Sunday was totally another full day of relationships, re-energizing and relentlessness!
Rick Lawrence kicked off the morning with a "threading" exercise that reminded us of our longing for rescue from our Lord. I'll have to say, the whole strawberry thing was a bit out there for me but I caught the point (I think): Focus on God in the midst of whatever circumstances for HE is the treasure in the midst of life's journey.
We then sat in on "Kid Unique - Helping Students Discover Their True Value & Identity" taught by Dan Webster. Got some good pointers on how to direct students toward God's calling on their vocation.
After that we grabbed McD's and chatted with our "Couple in Ministry" connect group - which daily we LOVED!
Then in the afternoon, we sat in on Jason Lamb & Greg Stier from Dare 2 Share & got evangelatized again! ALWAYS GREAT STUFF and look forward to living it and infecting students as well!
Went to dinner with Katy peeps - Marcus & Delaine Evans and scarfed down some rockin' pizza at Giordano's! So grateful to Know Jesus & Make Him KNown together in Katy with guys like Marcus!
Evening session kicked off with a very heartfelt skit guys, worship from Shane & Shane and a message from Glenn Packiam on the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God has come TO us so that the Kingdom can come THRU us to the world. We are not blessed because of external circumstance but because of eternal implications! And if Jesus really IS our King, then let's live like it - good words!
So....this morning means packing up, saying temporary goodbyes and a send off that God will give Doug to give to us.....
I'll let you know later what that was!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
SYMC - Saturday Stuph...
Yesterday was a full day of great learning, great challenge, great change and great friends! It's been sweeeeeet to hook up with Katy friends Marcus, Delaine & Joe, as well as IT (Inside Track) peeps! Thanks Jesus!
Kicked the day off with General Session #2. Rick Lawrence led a worshipful experience where one-by-one, 66 of us came out and held up a big sign of how Jesus is seen in each book of the Bible. We were joking back stage about what book we'd get and placing bets and who would get Song of Solomon......yep, I got to be Song of Solomon
Then we got to hear from the heart of Luis Giglio. He spoke of how what kind of culture we are cultivating with students and how we need to be careful not to cultivate cynicism and immaturity, but rather a JESUS culture. The reason Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way" became the fastest downloaded song in history (1.2 million in 1st week) is because it preaches a message of love & acceptance that students are dying to receive! We can give 'em better - JESUS! We were challenged out of Revelation 1 to cultivate:
Humility: Whenever we cone into the presence of God we get right-sized real quick!
Honor: The more a student feels honored, the more they will honor others and they are dying to be honored! Circumstances are no excuse for cynicism.
Jesus: We can get so off on tangents, we must cultivate a Jesus-centered culture in our churches and student ministries.
CARPE DIEM - SEIZE THE DAY!
Then we sat in on Derwin Gray's (evangelism linebacker) track "Equipping a Great ComMISSION Student Ministry" - Great stuff to see how our Theology & Ecclesiology is meant to drive our calling. Identity, Mission & Power were the themes that challenged me.
Had a great "Couples in Ministry" lunch with Darren & Katie Sutton from Corpus - sharing ideas & struggles.
Then we sat in on Walt Mueller's "Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture" which gave ideas to get students talking about their world and evaluating their own choices.
A handful of us then met with Greg Stier, Jason Lamb, Debbie Bresna and the rest of the Dare 2 Share gang to brainstorm some future possibilities. I'd tell you more but they'd have to shoot me :)
Finished the day with General Session #3. Skit Guys Rock......just sayin'..... Also got to hear from Ruth Haley Barton who spoke to our SOUL! Using the life of Moses, she spoke on silence & solitude and that intersession is part of our job description. And that the promised land for us as believers is the nearness of God! Cool God Stuff - All of it!
Looking forward to craking it up again today...
