great wisdom- D.A. Carson

"People do not drift toward Holiness...

Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith.

We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."

----D.A. Carson

Please don't think for one moment, that when you cross the line to be a Christ-follower that the battle is over. In fact, it has just begun. You must realize it is our natural tendency to fall away from Grace. (many times because it's all we have known)

But we must remain diligent, putting on the things of God (Eph 6:10-11) that we can fight the good fight. So put up your dukes today and know that the battle belongs to the Lord!!!

mmmmmmm... salt...

Salt. I dont think about it much. I mean, I grew up in the south, which means you salt your food before you even taste it (and butter it). I remember one of the earliest phrases I learned was, "pass the salt". Why??? Because I like me some flavor!

I'm not one of these fitness fanatics that say food is just "fuel". Gas is fuel. Firewood is fuel. Food is my pleasure. That's why I want my food to taste good! In the gospel of Matthew 5:13 it says that WE (as Jesus people) are the salt of the earth.

If you are in Christ, you should have flavor. You flavor the world like salt flavors food. But think about it, you don't put chunks of salt on your plate. That would be weird!?! It would be like saying "Hey pass me the salt, I need to salt my big chunk of salt a little more..." Salt flavors the food. What this means is the food (the world) actually benefits from the salt's presence. It (salt) makes a difference...

You (are the salt) make a difference! If you are in Jesus, realize that he has put you where you are for a reason. You may be disgruntled, because you are in a harsh work situation, or a bad school, or a terrible carpool group, or a sketch neighborhood, etc. etc. But here is the real deal. If we are to live like Jesus, we need to be in these places, because we need to bring the God flavor (love, selflessness, hope...) to these areas. God has called us to be salt in a place that has lost it's true flavor.

Now, I'm not downplaying that it is hard to live in contexts that don't seem to put God first. It is a high calling to take up our cross. But who can snatch us from His loving care? If God is for us who can be against us? If we are in Christ that is the ultimate prize.

Even if we die. He is worth it...

Now, go out and share the flavor!!!

Glory to God: Zac's story

A few weeks ago I taught a message that was about "being ready". I wanted to teach that no matter what circumstances you go through, if you make one God decision after another, you will be ready for whatever life brings. I believe this is true with all my heart. Just take one step toward Jesus at a time and He will do the rest.

This video is about a man named Zac, who worked at NewSpring Church in South Carolina. He served in the IT department at this church. A year later he came down with cancer. He passed away yesterday after battling with cancer for the last part of his life. But Im sure everyone that knew him could tell you that he loved and lived for God. He lived well. This is his story.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

I am not a superstar.

I am not a superstar...

I have faults, flaws, pet sins and the like. I am sometimes selfish and self-centered (and redundant). I sometimes forget to pray for kids. I sometimes see a parent coming and quickly duck around a corner to avoid chit-chat because I think they might hold me up from something "more important".

Many times I rant more than I bless. Most days I can't stand Kirk Cameron. I sometimes cheat when I'm playing Uno. I don't replace the toilet paper when it runs out. I get impatient and angry... often. So, if you are looking for a super-star student pastor. I'm not it.

But what I can give is Christ. Despite my best efforts to be an idiot, God has saved me from a life of sin. I am changed and know he can change even the "worst" cases. I know I rolled off a lot of bad attributes about myself earlier, but God really has given me fruits of His spirit and I try to live in those every day. But it is only because of HIS grace and HIS mercy that I do any of this. Because, I am not at all a super-star.

But I believe with a zealot's intensity that Jesus of Nazareth is who He says He is. I believe that He is present and active in your student, in their schools and in Youth cultural in general. I believe we are His people and He has called us (together) to reach students with His good news. I am willing to die upon this hill. But I am not a super-star. I just want to be the "Norm" God created me to be. God is the object of ultimate glory. God's light shines into the deepest of darkness. This is the solid rock I will stand upon. Will you join me?

