400 year silence: Before and After

We, as Christians, strive to have the heart of Jesus...that we would love the things God loves and our hearts would break for the things for which His heart breaks. One such thing that captures the heart of God is family. God uses tons of analogies and metaphors about family in the Bible to explain his love and interaction with us, and his passion for family is never more evident than what He says before and after a 400 year silence. Here's the background: The Israelites have gone through the judges and several kings, and with them came a host of prophets. God spoke through these prophets to give the people instruction, discipline, and encouragement. There is a 400 year gap of silence where God does not speak through a prophet or angel...or anyone, and that gap is called the "intertestamental period" - the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Knowing that He would be silent for hundreds of years, God's last statements obviously carried much importance, as did his very first words after this long drought. If you look at the last words and the first words...they have a common theme, and in reading them, we see the passion of God's heart for families! Check it out:

God's Last O.T. words: Malachi 4:5-6 - "I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

God's First N.T. words: Luke 1:13-18 - ""Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son...and he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Wow!! God REALLY cares about the relationships in your family - with your parents and with your kids!! Is your heart turned toward your kids--really focused on them? Is your heart also focused on loving and respecting your parents? God cares DEEPLY about this, and as we are in the middle of the holidays, please take time to warm God's heart by loving your family and turning your hearts toward each other :).

Your Thoughts??

Hey everyone,

I'd really, really love your input as we are continuing to plan details for next year. It's been an AWESOME fall, and I'm stoked for what God's gonna continue to do in our church and student ministry! Please fill out the form below - thanks!!!

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Favorite OT passage...right now.

Exodus 33 - LOVE IT. Take a second and read it 33:7-11 (I'll just focus on these few verses for this post). This passage inspires and challenges me for a three reasons:

1. INSPIRE: The word "anyone" in verse 7. God (even in the Old Testament) wants a relationship with every single person--not just Moses, Aaron, and Joshua--everyone! There were well over a million Israelites, and billions of people today...and God truly has the time and desire to hang out with me--he wants to be there with me...not just for me.

2. CHALLENGE: Verses 8-10 - This kills me...anyone could go in and meet with God personally (verse 7)...but only Moses and Joshua go (verse 11). Why!? Why would the people be content worshipping at the entrance to their own tents...worshipping at a distance. I'm sure it was a cool experience for them to sit back in their "pew" and watch the show...maybe even "sing along"; admire what God is doing through the people up front... can you see where I'm going?

I am 110% all-for having a high-quality worship band, video, lighting, etc...but I believe that it gets way too easy for people to stand and watch (maybe go through the motions of singing words they're not really thinking about)...and never really enter in to God's presence. That challenges me... Are you content with worshipping at a distance, but never really soaking in the transforming presence of Almighty God? What would "worship" look like if the whole church entered into the tent!? Would it be a crazy party? Would we all just be overwhelmed? Would we sing tons of songs and dance?... I don't know...but I want to.

3. INSPIRE: Verse 11 - Wow. Can you imagine? I try to picture what it looked and sounded like inside of that tent!!! Unbelievable. But my favorite part is the last sentence..."Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua...did not leave the Tent." THAT'S WHY I LOVE STUDENT MINISTRY! For the moments when a "young" persons realizes that there is nothing in the world more important than just "abiding." Just soaking in the transforming, healing, inspiring, loving presence of Papa...it just doesn't get better than that. Will you be a Joshua today? Will you join me in letting the business of this world fade away and allow ourselves to go into the Tent of Meeting (which is now in your heart, by the way :). Will you just bask in his Awesome presence? Soak it up...don't leave the tent!

Small Group Video...

Hey guys, this is the corny little video I shot for you to view together as small groups, and then to GET INTO THE WORD together!! You, soldier, are challenged--how are you doing in battle?

Baptism...the beginning!

A week ago, our church experienced an incredible outpouring of God's grace as over 30 people came forward for baptism! It was incredible, and I hope you take a second to watch a quick video of the Junior High and High School students who were baptized that day. I do want to point out though, that this is only the beginning--they are being "born again," and just like any newborn, they have an entire life ahead of them full of joy, pain, love, challenges, etc. Join me in praying for them--pray for true discipleship and service opportunities for them, that they may grow in wisdom and understanding! I'm pumped to be a part of what God is doing in this church and this youth group, and praying for even more outpourings of grace and power.

