Redeeming My Commute: Podcasts

I live about 25 min or so from my office when traffic is cooperating. It has given me an unexpected blessing to unwind before I get home, make some phone calls to connect to friends, and to flip on the ol ipod and catch up on some great teaching.

Podcasts are basically any audio series that is provided free through Apples Itunes. Think of it as a free radio program you can download and listen to whenever you want. It amazes me at how many people don't realize the scope of great teaching that is available for free. Here are a few I check out regularly....

• Desiring God Sermon Audio - The preaching ministry of Dr. John Piper. Passionate and encouraging. 
• Mars Hill Church Audio - The preaching ministry of Mark Driscoll. Sound reformed preaching and leadership. 
• Simply Youth Ministry Podcast- A fun Q&A between a youth ministry team about relevant issues. 
• Nintendo Pulse - For all things Nintendo. It's good to stay up on what's coming out. 
• AA Cafe Podcast - This is an interesting podcast from a coffee roaster in Tulsa Ok. Talks about the affect coffee has on farmers and what it means value something. They are passionate and funny.

All of these can be found by searching for them from within the Itunes store. 

Resolve for Monday

Every Monday I'm going to post one of Jonathan Edwards resolutions. He penned these while still a very young man and used them to guide his life. What am I using to guide me, my family, my ministry??

44. Resolved, That no other end but religion shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan. 12, 1723. 

• One cultural thought between Edwards writing this and us reading it is that in his time the word "religion" was synonymous with Christianity. Today it is not. In fact today the word religion has more to do with the mindless repetition of dogma or, perhaps more so, the earning of good standing with the Lord. 
• At some point every Christian has to ask the question "How important is this to me?" Will it permeate my life or will it just be a Sunday morning routine.
• Where do you need the light of the gospel to shine in your life this day ?

My Thoughts on "99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders"

Today I cracked open "99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders" I read the entire book in one sitting. Not because it's a short read, which is is at only 150 pages but because it is the most practical, insightful, equipping book on leading a youth ministry small group I have ever come across. Josh Griffin and Doug Fields have hit a home run with this little book. It's grounded in scripture, and steeped with years of experience. In a real life story Josh explains that he had to go refinish a coffee table in a hosts home because a small group kid carved his name into it with a screwdriver. Only in youth ministry does stuff like that happen.

This book covers the gambit from how to deal with the group when a student drops a bomb unexpectedly on everyone to what are healthy practices you can do on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. For me however the real gold in this book is that throughout it's pages it trumpets the call that you can only lead where you have been led. The small group leaders personal relationship with Christ is paramount to replicating mature healthy Jesus centered Christians.

In my years of youth ministry small groups still remain the foundational place that I see students lives changed by Christ. It was in the context of a loving small group (Thanks Tim) that God saved me, discipled me, and matured me. This book is a great asset to anyone who leads a group of teenagers and loves the God who calls to them.

*If you are one of our many small group leaders at St. Andrews reading this post and thinking that you'd like to pick up a copy of it. Don't. I've already ordered you all one. Thanks for loving teenagers.

Cover Story

Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity

Me and a friend have been reading through a series of books titled the Essential Edwards Collection. The set of 5 aims to sum up Edwards thoughts in a series of categories.  The following is an excerpt from the final book in the series titled True Christianity...

"Ministry, as with all of Christianity, is fundamentally about God. It is derived from and dependent upon His Word. The Scripture is authoritative over everything and it is sufficient for all of ministry...One needs to preach the Word and live it out with passion in order to draw sinners to salvation. This is what the church needs. We do not need to follow secular business practices to win lost souls. We need our churches to promote and embody true conversion in all its power and attractiveness. Through we can surely glean wisdom from other sources, the word gives us all we need to honor God in our congregations. It is not a springboard, a suggestion box, or an outmoded text. It is the mind and counsel of the Almighty given to us to form and direct our ministry in His name." pg 136 (emphasis added)

Some Fun with Pictures

If you haven't found BigHugeLabs it's a great easy fun website for some unique photo editing.

When In Rome or Nashvegas

Our team has had a great time at the National Youth Workers Convention here in Nashville Tn. As the convention draws to a close here's a snap shot of some fun we had last night after dinner.

I'll be processing much of what we've gleamed here on this blog. Especially Wane Rice's seminar on fulfilling the first commission (Deut 6)

Good Morning Nashville: Sunday at the National Youth Workers Convention

Well it's morning. I took some time last night to catch up on some reading while enjoying the crisp Tenn. evening. It's good to process which I'm sure is what I'll be doing for quite some time now. This morning I caught breakfast with a friend who stepped into my previous youth ministry position three years ago. It brings my heart joy to hear how Jesus is growing in his life and the lives of people who I considered family for many years.

After breakfast I headed to find non-hotel coffee and ended up in the lobby of the hotel connected to the convention center. (ironic I know) As i stood in line to get my over priced wake up call I realized I was surrounded by a literal who's who of youth ministry: guru's, Speakers, authors, teachers, and musicians. It was an interesting mix as we all stood in line waiting for the next cup to be handed over the counter.

