Trials Bible Study week 1

February 12, 2012 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

This is week one of our Trials Bible Study. If you missed the intro to the study click here. This is a Bible study on trials that could be used for Jr. High or High School ministry.  Feel free to use for a small group or rewrite as a series.

Trials Bible Study, Week 1

Read James 1 1:1-18 

KICK IT OFF: (start off with some dialog, they may not want to share right way, share  a story from your life)

1. What is the biggest trial you have had to face far in your life?

2) What is the most difficult trial in your life right now?

3) Give yourself a grade as to how well you have responded to the trials in your life?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

1) How is it possible to rejoice in difficult circumstances? (2-3)

2) Does perseverance mean active overcoming or passive acceptance? (3-4)

3) How do trials produce perseverance? How does perseverance produce maturity? (4)

4) Does wisdom mean exceptional knowledge or  moral insight? Where do we get wisdom? (5-6)

5) Why is doubting so bad when we go to God with our problems? Should doubt be expressed, suppressed or what? (6-8)

6) In your opinion, what does a Christian in humble circumstances have to take pride in? What is low about the position of a rich man? (9-11)

7) What is the difference between trials and temptations? (2-3; 13-15)

8) Where does temptation come from? What is the process of temptation in our lives? (14-15)

THE FINISH!

1) What holds you up in times of trial?

2) What is a “good and perfect gift” that you are a thankful for ? (17)

 

God brought me to Canada for what?!?

January 28, 2012 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

There is no doubt that my short time at my last position raised many eyebrows. I often wonder why God would bring me to Canada for only a short time. We had thought we would be there for a lot longer. Why did I move to Canada is often on my mind,  but then you get e-mails out of the blue that remind you of why God does what He does. For those that are in the trenches of youth ministry, we’re impacting lives!  And this unexpected e-mail (below) solidified of why God had brought me into Canada for only a short time.

This was used by permission and names have been changed.

“Hi James,

how are you guys doing?  I just want you to know that when Jack came to your office that day (Sept 2 — I will NEVER forget that day!!!!!), the Lord really took hold of him, shook him, and Jack has had more changes this last month than ever before in his life! I can see that the Holy Spirit is really moving in his life because so much has changed! For the first time EVER, he is being submissive to us as parents. He has a hunger and a thirst for knowledge about God. He walks around the house with that bible you gave him tucked under his arm. He has a bounce in his step!

He is going to a day treatment program at ABC Hospital where he’s with about 8 other kids his age, he does some school work there, he’s under the care of several mental health professionals and a psychiatrist. Then he comes home after and feels like he’s had a good day, one with purpose and accomplishment. He still has crappy days too, but no more weed, no more cursing out God, really hardly any more swear words either. He went 5 days after talking to you and talked to the right people on where he did wrong, then went to the police the following week and did a self-report …. it’s been incredible. I actually got to go to Mexico last week with some friends and Jack and his step-dad were home alone all week. Please note that last year, about 14 months ago, Jack couldn’t even live in our house because he assaulted his step-dad and threatened to kill him! So….. we’ve come a long ways baby!!!
There’s still lots of work to do, but we are heading in the right direction. Maybe this weekend he’ll come to church. the pastor is preaching on Revelations. Jacks really interested in end times stuff and heaven.
Thanks again for being there that day and for being willing and open to talk to Jack even though he couldn’t seem to get a full thought or sentence out! LIke I said, we were so sad to hear that you left, but my husband and I said that maybe God brought you up here so you’d be there exactly that day when Jack came in and you were exactly the person intended to bring Jack to a new relationship with Christ.

Take care and Thank you!”

 

 

Trials Bible Study: Intro

January 24, 2012 in Discipleship, high school, Junior High Ministry, Student Ministry with 0 Comments

Today’s students are facing struggle after struggle. Many are facing trials as a result of recent decisions to truly live for God. Others are facing a downhill slope as they’re making bad choice after bad choice.

I’ve been working on a 8 week small group study for students for the book of James, dealing with trials.  Since I’m not actively serving as a youth pastor, maybe someone can use it.   For the next 8 weeks I will post weekly per each part.  This post is the intro.

