Hey guys. Just wanted to share a quick video with from the first full day of Sulphur Springs Workcamp. Enjoy.
*Special thanks to Brandon Mitchell for having incredible technological, ministry skills by making this video.
Archive for June, 2008
Sulphur Springs Workcamp
Posted: June 27, 2008 in Faith, Life, Ministry, People, Spirituality, Travel
Sunday is the official start of the 2nd annual Sulphur Springs Workcamp. SSWC is an interdenominational, in-town mission experience in the city of Sulphur Springs. Students from all different local youth groups will come together and work together to help make the city we live in a better place. Basically we paint and restore houses for free for those in major need.
The theme for SSWC is “EAT. SLEEP. SERVE.” That is the theme because that is exactly what we do. We eat. We sleep. And we serve people.
God really put the idea for my SSWC in my brain about three years ago. I was hesitant at first to put another big project on my plate (especially in the always busy summer season). However, God kept putting this idea of an interdenominational local mission experience before me. I procrastinated for one year before deciding to give it a shot last summer. What ever small expectations I had for SSWC were blown away by God’s ability to do more than my tiny brain can even imagine. Anywhere from 90-100 people participated in SSWC as we painted and restored nine homes in Sulphur Springs.
This year, 140+ people from five different local youth groups will be painting and restoring twelve homes in the Sulphur Springs area. We will be helping multiple widows, elderly, and those severely sick. To get a better understanding of the situations we help, check out these stories of Miss Dee and Miss Patsy.
Some people ask me why. Why do feel God wanted you to start SSWC? There are three main reasons why.
1. IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. God is pretty specific about sharing your faith and helping other people. It is the right thing to take care of a widow who cannot take care of things like painting her house herself. Mission trips (in the youth ministry world) are often only thought in the context of far away from home or in another culture. While I am all for global, short term missions, being able to spread the Gospel and the love of Jesus in our backyards is equally important.
2. TO BE A BLESSING TO OTHER YOUTH MINISTERS. As a youth minister, I know how tough summer can be and how hard it can be to plan a bunch of stuff. The best trips seem to be the trips where I simply show up, all the details are already taken care, and I can spend time and love on my students. I try to make SSWC as youth ministry-friendly as possible. My desire has always been for SSWC to be something that is a blessing to other youth ministers, not a burden.
3. TO HELP SMALL YOUTH MINISTRIES. The majority of churches in our area do not have the resources, budget, and staff to participate in summer missions. SSWC was designed for the small church that maybe is being led by a volunteer. This is a local, cost-efficient (only $50 for students) mission experience that is legit. Now every student can have the opportunity to participate in missions.
4. TO UNITE THE LOCAL CHURCH. (WARNING: I will probably preach right here.) If we were honest, we (Christians) do not do a very good job of uniting. We tend to focus more on all the things that make us different – worship styles, songs we sing, vocabulary, etc. SSWC focuses on what we have in common – JESUS, which is by far the most important thing. Sure, the denominations represented think differently about certain aspects of the Christian faith. However, we all believe in the fundamental truth that Jesus is our savior. Maybe people seeing different Christians getting along and serving together in unity will get nonbelievers interested in having a relationship with Jesus.
Sulphur Springs Workcamp will be from Sunday, June 29 to Wednesday, July 2. Please be praying for this incredible mission experience. I hope to post a daily update every night of SSWC, complete with pictures and highlights from the day.
Heather and I do not watch many movies in the movie theater. I will admit that the main reason is because I (and yes, I will take full responsibility on this one) am extremely cheap. It is so hard for me to pay two times for a movie when I can wait a few months and pay for the same movie one time. Don’t the movies understand Genesis 2:24 (where husband and wife become one flesh)? Because of that verse I believe that Heather and I should only pay for one movie ticket.
The second reason is because I have gone 27 years without seeing that movie. I can probably wait a few more months until it comes out on DVD to watch it. I am simply trying to practice the spiritual discipline of patience. Really it boils down to the fact that I am just super cheap. However, I could be worse. I could wait until the movies become the older, cheap rentals before watching them for the first time.
Anyways, with my cheapness combined with my crazy summer schedule, I have not been able to see one movie this summer. All these summer blockbusters have come out: Iron Man, Indiana Jones, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Incredible Hulk, The Happening, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, and others I have probably missed.
Here is what I need from you: without giving the movie away, let me know what you thought of the summer movies you have seen so far. Good/Bad? Worth the two hours and money watching it? There are a lot of summer blockbusters that I really do what to see.
Give me some summer blockbuster thoughts and information.
