Tag Archives: discipleship

“Step It Up” is More Than a Bad Movie

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Recently, I was having a discussion with one of our very best volunteer leaders.  They were sharing, reluctantly, how they were frustrated with some other leaders.  This wonderful person was struggling with the fact that they didn’t see the commitment in a few other leaders that needed to be there, and it was bothering them.  She felt like she must be in the wrong, that she was being judgmental, and didn’t even want to bring it up to me.  It actually turned out to be a great conversation, and one that is going to lead to many more.

Earlier in my ministry, I would have totally missed what was going on.  I would have seen her as complaining, and counseled her to go work this out between her and them, and basically dropped it.  Fortunately, God was kind enough to clue me in to a little more during this conversation, and didn’t let me miss this golden opportunity.  This leader is a wonderful person, caring, and passionate.  They weren’t being judgmental.  They were being called to grow.  Here is what I saw and heard as I asked questions and listened.  She spoke of how the other leaders didn’t seem to be giving their all to the ministry.  She sacrifices beyond her role at youth group, spends time with kids outside of church, listens and loves them deeply.  That level of care isn’t present in all of our leaders, of course.  Her heart is to see the ministry continue to reach and serve more and more kids and families, and is jealous for that to happen.

She needs to understand this passion is being faithful to what God is building in her.  God is calling her to step it up, and serve as a disciple maker in these adults lives.  Now understand, she has a wide variety of excuses as to why it won’t work: she can point to her past failures, mistakes, missed opportunities, selfish issues, and personality traits all as reasons God can’t use her.  It’s just like Moses standing before the burning bush, explaining to God why he can’t go because he’s a stuttering murderer.  God didn’t worry about it then, and He doesn’t now.  He only sees the potential, the beautiful hope of redemption.  That’s what is  going on here, with this leader.  He is calling her forward to the next step.  She has to come to peace with the idea that as she follows Jesus, He is actually changing her, growing her, maturing her.  It’s time.  It’s time to let Him use her in new ways, with new people, as she continues doing what she has been doing.  This is always such a tough transition for all of us.  We see ourselves as too young, too messed up, lacking experience that others have, not mature enough yet.  One day, we will be there, but not yet.  Then Jesus taps us on the shoulder, and full of love and grace, calls for us to step it up, that today is that day.  Every leader faces it, and every authentic leader struggles at some point with this call.

As a leader, are you tuned in for what God may really be doing?  If you’re not looking for it, you probably won’t see it.  I’m learning that making disciples among my adults often means I care about them way above and beyond their role in my little corner of ministry.  Are you watching for how God is working in your volunteers?  Are you fanning the flames in them that God has lit in them?

Even more importantly, is God calling you to step it up as a leader?  You may lead a children’s or youth ministry, but you are called to make disciples and be a pastor.  Are you really looking out for your volunteers, or merely training them to do the tasks of the ministry better?  Don’t be afraid to speak loving truth to your team.  YOU are called to be more than you are.  Accept that, and then be willing to call the same out of your leaders.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, stories, or questions!

New Things I’m Learning That I Was Taught as a Kid

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Lately, I have been on a reading spree around the idea of discipleship. (I had already read all of the Hunger Games books, so I needed something else to read and this seemed like the logical next step.)  One of the resources I’ve come across is the Reveal study Willow Creek did back in 07.  I had heard about it, and caught an overview of it, but hadn’t read it yet.  Well, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reading everything I can on it.  They have three books out, written consecutively as they progress through this learning curve.  I really recommend all three of them.

It’s fascinating to me as they take part in this ongoing study what they are learning.  So much of it is the value system I grew up in at a conservative Baptist church 30 years ago.  Obviously there are significant changes as well, but much of it is, at it’s core, what we did growing up.  And, it worked.  I’m fascinated by the four stages of growth they describe, and the change agents that people use to move from one to the next.

I’ve got much thinking to do about how this affects our youth ministry, and our church as a whole.  If you haven’t read it, I’d really encourage you to take the time.  You can find out about it at 
http://www.revealnow.com/

 

Sticky Faith Session #1 – Thursday 11/17/2011

Ok, here are some of my houghts/notes from day one of the Sticky Faith seminar at National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC)

They showed a “Live Above” video about college students regrets is amazing!  We have to find it.

“Trajectories are being established long before senior year.” – If we wait until students are seniors to discuss the transition to college, its really too late.

There is no formula to build sticky faith, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job.

In the Sticky Faith study, the study group was 385 students, 82% with both parents, high GPA (3.5-3.9), mostly Caucasian, from youth groups with a paid youth pastor.  This group is a “dream” team amoung youth group kids (not the race issue, but the others).  How would a different group fare?  Worse?  Better?  Would kids from “tougher” backgrounds transition better since they have faced so many things already?

Students who abstain from sex/alcohol in high school are the ones who show the highest growth in those areas in college.

The “Red Bull Ripoff” – students have a tiny caffeine driven faith that crashes at graduation

Students believe in the Gospel of Sin Management

1/3 of students didn’t mention Jesus when defining the Gospel.  They almost all talked about “love”.  Did they assume Jesus or really not think about Him?

Love was the most mentioned definition.

Philippians 3 – we begin as good in His image.  Our sin brings guilt.  We are saved by His grace.  We live for Him out of gratitude.

