Hello my friends... Pastor Mike here again to fill you in on what we're going through in our youth. Tonight is week 4 of our series "Do Something" and we will be handing out bracelets to each student that read "Do Something" on one side and "Isaiah 61" (our theme scripture for the series) on the other. Our original idea was to give each student one bracelet to open a door of communication about what it means to do something for those that might see the bracelet and ask. We ended up ordering plenty more bracelets than we needed so the idea came up to give each student 2 bracelets...one for them to wear and one for them to give to a person in their life in hopes that it would automatically lend itself to a conversation about why the bracelet says what it does. I love the idea!
You see, part of why we started this series was to open our students and leaders eyes to the idea that Christ has called us to a life of action because of our faith. A life without Christian action and love is a comfortable and complacent life. It's probably safe to say that a majority of students in today's society don't actively share their faith, or even talk about it much with others. That frustrates me and I would hope that it would frustrate anyone who claims to be a follower of Christ. How can we get students to a place of wanting to actively share their faith and live it out on a daily basis? Hopefully this bracelet can serve as an easy opportunity for students to walk through the open door of a Christian life based around action, devotion, and lifestyle.
Obviously, when you do things like this (giving out something like a bracelet), you will have those that won't get it, will choose not to participate, or see it as merely a new fashion item in their wardrobe, BUT even if a small handful of students are able to step out on faith and share this with someone then I think the purpose will be served. I understand that this bracelet is just a small piece of a very huge puzzle in our faith journey, but let's not discount the fact that a few might be reached through this. Our theme scripture in Isaiah 61 is a perfect example to this fact that God's calling is great, but few may be able to answer the calling. Let us be a part of the few....and let's never underestimate the power of a bracelet! =)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"Do Something"
Hello all! Pastor Mike here and I'm back to fill you in on what's been going on @ the Naz on Wednesday nights. We are in the middle of a new 4-week series entitled "Do Something." This week we are on week 3 of the series and the theme is "Comforting the Afflicted, and Afflicting the Comfortable." The first two weeks of the series focused on "Noticing Needs" and "Overcoming Numbness"...both very powerful topics.
This series stemmed from the idea that we often become complacent in our Christian walks and are easily overtaken by selfishness and laziness. Personally, there have been many times that I have become overly comfortable in my spiritual journey and it ends up with me being content with "going through the motions." The point of this series is to open our eyes to the fact that Jesus is NOT content with us merely going through the motions of what we label "Christianity," but rather He calls us to Do Something with our faith. If our faith is the driving force of our life, in which we find our purpose, then it should only make sense that we should be doing great things outside of ourselves for Christ constantly.
We also introduced a new idea for our youth group called the Port Naz Big Give. (We have modeled this after Oprah's popular television show that used to be on TV). We challenged our students to come up with ideas for helping: others, corporations, families, churches, etc. that they were passionate about and submit their goal of: $$ wanted to be raised, events/projects to help raise the money/supplies, and research as to why this idea is so important to them. Our hope is that students will submit their ideas to us when this series comes to a close, then students will be voting on the one Big Give project that we will fully support and take on as a youth group for the summer months. If this first Big Give works out, we would love to do 2 or 3 throughout the year on a continual basis. The point is not to make everything we do about the Big Give, but rather open a door for students to start giving and helping others outside of themselves. Ultimately, the point is to make "Big Gives" a normal part of our everyday life in following Christ and not just a once-a-year event!
So I'll leave you with a few questions that we have been wrestling with in our small groups...
-Are you're eyes really open to the needs around you? If not, what is it that is blurring or blocking your vision?
-What is your purpose for following Christ? Is the focus on your own status or well-being...or...Is the focus healing the broken, feeding the hungry, helping the poor, and seeing those in need around you?
-Would you say that you are comforting the afflicted, or needing to be afflicted because you are too comfortable?
I pray that you can wrestle with these tough questions just as your students and youth leaders have been! =)
Please continue to pray for our leaders as we pour time and energy into your students. Have a blessed week!
