Monday Morning Randomness (I’m Back!!)
Here it is (after a three week hiatus)… crank that inner workings of a youth minister.
My Weekend Recap: I’m done! This morning, I turned in my final paper for my first class in seminary. As liberating as it is to know that the class is now behind me, it just means that I have to start prepping for the next 3 classes (all this summer) that begin on June 7. In other news, we had a great Mother’s Day celebration today and my wife also celebrated 6 years of marriage. We went to dinner at Chops on Friday night. We had a gift card that made it possible. For a 20 oz. steak, green beans and mashed potatoes, it was $100. But it was one of the best steaks I have ever had. If anyone wants to send another gift certificate, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll give you the address.
This upcoming week: This week is going to be awesome. For the first time in 12 weeks, I don’t have a class to worry about. We are done with our Wednesday night Bible study classes and this Sunday is Senior Recognition Sunday. I will be making a video and trying to get a jump on some summer stuff. Thursday, I will be over at Roswell UMC for a youth leader training. Looking forward to spending the morning and early afternoon with some good friends.
Of course, Wednesday night is the season finale of LOST! THREE HOURS OF LOST! I can’t wait!
To Do List: Over the next 4 weeks, I have 4 books to read. I’ll also be using this time to work on some stuff around the house and get ready for my mission trip to Honduras.
Not looking forward to: June 7. That’s when the summer classes start. June is a crazy month with 2 weeks in Florida (one is for vacation; the other is for a class) and one week in Honduras. That means I have to do a lot of reading before June 7. And it is not pleasure reading…it is on Christian Ethics!
Book I’m currently reading: Just finished reading Refuel by Doug Fields. I’m hoping to also get in Youth Ministry 3.0 by Mark Oestreicher at some time this week. Other than that, I will be reading The Pastor as Moral Guide.
Recent Music Addiction: I’ve been enjoying a good assortment of music recently. Mostly the upbeat rock music! Broke out some old Third Day, DecembeRadio, U2, Steve Miller Band and Queen. Also been enjoying some country recently: Big and Rich, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Toby Keith and the Zac Brown Band.
Attitude Right Now: Refreshed! This really was a great weekend and I am looking forward to the upcoming weeks. Should be a lot of fun.
Have a great week!
Understanding the Dangers of “Sexting”
If you have been paying attention to the news recently, you have no doubt heard about “sexting”. According to urbandictionary.com, the most popular definition of sexting is “the act of text messaging someone in the hopes of having a sexual encounter with them later; initially casual, transitioning into highly suggestive and even sexually explicit”. The reality is that this growing trend is becoming very popular amongst teenagers today who feel they can push the limits without getting caught.
In our community, there are a lot of kids with a great deal of freedoms when it comes to their cell phones. Many of these kids do not realize the dangers of what they are doing and that, if caught, they could be convicted as a sex offender. Reader’s Digest recently published an article written by a mom whose 7 year old son was caught sexting. The following are some stats shared by Jim Burns at Homeword:
- The cell phone will be the greatest distributor of pornography for kids before the year 2011.
- “Sexting” is the new craze reported CBS news last week. 1 out of 5 kids have received an unwanted text photo of someone naked on their cell phone.
- Today there are at least 25 different Sexually Transmitted Diseases people can catch. Time magazine reported: of the young people who are sexually active, they will have 7 different partners by age 25. One out of five has a sexually transmitted disease.
As parents, we encourage you to follow up with your kids and have the tough conversations. Studies have shown that the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, the area responsible for impulse-control, judgment, decision-making, planning, and organization and involved in other functions like emotion does not reach full maturity until the age of 25. This means that your kids, no matter how smart they are, are still figuring out how to make wise decisions. Don’t be afraid to be their parent. They need their parents, not another friend.
For more information on Sexting:
Sexting: A Parents Guide to Keeping Your Kids Safe (crosswalk.com)
“Sexting” Shockingly Common Among Teens (cbsnews.com)
The Latest Cellphone Use: Sexting (Center for Parent/Youth Understanding)
Monday Morning Randomness
Here it is (after a two week hiatus)…the inner workings of a youth minister.
