A Reality Call in Time Managment
On Tuesday my Bible study/accountability group S.K.I.N. met with a majority of the members missing. But, in this instance that was a great thing, the members who were missing were in New Orleans leading groups of high school students on a missions trip. After S.K.I.N., I had a meeting with Kent, one of the pastors of my church; he wanted to talk with me about a desire I have to start a Bible study for young adults in the 18-25 year range. I feel it is an age group that for the most part our church and many churches miss. Mostly because it is one of the hardest age groups to reach, but also because many churches assume most of their college aged students are gone during the school year. I know of a number of young men and women who go right into the job force after high school, or go to local community colleges or commute to schools that still live at home or around the church.
What Kent had to say to me was very encouraging but challenging. He agreed that we don’t have anything at the church targeted at the 18-15 year old segment, except during the summer when Collin is leading an awesome group. He also said he thought that I would thrive under the challenge of leading a group and that I could connect and mentor the young adults who would be a part of a group like that. He also said that he wanted me to really think and pray about how much I am trying to do at the church and If I can/would be able to give 100% to each weeks study. What Kent knows, is that I am currently in S.K.I.N., I try to attend and help lead a student Bible study Tuesday nights, I help lead a chat room Sunday nights at our Senior High program, Blitz, and I have recently volunteered for two tech teams at the church, one in the Café area and the other in the main sanctuary. He also made it clear that if I was to start a group he would be there to support me, and to hold me accountable for my teaching and the lessons I would be preparing. He would expect me to make time for any guys who would join the group and to be up to date and involved in their lives.
My discussion with Kent reminded me of a book by Doug Fields I read called “What Matters Most when NO is better than YES“. This book talks about the fact that when you work at or volunteer at a church you will be asked to do many things, far too many to be able to say yes to them all, and the more you say yes to the less time you have for each item. Often while we would love to help someone or some ministry out, we need to prayerfully consider our response. Do we say yes and serve because of a servant’s heart, or do we say no to focus on the ministries that we have a God given passion for and give 100% or more of ourselves in these ministries.
I am currently reading “Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God” by Mark Batterson. The book is amazing so far, and in it I find many sentences and paragraphs that hit me like a stone flung from David’s sling, right between the eyes. One such passage that still has my head reeling with its implications comes after Batterson is talking about his introduction to ministry and his now almost laughable first few positions as a minister in retirement homes, homeless shelters, and in a church with only 7 pews. Batterson follows his remarks about these situations with this:
I know I’m making light of these opportunities now, but back in the day I took them as seriously as sin. I prepared for each message as if it were to be the most important one I’d ever preach. And I did it because I believed that if I was faithful in the little things, God would give me bigger things to do. If I made the most of the mustard seed opportunities, God would expand my sphere of influence.
What are my mustard seed opportunities? Am I willing to persue a passion regardless the cost? My meeting with Kent has encouraged me to pray through this, and the difficult thing to admit is that if I want to start a new group, one that is for young adults Iwill need to cut back my commitments to make time for it. If I have been given a passion for this age group by God, can I do anything other than find a way to make it happen? If I am going to make this happen, what other ministry/ministries do I need to remove myself from? I have a lot to prayerfully consider, and I am asking for wisdom and strength as I pray through this. Any ministry I would withdraw from would be affecting a friend. Each ministry I volunteer in is lead by a friend, and I hate to disappoint friends, but I feel that I might have to disappoint at least one, maybe more soon. Please keep me in your prayers as I am praying through this.
A Breif Hiatus
I have taken a little over a week off from posting to really think about what direction I want to take with this blog. It is fair to say that as someone who graduated with a teaching degree in December and as of yet has no leads on finding a teaching job, I do a lot of thinking about my future. What many would find strange is that I am not thinking about finding a teaching job, or any other type of job, but what is God’s calling and mandate on my life. While I am concerned about finding a job, I also KNOW that God will provide the right job in HIS time, which is not always when I want it.
While seeking God’s call, I have decided to implement some other disciplines into my life. I am finishing each day off in prayer, thanking God for the blessings in my life, the people he has put in my life, and asking for His wisdom to understand the lessons He wants me to learn from each day. I am also implementing more prayer in my daily activities, such as walking through the grocery store shopping and praying for the people that come to my mind. Today it was my friend Brenton that I haven’t seen in a while and his family. I am also going to commit to working out daily for at least half an hour. I am working on determining the exercises I will use, but anything is better than the nothing I have been doing. I am cutting out a lot of the TV I have watched in the past, and will only watch a few shows per week, and work on reading and focusing on God instead.
I am somewhat worried, and concerned that I might not make it as I plan, but I want to seriously make some changes and Clean out My Temple of the junk and filth that has been holding me up as I am looking to serve God. Earlier today I had breakfast with one of the men from S.K.I.N. and during the conversation he mentioned how it is great we have a summer college ministry going, but that during most of the year the 18-25 age group is left out, and it has been stirring me all day. I mentioned to him that I might be able to try and start something like that up, and a few hours later when we were parting he told me to seriously consider it.
