April 2006 Book

1 Timothy

I think it will be good to see what instructions Paul (the mentor) gave to Timothy (his mentoree). I think we will find an abundance of application we can use in our ministry to the youth of OBC.

Genesis Review

How has working through Genesis gone this month. I enjoyed looking at the patriarchs of Israel, and learning from their lives. Seeing God's hand in their lives, even when they failed Him. It is encouraging to know God will never abandon us. He has promised to be faithful even though we can't keep up our side of the relationship.

Tell me how it went for you.

I will reveal next months book tomorrow.

(By the way, it was Minute Maid Park and the Houston Astros. My father was the only one to get it right.)

2006 Mission Trip Applications

Kelly and I read through all the applications last night. Here are my initial thoughts.

1. I am disappointed that a few youth did not turn in applications. I do not know their reasons yet, so my disappointment is tempered.

2. On the other hand there are some new youth going that I am very happy about. I hear we may build some muscles on this trip.

3. It was neat to see some affirmation for our ministry from the youth. Especially our time on Tuesdays.

4. Laura is extremely funny.

5. We are losing some great girls this year. I pray that the Lord will use this trip to continue to help them grow.

Any thoughts from you?

Red

Here is a song that I have had on loop on my computer playing over and over for about a week now. I think Kelly is about done listening to it.

Red

The plans I have for you

From Noah and the ark, Abraham the father of a nation, Jacob and his birthright, through Joseph the savior of a nation. Genesis is first and foremost the story of God's sovereignty. Yes it shows the beginning of the world and the start of the nation of Israel, but it so much more than that. God's finger prints are all over each story. Not the thought or even just the worship and obedience of God, but God actively working in peoples lives.

The account of Jacob and Esau is incredible. Before Jacob and Esau had committed any action, God had made a decision about the path of their lives.

10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac 11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), 12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger." 13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated." Romans 9:10-13

WOW. That is powerful. I know for me, right know in my life, this is an amazingly comforting verse. I am waiting to see what God will do with me this year. I know what I desire, I hope it is what God desires. I know that no matter where the Lord has me ministering a year from now, it is HIS plan. Not only will it not catch Him by surprise, He had it planned while I was in the womb.

Thank you Lord.
Amen.

Newb Alert

Newb definition: Truncation of "newbie". A neophyte.

We have a possible newb in our youth council. The elder board after 30 days of prayer and extensive questioning, will be presenting Rolland Watenpaugh this Sunday, as a deacon candidate in the youth ministry for 30 days of congregational prayer.

The Lord is sending reinforcements!

It was a blessing that the Lord set up the circumstances for Rolland to become a part of our council. He was brought forward by the FLOCKS council, but they are not in dire need of help. I had been letting the elder board know that we have needed more leaders, so when it was time to decide where to put Rolland, the elder board thought youth would be a natural fit.

Rolland, as most of you all ready know, has been teaching 11-12 grade Sunday School. He has been dong a great job with that and was invaluable during my preparation for the retreat.

Make sure you keep Rolland and Mary Beth in prayer for the next 30 days.

Towers

How do you define yourself?

I'm still working through Genesis, but I've been thinking about Genesis 11:4-9 for a couple of days. Shortly after repopulating from the flood, the descendents of Noah's sons began making structures out of brick and got the bright idea to build a tower to the heavens and "make a name" for themselves. Well, it's easy to look at this and think, well duh, God's going to be angry for such self glorification.

But, how often do we create "towers" for ourselves. While making a tower isn't a sin, building it to oneself is. We may not build a physical tower, but we build monuments to ourselves quite frequently (expensive cloths, big house, fancy car, important job, degrees, etc.) While owning these is not wrong, defining yourself by them is. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to make sure we find our identity in Him, not in the human achievements of this world. So let me ask you again . . .

How do you define yourself?

Scott

Lessons From Abraham's Life

I have not got past Genesis 25 yet. I have read 12 through 25 several times now and wanted to share some quick thoughts I have had about Abraham’s life.

I was struck by the love Abraham had for his nephew Lot. It shows in chapter 13. Abraham is content with what God has provided for him, and is willing to sacrifice having the seemingly better land. Here is Abraham giving Lot the choice of land. I think about how I feel when someone takes “MY” land in front of my car when I am driving.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5


Aside from his nasty habit of telling people his wife was his sister and that whole Ishmael thing, Abraham showed remarkable faith throughout his life. When you read his story, you can see him grow from each situation. By the time the Lord asks him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham had reached a point where he could trust the Lord. I get a feeling that if this had happened earlier, Abraham would have failed. The Lord perfectly waited until Abraham was ready for such a challenge.

