Christian

A Tiny Profit…..No a Minor Prophet.

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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If you think the above is a Minor Prophet you might be a Redneck…

I kid but it’s kind of funny. For most people wanting to read the book of Habakkuk means first hearing there is a book called Habakkuk and then getting directions so lets start there. Open your Bibles to something familiar lets say Psalms. Now grab about 1/4 of your Bible and flip that to the left. If you hit Matthew you went too far, Micah then go a little further.

Understand I am being funny not condescending. I have to look it up every time myself.

The little book of Habakkuk is pretty awesome and being only 3 chapters long takes about 5-10 minutes to read. I mean you can actually read Habakkuk faster than it took me to write this post. There are a few things you will read in Habakkuk that will make you think and most famous is 2:4b “The just shall live by faith” which Paul talks about in Galatians. There is also some other stuff like 2:3, and 2:15-16, & 3:18. All great but that is not what I want to talk about.

I want to talk about asking God “what’s up.” I mean that kind of how can this be, what is going on, are you even there what’s up prayer. Not in a irreverent way but in an honest to goodness I don’t understand kind of way. I think it is OK to pray those prayers. I think it is OK to go to God and say “I don’t get it, why?” if you are really looking for an answer. I am not saying you will get the answer you want but it is OK to ask.

That is what Habakkuk is really all about. He starts off the little book by praying an “I don’t get it” prayer. He is saying “God look around everything is falling apart, how can you let this happen, don’t you care? (verse 1)” It was a very real question and concern to him. He was not disrespectful he was hurting. I’ve been there. Have you?

If you are or have then you know you feel wrong about asking God to let you in on the plan. To give you a little insight as to why and what’s going on. You know He knows but you feel like you are not suppose to ask. Well I am here to tell you along with Habakkuk that you can ask. Ask away my friend. Ask all night, just do it humbly and listen for an answer.

That is exactly what he did and look at the difference between the beginning of the book and the end. He starts off with “why this and why that, don’t you care”, and ends with “God is good, and I will rejoice in Him.” But don’t think he did this because God changed the situation. Habakkuk was pre-exile. That means they were about to be carried off into captivity and their lands taken from them. That is a bad deal. So don’t think he started praising God because of blessing. No instead he praised God because he encountered God and realized God is worthy to be praised.

You and I are no different. I struggle. I am struggling through some things right now, but when I go to God with it I feel better about it because I know Jesus has it. I don’t worry about it so much because I know that Jesus loves me and that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. I know I love God and He has called me to His purpose so I can rest in that. That does not mean I don’t keep going back to Him for more rest though.

That is a side thought but understand sometimes you need to go back to God and get some more rest. Did you sleep last night? Will you sleep again tonight? Has anyone ever told you that you need to stop sleeping and just embrace the sleep you have already gotten? No of course not that is foolish. The same thing applies with God. When I go to Him to get rest I get rest, but I go back and get more rest, and then more rest, and more rest. Because I get weak and need a Savior.

Anyway talk to God.Tell him your woes. Just His presence is enough to make us feel better. He is your Father and talking to Him will ease your troubled mind.

Just a thought,

Mike

Itchy Legs & Dead Caterpillars

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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Everyone loves the story of the caterpillar. The little thing makes itself a cocoon and then poof it is a beautiful butterfly. You too little boys and girls can turn into what God wants you to be. It is just so lovely.

Of course just like most things that is only the part we see. The other part the part we do not see is the process. The process to go from caterpillar to butterfly is messy and destructive. The caterpillar basically dies. It releases enzymes that completely digest itself. Then it is reborn into a butterfly. For a time in that cocoon there is just butterfly goo. Just ooey gooey ukyness…

In Genesis 17:5 God gives Abram a new name, and while here is a lot that can be said about that. I only want to talk about the process from 12-17.

There are 13 years between Genesis 12 and Genesis 17. In between is the it’s my sister Egypt issue, Lot being captured, Melchizedek, Ishmael, and a host of other trials victories, learning and failings. 13 years between God calling Abram and turning him into Abraham. It took 13 years of ooey gooey ukyness to make an Abraham, and the process was by no means complete.

The New Testament is full of verses talking about dieing to yourself. Two of my favorites are Romans 6:4 and Galatians 2:20 (I even know a song for this one). Even more famous is Jesus teaching that you must pick up and carry your cross daily. The process to become what God wants you to be, to be what He has made you to be is hard, and it is painful.

