jason_regier

Great Grace!

2012-01-03T14:27:00.001-06:00

What could this year be like if you had an increase of God’s help, favor, and grace? What could you get done? What could you overcome? What could you become with more of God’s help?

Hebrews 4:16 NKJ “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Anybody need more of God’s help? I sure could! God’s grace is His favor, anointing, ability, support, wisdom, and help.

How would great grace or mega help from God affect our lives? I will tell you how…

· The things we have struggled to do… will now be easy to do.

· The things we have failed to do… we can now do.

· Broken homes can be totally changed to peaceful homes.

· Lives can be put back together.

· Bodies can be healed.

· Forgiveness can be given and received.

· Life can be joyful again after your world crashes in around you.

· The thing you can’t seem to get or receive from God’s word… you can get it.

· Your passion and hunger for God continues to increase.

· You get free and stay free.

· You can be the man, women, husband, wife, parent, student, child, friend that you are supposed to be and want to be and God has called you to be!

· With enough grace you can do, be, or receive anything!

The Bible says we can increase in grace. That we can walk and live in MORE grace! Here’s just a few examples in scripture…

2 Peter 3:17-18 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. (NLT)

James 4:6-7 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” 7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. (NLT)

I believe that 2012 will be the best year we have ever had! It’s the year of God’s GREAT GRACE!

Motion Fall Retreat - Sunday Morning

2011-11-22T15:30:00.003-06:00

The story of the rich young man in Mark 10 is probably the passage of scripture that has challenged me the most over the past year. I’m really wrestling with it because I believe this story is talking about me… and most Christians in America. I pray that we all would be so radically transformed that people don’t even recognize us… they just see Jesus.

In order to continue on a journey of transformation I recommend three things. Hear from God. Obey. Don’t Quit. I have found these work tremendously when I actually do them.

Check out the full audio or video teaching at http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

Motion Fall Retreat - Saturday Night

2011-11-22T15:22:00.003-06:00

Our relationship with God was never meant to be an addition… something we add on to our lives (like a hobby, or a new relationship)… but an exchange. And exchange means we surrender and give it all away.

Surrender means to yield to the possession or power of another. To give oneself up. Surrender is NOT living a perfect life, it’s maintaining an attitude of the heart where we continually allow God to lead, instruct, and mold our lives as He desires. Something happens the moment we finally respond sincerely to God’s call for complete surrender of our lives.

But we must go deeper… I have found that even when I know what I need to do and actually want to do it… I sometimes fall. Why is that? It’s called the original deception. It’s the first trick the enemy played on Eve back in the garden of Eden and he is still using it on us today. Overcoming this deception of the enemy is the key to surrender and fully experiencing God.

Check out the full audio or video teaching at http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

Motion Fall Retreat - Friday Night

2011-11-22T15:03:00.003-06:00

Someone once said “The great Christian revolutions come not by the discovery of something that was not know before. They happen when somebody takes radically something that was always there.”

What if we take radically this verse… Luke 9:23 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."

OR this verse… Luke 14:33 "Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples."

What if we stopped trying to get more information and began to actually put our faith in MOTION? What would happen to our churches, communities, and schools?

Our search to experience God more will be found NOT in the question “do I understand this” but rather in the answer to the question “Am I applying this? Am I doing this in my life?” Truth that you know, but never is applied will never change you. It’s time to put our faith in M-O-T-I-O-N ->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf652_yTG98 - Royal Tailer - Make A Move

Check out the full audio or video message from Motion Fall Retreat at... http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

SHIFT - Week 8 - Honor

2011-04-27T13:10:00.003-05:00

Ephesians 6:1-3 (NLT) Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord for this is the right thing to do. 2 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

Honor = to value, to respect, view as precious, to give a heaviness or weightiness to something.

When we honor someone we revere them, we submit to them, we dignify them, we OBEY them and we respect them. These are attitudes as well as actions. When you honor someone, you recognize his/her importance (value or weightiness) and you respond to it.

Dishonor = to ignore, to view as trivial, to view as insignificant or unimportant, to disrespect.

Let’s get real… Has anyone ever ignored your parents? Viewed their request or question as unimportant? Viewed their authority in your life as insignificant? Has anyone disrespected your parents or those in authority over you? Has anyone ever treated the things of God as trivial or unimportant? Has anyone every goofed off during church or SURGE? Have you ever laughed in your parent’s faces (or behind their backs) about something they are asking you to do? Have you ever made fun of your parents… a teacher, a coach, a police man (ha ha he’s eating donuts)? Have you ever talked back to your parents? Have you ever stormed off in anger and slammed the door behind you? Yes! We all have. But you know what… It’s not OK. It’s not funny. Dishonor is hurting you and hurting this generation.

There is a story in the bible about Eli and his sons. I Samual 2:17 says “This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.”

We live in a “whatever” generation. We live in a “it’s no big deal” culture. Everything is common. There is not much left in our world that is holy. Not much left that is worth honor in young people’s minds. We don’t know honor. We don’t know how to respect. And it’s costing us. It’s costing us BIG TIME.

I Samuel 2:30 says “But now the LORD declares: ‘Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.”

John 12:26 “Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”

I love this video clip about honor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfBb-Jlgn1U

Roger that! Do we do that with God and things that are important to Him? Do we do that with our parents and those in authority over us? Clean up the dishes… roger that! Read the bible… roger that! Take out the trash… roger that! Reach out to someone… roger that! Give a lot… roger that! Michael Monsoor honored his country and team above all else. He gave everything! In return, his country gave him the highest medal of honor possible. In the same way, when we honor God (and His things) above all else… He honors us.

There are many ways that God honors us, but one of the highest honors that God gives us, is His presence. God is everywhere, but God’s presence isn’t manifested everywhere. There is a big barrier to him manifesting His presence… no honor. Lack of respect. No value for the things of God. But if we will honor Him… above all else, he will honor us. If you are not experiencing the presence of God on a regular basis you need to take a look at what you are honoring or dishonoring in your life. Honor God and He honors us.

Here are some practical ways we can put this honor thing into action…

Be Responsive… Roger That! When your parents (God, coach, teacher, pastor) ask you to do something or not to do something, respond to them immediately and fully. Don’t wait until they ask several times and are tired and frustrated. Don’t do only a part of what they have asked you to do. And don’t stop doing only part of what they asked you to stop doing. Let them know you hear them and value their instruction. Honor them by obeying in full. Colossians 3 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men”

Be Thankful. Your parents work very hard to provide food, a bed, a roof and other things for you. They train you and protect you. It is easy to take this for granted, but don’t! Think about every small thing they do for you, and honor them by thanking them on a regular basis. They are not perfect, but they love you very much and are doing their best to meet your needs. Especially thank them when they do something special for you.

Be Helpful. Don’t wait to be asked to help out…honor your parents by offering to help them on a regular basis. This can be simple things like helping with dinner, picking up trash on the floor when you see it, helping wash dinner dishes or entertaining a younger brother or sister when you see that your mom is trying to get something done. Pay attention and ask God to give you opportunities to bless your parents!

Be Open. Honor your parents by communicating with them. Talk to them and listen to them. Tell them about the good in your day and share with them about the hard things you go through. Ask them questions. Be willing to talk to them when you are upset and things need to be worked out between you and them. Be respectfully honest when you feel misunderstood or when you are upset about a decision they have made. Give your parents a chance to hear your heart and to work things out with you. If they don’t hear from you, they won’t know what is in your heart. Remember, they were kids once, too. Maybe they will understand better than you expect. Trust their love for you.

Be Forgiving. Your parents are not perfect and will definitely make mistakes sometimes. They may forget something that is important to you. They may get angry and lose their temper. They may not do something you want them to do, may seem unfair, may misunderstand you or even blame you for something you did not do. Remember, NONE of us are perfect. We ALL make mistakes. Honor your parent by being forgiving toward them and remember that they are doing the best they know how to do to take care of you. If you ask God, he will help you forgive them when you are disappointed or upset.

SHIFT - Week 7

2011-04-20T13:50:00.006-05:00

Who you do life with is one of the most important decisions in your life. There are two kinds of friends… ones that help you on your path and ones that don't.

Proverbs 18:24 (NLT) says “there are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.”

I think the question "who is influencing whom?" is so important! If our "friends" refuse to keep our boundaries and respect our values we have to ask ourselves... "why are we hanging out with these people??" The truth is some of us are so needing, broken, or hurt that we will keep "friends" at any cost. The problem however is that we begin a pattern of hanging out with people who lack vision, boundaries, integrity, and self-respect and we begin to feel that we are not worthy of anything better.

God has designed us for relationships and He wants to do more than we can ask or imagine in our friendships... but it has to be His way... no ours. My prayer echos what we prayed in SURGE prayer last night... "God give each student godly friends who will help them on their path that you have given."

My favorite story about friends in the bible is found in Luke 5:17-20. This whole story happens because of a great decision to have great friends! John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Many students don't have great friends because they have never BEEN a great friend. In order to have great friends you need to sow great friendship. In order to be a great friend you need to have a great friendship with the one who created it.

That’s right! Your ability to experience and enjoy the fullness of friends and human relationships is directly linked to your relationship with God. When you open up your heart to the love of God by trusting in Jesus, His love fills you. It becomes the bedrock foundation to your friendships. Great friendships start with a great relationship with God.

I love this quote: “There is a world of difference between being friendly to someone because they’re useful to you and being someone’s friend.”

I believe a beautiful definition of friends is lived out in this story in Luke. All that the friends were interested in was getting their paralyzed friend close to Jesus. That's it! We are great friends when we are helping others get closer to Jesus. We have great friends when they are helping us get closer to Jesus. And that is so counter culture. Are you being a great friend?

If your ready for God to revolutionize your friendships, here's what you need to do...

Heart Check #1– How’s your relationship with God? Are you going full throttle for God? Is Jesus more important than what your friends think? Get this vertical relationship with Christ right, and your friendships will flourish.

Heart Check #2 – Who are you trusting in your relationships? You? Your friend? Or God? The decision to do things our way, to take our lives and relationships into our own hands, always includes the choice that you cannot really trust God to meet your needs.

Examine your current friendships. Think of the closest friends in your life these days and one at a time ask yourself, “Am I influencing them or are they influencing me?“ “Is my heart wrapped around this friend and they are influencing me in a way I don’t want to go or know I shouldn’t be going” “Is this friend moving me closer to God, or further away?” “Is this friend helping me grow spiritually and morally, or is this friendship producing bad habits and attitudes and are knocking me off course?”

Make a change. You might need not to hang out with someone anymore. You might need to spend more time with God. You may need to start influencing instead of being influenced. You may need to let God bring you a new friend. This might mean that you’re hanging by yourself for a while. Making a stand for Jesus is never easy. How cool would it be to make these hard changes and then God uses you to lead a friend to Christ! Go be a GREAT friend.

http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

Relationship/Dating Resources

2011-04-19T12:20:00.003-05:00

I Kissed Dating Goodbye - Joshua Harris
Boy Meets Girl - Joshua Harris
Dating Delilah - Judah Smith
Boundaries In Dating - Henry Cloud & John Townsend
Passion & Purity - Elisabeth Elliot
Friends Without Benefits - Ron Luce
The Divine Matchmaker - Joel & Casey Johnson
Every Young Man's Battle - Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker
Every Young Women's Battle - Shannon Ethridge & Stephen Arterburn

http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

SHIFT - Week 6

2011-04-13T12:41:00.003-05:00

Proverbs 4:23 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

NLT Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Holman Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

Listen to these students…

“Even in some parents, the value of purity is gone. My old girlfriend’s parents believed that if you were sexually compatible, you would have a good marriage. Her dad encouraged me to have sex with her because he considered me a man of honor. If I were a real man of honor, I wouldn’t have given in. I would have guarded her heart.”

“I used to hear “real men have sex…” I’ve come to realize that NO… real men protect and guard a women’s heart… and their own!”

The word “guard” means to keep safe from harm or danger, to protect, to watch over. If you have something super valuable that your protecting or guarding... you will want high walls, strong guards, precise archers, maybe some hot oil! Proverbs is saying to protect, to keep safe, to watch over, to guard our hearts.

This doesn’t mean that you block out the entire world and become a monk in a cave. You live in this world, but God calls us to not be of the world. Your guard has a filter. Your walls have a drawbridge. You knows what is true and what is false. You know who is friend or foe. You know the voice of God verses the deceptions of the enemy.

The point is not whether or not you are having sex or not having sex, dating or not dating, kissing or not kissing... the point is who have you given your heart to? What have you allowed into your heart? Who have you lowered the drawbridge for? Why do you think you need a boyfriend or girlfriend? Why do you think you need to date right now? Where is your heart going and why? Have you watched over your heart? Have you protected it? Have you nurtured it? Have you kept it safe? Guard your heart, because it's the source of everything you do.

Over the years Dolly and I have learned how to guard our hearts in two primary ways…

1. Let Jesus have your heart so He can protect it. Hands down the best way to guard my heart is a passionate pursuit of Jesus Christ. He can keep it safe. I can trust Him! I believe the same way you live a pure life (Psalm 119:9-16) is the also the way you guard your heart (see previous post).

2. The second way to guard your heart is set up boundaries. There are 8 sexual boundaries in the Bible and these have life and are doable when you are in full pursuit of God. Boundaries create freedom. Boundaries provide direction. Boundaries generate purpose. Boundaries allow you to establish your identity. These boundaries are non-negotiable. If we don’t acknowledge them and stick to them we risk forfeiting God’s perfect plan for our lives… we risk living in bondage.

No Sex Before Marriage – I Thessalonians 4:1-5 & Hebrews 13:4
No Dating Unbelievers – 2 Corinthians 6:14
Homosexuality is a Sin – Romans 1:26-27
No Sexual Touching – I Corinthians 7:1
Treat One Another Like a Brother & Sister – I Timothy 5:1-2
Wear Appropriate Clothing – 2 Timothy 2:9-10
No Lustful Looks – Matthew 5:27-28
Avoid Immoral Friends – I Corinthians 5:9-11

Listen to these students about making boundaries (from the book Friends Without Benefits).

“Draw the boundary at just a kiss. People say that making out is okay, but it only leads to the next thing. It does not matter how great of a Christian you are. When things get heated, you are less likely to stop. Even saving kissing until marriage would help.”

“Don’t put yourself in tempting situations and do not advertise yourself.”

“Never be alone for long periods of time! Stay out of dating relationships. Have a line drawn that you never go past.”

“Just know that if a guy is trying to have sex with you before you are married, he doesn’t respect you… and never will.”

“Just remember that even though you think your guy is different, he’s not. Guys will tell you whatever you want to hear to get what they want.”

“Don’t tempt yourself by kissing or doing anything more than holding hands. Sometimes even holding hands can lead you into sin.”

“Don’t get into a relationship unless you’re ready to get married. Wear modest clothing, not clothes that will draw guy’s attention to your body parts.”

“Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do around your parents or youth pastor. Set standards early in the relationship of what is not okay. Don’t sit in the car along. Do things with other people. Ask someone to keep you accountable.”

“Don’t kiss before marriage! Don’t do anything that will push your passion button. Don’t date, and stay away from porn.”

“Guard your mind and thoughts. Even thing like watching impure movies or TV can get your mind going places you would never want to go.”

“Have your standards set… know your convictions and make them line up with God’s word.”

Boundaries create freedom. Boundaries provide direction. Boundaries generate purpose. Boundaries allow you to establish your identity.

I believe you can do it! God believes in you! God is not a respecter of people. That means if Dolly and I can do it, Jen and Billy, and Catherine and Mike, Zach, Cachet, Shane, Evie, Daryll can succeed…so can you. God is big enough to help you win!

SHIFT - Week 5

2011-04-07T12:14:00.003-05:00

Once upon a time boy meets girl. Boy notices that girl smells really good, is nice, has the right shape, and is beautiful. So boy invites girl out on this thing called a date. Girl accepts. Boy takes girl to a restaurant and girl orders very expensive meal. Boy panics but pays anyway. Boy takes girl to the movies. Because boy is so nice and giving her attention, girl let’s boy put his arm around her at the movies. After the movies girl invites boy over to her house because she know her parents are not home. Boy accepts invitation. Boy and girl sit on the couch and look into each other’s eyes. Boy kisses girl. Boy and girl both getting excited, both are feeling good, both are thinking this feels so right. Boy and girl begin to touch each other only where married couples should touch each other and boy and girl end up having sex.

After a few months, boy is not really interested in girl (been there done that) and finds another girl. Breaks girls heart. Girl finds another boy. And repeats the same process over and over and over again in the thing called dating. One day boy meets “special girl” and girl meets “special boy”. And they get married, but after a few months they start having problems. Find themselves… divorce. Their lives and hearts are a broken mess. They look at their lives and ask “what happened.” The answer is they just did what they had practiced their whole life.

I believe that the way our culture dates is destructive, defective, and rehearsal for divorce. Here is why it's not working... (resource Joshua Harris: I Kissed Dating Goodbye)

7 Habits of Highly Defective Dating

Intimacy without commitment
Skips the friendship stage
Mistakes physical intimacy for love
Isolates couple from other vital relationships
Distracts young people from the primary role of preparing for the future
Causes discontentment with God's gift of being single
Creates a fake environment

Here's why courtship works. Please don't get hung up on terms... when I talk about courtship I'm talking about dating with purpose. Courting is the process of discovering if this is the person you will marry. It's the journey between friendship and marriage.

Your standards are extremely high
You have the same values
You talk about these values before you begin the relationship
You talk about boundaries before you begin the relationship
You start to get to know each other in groups
You discover each other hearts... not their bodies
You always have a plan
You have input and help of your parents and pastors

Because dating begins in the heart and because our hearts are the center of our relationship with Christ... I encourage AND challenge young people NOT to date during their middle and high school years and to wait to begin the courtship process until God leads... this will probably be during college or 20 something years.

