Yes, I know. It doesn't have the same ring to it as Oprah's Book Club, but hopefully my endorsement is good too. This year, my new year's resolution was to read one book a week in 2009. I do understand that this is not a typical resolution, but then again, I am not a typical "resoluter".
*Spoiler alert* For those of you who are planning on attending college, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. When you go to college, they make you read lots of stuff you don't want to read. It's a fact of the college existence and one that, depending on the college and your major, can sometimes be somewhat avoided. Being that I was a history major, I learned how to skim texts without fulling reading them, saving me at least 10 years of my life that would have been spent in the library. However, the consequences were that I no longer possessed a love for reading. This year, I decided I needed to give reading another chance.
The past two weeks I have read the books "Praise Habit" by David Crowder and "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. *Confesssion* I was a little behind on my reading, so I finished reading both of these books on a bus ride to Juniata. Some of you might think that makes me some crazy speed reader. You obviously have never taken the bus to Juniata. Take my advice. Don't.
I won't use this blog to give you the Clifnotes so you don't have to read these books for yourself. Both were 100% worth the read. "Praise Habit" has changed the way I do my devotions and brought new life into the old Psalms I have read over and over. David Crowder's sense of humor makes the book flow fantastically. If your praise life needs a boost, go get this book. Right now. Seriously. Stop reading this blog and go get it.
For those of you who are still with me, the second book by the Harris twins is a call for our generation to stop living up to status quo and "Do Hard Things" It's a pretty simple concept, but one that deserves consideration and thought from a generation raised in a society that condones and even promotes the putting off of adult responsibilities until the ripe age of 32, or whenever you feel like it. It is a call to shatter the standard expectations of today's young adults by taking on responsibility, proving that we are capable and willing to step up and make a difference now, not just when we're 50. The book is written to students by students, but is worth reading for anyone who wants to be challenged to get out of their comfort zone and pursue Christ passionately.
Both of these books are well worth the time it takes to read them, but the value comes not in the reading, but in the real-life application. Be ready to let God speak to your heart through the reading of these books, and be prepared to have your world rocked.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Investing in the Mission...
So you've decided to Live the Mission! Great! Now what? Where do we start?
At the start of any journey, you have to make sure you're prepared. You have to collect what it's going to take to begin and also finish the journey. Some ventures are more costly than others. The one we are embarking on is especially costly. But I'm not just talking finances here. Let's look at two situations where people were getting ready to follow Christ and see what it costs them.
Read Mark 10:17-22, 28-31
AND Mark 1:16-18
What is the cost of living the mission? What is the cost of following Christ wholly, without reservation? Is it always selling all your possessions and moving away from everyone you know and love?
Being part of a mission is costly. Whether that mission is going as a soldier to fight for your country or as a missionary to preach the gospel, the mission is going to cost you something. If you're taking on a mission, you're showing everyone what is most important to you.
Let's look at the rich young ruler in Mark 10. He was desperate to see Jesus, to follow Him. When he sees Jesus, he runs up to him and falls on his knees in front of him. This guy was SERIOUS about eternal life! He knew what he wanted and he knew that Jesus was the Source. He knew the law, he knew what he was supposed to do. He told Jesus that he had followed the law since he was a child. However, the entrance fee for heaven isn't the law. This man was missing the point. The commandments aren't about the law, they are about love. When Jesus sums up the law in the two commandments he gives us, the first word in both of them is love. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength" and "love your neighbor as yourself". But Jesus knew where this man's heart was. He knew what the rich young ruler really loved and held onto. Yet in spite of that, verse 21 says "Jesus looked at him and LOVED him." He already knew before he posed the question what the rich young ruler's response would be, but Jesus loved him anyway. Knowing full well where this man's heart was Jesus tells him in verse 21 "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Verse 22 tells us the rich young ruler's response. "At this the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth." He was sad because he didn't value following Jesus as much as his earthly possessions. We don't know for sure what became of the rich young ruler, but we assume that he went back to his life as it was.
Now let's look at the disciples response to Jesus in Mark 1. Verse 18 says that "At once, they left their nets and followed him (Jesus)". What is the difference between these two situations? The rich young ruler invested his time and effort into his wealth and possessions, even though he thought he was passionate about the Kingdom of God. Instead, when push came to shove, he chose riches over Christ. The disciples, on the other hand, left everything they owned to follow Christ.
Now, since most of you reading this probably still live at home, I'm going to assume that God hasn't called you to drop everything you know and go be a missionary somewhere completely foreign to you. Some of you might get a calling like that later in life, or maybe not. You might be called to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, CEOs or garbage truck drivers and in all of those professions you can be a missionary. But I don't want to talk about that part of your life. I'm talking about here and now. Living the mission doesn't start when you go to college or when you graduate or get married. Living the mission is about today and everyday.
