http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlusIuAqOZ0

Here's what is coming this Fall at BIGHOUSE, beginning Sunday, September 14th at 5pm!!!

Sometimes I really don't want to be right...


So about two years ago, I can remember being in a youth group meeting and talking about the future. (Maybe you were there).
I spoke to a group of Charlotte tenth grades, and shared the sad truth that statistics showed that most of them would drift away from youth group by the time they were Seniors, and that many of them would "graduate' from the church when they left high school.
I shared how many "sundays nights" they still had left in youth group before their graduation, and challenged them not to be statistics; not to get too busy or too distracted or too prideful and fall away. I dared them to be passionate and bold in their faith, and not to grow apathetic toward the church; not to look down on younger students but to mentor them; not to go out "with a whimper" but "with a bang".

I was hopeful but realistic. I was worried yet expectant. I wondered what the future would be like for them.

So now you're a Senior. Your future is here.

Are you still part of the church in a meaningful way?
Are you still going to youth group every week?
Are you following Jesus daily?
Is your faith more than an afterthought?
Does your social life look any different than the Seniors around you who don't know Christ?
Are you serving the poor and hungry?
Are you bringing peace to the hurting?
Are you still asking questions?
Do you pray?
Do you read His Word?
Do you have an identity that is found in something deeper than grades and scholarships, parties and proms, drinking and dating?
In a way that goes deeper than a t-shirt or a club or an occasional diversion, are you still a Christian?


I can't answer those questions for you, but I wanted to let you know that as your Pastor, and as someone who loves you guys, that I am still as hopeful for you as twelfth graders as I was when you were tenth graders.
I still am in your corner and believe that God wants to use you to change lives. I still believe that he wants to change your life.

In the middle of the busiest and most distracting time of your lives, I wanted to remind you of One whose voice will whisper more often than it will shout. I wanted to remind you who you are and "whose" you are.
I wanted to tell you that regardless of where your journey has led you over the past two years, or how far you may feel you have drifted, that God is as close today as He ever was.

God is here.
You are here.

Be encouraged.



John

So, last week I 'm sitting in church at a meeting to plan our Not For Sale Weekend, ( a series of 4 worship services designed to help children who are victims of the Commercial Slave Trade around the world), and I suddenly hear myself saying out loud, "'I'd love to have a youth choir, with all of our students singing for other children who are suffering". Everyone thought it was a great idea, and away we went!

Little did I know how much work that would be...

As I began really coming to grips with the amount of work it would take in one week to get dozens of students to agree to do it, to notify parents, to rehearse, and to get everyone to arrange their schedules for the four services we would be doing, I could feel my blood pressure rising.

The questions bombarded me every minute, especially at night:
- Would the students show up?
- How would it sound?
- Would the congregation respond?
- What about the band, and the sound, and the video we needed to shoot and edit in 18 hours?

I was getting overwhelmed. (cue panic attack and dramatic music).

But I funny thing happened... As our Thursday rehearsal came, I quickly realized that everything was going to be alright. The students showed up, (and in what many parents would call a minor miracle, everyone was on time and organized and ready to go). Our rehearsal was fun and focused, and I could feel everyone's excitement growing as we went through the songs. I left that night feeling like this would work,a nd actually be pretty good.

And then the weekend came...

All I can say is that if you weren't there, I can't do it justice with words. (You'll be able to see some YouTube clips soon though, which will help:) To be up on stage with nearly 90 students who I know and love, all smiling and passionately leading the congregation, well it was just flat-out awesome. It was definitely one of my all-time best experiences in worship.

People like to dump on teenagers; they're lazy, and messy, and don't care about anyone but themselves, but I will argue with them, because I know better. I know what they can do, and I know who they are.

I want to thank all of those students who put down their agenda and their needs and their social lives, and did something for strangers, simply because it was the right thing to do. I am extremely proud of you all, and of the two years that I've been here, I think it was our finest hour.

Let's see what we do moving forward, now that we know what it feels like to really get together and "do something."

Thank you all... You are loved.