So what do you do now?? Change the culture and set the example!

1 Timothy 4:12 says “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity”

Every relationship is an opportunity to model the love of Christ
Recognize that being single is a gift from God
Know that intimacy is the reward of commitment
Avoid situations that could compromise your purity

Will we continue to live our way… or God’s way? Matt. 6:33 says "Seek the Kingdom of Godabove all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

Check out http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx for the full audio of this teach and also an incredible story from one of our SURGE leaders.

SHIFT - Week 4

2011-03-30T17:16:00.002-05:00

There is a trophy worth fighting for and it's your purity! But what is purity?

The restoration of the image of God in you
Begins in the heart - Not just about external actions (sex, kissing, porn)
Pure heart = Clean hands
Pure heart will also change your mind and emotions
It's not a line that you cross but a lifestyle that you live
It's not passive but a daily fight
It's our purpose and density... How God created us to live
Not just about you... Your action or inaction affects a generation

How do we live pure?

Psalm 119: 9-16 - How can a young man/woman keep his/her way pure? By living according to Your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes  as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Seek His presence = Spend time in His presence
Hide His Word in your heart = Read, memorize, and meditate on the Word
Praise be to You = Worship God with all your heart
With my lips I recount = Speak the Word over your life
Rejoice in your relationship with God

Listen to what these students have to say about keeping their purity…

“Find some people who share and value their virginity/purity and stick to them. Really talk to them when you are being tempted.”

“Just stay close to God and His word”

“Don’t chill along with the opposite sex. Keep accountable with a same-gender friend.”

“Don’t follow the trend/culture, but listen to people who are well educated in God and His Word.”

“Remember that your virginity is a special gift… the best gift you can give your future spouse.”

“I have never even dated, which generally helps a lot. Find a godly older person who can council you and find a friend (of the same gender) who can hold you accountable. Trust the Lord and know that He is good and will one day give you the gift with your spouse and that it will not hurt.”

“Let God be your true and ultimate satisfaction. Abide in His Word and let it consume your life with truth.”

It's worth it! It's God's call on your life! And He will help you live it out. Let's go change a generation!

SHIFT - Week 3

2011-03-16T13:09:00.003-05:00

“They said sex was inevitable. I always assumed that high school was the best time to have sex.”

“My friends said sex was okay and bragged like it was a touchdown… there was a lot of pressure to do it.”

“They told me to do it at least once so it wouldn’t hurt on my wedding night, because that would suck. If you do it, you’ll get good at it for your husband.”

“I was told that if it was with someone that you really loved, then it was okay.”

22 percent of radio contains sexual content. On average, a sexual scene occurs on TV 6.7 times per hour during the regular family viewing hours. On MTV there are 3,000 sexual references each week. 76% of teens said that one reason teens have sex is because TV shows and movies make it seem “normal”. They say sex is just what people do… especially young people with raging hormones. Research shows that students who look and listen to regular doses of these messages are twice as likely to get involved sexually before marriage.

In light of all this mess, check out God's Word... Eph. 4:17-24 - With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles (world/culture) do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes (be made new in the attitude of your mind). 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.In this series we have been moving from being hopelessly confused, darken thinking, wandering from God, hardened hearts, lustful thinking TO being made new in the attitude of our minds. Putting on our new nature, created to be like God - holy and righteous!

The truth about sex is that God created it and created it to be awesome! He wants us to enjoy sex and have lots of it… wait for it... in marriage. Outside marriage (God’s design), sex has consequences. The media doesn’t tell you this.

“I felt so dirty and unworthy. I cried so much, because I knew I had disappointed my parents and had given in to my stupid culture that said “they will love you more if you do it.” I regret it so much.” (female age 16)

“I felt disgusted, stupid, trapped, ugly… like I was a plaything.” (female age 19)

“It was mostly for pleasure, and also for laughs, but it was really to bury our mediocrity, loneliness, and godless lives.” (male age 18)

Just because something is common or accepted doesn’t mean it’s good for us. How does it line up with the Word? We got to learn how to see the world through a biblical viewpoint. Sex is much more than just a physical act of pleasure… it’s a deep emotional and spiritual act as well.

A major problem is that young people don’t know the purpose of sex… so it gets abused. What if I didn’t know the purpose of a guitar? I would destroy it by using it as a baseball bat. But a guitar makes beautiful music in the hands of someone who knows and understands it purpose. Sex is the same way. Know and understand it’s purpose and place… it’s awesome!

Purpose of sex: It’s a passionate expression of sacrificial love to a wife or husband.

It has to include all three things below to be God’s original design. He created it!

Passion (pleasure, excitement, thrill, fun)
Sacrifice (serving your wife or husband - not about you)
Husband & Wife (commitment, man & woman, marriage, nobody else gets to experience it, exclusive)

It’s a glimpse of how much God loves us! (His passion, His sacrifice, His commitment). It’s a beautiful thing! But outside marriage it not beautiful… it destroys… it hurts. It’s like using a guitar as a baseball bat.

So what do you do now? What do you do with the emotions, the sex drive, the media, the culture, the friends, the pressure?? We have to fight... everyday!

2 Tim. 2:22 - Flee the evil desires of youth… run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts… run from temptations that capture young people... and pursue (run swiftly, to press on – like one who is running a race to reach a goal, so seek after eagerly) righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you had some friends over and one of them just took off running out the door? The next day at school you ask them what’s going on… they say they felt some youthful cravings coming on. Crazy right? But will we obey God’s word at all cost? Will we capture our vision and God’s plan for our lives at all cost? In other words, anytime you feel some youthful cravings coming on… you run.

It’s a good thing 2 Tim. 2:22 doesn’t end with the word “flee.” If it did we would all be running around randomly, finding ourselves in the same situations over and over again. Scripture says to flee AND pursue… when you flee you have to know where you are going. The best fleeing is good pursuing. In other words, the best defense is a good offense. Flee sin and pursue God. Period.

Finally, you can’t do this on your own. 2 Tim. 2:22 says to “flee” and “pursue” WITH those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. You’ve got to find a peer who shares your passion for purity (for fleeing and pursuing) AND you’ve got to find a mentor (leader, parent, coach) who will pour into you, lead you, and invest in you.

SHIFT - Week 2

2011-03-09T15:47:00.004-06:00

Why is a trophy worth so much? Most trophies are made out of cheap plastic and could break at any moment!! So WHY is the trophy worth so much?

One of the most valuable trophies in sports history is the 1997 NBA championship. On June 11, the Chicago Bulls played the Utah Jazz in the fifth game of the playoffs. The Bulls were losing, and there were only 48 seconds left on the clock. To make matters worse, Michael Jordan was playing sick. He had a severe case of the flu, and he kept going to the sidelines to throw up. At each timeout, doctors filled Jordan intravenously with fluids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4BswHnf0xM

In spite of the circumstances stacked against him, Jordan battled back, scoring 38 points and stealing the game from the Utah Jazz in the final seconds. The Bulls went on to win the championship in six games.

No athlete is competing for the cost of the trophy because it is not the trophy that gives the game value but it is the game that determines the value of the trophy. Trophies are only meaningful because they represent the high cost of sacrifice. The trophy represents the victory, hard work, excellence, creativity, blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice. Without all that… the trophy is just a hunk of metal.

True love is born in sacrifice, grows in surrender, and matures in servanthood. Most people think love is “what can you do for me”… that is not love.. that is lust. Love isn’t love until it has cost you something. I John 3:16 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives our brothers and sisters.”

The struggle, the fight, the sacrifice, to stay pure (heart, mind, & body) has a divine purpose. This is the reason you have a sex drive before you should have sex… so that you give your husband or wife something you had to fight to keep. The fight for your virginity is worth it! The trophy of giving your husband or wife your virginity on your wedding night is the ultimate prize! Even if you lost your virginity, you can begin today to fight… and your purity from this day forward is also the ultimate prize that you can give your future spouse.

2 Tim. 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue (run swiftly, to press on – like one who is running a race to reach a goal, so seek after eagerly) righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith.

This fight should be part of the vision for our lives. It’s vision that causes us to reorder our lives so that we can reach our goal, purpose, and destiny. There is NO middle ground on this issue of identity and vision. We either take responsibility to know who we are OR we surrender that responsibility to other people. If we surrender… we live in bondage. If we rise up, fight, pursue, take responsibility for our lives, get a vision… we become free to live out our lives and capture our vision!

Check out the full teaching and Billy & Jen's story at http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

SHIFT - Week 1

2011-03-03T15:26:00.005-06:00

I love my Subaru WRX! It is AWD, 227 hp, and a manual 5 speed... so fun to drive! But what if was stuck in 1st gear on the interstate? What if I didn't know any better and was going in reverse!!?? That's crazy! That's stupid! That's dangerous! Going in reverse, or even 1st or 2nd gear, will lead to destruction. At some point we will have a collision that could destroy our lives... maybe even kill us. The same is true for the interstate of life. Going in reverse in our relationships will lead to a collision that could destroy us... maybe even kill us (spiritually and emotionally).

I believe this topic of relationships is of the upmost importance to students today. I also believe it is the number one way that the enemy is looking to knock young people off the interstate of life. If the devil can destroy, confuse, deceive us in our relationships... he can destroy, confuse, and deceive our whole lives! And the life that was once ours to live, we surrender to other people, seeking pleasure, avoiding pain... or live overwhelmed by emotions. It's time to SHIFT!

"With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles (world/culture) do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity (continual LUST for more). 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes (be made new in the attitude of your mind). 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy." Eph. 4:17-24 NLT

In this series we are going to SHIFT from this darken thinking, hopelessly confused, hard hearted, lustful pleasure, deceived way of thinking... to being made new in the attitude of our minds. A life of freedom, joy, peace, goodness, and love! Are you ready?!!

But here is a scary truth… until we know who we are AND get a vision for our lives, we will continue to go back to our old ways, old habits, old friends, old crushes, and old comforts. We will do whatever our friends/family tell us to do. We will believe whatever the TV tells us to believe… we will continue to be stuck in reverse.

If we want to SHIFT out of broken and bad relationships, SHIFT out of reverse and into 5th gear... we need a vision for our lives! (a motivating energy that runs our life) Proverbs 29:18 says that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In other words, when we have a vision for our lives we will keep our lives and choices under control in order to capture the vision. But if we have no vision, we perish or stumble because we end up spending all our energy either trying to find pleasure or working to avoid pain.

Think about getting in shape. It's the vision of losing weight, feeling good, having muscles that causes me to reorder my life and get back into that gym everyday. Otherwise I will sabotage my efforts by giving in to my bodies desire for comfort. Our behavior flows from the vision we have for our lives. There is NO middle ground on this issue of identity and vision. We either take responsibility to know who we are and live out our vision or we surrender that responsibility to other people or our emotions. If we surrender… we live in bondage. If we rise up, know who we are, take responsibility for our lives, get a vision… we become free to live out our lives and capture our vision!

This all begins with the Word of God. We can’t do this on your own. God is the one who made us and has a bigger vision for us than we can even image! Here are two verses that I want you to commit to memory and begin to speak over your life.

Jer. 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” AND Romans 8:16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. I am a CHILD OF GOD! This changes everything!

If we will take these two simple verses, memorize them, and speak them over our lives everyday... we will begin to establish our vision and who we are in Christ. We will SHIFT into high gear and be driving full speed down the interstate of life. It's going to be an awesome ride!

Check out or download the full audio teaching at...
http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

The Secret Place

2011-01-19T15:04:00.003-06:00

Matt. 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

There is a process to building. You don't put build the roof until you have laid the foundation. How can we expect to blow the roof off in the things of God if we have never laid a foundation in God? When I was at a Jesus Culture conference a few weeks ago, the speaker was talking about the Shasta Dam (see pic) which is one of the largest concrete dams in the world. 15 million tons of concrete!! As amazing as the Shasta dam is... the part we see was not built before the part we cannot see. The foundation, which is thicker than the dam is tall, is buried under earth and water... it's unseen... yet it's the most important part.

Jesus says in Matt. 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Do you have a secret place with Jesus that is unseen to the world? Do you have a foundation in God that is thicker and more solid than anything that happens on the outside? Do you burn for Jesus when you are all by yourself... in your bedroom... with nothing except the Word of God?

One of my passions is to help teens build a foundation and find their secret place with God. I believe that if a young person will build this foundation, nothing will move them. The winds may blow, the streams may rise, the sky may crack, and the earth may shake... but they will not be moved because they have build their lives on the rock.

How do you develop a secret place? That's right... you will have to develop your secret place! Fight for it! Work at it! And don't give up! Real simple... turn of the TV, video games, and computer AND open up the Bible, your mouth, and your heart. Begin to devour the Word of God! Begin to pray prayers you really care about! Begin to worship, shout, and sing to God with all your heart! Your secret place changes everything.

Radical: The Great Why of God

2010-12-15T13:58:00.002-06:00

Enjoy His grace. Extend His Glory. This is our purpose. We have been blessed to be a blessing. Our jobs are more than just a job. Our schooling is more than just an education. Our families are more than just who we are stuck with. Our teams, hobbies, and neighborhoods are all more! We can be a light in the dark places of the world. God can use us to change things. This Christmas I invite you to make a list of all the ways you are blessed. Then, figure out a couple ways how you can be a blessing. Change the world around you by letting God change you.

Psalm 67 NIV

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Our Journey of Adoption

2010-12-01T09:20:00.000-06:00

We have officially begun our journey of adoption! I'm not sure I ever thought about adoption until I met my wife Dolly who is adopted. (You might be able to tell from the top blog photo that we don't exactly look alike.) But now it's so big in my heart I can barely stand it. How can we not do this? Even after meeting Dolly and getting married I always thought adoption would be a good idea... you know because Dolly was adopted and it's huge in her life. But now I see the clear direction from the Lord that this is not only BIG on His heart but it should be BIG on our hearts... and it is!

For some reason I never made the connection that we are adopted by God. Hello!? How could I miss how important this is? I was an orphan, lost in my sin, and no family. Then God stepped in, sent Jesus, and now I'm part of the family of God. Amazing! Not only that, but Jesus himself was adopted by Joseph. Joseph had no DNA in Jesus at all! And yet this was the plan of God. This is the family of David. This is the lineage of Christ... adoption. Blows my mind!

Here's something else that will blow your mind... if 7% of Christians would adopt... there would be no orphans. 50% of Christians consider adoption but only 1% actually adopt. Sometimes we think the problem is too great and so we don't do anything. That's such a lie from hell and I've bought it many times over the years. This is one of those blind spots that has been uncovered and I'm so glad God is awakening my heart to the global difference Dolly and I can make through adoption. Even now God has a child in mind for us to adopt, to love, to provide for, to cherish, to train, to forever be family.

We have just started on application part 1 and already my faith is being stretched. What am I going to believe? Who am I going to trust? Do I know the end result? If my faith, belief, and trust is in the Almighty... then yes I do know the end result. It's going to be good! We know that if we will walk by faith all the hidden things will be revealed, the process will be smooth, and journey will be amazing. God will equip us with the wisdom and strength for every step on the narrow road.

By the way we are going through Dillon International and planning to adopt from Korea. I'm going to be the minority in my family!

Radical: Too Hungry For Words

2010-12-01T09:03:00.000-06:00

Is God's Word enough for us? If we would strip away all the American church has to offer... entertainment, cushy chairs, worship bands, cool lights, a/c & heat, beautiful buildings... would we still gather to study God's Word? We need to be careful how we answer this question because our response to God's Word actually reveals the true nature of our relationship with God.

John 1 tells us that God and His Word are one. To have a relationship with God is to have a relationship with His Word. Just today I was reading in I John 2:5-6 "But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did." Did we see this? If we are the people of God and we are saying we love God... we not only love His Word but we DO His Word!

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

It's those who read, study, memorize, saturate, abide, remain, and ultimately DO the Word that build their house on the rock. And when the storms of life come along... nothing will move you. Your house isn't built on emotion. Your house isn't built on relationships. Your house isn't built on the American culture. Your house is built on God's Word. It's the only firm foundation to EVERYTHING in our lives!

To Save A Life - What's Your Logline?

2010-10-27T10:59:00.000-05:00

A logline is a film term for a single line that describes an entire film, a scene, or a character. Galatians 6:2 says to “Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” What would you say your logline is right now in life? Is it negative or does it reflect what God thinks about you? Check out the two stories below.

Story 1: Margaret’s Story

A young woman named Margaret spent decades battling depression and anxiety that were traced back to a horrible day in school when a teacher, frustrated with her tardiness, made her stand in front of the room and invited all the students to come up to the board and write something bad about her on the chalkboard. The kids were ruthless. They wrote things like “Margaret is ugly!” “Margaret smells,” and “Margaret is stupid.” All twenty-five students went up to the board and wrote these hurtful things.

This event inflicted wounds that Margaret found difficult to heal. She battled depression, discouragement, and constant anger. Finally she went to a psychologist for help. She spent two years meeting weekly with the counselor, but finally they reached the end of their sessions.

The counselor said, “Margaret, I know this will be difficult, but just to make sure you’re ready to move on, I am going to ask you to do something. I want to go back to your schoolroom and detail the events of that day. Take your time. Describe each of the children as they approach the blackboard, remember what they wrote and how you felt… do this for all twenty-five students.

In a way, this would be easy for Margaret. For forty years she had remembered every detail. And yet, to go through the nightmare one more time would take every bit of strength she had. After a long silence, she began the painful description. One by one, she described each of the students vividly, as though she had just seen them, stopping periodically to regain her composure, forcing herself to face each of those students one more time.

Finally she was done, and the tears would not stop, could not stop. Margaret cried a long time before she realized someone was whispering her name. “Margaret, Margaret, Margaret.” She looked up to see her counselor staring into her eyes, saying her name over and over again. Margaret stopped crying for moment.