Kicked the day off with General Session #2. Rick Lawrence led a worshipful experience where one-by-one, 66 of us came out and held up a big sign of how Jesus is seen in each book of the Bible. We were joking back stage about what book we'd get and placing bets and who would get Song of Solomon......yep, I got to be Song of Solomon
Then we got to hear from the heart of Luis Giglio. He spoke of how what kind of culture we are cultivating with students and how we need to be careful not to cultivate cynicism and immaturity, but rather a JESUS culture. The reason Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way" became the fastest downloaded song in history (1.2 million in 1st week) is because it preaches a message of love & acceptance that students are dying to receive! We can give 'em better - JESUS! We were challenged out of Revelation 1 to cultivate:
Humility: Whenever we cone into the presence of God we get right-sized real quick!
Honor: The more a student feels honored, the more they will honor others and they are dying to be honored! Circumstances are no excuse for cynicism.
Jesus: We can get so off on tangents, we must cultivate a Jesus-centered culture in our churches and student ministries.
CARPE DIEM - SEIZE THE DAY!
Then we sat in on Derwin Gray's (evangelism linebacker) track "Equipping a Great ComMISSION Student Ministry" - Great stuff to see how our Theology & Ecclesiology is meant to drive our calling. Identity, Mission & Power were the themes that challenged me.
Had a great "Couples in Ministry" lunch with Darren & Katie Sutton from Corpus - sharing ideas & struggles.
Then we sat in on Walt Mueller's "Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture" which gave ideas to get students talking about their world and evaluating their own choices.
A handful of us then met with Greg Stier, Jason Lamb, Debbie Bresna and the rest of the Dare 2 Share gang to brainstorm some future possibilities. I'd tell you more but they'd have to shoot me :)
Finished the day with General Session #3. Skit Guys Rock......just sayin'..... Also got to hear from Ruth Haley Barton who spoke to our SOUL! Using the life of Moses, she spoke on silence & solitude and that intersession is part of our job description. And that the promised land for us as believers is the nearness of God! Cool God Stuff - All of it!
Looking forward to craking it up again today...
Saturday, March 5, 2011
SYMC - Friday Night - The R.A.R.E. Jesus
Last night we kicked off SYMC 2011 with our first General Session. Josh & Jake did a hilarious, the skit guys were the skit guys - great as always, and Shane & Shane lead us to the throne of Jesus!
Then Doug Fields got up to engage us in the Lord. He spoke of how soooo many youth workers are feeling defeated & discouraged and how we (& students) need to hear the voice of Jesus & see Him lived out. He spoke of knowing the voice of his mom, who recently passed away.
Students need relationships: We are not calling students to commit to a building or an institution but to a BODY, a family.
Students are looking to be amazed: We are not in it to compete with the "amazement" of culture. Culture may have a bigger budget, but we have a bigger Producer!
Students are looking to do something radical: They are attracted to the radical and good news - Jesus is radical!
Students are looking for healing for their hearts: So many students and their hurting worlds today.We need this RARE Jesus:
RELATIONSHIP
AMAZING
RADICAL
EMPATHY
People in our lives may have a unique voice that we can't miss, but Jesus has a Transformational one - Don't miss it!
Cool God Stuff!!!
Then Doug Fields got up to engage us in the Lord. He spoke of how soooo many youth workers are feeling defeated & discouraged and how we (& students) need to hear the voice of Jesus & see Him lived out. He spoke of knowing the voice of his mom, who recently passed away.
Students need relationships: We are not calling students to commit to a building or an institution but to a BODY, a family.
Students are looking to be amazed: We are not in it to compete with the "amazement" of culture. Culture may have a bigger budget, but we have a bigger Producer!
Students are looking to do something radical: They are attracted to the radical and good news - Jesus is radical!
Students are looking for healing for their hearts: So many students and their hurting worlds today.We need this RARE Jesus:
RELATIONSHIP
AMAZING
RADICAL
EMPATHY
People in our lives may have a unique voice that we can't miss, but Jesus has a Transformational one - Don't miss it!
Cool God Stuff!!!
Friday, March 4, 2011
SYMC 2011 - Why I Love This!
