Author Archives:
Every Family Needs One of These
Is it really a right?
Have you seen the Sprint commercial below for the iphone5 which at the ends states:
“I need to upload all of me. I need, no, I have the right to be unlimited.”
Marketers spend a lot of time and money researching their target audience’ values in order to sell their product. I find it interesting that they chose to describe uploading as a “need” and being unlimited as a “right”. Is uploading really a need? Are unlimited data plans really a human right? Read the rest of this entry
Talking to Students about Same-Sex Attraction
[UPDATED April20,2013]
It was about 12 years ago that I first talked to students about homosexuality. I used a “Jigsaw Genius” approach that evening. I broke students up into the four different groups. They went to four different rooms where one of our adults took 15 minutes to address one aspect of the lesson that evening.
Students then came back into small groups and shared what they had heard. This gave each student something to contribute to the conversation. Some great dialogues came out of that evening. At the time, I didn’t know of any other youth pastor in our town that was talking about the issue.
But, I made a terrible mistake that evening. Read the rest of this entry
Equipping Students for Evangelism
Being disciples that make disciples that make disciples who also go on to make disciples requires intentionality, equipping, and the alongside support of other disciplemakers.
This is why I love this video from Jason Lamb from Grace Fellowship Church in Johnson City, TN.
Find a Tool!
First, it informs us of a great little resource to help put in the hands of students to help them share the gospel with their friends. I love helpful tools. Read the rest of this entry
Disciplemaking is Imitation
Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
Disciplemaking is not just about a body of teaching. Disicplemaking is about a way of life.
You can’t pass a way of life onto a crowd. Therefore, preaching and teaching alone will never make disciples.
Our disciplemaking deficiency in the American church is not a problem of lack of information. It is a lack of imitation. Read the rest of this entry
5 Questions You Must Answer About Homosexuality
When it comes to the issue of homosexuality I think that youth workers and church leaders need to seriously think through five key questions:
1. Do you have a solid handle of God’s unchanging Word amidst this ever-changing culture?
I have found that the most helpful place for one to start in engaging this issue is not by speaking but instead by closing our mouths and personally opening up our Bibles to listen first to God’s voice. We need need to hear gaze again upon God’s grand vision for sexuality and marriage not simply His prohibition of homosexuality. From within purpose and meaning of God’s created design for sexuality and marriage that we then need to review the primary texts on homosexuality. Then from a place of conviction we enter into conversations and friendships with a posture of humility and compassion. [Update May 2, 2013: Wayne Grudem wrote the section on “Biblical Ethics: An Overview – Homosexuality” for the ESV Study Bible. This stand-alone, downloadable resource is an extremely helpful biblical and theological statement on homosexuality.]
2. How will I equip students to think about this issue from a biblical worldview?
I’ve asked almost every group of youth workers I’ve been with in the last month if and how they have addressed the issue of homosexuality with their group. I would say 80% or more have said they have not addressed it.
The culture and media is talking about it left and right. I think I would go as far as to say that being silent is irresponsible. Read the rest of this entry
Hyperconnected Teens: Good or Bad?
Technology experts are almost evenly split when asked about the positive and negative influences of hyperconnectivity on the younger generation.
Information provided by: InternetProvider.org
No matter which side of the fence you land on, what do you see as the implications for parents, youth workers and churches?
Are You A Spiritual Leader?
Henry Blackaby wrote a great book called Spiritual Leadership that I read years ago. Many define leadership as influence. Blackaby defines spiritual leadership differently. His definition, in short, is “moving people onto God’s agenda”.
In recent days I have found myself praying for God to help me not only be a leader but to be a spiritual leader who is moving people onto His agenda. This is a humbling prayer as it calls me to remember that I must then draw near to the heart of God, seek His face, respond courageously and obediently to His leading. Ultimately, it means that I must allow myself to be led.
As I read Joshua 1-8 today I saw 10 leadership principles that I want to see more fully developed in my own life and pray will also be true of vocational and volunteer leaders serving in Student Ministry across the country. Read the rest of this entry
