I don't go around fire expecting not to sweat...

I have a problem with people around me that throw hate at Obama.  No, scratch that.  I have a problem with proclaimed Christians spewing hate out of their mouths in the direction of our president.  What really gripes me is that they say something bad about him, and then they immediately say how awesome it would be if he were to start following Christ.  Do people really know his heart?  Do you know what his relationship is with Messiah?

Even assuming you are correct and Mr. Obama does not know or follow Christ then why in the world are you expecting good things to come out of someone who does not have a relationship with the only one who can create good in him?  That is like opening a can of soda and expecting water to come out of it.  Then when you spit out your mouthful of soda you immediately start dragging Pepsi's name through the dirt when all they did was do what they do best...  BE A FRIGGIN SODA

When someone is lost what standards are you going to hold them to??? BEING LOST!!!!

So when you decide to gripe about God wanting Obama in office just remember that you might need to look at yourself first.  If you can't stand to look at yourself first then at least look at scripture...

A Note to the Church.

Where has student ministry been?

Youth groups are usually looked at as the fun and entertaining part of the church.  In a sense this is true because there is a lot of life in students.  The weight of the world has not been placed on there shoulders like many adults.  They don’t feel a lot of stress because, in most cases, their parents are still providing for them.  If adults were free of this stress I am sure they would be just as lively.  (This is not me saying adults should feel stressed. Give it to Jesus old people. J.K… but seriously.)  It is safe to say that the most fun that is had inside our body of believers is had between the ages of 4-19 years.  I think that it is really cool to have fun, but for this specific situation I find a flaw.

As long as student ministry is looked upon as the “time to be the fun” part of the church, they will also be looked at as a second class ministry of sorts.  Students have changed since the late nineties from people who could care less about making a difference to people who want to make a difference.  However, there is this label that has been placed on students that states “time to be fun”, and they are trying hard to rub it off because they would much rather be labeled as “world changers”. 

Where is student ministry now?

“Students have placed this label on themselves” you might say, and you could very well be right.  “Students have been this way since ‘youth groups’ started” would be the best argument you could muster up if you think about it.  We must remember though, we are the students of yesterday. Just because we were one way while students does not mean they will be the same way.  In fact, they would probably want to be the opposite. 

About 2 weeks ago I woke up at 4:45AM and got ready to head to a homeless ministry in downtown Fort Worth, TX.  There at Beautiful Feet I looked around and saw about 50 students who came to just serve people who they didn’t even know.  They were there serving people who COULD DO NOTHING IN RETURN.  Please keep in mind that I serve very heavily at the Tree at TBC.  I don’t say that to brag but instead to gain credibility when I tell you that when we do the “time to be fun” stuff we take around 15 or 20 students. 

Students have seen the state of the church today.  How divorce plagues our hallways.  How pastors mislead their congregations.  How so much emphasis is placed on the church being a building rather than the body.  They read us and they take in different literature than when they read the word of God.  They know people don’t expect much out of them, and they hate it.  Student ministry is in a very tough phase of metamorphosis, and I am afraid we as a global body might be missing it. 

Where will student ministry be?

            My mom has a great saying.  It is simple, to the point, and holds great rewards/consequences.  I hear the phrase “Make good choices.” on the norm.  I really enjoy hearing it because of the accountability it brings.  Well now it is my turn to say it.  Make good choices.  If we choose to acknowledge this shift in the culture of students, and then we just act as if it will go away as their graduation memories fade, then we are in for a terrible ride on a wave that carries tons of frustration directed at the global church.  This frustration is not something like we see that is triggered in college where a professor leads a struggling college student down the path that makes them question their God.  This new type of frustration will be birthed in their preteens and be nourished with the constant memory of not being able to live out a faith like Christ.  If we do not give the students that God has entrusted to us the opportunity to live like Christ then we should start working on the speech we give to God when he asks us why because he will want a good answer.  Also, how are we going to hold them accountable if we first are not striving to love as Christ loved?

            If we make good Choices, and choose to act, encourage, and direct our students in this passion they have then the positive rewards are limitless.  We could usher in a new wave of global thinkers who very well could change how people view Christianity.  Instead of the word “Christian” bringing a sour taste to people’s mouths it could bring a refreshing picture of love to their minds.  When we step out of the modes of tradition their will be hard battles to fight.  Our comfort will go away, but I for one will be happy to see it go.  Please don’t thin that I have all the answers.  I just a cat that has seen the beginning of it, and I have to share it.  Please pray for your students, but don’t stop there.  Take them out for coffee, or play video games with them.  Ask them how they would like to serve their friends at school, and then do it with them.  Make the choice to impact our students so they can impact my, their, and your world. 

Give On...

Tears welled up in my eyes.  I looked at Pops who looked away as if he was redirecting the all the credit to Chris and Amy.  Chris Bonnet is this cat in his early thirties with a beautiful wife and two gorgeous girls who just so happened to have some strange desire to give me the best birthday present I have ever received.  I knew something was up when Momma called me and said "You can't come home tonight."  What I considered inconvenience at the time now I look back on and name it a blessing instead.  I made my disapproval known, and I could not have been more of my own worst enemy.
Chris, Amy, Jared, Sarah, Stan, Andrew, Melissa, Mom, and Pops had been making my shabby room over.  I ignored the request of me not to come home with the intentions of acquiring my music equipment after work so I could head out to a band rehearsal.  Upon the cancelation of practice I was sort of stuck at the house, but forced out of my room.  Keeping secrets is not my families strongest attribute.  In fact, on the contrair, and I really like it that way.  In this instance I could see how it would be frustrating.  I saw a box in the garage that contained a flat panel TV stand.  My little sister TK accidently let it slip that I was getting a mini-fridge, and Chris had already told me that he had a surround sound system he was going to give me that would kill a full grown buffalo from 3 miles away.
This is what family is.  Not the receiving part, but the giving part.  The best gift that was given that night was the joy given to the three young girls who saw their parents giving selflessly.  They saw their parents investing in someone without expecting anything in return.  Those girls will never forget that.  I even believe they will have this same desire to do the same.  This desire that I have to not let the giving of my parents stop with me.  If this giving ends with me then I have become more than selfish.  I have decided to quench the very spirit that these people wanted to share with me.  By him considering himself less than others and laying his life down, giving joy is something that Jesus did, does, and will continue to do.  If I am a Christ follower I must mimic his example by giving on.

