These are the blogs of my last month in youth ministry and some lessons and things God has taught me:
CU LATER
I am one of the biggest Clemson football fans there is. I mean I knew who Sammy Watkins was before his mama knew who he was. And I don’t just follow the games during the season. After it’s all over I’m keeping up with what is going on for bowl prep and then I’m following the recruiting and when national signing day comes I get hardly any work done that day because I want to see who is going to be a Tiger and then it’s Spring practice and the Spring game and then summer workouts which leads us to the greatest day of each year and that is opening day for College football so we can start it all over! See for most people it’s 13 or 14 Saturdays a year that we get to watch the Tigers play. For me I’m in love with the games but also anything and everything else associated with Clemson football.
But God really kicked my butt this season after a game one weekend and really convicted me hard about my addiction to Clemson football. See it had become what consumed me. I would read more articles and message boards about Clemson football than I would my Bible. On game days I would tune into ESPN in the morning just to see if Clemson was mentioned, listen to the pregame on the radio, watch the game or go to the game, afterwards listen to the postgame show, then go online and watch all the player interviews and then read every article on Tiger Illustrated, Tigernet, Orange and White, CU Tigers, and The Clemson Insider that I could find!! No kidding. It was like an Orange and Purple disease that just infected every part of me. If there was a night game I would stay up until 2 or 3 o’clock knowing that I had to be at church in the morning and to teach a class but I had to fuel my addiction and absorb everything I could about the game that day.
One Saturday night after Lana and Jennifer went to bed was when God really brought this problem to my attention. I was sitting in the living room all alone and it hit me. I’ve spent all day with Clemson football. I hadn’t read my Bible or prayed or spent any time with God. And I hadn’t spent any quality time with Jennifer or with Lana. It was all Clemson and it was all about the football. I felt like crap. And I’m telling you if God has ever convicted you of something then 9 times out of 10 if it is true conviction that is how you are going to feel.
What on Earth has Clemson football ever done for me? I mean in reality as a lifelong fan it has caused me more pain than joy!! It took some adjusting because when you’re addicted to something it is hard to just stop. But I can honestly say that I no longer frequent those websites like I had and on game day I usually just watch or go to the game and that is about it. I mean I’m excited that Clemson is going to a BCS game and Jennifer actually asked me if I wanted to go to the Orange Bowl and she said we would if I did…but I said no thanks. Dude that is huge for me because earlier in the year I would have jumped all over that opportunity!! I’ll watch the game with family and friends tonight but win or lose I will still love Clemson in the morning, but more importantly than that God will still love me.
Lesson learned: Jesus needs to be the object of my affection because on the cross He proved that I was His.
On a side note there are about 8-10 friends that I’ll text back and forth during the games. During the Georgia Tech game when Clemson lost people were actually concerned that something was wrong with me because I wasn’t ready to hurt somebody or upset because we lost our perfect season.
Some people just take things too seriously :)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
All People who go to church need to die - My Tenth Blog
These are the blogs of my last month in youth ministry and some lessons and things God has taught me:
ALL PEOPLE WHO GO TO CHURCH NEED TO DIE
Have you ever been to a funeral home where multiple visitations were taking place? I’m sure we all have. Have you ever noticed how the multiple dead people there behave? Have you ever noticed anything about them in particular and how they interact with each other per say?
I have never seen two dead people argue! Not once. I have never seen dead people fighting because they aren’t getting their way. I have never seen a committee of dead people trying to run the show. I have never seen a dead person complain because the music is too upbeat. I have never seen a dead person argue that “we don’t do it that way here.” I have never seen a dead person addicted to tradition. I have never seen a dead person pout. I have never seen a dead person gossip behind the back of others. I have never seen a dead person stir up trouble. I have never seen a dead person say one thing to my face and another thing behind my back.
So where am I going with this? Luke 9:23-24 says “Then Jesus said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.’”
There are numerous verses that teach the Christian to deny himself, decrease, sacrifice, die to self, etc… And that is the problem in so many churches today. Individuals have never died. We have the Burger King mentality and want it our way. We have the mind of “self” and not the mind of Christ. Dead people do not have the same characteristics that live people do. That sounds like the dumbest thing I’ve ever said, but it is true! If a church full of members who have truly died to themselves and are purely seeking the will of God…well could you just imagine what that would look like and what they could do in fulfilling the Great Commission!! How unbelievable would that be? I submit to you that a dead church is full of live people, but a live church is full of dead ones.
I wrote this in a newsletter article a while back and I’ll repeat it here. A Christian who constantly seeks their way is a detriment to the body of church. One who seeks God’s way is a blessing.
