Not A Mega Church? Building a Youth Ministry that Lasts no matter what size Church you are!

3Sep/100

YM DEVO: Having Perspective

Read 2 Timothy 4:6-18

Questions to Process:

  1. What kind of turmoil was happening around Paul and his ministry?
  2. How did Paul respond to all this turmoil?

Paul is at the end of his life and people have started to desert him. BUT, despite it all, he remains focused on the Lord, the ministry that is happening and can happen. Basically Paul said, "My life stinks right now as these slackers are all deserting me, but I fought hard and to God be the glory of all that He allowed me to do". What a great perspective and attitude to have - still giving God the glory for all that has happened even in the midst of frustrations (verse 18 - "To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.").

This passage really caused me to do a reality check. In fact, I feel that God just slapped me in the face with this passage. See if this kind of stuff was happening to Tom, Tom would say something like this: "My life really sucks right now. How could this happen to me? Look at all I did and now THIS happens!?!". Now, that is a bit extreme, but I'd be lying to you if I said I never thought something similar to that.

The reality is all that God has allowed me to do in my life is for the glory of the Lord, not for the glory of Tom. God has an ultimate plan that may or may not go exactly how I want it or how I think it should go. That is why I need to be in tune with what God's plan is and see how He is working. How selfish of me to think that I should always benefit and prosper because I am doing God's work (i.e., a Youth Minister).

I need keep my focus on the Lord at all time and be content where where He has me. In his letter to the Philippians (Philippians 4:10-13), Paul talks about this. Paul had to learn the secret of being content. It didn't happen overnight, but over time, he became completely content with where God had him at that moment. So I have to learn and gain perspective in all situations and be content that God has me where He has me for a reason and I need to be good with that.

TAKE A MINUTE right now and think about where you are in life. Are you content where God has you or no? Spend some time meditating on what it means to be content. What is God trying to teach you in your situation right now?

A favorite verse of mine the past few months has been Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

What we have to do is to trust Him, be content in Him, rely on Him. We may never understand His ways, but if we continue to keep the right perspective and trust God, He will bring us through it - one way or another. So, as you process and meditate, ask the Lord for the right perspective to have in that situation and that He would give you wisdom and discernment in how to move forward. Only He will be able to tell you how you can do that.

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16Aug/100

GUEST POST: Seeing beyond the Mirror

This GUEST POST comes from Mark Seager.  Mark is the Associate Pastor at Cedar Run Community Church in Herndon, VA.  He is a very gifted communicator as his passion for the Lord and people to come to know him is evident in all he does.  I think the more he guest posts for me the better the chances are that he might want to blog & write more :)

12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”
14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
Judges 6:12-16 (NIV)

Life has a way of snaring our attentions so we lose sight of prime reality; God.  We get distracted by our current events and lose perspective.  We need to be reminded of how God sees things.  He doesn’t get consumed by the moment, He has an eternal perspective.  He sees through our reflection in the mirror to what’s inside.  We need to do the same.

Gideon is introduced to us in Judges 6 and from the first part of the chapter appears to be a pretty unimpressive fellow.  The kind of guy you’d meet at a party but never remember.  But that’s not how God saw Him.  Instead of focusing on the “what-is-now” of Gideon being low man on the tribal totem pole, God called him “Mighty Warrior.”  How can a no-name cowering in fear and working in secret be a mighty warrior?  Because God was with him and had a plan for him.  Because God was with him, Gideon was unstoppable if He obeyed the Lord.  That’s why the angel of the Lord could call Gideon “mighty warrior”.

We must do no less with one another.  Too often we see and remember each other’s (and our own) foibles and screw-ups.  Our churches and our world would be transformed if Christians saw each other as God sees us.  Complete in Christ and equipped for every good work through the power of Him who raised Jesus from the dead living in us.  God’s power is not hindered by our lack of popularity or intelligence or athleticism.  He just wants us to see beyond our reflection in the mirror, believe the truth and trust Him.  May God advance His Kingdom with a bunch of ordinary people whose eyes are firmly fixed on the vision of who we are in Christ!

So right now, TAKE A MINUTE and...

  1. Think about who the “Gideons” are in your ministry.  Kids who may not be in the in crowd at school…kids who seem like they’re on the fast track to insignificance…Kids for whom you can cast the vision of, “Since God is with you, you can do amazing things!”.
  2. Write down some thoughts on how you will help kids to see beyond the mirror to who they are “in Christ.”

