Not Just an Ordinary Best Friend
By Jason | February 3, 2010
Stop and think for a minute about your best friend. How do you treat your best friend? What kind of things do you like to do together? What conversations do you have? Do you spend much time together?
Now pause and think what that friendship would be like if you didn’t do things together; f you didn’t ever talk to one another; if you didn’t ever spend time together in some form or fashion. Would you still be best friends? Would you just be acquaintances? How long would you stay close best friends?
Here’s the thing. Jesus longs to be in a close relationship with us. He, in a sense, wants to be our best friend. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to communicate with us. He wants to see us and experience things with us. And just like a good best friend, He wants to do things for us.
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:6-14
Jesus longs for a relationship with us. He wants us to know Him and believe in Him. Phillip had the opportunity to spend time with Jesus physically and yet Jesus still questioned if He really knew Him. We too have the opportunity to get to know Jesus through scripture, prayer, and serving others.
Are you spending enough time getting to know the best friend you could ever have?
Topics: Food for thought, Ministry, Teens | No Comments »
Hey You Are That Youth Minister
By Jason | January 27, 2010
The other night I was at a musical at one of our local high schools. A crazy thing happened while I was there. I had walked into the lobby area with my youngest daughter as she was getting a little restless sitting still for so long. While we were out in the lobby a young lady walked up and said “Hey you are that youth minister.” I responded by telling her “yes”, and that I am at Legacy. I asked her how she knew me. She told me that she had visited here one night a long time ago when one of our young men was playing guitar and singing for a Friday night event. She said that her older brother had brought her along and she had remembered me coordinating the evening and meeting her then. I was amazed she remembered that. We wrapped up our conversation and I invited her to come and visit us anytime.
I am always amazed at how many lives we have the chance to touch. I am reminded of how we never know when a specific situation or circumstance may give us the opportunity to impact people’s lives for Christ. We must always be ready to share Christ and must always be open to the realization that God is always working around us. I love that our church building is used all the time. Besides being used for church ministries, there are numerous outside groups and activities that happen at Legacy all the time that give us the opportunity to have contact with people that need Jesus. And beyond our church walls each of us every day has the opportunity to share with others the love of Jesus. It may be in that one little contact that we say or do something that encourages that person to seek a relationship with Christ.
Are you ready for that chance? Are you looking for those opportunities?
Topics: Ministry, Teens | No Comments »
Because of My Faith
By Jason | January 20, 2010
“Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. …For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. …We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” II Corinthians 5:11,14-15, 20
What are you doing with your faith? Is it active? Do people know that you are a Christian? Our youth group is on a journey this month discussing “faith”. Paul describes himself and his ministry in the passage above and sets an example that all Christians should follow (whole passage II Cor. 5:11-6:2). He is basically saying: Because I have faith I am going to tell others about it. Because Christ loved me enough to die for me I am obligated to be His ambassador and to use every opportunity, every chance, everything that I do to help others see that they need God in their lives and to put my own selfish desires to the side.
I don’t know about you, but I know there are some times that I don’t always do this. Maybe I am in the line at the grocery store and the cashier is taking too long and my impatience shows; maybe it’s when I get stuck behind that really slow driver in the left lane on the highway; perhaps I let my frustration show too much when something doesn’t go my way; or maybe it’s just simply passing a stranger somewhere that I could have started up a conversation with which could lead to my telling them about Jesus.
I hope that I can live my life as Paul describes: that my faith is plain to God and that it’s evident to others. That I am compelled every day to give up my selfish ways and to live for Christ, and that I can be an ambassador for God. I’m working on it. How about you?
Topics: Family, Food for thought, Ministry, Teens | No Comments »
Together in Service
By Jason | January 13, 2010
The other night Cori’s school hosted a fundraiser at a local McDonalds. The McDonalds graciously offered for the school to help serve, clean, sell, and work for a time period and invite its students, families, and friends to eat and they would donate a portion of the profits to the school. From what I can tell the event was a huge success! The teachers and staff were asked to sign up for a time period in which they would “work” at McDonalds. All workers chose particular jobs. Some washed tables and picked up trash, others sold hot apple pies and cookies, some refilled drinks, and others worked at the cash register. It was obvious in watching the volunteer workforce that they were having a good time. They were laughing, they had friendly competitions selling items, they greeted customers, and went everywhere with a smile. They all worked together for the fundraiser, never questioning why they had to do a particular task; and no one seemed to think what they were doing was more important than all the others. They were a team working for the same goal: to raise money to help out their school. It was a very positive, upbeat family evening!
Paul knew that for the kingdom of God to grow the church body would need to work together. He also knew that it was made up of many different talented people. “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
Our vision and our dream at our church is that every family will be in service to God. We want every family in God’s service. This means that every older member, every young parent, every teen, every child, every person should look for opportunities to serve God. Consider your strengths; how can you use them for God’s work? Consider your job; in what ways can you use your job for God’s work? Consider your hobbies, talents, and abilities; what do you have that you can put to use for service in God’s kingdom?
Each person has a job to do in God’s kingdom. Are you doing your part?
Topics: Family, Food for thought, Ministry, Parenting, Teens | No Comments »
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