Why Student Leaders?

Last week at ALIVE (our youth group), we embarked on a journey that would require an entire summer of preparation. The last year and three months have been absolutely amazing as I have gotten the privilege of getting to know each of the students and have begun to show them what it means to follow Jesus. The youth leaders and I have all decided that it is time to take the next step and call out student leaders from among the youth group for the purpose of discipling them more intentionally and placing them in a leadership role among their peers.

The concept of student leadership is nothing new; youth groups all over the country have been using this model for years. However, it seems to always spark the question: won't that spark arguments that say you are displaying favoritism? The concern is that those students who do not become student leaders will feel left out; like they are not a part of what is happening at ALIVE week in and week out. Another aspect of concern is that those who do become student leaders will feel superior to their peers and therefore abuse their "power."

There are so many concerns and I want to take a few moments on here to address a few of the most popular and why they are non-issues for us as we take this next step toward making disciples of the youth at South Shore Community Church.

Will some view it as favoritism? Maybe. Is it actually favoritism? Not at all. Every single student that walks through the doors of ALIVE on a consistent basis has the opportunity to become a student leader. They simply have to decide whether or not they value their relationship with Jesus enough to live their lives in a  way that show they deserve to be Student Leaders. Those who view it as favoritsm are those that want the benefits of becoming a student leader without the sacrifice of self that it takes to get there.

Others will say it is favoritism because they may become a student leader while their friends will not. My response to that is two-fold: 1) maybe it's time to rethink who your friends are, 2) maybe it's time you started intentionally praying for and impacting your friend's lives in a positive way. If someone becomes the only student leader among their group of friends, the potential for life change in that group just went up as one of them took a step of faith to take their relationship with Jesus more seriously.

As for those Student Leaders who begin to feel superior and hold that over the heads of those who aren't, they simply won't be Student Leaders anymore. This isn't a club or a VIP group, it's a community of teenagers and leaders who are serious about their walk with God. It's a group that don't want to be recognized as much as they want Jesus to be recognized.

Another common objection is that this will cause us to lose teenagers to other youth groups, or they may just leave the church altogether because they feel excluded. First of all, ministry is not about how many you get through your church door, it's about how well you disciple the ones that God entrusts you with in the first place. Secondly, we never want someone to walk away from youth group and lose the opportunity of hearing the gospel every Wednesday. Our Wednesday night programs will always be tailored to everyone who walks in. It will be the 'front door' of our ministry; a time where the student leaders eventually take ownership of and have a greater impact among their peers. Wednesday night is a time where the Student leaders and unbelievers alike can have God meet their greatest need.

Will some of the Student Leaders totally fake their commitment and fool everyone? I hope not, but the reality is that they might. But I have to trust that the Holy Spirit will use their time on Student Leadership to convict their hearts about their hypocrisy. I have to trust that the hypocrite can become the humble servant of God.

Will someone who deserves to be on Student Leadership get overlooked because they are quiet about their faith? My answer to that will be with another question: can someone whose heart has been changed by our amazing God possibly keep quiet about that change?

The objection I probably hate (yes, I know that's a strong word) the most is this: "But some of these students have so many other things going on. They are on sports teams, dance teams, choirs, bands, debate teams, etc. They have so much going on in their lives. So something has to give here. They can't be involved in everything."

So what you're telling me is that everything else is more important? I am done with the excuses in this area. Either your relationship with Jesus is the #1 priority or it's not. Either the purpose of youth group is intense, fruitful discipleship that is costly, or it's a babysitting service. It's your choice, but don't tell me that community and discipleship is important to you if you're never there and you never sacrifice to make it happen. How can you lead your peers at youth group if you're never there?

I understand that all of this is touchy and hard to hear. I understand it may sound legalistic and cold. But until we raise the bar and commit our time, resources, energy and efforts into real, biblical discipleship, change will not occur. Until we put the stake in the ground and cry out for a generation that seeks after God's heart, mediocrity will continue to be the norm.

