My study of the Attributes of God began more than 20 years ago when I came to the realization that I knew God but I really did not KNOW God. So I studied the Scriptures, read classic books on the Character of God and began to mine the depth of His Nature for myself.

Recently I came across a new book on the topic by Dr. James MacDonald, Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel. The book Gripped by the Greatness of God based upon his sermon series was refreshing, stimulating and challenging. I appreciated his exploration of the Attributes of God and his honest candor about his own journey to KNOW God. He introduces the reader to God without feeling the need to explain Him.

In the book he traces his personal discovery of the greatness of God beginning on Word of Life Island as a sixteen year old teen and continuing into his life as a Pastor. The book is divided into six chapters with each one based on a passage from the book of Isaiah. He moves from the Holiness of God to our Identity in God making application at each intersection of truth.

On the back cover, in his own words he expresses the core premise of the study. “God is not safe, and He will not be squeezed into some neat, respectable Sunday discussion. To know God at all is to watch Him explode any box we put Him in with His terror, majesty, and indescribable wonder.”

He does not shy away from difficult passages like Isaiah 45:7 where God declares, I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these. I appreciate the fact that he does not attempt to be the “defender” of God’s reputation.

The book is published by Moody Press and can also be purchased at Dr. MacDonald’s website http://www.walkintheword.com/ I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the Character of God or looking for a new challenge for your faith journey.

 

It’s that time of the year again when students head to warmer climates for Spring Break. We hear headlines like Students Gone Wild or read reports of arrests, sex and alcohol abuse and wonder what can be done to stop the madness of shattered lives. There are a handful of ministries and churches who are deliberately reaching out to these students but oftentimes it is too little too late.

This phenomenon began in 1938 when Ft. Lauderdale hosted the College Coaches’ Swim Forum and 300 swimmers and their respective student bodies attended. Today there are 1.5 Million students going on Spring Break. Panama City, Florida boast of 18,000 hotel rooms prepared for 500,000 students while South Padre Island, Texas looks for 150,000 and Cancun, Mexico a measly 100,00. It is estimated that students spend $1 Billion during Spring Break just in Texas and Florida alone.

I want to suggest that Youth Pastors Go Wild, being creative and preemptive in ministry to help curtail the Spring Break machine. In talking with a number of Youth Pastors, I have gleaned some great ideas for making a difference with students before and during Spring Break. Sometimes the best defense is a great offense.

• Don’t just preach against Spring Break; teach Biblical Principles that students can use for guidance in making decisions.
• Plan alternative activities during the Spring Break time frame such as retreats or missions trips.
• Help your college students connect with campus ministries and local churches located in or near their universities.
• Design an ongoing ministry to college students even after they leave your youth ministry. With technology and social networking, it is easy to maintain consistent contact.
• Connect each college student with someone in your church who will be an encourager and accountability partner. 
• Research organizations that will be working with students at the Spring Break locations and give that information to the students who insist on going. This way they will have an emergency contact or someone to call when things get out of hand.
• Form prayer groups for your college students that consistently pray for them year round, not just during the Spring Break season.

Youth Pastors and leaders need to be proactive as it relates to Spring Break or any other event that is designed to erode morals, diminish inhibitions, promote sin or devalue young men and women. Students are in a spiritual battle and we need some youth leaders to go wild with ideas that will proactively equip them for the battle!

Note: Some of the stats were taken from the following sources

http://didisworld.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/spring-break-by-the-numbers/

http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=47639

 

 

Ecclesiastes is more relevant than the newspaper printed this morning and is a perfect book for students. Solomon expressed many of the same questions and philosophies we see in Millennials today. For example, nine out of ten teens say that they ponder their future at least once a week.

Solomon questions life, death and the future in general. His opening statement is the premise for his journey, “Meaningless, Meaningless, all is Meaningless,” which fits succinctly with the perspective of many teens in this generation. According to research by Third Millennium Teens, 74% of teens concur that they are still trying to figure out the purpose and meaning of life.

I believe Solomon is reviewing his life, looking back on where he has been and what he thought during the journey. This is Solomon’s testimony and it develops before our eyes as if we were viewing a DVD.

