UNCW 4 MICH ST. 3 RECOVERED FOUL BALLS 1

My son officially got his first foul ball at a baseball game. It was great to see him scramble for it as it sailed over the bleachers, and nearly into the backseat of my Nissan. The catcher was gracious enough to get the entire team to sign it. Way to go Jacob!

God's Heart for Students Pt. 2

Today's been a banner day for student ministry in my life. No throngs of students flocking to the altar, no multi-thousand dollar events drawing huge numbers...Just conversations with at least 20 different individuals at different times during the day that revolved around the simplicity of the important, rather than the tyranny of the urgent.

What was so important in the conversations with those students? For today, I've seen an incredible realness not often seen so jam packed in any 24 hour period. Talk of pursuing God and living life for Christ by being the church rather than in one...Talk of repenting of sin (It's great to hear that word acknowledged by students, sometimes hard to pick out against the great backdrop of noise)...Talk of purity in a time of students living life like everybody else...Talk of motivating others to honor Jesus by not living two faced lives.

You want to know the crazy part? The above description comes not from my mind, but nearly quoted verbatim from all the real, deep, heart pouring out conversations I've had today with middle schoolers and high schoolers and college age students. Funny how all that happened in one day.

It's just an amazing reminder to me of God's heart for students.

God's Heart For Students

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deut. 6:7

Raising an incredible teenager who is on fire for Christ begins before they become a teen. Why then are so many students coming through the doors of student ministries all across the U.S. and leaving with an a la carte mentality of God and the church? Take what you like, leave what you don't like.

Could it be that we as parents have neglected the heart of the Greatest Commandment? To obey God fully, and to PASS IT ON to the next generation? The word "diligently" stands out in my mind in the above verse, and the fact that passing on this devotion to God happens not once a week at a student ministry program, but everyday as the parent walks with their child and lives life through the lens of God's Word.

Conversations about God. Conversations about right and wrong. Celebration of victories won. Correction to make the way straight. Such an attitude and discipline in the family (my own included) helps this youth pastor equip students the way God intended.

Life Is Short

I had a reminder recently of the shortness of my own life. Call it a medical check up if you will, but the results pleased me nonetheless! I see why some have a more care-free attitude towards life, and some care WAY too much. I'm in the latter category a lot, meaning that I sometimes fuss over the trivial, and neglect what really matters. Here's several realities I'll never get away from, and that should drive me to think about my life radically different:

1. People can love me incredibly and hurt me deeply, yet I can respond in a way that will either weigh me or others down, or make my life and theirs a breath of fresh air.

2. Every breath is a gift from my Creator. That breath is either wasted or cashed in on accomplishing God's plan for this planet.

3. I'm here less for me and mostly for other people. Selfishness can drain my wallet, my time, and my worship.

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:31-34

Better get busy dying to self, 'cause I see more and more there's a lot of me to die to, and so much in Christ to live for.

Fearing We'll Blow It For Wilmington

In our vision to reach Wilmington in an "out of the box" way, many issues have been brought to the table, prayerfully and with much wisdom and concern. In finding the right time, the right place, the right "way" to do it, Steven Furtick's church is also experiencing similar issues. I remind the reader, we're not them, but we are a part of God's plan. Check out his thoughts:

Fearing failure

Some people teach that we should never be afraid of failure.
That’s bad advice. Fear of failure can be a great ally.
But only at the right times, and only for the right reasons.

1. The right reasons
It’s a good thing to fear failure because of potential harmful repercussions.
But it’s never okay to fear failure because you’re scared to be embarrassed.

Example of a good reason to fear failure:
If we spend 3 million dollars to purchase this land, and it’s in the wrong location, or it straps us with an enormous debt load, we’re screwed. A mistake here could severely limit what God can do through our church over the next few years.

This fear of failure indicates prudence, forethought, and systematic thinking-
All productive qualities.

Example of a bad reason to fear failure:
If this doesn’t work out, we’re going to look stupid.
This variety of fear reflects pride, self-regard, and an unhealthy obsession with making sure you look good.

2. The right times
Fear of failure is most useful on the front end of a decision. At this point, the fear can drive you to analyze thoroughly, debate vigorously, and pray fervently. Fear can serve as a reflex to remind us how completely dependent we are on the hand of God.

But once you’ve made a decision, fear of failure can do more harm than good if you don’t regulate it. Worry gets in the way of active, faith filled prayer and response.

Fear failure. At the right times. For the right reasons.

So for the Blend, it's not about fear of failure, but rather prayerfully considering the steps to get to the fulfillment of a God-sized vision. We're on our knees and we've locked arms and are moving forward and hanging on for God's blessing. People are excited and pumped! And they are drawn and that is so incredible. Opening day at the Blend will be a God-sized event indeed! I'm hangin on with faith because I trust in a God who cares so much for every community of believers, and wants us as a united Body to continue advancing His Kingdom!

Way of Life

We're continuing in our "Life Together" series and had a great insight by Pat tonight. The Greatest commandment, and the second greatest are essentially a "way of life." That's the phrase he coined, and it's so true. The Law and the Prophets, being summed up by those two commandments, which weren't a part of the 10 commandments we think of, but were commandments nonetheless. It comes from Matthew 22:37-38. So the way of life Jesus is getting at is to love God with all your being, and love others. You can't do one without doing the other. It's the "way life" God calls us to!

Student Video

Hangin With The Fellas!

Guys' "Small" Group

Had a great first night of small group! Excited about these guys and what God's going to do with them! I appreciate their passion and honesty so much! These fellas don't play!

The Beach Boys

Ok, the title's a little cheesy, but I'm a fan nonetheless, thanks to my dad's crazy insistence on those "Quality Times" he had with my sis and I singing into whatever makeshift microphone we could find. Fun times.

Today was a day of rest, worship, and inspiration for sure! My pastor rightly used the phrase, "get the lead out of your bottom" today, and it may very well be the phrase most take away and stick with.

Our stroll down Wrightsville Beach helped us recap the day, laugh, pray and just enjoy the beautiful weather this area is known for.

You Need This

A friend posted a video on FB with this song, and I had forgotten about it's message. Thought I'd repost it here. We all come to a place in our lives when we need a shoulder. Perhaps you've been that shoulder to someone, perhaps you'll need one. The greatest comfort comes from knowing that Christ ultimately is the one whom we rest in and lean on.



And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6b)

7 Practices of Effective Ministry - DNA pt 7

The last point of being effective in ministry is found in an exercise that many are doing just this day. Being a Monday Morning Quarterback. You know what we do, we evaluate what's effective and what's not effective. What worked in the game and what didn't work.

What was the one thing that prevented the Cardinals from winning? Perusing over the news outlets and talking heads, and recalling the game in my own mind, the answer was not just one thing, but many. Penalties, a not-so-together defense when it mattered early on, a last minute touchdown by Santonio Homes made all the Cardinal's effort to get to that point seem like a moot point.

In churches, evaluation is important. Allowing time for evaluation is also important. Whether it's in the game or afterwards, you adjust and make the goal possible by evaluation.

In our student ministry, I ask our team at our meetings after our main Wednesday night program, what their perspective was on all the different aspects of the night. We dissect it. We take the great things out of the night, and the things that perhaps need adjustment. Our pastor does this with our church as well. But we can't do it if we don't do it. Make sense? In order to be effective, you have to work on it. You have to "effect" what you want to be effective at.

Nobody's going to "get" church exactly right. We're broken. But we can evaluate how effective we are in ministry, and seek to have the greatest impact by doing so.