Teenagers have an incredible influence on our society! Clothing, music, technology, even vocabulary are just a few of the areas in which this is true. Christian teens have the potential to be the greatest world-changers NOW without having to wait until they "grow up." This was a large part of the challenge (1 Timothy 4:10-12).
We had a great encounter and d-group time, but a large chunk of today was WHITE WATER RAFTING! We had six students and a couple adults stay back and go hiking to some nearby waterfalls (which I will post pictures of hopefully tomorrow), and the other 22 of us drove 20 minutes to the Cherokee Adventure's river rafting.
Praise Jesus everyone had a blast without being seriously injured! We had a few capsized rafts here in there and a couple bumps and bruises--but it was worth every scrape. The Appalachian scenery was breathtaking and the weather was perfect for rafting. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The trip took a little longer than expected (one of the river guides was still pretty new and was slowing us down), so we missed dinner and barely made it back in time for the beginning of the main session. So I ordered some cheap pizza for everybody during our youth group time after the session.
One of the highlights for me today, rafting and hiking aside, was that after we dismissed youth group time...nobody left! Every single person stayed there and hung out for awhile, which was the first time this has happened. Usually some will stay, and there will be pockets of people talking, but there was a desire for more unity, more fellowship--and that is one of my favorite reasons to come to a conference away from home like this--for the students to draw nearer to God and to each other!
CIY Pics!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
CIY "Move" Day 3: Godliness
Major concept for the day: Godliness is more than simply "not sinning," it's pursuing what God wants for us. Today was a great day to take the burden off of spiritual disciplines and see the joy in them!
This morning was a great time of reflection and discussion about the theme of true godliness, and then the teens got to see a bunch of CIY favorite videos from the past - it was really fun for them as well as informative to hear the heart behind the videos. The adults had some great time to themselves today also. We attended a class about how to better counsel teenagers, which was very practical and helpful, and then, instead of eating at the cafeteria, the adults (including Damien) and the two graduated seniors (Kim M. and Tyler W.) that came to CIY left campus to go eat at a fantastic Japanese Steak House-type restaurant (which was much cheaper than Joplin's--just sayin').
During the D-Group time earlier in the day, part of the lesson was for each student to write on a little square mirror an attribute of God that they desire to reflect in their life. Each did so with a sharpie, and we collected all of these mirrors. Danny Curry did a phenomenal job bringing the message tonight, as did the band with worship, but the pinnacle of the evening was after the message was over, during a time of worship, a very large disco-ball was brought out on stage, and it was timed perfectly to be illuminated with the song "Shine" (a newer worship song). The sight and meaning of that alone was cool, but then everyone realized that the little square mirrors on the disco ball was actually the students' mirrors with their desired attributes of God that they want to "reflect." It was AWESOME for them to experience together, realizing what it would look like to the world if the church would unify and each shine with the attributes and gifts that God has given him or her. Very cool stuff.
Youth group time was fun and introspective at first, and then became very emotional and heavy. The mercy seat is being used, hearts are being broken, and sins are being confessed. This is a critical moment for the teens - please pray for wisdom for me and the leaders here to know what to say and when to say it, for Holy Spirit guidance in counseling and listening, and for extra energy as we are beginning to get physically and emotionally drained.
Finally, pray for us as we get on the river tomorrow to go rafting - it's gonna be a blast, but of course I would love your prayers for safety. (also, feel free to comment and ask questions on here). Thank you.
This morning was a great time of reflection and discussion about the theme of true godliness, and then the teens got to see a bunch of CIY favorite videos from the past - it was really fun for them as well as informative to hear the heart behind the videos. The adults had some great time to themselves today also. We attended a class about how to better counsel teenagers, which was very practical and helpful, and then, instead of eating at the cafeteria, the adults (including Damien) and the two graduated seniors (Kim M. and Tyler W.) that came to CIY left campus to go eat at a fantastic Japanese Steak House-type restaurant (which was much cheaper than Joplin's--just sayin').