“Margaret, you left out one person.”

“I certainly did not! I have lived with this story for forty years. I know every student by heart.”

“No, Margaret, you did forget someone. See, he’s sitting in the back of the classroom. He’s standing up, walking toward your teacher, Ms. Garner. She is handing him a piece of chalk and he’s taking it. Margaret, he’s taking it! Now he’s walking over to the blackboard and picking up an eraser. He is erasing every one of the sentences the students wrote. They are gone! Margaret, they are gone! Do you recognize him yet? Yes, his name is Jesus. Look, he’s writing new sentences on the board. ‘Margaret is loved. Margaret is beautiful. Margaret is gentle and kind. Margaret is strong. Margaret has great courage.’”

And Margaret began to weep. But very quickly, the weeping turned into a smile, and then into laughter, and then into tears of joy. (Source: SermonCentral.com. From Mike Yaconelli, Messy Spirituality, pp. 55-56)

Story 2: Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

You might be asking, "What do these stories have in common?" A counselor came into Margaret's painful past and God used him to rewrite her story for her: "You think you have never been good enough, but that's not what the God of the universe thinks."

In the story from the Bible, Jesus went out of His way to pursue a man named Zacchaeus. In Jesus’ culture, one group of people was hated more than any others: the tax collectors. They were Jews who basically worked for the Roman government to rip off money from their own people. Did you notice the people didn’t even want to say his name? They just called him “sinner”! But Jesus stood up for this hated man and called him “a son of Abraham.” That was the greatest compliment you could give to a Jew!

You get it, right? Jesus went into this man’s hurt, and He retold his story. It inspired Zacchaeus so much that he went on to change his whole life. God gives us the privilege of being used by Him to do the same thing—to help someone rewrite their story based on the truth of God’s love for them.

Have you let God rewrite your story? Will you let Him use you to help someone else? I encourage you to do it today!

Lowing The Water Line - To Save A Life

2010-10-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night I experienced the most amazing night of youth ministry. God was working in a special way as students revealed who they are and experienced God's love in a fresh way. This movie TO SAVE A LIFE has sparked something in our students that is causing them to take a good look at their own lives and how they can impact the world around them. I'm so excited for the next weeks as we go deeper... but I also know as we go deeper there will be some major challenges.

Students today are faced with more stress, pressure, and temptation than ever before! Often they don't know what to do with all this emotion and so it comes out in unhealthy ways. If we are going to be the hands and feet of Jesus to this world, we will have to be involved with the junk in people's lives.

But here is the good news. Jesus has the power and love to deal with it all and help us overcome. This isn't a temporary fix.. this is eternal restoration!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons and daughters through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.” Eph. 1:3-6

God is saying... “I chose you before the creation of the world. I know you think that nobody wants you or likes you, but that could not be further from the truth. You are holy and blameless in my sight.. without blemish. You have been told your whole life that you are deformed, imperfect, or less than... but I’m telling you that you are absolutely perfect, and I made you. You are my masterpiece... my ultimate work of art!" In love, God has adopted us as His sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. It does not matter if you have a natural dad or not... now we all have a heavenly Father.

We cannot begin to look out into a world of hurting and broken people and truly love them for who they are until we realize in our hearts and souls that God loves us exactly for who we are... inside and out.

I encourage you to spend some time with the scripture above (and others like it) and just work it over and over in your mind. Then begin to speak these truths (out loud) over your life. Then go out and say hi to 10 people you would normally just walk by and see what God does!

SURGE At The Movies - Bedtime Stories

2010-09-29T12:58:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of this series (At The Movies) I asked the question “what is your story?” There is a passage of scripture that says “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21). What that means is whatever we value is where we put our time, energy, and money.

What if we have put too much value in our own story? What if we have become too attached to our own story? What if we have unknowingly allowed ourselves to become so attached to a particular view ourselves – our story – and now we are stuck? In the movie Bedtime Stories, Skeeter is stuck. He is stuck in his own story.

We often define ourselves by the “stories” we repeat again and again. Check out the story of the Samaritan women that Jesus encounters at the well in John 4. In this day Samaritans were considered to be the outcasts of society and this women immediately recognizes that Jesus is a Jew (upper class) and she should not be talking with him… let alone give him a drink, from her well, on her turf.

But Jesus knew what He was doing and entered into her life at a time when she was living out the old patterns of her life (five husbands and counting) and offered her “living water” and a chance to live beyond her painful story. This encounter with Jesus gave this women the opportunity to rewrite her story!

In this moment, I think she asked herself some questions, perhaps the same questions we might ask ourselves...

What’s the story of my life?
What are the patterns I repeat over and over again?
How am I attached to these patterns (my story)?
What if I could rewrite my story?
How might God define my story?
How might God rewrite my story?

Here are some biblical steps to help you get connected with God so He can rewrite your story.

1. RECOGNIZE the stories you tell yourself, and others, again and again

2. IMAGINE your new story

Eph. 3:20 NIV “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”

Psalms 37:4 NIV “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

3. What PATTERNS in your old story will you have to GIVE UP to EMBRACE your new story?
a. THROW OUT the old story - Eph. 4:22 NLT “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.”
b. CARVE OUT time for God - Numbers 14:24 MSG "But my servant Caleb—this is a different story. He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately.
c. SEEK OUT people who support your rewrite

4. REHEARSE your new story - Romans 10:4 It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us.

5. Help someone else REWRITE their story - Mark 5:18 MSG “Jesus said, "Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you." The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.”

SURGE At The Movies - Invincible

2010-09-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

Invincible means to be incapable of being conquered… incapable of being defeated. Have you ever felt invincible? Most of the time when we think of invincible we think of superheroes like Superman, Iron Man, and Batman. Or we think of modern day sports heroes (Michael Jordan), celebrities (Stallone or Schwarzenegger), or even our dads.

But what about us? What about regular old you and me? Can we be invincible? Not just one day, but in life? Can we be incapable of being defeated? Should we be invincible? You got to admit that would be pretty cool to walk into your classroom and say “I’m Batman” then ace the test, hang with the cool people at lunch, beat up the bullies that afternoon, win the football game that night, hang with the hot chicks after the game, and have your name in the evening news… “Jason Regier had an undefeated day!”

While that might be cool, the reality for most young people is that their lives are hanging by a thread. Life is chaos. Life is like a roller coaster… things are starting to look good and then you take a dive to the bottom. Life has beat you up so bad that your ready to quit, “undefeated” is a fantasy, and your just waiting for the next bad thing to happen. If I didn’t just describe you then I described someone you know.

I think we first have to answer the question... who are we? Deep down inside… who are we? The interesting thing is that when the circumstances hit, when we are in the middle of a storms of life, when everything seems to be going down the tubes… our true character comes out.

So I'm not talking about all the outside stuff but the inside stuff. Who are we and where does our identity come from? Your stuff? Grades? Friends? Relationships? Family? School? Activities? Sports? Music? Most people find their idenity in outside stuff, but God says we can only find our true identity in Christ.

Colossian 2:17 “The reality is found in Christ.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Matthew 10:39  “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

I have learned that even when the storms of life hit... even when I'm succeeding... even when I make a mistake... those are not my identity. I love Philippians 3:8-14 MSG where it says “Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced." I'M FOUND IN HIM!! What about you?

It goes on to say "By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.” I love that!

Once we know who we are in Christ, God has called us not to just sit on it but let others know who they are in Christ as well. We have been made right so that we can tell others how to get right (2 Cor. 5:18)!!

Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG "Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

Let's get on with it!

At The Movies - Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

2010-09-08T17:49:00.001-05:00

What is your story? If you were totally honest with yourself... what is your life like right now? As a teenager I think this a critical question that you need to wrestle with. My second question is this... who is the main character of your story? Is it you? Is that ok?

1 Peter 2:21  says ”To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”

What if all the things we think are so important as teenagers… really aren’t? And what if the Bible and what Jesus lived and taught can make an eternal difference?

What if the choices really matter?
What if your teenage years are not just a random goof off time but the springboard for the rest of your life?
What if school is not just about ranking, status, popularity, and grades but about reaching out to someone who is hurting, lonely, or doesn’t know God.
What if the Bible is really the guidebook and power for you life?
What if the cheese touch (power of sin) can be destroyed by a radical pursuit of Jesus Christ?
What if your life story is no longer the diary of wimpy kid but the story of significance, blessing, power, making a difference, and the supernatural?
What if God wants to use you?
What if you get your eyes off yourself long enough for God to use you?
What if you could make a difference in one student’s life this semester?

Your story doesn’t have to be wimpy, cool, pathetic, depressed (fill in the blank)... but it could be God working through you to help change lives.

Parent Letter - To Save A Life Movie Event

2010-09-08T17:41:00.001-05:00

Dear Parents,

I want to let you know about an upcoming event for our teenagers and church which I believe is going to be life-changing for those involved. On September 25th, we’ll be showing the movie TO SAVE A LIFE. I not only highly recommend that your son or daughter come and see the movie with us, but I also recommend that you see it as well.

Unfortunately, teens today are hurting and facing challenges like never before—I see it in our youth ministry and in our local schools. TO SAVE A LIFE is rated PG-13 because it doesn’t shy away from tough topics. It deals with social divisions, school violence, cutting, suicide, teen pregnancy and divorce—not in a graphic way, but in a way that is authentic to many teens’ lives. And it points to a way out of these problems through faith and reaching out to others. Ultimately, it asks the question “What’s my life going to be about?” and dares teens to answer with boldness and honesty.

I hope that by seeing this movie, your son or daughter will be inspired to reach out to the hurting and lonely on their campus and truly make a difference in their world.

This film quickly struck a chord with teens and families in early 2010. Overnight, the film received a #1 Fandango Fan rating and maintained it for over a month. Critics and youth workers raved, families were changed, and viewers consistently commented: “Every teen and parent needs to see this film.”

In response to the topics brought up in the movie, LifePointe Church and SURGE Student Ministries will be showing the movie and then having small group discussions on September 25th from 7 to 10pm. This event is available to all in our church and community. I encourage you to be a part of the movement and invite your neighbors, friends, and family and any teens that you know to be part of this amazing night!

I will be needing help with concessions, greeting, crowd control, and maybe small group leaders. If your interested in helping that night just reply to this email. Please help me get the word out and thank you for helping SURGE & LifePointe reach the youth and community of Olathe & Kansas City!

Below are a couple websites that show you the trailer and more info about the movie.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWEsNOBU7lk&feature=related
Plugged In (Focus on the Family review: http://www.pluggedin.com/videos/2010/q3/tosavealife.aspx

You can check out MovieGuide.org, Dove.org and ToSaveALifeLeaders.com to read reviews and get additional resources.

SURGE Newsletter - Fall 2010

2010-09-01T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hello Parents and Students! I trust that the love and power of God is flowing in your lives as we embark on this new season at LifePointe. My goal is to effectively communicate what’s happening with the student ministry at LifePointe Church. Be sure to check out my blog www.jasonregier.blogspot.com for up-to-date info and past teachings. Here’s a snapshot of what will be happening in SURGE this September.

Tuesday September 7th marks the beginning of SURGE At The Movies! This series will be the perfect opportunity to invite friends to experience LifePointe and SURGE! God is moving and working on the hearts of this generation like never before. I encourage and challenge each student to invite at least one friend during this series and watch God do amazing things! Here’s the lineup for the movies (all are PG) that we will be using to illustrate the Word of God…

September 7th - Diary Of A Wimpy Kid
September 14th - Invincible
September 21st - Bandslam
September 28th - Bedtime Stories

SAVE THE DATES!!
September 25th @ 7pm - To Save A Life Movie Outreach (more info to come but you will not want to miss this!!)
October 9th @ 9am - Service Project at the Hope Center - Let's make a difference in our community!
November 12-13th - Motion Fall Retreat

Tuesday October 5th marks the beginning of new series at SURGE call To Save A Life! What is your life going to be about? Join us for this series as we take a hard look at how our lives impact others at school, home and in our community!

Get In SHAPE

2010-08-18T14:22:00.000-05:00

You have been SHAPED for serving God! You have been SHAPED to make a difference in someone else’s life! 1 Peter 4:10 CEV “God has given gifts to each of you from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well that God's generosity can flow through you.”

S - Spiritual Gifts
H - Heart
A - Abilities
P - Personality
E - Experience

I'm so excited for this new school year! God is moving in ways that I've never experience before and SURGE students are hungry for more of Him and hungry to make a difference in their schools this year. Think about it... what if you could change the life of one student this semester? What if you could make a lasting impact for the Kingdom of God this year?

I Cor. 10:33 NLT – "I don’t just do what is best for me: I do what is best for others so that many may be saved."

I Cor. 9:19-23 NIV - “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jew I became like a Jew… to the Gentile I became like a Gentile… 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Mark 8:35 “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.”

Jesus is saying, if you want to live life to its fullest, if you want to live a life of significance... don't hang on to it. Give up your life to serve other people, to contribute, to be a difference maker not a space waster.

Here is how to stay in tip top SHAPE so that God can continually use you!

1. Prayer & The Word = Full Of The Holy Spirit. This is an everyday thing! I've never seen anyone successful at living a radical life for Jesus without this two core exercises.
2. Be Here - Physically & Spiritually at church.
3. Make A New Friend - Make it sweet not sour!
4. Bring A New Friend

SURGE Complete - Rejoice

2010-07-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

Fear is defined as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined. Do you suffer from fear, worry, insecurity or anxiety? If you do, you have not been made complete in the love of God... I guess that includes all of us.

I John 4:16-18 CEV “God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. 17If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment. 18A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love.”

True (complete) love shows itself in what we do (truth & action). Complete and perfect love drives out all fear… both now and when we meet God face to face. I don't know about you, but that sound pretty good! Free from fear and full of love. We should be waking up everyday asking God to show us how to love... His way not our way. And that's what we been talking about in this series: How to live out this love command.

1. Prefer - Coffee or tea, chicken or beef, you or me. When we prefer someone we get left out... and that's a good thing.
2. Lay Down Your Life - Real love will cost you something whether it's time, money, energy, or sleep.
3. Rejoice - God kind of love rejoices in the success of others. Did you get that? When is the last time you were genually happy for the sucess of another person... especially if they beat you?

John 15:9-12 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Live in love = live in joy

I Cor. 13:6 NIV “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

My challenge to you is to go throw someone a party for their success. Throw your parents a party because they take care of you and work hard. Throw your sis/bro a party because they did well at school, sports, or cleaning up their room. Throw your competition a party because they beat you... and let the love of God flood your heart and their hearts. Not only that, but fear will be driven out and you'll be living in pure joy.

SURGE Complete - Lay Down Your Life

2010-07-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

I John 2:3-6 AMP 3”And this is how we may discern [daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him] if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments). 4Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him. 5But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him: 6Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.”

This verse is so cool because it's talking about knowing the living God! God who created planets! God who created you and me! We can know Him like a best friend and be COMPLETE by getting filled up with the love of God. Knowing God is more than just knowing about Him. Everyone has a god in their life. This verse is talking about a daily, intimate, powerful, supernatural experience with THE Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To know God is to obey His commands and to obey His commands is to love. Love is #1. So let's look at another way to love.

John 15:12-13 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Many of us read this verse and kind of freeze up... how do we lay our lives down? Does that mean we have to die for someone? Can I really do this or is this just for Jesus? I John tells us that in this world we are like Jesus and we ought to live our lives like He lived His. God will always give us the ability to do what He commands... if we surrender.

I John 3:16-18 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Now we don’t need another sacrifice for sin, He’s it! Jesus already did that and it’s available to everyone. So you can’t lay your life down physically to pay for someone else’s sin… that’s already been done. But we can be a living sacrifice and we have opportunities everyday that if we will love people (family, parents, bro, sis, cousins, grandparents, kids at school/church, your arch enemy) it will costs us something. That’s love.

You can have plans, things your going to do, money saved up or already spent… and something comes up and somebody needs your time, needs your money, needs your stuff, need encouragement, needs to laugh, needs some ice cream, needs a friend. People will need you when it’s not convenient… but when you’re living complete, when your so full of God, when your living in love… you lay down your life, your wants, your desires, your stuff. You follow the Holy Spirit and lay it down… and WHAM God fills you back up again. God meets your need! God takes care of you. You will KNOW God. You will be complete in God.

Now this isn’t a “well I guess I got to give this up for you” depressed kind of attitude. In Hebrews it says “Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” Real love rejoices in helping others, giving our lives away for them… because we love people… because we love God.

SURGE Complete - Prefer

2010-06-30T15:25:00.000-05:00

Complete means to add what is yet wanting in order to render a thing full. I like this definition! But God's definition of complete goes beyond full... it overflows! Just look at Psalm 23 or the life of Jesus or the book of Acts. God is in God of too much! So what would it really look like in your world to be full of God? What would your home, school, work, church, family, friends, neighborhood really look like?

To be full of God would mean we are not full of ourselves. I John is telling us that the thing we need to be full of, the thing we need added into us, the thing that will make us complete... is love.

I John 2:5 NIV - But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love is truly made complete in him

I John 4:12 NIV - … if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us

Notice these verses do not say that in order to add love to your life you need to find the right boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, school, friends or even be born into the right family. No! It says to obey the Word and love one another. Pretty simple and yet not many people are doing this. So how do we live out these verses?

Obedience is NOT a feeling. Obedience is a decision, an action, a choice, and a commitment. You don't have to feel like it to obey the law and you certainly don't have to feel like it to obey your parents. What about God?

#1 & #2 Commands from God

I John 3:23 NIV – “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

Love is not a feeling, it’s a choice, an action, a decision, a commitment. Hello?! This may blow your circuits but love is NOT a feeling no matter what the TV says. Choose to love and the feelings will follow.