John

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.  Hebrews 4:9-11

Have you ever watched a hamster running on one of those little plastic wheels? It's amusing, I'll admit, but kinda pathetic at the same time. You watch him frantically moving; straining to get somewhere, spinning faster and faster, running and running until he can't run anymore. You know he's thinking to himself, "Man, I really am going places!", only to look around and breathlessly, sadly realize he hasn't gotten anywhere.

I have some bad news for you... You are the hamster.

Most of us, if we're honest, spend so much time running and running; our schedules packed, our pace frantic, our souls beaten up by all we are striving to accomplish. We do and do and do, until we stop for a second to look around only to realize we're right back where we started. All our work and struggle has gotten us nowhere.

Take a look at these two quotes, and choose words sound more like you right now; the words of Job…
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." Job 3:25-26 

…or the words of David:
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure. Psalm 16:8-9 

My guess: we have quite a lot of "Jobs" out there...The truth is; most of us have flat-out lost the ability to rest; to be still and silent in solitude, and to seek the quiet whisper of God amid the chaotic noise of our busy lives. We are perpetually plugged in; to our computers, our iPods, our email, our texting, and our cellphones. We wake to noise in the morning (audible and emotional), and spend our days immersed in activity, because we are addicted to achievement. We believe the lie that our worth is found in out accomplishments and our activity.

Christians talk a lot about sin; gossip, adultery, violence, stealing - you know the biggies. Pastors will regularly preach against all kinds of evil and immorality. We can sometimes do a pretty good job of staying way from those spiritual minefields and feel like we're following God. However, most of us don't like to think about the fact that busyness is sin. The Bible is filled with commands to "be still and know that I am God"; to "come to me and I will give you rest". One of the 10 Commandments is the order to dedicate a day to rest and reflection, and to remember God, yet I bet most of us are horribly guilty of defying God's clear desire and design for us by refusing to rest. (Parents will ground their kids for failing a class, for cussing, for staying out too late...how about for failing to have a Sabbath)? Do any of us feel remorse for neglecting our spiritual health.

Here's the plain and simple good news... You don't have to be the hamster anymore.

Right now you can start learning to say "no" to the thousands of voices that yell at you to "run faster", "work harder", "do more", "be better". The key comes in realizing that those voices are not the voice of Jesus. His voice, which invites us to peace and rest, is only heard in stillness and in silence. And you need to make a neffort to hear that voice, because it will not scream to reach above your mp3 player, your schedule, or your agenda. You also need to realize just how much you need to hear that voice; to recongnize how damaging all this "hamster-racing" is to your soul.

God speaks of a Godless man this way:
"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith - indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples.    Habakkuk 2:4-5

Accepting the invitation to rest means putting down our plans and our egos. God's peace will not come until my ambition leaves the area; that's just how it is. We all like to think what we do is important. We like to think we're important. That's why I have students who can't take an hour of prayer and worship without having a phone super-glued to their hip. That's the reason so many of my adult friends are practically married to their Blackberries. (That's why my MySpace page is forever opened:). We start to think that we are so crucial to the spinning of the world that we have to "stay connected" or people and businesses will fall apart. Unfortunately when we "disconnect" from God, we do the falling-apart, and it's usually too late once we realize it.

So here's the plan... Embrace your inner hamster. Realize that the pace you're on is a frantic race to nowhere. Get off the wheel and "waste some time" resting in the presence of God. Don't "work hard" trying to pray. Don't strain to have a "spiritual experience" and don't beat yourself up when you don't "feel anything". If you're like me, it's taken you a long time to learn to love the seductive evil of busyness, and it's going to take a long time to "unlearn" that pace; for your body and mind to be able to be still and receive what God offers..

So to all you hamsters out there; take it from one of the world-class "runners"...get down off of the wheel.

A reminder from your Youth Pastor...

You are loved.

... no, not in a "hold your hand, give you goo-goo eyes, write your name on my notebook, wear your ring, take you to the movies" kinda way.

That kind of "love substitute" is everywhere. It comes and goes, and it rarely even comes close to real love; even though we call it that. That version of love is fickle and jealous, and easily scared off.