God's Masterpiece

Ever wondered why you are here on this earth? God not only created with incredibly awesome gifts and abilities, but he placed you in a specific place at a specific time in world history (2009 right now). You are here on purpose...and on a mission! You are God's workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus to do good works! (Eph. 2:10) Take the time to watch this INCREDIBLE video (it's about 9 minutes long).

Kickoff time!

The time has arrived! School begins this week, and AXIS kickoff is just a few days away (Aug. 26). After some evaluation and prayer, the schedule for the next few months is set, and we are excited about the vision and direction of the student ministry! We have finished the snackbar area, we have a great new check-in system (and thus, an affective follow-up plan!), and a great lineup for our Wednesday night program this fall. We're starting with a concert (check out myspace.com/skylinecircle), water balloon war, and fireworks on the 26th--YOU WON'T WANNA MISS IT! Then in September we are starting a series called "What Goes Around" - talking about Grace, and trying to fully grasp what it is (vs. the popular idea of Karma and just being a "good person"). Check out this video:

Days 4 and 5: Worship and Live

First of all - I'm super sorry about not giving an update last night - I got back in my room after 1:30am, and then couldn't get the internet working, so decided just to go to sleep--but some AWESOME stuff happened on Wednesday as well as today.

Wednesday (Day 4: Worship)
As we traveled through the book of Exodus, we got to the story of Moses receiving the Law from God while Aaron compromised and fashioned a golden calf for the people of Israel to worship. We studied the Scripture and applied it to our own lives--we may not bow down and worship a golden cow...but we do worship idols. We spent time studying the concept of worship and how we are created as worshippers, and if we don't give Jesus our whole heart, we WILL worship something or someone else. It was a powerful evening as we were challenged to be open and honest about the idols in our lives, and it was freeing as we confessed these things to each other...but then it got even better. Many of you may not know a soon-to-be freshman, Robby Myers, but God truly got ahold of his heart that night! As the main session came to a close (which was outstanding), Robby was moved to tears, and as we talked, he said he is beginning to understand God's Word in ways that he had never been able to before, and that he wanted to give his life completely over to Jesus. We eventually talked about baptism and what it means, and he got so excited that he couldn't wait to get home. We called mom (Barbara Davenport), asked how she felt about this decision, and she was all-for it. We will show video of Robby's baptism into Christ on Sunday morning (hopefully)--as we did it in the Lee University garden fountain! It was awesome! Praise Jesus!!! (Robby is the one in the middle of this tennis court picture...click to enlarge)



Thursday (Day 5: Live)
Today, really, was icing on the cake. It was a reinforcement of what God has been pressing on the hearts of the students, and a final encouragement and challenge to make this commitment and excitement for Jesus a daily desire and routine. It was also "skip-a-meal" day (I can explain later if you'd like me to) and "extended recreation" day...which meant: white water rafting! We had so much fun and got so stinkin' wet--it was truly an incredible memory-making experience. We only lost four students to the rapids, but that's not a bad ratio. Just kidding! Nobody was injured other than maybe a bruise or two, and we all walked away talking about who was the strongest, most brave, most crazy, and most wet among us! I'm sorry I won't have any new pictures up on the slideshow to your left...today was just a whirlwind, and I have not imported anything yet.

To end the evening, Eric Epperson did a fantastic job giving us the challenge to step up and live this kingdom worker concept out at home, and then they did something unique. Every student received a card inside an envelope as they walked into the session this evening. They were told that on this card is written a challenge that they are personally challenged to accomplish and complete...and that these challenges are not small or easy. As we return home tomorrow, I encourage you to ask the students that attended (you'll notice us wearing our shirts on Sunday) what their specific challenge was. (they ranged from committing to go on an over-seas missions trip in the next year to getting a part time job for the soul reason of sharing their faith with co-workers).

I will close the CIY Move blogging with this truth: Relationships are key. This group of 31 people are closer than we have ever been, and it's only been 6 days. It proves the fact that when we spend intentional time with people for the purpose of talking about God-stuff and EXPECTING God to show up and move in our lives--unity happens. Unity in our mission, unity in our personal relationships, unity in our passion for worship, etc. So please, please, please, when we get home - make it your goal as parents, friends, and family to be excited with your son/daughter/friend... Fuel the flame, even. Partner with them in their challenge to do something bigger than themselves for the kingdom. The emotion of the trip will eventually wear off, but I implore you to help maintain the passionate desire to see His kingdom advance!

