| Jesus Wants You to Help the A Team |
From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 2:00 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
By: Lane Palmer at Dare 2 Share
And they say
She's in the Class A Team
Stuck in her daydream
Been this way since eighteen
But lately her face seems
Slowly sinking, wasting
Crumbling like pastries
And they scream
The worst things in life come free to us
Cause we're just under the upper hand
—The A Team by Ed Sheeran
"The A Team came from an experience I had when I did a gig at a homeless shelter," says songwriter Sheeran of the song. "I was 18 at the time and kind of quite naïve. So, I was a bit taken aback by some of the stories that I heard. I got home that night and I just wrote a lot of the lyrics."
Aren't most of us a bit unschooled and naïve when it comes to having the slightest comprehension of the pain other people experience? Especially when they are trapped in the enslaving darkness of the "A Team"- a term referring to a class of drugs that are frightfully addictive and destructive…
And we oftentimes hear a song like this, watch a video, or see people on the streets and make judgments about drug users and prostitutes, and then callously move on with our daily lives as if the hell that these souls encounter on a daily basis were somehow not our responsibility.
But if you claim to know and follow Jesus, you don't get a pass on human suffering - especially when it is within your grasp to go beyond the statistics to engaging in people's stories. You may not personally know anyone on the "A Team," but I guarantee that you have friends whose faces are sinking, and internally they are screaming at the worst things in life that have come their way.
How should we respond to the hurting and broken among us? Consider Jesus' example with the woman at the well.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?"
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."
He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back."
"I have no husband," she replied.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true"(John 4:7-17).
Jesus went out of his way and broke major social boundaries to help a woman who was outcast and condemned by her community - a woman who'd had five husbands. She was truly an ancient version of "The A Team," which is why our Savior saw her through eyes of compassion and knew that she - perhaps more than anyone - needed the "living water" that salvation brings.
Do you, like Jesus, see your world through eyes of compassion? Are you walking the walk He describes here?
'I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'
"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me'(Matthew 25:35-40).
Authentic Christ followers who have received the gift of salvation by grace through faith strive to demonstrate their allegiance to Jesus by meeting the needs of the overlooked and ignored.
They grow and go out of their comfort zones to meet the needs of the hurting in Jesus' name. We've joined THE Cause because it is a natural response to the healing and salvation we've been freely given through the shed blood of our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Let's turn from spectators into participants. Let's put into action the inspiring words of Mother Theresa who encouraged us with these thoughts:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
Flash Point Ignite into Action
This week, look at the people around you with a different set of eyes. They may not be drug users and prostitutes, but they too have hurting souls and broken lives. Pray for opportunities to show them the freedom that trusting in Jesus can bring!
Accelerant: Fuel for the Fire
Pray—Jesus, thank you for giving us opportunity to minister to the lonely and the broken - just as you healed our pain and suffering in our hour of greatest need. Let us see those around us with your compassionate eyes and give us boldness in reaching out in your name.
Read—John 8:32."And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Get—Check out Lifein6Words.com. The video on this seeker friendly site is a great way to share you faith with your hurting friends.
This week, look at the people around you with a different set of eyes. They may not be drug users and prostitutes, but they too have hurting souls and broken lives. Pray for opportunities to show them the freedom that trusting in Jesus can bring! - See more at: http://www.dare2share.org/students/jesus-wants-you-to-help-the-a-team/#sthash.QP2SuEyt.dpuf
This week, look at the people around you with a different set of eyes. They may not be drug users and prostitutes, but they too have hurting souls and broken lives. Pray for opportunities to show them the freedom that trusting in Jesus can bring! - See more at: http://www.dare2share.org/students/jesus-wants-you-to-help-the-a-team/#sthash.QP2SuEyt.dpuf
This week, look at the people around you with a different set of eyes. They may not be drug users and prostitutes, but they too have hurting souls and broken lives. Pray for opportunities to show them the freedom that trusting in Jesus can bring! - See more at: http://www.dare2share.org/students/jesus-wants-you-to-help-the-a-team/#sthash.QP2SuEyt.dpuf
This week, look at the people around you with a different set of eyes. They may not be drug users and prostitutes, but they too have hurting souls and broken lives. Pray for opportunities to show them the freedom that trusting in Jesus can bring! - See more at: http://www.dare2share.org/students/jesus-wants-you-to-help-the-a-team/#sthash.QP2SuEyt.dpuf |
| Transformational Youth Ministry |
From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 10:24 AM PST
in the "Articles" Category.
|
| 5 Ways to Get Teens Engaged in Spiritual Disciplines |
From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 10:18 AM PST
in the "Articles" Category.
|
| What is the Good News for Teen Guys? |
From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 10:16 AM PST
in the "Articles" Category.
