The experience of Jr. High Ministry

If you know anything, the beginning is usually the hardest because you won't know where to start. Like the older wolf on the right, I've been in the same spot when it comes to kids at our church. I love them to death, but as the wolf shows, you have to have patience.

That's a key word right there. Remember this because 40 of these kids in one room can really put some pressure on you.

Starting off wasn't easy. Actually, it was very difficult. Imagine walking into a room with about 40 pre-teens running around frolicking with one another. Chaos was expected as you talked with the kids, and sometimes you had to take a few aside to personally speak to them about their behavior. Even while it was hard, I knew it was going to be worth it one day soon.

Today things have changed a bit. They're better at listening and they've learned to respect their leaders (for the most part). But I don't have a lot of complaints. I actually enjoy it.

Now I'm frequently running about while thinking about the kids and wondering what we can do for them at a personal level. Most of it are just thoughts, but I hope to turn it into action. I spend time with some of them, because getting to know them has actually turned out to be fun, and I like seeing them grow. It's one of the most joyful aspects of this ministry. Teaching is also fun. I enjoy it even more when it's a one-on-one opportunity for me to teach. It's sounds so cheesy but it's a real joy when these kids actually learn things, I love it.

The other leaders have been a big help for me as well. When things got really hard, they encouraged me. When things went well, they still encouraged me. No matter how good or bad things went, they never ceased to encourage me, and I am totally thankful for all of it. It's been said, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." ~Hebrews 10:24-25

If you know anybody in Ministry, please encourage them. From what I've learned, Ministry is one of the hardest things to do because it can really drain you! Keep the encouragement flowing because it really helps us out, I assure you!

Here's a tip: You've got to let these kids know that you care about them. If one kid really likes Pokemon, then talk about Pokemon with them. "Really? What's your favorite Pokemon?", "Why do you like it?", "Do you still play the games?", "Do you collect the cards? How many do you have?" You'll probably hate Pokemon, but if you get excited about what they're excited about, then they'll connect with you at a much easier level. It's not deceitful, it's actually a way of showing love. Your willing to put yourself aside for their sakes. Your willing to sacrifice yourself for them in a small way. Even if they don't realize that whole concept at first, they will at least begin to know that you really care about them.

The most important thing I've learned is this: I fail to do the best when I am not in Christ. Jesus said to his disciples, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." He makes it painfully clear that if your not in Him, then your work will not produce the right results for what ever your doing. Now from what I understand, He's speaking in terms of spiritual results, not financial results. So don't start thinking that if your with Jesus, you'll be financially secure.

All in all, there's a lot I'm still learning, and I enjoy going there when I can. It's not always easy for me, but it's not hard for God to give me the strength I really need to carry on through. I've come to realize that Ministry probably isn't just a job that I do on the side... Ministry is probably going to be my lifestyle. That's something that I don't mind at all. :)

Good and Bad Stuff: Lessons from Both Sides

It's called "The Divine Mentor," and I'm reading it because our Pastor recommended it. But the real reason I'm reading it is because it's fun. Wayne Cordeiro has a way of explaining things so that even the most simple person can understand it all, which is great because I won't have to think so much. It's a good contrast when comparing it to John Piper's scholarly works, which are full of concepts so mind bending that they force me to literally put his books down just so I can mentally work my way through his lessons.

The Diving Mentor doesn't work that way. It's simple and to the point. Just today after reading the third chapter, I came across a blurb that I think most college students should remember. On page 46, it reads:

A few years ago a young man left Hawaii for a short time to enter a popular mission's school of biblical studies. When he returned, I asked him, "How were your classes?"

He replied, "Some were dynamite! But some were a total waste."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the instructors were good, but the rest were awfully bad. So I didn't learn much from them."

"No!" I challenged. "Don't do that! You can learn as much from the bad as the good."

"You don't understand," he said, explaining his plight. "Some were so tedious, we were bored stiff within three minutes."