Day 3: Crossing

...the Red Sea, that is. We dove into Exodus 14 today, and as the Israelites were finally freed from their bondage and slavery, they almost immediately came upon a "problem." God took them the long way around and they ended up at the Red Sea with nowhere to go and a huge Egyptian army storming towards them! That's exactly what happens to us when we are set free from sin - God begins leading and guiding us...but not always when and how we thought. In fact, Satan is ticked off and he is coming at us full force, and we are left, standing at the water's edge with no place to turn, grumbling against God! Oh how quickly we forget the power and wisdom of God when times get tough. The beautiful thing is, though, that if we listen to Him, he will do AMAZING THINGS! He parted the sea (can you imagine being the first Israelite out of the 2.5 million of them to step out into the newly created path?? Kinda scary). We were challenged today to not only let Jesus free us from sin and bondage...but to begin living out that freedom as "Kingdom Workers." God calls us to step up and make a difference in the Kingdom, and we started our journey today in finding out what it is that He is calling us to. Pray for the students to be able to remove all distractions over the next couple of days in order to clearly hear the call that God is placing on their life, specifically. I truly believe with all my heart that this generation can and will turn the world upside down for Christ!

On a less spiritual note, it rained ALL DAY today, and I will try and post some pictures tomorrow of the soaking wet football games and the extreme mud wrestling--It was intense! :) Oh, and I will NEVER bring rubber bands for an illustration ever again...when the innocent game was over, a war broke out. I have more welts and bruises on my body now than the Israelite slaves did!!! We are having a blast and growing closer, though--I guess a few rubber band slaps are worth the bonding and memories (I can't promise I didn't retaliate against your kids though :).

Day 2: Freedom!

Today has been full of fun and excitement as well as some pretty heavy, serious times. After a good night in the dorms (girls have awesome dorms!), we had some pretty good cafeteria breakfast and then started a day all about slavery vs. freedom. Each of the students had a "d-group" (discipleship group consisting of about 8 student and 2 leaders), where we had some great teaching about the reality and gravity of our sin. We took two paper bracelets, wrote sins that we personally struggle with (on the inside of the bracelets), and wore them all day on our wrists...as part of the evening session, the adults took a third bracelet and "shackled" the students' hands together as if they were handcuffed to represent the fact that sin enslaves us. After some prayer and meditation, they were encouraged to break free and throw away their "chains" - it was a very powerful moment. In fact, in our "youth group time" at the end of the night, we split into guys and girls and got very open and honest with each other about specific sins in our lives that we want to eradicate...and there was a combination of tears, shouts of joy, and earnest prayer happening! No one was forced to talk, but many were moved by the Spirit to confess things and get the burdens off of their chest in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Here is what I am even more excited about...students are being freed from sin and death...and we still have 3 more days here to get to talk about how to LIVE OUT this newly found Freedom In Christ! Today's theme (Freedom) was based out of Exodus 12 (the end of the 10 plagues, and the letting go--i.e. 'exodus'--of the Israelites from Egypt), and was obviously very applicable to us and our need to be freed from our own slavery to sin. Celebrate with us the many decisions to get radical about confessing and eliminating sin, and please pray for tomorrow as we talk about the "Crossing" (Red Sea)--where is God leading us, and how do we know his will, leading, and direction for our lives?? It will be an extremely enlightning and important day! Thank you for wanting to keep up and know what is going on as well as being in prayer for us as we are at Move. Please feel free to leave a comment on the blogs (as it encourages me to continue writing at 1 am or later as I go to bed! :). Love you all - God is good.

Here, and In Position

We made the 12-hour drive flawlessly! God totally helped keep us safe, and I know that he helped us drivers stay awake and alert (in addition to several pops and energy drinks :). Feel free to give Brent O'Connor a big pat on the back, as he drove the all-girls van! We lost an hour as we got into the Nashville area (we are an hour ahead of MO), and arrived at Lee University in Cleveland, TN around noon. We enjoyed some free time/nap time until hamburgers and hot dogs at 5pm. Then the conference officially began, and it was a GREAT opening session! The atmosphere was one of energetic expectancy, and God filled the place as we worshipped Him. The speaker, Scott ?, did an excellent job of setting up this week's theme by discussing Exodus 3--Moses and the Burning Bush - How we, like Moses, have been sought out by God for a purpose that He designed us for, and we must get into a position of willingness! When we give excuses, God simply remiss us of who he is (I AM)! Please be in prayer for tomorrow (Monday), as we will be talking about the slavery in Exodus, and how we are slaves to sin...it will be a very heavy day as the students come face to face with their sin, and the reality that Jesus is the only one who can break those chains and give us true Freedom! I love and appreciate you all - thank you for your prayers and support!