ALL PEOPLE WHO GO TO CHURCH NEED TO DIE
Have you ever been to a funeral home where multiple visitations were taking place? I’m sure we all have. Have you ever noticed how the multiple dead people there behave? Have you ever noticed anything about them in particular and how they interact with each other per say?
I have never seen two dead people argue! Not once. I have never seen dead people fighting because they aren’t getting their way. I have never seen a committee of dead people trying to run the show. I have never seen a dead person complain because the music is too upbeat. I have never seen a dead person argue that “we don’t do it that way here.” I have never seen a dead person addicted to tradition. I have never seen a dead person pout. I have never seen a dead person gossip behind the back of others. I have never seen a dead person stir up trouble. I have never seen a dead person say one thing to my face and another thing behind my back.
So where am I going with this? Luke 9:23-24 says “Then Jesus said to the crowd, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.’”
There are numerous verses that teach the Christian to deny himself, decrease, sacrifice, die to self, etc… And that is the problem in so many churches today. Individuals have never died. We have the Burger King mentality and want it our way. We have the mind of “self” and not the mind of Christ. Dead people do not have the same characteristics that live people do. That sounds like the dumbest thing I’ve ever said, but it is true! If a church full of members who have truly died to themselves and are purely seeking the will of God…well could you just imagine what that would look like and what they could do in fulfilling the Great Commission!! How unbelievable would that be? I submit to you that a dead church is full of live people, but a live church is full of dead ones.
I wrote this in a newsletter article a while back and I’ll repeat it here. A Christian who constantly seeks their way is a detriment to the body of church. One who seeks God’s way is a blessing.
Monday, January 2, 2012
My Ninth Blog - Zero Times a Billion Equals Zero
These are the blogs of my last month in youth ministry and some lessons and things God has taught me:
ZERO TIMES A BILLION EQUALS ZERO
As a stock broker or financial advisor or retirement counselor or whatever you want to call me it would be pretty silly if someone came into my office and said the following: “Keith I want to retire in 25 years. I need at least 2 million dollars to make that happen. Now I don’t have any money to give you right now and I honestly can’t see myself ever giving you any money down the road but make it happen! I hear you’re the best so I look forward to traveling when I retire on those couple million bucks you’re gonna make me!!!”
First of all let me say this…I am the best :). Now that that is out of the way I can continue!! See the problem with my friend above is that he had great intentions and great plans and great dreams and great goals! What average person wouldn’t want to retire with two million in the bank? The problem is that my friend doesn’t want to give me any money now, and he doesn’t want to give me any money later. How would it ever be possible to turn zero dollars into two millions dollars? Well it isn’t possible.
Isn’t the above scenario just like us Christians today? We want God to pour out His blessings upon us and provide for us and prosper us in unbelievable ways. We want Him to give us a great mate that we can spend the rest of our lives with and to just live the American dream. But…what do we give God that He can actually invest for us? We want to be comfortable and have money but we won’t even give Him His proper tithes. We want Him to give us fun times and bless all the time in our life yet we won’t even give Him His time and get up out of bed to go to church on Sunday morning. We want Him to give us this great boy or girl that will one day be our husband or wife but right now when we’re single and not in a committed relationship and have more time to give to God and work on our relationship with Him, well we don’t do it because time with our friends is more important.
How can God bless us like we want if we never give Him anything to bless like He wants? How can we expect a financial blessing when we never give Him an offering that He can take and multiply? How can He bless our time when we never show up at church and honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy or give Him time by reading our Bibles or praying? How can we expect God to give us a mate when He already isn’t the object of our affection even when we’re single?
If you wanna get you gotta give. It’s as backwards a concept as there is out there but it is 100% true. And it is an absolute joke to think that God needs 10% of my paycheck to keep His ministry going and that He needs my life to keep His Word out there. I’m nothing. (So is my 10%!!) But for some reason He wants me. And He asks for and wants my time and my money. And He doesn’t ask for it because He needs it Himself. He asks me to do it and give it…that’s right…for me. You see we can never ever ever ever out give God. He will take what little we give, bless it and multiply it, and give it back to us. But He won’t take the nothing that we give Him and turn it into what we desire. When Jesus fed the 5000, He didn’t start with nothing. He most certainly could have but He didn’t. He actually had something in the five loaves and two fish to start off with. And with that little bit, he turned it into a lot.
Could you imagine if we ever decided to give Him everything?
