You're an Oak

He actually did it. Jim actually retired. He’s said he would before but I guess this time he did it the right way…he’s on vacation. Since he said he has retired and because he’s gone on vacation…I’ve moved into his office (insert your jokes here). Although Jim is not leaving Northview, I already miss having him around the office. He is an amazing mentor, brother, and friend.

Jim has taught me a lot over the past year. I know God has done so much through him in the lives of so many people over the years. This past year alone has been one of my biggest growing years because of the impact that God has had on my life through Jim. What I respect most about him is that he is a student of the Word. It is tempting at it age, I’m sure, to think you already know everything there is to know. I’ve even heard people say, “I know all of the important scriptures.”

Jim walked into my office one day with a certain look on his face holding his Bible. He asked me what the passage meant, to which I replied, “You’re the Elder. You tell me.” He reminded me that I was the Bible Major and I was supposed to have everything memorized (which I don’t). We joke a lot, but this one occasion will always stand out in my mind. He told me that he read that passage differently for the first time that day than he ever had in his life.
Have you ever looked at an old oak tree, strong and firm in the ground, and seen it grow? I saw Jim grow a little more that day. There are days, even years, when we all but refuse to grow. It is tempting to decide what we believe and never budge. Make sure you keep growing.

My professors were good about teaching us this. I often heard, “I am your professor but I am first and foremost a student of the Word.” I was blessed with humble teachers and mentors. I thank God for them and can only pray that I will continue to grow. Patsy Day, a spunky little old lady I met at one of my frequent coffee shops, reminded me of the verse in 1 Corinthians 8, “Knowledge puffs up.” Don’t ever think you cannot learn anymore. Keep growing.


“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” – I Kings 3:9

“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.” – Psalm 119:66

“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.” – Proverbs 18:15

“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” – Proverbs 12:1

end...beginning...whatever

I’m having a different feeling than I really ever had before. We had an amazing weekend last weekend. We camped, hiked, and saw tons of God’s beautiful artwork all around us. He is a good artist…you should check His work out sometime. We got to look through really expensive telescopes seeing exploding ring nebulas, Jupiter and her moons, star clusters at the edge of the galaxy, and many other incredible things that most of our eyes have never gazed upon outside of a textbook. None of these are what have caused the different feelings within me. We’ve had a great summer…I hope everyone else has the same feelings.

I’ve never had this feeling of “end” at the end of a summer. Other youth ministers probably have a good feeling what I’m talking about. As much as I’ve enjoyed all the times I’ve had with the teens this summer, they are going back to school and my life gets to calm down for a little bit. Despite popular belief this does not mean that I have nothing to do. I do work on Sundays and Wednesdays (a joke…just incase you are wondering if I do work at other times…I do…it is Friday and I’m writing this insert).

This brings me to the start of a new school year for our teens. Most of them have a candle that has been burning strong this summer. Then school starts. Different influences set in. Satan attacks. This is the hardest time of the year for a teen. Camps are done. Youth events are more spread out. Busyness sets in and God time often seems to be squeezed out of each day. Struggles get harder and we often start floundering. If you grew up in a youth group then you know what I’m talking about.

I’m calling on you, as brothers and sisters of these teenagers, to simply pray for them, take interest in them, keep them accountable, and talk to them every once in a while. They are actually real people who are capable of holding conversation…just ask anyone who has worked with them. They are interesting as well and a part of this family who we need to edify and build up as they start their new school year.

Ryan

God! I'm scared of the dark!

Do you remember being scared of the dark as a kid? Isn’t it funny how an ordinary room can dramatically change as soon as the lights go out? The coat on the door becomes a blood sucking ghost…The creaks of the bed are the voices of the monsters who are going to slurp your soul out of your body through your ears…The little chair in the corner quickly becomes a troll, with one eye bigger than the other, who is going to pluck ever hair out of your body one at a time…ok I think you get the point. When darkness happens…things come to life!

Needing to get away for some much needed alone time, I decided to do a “wee bit of hill walking” as they called it in Scotland. Starting atop Mount Mitchell I ventured deep into the black mountains along the Deep Gap Trail. I walked with a hurried pace, not neglecting the beautiful sun setting behind the mountains. You could see for miles…absolutely breathtaking! With the reality that the sun was setting, meaning that I would soon no longer have the brilliant light of the blazing sun I quickened my pace some more.