Grrravy

When I add “U” to my morning

People get to mourning

Cause I die to myself

And get real life so surely

Alive then dead; I mean that man; When it’s out of bed;

The old me’s dead; Then its right straight back to night again.

Given so freely; grace for the needy

I know you don’t need me, but I need you to forgive me

I don’t need 4 people to give me lot’s of praises

I just need one God to give me His forgaveness

I mean forgiveness; bought buy your 3 days yes

That were spent in the graveness

In the darkest of places

But then you kissed death goodbye

And later arose into sky

Ha! You kissed a rose; that seems so impossible

Who would have thought that Seal song was about the Gospel

“Man, this guys lyrics are just so thoughtful”

If you think that I deserve credit then your dead wrong dude.

Sorry, I know that sounds rude, but you see I used to want you

Saying stuff like “Isei, You’re just so cool”

I was unfaith and filled up full;

Fist pumpin’ to my own beats like a Jersey tool

I was going down the wrong path; Floored gas; swiftly swerving

Drunk at life’s wheel; Words slurred, vision blurring

I feel your pain mayne; Pops, well he would hit me too

Evil touches all people; It’s not solely aimed at you

I gotta spit this truth; Aimed solely at your soul.

Christ hung and bled; Just so that you could know him

This flows increasing

Lessur change this beat please

I can't control my logic

When my hearts reasoning?

I'm stuck on this lust thing

These girls be teasing

Satan makes the flesh seem so appeasing

I made a promise to watch what my eyes be seeing

Covenant like Job if you catch my meaning

Called away from normal; So different from average

I can't have this death birthed into my marriage

Cause then it will be pushed in my child's carriage 

Scary how Satan put bricks in our baggage

It's stops here with my own rights put to death

A sacrifice turned into obedience 

Out with the old... In with the Jew

Life was about me, myself, and I

Gettin’ girls and staying high

Dressing nice; I looked so fly

Living large; I was never gonna die

8-1-7; I repped my hood

Stayin’ fit; Man, I looked good

Pleasin’ myself was the one and only thing that I ever truly understood

Christ came knocking harder than a train wreck

Changed my heart, and that’s one safe bet

Me doin’ me only lead to untruth

I found love in Acts chapter 2

That’s how we supposed to function

ALREADY

Know that anything else is…

ALL DEADLY

Safe to call it bodily; My Paul calls it community

John 17 says unity; I gotta spit this truthfully

Do what you want to do with me

But don’t forget I belong to the King

He who rules eternally, guides this life consistently

He picked me before time begun

He’s the daddy to forgotten sons

That’s why when my praises are sung it’s to an audience of one

Gotta give it all; Not just some

Everybody at the top of your lungs

If you believe it then you gotta make this your anthem!!!

If Christ saved your life then this is how you reply 

Get two hands in the sky; Move them side to side

Walking by faith; feel this earth shake; ISEI

This sinner is saved by grace!!

Used to stay so blown, but now I stay so clean

Living like 15:31 straight outta 1^st Corinthians

Life is one long death; It’s called by the King of kings

Yeshua owns my life and it’s a total offering

Call me a zombie; You can say I’m resurrected

If Jesus is a disease then I’ve been infected, selected, and perfected.

All my flesh NEGLECTED

To the grave it’s been DIRECTED

I’m gonna be spotless when by God I am inspected

I get so thrilled thinking about where my Jesus is seated

I love it when I think about that devil gettin’ decleated

I love it how my daddy is the one who treated

The biggest win of all when ole Luci got defeated

I would still follow Christ if His commands got more stricter

I would still choose this freedom even if Heaven wasn’t in the picture

Gotta go all in man cause God’s not gonna split yah

Everybody together now lets shake the Richter. 

If Christ saved your life then this is how you reply 

Get two hands in the sky; Move them side to side

Walking by faith; feel this earth shake; ISEI

This sinner is saved by grace!!

Oh Hey Guy...

I heard him I listened; My attention was given

Angels smell better; They have better doctrine

Why did you reveal this truth?  What point are you making

Clearly, 25 Matthews are backing what you’re saying

This truth that your spraying; I’m loving not hating

I want to be like Jesus, but I’m too good at faking it

Hope was my destination; I landed so Mt Pleasantly

God keep him on that bus; He’s a friend now, I see

I can't believe he just said that...

Dead man walking, you could say that… sorta

Cause the Gospel hit my heart; Blew up my aorta.

I’m shrinking down to raise him up

I’m south and he’s northern

Call me House Elf Dobby; That makes Him Harry Potter

Now wait hold your horses

I’m not some sorcerer; I maybe an eye sore

But let’s get this out on the floor

HP got you all mad; Yeah I know it

Please keep in mind Paul quoted Athens’s poet

In it, not of it!

Yeah, I’m thankful; I love it!!!

Keep in mind; We’re in it, not above it

Fred Phelps go shove it

Out of line???! I’ll submit.

Ain’t no erasing it

Come on, you were thinking it.