I remember going through the “process” of going from being a boy to being a young man. There were hormones raging, legs that itched so bad, growing pains, and so on. It was horrible. I could not think straight, could not understand why I kept crying all the time, I could not even as some say. It was horrible but it was something I had to go through in order to become a man.

A walk with God is no different. We have to go through some growing, some changing, some itchy legs. It is a process and it is not an overnight one. It is not something that just happens. Some call it progressive sanctification, some call that heresy, but still say we grow and change. Either way I think we can all agree that you are not who you were before you gave your life over to Jesus. I would assume (and I know that is dangerous) that you have matured. That as Paul says you no longer think as a child. That you have moved on from mothers milk and eat solid food. At least I would hope you do.

Like Abraham you will still make mistakes and that is OK. God knows you are going to fail, He expects it, He sees it. That is a non issue. Failing is part of the process, but so is getting up. Abraham did not have 13 years of successes because there were some heavy failures in there. No he did not have 13 years of success, but what he did have was 13 years of growing. 13 years of maturing. 13 years of itchy legs, crying spells, caterpillar goo, and 13 years of growth.

Today we should stand up and realize that yesterday’s failures and successes have brought you to today. Shake off the dust and keep growing.

Just a thought,

Mike

Is God a GPS?

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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This post is just about 10 words. 10 little words that seem to resonate in me and push me, if not punch me in the gut when I read them. In the New King James Version there are almost 775,000 words but somehow these 10 stick out. Even more absurd is that in the Hebrew these 10 words are actually only 4 words.

There are really two things I want to talk about but it is probably best if I split them into two post.

Genesis 12:4 “So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken with him.” That’s it. These 10 words seem to shake me at my core. But I struggled to figure out why they hit me so hard. That is until my wife helped me.

You see I could go on and tell you that it is because it is hard to move. Leaving everything you know and love is a hard thing to do and it is scary. But that would not be true (at least for me) because I like that. I enjoy moving somewhere new and learning the streets and places to eat. I like meeting new people and see new sights. I get a real kick out of it.

You could start thinking that maybe that is the problem and that verse hits me because I don’t like to stay in one place, but wrong again! I do enjoy moving but I also I hate being wrong so I tend to stay in one place too long (that’s debatable). I don’t want to uproot my family and then find out I was wrong and now we are somewhere we should not be. So staying put is actually really easy. Not doing anything is actually very easy to do.

See my problem is not going or staying, my problem is not knowing. I think I am like most people and I want God to say exactly what He wants. Like I said those 10 words hit me hard but the Hebrew is harder on you “‘Abram yalak Yĕhovah dabar.” It means the same but the words are broken down like this Abram walked, God said. Thats is as simple as the verse really is. Now it does not mean that Abram started walking before God said but instead because God said Abram walked.

Abram walked = God + Said

I think looking at like an equation helps. This because of that. My problem is I want the God + Said part and I don’t always get it because we are supposed to walk by faith. We are supposed to let God shine a light on our path and walk as He shines that light. God does at times tell us go here and do this. But often times that is not how it works and I don’t like that. I want it to be clear and I don’t want to make mistakes. I have to provide for my family. I have a daughter entering into Middle School and I want her to make friends and not bounce around. I want to adopt. I want to know that where I go is where I am supposed to go so I do not need to go somewhere else. I want to know I am right.

I don’t though. In all honesty can we really know? I mean usually we don’t get the clear go here and do this so all we can do is ask God to open doors He wants us to walk through and give us peace or no peace about a plan. That is what walking by faith and not by sight is all about. It is not so much about trusting God said this or that but instead trusting that if you ask Him to lead you He will even when you don’t hear GPS sounds.

I have said in the past “God is saying this!” and I have been wrong. I don’t want to do that because it  can make God look like He failed when really it was me. I am trying to do what James says in his letter “Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” That is hard and not just because it takes a lot of faith but because everyone wants to know if that is what God said. It is the peer pressure that makes it difficult. Everyone seems to be under the impression that God always gives a turn by turn route plan (at least for someone else) when in reality a walk of faith is usually not so clear. You can turn and make adjustments as you go. You can follow a fad thinking it was God when it was marketing. You can give into pressure and do nothing because you need a sign.

Jesus talked about looking for signs a few times and I don’t think I want to keep company with those demanding signs. I mean I will still ask for one and still seek confirmation but will I be willing to move or sit without one? Do I trust that God has my best interest at heart if I am earnestly seeking Him and He says nothing? Hard questions and they have no easy answer.

