Ever feel just ordinary? Ever feel like God couldn't possibly use you for His extraordinary purposes? If so, you are not alone. The truth is, God delights in taking us in our ordinary state, to use us for extraordinary things.
I had the opportunity to preach yesterday and used Exodus 3:11-14; and 4:1-17, the story of Moses, to discover God's heart for using ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.
I rolled this video at the beginning of my message. It does a great job recounting how God chooses people like you and me to do great things for Him.
Hear the message here or on my podcast.
Download the accompanying outline here.
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Graduates
It's that time of year! The time of year that we celebrate our graduating students. Each year at this time we put together two videos. One of our graduating seniors, and one of our graduating 8th graders. In each we highlight the time they have been a part of 180 Student Ministries.
It goes without saying that the most rewarding part of student ministry is seeing the spiritual transformation that takes place in many of their lives. Of course it's also a lot of fun seeing the physical changes that take place from the time they enter our ministry in 6th grade, to the time they graduate in 12th.
Here are this year's videos.
Senior Farewell Video:
Eighth Grade Farewell Video:
What a blessing it is to be a part of each of their lives.
Transformed Lives
I love many things about God. Perhaps the greatest thing I love about God is that He is in the business of transforming lives. He loves us and accepts us just as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.
Hillside Christian Church in Texas made that point very clear recently with their Cardboard Testimonies.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29
HT to Adam for the video.
Change or Die
In his recent farewell speech, Rev. Frank Page, the outgoing president of the Southern Baptist Convention, gave a stern warning. A warning that all in the Church would be good to heed....change or die.
"If we don't start paying attention to the realities … by the year 2030, we will be proud to have 20,000 rather than 44,000 Southern Baptist churches,'' Page said.
"You've got massive numbers," he said, "maybe not a majority but massive numbers of evangelical churches out there, yes, Southern Baptists also, who are small groups of older white people holding on till they die."
I applaud Page. Read more about his address at the Tennessean.
Change is difficult, yet so important. All living, growing, organisms change. If there is no change, there is no life. Our culture is changing at a dizzying rate. If the Church does not respond in like manner, and change to meet the growing and increasing needs of our world, we are in trouble.
I am proud of my church. We at Grace Point are in the midst of some major change. Not just for the sake of change, but for the purpose of doing a better job of ministering to our culture (both within and without the church) and for the purpose of creating more mature disciples for Jesus Christ.
As we are finding, change is a slow and sometimes painful process. Do I think we will die if we don't change? Not necessarily. Will we be more effective in living out the mandate God has given us? I believe so.
Don't be afraid of change. Change is good.
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22. Change.
Kingdom of Comfort
I have really been enjoying the recent Delirious? release, "Kingdom of Comfort". Maybe enjoying is not quite the right word. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I have been convicted by their latest project, particularly by the title track, "Kingdom of Comfort"
"Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king from my unhealthy lust of material things
I rob myself of innocence with the poison of indifference
I buy my stuff at any cost a couple of clicks and I pay the price cuz what I gain is someone else's loss
Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king from my unhealthy lust of material things."
I wrote a while back of the disease of Affluenza that we in America tend to suffer from. Myself included. Read it here.
Just last night I found myself angry that I had inadvertently let my government issued TV Converter Box coupons expire. I missed the fact that they expire after 90 days. It was an $80 mistake. I was mad. I am ashamed! How could I possibly be mad about something like that when there is a Global Food Crisis taking place, that is right now plunging an additional 100 million people on every continent into hunger.
Save me, save me from the kingdom of comfort where I am king!
Hear the song here...
Crazy About You
Just came across this amazing video done by Francis Chan for his Just Stop and Think site.
If you can spare 15 minutes please watch this beautifully shot video. It will make you thankful for life. It will make you thankful for the God that loves you and gave you this life to enjoy.
"The God of the universe is crazy about you and screaming out for your attention!"
Life = Risk
Does risk scare you? Does the fear of failure stop you? If I have learned one thing from ministry, it is that failure is part of the journey toward success.
I have made many mistakes in life and have failed at many ventures. I am not ashamed of that. I am thankful. It is because of risking failure that I have learned. It is in risking failure that I have found success, success that has led to great ministry.
How about you? Are you a risk taker?
HT to Marko for video.
NOOMA 020 | Shells
As a big fan of the NOOMA series, I am pretty excited about this!
NOOMA will be premiering Rob Bell's most recent offering NOOMA 020 | Shells on Facebook this week from Monday, May 19th at 12 noon EDT to Wednesday, May 21st at 12 noon EST. It will be streamed in it's entirety.
Check it out here.
Understanding and Parenting Your Teen Pt. 2
Last night was the conclusion of our Understanding and Parenting Your Teen workshop. Aaron did a great job of guiding parents through the often confusing and foreign world of the internet.
Last week we spoke about "The World Beneath" the world that our teens retreat to due to the overwhelming sense of abandonment they feel from the adult world. A major part of that world is the world of the internet.
In this session we discussed how the internet is the hangout of choice for today's adolescents, and helped parents understand why, and how they can best respond to the potential dangers and needs that this presents.
Hear the message here.
Download the notes here. (.pdf format)
Download the Powerpoint presentation here. (.pdf format)
Message is also available on my Podcast.
Understanding and Parenting Your Teen
Last night was the first part in a two part parenting workshop that I am leading entitled, "Understanding & Parenting Your Teen". This session deals with adolescent culture, how it came to be, what it looks like today, and how we as adults can best care for and lead students through the journey of adolescence.
Unfortunately the beginning is a little goofy due to my Powerpoint remote malfunctioning.
Hear the message here.
Download the notes here. (.pdf format)
Download Powerpoint presentation here. (.pdf format)
Message is also available on my Podcast.
Think On This
Why do we keep hiding our deepest feelings from each other? We suffer much, but we also have great gifts of healing for each other. By hiding our pain, we also hide our ability to heal ... We are called to confess to each other and to forgive each other, and thus discover the abundant mercy of God. But at the same time, we're so terribly afraid that we may be wounded even more deeply. This fear keeps us prisoners, even when the prison has no walls! How radical Jesus' message of love is! How difficult! And how necessary!
- Henri Nouwen
Proverbs 28:13
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