Why do we obey/serve Jesus?  “Our lives are great big thank you notes back to Jesus”  This was a great phrase, and I’m gonna steal it from Kara.

It’s no wonder that kids ditch their faith if they think its all about how they act.

Doubt in and of itself is not toxic, unexpressed doubt is toxic.

Great question for students: If you could ask God any question, what would it be?

Wanting What We Want VS. Wanting What We Want

If you’re following along in the Amazing Race that our church is doing, you’re reading John 6:22-7:53.  The story is starting to get a bit crazy as Jesus is moving towards the cross.  The crowds are tense, and dividing over what they believe about who Jesus is.  The religious leaders keep trying to arrest Him, but can’t.  Jesus knows that His time is coming to an end.  The tension just keeps building and building.

One of the conversations Jesus has can be found in John 6:26 and following.  Jesus feeds the five thousand the fish and bread in a miracle.  Then He disappears, and the crowd has to go looking for Him.  When they find Him, they want Him to feed them again.  It makes sense.  Many of them are poor, they are hungry, they’ve left home to find Jesus, they are faithful to Him, and it doesn’t seem to be much work for Him to feed them.  He prays, and the food shows up.  So why wouldn’t they ask for food?

Jesus goes off on this crazy tangent about how HE is the bread and wine.  He tells them that the food they want isn’t what they really want.  What they really want is food that lasts forever.  They agree.  Then He tells them that His skin and blood are the food that lasts forever.

Ok, stop just a minute and think about that.  Imagine you are standing there and hear that.

No, really, think about it.  Don’t think about communion on a Sunday morning.  Think about the fact that you ask Jesus for food, and His answer is for you to eat his skin and blood.

Yeah….

……

……

Sometimes God gives us an answer that we don’t want.  At least we think we don’t want it.  Consider the discussion Jesus is having with his potential disciples.  They want to be fed.  Full tummies.  Temporary happiness.  For four or five hours.  Jesus wants them to be healed.  To live a life of joy, peace, and obedience to what they were hardwired for.  Most of the time, when we hear an answer from Jesus that we don’t like, it’s because we are living too short sighted.  We are looking at today, He is looking at today, tomorrow, and forever.

Jesus probably hasn’t told you to eat his flesh and blood in a shocking way lately.  But what IS He telling you that is hard to hear?  What answer is He giving that seems like He isn’t even listening to what you’re asking?  Where is He pushing you?  Trust Him in it.  If He isn’t pushing you right now, then that is what you need to ask for.

What are your thoughts?

How to Pop a Killer Wheelie for Jesus

I remember my dad, in the field by our house, on his 1979 Honda XL175.  It was black and red, and a huge bike, at least compared to me, since I was 10 at the time.  I had a small yellow moped.  He was teaching me the fine art of using the clutch and the gas to perform a move of beauty; the wheelie.  Mom didn’t know what we were doing, and it’s a good thing.  I doubt she would have been too happy with us.  Over and over he would demonstrate how the timing of the gas, along with popping the clutch at just the right time, would help me get the front wheel up, and then using the gas and brake to keep my balance.  It took awhile, but I got it.

Then there was Andy.  Andy was a guy who was three years older than me, and a nationally ranked bmx racer.  He further refined the wheelie craft, teaching me how to ride a wheelie on a bmx bike.  Not the kind of wheelie where you stand up, pedal as hard as you can, and go about 10 feet.  He taught me how to balance, sit on my seat, use my brakes, and go forever on one wheel.  I remember the first time I rode a wheelie for one mile on the school’s track.  It was a big day.

Over the years, I taught dozens and dozens of kids how to ride wheelies.  I taught kids in the inner city, in suburbs, from all across America.  It was hilarious, because I would be somewhere doing a show, busting out all of the hardest tricks I knew.  But eventually, some kid would ask me to do a wheelie.  Then it was on.  I wouldn’t just do one, I would begin teaching them how to do it.  It was so fun to watch them figure it out, and ride off to show all of their friends.

All right, I know, who cares?  Well, in a sense, God does.  This idea of passing on what is important in life is seen in Judges 2.  The nation of Israel has experienced 20 years of growth and peace in their new land.  But then we are told that the entire generation that had lived in the desert, and had watched God deliver them at Jericho and other battles; they all died.  Now it was up to their kids, the third generation out of Egypt’s time of slavery.  Here is what it says:

“10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.”

Can you imagine that?  Just three generations in from all of the miracles, and these kids don’t know God, or any of the stories He had performed.  In the words of the short villain from “The Princess Bride”: that’s inconceivable!

But it happens today, too.


If we don’t tell our stories of God and what He has done in our life, they die with us.  It doesn’t matter if you are 11, 16, 25, 38, or 62.  We need to be passing on our stories, today.  We need to invest in other people, and point them to Jesus by showing what He has done, and what He is doing, in our lives.  


It might be through helping with a local youth group if you are an adult or college student.  It might be volunteering in children’s ministry if you are a teenager or a parent.  Simply sharing with your friends is one way to pass on God’s truth.  Teaching your little sister or brother what you’ve seen God do at camp, at work, in your family, on a retreat, on in a ministry can make all the difference in the world.


You see, the third generation in Judges didn’t know about God because their parents hadn’t told them.  That was all it took.


Who will you invest in?  Where will you get involved this week?  It’s crucial for you to pass on what you know.  

And if you want to know how to ride a killer wheelie, I’d be happy to teach you that one as well.