With my headlamp blazing the trail I reached what would become my campsite. I set up a little fire ring and built a fire…constantly looking around me to make sure nothing was nearby. After building the fire (not so much for warmth but more so to keep animals away) I strung up my backpack in a tree, set up my hammock, and climbed in. I won’t lie to you…I prayed that God would take my fears away. Every creak of a tree was a bear…the small tapping of my hammock on my arm was a wolf sniffing me to see if I was good for the eating…the forest was coming alive!

I think what God wanted me to learn that night was to be scared of the dark again. Sometimes we find ourselves in really dark places in this world but we’ve become so used to it that we don’t notice it anymore. The things in the dark are no longer real to us. I’ve been experiencing that in my life. I needed the reminder that even when everything seems so dark around us, there is a light within that burns with blazing fury to drive out all fear. I am calling all of us to raise one finger and repeat…“Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna let it SHINE!”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” – John 1:1-5

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” – John 3:19-21

Sorry God...I didn't hear you

What is it inside of us men that cause us to look at a mountain and want to climb it, look at a forest and want to explore it, or look at a long trail and want to conquer it? I’m not saying that women don’t have these urges; I’m just saying that I’m not going to pretend to know what is going on inside their minds. I’ll just stick with what I know…or at least with what I have some experience with…23 or so years worth.

Why do we do these things? I don’t know if I can answer for all men but I’ll at least answer for me. A few months ago I was asked why God doesn’t speak to us anymore like He used to. I’ve had a few thoughts on this that were confirmed either by A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly or another book…or possibly a lecture I listened to…anyway. I asked myself, “Does God not talk to us anymore, or do we just not take time to listen? And, do we allow the world around us to be so loud that we cannot hear the whisper of God?” Wrestling with these two questions brings me back to why I…climb that mountain, conquer that river, explore the depths of the forest, etc.

Inside of me, and possibly inside many of you, there is a longing to hear the voice of God. I’m not saying that you have to be on top of a mountain to hear God. What I am saying is, often we need to run away, find a place, and get away from all the “noise” and listen. When I do this, I frequently find noise within myself keeping me from hearing and listening. It is important to frequently take time to set everything aside and listen. I’m not saying that you will hear God audibly but that God keeps His promise that when you ask for wisdom, He will give it.

“The LORD said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” – I Kings 19:11-14

“So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” – I Kings 3:11-12

”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:5-6

God...show yourself

I’ve been all over Scotland, throughout Germany, and down through Italy, with a few awe-inspiring places in between. The Highlands of Scotland was one of my favorite places to be. Words cannot describe the beauty that is found there. This weekend as I kayaked 15+ miles on the New River with the guys from the youth group and some men from the congregation, I strayed back a few times to be by myself and soak everything in around me. The breathtaking rolling hills filled with green grass and trees made me miss my time in Scotland. As I reminisced on the beauty that has flooded my two blessed eyes, I couldn’t help but sit in awe of a God who created all of it just for me to look at.

Sometimes I get my nose so down to the grind that I never take the opportunity to see where God is sharing Himself with me…like an artist painting for his love. God really cares about little ol’ me? Stars…I love to look at them, so much nothingness with little bursts of light ripping its way through space to these little eyes of mine. Why would God create these? I’ve come to believe that He’s done it for no other reason but to make me smile. It is hard for me to be out in God’s creation and not have a good time. I’m glad I was blessed to be with my brothers this weekend to share it with them…after all He created it for them too.

I love the section at the end of Isaiah 40 where it talks about God being the “everlasting God.” He calls out the starry host one by one because He can…He created them. I was standing on the ledge of a 200 ft cliff outside of Stonehaven, Scotland. It was about six foot wide between the fence and the cliff. I was standing there so that I could take a picture of Dunnattar Castle, which stands across the way on the same cliffs surrounding a beach. The scene is magnificent. This once mighty castle, sits in ruins with greenery all around, the sea behind it, and cliffs dropping below. This is the scene that reminds me of how mighty our God is. Sometimes we need to step away from the neat stuff that man has created, already laying in ruins, and admire how beautiful God has made things for us yesterday, today, and forever.