What does it cost to live the mission? Mark 12: 30 lays it out plainly. It's gonna take all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind. It's going to take you putting others ahead of yourself.
With that said, let's make it personal. What is the price you are currently paying for Christ? Think about it for a minute. If the price you're currently paying is only the extra sleep you would be getting on Sunday morning, than it's not enough. If it's only the 10% of your pay check or allowance that you grudgingly set aside for a tithe, than maybe it's time for a change in perspective.
Let's look back at Mark 12:29. "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus replied, 'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.'" Did you catch that? The interest rate for investing in the Kingdom of God is a hundred fold!
OK, let's plug in real numbers. Say this week you got paid $100 dollars.
$100 (Yay I'm rich!)
What if I told you that if you gave me $10 dollars from your allowance that I would give you $1000 in two weeks? Pretty sweet deal huh? In fact, I bet you wouldn't even think about it being a sacrifice. In fact, you'd probably offer me the whole $100! Because...
$100 x 100 fold=$10,000 (Yay, I'm really rich!)
Now that's an investment worth selling everything I have for! Read Matthew 13:44-46.
Now, I'm not saying that if you tithe you're going to be a multi-millionaire. But if you're faithful with tithing and giving generously to the Lord, then you're going to be blessed. That's not my promise. That's the Lord's.
But what if we had this attitude of giving? What if we wanted to give the Lord that whole hundred, not just because we knew what we would get out of it, but because we knew the Lord would bless it? What if we loved him enough to offer it to him, just because we wanted to honor him? It would totally change the way we give. We wouldn't call it sacrifice, we would call it investment.
Whether you know it or not, you are always making investments. The continual investment is love, shown by your time and the priorities in your life. God's commandment is that we invest love in Him and His Kingdom by loving those around us. If we're not investing in those things, we're investing love in other things: ourselves, money, our reputation, our X-box, among other things.
In his book, "The Four Loves", C.S. Lewis writes this about investing love. "There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."
Love is an investment and it is dangerous. But put it in the right place, and it will be totally worth it; a hundred fold what you paid for it!
DISCLAIMER: You can't make an investment in the stock market if you're living pay check to pay check. Unless you are taking care of your financial present, you can't take care of your financial future. It's the same in God's economy. If you haven't first accepted Christ, it won't do you any good to good good deals. First, make a choice to accept the Lord into your heart. If you haven't done that, pray this prayer:
Father God, I know that I am a sinner, and that I can't save myself.
I believe that You sent your Son to die on the cross for my sins.
Please come into my heart and be my Savior. Thank you for your
sacrifice and for loving me unconditionally. Help me to live like You.
In the Precious Name of Jesus, Amen
At the start of any journey, you have to make sure you're prepared. You have to collect what it's going to take to begin and also finish the journey. Some ventures are more costly than others. The one we are embarking on is especially costly. But I'm not just talking finances here. Let's look at two situations where people were getting ready to follow Christ and see what it costs them.
Read Mark 10:17-22, 28-31
AND Mark 1:16-18
What is the cost of living the mission? What is the cost of following Christ wholly, without reservation? Is it always selling all your possessions and moving away from everyone you know and love?
Being part of a mission is costly. Whether that mission is going as a soldier to fight for your country or as a missionary to preach the gospel, the mission is going to cost you something. If you're taking on a mission, you're showing everyone what is most important to you.
Let's look at the rich young ruler in Mark 10. He was desperate to see Jesus, to follow Him. When he sees Jesus, he runs up to him and falls on his knees in front of him. This guy was SERIOUS about eternal life! He knew what he wanted and he knew that Jesus was the Source. He knew the law, he knew what he was supposed to do. He told Jesus that he had followed the law since he was a child. However, the entrance fee for heaven isn't the law. This man was missing the point. The commandments aren't about the law, they are about love. When Jesus sums up the law in the two commandments he gives us, the first word in both of them is love. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength" and "love your neighbor as yourself". But Jesus knew where this man's heart was. He knew what the rich young ruler really loved and held onto. Yet in spite of that, verse 21 says "Jesus looked at him and LOVED him." He already knew before he posed the question what the rich young ruler's response would be, but Jesus loved him anyway. Knowing full well where this man's heart was Jesus tells him in verse 21 "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Verse 22 tells us the rich young ruler's response. "At this the man's face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth." He was sad because he didn't value following Jesus as much as his earthly possessions. We don't know for sure what became of the rich young ruler, but we assume that he went back to his life as it was.
