STIX 'N STONES

Do You Have "Junk" That Your Hiding?

Last night in our Sr High 2Twenty Youth Service we did something unique.  Instead of having a typical sermon, we watched one of Rob Bell's "mini-movies" from the Nooma series called LUMP, which talks about the "junk" we often hide in our lives.  Then we broke off into small groups for a time of discussion and Bible study relevant to the topic of the video.  It actually went really well.  I even decided to post the discussion guide that we created for our small groups.  Some of the questions were taken from the booklet that came with the purchase of the Nooma series, while others were ones we came up with ourselves.  If you choose to watch the video (which I recommend), just know that it lasts about 10 minutes.

Lump (Rob Bell - Nooma)

HERE'S OUR DISCUSSION GUIDE WE CREATED:

Question #1 – Have you ever gotten busted for something you’ve done?  If so, what was it?

 

Question #2 – What are some ways that you avoid dealing with the “junk” in your life?

 

Question #3 – You don’t have to answer the first part of this question out loud, but make sure you think about it:

• Do you have anything in your life that you’re hiding or something that you’re ashamed of?  If so, are you ready to deal with it?
• Here’s the portion of the question that you can answer out loud: Instead of hiding something that you’re ashamed of, or that you regret, what’s the best thing to do about?  What are the results of continuing to hide it?

 

*Let’s see what the Bible has to say about these things:

 

James 5:16 – “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

• This verse tells us there is freedom and power when we confess the things we’re trying to hide.  When we confess to God, He forgives us.  When we confess to another person who is spiritually strong, they can help by to keep us accountable so that we don’t keep getting tripped up by the same thing over and over again.

Romans 8:38-39 - And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

    

Question #4 – Is it difficult for you to believe that God loves you no matter what you have done in your life?  Why or why not? 

 

Question #5 – How can that truth (the fact that God loves you no matter what) help to change the way that you live? 

 

Remember this quote from the video: “May you stop hiding under the covers.  May you let God pull the covers back.  May you embrace him.  May your whole life become a response to the truth that you’ve always been loved, you are loved, and you always will be loved.”

Bigger Than A Lifetime

I'm not sure what triggered my thoughts in this direction, but today I found myself reflecting on my first day on staff as a youth pastor at Allison Park Church (almost 14 years ago).  After moving everything into my office, I remember sitting at my desk and wondering what to do next.  The thought went through my mind, "So what is a pastor suppose to do?  Is there actually enough stuff to fill the time in my day?" 

Let's just say I'm not asking those questions now!  In fact, I'm usually trying to figure out how to get everything done that needs to be accomplished.  This reminds of something David Cartledge once said, "Have a dream so big that it can't be accomplished in your lifetime."  Wow, that's a challenging statement and great motivation as well.  So rather than measuring our work load in terms of hours (for accomplishment), let's measure it in terms of a lifetime!

Procrastination - Part #2

Another reason we often procrastinate is because we become "paralyzed" by the size of the project, task or goal.  We are hesitant to work on something that seems so large or intimidating.  However, once you take the initial step of starting the project, it's amazing how much the intimidation can decrease.  You will also find that quite a bit can be accomplished simply by working on it a little at a time.  All of a sudden, it seems less daunting and much more managable. 

You've probably heard the question, "How do you eat an elephant?"  The obvious answer is "One bite at a time."  This is also a good example of how you overcome the habit of procrastination.  Work on things IN ADVANCE, ONE BITE AT A TIME.  Break the project down into smaller steps to be accomplished.  Look at the smaller portions of the project instead of the whole project at a time.   

You don't have to procrastinate.  There IS a better way! 

Procrastination - Part #1

One of the things I briefly talked about in our Ministry School today was the topic of procrastination.  There is a tendency that we all have to put off some of the most important (and challenging things) in life.  We tell ourselves that we can "do it tomorrow."  But as we all know, "tomorrow" seldom, if ever, comes.