Speaking with “wisdom from below” rather than “wisdom from above,” Solomon approaches life like a lab experiment. After stating his premise, he holds up the “test tube” of his life and says, “I tried everything to find meaning to life and still came up empty.” He finally comes to the point of realizing that as long as life is lived without God, it will always leave you empty, parked on a dead end street.

Think of Ecclesiastes as a puzzle, each piece representing a desirable aspect of life, common to all people. For example, some of his desperate pursuits included happiness, comfort, wisdom, life, order, significance, and his overall search for the meaning of life in general. At some point in each of our lives, we chase one or more of these in our search for purpose.

The only way life can have meaning and purpose is if GOD is in the center of our lives. We can look everywhere and try everything, but there’s a hole in the center of the puzzle if GOD is missing. The puzzle of life will never be complete or make sense.

Our goal in student ministry is to introduce students to God in salvation and to teach them to live lives focused on Him. Chapter 12 brings Solomon to the right conclusion in his search for purpose and serves as a challenge to all of us.

• Remember now your Creator! – The idea is more than just thinking; it has a strong implication of action.

• Fear God. – Have a reverential awe before Him.

• Keep His commandments. – Obedient living is not about rules; it is about a relationship.

NOTE:  Every Wednesday beginning March 10, I will be posting a podcast of the class I teach on the book of Ecclesiastes. This is a ten-hour module, so there will be ten sessions. I hope you enjoy these, and I would love to hear back from you concerning this incredible book.

 

 

The clock is ticking, the time is approaching, the students are coming and you still have not settled on what you are going to teach tonight. If you say, “I never did that,” then either you are not really in youth ministry or you are being delusional is a comfortable state of mind.

At some point in our ministries, all of us have delivered a sermon or study on “a wing and a prayer.” Some of them actually turned out okay, which is a bad thing because it deludes us into believing that this might be a great strategy. However, more often we leave the event deflated because we know we had limited impact.

We often prepare our messages/lessons and throw up a quick prayer asking for God’s blessing. I want to suggest that the better approach is to prepare our lives first then prepare our messages. Messages/lessons should be an extension or our lives demonstrated by personal example.

Consider these questions as you think about imprinting the lives of your students.

• What is the message of your life?

• Have you prepared your life properly for developing disciples?

• What do you want your students to know before they graduate?

• What doctrines, topics or general information will equip them for life?

• How can you help students make application of the Word?

• How can you help students engage the lost with the truth about Jesus?

• Are the students important enough to deserve a long-range plan?

• Have you ever developed a scope and sequence for your ministry?

Imprinting the lives of students with the marks of Christ will not happen by chance; it requires intentional ministry. I want to suggest that you begin by developing a scope and sequence for your ministry. There are three words to consider when determining this operating system.

1. Strategy – The art of directing movements and operations. This is the overall operating system for your ministry, the irreducible minimums.
   
   
2. Plan – The method of acting, doing or proceeding. This is the defining of individual steps to accomplish your principles.
   
   
3. Goal – The result toward which effort is directed. This is what you envision the students looking and living like, who are products of your ministry.

The leader who has a strategy, plan and goal for ministry will not live in “panic mode.” Yes, there may be the occasional last minute preparation, but this will become the exception, not the norm. This philosophy of student ministry will help as you “cultivate students of influence.”

I had just arrived in the Orlando Airport but had yet to receive the details of my 7 pm speaking engagement. A couple of emails to the twenty-something coordinator resulted in no reply. On the tram from the satellite terminal to baggage claim, I tried the cell number; there was no answer. Now what was I going to do?

In my frustration I quickly (relative term) typed a text as a last desperate attempt to see if there was still intelligent life on the planet. It seemed like I had no sooner pressed “send” when a reply scrolled across my screen. That’s when it dawned upon me…I was finally speaking a language that could be understood.

Everyone in youth ministry has experienced the frustration of failed communication. We work hard at connecting with our youth in meetings and Bible studies. We add music, media, drama and anything else it takes to help communicate our message. What do we do when we are not face-to-face or standing on a stage? How do we get our message through then?

You probably know all the statistics about the number of students using Facebook, the internet, cell phones, text messages, and even a stray carrier pigeon or two. But which one works best for connecting with your students or, for that matter, your youth workers? I want to suggest five things to consider for improving your communication:

1. You cannot use just one means of communication. You may have a favorite way of communicating, but it is not necessarily the one that will get your message heard.