Here's the message:

You are loved exactly as you are.

You are loved, not because of how you look...

or what you do...

...or what you have.


You are loved completely and passionately and relentlessly.


But this love is not found in the hallways at school.

It isn't found at a party.

It won't ask you out.

It won't text you tonight.

It won't write you a note in class.


You probably spend alot of time looking for this "imitation" love...

...stressing over it...

...trying to hold onto it...

... wishing you had it...

...losing friendships over it...

...losing sleep over it...

...when the "real thing" is right there, as close as your breath:


This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11


Regardless of whether or not you have a "valentine" today; whether you feel loved or valued, or admired or desired today - you are...

Your Creator, Father, Savior; the One who knows you intimately, forgives you endlessly, loves you completely.

So if you have "someone special" in your life on this day; that's great. Just remember; you already are loved.

Stop crying...

Quit pouting...

Kill the drama...

Just BE.

Just BE LOVED.

Just BELOVED.

 

1."I'm too busy!" (...with school, work, soccer, band, re-laminating my library card, washing the cat, etc..)
Question: Where did you get the gift of your mind, and your body, and your voice, and your abilities? Where did your musical talent, artistic hand or ability to dunk come from? They must come from someplace, or everyone could do the things that you do well. There are 168 hours in this week. Take 2 of those this Sunday, to relax and say "thank you" to the gift-Giver.

2. "I don't have any friends there!"
You're flat-out wrong... Every person at BIGHOUSE is a brother or sister-in-Christ you haven't met yet. (Just ask those who have found lifetime friends there; who receive love and support from people that were once strangers). Come to group for a couple weeks straight, and you will definitely have friends there. If you feel that out of place, hey, bring someone with you this Sunday!

3. "I'm not sure I even believe in God!"
So?...Youth group is not just for those who have arrived; it's for those who are traveling. It's for those who are on the journey, not just those who thinks they've reached their destination (News Flash - none of us are quite there yet. We all struggle with doubts and questions!). We're talking about good people, your age; trying to get together and figure it out - couldn't that help you this Sunday?

4. "It's boring!"
O.K., I don't think you've actually been to group... Talking about what you believe in and what you're about, dealing with family problems, dating issues, peer pressure, racism, fear, sex,anger, suffering, and trying to be a better person. (plus prayer, worship with 125 crazy friends, free food, and silly stuff!) If that's boring, we need to check you for a pulse this Sunday... You may actually be dead!

5. "My parents won't let me!
From time to time, I hear about youth group used as a punishment, or about parents not supporting you in your spiritual walk. While I find this surprising, please talk to me and I will talk to your parents if you need me to. I can take it - I enjoy being beaten! (Plus I know Taebo!!!)

Seriously, most parents will respect you, if you honestly share what you get out of coming to church. It is worth doing...

6. "I feel bad about myself!"
Hey, who doesn't? Youth group isn't simply a Barney-esque, "I love you, you love me" party. (although it sometimes is partly that!) It's also about looking at our lives, and trying to do better each day. Sometimes that's about feeling great, and sometimes it's about looking hard into the mirror and asking the difficult questions. This Sunday, come take a look and see what ya see!

7. "I don't like John!"
While I personally find this one EXTREMELY HARD TO BELIEVE, (ahem), I realize that my enthusiasm, frantic style, and in-your-face delivery can put some people off. The truth is, I'm there because I love you guys, and want to be there to make your road easier. You are going to run in to many people who you disagree with or are uncomfortable with. The question is, " Will you let that stop you from getting closer to God? Come this Sunday and love God, (while tolerating me)!

8. "I have more important things to do!"
Show me your list and let's talk...Whether you're strong in your faith, or hopelessly lost, there is NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT, than the search for God, and the answering of the BIG Questions. It will make all the difference in who you are and who you become. Do something truly important this Sunday!

9. "I'll go soon/next week/next month, next Fall."
The thing that hits us all from time to time; is how quickly this life passes by. You are here NOW, and that is a gift. Don't put off asking the questions and celebrating the blessings. Come this Sunday with those questions and celebrations... Spiritual procrastination stinks!