I John 4:8-9 NIV – “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

God says if you really love Him here is what you do... I John 5:3 NIV - “This is love for God: to obey his commands."

I John 3:18 NLT – “Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

What we are talking about is how to be complete. To be complete we need love added to our lives. To have love added God says to obey His command and His command is love.

Here is a profound way to live out this command in every day life. Prefer!

Romans 12:10 NKJV “Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.”

In the original Greek, prefer means to go before and lead. To take the lead in showing love, giving respect, giving attention to each other. You put yourself aside and help others get ahead. You forget about yourself long enough to lend a helping hand.

If I offered you something to drink, say a coke or pepsi, and then asked you what you prefer... what just happened? One got picked and the other did not. If I offered you a candy bar, say twix or snickers, and then asked you what you prefer... one would get picked and the other left out. If I offered you chicken or beef, coffee or tea? Again, one would get picked and the other left out. Chicken or beef, coffee or tea, you or me.

Jesus had the choice. Was it going to be Him or us? If He had chosen himself we would be lost, without hope, and doomed. But He choose us.

Everyday you have a choice, is it going to be you or them? Am I going to talk or let them talk? Am I going to get what I need or help them to get what they need? When you prefer someone you are loving them with the God kind of love AND God's love is being added back into you. Don't worry about your needs, God will take care of you. Remeber He's the God of too much, more than enough, more than you can ask or imagine. I'd like some of that in my life!

SURGE Complete - Confessions

2010-06-23T13:56:00.000-05:00

Our biggest obstacle in becoming the Biblical definition of complete is... us. See if any of these words sound familiar.

Prideful, selfish, envious, full of greed, hateful, stealer, quarreler, deceiver, liar, gossiper, worrier, boastful, promise breaker, heartless, no mercy, putting things before God, lustful, sexually immoral, disobeying your parents, lover of yourself, lover of money, ungrateful, without love, unforgiving, bitter, jealous, abusive, lover of pleasure, being a fake Christian… the list goes on and on. Do any of these words describe you?

The Bible calls all of this sin and sin is what separates us from God. Sin is a barrier between us and God. Sin is what got Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden. Sin is what continues to self destruct our lives... but the story doesn’t end there. We are not stuck with our bad selves. That's where Jesus comes in and we are saves the day.

Yet so many students are not living in freedom. So many students are faking it by looking good on the outside (going to church & smiling & saying the right things) but plagued by sin on the inside. So many students don’t know what to do. So many students are trying to save themselves. So many students are getting destroyed by their secret sin. You know, the sin that you have been dragging around, that nobody knows about, and it’s eating away your soul. All that's left of you is guilt, shame, and fear.

I John 1:8-9 NLT - If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

FREEDOM and HEALING begin with CONFESSION

We have to understand this is a physical act. It’s not something we just think in our minds. We are to speak it to God. Tell God. He may know our hearts, but speaking it out loud to God breaks the stronghold of the sin and is the start of the healing.

The second part of a confession is to tell another believer – someone who can help you through this healing process. There is a song by Tenth Avenue North that speaks directly to this topic. Check out this video by Mike as he talks about their song Healing Begins.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF1X9VvQbD4

James 5:16 CEV - If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed.

So what will you do? Will you confess? Will you let the healing begin? Will you let God into your mess? I encourage you to spend time with Him and listen to this song Healing Begins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFUHrXfuNU4

Then go find a trusted believer and let the secrets out.

Check out the full teaching at http://www.mylifepointe.com/audio-and-video-teachings-from-olathe-lifepointe-church-SURGE.aspx

The Awakening Student Conference

2010-06-10T18:28:00.001-05:00

Hello Parents and Students,

I'm so excited about The Awakening this year!! The Awakening is a local student conference designed to help students experience the fullness of God. It will be 2.5 days packed full of worship, teaching, the Word, friends, dodgeball, and other activities. Check out the details below and let me know if you have any questions. Deadline for registration fees & forms is July 13th.

What: The Awakening Student Conference
When: July 27 – 29 (Tuesday night through Thursday night)
Where: Antioch Church (I-35 & Antioch)
How Much: $40 for registration & transportation and $7 for dinner on Wed.
Reminder: Each student needs to bring their own sack lunch for Wed. & Thursday and students will be staying at their own homes.
More info: www.experiencetheawakening.com
Deadline: Tuesday July 13th for Registration Fee, Registration Form, and 2010 Parent Release Form (if you attended ATF in February we do not need release form).
Transportation: Provided to and from LifePointe Church each day. Departure and arrival times TBA.

SURGE Newsletter - Summer 2010

2010-06-10T14:32:00.000-05:00

Hello Parents & Students!

Wow! it's hard to believe Summer 2010 is already here! I continue to be so amazed at God's goodness and grace in our lives. I'm excited for all the opportunities this summer for our students to experience God in new ways! Let's reach out to our friends and neighbors and get them involved too. Here's what’s happening, so get in!

SURGE Summer Kickoff - RESCHEDULED - Tuesday June 15th - 6:30-9pm (6-12th grade) Summer can’t officially start until SURGE says so! Bring as many friends as you can- we’re trying to fill 2 acres. Volleyball, kickball, 1-minute games, grape toss, Ultimate Food (think Frisbee), and all the crazy good times we can pack in to 2.5 hours at the MacManamy compound. Wear clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty or wet and come hungry! Bring your favorite finger food. Hot dogs, burgers, and drinks will be provided.

Location:
John & Patty Mac's
15500 Quivira Road
Overland Park KS, 66221

SURGE Garage Sale - June 25-26
This annual event goes a long way supporting the student ministry of LifePointe Church. We’ll be expecting all Jr. and Sr. High students to participate and serve for this event. We need plenty of help before, during, and after the sale. Sign up at SURGE or the 411. See the email sent out to the entire church family for all the details.

Purity Small Groups - For both Jr & Sr High! See more details at www.mylifepointe.com or in the recent eblitz. This is a major reason why so many students are not living out God's best in their lives. Find out how to win the battle and grow closer to God!

EPIC – Starts July 6, graduation August 1
An intense 4 week part-time internship for high school students. Download all the details and application at www.mylifepointe.com/lifepointe-information-at-the-411.aspx. Scholarships available!

Urban Mission Trip - July 15-17.
This mission trip is available to 6-12 grades and is all about serving and giving our lives away. We will be hooking up with a good friend from Wichita World Impact Ministries. World Impact is a ministry dedicated to reaching the urban poor. Our trip will involve everything from manual labor, prayer walks, worship times, and a huge community outreach! Cost is $150. Attached waiver and money are due July 1st. Scholarships available!

Antioch Church Student Conference - July 27-29
The CRAVE Conference last year was an incredible 2.5 days of worship, teaching, dodgeball, and hanging out. This year is sure to rock our worlds! Cost will be $40-$50. Scholarships available!

Summer Teaching Series
I will begin a new series June 15. When we really get God's grace and enter into a full relationship with him, what's next? 1st John tells us two things that make us complete: love & obedience.

Remember- Don't let money hold you (or your friends) back from what God wants to do this summer. Scholarships are available for all SURGE events! Email me for an application.

Thanks!
Jason Regier
Youth Pastor
LifePointe Church
jason.regier@mylifepointe.com

SURGE "Scarred" - Part 5 - A New Reality

2010-06-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard the statement “come back to reality”? What we are really saying is that we all need to live in the circumstances of life. We need to live in this natural world and the supernatural stuff about God isn’t true. Jesus is only a nice magic prophet. Don’t expect anything good in this life, because this world is messed up. You and I will just have to make it through day by day and hope we have a few days of happiness.

I want to tell you about a new reality...

REALITY is actually found in Christ (Colossians 2:17). Reality is not found in circumstances, friends, feelings, jobs, school, grades, or TV! It's found in Christ. God who is spirit, created everything that is natural. The spiritual world is actually greater, more real, and more powerful then the natural world. Amazing truth! So this means... FAITH changes the world we live in.

Faith has a direct impact on the circumstances of our lives! Faith doesn’t just submit or surrender to whatever is happening, faith changes the world we live in! Until you come to the acknowledgement of this truth, you will become a victim of so much in life and you will write it off as something that God wanted to do in your life. Check out these verses of how faith unleashed the supernatural in a natural world.

Mark 5:24-34 NLT - Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith (trust and confidence in God, springing from faith in God) has made you well (healed you). Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Notice Jesus didn't say it was God's sovereign will or today God "willed" you to be healed. Jesus didn't say because you had enough people praying. Jesus didn't say because you did all the right things and went to church every week... Jesus said YOUR FAITH has made you well.

Faith changes the world we live in! And just because you don't know something or don't understand something (like something bad that happened or everything about the bible), what you don't know doesn't undo what you do know. And we know that God's is good and His word is true. We can base our lives on His word! Here's another verse...

Matthew 9:27-29 NIV As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" 28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; 30and their sight was restored.

And another...

Mark 11:22-24 - Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you (not God) can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you (not God) must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

This doesn’t take away from the beauty, wonder, and power of God at all. But He has set the world up in such a way that if we continue to ignore Him and choose our own ways we will be in a mess. In this series we have been answering the question “where was God?” But really we should be asking the question “where were we?” What have we been doing? What choices have we made? How has God been so good to me even when I know I’ve made bad choices and chosen against God in my life.

So often we put all the responsibility on God. "God what are You going to do about this?" What are You going to do?! But God is saying, wait... time out... what are you going to believe?

Mark 9:21-24 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” …the spirit left the boy.

Even faith is a grace! So cool! So what are you going to believe?

Here are some powerful action steps for you to take.

1. Get God's Grace - God's love and His gift of salvation has to become the central theme in your life. When we really get God's grace, we move from "I have to" to "I want to".

2. Get God's Word - However you have to do this... get God's word in your heart. Not just in your head or ears, but in your heart. This takes reading, meditating, memorizing, and listening to great messages about the Word.

3. Get God's Faith - Faith is the believing and receiving of God's gift of grace. What will you believe? SPEAK the Word over you life and watch the world change.

SURGE "Scarred" - Part 4 – Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

2010-05-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

First of all let’s really look at this question and hear the detail in the question. What we are saying is that people deserve or don’t deserve evil in their lives because of what they do. So if they are a good person and have done good things (think grandmas, mom or dad, children, missionaries) we assume there should be good things in their lives. And if they are bad people (think murders, kidnappers, drug dealers, bank robbers) who have done bad things we assume there should be bad things in their lives.

But we got a problem!

God NEVER does anything based on MERIT

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT – “God saved you by His grace [free/unmerited favor] when you believed [through faith]. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Saved = Not just saved from hell, but saved from all the consequences of sin (hell and death would be at the top of the list)

This is the scripture that changed everything for me as a teenager. I remember one night at 13 years old, laying in bed and freaking out thinking… do I really know God? Am I going to hell? Have I been good enough? Have I said the right prayer?

I talked to my dad about this and what he did has been marked in my heart ever since. He took me to the Word and showed me this scripture. He said “it’s nothing you have done… it’s all about God’s grace.” As we prayed together that night, the peace of God overwhelmed me. The goodness of God was so real! Dad also told me to write this date and scripture down so that I will always remember. I've still have that bible and that little note is still a reminder of God's grace.

We've got another problem!

No one is GOOD

Romans 3:10-12 - …there is no one who does good, not even one.

Only God is TRULY GOOD – Mark 10:18

When we compare evil to God, there is a huge distinction. But let’s consider another player… Grandma Wilson (praying, selfless, compassionate, loving woman). Where does she fit? If we compare Granny to someone we consider evil (like Hitler) we would put her all the way over to the good side. But if we compare Granny to God she is going to be in the same boat as Hitler. In the biblical worldview, when we measure Granny’s goodness she will be right next to Hitler… when you compare them both to God.

All of us have come horribly short of God’s standard of good because of sin. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). So this whole question of why bad things happen to good people is really a non-question because there is nobody that’s good and God doesn’t do anything based on what we do anyway!

The real question: Why are we not all DESTROYED?

Why has the boat not been blown up? If I'm in the bad boat with Hitler, Granny, murders and everyone else... how is that this thing hasn't been torpedoed? How is there any goodness in my life at all? You taken care of me God and I know I haven’t chosen right. You have been better to me then I have been to myself! So are we all doomed because we can't do good?

In CHRIST we are made GOOD through the GOODNESS of God!

2 Cor. 5:21 Phillips – “For God caused Christ, who himself knew nothing of sin, actually to be sin for our sakes, so that in Christ we might be made good with the goodness of God.”

God does EVERYTHING by GRACE through FAITH

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV – “ It is by grace you have been saved, through faith”

Stay tuned as we wrap up this series "Scarred" next week. Grace and faith baby! Grace and faith.

SURGE "Scarred" - Part 3 – What is Good?

2010-05-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

Isaiah 5:20 “Woe (your headed for trouble) to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

There is an infection in our culture today and it's not in our bodies, it's in our minds. Many people think that God is mean, overbearing, waiting for us to mess up, or even bringing bad stuff into our lives in order to teach us things. The flip-side is the belief that humans are basically good. No wonder many people don't want God... I don't think I would either if God was mean and I could save myself.

This infection has covered up the wounds of so many people and unless we get it cleared up it will forever alter our lives. This is a profound truth! What comes to your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you. True thoughts about God will lead to pure worship and an authentic relationship with God. Untrue thoughts will lead to a distorted reality and corrupt every part of your life. Below are the notes to a recent teaching at SURGE. Be blessed!

No one is GOOD

Romans 3:10-12 CEV "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

Only God is TRULY GOOD – Mark 10:18

God is ripping with goodness! That is all He can do. He is not behind evil. He does not use evil. He doesn't even allow evil. God is good. So many times we think we are good because we compare ourselves to other people. We might not be Billy Grahm but we don't go around killing people. However compared to God, we are all in the same boat! On the scale of goodness we are all the complete opposite of God. BUT we don't have to stay there. Check out this next verse...

Psalm 34:8 NIV “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good”

DISCOVER for yourself the GOODNESS of God

God has made a way for us to get over our bad selves and experience the goodness of God. Not just hear about it or think about it... really experience it! Jesus is the key to the whole thing. Jesus is the revealed goodness of God. Experience Jesus and you will have experienced God.

God is all about LOADS OF GOODNESS

Genesis 45:21-28 NLT- He also sent his father ten male donkeys loaded with the finest products of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other supplies… “Joseph is still alive!” they told him. “And he is governor of all the land of Egypt!” Jacob was stunned at the news—he couldn’t believe it. But when they repeated to Jacob everything Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him, their father’s spirits revived.

God never intended us to just tell people about the goodness of God and that be it. There should be LOADS of evidence in our lives of the goodness of God! Loads of joy! Loads of peace! Loads of healed and blessed lives! The list goes on and on. People should hang with us, go to our churches, get in our homes and say "God's got to be real!" "Jesus has to be alive!" "Look at all this goodness!"

God’s GOODNESS leads to a change of heart

Rom. 2:4 CEV “You surely don't think much of God's wonderful goodness or of His patience and willingness to put up with you. Don't you know that the reason God is good to you is because He wants you to turn to Him?”

It's not guilt, threat of hell, pain, sickness, earthquakes, tornadoes, cancer that lead people to God... it's His goodness! I invite you to discover the goodness of God for yourself and find a whole new life.

p.s. I recommend to start readying about Jesus in the book of Matthew... and then just keep reading until you get it.

SURGE Scarred pt 2 - Why Is There Evil?

2010-05-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

As I road the bus to school in elementary, I often started or participated in making fun of one particular girl. She was different and I thought it was funny to point this out. Now as I think back on this girl, I can only image the hurt and pain she must have gone though. So why was this evil (hurt/pain) in this girl's life? Who’s responsible?

Is it God? But the Bible says God is…
• LOVE – I John 4:8 – God is love
• GOOD – Mark 10:18 - No one is good except God alone
• PERFECT – Duet. 32:4 - He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright He is!

Is it the devil? But the Bible says the devil is…
• DECEIVER - Revelation 12:9 - The ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world

Is it me? What? No way…. Ah man!
James 1:13-15 - For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire…
John 3:19 God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil

The Bible says we are FREE
Genesis 2:16 You are free to eat from any tree in the garden
John 8:36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed

With FREEDOM comes the power to CHOOSE
• Choose life (Deut 30:19)
• Choose this day who you are going to serve (Josh 24:15)
• Jesus said, if any man will come after me (Matt 16:24, 25)

With the power to CHOOSE comes the possibility of EVIL
With the power to CHOOSE comes the possibility of LOVE

TRUE LOVE (God kinda love) can only happen in a FREE MORAL world

How does FREE WILL create EVIL?
• Result from OUR OWN choices
• Result from OTHERS choices

Good news is that you don't have be stuck with all these bad choices. God can and wants to redeem any situation! We'll be talking more about His love, grace, mercy and how we can live at a new level when we live by faith. Stay tuned! But for now I want to leave you with this thought...

You have the POWER to CHOOSE. What will you do?

Deuteronomy 30:19  Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life.

SURGE Scarred pt 1 - Questions

2010-04-28T01:17:00.000-05:00

We all have different stories. Are the different stories just the hand we got dealt by a sovereign God? He gives us some good cards but we also get a few bad ones? He gives and takes away but blessed be His name?

Many young people are stuck in their relationship with God or don't have a relationship with God because of these types of questions...

Where was God...
When I was hurting?
When my mom died of cancer?
When my parents divorced?
When my brother was hit by a drunk driver?
When the earthquake hit Haiti?
When I was getting abused?
When I have no friends and lonely?
When my dad left us all along?

Whenever tragedy hits, God is often the one who is blamed. In fact many people believe that all of life happens for a reason and God is this conductor in the heavens orchestrating everything that happens on earth, both good and bad.