Jesus Himself said "If you love Me, you'll keep My Commandments." John said that "His commands are not burdensome." So if Student Leadership feels like a burden, that's a heart issue.

I'm not trying to call anyone to legalism, I'm trying to call them to holiness and lives that are sold out to our Savior. Until we as The Church become dissatisfied with the way things are, change will not occur. We will continue to have weekly youth groups and the teenagers will clap, smile and go home having had a good time. Then we will have to stand before Jesus and say that we spent our lives entertaining 10,000 teenagers rather than discipling 100 who would go on to change the world.

I still want to minister to the students who are far from God. I still want to love and disciple the student who rejects Jesus and doesn't even like me. But I would rather do that with an amazing team of student leaders by my side who are all headed toward the same goal of lifting up the name of Jesus to reach their generation and the world!

My Story of Discouragement

It's not often that I use this blog as a platform to really express what's going on in my heart. Sure, I share struggles and the things that I am currently learning pretty regularly. But there are just some things that I simply don't write on this blog about. Obviously there are many good reasons for silence in these areas of my life, but sometimes there are things that need to be said because there is someone else out there struggling with the same thoughts and issues. So, here we go...

I often do not feel like I am enough.

Last week at youth group, I decided to address the issue of homosexuality from a biblical perspective with the students. As you can probably imagine, Satan worked hard to cause as many distractions as possible. The students were as rowdy and full of attitude as ever. We really had a difficult time calming them down when the time came for worship and the sermon.

Without getting too much into the details of the situation, it was a rough night. Praise God that His Word still went forth in a powerful way and people went home with much to process. We had a family productive and insightful Q&A time after the sermon as well. So on the surface, it looked like despite the behavioral issues, things still went well.

I didn't really think much about it as I locked up the church by myself. I muttered a small prayer to God in the silence of the now empty youth room for Him to continue to work in the students' hearts. Satan was not done trying to thwart God's work just because everyone had gone home and I began to get really discouraged.

We throw that word around a lot don't we? You need to understand that I really began to feel a deep, lingering, disheartening, disarming and downright painful discouragement. And if you've ever been there, you know that it wasn't because I had to scold a few teenagers for two hours on a Wednesday night. No, it ran much deeper than that.

See, I came to South Shore Community Church with a vision that I believe God set firm in my heart. A vision to see these students find and follow Jesus with their whole hearts. A vision to see them all discipled and grow in the knowledge and faith of our Lord Jesus. I put my plans in place to make sure that we could accomplish that goal. And although I know that it's going to take years to see the ministry get to that place, there are just moments when I don't feel like I am enough to get us there.

Then I go home to a wife who is already in bed because her day has been even longer than mine, and I begin to wish that I could have seen her to trade stories from the day that is now in the rear view. I realize that ministry takes much sacrifice and truthfully is one of the toughest jobs on earth. I realize that however hard it is on me, it's even harder on her. She has to deal with her job and support me in my ministry. That is no easy task. I begin to wish I could offer more encouragement and strength to her than I do.

I begin to remember the times when I lashed out in pointless arguments with her that result in both of us wishing we hadn't just wasted an hour on such a ridiculous argument. And so, yet again I feel like I am not enough of a husband that this amazing woman of God deserves for me to be to her.

So I take a shower, grab a bowl of ice-cream (which always makes things at least a little better) and sit up in the bed to process it all. I'm reminded that first of all and most importantly, I will never be enough, but Jesus is always more than enough in every area of my life. I could never be the husband that I am supposed to be without Jesus. I could never be the youth pastor I want to be without Jesus.

And so I begin to find comfort in my Savior who does not just simply make up in the areas that I am lacking. He shines through every area as the All-Sufficient, All-Satisfying One. The Savior who invites us to journey with Him through this life that He has graciously blessed us with reminds us that even when we make our plans and shout our vows to be better and do more; He is still all we need.

