ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great way to kick off the football season. Bama rolls over Clemson, crushing the Tigers 34-10. Loved the way Bama ran the ball and JP didn't screw up (at least not too much). I also learned the Brent Munsberger of ESPN must absolutely hate Alabama. He must have played against the Tide back in the glory days.

"Home" for the Weekend

I'm heading to my old home this weekend.  Amanda and I are leaving tonight (after the football game, of course) and heading to my parents.  We haven't been down since we've gotten married, so in a way, it's like a first trip back "home" all over again.  Also, to make the weekend ultra-special, I'm preaching at both services at my grandfather's church!  

God is great.

Wrapping Up the Best Year Ever

This Wednesday, I'll be wrapping up the Best Year Ever message.  Of course, this is by no means an end to the "Best Year Ever."  I hope that everyone has taken away from this series that we CAN make this the best year ever, if we work in cooperation with God.

I'll be revealing the artwork for the next series later this week!

In the Zone

Normally, I don't post anything before service on Wednesday, so into new waters we go.

I'm excited about some of the upcoming events in soulimpact.  I really believe that God is going to do powerful things.

Tonight, I'm preaching on "All the Pieces of the Puzzle."  Two more sermons left (counting tonight) in the Best Year Ever series.  Next week:  "A Generation Filled w/ the Holy Spirit."

The worship service is going to much different tonight--very reflective.  The service tonight as a whole is going to be more reflective than usual.  Here's the set list for tonight:

Let it Rain

Till I See You

No Sacrifice

One Touch

Got the Six Flags trip coming Saturday.  Hoping I don't puke.

I'm now heading to the back to make sure that things are good for tonight.

Finishing Up

Here are the last of the notes from the Led by Fire Leadership Conference...

HELPING STUDENTS DEAL W/ IDENTITY

DYD New Jersey-

Zuny's clothing stores

·         Harrison Ford- "All I would tell people was to hold onto what is individual about themselves, not to allow their ambitions for success to cause them to try to imitate the success of others. You've got to find it on your own terms."

·         Who and what they identify with now will identify them for life.

·         5 common ways students demonstatrate their struggle with identity:                                                                                                                                                                                   1) Through Status Symbols- right clothes, right possessions

            2) Through Forbidden Behaviors- Lesbian behavior, smoking, drinking

            3) Through Rebellion- demonstrates seperation with parents/adults

            4) Through Idols- celebrities, pro athletes (Preteens- Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers)

            5) Through Cliquish Exclusion- intolerant in exclusion to their peers (Junior High)

                                                                                                            - Dr. Les Parrot PhD -

·         Respond as opposed to react.

·         Their are certain things that you should just let go.

·         "Life in  a fallen world presents kinds with two options: either finding one's identity in Christ, or choosing to find identity in something else which is idolatry."

·         Final Exam

            - Matthew 19:16-22

            - T or F- Good Teacher what must I do to have eternal life? (Am I saved?)

            - Multiple Choice- What commandments have I kept? (All of the above)

            - Essay- What do I still lack?

            There was no identity there..he didn't have a name.

·         Quick decisions without commitments.

·         Salvation is the easy part. The hard part is Lordship and identity.

·         4 things as a youth leader, you can do:

            1) Ask yourself, where can I find my identity? Your identity is/should not the number you have in service.

            2) Check in on the identity-shaping world. John Stock- Dual listening

            3) Confront the lies.

            4) Nothing speaks louder than embodied truth.

                                                - Walt Mueller -

·                     Identity = Lordship.  What you find your identity is your god.

·                     1 John 3.1

·                     Ask if there are any questions about what was said before the altar.

FROM YOUTH MINISTRY TO YOUTH IN MINISTRY

A short history and the current imbalance:

·         Youth ministry is young itself (circa 1926 for the A/G).  The era of youth specialists is even younger.\

·               *Jesus Movement in 60s

·         Youth ministry was originally understood as a movement of what youth do over and above what others do for youth (sacrificially oriented)

·         Today's concept of youth ministry leans more toward what we do FOR youth than youth DOing ministry.

            +Has created a mind-set of "get the youth ministry to raise me kids."

+Thus, a large percentage of churches don't think they can "afford" to have an effective youth ministry--much less have one at all

+12,333 churches; only 27% have a youth pastor, 49% have a volunteer youth leader; 24% don't report any active youth ministry

(2nd most staffed position in the A/G is the youth pastor.)

 

A BIBLICAL FOUNDATION:

·         Mission Dei = Mission of God

·         Youth ministry false view that youth ministry is all about youth.  It's not all about youth, it's all about God

·         Matthew 4.19 [Mark 1.17] is the mandate theology of youth-in-ministry

      [+Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men]

*John was about 14 when Jesus called him; he was only 17 when he was the only one willing to stay at the cross.

·         2 Corinthians 5.17-21 and a lesson from history

*How many people need to know that they can start over?

"Be reconciled with God"  = be in a right relationship w/ God (better description that "got saved")

"Gave us the ministry of reconciliation"  = It's the responsibility of every believer

·         Why wait?  You go to the most stocked missions pond 5 days a week.