Intro:

Joy can be found in trials ONLY when a spiritual perspective is maintained. Testing of faith (trials) leads to perseverance. Perseverance leads to maturity. On the road to maturity a major roadblock is the lack of wisdom. Wisdom is a spiritual gift to those of faith which gives them access to the power and resources of God for facing all situations. The one who doubts is double minded, unstable, and divided. Poor people take pride in their membership in the family of God, which  make them heirs to His glory and riches. The rich and powerful man should be humble in the realization of his humanness, impending death, and poverty apart from the blessing of God. Perseverance under trial not only results in maturity but also eternal life.

Here is the path of temptation:

  1. A person is dragged away and enticed by his own evil desire
    Example?
  2. That desire results in sin
  3. Example?
  4. Sin results in death
The analogy of this process as a woman giving birth is interesting. When we give into the tempting of our desires we conceive and eventually give birth to sin. The tempting is not the sin; the sin is a response to the tempting. If we do not repent and reject the tempting of our desires it always results in sin. Then, sin grows up like a baby and produces death.

THIS TIME OF YEAR, CHANGES EVERYTHING!

December 31, 2011 in Living with 0 Comments

There are three things that are God’s invitation’s for us doing the whole Christmas season. When I say season, I’m not talking only around Christmas but, the reason for HIs birth should always be a constant theme in our everyday lives.  

 Invitation #1) A real relationship with the Living God.

The 2 Most Shocking Discoveries in Religious History

” Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of a great joy for all the people. Today is the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Luke 2:10-12
Two things come to mind regarding this verse;
1) Everyone Matters to God!  Your family, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, the guy that cut you off this morning, the friend that stabbed you in the back, your enemy, and etc.
2) It’s all about a relationship!  A relationship that had deep roots lasts forever!

 Invitation #2) Do something Great with your life.

“When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” Luke 2:17-18

Don’t wait till tomorrow to do something great today. Take risks, Jesus did!

 Invitation #3) Receive REAL forgiveness.

“Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born for you; He is Christ the Lord! Luke 2:11 

“For God so loved the world (EVERYBODY), that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:16-17

God did forgive us! What an awesome thing to understand. Who do I need to forgive today? Who do you need to forgive today?

Excerpts were taken from a message by Ray Johnson of Bayside Church.

The Unexpected Gift!

December 28, 2011 in Living with 0 Comments

 

 

Avoid Isolation

November 30, 2011 in Fatherhood, high school, Junior High Ministry, Leadership, Living, Marriage, Student Ministry with 0 Comments

From the sidelines looking in, you see a man (or women) who loves to hang out with students and leaders. You see them teaching with all their heart and attending their games, events, and celebrations.  What you don’t see is perhaps a lonely person who is longing for people around them to fully understand all the sacrifices they make.

Sound familiar?

Most people are not familiar that church ministry is hard (rewarding) ministry.  For student ministry there is a balancing act that must be mastered.  For me personally, I must find that balance of being father, husband, brother, son, planner, speaker, event coordinator, pastor, counselor, friend, and staff member to name a few. In all those things we must value our time. I will admit however, I don’t understand the busy pastors who has no time to meet with the people close to them.  I don’t see them as busy, I see them as poor time handlers.  The more we spend alone, the more that will lead to isolation.  I’m not saying you can’t have alone time, because let’s all admit, we can always use it.  Here is somethings to keep in mind of: 

We’ve all got the same amount of time. All we have to do is choose how to use it. Each day consists of 1440 minutes which can be broken down into four distinct parts that make up your life:

  • What you have to do. 
  • What you choose to do. 
  • What you want to do.
  • What you end up doing.

As a youth pastor it gets real easy to be in planning, dreaming, and studying mode that before you realize it, you have isolated yourself from the rest of the staff and your volunteer team.  Busyness creeps in and you find you don’t have time for the relationships that matter most.

I’m also a firm believer that being cooped up in your office is unhealthy and can lead to isolation. You start getting comfortable with your routine and before you know it you really have no clue on what is going on in the ministries that are close to your ministry (children’s ministry, college ministry).

