Wasting Time

So much time is wasted on the trivial aspects of life.

It is reported that teens spend an average of 50 hours a week in front of some kind of screen.

Whether gaming, watching tv, catching a movie, or playing on the computer, this time equates to a full-time job plus 10 hours of overtime.

We cannot continue to let this be a reality if we want to see these teens transition into healthy, active, powerful young adults.
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I remember going through school.  I can honestly say that, leading up to college,
I do not even remember the last time that I read a book all the way through.
Through school, I would always find shortcuts.
And the thing about shortcuts is that while they get you by for now,
your future will perish because of them.

In other words- it's just not worth it.  
  
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The reason why I used these shortcuts was because when it came to school- and other aspects of life that were actually important- I would put them off until the last possible second.
Because my priority was in other things:
Things like spending 50 hours a week in front of a screen.
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Kids are kids and teens are teens.
My point is not that we should rob them of their youth.
This is the one time where they actually have the opportunity to waste some time on things that don't make any type of difference in real life.
And while many people will probably disagree with me,
I think that's ok.
As long as it doesn't consume them entirely;
and as long as it isn't a top priority.

Kid's like movies.
Kid's like television.
Kid's like video games.
And that is not a problem in itself.

We should not strip them of these small joys that make being a teenager fun.  
Instead, we should simply make responsibility more of a priority.

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There are a few ways we can do this:
1. Place more important things higher on the to-do list than screen time.  
We can do this by making sure that our kids do things such as- chores, homework, and studying- before they have the chance to spend some time in front of a screen.

Today's teens are often rebellious and disobedient.
And to me, if they show these characteristics, they have no right to waste away their time locked up in a bedroom with a controller in their hand.

2. Make family more of a priority.  
The American family does not look the same is it did in the past.
Our idea of family today might be more accurately described if we substitute the word roommate in.
Because in many homes, that is the extent to which the relationships go.

If we make family more of a priority,
this will mean a few things.

A) It means that your kids will be more likely to respond to, listen to, and obey you.

B)  It means that your kids will spend more time with you and your family,
and less time on video games.
Instead of letting them eat in their room,
why not enjoy supper around a table and talk about your day?

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I do not see this problem as one without cure.
Because to me, the cure is up to the parents, guardians, and role models.

Set the stage for success.
And make responsibility a priority.
Because if you do this,
everything will be ok.  





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resource: http://www.livescience.com/22281-teens-video-games-health-risks.html

One Day

Kids are coming into churches from messy situations. 

Many of them- even ones involved in the church- have lives of drinking, drugs, sex, and partying outside of the church.

And we, as the church, need to be cautious not to push them away. 

Church should be friendly.

Church should be welcoming.

And because the church is not a building- but a group of people.

And because you are a part of the church.

That means that it is up to you to accept these people coming from these messy situations. 

No matter how unnatural and uncomfortable that might seem.

Jesus ate at the dinner table with sinners. 

And that model is a forgotten one in today’s church. 

I am guilty of this myself. 

I do not have nearly enough unsaved friends.

And this is a sad reality.

Because the church should not be a bubble;

It should be an open door. 

Let me encourage you. 

Keep planting seeds.

Because even though they may be going through some things right now.

If you show them the right way to do things;

And set an example of integrity.

They will come around.

Growing up, I was the guy who would go to church every week;

 And “recommit” my life to Jesus just about every week.

And then-one day- it stuck with me.

I got it.

I understood.

And it has stuck with me for years since. 

All because people stood by my side.

And didn’t give up on me.   

Regardless of the lifestyles that your friends live.

Regardless of the lifestyles that your family lives. 

Keep praying.

And keep setting an example.

And one day… they will come around…

….one day.

Just a Face

We see strangers every single day.
We pass them by on the streets.
We run into them at the checkout register.
To us, they are nothing more than... just a face.
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One thing that amazes me is the fact that these people; some of them so seemingly average and insignificant- could be future world changers.
Some of them could be the faces on the television of tomorrow.
Others could be names on a ballot in a forthcoming election.

The problem with being human is the fact that we do not see anything besides... just a face.

We aren't able to go deeper.
To take a peek into their brilliant minds.
To understand the immense creativity within.

I think that every person has the potential for greatness.
Every person has brilliance inside of them.. somewhere... somehow.
But for us, they are still.. just a face.

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And behind these faces there is pain.
There is hurt.
There are shattered dreams and broken hearts.
But to us; they are nothing more than... just a face.

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Let me encourage you today with this thought:
Today- let's see these people as more than... just a face.
And instead, let's see them as actual human beings.
Real people.
Unique individuals.
With incredibly vast situations.
From different backgrounds.
Living out today's page in their story.

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This is my prayer today for each and every one of us:
God, break our heart for those that we come across today.
And help us not to neglect the needs, the cries, and the hurts of others.