As a youth minister, dating is one of those topics that are talked about quite a bit. All the dating books out there, like I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boundaries in Dating, and Boy Meets Girl, have some great, practical advice for dating that honors God.
However, some of my best dating advice has come from one of my best friends, Scott Pittman. Here are two of Scott’s greatest dating quotes: (By the way, this is where you need to get out paper and a pen and write down these golden nuggets of dating advice.)
“STAY VERTICAL.”
“KIDS IN THE BACK SEAT CAUSE ACCIDENTS. ACCIDENTS IN THE BACK SEAT CAUSE KIDS.”
Chew on those for a while…
Do you have any good dating quotes?
Training for a marathon is way harder than actually running a marathon.
After running two marathons, I know the high amount of energy, time, sacrifice, and effort it takes to get the starting line. Training time for a marathon is commonly at a minimum of four months (if not way longer). Four months of running almost daily. Four months of waking up earlier than normal. Four months of taking ibuprofen just to walk the next day.
Seasons tend to change during a four month stretch. You may start training when the sun is out by 6:00am and the temperature gets well into the 90s. However, during the last few weeks of your training, the sun could be still hiding at 6:00am and the temperature could be in the 40s.
I have always enjoyed running when it is on the warmer side. Running in the shade has always been very comfortable for me. There is something soothing about running through shade on a hot day that is natural and comfortable. I started thinking about why that is true.
Is that true with my relationship with God too? Do I find great comfort in being in the darkness of the shade on my spiritual journey? Am I naturally drawn to the darkness of the shade spiritually? Do I seek the shade out? Do I eagerly anticipate those times in the shade?
Some time ago I had a conversation with a fellow runner and a fellow follower of Christ. She told me something interesting that got me thinking and has definitely stuck with me. On long runs, she will run harder through the shade so that she never is in the darkness too long. She did not want to comfortable in the shade. No matter the temperature outside, she enjoyed basking in the light of the sun. Now that preaches.
Father, help us always enjoy and crave basking in the light of your Son. Help us to never get comfortable with darkness. We want to be free from the shade and darkness of sin, shame, and guilt.
“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:5-7 (NIV)
Today is my 27th birthday. Because I am at church camp some 600+ miles away from home, Heather always gives me my birthday gifts before we leave so we do not have to travel with them. This year, she did really good. I only got one present but it was an awesome one.
My favorite baseball player growing up was Nolan Ryan. Nolan was incredible pitcher for many years who is the MLB all-time leader in strikeouts (5,714) and no-hitters (7). When I was in little league baseball, my nickname was “Nolan Brian”. Heather got me this incredibly inspiring autographed picture for my birthday:
It is going to be hanging in my office as soon as we get back. Thanks babe! Good job!
__________________________
My Birthday Wish: That the New York Yankees will win their 27th World Series championship on my 27th year on this planet (and do not give me the “your wish won’t come true because you said it outloud” speech).
GOD IS ________________________________________.
Please complete this sentence (multiple comments are encouraged so try to keep one thought per comment). How encouraging to open a blog post and see a ton of incredible words describing our indescribable God! Make the most of it.
Another Person I Want To Spend One Day With
Posted: June 17, 2008 in Funny, Music, People, Random, TVA little over a week ago, I wrote a post entitled “Five People I Want To Spend One Day With”. During this post, I talked about five people who I thought were interesting enough to hang out with for one entire day.
Well, I have to add one more now (thanks to Morning IMPACT). The person is Biz Markie.
And it is all because of this video…(click link to left if video isn’t popping up)
Now who would not want to hang out with this guy?
I know that for most people Wednesday is your hump day. However, today was my hump day.
This morning I woke up at 5:00am and hopped in a large van full of wiped-out Jr High Shannon Oaks teens. You see Sunday night was the last night of IMPACT Jr and Monday afternoon was the start of IMPACT Sr. By 6:00am this morning I was already on the road heading from Nashville, TN towards Sulphur Springs, TX (roughly a 600+ mile drive). I drove halfway back to Sulphur Springs where I stopped at a gas station in middle-of-nowhere, Arkansas (just east of Little Rock) to meet another bus load of Sr High Shannon Oaks teens. The Jr High students poured out of the van and then the Sr High students piled in. I immediately turned around and drove all the way back to Nashville, TN.
Officially one of my toughest days of the year in ministry. God took care of us today though. We made it to Lipscomb University safely, on time, and ready for IMPACT Sr.
Be praying for God to show up in a powerful, real way this week. (Thanks in advance for those prayers.)
CLICK HERE for a great Father’s Day Story.
