What a difference a year makes...

I spent the past week with 25 seventh graders in Kentucky serving on a mission trip. It was a really good trip and a privilege to be a part of. This was the first year we took an all 7th grade trip and I made some observations. First of all, I realized why we don't take 6th graders on these trips. Secondly, there is a big difference between a 7th and an 8th grader. They did a great job, but I definitely could tell the difference between this trip and past trips with 8th graders. Even when we had 7th graders with 8th graders, it seemed that the 8th graders brought the level of maturity up quite a bit. Now, by no means am I saying that 8th graders are really mature and 7th graders aren't. However, the difference in maturity level was noticeable. Just another reason why this age group is so unique and why I enjoy ministering to them. They are changing every second it seems. It always seems like they teach me just as much or more than I team them. All in all, there was a lot of life change on this trip. My prayer is that it would stick. Also, my prayer is that these same students would come back next year because I can't wait to see what kind of difference a year makes!

Partnering with schools

Today, I received a call from someone at Hudson Middle School. She said that she was scheduling all the dances for the next school year and wanted to make sure that their dances didn't conflict with any of our Edge ministry events. First of all, I couldn't believe that she actually cared about this. Secondly, I love the fact that our events are actually taking enough students away from the dance that the school is actually concerned about it. That's a great encouragement to our ministry and the Edge students who are getting the word out at school.

With all of that said, I love the opportunity to partner with public schools. With the middle school in this community, there have been unbelievable chances to partner such as FCA, coaching, teachers who attend our church, the superintendent attending our church, and now this. I treasure the times I am at that school because it changes the whole ministry from "come to our territory" to "we'll come to your territory." Isn't that the way Jesus did it? He came to this earth to our territory to live among us. I am so grateful to God for the opportunities that have opened up in the schools the last couple years. My prayer is that God would use the interaction I have with students, teachers, coaches, and principals for his kingdom.

Now that the dances don't conflict with our ministry, maybe I will volunteer to chaperone at the dances...now that will be entertaining.

Thanks for letting me share my joy with you.

Time to step up to the plate, parents

A parent recently sent me an link to an article and news clip from goodmorning America. It's about how teens are viewing oral sex as no sex at all. It's a very acceptable thing to do among teens right now. On top of that, there are teenage girls actually getting paid for sexual acts, taking off clothes, etc. I am not even talking about inner city kids...I am talking about wealthy affluent community kids. It's always been bad, but it's getting really bad.

My fear is that by the time students get to high school, it's too late! With each day, I feel that middle school ministry is getting more and more vital so I am working to do my part. Honestly, I think high school is the new college and middle school is the high school. The girl in the goodmorning america video is 14.

This is stuff is happening at your kids school and maybe to your kid. Even if it's not happening to your kid, they know someone that's doing it. It's vital that parents do not choose to bury their head in the sand as so many do. Who is going to educate these kids? Who is going to tell them that oral sex is sex? Who is going to define prostitution for them? Who is going prepare them for the battle of pornography? The church? Yes. Parents? Absolutely. High school is too late for the sex talk. Middle school might be too late. What are you afraid of? It's your kids life. Step up to the plate and have the talk. It's seriously time. Christian school? I don't care. Yes, even you.

PHIFF

I got PHIFF. Do you have it?

Recently, at a retreat, I got to witness 4 students make first time decisions for Jesus Christ. It was an amazing thing! Just the other day, I met with one of the girls who made the decision. Her parents wanted me to talk with her more about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (which is really great!). I told her that knowing Christ is a guarunteed ticket to heaven with him forever and there is no changing that (Rom 8:38-39). But I also wanted her to know that it is so much more than that. After talking to her, I came up with a little acronym to show what happens to someone after they are saved. I call it PHIFF.