Even further still, He reminds us that the journey is better than the explanation. To be on this journey with Him; growing, striving, finding grace in times of need and experiencing His power of sanctification is so much better than completing the goals I have set for my life. And ultimately, our eternal destination will be the fulfillment of the journey we're on.

To not feel like I am enough is to take the focus off of Jesus and place it on myself. That is simply a set-up for failure. And so, although we are to relentlessly pursue holiness and victory in these areas of our lives, we must not ever place the weight of being enough on our shoulders. We must simply lay that burden down at the foot of the cross and fix our eyes on the One who "is faithful; he will surely do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

If I would simply walk with Him instead of trying to fight for Him, He could demonstrate in a very tangible way that His "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). I can love my wife because of the love He has for me. I can see students transformed because I just need to direct them to the One who is still transforming me. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

As these gospel truths began to wash over me, I was brought into a mindset of thankfulness. What began in frustration and deep discouragement was transformed into joy and hope. Only Jesus can do that, because only Jesus makes beautiful things out of dust. He can weave the stories of my failures and shortcomings into the tapestry that is my life and reveal something beautiful because of His grace.

This has been more of a time for me to type out and share what's really going on in my heart than a time to produce a good, insightful blog post. I pray that it makes sense to you and that the same truths of the gospel that penetrated my heart that night can do the same for you. May we never feel that we have to be enough because we have a relationship with the One who is always more than enough. "Our supply, breath of life and still...more awesome than we could ever know!"

When a Pastor Has Nothing to Say

I really like to write. I also really enjoy long conversations on topics of personal interest. I have the privilege of being a Student Pastor and as a result, get to preach sermons of 20-45 minutes rather frequently. So I guess you can say that most of the time I have something to say.

However, all my fellow pastors out there may understand that there are times in our lives and ministry where we just don't have anything to say. I'm not talking about those moments of heartbreak or disaster where we are expected to have life-changing advice; which, by the way, only comes from God Himself and His Word. I'm also not talking about those times when we are so frustrated by a person or situation that we would rather keep our mouths shut than spew out words that will then be placed on a platform for open criticism. While those are times when it is very evident that we are human and don't really have much of anything we can say (or want to say), I'm talking about something entirely different.

I feel sometimes that as a pastor I am expected to constantly be able to crank out blogs, Facebook posts, videos and sermons that are rich in theology and practical life advice. Sometimes I feel like I am supposed to offer an opinion on every single current event and how it relates to what God has to say. When I'm in a small group discussion or sitting at a dinner table theology session, I feel the urge to always be ready give some sort of opinion or insight.

But truthfully, sometimes I have nothing to say.

Sometimes, I would prefer to sit back and be encouraged by the voices of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ; to be ministered to as they share their insights. Often, I don't want to weigh in on current events because I don't have an opinion or I feel like there are so many other things that are of much more importance; like my time with Jesus, or my time with my wife.

I completely understand that God has placed me in a role where people want to hear what I have to say. That as a pastor I have a unique voice in the church and it's important that I share what God lays on my heart. But sometimes, God is teaching me things in silence that even I'm not comprehending at the moment. Sometimes, I am learning tough truths that are going to take a while for me to get a handle on and I'm not quite ready to write a blog on those things.

Maybe you think this is silly and that I don't have to always have something to say. Maybe I'm the only pastor who feels this way at times. But, what I think so many Christians don't understand about pastors is that we are human. We actually struggle in many of the same ways that you do. It's possible that your pastors's silence on an issue you wish he would weigh in on is only evidence to the fact that he is as confused as you are. It's possible that when we don't have much to say, we are desperately seeking the face of God for Him to speak clearly so we can have something to say.

For too long, I have let myself believe that these moments of silence in my own life are either evidence of spiritual maturity, or a spiritual drought. While both of those may be the case at times, I think more often than not, it's just that we simply don't have anything to say. While there are times when even if I don't want to, I must speak out as a pastor, there are also times when everyone wants me to speak, that I just don't need to; nor does God want me to.