During the D-Group time earlier in the day, part of the lesson was for each student to write on a little square mirror an attribute of God that they desire to reflect in their life. Each did so with a sharpie, and we collected all of these mirrors. Danny Curry did a phenomenal job bringing the message tonight, as did the band with worship, but the pinnacle of the evening was after the message was over, during a time of worship, a very large disco-ball was brought out on stage, and it was timed perfectly to be illuminated with the song "Shine" (a newer worship song). The sight and meaning of that alone was cool, but then everyone realized that the little square mirrors on the disco ball was actually the students' mirrors with their desired attributes of God that they want to "reflect." It was AWESOME for them to experience together, realizing what it would look like to the world if the church would unify and each shine with the attributes and gifts that God has given him or her. Very cool stuff.
Youth group time was fun and introspective at first, and then became very emotional and heavy. The mercy seat is being used, hearts are being broken, and sins are being confessed. This is a critical moment for the teens - please pray for wisdom for me and the leaders here to know what to say and when to say it, for Holy Spirit guidance in counseling and listening, and for extra energy as we are beginning to get physically and emotionally drained.
Finally, pray for us as we get on the river tomorrow to go rafting - it's gonna be a blast, but of course I would love your prayers for safety. (also, feel free to comment and ask questions on here). Thank you.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
CIY "Move" Day 2: Truth
First full day of Move, and there was a LOT packed into today. After an emotional appeal to lay down our baggage at the cross and accept "Grace" last night, today was a more analytical approach to the concept that Jesus is "Truth" (which I thoroughly enjoyed). Each day (after breakfast) begins with a fun wake-up morning show which then transitions to a couple songs with the band. After getting the blood pumping a little, we get to have Damien Spikereit come out and introduce the topic of the day. (very cool for our kids to have him up on the big stage :).
The students had some quiet time (with the Move booklet devotions), and then we had our first "D-Group" lesson. The D-groups are led by our sponsors for our students (broken into two groups). We get to get some in-depth Scripture study and discussion as it relates to the topic of the day, and it was awesome today because it was all about Truth and whether it can be relative or not. Good stuff!
Lunch. Then we had a special session with a Dave Ramsey representative to talk to the teens about how they handle their money--it was very powerful and appropriate (and our own Tyler Wimberly won $20 by helping out on stage!)
Free Time - we had six of us enter a volleyball team and get 3rd, and we had a few of the boys play in a basketball tournament as well. (if you get a chance to razz Damien, his team lost right off the bat--haha.) Several of the boys also went swimming and had a blast.
Dinner. Then, main session. Again, the Caleb Miller band rocked the house and the Spirit was definitely moving, which set up a 3-part video sermon from Mark Moore. He talked about Truth as it relates to a boxing ring and how we often times get knocked down when we try and evangelize, but to keep getting back up because Jesus and His message is worth it. It was a great challenge for the students--not so emotional, just straight-up conviction to share the Truth.
Youth group time was a great discussion and reflection of the day; we prayed for eachother, and then we played a large-group game called "Big Booty." I promise it's not inappropriate...you'll just have to ask your kids about it...lol.
I simply wanted to walk through a the typical schedule of a day at Move while describing today, so the following blogs will be more highlights and less structure--but please keep praying, because God truly is on the move! (specifically pray for their spiritual walk, because Wednesday's theme is "Godliness" and will be very challenging).
The students had some quiet time (with the Move booklet devotions), and then we had our first "D-Group" lesson. The D-groups are led by our sponsors for our students (broken into two groups). We get to get some in-depth Scripture study and discussion as it relates to the topic of the day, and it was awesome today because it was all about Truth and whether it can be relative or not. Good stuff!
Lunch. Then we had a special session with a Dave Ramsey representative to talk to the teens about how they handle their money--it was very powerful and appropriate (and our own Tyler Wimberly won $20 by helping out on stage!)
Free Time - we had six of us enter a volleyball team and get 3rd, and we had a few of the boys play in a basketball tournament as well. (if you get a chance to razz Damien, his team lost right off the bat--haha.) Several of the boys also went swimming and had a blast.
Dinner. Then, main session. Again, the Caleb Miller band rocked the house and the Spirit was definitely moving, which set up a 3-part video sermon from Mark Moore. He talked about Truth as it relates to a boxing ring and how we often times get knocked down when we try and evangelize, but to keep getting back up because Jesus and His message is worth it. It was a great challenge for the students--not so emotional, just straight-up conviction to share the Truth.
Youth group time was a great discussion and reflection of the day; we prayed for eachother, and then we played a large-group game called "Big Booty." I promise it's not inappropriate...you'll just have to ask your kids about it...lol.