But we got a major problem… how can a loving all-powerful God cause or allow bad stuff to happen? Let’s go deeper. How can we trust and give our lives to a God who might throw us a curve ball at anytime, might deal us a bad card? How can we trust a God who we think is behind our parents divorce, problems at school, sickness in the family, or an earthquake in Haiti?

In this series "Scarred" we are going to move beyond the surface answers and really dig into these tough questions. This topic is so important because our PERCEPTION of God determines how we LIVE.

Our PERCEPTION of God, His SOVEREIGNTY, His GOODNESS, and the reality of EVIL and HUMAN suffering IS determining and WILL determine how we LIVE life, how we RELATE to God, and the QUALITY OF LIFE that we live.

Here's what we will be talking about over the next 5 weeks...

Why is there evil?
If God is really all powerful, loving, and good, it seems that He CAN and SHOULD stop evil… right?
What is good? Is God really good?
What's the deal with God’s sovereignty and free will?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Does God use hurt/tragedy to teach us something?
How do grace & faith help us to overcome?

QUESTIONS are good if you are truly interested in the ANSWERS.

John 3:10 (MSG) Instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God?

Matt. 13:15 (NLT) The hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.

JESUS wants to HEAL you and ANSWER your questions. Have you asked Him?

I Cor. 8:1 (MSG) We sometimes tend to think we know all we need to know to answer these kinds of questions—but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds. We never really know enough until we recognize that God alone knows it all.

John 8:32 (NIV) You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

A Potential Next Step…

I’m just checking this God thing out… Your 5 week challenge is to begin a JOURNEY for the truth.

I call myself a Christian… but I don’t live like it… Your 5 week challenge is to humble your heart and COME BACK to the truth.

I’m a “full throttle” Christian… Your 5 week challenge is to find FREEDOM in the truth.

SURGE Diamond Smugglers

2010-04-21T14:27:00.000-05:00

If you found a stash of diamonds, you would have found a treasure. Often we think of Pirates or "Goonies" when we think of treasure, but in our day in age, anything that is greatly valued is a treasure. This could be a car, friend, money, guitar... on and on.

Matt. 6:19-21 says "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Whatever we wrap our hearts around in this life will be our treasure, our "number one thing". But God is saying don't get wrapped in the world, get wrapped in Him. God is wanting to be our treasure, our most highly valued part in our lives. We were not created to store up treasure on this earth. We were made for a mission and with purpose.

2 Cor. 4:6-8 - We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We all have messed up and made mistakes, but God can still use you... a broken clay pot. You contain the great power of God! So come on! Let's make a difference in this world and let them see God's great power shining through our brokenness.

Next week we are starting a new series called SCARRED: Where Was God In The Middle Of My Hurt? It's going to be an incredible time of finding out what God says about hurt, tragedy, sickness, abuse, lack... the list goes on and on. Come hang out with us and find HOPE again!

Welcome To The Planet - Week 6 - We Are Made For A Mission!

2010-04-14T09:41:00.000-05:00

Question #1: What is the mission?

To tell people about God’s desire to have A RELATIONSHIP with them
Then he said, "Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God's good news to one and all.”
Mark 16:15

All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Question #2: How can people have a relationship with God?

By establishing a spiritual BASE
B – Believe that God made me, loves me, wants a relationship with me, and has a purpose for me.
A – Admit that I’ve lived for myself and not for God’s purposes.
S – Surrender my life to God and accept His forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
E – Enter into a life living full throttle for God. God's word is the key to our relationship with Him.

Question #3: What does it mean to share the good news?

Share with your LIFE
The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master's Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore—you're the message!
1 Thessalonians 1:8 (The Message)

They couldn't take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus… As for us, there's no question—we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard." Acts 4:13, 4:20

Share with an INVITATION
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5

1. Team up! You don't have to do this alone.
2. Invite your friends to a series or event rather than church.
• Diamond Smugglers next week!
• New Series in two weeks called "Scarred"!
3. Don't give up! Keep inviting.

Share with your STORY
Everyone has a story and nobody can argue with your story. You don't have to know the entire Bible to begin to share your story. It can be as simple as... "when I moved to KC I was mad at my parents, depressed, and wanted to die. But I met Jesus and He changed my life. Now I'm happy, excited, and have a good relationship with my parents!" Check out the story of the blind man in John 9.

“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" John 9:25

Question #4: How can I start this mission?

Start by writing down 3-5 names of friends/family/neighbors that you can begin praying for and intentionally building friendships with. Then live out what we talked about above. Below is an easy way to remember all this.

R - Reveal Your a Christian
E - Extend an invitation to SURGE
A - Ask if it's ok to share your story
C - Communicate the why/how you became a Christian
H - Help your friend know Christ personally

But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love. Acts 20:24

Last night at SURGE I handed out arm bands to remind us of our mission. You might have noticed the graphic at the top of this blog. The arm bands have the same words on it Apostolus Solari," which means "apostle of solace," which means "someone sent to bring relief or comfort! Trifecta means top three people that we are building friendships with and praying for.

You were made for a mission!

Welcome To The Planet - Week 5 - We Are Shaped For Serving God

2010-04-06T21:54:00.000-05:00

• Will I consume or contribute?
• Am I a getter or a giver?
• Do I expect others to serve me or do I look to serve others?

Challenge: if you desire to contribute, give, and serve others you must discover your GIFTS and opportunities and SERVE.

Challenge: if you plan to consume, get, and be served you must begin preparing yourself for a LONELY life and one without much MEANING.

“Service is the route to significance”

If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody. Galatians 6:3

If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life. Mark 8:35

A PICTURE OF A LIFE NOT WASTED…

Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. Romans 14:12

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. 1 Peter 4:10

1. Make a difference HERE (within the local church)
Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27

2. Make a difference in THE WORLD (outside your bubble and outside your comfort zone)
And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' Matthew 25:40

God has a ministry for you in the CHURCH and a mission for you in the WORLD.

3. Make a difference in ETERNITY
But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve." Jeremiah 17:10

"Take care! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, because then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give a gift to someone in need, don't shout about it as the hypocrites do-- blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I assure you, they have received all the reward they will ever get. Matthew 6:1-2

4. Watch your life be molded to be LIKE JESUS
For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:28

Resurrection Day Worship Set List

2010-04-05T08:36:00.000-05:00

1. Happy Day - Tim Hughes
2. Mighty To Save - Rueben Morgan
3. Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin
Message
Reflection
4. Christ Is Risen - Matt Maher

Welcome To The Planet - Week 4 - We Were Created To Be Like Jesus

2010-03-30T23:02:00.000-05:00

Of all the purposes... this one seems the most odd. Images of me with a beard and long flowing hair come to mind. If I'm a swimmer does that now mean I walk on water? If I'm a guitar player do I now play a Jesus guitar? What are we really talking about and how do we do this? Below I hope you find this outline helpful. Bottom line we have to do our part, God does His part, the Bible provides the truth/path, and others come along to support and encourage. When this really happens... really happens in our lives... it's radical! But it's not easy and it doesn't happen overnight. Will you pursue or ignore?

Then God said, "Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves." Genesis 1:26

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. Romans 8:29

What it DOESN’T mean to become like Christ
• It doesn’t mean that you become a GOD
• It doesn’t mean that you become a MINDLESS CLONE
• It doesn’t mean that your life becomes EASIER

It DOES mean taking on his VALUES, ATTITUDE, and CHARACTER

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Philippians 2:5

Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It's rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:22-24 (The Message)

What it DOES take to become like Christ

1. I play a part…in becoming like Christ…I can…

Commit myself to GOD’S WAY
As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collection booth. "Come, be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthew 9:9

Change the way I THINK
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:2

Develop Christ-like CHARACTER
Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness—righteous, holy, and true. Ephesians 4:22-24

TRAIN Hard
You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. I Cor. 9:24-25

Additional verses: Luke 6:39 & I Timothy 4:8

2. GOD plays a part… in me becoming like Christ

And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. 2 Corinthians 3:18

For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13

3. “OTHERS” play a part… in me becoming like Christ

God’s Word provides the TRUTH
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

God’s people provide the SUPPORT
I'm eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other. Romans 1:12

I am sure that God who began the good work within you will continue His work until it’s finally finished on the day when Jesus Christ comes back again. Philippians 1:6

Welcome To The Planet - Week 3 - We Are Formed For God's Family

2010-03-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

1. Recognize God’s relational DESIGN

And it was a happy day for him when he gave us our new lives through the truth of his Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in his new family. James 1:18

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5

2. Respond to God’s desire for you to move from CREATION to CHILD

Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.
Galatians 4:7

For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 1 Peter 1:4

3. Reveal your spiritual identity change through BAPTISM

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

... many of the people who heard him believed and were baptized Acts 18:8

4. Risk and connect with other “FAMILY MEMBERS” (Christians)

Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "These are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!" Matthew 12:49-50

Level 1: God’s CHURCH (universal/Christians everywhere)
The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. Ephesians 1:23 (MSG)

Level 2: LOCAL church (LifePointe Church)
so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. Romans 12:5

Level 3: SMALL group (during SURGE & LifePointe groups)
And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. Acts 2:44

Level 4: IRON sharpens IRON (real close with at least 1 adult/peer)
As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17

All of these levels require me to LOVE
Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. 1 John 3:18

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:35

The biblical term for connecting with other Christians is FELLOWSHIP. At SURGE we call this UNITE.

Welcome To The Planet - Week 2 - We Are Planned For God's Pleasure

2010-03-10T09:34:00.000-06:00

We are planned for God’s pleasure. We were created to have a relationship with God that HONORS Him. That is one of the reasons we are on this planet! There are many different words we can use for honor… value, worth, idolize. Around SURGE we use the word glorify. That’s what the “G” stands for in the word SURGE. Another way to say it is worship. What we value, honor, idolize, glorify, and give worth to is what we worship. We were created to worship! But how do we know what or who we are worshiping? Sometimes I think we live life so random it’s like this cartoon. Just throw the dart and that’s what we will worship today. Here are three tests to help clarify what we worship.

#1 Time – Where you spend your time is what you value.
#2 Money – Where you spend your money is what you value.

Matthew 6:21 “Where your treasure is that’s where your heart is.” If you show me where you’re putting your treasure (time & money) I’ll tell you where your heart is. That shows me what you value. That shows me what you honor.

#3 Thoughts – This may be the most important because people can tell you where to spend your time and money, but no one can control your thoughts. What do you think about when you first get up? What do you think about as you go to bed? Where your thoughts go is what you value.

So what is true worship the way God intended it to be? We all are worshiping something… but what is true worship? Romans 12:1-2 (MSG) says “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-school, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the BEST thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you.”

1. Giving God WORTH – Psalm 96:4 – “Great is the Lord and most WORTHY of praise.” Only God is worthy of our praise and worship. Worship is a powerful thing because that’s what we were created to do. However, so many times our worship is going to the wrong things. Why do you think money, cars, sex, celebrities, tv, athletes, and rocks stars have so much power and influence in our culture? We worship those things! What would happen if we engaged true worship in our lives? I believe it would be the break through that so many of us are desperate for.

2. ATTITUDE of the HEART – “Take your ordinary everyday life… and place it before God as an offering.” Last Friday I was vacuuming the house and I was not enjoying it. In fact the more I vacuumed the more irritating it became. I was thinking of a hundred other things that I would rather be doing and I was tired of cleaning up after our cat! But in the middle of this it was like the Lord stopped me and reminded of what I would be talking about at SURGE. The light bulb went on! This is it! This is what Romans 12 is talking about. Taking my ordinary life, like vacuuming, and place it before God as an offering! So I did. I changed my attitude (key to changing your attitude is thankfulness) and began to worship with my vacuuming. I got excited and the whole thing was transformed into a time of worship!

3. Giving God FOCUS – “Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.” If you have a drivers license you know that where you looking is where you’re driving. If you start looking around or at the person next to you… you start driving that way! Same thing is true in life. Where your focus is, that’s where you are going!

4. RECOGNIZE and RESPOND – “Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it.” How would you respond to a complete stranger who saved your life from an oncoming bus? What is your reasonable, rational, and intelligent response? How much more should we respond to our God who not only created us, but loved us with an unending love and sent His son (while we were still strangers) to die for our sins. Then Jesus rose again and proved He had the power to deal with all our problems. What can I do but give my whole life to Him.

5. Living the BEST life – “Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you.” There is only one best life and it’s the one God created for you.

True worship is life! Life becomes worship. Life becomes one big song to our Creator. Life is this anthem where your school is the electric guitar, your homework is the drums, your social life is the vocals, your job is the acoustic guitar, your family is the keys, and your spiritual life is the very words to your life song. If we really respond to this purpose of God, this pleasure of God in us… our lives become worship.

Welcome To The Planet - Week 1 - The Challenge to Move Ahead

2010-03-03T10:28:00.001-06:00

I am so excited about this series we started last night called "Welcome to the Planet - What on Earth am I Here for?" I'm indebted Doug Fields (one of my favorite youth ministry guys) for this series. Doug is an amazing youth pastor, writer, and speaker. His books and teachings have helped me so much over the years and it's so fun to use some of his material in this series!

Welcome to the Planet week 1 was all about the challenge to move ahead. Check out the notes for an overview of what we talked about and your potential next step. I encourage you to use these notes during your quiet times this week and then also use the notes to invite a friend. I guarantee you have some friends who are wondering about the meaning of life! What a great way to get them involved by asking them to come check out SURGE.

“Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” Bertrand Russell, atheist

God created the earth
therefore…
there must be PURPOSE behind his creation
therefore…
there’s purpose for my life
therefore…
I must either PURSUE the purpose or IGNORE it

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

IF YOU CHOOSE TO PURSUE GOD’S PURPOSES FOR YOUR LIFE…here’s what will be taught the next 5 weeks…

God’s Plan and Our Response…
1. You were planned for God’s Pleasure - Honor God with YOUR LIFE
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
Mark 12:30

2. You were formed for God’s Family - Connect with OTHER CHRISTIANS
"…so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:5

3. You were created to become like Jesus - Grow on ON OUR OWN
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5

4. You were shaped for serving God - Discover how YOU’RE GIFTED
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others." 1 Peter 4:10

5. You were made for a mission - Reach out TO OTHERS
"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." Colossians 4:5

A POTENTIAL NEXT STEP…

“Wow…that’s a lot stuff…I’m not sure…I’m checking this God-thing out.”
Your 5 week challenge: RESEARCH the truth

“I’d call myself a Christian…but I don’t really live like it.”
Your 5 week challenge: RETURN to the truth

“I’m not just a ‘Christian’…I’m a follower of Christ.”
Your 5 week challenge: REVOLUTIONIZE your life with the truth

What Do You Do With The Fire?

2010-02-24T11:16:00.001-06:00

SURGE just had an incredible weekend at ATF (Acquire the Fire). We also had an incredible time last night sharing our hearts about what God is doing in our lives. So now what? Is that it? Do we bask in the afterglow of an awesome time with God and just go on with our lives as normal? Or does something need to change? Do we need to take some kind of action? Should our lives be different now? What do we do with the fire?

A fire has to spread and grow or it will die! What I mean by spread, is that our life for Christ begins to affect those around us. We call this "reaching" around SURGE. Our friends and family should be able to tell a difference. Our schools are changed because our fire for Christ is spreading. We begin NOW by making a difference where we live. We reach, we give hope, we help, we love, we encourage, we invite friends to church. I'm so excited about our next series at SURGE! It's called "Welcome To The Planet - Why on Earth Am I Here For". Many teenagers question the reason for their existence or what they are to do with their lives. It going to be an amazing series looking at the purposes God has given for our lives. Not only will mature Christians be challenged but it is the perfect series to invite a friend!

What's the best way to grow a fire? Put more logs on top! Add some fuel! This means we begin to take hold of our relationship with God like never before and pursue Him. We call this "equip" around SURGE. We no longer depend only on our church services, pastors, and leaders, but we began to train ourselves. This is called being a Disciple of the Lord. There is a big difference between a disciple and a believer (see John 8:31-32). Here are several things you can do to grow the fire...

1. Review the weekend - What did you learn? What is God teaching you? What action do you need to take?
2. Serve! Find a place to give your life in your local church.
3. Missions! On July 15-17 SURGE will take a Urban Missions trip to Wichita to help World Impact Ministries.
4. EPIC! Epic is a summer internship for students who want to get radical!
5. Cycles of Radical Life - I have poured my heart into a tool that I'm so excited about! This booklet helps students take ownership of their radical walk with Christ. It targets both the fundamentals and the extreme things we can do everyday to grow the fire.

Phil. 1:6 says "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." As the fire grows, it spreads! As the fire spreads, it grows! As the fire grows... you get the picture. Come on!

Dream Thieves & God's Plan

2010-02-17T15:03:00.001-06:00

In high school I had no idea what God wanted me to do with my life. In college, that all changed. I got radical in my pursuit of God. During my sophomore year of college, God put a dream in my heart serve the local church in youth ministry and worship. That was in 1996… over 14 years ago! That’s a lot of time for a dream to be stolen.

God has placed certain dreams, dreams that are impossible to reach without Him, inside of all of us to be used to glorify Him, advance His Kingdom, and to bring the goodness of God into the world today. But surprise, surprise! There are dream thieves out there who do not want you to live out those dreams because as you do the evil kingdom begins to fall apart. When the kingdom of God is advanced, the bad guys lose! We must not let our God given dreams be stolen.

Dream Thief #1 = Time

There is something about time that can eat away at our patience, perseverance, and faith. What if I had given up on my God dream? Hebrews 6:12 (NLT) says “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance (patience).” Galatians 6:9 (NIV) says “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Don’t give up! Establish your heart in the word of God and refuse to be shaken by the length of time.

