Ministry

Ask me any question and you will get an answer. Waiting for the question in order to teach the faith.

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Recently I have started telling Middle school students they can ask me any question they want and I will answer it. These students don’t know me very well so they think if they ask something like “How are babies born?” I won’t answer. Much to their surprise, and quite honestly disgust, I am more than willing to talk about that. Just ask any former student and they will tell you I talk about that a lot with students. I think many people are terrified to tell middle school kids or anyone for that matter, to ask them anything. I have found it to be most helpful in striking up conversations with young people. I even have this same policy with my own kids. I want them to ask questions and I want them to learn. I find when I allow questions it allows students to ask and to be willing to learn.

Many moons ago I went through a class in college by Dr. Steve Arnold that helped me to articulate something I understood but didn’t know how to explain to others. The idea is that in order to teach someone something they have to give you permission to teach them. Students, adults and just about everyone will only learn something from you if they give you permission. Most often it occurs in the form of a question they have asked. You see many people still teach in a way that says you are going to learn from me because I am the teacher. What I have found with kids today is they don’t care if you are the teacher, pastor, DCE, mom or Dad. They want to know you care first and then they will give you permission to really teach them something.

This waiting for permission is hard and sometimes I fail to remember my own lesson. I do know that students and most importantly my kids learn best when I get permission. I love to have my students and my kids ask questions. Those questions open them up to my answers. It opens them up to hearing about Jesus. It opens them up to hearing about life.

My encouragement for you as parents, fellow believer and fellow Church workers is to let your kids ask questions. Let the adults ask questions. Let them learn from you. Don’t answer questions they are not asking.  Develop a culture of questions. You may be surprised by the amount of sharing you can do if you wait for the question.

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. Mark 7:17 NIV

Faith sharing eyeball to eyeball…Get down to their level.

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When I was first in ministry I worked with a wonderful women who worked in our Sunday school Pre-school. If I could multiply her by 100 I would. She was amazing at what she did with young children.  She amazed me with how she could work with any young child. She taught me something I use every day when working with young people. She taught me to get on the floor and look them in the eyes.

It is something so simple we often forget it.  When I teach with young people one of the most important things I try to always do is get down on the floor and look them in the eyes.  It changes the dynamic.  It allows them to see you as a person and allows you to share Jesus with them.  It allows you to listen and speak with them. It allows you to be in their world. If you don’t do this with little kids I would totally challenge you to do it.

Here is the thing.  I want to remind you as a parent, minister, and friend please get on the ground.  Look them in the eyes.  When you do, you can share Jesus with them. The first pastor I served with shared with me this thought “People don’t remember the sermons, or messages.  They remember the time you sat with them and listened. They remember the time you prayed for them. They remember the time you were just present in their time of need.”

We all have people in our lives we want to stand in the pulpit and preach at.  However I would challenge us all to bend down and talk to them on their level.  To listen and look them in the eyes so we can share Jesus with them. Too often we stand tall and preach.  We need to be people willing to get down on the ground in order to share Jesus.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Col 3:12 NIV

Holding my little girl and saying a prayer…sharing Jesus with her every day through prayer.

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My daughter Ella has had a rough couple of months as we have transitioned to a new place. She has struggled in our new place.  No it isn’t anything anyone has done. No I am not going into the second grade and having to beat up some boys and girls for not making her feel welcome.  She is just having a hard time not seeing her Mom and Dad as much every day.  Transitions can be difficult.  Childhood can be difficult.

For the first two months at St. John I had a kid who just cried and cried every time I dropped her off.  So about two weeks ago I tried a different tactic. I said Ella if we are going to cry every day I am not going to walk you to class.  I also said when we go down to her class I would pray for her right at the door and send her into class if she promised to be brave.  It is now the best part of my day.  I get down on my knees, hold her forehead to forehead and look her right in the eyes and pray for her out loud. My prayer normally goes like this, “Dear, Jesus help Ella to have a great day.  Help Ella to not be scared.  Help Ella to not get crushed by a boulder…(She smiles about that one) Help Ella to see Jesus. Amen!” I then give her a kiss, a high five and send her off to class. It has totally changed the daily routine.

It really made me think these last few weeks about praying for my kids. I do it every day.  Recently I have seen the power in letting them see me pray for them. It is not for show it is so they know God is watching over them.  It is a way for me to speak Jesus into there lives.

As a parent, grandparent, brother or sister I would encourage you to pray for your family. From time to time pray out loud in their presence.  It is another way to share Jesus in their lives.  It may be one of the most powerful ways to show Jesus and His love to those around you. God bless you as your walk with Jesus this week.

What does the text say? Growing in faith by reading the Word.

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20150813_212401This weekend I got to do one of my favorite things in the world. I got to teach the scriptures to a bunch of 7-8 graders. They are squirmy, they are awkward, they are weird.  I love them. I love the reactions I love the laughs. I love the fun. I love how you can open the word to them and make them laugh and think all at the same time. Sometimes it is painful trying to get them to think(Ok sometimes we smell fire) it is so much work, but sometimes God blesses us to see the little light bulb in their heads go off.

I love teaching confirmation. I love teaching the scriptures period.  Actually one of my goal main goals for all Christians I come in contact with is to teach them a truth that was hammered home by the previous Pastor I served with.  He taught everyone he knew to look in the book and tell him what the text says. It is so simple yet such a profound part of teaching the faith to young people. It is profound for all of use to remember when teaching the faith to our families.

You see I believe that many of us know the answer is supposed to be Jesus, or faith, or love, or whatever.  We often miss the real answer because we aren’t looking in the book we are just giving the answer we were given as a kid. So when we are teaching our children about Jesus, or teaching ourselves about Jesus, don’t forget to look in the book.  You can find the real answers about Jesus there. You can hear God speak about himself and show you his amazing love in the book.

This week as you look in the book remember it is God speaking to you there.  Listen to what he is saying you might just learn something and grow in your faith.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11 NIV

My kids are liars and cheats…being a parent to sinners.

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20150928_201911I had a bad day.  I am going to bed angry with my children for their attitudes, and their mood swings.  I am angry because today one of them lied to my face and she is the young one.  She is supposed to be my innocent one. She is supposed to be the one we did this parenting thing correctly. For a moment I thought I need to just pull out my Thor hammer and play whack kid. I was reminded today that I am raising sinners.  I was reminded I am the chief of them.

Every parent if we are honest holds to proverb 22:6

 “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”

We think if we just teach them correctly they will be perfect little angels. Today is another reminder that my kids aren’t perfect and that they resemble more closely this verse:

10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Acts 13:10

Here is the rub, on most days I epitomize this verse also.  You see every day I know I should have more patient. I know I should have more kind words.  I know I should be praying for them and with them.  I should be reminding them I am not perfect (although they know it, they need to hear it as well).  They need to know the only remedy is Jesus.  Jesus’ forgiveness for us brings a new day.  It brings healing to these broken relationships.  It brings peace to situations that are in chaos.

I think often as parents we are afraid to say this.  That we all have days, weeks, months even years where we are chief of sinners.   We fail to point our kids to Jesus. Being a parent is hard.  We are all sinners in need of Jesus.

So tonight I am on my knees in prayer.  I am praying for my kids, I am praying for my wife, and I am praying for me. I am praying  we would experience Christ’s forgiveness.  Lets join together in prayer as we walk with Jesus.

3 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14 NIV