GraceSTUDENTS news! (Jan/Feb)

It has been a great two months to start off this year in GraceSTUDENTS!!! I want to thank you for all your support, care and prayers for our student ministry. I also want to take this time to celebrate with you the victories that have happened in the last two months. We have so much to be thankful for and here are just a few of the things that have happened so far:

SUNDAY MORNING----------------------------------

First of all, we have started the year with two awesome teaching series right off the bat. Our first series was "Rise Up and Go". We challenged students not just to make new year's resolutions but make real, tagible steps to follow Christ in 2010 with everything they have. In February we are going through "Search for Significance", where we break down what the bible says about who we are in Christ. Also in this series we are teaching the value of giving others around us significance through Christ's message as well.

This March we are starting, "On the Lot". "On the Lot" is a series that derives it's title from being on a movie lot. Many movies have a script, but until people actually act it out, we don't see it come to life. In this series we will be teaching about how important the Bible is and how it is not just words on a page, but life, action, and a tangible story of faith!

WORSHIP TEAM--------------------------------------

GraceSTUDENTS now has an official worship team!!! This team is made up of high-schoolers whose desire is to worship and serve through music. We are very proud of the time and effort they are putting into the team and I think they are creating a wonderful environment for the middle school worship service @10:15--(do you want to see them in action? Take the Backstage Tour, which is at the first of each month-email Grace for details)

SUPPORT TO HAITI------------------------------------

Did you know that your students raised over $215 in change to support Haiti Earthquake victims through Churches helping Churches??? In just a little over two weeks your students emptied their change jars and helped GraceSTUDENTS make an impact to Haiti. I am so proud of our students getting involved financially to help a good cause. Great job!!!

SMALL GROUP REPORT------------------------------

We have three Middle School Small groups up and running. Our goal is that each of these small groups do a service project once a semester. One of these groups in particular (Middle School Boys--meets wed nights) actually made over 100 pbj sandwiches for the homeless for one of their service projects this past month. We were able to give these to the coalition for the homeless and they had a great time doing it. Way to serve guys!!! (if you want to know more about small groups please contact us at students@gogracefellowship.com)

WEBSITE------------------------------------------------

GraceSTUDENTS has their own official website now, and if you haven't checked it we encourage you to do so. It is www.gogracestudents.com. On this website you can actually find out about who we are, what we do, current events, 2010 Calendar, forms, and resources. We try to keep this up-to-date so if you ever need forms or want to know about events it should be on our calendar, big thanks to Dave Diaz who has been working diligently on this site!

SUMMER CAMP----------------------------------------

Registration is now closed for our 2010 BigStuf Summer camp, but we are taking 38 teenagers to Panama City this July!!! We are so stoked about taking these students and are looking forward to the life-change that is going to happen on this trip. Please keep this group in your prayers, especially as we draw nearer to this time!!!

A good and gentle reminder for today...

Where is the love???

So do you remember a time when your best girl said the dreaded words, "i only like you as a friend"? What a swift kick in the pants that phrase was. I want to know what woman came up with that retort. She is like the person who invented toilet paper, or Cheez Wiz.

She would get a chick Nobel-prize.

I mean, it's pretty much indestructible. When a girl says this it's like what the Royal Flush is to card-playing. You lose.

Seriously woman, you really messed me up. I mean no matter how you retort to this statement, you lose. You either look psycho, whiny, weak or weird. And if you say, "I was feeling the same way," She'll read right through that like a pane of glass my friend. If you felt that way you wouldn't be having this "just a friend" talk. You would be gone. Guys never have this talk. Why? Because we're idiots. We would have never come up with this phrase.

But seriously. What makes us get so mad about this, is that we feel tricked. You feel duped, like an idiot, thinking that this person liked you. You felt that this person was on the same level with you and really all along they were slowly drifting apart. It hurts. But I want you to think about this. In what ways are you "duping" people along the way? Have you put way less into a relationship (not just romantic, but maybe even friendships) than the other person. Do you find yourself barely hearing things they say just so you can talk? I know I do this.