My Weekend Recap: How about the two week recap (I’ll keep it brief)! Two weeks ago, I got the opportunity to go to the Master’s Practice Round at Augusta National Golf Club. It was amazing! I had never been before and the TV does not do justice. I have never seen anything so green before in my life. Holy Week went well; I have the message at two services at our church that week and we had a couple of kids who participated in our Spring Break/Holy Week activities. The best part of the week was when we took 19 downtown for Church on the Street. After fasting for just over 2 days leading up to Easter, I was very excited on Easter morning. This year was one of my best years spiritually leading up to Easter. I was really able to put a lot of things in perspective. This past week, I had jury duty and no power for two days. There is part of me that would have liked to have been picked for the jury, but I found out that the courts will never take someone who works at a church (according to a lady in the jury box with me). This thought really upsets me. Other than that, I spent the rest of the week reading. This was an excruciatingly long week for class.
This upcoming week: This Wednesday, we are getting into the meat of our Revelation study with our high school students. Thursday brings a youth worker lunch to Simpsonwood and Church on the Street. Sunday is our Honduras team meeting. Other than that, this is kind of a mellow week. No meetings…No new LOST…Light week for class (so far!).
To Do List: I need to find some time to do work in our yard, but the weather is beginning to drive me nuts. While I’m excited to finally be getting the rain, it makes it very difficult to do much in the yard. At church this week, I will be putting some of the finishing touches on our youth center in the FLC (finally, after a year and a half). I’m also hoping to get a jump on my reading for next week in school.
Not looking forward to: The end of the semester. While it will be rewarding to have completed the class. There is a lot to do between now and then. I have to do a research project on homelessness and write a paper for my final. We are also in that time of the year where we are closing out this school year, planning for summer, and looking ahead to the fall. All of that equals stress and I usually end up feeling inept and beat down.
Book I’m currently reading: Finished The Next Christendom by Philip Jenkins. It was a good book, but a lot of information and difficult to read at times. I also read Tribes by Seth Godin and thought it was a good book. I’m in the middle of unChristian, but probably won’t be able to finish that for a couple of weeks. So far, it is a great book that really makes you think about what Christianity is and what it should be.
Recent Music Addiction: I tabled the Tenth Avenue North CD when they told me they were not going to be doing our concert. I have recently been listening to Purrington, a band that one of my colleagues plays in. They have some good music and will be releasing their first EP soon (hopefully). My favorite is “Come to Thee”.
Attitude Right Now: Tired. I was up half of the night watching the weather and waiting to see if I was going to have to move the family to the laundry room. Lots of lightning and thunder, but fortunately, no tornadoes for us.
Have a great week!
Flutter- The New Twitter
Have you found that Twitter is becoming too common? Do you get frustrated with the the long posts of 140 characters? Check out the new Flutter. It’s nano-blogging…
“He Is Risen!” (Mark 16)
“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.” – Mark 16:5-6
Scripture: Mark 16
Question of the Day: What can you do to spread the gospel of Christ?
Devotion: HALLELUJAH! HE IS RISEN! Jesus Christ did as he said and conquered death! This should be reason to shout from the rooftops. But on the morning the women approached the tomb, they see the angel who tells them that Jesus is not there and sends them to tell the disciples. But Mark tells us that the women were afraid.
Although it is not recorded in Mark, we know from other accounts in the Gospels that the women did return to tell the disciples what had happened and no one believed them. During these times, women did not have much of a voice in the church. But, during the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus, his disciples had scattered while the women remained at the foot of the cross and witnessed the burial. Additionally, they showed up with spices for his body (a symbol of love). These women did everything they could possibly do to for Christ. As such, their devotion and diligence was rewarded when they were the first to witness the Resurrection.
Today is a day of celebration! As Christ followers, we know that our Lord and Savior is capable of conquering death. There is nothing that can hold Him back. We could all learn something from the women at the tomb: Instead of focusing on what we cannot do for Christ, we should turn our attention to what we can do for Christ. Glory Hallelujah!
