1st Wednesday

I recently had the opportunity to speak at our 1st Wednesday service.  It is appropriately named 1st Wednesday because we have it on that day.  I love the simplicity!!!  I must say that I was a little nervous to speak on this platform.  I am TOTALLY comfortable with my students and speaking to them in our environment, I just turn into a nervous wreck though when it comes to "big church" platform.  Maybe it is because I know there is going to be adults in there and honestly, I don't connect too well with adults, that is why I am in Student Ministry.  

So, I wanted to encourage our church and let them know that God is doing some awesome things in our Student Ministry.  We shot a great video of one of our students and the changes that have taken place in her life through our ministry.  She is just one of the many stories we have of God totally doing something huge in a life. 

We had a packed house and to open things up I gave a top 10 Ericisms.  Students know all about them and almost come to expect them but parents had only heard.  I had one parent approach me before service and said she brought her dictionary so she can know what I am talking about.  I laughed and thought, oh goodness, what do they tell their parents?  They didn't know whether they should laugh, or be upset when I was cracking off the list and laughing how I can connect each one back to a lesson that I have taught while being here at Shore.  

I felt bad because the pics that I was going to use throughout my teaching time I forgot to give to the computer techs and they were still on my flash drive.  So the gross picture of Shawn's knee cap being on the side of his leg didn't make its debut, yet!  

I talked about the plans that we make and how sometimes they don't workout because we plan on a much smaller scale than God does.  I told our church of how we experienced a tragedy at our camp that turned into a triumph.  God used that tragedy to get not just my students but others attention as well.  Our students laid things down, broke down walls in their hearts and with one another, surrendered their hearts and some their lives to God.  

I told the story of how before we left for camp I had Matthew 5:8 on my heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God".  God was crying out to myself and our students to get rid of the junk in our hearts and lives and see Him for who He is.  To really get to know Him and what He looks like, to share our lives with Him.  Because if we did, then we will never be the same.  That week our camp speaker spoke on Jacob and in Genesis 32 Jacob wrestles with God, and when he realizes it He called the place Peniel.  "For I have seen God face to face and yet my life was spared".  Jacob had seen God and he would never be the same!    

Many of our students took God up on his offer.  I explain it best when I talk about the tri-factor.  Now, unless you knew me or you were just up in my grille, you would never know that I have a tri-factor.  It literally looks like God took a magic erase marker and erased 3 spots of facial hair on me.  By the corners of my mouth and in the middle of my mustache are little bald spots.  That eliminates me from growing a mustache because I would look like a pedophile or Pancho Villa.  Besides, its was only during midterms in college that they were grown because we had to have some fun that week.  The goatee will never connect, its just not going to happen no matter how long I grow out the stache'.  The point is that you would never know that about me unless you saw me face to face and got to know me.  The same can be said with God.  We can never really know Him till we take Him up on His offer and get in His mug and find out who He really is, not just what others say about Him.

I had one of the greatest memories and experiences of my life.  I remember while I was filling out an information card for one of our students who made a decision for Christ, I remember thinking, "wow, that is my name on the Youth Pastor name section."  Who would of guest that I would be writing my name there, I had so many bumps in the road and setbacks but I am actually living out my commitment to God.  I was very emotional because God reminded me of His faithfulness and goodness during that moment.  My prayer was then for the students who were making these commitments to have that same moment in their life when they see the commitment fulfilled.  

The summer had been a HUGE success.  God blessed us in ways that I would of never imagined.  He brought people into our ministry and into my life that helped hold us up when things were crazy with scheduling and traveling and just being busy ministering to people.  I am so thankful to the people who partnered with us.  We showed Katilyn's story and shared how we have seen:

 7 students receive Christ 

10 students commitment to purity 

5 students who would give God 1 year at a Christian college 

5 students who said they would give 4 years at a Christian college

8 students committed their lives to serving God in a full time capacity

Raised over $3500 for camp

God really showed who He was and what He is about and I know that personally I will never be the same.  I look forward to sharing again in the future what God is doing in our ministry on the different platforms of our church.  

Stunning Article

I read an article in Plugged In magazine that really rocked me.  On page 2 of Culture Clips there is an article about early sex & dating abuse.  I will give you just a quick rundown of the stats...

15-18 year olds = 10% reported being abused physically by a bf/gf

29% reported being abused verbally by a bf/gf

13-14 year olds = 20% reported being abused physically by a bf/gf

50% reported being abused verbally by a bf/ bf

When sex was thrown into the equation the numbers got ridiculous!  

69 % Students who have had sex by age 14 reported they have endured one or more types of abuse in a relationship.

36% Students reported that their bf/ gf wanted to know where they were at all times ....

58% Students (teens who have had sex before age 14) reported the same thing

22% of students said that they felt pressured to do things they didn't want to do

45% of students (teens who have had sex before age 14)  reported the same thing

The statistics make me honestly feel sick.  I just pray that students don't continue to look at God like a Capt. Killjoy and they see that He wants to spare them from being one of these statistics.  That is why it is so important for them to realize God's design and purpose in saying Wait for your mate!  Apart from these statistics, it is wrong to give your body away.  I think sometimes we often forget that it is sin, and that doesn't please the heart of God.  