I often hear people say (when speaking about themselves), that they "work best under pressure."  Therefore they wait until the last possible minute to start on the project, task or goal that needs to be done. While some people function well in pressurized environments, in most cases, the statement about "working best under pressure" is simply an excuse to procrastinate.  It gives us the liberty to continually delay what needs to be done until the last moment.  Then we end up with a product that is inferior to what we are truly capable of producing.  Working in advance clearly gives more time for more creative ideas, planning , preparation and revision.  Therefore the outcome is always better when we allow for more time.  So what's the answer?  Set an EARLY deadline for the project (before it really needs to be completed) and put pressure on yourself to get it accomplished by then.  That combines the elements of DISCIPLINE (advance planning) & PRESSURE (for those who still feel they work best at the "last minute").

We'll look at Part #2 of Procrastination tomorrow...

Making Your Group "Guest Friendly"

I recently did a training with our adult leadership team in the youth ministry.  The topic of the training was Making Your Group Guest Friendly.  This is something we are focusing on as we prepare for the fall season and a brand new start to school.  If we're going to reach students who don't know Christ, we must create an atmosphere that is "guest friendly."  Without that proper atmosphere, guests who attend our small groups and services probably won't be back again. 

When I use the term "guest friendly," I'm not talking about watering down God's Word or eliminating the moving of the Holy Spirit.  We teach our students to pursue God in a passionate and expressive way.  We also challenge our students to walk in the miracle working power of Jesus Christ.  We want to raise up a generation that mirrors the lifestyle of the early church in the book of Acts. 

So, when I'm talking about being "guest friendly," I'm primarily referring to the fact that in order to reach people who don't know Jesus, we must meet them where they are.  We need to explain "why" we do what we do and "why" we believe the things that we believe.  We need to show genuine love, care and concern.  We need to be followers of Jesus Christ and not followers of religious rules or traditions.  When we truly introduce people to the Jesus found in the Bible, it's one of the most powerful and "guest friendly" things that we can do!  Click Here to download a copy of the training. 

Can You Tickle Yourself?

As I was doing some research for a sermon today, I came across some interesting information:

• Once a human reaches the age of 35, he/she will start losing approximately 7,000 brain cells a day.  The cells will never be replaced.  (Since I turned 35 in January, I guess I can use this as an excuse if I forget something.)
• It is not possible to tickle yourself.  The cerebellum, a part of the brain, warns the rest of the brain that you are about to tickle yourself.  Since your brain knows this, it ignores the resulting sensation.  (You're probably trying to tickle yourself now aren't you?)

I'm not sure how to verify if the brain cell information is true, but I can affirm the fact that I can't tickle myself.  Hmmmmm.

Challenging Yourself

While it’s extremely important to have other people in your life that challenge you spiritually (and in other ways as well), their passion for Jesus won’t sustain you over the long haul.  Ultimately, you have to take responsibility for your own relationship with Christ.  Until that time comes, your spiritual growth will be limited.  1 Samuel 30:6 says that David “strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (NAS version).  David was facing one of the most difficult times in his life.  His entire family as well as the family of his fighting men had been taken by another army, so his own people were thinking about killing him.  What did David do?  He strengthened himself by turning to God.  He didn’t rely on someone else’s encouragement or support.  There was none to be found at that time.  He challenged himself to find the strength he needed by pursuing God at that critical moment in his life.  One of the most important skills you can learn is to challenge yourself to pursue God even when you don’t feel like it.  Don’t wait for that challenge to come from someone else.  Let it come from your own spirit, and let it come TODAY!  If you can’t challenge yourself during the “easy” times in life, you’ll never be able to do it when things get tough.