Dream Thief #2 = Satan

For me, Satan began to put nagging thoughts into my head that just compounded the effects of time on my dream. Thoughts like…“You’re wasting your life.” “You didn’t hear from God.” “It will never happen.” Satan will accuse you of being just another regular, ordinary, average person who does not like the way their life is going.

But 1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) says, “You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” God says you are a CHOSEN and ROYAL people! That good stuff! But it’s not self-exalting, it’s God exalting! James 4:7 (NIV) says to“ Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” We have authority over the enemy through Jesus Christ!

Dream Thief #3 = Friends & Family

It can be tough when well meaning friends and family come forward to help you see things in a more “balanced” perspective. Hopefully we all have friends and family that are in full support of our radical pursuit of Jesus, but there are others that feel their lives are mediocre, average, or ordinary compared to our lives. These people will feel threatened and try to convince us to not be so radical. They want us to stay the same so that they can stay the same.

Or we may have friends and family from our past that knew us before we went full throttle for Jesus. Their natural expectation is for you to keep acting the way you used to. They don’t want you to change. But change is the only way to grow. Anything that doesn’t change… dies!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Does God have a plan for you? Yes! Does He know what it is? Yes! Is it a good plan? Yes! His dream and plan for you is just as unique and remarkable as you are! It’s not someone else’s dream. It’s God’s dream for you! To let your dream die or be stolen would be like letting part of you die. It would be like letting go of your uniqueness, individuality, and calling. Remember, we were not created for average! We are called to be radical.

Now look at verse thirteen. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This is the key to knowing and living out your God dream. This is the key to stopping the dream thieves. This is the key to radical Christianity.

So are you seeking Him with all your heart? Is He a vital necessity to your life? Is there sin or distractions in your life? In our high school guys small group, we had great discussion about seeking God with all our hearts and giving Him everything. But what does that practically look like in our lives? How do we balance “giving Him everything” with work, school, family, homework, entertainment? I’d love to hear more of your thoughts!

Radical Christianity - ATF Week 2

2010-02-10T17:34:00.000-06:00

Last week I saw a video clip of Shaun White at the X-Games. During his practice run for the gold metal on the half pipe he missed a landing and smashed his head! It looked killer! He probably should have gone straight to the hospital. But what did he do?! He got right back out there and put together the most amazing snowboard half pipe run anyone had ever seen! It was amazing. This guy is totally radical to take a blow like that and come back, not be scared, and go for it again. The Olympics are weeks away and he’s favored to win the gold. He was risking it all for another run. That’s crazy! That’s radical! The announcers said that if he had not made that last run it would have been ok. Nobody would have looked down on him or said anything because the Olympics are right around the corner. But Shaun went above and beyond, stayed focused, got radical, and won it all.

Jesus has called us to be extreme! To live a radical life. We were not born for average, but to live a life above and beyond. Christianity is the radical life. It’s an amazing, supernatural, real, authentic, relationship with God. Not only did Jesus teach it when He was here on earth, but He also showed us how. He lived it! This extreme Christianity can only be lived through the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Word of God.

Let’s look at some radical things Jesus calls us to…

Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT) “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV) "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Matthew 5:33-34 (NIV) "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Matthew 5:33-34 (MSG)"And don't say anything you don't mean… just say 'yes' and 'no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.”

In each of these verses we see Jesus explain the normal average thing that everyone is doing and then He takes it up a notch. All the way to eleven! Everyone knows it’s wrong to murder (average), but Jesus says not to even be angry or curse someone (radical). Everyone knows that adultery is wrong (average), but Jesus says not to even look at someone lustfully (radical). Everyone knows you should keep your oath and not break a promise (average), but Jesus says you should not even have to promise but let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”.

So Jesus is going above and beyond the common average actions of our culture and asking the question… what’s in our hearts. What’s in our hearts that would lead to murder, adultery, or breaking a promise? What’s in our hearts that compels us to anger, jealousy, envy, strife, lust, sex before marriage, homosexuality, pornography, lying, cheating, fabricating, and embellishing the truth??

Average doesn’t cut it anymore. When are we going to stop comparing ourselves to other people or even other Christians? The standard is Jesus! The standard is the Word of God. Jesus is calling us to a higher level of living… and it’s radical.

I love the word radical because it means two things… fundamental and excessive. You cannot be radical without the fundamentals. Shaun White could not have won gold at the X-games without knowing the fundamentals of a snowboard and a half pipe. But when you know and live the fundamentals you can “get a little Shaun White” on your life! When you are in the Word, prayer, fasting, journaling, worship on a continual basis you are setting yourself up for the extreme power of God in your life. There is nothing magical about the fundamentals, but they get you in tune with God. They get you hooked up with God. They get you in shape! That’s what it is all about, a pure relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Read about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Caleb, Joshua, David, Jesus, Peter, Paul and you’ll find radical Christians. Read about the first church in Acts and you’ll find a bunch of radical Christians. When Jesus invited us to follow Him, He was not asking us to be apart of some boring club of people who just sit around and claim the name Jesus. No, He called us to radical, extreme living! He called us to claim His name with power and forcefully advance His Kingdom on the earth. The Christian life is all about God and God is NOT boring! If you start to think God is boring, realize that it’s you who is actually boring!

There is no better time than right now to step into radical, above and beyond, extreme Christian living. This is His call. He isn’t just asking us to believe and then sit back and do nothing. No, He’s asking us to have His heart and follow His example and do what He says.

I think we can all respond in one of two ways. 1) If we have never received Christ as our Savior that’s the first step. Check out… to walk you through this amazing process of transformation. 2) To step up and begin to live the radical life (see steps below).

Let the radical revolution begin!

At LifePointe Church, we call these the CYCLES of Radical Life! These six categories are fundamental and excessive to radical living. This is where you begin and this is where you continue.

C ross-train in spiritual exercises (Bible reading, prayer, worship, journaling,
positive affirmations, fasting, etc.)
Y oke to attendance/involvement/ownership in the local church
C ommit to serving on ministry teams
L ink to small group relationships
E mbrace financial stewardship principles
S hare invitations with those who are unchurched/dechurched

Questions to answer…
1. What do you think was the significance of Jesus referring back to the Law but then saying, “But I say to you…”?

2. What in your life do you feel you are just living up to the average (or the “common standard”) right now that you should be going above and beyond in?

3. What would you consider your main life focus to be right now? Do you see this as the Lord’s will?

4. Why do you think Jesus calls us to a radical life instead of living a life that is mundane?

5. What role does the Holy Spirit play in the lives of believers who want to live out extreme Christianity?

6. On a scale of 1-10, what would you say your zeal (passion) level for the Lord is? What can you do to see it increase in your life?

7. Read John 2:13-17. How did Jesus carry around zeal and how can you follow His example in it?

8. Practically, let’s discuss how we can SEEK (go after, and not give up) God and His Kingdom above everything else.

SURGE - Self Image

2010-02-03T09:10:00.000-06:00

In early elementary I was always the fastest most athletic kid in my class. Winning races, rocking people at dodgeball, capturing the flag was all a normal part of life. I was king of the playground! However, in late elementary and going into Jr. High, I started to get a little rounder. You should see pics from my Jr. High years! As I got rounder my self-image went downer. I went from feeling like a king to feeling like a loser. Then my body starting changing, had to get braces, and tried to keep up with the changing hairstyles and clothes (which is an oxy moron in rural Nebraska :). For several years I look in the mirror and wonder was I worth it? Did I mean something? Was I somebody?

Some things that helped me through this time were some decent friends, great parents, and a good church. But even with this support, my main criteria for determining my self worth all through out Jr. and Sr. High School were girls. Did girls like me? Did I have a girlfriend? Did I have a date to the prom. I almost always did and showed those girls off like a trophy presented for all to see that “I’m worth something!” “I’m somebody!”

But is that really who I am? What I see in the mirror… is that who I am? What girls or people think… is that who I am?

When you look in the mirror do you like what you see? What do you think of yourself? Do you accept yourself just as you are? Do you feel you got the shaft when God was passing out looks? Do you feel you could be better off socially if you were better looking? When you look in the mirror do you say, “Thanks a lot God, you sure blew it with me?”

I think we all deal with this issue of a poor self-image at some level. But this is no minor issue because it’s rooted in the core of who we are. A misbelief about our self-image will affect every relationship we have for the rest of our lives, including our relationship with God. How can we trust a God who we think blew it when He made us? What is life like if we hate ourselves? How can we have authentic relationships with others if you don’t know who we are?

I think most of us realize that this topic is a huge problem, but since our culture is saturated with distractions and quick fixes, it’s easy to cover up. Why deal with the heart when you can get some new threads or a new dew?! From rock stars to cover girls, the world we live in worships outside beauty and abilities and we get stuck trying to live up to the impossible. Take a look around your school and communities. Who gets the attention? The pretty girl or the ugly girl? Who is voted class president and captain of the football team? The good-looking guy or the ugly guy? Who has time to hang with God when we constantly have to be looking good on the outside.

We are talking about some messed up values and the Bible hits the nail on the head in Ephesians 4:17-19. “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.”

This is the world we live in! But this is also in our churches, families, and student ministries! Why would we want to think about useless things? Why would we want to have darkened understanding and be ignorant of the truth? Why would we want to be separated from God who is true beauty? Why would we want to give ourselves to something so fake and superficial?

It all comes back the issues of the heart. This whole verse centers on the “hardening of their hearts”. I can encourage you and tell you “you’re awesome, good looking, and smart”! But if you have a core belief, deep in your heart, that you are a loser, ugly, and stupid… that core belief will win out every time. I can tell you that God loves you and thinks your special! But if you have a core belief that God blew it when He made you… that core belief will win out every time.

But there is HOPE! There can be change! I can’t change you and you can’t change you but God’s Word can change you! Here’s what you will have to do. First identify what the core misbelief is. Best way to do this is to start a journal and write down the feelings and emotions you deal with on a daily basis. Ask God to help you identify the misbelief. Once you have the core misbelief identified, you're going to have to replace it with the Word of God. It only takes one verse that you meditate on day and night. Confess it out loud every morning and night. Think about it all the time and then over days, weeks, months… you're core belief will change to the truth. And when you know, not hear, but know the truth, the truth will set you free.

Here’s God’s view, here’s the truth…

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

I Peter 3:3-5 (NLT) “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.”

Ephesians 3:16 (NIV) “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” God doesn’t say he’ll strengthen your biceps or give you six pack. It’s all about the inside.

Galatians 2:20 (NIV) “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well”

God has made you special and unique! You have been created in the image of God! It’s the heart stuff that really matters. It’s the inside that is beautiful. There is nobody else that can do what you can do in this life. And if you will choose to live the real life rather then the fake life, there are no limits to your potential. Take these verses and get them into your heart, and I invite you to live the real life.

SURGE Prayer & Worship Night - Awake21

2010-01-27T11:27:00.000-06:00

It’s important to recognize that prayer is not just about the answer, but it’s also about glorifying God in the process of waiting for the answer. Praising God is the highest form of prayer! It’s our responsibility to check our hearts, our motives, and pray in faith, believing that God hears us. God not only wants to answer our prayers but He wants to spend time with us to prepare us for the answer that will come. So let’s not skip over the process as we wait on God, but enjoy the journey as He prepares us for the answers prayer brings.

Last night, SURGE was one of most powerful times we have had together. Students and leaders united their hearts and minds in prayer in worship for a whole hour! It was a SURGE of God!! What a privilege to serve along side these students and leaders of LifePointe Church. I'm in awe of our God and the hunger our students have for Him. This hunger, this passion, this seeking the Lord will only result in the supernatural activity of God in our lives. Wow!

Here was the flow for the night...
Worship - Everlasting God

Prayer - Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Prayer - Over our schools

Worship - Mighty To Save

Prayer - Transformation and Tenderness of Heart
Prayer - Lost friends and Boldness

Worship - The Stand

Prayer - Parents and Family
Prayer - Parents and Marriage

Worship - How He Loves

Prayer - SURGE
Prayer - LifePointe

Worship - Fire Fall Down

Prayer - ATF (students)
Prayer - ATF (Event staff, speakers, bands, teams, volunteers)
Prayer - Haiti
Prayer - God is our source!

Worship - Revelation Song

Awake21 - God's New Thing

2010-01-20T10:32:00.000-06:00

Romans: 8:5-6 NLT – “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

When Dolly and I moved into our house, we brought along our Dirt Devil vacuum. It was super lightweight and seem to work ok. We knew it wasn’t the best vacuum in the world but we didn’t think it was the worst either. Then came Gondor… our fluffy white cat. I don’t like cat hair everywhere and I wasn’t sure the old Dirt Devil was going to pull its weight. So we purchased a new vacuum that was highly recommended and fit into our budget.

This new vacuum had a sensor on it and you could tell when it was really sucking up the dirt. Green light was clean and the three levels of red lights was dirty, more dirt, and nasty! Well the first time I started vacuuming our house… the sensor was on all the time and it wasn’t green! Everywhere I vacuumed it was sucking up maximum dirt!

You see I thought the floors were clean but there was all this dirt and grim that the new vacuum found. Our hearts and minds get like this. Over time the stuff we eat, the stuff we do, the stuff we have, the stuff we watch, the stuff we pull up on the internet, fills our hearts and minds with junk, dirt, and grime… and we don’t even know it.

Fasting is the deep cleaning that helps take our minds off the things of this world and focus on the things of the Spirit. It’s incredibly effective way to get in the deep places of our heart and clean out the dirt. I’m amazed how quickly my thoughts and heart can hook up with God when I don’t have a bunch of distractions in my life! I like Spirit controlled life and peace.
So here we are at the beginning of 2010. I believe God wants to do a new thing in our lives, churches, families, marriages, friendships, communities, schools… you name it! Isaiah 43:18 says "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert  and streams in the wasteland.”

From this passage we see that God is ready to do a new thing but there is a possibility that we might miss it, that we don’t perceive it. Jesus talks about this in Matt. 9 in his fasting example of wine and wineskins. You can’t put new wine in old wineskins because the old wineskins will burst. New wine needs to expand and ferment and be put in new wineskins.

God is ready to do and be the supernatural in our lives. But if we are not lined up and tuned in with Him we may totally miss it! We are going to need a new skin and a new heart to contain the new things God wants to do. If I keep doing the same old things, using the same old vacuum, I’m going to get the same old results. But if I do something new, break out the new vacuum, clean out the junk, dirt, and distractions, I’ll be ready for what God wants to do in my life and ministry.

Fasting is just a tool like any other spiritual discipline. The supernatural happens when we use this tool to hook up with God and grow in our relationship with Him. I encourage you to keep going, keep fasting, keep praying, and keep on full throttle for God! As our hearts become new, our faith will began to perceive God’s new thing.

Awake21

2010-01-13T11:04:00.000-06:00

When I was in the process of choosing colleges it was the first time that I remember knowing God’s voice and following it. Prior to that I did my own thing. But God was moving in my heart and I was beginning to really pursue Him. I had narrowed the colleges down to two choices; Colorado Christian in Denver CO, and Tabor College in Hillsboro KS. I knew that if I wanted to make a final decision and follow God I would need to visit both colleges and see how they “felt” on the inside.

My first visit was to Colorado Christian. It was a great visit and I really like the campus, college, and area. I loved the idea of living in Denver, being close to the mountains, and being only 4 hours from home. If that was the only visit I had made I probably would have ended up going there. But I knew I needed to visit Tabor and see how that college felt as well. During my visit to Tabor it wasn’t too long before I knew this is where God wanted me. Even though the campus wasn’t as cool, it wasn’t in Denver, and I had no idea what I would study… I knew on the inside this is where God wanted me.

Very rarely does God speak in an audible voice in scripture, but we see in the life of Jesus, the apostles, and Paul that God speaks all the time in “knowings”. You know… like when I tell you my name, you hear it, your brain process it, and then you know it. Next time you see me you KNOW my name. God skips all the talking brain processing stuff and speaks directly to our hearts. You can KNOW what He is saying by looking to the inside.

Romans 8:14–17 says “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.”

Romans is saying to be true sons and daughters of God we are to be lead by the Spirit of God! How will this happen? He will talk (testify) with our spirits. Spirit to spirit communication! Think about it, if you and I can listen to the Holy Spirit in every part of life… we got it made! He knows everything and wants the best for us! That means if we will tune our hearts to Him we will live the supernatural life He wants for us.

Fasting is one of the keys that tunes us in with God. Fasting enables us to tune out the world stuff and fully engage in God. Fasting enables us to get in line with God and experience His best. Fasting enables us to experience the supernatural! Just like a radio station is always broadcasting and we just need to tune in to hear it, God is always moving and leading and we just need to tune into His station. But all the junk, TV, internet, food (list goes on and on) can get in the way. Jesus didn’t say “if you fast”… in Matt. 6 He says “when you fast”. What better time then now along with hundreds of other churches?! Check out www.awake21.org for all the info and resources.

As you began to know the voice of God it will build your faith and you’ll begin to live at a higher level. So what distractions do you need to fast from this month? What’s the junk in your life that you need to clean out? What are you believing God for and what does He want to do in your life? Time to wake up! Let’s go!!

SURGE Adrenaline! How Did Jesus Act?

2009-12-16T09:16:00.000-06:00

Are you ready for pure spiritual adrenaline right to the core of who you are? Hebrews 12:1-3 says… “We'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

This verse is saying if we want spiritual adrenaline, we have to dig into the life of Jesus. Study how He did it! In SURGE over the past several weeks we have been studying and applying the life of Jesus to our own lives. It’s been an incredible journey! Today let’s look at how Jesus acted in the middle of temptations, tests, and trials.

Let’s be honest. We face temptations, tests, and trials all the time. Everyday we have the choice to live for ourselves or to live for God. But one thing we need to understand is that there are different types of temptations. In the New Testament the word temptation is most often translated “temptation, tests, and trials” in the original Greek language.