I simply wanted to walk through a the typical schedule of a day at Move while describing today, so the following blogs will be more highlights and less structure--but please keep praying, because God truly is on the move! (specifically pray for their spiritual walk, because Wednesday's theme is "Godliness" and will be very challenging).
Monday, June 21, 2010
CIY "Move" Day 1: Grace
We made it safe and sound! It was a pretty smooth trip to Johnson City, Tennessee, and God blessed us with great weather and decent traffic.
Once we arrived on campus here at Milligan College, we were all tired, hot (found out the boys dorm doesn't have air conditioning-aaah!), and a little grumpy...but after a little down time things began to turn around. We had an incredible time of worship with the Caleb Miller Band and a great message about God's Grace (read about details of the band, college, speakers, etc. on CIY's website). It was a fantastic first plunge into the week, but what really was exciting is what happened during our youth group time.
I've been to about 8 or 9 CIY summer conferences now (between being a student and being a leader/minister), and I've never seen a "first-night" response like we experienced this evening. Your prayers are truly working in the lives of these teens already. Several deep-rooted sins were confessed with tears as well as even someone's first nudge of feeling called to vocational ministry! Usually the first night is a discussion about expectations, rules, details, and introductions with comments on how student's felt about the message/worship...but not tonight! Wow! God is doing something big already, so PLEASE commit to praying every day!
Hopefully there will be pictures to follow :)
Once we arrived on campus here at Milligan College, we were all tired, hot (found out the boys dorm doesn't have air conditioning-aaah!), and a little grumpy...but after a little down time things began to turn around. We had an incredible time of worship with the Caleb Miller Band and a great message about God's Grace (read about details of the band, college, speakers, etc. on CIY's website). It was a fantastic first plunge into the week, but what really was exciting is what happened during our youth group time.
I've been to about 8 or 9 CIY summer conferences now (between being a student and being a leader/minister), and I've never seen a "first-night" response like we experienced this evening. Your prayers are truly working in the lives of these teens already. Several deep-rooted sins were confessed with tears as well as even someone's first nudge of feeling called to vocational ministry! Usually the first night is a discussion about expectations, rules, details, and introductions with comments on how student's felt about the message/worship...but not tonight! Wow! God is doing something big already, so PLEASE commit to praying every day!
Hopefully there will be pictures to follow :)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Eager to Repent!
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”
- Acts 3:19
re•pent \ ri-ˈpent \ verb
Greek: metanoeō = to change one’s life, based on complete change of attitude and thought concerning sin and righteousness.
What’s your favorite type of dessert? I think mine has to be either strawberry cheesecake or peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream! Imagine you are munchin’ down on that dessert of yours, and someone walks in and tells you to stop eating it. Naturally, you would give them a nasty look, threaten their life if they touch you, and demand that they leave your presence. But before you viciously lash out like a rabid squirrel, the violator points out that he saw someone sticking dog poo in your dish when you weren’t looking! Everything changes.
After vomiting profusely, you no longer sneer at the man, but in fact, you give him a hug and thank him for stopping you--a significant change in attitude and actions toward the dessert and the messenger. What was once sweet and delectable is now vile and detestable. A man who was a cosmic kill-joy is now an epic hero. That is repentance...not a “have to”--but a “want to.”
The sin in your life may seem fun, harmless (at least not hurting anybody else), and not that big of a deal. But truth is truth, and your sin is horrid, wrong, and revolting. It’s disgusting, and in truth, it not only affects you--it affects the people and world around you. When Jesus (through Peter in the case of Acts 3:19) calls us to repent, it means STOP!!! Don’t take another bite--go cold turkey--no more! Not because God isn’t fun and wants to ruin your life...quite the opposite, really.
When someone hears the Good News about Jesus for the first time--a radical life transformation often happens--true repentance. It’s the long-time church members (like many of you reading this blog) that can often fall into the trap that sin isn’t a big deal as long as it’s not one of the “big sins.” So in essence, you’re saying, “as long as it’s not a big turd in my cheesecake, it’s tolerable.” WHAT!? We must radically eliminate sin from our lives...and be EAGER to do so! Only then can we begin to taste the pure sweetness of what God has to offer.
Take a minute to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart about sin you may have been tolerating, and let's get eager to repent so we can get the real "refreshment"!
