That really big word....Supremacy!

When was the last time you sat down and was just in awe of God? How long has it been since you have reached out to God with names like "King of Kings" "Glorious Conqueror" "Sovereign Son of God" or even "Triumphant Father"? Why is that most christian blogs (mine included) and most best selling christian books right now all tone back the names of God? Are we beginning to have a diluted sense of who God really is? What are we teaching teenagers today about the supremacy of God?

This upcoming Wednesday night my lesson for our students deals with Colossians 1 and the supremacy of God. This week I reached into my bookshelf and dusted off a book I have not touched in a couple of years. One of my favorites in college was Student Ministry and the Supremacy of Christ by Richard Ross. Just after reading the first chapter I was inspired and fired up. I'm not going to go into details about the book but if you have never read it I suggest going and picking it up. Also if you are involved in youth ministry in any way, shape, or form you need to get the app by Richard Ross called "50 Core Principles of Youth Ministry." (If you search the app store for youthministry it will pop up, the logo is yellow with a white 50). Okay back to the supremacy of our Saviour.

As a church are we teaching our students and leaders what kind of power is found in our Great Creator? Here is block of scripture from 1 Colossians 1:15-20 that really points out who Christ is.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross - whether things on earth or things in heaven."

 We all agree that Christ created all things for His glory. He was not only there in the beginning, He is the beginning. Not only will He be there in the end, He is the end. These are concepts that we are taught from our first day in Sunday School. We hear of this great and awesome God. We pray knowing that our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. We live with hope that Christ will one day come again and call us to a glorious heaven which the Indescribable King has created for us.

So why do we try so hard to make the Uncontainable One fit nice and neatly into our busy schedule? Why do we only give Him 15 minutes in the morning and a short prayer before we eat? Why do we only give Him 2 days a week, and complain when we have to do more? How many times in the last month have you been overwhelmed by Christ? Has your 15 minute quiet time in the morning turned into an hour of worship? When we start trying to make God fit into our pocket, we take away from the awesomeness of our Lord.

I know what has happened in my ministry. I have started breaking God down and teaching Him in sections. One week we talk about His grace. The next we attempt to understand His love. And then we talk about Him as Saviour. In a complete different month we talk about creation. Then we tell stories about Jesus. None of these are bad, and none take away from who Christ is, but unless we also put them all together and talk about the total and complete supremacy of God we will never grasp His fullness.

When we start teaching on the complete and absolute supreme power of Christ, our problems will seem so small. When we teach about how big our God is, we find strength to face life's obstacles. I hope you will join me and stop making Christ our mascot that fits neatly into our everyday lives, and start making Him LORD and Saviour over every aspect of your life. Do not be afraid of the big word, instead use it to teach about our Supreme God.

A different kind of Thankfulness

"Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 This is one of the most quoted verses of scripture this time of year. But do we actually take it for what it means? Many of you that know me, know that I don't like to do things that have already been done. So this Thanksgiving season I want to do something I have never seen. I want to share some things I am not thankful for but should be. Now before you close the page or think I have lost my mind please hear me out. Today was the funeral for one of the students killed last Monday (In Memory of...). As I sat there looking at all the confused and heartbroken people I really wondered where the "silver lining" was. Now I know that God has a master plan and that everything happens as part of His perfect will for our lives, but in a room full of heartache it is hard to see the light. But eventually I did.

1. I am thankful for funerals

As many of you know I did my first memorial service last Saturday. And I want to take a second and say thank you to all those who prayed for me. I know it was only through God's strength that I made it through it. One thing I knew going into it was there were going to be students and adults there that did not have a relationship with Christ. I also realized that maybe that service was the closest they would ever come to stepping foot inside a church. Today at the funeral I know there were also people who would never show up to any church on Sunday morning. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to share the Gospel and saving power of Christ with those people at the memorial service. I am thankful that the pastor who officiated the funeral today shared the message and saving power of Jesus Christ to the crowd. For many people it was the first time they have heard the importance that a relationship of Christ has on their life (earthly and eternal). In times of loss and heartache people are looking for something or someone to help, so today for the opportunity to offer a relationship with Christ to those who need Him.

