Hey family,
for those of you considering coming with us to BigStuf here is what other church leaders are saying about the event and what it did for their students. There is also one that another church did with their students about their experience there…
We had some great dialogue from our Q&A session as we closed out the series The BATTLE WITHIN. There were a number of questions that I could not get to…so over the course of the next few days I will answer some additional questions on here.
A question was raised after we answered that a good way to know if you are hearing God’s voice or the devils is to make sure it line up with scripture. The question (in my words) was can’t the devil quote scripture. GREAT QUESTION!!! And the simple answer is yes he can, however there will always be more or less to the story.
Let me explain…
If you look at the situation in the garden of Eden where Satan came to Eve (Genesis 3) when he questions her it was a version God’s words back to her (Genesis 2: 16-17) You see God said they could eat of any tree except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan ask if they were told they couldn’t eat of ANY tree. Eve does correct him but the seed of doubt was planted.
So you see while Satan can and might even quote scripture it will either not be accurate at all, the whole truth or in the case of Matthew 4 it will be to use it for SELFISH gains.
If you think God is speaking to you…but your not sure, ask these three questions:
1.) is it consistent with all of scripture?
2.) is the outcome purely selfish? (God will work on your behalf but #3)
3.) Does God get the glory and not me?
Great question! Hope this helps.
Here is a great article written by Abbie Smith for Orange Leaders. Instead of retyping the whole article here I wanted to include a snippet of it.
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Vulnerability is prized by many these days. In fact, for many people, it’s on par with the fruit of the Spirit. As mentors though, how do we balance vulnerability and honesty? One answer is boundaries. Boundaries are limits, or recognized limitations and expectations for a given relationship. At first, this word sounded dreadfully unchristian to me, like putting barriers around my interactions, or fences around how I interacted with people. But I’ve learned the hard way that boundaries are actually an aspect of a mature Christian. They give structure to relationships and remind us that we’re limited in nature and have limitations as a human being. |
This is a trip your students won’t want to miss out on.
The dates:June 18 – 22, 2012
The Cost: $490
Deadline: May 20th, 2012
This is a great reminder from the student pastors at Newspring Church in Anderson, SC.
Before I jump into my thoughts, let me just say this is not a post about advocating poker nights at youth ministry. (fundraiser idea?) Rather this is a serious talk about the things that we are all faced with in ministry…the need for a ministry poker face is something we have all had to deal with. (if you haven’t yet, you soon will.)
It is one of those things your faced with after a weekend service or a great small group conversation…and a student comes up to you and asks to talk. Now something else I’ve observed in all my years of working with students is that if they say they need to talk to you…it’s not usually going to start off good. Seriously, think back to the time you when you were in school how many conversations that started with…”we need to talk!” where good news. (maybe that was just me)
Many times these conversations are a students way of finding out if you really mean it when you say you are hear for them and you care about them. To me this is where the poker face comes in because in the next few minutes you might hear something that is intended to shake you or get a response.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO?
First, you listen…listen to what they have to say to you. DON’T REACT! You listen with a straight face and with an open heart and ears. Secondly, you pray…pray for wisdom. Pray that the Lord will reveal to you the words to speak to this student. Third, take a step back…step back and review in your mind the history of all the cumulative conversations that you have had with students over your time working with them whether a volunteer or paid staff. Your experience has taught you some lessons, WHAT WERE THOSE. Fourth, discern…discern if what they are telling you is something that is meant to get attention or if there is really a need that requires your help.
Not always but sometimes students just want someone to respond to them or they want to see what kind of reaction they can get out of an adult. So if we have our poker face on, we might defuse the situation before it goes anywhere.
If you feel the situation does need some attention, stay calm, reach out to your direct supervisor for some direction and support. Don’t go into these situations alone. Teenagers are amazing people who just don’t totally understand how to get proper attention from adults so they sometimes think any attention is better than none…but if we respond calmly they will begin to realize not all adults are scared by a teenagers world, and they will start to trust more of us.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WORK WITH STUDENTS, THANK YOU!!!!
1 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant,t and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord lifts up the humble;t
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and rulest to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.t
Praise the Lord!