And that is all-
I'm not going to give you a challenge.
I'm not going to give you practical advice.
I just want you to be open and aware of that fact that these people
are more than.. just a face.

Get Out

One thing that I wish I would been more involved with while I was younger is sports.  Many positive things can occur as a result of being active in sports while you are young.

1.      It forces you to get out- while many teens come home, retreat to their room, and turn on the tv and the gaming system, it is much healthier (literally) for that person to get out and get active. 

2.      It teaches you to work with a team- working on a team is hard.  So is leadership.  By playing sports, you learn both.

3.      It builds relationships- I have had many strong relationships form as a result of sports in the past. 

4.      It teaches you discipline- discipline is one key trait that helps determine how far you will go in life.  if you live an undisciplined life, it will catch up to you. 

There are just a few of the benefits that can occur as a result of being involved in sports.  However, even with all of these positives, you need to be cautious:

Here’s why

1.      Sports add stress- people have expectations.  Parents, coaches, and friends will all expect you to live up to a certain standard.  Don’t let any unrealistic or negative standards get you down.  And parents; you need to support your son and daughter when it comes to them and sports. 

2.      Sports add peer pressure- even if sports help you to be a part of the in crowd, you need to be cautious.  Being involved in sports can connect you to parties, sex, drugs, and drinking; just to name a few.  Sports add peer pressure.  

Sports are great.  Some of the things that go with it- not so much.  But if you are careful and participate for the positives-while avoiding the negatives- then there is much good that can come from it.  

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Clark, Chap. Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today's Teenagers (youth, Family, and Culture). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011.

Strange Places to Meet God (Vol. 1)

God is everywhere.

We just usually limit the amount of effect He has on our lives.

Some of the greatest encounters with God happen when we are willing to let him intervene and meet us in the strangest of places.  

When we are open to these divine interventions, God shows up.  

It's as simple as that.  

One strange, yet powerful occasion where you can meet God is: 

1. When You Wake Up In The Middle Of The Night:
Last night, I woke up around 5:00 A.M.
When this happens, typically, my first response isn't: "Thank you Jesus for waking me up 2 and a half hours earlier than I planned!".

However, I have found that times like these are some amazing times to just talk to God until I fall asleep.
Call me weird; call me spiritual; but the way I see it is this:
I'm already awake- so what can I learn from this moment?

In fact, I even believe, that sometimes God wakes us up on purpose.  Sometimes God has something to tell us.
Sometimes He wants to reveal something to us.

So here is what I want you to try next time this happens.

1. Talk to God.
The reason why talking to God is so easy at these times is because our brains are in such a simple state of mind.

These are times when it is easiest for me to just literally talk to God.  

When it is 5 A.M., our prayers are simple, innocent, gentle, and almost child-like.  
And those are some of the most powerful prayers we can pray.

2. Write Stuff Down:
Typically, when this happens, I end up with great new ideas.
Sure, sometimes, I wake up in the morning, read my note in my phone, and wonder: "What in the world was I thinking?"
But other times; I read it, and know that it was from God. 
Last night, God gave me insight on a discipleship program that I'm going to implement one day.
And this is just one example of the things that I know God wants to speak into my; and your life.

God wants to reveal stuff to us.  In fact, God wants to reveal stuff to YOU.
And most of the times, our days are so busy and hectic that it's easy for us to miss what He has to say.
But you NEED to make sure to remember to write it down.
Otherwise, you WILL forget.
And that thought may escape you forever.
 
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The craziest part of it all is the next day, after I am interrupted in my sleep, I typically feel great.
My biggest fear and concern when I wake in the middle of the night usually transpires with me thinking about how I am going to be tired throughout the next day.
But God gets me through it.
And I know that even if He didn't. 
Even if I was exhausted. 
It'd be worth it.
Because you can never spend time in prayer and lose.  

At War.

The Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak. (Matthew 26:41)

Young people are at war. 

They are at war with the world.

They are at war with the enemy. 

But worst of all- they are at war with themselves. 

The greatest battle we will face is the battle between spirit and flesh. 

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David is one of the greatest men of God to ever live

And when we think of David, there are two events that we remember him by in particular.

The first of these events is:

1.       We remember the time that David killed Goliath.  
       This is the time that David slew the giant. 

This battle occurred in the physical.

But it was a spiritual thing that determined the fate of Goliath. 

David won because he trusted in a God who was bigger, stronger, and greater than himself.

David was not fighting for his own name.  He was fighting for God’s name. 

The battle was won by his faith.  His trust in God helped him to defeat the giant. 

When David killed Goliath, it revealed his humility. 

When David killed Goliath, it proved he was a man of faith. 

   

Goliath was his greatest victory. 

The other event we remember David for is:

2.       We remember the time that he committed adultery with Bathsheba.
      This is the time that the giant slew David.

This battle occurred in the physical.