So this verse still kicks me in the gut but at least now I know why, and even though I am still asking for GPS directions I am willing to walk by faith and not by sight.

Just a thought,

Mike

Does the TV count as company?

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

Does the TV count as company? Does a book? What about a video game? FaceBook? I could go on and on, but I think the point is made. In case it wasn’t do the things we give our attention to count as company (that’s better)?

I think they do because they are created to take our attention and pull us into that world. You generally watch a show or movie and “escape” into it. You become connected to the characters and stories. You are saddened when they die, or lose their love. You rejoice when they win. When Captain America is being all awesome you feel good and maybe your arms start twitching like mine do (as if I am beating the bad guy). If we were not connected to them we would not spend our time with them we would just change the channel or grab a different book.

So my new question is this; What kind of company do you keep? 1 Cor 15:33 says “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”” So does the company you keep corrupt your good habits? If you are like a lot of people you can look at that verse and think “almost all my friends go to church” or “I only hang with people who are decent” or whatever. But if the TV and Book company you keep at home is not good then you don’t actually keep good company.

Now don’t think I am shooting down anything in particular. I have no idea what show or book you are thinking about right now but I am willing to bet that most of you are thinking about something. Just know that whatever you are thinking about right now is for you to continue thinking about. Maybe it is not something you do now but did before. Just take that to prayer.

One other thought on how evil company corrupts good habits and this really got me thinking.

I was at a store yesterday and there was this loud mouth kid (early 20s maybe) talking about the last time he got arrested and f this and f that. I mean he was really putting on a show for these other kids. I know him because I was him. I could hear the forcing in his voice trying to sound like I don’t care but I could hear the hurt in his voice. Anyway his actions started to rub off on the lady standing next to me. She started saying things that just did not seem to flow out her mouth naturally. She was letting the company around her influence her language and actions. I left the store realizing the awesome power and responsibility (Spiderman influence) we have and how we have to use it carefully.

None of us are above letting the company around us change our habits either. Galatians says a little yeast works the whole loaf. Do not deceive yourself and think that only “weak” and immature” people deal with that type of stuff. Pride precedes the fall.

Just a thought,

Mike

What is love?

/ Mike Farley / 1 Comment

I think it is safe to say that we as a culture are obsessed with love or at least the idea of love. We listen to songs about it, watch movies about it, read books about it. We think about how we can better love ourselves, love our spouses, love our children, and love others. Selling love has become a multi-billion industry in it’s multiple forms. Those who don’t have it long for it, and those who have it try to figure out how to hold on to it or find it in new ways.

Often times when we lose the feeling of love we turn to new things in an attempt to get that feeling back often times with failure and sin as a result. There are those who have mastered the craft of the illusion of love. People who have studied the feeling of love and like a painter are able to create it. But like a painting it is only a two dimensional and lacks depth. We have taken a great and wonderful thing and made it trivial and cheap. We treat love like a drug and or a solve it all. All the while we tend to only seek love for our benefit.

The story in Hosea is a beautiful love story filled with tragedy and joy, tears, and rejoicing. Hosea is a story of a man who deeply loves his unfaithful wife, and it is also the story of how the children of Israel have left their first love. But it is also a story of you and I.  A story written some almost three thousand years ago that today still speaks true. It is all a story that today is an all too common scenario. A story that at the time it was written was scandalous, but today makes the for good television. It is story of a fall from grace and an undeserving return to glory.

I think the thing that makes the story of Hosea, and Gomer so great is that Gomer thought she knew what love was. She thought she had an understanding of what love was, and sadly it is the same misunderstanding that many of us have. But she learned what love truly was and is not because of her seeking but because of her husbands seeking of her.

Hosea 2:5 says “For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully for she said I will go after my lovers, who gave me my bread and my water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.”

Gomer the wife of Hosea decided that her husband was not enough for her, more to the point she decided he was not the provider she needed. She had desires for more that he did not provide. She wanted things more than she wanted her husband and family. She loved other things more. Notice she refers to the providers of these things as her lovers who gave me.. It was the things she wanted more than her husband. She desired these things and these many men more than Hosea. This was not a marriage on the rocks. Not a marriage where her husband did not love her. It is very clear from the text that Hosea loved his wife dearly. She and she alone was the one with issue.

In the same way we too leave God for other lovers. Maybe it is not full leaving maybe it is just a little something on the side. You hold a little back from offering so you can get that shirt, or watch, or rims. You skip fellowship so you can have a little more time to play that game, or get caught up on work, or finally spend some quality time with NetFlix. It is not leaving just a little flirting. You have not cheated on your girl it’s just a work wife because it’s fun. It is just a little harmless fun.