ZERO TIMES A BILLION EQUALS ZERO
As a stock broker or financial advisor or retirement counselor or whatever you want to call me it would be pretty silly if someone came into my office and said the following: “Keith I want to retire in 25 years. I need at least 2 million dollars to make that happen. Now I don’t have any money to give you right now and I honestly can’t see myself ever giving you any money down the road but make it happen! I hear you’re the best so I look forward to traveling when I retire on those couple million bucks you’re gonna make me!!!”
First of all let me say this…I am the best :). Now that that is out of the way I can continue!! See the problem with my friend above is that he had great intentions and great plans and great dreams and great goals! What average person wouldn’t want to retire with two million in the bank? The problem is that my friend doesn’t want to give me any money now, and he doesn’t want to give me any money later. How would it ever be possible to turn zero dollars into two millions dollars? Well it isn’t possible.
Isn’t the above scenario just like us Christians today? We want God to pour out His blessings upon us and provide for us and prosper us in unbelievable ways. We want Him to give us a great mate that we can spend the rest of our lives with and to just live the American dream. But…what do we give God that He can actually invest for us? We want to be comfortable and have money but we won’t even give Him His proper tithes. We want Him to give us fun times and bless all the time in our life yet we won’t even give Him His time and get up out of bed to go to church on Sunday morning. We want Him to give us this great boy or girl that will one day be our husband or wife but right now when we’re single and not in a committed relationship and have more time to give to God and work on our relationship with Him, well we don’t do it because time with our friends is more important.
How can God bless us like we want if we never give Him anything to bless like He wants? How can we expect a financial blessing when we never give Him an offering that He can take and multiply? How can He bless our time when we never show up at church and honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy or give Him time by reading our Bibles or praying? How can we expect God to give us a mate when He already isn’t the object of our affection even when we’re single?
If you wanna get you gotta give. It’s as backwards a concept as there is out there but it is 100% true. And it is an absolute joke to think that God needs 10% of my paycheck to keep His ministry going and that He needs my life to keep His Word out there. I’m nothing. (So is my 10%!!) But for some reason He wants me. And He asks for and wants my time and my money. And He doesn’t ask for it because He needs it Himself. He asks me to do it and give it…that’s right…for me. You see we can never ever ever ever out give God. He will take what little we give, bless it and multiply it, and give it back to us. But He won’t take the nothing that we give Him and turn it into what we desire. When Jesus fed the 5000, He didn’t start with nothing. He most certainly could have but He didn’t. He actually had something in the five loaves and two fish to start off with. And with that little bit, he turned it into a lot.
Could you imagine if we ever decided to give Him everything?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
My Eighth Blog
I had to spend the better part of a week in St Louis this last month for my job. I was excited when a buddy of mine who works in Lexington called me up and asked if we could be roommates while we were there. We have a lot of things in common. We started out at the exact same time and we both work with young people in our churches. We also have a lot of things not so much in common. I was born and raised in South Carolina and I have been here my entire life. He was born and raised in the country of Moldova, which used to be part of the former Soviet Union, and he has been in South Carolina a little over 2 years.
We talk a pretty good bit and the reason he wanted to room with me was because we have our faith in common. Too make a long story short, neither of us frequent the bar or other places of the night where most of our companions can be found.
One night we were in our room talking and he asked me in his thick Russian accent, “man what is up with Joe.” Joe is a guy we’ve got to know over the last year who talks about going to church all the time, prays before every meal, and in fact just got back from a two week mission trip he said because he works with the youth in his church also. Joe also drinks quite a bit, tells some very grotesque stories, and no exaggeration cannot complete a sentence without using an infamous four letter word. I honestly don’t even think he realizes how much he swears. I replied to my friend and said, “brother, I don’t have any idea.” And then he asked me the question that I could only answer in my head as an unfortunate yes.
He said to me, “is that what being a Christian in America is all about?”
It’s sad when people can’t tell where the world ends and where the church starts. Christians are supposed to be different. We’re not better than anyone but we are to be set apart, not conforming to the ways of this world.
You know what the number one problem I see with students is? They all just want to fit in. That is a huge problem in this world we live in. You cannot belong to this world and belong to God at the same time. Calling yourself a Christian is a common thing today, actually living the life is very uncommon.
Be uncommon.
Until next time I leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “Christianity over the past two thousand years has moved from a tribe of renegades to a religion of conformists.”
Keith
(From my July Newsletter article)
We talk a pretty good bit and the reason he wanted to room with me was because we have our faith in common. Too make a long story short, neither of us frequent the bar or other places of the night where most of our companions can be found.
