Student Ministry Is Life

I’ve finally joined the twitter world.  If you have an account you should definitely add me.  (http://twitter.com/awhitt32)

Last night was our Student Ministry Fall Kick-Off and it was an amazing.  We had over 185 students come out and be apart of this event.  We started a new series called "One Month To Live."  The Chris Coleman Band led our students in an incredible time of worship.  We welcomed our new 6th graders and introduced our new small group leaders for the year.  This event always reminds me of how much I love being in ministry.

Looking forward to the end of summer which might be surprising to some however I enjoy the school year more in Youth Ministry.  Our numbers are back up and we are able to start our small groups back.  I’m excited about this new year as we have a new Junior High Guy and Erin Blonshine is back with us.  I hope everyone has had a great summer!

After watching the Wimbledon final today and seeing Nadal and Federer go at it for 5 grueling sets, it shows me how important it is for athletes to train everyday.  Some mornings I wake up and think about staying in bed for a few more minutes instead of getting up and running.  These guys played tennis for over 4 hours!  I’ve got to use this as motivation for sure.  (this smiley guy knows what i’m talking about)

Adam Courtney (our youth worship leader) and I were talking a few weeks ago about purity in regards to teenagers.  I made the comment that a lot of times teenagers will ask the question "How far is too far?" but ultimately the question should be "How can I honor God with my life?"  Anyways, Adam sent me something the other day that I thought I would share.  This is good stuff…

When it comes to sex, purity, lust, and boundaries we have all heard just about every catch phrase there is. True love waits. How far is too far? I kissed dating goodbye. On and on they go. As catchy and overused as they are, these slogans and what they imply aren’t the point. Sure, it would be helpful to get down on paper, steps or a plan of action to remain pure with very clear guidelines on what is appropriate in our dating relationships and what isn’t. But the Bible has never been ONLY about the rules of behavior without any consideration to the state of our heart, so we shouldn’t either.
A discussion on moral boundaries is absolutely pointless if all we discuss are the appropriate boundaries. God requires and desires much more than a generation of people going through the motions. He wants more than obedience.  He wants our devoted hearts. For this reason, I believe that sex is less of a physical issue and more of a spiritual issue. I would go so far as to say that when it comes to sex, sex isn’t really the point. God is the point. If our goal is solely purity, we are more prone to be impure. But if God himself becomes the end we are aiming for, our purity will be a response to a relationship we have with Him.
Good intentions will lose to physical desires every time, unless our good intentions run deeper than an idealistic hope. We need to take the time to know God’s heart. We need to know His heart not just on sex, but on everything. Our purity, our sex lives, our relationships with our future spouse depend on it. More than a need for a discussion on moral boundaries, we have a need for a discussion on our relationship with God.
To start, we need to ask the more probing and telling questions. We need to examine ourselves from the inside out. If we are not taking the time to look at where we are in relation to God, a conversation on our sex lives is null and void. Do we want to make sure we keep the standards we have set for ourselves sexually? Do we want to take the initiative to place ourselves in situations where our purity is not compromised? Do we want to be set up for success in our dating relationships and the boundaries we have considered and are committed to? Then put time, effort and energy into knowing the God who put these physical desires in you.
The boundaries will always appear too strict, the standards too high and the morals too out of reach, when we isolate them from the context they were determined for. God intends us to obey out of hearts that love Him first. These are not detached directives. They are intimately connected to the God who put them there. The way we view and act in response to these instructions is, more than anything else, a reflection of our relationship with God.
Before all else we need to be honest about where we are with God. Consider your heart before you consider your morals. The only way we will rightly view the plans and prospects God has resolved for us sexually is when we see Him rightly. We can start by giving Him the permission to work on the inside of us first, before getting to the outside. He wants everything, including our bodies, but more than that, he desires our very hearts.
Reflect:
Does the idea of having moral boundaries seem outdated or irrelevant to you? Why or why not?
Do you tend to separate your “sex life” from your relationship with God?
Respond to this statement: “When it comes to sex, sex isn’t really the point”.
Today, how can you be proactive in better understanding God and knowing Him, so as to better appreciate the standards He has set for us with our bodies?

Simply Amazing….

 Apparently today is National Doughnut Day.  How awesome is this country we live in where we celebrate a day that honors doughnuts.  Only in America. 

Well our summer mission project (L.A.P.) started last night out at the Campground.  We have 75 youth and over 25 adults participating this year.  I’m excited to see how God will stretch our teenagers through their service and interaction with the clients.  Please be in prayer for us as we are working at 9 different sites over the span of the next 4 days. 

Well I guess this is old news by now but I’m staying at Lawrenceville FUMC as the Director of Youth Ministries.  After lots and I mean lots of prayer and listening, God called me to stay.  So i’m in a new phase of ministry.  I really believe God has exciting things in store for our teenagers and I’m just excited to be a small part of it.  Thanks to everyone for your prayers. 

Don’t you hate those days when all you want to do is stay in bed and sleep.  I’ve been struggling with a cold for the past few days but still feeling like I need to work.  Summer is coming and we are in the process of planning the calendar for June and July and really for that matter the rest of the year.  Looking forward to the weekend as a bunch of us guys are going to the lake for Andrew Erwin’s Bachelor weekend.  Also, tomorrow night is the Radiohead concert with Adam Courtney.  I’m out!