Junior High Sunday Service Wrap Up

Attendance: Above Average
Lesson Topic: Pursuing God – by finding your purpose
‘Fun Factor’:  Average
Volunteer Involvement: Average
Music: Above Average
Lesson Quality: Above Average
Length of Lesson: Not sure….
Student Response: Above Average 

This weekend, Brody brought the lesson and Mike and his worship rocked the gathering. It truly ws a celebration…great worship, laughs, hearing how god is at work in our student lives and even communion! Next week, we have Steve Huhn…youth ministry guru sharing from Hebrews 12…and we have a special guest that I can’t mention because if I did it wouldn’t be special anymore.

Keep in mind that Reverse is quickly approaching …for more information check the link!

RELOADED….jr high retreat is also quickly approaching!!  It all takes place on October 24th – 26th…get your registrations forms in soon – it’s filling up FAST!!

In Word, Quiet and Action

Luke 7:6 So Jesus went with them. When Jesus wasn’t far from the house, the officer sent some friends to tell him, “Lord, don’t go to any trouble for me! I am not good enough for you to come into my house. 7 And I am certainly not worthy to come to you. Just say the word, and my servant will get well. 8 I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.”

7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “In all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith!”

13 When the Lord saw the woman, he felt sorry for her and said, “Don’t cry!”

14 Jesus went over and touched the stretcher on which the people were carrying the dead boy. They stopped, and Jesus said, “Young man, get up!” 

37 When a sinful woman in that town found out that Jesus was there, she bought an expensive bottle of perfume. 38 Then she came and stood behind Jesus. She cried and started washing his feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. The woman kissed his feet and poured the perfume on them.

I love the way Jesus responded to those in need! There wasn’t simply one way to get his attention….he saw their hearts – he knew their motives and because of their faith he responded in love. The army officer had faith that it would simply take Jesus “saying the word” and his servant would be healed. This man had the faith to verbalize his need and Jesus responded by instantaneously healing his servant. The grieving widow had no words….but the expression on her face spoke volumes. Jesus could have easily passed her by….but he reached out to her with words of comfort. There was no need for him to physically touch her son…he simply touched the stretcher and the boy came back to life. Finally came the prostitute…her words were her tears….a heart broken by many years of pain and hardship. This woman who had been marginalized by her friends , family and strangers for many years…came to Jesus on this particular day and she gave all she had. It was her actions….along with her open heart that set her free… 3 incredible examples of faith at work…through words, through silence and sacrificial giving

The Goal of Silence and Total Surrender

“Then he (Elijah) was told, Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by. A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasnt in the wind, after the wind an earthquake, but God wasnt in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasnt in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.” –  1 Kings 19: 11-12.The Message.

I’m drowning….no not in water…but by the busyness of the start of a new ministry year.  Our theme for the first four months in our junior high ministry centers around “PURSUING GOD”.  I really don’t feel like I’m doing a very good job in pursuing God in my own life…so how do I challenge as group of grade 7 students and their leaders and families to do the same?

The answer to this question is going to hit me hard in the next few days!  I am aware that our grade 8 pastor (Brody…coolest due ever!) is going to be sharing about cutting out the noise in our lives. The fact is…is that noise can be both good and bad. As Im writing this I’m sitting in my office…contemplating many ministry initiatives while listening to Starfield blaring in my ear…so you get the idea of good and bad noise. It’s easy to beat ourselves up…and think somehow because we are bombarded with noise that God is somehow disappointed with us.  I believe that even in the midst of the craziness…He loves us passionately… God is proud of us. He loves us and wants the best for us.

In recently hearing Phil Vischer (The Co-creator of Veggie Tales)he states that It was “more about God and me than my Big Idea”. That vision was more based on revelation than on purpose statements. When people dont depend upon God the vision ceases. Proverbs 29:18a says,”Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.”

As we start this new school year… may we be people of revelation, basing that revelation on Gods Word and listening to Gods noise rather than our own. God is the audience we are to be pleasing.

You and the You Version

For years I have tried to discipline myself to dive into the word of God.  There are no excuses for my lack of discipline…yes I’m busy…yes my life is full of many great things!  So what!!  Spending time in the Bible is likely the “greatest” thing I can do with my life!  Why?  because out of it’s wisdom, knowledge, and power…it equips me to be who God is calling me to be!  There have been points in my life where i won’t even know where I have put my Bible because I haven’t opened up for weeks – and that’s when the frustration begins to mount and the masks I have created begin to crumble.

So here is what I am doing about it and I am going to challenge you to do the same!  The best brother in-law in the world happens to be mine..and his name is Brad.  In passing one day he mentioned this online version of the Bible called You Version.  I quickly loaded the page and was blown away by what I had found.  Instead of sharing the lengthy details – my challenge to you is to encourage you to make your way to the sight and explore it.  Not only is it a place to read..but it’s a place to journal your thoughts and it provides a community of learning that I have never experienced before!  Starting this Monday and then every other Monday…I will be sharing what I am learning though going through this one year adventure of reading the entire Bible….why don’t you join me?

Stories from Sbucks…The Way I See It #198

“You can shower a child with presents or money, but what do they really mean, compared to the most valuable gift of all – your time?  Vacations and special events are nice, but so often the best moments are the spontaneous ones.  Being there. Every moment you spend with your child could be the none that really matters.”  Tim Russert (journalist)

What great words of wisdom from a man who not just penned these words but truly lived them out.  On June 13th, 2008 Tim Russert left this world but in doing so he had left his mark in this world.  There is no doubt that Tim had a brilliant mind and that he knew a great deal about politics and how to do the big interviews.  But far more important – he knew how to find the teachable  oments in his life when it came to his family and particularly his son.

 In many ways I am still learning this lesson with my own boys.  Presents are great!  I love to give gifts to my boys…to see there faces light up when they receive something new.  Something deep inside of them says, “My dad cares about me – he loves me.”  I am learning though that the greatest gift I can give my boys is my Presence…just being there….doing life together.  Hanging out with them at home, shooting hoops in the driveway, throwing the football in the backyard, sitting on the sidelines at their football games, coaching their basketball team…these are the significant moments…at least that’s the way I see it!