I See Myself In My Son

From the title of this post, you might imagine that this is going to be a heart-warming moment for you…a moment where I share about the beautiful ways I see my son following in the footsteps of his daddy. I wish that were true. Actually, what God has revealed to me lately in the mirror image that my son is for me is how much I’m “getting it wrong.” Hear me, I do my best to model a life of Christ for my eight year old, but it sure is difficult to do all of the time.

This week in particular I have noticed how he responds to things that he does not like. There are the eye-rolls, the deep sighs, and the unhealthy way that he tends to handle confrontation…all things that when I see them - it’s like looking in a mirror. It makes me think of how many times he has watched me do those same things. Or even worse - it makes me wonder how many times he has been the target of that behavior from me. Real encouraging, right? I think not.

I’d like to challenge you to look at the lives of your high school students and see what characteristics you see in them that remind you of you. Then take a chance on being vulnerable with them and tell them that you struggle with those same things. Let them know that when you respond or react in a way that is unfavorable, it not only does not honor Christ, it’s setting a poor example for them. I think they might be relieved at your naming what they probably already know about you. And it would do them good to see you attempting to rectify those reactions…it might even motivate them to do the same.

Don’t forget that signups are going on right now for our weekend trip to Gatlinburg in February. Space on this trip is EXTREMELY limited, so please get your deposits in this Sunday. 

Let me know if there’s anything I can pray about for you or your family.

- Michael

I'm Reading The Bible

Hello HS Parents!

Well…it’s been a while. I hope those of you actually read these emails/blog posts will forgive the hiatus I took last quarter in sending/posting them; I am sorry. I’ve climbed back in the saddle, though, and I’m ready to go with the first email/post of 2015: I’m Reading the Bible.

As a Twitter user, there are several different people whose lives I connect with (at least digitally) on a daily basis. Students, pastors, friends, organizations, churches, comedians, bloggers, musicians - there are TONS of Twitter accounts begging to be followed, and I choose to follow a select, but rather eclectic, sampling of them. One of these accounts spoke directly and profoundly into my life last year.

An old friend of mine who is also a student pastor was using a Bible reading plan in YouVersion…similar to the one we are using as a church this year to read through the Bible. Every morning when I would check my Twitter feed, I would see a Tweet from this guy’s account that he had completed the daily reading for the plan he was using. And for some reason, I found it SO encouraging! 

Now, hear me - I read the Bible. Sometimes I read LARGE chunks of it in one setting. Sometimes I read it to research a question I’ve received from a student or parent. Sometimes I read it to study for a message or Bible study. Sometimes I even read it because I enjoy re-reading an old story I learned as a child (David and Goliath…I mean, come on! Now THAT’S a story!) But something struck me every time I saw this guy’s daily Bible reading post/tweet. 

I wondered, for example, if other people were encouraged by it like me. I wondered if some people found it convicting because reading God’s Word was not a regular practice for them. I also wondered if people thought he was being a little “holier-than-thou” by posting it. I suppose that was possible. But his posts always left me encouraged, AND INSPIRED, to grab a copy of Scripture and give it a read. 

This year I’ve started in on the Bible reading plan that our church has adopted for 2015. I started with two specific intentions: 1-reading it, AND 2-tweeting that I had done so. I read the first three days before I was finally able to click the “Share” link on the fourth day and share my progress. I must admit - it’s a little intimidating. I mean it took me three readings to get the courage to do it. I was pretty fearful. What if I can’t keep up? What if people think I’m trying to be hyper-religious or self-promoting? I guess those are great questions. But here are some others that have lodged in my spirit:

What if people are challenged to read God’s Word because they know I am? What if people are encouraged to “catch-up” if they’ve fallen behind in their reading (because I’m sure I will)? What if they, like I was with my friend, can be encouraged and inspired to read God’s Word because they know I’m reading it? What if my posting every single day can communicate what I really believe about God’s Word - that it changes EVERYTHING…that it speaks to every situation in life and offers Hope (in Christ) that no other medium can provide?

I want to ask you, as a fellow parent, to join me in reading God’s Word in 2015. I want to give you permission to ask me if I’m keeping up with the daily reading when we pass each other in the hallways at church. I want to challenge you email, text, or send a smoke signal of thoughts, questions, and insight provoked by your reading of His Word. I’d love to do this - together with you - for 2015. Would you join me?

Here’s a link to the YouVersion plan we are in for January.

To catch you up on what’s going on in our high school ministry:

This Sunday we will be continuing our focus on The Story of God’s Kingdom. We’ll be answering questions like:

1 - Why is it important to not only have faith, but to have faith in Someone with the power to save?

2 - How much attention to you give how you look on the outside versus how you look inside your own heart?

3 - In what ways could you offer hope to someone who has a hard time believing in God’s forgivness?

Signups will begin Sunday for our Gatlinburg trip in February. You should be receiving something in the mail about it today or tomorrow.

As always, please let me know if you have anything you’d like for me to pray about for you or your family.

- Michael

Eating Solid Food

This past Wednesday night we continued our series called “Alive” with high school students. We talked about the fact that just as our bodies grow and require a different diet as we get older, our spiritual health requires a different diet for us to mature as well. I shared with students that if they are dependent on other people to feed them God’s Word, their growth will be limited by the maturity and knowledge of the person they are choosing to feed them.