Sorry Jesus...I didn't realize that was you...

A number of different things happened over this past week. I had my one year anniversary of doing full time youth ministry here at Northview on the 10th. A woman really close to me back home passed away this week as well. She was always so nice to me, always had a smile, and a kind word to share with me. She will be greatly missed. My Dad turned 53 and Brady White turned 13. Lots of things have happened this week.

The best thing I saw this week was your teens, as an arm of Northview and of God’s Kingdom, stretching out to touch families in Summerville, SC. They joined with other teens from all over the Carolinas to be the loving arms of Jesus to others in this world. One of the speakers at Carolina Workcamp spoke about how when we help others we are helping Jesus. Most of the time when we overlook helping someone in need, we overlook the fact that we are overlooking Jesus Himself. While on this scheduled week of helping others we were challenged to find ways in which this isn’t just a time we set aside in our schedules but that our lives become a life of service.

In Wichita Falls, the place of my birth, there has been major amounts of flooding. I never realized the Great Plains could flood but they did. What an amazing opportunity for Christians to not only be the loving arms of Jesus to others but to also show Christ the love they have for Him by helping Him when He is in need. Katrina was another time many Christians stepped up to the call.

Often we look to times of disaster as opportunity to help those in need, but reality is that there are always people around us that could use the loving touch of Jesus in their lives. Remember, when you extend the loving arm of Christ to another, not only do you touch them but you also show Jesus how much you really care about Him.

Ryan

Big...really big...you really couldn't imagine how big

To me, a baby was born this last Monday. I remember laying my eyes on her for the first time. She just sat there looking up at me out of her blue wrapping when I realized I needed to go attach her car seat to the top of my little red CRV. Weighing in at 800 ounces and around 144 inches in length my new baby is bright yellow from head to toe. The only problem is I still haven’t found a name for her yet.

I took her out on the lake twice this last week before the reality set in that I needed somewhere to store her. She didn’t look that big on the water compared to the other boats that I saw…and she didn’t really look that big on top of my car either. After carrying my new baby girl up the stairs and after managing to slide her into my apartment I not only realized how big my little girl really was but I also realized how grateful I was to have a 14 foot vaulted ceiling in my living room.

As I sat on my couch looking at my kayak, being that it is now the main focal point in my apartment, I thought about how much we do the opposite with God. We often confine God to the smallness of our minds. Even with all that open space inside our heads, we rarely do God any justice for how big He really is. “My God is so BIG, so STRONG and so MIGHTY. There’s nothing my God cannot do” is a great song that we limit to the imaginations of our children. Take a moment to evaluate your life…think about the things that you’re struggling with…apply the song…make it real…stop confining God to the vaulted ceiling of your mind and just see how big He really is.

Jesus Fish and Dangling Cross

A week ago, I went on a prayer retreat to a retreat center away from any kind of “real civilization.” There were large live oaks lining the main entrance. Deer ran wild through the open fields and sometimes the gardens. They had prayer walks you could go on, or you could just sit on a bench at the edge of a garden overlooking the river. Serenity. Tranquility. Calmness. Quietness. Peace. These are the things I found while away from the world for a few days.

I made a stop in Charlotte for some reason…but on my way back up I-77 I was stuck behind a Jesus Fish and a Dangling Cross. The Jesus Fish was emphatically riding on the tail of the Dangling Cross in front of him. It was apparent that he badly wanted to get by. Finally the Dangling Cross whipped his SUV over when given the chance to allow the truck of the Jesus Fish past. He even was nice enough to motion with his hand that he was allowing him past…then directing his fellow brother toward Heaven he pointed there…with much emphasis. They shared a few edifying words to lift one another up before going on along their way.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” – James 1:22-25

It troubles me that these two men were mirroring to the world, the Christ I follow. My challenge to myself and to all of you…don’t just put a decal on your car or hang a cross from your mirror…actually LIVE out the Christ the you follow.

Ryan

Spring, Flowers, Easter, Life

Over the past week I’ve had the opportunity to drive past a median full of long stemmed flowers that are absolutely beautiful. It has been a great reminder of the new life that spring brings. Change is something that we don’t cope well with a lot of the time but it happens for the most part a few times a year. Change brings death to the things around us but also resurrects beautiful life. We possibly wouldn’t appreciate spring as much if we didn’t have the death that comes with winter.