Song: Hallelujah- Newsboys
“Who’s Following You?” (Mark 15:42-47)
“So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.” – Mark 15:42-43
Scripture: Mark 15: 42-47
Question of the Day:
Are you willing to risk your reputation to be a follower of Christ?
Devotion: Every day, we see people who depend on their reputations. Political leaders, athletes, teachers, church leaders, friends and even parents. Reputation is an important part of our world and our life. A good reputation can get you very far and a bad reputation can set you apart from society. Everyone wants a good reputation and no one wants to be the guy with the bad one.
Joseph of Arimathea had a reputation as well. He was a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Land of Israel who claimed powers that lesser Jewish courts did not have. The Sanhedrin were the only ones who could try the king, extend the boundaries of the Temple and Jerusalem, and were the ones to whom all questions of law were finally put. But there some members, like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who were secretly followers of Christ. Joseph knew that the Jewish law prohibited any work being done on the Sabbath. It was also against Jewish law to let a body remain exposed overnight (Deuteronomy 21:23). If Joseph had not “boldly” asked Pilate for the body when he did, the Romans would have taken Jesus’ body, no Jews could have confirmed his death leading to great opposition against the resurrection. Joseph risked his reputation as a Jewish leader to be a Christ follower. Ironically, his reputation was forever sealed in the minds of other Christ followers, unlike other members of the Sanhedrin.
How important is your reputation to you?
Are you willing to let your reputation get in the way of being a Christ follower?
What can you do to “boldly” proclaim your faith?
Song: Sweetly Broken- Jeremy Riddle
“Carry My Cross” (Mark 15:21-32)
“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” – Mark 15:21
Scripture: Mark 15: 21-32
Question of the Day:
Are you someone whose actions reflect your beliefs or do you follow the crowd?
Devotion: It had to have been frustrating for Jesus to have seen so many in the crowd who “hurled insults at him, shaking their heads” (Mark 15:29). These were the same people that he had been ministering to for 3 years. He lived among them, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead, and turned water into wine. But now, in his darkest hour, the crowds had turned. Part of this is due to the fact that his disciples were hiding and afraid to speak out. But the majority of those at Golgotha were people who had heard his parables, seen his miracles and now hurled insults at him. Many of them wanted Jesus to perform another miracle and remove himself from the cross. They didn’t want to believe in someone who apparently could not save himself.
And then there was Simon of Cyrene and his two sons, Alexander and Rufus. Simon and his family had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from Cyrene in North Africa. Simon was chosen out of the crowd to carry the cross of Jesus. He walked alongside Jesus all the way up to Golgotha. He witnessed, as an outsider to Jerusalem, the way that the people had turned on him. So whatever happened to Simon? In Romans 16:13, Paul references Simon’s son, Rufus, as a leader in the New Testament church. Apparently Simon’s walk with Christ had a big impact on his family.
Do your actions reflect your beliefs or do you just follow the crowd?
Have you ever had to make a decision that was unpopular with your friends? What was the outcome?
If you are forced to do something that is widely unpopular, do you allow the attitudes of others to reflect your attitude?
Song: Carry My Cross- Third Day
“My Sacrifice” (Mark 14:66-72)
“Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.” – Mark 14:72
Scripture: Mark 14: 66-72
Question of the Day:
Are you willing to put your life on the line for Christ?
Devotion: On the afternoon of April 20, 1999, our country was stunned as two gunmen entered Colombine High School outside of Denver, CO, and gunned down 34 students and 32 students and 2 teachers (killing 13 total) before turning the guns on themselves. One of the students who were murdered that day was Cassie Bernall, a 17 year old student. Cassie was made famous after the shooting for being challenged at gun point about her belief in God. When one of the gun men asked her: “Do you believe in God?” Cassie responded “Yes,” and he pulled the trigger.