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16Jul/100

YM DEVO: Missions around You

As I prepared for a message to some college and young adults this past week, I was challenged to look at the mission field a bit differently.  So often I (and I am sure many others) view missions as something you go out and do in other towns or countries around the world.  But, as I looked at Christ's life (and that of Philip), I remembered that my mission field is right in front of me.  In fact, it is wherever God leads me.  Let me explain.

Read Acts 8:26-38.

  1. Where was Philip going?
  2. Who directed him?
  3. How did God use Philip?
In the often repeated scripture Matthew 28:19-20, Christ proclaims to his disciples to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  Christ has told us all to go and make disciples.  How do we do that?  By teach them everything we know and baptizing them.
Using these 3 passages, I was convicted that it is my job as a follower of Christ to:
  • Teach all people (not just my ministry focus of youth and young adults or those in other cities or countries) about Christ.  Whether it is my daughter or my neighbor or a friend I come into contact with, I cannot withhold the love, grace and peace of Christ that has impacted my life for the better.  I need to share Him to others.  I can't just keep him compartmentalized to my "ministry job".  If Christ has impacted me in my life (which He has), then I need to share Him at all times during the day.
  • Christ told His disciples to teach others everything He has commanded them.  Well, for those 11 remaining disciples, they spent 3 years with Christ.  Do you think they had a lot to teach others?  As Sarah Palin would say, "You betcha".  In the same way, whether you have been with Christ for many years or for just a bit, you have something to be sharing about Christ.  You don't have to be a "minister" to be able to share.  All you have to have is a life changed by God to share with others.  How will you know when to share?  Look at the next point.
  • I will know when to share when the Lord directs me.  It doesn't mean you have to be to another state or country to share about Christ.  It can be to someone right next to you.  As we see with Philip, he was told/directed twice (v. 26 & 29) to go take action that led to the Ethiopian eunuch coming to know the Lord as his savior. Philip just didn't look on the map and say I'm going here and I will do this.  No, the Lord directed him. Because of this example, I realized I need to be in communion with the Lord for Him to direct me.  Philip knew where to go because he knew the voice of the Lord.  He knew what the Lord sounded like.  I need to be able to discern the voice of the Lord and the only way I can do that is if I spend time with Him regularly.
TAKE A MINUTE right now and review the 2 passages and the 3 points.  What is God telling you in regard to that.  Are you missing an opportunity to share right in front of you?  As Carolyn Covert (Cedar Run's Children's Ministry Director) said, "we're on a 'mission trip' every time we step foot outside our front door".   That is a key concept to know and understand.  Regarding missions it is important that we don't have to travel to another city, state or country to make an impact.  The impact we can have is waiting right outside our door.  May God bless your endeavors!

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19May/100

YM Devo: God’s Protection

Recently, in my own personal devotions, I came across Psalm 40.  I love Psalm 40 for a variety of reason (1 being it's a U2 song), but verse 11 really stuck out to me.

Psalm 40:11 says, "Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.

This was David sharing and it was a verse that I hung onto for the rest of that week and even today.  Here is what I got out of it.

  • He asked God to "not withhold your mercy from me".  Basically he is saying that he knows he is a sinful guy and that he has messed up a bunch.  So as he is trying to do what is right he is asking for God to be merciful and gracious to him.  As followers of Christ and Youth Ministers, we are going to make mistakes and not handle situations the most appropriate ways.  But the great news is God has plenty of grace and mercy for all of us to go around.
  • He says, "may your love...always protect me."  I believe love is personal.  Relationships in general are messed up as they can be very self-centered and conditional; a sort of a "what have you done for me lately" mindset.  This is particularly true of our ministering to teenagers.  If we "wrong" them in some way, they shut us out completely.  But what I appreciate the most is that God gives unconditional love and it will always cover and protect us no matter what situation we are in.  His love is greater than all things and it will protect us through the great times and the bad as long as we allow ourselves to feel the love.
  • Finally he says, "may your truth always protect me."  The fact is people will always have their own version of the truth as truth can sometimes be how we perceive things to be (whether we are right or wrong).  We may be falsely accused of something or confronted with something that is inaccurate which may really stink and cause tension at work or at home. But the reality is that the REAL truth rests in the Lord.  After all He did say, "I am the way, the TRUTH and the life".  He is the ultimate truth and understanding.  We have to continue to trust in Him and His truth no matter what happens here on earth.
We all make mistakes and we try to learn from them.  It is when we rest in the Lord and trust His will and His control, then we know that His love and Truth will come out on top.  We must become less (and do less) so that God can become greater and shine through it all.
TAKE A MINUTE and pray to God for mercy.  Then, allow His unconditional love to fall upon you right now.  Finally, search the scriptures and rest in his unchanging truth!
May you all be encouraged by this as much as I was

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11Feb/100

YM Devo: What Are You Building?