Jean & I arrived yesterday to Chicago to attend THE best student ministry conference there is. Why do I say this? Because its a family. Because it's not a show but it's life. Because it's based on 5 Core Values that I am all about:
1 - Authenticity: So much of life is defined by what we DO, but honestly, it's really more about who we ARE - and SYM & Group get this!
2 - Jesus-Centered: I've learned in my 26+ years of working with students that the more they (& I) are connected deeply with Jesus, the more transformation takes place. And this is evident in the hearts of all those involved in this conference.
3) Deep Learning: These guys get it that one guy up front preaching doesn't engage students, but interactive, deep conversations in the scriptures does! And when humility is displayed in the midst, God does amazing things.
4) Relationships: This one has been a WOW factor for me! SYMC & Group is truly a family, not a business, not a show, but a brotherhood & sisterhood of caring comrades who want the best for everyone else. Being a part of the IT Team has Rocked! Iron has truly sharpened iron.
5) Innovation: It's always good to allow God to use the creativity HE put in us to think outside the box - and then watch & experience God do cool stuff!
So....like I said last year:
SYMC is an insightful, passionate, fun conference that reeks of substance and humility!
Looking forward to this weekend....
1 - Authenticity: So much of life is defined by what we DO, but honestly, it's really more about who we ARE - and SYM & Group get this!
2 - Jesus-Centered: I've learned in my 26+ years of working with students that the more they (& I) are connected deeply with Jesus, the more transformation takes place. And this is evident in the hearts of all those involved in this conference.
3) Deep Learning: These guys get it that one guy up front preaching doesn't engage students, but interactive, deep conversations in the scriptures does! And when humility is displayed in the midst, God does amazing things.
4) Relationships: This one has been a WOW factor for me! SYMC & Group is truly a family, not a business, not a show, but a brotherhood & sisterhood of caring comrades who want the best for everyone else. Being a part of the IT Team has Rocked! Iron has truly sharpened iron.
5) Innovation: It's always good to allow God to use the creativity HE put in us to think outside the box - and then watch & experience God do cool stuff!
So....like I said last year:
SYMC is an insightful, passionate, fun conference that reeks of substance and humility!
Looking forward to this weekend....
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2011 Church Conference - Saturday 11:00AM – Leadership & Making Wise Choices
Saturday 11:00AM
After the break, Randles finished up talking about what it takes to be a leader – character. He told the story of how he got saved. He went to an FCA because he got asked by a guy who’s character he respected. When you bleed leadership and character it will draw people to you! Often we don’t develop godly character because we have addictions: sex/porn, video games, lying, etc…. Dangerous Disciples do what they need to do to break free of addictions. They pay the price. How about you? There are no shortcuts. Don’t let things have power over me, only Jesus!
Making Good Choices: What I DO drives who I am. The price for influence is character. Character is the sum total of your good and bad choices, so we must learn to make wise choices> How do I know God’s will in making choices? 5 Sources:
1 - Is there a direct command concerning this?
90% of God’s will is the same for all of us. He talked about Newton & Keppler. The laws of God are like the laws of physics – you can’t break them, you can only illustrate them. Joshua 1:8, John 14:21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119:9-11, etc… BUT we think God will make an exception with us (i.e dating an unbeliever). Well God doesn’t make exceptions. Voting (the American way) doesn’t make things true either. Even ignorance is no excuse.
2 - God will speak to me with the voice (Holy Spirit) of conviction:
God’s Holy Spirit will convict and convince us in choices we make that are not covered by #1. There can be “bad” conviction though. The devil, peers and even my own feelings can cause false conviction. So how do you tell them apart? Well, conviction will never go against God’s Word. And the more you spend time with Jesus, the more you’ll recognize His voice.
3 – Obedience to Authorities:
God never honors rebellion but does honor obedience. He has placed MANY authorities in our lives, and unless we are being asked to sin, we are to obey them. parents, teachers, police, government, laws, etc…
4 – Checking with Godly Others:
Pastors, mentors, godly parents, families, etc… with experience and wisdom in making decisions are a great resource to go to regularly and share what decisions you are grappling with.
