Laguna Beach, Florida! This coming Sunday night over 113 students and youth workers will load up on a couple of Mayo Tour Buses for a life-changing week!
This week is all about challenging the students to live a life of full-devotion to Jesus Christ. My man Kevin Bates (Pastor of Life Church Winnsboro) will be bringin it each night!
Please be in prayer for our student ministry as we will spend five days of fun in the sun, games, relationships, and of course LIFE-CHANGE!
The way of the cross
“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.” (I. Corinthians 1:18)
“Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:17-18)
The cross. We see it hung around peoples necks as jewelry. For others they have them hung in their homes. It has been a fad in stores who carry them in different shapes, sizes, and colors. But is the cross really something appealing? The truth is the cross was where our Lord suffered, hung, and bleed for the sins of the world. He was and is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world! That message, the cross, is what saves and transforms lives! For some churches it is still preached with passion but for others it is a faded teaching that is seldom heart anymore. The truth is the message of the cross is still as powerful today than when it was first preached! It still saves and transforms lives!
For centuries people have had a desire to know God or a “god”. Some cultures seek him in the moon, the sun, or in some other part of creation. Some people seek him in buddsim, islam, etc. But there has always been and always will be only one way to God-through Jesus Christ! So how do we get to Christ? By merley confessing? By just believing he exists? The truth is to come to Jesus you have to come by the way of the cross! There is no way around it! The cross represents death to sin and death to self!
In Mark 8:31-33, Jesus began to tell his disciples the terrible things that he would be faced with and even his death. In verse 32 it says, “As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.”
Verse 33 “Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Wow! That same voice still whispers in people’s minds and ears today, “You don’t have to go by the way of the Cross.” In other words Satan is saying, “You don’t’ have to die to your old way of life” “You don’t have to die to yourself.” “You don’t have to die to your sin!” You can confess Jesus and stil live how you want!” “You can still confess Jesus just don’t get radical and make changes.” “You don’t have to do what God’s word says, just do what feels good to you.” “Just don’t die!” “Don’t go to the cross”!
Satan was trying to distract Jesus and trying to get him to go another route but the truth is there was no other route! He had to go to the cross!
Jesus goes on to say in verse 34, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”
People want to go to heaven but they don’t want to repent of their sins! People want to know Jesus they just don’t want to “die”. But if we truly want to know Christ the way He wants us to know Him we have to go by the way of the cross! It is the cross or the message behind it that transforms us! It is what stops us from living for ourselves and gives us the power to live for him!
“Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:17-18)
The cross. We see it hung around peoples necks as jewelry. For others they have them hung in their homes. It has been a fad in stores who carry them in different shapes, sizes, and colors. But is the cross really something appealing? The truth is the cross was where our Lord suffered, hung, and bleed for the sins of the world. He was and is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world! That message, the cross, is what saves and transforms lives! For some churches it is still preached with passion but for others it is a faded teaching that is seldom heart anymore. The truth is the message of the cross is still as powerful today than when it was first preached! It still saves and transforms lives!
For centuries people have had a desire to know God or a “god”. Some cultures seek him in the moon, the sun, or in some other part of creation. Some people seek him in buddsim, islam, etc. But there has always been and always will be only one way to God-through Jesus Christ! So how do we get to Christ? By merley confessing? By just believing he exists? The truth is to come to Jesus you have to come by the way of the cross! There is no way around it! The cross represents death to sin and death to self!
In Mark 8:31-33, Jesus began to tell his disciples the terrible things that he would be faced with and even his death. In verse 32 it says, “As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.”
Verse 33 “Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Wow! That same voice still whispers in people’s minds and ears today, “You don’t have to go by the way of the Cross.” In other words Satan is saying, “You don’t’ have to die to your old way of life” “You don’t have to die to yourself.” “You don’t have to die to your sin!” You can confess Jesus and stil live how you want!” “You can still confess Jesus just don’t get radical and make changes.” “You don’t have to do what God’s word says, just do what feels good to you.” “Just don’t die!” “Don’t go to the cross”!
Satan was trying to distract Jesus and trying to get him to go another route but the truth is there was no other route! He had to go to the cross!
Jesus goes on to say in verse 34, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”
People want to go to heaven but they don’t want to repent of their sins! People want to know Jesus they just don’t want to “die”. But if we truly want to know Christ the way He wants us to know Him we have to go by the way of the cross! It is the cross or the message behind it that transforms us! It is what stops us from living for ourselves and gives us the power to live for him!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The way God sees it...
"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord.'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
The more I study and read God's word the more I realize how differently His ways are than ours. God's views are so much different than the way the world would view things. So if it were up to us to choose people in whom God would work through how would we go about that? Would we choose the most skilled, gifted, talented, handsome or beautiful person? According to the way the Lord chose David that's not exactly how He went about it. You see He sees things man can't-he goes straight for the heart! With what man is impressed with God necessarily isn't! We look outwardly He looks inwardly.