None of us want to feel insignificant. We all struggle with this deep inside. What makes you feel insignificant? Is it the person who says, "i only like you as a friend."? Or are there deeper moments of dissatisfaction and insignificance that you are dealing with now? I'm here to say there is someone who loves you more than a friend. But this person loves you much more than a lover ever could. The bible says that Christ will never leave you or forsake you. And that's the (T)ruth.

one of the best...

Here is one of the best messages I have ever heard preached. This message was delivered to seminary students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary this past year. The preachers name is Matt Chandler and he is teaching pastor at the Village. If you have ever aspired to be in the ministry or are currently in the ministry, I implore you to listen. Even if you are not, this message still will stir something in you. If not you're probably dead. ;)

Lucky # 7

This Sunday our church fellowship is going to be 7 years old!!! We are going to have a crazy awesome party next Sunday, plus you are going to hear some great vision God has given us for the future!!!

So you definitely don't wanna miss out on the festivities next Sunday, because it is going to be sweet!

I am so thankful for our volunteers. Week in and week out you guys give up so much to help make us who we are @Gracefellowship. But especially @GraceSTUDENTS! This weekend is made for you as well. So come JOIN THE PARTY!!!

See you Sunday Feb 7th!

I'll have some links on the side...

Just thought I'd throw up a quick post about the "Friends and Such" menu on the right hand side of this website. I mean I know it's pretty self explanatory but you might wanna know why stuff is there. So quick an easy, here's the skinny.

Brad Cooper-- This guy is a stud student director @ New Spring church in South Carolina. I love what he says and what they are all about at *Fuse

Church Cruch-- Anything tech-geek and church related can be found here. Whether you are a social medialite or just trying to use technology for the glory of God, this site has lots of good news, info and tips.

Grace Fellowship Orlando/Grace Student Ministry: Doy. It's us ;)

Pastor Steven Furtick-- Seriously, this pastor is wise beyond his years, but has a fresh and insightful way of bringing the gospel to life, lot's of good wisdom, teaching, leadership insights on his blog.

Reach Records-- one of Hip Hop's best up-and-coming record companies. Has (in my opinion) some of the best artists in the rap game.

Restored Students-- nothing like good friends right? This is one of my best friends student ministry page. They are doing great things in West Orange County and I wanted to help him get Jesus' shine on out there.

Viva Pancho Villa-- This is my dog. He has a blog. I know it's sick, but he's a pretty talented writer, when he's not chewing my slippers.

Where it's not-- Trent and Kay Jones, who are good college buddies of mine, are serving as missionaries out in rural Bolivia. They are such awesome and selfless people. Their blog inspires me to be more passionate about Jesus in my neck of the woods and keeps my eyes on international missions. Good Read.

World Vision International-- Kim and I have sponsored children thru this organization and it really is one of the best out there. Take a look at the website and consider it yourself, it is really a great ministry and you can make a huge difference for dollars a day.

Toms Shoes-- I'm just a big fan of this organization and how they have really met a need that sometimes we just forget about. They are solidly committed to their mission and plus they are some pretty cool kicks too.

The wall: How to beat the odds

Did you make any new year's resolutions this year? How are they working out for you? Have you made it so far. I would have to imagine that it is getting pretty hard right now. What do you think?

Most studies show it takes anywhere from 20-30 days to begin a new habit. I have another theory. I don't think there are really a magic number of days, as much as there are a number of walls that we hit.

1. Wall #1. The easy route.

This is when you get your first opportunity to not follow through on your new habit. So you started jogging and now you have a rainy day. Or you have been eating right and now is the day you see that caramel chocolate cream cheesecake on the desert special. I would say people fall 50/50 on this one. It's not a deal breaker if you don't make it past this wall to a new habit, but if you did not succeed this time you will have to jump it soon.