But it was a lack of spiritual strength that determined the fate of David. 

David lost this battle because he trusted in himself. 
He looked to himself for strength; and in his weakness, he failed to reach out to a God who was bigger, stronger, and greater than himself. 

David was not fighting for God’s name.  He was fighting for his own name. 

The battle was lost because of the weakness in his flesh. 
The weakness in the flesh was the giant that slew David. 

When David slipped morally with Bathsheba, it revealed his humanity. 

When David slipped morally with Bathsheba, it proved he was a man of flesh. 

Bathsheba was David’s greatest defeat.
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Young people today are desensitized. 

They are not growing up in a culture that teaches them morals.

Instead, many are morally ignorant; at least by the standards of the Bible. 

Because of this, when it comes to temptations that they face- they give in.

This happens because the flesh is weak. 

We as Christians need to always remember to keep feeding ourselves spiritually. 

When the spirit is strong, the flesh is strong.
When the spirit is weak, the flesh is weak. 

I remember when Jesus is praying in the garden.

In Matthew 26:41, He tells the disciples, “"Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

The secret to avoiding temptation and staying strong morally is this:

1. Keeping watch-
This means that we need to be aware of our surroundings.

This means that if we are in a situation where temptation can potentially overcome us, we must exercise strength and choose to walk away.

This means that if we discern something that is not right, we need to take action and do something about it.

This means that we need to make sure that we are not setting ourselves up for failure.  When David was standing on the roof looking around at his kingdom, he noticed Bathsheba.  The thing that he should have done was walked away and moved on. 

Instead, he allowed himself to keep feeding his flesh- and eventually, his flesh caved in.  By doing this he set himself up for failure. 

When we keep watch, it means that we do not allow ourselves to be in situations where we continuously feed the flesh and neglect the spirit.

Instead, we need to continuously strengthen the spirit. 

This means that we must:

2.       Pray-

The greatest way to strengthen the Spirit is by praying. 

Prayer moves mountains.

Prayer covers us with the armor of God. 

Prayer strengthens the flesh. 

The more we pray, the more we find God.
The more we find God, the less we want to act out immorally.

If we can learn to keep watch and pray, the sky is the limit. 

Resource: http://www.sermonnotebook.org/old%20testament/2%20Samuel%2011_1-27.htm

Things I Wish I Would Have Learned in School

School: Just the word alone brings up negative thoughts and feelings for many people. 

School is tough.  School is difficult.  School takes discipline.

Many teenagers today struggle with school. 

This may seem like common sense; but there is more to it than that. 

Our young people are failing at the one area where we really wanted them to succeed.

During the industrial revolution, our young people would often work long, stressful, dangerous hours; having adult roles and adult responsibilities in society. 

This created issues. 

Many people decided that it was time to get these young children away from these adult responsibilities.

So they created child labor laws. 

And this created a lot of free time for these young people. 

Many people did not like this free time. 

Because they did not trust the teens to have that much empty time on their hands. 

And they wanted to fill this empty time with something more productive. 

So they made a huge push for education.

Education was going to be the answer that they have been looking for. 

Western Culture began to emphasize the importance of education, and really push for a generation of young people who would begin to succeed academically. 

Education was the one major thing that they wanted the young people to do right.

Unfortunately, things did not turn out as planned. 

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I try not to live with regrets.

But that does not mean that I do not have any. 

One of my few regrets that still bothers me to this day is the fact that I did not take my education seriously as a young person. 

If I could go back, I would do so many things differently. 

I really hope that future generations can succeed where I failed.

If there were three things that I could tell every young person… three values that I could help instill… I firmly believe that these three things would change the trajectory of their life. 

3 things that I would tell every young person:

1.       Your education is important-

I wish that I would have realized this when I was younger.  When we are in high school, we feel like- A) we do not need to know any of the stuff we learn and- B) we already know all that we need to know.  It isn’t until we get out of high school that we realize how much we actually don’t know. 

2.       If you don’t build good habits now, it will be very hard to break them later-

There are many, many, MANY very poor habits that I built in high school. 

And I am still struggling to change many of them. 

And it is HARD to change bad habits. 

Very, very hard. 

It is possible- but it does not come easy.

Don’t wait until you’re old to grow up. 

Learn responsibility.

Learn discipline. 

Discipline yourself to read.

Discipline yourself to be good with money. 

It isn’t fun; but it is worth it. 

3.       Your willingness to learn will help determine your future-

Being a student does not end after high school. 

In high school, people tell you what you need to learn. 

When you get out into the real world; it isn’t always that simple. 

The people who are most successful in life are lifelong students. 

And some of them didn’t even go to college.

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Life is hard- but you can help make it easier. 

Get ahead in life now, so that you will not be behind in life later.  





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resources: OMG Youth Ministry by Kenda Dean
Hurt 2.0 by Chap Clark
Wrecked by Jeff Goins