|
| Who Was the 1st Mentor? |
From Building Leaders of Tomorrow on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 7:41 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Who was the first mentor in the Bible? Answer: God. Yeah, the Sunday school answer would have won the contest. It's true. If there was ever a mentor that we should model, it would be God. And the very first discipleship process is found in the Garden of Eden. So how was God a mentor [...] |
| Learning From Jesus: Dealing With Those Who Demand Our Time |
From youthministry360 on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 5:54 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
Next time you are reading in the Gospels, pay attention to two little words:"came to." The words "came to" appear in the Gospels 56 times (NIV), each time describing someone who "came to" Jesus. In each instance someone sought Jesus out. Each time someone needed something from Jesus. Here are but a few examples . . .Matt. 8:5—When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.Matt. 15:30—Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.Matt. 19:3—Some Pharisees came to him to test him.Mark 10:50—Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.Matt. 15:12—Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"John 3:2—[Nicodemus] came to Jesus at night . . .How did Jesus do it? There were so many who came to Him! It must have been virtually non-stop.Surveying the passages of Scripture where Jesus is addressing people, there seems at times to be a great tension. Here is Jesus, the God-man, walking the earth in human form, fulfilling the Plan set forth before time. He was being and doing all that was intended for Him to do. Preaching, teaching, healing, convicting . . . And yet, there were times it when the constant pull on His time and faculties had to take its toll. But even as we see this tension in Jesus, the tension between fulfilling His purpose on this earth and the nearly overwhelming demand on His time, we see that He never wavered in His commitment to be present. Jesus consistently met the needs of those who earnestly sought Him out. You can relate, can't you?As a youth worker, your time is constantly filled with demands, with people "coming to" you. People who need you. People who need something from you. They need your time and your attention. What can we learn from Jesus how to handle this demand?Jesus gave those who sought Him out a wonderful gift: His time. He gave His attention. He listened to people. He addressed their individual needs.He could have waived His hand and blessed the whole lot of them. But He didn't. It at least seems like He healed them one by one. That He took the time to heal, and answer, and dialogue. Many times His answers were different, individualized. He treated people not as the masses, but as the individual. Honestly, this owns me. We look at Jesus' death as His greatest sacrifice. It surely was the most important sacrifice! But maybe the greatest sacrifice ever made was the initial decision to step out of heaven and to take on a body that needed food and sleep and water to function properly, and to place Himself within a community that was so needy, so misunderstanding, and so demanding . . .When we think of the cross as the only sacrifice Jesus made, we're missing it.When we think of Jesus' sacrifice, we must think of everyday Jesus spent between two eternities, cloaked in humanity, dealing with the ugly, messy, tiring work of life-on-life interaction that defined His earthly ministry. Because when we think of this, we come to a new understanding of how we are called to handle those who make demands of our time and attention.Some questions for you to think about today:What changes do you need to make in your attitude toward those who demand your time and attention?How can you honor Christ today by giving of your time, even when it's not convenient?Who needs to be listened to in your life?Who needs to be provided for today?What requests, as inconvenient as they may be, need to be met with patience and compassion?How we deal with those who need us may be the easiest way we can reflect Christ today. |
| Learning From Jesus: Dealing With Those Who Demand Our Time |
From youthministry360 on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 5:54 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
Next time you are reading in the Gospels, pay attention to two little words:"came to." The words "came to" appear in the Gospels 56 times (NIV), each time describing someone who "came to" Jesus. In each instance someone sought Jesus out. Each time someone needed something from Jesus. Here are but a few examples . . .Matt. 8:5—When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.Matt. 15:30—Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.Matt. 19:3—Some Pharisees came to him to test him.Mark 10:50—Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.Matt. 15:12—Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"John 3:2—[Nicodemus] came to Jesus at night . . .How did Jesus do it? There were so many who came to Him! It must have been virtually non-stop.Surveying the passages of Scripture where Jesus is addressing people, there seems at times to be a great tension. Here is Jesus, the God-man, walking the earth in human form, fulfilling the Plan set forth before time. He was being and doing all that was intended for Him to do. Preaching, teaching, healing, convicting . . . And yet, there were times it when the constant pull on His time and faculties had to take its toll. But even as we see this tension in Jesus, the tension between fulfilling His purpose on this earth and the nearly overwhelming demand on His time, we see that He never wavered in His commitment to be present. Jesus consistently met the needs of those who earnestly sought Him out. You can relate, can't you?As a youth worker, your time is constantly filled with demands, with people "coming to" you. People who need you. People who need something from you. They need your time and your attention. What can we learn from Jesus how to handle this demand?Jesus gave those who sought Him out a wonderful gift: His time. He gave His attention. He listened to people. He addressed their individual needs.He could have waived His hand and blessed the whole lot of them. But He didn't. It at least seems like He healed them one by one. That He took the time to heal, and answer, and dialogue. Many times His answers were different, individualized. He treated people not as the masses, but as the individual. Honestly, this owns me. We look at Jesus' death as His greatest sacrifice. It surely was the most important sacrifice! But maybe the greatest sacrifice ever made was the initial decision to step out of heaven and to take on a body that needed food and sleep and water to function properly, and to place Himself within a community that was so needy, so misunderstanding, and so demanding . . .When we think of the cross as the only sacrifice Jesus made, we're missing it.When we think of Jesus' sacrifice, we must think of everyday Jesus spent between two eternities, cloaked in humanity, dealing with the ugly, messy, tiring work of life-on-life interaction that defined His earthly ministry. Because when we think of this, we come to a new understanding of how we are called to handle those who make demands of our time and attention.Some questions for you to think about today:What changes do you need to make in your attitude toward those who demand your time and attention?How can you honor Christ today by giving of your time, even when it's not convenient?Who needs to be listened to in your life?Who needs to be provided for today?What requests, as inconvenient as they may be, need to be met with patience and compassion?How we deal with those who need us may be the easiest way we can reflect Christ today. |
| Roadblocks to Evangelism: Three Excuses Why Students Don't Talk to Others |
From YouthWorkTalk.com on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 5:00 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Romans 10:9 tells us, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Just last week I was discussing this verse with my small group of student leaders. I asked them to explain the verse to me. They [...]You just finished reading Roadblocks to Evangelism: Three Excuses Why Students Don't Talk to Others! |
| The need for empathy |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Monday, March 18, 2013 @ 3:08 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
I came across this fascinating animated video which explains in a creative, but clear way the need for more empathy in our lives, in our societies. The artist defines the 20th century as the age of introspection, where therapists and self help guru's taught us to look inside ourselves to get to know ourselves. But we've [...]You just finished reading The need for empathy! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| Small Group Advice for Youth Workers |
From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Sunday, March 17, 2013 @ 10:00 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category.