This series stemmed from the idea that we often become complacent in our Christian walks and are easily overtaken by selfishness and laziness. Personally, there have been many times that I have become overly comfortable in my spiritual journey and it ends up with me being content with "going through the motions." The point of this series is to open our eyes to the fact that Jesus is NOT content with us merely going through the motions of what we label "Christianity," but rather He calls us to Do Something with our faith. If our faith is the driving force of our life, in which we find our purpose, then it should only make sense that we should be doing great things outside of ourselves for Christ constantly.
We also introduced a new idea for our youth group called the Port Naz Big Give. (We have modeled this after Oprah's popular television show that used to be on TV). We challenged our students to come up with ideas for helping: others, corporations, families, churches, etc. that they were passionate about and submit their goal of: $$ wanted to be raised, events/projects to help raise the money/supplies, and research as to why this idea is so important to them. Our hope is that students will submit their ideas to us when this series comes to a close, then students will be voting on the one Big Give project that we will fully support and take on as a youth group for the summer months. If this first Big Give works out, we would love to do 2 or 3 throughout the year on a continual basis. The point is not to make everything we do about the Big Give, but rather open a door for students to start giving and helping others outside of themselves. Ultimately, the point is to make "Big Gives" a normal part of our everyday life in following Christ and not just a once-a-year event!
So I'll leave you with a few questions that we have been wrestling with in our small groups...
-Are you're eyes really open to the needs around you? If not, what is it that is blurring or blocking your vision?
-What is your purpose for following Christ? Is the focus on your own status or well-being...or...Is the focus healing the broken, feeding the hungry, helping the poor, and seeing those in need around you?
-Would you say that you are comforting the afflicted, or needing to be afflicted because you are too comfortable?
I pray that you can wrestle with these tough questions just as your students and youth leaders have been! =)
Please continue to pray for our leaders as we pour time and energy into your students. Have a blessed week!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Responsibility
Hey friends. Pastor Mike here again to share some thoughts about what we'll be traveling through with your students this week. Our theme for the week is "Responsibility." We will be exploring the responsibilities that we have as men and women of Christ. Respect and care for the opposite sex has pretty much gone out the door in the society that we live in so we want to intentionally stop and ask...Why? Is it possible to be a guy or girl (with all the teenage hormones, desires, etc.) and still honor the opposite gender in a Godly way? We believe it is and, more importantly, scripture teaches us that it IS possible.
We will be using John 15:1-17 as a reference verse for this week. In this passage there is a lot of talk about bearing "good fruit" vs. bearing "bad fruit or no fruit at all." We will be using the phrase "your fruit never lies" as a starting point to realize that Christ is our vine and source for bearing fruit. Obviously, if our lives are not rooted in Him, we will not bear fruit, or at most we'll create bad fruit that would only be thrown away. This scripture passage in itself could sum up our series of "Living life in an Abercrombie and Fitch world" because it gives us a clear understanding that we cannot have healthy relationships or desires if our lives are not focused on and centered around Jesus. The sad, but true reality of this passage is that it also says "He cuts off every brach in him that bears no fruit." This verse paints a picture of the destruction that we face in life, relationships, and desires when we choose to control our own life without giving it up to God on a daily basis. So now I ask you parents...What kind of fruit are you bearing as a model for you student? Hmmm, something to think about maybe.
A few days ago, I was riding in a car on the way to the movies with a couple of my Jr. high sponsors and we were talking about things we had been going through in our small group with students. We came to the point of asking the question, "How is it that we take a student with little to no church/Godly background and bring them to a point of desiring God-honoring relationships, desires, and ultimately a life centered around Christ?" I realize that this might be the toughest question in youth ministry, but this question has been eating at me a bit. Is it by modeling an example as their leader? Sure. Is it by introducing them to scripture through lessons and teaching? Definitely. Is it by loving as Christ calls us to love? You bet. Is it by creating a forgiving and open community for them to take part in? Without a doubt. The answer is a combination of many questions like these and this is part of our mission as your youth leaders. Please continue to journey with us through prayer and contemplation as we walk with your students.