I think of Jesus who "When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer" (Matthew 27:12). Everyone probably wanted to hear what He had to say in this moment, but He needed to carry out His mission before He needed to say something in these moments. Besides, Jesus had already said everything He needed to say and done everything He needed to do (John 17:4).

I haven't quite figured out these periods of silence as a pastor, but I do know that to feel the need to always have something to say undermines the sufficiency of Christ and the Word. I do know that I am human and would prefer to seek the Truth before I blurt out an opinion. I know that the wisest man to ever live said "The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things" (Proverbs 15:28)

**I have to point out the irony that I wrote a blog about having nothing to say. I'm not totally oblivious**

The Idols Christians Worship

Picture this: it's about 1 o'clock on a Sunday afternoon. You have met up for lunch with a few of your fellow church members after the Sunday service and conversation begins about the service you just had. How many times does this conversation turn into you talking about Jesus and how amazing He is? If you're anything like me, you begin talking about the different aspects of the church service; what you liked and didn't like.

How about your small groups (if you attend one) or just your circle of Christian friends? When you get together to discuss theology and life in general, how much of the conversation is actually focused solely on Jesus? When we sing songs, read devotionals, dive into the latest book from our favorite Christian author, crack open that new CD release by our favorite worship band or anything of the sort, where does our focus go?

It seems to me that we love to celebrate all of those things more frequently and more emphatically than Jesus. It's not just that we defend our preferences when it comes to worship, we actually have begun to worship our preferences.

That is idolatry.

We think worship is an end in an of itself, but worship is simply a means to an end, or rather, The End  - Jesus. Do you realize that the songs we sing, the books we read and even the Bible that we study are all meant to point us to Jesus? I'm sure we would say that we agree with that statement, but how often do we worship methods over Messiah?

There should be times in the middle of a 'worship set' during the church service that you can't sing because you are completely undone by The One you are singing to. When you're out to lunch with friends after church, the conversation should be about Jesus because you all experienced His Presence in a new way that week.

Don't misunderstand me here, I am all for excellence in what we do. It's okay and even healthy at times to critique and analyze our methods. There is nothing sinful about preferring a certain method or style of worship. It can be a good thing to have a favorite author or artist whom you talk about and share their work with others. But if those things and those people are your objects of affection, then you have an idol.

We treat songs, books, artists, ect. as if they are infallible. We hold them up on a pedestal and treat them as if they are perfect and they are the reasons we worship. But ask yourself: if there was no music, or books or art, would God still be God? And if so, would He still be worthy of worship? Then the question comes: Have I been worshipping God or the things that are supposed to point me to Him?

I'll quote Ross King and tell you:

"Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it."

So what or whom fits one of those descriptions above for you? If it's anything or anyone but Jesus, you have an idol. Get real honest with yourself here as I remind you of Jonah 2:8 - "Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love."

Everything that we worship in this life other than Jesus is simply a shadow of the One we really long for. It's about time we started believing that. I have a feeling that if we began to worship Jesus and only Jesus, our conversations after church and every moment would radically change. Our church services themselves would actually change. What people say about our churches would actually change. EVERYTHING would change because Jesus changes everything!

I would be remiss if I did not give credit to C.S. Lewis for sparking these thoughts in me today. I read a quote of his earlier that I will close this post with:

"The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself, they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshipers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of the tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited."

Enjoy Jesus

When did you last spend time with Jesus just for the sake of spending time with Jesus? Really ask yourself that question for a moment. Have you been reading scripture, praying, singing, worshipping Jesus for any other reason than the joy of being in His Presence? If we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we often fall short in this area.

It is so vital to our walk with Jesus that we actually enjoy being with Him. We have to get to a point where we can honestly say "the joy of the Lord is my strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). To know Jesus intimately is to actually spend time with Him. Too many of us sacrifice our relationship with Jesus in order to do ministry for Him.