10. "I can't get a ride!"
My number is 704 806-9923. Call me and I will personally drive you, or find someone to pick you up. (Note: please don't all do this or I will be in serious trouble!)

Got any more excuses?

The word to remember is... "BEJESUS"

Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the vine, you are the branches." (John 15:5)

That means, you are created as extensions of Christ. That means that
his love, his patience, his forgiveness, his healing are available to
you and possible through you. That means, you have the bar raised on what
you should expect from your life; your actions, your words, your
intentions, your attitude. As branches off of the vine of Christ, you have within
you, God's "seed potential".

So the challenge for the week (and beyond) is to remember...

When I am faced with people who are angry and hurtful and unloveable,
I can BEJESUS and love them anyway.

When I am lied to, let down, or mistreated by someone,
I can BEJESUS and forgive them.

When I am tempted to do something I know is not of God,
I can BEJESUS and turn from it.

When I am ready to say something cruel,
I can BEJESUS and make peace instead.

When I see the hurting, and the hopeless, and the lost,
I can BEJESUS and give them my time.

When I am attacked, and criticzied, and hated,
I can BEJSUS and respond with prayer.

When I am challenged with doubt, fear, and pain,
I can BEJESUS and still follow God.

When I have a choice between the Crowd or the Cross,
I can BEJESUS and choose the "narrow road".

Big shoes dem' are... But as followers of Him, you have inherited those feet... Walk carefully and walk well this week.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:9-13

I've been in youth ministry for the last 9 years, and with the countless hours I have spent talking with teenagers, getting to know them, and sharing in their spiritual journeys, I have come to realize a few things. The first thing I have come to realize; is that I prefer hanging out with teenage Christians, to hanging out with adult Christians. And that's not because I'm trapped in some state of arrested development, that I like terrible pizza, and enjoy playing all night laser tag… (While that may all be true, that isn't the reason).

You see, teenagers are loud, and noisy, and messy, and they are gloriously flawed. They are also honest and authentic about who they are in Christ and who they are not. Even when they aren't exactly sure about who they are in Christ, they have a deep hunger to learn, and they wear their deficiencies and failures on their sleeves.

They're different than adults…

They haven't had enough time to do what we adults have learned to do. Most of us have been Christians for a long time now, and in that time we've learned how to correctly "portray" disciples of Jesus… We've learned how to speak the way disciples speak. We've learned how to use the right language, and how to pray in front of people. We've learned the right music to listen to, the right worship stance to take, and the right Scriptures to quote. In other words, we've gotten really good at wearing the "Christian costume." Through our words and by our masks, we teach people that Christians look and act a certain way, and that if you don't fit this description, then you don't know Jesus..

Yet what we find in this Scripture, is we find Jesus, (as we often do), in the middle of the "sinners"; in the middle of the noisy, unsettling, and messy stuff. Now, you and I usually have a certain kind of person in mind when we hear the word "sinners", (coincidently, usually nothing like ourselves), but the truth is, Jesus could be with the disciples or the Pharisees, or his family, and still be among sinners... I think Jesus chose to spend time with the people that he did, (the socially marginalized, the visibly damaged, and clearly broken) because they were authentic, and they were honest with their junk, desperate to know Him, and hopeful in their belief that He could change them. They weren't "in costume"... I think one of the things we who are adult believers have done, is that we have misrepresented the Gospel to young people. We've taught (either in words or in the silence between the words), that a relationship with Christ, results in perfect, morally faultless people.

We treat spirituality like an infomercial, "before and after" … "Before Jesus I had bad teeth, was overweight, I couldn't hold down a job or keep a relationship. Now, after Jesus, my skin's clear, I'm back to my high school weight, I own my own business, and I have a beautiful wife."

While it's true that a relationship with Jesus is a before and after story, but it isn't "Before: sinful and after: sinless", but it's "Before: sinner, and after: sinner, saved."