 

 

THREE PRIORITIES FOR YOUTH IN MINISTRY:

1)  Belief in Christ (win)

2)  Belonging with Christ ad His Body (build)

3)  Boldness for Christ from the spirit (send)

Philemon 6   (If you think that the altar experience is the best part of being a Christ follower, then you are missing out on the joy of serving in ministry)

 

MAKING THE SHIFT

·         Prioritize Biblical identity over image

            ***If necessary, consider a new identity that personfied youth-in-ministry

·         Present the youth leader as pastor more than persona.

            +Involve youth in ministry roles.  Take the risk to develop and deploy their ministry gifts in addition to their servanthood.

            +Don't just put on services and events.  Put on ministry!

·                     Practice ministries that move youth in ministry

 (Turnover in youth ministry is 22 months)

+Youth in ministry is a movement.  We need to view the whole of our ministry as a process, a journey, a living-thing.

OUTCOMES OF YOUTH IN MINISTRY

·         Identity over image

·         Movement over institution

·         Multiplication over addition

·         Belonging over bling

·         Purpose over program

·         Disciple-making over passing through 

 

 

Q+A Session

blog: jaymooney.com

 

Four connections teens need:  God, family, church, their purpose

Daily Double

To catch up, here's TWO sessions from the Led by Fire Conference:

Developing Student Leaders- Johnny Wilson

Aug. 6, 2008 11am

Mark 10:32-45

Keys Points:

In Student Leadership development:

1) Leadership is modeled

            John Maxwell- levels breakdown

You must show expectations and guidelines

Train youth leaders to build up stronger students

2) Revelation is personalized

Cast the vision ina smaller setting of a youth group breakdown

Student leaders should meet early to prayer meetings

Develop a leadership team

            If anyone else comes they develop themselves into leaders

Announce things to the group but also discuss individually with leaders.

3) Destiny is clarified

4) Relationships are purified

            Instill a servant's heart in them. Ask them to do things for others.

                        Ex. Pick up after another, or help move something for someone else.

            * Proverbs 27:17

            "Iron sharpens Iron"

            - People have to be close enough.

            - Iron has to touch to sharpen iron

            It doesn't happen over night.

                        - He's been there for 13 years.

            Don't be afraid to re-invent

                        - You will have to do so.

Flip My Preach

Chet Caudill, Appalachian DYD

(*”Degree” came from life experience, not college)

 

 

·         What are your motivations?  Why do I preach?  What is your purpose?

o   Sometimes our motives aren’t pure.  We want to “just get through it” or have people shout, etc.

·         Before you analyze and figure out “how” you preach, you need to discover “why” you preach.

·         PREACH MESSAGES THAT CHANGE LIVES

·         Challenges to Preaching:

o   What we’ve learned (styles, formats)

o   What we’ve NOT been taught

§  Sometimes we feel inadequate because of our lack of education

o   What we’ve seen

§  Televangelists

§  Hype-man (Flava-Flav)

§  Monotone (Ben Stein)

o   What we’ve not seen

§  Sometimes we’ve not seen authentic, genuine communicaton

o   What we feel and what we want

§  Do you want you ego boosted?

o   What we don’t feel

§  Depression

§  If you are not convinced in your message, no one else will

·         You have to believe what you are sharing

·         Sometimes we try to feed to much information to quickly.

o   We need more focus in our preaching, and preach for the long haul

·         Why did God call us to preach?

o   Luke 4.18-19

§  Jesus was all about meeting people’s needs

·         ***We need to preach to meet people’s needs

o   Matthew 7.28, 22.33; Mark 11.18, 12.37; Luke 4.22

§  It’s ok for people to be delighted in what you are saying

·         What is the best method for preaching for life change:

§  (Communicating for Change by Andy Stanley)

o   Inspiration

o   Motivation

o   Application

o   Transformation

§  Effective preaching begins with caring more for the people in the audience than the person standing in the pulpit

·         Questions to ask:

o   What is the goal?

§  To teach people how to live a life that reflects the values, principles, and truths of the Bible

§  Don’t preach for the response around the altar

o   Pick a point (ONE POINT!)

§  *Book:  What’s the Big Idea

§  What do I want people to Know, Feel, Do?

o   Create a map

§  MEYOUGODYOUWE

·         Start with Yourself

·         Move to the crowd

·         Focus on God (What does God say about it)

·         Apply it to them

·         As a group, how can we do this

o   Internalize the Message

§  Own what you preach; be passionate about it

o   Engage your audience

§  How you say something is just as important as what you say

·         Presentation matters (details for the Temple)

o   Be sure to address the felt needs in your audience

§  If you don’t, then the info you are sharing will be perceived as irrelevant.

§  Use visuals, stories, humor, etc.

o   Find your voice

§  I can’t be _____________.  I am who I am.

§  You HAVE TO be you!

·         Evaluation:

o   Self-evaluation

o   External evaluation

o   Are we accomplishing what God desires?

§  If not, how do we move to that?

·         Always live what you preach