I asked them to consider making a conscious effort to read God’s Word for a week. To give them the best chance for success, I asked them to do three things:

1 - Pick a time. Picking a regular time to dive into God’s Word each day will help make it a habit.

2 - Pick a starting point. Many people (not just teenagers) get discouraged when they begin to read God’s Word. I offered some less intimidating entry points like 1 John or any of the four gospels.

3 - Write something down. I suggested that the best way to interact with reading God’s Word was to write down something about what they read. If they struggle with that, a good tact is to try to answer three questions at the end of each reading: 1)What does this reading tell me about God? 2)What does this reading tell me about myself? 3)What does this reading tell me about others?

I hope you will encourage your students to dive into God’s Word and give it attention DAILY in their lives. If you can read some of the same passages, it will help foster discussion about matters of faith when you are together.

- Michael

God's Word Is Not Boring!

This past Wednesday night we began a new series called “Alive.” This series focuses on the fact that God’s Word is ALIVE and effects change on lives when it is read. I challenged your students to look at the Bible beyond what many young people stereotype it to be.

For example, many of them related to these examples of what God’s Word is like to some people:

1 - A book your grandmother reads (it’s a book for “old” people)

2 - A foreign language book (difficult to understand)

3 - A history book (about dead people and past events)

4 - A magic 8 ball (you ask it questions and “hope” for the answer you want)


I asked your students to consider jumping into God’s Word by reading a verse a day. For some, a chapter a day might be more appropriate. It’s actually a great time for you to partner with your student to do this as our current Bible reading plan at church only tackles a chapter each day. You could read and discuss the Scripture with your students along with the rest of our church. PLUS - the reading is the text for our Sunday morning message and reflection series. It really is TOO GOOD for you to pass up! :)

Family Plus Update - High School Ministry

This past Wednesday night we completed our three week series on "Comparison." We wrapped up by looking at the parable of the talents. The main idea we wanted to drive home with students is that when we give an account to God for our time here on earth, we will NOT be judged on what we didn't have. Rather - we will have to account for how we used what He DID bless us with during our time here (talents, resources, abilities, etc.).

This Sunday we will be talking about "God Cannot Be Improved." We will discuss that because of His passionate jealousy for our worship, God condemns idolatry. We will talk about the dangers of idolatry because it distorts our view of God and corrupts our behavior. It leads us away from God and toward a false god who is powerless to save and transform us.

If your student has signed up for our high school mission trip to New York, the non-refundable deposit of $150 must be paid by Wednesday, September 17. This allows us to pay our deposits to our third party vendors. If you want to pay the deposit OR the full amount online, you can do so by following this link: http://goo.gl/RuJ4p7

Thanks so much! Let me know if there's anything I can pray about for or your family.

- Michael

A Psalm to God

As we began the 2014-2015 school year, I asked our worship band to complete an assignment together before they began leading corporate worship: write a psalm together.

At their first rehearsal they began by getting in a circle and sharing experiences of joy, pain, good times and bad and processing those thoughts with the group through the lens of Christ’s influence and care in their lives. It was a pretty powerful moment in a way I had not predicted. After their share time, each person in the group was charged with submitting a verse of text that captured their feelings.

After all the submissions were in, the group met and put their psalm to music. This past Wednesday night they shared it with the high school group during our corporate worship time. They lyrics are below; I hope you enjoy reading their hearts. I’ve included a link to a video of part of their psalm as well.

Please let me know if there’s anything I can pray about for you or your family.

- Michael


How can You take something from nothing
And make my world whole again
When it’s broken all into pieces (x2)
Pieces

Though I may walk upon the shifting sands
And I go through the weary times
I know You hold me in Your hands
You hold me close and mend my heart
You’ve always been here straight from the start

I won’t give up, I won’t give up
Cause Lord You are strong
I won’t give up, I won’t give up
You can carry me on
You can carry me on now

Cloudy days or stormy nights
You said You’d always be there for all the fights
My name is written in the palm of Your hand
With a nail scar running through You
Yeah, it’s a running through You

I won’t give up, I won’t give up
Cause Lord You are strong
I won’t give up, I won’t give up
You can carry me on
You can carry me on now

Don’t bottle up the emotions inside
When your heart is in the sands
Eventually you’ll break down
And end up crying in your hands
You still stand strong and help me heal (x4)

I won’t give up, I won’t give up
Cause Lord You are strong
I won’t give up, I won’t give up
You can carry me on
You can carry me on now

God's Law and God's Love

Hello HS Parents!

This past Wednesday in our high school meeting we talked about “The Comparison Trap.” We talked about the results when we look around at other people and compare ourselves to them: we never measure up! Our text was Ecclesiastes 4 where Solomon talks about how chasing after so many things in life is like chasing the wind - you’ll never catch it!

This week we begin a new lesson in our Bible teaching hour on Sunday mornings. We are going to be looking at God as a “Loving Lawgiver” as well as how His laws are given because of the love of His children. Trevin Wax states, “God’s love isn’t set against the Commands of Scripture; the Commands are grounded in God’s love for His redeemed people.”

If you student wants to signup for our October mission trip to New York, now is the time! Cost is $300; dates are October 4-12.

Please let me know if I can pray about anything for you or your family.

- Michael