Here are some tips on handling your time.

1. Set Goals 
Set both short-term and long-term goals for your work day, work week, and work year. While it may seem silly, take the time to make a written list of your goals, which will allow you to refer back to the list when you need some guidance. Keep in mind that it is okay to adjust the goals as your business needs or your role changes. Use them as a tool to guide you.

2. Mini-Rewards
All work an no play is a difficult concept to sustain for very long. Build rewards into your schedule. If there is a task you really dislike, follow it with a task that you greatly enjoy. Build “mini-rewards” into your schedule to increase your productivity.

3. Keep Lists 
Keep a running “To Do” list. The To Do list should contain both daily tasks as well as longer-term tasks. Having a To Do list will help keep your attention on the projects that require attention, and prevent some items from slipping through the cracks and being forgotten.

4. Be Realistic 
Keep your expectations realistic. No one can do everything, and with that it mind, try to set realistic expectations of what you can hope to accomplish.

5. Prioritize 
Prioritize the list of things to do. Some items might require immediate attention, while others may be necessary but not as urgent. And after prioritizing, try not to become a “firefighter” and only react to the urgent items. Be sure to still give proper attention to non-urgent items as well, as they are important too.

6. Use Time Wisely 
If there are blocks of time that you spend waiting or commuting, figure out ways to use that time being productive! Listening to podcasts, reading, writing, proof-reading, reviewing your schedule, planning for your next activity, etc, are all things that can usually be done remotely to fill in some of the unavoidable “dead” time in your schedule. Try to find interesting and unusual productive things to do during those periods of downtime.

7. Set Limits
Set reasonable time limits for tasks. When working on those tasks, monitor the time that each item is taking.

8. Organize Work Space
Organize your work space, and remove any excessive clutter. Spending time looking for something is a waste of time… and time is a precious commodity. Both your computer files and your physical working area should be organized so that you can easily locate anything you need in a moments notice.

9. Minimize Distractions 
If you find yourself consumed by social media, facebook, instant messaging, or other social mediums, set aside a specific and timed period of the day for participating in the online social community. Other than those specific periods of time, set your status to “unavailable” so that you are not interrupted throughout the work day. Minimize interruptions and distractions as much as possible.

10. Reflect 
At the end of the day, reflect on what you accomplished. If you were unable to account for a specific period of time, or you found a given day to be particularly unproductive, take an inventory and try to determine where your time management system broke down.

Keep in mind that not every day is going to be as productive as you would hope. Unexpected things always come up, and no matter how hard you try, your expectations just might not be realistic. Do not become discouraged. Instead, simply stay focused and make an effort to increase your productivity the next day.

 

right now!

November 17, 2011 in Living with 0 Comments

Since resigning from my last position and now being in a place of transition it’s all about patience.  Finding the right church and making sure the chemistry is set.  Is there such thing as a perfect fit? I believe so! But right now I’m out of work and for the first time in my life we’re a struggling family. The money is not there and waiting on God has a whole new meaning.

How long is right now? I’m sitting and praying as I’m about to meet with a pastor for a possible position in Alaska (Just kidding about Alaska) and I’m waiting to find a church home and lead this generation into the pursuit of Christ.  I find myself wishing it was a couple of months ago or 1 month from now. Yesterday seemed to pass by so quickly. How long is right now? Is there even anything other than right now? The past is only a memory and the future is but a dream.

I guess right now lasts as long as we live in it. When I’m living for tomorrow it seems to drag on, and when I’m living for yesterday it seems to have flown by.

What is really confusing about the present is when I see things like a gnat. A gnat only lives for a few days or hours, how long is their present? Is a moment to me a day to them, a week, a year, or is it just a moment as well?

“Don’t say tomorrow I’m going here, or tomorrow I’ll do this, who says you’re even going to have a tomorrow.” The only reality we have is the present. God is fully real, He’s the only true reality…everything to Him is present. Shouldn’t we be living there with Him. I can’t change yesterday, and tomorrow holds who knows what, so why not live today and enjoy every moment. Make right now last forever by living today.