We will be using John 15:1-17 as a reference verse for this week. In this passage there is a lot of talk about bearing "good fruit" vs. bearing "bad fruit or no fruit at all." We will be using the phrase "your fruit never lies" as a starting point to realize that Christ is our vine and source for bearing fruit. Obviously, if our lives are not rooted in Him, we will not bear fruit, or at most we'll create bad fruit that would only be thrown away. This scripture passage in itself could sum up our series of "Living life in an Abercrombie and Fitch world" because it gives us a clear understanding that we cannot have healthy relationships or desires if our lives are not focused on and centered around Jesus. The sad, but true reality of this passage is that it also says "He cuts off every brach in him that bears no fruit." This verse paints a picture of the destruction that we face in life, relationships, and desires when we choose to control our own life without giving it up to God on a daily basis. So now I ask you parents...What kind of fruit are you bearing as a model for you student? Hmmm, something to think about maybe.
A few days ago, I was riding in a car on the way to the movies with a couple of my Jr. high sponsors and we were talking about things we had been going through in our small group with students. We came to the point of asking the question, "How is it that we take a student with little to no church/Godly background and bring them to a point of desiring God-honoring relationships, desires, and ultimately a life centered around Christ?" I realize that this might be the toughest question in youth ministry, but this question has been eating at me a bit. Is it by modeling an example as their leader? Sure. Is it by introducing them to scripture through lessons and teaching? Definitely. Is it by loving as Christ calls us to love? You bet. Is it by creating a forgiving and open community for them to take part in? Without a doubt. The answer is a combination of many questions like these and this is part of our mission as your youth leaders. Please continue to journey with us through prayer and contemplation as we walk with your students.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Boundaries
Good morning all...at least it is for me. As I reflect upon our time this last week in youth group I was amazed at what God had shown me once again. One of the great things about my job is that I get to study...God's word, others ideas and thoughts and put them together like a grand puzzle so as to share the picture God paints for me to our youth. This week started with our Wed night series on "living life in an Abercrombie and Fitch world". This past week’s theme was on boundaries. I was excited to get to this week and to "the" question....how far is to far as it pertains to sexual boundaries within relationships. It is the question I have got for years. Reality is, that the question is flawed somewhat in my opinion, kind of like the, how much can I get away with and still get into heaven question. Not that this one is not always asked, but definitely implicitly implied by many other questions we, not just our teens, ask often when we evaluate our lives, and try to squeeze everything into it. You see the how far question is usually asked because deep down we know. We know the answer and often hope we are wrong and we can do just a little more to feed my desires, dabble with temptation enough just not to get burned....too bad at least.
In my morning time with my Savior, I have been reading a book entitled Sabbath Presence. It just so happened that my morning lesson the day I was going to give my Boundary lesson, was on "the gift of Boundaries". Got to love God's timing. Although more of it was directed towards our boundaries on Sabbath keeping (exodus 31:14) it quickly opened my eyes to all sorts of struggles we have with boundaries, whether it be morally, physically, or spiritually. The theme of the message was that we (humanity) must learn to relinquish mastery over the world and remember God's mastery over all!
You see in our culture, teen and adults (none of us are guilt free on this one :), the denial of boundaries in our lives manifest itself in the form of relativism. This in turn becomes a life where everything is judged from an individualistic perspective where there are no absolutes and we all create our own rules and boundaries to live by. Now this would makes sense for those living outside of the practice of Christianity (or maybe any religious value system for that matter), but unfortunately it is a way of life for most believers as well as unbelievers. Maybe not verbally but intrinsically we see it taught every day. When we don’t express boundaries over all areas of our lives, it becomes confusing when we just pick a few locations (i.e. sexual desires in our series) to incorporate healthy boundaries. Unless we are truly willing to live lives surrendered to God, giving up “our rights” on our lives (some issues there for another day) and desire Christ more than the “stuff” of this world that feeds us so often, to have authentic boundaries, in which can be truly taught and lived out….may be a mute point.
Maybe another way of stating this is that far too often we are more prevalent in setting external boundaries and limits but having difficulty with personal boundaries. We set boundaries for our students to come home by a certain time each night, but allow them to kill themselves by not stopping them from piling more and more on the plates in life. Why? Because we then might have to explain why those same boundaries don’t apply to us, teaches and enforcers of the boundaries, as well. Being a parent of two boys, I see how much easier it is for my life and theirs to live out external boundaries rather than trying to constantly reinforce the personal ones. Why? Because I am guilty of poor boundary management myself and don’t want to be a hypocrite. Maybe God’s idea of law and boundaries are just understood poorly. They are not just there to keep me out of trouble…they are meant to express how much I don’t need to control my life and everything in it. That God truly has the best in mind for my life. I think we know this on a theological level, but do we believe that what God has given to his children (in the law and commandments) is truly the best way of living? Well, ask yourselves, “how are your boundaries” in your life? Ya, me too. God bless you in your journey!