Now let's look at the disciples response to Jesus in Mark 1. Verse 18 says that "At once, they left their nets and followed him (Jesus)". What is the difference between these two situations? The rich young ruler invested his time and effort into his wealth and possessions, even though he thought he was passionate about the Kingdom of God. Instead, when push came to shove, he chose riches over Christ. The disciples, on the other hand, left everything they owned to follow Christ.
Now, since most of you reading this probably still live at home, I'm going to assume that God hasn't called you to drop everything you know and go be a missionary somewhere completely foreign to you. Some of you might get a calling like that later in life, or maybe not. You might be called to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, CEOs or garbage truck drivers and in all of those professions you can be a missionary. But I don't want to talk about that part of your life. I'm talking about here and now. Living the mission doesn't start when you go to college or when you graduate or get married. Living the mission is about today and everyday.
What does it cost to live the mission? Mark 12: 30 lays it out plainly. It's gonna take all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind. It's going to take you putting others ahead of yourself.
With that said, let's make it personal. What is the price you are currently paying for Christ? Think about it for a minute. If the price you're currently paying is only the extra sleep you would be getting on Sunday morning, than it's not enough. If it's only the 10% of your pay check or allowance that you grudgingly set aside for a tithe, than maybe it's time for a change in perspective.
Let's look back at Mark 12:29. "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus replied, 'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.'" Did you catch that? The interest rate for investing in the Kingdom of God is a hundred fold!
OK, let's plug in real numbers. Say this week you got paid $100 dollars.
$100 (Yay I'm rich!)
What if I told you that if you gave me $10 dollars from your allowance that I would give you $1000 in two weeks? Pretty sweet deal huh? In fact, I bet you wouldn't even think about it being a sacrifice. In fact, you'd probably offer me the whole $100! Because...
$100 x 100 fold=$10,000 (Yay, I'm really rich!)
Now that's an investment worth selling everything I have for! Read Matthew 13:44-46.
Now, I'm not saying that if you tithe you're going to be a multi-millionaire. But if you're faithful with tithing and giving generously to the Lord, then you're going to be blessed. That's not my promise. That's the Lord's.
But what if we had this attitude of giving? What if we wanted to give the Lord that whole hundred, not just because we knew what we would get out of it, but because we knew the Lord would bless it? What if we loved him enough to offer it to him, just because we wanted to honor him? It would totally change the way we give. We wouldn't call it sacrifice, we would call it investment.
Whether you know it or not, you are always making investments. The continual investment is love, shown by your time and the priorities in your life. God's commandment is that we invest love in Him and His Kingdom by loving those around us. If we're not investing in those things, we're investing love in other things: ourselves, money, our reputation, our X-box, among other things.
In his book, "The Four Loves", C.S. Lewis writes this about investing love. "There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."
Love is an investment and it is dangerous. But put it in the right place, and it will be totally worth it; a hundred fold what you paid for it!
DISCLAIMER: You can't make an investment in the stock market if you're living pay check to pay check. Unless you are taking care of your financial present, you can't take care of your financial future. It's the same in God's economy. If you haven't first accepted Christ, it won't do you any good to good good deals. First, make a choice to accept the Lord into your heart. If you haven't done that, pray this prayer:
Father God, I know that I am a sinner, and that I can't save myself.
I believe that You sent your Son to die on the cross for my sins.
Please come into my heart and be my Savior. Thank you for your
sacrifice and for loving me unconditionally. Help me to live like You.
In the Precious Name of Jesus, Amen
The unfinished official schedule...
Here are some of the cool things happening with Reckless Abandon in the next few months. This is by no means a complete schedule, and is subject to change, but this is where it stands right now.
Wednesday night, January 28th-Crash and Bash Night-Bring snow clothes (hats, mittens, gloves, warm coat and boots)
Saturday, February 7th 10 a.m. to 12-Prep for church dinner to raise money for Creation
Sunday, February 8th- Church dinner right after the service (please be there by 11:30 if you're not planning on attending the service)
Saturday, March 7th-GAIN Warehouse to help pack boxes of overseas aid. This was an awesome time of serving and fun! (and they feed you REALLY well!) More details to follow at a later post.
Saturday, March 14th- Laser Tag in Ithaca.
Thursday, March 26th-Friday, March 27th-WINTER RETREAT!!!! We will be going to an undisclosed location for our first ever Reckless Abandon Retreat. And here's the best part...it's free!! Bring a sleeping bag and your bible and get ready for a great time of worship and the Word.
Be sure to sign up for these events at youth group in the coming weeks!!