I called my Dad the other day and was telling him about how cool these flowers are. At night they are pointed straight up and closed. In the morning they are pointed east and are wide open. When I drive past them later in the afternoon they are wide open and pointing to the west! “You didn’t know they did that?” my Dad asked. I remember learning about it in 5th Grade Science but in Texas we don’t have stuff that grows in the ground that actually does stuff like that. We don’t have the soil…and if the flowers do move it is to hide from the sun.

There is something about the rising of the sun that demands the attention of these flowers. Maybe there is something to learn from these beautiful bits of creation that God put there for us to marvel at. It is Spring Time…It is a time of change…It is a time of new life…It is Easter Sunday! Does the rising of The Son demand our attention? Do we open up and absorb life from Him every day? With the rising of The Son…let us open ourselves to Him and soak up the Life which is truly life!

“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” - Psalm 113:3

Grace:Peace/Gravity:Falling

If Paul could sum up the Gospel in two words I think they would be “Grace” and “Peace.” That is what we discovered in our Sr. High Bible Study over Galatians this past Monday night. In Paul’s salutation to the churches in Galatia, he starts off by saying, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That is why I think Paul would sum the Gospel up in these two words. You might even call them the “cause and effect” of the Gospel. Grace is given to us by God (Romans 5:8) and the outcome of grace in our lives is peace…peace that allows us to rejoice in our sufferings (Romans 5:1-5). After recognizing this simple cause and effect of the Gospel I ran across this quote.

“What are we to make of Christ?” C.S. Lewis asked, and then answered, “There is no question of what we can make of Him, it is entirely a question of what He intends to make of us. You must accept or reject the story. What are we to make of Jesus Christ?” – Lewis, God in the Doc

What it comes down to is…when the fact of grace is staring you in the face, are you going to allow it to make a difference in your life or are you going to simply do it all on your own? I feel like I so often do it all on my own and once I’ve really just botched it all up I then try to let Jesus work on me. It is almost if I would just let Jesus do what He has always planned on doing with my life I would have a lot less headaches and a lot more peace.

We’re called to live out this grace for others to see in our lives. As we start looking at how we can reach the world for Christ we must first look at ourselves and see if anyone is going to be seeing the Gospel. I leave you with another quote I found in my morning Bible reading this week.

“What we are shapes what we do and what we do is so noisy people hardly hear what we say except from a distance.”

Ryan

I love...lamp

I love lamp! I love…lamp. Ryan, do you really love lamp or are you just adhering to today’s pop-culture? I’m really not sure what you are talking about. You’re just looking around the room and saying you love the first thing that you see. Maybe you should make a Napoleon Dynamite reference next. Your Mom makes Napoleon Dynamite references. Leave me alone, ahh!

Life has been interesting…I graduated from University, watched a number of friends get married, moved to the east coast, made a big backpacking trip before that, turned 23 a few weeks ago…I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me. I realize that at some point during the last year I became a real boy. Pinocchio reference…good one. You’ll soon be running around with a high pitched voice proclaiming, “I’m a real boy,” and doing little jigs. Go away…I’m trying to tell a story.

Twelve years ago, this past Thursday, I was baptized into Christ and gave my life to Him. A good portion of that time I did what I could to be a “good Christian.” I spent a lot of my time doing religious things, wearing religious stuff, and talking religious talk, all the while I felt I was just looking around saying, “I love Jesus.” You mean you were just seeing Jesus and saying that you love Jesus. Yes…kinda…go away.

In my attempts at my Christian walk I have come to realize that I’ve spent a lot of my time merely saying, “I love Jesus,” in the same way that I love a good cup of coffee. The difference is…I talk about coffee a lot; I spend a good amount of time with coffee, I tell people about my coffee, and share my coffee with my friends. It seemed as though I was more obsessed with coffee then I was with Jesus. Think about some of the things you “love.” How does this compare with your love for Jesus?