2. Communication is a generational thing. I know I run the risk of profiling, but if you study the demographics of your group, you will discover that there are distinctive tools for communication with each generation.


3. Ultimately communication is about the message, not the media. What works today may not work tomorrow. Keep your communication strategy fluid.


4. Don’t fight change. I thought Facebook was a waste of time until I saw the ministry benefits. The same is true of Twitter, texting and blogging. Each of these is a vital communication tool I use in ministry.


5. Never stop learning, growing and stretching. If you don’t know how to use a media tool, ask one of your students! Swallow your pride and get one of your Jr. High kids (ouch) to teach you.

So, what will I do with this blog info to make sure it gets to the right audience? Check out my Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin or Filed By pages…did I miss anything?

I love my granddaughter; my wife says I lose all sense of reality when I am with her. When she looks at me and sweetly says my name, Dida (her name for me), I am convinced that giving her what she wants is logically reasonable. That’s how we landed at the beach on a less than perfect day.

We had a wonderful time building a sand castle and looking for shells because the water was a little chilly. As the other families left for the day, she began looking around at the abandoned sand castle creations.

That’s when it happened; she kicked down one of the childlike masterpieces. It was no big deal; it was not malicious, but I thought I would use this as a teaching moment. “Sweetheart” I said, “You would not want someone to kick your castle down; I don’t think that is a nice thing to do.”

Her response took me off guard. “Well, that is what you think. You think it is not nice to kick it down and I think it is nice. So you will just have to think what you think, because I do not think the same thing as you.”

I collected my thoughts and replied, “You have just expressed the postmodern, pluralistic thinking of our culture.” I don’t think she understood what I said but after all, she is only four-years-old.

Pluralism – a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle.  Dictionary.com

Pluralism is used to define art, philosophy, culture and a host of other things. It is also indicative of a form of thinking that questions everything, including absolutes. It is the birth canal of tolerance.

Individuals committed to pluralism often view those embracing absolute truth as bigoted extremists who have been brainwashed. After all, how could anyone believe that there are certain moral principles that transcend centuries and culture? Surely no one in this generation would still hold to such archaic dogma.

Pluralism has crossed the street, pushed boldly through the door and crawled into the pews of many churches today. There are some within the Christian realm who are on a mission to redefine Christianity even to the point of questioning Scripture. Justification is couched by discussing epistemology and decrying absolute truth as foundationalism.

• Is the core issue that we want our opinion to be the plumb line?  
• Are we redefining tolerance as acceptance with endorsement?
• Do we recoil at submitting to an established or higher standard?
• Are we looking for justification for our lifestyles?

My thinking was sincerely stimulated by the words of a four-year-old. She does not know the word pluralism, but her childish immaturity illustrated a philosophy practiced since the fall of man. By the way, after lengthy conversation, we came to an agreement on our thinking…at least for now.

 

Why do students today choose not to become a Christian? Too often the reason is related to a negative experience with someone wearing the Christian label. Sometimes it is a life event or circumstance that does not fit neatly into the world of “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” Perhaps others reject the truth about Christ because they just do not see the need.

 

Some time ago, a group of us at Word of Life started thinking about these reasons and their origin. We talked about how this Millennial Generation is farther from exclusive faith than any in recent memory. I refer to this generation as “Mosaics” because they tend to collect concepts by which they form their worldview about everything. In general, Mosaics’ are comfortable with contradiction.

 

It is not uncommon for them to take a little truth from multiple religious systems or worldviews creating their own mosaic faith. To them, nothing is above scrutiny. They question everything including the sacred truths we hold firmly. To Mosaics, religion is out and spirituality is in. They are very open but they have some hard questions that we must answer.

 

The conversation with our Word of Life staff on this subject was interesting, but such a conversation demanded action. The result is that a series was born. It is a work in progress.

 

Four of us are writing and fine-tuning the series we call Myths & Misconceptions – 8 Reasons Why I Am Not A Christian. Like the Where Was God When…? series, we are teaching this series live at Word of Life Snow Camp. The sessions are being recorded, and will be released as a DVD Series and book in the summer of 2011.