Wednesday night, January 28th-Crash and Bash Night-Bring snow clothes (hats, mittens, gloves, warm coat and boots)
Saturday, February 7th 10 a.m. to 12-Prep for church dinner to raise money for Creation
Sunday, February 8th- Church dinner right after the service (please be there by 11:30 if you're not planning on attending the service)
Saturday, March 7th-GAIN Warehouse to help pack boxes of overseas aid. This was an awesome time of serving and fun! (and they feed you REALLY well!) More details to follow at a later post.
Saturday, March 14th- Laser Tag in Ithaca.
Thursday, March 26th-Friday, March 27th-WINTER RETREAT!!!! We will be going to an undisclosed location for our first ever Reckless Abandon Retreat. And here's the best part...it's free!! Bring a sleeping bag and your bible and get ready for a great time of worship and the Word.
Be sure to sign up for these events at youth group in the coming weeks!!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
January 14, 2009
This summer, a few members of our youth group are going on a missions trip. We will be traveling to Mexico to share our faith and the love of Christ with the community there. We're going because we are called to, because it's what Jesus told us all to do. We're going because we want to see lives changed and hearts fall in love with Jesus.
Of the people in our youth group, only a small percentage are going on this trip. While I would love to take each and every one of you, this is not what God is calling all of us to. It also doesn't mean that you are not part of the mission. In fact, if you claim the name of Christ, that you are a Christ-like Christian, you are at the very center of the mission. Read 1 Samuel 30: 21-25.
David had some men who stayed behind to guard the supplies. They were just as important in his campaign as the people who fought with him, and therefore, received the same portion of the spoils. If you're not going on the missions trip, you're just as important to the mission as anyone who's getting on the plane in August, and you'll be blessed.
This year, our mission is not just going to Mexico and helping out for a week. Our mission is not accomplished by getting on a plane and flying to a remote place to share the gospel. Our mission as a youth group, as individuals and as the body of Christ is someplace completely unique. It's right here. It's at our schools, at home, on the basketball court, in the choral room. It's not just some week in August- it's now, every day, all year long. Every minute, every second we call ourselves Christians is our mission until Jesus comes back. Our ministry is not just to a bunch of people in Africa or Asia or Mexico, it's to our familites, our friends, that cashier at Wal-mart, our teachers.
In 2009, our focus is not going on a missions trip. It's not raising the finds or learning Spanish so that for one week we can make a difference. You are already making a difference. If you have ever told anyone you're a Christian, you are a living, walking, talking missionary to your specific field. Get this, NO ONE ELSE can reach your mission field in the way that you can. Each one of us has a unique life experience that no one else has. We have different circles of influence and different strengths and gifts. This year, our focus isn't about being a missionary for a week. This year our focus is to LIVE THE MISSION.
Read Matthew 28:17 and Mark 12:30 to find out what 'the mission' is.
The mission of our your group is simple, but it's going to take all the time and effort and gifts of everyone to make it happen. Our mission statement is TO PASSIONATELY PURSUE GOD AND REACH OTHERS FOR CHRIST WITH RECKLESS ABANDON. Simply put, love God and love others. But this mission can't be achieved by passively sitting on our bums hoping that somehow God is pleased by what we do and maybe some casual passerby will notice our lives and turn to God. We must LIVE the mission. That means we don't put it aside while we do what we want and pick it up when it's convenient or socially appropriate. It means that we live, breath, eat, sleep, walk, talk, shop, drink, play, sing, sit, stand, shout the mission.
I believe that there are not many things that are guaranteed in life. But here are two things that I can guarantee with absolute certainty. 1) This will not be easy. In fact, living the mission will be hands down the hardest thing you've ever done in your life. 2) It will be worth it.
This is a commitment we will make together, but that will be loved our individually. This year, and for the rest of our lives, we'll be gathering together pieces of how this works. It will be like trying to put a puzzle together without having the box to look at to see what it should look it. This year, we're trusting God to give us the pieces, but no one else can put the puzzle together for you. It's going to be up to each and every one of you to figure out how the puzzle fits together and where to put and use each piece.
This is your fair warning. If you don't want to be challenged to live the mission, if you don't want to grow spiritually, if all you want to do is the minimum and you're not about living a Christ-like life, then this is your chance to back out. I'll send you out with all the blessings of God and pray that He keeps tugging at your heart. But if this is a challenge that you're up for, if you're ready to throw yourself headlong into living the mission, to passionately pursue God and reach others for Christ with reckless abandon, then get ready. This is going to be one wild ride!
Challenge for the week: Keep an eye out for opportunities to "Live the Mission". Be prepared to share about it or better yet, write it down in a journal so you don't forget!
May God's word stir your heart.