5 – Circumstances:
This one is only good if you keep it at the end of the list. Open doors in circumstances take wisdom but can be great opportunities for the Lord.
Saturday afternoon we had students texting, facebooking, phoning, etc…. all their friends to come to Sonic for FREE drinks and to receive a FREE ticket to a Tedashii concert that evening. It was pretty cool to see Sonic swarming with students!
Then we had some free play time and spent it together with the students from The Fellowship at Cinco Ranch. Fun times.
That evening, Tedashii rapped it out big-time! This was a worship concert you FELT as much as heard!
Lord, the conference is over, but YOUR influence and Impact is not! Transform me. Transform our students. Make us Dangerous Disciples who want to Know Jesus and Make Him Known!
After the break, Randles finished up talking about what it takes to be a leader – character. He told the story of how he got saved. He went to an FCA because he got asked by a guy who’s character he respected. When you bleed leadership and character it will draw people to you! Often we don’t develop godly character because we have addictions: sex/porn, video games, lying, etc…. Dangerous Disciples do what they need to do to break free of addictions. They pay the price. How about you? There are no shortcuts. Don’t let things have power over me, only Jesus!
Making Good Choices: What I DO drives who I am. The price for influence is character. Character is the sum total of your good and bad choices, so we must learn to make wise choices> How do I know God’s will in making choices? 5 Sources:
1 - Is there a direct command concerning this?
90% of God’s will is the same for all of us. He talked about Newton & Keppler. The laws of God are like the laws of physics – you can’t break them, you can only illustrate them. Joshua 1:8, John 14:21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Psalm 119:9-11, etc… BUT we think God will make an exception with us (i.e dating an unbeliever). Well God doesn’t make exceptions. Voting (the American way) doesn’t make things true either. Even ignorance is no excuse.
2 - God will speak to me with the voice (Holy Spirit) of conviction:
God’s Holy Spirit will convict and convince us in choices we make that are not covered by #1. There can be “bad” conviction though. The devil, peers and even my own feelings can cause false conviction. So how do you tell them apart? Well, conviction will never go against God’s Word. And the more you spend time with Jesus, the more you’ll recognize His voice.
3 – Obedience to Authorities:
God never honors rebellion but does honor obedience. He has placed MANY authorities in our lives, and unless we are being asked to sin, we are to obey them. parents, teachers, police, government, laws, etc…
4 – Checking with Godly Others:
Pastors, mentors, godly parents, families, etc… with experience and wisdom in making decisions are a great resource to go to regularly and share what decisions you are grappling with.
5 – Circumstances:
This one is only good if you keep it at the end of the list. Open doors in circumstances take wisdom but can be great opportunities for the Lord.
Saturday afternoon we had students texting, facebooking, phoning, etc…. all their friends to come to Sonic for FREE drinks and to receive a FREE ticket to a Tedashii concert that evening. It was pretty cool to see Sonic swarming with students!
Then we had some free play time and spent it together with the students from The Fellowship at Cinco Ranch. Fun times.
That evening, Tedashii rapped it out big-time! This was a worship concert you FELT as much as heard!
Lord, the conference is over, but YOUR influence and Impact is not! Transform me. Transform our students. Make us Dangerous Disciples who want to Know Jesus and Make Him Known!
2011 Church Conference - Saturday 9:00AM – Transformation
Saturday 9:00AM
Ok – So Saturday morning Randles talked about change, about transformation. He kicked it off with a series of questions and statements. Do you want a youth group or a youth ministry? Is your student ministry a working at being a holy huddle or helping students turn their schools upside down for Jesus? You’re either married or you’re not. Can’t be kinda’ married and you’re not kinda saved. You either are or you aren’t. The heart issue has to be resolved first.