 

After interacting with Mosaic students on the topics, we narrowed the list to the following 8 reasons:

 

• Christianity Does Not Work
• God Doesn’t Care
• Christianity Does Not Own Truth
• Your Heaven is My Hell
• Your Hell is My Heaven
• Christians are Stupid
• Christians are Hypocrites
• God is Mean

The response to the series so far has been incredible. Not only is it proving to be effective in connecting with unbelievers - but Christian students are finding it a useful resource as they share their faith.

 

• Have you confronted any of these myths in ministry to students?
• Do you have any insights you can share from real-life experience?
• If so, it would be great to hear from you in the comments.
  
• Or email me at Mikec@wol.org

 

Spiritual warfare is real but often we role play our Christian lives like children playing pretend games. When I was a boy (admittedly multiple decades ago), my friends and I would make pretend guns, run across pretend battlefields, fly pretend planes and take pretend casualties. We were children playing a serious game, totally oblivious to the fact that real soldiers get wounded and die.

The Christian life is full of joy, peace and hope but it is still a real war. Perhaps we have lulled ourselves into believing that we have no enemy. Ministry should be fun and fulfilling but we must never forget that we are at war. I wonder if this scenario might be one of the reasons we are so surprised when someone in our ranks becomes a spiritual casualty.

I am not suggesting that we become skeptical or paranoid about our Christianity. But I know I often have to remind myself that the devil is real, sin is dangerous and the world is not my friend (James 4:4). I am to be in the world but not of the world (John 15:19). I am to be vigilant because my enemy would devour me (1 Peter 5:8). I am also to rest in the fact that “greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (John 4:4).

Our youth ministries should be places of preparation for spiritual warfare. Our teaching should equip students with the use of spiritual armor and the Word of God. Our goal is to prepare teens that know the truth and own their faith.

In the military, soldiers are pushed to reach further than they thought they could go. They are assisted in the maturation process. And they are expected to excel. Could this work in youth ministry?

Consider the following questions as it relates to your student ministry:

• Do you have a strategy for equipping your students for spiritual warfare?
• Do your students know that this is a battle field and not a playground?
• Do your volunteers realize the importance of their investment?
• Do your students know how to use the truth of the Word of God?
• If your students were dropped into enemy territory by themselves would they be able to stand firm because they own their faith?

 

I believe this generation responds to a challenge. They are attracted to a cause. They want to be pushed not pampered. This generation may be the greatest generation yet and we have the opportunity to prepare them for the battle…

 

 

What is the secret to living powerful lives? The fitness gurus tell us it is exercise and eating properly. The motivational speakers tell us it is positive thinking. I am for exercise, proper eating (as long as it does not completely rule out French fries) and even having a positive outlook on life, but these are not enough.

What if I told you that you could “power-up” your life everyday through a relationship; would you be interested? Would intimacy, fellowship, connectivity, solitude and renewed passion be appealing? I am not talking about dating or even marriage, I am referring to the privilege extended to us by Jesus. We can have an intimate encounter with Him every day that will energize our lives, refresh our spirits and renew our passion. Sound inviting?

I am talking about our Quiet Time each day, our special time with our Savior. All of us want the benefits of this relationship but often struggle establishing this godly habit in our lives. There are so many things vying for our time and attention. Most of us have good intentions but fail in setting aside the demands of life that steal our focus on God and His Word.

I do not have any secret to having a successful Quiet Time, but I do want to share some concepts to aid us in our spiritual journey.

• Determine the best time of your day and then give that time to God.
• Begin by setting aside a brief time and then expand it as your grow in this relationship. It is better to spend 15 minutes a day than to forgo the time because you want to have an hour.
• Procure a devotional that will help guide your journey. This devotional should allow for you to journal your observations. Word of Life has some excellent Quiet Time journals for all ages, beginning with age 4 through adults.
• Find an accountability partner who will lovingly encourage you with your commitment.

Allow me to suggest a possible template for your special time with the Lord. This is not three easy steps to a successful Quiet Time, but perhaps dividing the time like this will benefit you.