One of the greatest challenges is to remember that there is a necessary messiness to being a Christian. What this means; is that one of the greatest responsibilities that we have in the church; is to create and atmosphere of accountability and honesty, where people can openly share in their brokenness; where the message of Jesus: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" is embraced. It means knowing that this label of "sinner", describes even we who know Jesus intimately. It's hard, because there are so many stories in the Gospels, of people being dramatically healed, instantly restored, or miraculously changed by a collision with Jesus, and this makes us feel that if we don't undergo this complete kind of complete transformation, that we haven't really come to fully know Jesus.

At church, we often have some incredibly powerful testimonies during worship on Sunday mornings. But those testimonies always come from a place of victory; from people having overcome some area of addiction or some past sinful lifestyle. I was asking some friends recently; "Wouldn't it be great if we could have a testimony that existed in the present; one that instead of saying, "I'm a Christian and Jesus helped me overcome ________", but one that said "I am a Christian, and I am struggling with__________ right now, and I don't know how I'm going to make it through, but I'm trusting Jesus."

I was asked what that would be like, and what purpose it would serve, and I answered that it would probably be uncomfortable and awkward, but maybe church needs to be a little uncomfortable. (It sure was when Jesus started eating with "sinners"!) What this kind of honesty would do; is it would allow the person testifying, to bring their sin to the light, and it would show everyone, that the church is not a club for healthy people, but a hospital for sick people. It would share the honest truth about the Gospel; that when Jesus comes into our lives, he does heal some things, and he does change some things – he cleans up some of the mess. But many times, what he does instead, is that he joins us in our mess, and loves us regardless of it.

I have learned a great deal about the love of God for His children, by experiencing my love for my son, Noah… There's a movie called "Parenthood"; (actually not a great movie), but in it, a man is telling his younger brother about being a parent, and he says; "You don't just love your children; you fall in love with them.", and that is very true. From the moment I saw Noah, I was hooked. And God is an amazing designer… He makes these little creatures so beautiful and sweet, that they build up so much "love equity", so by the time they are in High School; dating the wrong person, and failing geometry, and smashing the car, that we are in too deep to get out!

When you first meet your child, even their, how shall I say this: "business" is a joy, because it means they are normal and healthy. (It shows that the plumbing's working:) You probably know this, but God even makes the business "odor-free"… As parents, we even name it: "Noah made a boom-boom..." It's actually quite pleasant. Now people warn you. "Yeah, well, it will start to smell soon", and you think, "Oh I know".... but you don't. That is, until it happens… Then the "boom-boom" becomes much tougher to deal with. The thing is though, obviously none of this affects the love you feel for your child… The messier they get, the more you love them. The level of mess Noah makes doesn't change the love I have for him as his father.

The honest truth of the Gospel; is that we are all messes, and God just keeps loving us in the mess.

I love the story in the eighth chapter of John's Gospel; and you all know the story... The Pharisees and teachers of the law bring a woman caught in adultery to Jesus to be punished. There is no debating in this; she is guilty, and there should be no debating the sentence or the punishment. Everything makes sense, until Jesus gets senseless. He stands in the middle of her and the stone-throwing accusers, he begins to write in the sand, until one by one, from oldest to youngest, the accusers drop their stones, and walk away. Jesus asks the woman if there is anyone left to condemn her, She says, "No one sir". Jesus says, "Then neither do I condemn you. Now go and leave your life of sin."

Then what happens…? We don't know.

How disheartening it might be for we sinners, if the Scripture said: ".Jesus says to the woman, "Then neither do I condemn you. Now go and leave your life of sin…And she did."

But the truth is, this woman just as likely, didn't leave her sinful ways, or if she did, and found some other area in her life to fall short and mess-up, as we all do.

This Scripture allows us to embrace the truth that Jesus doesn't always fix us, but he always saves us.

We don't need to hide our flaws in order to validate Jesus, and we don't have to achieve perfection, to have Jesus as Lord of our lives.