In my morning time with my Savior, I have been reading a book entitled Sabbath Presence. It just so happened that my morning lesson the day I was going to give my Boundary lesson, was on "the gift of Boundaries". Got to love God's timing. Although more of it was directed towards our boundaries on Sabbath keeping (exodus 31:14) it quickly opened my eyes to all sorts of struggles we have with boundaries, whether it be morally, physically, or spiritually. The theme of the message was that we (humanity) must learn to relinquish mastery over the world and remember God's mastery over all!
You see in our culture, teen and adults (none of us are guilt free on this one :), the denial of boundaries in our lives manifest itself in the form of relativism. This in turn becomes a life where everything is judged from an individualistic perspective where there are no absolutes and we all create our own rules and boundaries to live by. Now this would makes sense for those living outside of the practice of Christianity (or maybe any religious value system for that matter), but unfortunately it is a way of life for most believers as well as unbelievers. Maybe not verbally but intrinsically we see it taught every day. When we don’t express boundaries over all areas of our lives, it becomes confusing when we just pick a few locations (i.e. sexual desires in our series) to incorporate healthy boundaries. Unless we are truly willing to live lives surrendered to God, giving up “our rights” on our lives (some issues there for another day) and desire Christ more than the “stuff” of this world that feeds us so often, to have authentic boundaries, in which can be truly taught and lived out….may be a mute point.
Maybe another way of stating this is that far too often we are more prevalent in setting external boundaries and limits but having difficulty with personal boundaries. We set boundaries for our students to come home by a certain time each night, but allow them to kill themselves by not stopping them from piling more and more on the plates in life. Why? Because we then might have to explain why those same boundaries don’t apply to us, teaches and enforcers of the boundaries, as well. Being a parent of two boys, I see how much easier it is for my life and theirs to live out external boundaries rather than trying to constantly reinforce the personal ones. Why? Because I am guilty of poor boundary management myself and don’t want to be a hypocrite. Maybe God’s idea of law and boundaries are just understood poorly. They are not just there to keep me out of trouble…they are meant to express how much I don’t need to control my life and everything in it. That God truly has the best in mind for my life. I think we know this on a theological level, but do we believe that what God has given to his children (in the law and commandments) is truly the best way of living? Well, ask yourselves, “how are your boundaries” in your life? Ya, me too. God bless you in your journey!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"Desire"
Hey guys. Pastor Mike here! Over the past 3 weeks, we have been teaching our series "Living in an Abercrombie & Fitch World" dealing with sex, dating, relationships, lust, and pressures that teens are dealing with in the society that we live. We have been breaking into small groups (guys/girls, jr. high/sr. high) during the teaching time and have tried to create a safe and accepting environment to dialogue.
This week's theme is on "Desire" and we will explore the differences between healthy and unhealthy desires within our lives. Desire can be a great thing when used in a healthy and passionate way, but it can be very dangerous when it begins to control our life and relationships.
Please be praying for your student and the students of our group. They are dealing with REAL issues that can be tough for anyone to handle (let alone a teenager). Your prayer is needed and appreciated!
Points of prayer this week:
-Healthy desires for our students
-The longing for deeper relationships
-Addictive issues with our teens (pornography, masturbation, drugs, alcohol, etc.)
-The void in teens' lives that they are trying to fill
Talk to you soon.
This week's theme is on "Desire" and we will explore the differences between healthy and unhealthy desires within our lives. Desire can be a great thing when used in a healthy and passionate way, but it can be very dangerous when it begins to control our life and relationships.
Please be praying for your student and the students of our group. They are dealing with REAL issues that can be tough for anyone to handle (let alone a teenager). Your prayer is needed and appreciated!
Points of prayer this week:
-Healthy desires for our students
-The longing for deeper relationships
-Addictive issues with our teens (pornography, masturbation, drugs, alcohol, etc.)
-The void in teens' lives that they are trying to fill
Talk to you soon.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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