My brethren,  count it all joy  when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3

Chapter 23 showed the testimony Abraham had. The Hittites called Abraham a mighty prince in verse 6. Abraham lived his life following Godly principles. Those made him stand out from the corrupt society around him. Those people were able to see the Lord through Abraham. Abraham did not sequester himself away from those people. He lived in their land. At the same time, he knew that the Lord had chosen him and separated him and his offspring from the Canaanites.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh,  the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And  the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1 John 2:15-17.

Slip and Slide

Modern Odysseus'

Odysseus is the man credited with the idea for the Trojan horse. We all know the story about how he used it to sneak a group of men into the city of Troy, allowing the Greeks to conquer the city.
In Acts 20:28-31 Paul warns the Ephesians elders to watch for savage wolves that will come from inside the church. The elders are tasked to guard and protect the flock.
I think the greatest danger to the church today is the trend of the leaders, tasked with protecting the flock, bringing the Trojan horse into the city.
Pragmatism, post-modernism, seeker sensitive, ecumenicalism or what ever current label it has. These thoughts and ideas are being brought into the church by the very men tasked with protecting her. At the root of all these strains of thought is the question “How do we relate to the culture?” Unfortunately, the answer all to often includes an immersion in the culture versus an immersion in the word.

I have included some links to some sites that do a good job of explaining some of the dangers.

Absolutely Not!: A critical look at the emerging church movement by Phil Johnson
A transcript of Phil Johnson's session at the 2006 Shepherd's Conference, Friday March 3, 2006. The blog this is posted at, Emergent No , gives some good critiques of the emerging movement.

Putting God in a Box? by James Spurgeon
Great post about the importance of historical theology.

"A Generous Orthodoxy"--Is It Orthodox? by Albert Mohler
A review of Brian McLaren's book, A Generous Orthodoxy.

Church Growth Gone Mad by Clay Miller
Subtitled, a sobering look at the church growth seeker-sensitive models.

Genesis, dangers to the church and more.

I am still working on reading through Genesis. It seems as if everything is conspiring against me finishing it. I will have it done this week and have something to post before the end of the week.

I also plan to have an answer for the question I asked about dangers to the church. It is interesting. I have read several thing over the past week that have affirmed what I see as a danger for the church. I will post the links to those as well.

I am looking forward to our youth leader training tomorrow night. Make sure you hold your small groups accountable to their daily quiet times. My plan is to give you 45 minutes to an hour with your group. Spend the time going over the study, their progress or lack there of for the past week, and in prayer. Pick a passage that you think is relevant and pray through it. I will continue to provide character studies while we go through this study.

No one from our church has figured out what baseball stadium is in the original Genesis post. I have one correct answer from someone outside our church. And if you think that baseball and Christianity don't go together read this.

Hard Rock Store

I wanted to show you what we are working on. It is not really ready yet, but we are getting there. If you want to order something you can, but some of the stuff is not ready or will be changed. Thanks to Scott for the awesome new logo.

Retreat Video

Thanks for putting this together Scott.

Worth the Wait

As I began reading through Genesis, something jumped out at me. It only took man three chapters to stain what God had created and 926 chapters (OT) to get the point that we aren't good enough to clean it up. Patience has always been a struggle for me. Over the past 5-6 years, God has really worked in my heart and changed my impatient attitude. Sure, I lose it every once in a while, but I demonstrate much more self-control than in the past.

I feel a continued challenge to examine my patience with the youth. As leaders, we must set the example in speech, life, and attitude (sound familiar). How do you respond to the youth? Are you willing to make (many) sacrifices for the youth? I look at it this way; if I am worth enough for God to have patience with me, the youth are worth enough for me to have patience with them.

Scott

In The Big Inning

Ok, so it's the punch line to a bad Bible joke. Where does the Bible talk about baseball? In the beginning (big inning). I figured that would be our book for next month. Genesis. I know it is daunting, but I think we can do it. We won't be able to go as in depth as we did with 1 Thessalonians, but I think it will be exciting. So tomorrow we start Genesis. Get your last thoughts in on 1 Thessalonians today.

Extra credit if you can give me the name of the team and the stadium in the picture.

Corporate Prayer Revisited

I posted about prayer at the beginning of the month. It seemed to strike a chord with the youth on the retreat. I have continued to think about prayer throughout the month. Do I pray enough, and more importantly, do I pray for the right things. Am I in prayer not just to make requests or praises for answered requests, but am I praising God in my prayers. Do I glorify God in my prayers. Last night at our youth group, we spent the entire time in our small groups sharing prayer requests and praying through scripture.

It was great to hear the way praying scripture changed the youths prayer. It caused their prayer to move beyond the typical prayer request prayer, "Lord, help Bobby's dad to make it home safely." Their prayers for the requests went much deeper, and their prayer for themselves and the youth group were much deeper. I was encouraged and blessed by our time in prayer.

I think my application I plan to take away from 1 Thessalonians is to try and make corporate prayer a higher priority in our youth group and to help the youth improve the quality of their prayers.