But a little this and a little that make a lot of something.

We look for things that will give us the thing we want; the feeling of love. When we see something that might be it or even lead to it we follow it. We chase love and the idea of love relentlessly all the while not realizing that a relentless love is chasing us.

Don’t get me wrong love is not a bad thing I love love. The problem is our understanding of love. The problem is that we sometimes love the wrong things and don’t understand what love is. We love tacos, cookies, and Jesus. As if these three things are the same.

We chase things that are not love as if they were. We long for what we do not have all the while completely missing the thing in front of us. A big part of the problem if not the whole problem is we do not understand what love is.

Here is three examples of misunderstanding what love is.

So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames, you can tell me when it’s over if the high was worth the pain, Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane, cause you know I love the players and you love the game. – Taylor Swift.

Oh won’t you stay with me, cause you’re all I need. This ain’t love it’s clear to see but darling stay with me. – Sam Smith

Well you only need the light when it’s burning low, Only miss the sun when it starts to snow, Only know you love her when you let her go. – Passenger

You have a song about talking about love as a temporary passion, one that wants love knowing it does not have it, and one that says you only know you have love when it is gone.

Love as defined by Webster’s dictionary is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person and the strong affection felt by people who have a romantic relationship. This is nice but easy to fall in and out of. This is just an affection it is no more than a stong like, and I can stop liking something or someone pretty quick. We have turned love into a feeling. A strong feeling but a feeling nonetheless. We love out of our desire, needs, and wants. We love when there is something in it for us.

God does not command that we really like our neighbor. Jesus does not say in Luke 10:27 you should really like the LORD your God. No it says you should LOVE the LORD your God.  The love being used here in the Greek means to wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. It is so much more than like or strong like. Biblical love is crazy dedication.

So how does the Bible define love. After all if we are going to talk about Biblical love we should define it.

1 Corinthians 13:

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

If I had to sum it up I would say the Bible define love as a selfless devotion to others that is ready and willing to go the distance.

There was a man a few years back named Kamal Saleem who was a part of something called Culture Jihad. It is a branch of jihad that instead of guns and swords to attack the flesh they instead choose to attack the mind. He moved himself to America to begin to reshape America for Islam. Long story short he was in a horrible accident one day on his way to recruit some young men. He was thrown from his car and broke his neck in two places. He was found by some christians who called 911. He was brought to a christian hospital where all of his bills where paid and treatment was set up for him. He knew they were all the same people he wanted to destroy (christians). They put him in an apartment after he was released from the hospital, and even bought him a car. One day he realized that these same people he wanted to destroy loved him without condition and he decided to take his life because of his confusion but he heard a voice call him by name and tell him to cry out to God. He did and God answered. This man now has a large ministry dedicated to seeing people find freedom in Christ.

Back to Luke 10 Jesus then goes on to talk about loving your neighbor as yourself and tells the story of the good Samaritan. A man who had no reason whatsoever to love the beaten and battered Jew. Let me ask you this and I understand that no one wants to hear this and I do not want to say it. If a member of rival sports team was beaten and battered would you help? If it was the one who your spouse cheated on you with would you still be willing to help? What if it was the person who got you wrongly fired? What if it was a member of ISIS or Al Quada? If you are walking down Main St and someone was bruised bloody and dying would it matter who they are before you help them?

We have to love, we have to choose love. We have Jesus as our example of what love does. We look to Him and see how love responds. Not living out of feelings no matter how strong.

We go back to our love story in Hosea 2:14-16 “Therefore behold, I will allure her, will bring her back into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there as in the days of her youth. As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. And it shall be in that day, says the LORD that you will call me My Husband (Ishi – husband, mighty man, him that is, great) and no longer call me My master (Baali – My master, captain, chief man, have to do.)”

That parallel between two words is like an obligation and a choice. It is like the difference between the old ball and chain, and my wife.

We look and see that even before we get cleaned up God is calling us to Him. We did not get to get right before we could get right with God. It says in Romans that while we still sinners Christ died for us. He did it out of love. God is love and whoever lives in love, lives in God (1 John 4:16).

The whole point of what I am saying is this. God loves you and loved you before you were worth loving and He says we are to love as well. We are to love God and love our neighbor. We are to live in love. We are to love the brethren and being willing to lay ourselves down for them. We are to love others and show them a more excellent way. We are to be known for our love. I say it again we are to be about the business of love.