As we enter the final full day of the convention I'm confident that my goals for myself and my team are being met. I wanted this trip to not only bond us as a team around some common memories but also spur us to think outside of the box. Coming off of a busy season where we had to work so in tandem with one another I think the gears became to smooth. Being here in Nashville surrounded by hundreds of other youth workers, leaders, ministers, and volunteers forces us to think through how we operate and what might be some new ways to climb out of the box. Not everything makes it past the filter of what we believe would work or is orthodox however when something hits that filter and bounces off even that is a win because it strengthens the filter itself. We are defined not only by what we do but also by what we stand against. Both I feel are needed to clarify the vision.

National Youth Workers Convention: From the floor

It's a little crazy here at NYWC. So much going on that my goal is to try and sponge as much up as possible then get the Mp3's of what I missed. For me the convention has held a bunch of leadership seminars as I'm trying these days to communicate the vision in a way that people understand what I'm trying to convey. I'm constantly wondering what the Holy Spirit's role in vision casting is and the balance between compromising on some things yet remaining true to what God has passionately placed on my heart. So there's the balance and the beginning of my processing all that Jesus has been teaching me these  days. 

As a team we've had some fun, laughed a lot and have been forced to ask the questions of how can we better minister the gospel to the people God has called into our lives. For the team I hope it's a good rest after a busy season and a time to dream as we seek to put some flesh on the skeleton we've dreamed up for the spring. Tonight we're planning a nice dinner and some exploring of Nashvegas.

It's been great in some other aspects to run into old friends who I haven't seen in a while. Sean, the youth minister who I handed off to 3 years ago when we moved down to Charleston is here. It's wonderful to hear all that God is doing in our previous church and how Jesus is building on the ministry that Lisa and I help grow there.  I'm sure there's some more fun and equipping for us as the weekend continues as well as some great times of worship.  Stay tuned.

The man in black at NYWC

We had some down time this afternoon so we decided to take on a little quest to find the final resting place of the man in black.

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NYWC Day 2

It was an equipping morning as our team rolled into morning seminars and ending up at the Bridgestone Arena.


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Opening night at NYWC

Good trip so far. Learned a bunch, caught up with some old friends, and looking forward to worship tonight.

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National Youth Workers Convention

Tomorrow morning the team and I head out on an adventure to the National Youth Workers Convention in Nashvegas Tn.  Really looking forward to the trip and the time to recharge, grow, worship, and bond as a leadership team. I'll be posting some blog entries from the road so stay tuned.

A Few Thoughts on "99 Thoughts on Leading Well"

I picked up this book recently to sharpen up on some leadership skills and to easy back into my cycle of reading. It's been a busy semester and unfortunately my reading time has fallen by the wayside. "99 Thoughts on Leading Well" is a shorter book which is great if you are trying to balance a busy schedule. My normal reading cycle is a book on leadership, a book by a theologically sound dead guy, a book on youth ministry. I've worked this cycle for a while and have read a good deal of leadership books.  I'd have to say that this book I'd give a solid "C". There's good stuff here. Nothing mind blowing but solid. There's a good section on team leadership which I've found is left out of many leadership books. My favorite section was thought number 97 titled "Clarity Will Encourage and Facilitate Movement" the takeaway for me was that you can clarify, simplify, and communicate vision or and idea often enough.

I think the reason for the "C" would be that despite the solid advice I feel that a bunch of points were simply reworded and presented as new. That might be the author, Reza Zedeh, making good on thought number 97. It's a good book for busy ministry heads and hopefully will act to prime the pump for more meaty leadership material. David Kraft's book is excellent for those looking to go deeper.

Some Great Shots of Our Fall Impact Retreat...

Resolve for Monday

Every Monday I'm going to post one of Jonathan Edwards resolutions. He penned these while still a very young man and used them to guide his life. What am I using to guide me, my family, my ministry??

43. Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeably to what is to be found in Saturday, Jan. 12th. Jan. 12, 1723. 

• A long time ago a monk wrote a essay titled Freedom of a Christian. Basically outlined is says that Christians are free from anything because of Christ's great love yet Christians are slaves to all because of Christ's great love.  It's a hard dichotomy to live in. We are free from sins shackles and because of our freedom we serve out of love not out of duty. Who are you serving these days?
• Paul frequently refers to himself as a "servant of Christ." (Romans 1:1) he realized the reality that we were bought with a price. When was the last time you thought of yourself as a servant? 
• Looking for some good ways to live beyond yourself? Look no further then your own neighborhood. Can you name all your neighbors? What does God have for you to do today? He had something for Jonathan to do on January 12th in 1723!

Life Group

Today is the long awaited life group Thanksgiving feast. Eric and I are trying our hand at smoking a turkey. It's so wonderful to share life with our friends.

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Resource for Families: Big Truths for Young Hearts

Some great Christian thinkers once commented that the family is like a little church. How are you a member your little church these days?  Here's one of my favorite resources to get a family with teenagers together for some great conversation.