I encourage mom's and dad's everywhere to get into their kids lives.  Don't lord over them, but establish a good relationship with your kid so that they feel comfortable sharing their life with you.  Contrary to popular belief, they don't tell you everything and they don't have to when asked either.  Find out about the guy or girl your student is liking and help them set some boundaries with Biblical principles for the kind of relationship they are going to have with that individual.  Mom and dad, you will have to hep monitor that relationship and if God is giving you red flags, then you step in and do a check up and make sure things are legit. 

Students, I personally think that you should not date till you are out of high school.  Let's just be honest, you have a lot going on in your life right now.  Throwing something like a relationship with another person in will mean less time for something else.  Often, it means less time for God because God isn't going to give you a speech of how you are letting your team down by quitting because you have a new person in your life.  If you decide to still forgo my advice and date then let me caution you with a few things...

1. DONT give your heart away

When this happens you will find yourself giving other things away like your purity.  The sad truth is that often people that you are in a relationship with will walk away with more than just your heart when the relationship has ended.  Your heart is reserved for your spouse, not some cute guy or girl that you met at a football game.  It is okay to hold back and reserve those things for your spouse.  You can still laugh, and have fun with that person but don't give them your heart.

2. Keep God #1

The reality of relationships is that something else has to give.  We only have 24 hours in a day so, when you add something new to the mix something has to give.  You may already see where I am going with this.  You may see how you don't hang out with your best friend as much or you spend more time in places that you wouldn't be at if it wasn't for the person you are dating.  The first thing you think of when you get up is that special someone and not God and what He has for you that day.  You may find yourself up late talking to that special person and then you see what time it is and say, "I'll read my Bible or I'll pray real quick" and then you fall asleep mid sentence.  

God often takes the biggest hit in our time table when someone new is introduced in our lives as teenagers.  This is the time when you will need Him more than ever, doesn't make sense does it?  Keep your relationship with God strong.  Keep doing the things that you were before you got involved with a person in a relationship and I promise you that God will honor that.  He may even offer you insight about that person that you would have missed had you bumped Him out of your life.

3. Incorporate the special someone with your family

If your parents cant stand the new relationship you have or if they have concerns.  Game over!  Just stop right there, tell them nice to meet you but I don't think this is a good idea.  Sometimes mom and dad know what they are talking about.  God I believe gives parents insight and they give them an intuition that you cant understand but you just have to trust.  If they are wrong and the person you liked is actually good then that will prove itself over time.  

By hanging out with mom and dad that will decrease your likeliness of being a statistic above.  YOU SHOULD NEVER BE ALONE!!! Let me repeat that incase you thought I said what I said... YOU SHOULD NEVER BE ALONE!!! If the students in the statistics were never alone with each other, I don't think I would have been reading about it.  What person in their right mind would try to put the moves on someone in front of their parents?  It would only be one attempt at my house and then I would have to start a prison ministry cause I would choke the life out of them!

If you are never in a situation where you are alone then that is a good thing.  Always be aware of those things.  If they try to get you alone, then you need to see that's a red flag.  That normally means agenda and could lead to you being a statistic.  Here is a rule of thumb... may sound a little crazy but hey, its coming from me.  Set your special someone down and say, "If you wouldn't do something with your sister or brother, then don't attempt to do it with me"  Who is going to make out passionately with their sister, hopefully no one!  If they would, then you DONT need to be with them, cause that is nasty.  For the silver tongued devil you may be dating, "don't say anything to me that you would not mind me repeating to my parents or my grandma".  That will normally put an end to all the wonderful things about your body and those types of comments, if not, then get out of that relationship ASAP.

4. It is never enough

We are designed as sexual creatures.  Sex in God's design (marriage) is GOOD and it is guiltless!  Sex outside of God's design is sin and it normally brings pain and shame.  There is a point and principle to where this is going.  People cannot do things in moderation, we are the instant gratification generation, especially when it comes to something like relationships and sex.  

Holding hands is just a commonality, been doing it since we were in grade school.  It isn't a big deal, so we move to the next step.  Small peck on the cheek worked good for a week or so, then it doesn't cut it and we want what is next.  Small kiss on the lips is even better, but eventually same thing.  Making out is great, but then eventually it doesn't cut it.  Rolling around and making out like a mad man is awesome but eventually it doesn't cut it.  Exploring with our hands over our special someone's body while making out is unbelievable, but eventually it doesn't cut it.  Exploring under the clothes of our special someone is so good but eventually it doesn't cut it.  This process continues till eventually sex with that special someone is okay but it doesn't cut it, so sex with someone else is new and exciting and then you are left feeling empty, used, betrayed, hurt, maybe wondering if they even cared about you, maybe wondering if you are going to be a dad or a mom.  Maybe you have felt like you weren't good enough and that is why they aren't around.  

The principle is tried and proven.  Why?  Because we were designed to be sexual creatures in God's design.  In His design, it is enough.  Why is that?  Because it is with who He created for us!

I know this is a little different than the other posts that I have.  I just read that article and those statistics and it just broke my heart.  I don't want to see any students have to deal with that stuff.  They do have a plan A, that is God's plan.  Wait for your mate!