My best friend was dating a girl that he thought he was in love with. I was pretty sure that he was because he talked about her all the time and spent all of his time with her. We took a road trip together to Colorado Springs and I’m pretty sure she was the topic of conversation for more than half of the trip. I could tell he kind of liked her.
They got married so I guess he liked her. Ok, ok, I know he liked her. He’s crazy about her! I can see how real their love is for each other in the way that they act, in how they talk, in the constant smile on their faces. God has given us an amazing institution in marriage. He even calls us the Bride of Christ.

I have played with this idea of being “Christ’s Bride” in my head a lot. I have always understood that I made the commitment with Christ when I got baptized but the relationship aspect of it wasn’t really explained to me very much. When I really started to see myself as the living Bride of the living Christ I began to realize the extent of how much it hurts Him when I continue to do the stupid things I do in my life.

If someone asked Kent, my friend from before, if he knew Leah, his wife, he wouldn’t beat around the bush with his answer or be quiet with it so that he wouldn’t draw attention to himself. He would openly express that not only does he know Leah but that he is crazy about her, that he loves her, that he’s committed to her for the rest of his life.

I often have to question my zeal for my engagement with Christ. We, as Brides, need to show off our rings so that others might share in such a great engagement.

Special K and Double R

I was looking through some old CDs where I had saved a lesson plan I wrote back in college and ran across this story I wrote that more or less happened. It is about my friend and I one Saturday mornin....enjoy

Ryan

This is a story about a little guy who was born yesterday morning (9/10/05) around 5am. With the struggles of new life in front of him, he was born into a large family. Over the next few ours all of his brothers, sisters, cousins, and a distant chocolate covered aunt were sold to the likings of the highest bidder. After only seven hours of life our little fighter was about to be cast aside with the rest of the trash of this world…

This is the point in every story where one might be looking for a hero to appear!

This is one of those stories…but let’s back it up a bit shall we…

Two guys, charming and good looking (no those are not their names), woke up on a certain Saturday morning, ignoring the temptations of the world through Saturday morning cartoons, and set out on a journey that would change their lives…forever. Who are these heroes you might ask. I shant reveal their true identities so I’ll just give their super names, Special K and Double R. Their journey had a direct purpose…it was the kind of journey that only two college students, or little old ladies, could set out on. This was a journey of garage sailing.

As our two heroes ventured onward, sailing every garage they came across, Special K’s Super Nerd Senses went crazy! Special K looked at Double R and said, “Somewhere out there is a lost generation who was born early this morning! We must find them!” “But K,” Double R said. “It is high noon and it might be too late for us…wait!! I see Daylight down the street! We can check there.” “Good thinking! You’re such an awesome super hero…I just wish I could be as cool as you,” Special K exclaimed to Double R.

As K&R barge through the doors of Daylight, our heroes were just in time to save the lives of not just one of two little donuts, but 450 enslaved and neglected Daylight Donuts. Special K and Double provided joy for many tummies, gave these neglected donuts a proper home, and saved the world yet again.

Love...what it is?

This last weekend was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I posed as an “unapproachable teenager” for the weekend at a retreat in Texas. We wanted to see how the teens of three youth groups would treat me. Overall…they treated me like we thought they would. They avoided me, talked bad about me, made up rumors about me, and for the most part kept their distance from me…all while talking about seeking and saving the lost.
What is it that makes us see the outside of the person before ever seeing the inside? Have we become so much like the world that we look at the quality of the person’s exterior before examining their heart? My first two years of college I grew my hair out for Locks of Love. Most people, after being told what I was doing, thought that donating my hair was a pretty cool thing. Before learning that…most people just cast me off as a bum or deadbeat. I got a lot of comments from people, after getting to know me, that they would have thought I was someone else. I learned a lot those 15 months about how we judge people by their exterior.
In Matthew 23:25-28, Jesus talks about how the Pharisees are more concerned about cleaning their outsides to put on a face so that others would think they were clean through and through. Often it seems as though we apply that to others when we see them. When we start seeing each person as a creation of our Creator we will look past what they show themselves as and start to look at their heart and accept them as God’s creation and even help them become the perfection which God intends for them to be.
Go back and read I John 4:7-20 carefully. God is love. God’s love is made perfect when we love others. The way I read it, God is made perfect in the eyes of this world when we show love to others no matter if we think they deserve it or not. God is perfect but the world does not see that unless we, His people, show it to them.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Jesus, Matthew 22:37-39

Ryan

Tools

I was walking past Chris Mitchell’s truck the other night and admiring his vast array of tools. I looked across the room at Billy Ellenburg and said to myself, “Self…I bet Billy has a lot of cool tools as well.” After a short conversation with myself I began to think about the tools of my trade…not that my tools make me any less of a man they are just different.

