It's all in the Cape

I love superheros. I may or may not have a slight obsession with superheros. I love superheros. Superheros are amazing. Did I mention that I love superheros? You may have noticed the subtle superhero theme of this blog that I tried to implement in the most acute way possible. So if you don't know already: I love superheros. In my mind there is nothing that better represents what is more true and pure than what a real superhero will stand for. They fight for what is right and true, no matter who is against them. They can be facing the eve of the destruction of a the entire earth and they will still fight for truth, justice and the American way. I want to be like that. I want to be someone, who in the face of the greatest danger known to man, I will still hold to what is right.

This brings me to "the cape". What exactly does a cape do? I asked a congregation of teenagers this just the other day. I received answers ranging from "a fashion statement" all the way to "it's more aerodynamic". Well I am here to tell you what a cape really does. It does: nothing. As far as I can tell a cape really has no purpose. It looks nice and all, possibly holds the insignia of the infamous superhero, but for all intensive purposes, it does nothing. But for some reason, when I dawn a cheesy cape that a young child would wear, I feel invincible. I feel like I am a real life superhero. I feel like I could stop bullets with my chest (lets not test that theory). I feel like I am standing up for what is true and right in the world.

I think inside each of us is the desire to be a superhero. We want the power to do what is good in the world. I think a lot of us just feel that we don't have the means to do so. We feel we are powerless to stand up to "the forces of evil". Well that simply is not true. We have power through Christ to do so. We may not be able to jump buildings in a single bound, be more powerful than a locomotive or run faster than a bullet, but we do have power through Christ to do amazing things. He gives us the courage, passion, desire and raw power to do amazing things for Him. Everything that is true, pure, good and right in the world is exactly what Christ has set for us. We can be superheros. We can do amazing things as long as we allow God to use us any way He sees fit. Let us all surrender to His cause and be amazing heroes of the faith.

Ministering to Armadillos

Continuing on my journey across the Midwest going from church camp to to church camp I am learning a lot about ministry. I have had the amazing opportunity at a few of these camps to be the evangelist. At others I am a cabin counselor and at others I just represent the Bible College. No matter what I am doing I get the chance to invest into the lives of these young people. It is greatest thing in the world!

The issue I wanted to discuss in this short blog is youth ministry. Now I by no means am a expert on this subject. I've never taken a class at college that pertains to it and I have only a mild amount of experience in the field. But I have realized one thing: ministering to teenagers is like ministering to armadillos. I have to admit, I stole this saying from a friend who directed this last camp, but he was right. It is exactly like ministering to armadillos. Just like armadillos, teenagers have a very thick outer coating by which they guard themselves with. They don't like to let people in and they are quick to put up their walls to protect themselves. But just like a armadillo they have a soft inside. It may be hard to break through that tough exterior of a teenager, but I am convinced by what I have seen the past few weeks that every teenager has a tender interior.

This gives me hope for the future of the church. These young people in our churches today are going to leading our churches tomorrow (if they aren't already doing it now). They may be hard to crack, but once they are, I am convinced that each and everyone of them has a heart to do what is right and pure.

Don't Waste Your Pulpit

Putting God in a Box

This summer I have been traveling from church camp to church camp doing recruitment for the Bible College that I attend. I get a first-hand look at the strategies that different directors implore on their teenage attendees. So far I have seen a wide variety of approaches to teaching these young students. Many of the camps have a solid understanding that they only have these young people at this camp for a few days short of a week and that they need to teach them all that they can in that limited amount of time. This manifests itself as multiple Bible lessons each day and one or more services with a select speaker preaching.

It is amazing to see the vast contrast between the camps. Although there are some major differences in methodology, I have yet to be a camp that didn't efficiently reach their group of young people. But methodology and strategy isn't what I want to discuss in this small bit of stereo consciousness. I wanted to discuss a underlining theme that I have observed at each of these camps that has spoken deeply to my own heart. Every one of the speakers at these camps so far has challenged its campers to be radical workers for the Kingdom of God. They have exhorted their listeners to not put their Savior in a box and confine what He can do in their lives but rather let God do miraculous things in their lives.

This is a refreshing message to say the least. This past week was possibly the best example yet. While I was at a camp in Missouri this past week the speaker pointed out that the vast majority of prophets and workers for the Kingdom in both the Old and the New Testament were called as young men and women. People like Timothy and Samuel were called as young men. The Bible said that David was just a boy when he defeated Goliath. The list goes on and on. It was amazing to see these young girls and boys be attentive to the speaker and then seek to apply it in their own lives. They knew through the Word that God could use them and that all they had to do was surrender to His will in their lives.

I had the amazing opportunity and honor to pray with some young men this past week. Their prayer was simple: "I want to be a better witness for Christ". Although still young in their faith they had a good understanding of the implications of this prayer and what it would take for them to fulfill it. They made some great decisions this week and it was a blessing to see them take God out of the box that many of us put Him in. They wanted to see what God could do with their lives.

I got a call from those young guys on my way back to Nashville this morning. It hadn't been more than a few hours since camp had let out. They had led two people to Christ already and shared their faith with more than 10 people. Now I know that they were still on that spiritual high that we all have experienced from church camp, but I exhorted them and challenged them that even when things get difficult and down to cling to that promise that they made to God this past week. Pray for these young men and women that want to do God's work. I wish many of us would have the hearts that these young people have. That we would be willing to surrender it all to God in hope that He would use us to be workers for His Kingdom.

Zombie Faith

Over the past couple of months I've felt nulling feeling of complacement in my Christian life. It just seems that the older that I get and the more that I learn, the more I become less emotional over my faith. Sometimes it is hard for me to discern between over-emotionalism and God's true spirit in a service. I think a lot of the time I'm just being to critical and need to allow God's Holy Spirit work in me and through me. By meditating on all of this lately, this led me to think of a epidemic that has struck our culture: Zombie faith.

Obviously I am more guilty of this then anyone. I've been struggling with this line between coviction and mediocricy in my own life. Just like Johnny Cash, I've been walking that line. My questions to any one that is reading this is, where is that line? How much do we allow ourselves to become emotionally involved in a service and how much do we approach it purely intellectually?

I had a really good long talk with a great friend of mine today on the phone and we talked about this very subject. Luckily for me I have friends that are far smarter than myself who bring revelation into my life. We debated over this topic for sometime and synonomously came to the conclusion that if you have a true, real encouter with God, the Creator of Everyting, the Savior of the World, My Fortress, My True Shepherd, then won't you be emotional. Not to downplay the intellectual aspect of our faith, but if you have a true one on one encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, wouldn't there be at least a little bit of emotionalism that would be manifested?

I know too often in my own life, my faith has become that of a zombie's. I go through the movements without even thinking about it. I know what to say and when to say it. I know how to make my prayers sound spiritual. I know how to cite verses and talk theology. One thing I don't always know how to do is to be sincere. This is something I want to accomplish. I want my faith to be real and honest. I want it to be true and vital. I don't want to just go through the emotions. I want my faith to captivate my heart and my mind and envelop all of me. That is my prayer for my own life and I hope you will share in it with me.