"That's fantastic!"

"What?"

"You can learn valuable lessons from them," I said. "Take notes on that. Let them read like this: 'Our morning teacher is able to bore us to sleep in only three minutes. This has rarely been accomplished! This must be a miracle.'"

I continued, "Analyze what he did: What made it so boring? Was it his monotone voice? Lack of research? Tired passion? If you can figure out how to learn from the bad as well as from the good, you'll learn twice as much in life."

That's why God put into the Bible raw, unedited accounts of men and women behaving both wisely and foolishly. He hand picked these people to mentor us, the good and the bad together. Remember what Paul said? "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Personally, I love this book. I haven't even gotten into the main dish that this book has to offer, but I'm already learning little things like this that will help me grow as a Christian.

It's funny how people tend to say that the Bible has a lot of negative things in it. I don't disagree. They're right, there are a lot of negative things in it, but it's made so that we learn from them. A person who actually spends time reading the Bible will find that there are a lot of really positive things in it too. Both good and bad mistakes done by imperfect human beings in a fallen world.... It makes for one pretty neat manual, don't you think?

Bible verse from the book is Romans 15:4.

Comment and opinions below! Thanks! :)

The Concerned Captain and the Zealous General

I actually planned on writing this up a few weeks ago, but other topics tend to get in the way. So to all you reading this, here's a story about two people who are trying to figure out how to deal with "the enemy." Learn something from this, because I learned from it personally.

There was one particular Captain in the middle of a war. He and his men believed with all their hearts that they were fighting for a great cause. Morale was dwindling and the situation seemed dire. The captain had only been in a few battles, but none were as bad as this. He decided to call the General to seek assistance. The Captain, now aware, realized that the enemy were only a few hundred miles away. He believed that without help, the battle would be lost! The Captain asked for instruction, leadership, assistance. He needed direction! Surely the General, a higher ranking official would know what to do!

Now the General was a passionate man. He cared for the Captain and his men. So in zeal, he said to the Captain, "Don't worry, I'll handle it!" The General quickly drove to the Captains location and reassured him saying, "I'll take care of these enemies. You have nothing to fear! Give me all your men and I'll take care of this."

The Captain knew the landscape much better than the General. The Captain also knew the conditions of battle better than this General would ever know. The number of supplies, the number and condition of the enemy were also only the Captains'. However, the zeal of the General was too great, so the Captain, dismayed by the battle, let the higher ranking General take control. You can only imagine how that battle turned out...

We all make foolish decisions. Sometimes we're the General. We think we know the situation well enough and then foolishly jump into action. Rather than scan the predicament, we just run and shoot. It's almost as though we're arrogant enough to believe that we always know what we're doing, even if we only know the half of it. Personally, people who act like this hit my pet peeve. But unfortunately, there are times where I'm like this.

Sometimes we're Captains who are scared. We might feel a little pushed by the "enemy." We're willing to get help anywhere it comes. Captains (as far as this example shows) are willing to find a good solution, but lack the backbone to say "No, this is my battle, let me do it. I just need your advise, that's all."

If your in a tight spot and you need help, don't be a fool and allow someone to fix your problem if they couldn't possibly understand the situation (even if they think they do!). Don't just give your problems to people, but go through them yourself. If you need help and advice, then that's fine. Listen to people you look up too, but don't let them do the dirty work for you! You will miss out on the experience you will need when the next battle comes your way.

If your being a "General", then I would advise you to at least think before you make a fool of yourself. Stepping out into a problem and making an attempt to "fix" it would likely result in false success. The last kind of General you want to be is the one who thinks they did an awesome job when in fact, they did more damage than anything. Surly that would be embarrassing.

You'd be more informed if you just went to the problem yourself to figure out why the "enemy" is even fighting in the first place. Who knows, maybe you and the Captain are totally misunderstanding the whole thing!