Blessings,
PM
Of the people in our youth group, only a small percentage are going on this trip. While I would love to take each and every one of you, this is not what God is calling all of us to. It also doesn't mean that you are not part of the mission. In fact, if you claim the name of Christ, that you are a Christ-like Christian, you are at the very center of the mission. Read 1 Samuel 30: 21-25.
David had some men who stayed behind to guard the supplies. They were just as important in his campaign as the people who fought with him, and therefore, received the same portion of the spoils. If you're not going on the missions trip, you're just as important to the mission as anyone who's getting on the plane in August, and you'll be blessed.
This year, our mission is not just going to Mexico and helping out for a week. Our mission is not accomplished by getting on a plane and flying to a remote place to share the gospel. Our mission as a youth group, as individuals and as the body of Christ is someplace completely unique. It's right here. It's at our schools, at home, on the basketball court, in the choral room. It's not just some week in August- it's now, every day, all year long. Every minute, every second we call ourselves Christians is our mission until Jesus comes back. Our ministry is not just to a bunch of people in Africa or Asia or Mexico, it's to our familites, our friends, that cashier at Wal-mart, our teachers.
In 2009, our focus is not going on a missions trip. It's not raising the finds or learning Spanish so that for one week we can make a difference. You are already making a difference. If you have ever told anyone you're a Christian, you are a living, walking, talking missionary to your specific field. Get this, NO ONE ELSE can reach your mission field in the way that you can. Each one of us has a unique life experience that no one else has. We have different circles of influence and different strengths and gifts. This year, our focus isn't about being a missionary for a week. This year our focus is to LIVE THE MISSION.
Read Matthew 28:17 and Mark 12:30 to find out what 'the mission' is.
The mission of our your group is simple, but it's going to take all the time and effort and gifts of everyone to make it happen. Our mission statement is TO PASSIONATELY PURSUE GOD AND REACH OTHERS FOR CHRIST WITH RECKLESS ABANDON. Simply put, love God and love others. But this mission can't be achieved by passively sitting on our bums hoping that somehow God is pleased by what we do and maybe some casual passerby will notice our lives and turn to God. We must LIVE the mission. That means we don't put it aside while we do what we want and pick it up when it's convenient or socially appropriate. It means that we live, breath, eat, sleep, walk, talk, shop, drink, play, sing, sit, stand, shout the mission.
I believe that there are not many things that are guaranteed in life. But here are two things that I can guarantee with absolute certainty. 1) This will not be easy. In fact, living the mission will be hands down the hardest thing you've ever done in your life. 2) It will be worth it.
This is a commitment we will make together, but that will be loved our individually. This year, and for the rest of our lives, we'll be gathering together pieces of how this works. It will be like trying to put a puzzle together without having the box to look at to see what it should look it. This year, we're trusting God to give us the pieces, but no one else can put the puzzle together for you. It's going to be up to each and every one of you to figure out how the puzzle fits together and where to put and use each piece.
This is your fair warning. If you don't want to be challenged to live the mission, if you don't want to grow spiritually, if all you want to do is the minimum and you're not about living a Christ-like life, then this is your chance to back out. I'll send you out with all the blessings of God and pray that He keeps tugging at your heart. But if this is a challenge that you're up for, if you're ready to throw yourself headlong into living the mission, to passionately pursue God and reach others for Christ with reckless abandon, then get ready. This is going to be one wild ride!
Challenge for the week: Keep an eye out for opportunities to "Live the Mission". Be prepared to share about it or better yet, write it down in a journal so you don't forget!
May God's word stir your heart.
Blessings,
PM
2009...A New Start
So, after a terrible long break from blogging, this is my attempt at getting back in the swing of things.
Updates:
August 15-22, 2009- 15 of us will be going to Guanajuato, Mexico on a missions trip. Kind of a big deal. I'm so excited to see what God's going to do in us and through us.
Since the weather here has been less than spectacular, (unless you're a polar bear) I've decided to start to post lessons from Wednesday night on this site for those of you who couldn't make it Wednesday. I'll try to keep this up so that if you miss a week, you'll still be up to speed, or if you need a reminder of what God is telling us or some encouragement, you can get it here.
Updates:
August 15-22, 2009- 15 of us will be going to Guanajuato, Mexico on a missions trip. Kind of a big deal. I'm so excited to see what God's going to do in us and through us.
Since the weather here has been less than spectacular, (unless you're a polar bear) I've decided to start to post lessons from Wednesday night on this site for those of you who couldn't make it Wednesday. I'll try to keep this up so that if you miss a week, you'll still be up to speed, or if you need a reminder of what God is telling us or some encouragement, you can get it here.
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