We are to love our children when they don’t ask for it. We are to  love our spouses when they are being difficult. We love our parents when they are being crazy. We are to love our pastors when they seem to require much from us. Love is not a feeling but an action. We must be about the business of love, because it is the business God is in.

In looking at Hosea and Gomer again. Love is worth it. Love wins. Hosea buys back his wife at a great price. A price higher than any of her false lovers would be willing to pay. A price that was above and beyond what any slave was worth. Hosea paid this price because she was no slave but his bride.

We need to first understand that God is love. We can hear that and not understand it. Read 1 Cor 13:4-8a again but this time replace Love with God. God suffers long and is kind; God does not envy; God does not parade Himself, He is not puffed up; He does not behave rudely; He does not seek His own, He thinks no evil. he does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth.

Jesus went to and died on a cross for a Bride. He purchased you back with His own blood He bought back as His bride. He paid a price that no one else was willing to pay. No false lover came to your rescue, no tempter ever thought to secure you. Jesus laid down His life to redeem you. Hosea purchased his wife with things that perish because his love while great had an end. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says:

“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by traditions from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Jesus purchased His bride with things that do not perish because His love does not end. That starts to build a pretty good picture.

Later read it again but put yourself in there you will quickly see where you need to work on things. You will have a hard time saying certain things. Your voice might even crack a little when you read words you know are not true about yourself. Read them anyway. Then ask God to help you become those things.

Just a thought,

Mike

I am not a reject!

/ Mike Farley / 6 Comments

So at this point I have sent out probably 2 dozen or so emails for youth pastor positions from Saipan to Oregon with most having cricket responses, but some rejections are starting to roll in. This is not fun, and it is not how I expected it to go (I am typically the constant optimist). To be honest I started to feel like a reject and sit in self pity. Then God and my daughter spoke up.

We were doing a Bible study last night and going through 1 John and my daughter asked if lying was a sin. Simple question so I fought the urge to give a dissertation and said yes. She then asked if that meant she was no longer a Christian because she sinned. My wife and I then explained to her that just like mommy and daddy love you and you are our daughter regardless of mistakes and actions God loves you even when you mess up. This was good enough for her. But it started something in me.

This morning I started thinking about that again. I felt like God was reminding that just like a lie does not mean you stop being His child a rejection does not make you a reject. We can (ok I can) take things to a place they do not need to go. It is hard when you get so many no answers or just a no. You can start to feel like no one wants you, and that you will never succeed. You do not want to not feel this way but without some encouragement you will.

Enter Colossians 1:27b and 3:3. These are two of my favorite verses ever. So much so I made 1:27b the WiFi password for a time so when the kids would have friends over they would have to memorize Scripture to use the internet. God can say so much using so little words. I am reminded that my place is in Him, and my work for Him.

So today I am back at (not just sending emails later) but refreshed in my mind and spirit. Reminded that I am a child of the King, and loved dearly. Sure there are many more well qualified candidates out there, sure a lot of them already have a degree and have been on staff for some time now. But there is one thing they are not, and that is me.

 

Just a thought,

Mike

Colossians 1:27b – Christ in you, the hope of glory

Colossians 3:3 – For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God

Are we irrelevant?

/ Mike Farley / 1 Comment

I was thinking about relevancy last night and the question popped in my head “is the church irrelevant?” I think the answer is yes, I mean no, I mean maybe, I suppose it could be.

The message of the gospel is in no way irrelevant. A lot of people are still in their sin and still need a Saviour. God still loves them and has a way for them. Christ still came to seek and save the lost so yes the gospel is still very relevant. But the question is not “Is the Gospel Irrelevant?” the question is “are we irrelevant?” Yes the first sentence said the church and now I say we but they are the same thing after all you and I are the church.

Let me break it down this way. If I were to go into a foreign land to be a missionary and brought all my western ideals, clothes, food, and music then I would be irrelevant to that culture. Relevant is defined as “closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand.” So if I do not take the time to learn about those I am going to minister to then I am irrelevant pretty simple huh.

The same goes with those around us. If we do not take the time to learn about them, their likes and dislikes, their wants and needs, the sports teams they like, the movies they enjoy or anything else then I am irrelevant to them. I have nothing in common with them as far as they are concerned and I am not connected to the matter at hand.