 

Damned Eternally

November 16, 2011 in Discipleship, questions with 0 Comments

The Church of England used to ask this haunting question to any seeking to take up membership in their service.  It is not a question we hear today.”Are you willing to step into the service of the Christ, to submit to His desires over your life, even if it meant being damned to the abyss if that brought Him glory?”

How would you answer?

(HT Almanzar)

3 things student ministry is NOT

November 14, 2011 in high school, Junior High Ministry, Leadership, Student Ministry with 0 Comments

There is much I’ve learned since being involved in student ministry since the late 90′s.  But one key lesson I’ve learned, is be who God has called you to be. Don’t try to be someone you’re not, you’ll lead a much more successful ministry that way.  This post is a short one but I believe it to be important.  I would be interested in your thoughts, do you agree with this list? What would you add to it?

Student ministry is NOT:

1) A stepping stone to “bigger ministry”. One thing we don’t need in student ministry are those that are using it as some form of ladder for development. Students deserve better! They need people that are called to be there. I’m not saying God will never call you out of student ministry but let God make that call.

2) A time for babysitting. It’s not about having them meet once a week just to have something going on for them. It’s about developing them into young men and women of God. Churches that fail to invest in the student ministry fail to recognize that the students make up the church of today and tomorrow. Fail to impact them = fail to grow. 

3)A free work group. This happens again and again. Let’s get the youth to paint  or build this. I believe that we do need to teach students to serve, but I think the heart behind it should be to serve, not to complete a “to do” list.  At the same time, I do believe that building quality leaders is providing them with ways to serve.  The whole reasoning needs to be in check.

Building a team in student ministry part 2 (HT SYM)

November 10, 2011 in high school, Junior High Ministry, Leadership, Student Ministry with 0 Comments

Doing ministry alone is will lead to burn out, bitterness, and a unsuccessfull ministry. At the same time, finding leaders with quality can at times be a challenge.  Once again I hat tip SYM (Simply Youth Ministry) for their weekly e-mails of reminders.  Here is what they had to say:

In thirty years of youth ministry, I can honestly say I’ve tried every recruiting style possible. Take a look at these four fall-back recruiting approaches:

The “Cruise Director:
‘Come join the youth team! Free trips, free food, hotels, fun and you’ll have a great time! No, you won’t have to chaperone at lock-ins!’”
The “Beggar:

‘If you don’t join come on this trip, we’ll have to cancel it and lose our $2000 deposit. We really, really, really need you! PLEASE???????’”

The “Lone Ranger:
‘Hey, great having you on the team! Here’s your job description. Thanks for doing your part. You know? Let me do that for you…the kids are used to it being done a certain way. Oh, and I’ll do that, too. Why don’t you just watch for awhile?’”

The “Do-It-Yourselfer:
Building a team? What’s that? Nobody wants to volunteer so I don’t even ask.’”

See yourself here? (I’m a combo of the Cruise Director and the Lone Ranger.) Don’t do these!

Instead, I’ve learned a little something from Jesus’ example when he put a pretty awesome team of 12 together. I call it, “The Five I’s: Invoke, Identify, Invite, Initiate, Inform. In other words:

Invoke: Bring the Holy Spirit into the process anything. Go somewhere and pray. 
                  Pray for the dynamic balance you want on your team. And ask the Lord for the qualities you need for the type of ministry you’re involved with. – James 

Identify: Listen for who the Spirit lifts up. Identify those people He reveals would be an asset to the team. Don’t assume anyone will say “no.”

Invite: Talk to them one-on-one and ask them to pray for a week before saying “yes” or “no.”

Initiate: Let them come and check things out; give them a peek into what you’re asking them to do.
                   Never have anyone say “yes” without checking out the ministry. For me, I have someone come for about a month before they make a decision. -James  

Inform: Hand them a volunteer packet so they can make a well-informed decision. Info would include a specific job description, volunteer guidelines, aministry covenant, program purpose statement, 12 month youth ministry calendar and something fun, like a $10 card from Starbucks to enjoy drink while reading and praying. 

 

Also, don’t have an extra long application packet. keep it short, to the point, and with a well defined purpose.

Thoughts?

 

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