The other thing that we do as adult Christians to misrepresent the Gospel, is that we let young people believe that once you accept Jesus, that things will get easier. I hear Pastors preach ing all the time, saying, "If you just give your life to Jesus, He'll take away all the pain and fear and suffering". We have emotional worship and powerful alter calls…We forget to remind young people about Jesus' words to his disciples in the 16th chapter of John's Gospel, "In this life you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." We forget to tell them that when Jesus sends out His disciples in Matthew's Gospel; that he warns them that they will be hated, and targeted, and attacked, and will suffer. We like to "get young people saved", and prepare them for sunlit fields and joyful worship. We get them thinking that the Christian life is this amazing mountaintop event., We don't prepare them for the daily struggle and inevitable adversity that follwing Jesus guarantees.

My experience as I grew in faith and entered ministry, is that I wasn't prepared. When I started living for Jesus, things actually got harder for me. It was so easy before… I didn't care about the things that I did before my faith grew. I also wasn't prepared for the personalfor the Holy Spirit's conviction, my self-criticism. And I definitely wasn't ready for the personal attacks; even from people within the church. Pastor Buster Soaries says, "If you haven't come up against tribulation, it just means that the Devil hasn't identified you as a threat yet." We need to honestly layout the cost of "building a house on rock", before we ask young people to consider construction.

So today, begin letting go of the tendencies to superficially "portray" the part that you think resembles what a "Christian" should be, and begin building real relationships with people, based on honesty and accountability, and a willingness to admit your present brokenness and current messiness. There is no need for a "conspiracy of pretending" in the Body of Christ. The church and youth group, need to be a place that gives the complete Gospel; one that promises, not some attractive "religious veneer"; but gives every person the inner reality of being loved and forgiven children of God, even in their messiness.

Drop the masks.

Put away the disquises.

The Costume Party's over.

Have you ever driven by a restaurant with a sign reading, "Under New Management"?

That is always the sign of a business that had fallen on hard times recently; taken a dip in quality, maybe lost some customers, and that sign announces to everyone that basically, "The past is over. Things are gonna be better now." Whoever has taken over things is basically making the bold public statement:

"Bad service, uncreative menus, and lousy food are all things of the past... Someone new is in charge here."

Around this time of year, everyone, (Christians included), is looking to make some changes; taking personal inventory, examining their lives over the past twelve months, and deciding that some things are gonna be different come tomorrow. There's something about the turn of this calendar page, that makes us feel like anything is possible; that now is the time to do what we have not done already over the past 365 days. The Apostle Paul speaks of this kind of spiritual clean slate and fresh start; this new beginning, when he writes to the church in Corinth:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  2 Cor 5:17 (NIV Translation)

In other words:

If anyone comes to really know Jesus, they are essentially "Under New Management"... The past is over. Things are gonna be better now."  2 Cor 5:17 (John P. Translation)

I wonder, on this New Year's Eve, what it would look like if we could really begin to seek the kind of complete internal renovation that Jesus wants as New Manager of our "business". Usually around this time, we think of resolution; of some small token segment our lives that we are willing to hand over to Him; that we are willing to let go of. (That's us essentially saying to our prospective new manager, "O.K., how about this: we can change the color of the curtains, how 'bout that?)" Pretty much that sums up what most of my spiritual life is like, and maybe you're like me. Maybe you like being a Christian, so longs as it doesn't require too much work or too much inconvenience. You're willing to give Christ this or that, but you like to make the rules. Too much sacrifice, and you're outta here...

But unfortunately for those of us looking for a reliable comfort level, simple benign resolutions are not Jesus' style... Jesus is looking for a New Year's Revolution from us; an inside-out, complete tear down and rebuild that comes with a guarantee of new things; an end to the old stuff.

Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms, "If I take over here, we're cleanin' house... It's all fair game; everything." What this means is that true relationship with Him comes with one thing: cost. When we claim to know Him and to follow him, we need to open up every room of the business; give him access to every corner of our lives; every dark and forgotten and hidden place. It means that our language, our habits, our hobbies, our money, our desires, our relationships, our plans; all lay on the chopping block. Frankly, as much as we want in theory to give that, most of us don't have the stomach for it.

So is this the year? Is this the calendar change that will actually bring something lasting and meaningful, so that next year at this time we'll be able to look back and realize that we made a move toward Him; a move toward holiness. Is this the year for us individually, for our families, for our youth groups, and churches?