Runnin' crazy!

This summer has been awesome! This picture was at JH CYOKAMO, getting ready for an 80's bowling night. We've had both weeks of camp, two AXIS Wednesday night worship times, a massive fireworks stand, a float rip, and a partridge in a pear tree so far...and it's not over! God has truly been moving at Carterville (very evident this week at VBS!), and we are getting ready for our last two big trips of the summer - CIY MOVE and JH Bodybuilders. I know that these weeks will absolutely change lives, and I plead with everyone to be in prayer over these weeks. "MOVE" is in Cleveland, TN (Lee University) for the high schoolers, and Bodybuilders in an inner-city St. Louis missions trip (teaming up with 3 other youth groups). Please be praying for God to prepare the hearts of the students now, and to blow them away at camp!! I believe we can change the culture of worship at CCC beginning with youth if we take it seriously! Thank you, Jesus!

Practice What You Preach?

I'm on my first day of vacation right now...and I'm supposed to be in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida...driving to Miami this morning. I'm in Atlanta, GA. Wanna know why? You guessed it - weather delays. STORMS! Shayla and I were a little frustrated for a while - just sitting in the plane on the runway for over an hour. But God is in control...maybe we weren't supposed to make it on time...what if something would have happened, and God was actually helping us by making us wait. I am learning patience even on vacation :). And to add to it - we got a discounted, upgraded room at the hotel for the night in Atlanta - sweet! God is still just as much good, just as much God, and just as much in control - even (and especially) in the midst of storms. If you are going through some turbulence in your life right now - remember that God still has EVERYTHING under control!

Storm Season!

April showers bring May tornadoes...or something like that. We have tons of storms this time of year, and whether you are one of those people who stand out in the street watching it, or if you're the first one to the storm shelter - nobody likes getting hit by a storm (even if you have insurance!). There are unfortunately lots of others storms in our lives beyond just the weather. Over the next few weeks, we are going to be putting these storms under a microscope and asking the difficult questions, like "Why, God?" How do we deal with storms in our lives, and can they actually yield any positive results? In Christ, we find some answers that give us hope and peace in these times. Don't try to weather these storms alone - come, be encouraged and lifted up in prayer by a community of real people who are sharing their stories, and who want to be there for you. I don't typically just blog about how you should come to church - but the new series starting this week is something you won't want to miss! Come check it out this Wednesday at 6:30.

Intentional Attention

Question: What grabs your attention?
Answer: Anything that can stir your emotions, and is typically short-term.

We have lots of things that grab our attention...but giving our attention to something has less to do with emotion and more to do with intention. Even in church--we can be gripped by something that was said or sung about...but then we don't actually do anything about it! Proverbs 4:25-27 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." Here's the bottom line - If we are not intentional about giving our attention to something (or someone), then it is easy for us to get off track and have our attention grabbed by anything. What are you giving your attention and affection to? Here are the two biggest questions to help you know:
- Where does most of your TIME go? (work, friends, TV, music, internet...spending time with Jesus?)
- Where does most of your MONEY go? (fast food, games, clothes...people in need, tithes and offering?)

If you evaluate the answers to those questions and there is a big imbalance...maybe it's time to get intentional about focusing our attention on the things of God. Take a minute today to make a list and prioritize the things that are truly the most important to you, and GIVE your attention (intentionally) to them, and cut down on the meaningless things that continually "grab" your attention. This is a struggle for me--especially with "my" money. Let's work together, and by the power of God we can all refocus our attention on the things that truly matter!

No Air...

Jordin Sparks' song (still near the top of the charts), "No Air" is all about telling someone you love that you can't live without them--here are some lyrics:

"If I should die before I wake, It's 'cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air
I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave, My heart won't move, it's incomplete
Wish there was a way that I can make you understand

But how do you expect me, To live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you, It's so hard for me to breathe

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air..."

That's a great mushy song to sing to that special someone...but what if it were true about our relationship with God? Did you know that the Greek word for God's Spirit is "pnuema" and is often translated wind, breath, or air? Spiritually, we breathe (thus, survive and thrive) on God. This question haunts me: If God took his Spirit out from the church, what would change...if anything? How much do we truly rely on God...and how much of what we do is on our own abilities and power? Just as our bodies need air to live, move, and breathe...we MUST stay connected to the Spirit if we are to live, move, and breathe spiritually! Today, think about how much you are actually depending upon Him, and don't go another second without air!