|
| A Different Way to Build Relationships With Students |
From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Sunday, March 17, 2013 @ 8:00 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category.
Building relationships with students is one of the most important things we do as student pastors and youth workers. |
| Book Review: Vampire Academy Series |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Saturday, March 16, 2013 @ 2:01 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
I'm reading my way through the NPR Top 100 of Best Teen Fiction and today we're discussing number 39: The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. Now, I'd decided to only read the first two books in the series, figuring this would give me enough to review the books. I ended up reading all six [...]You just finished reading Book Review: Vampire Academy Series! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| Steven Furtick: You Don't Have to Be Scared of God |
From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Friday, March 15, 2013 @ 10:00 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category.
|
| 5 ways to get your teens engaged in spiritual disciplines |
From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Friday, March 15, 2013 @ 3:32 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
1. Explain what "spiritual disciplines" mean.
We need to demystify prayer, Bible reading and meditation for teenagers. Too many times when we speak of spiritual disciplines in a non-specific way, teenagers have visions of monks and monasteries. It seems and sounds like something people in castles on hills in Europe do instead of, well, your typical Christian teenager.
Being engaged in spiritual disciplines is basically being spiritually disciplined when it comes to absorbing the truth of God's Words deeply into our souls and psyche. It is two way communication between us and God. He speaks to us through His Word and the wonder of His creation. We speak to him in prayer and sing to him in "psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:19.)
2. Show them how they can engage in these disciplines via a smart phone.
If we make time with God all about big books and Jesus journals then we may be missing many of our teenagers when it comes to spiritual disciplines. Show your tech saavy teens the many wonderful apps available for them to read the Bible, memorize and meditate on Scripture and journal their prayers to God. Don't fight the tech bent of your students. If you do, you'll sound like the priests who railed against the evils of the printing press centuries ago. Satan has used technology for years for his purposes, God desires to use it in the souls of your teens for holy purposes.
3. Teach them how.
In Luke 11:1 when Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them how to pray he used a short, pithy prayer (aka "The Lord's Prayer") that is a powerful guideline for interacting with God. Of course, like any alliterating preacher, I have developed an acrostic for it that spells out PRAY:
Praise "Our Father in heaven, hallowed by thy Name."
Request "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Gives us today our daily bread."
Admit "Forgives us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
Yield "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
In the same way teach your teens, not only how to pray, but also how to worship, read the Bible for all it's worth, mediate on God's Word and engage in silent reflection.
4. Show them how.
Talk to your teenagers about what you've experienced during your own times of prayer and meditation. Even share with them your struggles with prioritizing it at times. Spend time in prayer together as a group. Go on a spiritual retreat with your teens and, while there, engage in these disciplines together and alone. Gather at the end and share what God is teaching each of you as a result of your times with Him.
5. Get your teens sharing their faith.
Now evangelism may seem like it's non-related to spiritual disciples but it's not. Evangelism feeds our spiritual disciplines and spiritual disciplines feed our evangelistic efforts. Think of Jesus in the middle of evangelizing prostitutes, partiers and the poor escaping to pray on a mountainside. His missional movements drove him to pray, to reflect, to meditate on God's Word and look to the for the Father for wisdom, comfort and courage. It will do the same for us and our teenagers.
What are some ideas you have for getting your teens engaged in spiritual disciplines? |
| FREE Q and A Webinar from ParentMinistry.net with Dr. Jim Burns! |
From YouthWorkTalk.com on Friday, March 15, 2013 @ 1:19 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Don't miss this!!! Share this with your parents!!!! Our friends from ParentMinistry.net are doing another FREE Webinar! Dr. Jim Burns leads a free Q and A webinar on Tuesday, March 19 at 2 pm (central) It's a chance for you to ask your questions about parenting teens... register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8154249060093242368 You just finished reading FREE Q [...]You just finished reading FREE Q and A Webinar from ParentMinistry.net with Dr. Jim Burns!! |
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