I appreciate my Pastor leaving a comment concerning “is a church service the best introduction for lost teenagers”. I agree with him totally and if I didn’t I would not post it on a blog If I disagreed I would go into his office and tell him. Not because I am so knowledgeable or arrogant but because he encourages it. I can tell anything I think.. as long as I am willing to allow the Word of God to be the final authority. He is a great pastor to work for.. and an even better friend to have.

Even though I believe we should do everything we can to get lost teenagers to the church services because we are given the job to teach them the gospel not just flash them with it, I am going to try do something. 

1. I want to encourage the teens to hang out in the youth room after services so teenagers who just come to a service can be velcroed to  some other teens.

2. Make sure they meet the pastor before the service, if at all possible. Then when they hear him speak they will see him as a friendly guy who is their friend.

3. I will continue to get the teens to sit together so they will see that there our other teens.

4. Have teens invite them to our next teen activity and give them info on what we are up to.

The chamber of commerce meeting was called to order. After the reception of new members and the introduction of visitors, the chairman asked who of those present represented the oldest company in the community. A young man in the back of the room hesitated a moment, then arose and said: “I believe I do, sir. I am a minister of the gospel. The company I represent was founded some 2,000 years ago. And I am happy to say that it is still flourishing.” His announcement was greeted with applause, for none of those present was inclined to contradict him. He did, indeed, represent “the oldest company” in the community.

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I do not put all my devotions on this blog. I have another blog for that. However, todays reading and application seem to be directed toward Trent the Youth Pastor and not just Trent the husband, son, friend, or child of God.

I Kings 12 tells the story of Rehoboam trying to maintain control of the kingdom after his father Solomon.

“Cooler” advice is not always better. 

The people of Israel that served the him as king came to him (v. 1) and told them that his father had made their yoke to heavy. Rehoboam consulted the older men and they told him to lighten the load. He, obviously, did not like that advice so he went to the younger men. They told him to make it even heaver and say “my pinky is thicker then my fathers abs”.

I find myself many times looking to the younger generation (those I grew up with) for advice on ministry, style of ministry, and how to form my convictions. Their answer seem more creative, more exciting, and better packaged in a colorful book with words I am used to using. However, the more tempered advice of older men is what I need. They have seen and experienced more. I am learning that sometimes the answer is not what seems easy, fun or creative. Ministry is full of hard decisions that take persistent and hard work.  

It is worth the walk.

This is not a personal shot at guys out there who would define themselves at emergent. However, even though it isn’t personal it is Biblical. If the sandle fits wear it or better yet take it off.

Jeroboam sets up a plan to take the loyalty away from Rehoboam. It sets up his own city. He realized that everyone liked worship so he thought how could I get a corner on the market. So he decided to make golden calves and tell the people that even though it isn’t what they were used to worshipping it was basically the same thing. Then he made hsi gods closer to the people so they did not have to go as far to worship. To help make worship even more marketable he chose common men, and not levites, to look over the gods — you know they had to be more relevant and much cooler.

By God’s grace, I will not make an “almost as good as” substitute for worship for my teenagers. Singing soul stirring, exciting, Bible saturated music man take more work but it is worth the work. To show them that God does not want to be their buddy but He is our Master will take work but it is worth it. We will not bring God down to a level that makes it easier for them to reach. We will teach them that it is worth the walk!

Today we are taking time to pray for revival at our church. It has been fun explaining the concept of revival to the teens. I look forward to telling them a little about the history of revival and the influence that young people have had upon it.

As I was reading my devotions this morning I came accross a prayer by Solomon in my reading of I Kings 8. Solomon was the wisest man to ever live so it would probably not hurt us to take note of his prayer requests.

Solomon had 5 basic prayer requests when he prayed to God in this chapter:

1. For God’s presence (v.57)
2. For the desire to do God’s will in everything. (v.58)
3. For the desire and ability to obey God’s laws and commandments. (v58)
4. Help with daily needs (v.59)
5. For the spread of God’s kingdom to the entire world. (v.60)

Note to self:

When I was growing up I would occassionally hear preaching about going to the next level. Many times it felt frustrating becuase I did not know I to take it to the next level. We started this program to help our students with a desire move to the next level.

Society of the 412

I would like to let you know about a few resources I have found very helpful over the last week.

“200 Crazy Time Games” by Reno Likens. A good friend of mine Chad Gordan gave me the book and I hadn’t really looked at it until this week. It is full of great, quick, and cheap games to play with your youth group.

Life Application Study Bible (KJV) My wife bought it for me for Christmas. I have not had a study Bible for about 5 years. I was told that it would distract me from the scripture. I do not read from it in my devotions. However, it has had some great cross references for when I study for lessons.

Our Generation Summit was a weekend event held on the 27th - 29th of December. The event is hosted by our church, however, during the services it is quite obviouse is ran by God. The hearts of our students were stirred by the preaching of the missionaries. 

“Ramblings from North Africa” by “Bro. Aaron” with Project North Africa. Our students have no idea what it would be like to really be a missionary. This book gives them an inside look into the life and thoughts of missionary life in Morocco.

“Bro. Aaron” preached a message at our church that help me so much. He told about how much our thought life effects our lives and ministry. Everyone is the ministry would greatly be benefited by listening to it. Click here and scroll down to How’s My Thinking Philippians 4:8. You can also hear interviews with Bro. Aaron and Pastor Austin Gardner at www.bcwe.org

Description:

Project North Africa’s First Year of ministry to muslims. This book will help you see the great need of the gospel in the muslim world. Through this book we get a glimpse of what it is like to live in a closed muslim country. Read of the heart aches and great joys of ministry in a muslim country!

I will be taking sometime every Thursday night in the month of Jan. to read a small part of this book to our young people. They have met the author and his family. I believe it will challenge them to overcome their fears at school by hearing of the the testimony of people that put their lives at risk for the cause of Christ. I greatly encourage you to do the same.

Message of Hope Project

Ahmed received a letter in his mailbox explaining Christ. It angered him so much that he responded with a letter of his own. The response he received changed his life. He began learning and growing in the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He was then met with, baptized, and is now preaching the gospel. His first contact with the gospel was through the mail.

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100’s have signed up. 1,000’s more needed!

Spurgeon said that “The key to great preaching is great subjects.” Most youth leaders have taken the greatest subjects, hidden them behind the counter and fed their kids junk food Christianity instead.

Hosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

The Bible is so full of great things! Tomorrow we will continue our study in Galatians in our first lesson then I am going to try to show the students what it really means to be “rad” in our second sermon. It is so exciting to share the great things of God with this generation.

I hope you love the Word! As I tell my students, “if you have trouble with your devotions it is not a scheduling or reading problem it is an appetite problem. People who hunger for God desire the Word!”