Right now is a time of prayer, and counting the cost. In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus talks of counting the cost and being prepared before building a structure or going to war. Do I have the time and resources needed to start something like this? Can I do this if I get the full-time position at work? Is this what I am being called to now? Really that last question is the answer to all of the other questions. If I am being called to start a ministry for the 18-20 somethings, God will provide the rest. The other question that my friend Tony talked about here is, am I willing to follow the call, or as Mark Batterson would put it, “Am I willing to chase a Lion?”
Seeking God
Ok, lets start this off with a confession. I am a sinner, in truth we are all sinners if you doubt me (not a bad idea) then check Romans 3:23 and 1 John 5:17 for starters. But lately, I do not know of any conscious sins in my life. I know there are sins there, I just am not sure what they are so I will be praying about that.
However, my personal devotion still feels empty, I feel almost constantly tempted, and I find myself feeling lost and without direction. I am seeking the Lord, and asking for wisdom, strength, and guidance. Yet i feel ignored and alone right now. This is even sillier when you consider that besides having the omnipotent, omnipresent Lord of the Universe and personal savior at my side listening, I also have a great group of guys who will meet with me, talk over the phone, and do whatever they can to help me. When I texted them that I needed prayer and was going to write this then go for a ride on my bike, I had replies form them almost instantly. But, here I am feeling alone and lost.
I think this will be a continuing post series for a while as I explore my calling and giftedness, plus all my thoughts would take far to long to write/read and would be very jumbled and incoherent right now. But, I would like some input.
How do you know what it is you are called to do?
How do you read the Bible to have it come alive for you and renew your soul daily?
If you know me, what do you see that might be sin in my life?
S.K.I.N.ed
Tuesday mornings are when the Men’s Bible study/accountability group I am in meets. The groups name is S.K.I.N. and if you ask anyone in the group why it is called that we may giggle or snicker a little and then possibly tell you, but it is a good reason. The group was originally started by the Pastor of The Worship Cafe @ Northway, Kent Chevalier.I was able to attend a few times when Kent was leading the group, but between my final semester at Slippery Rock, and going to Ireland for part of student teaching I did not get to be under his leadership of the group as much as I would have liked. Leadership has transitioned to my friend Dennis now, and while he leads the group, we all take turns running the individual meetings, and for the most part I have loved it.
Our group has been under attack from Satan lately. I know that some people might shy away from this statement, but I don’t for a few reasons. For a while this group has been challenging each other to be real, dig into God’s divine inspired word, and to do more than be hearers of the word. Five of the people in the group work with the student ministry, one person from the group works in a high school classroom. We have some room for impacting the next generation. Along with the impact we have, we were challenging each other to grow personally and in our relationships, spurring each other to “Chase our Lions”. ADD MOMENT: If that last bit confused you check out “In a Pit with a Lion
1. Have you been with a woman in any way this week that was inappropriate or could have looked to others that you were using poor judgement?
2. Have you been completely above reproach in all your financial dealings this week?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any explicit materials this week?
4. Have you spent daily time in prayer and in the Word this week?
5. Have you fulfilled the mandate of your calling this week?
6. Have you spent quality and quantity time with your family this week?
7. How did you do in your personal high-risk area this week?
8. Do you have any un-confessed sin in your life?
9. Have you just lied to me?
We also wonder if we had been asking these questions if perhaps they would have convicted our brother in Christ and helped to keep him from behind bars. It is very likely he would have done what he did anyway, but what if? Today’s group brings to mind some questions I have for you,
Do you have people in your life to hold you accountable?
Are you honest with the people you do have?
If you don’t have anyone, why?
Shaking up my devotions
I have become trapped in a pattern to my devotions. I wake up in the morning, after hitting snooze a few times I finally get out of bed and sit down on my couch to read a chapter from my Bible, Pray a little, maybe, and then go on my way. Tuesdays my day is filled with a Bible study in the morning and one in the evening, but I feel stagnant. At church today, Pastor Doug Melder, put a call out for things we needed to be delivered from, and I need to be delivered from this stagnation and begin to grow again. I have some Ideas for this, some are to change my attitude, but one main idea is changing how I start my day.
Here is my new plan: I will wake up at least 2 hours before I need to be at work, and at least 1 hour before Bible study or Church. I will start my day with tea and then singing a few songs of Praise & Worship music, any suggestions are appreciated. Then, go into really digging into The Word. I have a large copy of Matthew Henery’s Commentary, and just ordered a new commentary for James, which I will be digging into hard core. So no more “read a chapter and I am done”, no I will be really digging into the Word and examining what I am reading and what it means. I plan to follow this with some quality Prayer, not 100% on what this will look like yet, I will be looking for the Holy Spirits guidance with this.
How do you start your day?
How do you do daily devotionals?
Any suggestions for me?
Anything you need prayed for?
Tedward's Ramblings 