Why do folks leave the church after youth ministry?

Youth ministry creates a certain feeling of community, once the students leave the youth group setting they search for that same feeling of community and cannot find it in adult ministries.  Adults are boring and the students fear that once they leave.  Youth ministry tends to have a more accurate sense of family found in Acts 2 where we share what we have together, go on trips together, go to school together so they are with each other most of the time, share meals together and are generally more involved in the lives of each other.

Thirsty in the normal and the mundane.

In Psalm 63:1-2 where David is in a dry and desolate place and is physically in need of thirst quenching water and yet he thirsts for God.  Am I Thirsty like that?  How do I develop that kind of thirst?  How do i orient my life in such a way that I develop that kind of thirst?  To take that feeling of absolute thirst for water and crave God even more.

Yes I need to have a hunger and thirst for righteousness (matthew 5:6), but on a deeper level I feel like David had a better focus.  To have an intense thirst for God, the creator of righteousness and to recognize his ultimate authority over my life is something to pursue. 

When I am sick and have that stomach thing that feels so awful and like there is nothing to do to fix it.  Then is when I cry out to God for help.  When I am in complete sorrow and feel sadness over the loss of a loved one then is when i cry out for God to come to me an be by my side and give me comfort.  How can I create that same craving in me on the other days?  The days when I lose no one to tragedy, how can I have that same craving?

Often i will run to him in praise when the great things happen.  On the days where he answers a prayer the way I want.  when I get the mysterious check in the mail to help with my family needs I give him praise and thanks.  When I get a note of encouragement from a student impacted by my lesson, words, ministry or whatever.  I then say a thanks to God.  But what about the normal day.  Do I thirst on those days?  Do I have the constant sense of awe in how great God is that the sun is shining or the sky is raining?  Do I appreciate the fact that he is performing miracles on the other side of the planet while I am answering emails in this side?  Do I realize the impact on life that He is Holy, that he is almighty, that he is loving, that he is?  I recognize this on the ups and the downs, but what about in the middle?

I want to crave him, thirst for him in the normal and mundane. 

Just a thought

As churches grow they seem to lose sight of the lost as well as the community in which they serve. At some point many churches will reach a size large enough to the point where there are enough frustrated congregants who notice this and do something about. They refresh the flame of serving the community and go at it as if it is a brand new idea that they came up with when really it is just a recycling of what they intended to do to begin with.

Now the task is to figure out how to drop the middle of all that and just stay the course doing what we intended to do in the first place.

Memorial Day

I fear that the sacrifices made by all of our soldiers in the past will be 'messed' up or forgotten by the behavior of politicians. Each time I sing the national anthem or see the flag fly or see movies like 'Saving Private Ryan' I remember and feel a deep sense of gratitude for all the lives sacrificed to keep us safe and free in the USA. Thank you so much for your sacrifice and the sacrifice of your family. Many of us remember what you gave so much for. Thanks.

When the Church and the world collide...

After reading bout the recent church shooting in Maryville, IL (just outside of St. Louis) I just wonder if the church would be wise to ramp up security. If our goal is to reach those who have issues with the world, people, religion, God, etc. why would we want to keep them out of our churches? If we are to reach out to them, we should let them in baggage and all, right? But we need to be alive to do so. When the world and the church collide on our own turf we get nervous. When the the church and the world collide on 'their' turf, 'they' get nervous.

So, if we have to choose which side on which to be out of balance, too many of them in our house or too many of us in their house, which do we choose? Honestly, I believe that is the wrong question to be asking and we need to find a better one.

Pray for the First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL and the Winters family. Pastor Winters left behind two daughters and a wife who are asking "WHY?"

We should stand out.....so why don't we?

As I read in Romans 12:1-2 and read in the context of Romans 11 it is amazing the grace that God showers upon us. Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How he made possible for us Gentiles to have access to God the father through his son. The manner in which he allows this access is humbling by itself. Giving of a one and only son to save a wretched people....in the words of YS Seriously Ridiculous.

Now in our world today which is so anti God, anti absolute truth, anti standards for those of us who say that we pursue Christ why don't we stand out more? Why don't we look more different? The more I submit to the standards of God, the more the world will not make sense and the more I will not make sense to the world, but I do. I do make sense to the world. Should I?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed, be renewed, be different. Am I?

What we have been doing for generations is not working. Baby's die in the place that they should be most safe...in the womb. Sin is sanctioned, allowed, legalized, made permissable... Just because it is permitted does that make it right? Since when does a standard of the world trump God's standard stated in his word?

When is it right to say that a person Loves the Lord and reads his word but yet does not do what it says? Especially in such places of leadership and influence where these statements are said, in our capital and in our media. Are we supposed to be doers of the word not just readers of it?

What we have been doing for generations is only sinking us deeper into a pit of sin, sanctioned sin, selfish desires, selfish pursuits...

We who are followers of Christ are supposed to stand out, so Why Don't WE?

ok, just a quickie

So, why would it seem to be appropriate to spend over 100 million dollars (approaching the 150 million) on a big party to celebrate a new president when our economy is so stretched? I am sure a new president deserves a celebration and a party with plenty of good stuff, but why the elaborate stuff and all?

On the same note, why do we pay pro athletes and actors in hollywood so much to act? When an athlete gets a new 130 million dollar contract to play baseball and then the city for whom he plays turns around and asks the community for 300 million to pay for a new stadium for these over paid athletes to play in, and then will charge them a pretty hefty fee to watch the athlete play in that stadium? Seems a little backwards or over the top to me.

I am just sayin.

welcome to 2009

Debbie reminded me that I never update this anymore, so UPDATE!

....ok, I will work on something a little more witty and informative later.

db