I struggle with this SO often. As a youth pastor, much of my day is spent focusing on helping teenagers grow in their relationship with Jesus. I plan sermons, pray, organize games, and so much more all with the goal of ministering to students. Those things are awesome, but if they are not the overflow of my time spent with Jesus, I will not be very effective. How can I get someone to be passionate about Jesus when I am not experiencing that passion I keep talking about?

So how do we fix this? How do we get to a point where we enjoy Jesus again?


1. Spend Time with Him

This is sort of a 'duh' statement. But so often we wait around for passion to slap us in the face and enter our hearts. Cultivating a true love for our Savior is much like a marriage; it takes work. There will be days that you have no desire to pray or spend any time with Him; do it anyway! This is not mindless obedience, it is working to stir up in yourself the passion you once had.

2. Find the Right Setting

Some of you could think of nothing more spiritually refreshing than praying for hours on end about everything you can possibly think of. Some of you (like myself) find your best moments with Jesus are spend pouring over His Word, yearning to hear from Him.

For me, to be alone, with my Bible, a good cup of coffee and a journal could not get any better. These are the moments I am able to enjoy being with Him the most. It is so important to find the right setting to be with Him in.

3. Make These Times About you and Him

Don't try to think of who else needs to hear this. Don't spend these precious moments coming up with a creative way to tell your friends about it. Don't tweet it right away, don't post a long Facebook post about how much you're enjoying this time. Why? Because you need to be with Jesus. You don't need to break away from Him so that everyone knows how good your quiet time is going. There will be time to share what God is teaching you with your friends and family later. Be with Him in those moments and don't let anything get in the way of that.

4. Share it With Others

This sounds contradictory, but you should share what God is teaching you with your friends, family and small group. Don't do it during your quiet time, but later, make sure you talk about what God is teaching you. Others can offer even deeper insight and encouragement to you at this time. This helps to reinforce what you're learning and it is an uplifting time for you and them.

5. Enjoy Jesus

Please, please, please do not do as I did and turn God into an intellectual pursuit or a puzzle to be solved. God desires that we desire Him. As John Piper said "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." Be sure that the most important part of your quiet time is not what you learned, but Who you learned it from. Be sure that you draw your "grace in times of need" (Hebrews 4:16) from the God from whom all blessings flow.

Be sure that above all else, you enjoy being with Him. Let His Spirit comfort, encourage, teach and strengthen you for the day ahead. This is not just 30 minutes to check off your to-do list. This time spent with the creator of the Universe, the God who died so you could live; cherish every moment.

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Did you spend more time reading this post than you did with the Father today? He wants to commune with you. He wants to pour grace, mercy and love into you so that you may be fully satisfied in Him. He wants you to enjoy Him. He is not nearly as interested in what your ministry as He is in you. Once you find out how good He is, you won't want anything else, and you'll want the world to know this God that you have found to be altogether lovely and satisfying.

Questioning The Answers

Have you ever questioned your faith? No, I'm not talking about doubting your salvation. I'm talking about asking yourself if Christianity is real. Have you ever thought to yourself: "am I just wasting my time?" I'm no expert, but I'd be willing to guess that at least half (or more) of us have thought this way more than once even.

I had a time in my life when I asked those questions. I wondered if I was believing all this stuff in vain. Is there enough evidence to support my beliefs? Have I told myself a lie for so long that now I believe it? Have we all missed the true meaning of life? IS there any meaning to life?

The problem is not asking the questions; the problem is preventing other people from asking those same questions. I have a feeling that we would rather brainwash the next generation than see them hash out their beliefs for themselves. We want to see teenagers trained in their beliefs. We answer their questions with answers that follow the thought process of "the Bible says it so I believe it." We don't share the questions we ask ourselves in our inner dialogues because we are afraid of other people asking those same questions.

Youth groups particularly are filled with great teaching, solid theology and engaging services; but lack the asking of raw, unfiltered questions. We invite teenagers to ask why things happen to them so we can comfort them with the truth that God is in control and He loves them. But what if they are questioning if God really does exist? What if they don't really buy the fact that the Bible is our source for absolute truth?