"Now the Lord said to Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem...Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me."...When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Surely this is the Lord's anointed!" But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Now this happened to all seven of Jesse's sons but Samuel was a bit thrown off because none of them, as impressive as they looked, were the Lord's anointed.
"Then Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse replied. "But he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats."
Wow! Jesse didn't even see it right to bring David in with the rest of the sons to even be considered! He was out tending to sheep and goats! Jesse obviously didn't see what God could see! Jesse saw a shepherd animals but God saw a SHEPHERD OF PEOPLE! God saw a warrior! God saw a giant killer!
"So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him."
Can you imagine David coming in smelling like sheep dung, hot, sweaty, and stinky? Yes, he was dark and handsome but this isn't why God chose him! Can you imagine the brothers reaction when they heard the prophets words, "This is the one"! Can you imagine what they thought?
"What!" David! "The guy that watches sheep?" "The guy that isn't trained? "The guy that isn't educated?"
Isn't that how people react sometimes? "God could never use this person or that person you don't know what they've done" "God could never use that person they don't use good English. God could never use this person they don't speak well in public."
You see, what the brothers didn't know is that David was in training. He learned to hear God's voice as he was peacefully staring at the stars at night while the sheep lay asleep. He learned how to worship God in the fields with his harp as he sat for hours as the sheep grazed. He learned courage, boldness, trust, and faith when he had to fight off enemies like the lion and bear! He was in God's school of training! Yes, no one else could see but God was at work in this young man's heart because He saw a King!
My prayer is, "Lord, help us to see things the way you see them. Help us see the potential in people that you see!"
The more I study and read God's word the more I realize how differently His ways are than ours. God's views are so much different than the way the world would view things. So if it were up to us to choose people in whom God would work through how would we go about that? Would we choose the most skilled, gifted, talented, handsome or beautiful person? According to the way the Lord chose David that's not exactly how He went about it. You see He sees things man can't-he goes straight for the heart! With what man is impressed with God necessarily isn't! We look outwardly He looks inwardly.
"Now the Lord said to Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem...Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me."...When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, "Surely this is the Lord's anointed!" But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Now this happened to all seven of Jesse's sons but Samuel was a bit thrown off because none of them, as impressive as they looked, were the Lord's anointed.
"Then Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse replied. "But he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats."
Wow! Jesse didn't even see it right to bring David in with the rest of the sons to even be considered! He was out tending to sheep and goats! Jesse obviously didn't see what God could see! Jesse saw a shepherd animals but God saw a SHEPHERD OF PEOPLE! God saw a warrior! God saw a giant killer!
"So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him."
Can you imagine David coming in smelling like sheep dung, hot, sweaty, and stinky? Yes, he was dark and handsome but this isn't why God chose him! Can you imagine the brothers reaction when they heard the prophets words, "This is the one"! Can you imagine what they thought?
"What!" David! "The guy that watches sheep?" "The guy that isn't trained? "The guy that isn't educated?"
Isn't that how people react sometimes? "God could never use this person or that person you don't know what they've done" "God could never use that person they don't use good English. God could never use this person they don't speak well in public."
You see, what the brothers didn't know is that David was in training. He learned to hear God's voice as he was peacefully staring at the stars at night while the sheep lay asleep. He learned how to worship God in the fields with his harp as he sat for hours as the sheep grazed. He learned courage, boldness, trust, and faith when he had to fight off enemies like the lion and bear! He was in God's school of training! Yes, no one else could see but God was at work in this young man's heart because He saw a King!
My prayer is, "Lord, help us to see things the way you see them. Help us see the potential in people that you see!"
Monday, July 14, 2008
Another arrow in the quiver!
One of the greatest joys I have as a father is to drive to my country home in the evening after a long day to be greeted by my two year old daughter on our front porch! There is just something about seeing a precious life that is so happy to see you! It just does something to a father's heart. I wonder if that is how God feels when we come to him so childlike?
Anyways, last Tuesday evening I drive home to just that scenario except this time my little girl was holding a couple of white sticks in her hand with her mother standing by. "I big sister daddy". "What's that you say baby?", I said as I took a closer look at her "sticks". Once I realized they weren't sticks but two pregnancy tests which were both POSITIVE I was filled with joy! So my wife of almost six years is now pregnant with baby #2.
Building a Godly family God's way is one of the biggest joys and responsibilities I have ever had as a man. What a joy to love, train, discipline, and encourage a family towards full devotion to Christ! This is something I will never outgrow.
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates." (Psalm 127:3-5)
Anyways, last Tuesday evening I drive home to just that scenario except this time my little girl was holding a couple of white sticks in her hand with her mother standing by. "I big sister daddy". "What's that you say baby?", I said as I took a closer look at her "sticks". Once I realized they weren't sticks but two pregnancy tests which were both POSITIVE I was filled with joy! So my wife of almost six years is now pregnant with baby #2.
Building a Godly family God's way is one of the biggest joys and responsibilities I have ever had as a man. What a joy to love, train, discipline, and encourage a family towards full devotion to Christ! This is something I will never outgrow.
"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates." (Psalm 127:3-5)
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