Bruce Ware is currently Professor of Christian Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He's not only a wonderfully gifted teacher he's also very relatable as a father who desires that his two daughters grow a deep and vibrant faith. In 2009 Bruce took all the conversations he and his wife had with their daughters growing up and put them in a book form. The introduction from his daughters not only is priceless but shows the fruit of intentional discipleship of our children. This book is basically the theology 101 class Bruce teaches but conveyed in a from that works great for families to use as a time to gather around.

It seems like every week I get a new devotional across my desk. The Christian publishing world is full of them. Devotionals for singles, for teens, for "kidz", for left handed cross eyed people, the list goes on. Some good, some bad, some amazingly cheesy. To be honest most of them get stuck on a shelf. Ware's book "Big Truths for Young Hearts" is in my humble but accurate opinion THE best devotional book for families with teenagers I've come across. It's doctrinally sound, easy to read, full of application questions, and verses the family can memorize together. I'm impressed.

Make no mistake this book isn't for children, it will be over the head of most elementary school kids. However for teenagers I believe it hits the sweet spot of challenging them to apply their minds to their faith while remaining applicable and inspirational. You can pick up this book either with the amazon.com link above or by stopping by the Common Grounds Bookstore at St. Andrews Mount Pleasant.

Minute To Win It: Getting Teenagers in Scripture

Someone I admire from afar said once "I'll do anything short of sinning to bring people to Jesus."  That's has become my sediment in this season of ministry for teenagers. I'll do anything and I mean anything short of sinning to bring teenagers to a transformational relationship with Jesus as he is revealed to us in scripture

One huge hurtle in that is transformation. I want them transformed by forever by Christ not temporarily by Key Club, or choir. So the issue becomes how do you get the average American teenager into scripture so they will be transformed as they see Jesus?

A while ago I came across a resource called the "One Minute Bible" written with teenagers in mind it takes scripture and devotionally divides it into 366 sections which can be read in about a min. Now this isn't rocket science. Anyone with a calculator could divide this and save the cost of the book. What I admire about this particular devotional is that there is also some brief commentary on the text. Either a short devotional or a verse highlighted to commit to memory. (Big fan of scripture memory) All of which can be read in about a minute. This lends itself to creating a great life long habit of being in God's word on a regular basis.

The only word of caution with this is that the title is a little misleading. It isn't the kind of Bible you'll take to small group or really study scripture out of. It's the text but broken into bite sized pieces. The book does a great job at walking the student through the entire bible highlighting major events and sections but does not include every single verse found in a translations such as the ESV. For the average teenager or the new believer trying to get God's word in their life I believe this is a great devotional.

I recently had a conversation with a student who is struggling with the transitions that high school can bring. I encouraged him that despite all around him and in him is changing God doesn't change. Every time I go to his word I'm reminded that in him I have a firm foundation. For a teenager to grasp that and daily be reminded of it, through God's word, is a very big deal.

Resolve for Monday

Every Monday I'm going to post one of Jonathan Edwards resolutions. He penned these while still a very young man and used them to guide his life. What am I using to guide me, my family, my ministry??

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed when I was received into the communion of the church, and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th day of January, 1723. 

• A great tradition that the Anglican church has is whenever an infant is baptized the entire congregation renews their baptism vows. Some churches even have baptism fountains at the entrance of the church to remind the congregation that it is only through Christ's death and resurrection that we enter into community. It's a wonderful and constant reminder that Jesus said to "daily" (Luke 9:23)take up our cross and follow him. When was the last time you "renewed" yourself to Christ?
• With out getting into a huge debate over pedo vs. believers baptism...There is this beautiful picture of salvation woven out that while I was dead in my sin and unable to respond, Christ died for me. Only after was I able to recognize such a wonderful gift. Likewise Edwards references the dedication of himself at his baptism which was renewed when he was received into the body. For us the confirmation process serves as a formal way of being received into the body. How do are you received into the communion? 

Quiet these days...

When the ol blog turns quiet it means that my life is going nuts. In the past three weeks we've had a middle school retreat, a special event where we preached the gospel to a parking lot full of kids on Halloween night, and this weekend we are heading out on our high school retreat.  Life is busy right now but I'll be putting up some new stuff soon as well as recapping a little of what this season has held for me. So stay tuned.

Resolve for Monday

Every Monday I'm going to post one of Jonathan Edwards resolutions. He penned these while still a very young man and used them to guide his life. What am I using to guide me, my family, my ministry??

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

• I believe that I've mentioned it before on these thoughts that a great benefit to me over the past few years has been taking time out every two months and assessing how I'm accomplishing my goals. Where do you stop to examine your life? 
• The end of this resolution: "have done better." I believe isn't for condemnation but for honest personal assessment and the stark conscious reminder of my need for grace. 
• Job 31:37 "I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him." Today pull out your calendar and, in pen, write in a time when you can check out for an hour to take inventory, remember Gods grace, and plan the next season.