Turning 30

So I turned 30 yesterday. It was kind of weird and kind of normal. The day was pretty normal. It was Black Friday, so Aimee and I went by the mall but I thought the "sales" were terrible. She bought a shirt, but that was it. Oh yeah, I bought myself a new truck for the first time. I have been driving the same truck since high school. I really like the truck, but I don't know if I will like the payments.

But back to turning 30.

First, I don't feel 30 at all. Working with middle school students keeps you young. I always feel like people are older than me. I kind of want to be like those guys who try to look at their lives from a different perspective and see if they are where they want to be. I have tried to do that and it just seems stupid. I hope I am where God wants me to be. I have a great wife, family and job. My friends are amazing. I really don't feel like anything is missing. Sure I have troubles and issues like everyone else, but I am pretty satisfied with where God has me. I hope the next 30 years are as much fun as the first 30 have been.

Thank you to all of you who have been a part it so far.

China Review

In case you didn’t know, I had the opportunity to travel to China from September 9 – 21. It was my first experience out of our country and an experience that I will never forget. I want to start off this note by stating some of the obvious things and then get to what I thought my Father was teaching me.
First, there are people EVERYWHERE! China has an estimated 1 billion people living in the country. That’s almost 3 times the amount of people we have in the States. I can understand where the value of human life has decreased over there. I don’t agree with it, but can understand it. In the city that we were in, there were about 10 million people. At least 5 million people ride a scooter. Todd would fit right in with all the Chinese. One thing I would never do over there is drive. People in China do not know how to drive. Signals and lines on the road mean absolutely nothing. I asked our connection over there about getting a license and he said that it is hard to get a license and if you can’t pass the test, you can just pay for it! Our bus driver used his horn more in the 2 weeks than I have in my entire life.
Second, the food is terrible. Granted, this is coming from someone who is already a picky eater, but I tried some things are they were for the most part, terrible. In my photo albums on Facebook, you can see what I am talking about. From the fish head and tail still attached to actual chicken feet being in the soup, I hit my gag reflex several times on this trip. My friend Wayne and I lived on crackers and water for a long period of time. There were several things that I did enjoy, like dragon fruit, fried rice (not American style) and duck. We did find a McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut over there and we lived off those things for the last couple of days. Whatever weight I lost in the first week, I gained back by the time we left.
Third, the beds were hard a rock. They do not know what a comforter is. We stayed in the 3 different hotels while we were over there and all of them had beds that were hard. The bathrooms were not something to be desired as well. While the hotels had western style bathrooms (even though you couldn’t put used toilet paper in the toilet), most bathrooms out it public were what we called ‘Squatty Potty’s.’ Basically, just a hole in the ground without plumbing. They were some the nastiest things I have ever smelled.
On to the things I was taught. The verse that was stuck in my head while we traveled was, “You are his workmanship, created in Him, to DO good works which He has prepared in advance for you to do.” I was ready to get to work while I was over there. We were visiting some cities that were devastated by the earthquake on May 12, 2008. That date is being memorialized like our 9-11. Our plans were changed often on this trip. It came to be very annoying while we were there. The villages and cities that we did visit were absolutely devastated. There were several schools that collapsed and many of the victims of this disaster where children. While we were not able to do all the things we wanted, we were able to give hope and encouragement to many people that we came into contact with. Whether they were organizations that were helping with disaster, to college students, to the village people who were seeing ‘white faces’ for the first time in their lives. These organizations were starting to get discouraged because of the lack of volunteer help and so we could encourage them. We meet people who lived in portable housing that was basically a bunch of one-room homes for 40,000 people.
The main thing that I walked away with was an awareness of things much bigger than me. It was like the time I went to the Grand Canyon as a child. Our Father has great plans for China, bigger than I have ever imagined and we need to keep them in our thoughts.

China Trip

So I am going to China on Tuesday, Sept 9 with some friends! I can't wait to go. I have never been out of the country. The jet lag and time change make me nervous but I am ready to go. I hate it that my wife can't go with me. That's the only thing that sucks. I hope we have a lot of success and not run into many problems. Say a little prayer for us, especially Aimee.