James 1:13-15 says “when tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

So the first type of temptation is the temptation to sin or to do evil. This verse clearly says that this type of temptation is not from God but from our own evil desires and from the enemy. The second type of temptation comes from the fallen world that we live in. We are surrounded by sin and evil everyday. Other people who have free choice to sin and do evil also surround us. Because of this reality we may face temptations, test, and trials because of other people’s choices or as the result of our fallen world.

In James 1:2-4 the Bible says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

The word “trial” in this verse is the same word translated temptation, tests, and trials, but obviously we are talking about something different here. The third type of temptation is the proving of our faith.

I Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

So there may be times that we are led by God into a trial or test in order that our faith may be proved genuine and result in glory to God. Have you ever been through a challenging time and you were stronger spiritually because of it? Fasting is not the most fun thing in the world. But on the heels of it you are probably stronger spiritually. You’ve grown! Reaching out to people who are far from God can be challenging. You may face rejection and persecution. But this trial of your faith helps refine you and results in glory to God.

Now here’s what so cool! I Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

The emphasis should never be on the temptation, test, or trial but on the supernatural corresponding power that God gives us in every temptation, test, or trial! Sometimes we want to make our temptation special. Nobody knows what we’re going through right now. Actually, the Bible says it’s common. Sorry to burst your bubble but it’s normal stuff people are dealing with. So let’s get our eyes off the temptations, tests, and trials, and get our eyes on Jesus who gives us the power to overcome.

As we look at the life of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11 we can see exactly how to battle temptation. Read it! What did Jesus do every time the devil threw a different temptation at Him? Did He pull out a gun? Did He go into depression? Did He worry? Did He ask 20 people what to do? Did He watch the news? Did He take a nap? NO! He used the exact same weapons that we have today… the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

So when your are hit with the temptation of pride, popularity, cultural pressure, wealth, riches, power, manipulation, depression, poor self image, pornography, or meeting your own needs… you have the power to overcome through the Word of God. You have a way out! You don’t have to give into the temptation. You can set your life up to win and not fail. You can avoid situations of temptation and begin to put yourself in places that give you the chance for victory.

When you are in test and trials of obedience, you have the power to stand through the Word of God and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Read the Word! Pray the Word! Soak in the Word! Speak the Word! It will change your life!

SURGE Adrenaline! What did Jesus Believe?

2009-12-09T15:07:00.000-06:00

We live in a postmodern world. A postmodern way of thinking and living allows people to discover and invent truth for themselves. So no one can really know what is right or wrong and each person is entitled to create and act out their own truth… meaning he/she can do whatever he/she think is right in their own eyes. 83% of teenagers believe that moral truth depends on circumstances. Only 6% believe that moral truth is absolute. Whoa!

Here’s what interesting. Most teenagers really don’t know how they got to this conclusion. Most teenagers have simply adopted what the world has been telling them. They have been swimming in this postmodern culture for so long with out even thinking about it. It just seems normal.

When I sold cars, my co-workers and I got in a discussion of what we believe. We talked about church, God, Jesus, heaven, hell… I was the only one that could say with conviction exactly what I believed. The common response I get from people when asked the question “what do you believe” is “I don’t know.”

I’ve got good news! You can know! You can know without a doubt what you believe and why. In the Bible the book of Hebrews says “keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

An easy way to tell what someone believes is to watch what they do. For example if someone believes that speeding is ok, they will speed. If someone believes sex before marriage is ok, they’ll have sex. If someone believes in the Bible, they will read the Bible. If someone is confused about their beliefs that person will often do nothing or give their life to do stuff that means nothing. Belief determines action. Action comes out of belief. Belief is the fuel of faith!

Reading about Jesus we find that He knew exactly what He believed. He is the perfect example of faith in motion! He didn’t sit around at home trying to figure out what He believed about God, people, and scripture. Jesus knew exactly what He believed, who He was, and what he was called to do. His belief determined his actions.

So what did Jesus believe and how does that help us? What are we going to believe? What do our actions show? Is our faith in motion?

A favorite story of mine in the Bible is found in Mark 5:21-24 & 35-42. It’s an incredible example of belief, faith, and the power of God. A man named Jairus was in pursuit of Jesus and obviously believed Jesus could help because he says "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." Jesus obviously believed that He could help because the text says He went with Jairus to his home.

Put yourself in the shoes of Jesus! If someone came to you and said “come with me to my house and lay your hands on my daughter… then she will live”!? If you didn’t believe this would happen you would be finding a way out of the situation. But the Bible says Jesus went with Jairus. Obviously Jesus believed in the power of God and that God was going to use Him in this situation. Amazing!

Now on the way to the home of Jarius, Jesus gets stopped by a woman who also gets healed by simply touching, yes touching, the robe of Jesus. The text says that after the healing she told him the whole story. I can only guess that this was no short story! She had been suffering for 12 years and went to many doctors. I can see Jairus thinking “BE QUIET WOMAN! Jesus needs to come to my house… NOW!”

In the middle of the woman’s story some people come from the house of Jairus and say that the daughter is dead, why bother Jesus any longer. Basically they are saying “it’s over, no more hope, forget about what you were believing… it’s no use.” But I love what the text says in verse 36, “Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
What are you going to do when you hear the bad news? At some point in our lives we are going to hear some bad news. We live in a fallen world and people make some bad choices. What are you going to do? Give up on what you believe? Say that the promises of God are not true? Say that the Bible is false? Say that God is a liar?

Jesus lives out the answer! Ignore what the world says. Ignore what your friends say. Ignore what the doctors say. Ignore what your family says. Don’t be afraid; just believe! Often our hearts and minds go straight to fear when we hear bad news. That’s the enemy every time! God is always peace, joy, and love… never fear.

In this situation Jesus is telling Jairus to ignore what his friends said, to not be afraid, but keep trusting, keep believing that Jesus is going to make this situation right. What about your life? What situation does Jesus want to make right? Have you given up? What if there is a delay? Time to throw in the towel? NO!!

Jairus must have kept believing because off they go to his house and Jesus declares to the room of wailing grieving people… she is not dead; she asleep! Whoa! That takes some guts and we need the same kind of guts to stand up in the dark places of the world and declare the things of Jesus. You may get laughed at or made fun of just like Jesus did in this story. But what is the result? What is the result when you believe Jesus with crazy kinds of faith? It’s ALWAYS the miraculous power of God. Check it out for yourselves. Read the gospels. Every time someone dares to believe with radical faith, the power of God is there!

Are you ready to believe and not give up? The Bible says that nothing is impossible to him who believes! It’s time to become the world changers God meant us to be. And with belief and faith like Jesus we can get it done!

ATF (Acquire The Fire)

2009-12-03T21:39:00.000-06:00

Dear Parents and Students,

Hello! I trust that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are excited Christmas is just around the corner. I wanted to let you know about a couple of life changing events that are coming up on the calendar. As you might know at SURGE we are in the middle of a series called Adrenaline! This series is all about the life and ministry of Jesus. Over the last two weeks we have discovered that the cause of Christ (the reason He came) was to seek and save the lost... and we are called to the same thing!

One of the best ways to live out this cause is by developing Christ-lead relationships with people who are far from God. I am challenging students (and myself) to begin relationships with people who are far from God, invite them to SURGE, and then invite them to our New Years Eve event, and then invite them to ATF (Acquire the Fire).

We as a student ministry have put our faith in MOTION and have set a goal to see how many of our friends (and new friends) we can invite to these events!! I am expecting and believing that God will do more than we can ask or imagine... for His glory!!

New Years Eve Event - This will be a perfect opportunity to invite a friend! The night will be filled with games, food, and fun. At midnight we will bring in the New Year with worship, prayer, and I will share the gospel. Time will be from 9pm to 12:30am on December 31. Location is Timber Creek Elementary School Gym (16451 Flint St. OP, KS 66062). There is no cost for this event but I'm asking each student to bring a snack to share (chips, cookies, finger foods, etc.) Students can sign up at SURGE on Tuesday nights or the 411 on Sundays.

ATF (Acquire the Fire) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxX2rv0giyY - For more than two decades, ATF has focused on creating a 27-hour experience that brings volume and clarity to God’s voice in the lives of teenagers. Through incredible worship, speakers, drama, and mind-blowing interactive ministry teenagers have the opportunity to break away from old patterns and begin to live a real life with God! Dates are Feb. 19 & 20th at Kemper Arena. Cost is $50 per person (this covers admission and transportation). $25 is due by Sunday December 27th and $25 is due by Tuesday January 26th. Scholarships available for students and friends if needed. Please contact me to get an application.

I want to encourage you to not get hung up on the cost! Begin to plan now how you can attend because you will not want to miss out! Believe God that He will supply!! Save some Christmas money, do some odd jobs, sell something... We will spend $50 on a pair of shoes or a video game with no problem. $50 for a life-changing event is worth every penny!!

Check out the You Tube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxX2rv0giyY and began praying about this event. Pray that not only will our lives be changed but also the lives of our friends as we invite them to come experience God!

SURGE Adrenaline!

2009-12-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

Hebrews 12:1-3 says to “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!” Pure spiritual adrenaline right to the core of who we are. I like that!

Think about what it would have been like to be a disciple of Jesus. First hand witness to everything Jesus did. Far from boring! It would have been an adrenaline rush everyday! One day you’re out healing the sick. Next day you’re feeding 5000 people with a couple loaves of bread. The next day you’re on the mountain and Jesus is glowing like the sun. The next day your kicking rear end at the temple clearing out all the money hungry people. Next day you and Jesus are walking on water. Wow!

Everywhere Jesus went was a firestorm and surge of transformation, controversy, and adrenaline. Luke 3:16 “John answered them all, ‘I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.’”

How did Jesus start the firestorm? His ministry only lasted three years then He was back in heaven and He turned everything over to His disciples. What did the disciples figure out? How did they keep the spiritual adrenaline pumping? How can we get this into our hearts?

This is urgent! The cause of Christ is urgent and the disciples understood this. If something is urgent what happens to our schedules? For example… if a loved one is in trouble or gets in a car accident, what do we do? We would rearrange everything… work, school, church, personal life, food and meal times, sleep, TV shows, movies, video games. Many things in our lives would become less important because we have something more urgent and more important in our lives.

Hello! When did TV, food, and work become more important then Jesus? Reaching out to someone who is far from God is urgent. It’s the most important thing we can do with our lives! We don’t have to get all weird and pull out the bullhorns… but Jesus said in John 5:24 (MSG) “It's urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father…”

Train to sustain! Fire won’t keep burning unless there is wood. Your body will not work at maximum levels unless you have food and water. The cause of Christ will not continue without training.

Sustaining spiritual adrenaline is all about training. You can try as hard as you want to run a marathon. Trying will only get you so far. It’s in training, running, eating right that you can run a marathon. In the same way, when we are in the Word, prayer, journaling, fasting, brainwork (meditate) we will sustaine spiritual adrenaline.

Jesus says in John 15:5 ”I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Training keeps us hooked up with God.

Live it! The disciples were teenagers and early 20’s when Jesus called them, and then Jesus unleashed them to change the world. Matt. 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’" And they did it!

Jr. & Sr. High students… you have one of the greatest opportunities in the world RIGHT NOW in your schools! Everyday you walk by hundreds of students who are far from God. Everyday you have the opportunity to LIVE the cause of Christ.

Adrenaline! This isn’t someone else responsibility. It’s why we are here! It’s a lifestyle! Philemon 1:6 says “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

I guarantee you’ll get some resistance and rejection from friends, teachers, coaches. But that will just accelerate your growth! Matt. 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Do we love Jesus more than what our friends think? In John 12:42-43 the Pharisees would not confess their faith in Jesus for fear… for FEAR! They loved the praise from men more than praise from God.

What does this look like in your life? How do we practically live this out? It’s a combo of… Relentless – Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God…”, BUT Relational – James 1:19 “…be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”

Relentless confronts, speaks, and is persistent. Relational loves, listens and is patient. Check out this example from Acts 8:30-35 and then begin to look for this combo as you read through the gospels.

Relentless

Phillip ran up to the chariot
Phillip asked the first question
Phillip steered the talk toward Jesus

Relational

He waited until he was invited to come up
He listened to the dudes answer
He started with what interested the dude

Example from our own lives…

Relentless

Sit by someone new or meet someone new who is far from God
Ask the first question (find out interest – Recreation, Family, Interests)
Over a period of time… ask a question about God, church, heaven. Or invite them to church or a church event. Continue to invite them even if they don’t come.

Relational

Continue friendships whether they ever come to God or not. Keep loving and praying for them. Pray that God would open up their hearts.
Listen to them. Find out who they are. Get into their world.
Don’t answer every question about God right away. Listen and then the next time you get together say something like “I’ve been thinking about what you said, have you ever thought about this?”

Two events that can you can use as a tool as you live out the cause of Christ. New Years Eve Event AND ATF (Acquire the Fire). For more than two decades, ATF has focused on creating a 27-hour experience that brings volume and clarity to God’s voice in the lives of teenagers. Through incredible worship, speakers, drama, and mind-blowing interactive ministry teenagers have the opportunity to break away from old patterns and begin to live a real life with God!

Let’s see how many of our friends we can get to SURGE, New Years Eve, and ATF. Let’s see how many relentless/relational friendships we can get plugged into the Kingdom of God. Let’s make an impact on this world!!

One final thought is I want to share an modern example of what I mean by living relentless and relational. Every week Tim Tebow (quarterback for Florida University) lives the cause of Christ before 90,000+ people. Pat Forde from ESPN.com said this in a recent article…

“The cynical and envious rip him -- and rip the media for saying nice things about him, claiming that he is overhyped. Some roll their eyes at his unapologetically public Christianity -- worn on his sleeve and under his eyes -- despite the authenticity that underlies it in word and deed”

2009-11-18T15:43:00.000-06:00

Adrenaline! That word is so cool! I get pumped up when I say adrenaline! I remember my senior year of high school beating a ranked opponent in basketball and then getting ranked ourselves. The game… the victory… the next day reading the newspaper was all an adrenaline rush!

But check this out… the Bible says that there is an adrenaline rush bigger and better than any sports victory, any bungee jump, any sky dive, any relationship! Hebrews 12:1-3 says to “keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

So let’s study! Let’s get some adrenaline shot right into our souls! Let’s look at why Christ came to earth. What was He all about? What was His cause?

1. What was the first thing Jesus said to His disciples?

Matt. 4:19 “Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
Luke 5:10 Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."

2. What’s the first thing that Jesus had the disciples do after He appointed them?

Matt. 10:6-8 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give
John 9:1-2 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

3. What’s the last thing Jesus said before He ascended into heaven?

Matt. 28:18-20 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."

4. What is the greatest commandment?

Matt. 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

5. Based on all these scriptures and the ones below… what was the cause of Jesus? Why did He come?

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full

Wow! It becomes pretty obvious what Jesus was all about after looking at all these scriptures. So what does that mean for us?

I John 2:4-6 (MSG) says “If someone claims, "I know Him well!" but doesn't keep his commandments, he's obviously a liar. His life doesn't match his words. But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love. This is the only way to be sure we're in God. Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived.”

Personally for me I haven’t always done a good job at this. In the past and even now I say I’m in love with Jesus… but do I really love people? I’m mean, how much do I have to hate someone not to tell them about Christ? How can I keep inside of me the greatest news that a person will ever hear? Fear? Doubt? Rejection? That’s not a good enough excuse.

So I’m determined to grow in this area and I invite you to grow with me. Let’s get radical! Let stand up and speak with courage! Let’s be hope in the dark places!

Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG – “It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

There is nothing like the adrenaline that comes from helping people grow closer to God. It’s amazing! Never gets old! I want more!

I used to think that in order share my faith that I needed to be at certain spiritual level. Be able to quote scripture, pray really hard, and have it all together. No! That’s all backwards! Philemon 1:6 says “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

Did you see that? First we must be active in sharing our faith, THEN we will have full understanding of Christ. It’s in the middle of living out LOUD for God that we become equipped. Think about it… if you are active in sharing your faith, people will ask questions and make fun of you. You will have some positive experiences and some negative. So you are going to want to know something about the Bible and have some answers. You’re going to want to be built up in the things of God so that when (not if) things get tough, you keep standing your ground. Keep trusting God!

Dudes and Dudettes… I’m talking about a lifestyle, a cause, the very purpose of why we are here. So who can you start a conversation with? Who can you start a friendship with? Which friend can you ask a spiritual question (like… what do you think about God)? Who can you invite to SURGE or Sunday morning? What relative can you have a conversation with over Thanksgiving?

Let’s put our faith in MOTION!

Questions to think about…

What are the causes and priorities that most teens today care about?
What are the causes and priorities of your life? What is most important to you?
What draws you to the message of Jesus?
What is the cause of Christ? What is the way of Jesus? Why did He come?
If our causes and priorities don’t line up with the cause of Christ what does that mean? What do we do?
What changes would need to take place in your life so that your cause and priorities are the same as Christ?
What are some ineffective ways that you have seen people talk about God to others? Are there ways that you’ve tried that doesn’t work well?
What’s the best way to live out the cause of Christ and reach out to people far from God? How do we share God’s love with other people?
Write down three friends/neighbors/relatives that you can start a conversation with this week. Make it a goal to have an authentic conversation about God!

SURGE "Connect" - People in Authority

2009-11-10T13:44:00.000-06:00

Ephesians 6:1-3 (NLT) Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

The dictionary definition of the word “honor” says that when we honor someone we revere them, we submit to them, we dignify them, and we respect them. These are attitudes as well as actions.

The Hebrew language (the language the Old Testament was written in) defines honor as something “heavy” or “weighty”. To give honor is “to give weight or heaviness” to something.