1 Thessalonians Update

I know this post looks familiar. Nobody responded to it the last time. I want to know what you have been getting from 1 Thessalonians. I am sure everyone has unique applications you can share with us all. I want to hear what the Lord has been saying to you.

Jamie

Lovingly

Paul is clear in 1 Thessalonians 3:12, that he hopes the church abounds and increases in love towards one another. Likewise, I hope we abound in love towards each other and towards our youth as we serve together.
I love each of you dearly and consider it a honor and pure joy to serve with each one of you.

McBride’s, I truly appreciate your love for the youth as you lead them and us as youth workers. Your commitment to the Lord is evident in how you minister to this youth group and the church as a whole. I love both of you and your children and appreciate your friendship greatly.

R. Closs, I can’t imagine this ministry without you. Your time and service to the youth group and its needs are tremendous. I love your dedication and faithfulness to the service of the Lord. You are a true servant.

M. Davis, Your heart for the youth and their spiritual growth sets an example for others. You have delicately balanced your family and your service, giving all to both. I love your care for our youth, particularly the junior high. Thank you

Rosner’s, You jumped right in (willing or not) and took on the youth as your own. You are a tremendous asset to this youth group. Even in the midst of preparing for your new child, you take on large responsibilities. Thank you for your service and your friendship. I love both of you and your new addition, Tommy (that’s gonna leave a mark).

L. Mingo, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and love your willingness to jump in and get involved. Thank you for your service.

A. Cooper, You bring an unparalleled energy to the youth and the council. I love your enthusiasm for service and your commitment to the youth. Thank you!

J. Wohlrab, I love your commitment to ministry and your leadership in the praise band. Thank you!

Starkston’s, I praise God for your leadership and influence on this youth group. Your love of the Lord led this youth group to new places. I appreciate your friendship and compassion.

There are others who help with youth and contribute to the joy of this ministry. You are not omitted intentionally. Thank you for your time and love for these kids. It’s only the Lord Jesus Christ who works in us to love them.

Lastly (but certainly not least) Heather, almost eight years ago, you and I embarked in a partnership not knowing where it would lead. Praise God, it has led us to OBC and to this youth group. I love you. I love you for many reasons, your commitment to the Lord and His teaching, your compassion for others, your love for me, but most of all, your love and support of this ministry. I could not do what I am doing without you. You are my partner in ministry for life. Whether here or where ever the Lord takes us, I can count on your support and assistance as we minister together. I could not ask for a better wife.

Scott

Danger Danger

I want you to answer two questions.

1. What do you think is the biggest danger to the church? Not necessarily the local church, but Christianity as a whole.

2. What do you think is the biggest danger to the local, and more specifically our youth group?

Before I became the elder over youth, I regularly taught the leadership training class for the church. It was broken up into two modules. One spent 12-14 weeks looking at all the major doctrines. The other module spent 12-14 weeks working through Alexander Strauch's Biblical Eldership. The two questions above are asked in this book. I would teach through book 1-2 times a year. It always helped me stay focused on the responsibilities of an elder. I have not taught through it since I took over the youth. I have been thinking about the lessons from the book lately and how they will apply to the youth.

So what do you think? What are the biggest dangers.
Anybody is welcome to join in this discussion. You don't have to be from OBC.

Jamie

Day Laborers

When I first looked at 1 Thessalonians I was struck with the lessons on team building. In chapter 2 Paul talks about his motivation for ministry not being based on approval from man. Paul also talks about his method. I will probably come back to the method again, but for the past weekend I have been struck by 1 Thessalonians 2:9.

Over the past few weeks I have been able to understand what Paul experienced while he ministered in Thessolonica. Currently, the Lord has placed me in a situation where He supports my ministry financially through work outside the church. These past few weeks, I have literally been working day and night in both "tentmaking" and ministry. It has been tiring, both mentally and physically. There have been a few things that have helped me through that past few weeks.

My motivation. Only by focusing on the Lord am I able to deal with all the demands I face each day. Only my love for the flock and for the Lord keeps me enduring.

The other thing that helps me through is your support and ministry. Like Paul with Silas and Timothy, each one of you that ministers to the youth helps me. I know that I am not alone. Not only do I have God, but I have an entire team that has the same motivations, goals, and desires for the youth at OBC. Like Paul with the Thessalonians, I thank God for each and everyone of you that works alongside of me. I could not do this ministry alone. I am not equipped to do everything. You are my fellow day laborers. You handle any task that comes along. It is amazing to me that over that past few years we have ministered together, you have willingly taken all task without grumbling. Like Paul's team, each of you work day and night to help make this ministry a success.

I encourage all of you to think about those ministering alongside you. Pray for each other and encourage each other.


A special thanks to my wife and children who have had to put up with no husband or father for the past few weeks, love ya.
Jamie