• Worship – Spend the first 5 minutes (or 35 depending on the time you have set aside) in worship of the Lord. Clear the clutter from your mind and focus on Him. Perhaps review some of His attributes or blessings.
• Wrestle – I am referring to wrestling with the Word. Ask questions, follow the cross references or read a commentary on the passage. The idea is to do more than just read the passage and move on.
• Walk – Make personal application that you can practice. One of the challenges we all face is living out what we say we believe.

Make Quiet Time a priority in your life. Before you protest that this sounds like legalism or checklist Christianity, remember I am talking about a relationship, not a ritual.

“Imagine writing as a purposeful craft” is the challenge of Roy Peter Clark’s introduction to Writing Tools – 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer. The book was a gift from a dear friend with the inscription “May your writing affect many…”

I enjoy writing; it is therapeutic for me, not because it comes easily but because it makes me wrestle with words and concepts. It forces me to think and attempt to articulate those thoughts or, in some cases, delete them. I enjoy the challenge of crafting a sentence for the purpose of resonating with a target audience.

I am committed to improving my writing skills so I read broadly in order to learn from other’s writing styles. I have reviewed English grammar books so many times that on occasion I dream of being attacked by giant verbs and nouns. Grammar was not my strong-suit in college.  I had to take remedial English twice and it was not because I was the professor’s favorite student.

If you can relate to my life story then Writing Tools will be a worthwhile purchase. My copy is dog-eared because I have referenced it repeatedly. The 50 topics are practical and instructional, and Clark’s humor is engaging. Some of his chapter titles are:

• Be passive-aggressive.
• Establish a pattern, then give it a twist.
• Play with words, even in serious stories.
• Tune your voice.
• Write from different cinematic angles.

In his chapter “Let punctuation control pace and space” he makes the analogy of controlling traffic flow. “The period is a stop sign. The comma is a speed bump; the semicolon is what a driver education teacher calls a ‘rolling stop’; the parenthetical expression is a detour; the colon is a flashing yellow light that announces something important up ahead; the dash is a tree branch in the road.”

This book is a “tool box” for writers or would be writers. Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down, gave this recommendation, “Writing Tools offers advice and lessons that will help me, my students, and anyone with the dream of becoming a better writer.”  

 

I was only in town for 23 hours but even in that brief time, I was encouraged. Sunday night David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills challenged us about the real mission of the church-evangelism and discipleship. Ergun Caner, President of Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary followed with ...
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I have a burden and passion for Student ministry around the world. I am privileged in my travels to connect with men and women who share that passion. Today was one of those days but it was especially rewarding because it was here in Alabama, my home state. Student ministry in Alabama is alive and ...
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  This is the third and final post in the Four Erroneous Youth Ministry Philosophies series.  Sections three and four represent ministry approaches based on program and personality.  Youth ministries need a program as well as leadership with personality; however, both function best ...
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Okay, so you probably read the report in USA Today (Wednesday) released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The headline on page one read “Kid’s digital day: Almost 8 hours.”  It appears that the time spent with media for kids 8-18 has increased by 79 minutes in the last decade ...
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“I’ve tried everything!” Remember those words from Part 1? If not refer back to my post on January 12th. I have divided the philosophical approaches into four sections determined by their predominant thrust. In Part 2 we will examine the first two sections and will conclude next ...
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What is truth and how has it been affected by postmodernism? In his book Truth & the New Kind of Christian, R. Scott Smith addresses this as well as the emerging effects of postmodernism in the church. He evaluates and confronts postmodernism both in secular society and within Christianity. I ...
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“I’ve tried everything!” I frequently hear these frustrated words from well meaning people who want to make an eternal impact on the lives of students.    They work hard trying various approaches but are unable to grasp the illusive key to successful ...
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  Planning is vital to success in life. Few people become successful by accident; it happens because we have a goal and a passion for that goal. We utilize organizational tools, seminars, consultations with successful people and spend time dreaming about what we want or who we want to ...
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I was stunned . . . did she realize what she was asking? How could a caring, loving person be so cruel? I don’t believe I am addicted or that I really spend as much time as she thinks on my Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, FiledBy or texting communications tools…do I? Just before ...
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No, I did not mean “a hole in my heart.” I meant “soul.” To some that may sound like I am purporting a new doctrine or spiritual concept but I assure you that is not the case. I am not trying to be clever and I do not mean to be overly dramatic. You see, this Christmas ...
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