2. I am thankful for broken homes

This might be the one that shocks people the most, but please hear me out. In our small youth group I venture to guess that 75% (if not higher) of the students come from a single parent or divorced household. Guys that is 30 out of 40 students. But that is in God's perfect plan. Because they have parents that have left them or abandoned, I can share the fact that our Heavenly Father will never leave or abandon us. I can also use their ideas of what a family is, to paint a much grander picture of the greatness of the family of God. On the same hand, I am also thankful for the families that are whole. I am thankful for parents that teach what it means to love. I am thankful for the example they have set for not only their students but all the students. The hope these families provide is that there is such thing as a happy family.

3. I am thankful for bad examples

I speak mostly of the bad examples in the Bible. The stories of Saul (before he was Paul), King David, Cain, Abimelech, Delilah, and Manasseh just to name a few. This last summer we had a "Bad Summer" in our youth group. Each week we took a story about someone who made a big mistake in the Bible. We also looked at how we can avoid making those types of mistakes today. I know I learned a lot from the people we might call "evil" in the bible. So today I am thankful for the bad examples that have been set before me, so that I can learn from those and be a better person, a better Christian, a better husband, and a better leader. I am also thankful for those who have set good examples that I can base my life around.

4. I am thankful for my lacking

In times where I lack, I find that God provides. Today I am thankful for those times in my life where I really had to test my faith and rely on God. The example that comes to mind is when I first took the position of Student Minister at FBC Lead Hill. Not even a month after I started here (my first full-time church) the pastor stepped down. It was a messy situation. I was fresh out of college and had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I did know who was on my side. I cannot count the times I was in a situation where I had no answers, but God did. I cannot count the hours that I prayed for guidance in a church that was in turmoil. And because of all that my faith grew. Now we have a pastor that has been here a year and our church is growing, and still everyday I pray for that same guidance. I faced situations that some people have to wait 5 or more years to exposed to. Out of it I gained skills that are going to help me the rest of my ministry career. I have my feet a little firmer on the ground now, but I still realize that no matter how well of a job I can do, God can do one better.

5. I am thankful for the future

I am thankful not that I have a future but that God knows what He has in store for me. I know He has things planned that are far beyond my wildest dreams. I also know that I am not going to like all that He has planned for me. Today I am thankful that I do not have to stress out about my future. I know that I am in good hands with God. If He decides that tomorrow is my last day on this earth I will be overjoyed to begin my eternal life rejoicing with Him. If He decides that I have 80 more years here, I will be happy to share His name everywhere I go and bring glory to Him in all that I do. I guess what I a really am saying is not only today but everyday, I am thankful for God.


Tyler

In Memory of...

This week, as I write this I am heavy hearted. Last Monday evening (11/4/13) we lost 3 students from our youth group to a car accident. Today I am using this blog post for an outpouring of emotions, feelings, and thoughts.

When a young student passes away there are so many complicated and confusing feelings. Here I sit a week after finding out the news and my response is still the same. The only thing I know how to say is "wow." There is a ton of scripture that can give hope and assurance that God is in control, but today I still look at that accident and think, "wow." The three students were 12, 12, and 14, and driven by a girl that was 21. No matter how you spin it, that is way to young and really makes me take a step back and appreciate the 24 years I have been given.

As I sit here right now I know that God has a bigger plan. He could be saving them from a lifetime of heartache and pain. God is still God, and He is still on His throne. But I cannot help but wonder why this and why now. Not even 2 months ago we lost a former member of our youth group to a car accident. He was 19 years old. Why is God bringing so much heartache to our little town?

This week I officiated my first funeral/memorial service. While I was standing there talking all I could see was the faces of the family and friends who have lost dearly loved ones. I knew that there were no words I could say or thoughts I could portray that would change the way they felt. But as I set there and read scripture from Ecclesiastes 3 I knew that God was in control.

I look back this week and try to find the "silver lining" to this dark cloud that is still hanging over our small community. I can't help but wonder if it is a wake up call that our church and our youth group needs? For months now we have been praying for revival to break out in our church, community, and school. I know one thing for sure, this tragedy has drawn our school closer to each other. New friendships are already forming. In this tough time people are looking for something to cling to. I just hope that we give them Jesus.

Nick, Nolan, and Tel will be missed by all that knew them. My prayer is that because of their life and their relationship with Christ, that others will realize how fleeting our time on earth really is. We never know when Christ is going to come to take us home, but I know one thing for certain when my time is done here on earth, I will open my eyes in heaven, and I will see Nick, Nolan, and Tel again!