- Acts 3:19
re•pent \ ri-ˈpent \ verb
Greek: metanoeō = to change one’s life, based on complete change of attitude and thought concerning sin and righteousness.
What’s your favorite type of dessert? I think mine has to be either strawberry cheesecake or peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream! Imagine you are munchin’ down on that dessert of yours, and someone walks in and tells you to stop eating it. Naturally, you would give them a nasty look, threaten their life if they touch you, and demand that they leave your presence. But before you viciously lash out like a rabid squirrel, the violator points out that he saw someone sticking dog poo in your dish when you weren’t looking! Everything changes.
After vomiting profusely, you no longer sneer at the man, but in fact, you give him a hug and thank him for stopping you--a significant change in attitude and actions toward the dessert and the messenger. What was once sweet and delectable is now vile and detestable. A man who was a cosmic kill-joy is now an epic hero. That is repentance...not a “have to”--but a “want to.”
The sin in your life may seem fun, harmless (at least not hurting anybody else), and not that big of a deal. But truth is truth, and your sin is horrid, wrong, and revolting. It’s disgusting, and in truth, it not only affects you--it affects the people and world around you. When Jesus (through Peter in the case of Acts 3:19) calls us to repent, it means STOP!!! Don’t take another bite--go cold turkey--no more! Not because God isn’t fun and wants to ruin your life...quite the opposite, really.
When someone hears the Good News about Jesus for the first time--a radical life transformation often happens--true repentance. It’s the long-time church members (like many of you reading this blog) that can often fall into the trap that sin isn’t a big deal as long as it’s not one of the “big sins.” So in essence, you’re saying, “as long as it’s not a big turd in my cheesecake, it’s tolerable.” WHAT!? We must radically eliminate sin from our lives...and be EAGER to do so! Only then can we begin to taste the pure sweetness of what God has to offer.
Take a minute to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart about sin you may have been tolerating, and let's get eager to repent so we can get the real "refreshment"!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Have you been there recently?
We are all created to be worshippers. Everyone worships every single day...even if the object of that worship is not God. Just look at culture - Americans (and most of the world) are consumed with all kinds of things that require their time, energy, relationships, and especially money. Some of these things are good; some are evil. I find it interesting, too, that when someone is worshipping, he or she almost always leaves with a sense of wanting more.
Take a family vacation for example. I LOVE the Colorado Rocky Mountains--I put pictures of them as my desktop on my computer and could flip through these pictures in wonder and awe for hours. That is a form of worship (actually towards God and his creation)...but it's not enough, is it? I would never get my family together around the computer screen for our vacation and campout in the living room all week as we look at the beautiful mountain pictures. Of course not! We want to experience it. Looking at photographs of Pike's Peak and standing at the summit are two completely different things, even though you are essentially seeing the same thing. The first makes you say "wow--that's beautiful"...the latter takes your breath away. One is very temporary, one burns into the fabric of your mind as you remember the view, the feel of the breeze, the smell of the fresh mountain air...and the joy of experiencing it with your family. Also, when you look at a photo...you typically don't say, "I CAN'T WAIT to see that picture again." When you experience the greatness of the real, true mountains, you never want to leave. But if you have to--you already begin to plan when you can go back! So we save and sacrifice all the time and money in order to get the experience vs. the lifeless photo.
Here is my point: When we worship in the church setting with songs, communion, preaching, etc...I believe it is possible to simply attend, go through the motions, and leave--possibly impressed, but unchanged. We simply look at the "photos" that we've seen before, do our duty as a Christian, and maybe even enjoy it temporarily. I also believe that in the same church, the same service, with the same songs, communion, preaching, etc...that you can have a true, real experience. It's not a picture of Jesus from 2,000 years ago with blue eyes and long, flowing hair...but Jesus actually shows up. His Spirit is felt, and Scripture says that worship is to God like a fragrant aroma! There is a joy as we are with the family, and when we expect to experience God--it will absolutely transform you, your family, and our church! I can't imagine how cool it would be to go to the rockies every week! God is fresh and new and relevant and alive! He is incredible, and too often we miss the relationship - the reality of an experience with Him.
Last thing--when I get home from a vacation to Colorado - I show pictures, I reminisce, I tell stories, I encourage people to visit the places I visited, and I am simply and unashamedly excited about my experience. So I want to ask you, worshipper...have you been there recently?
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