He went on to remind us that our salvation in Christ was NOT FREE – it cost Jesus His life! Influence, Impact, Significance all cost and you get what you pay for. A Ferrari and a Fiesta are both cars (ok, the Fiesta is debatable) that can get you from point A to point B. But if it’s speed you’re looking for, you get what you pay for. If you want to be a dangerous disciple it’s gonna’ cost you and you’ll be as good a one as you put into it. And you have to have two relationships right: Your relationship with God and your relationship with yourself. Because when we’re unhealthy in our heart, we make unwise decisions.
Romans 12:1 – A sacrifice was a living thing, put to death to honor God. Offerings were not sacrifices. We must daily sacrifice and put to death our own desires.
Romans 12:2 – Transformation begins in the MIND! God not only desires to save our soul but also to transform how we think! So next to getting our heart right, we must think differently
Jesus is not just Savior but Coach, Dad, Shepherd, Builder, Destroyer, etc…Jesus is saying, “Give me your mind and I’ll make you influential, I’ll cause you to live like a leader, not a goldfish with a 3 second memory.
Mark 7:14-16 – Can’t be something you’re not. At this point Randles challenged us as to what we ooze – yes, what comes out of us. It’s what comes out of us that DEFILES or DEFINES. Want to see what’s in a person? Put some pressure on them (squeeze) and see what comes out. And what comes out is a result of the regular deposits of what goes in. We must make daily deposits of God stuff! AND then how do we handle success? Does it make us cocky or humble? Take Job for example. Satan squeezed him and what oozed out? Godly character! No so his wife. Result? Job & his character is remembered and his wife’s is not – don’t even know her name! You is what you is and you are what you are and you do what you do! (Another Randle-ism!) Character matters! Even lost people recognize this! (1 Cor 13 – without love = nothing)
He explained to us that we are not defined by our prosperity or our failure – it is what it is. I am defined by who HE is and who I am In Him! The powerful, the influential, those making a difference aren’t better, they just think differently!
Romans 8:29 – Jesus didn’t die just to save me but also to make me influential, to conform me to Him!
- I know who I am
- I know who I serve
- I know where I’m going
- I’m not a victim
- And there’s a price to be paid, am I willing to pay it?!~
Winners draw winners in order to multiply the work of Christ (Matthew 6:33). Victims draw predators of whom the devil is one – roaming to and fro, seeking whom he may devour! Darkness is the absence of light and it’s a dark world when believers are AWOL, absent!
And then there were more Randle-isms: Iron sharpens iron, deep calls to deep, birds of a feather flock together. He had a 6 pack and a mullet, now had a keg and a scullet!
Ok – So Saturday morning Randles talked about change, about transformation. He kicked it off with a series of questions and statements. Do you want a youth group or a youth ministry? Is your student ministry a working at being a holy huddle or helping students turn their schools upside down for Jesus? You’re either married or you’re not. Can’t be kinda’ married and you’re not kinda saved. You either are or you aren’t. The heart issue has to be resolved first.
He went on to remind us that our salvation in Christ was NOT FREE – it cost Jesus His life! Influence, Impact, Significance all cost and you get what you pay for. A Ferrari and a Fiesta are both cars (ok, the Fiesta is debatable) that can get you from point A to point B. But if it’s speed you’re looking for, you get what you pay for. If you want to be a dangerous disciple it’s gonna’ cost you and you’ll be as good a one as you put into it. And you have to have two relationships right: Your relationship with God and your relationship with yourself. Because when we’re unhealthy in our heart, we make unwise decisions.
Romans 12:1 – A sacrifice was a living thing, put to death to honor God. Offerings were not sacrifices. We must daily sacrifice and put to death our own desires.
Romans 12:2 – Transformation begins in the MIND! God not only desires to save our soul but also to transform how we think! So next to getting our heart right, we must think differently
Jesus is not just Savior but Coach, Dad, Shepherd, Builder, Destroyer, etc…Jesus is saying, “Give me your mind and I’ll make you influential, I’ll cause you to live like a leader, not a goldfish with a 3 second memory.
