Posts Tagged ‘Intimacy with God’

One area that I see a lot of my friends and many youth pastors struggle with is sanctification–or namely, perfectionism.

I don’t know how it happens, but somehow it has become easy for believers to first be enamored by the love and grace of God, in spite of anything and everything they have done, only to feel a few months or years later that they have to do something to earn that grace.

Well, I read a verse this morning that I thought was extremely encouraging, addressing that issue directly. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever feel like you just have a ton of needs? I struggle with my own level of faith in God the most when I realize just how much I need, in every area, like finances, patience, and even just direction in life.

I pray that these scriptures are encouraging to you and your students as they help you reflect on how everything we truly need is found in Christ!

“. . . your Father knows the things you have need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8

Read the rest of this entry »

After reading a few chapters in Colossians, I felt encouraged to write this simple encouragement.

Remember the enormous grace that God has so freely given us. We stand today as ministers to youth and children of God because of His endless love for us.

He has given us everything: life, food, even the air we breath, and purpose to live for. And He continues to freely give to us and love us, not to make us rich or comfortable, but because His love for us is so deep.

Remember today that we were first called to know and love the Lord. As we strive to make Him known in the lives of students and through our youth groups, let it not be at the expense of our relationship with Him. That is our greatest treasure and most wonderful adventure.

Lord, please help us to never lose sight of You.

At the end of every day, I always have a list of stuff I did wrong and a list of stuff I should have done but didn’t. I just can’t seem to get it all just right.

There’s always something about me that needs to be fixed.

This has been one of those ongoing thoughts I’ve struggled with for a long time now. Everybody seems to be showing me how to change and grow–first my parents, then school, ministry training, college, and even church.

Everybody seems to think I need to change. So, naturally, I start to think I need to be perfect.

Yesterday, a pastor I know shared a very interesting analogy with me. He said that sometimes in our relationship with God, we see ourselves as shipwreckred, struggling to stay above water and gasping our last breath. Right then, at the last moment, Jesus throws us a life preserver and we hold onto it for dear life.

But that’s not what scripture teaches. The Bible says that there is nothing good in us and we were completely dead because of sin. Salvation is a gift, freely given, not earned! (Romans 3:12 is a good reminder for me.) We’re not called to live perfect lives–just humble, devoted lives.

So why do I think I need to be so perfect? Lord, remind me that I cannot and will never get it all just right. My life–and my ministry–is completely dependent on you. Thank you for choosing imperfect me to be an instrument of your love!

“Christians” in Britain that were baptised as infants have had enough. They saw they were too young to know what was happening and now want out.

Not just out of the church. They want their names removed from the records. Some have even called child baptism “a form of child abuse.”

That’s post-Christian Europe for you. Some say America isn’t far behind.

We must teach–nay, show–our teens that this “church thing” is so much more than religion! People run from a set of religious rules. But I can’t think of anything more attractive than the loving forgiveness and rich life that comes from knowing God.

You can read more about the trend in Britain here.

Ask yourself these questions. Seriously, all of them. Take a minute to think about them.

With which are you absorbed?

1. (A) Your personal righteousness, or (B) the vicarious righteousness of Christ?
2. (A) The condition of your faith, or (B) Christ’s faithful obedience on your behalf?
3. (A) Your self-crucifixion, or (B) His crucifixion?
4. (A) Your new life, or (B) His sinless life?
5. (A) Your experience of Christ, or (B) His experience for you?
6. (A) Your love for God, or (B) His love for you?
7. (A) The depth of your personal surrender, or (B) the depth of Christ’s personal surrender?
8. (A) Your victorious life, or (B) His victorious life on your behalf?
9. (A) Your attainment, or (B) His atonement?
10. (A) The work of the Spirit in you, or (B) the work of Christ for you?

The right answers are obvious, but what’s under the skin?

My first reaction to these: Wow! Oh my! It’s incredible how I can be caught up in “spiritual things” but still not have the right focus.

Great reminders–props to Lex for sharing.

I’m a workaholic. Just ask my wife.

She’ll tell you about the countless times I make us just a few minutes late, or how she’s usually the one waiting for me to get ready for bed, because I want to “get a few more things done.”

As I spend time with youth pastors and others that love youth ministry, I find that similar urge, that drive to do something. We just look at each other and there’s this common understanding: “God has worked miracle after miracle in my life and satisfied my soul. My students–and their friend–need to know the truth, and I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

The crazy thing is that I find myself believing that the harder I work, the bigger difference I will make in students’ lives. That’s when I loose direction and get burned out. (Hebrews 10:18-22 is a shocking reminder of the intimacy we are called to have with God.)

It’s times like these I forget that it’s God who moves in people’s hearts and changes their lives–not all my work and good ideas.

So I’ve tried to form a few habits in my own life to keep my attitude and heart centered on God.

• Daily Quiet Reflection–Honestly, it looks different every day. Some days, I’ll wake up and lay in bed for 15 minutes, reading scripture. Other days, I’ll enjoy breakfast with the dog on my lap as I pray. And other times, I can’t do a thing until I’ve spent an hour alone with God. No matter the form, the difference it makes on my attitude and my ministry that day is unmistable.
• Days of Solitude–When is the last time you took an entire day to be alone with God, fast, and pray? It’s never easy to plan for, but I’m always glad I did it. It might be every month or every couple of months, but the important part is to make it a habit. I’ve found it’s best to make a small plan, like a few goals about some scriptures to read and what to pray about, but not to be married to those  plans because God might have something completely different for you that day.
• No Strange Expectations–The greatest thing that I’ve seen hinder myself and those closest to me in our times with God are expectations. I’m not talking about expectations of Biblical truth. But sometimes we come to God and expect to “feel” a certain way or “hear an answer” to a specific question. These are expectations we created for ourselves, and we’re disappointed, sometimes even disillusioned when they’re not met. Instead, we should come to God with an open heart and a hunger to learn and grow, not in our own plans, but as He sees fit.

Habits like these are important to strengthen our own walk with God and our ministry, but they are not the bedrock of our faith. The steadfast love of Jesus Christ is our only hope, and our only hope to see ministry happen in the lives of our students.