Jeanne Mayo - Constructing a Service for Believers & Unbelievers

Another "Coaching Block" that we had during our time at Jeanne Mayo's house was How To Construct A Service That's Relevant For Believers & Unbelievers:

#1 – Relentlessly Cultivate The Friendship Factor

• This is one of the primary ways to connect with guests/unbelievers

#2 – Use Appropriate One-Liners

• Use “one-liners” and phrases throughout the whole night to address those who don’t know Christ………..this does 2 things: 1) makes guests feel at ease for coming and shows them respect, 2) gives your regular attenders confidence to bring friends every week

#3 – Relevant Subject Matter

• The question that every student is asking is = “SO WHAT?”  You have to make sure you’re addressing this and answering it with clarity
• Know the ONE main point that you’re trying to get across

#4 – Creative Communication

• Videos, testimonies, dramas, monologues, tokens, music, audience participation, interactive stories, etc.

#5 – Consistent Follow Up

• Make phone calls to guests who attend

#6 – A Simple Assimilation System

• Know how you get kids "on the bus?”  How do they move closer towards connection with God and others in the ministry?
• Small groups need to be the driving force behind this…….they must connect to the small groups somehow

#7 – Have Godliness Without Weirdness

#8 – Frequent 2-Pronged Closings

• Bring salvation into the context of what you’re talking about in a respectful way, to target those who don’t know Christ
• Challenge believers towards something

#9 – Have Occasional Outreach Nights

#10 – Use Worship Songs That Relate

• Use songs with words that are understandable
• Explain the meaning behind songs at times

Jeanne Mayo - Fun, Motivational & Effective Leadership Meetings

The first session that Jeanne talked about today focused on Leadership Meetings.  She said the reason that leadership meetings are necessary is because "no team that has ever been good shows up on game day without having done significant practice time."  In other words, "There has never been a winning team that didn’t practice together."   

 

Reasons People Don't Come To Leadership Meetings:

#1 - They are often held at the wrong time

• In our culture today, time is more valuable to people than money is.  They don't want to come out another night of the week.  Therefore, the meeting needs to be "attached" to something they are already coming out for (ex: a service).

#2 - They are often a huge waste of time

• The majority of time is frequently spent going over calendar information.  This could be distributed via email instead of used as a format for a meeting.
• The one leading the meeting doesn't properly prepare for the meeting.

Ingredients of Successful Leadership Meetings:

(Not all of these elements need to be in every single meeting)

#1 - Sense of

Mission

• Communicating to people a cause/purpose to give their life for
• Something that you feel so passionate about that you could say, "I want to die on this hill”

#2 - Sense of Fun

• It's important to have some fun together with your leadership team
• This is often more of an attitude and "feel" than an event.  It can be created in a 5-10 minute period of time.

#3 - Sense of Team

• Allowing others to have “ownership” with the topic
• Making it a "we" thing and not a "me" thing

#4 - Provide "Doable" Specifics

• Something that each person needs to do this coming week in their ministry, personal life or spiritual life?
• This is one of the most important aspects of a meeting

#5 - Provide Interactive Ingredients

• Allow an opportunity for immediate dialogue and feedback
• Get others to share and participate

#6 - Provide a "Family" Feel

• We care about each other and we're in this together

Challenged By Others

I like to be challenged.  I like to take on challenging projects.  I like to do things that no one else thinks I can do.  I’m not completely satisfied staying at my current level of “performance” in any area of my life (work life, relationship with God, leadership ability, etc.).  I want to constantly go to the next level in everything that I do.  In fact, there are certain people in my life who challenge me to pursue God more and do greater things to advance His kingdom.  These people don’t always give me a specific “challenge” to follow.  In fact, many times it’s simply the way they live their lives that creates an appetite in me to stretch myself in new ways.  The only way to increase your ability at anything in life (basketball, cooking, speaking, singing, etc.) is to surround yourself with people who are better than you at the skill you want to develop.  The same is true spiritually.  Chances are, if you aren’t consistently surrounding yourself with people who challenge you to pursue God more, you simply won’t experience spiritual growth.  If you don’t have people like this in your life, make it a priority to find them.  The quality of your life depends on it!