Mark 7:14-16 – Can’t be something you’re not. At this point Randles challenged us as to what we ooze – yes, what comes out of us. It’s what comes out of us that DEFILES or DEFINES. Want to see what’s in a person? Put some pressure on them (squeeze) and see what comes out. And what comes out is a result of the regular deposits of what goes in. We must make daily deposits of God stuff! AND then how do we handle success? Does it make us cocky or humble? Take Job for example. Satan squeezed him and what oozed out? Godly character! No so his wife. Result? Job & his character is remembered and his wife’s is not – don’t even know her name! You is what you is and you are what you are and you do what you do! (Another Randle-ism!) Character matters! Even lost people recognize this! (1 Cor 13 – without love = nothing)
He explained to us that we are not defined by our prosperity or our failure – it is what it is. I am defined by who HE is and who I am In Him! The powerful, the influential, those making a difference aren’t better, they just think differently!
Romans 8:29 – Jesus didn’t die just to save me but also to make me influential, to conform me to Him!
- I know who I am
- I know who I serve
- I know where I’m going
- I’m not a victim
- And there’s a price to be paid, am I willing to pay it?!~
Winners draw winners in order to multiply the work of Christ (Matthew 6:33). Victims draw predators of whom the devil is one – roaming to and fro, seeking whom he may devour! Darkness is the absence of light and it’s a dark world when believers are AWOL, absent!
And then there were more Randle-isms: Iron sharpens iron, deep calls to deep, birds of a feather flock together. He had a 6 pack and a mullet, now had a keg and a scullet!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
2011 Church Conference - Friday Night: Marks of a Dangerous Disciple
Last night 8 church student ministries in Katy, Texas came together for “church” like never before. I’m not sure how many people were there since I’m not “Baptist” …..oh wait a minute……I am in a Baptist church…..so……let’s say 400, minus 20% exaggeration…..so about 320 should be pretty accurate…..hehe…..
ANYWAY, 16 year old Nina Grace did an wonderful job of leading us as we sang to God. Then came John Randles……long-haired old guys who repeatedly say “man” & “dude” rule……….…just sayin’. What he did was passionately & scripturally call believers (the church) to Dangerous Change! He spoke of how we live in a rapidly changing world: Within a few years, ¾ of the population will be under 25, 7 of 10 students don’t live with original parents, 15 million in USA are living with grandparents and that there is great spiritual interest in this generation. AND with todays technology, the potential to reach the WORLD with the GOSPEL is possible! But it won’t happen passively, the church (students especially) must step up and live dangerously. The reason Jesus was killed was because of His relationship with His Father. Jesus was dangerous and a relationship with Jesus is dangerous! It begins in the heart and causes us to think differently (Romans 12:1-2). And when we’re dangerous, people listen! (forget EF Hutton…..that was for you old guys)
Then he took us to Acts 2:39-47 and pointed out Marks of a Dangerous Disciple. It takes a spirit of:
- DESPERATION: (39-41) These people got desperate, passionate about something other than themselves. If we are to be desperate disciples, we must get off the unholy trinity of me, myself and I and get focused on Jesus & the Lost!
- DISCIPLINE: (42) Combine this with desperation and look out! Randles hammered us on doiong the “basics” well. He illustrated it by pointing out that the reason it’s hard for sports teams to repeat championships isn’t because of talent, but they relax and get away from the basics. Believers can do the same if we stop spending time with God in His Word, in prayer, in fellowship, etc…SO TRUE!
- EXPECTANCY: (43) Now I’ve read this verse over hundreds of times and never saw it this way! Again, the reason that so often the same teams play in championships is they THINK they belong there – like the Katy Tigers in football (sorry other schools – but it’s true). Disciples, disciplined followers of Jesus, need the same mindset that we CAN Know Jesus deeply and Make Him Known widely!
