How is it that I can be so discouraged by a weak outing by the Vikes only a week ago AND NOW encouraged a week later by a strong outing against a weak (or "already-ready-for-the-off-season") Giants team?
In the past, I have made regular pre-Playoff predictions. No, the Patriots didn't get to 77 points, but I was close. Based on how up-and-down the NFC has been AND how clustered together the AFC has been, this year I make no calls.
What sounds like complaining is actually eagerness.
I cannot remember a time where all 12 teams in the playoffs have a legimate chance to end up in Superbowl XLIV.
Although I'm not predicting, I know some of you are.
What are you thinking about the Vikings' chances?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Welcome to the Family
My pastor is kind enough to ask me to preach at my local congregation once in a while. It happens about two or three times a year. I like to think of it as the fill-in for the fill-in. In wrestling with Galatians for January 3rd, I was struck by the sequence in the first part of chapter 4.
Verses 1-3 = Human heritage (spiritually)
-- sin by nature and activity; bondage of the will
Verses 4-5a = Heavenly gift -- Jesus
-- True God and True Man
Verses 5b-7 = Heavenly heritage (in Christ)
-- His adoption, His Spirit, His inheritance
The picture of God's redemptive work through Jesus as His adoption of us is powerful to me. Without Christ, we are 100% helpless under the law. With Christ, we are 100% redeemed by His grace.
Is anyone else finding that the more I take ownership of my sin that the more sweet the grace of God in Jesus is?
Verses 1-3 = Human heritage (spiritually)
-- sin by nature and activity; bondage of the will
Verses 4-5a = Heavenly gift -- Jesus
-- True God and True Man
Verses 5b-7 = Heavenly heritage (in Christ)
-- His adoption, His Spirit, His inheritance
The picture of God's redemptive work through Jesus as His adoption of us is powerful to me. Without Christ, we are 100% helpless under the law. With Christ, we are 100% redeemed by His grace.
Is anyone else finding that the more I take ownership of my sin that the more sweet the grace of God in Jesus is?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Happy New Year Answer?
Yesterday I raised the tension between social networking and selfishness. It is more than blogging. Rick Warren, of Purpose Driven Life fame, once called Twitter "a narcissistic time waster", but now uses it regularly.
Where is the healthy Biblical stance between self-absorbed and self-control?
Motivation appears to be at the core. "Selfish ambition" is listed in the fruit of the flesh (the sinful nature) in Galatians 5:19-21. Then "self-control" is described as one of the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23.
God's grace enables us to see both our need to put the selfish desires to death (v. 24 and 26) and to place our footsteps in line with the Holy Spirit's leading.
How would I describe my motivation walking into 2010?
Where is the healthy Biblical stance between self-absorbed and self-control?
Motivation appears to be at the core. "Selfish ambition" is listed in the fruit of the flesh (the sinful nature) in Galatians 5:19-21. Then "self-control" is described as one of the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23.
God's grace enables us to see both our need to put the selfish desires to death (v. 24 and 26) and to place our footsteps in line with the Holy Spirit's leading.
How would I describe my motivation walking into 2010?
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Question?
Happy New Year!
My goal is to post one blog per day for all of 2010. Since I have only a teen-number of blogs to my name, it might not be attainable (as in A in SMART goals...I'll touch on that another day).
My lingering curiosity about blogging is how to be personally engaging without being totally self-absorbed. I can tell you all about my life or ministry -- the number of times in a day I deal with self-doubt or marvel at the grace of God in Jesus -- but even transparency can turn into selfishness.
My thought is by ending each post with a question, then I can truly demonstrate my genuine desire to interact on God's truth in all our lives. So what do you think?
P.S. Did I really start every paragraph with "my"?
My goal is to post one blog per day for all of 2010. Since I have only a teen-number of blogs to my name, it might not be attainable (as in A in SMART goals...I'll touch on that another day).
My lingering curiosity about blogging is how to be personally engaging without being totally self-absorbed. I can tell you all about my life or ministry -- the number of times in a day I deal with self-doubt or marvel at the grace of God in Jesus -- but even transparency can turn into selfishness.
My thought is by ending each post with a question, then I can truly demonstrate my genuine desire to interact on God's truth in all our lives. So what do you think?
P.S. Did I really start every paragraph with "my"?
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
459 Days Later
It has been 459 days.
459 days since I last blogged. It has been quite a road. I intended to mention around the end of December 2008 that I moved to part-time effective January 1, 2009. But being part-time...well...I had only so many hours that I could give to the YM department, so it seemed wise to let it go.
And let this blog go I did.
To all three of you still reading 459 days later I want to say, "Thank you!" Thank you for praying. Thank you for cheering on. Thank you for saying that encouraging youth leaders that share Jesus with teenagers is worth it.
The good news -- I will be returning to full-time on January 1, 2010. The Lord has provided. Jen and I are really grateful.
The bad news -- I have time to blog again. Your anti-donations can be sent to the number at the bottom of your screen. Call now!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Stop! In The Name of Love
It was a crisp, fall morning. The leaves were inching toward the change from green to auburn. As I turned the corner in my 1990 Buick, I found myself pulling up behind a school bus. The morning route was under way and I would get to follow for awhile.
The school bus was at a stop to pick up a reluctant student. The lights were flashing. The stop sign extended. The teenager stepped on and the bus took off down the road.
Two parts surprised me:
+ The warning lights stayed on.
+ The stop sign stayed extended.
"Maybe the next stop is just down the block," I thought. The bus gained speed down the street, past a new road, and continued on. Lights flashing. Stop sign slicing through the breeze.
My route led me to turn from trailing this interesting sight, so I glanced to take one last look. No change. Every vehicle this bus driver would meet for the next few blocks would force others to respond to a moving, flashing, stop sign.