Friends, I'm asking the same question of you that I'm asking of myself; the same one that Jesus is asking: "Will 2007 be the year that you stop running things the way you have been, and let Me run them?"

If you ready, (or at least willing) for renovation, hang the sign on your reply, "Under New Management", and let the demolition and recereation begin...

Happy New Year!

Here I am, they say, wastin' my life away again
Hour by hour, by minute by minute, by second by second, by every breath
And I'm hoping that You can provide me the clarity for what's cloudin' me
cause my head's full of their lies and my stomach's full of butterflies,
that flutter by

Yet all the world may turn away
And all colors turn to grey

And they can say love is just an antiquated lie
And they can say love is way passe' and out of style
And they can say love is a one-time hero that has died
And I can say as long as God is God,
(Hey man, and God IS God), then love is still alive

So I make my way, as I trip over my tongue I try to say -
words to convey the hope that grows within me daily
Still all that I can muster is a vain attempt,
a poor excuse for benevolence,
seeking to blossom into a shadow of what You gave me

And all my plans made fade away
Yet I will not be swayed

And they can say love is just an antiquated lie
And they can say love is way passe' and out of style
And they can say love is a one-time hero that has died
And I can say as long as God is God,
(Hey man, and God IS God), then love is still alive

There are two roads to choose today
One leads to love, one leads the other way
One is narrow one is ever-wide
One leads to death and one to life

And I can say:
I'm gonna choose love, I'm gonna choose love
I'm gonna choose love today

And they can say love is a one-time hero that has died
And I can say, As long as God is God,
(Hey man, and God IS God), then love is still alive.
And I can say, As long as God is God,
(Hey man, and God IS God).

I have a problem with my big "BUT"...

Jesus says I, "cannot serve both God and money",
BUT, I love the things that money brings.

I know that it's what's inside that matters,
BUT, I am vain and obsessed with my appearance.

I know that I need to live in the now,
BUT, (I'll finish this one tomorrow).

I am sure that God exists,
BUT, doubt is never far beneath the surface.

Jesus says "Love your enemies"
BUT, they are unloveable.

I want teenagers to be radical,
BUT, I cling to my security.

Jesus says: "Do not worry",
BUT, my many worries, worry me.

I know "it's not about me",
BUT, I crave the credit and love the blame.

I believe every day is a blessing,
BUT, I get stuck in the past and obsessed with the future.

What's your big "BUT"?

Sometimes I look around, and I think Jesus must really be tired...

tired of boring Christians...

tired of lifeless churches...

tired of money-centered disciples...

tired of getting only one hour a week...

tired of apathy...

tired of my fixation on yesterday and tomorrow...

tired of worry-burdened believers...

tired of competing with sports...

tired of our obsession with attractiveness...

tired of being at the bottom of my list...

tired of my complaining...

tired of young Christians addicted to everything but Him...

tired of joyless disciples...

tired of t-shirts and slogans...

tired of cool graphics and huge festivals...

tired of bigger and better...

tired of hollow worship...

tired of self-hating young people...

tired of self-hating older people...

tired of denominations...

tired of political parties...

tired of Christian families with more cars than Bibles...

tired of Christians who live as though He never did...

tired of spiritual procrastinators...

tired of those blind to their own worth...

tired of me refusing to rest in Him...


Even if Jesus isn't tired of these things, I am...

Aren't you tired?


Jesus says:"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest". .. Matt. 11:28

The truth is, of course, Jesus is a supply of never-ending forgiveness and Grace, and thankfully he never tires of us; of our failures and our falling, and how "consistently inconsistent" we can be... Hopefully, though, something on this list has caused you to begin your own list, and to look at where God might be asking for you to give it up to Him.

The source of so much anxiety, worry, anger, pain, and depression in life comes from our inability, (or more often), our willingness to, as the writer of Hebrews says, "enter into His rest"; to allow God to be God...

Today, think about the things in your life or your world, that Jesus might be tired of and add them to this list, so I can pray for you. Or, just give them to God today... right now.