We live in a world where faith is easy. We are not persecuted for our faith and we are not being killed for our faith. Most Americans claim to be Christian, and so we are able to be considered “normal” for having a faith. But this was not the case for Cassie Berdall and it was not the case for Peter that night in the courtyard of Caiaphas. It is easy for us to read this story and feel like Peter was a disappointment. But we should consider what we would have done in his situation. Would you have been able to stand up for your faith in an environment that belief in God was not acceptable? If you knew that belief in God would cost you your life, would you still be able to declare your beliefs as strongly as you do today?
Remember, Peter’s story did not end that night before the Crucifixion. Peter became a strong apostle for the New Testament church and preached about the love and forgiveness of Christ to everyone he encountered. He was one of the first preachers to the crowd after Pentecost and went on to perform many miracles. There is an old cliché that says “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” For Peter, his denial led to a stronger belief in Christ and he went on to do great things.
Have you ever felt that you were not comfortable expressing your faith?
Do you feel you would be able to profess your faith if you knew your life depended on it?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we know that we have denied you by our actions at times. We ask that you help us to find the strength to persevere and stand up for our faith. You have given us so much and ask for so little in return. We love you and we thank you for this gift of salvation you have given us.
Song: What if I Stumble- dcTalk
“Communion” (Mark 14:12-26)
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many…” – Mark 14:24
Scripture: Mark 14:12-26 How do you prepare yourself for an encounter with God?
Question of the Day:
Devotion: Passover is a time in Jewish culture that celebrates the God passing over the Israelites while they were in Egypt (Exodus 12:1-11). God had told Moses that he would kill off all the first-born in Egypt, but by sacrificing a lamb and placing the blood on their doorposts, He would pass over the Israelites houses and spare their first-born. The Israelites did as they were instructed and celebrated this occurrence with a festival (The Feast of Unleavened Bread) every year that followed.
Jesus took two traditional parts of the Passover meal, the passing of bread and the drinking of wine, and gave them new meaning as representations of his body and blood. He used the bread and the wine to explain the significance of what He was about to do on the cross.
As you prepare to take the Last Supper, what kind of preparations are you making?
What makes you most thankful about the sacrifice that Jesus made for you?
Prayer: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:10-12)
Song: Nothing But the Blood- Passion05
“It’s All About Love” (Mark 12:28-34)
“’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:31
Scripture: Mark 12: 28-34 What is the kingdom of God?
Question of the Day:
Devotion: By the time of Jesus, the Jewish people had accumulated 613 laws. Here we see that Jesus is asked by “one of the teachers of the law” which of the laws was most important. Jesus’ response points directly to the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) and the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The Shema was an old Jewish prayer that every Jewish would have learned in that time. It was similar to our Apostle’s Creed and Lord’s Prayer that we learn during Confirmation. Jesus also sums up the Ten Commandments with his response. He breaks down the first four as “Love the Lord your God…” and the last six as “Love your neighbor…” By using the Ten Commandments and the Shema, Jesus taught them that every other law and command could be summed up under these two commandments.
After answering the question, the teacher of the law points out that these two commandments are “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Jesus tells the teacher, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” The kingdom of God is something that we can find only by following these two commandments. When we “Love the Lord our God” and “Love our neighbor as ourself,” we find that we are not just witnessing the kingdom of God, but that we are also sharing the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is here and now and it is for everyone.
What have you done recently to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”?
What have you done recently to “Love your neighbor as yourself”?
Do you feel closer to the kingdom of God when you obey these two commandments? Why or why not?
Prayer: Almighty God, open our eyes to see you in our neighbor. I know that you want me to love you and to love my neighbor. Help me to understand how to love. Soften my heart so that others may see you in me. Amen.
Practice: Perform an act of kindness for someone today (preferably without them knowing). Share with someone how it made you feel to do something for someone else.
Song: Love Is Here- Tenth Avenue North
YMNews.com
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- Peter the Magnificent. (Deep Thoughts by Gman) March 8, 2010
- The Best 5 Minutes of Your Life... (Life on Life) March 8, 2010
- Effective Communication (Life on Life) March 8, 2010
- Time Out: The race to burn out in ministry (Life in Student Ministry) March 8, 2010
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