I’m still new to this stuff but I feel I’m equipped to do the job that has been set in front of me:

I have a pair of 10 year old brown loafers which are nothing like a fine wine…they have not gotten better with age. They are cracked and cannot be worn when it is wet out or they get waterlogged and begin to smell.

I pretty much have two pairs of pants and then some dress clothes…Jeans and khakis. These go well with the handful or polo (style not brand) shirts that I have to wear to meetings and class.
My accessories include a necklace that I have been wearing for about 4 years and 237 days, a bracelet that a Jamaican suckered me into buying in Paris, my graduation ring, an anklet that Jessica Mitchell made me months ago, a watch I hardly look at, and my beard that makes me look older than the teens I work with.

I have a man-bag (satchel, messenger bag, whatever you want to call it) that broke this past Thursday that typically holds my laptop, book I’m currently reading, backup book in case I get board with said book, and the Good Book…my Bible I was given when I graduated from High School.

Like my shoes, my Bible has seen many miles. Unlike my shoes, it has been rebound before and doesn’t smell bad. This is the Bible I used when sitting in my classes in college…so I have a lot of memories with it. I preached my first sermon here out of it. I teach out of it. I level projectors with it.

I guess I listed this stuff to say…we all have different tools but we can do ministry with our tools. I can get jealous of Chris and Billy’s tools but those are what they have to work with to reach this world. Use the tools you have to bring God’s Glory to the people around you.

Nothing....nothing....

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I (Paul) am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners (Paul), Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. – I Timothy 1:15-17

There is nothing you can do to make God love you less…

This is a hard thing for us to grasp. Often we flee from God when we do wrong because we think He is incapable and unwilling to love a dirty sinner like myself (Ryan). As one of the teens put it Wednesday evening, “We cannot fathom the love of God so it is hard to accept.” It is true, Ephesians 3:14-19 tells us that God’s love transcends all knowledge. We are incapable of completely grasping how wide, long, high, and deep is the love that God showed us on the cross. I might not be able to completely grasp it but I am sure going to accept it. There is no distance that you can go away from God that you cannot turn back around and be in His arms again.
Often, so very often, I (Ryan) fail in my attempts to do what God would like for me to do. “Worst of sinners…” I’m not sure if I’m ready to admit to that just yet but there is something about Paul’s confession that says, “I understand that I need God’s grace as much or more than anyone else.” Am I (Ryan) ready to make a bold confession like this, admitting that there is nothing I can do on my own to earn God’s love? In my feeble attempts to be a perfect child I realize that there is one thing that I need to be reminded of every time I fail…

…There is nothing I can do to make God love me less.

Ryan

Texas Plains

“Howdy,” from all the way out here in Texas! It’s been good being at home, being with family, and spending time with some old friends. I got off the plane in Dallas and we set off across the Great Planes toward Wichita Falls, home of your very own Youth Minister. Even though I lived in this part of the country for the first 22 years of my life, I was in awe at the beautiful flatness. Some of you are probably thinking, “I’ve been there and it aint perdy.” There is something about actually being able to see the sun touch the horizon that is beautiful to me.

As we drove home, I just gazed out the window at the great vastness of the planes and was reminded of how much we take for granted the thing that are around us so much. I did not appreciate the beauty of this area of the country till I was away from it for five months…not that I plan on moving back to it anytime soon. I realized something though. When we see something every day, we take for granted how amazing they are. Think about the stars…How often do you stand in amazement of them and think how much God cared about you that He put them up there for you to look at? We would appreciate them a lot more if they only came out once or twice a year.