How would you feel if the president of the USA walked into the room right now? How would you act? Regardless of what you think of the president… regardless if you’re a republican or democrat… regardless if you agree or disagree with the presidents beliefs… we would all feel and act in a certain way because the president is important, big, and weighty. He deserves our attention and respect!

When we honor someone, we recognize his or her importance (or weightiness) and we respond to it. So it’s an attitude and an action.

So how would you act and feel if your mom, dad, guardian, teacher, or coach walked into this room right now? Guess what? Regardless of how you feel about them. Regardless of what they might have said to you. Regardless of knowing all about their weaknesses and strengths, shortcomings and overcomings, things they have done wrong and things they have done right… God wants us to see them as having the same honor (weightiness & respect) as the president or any other important person. We are to recognize and respond to their importance in our lives and the honor that God has given them.

The second part of honor is obedience. Obedience is the automatic response to honor. I remember so many times not obeying my parents and wanting to do my own thing, yet I would do exactly what my basketball coach wanted. Why? Because I honored my coach but not my parents. If it’s difficult for you to obeying those in authority over you… it’s a heart issue. Take a look inside.

This honor thing is huge. Your ability to hear from God and do what He says hinges on this verse. The Holy Spirit knows everything about everything! If you could follow Him in every decision you would have it made. When you honor and obey your parents you are training yourselves to honor and obey God. To hear from God!! The Message Bible says we are supposed to be honoring the Word of God, not writing graffiti all over it!

Check this out! “If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you (full life), and you will have a long life on the earth.” This is a promise from God. A promise from God is something you can always count on. In fact you can build your entire life on the promises of God. Bible says that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is always faithful. His Word will be fulfilled. All of His promises are “yes” and “amen.”

In 2004 I was about to experience how powerful the Word of God is. I was learning how to hide the Word of God in my heart, let it take root, and watch it come to reality right before my eyes! I was in transition with my job, looking for something that would work better with my home and church schedule. Two scriptures I began to stand on, meditate on, memorize, speak continually, and confess over my life.

Psalm 1:2-3 says “But my delight is in the law of the LORD, and on Your law I meditate day and night. I am like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever I do (put my hand to) prospers.”

Proverbs 3:1-4 says “I will not forget Your teaching, but I will keep Your commands in my heart, for they will prolong my life many years and bring me prosperity. I let love and faithfulness never leave me; bind them around my neck, write them on the tablet of my heart. Then I will win favor and a good name (understanding) in the sight of God and man.”

Interesting enough the job that kept coming up in my heart and I kept running into during my job search was car sales. I already had a couple years of sales experience… but car sales? I didn’t want to be a car salesman. Car salesman had such a bad rap! Really God? Really?

God kept moving in that direction so I took a step in that direction. Turned in my resume and sat down for an interview. All along standing on the Word of God for favor, understanding, and blessing. Following the peace of God with every new step that I took.

Of course I got the job and for the next couple years it was one of the easiest most blessed things I’ve ever done! I had favor with my bosses and co-workers. Managers came to me asking for prayer for their lives! I had favor with customers.

Literally whatever I put my hand to prospered! My favorite month of car sales was June of 2005. First of all I was one of the top salesman that year so I won a trip to San Francisco. So I was gone like 5 days out of this month. Which is huge, when you’re in sales everyday counts. I ended up selling over 30 cars (normally it was about 15) that month!!

That was all God. I could not have done that on my own. It was His promises coming through in my life because I dared to believe them with all my heart and act like they were true.

Just like Psalm 1 and Proverbs 3 is true, so is Ephesians 6:1-3. You want to have a great life? Honor your parents! You want to have a long life? Honor those in authority above you. You want to enjoy life? Honor, honor, honor!

Here are some practical ways to get started:

Be Responsive. When your parents ask you to do something or not to do something, respond to them immediately and fully.
Be Thankful. It’s so easy to take your parents for granted. They are not perfect but they love you!
Be Helpful. When is the last time you helped out without being asked?
Be Open. Share your heart with your parents.
Be Forgiving. God has forgiven you for everything you have ever done… why would we not forgive our parents, teachers, coaches, and pastors?

SURGE Q & A

2009-10-28T16:34:00.001-05:00

What is commitment?

The dictionary defines commitment as a pledge or promise. When two people get married they have committed, pledged, and promised themselves to each other. In the context of dating a commitment between two people would be about exploring (with each other and God) if this is the person they are supposed to marry. Most dating relationships have intimacy (physical & emotional) without commitment. I believe that God's best is that we wait to engage in physical and emotional intimacy until He brings the right person at the right time and begin to think about marriage together.

What is intimacy?

Intimacy is defined as a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person. Intimacy in a marriage can include talking, snuggling, kissing, hugging, holding hands, sex, dinner... really anything that creates closeness between a husband and wife.

What is lust?

Lust is intense sexual desire or appetite. The Bible says to run from anything that stirs up youthful lust. That means if watching a TV show is stirring up intense desires in you... run! If spending time with someone from the opposite sex it creating an appetite... run! Jesus says that if we even look at someone with a sexual desire, we have committed adultery in our hearts. Whoa! The eyes are the window to our hearts so lets keep it clean!

What am I talking about when I say "there is a war going on and it's war for our hearts?"

Bible says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Eph. 6

The enemy is trying to win our hearts with selfishness, pleasure, compromise, twisting the truth. God has the power to restore our hearts back to love, joy, goodness, peace, justice. When we fully pursue God we win the war and our heart belong to God.

What is immorality?

Morals are principles by which we live. For Christians we live by the Bible and God's standards. So doing something immoral is violating those morals. So immorality would be living against the Bible. Sexual immorality would be violating the 8 sexual boundaries laid out in scripture.

No Sex Before Marriage – I Thessalonians 4:1-5 & Hebrews 13:4
No Dating Unbelievers – 2 Corinthians 6:14
Homosexuality is a Sin – Romans 1:26-27
No Sexual Touching – I Corinthians 7:1
Treat One Another Like a Brother & Sister – I Timothy 5:1-2
Wear Appropriate Clothing – 2 Timothy 2:9-10
No Lustful Looks – Matthew 5:27-28
Avoid Immoral Friends – I Corinthians 5:9-11

SURGE "Connect" - Purity

2009-10-28T16:00:00.000-05:00

What is Purity? When I sent out a survey to our SURGE high school students, here is what they said…

I feel purity is a promise you make with God and mostly yourself to stay clear from sexual activity. Then finding your wife and sharing that passion with her.
Purity is the act of keeping your ungodly thoughts in check. Although you can't reach complete purity, Jesus Christ is the perfect example of purity.
Purity is not doing immoral things
Really when I think of purity I think of Christians for some reason, I think purity is not having sex before marriage.
I think purity is being clean from sexual activity. I think you're pure until you engage in it, whether it be when you're 16 when you do for the first time, or your wedding night. Although some may think purity cannot be achieved again after you've done it for the first time, I believe it can be through God, and only through Him.
Purity is maintaining innocence
Purity isn't just getting a purity ring and saying "oh yeah, I’m waiting. Purity also has to do with your thoughts. You could be "the good girl/boy" who doesn't do anything. Yet, your thoughts could be destroying that image. As a teenager, sometimes it's hard to keep that mindset of "I want to stay pure", but if you keep your thoughts fixed on God then He helps you. You begin to realize that you’re worth something. You are of more value than anything a boy/girl could give you right now. And before you know it, not only your actions are pure, but your thoughts are too.

I love it! Thank you SURGE! Let’s dig into this a little further. Imagine a sealed bottle of water. The value of this water is based on its purity. Nobody would have a problem drinking pure water. But what if I took a drink, or back washed, or put something nasty in it… it would not longer be pure. The water has been compromised. It is no longer consistent with its original form.

In the same way our lives are inconsistent with God’s original design because we have been compromised by impurities. From the beginning God intended us to be people dedicated only to His purposes. Genesis 1:26 says “God created man in His image.” God created Adam and Eve pure. Their only goal, intent, and thought was doing the will of God.

Unfortunately we read in the same chapter that their purity was compromised, contaminated by sin by their disobedience to the will of God. It wasn’t the fruit they ate that was the problem, they choose their will, their plan, over God’s will and plan. The image of God in Adam and Eve had been compromised.

Purity is more than not doing something wrong. Purity is more than not sleeping around. Purity is more than not looking at pornography, or watching lots of skin on TV. Purity is more than avoiding lustful looks at someone. Purity is the restoration the image of God in you. Original design! Pure H2O! I love that definition from Judah Smith in his book Dating Delilah!

You might be the only Jesus that people will ever see! If we continue to compromise our purity we are twisting the image of God to a whole generation! There are some parts of the world that believe water is not clear. They have never seen or tasted pure H2O. There are some people that believe Christianity is a hoax or irrelevant. They have never seen or tasted the true God.

To fully understand this restoration process we must understand the nature of sin. I would agree with Judah Smith that for many years I thought sin was like a vending machine. As you peer through the plexiglass to see what kind of sin you want today, put in your money, push the button, and “kur-plunk” there you go!

The bible says in Genesis 4:7 that “sin is crouching at your door, it’s desire is to have you.” If you have ever seen a lion crouch, what is it getting ready to do? Pounce! Eat! Shred! Destroy! Sin is aggressively pursuing us and the only way to fight back is a more aggressive pursuit… of God. Full throttle! In motion! Towards God at all times is the only way. The minute we stop to catch our breath… goodbye… sin has already pounced.

Here’s the good news! God has given us brand new Nikes that allow us to run faster than we have every run before. It’s called the Word of God. We can’t make ourselves pure, holy, or right. Only God can. Check out Psalm 119: 9-16.

9 How can a young man/woman keep his/her way pure? By living according to Your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes  as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

You want to live a life of purity? You want to restore the image of God in you?

Pursue God with all your heart– Seek His presence
Read, memorize, think about the Word of God – Hide it in your heart
Speak the Word of God – Daily confess the Word of God over your life
Worship with all your heart – We must become less and He must become greater

Man if you are doing these things on a daily basis you don’t even have time to compromise! You don’t have time to look at pornography because you’re in the Word! You don’t have time to goof around with a boyfriend because you’re at church!

In fact your temptation towards sin will lessen as you fully pursue God. Over the years the times that temptation has been the strongest is when I’ve been the weakest in my pursuit of God. As you live out Psalm 119 you will have the energy of God flowing through you! You’ll be able to stand up to your friend who just put in the X-rated movie and say “I don’t need that… see ya later.” You’ll be able to look at your boyfriend and say “Let’s take a break and put our time and energy into God.” Don’t you know that you might be the only Jesus people will ever see??!!

It’s only with this foundation can we now talk about boundaries. In light of the energy of God and the power of His Word, boundaries create freedom, purpose, and direction. These are straight from the Word and summed up in Judah Smith’s book Dating Delilah.

No Sex Before Marriage – I Thessalonians 4:1-5 & Hebrews 13:4
No Dating Unbelievers – 2 Corinthians 6:14
Homosexuality is a Sin – Romans 1:26-27
No Sexual Touching – I Corinthians 7:1
Treat One Another Like a Brother & Sister – I Timothy 5:1-2
Wear Appropriate Clothing – 2 Timothy 2:9-10
No Lustful Looks – Matthew 5:27-28
Avoid Immoral Friends – I Corinthians 5:9-11

You can do this! I believe you can! God is not a respecter of people. That means if my wife and I can be full throttle for God and live within these boundaries for almost 3 years before we were married… that mean you can to!

SURGE "Connect" - Dating

2009-10-21T14:12:00.000-05:00

Growing up I considered dating an essential part of the complete teenage experience. If I wasn’t dating a girl I had my eye on one. My friends and I treated dating like a game. My best friend and I kept a tally of how many girls we had kissed all the way through high school. I remember meeting a girl at a school dance that came with another guy, got her to dance with me and kiss me all in the same night. It all seemed so grown up… but in reality it was just lust.

It was in 8^th grade that I met my first girlfriend, had my first kiss, and my first heartbreak. Our first date was to a high school volleyball game (that my sister was playing in) along with my parents and brother all piled into our econoline van. Talk about a first date! But I didn’t care because my girlfriend and I were together and all I could think about was being next to her, maybe holding her hand, maybe putting my arm around her, or maybe getting my first kiss. All my thoughts towards her were either physical or emotional. Forget any deep conversation. Forget anything spiritual.

That relationship opened the door to a world of hurt, regret, guilt, selfishness, and pain over the next 4 years of high school. Even though I never lost my virginity, I lost the virginity of my heart. God had to do a work in me to heal all those bad decisions.

By the end of my senior year, I was sick of the dating scene. It was disgusting to me. It was making me sick. And today I go from being disgusted to heartbreak to anger in seeing how the innocence, the purity, the strength, the very core of this generation is being ripped from their souls because of our cultures obsession with dating, sex, and pornography. There is a war going on in our world and schools, and it’s a war for our hearts!

Dating doesn’t start when you go out on Friday night with a guy or girl. Dating doesn’t start when you first hold hands or have your first kiss. Dating involves more than sitting at a favorite restaurant sipping from a strawberry milkshake with two straws and one glass. Dating involves more than going to a homecoming or prom dance. Dating begins in the heart.

Coming out of high school, I knew there had to be a better way. I started to realize as I totally surrendered my heart to God that He had a much better plan for my life. My plan wasn’t working. The world’s plan wasn’t working. My friend’s plan wasn’t working. But God’s amazing plan began to unfold when I met Dolly.

I met Dolly my sophomore year of college and to be honest… I didn’t have a lot of interest… at first (sorry Dolls J). It’s not like we saw each other and WHAMO! love at first sight. I met her because we hung out in the same circle of friends. And over a period of a couple months, we became friends.

Now here’s what is so cool about God and probably my favorite part of the whole story. During my freshman year Aaron (good friend that I talked about last week) and I talked and prayed about what it would be like to have a relationship with a girl that was centered on Christ. I mean what would that really be like?? It was a revolutionary change in thought process for me!

So Dolly and I are friends and along came fall break and I went home to help with corn harvest. When you’re driving a tractor around you have a lot of time to think… and the whole time I’m thinking about Dolly. This was really weird. Why am I thinking about Dolly? I don’t like Dolly in that way… do I? I remember praying for God to take these feelings away. Not that there was anything wrong with Dolly, I just didn’t want anything to be a distraction from Him. But by the end of the weekend and first couple days I’m back at school, I knew the Lord was stirring something in my heart and I had to talk to Dolly about it.

Little did I know that God was doing the same thing in Dolly’s heart. So what do most people typically do if they have feelings for each other? Go on a date? Start kissing? Have sex? I mean that’s what we see from Hollywood right? Meet someone, kiss, have sex and then see where the relationship is going.

Here’s what Dolly and I did. We sat down (with distance in between us and plenty of room for the Holy Spirit) and had a DTR (Define The Relationship)! Over the next two days we had hours of conversation about what this relationship was going to be like. Everything from if we would eat lunch together to what God is doing in our lives.

Many people think you can’t have a relationship (or date) without physical touch. Let me put some gasoline on that, then some C4, and blow that thinking up. You can! With God’s help Dolly and I made the decision not to touch each other. No kissing, no hugs, no hand holding… period. We were going to treat each other a like brother and sister in Christ. So anytime Dolly and I got together it was always in a public spot and often with a group of friends. We talked, laughed, cried, and prayed together often.

This was the beginning of our journey together, but did we finish strong? Did we keep Christ central through our dating and engagement years? Well your just going to have to wait until next week when I finish this story…

But let’s break these stories down. What principles are happening in each story and what can we learn? Can we re-write the books on dating? I say YES we can! Props goes out to Joshua Harris and his book “I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” A must read for…well…everyone. Many of his ideas are what follows.

7 Habits of Highly Defective Dating. I like this term defective dating. Defective means there is something wrong or broken. It’s not working. Our culture’s system of dating does not work and many of us are following its patterns like a broken record. That’s what I did in high school.

Intimacy without commitment
Skips the friendship stage
Mistakes physical relationship for love
Isolates a couple from other vital relationships
Distracts us from primary responsibility of preparing for the future
Causes discontentment with God’s gift of being single
Creates an “fake” environment

So why do we do this if it doesn’t work? I believe 1) It’s such a part of our culture and there is pressure to do it (friends, school system, don’t want to be seen as gay), 2) We are trying to find our self worth, and 3) We want physical and emotional intimacy w/o the commitment.

It all boils down to this thought… defective dating is rehearsal for divorce! Hello! I believe our crazy divorce rates are due to all this defective dating. Nobody comes away from divorce without scars. Is that what we want?

So what do we do?? Check out there Word of God! There is always hope!

Ephesians 4:22-24 (NLT) “…throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. You must display a new person because you are a new person, created in God’s likeness – righteous, holy, and true.”

Let’s get a new attitude and allow God to renew our minds and hearts in this area. Let’s start building healthy friendships. Dolly and I always called it “hanging out.”

Every relationship is an opportunity to model the love of Christ
Being single is a gift from God
Intimacy is the reward of commitment
I cannot “play marriage” and make unwarranted claims on someone’s time, affection, and future before marriage
I will avoid situations that could compromise my purity (body, mind, & emotions)

Dating begins in the heart and if you are not careful you will lose the virginity of your heart. This is why I encourage student in jr. high & high school not to date. Yep, that’s right. Don’t date!

Does that mean I’m against dating?? No, I’m not against two people exclusively seeing each other, with support of their parents and pastors, in order to see if this is the person they should marry! That kind of friendship is a beautiful thing. However, in the context of defective dating, I am against and think it’s wrong to date, kiss, hold hands, mack on, and even flirt with someone you have no intention of marring.

If you think that’s crazy check out what Jesus said in Matt. 5:27-28 - "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

If that’s the standard for how we look at the opposite sex… what does that say about dating? Come on and let’s “seek the Kingdom of Godabove all else, and live righteously, and He will give us everything we need.” (Matt. 6:33)