How we livin'?

"Yet when those outside the church see no difference in our lives, they begin to question our integrity, our sanity, or even worse...our God."- Francis Chan












One of the biggest complaints I have gotten from students over my thirteen years of ministry from students is that they do not like it when their peers do not act like Christians outside the church.  I hear it at least once a month.   They think that some of their peers are nothing but a joke.  They act like Christians on Sundays by singing the songs, giving the correct answers, and looking like they have it all together.  Then when they get home hit facebook to update their status....the other side happens.  And for some they wait for Monday morning to act like their "real selves".


So what?  What's the big deal?  We can't expect students to make a total change and be Christian all the time can we?   Why is there no difference in their lives after God does something big to them?  Why do their peers see that they are living two lives?  Why do the students really not care that people see the two sides of them?


Well its just not the students!  It is many people in the church today and includes their parents.  No too many of us take our lives being changed seriously.   It hurts me to see students and friends who have had a major change in their life from God, just walk away acting like nothing has happened.

But I love to see when people shine their light and show everyone how God is working in their lives.   There are several of my friends and high school friends who were far from God, but sometime lately they have seen the light and are shining theirs for the world to see!

So what are we waiting for?


If we truly open our hearts, our minds, and let the Holy Spirit move in our lives and not worry about what others think, then we can help change the world.   We can see many lives changed.   If not...we are living the lives that God has called us to.  He has called us to make disciples of all nations.  He wants us to live life to the fullest.   If we let go and LET GOD...Big things will happen in our lives and to those around us.  


Ephesians 4:1  ..."I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received"


Take a moment today and read the entire chapter of Ephesians 4....It is one my favorite chapters in the Bible!

Reverse

One of my best friends from growing up Bryan Hawkins sent me this.   I've seen several different versions over the past year of this.   Looking at it today made me think.  After working with students for going on 13 years, many youth have the first read of this.  They have a glass half empty.  They see one thing and they call it the worst time ever.  They think it is the end of the world.  Part of my job is to help the students see that the glass is half full and that we need to reverse our thinking.  We need to see that we have come to a brink and we need to hit reverse.  We need to hand our lives over to Christ and let him reverse the sting of sin.  So how are you looking at your life?  The first read or the reverse read?

From The Inside Out - Hillsong United

This weekend, this song really spoke to me.  This is just a small clip that someone made....

I once played Guitar for John Reuben...

We brought John Reuben to Charlotte, NC May 4th, 2007. And I requested the song out of control and He needed someone to play the guitar for it...So I played the encore with REUBEN!

Do you feel left out?

Yesterday during class, my good friend Chris Tallman gave a lesson about being left out.  It made me think about the times we intentionally 0r unintentionally leave people out.  And sometimes we don't even realize it.  We often get caught up in our own little worlds and our own agenda and leave people (who we call friends) sitting on the sideline waiting for an invite, a conversation, or an ear.   When we do realize it, we often make that person feel awkward.  We try to bring them into the conversation and you can see in them, that they know you are just trying to be nice.  Or we might be planning on going out to eat and you just wanted it to be the "cool kids" and then you realize they are standing there too and you invite them or you send them an invite 20 minutes later via text, so you won't feel guilty.

But how does it feel on the other side?   How does the person who always gets left out feel?  Do we ever think about them?  Do we really even care?

We have "friends" that we need to keep from being "left out".  We know who they are, but we just never take the time.  And if we did take the time, we might find something great out about them, or we might even have the chance to share Christ with them!

While on earth, at sometime we will be faced with the disappointment of not being invited or not being included in the lives of our friends....   In 2 Peter 2:9, the scripture shows us that we are indeed selected by God: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.