Leadership is...

So in all the busyness of transitioning to a new church, I am at a leadership retreat for our rising 8th graders and Seniors. We are teaching the students about 3 major topics:
1. Leadership is Influence. As John Maxwell says, 'Nothing more, nothing less.' Our students have to understand that they have influence because of their position but they must gain influence among the students if they want to be leaders.
2. Leadership has accountability. As 1 Tim 3 tells us, there is certain criteria laid out for those who desire a position of leadership. A leader has to be able to lead themselves, among others and among leaders. There is a certain level of accountability that comes with being a leader.
3. Leadership is servanthood. The book of Matthew tells us that those who want to be first must be last and those who wish to be great must serve. Jesus came to serve, not be served. If anybody could get away with being served, it was Jesus. It is our job to be like Christ, we must be servants.

Just thought I would let you in on what we were talking about today.

New Surroundings

So I have been in a new church for the past 29 days. The first week was really slow. After that, it was non-stop until this past Sunday. I have been in a 100 meetings and then we went to camp. My time here has been great. The students are great, the leaders are great and the staff is unbelievable. God is stretching me and I am loving it. My prayer is that God will give me the wisdom to do what is right and the strength to get it done.

Success as a Leader

For the past 5 or so years, I have been reading, learning, trying to figure out what it really means to be a leader. I have attended conferences, sat in meetings, and had discussions about the topic. The weird thing right now is that I am about to find out how good of a leader I have been in the past 4 1/2 years. In my transition to a new church, I leave behind a group of students on the verge of doing something great. There are several college volunteers along with several new graduates who are prepared to take over and hopefully do a better job than I did. The success of my leadership will be dependent on them taking what I have taught them and doing it themselves. I know that God is in control and He will do what He wants to do. These students have the opportunity to do the right thing and see other students come to know Jesus and have a better relationship with Him. I am sad to go, but I am excited about what God is doing here and where I go. To God be the glory, forever.

Changes

So, these past few months have been quite interesting. God has been working in ways that I have never expected. Like my last post, I understand that my faith in God is based upon Jesus and not my circumstances, but this has been a time when I get to put that faith (confidence) to the test.
The thing about change is that it is rarely easy. While I am excited on one side, I am not looking forward to the other side. I know that the emotion is coming but I don't really want to deal with it. I have been expecting the worst each time I have talked about the changes, only the best has come out. That makes me a little more worried about continuing the announcement.
So if you get to read this, just throw a little prayer up to our Father for us.

Understanding Faith

So we have been on the discussion of faith at our church for a while. I have been watching Andy Stanley's new series called 'Faith, Hope and Luck' and it is amazing. Andy does a great job on explaining what faith is and how it is accomplished in our lives. So many times, we connect our faith with our circumstances. If we do the right things, say the magical words, click our heals or give the right amount of money, our faith would be amazing. On the other hand, if times get tough or things don't work out the way we want them to, our faith can be crushed.
Our faith is based on circumstances. That is the problem. Our faith comes from one source alone. God grace given to us through the power of Jesus. The foundation of our faith is Jesus. What he did 2000 years ago is the only foundation for what we believe. If nothing else good ever happens in our lives, we know that God loves us and He sent his Son to die for us. That's it. Not an experience. Not a circumstance. Not a magic formula. The person of Jesus is all we need.
So how does God show this in my life? Let's just say that circumstances are frustrating and life doesn't always seem easy. Just another way for God to remind me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness. Just a reminder that when I am weak, He is strong.

Relationships

So I just got back from Norman Park, GA. There is a Georgia Baptist Center down there and I was there to meet with other youth pastors from Georgia. Now if you have never heard of Norman Park, don't worry, neither did I. The Baptist Center is really the only thing in the city. The city is about 30 minutes outside of Tifton, GA.
I knew about 8 of the 30 guys down there. These guys I know are from my neck of the woods and work with me at Impact (the greatest camp on the earth). A lot of these guys were from down south closer to Norman Park. They were very rural and country. I know that I am in the south but most of the guys I know are from the city.
The interesting thing to me is that student ministry is done the same way everywhere. One of our talks was about reaching out to different stereotypes. The main conclusion was relationships. Whether you were like or even liked the stereotype you were reaching out to, the main ingredient is relationship. Understand that you may not ever be like the student you are reaching out to, but realize that they are looking for real relationships. They want to see the real you and you need to show them the real Jesus through you.