By the way - this is my favorite parody of that song :)

Cats or Dogs?

Are you a cat or a dog when it comes to church? Let me explain, when you feed, pet, play with, and love a dog...the dog thinks, "Wow - you must be God!" When you feed, pet, play with, and love a cat...the cat thinks, "Wow - I must be God!" People that are passionately in love with Jesus (dog people) come to church excited about how they can worship and serve God and others--even if something is new or different, because it's not about them, it's about Jesus. People that are passionately in love with themselves (cat people) come to church excited about how the sermon is going to speak to them, and wondering if the worship is going to be good. We want the sermon to be relevant and touch people's lives, and we want the music to help us pour our hearts out to Jesus...but for a cat, they judge a service (and the church) by how well they were ministered to instead of how well they were able to worship God and minister to others. If there is a new song or if the music was too loud or if the pastor said something that was too edgy or challenging, then a cat walks away frustrated, complaining, and possibly even leaving or causing dissension among the body.

This sheds a whole new light on the fact that, "All dogs go to heaven!" :)

Love is in the air...

I am teaching "Virtuous Reality" (and abstinence education program) in a middle school in Joplin, and I can tell that Valentine's day is here! Lots of junior high drama, hook-ups and break-ups...but it makes my job fun :). People do crazy things when they are in love. Big, burly men sit down to watch a gushy chick flick and the girliest of girls act interested in their boyfriend's musings about the latest video game or wrestling match! Dirty rooms become clean when that certain guy or girl comes over to visit, and all of a sudden we practice good manners. And that's just the simple, expected things! We are proud of our significant other, and we never are ashamed to tell people about him/her. Maybe you're in love with a sport, a hobby, a computer, an instrument, a school mascot, etc, and you love talking about it. So why are we scared to utter the name of Jesus around our friends and family? We say we love him...but do we do crazy things for Him? As Valentine's Day approaches, let us not forget to show love and gratitude for the One who IS love! Look for opportunities to share this Love with someone today.

Also, this week, we are meeting early on Wednesday (leaving at 6pm) to go to an awesome area-wide True Love Waits Rally. Grab a friend a come--The theme is "Masterpiece", and it's gonna rock!

I Wonder...

Do you? Wonder is when our words, affection, attention, and soul can't explain or get enough or something. It is the thing upon which you think about in your spare time and talk about with your friends. What inspires a sense of wonder in your life? Maybe it's a place (i.e. Rocky Mountains or a cruise to the Bahamas). Maybe it's a person--a "significant other" or celebrity. Maybe it's something else like a sport, hobby, or some type of product. Guess what? God created all of these places and people, and it is He that allows us to enjoy the things we do...but God is more than just an incredible Creator. He is our Savior, our Provider and Sustainer, our friend, and more. Sometimes we get off rhythm in our lives because we take our eyes off of the true Inspiration and we are enamored only by the temporary and finite. What would change in our day if we were truly, fully excited and inspired by God and who He is. We've heard God is big (and lots of other "churchy things that become easy--Sunday School answers...), but what if we lived like it! Take some time out of your week and use your God-given imagination to think about how incredible He is and what He does! Put the wonder of God back into life...

Check out this awesome video that illustrates an awesome sense of rhythm (the best dancers in the 4-state area in a dance-off!)

Rhythm

We kickoff AXIS tonight for Spring 2009! Our first 4-week series will be discussing the topic of rhythm in our lives. I had the opportunity to preach about this idea in December, and we are going to break it down and dive in a little deeper over this next month. Basically, God created everything with a sense of rhythm and syncopated motion--just look at His creation (from the human body to the delicate balance of our solar system). He created us to be in rhythm with Him in the Garden of Eden...but sin entered and the beautiful song started to get off beat. Therefore, God began working through entire Old Testament in order to have Jesus, the Messiah, come and conquer sin and death-- and now we can have a restored relationship and "get back on beat" with our Creator through Jesus' sacrifice! This is our desire for every single teenager we have the opportunity of meeting--and not only to deepen their relationship with God, but also to improve relationships with family and friends. This is the rhythm to which God is moving...will we lay down our selfish songs and join in with Him??