PURPOSE: Knowing Christ gives the believer a purpose to life. What was our purpose before Christ? Well, the truth is that whatever our purpose was, it is nothing compared to the new purpose and meaning to life. A believer knows that they are living to glorify God in all they do, to obey him, and to keep eternity in mind. (2 Timothy 2:21)

HOPE: A believer has the hope of eternity. The believer no longer just puts their hope in the next best thing that is going to happen in their life, but instead puts their hope in the only thing that lasts forever, eternal life. This means that no matter how many bad things happen throughout the course of the believers life, they will still have hope...a complete hope. (John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

IDENTITY: The believer also has a brand new identity. Once someone is saved, he is a new creation. That person belongs to Christ. The believer no longer is identified by the way they look, the friends they have, or how good they are at a certain sport or instrument. Those things all come in a very distand second to the fact that they were purchased by the blood of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

FREEDOM: Freedom is given to those who know Christ. Many people think that following Jesus means that you have less freedom because you have to follow a lot of rules. Not true. True freedom comes from being free from the power of sin. No longer is the believer a slave to sin. Sin is not freedom but only slavery to that sin. Christ's death liberated us from the sin that owned us. (Galatians 5:1)

FAMILY: The believer also gets a brand new family. That person still has their immediate family, but now the believer just made their family a lot bigger. There is now a special bond among other believers. You are on the same page, you have support, love, and accountability. We were made to have community with other believers...we cannot do this life alone. (Acts 2:42-47)

While this is not an exhaustive list of everything that happens to a believer, it is really important to share these things. Knowing Christ is so much more than just a free ticket to heaven...you get purpose, hope, a new identity, freedom from sin, and a new huge family in Christ. You get PHIFF!

Walls

I have been listening to this song lately called True Love, by Phil Wickaham. It's all about the love of Jesus in death that broke down the wall of sin that seperated us from God. It's amazing! All of us are a part of putting the wall up between us in God...every time we sin...but in one amazing and miraculous event in history, the God of the universe destroyed the hideous wall by dying to pay our debt of sin. As I work with middle school students, I want them to realize their part in putting up the wall of sin and more importantly Christ's part in destroying that. It's the most important thing they could ever know...i hope you will join me in this! I found this video that shows this so much better than I could explain. Remember the unfathomable love of Jesus, today!

Life is hard.

This week, I saw many middle school students impacted by their first real tragedy. A Hudson Middle School teacher who also attended our church was arrested for showing an inappropriate video to a middle school boy. This teacher was so devastated that a few days later, he took his own life. Most middle school students cannot wrap their minds around such a tragic series of events with someone they knew and looked up to. I had the task of ministering to students impacted by this tragedy. My job, as their pastor, was to help them by responding biblically, but the bottom line is that this is terrible. For the first time, middle school students began to realize that life is hard. It's so important to remind them that Jesus himself said, "In this world, you will have trouble." I mean Jesus has given a ton of incredible promises throughout Scripture, but this one is not so easy to swallow. The truth is...life is hard and this won't be the last tragedy some of these students experience throughout their life. Let's not lie to them...let's not tell them following Christ equals an easy life. They must know the truth. But let's also make sure we finish Jesus words in John 16:33. It says, "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Followers of Jesus live with a hope that all terrible things in life will come to an end because Jesus has overcome it all.

Walk with Them

Just this week, I met with a student whose dad is dying of cancer. This is something that no 13 year old boy should have to deal with. After all, being 13 is difficult enough. This day in age is the hardest it's ever been for middle school students. On top of dealing with peer pressure, popularity, puberty, and sexual issues, they are faced with family deaths, parental divorces, single parent homes, illnesses, violence, abuse, and the list goes on. My heart goes out to them, but my mind keeps going back to how vital it is for every student to have an adult to walk through the teen years with. Someone who is not their parent. Someone who will listen. Someone who will care. Someone who will be there. Someone who loves them with the love of Jesus. If not, who will be there through the tough times? And most importantly, how will they respond to death, divorce, and illness? In my ministry, it is our goal to make sure that each student has an adult they can turn to. Someone to walk through life with. While we have not completely accomplished our goal, I love watching students form relationships with adults who care. It is happening in our ministry and we are looking for more of it. This particular boy whose dad is dying didn't have that person in his life, but his mom pursued one. Does your middle school student have that? If not, I strongly suggest you find someone. It can make all the difference.