How often do you sit in amazement of how Great God is? I often take Him for granted. I’m not saying that you need to leave Him for five months to appreciate Him. Don’t let yourself get so disconnected from Him that you have to look at Him from a distance. Sometimes in our lives we only allow Jesus to be beautiful to us on Christmas when He is just a baby. This is true for most of the people around us. We have a great opportunity to remind people that Jesus is always beautiful…not just as a baby but as a risen Savior! Do not miss the opportunity to help people realize that Jesus isn’t just beautiful when you visit Him once a year but that He is beautiful all the time!

GO!

The other day one of the ministers I work with called me into his office to ask me a question. "You've been here for almost five months now. How do you see this congregation in terms of evangelism?" The answer was simple, I didn't. It isn't that we aren't an active congregation...we do tons of things so that the world will know that we are here...but in terms of evangelism (in my mind...going into the world) we aren't doing it. I went on to explain that this isn't just a problem at Northview but a problem in the church as a whole.

This conversation led to a much longer conversation at our next elders-minister's meeting. We've realized that, as the LORD's children, we are commanded to share Him with others. This is an amazing command that we have lost sight of. I personally blame Constantine because if the institutionalization of the church. Because of this we have started seeing the building at "the church." We "go to church." We "do church." All the while we have forgotten that we are the Church.
Also because of this I believe that we have made this our home...the world that is. We have grown accustom to the world around us and see it as our existence. We exist for somewhere else and this is all just temporary. "This world is not my home, I'm just..." you can finish it. We forget that so often. We also forget that we're supposed to bring people with us. We neglect the relationships we have with the people all around us because we think we live here and forget that we are made for something different. We don't take advantage of the many opportunities we have to tell those around us about Jesus.

I was reading my bible this morning and got hit really hard by the Mac Truck of Truth. Jesus says something in the Gospel of John that sounds like a nice verse but is something that should worry us a bit. Jesus says, "If I be lifted up, I will draw the world to me." - John 12:32 - Why am I not drawing the world to Jesus? Am I lifting up my wants? My desires? Often I/we focus on ourselves and our location and forget that we told Jesus that we were dying to ourselves (The whole baptism thing), and we forget that we were made for something different (The whole heaven thing). John the Baptist was a pretty smart guy and I think we should learn something from him. In reference to Jesus he said, "He must increase, I must decrease." - John 3:30
I know it has been a while since I've updated but God has really put this on my heart and I am very excited about where Northview is going. The leadership is excited about evangelism and we're set out to change the world...I hope. Find ways to be lifting Jesus up to people around you. During the Christmas holiday is a great time to talk to people about Jesus...He had to be born to live, die, and be raised didn't He? Why not start with His birth to tell people about his death and resurrection. Going into all the world starts here friends...GO!

To Own a Dragon...

Even though it happened at such a late time in my life, I am glad I fell in love with reading. I just finished the book “To Own a Dragon,” by Donald Miller, this afternoon. It is a book about growing up without a father. You might be wondering why I read such a book since I grew up with a wonderful father who is complimented by a loving, kind, and generous mother. I figure that since our world today is filled with broken homes it would be a good idea to have some sort of preparation for dealing with guys in my youth group who have and are growing up without a father. I recommend this book to any man who feels like he might end up being a part of or having any influence on the life of a fatherless guy. I also recommend this book for any guy growing up without a father.

Out of all the things that I took from this book the biggest is that our role in this life is to help our children know who their real Father is. I don’t have a good grasp on this because I don’t have any kids…that I know of…just kidding…mom I can assure you that I do not have any kids. Anyway…I see that my role in the lives of my teens and the people around me is to help them see, know, and grow in their relationship with their real Father. We have a great gift in that we can call God our Father and there is no relationship that is as important as this one. I’d like to thank everyone in my life, too many to be listed, who have helped me see who my true Father is. I am thankful that I have grown up with both of my parents who have loved and supported me in my life and most of all…have helped me come to know my true Father.
Find a way to show someone this week who their real Father is.

Be Holy,

Ryan

Hello everyone! I’ve stated the next big chapter in my life. I now live in Statesville, NC working with the youth group at the Northview Church of Christ. God is doing amazing things with this congregation and I am happy that He has made me a part of these plans. I’ve been here for about a month now and I am getting settled in nicely.

I just wanted to start this blog to keep anyone who cares updated with what is going on in my life out east. I’ll try to keep this somewhat updated. Enjoy…