As I readjusted my vision to the road, the thought came, "Do teenagers see me that way?"
Ouch.
Am I a moving, loud signal of STOP to the youth I minister to? Stop talking while the youth leader is talking. Stop being quiet during the Bible study discussion. Stop doing the "bad" things. Stop spending time with the "wrong" crowd. Stop...stop...STOP!
This blog is not about discipline. That has its place and needs to be a well-handled area in a healthy youth ministry, for the sake of the teens and the honor of the Lord.
This blog is about loving Jesus and loving teenagers. It's the great commandment (Matt. 22) and the great commission (Matt. 28). This blog is about communicating truth about sin with a tear of pain, and grace with a tear of hope. Because we know the reality of both.
A potential volunteer visiting a youth group was met at the door afterwards by the youth director. He asked her, "Tell me about your experience tonight." She looked him in the eyes and said, "I fell in love."
A little startled, he asked, "With who?"
"With ALL of them," came the reply.
How do you show Jesus' love to teens?
The school bus was at a stop to pick up a reluctant student. The lights were flashing. The stop sign extended. The teenager stepped on and the bus took off down the road.
Two parts surprised me:
+ The warning lights stayed on.
+ The stop sign stayed extended.
"Maybe the next stop is just down the block," I thought. The bus gained speed down the street, past a new road, and continued on. Lights flashing. Stop sign slicing through the breeze.
My route led me to turn from trailing this interesting sight, so I glanced to take one last look. No change. Every vehicle this bus driver would meet for the next few blocks would force others to respond to a moving, flashing, stop sign.
As I readjusted my vision to the road, the thought came, "Do teenagers see me that way?"
Ouch.
Am I a moving, loud signal of STOP to the youth I minister to? Stop talking while the youth leader is talking. Stop being quiet during the Bible study discussion. Stop doing the "bad" things. Stop spending time with the "wrong" crowd. Stop...stop...STOP!
This blog is not about discipline. That has its place and needs to be a well-handled area in a healthy youth ministry, for the sake of the teens and the honor of the Lord.
This blog is about loving Jesus and loving teenagers. It's the great commandment (Matt. 22) and the great commission (Matt. 28). This blog is about communicating truth about sin with a tear of pain, and grace with a tear of hope. Because we know the reality of both.
A potential volunteer visiting a youth group was met at the door afterwards by the youth director. He asked her, "Tell me about your experience tonight." She looked him in the eyes and said, "I fell in love."
A little startled, he asked, "With who?"
"With ALL of them," came the reply.
How do you show Jesus' love to teens?
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
5Ws and How: Parts III-VI
This "Catch Up" blog is brought to you by Heinz...
In the midst of summer vacation, (why do those words go together again?!?), I have stopped in some of the following exciting American cities:
In the midst of summer vacation, (why do those words go together again?!?), I have stopped in some of the following exciting American cities:
* Ames, IA
* Blue Springs, MO
* Blue Springs, MO
* Belle Plain, KS
* Caddo, OK
* Galveston, TX - the beach is beautiful
* Joplin, MO
* Galveston, TX - the beach is beautiful
* Joplin, MO
* Rowena, SD
* Fairmont, MN
...but before I can blog on all that good stuff. I'm helplessly behind again. I loathe leaving items unfinished, so here is my "catch up" on the series I started earlier:
WHERE Is The Best Place To Stay In Cataract, Wisconsin?
Yes, you will have your choice of 13 luxury hotels in this lovely community, but do not fall for them. The only 5-Star place "Life, Liberty & the Pursuit" endorses is the Unverzagt Bed & Breakfast. We had a blast staying with Pastor Jonathan and Hope and fam.
What were the totals again? 4 Adults and 14 Children...no, 15 Kids. It didn't seem like that many. It was great to share with the Christ Is Lord Church family. I love that your name reflects your approach to understanding Jesus.
Your choice in youth directors...well, we can visit more about that later. What am I to say? Daniel's one of my best friends.
5Ws...Part IV
WHEN To Start Looking For A Youth Director?
Today.
I suppose I should expand on that. Over the first 12 months in the position, I notice that numbers of students in a certain age group often push a congregation to make the leap to pursue a youth director. That's understandable. I am just wondering since the majority of the 33 million American teenagers are NOT connected to a local Bible-believing, Jesus-preaching church, when will that number push us to do something?
5Ws...Part V
WHO To Visit When You Travel To The Ukraine?5Ws...Part V
In my office this spring, I had Pastor Tomasz Chmiel (EEMN Missionary to Ukraine) and Pastor Alexander Gross (German Lutheran Church in Ukraine). It was an tremendous time to share about what the Lord is doing in today's teens in different parts of the globe. Tomasz and his wife Miriam have recently returned to eastern Europe after being in Mpls. Here's their website -- http://www.chmiels.com/.
5Ws...Part VI
WHAT To Do When An Infant About To Be Baptized Spits Up?
It was my pleasure to baptize the third child of a couple that I knew in Fergus. I had been asked to baptize child #1 and child #2 during our years there, so when the request came for child #3, we were ready to go. The private ceremony was warm and informal. After reading the powerful Scriptures about our sin nature and Jesus' promise, the child promptly deposited some liquid on mom. Burp rag in place, neither mom nor child were marked by it. I turned to those assembled and said, "In some ways, that response is so appropriate. We are guilty of our sin. It is right there -- mess and all. By God's Word, we need Jesus to clean us up. It is all of Him!" With that the child received the grace promised through being grafted into Christ.
Next time, I'll move on to something actually from summer.
I can't remember...is it 'catsup' or 'ketchup'?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