We must begin to engage teenagers (and everyone else for that matter) in a way that confronts the questions they are asking in the quietness of their hearts. We have to stop feeding them answers without ever allowing them to ask the questions.

I believe we are more interested in seeing them converted than discipled. Discipleship is a messy, difficult process; one where hearts, motives and deep rooted issues are exposed. Often, in the discipleship process, no answers from our mouths are sufficient. Sometimes, we will have no idea what to say. That should not frighten us like it too often does. We should welcome questions that we have no answer to, so that we may sit at the feet of the One Who does!

What if we began to prompt teenagers to ask these questions out loud? What if they did? Would it get uncomfortable? Sure. Would it scare some parents and youth leaders to death? Absolutely. Would it be worth it? I have no doubt that it would! If we don't let them ask these questions, their peers and colleagues will at some point. Would we rather them hash these things out in the world or with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?

Are we willing to not only address the elephant in the room but to escort him there in the first place? It's almost as if we believe if we don't address these questions, they won't ever think about them. I have news for you: they already are thinking about it. Let's be there to help them find Jesus in the middle of it all!

I am no advocate for prompting teenagers to question their faith for no reason, but I am all for bringing to the surface the things they ask deep within their hearts. If as a youth pastor I can lead them to an authentic encounter with and belief in Jesus before they graduate high school, then I've done my job. But if all I do is feed them answers and show them how to love Jesus without ever letting them ask their questions, their faith will be nothing more than a masquerade; a terrible one at that.

So how about you? Are you willing to share your story of how you pursued Jesus in the midst of serious doubt that He even existed? Are you willing to let others ask the questions you did? Will you be there to authentically point them to Jesus when they do?

Why?

On November 19th, I will be beginning a new series on Wednesday nights at Alive with the teenagers called "Why?". I am both burdened and excited to start this series: burdened because of the weight of the difficulties they are currently experiencing; excited because I will have the opportunity to point them to Jesus in the process.

In the meantime, as I am preparing to deliver this series, I will probably write several blog posts for you all to share in what God is teaching me throughout this time. I have never been one to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn and keep it to myself; by God's grace I'm just not wired that way!

If you haven't caught it yet, this series will be all about the difficult times that we all go through and how we can deal with them. We will tackle tough questions and circumstances, not only in our own lives, but also issues that are going on in the world around us. Most, if not all of us have at one point asked God why something is happening to us or someone we love.

That question flows out of several different motives. Some of the emotions that flood our hearts are anger, confusion, frustration, sorrow, etc. We go to God knowing that He is in control and that He loves us, but at that time, we are having trouble really believing it. My hope is that we all understand one simple truth through those times...

God answers our "why" with a "Who."

We would do our students a great disservice to teach them that everything has an explanation in this life; that if we wait long enough, God will tell us why things happened to us. That belief is just simply not supported in Scripture. Instead, God always points us back to His character and attributes during the times that we don't understand what is going on.

Just look at the life of Job. He experienced sorrow that most of us will never understand even in part. We know what went on behind the scenes as Satan was attacking, but there is nothing in the Bible that suggests Job ever found out why it all happened. All he knew was that God was still God and that his responsibility was to trust God through it all; even if he never found out why it all happened.

If we will just learn to fix our eyes on Jesus during the hard times in our lives instead of looking at the circumstances, then we will begin to gain grace in our time of need. How do we expect to find strength and grace to journey through a difficult time when all we are looking for is answers? We act as if we would feel better if we knew why. But finding out the answer does not bring healing; we must look to The Healer for that!

God's answer to Job is evidence that He is not all that interested in us finding out why all the time. There are times where we will know and times where we will not. In all circumstances, God is interested in us knowing Him, not knowing why.

That's the premise of this series and it is my prayer that students will hunger for the God who gives grace in times of need. My prayer is that they stop looking for answers and start looking for Jesus; that they would know that finding answers will not satisfy, but finding Jesus will!

Pray with me during this time.