You'll miss out a lot if you just let people deal with your garbage. One day when you don't have your "general" around, you'll probably get stuck not knowing how to best handle the situation. You might end up trying to fix your problem, but because of the lack of experience, you won't do a good job at it. Learn now while you can.

This happens all the time. In marriages, school, at work, in church, between friends and family, social clubs and groups. Basically, you'll encounter this problem in every social sphere you'll ever be engaged in. If your a Christian and you have a problem with some other Christian who's wronged you, follow Matthew 18:15. If your not a Christian, then I'd also advise you to do the same thing. Don't let resentfulness and bitterness sit in your heart. It's a self torturing experience.

Grow a backbone, pray, then proceed with the advice of elders, friends, parents, and scripture. Don't be a chicken and let some one fight your battles for you.

(additional info: Obviously don't follow this advise if your a little kid. For example, if your under 18 and some creeper dude tries to do weird nasty things to you, then don't go to him to "talk it out", lol. Call the cops and let them handle it. This blog is aimed at adults, obviously)

Why Eternal Punishment in Hell Makes Sense

Most reading this will be angry with me, but I'm doing my absolute best to explain Biblical truth. This is a very sobering topic for some of you and for others, it's a triumphant ring of truth. Which ever way you take this, please consider that I am using the Bible as the absolute standard of truth. This is a weighty one, so if any of you disagree with me, then leave a comment and we'll talk.

Many of you have made an assumption based on the word "fair." I think that's a good place to start because many people get this idea that God must be fair. The general idea is, "If God is a good God, then God's gotta be fair."

But if that's true, then where does Hell fit in? Some people would argue, asking, "Why would a God who is all loving send people to an unending eternity of misery based upon 80 years of sin?" How can God do such a thing and still be called righteous? Isn't that way too severe a punishment? A loving merciful God sending people to Hell for eternity?!

Some people like to think, "If we do 70 years of sinning, then we should get 70 years of Hell. That's fair, good, and just, right?" Let me ask you this. If it took me 20 seconds to murder an innocent victim, should I be sentenced to 20 seconds in prison? You and I know very well that justice doesn't work this way. It's not based off of the time it took to murder, but rather on the severity of the crime.

An offense against the president of some nation will be treated with much more seriousness than a slanderous action against some random person on the street. It's not only a matter of what sin you did folks! It's also a matter of the person you've offended! In this case, it's God!



Apparently we have offended God in such a way that we deserve eternal punishment. But how?

Remember, a legal offense against the president rather than offending some poor bloke is treated with much more seriousness and will earn the offender a considerable sentence in prison. A person who offends God, an infinitely worthy being, will be sentenced to an infinitely worthy punishment. That really shows how much worth God is doesn't it?

Most of us were taught that God is defined as a loving, graceful, merciful, care taking giver of life (and that's true!). But it looks like people were taught only the half of it. Those who teach from the Bible have the responsibility to teach the whole truth, not only parts of it. When people are only given a few pieces of the puzzle, the whole picture never really looks right. It's difficult to come to the right conclusion if your not well informed of everything, which is why I try so hard to make sure I know my stuff, especially with this topic!

It's about time people realize that God simply isn't fair. In fact, it's to our benefit that God isn't fair. If God were to be fair with everyone, we would all go to hell, and justly so. Apparently, God allows people who have lived terribly crummy lives to enter into Heaven with him.

Remember the thief on the cross? This thief was a sinner like all of us, yet Jesus on the cross next to the thief said, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." If you click that and read, you'll see that even the thief hanging next to Jesus actually say's, "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve." Even at his death, the thief knew he was getting what he deserved.

Jesus was being very unfair here (remember, that's a really good thing!), and Jesus promises the thief that on that very day, He and the thief would be together be in paradise. This is simply an awesome act of mercy. The thief was saved because he believed Jesus.

God being unfair is actually a really good thing for us. God offers a free gift, eternal life. Any one who deliberately refuses and ignores this free gift is practically walking to hell on their own accord. (Sounds mean, but it's true)