Don’t get me wrong we should not be part of the world but nonetheless it is those in the world we are to minister to. When Jesus came to minister He became a man. He got hungry, tired, maybe even had a pimple (I am not being funny for humor sake) but He actually experienced life like you and I have but never sinned.

Paul says that he has become all things to all men so that some might be saved. That does not mean he took part in their sin but there is so much more to life than sin. There is music, and movies, and food, and mountain climbing, and rooting for the Cowboys. There are things that we can find commonality on. Paul used their own poets to prove points.

Jesus says in John 17:18 that we are being sent into the world. Once we we accept Christ we belong to a new world (the kingdom of God) and then Jesus sends us back into the world we came from to be His ambassadors. Read Romans 12:2 and John 17 to get the full picture.

So to answer the question of are we irrelevant I would have to say I don’t know are you?

Just a thought,

Mike

Fish don’t climb trees

/ Mike Farley / 3 Comments

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

This is a quote that is sometimes attributed to Albert Einstein some believe he said, some do not, some could care less (me). The important thing is not did Albert say it but does it carry any weight. I think it does

I have been reading some articles on small town youth groups/ministries and I am seeing a recurring theme; namely do not compare them to city youth groups/ministries. The problem is we decide what a successful youth ministry should be and then we try and fit people in that box but sadly the box is not shaped right. I am not going to go into what makes a good city or town youth ministry because it depends on the town. I would be falling into the same trap. Instead I want to quickly give my opinion on how we should judge a successful youth ministry.

VH1 used to (they still could I don’t watch anymore) do a show called Where Are They. It was cool because you got to see where people where at after the hype was over. Some stayed in the industry in different ways, some just left the glitz and glamour and went back to where they came from, and some are sadly no longer with us. I think a successful youth ministry is one where they now work somewhere in the industry. What I mean by that is they are still productive and faithful members of the community. They still go to church (maybe even helping the youth) they did not float away when the party ended. They were trained to remain. Sure maybe they showed up for the party but they stayed to meet the guest of honor.

We should not be so quick to judge based on party size because honestly Jesus said that is a wide road. We should be judging on buy-in. I am not saying a crowd is a bad thing but if they are just visiting and leaving then have we done our job to make disciples?

Just a thought,

Mike

Guest Speaker

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

I have been asked to share a message for Empowerment Worship Center at their first annual friends and family day. Location to be determined later, but it will be on 4/26 @ 3pm. If you are free stop on by and see what this great body is doing in the community.

This is a body on fire for God. We spend Easter with them and they had an open air service (I got a sunburn) but it was worth it. They started there church on a street corner and have been growing constantly. When I think of Romans 1:16 I think EWC.

http://www.empowermentwc.org/

Silly Kids

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

I was thinking about “youth issues” earlier and I realized that the “issues” they face are not entirely different than the “issues” we as adults face.  We can easily separate them and think that they will get over these things when they grow up, but have we?

We can look at the issue and say that kids are worried about silly things or that a test is not all that important, but in truth those silly things and test are the same things we deal with but at least we don’t have raging hormones on top of it. I mean at least when I am stressed out I don’t have to deal with the Hulk trying to come out.

Galatians 3:28 (CEV) says “Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman.”

The MVP version (that’s Mike’s Very Paraphrase) says it like this “When you have faith in Jesus ya’ll the same thing; SAVED!  Child, Teen, Adult, Prostitute, Murder, Banker, Politician, Homemaker, or whatever. It is all the same thing Sinners Saved by Grace.”

I think that if in Christ we are all equal and the same then the issues we face are the same as well. After all no temptation has seized you except what is common to man (1Cor 10:13).

A few example might help.

Teen: Goes to school and wants to impress his friends so wears certain cloths and says things to fit in.

Adult: Goes to work and wants to impress his friends so wears certain cloths and says things to fit in.

Same thing different location.

Teen: Has a big test is stressed because they want to do well to get good grades so they can get into the school they want to.

Adult: Has a work review coming up so he is trying to make sure all his projects are up to date and is not behind on anything so he can get a raise to provide better for his family.

Same thing different location.

I could go on but I think you get the point. The issues are very similar so let’s not pass them off too quick and think that we are above the issues.

Also if we look at suicide statistics while white males in the mid 30s-40s still have the highest rate, but how many more teens would have committed suicide had they had not been stopped by parents or rushed to the ER?

Look at the drug rates and self injury stats to see that while many are not dead they are killing themselves in many other ways.

It may be that we just need to show them a little more patience and stop blowing off their very real feelings.

Just a thought,

Mike