One night we were in our room talking and he asked me in his thick Russian accent, “man what is up with Joe.” Joe is a guy we’ve got to know over the last year who talks about going to church all the time, prays before every meal, and in fact just got back from a two week mission trip he said because he works with the youth in his church also. Joe also drinks quite a bit, tells some very grotesque stories, and no exaggeration cannot complete a sentence without using an infamous four letter word. I honestly don’t even think he realizes how much he swears. I replied to my friend and said, “brother, I don’t have any idea.” And then he asked me the question that I could only answer in my head as an unfortunate yes.
He said to me, “is that what being a Christian in America is all about?”
It’s sad when people can’t tell where the world ends and where the church starts. Christians are supposed to be different. We’re not better than anyone but we are to be set apart, not conforming to the ways of this world.
You know what the number one problem I see with students is? They all just want to fit in. That is a huge problem in this world we live in. You cannot belong to this world and belong to God at the same time. Calling yourself a Christian is a common thing today, actually living the life is very uncommon.
Be uncommon.
Until next time I leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “Christianity over the past two thousand years has moved from a tribe of renegades to a religion of conformists.”
Keith
(From my July Newsletter article)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
My Seventh Blog
I'm amazed at how many people don't get that their rebellion is nothing more than conformity.
Jesus hung out with sinners and went places that no religious leader of the time or anyone else for that matter would go. Here's the catch though, Jesus changed the people He was with...not the other way around.
Jesus was a true rebel, but His rebellion was in not conforming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVdgbV6f14
Jesus hung out with sinners and went places that no religious leader of the time or anyone else for that matter would go. Here's the catch though, Jesus changed the people He was with...not the other way around.
Jesus was a true rebel, but His rebellion was in not conforming.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abVdgbV6f14
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
My Sixth Blog
Saw this quote today and I really liked it...
"If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me , while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity or insincerity, then, in the long run, I cannot be successful. My duplicity will breed distrust. It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric ; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation of permanent success."
"If I try to use human influence strategies and tactics of how to get other people to do what I want, to work better, to be more motivated, to like me , while my character is fundamentally flawed, marked by duplicity or insincerity, then, in the long run, I cannot be successful. My duplicity will breed distrust. It simply makes no difference how good the rhetoric ; if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation of permanent success."
Thursday, May 20, 2010
My Fifth Blog
I'm looking forward to going to Camp McCall tomorrow and Saturday! I love going up there each year for the Men's retreat. I put a team together for the three on three basketball tournament for tomorrow night. My team won the gold medal a couple of years ago...we beat the camp staff which was all young college boys in much better shape than me and my team. But we played smarter and I'll take brains over brawn most any day (The one exception being women.) Anyway I want my gold medal back. I almost beat a couple of young college kids at Fike a few months ago in a game of 21, so I'm feeling pretty good!
In the meantime I won the gold medal in Baggo when I wasn't in the Bball tournament, but I was the youngest person playing in that tournament I think because that was mostly out of shape older men with ear hair and stuff.
The one thing I don't look forward to is sleeping in a room full of men. That is never fun. The smell won't be so bad because those bunk houses are so open, but the noise is unreal!!! I almost put a pillow over my music minister's head one year and I seriously think God would've looked the other way had I followed through on that. I have no idea how women put up with men at night.
Right now I'm listening to Mama Cass songs. Make your own kind of music is a great song!!! I like it a lot :)
I am so excited about our VBS Fun Day! We need lots of volunteers and it's gonna be a lot of hard work but it will pay off!! God is awesome :) I may not always enjoy church or agree with everything and get frustrated at those who want to be confined by tradition, but God put me there for a reason and I'm excited that there is work to do and to be helping do it!! June 12th is gonna be EPIC in the life of WFB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the meantime I won the gold medal in Baggo when I wasn't in the Bball tournament, but I was the youngest person playing in that tournament I think because that was mostly out of shape older men with ear hair and stuff.
The one thing I don't look forward to is sleeping in a room full of men. That is never fun. The smell won't be so bad because those bunk houses are so open, but the noise is unreal!!! I almost put a pillow over my music minister's head one year and I seriously think God would've looked the other way had I followed through on that. I have no idea how women put up with men at night.
Right now I'm listening to Mama Cass songs. Make your own kind of music is a great song!!! I like it a lot :)
I am so excited about our VBS Fun Day! We need lots of volunteers and it's gonna be a lot of hard work but it will pay off!! God is awesome :) I may not always enjoy church or agree with everything and get frustrated at those who want to be confined by tradition, but God put me there for a reason and I'm excited that there is work to do and to be helping do it!! June 12th is gonna be EPIC in the life of WFB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