2. Wall#2. Terra Nova Scotia.

This is the wall that you hit right after you have crossed the border into new territory. Let me explain a little further. So you actually went further than you ever have before at achieving your goal. You make it 20+ days on your new workout routine. Or you actually read the first 15 books of the bible on your "read through the bible in a year" plan. You think to yourself, "Wow. I have never been this far before, Maybe I deserve a break?" Au Contraire mon fraire! Don't be fooled! Just because you have been further than you ever have before, doesn't mean you have yet established the habit, . This is the place where you must reaffirm your goals and push through.

3. Wall #3. Exiting the Atmosphere.

This is the wall of walls. This is where you are almost to the point of making a habit with your one final test ahead of you. (This sometimes gets split up into phase 1 and phase 2 but for brevity's sake we'll stay at one wall) This is the wall that rattles you to the core and ends up either in a disaster;reset or a phoenix uprising;rebirth. This is the one that keeps you up at night. You are not sure if you can make this a real habit or just a "phase" in your life. Many people never get over this wall until someone close to them dies, or unless they suffer a life threatening illness (sorry to get all morbid for a second) this is where all hell breaks loose to try to shake you off of your path. But if you hold on with all you got and weather the storm like Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, you will find yourself on the other side with a newly formed habit and a story to tell about.

I just wanted to write this as an encouragement, because I know there are some of you out there that are on the right path and are one wall away from getting the next great thing started in your life. You can do this, trust God, work hard, and move one step at a time!

New Series: Rise up and go

I cant tell you how excited I am about this new series in GraceSTUDENTS. I am just beside myself with anticipation. I really think that this will be a great way for us to kick off the year in student ministries and I hope for the year to come.

We are going to be heading to camp BigStuf in Panama City this year!!! We will have details coming up soon so keep on the lookout for date/time/cost and RSVP deposits due!!! yeah!!!

would you like to Value-size that?

I spent a little time on the internets and found various definitions of the word "value". I thought the best place to get a definition was business/economy websites (so I can get another angle on what they think this word means). Man, was my head spinning!

I am a very right brained/creative-esqe person, so all this math talk and accounting jibber jabber messed me all up. I finally find a more tame definition that I could understand on a well known economist website... "An amount, as of goods, services, or money, considered to be a fair and suitable equivalent for something else; a fair price or return."

value = a determined amount of worth something has.

I think I have lost the understanding of the term "value"(or "cost"), because I have grown up in the age of consumer debt. (i.e. the credit card) I mean, as soon as I hit college I had three credit cards to my name and boy did I like to use them! It made it so easy for me to forget about "value/cost" of the item, because I could easily get it with a $3000 credit limit.

But let's look at things from another angle besides the monetary. When I was in high school we were issued athletic clothes/gear etc. The varsity football team was issued a shirt that said "Pay the Price" on it. Now, that seems kinda cheeseball looking back on it, but coach really wanted us to understand that if we wanted to play well, win district and win state we had to "pay the price" to get there. We had to determine what the worth of our goal was. Was it worth an extra 15 minutes in the gym? An extra 30?

I really think I could use an undershirt like that now-a-days. Not to go out and win a state championship, but to live the life Christ has called me to every day. Now if you are not a Christ-follower this may not completely apply to you, but it could.

Now, I'm not advocating you can go out and merit your salvation by works (because it is by grace alone), but I'm saying many of us spend our lives punking out to the high calling Christ has for us. Look at the book of James! He challenges people back then like we need to today.

We show God how much value we place in his sacrifice by what we do. Just like paying a determined amount of worth for a product, we place value on the sacrifice of Christ by how we live out each day. I don't see any other way around this. We do what we can do in our power to give God his just due each day in word and in deed.

Hard? Of course! I shudder at the thought of paying the price each day. Because now I am accountable to what I have just written. Am I going to b.s my way through this blog? Or am I really going to set in my mind to give God value each day?

Let's not be caught lowering the value of Christ's sacrifice, or the value of the Church (which is his bride), or the value of service to others, or the value all the gifts Christ's sacrifice gives us? Let's live today in the true value of the sacrifice of our beautiful and lovely savior!

Do you recall the words to the hymn..." Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe..." Do we mean that today?