This is a new "Category" and something I will be doing once a week.  As a youth minister I know that being fed spiritually consistently is hard to do as we can sometimes get so caught up in doing God's work, we fail to allow God to work in us.  Don't get me wrong, being fed spiritually is a MUST, but it can be hard to do sometimes.  So from now on, once a week, I will post a devotional specifically designed for youth ministers.  It will include a section to read, some reflections and both personal and ministry applications.

As this will be a work in progress, if there is anything you like or dislike, please let me know so I can best meet your needs.

YM Devo: What Are You Building?

Read Nehemiah 1-2:8

Some questions to answer:

  1. Who was Nehemiah?
  2. What was on his heart to do?  Why do you think he wanted to do that?
  3. How was God instrumental in allowing him to go on his mission?

Nehemiah was just a simple cup-bearer. He didn't have real power or authority to do anything. But his heart was to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall that was destroyed when Israel was taken over.  Why the Jerusalem wall?  It does not say for sure, but back in those days, a lot of cities had walls around them for protection against invaders.  If the walls were high and strong, the better the chance at defending against attack.  In the same way, if the walls were broken down and destroyed, the more open a city was to attack.

The reason why the Jerusalem walls were destroyed in the first place was because Israel messed up big time.  Even though they were God's chosen people, Israel continually turned their backs on the Lord by worshiping other idols.  Therefore, God allowed them to be attacked and taken over by the Babylonians.

With all this in mind, Nehemiah knew that Israel repeatedly turned their backs on the Lord (1:5-9). Nonetheless, he was deeply upset and distressed over the current state of Jerusalem.  So he went before God and prayed for a chance, an opportunity to go before the King and make his petition to rebuild the Jerusalem wall.  Then, the King noticed Nehemiah’s distressed state and asked him what he wanted. (2:1-4a). How crazy is that?  The King’s reaction and question to Nehemiah had God written all over.  Really, how many times do you think a high King would take an interest in a cup-bearer?

Nehemiah had a desire and God provided him an opportunity to go and make an impact.  But it wasn't easy.  Nehemiah was afraid to speak up to the King when given the chance (2:2). But he did share with the King his heart.  He walked through that open door the Lord provided which was the beginning of what ultimately led to Israel returning to Jerusalem from captivity.

Personal Application:

  1. Is God pressing something on your heart to say or do?  What is it?
  2. What are some of the fears associated with taking that step?
  3. What is one step you can take to pursue the Lord's guidance?

Ministry Application:

  1. What are you praying for?
  2. Is the ministry you have a desire to build aligned up with what you are praying for?  Is it aligned up with the Lord's leading?
  3. What are some of the challenges that may be present that can hinder your desires and prayers?
  4. What is one step you can take to further pursue the Lord's direction and your desires?

Try to really separate the personal and ministry applications.  Too often when we do ministry, the personal and our ministry become intertwined to the point where we cannot tell the difference between the two.  Try your hardest to have two separate and distinct answers to these questions.

Encouragement:

If God is pressing something on your heart, go before the Lord and pray for a chance to do something with it. Nehemiah prayed for four months, from the month of Kislev (1:1) to the month of Nisan (2:1) before he was given an opportunity to speak to the King about his desire to return to Jerusalem 1.  So do not be discouraged if you do not hear back from the Lord in a day or two or even a few months. Continue to go before the Lord with what he is pressing on your heart.

Then, when God provides you with an opportunity, Carpe Diem - SEIZE THE DAY! God is giving you a chance, now do something with it.  Do not let fear or uncertainty of the unknown effect your decision to go for it or not. Seize the day and be thankful to God that he has given you this great opportunity to make an impact.

As followers of Christ and Ministers, we are constantly building.  We are building relationships, spiritual foundations for youth and ministries that will be effective for a long time.  Each person will have a different ministry depending on what the Lord lays on his or her heart.  So don't try to be someone you are not or build a ministry that is not you.  Seek the Lord and allow him to direct you so that you can build something that exceeds even your wildest dreams.

If a simple cup-bearer with a heart to do something great can walk through the open door God provided, then we can as well.  Let's go and pray for something meaningful for the Lord to do in our midst.

Footnotes:

1. http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/nehemiah/2.html

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