Who will confess?

This past week has been exhausting. Here in Augusta, it has been Masters week. One of the greatest golf tournaments in the world is held here. Smart people in Augusta do one of two things. They either leave or work the Masters. For the past 3 years, I have worked the Masters. This year, it was with a group called Velocity Sports who contracts the event for IBM. I worked almost 100 hours in 1 week.
Even if you are not into golf, you have probably heard of the person who finished in 2nd place this year. His name is Tiger Woods and he will probably go down as the greatest golfer when his career is over. He has won the tournament 4 times and has finished 2nd the last 2 years. People (including other golfers) have confessed that he is the greatest golfer of our time.
This past Sunday, our Sunday School class was reading in Philippians 2. It talks about how Christ humbled himself and became obedient to death. He didn't consider his equality with God something to be grasped. When all was said and done, every person will confess that He is Lord. We may be confessing right now that Tiger is the greatest golfer. No one said that 30 years ago and they might be speaking of another golfer in 30 years from now. However, the name of Jesus is timeless. EVERYONE will confess that he is Lord.

March Madness

To me, this is the greatest time of year. The weather is getting warmer, my truck turns a shade of yellow, and the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament is going on. Being a huge basketball fan, I am a little bias as to why this is the greatest time of year, but there is something about watching this tournament and trying to pick the winner that fascinates me and millions of others.
Last week, I turned in my brackets and I am watching closely to see if my picks hold up. There's nothing like cheering for the #1 team in the tournament. (North Carolina Tarheels) But there is one thing that I have noticed, like the millions of people who guess or "predict" who is going to win the tournament, many people do the same with their lives. Instead of making wise decisions, people make choices based on emotion and circumstance. Just like the people who pick a winner based on colors or mascots, many people make horrible decisions.
The truth for us as Christians is that God has mandated a wise choice. It is found in Ephesians 5. Paul tells us that we are to walk wisely. He commands us to make the most of every opportunity.
So enjoy the games, as I will, and remember to walk wisely.

It's Not What You Do, But Who You Are

So I am reading a book called The Radical Reformission. It is a book by Mark Driscoll. He is the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He is the kind of guy who probably wouldn't expect to have a large church. He is known for his brash attitude and harsh words. However, he should be known for his heart for Jesus and desire to bring him into a real world.
With Easter just around the corner, his thoughts about reaching out to the lost world is amazing. He writes in his book that reformission happens when we stop thinking that missions is something we do and missions is something we are. All the time, we are missionaries for Jesus, either we are good missionaries or bad.
So for me, I have to realize that every day and every moment is a reflection for Jesus. Whether I want it to be or not, it is.
So I have to realize that it is not about what I do but who I am.

Leap Year

So today is a day that only happens once every four years. It probably stinks for those who have birthdays on this day. "Hey, happy birthday, can't wait for it to come again!" So I am glad that my birthday is not on this day.
For some of us, it seems like we take our relationship with God and others they same way. "Hey God, good to see you. See you again in 4 years." "Hey Church, good to see you this week. I will be back in four years."
Many times, we see our relationship with God and our relationships with others on different levels. But if we look close enough in Scripture, God puts to the two relationships close together. There are in need of each other.

So take a look at your life. How is your relationship with God? How are your relationships with others?

Or do you just think about this every four years...