Take time today to Value-size your faith!

the small things...

I was listening to Shane Claiborne today (If you are wondering... yes, I am still nursing my hurt back.) and he made a statement that was so meaningful to me. He was talking about working with Mother Teresa and how she cared for so many people. And in talking about her he said she was not about doing a "great" work for God (of all people she certainly has a reason to boast about her great impact) but she was about doing small things with great love.

If I am honest, I am not really interested in the small things. I want to do BIG things. But we can do all the biggest things in the world, but if we don't have love, it means nothing. It got my head to thinking. Why do we so easily overlook the small things? Many times you hear a person who almost died or a person who has come back from cancer and they always say. "I now remember to enjoy the little things."

I can't help but think this is where God really resides... in the small things, with great love. Look at Jesus. Why in the world would God choose to change the world, by sending his son to be a baby? A small, squawking and helpless baby? The GREAT BIG God contained in a little baby boy. What a contrast of power!

Maybe we need to ask God to help us to have great love in all things small. Whether it's a simple 'hello' to a stranger, to give someone our coat if they are cold, or to just put someone first it all matters to God. Maybe that's a good lesson to learn this holiday season.

You know you really gets this. My wife. She lives by doing small things with great love. When I am hurt or sick I get really selfish. I want things to be my way... like now! I hate being stuck in bed and I get all grumpy. Even with all that, my wife has taken care of me these last few days with great love. I need to learn the lesson from her, that small things are all around us and we can do these things with the great love that Christ has provided to us. This is the love of Christ.

Thank you Kim, you teach me to be more like Jesus.

Help! I fallen and...

Well I hurt my back again and am stuck laying (lying; lain; I never got that one in English, so my apologies if my word choice is incorrect) on my back. So, I have decided to make the most of my immobilization and blog it out.

A funny thing happens when you hurt your back. You realize how fragile you are as a human being. I mean one second you are moving along just fine and the next second you find yourself lying (laying; lain; lederhosen) on the ground staring at the ceiling hoping no one stops by your office to taunt you or steal anything off your desk .

I feel like such an idiot with back pain. Because unlike a broken ankle with the bone protruding and all, back pain really isn't visible to the observer. Usually people assume that you have some sort of incontinence problem and are wincing to hold it in, or that you have worn your belt one notch too tight, or that you have an acute late-blooming onset of the rickets. (Those are the most common three diagnoses that I receive... really... in that order.)

So you just wince and tell the observer, "Man, my back really hurts!" But you still get no solace, because as far as they can see you just look like you need a laxative. All I'm saying is there are two kinds of people in this world. Those that have never had severe back pain and those who have. There is no in between. People either know exactly what you are talking about or they "pretend" to know what you are talking about-never actually having experienced it firsthand. Oh. But you can tell the difference between those people, believe you me!!! okay... now Im getting a little bit cynical, but it's making me feel better. And as this is MY blog, I think it is okay that I do that. You can go on YOUR blog and talk about factitious disorders and what not, but on this particular blog... okay, I digress... :)

We are fearfully and wonderfully made. I think to truly appreciate the "wonderful" we also have to be aware of our fragility. Think about how we come into this world. All tiny, fragile, clueless and ...gooey. We cant feed ourselves, we cant use all of our faculties, we cant defend ourselves if a hungry Bengal tiger happened to barge into the delivery room. But God designed us this way... for a reason.

Why the heck would God make us so fragile? Im not 100% sure, but it stands to reason that God would do this to graciously remind us of our need for others, and our ultimate need for Him. And in this I am humbled. In this I am thankful. And in this I find rest. (backpain notwithstanding.) ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful thanksgiving from GraceSTUDENTS!!!

Give thanks to the Lord and call on his name, make known to all the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him. Tell of all His wonderful works. Glory to His holy name!!!

I thank God for all of you. I thank Him for the opportunity to serve alongside of you at Grace Fellowship. I thank Him for parents and students. I thank Him for great family and friends. Thank you GOD!