- UNITY: (44) Don’t confuse unity with uniformity. Students all go to different schools, that’s not gonna’ change, that would be uniformity. BUT desire for God, reaching friends for Jesus, etc… is something we can & must be unified on! And here’s the key – if we lay aside our own desires for the “team” (the church) – we may not get our way, but the whole “team” (the church) wins!
- SACRIFICE: (45) Can’t be a servant leader without this. It will mean not going to some parties, not hanging with certain peeps, etc….I loved his point – In 10 years at your high school reunion, most likely you won’t be friends with even 2 of those you graduated with! Yep. In school, friends are somewhat picked for you, but in life, YOU pick your friends, so be wise!
- SERVICE: (46) This is a biggie – Am I (are you) a giver or a taker? God so loved the world that He GAVE! Be a giver and watch how God uses you (& me) to change the world! Want to know why I know this? READ verse 47!
So, here’s the deal: Want to make a difference in life? Want to impact friends? Want to change the world? It has never happened from just HEARING stuff like this, we must DO something about it! And THAT is DANGEROUS!
Let’s be DANGEROUS for Jesus!
ANYWAY, 16 year old Nina Grace did an wonderful job of leading us as we sang to God. Then came John Randles……long-haired old guys who repeatedly say “man” & “dude” rule……….…just sayin’. What he did was passionately & scripturally call believers (the church) to Dangerous Change! He spoke of how we live in a rapidly changing world: Within a few years, ¾ of the population will be under 25, 7 of 10 students don’t live with original parents, 15 million in USA are living with grandparents and that there is great spiritual interest in this generation. AND with todays technology, the potential to reach the WORLD with the GOSPEL is possible! But it won’t happen passively, the church (students especially) must step up and live dangerously. The reason Jesus was killed was because of His relationship with His Father. Jesus was dangerous and a relationship with Jesus is dangerous! It begins in the heart and causes us to think differently (Romans 12:1-2). And when we’re dangerous, people listen! (forget EF Hutton…..that was for you old guys)
Then he took us to Acts 2:39-47 and pointed out Marks of a Dangerous Disciple. It takes a spirit of:
- DESPERATION: (39-41) These people got desperate, passionate about something other than themselves. If we are to be desperate disciples, we must get off the unholy trinity of me, myself and I and get focused on Jesus & the Lost!
- DISCIPLINE: (42) Combine this with desperation and look out! Randles hammered us on doiong the “basics” well. He illustrated it by pointing out that the reason it’s hard for sports teams to repeat championships isn’t because of talent, but they relax and get away from the basics. Believers can do the same if we stop spending time with God in His Word, in prayer, in fellowship, etc…SO TRUE!
- EXPECTANCY: (43) Now I’ve read this verse over hundreds of times and never saw it this way! Again, the reason that so often the same teams play in championships is they THINK they belong there – like the Katy Tigers in football (sorry other schools – but it’s true). Disciples, disciplined followers of Jesus, need the same mindset that we CAN Know Jesus deeply and Make Him Known widely!
- UNITY: (44) Don’t confuse unity with uniformity. Students all go to different schools, that’s not gonna’ change, that would be uniformity. BUT desire for God, reaching friends for Jesus, etc… is something we can & must be unified on! And here’s the key – if we lay aside our own desires for the “team” (the church) – we may not get our way, but the whole “team” (the church) wins!
- SACRIFICE: (45) Can’t be a servant leader without this. It will mean not going to some parties, not hanging with certain peeps, etc….I loved his point – In 10 years at your high school reunion, most likely you won’t be friends with even 2 of those you graduated with! Yep. In school, friends are somewhat picked for you, but in life, YOU pick your friends, so be wise!
- SERVICE: (46) This is a biggie – Am I (are you) a giver or a taker? God so loved the world that He GAVE! Be a giver and watch how God uses you (& me) to change the world! Want to know why I know this? READ verse 47!
So, here’s the deal: Want to make a difference in life? Want to impact friends? Want to change the world? It has never happened from just HEARING stuff like this, we must DO something about it! And THAT is DANGEROUS!
Let’s be DANGEROUS for Jesus!
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