The Real Me

Baldy, Mr. Clean, Member of the KKK, Captain Chemo and all kinds of other names have been put on my label. Thanks, Mom and Dad for the genetic predisposition to male pattern baldness. I have heard them all of the last 9 years as I have shaved my balding head. In the beginning, they hurt a lot. I was so terrified of going bald. I never thought I would get married and that I would be a loser the rest of my life. All because I was losing my hair.
We all live by labels. Most of the time, they are labels that other people put on us. Many times, we allow those labels to dictate choices and actions in our lives. Then, we allow ourselves to become whatever that label was. But is it really you? Who is the real you?
For our students, we have been trying to breakthrough those labels and find out who the real person is deep down inside. Sometimes that means exposing ourselves and being a little vulnerable. The cool thing about that is many of the things we try to hide are the same things other people are going through and need just as much help dealing with. My suggestion would be to try and find someone close to you who you can open up to. For us guys, this can be difficult, but it can also be on of the most freeing experiences in your life.

True Life

So last night, our students were part of an event called True Life. It was one of our area events that was led by one student for his senior project. It was similar to an event that we do called FindIt. The band Spur58 played and there were several different testimonies from students and several people a little older (including me). There were probably close to 400 students there. The band was good and the testimonies were interesting. It was good to hear peer students sharing their stories but you could tell they were nervous. One of the guys kept saying "let's be serious" and "let's get real" and then he would crack a joke. It was pretty ironic and funny.
Anyways, I mention that because I got the chance to end the night out with a simple summary and chance to respond. I simply shared one of my favorite verses from the Bible. John 10:10 tells us, "The Thief comes to kill, steal and destroy. But I (Jesus) have come that you might have life and life to the fullest." This is one of the greatest promises in all the Bible. This life we live can suck the life right out of us. Relationships, money, media and the american dream can "kill, steal and destroy" many of the things that God wants for us. Thankfully, God has come to give us true life and that life is found in him. When we chose to live our lives for Christ, it makes all the difference.

The Joy of James

Right now, I am taking my high school boys Bible study through the book of James. We have only gone through the first chapter but it is loaded with some great stuff. First, counting it as joy to go through tough times. I don't know about you, but the last thing I think about going through tough times in JOY. But that is what James tells us to do. It will cause maturity to grow in our lives. It will help me to grow.
Even as difficult as this first part is, the last part of the chapter seems even harder. In verse 22 of the first chapter, James tells us the we cannot be just hearers of the word, but also doers. In my opinion, this is the most difficult thing of the for people of the south to do/be. It is easy to show up on Sunday mornings, 'hear' a message and go home, checking the box on your checklist off. Can that really be it? I heard a good sermon? Please let there be more!!!! God is calling us to be doers of his word. Purely put in James, love the orphans, widows and the poor. So don't be just 'hearers,' or 'readers' of God, but be the doer!

GOD IS BIG

So I have been studying for the last few days about how big God is based upon Creation or the world. I have been watching Louie Giglio's 2 part series Indescribable. It is awe-inspiring. I really can't wait to teach this on Wednesday night. I hope that I can communicate it effectively.
Our theme for the month of January is Authentic Faith. I want our students to know that God can be trusted, that He will do all He has promised to do. I want them to view God as someone sooooo much bigger than we are. If they can gain this perspective from understanding what God has done and is continuing to do, this can dramatically change the way they trust God.
If you have not seen these videos, you can go to NorthPoint.org and under the messages you can see them at the bottom. They are truly amazing. It definitely makes you think that there has to be something more to life when you see it.

Ready for the New?

So we are 4 days into the new year and it seems like a lot of new things are becoming new. Aimee and I are looking for a new home, I am typing this from a new computer, there are some new opportunities for how my job looks, and we might even get a new puppy!
All of this can be a little scary because of the unknown. The biggest "known" is that God will take care of us through it all. My pastor has been talking to us on staff about exercising our faith. He wants us to trust God for more and be more vocal about it.
I am trying to do this by being more vocal with my dependence on God. When it comes to big financial decisions or career opportunities, I want God to basically make the decision for me. But that is not it, I really need God to help me make decisions each day that almost have as much of an effect on my life as these big decisions.
God not only cares about the big things but the everyday things too. He wants to be a part of every aspect of my life. I need for him to be there.
So I may not be ready completely for the "new" but I am ready for God to be in all of it.