Dark night of the soul

Pain... Anguish... Despair...

You can't live life on this earth without experiencing a season of discouragement and disappointment. Stop... Read that last sentence again. Did you really re-read it?

No matter if you are in your groove now. No matter if you are making money, taking names and loving life. You will hit a wall. You will. Some people will deal discouragement on a small level and some of us deal with it as full-blown despondency.

It has taken me a little time to get used to that truth. Especially as a follower of Christ. Mainly because I usually think that God's will should exclusively end up in my "happiness".

In my psych statistics class we heard a phrase so much that it was burned in my mind... "Correlation does not imply Causation". What does this have to do with God's plan and happiness? Well...

I used to think that the closer that I am to God, the "happier" I would be. But I have been challenged lately. Now don't get me wrong. Many times as I follow God I find great happiness. But that is not always the case. The point Im trying to make is that sometimes i follow God very hard and still remain in a dark, lonely and discouraging place.

I would even go as far to say that God actually gives us times of discouragement to seek Him and serve Him through hard times because serving through discouragement builds Godly character that cant be built any other way. I am walking through a time like this now. I write this to encourage you that are in a hard or discouraging time right now. God will use this for the good if we can trust Him with our trials.

For further reading check out Romans 5:3-5  Stand firm friends. Pray for me to stand firm as well.

New series, ThanksGIVING

We just started our new series called "ThanksGIVING" in Grace Students. We started off with Ben K preaching a great message from Matthew 25. If you were there you know what Im talking about, he rocked our faces off!

I want to encourage students to make it for the next two weeks in this series. We are talking about true thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an action, not just a feeling. If we give thanks to God then we give our lives to God. This is a deep and hard truth, but true thanksgiving is a big deal.

I think this series will help us truly have thankful hearts this year and give back to those God has put in our path! So don't miss this series!!! See you Sunday!

Snips and Snails and puppy dogs tails? Really?**

I have no kids. No teenagers. There I said it.

But, what I do have is at least 12 years of experience working with countless adolescents from church and school settings. And I know all parents are down with getting any info they can on dealing with middle school boys. So here are a few things that I've observed and like to throw in the mix for you.

1. Guys will be guys.

Teenage guys have mad energy. They just need to move, be crazy and have fun. I know this is a big "doy!", but I have seen many parents fight against letting their student be a typical teenager. He's a boy, who is growing, learning, struggling to be a man.

The teenage years should be (with Godly supervision and encouragement) a testing ground of sorts. You can't expect a kid with a super surge of hormones, growth spurts and cognitive growth to just be a sweet little angel. Uh Uh. Ain't gonna happen.

2. Guys need community.

Guys like to run in packs. I had a roomate in college that I used to make fun of because where he grew up they had a group of friends called "the wolfpack". I still tease him about the name, and no I won't change my mind. But seriously, guys have this brotherhood mentality from early adolescence on. They need a tribe of guys who will validate them as masculine. They need to experience a heart connection with other guys that they can't get at home.

3.Guys need real leaders.

In my experience there is no better time then in adolescence for fathers and older men to come alongside of guys. A mentor is there to impart wisdom, character and encouragement to a young man. Guys need mentors who will walk the narrow path with character and faith and will show them how to do the same. (PS we still need guy leaders in GraceSTUDENTS, so man up!)

4. Guys need to be loved.

The only way a teenager can learn to love is to be loved.

I have a quick rant to fathers. You may feel that you learned tough love from your strong, silent type dad, but to replicate that type of love to your son is NONSENSE. Tell your boy you love him. Spend real quality time with him. Be a real man and give him a hug and let him know intimacy with his dad is a good thing. Kids are learning so much about love at this stage in life. So I implore you to love on your teenage sons. They will learn how to love God through their relationship with their parents. Trust me.

If you are parenting teenage boys know that my heart and prayers go out to you. If you ever need someone to bounce things off of, or just need encouragement I'm here!

** a great resource to check out is "Teenage Guys" by Youth Specialties.