Why I love student ministry

On Wednesday night this week, I announced to my students at Summit that I will leaving soon to begin a new season of student ministry in Alabama. The news was a shock to many. Some were hurt and some were upset. I wrote this on my twitter before I went to bed that night, "Tonight was one of the hardest AND glorious nights of my life." I meant that. I still mean that. Looking into the eyes of my students and sharing my departure took the very heart out of my chest for a second and placed it back in with cuts. I love my church at Summit. I've been blessed for close to 5 years to work in such a great church with a great group of students and adults. These next few weeks will come with many tears and laughter as I say goodbye to many that I love and anticipate meeting new family in a new state. So, for the purpose of my face remaining dry as I type, I want to submit to you a few reasons why I love student ministry. These reasons come after my experience this past Wednesday night at Summit.

1. I love student ministry because students catch a glimpse of God's glory in a way that adults can follow. On Wednesday night, I shared from Acts 1, 20, and 1 Timothy 6 the reasons for my departure. The Spirit, in only a way that HE can, drew us together to see the glory of the Savior in the midst of tears. We saw in His Word that a time came for Paul to leave Timothy, the Ephesian elders, and Jesus with His disciples. After we gazed upon the beauty of God's Word, my students did the unthinkable...they worshipped. WHAT? YES. In an evening that they should've went home and left their church...they remained and exalted the Risen Savior. With hands lifted, we sang hymns of centuries old, songs of new, and combined joy in the presence of the Lord. How could they possibly have such a response like this? Many of them GET IT.

2. I love student ministry because students want to know about this man named Jesus...not Dave. During our time together on Wednesday night, we looked at 1 Corinthians 3:4-7. In this text, Paul calls out the tendency to follow man, instead of the glory of the Lord. Many in the church today fall into this trap. We follow man that sins instead of the Savior who became SIN for us. I've made mistakes in student ministry. I know some may find that to be surprising...but it's true! I'd like to think that success can be defined in any ministry when the leader is called away and the followers are still amazed by Jesus the Nazarene. If people follow the leader...than Christ was not the subject of the ministry. On Wednesday night, after the message was over...students lifted their hands out to the Father with united hearts of adoration. Only a few came up to me and told me that they would miss me. Am I upset by that? NO. On the contrary, I am refreshed in His presence to see the result of His kingdom come.

3. I love student ministry because students share in the joy of others. Before I made my announcement of my departure to my students, 3 young men that I've had the joy of mentoring over the years met with me in the parking lot. I looked these 3 in the eye, with much love, and shared my news of leaving. To my joyful surprise, all 3 were excited and hugged me. They expressed their desire for my ministry leadership to grow. They hugged me. They walked inside the room and worshipped with their peers. Since my announcement, I've had facebook messages, texts, tweets, etc., with joy and excitement for the new season. Do you know what this communicates to me? SELFLESS abandonment to the Father. Adults can learn from this. Leaders in church can learn from this. I learned from this Wednesday night. I pray I can have that maturity and joy when those I love depart for God-glorifying reasons.

I love student ministry. I'm excited about the new season to come. I am sad for the conclusion of this season at Summit. I'm grateful for the opportunity Summit gave me to serve. I'm grateful for the patience of many, and the prayers of the saints. Above all, I'm grateful for the grace of my Lord who equipped me by His Spirit, energized me through the Gospel of His Son, to proclaim the truth of His Name.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Dave

Living Room Sessions

"The Living Room Sessions" was the name of an album put on by Chris Rice back around 2001. The album is a simple collection of old hymns that Chris recorded on his piano...in his living room. If you listen closely to the songs, you will hear the sound of the pedals and other noises that mixing would often eliminate. It is a cherished album in my collection that I go to often for musical praise of my Savior.

This evening, I had the sweet privilege of having my own living room session with Eden. She sat in her pink bouncy seat next to me as I played her a few songs on the piano. It brought joy to my soul as she stared at me while my lips sang songs of beautiful theology to her soul. I pray one day she will know these songs and will cherish them as she worships her Redeemer. So often, we get so caught up with trying to be professional in ministry that we fail to enjoy the simple sessions of family worship. I'm convinced that a simple evening of playing old hymns with the company of my daughter outweighs any work that I could accomplish behind a desk.

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." Psalm 28:7.

At the end of the day...what will your song be?

The Rejoicing Overflow of the Spirit

There has been much talk for some time now about the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. This third member of the Holy Trinity has always amazed me. How can we understand Him? How can we know how He operates? I believe we flirt with spiritual arrogance if we try to label
Him in a way that fits with our own framework. We must be biblical. We must also be worshipers in His powerful Name. Below are some of my notes that I recently used in the sermon I was allowed to preach at Summit's OIKOS (the HS worship service). I pray they will edify you as we rejoice in the overflow of the Holy Spirit. The "He" I am referring to is our glorious Savior in Acts 1:1-8.

1. Before He ascended, He promised the gift that leads us today. Take a few moments and read Acts 1:1-5. You'll see Luke mentioned as the author; connected to the book of Luke in verse 2. You'll see a glorious connection with 1 Corinthians 15:7-9 in verse 3. The rest of the passage gives us the promise of the Holy Spirit. We must be careful not to get so absorbed into our studying that we neglect the role of the Spirit. In case you want a quick overview of the role of the Spirit, here are some references that I found to be useful:


i. Genesis 1:2 – Spirit created the world.
ii. Judges 14:6 – empowered Samson to tear apart a lion
iii. Psalm 51:11 – begged for the Spirit NOT to leave him (David)
iv. Joel 2:28-32 – Spirit is poured on the people to communicate with him.
v. Matthew 1:18 – part of delivering the Christ to Mary.
vi. Romans 8:9-11 – key and central for our salvation.
vii. Ephesians 1:13-14 – Spirit seals our salvation
viii. 2 Timothy 1:14 – Spirit dwells in us, guards us.

A quote from Francis Chan that I find to be useful -
I’m willing to bet there are millions of churchgoers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced His presence or action in their lives over the past year. And many of them do not believe they can. The benchmark of success in church services has become more about attendance than the movement of the Holy Spirit. The “entertainment” model of church was largely adopted in the 1980’s and ‘90’s and while it alleviated some of our boredom for a couple of hours a week, it filled our churches with self-focused consumers rather than self-sacrificing servants attuned to the Holy Spirit….The light of the American church is flickering and nearly extinguished, having largely sold out to the kingdoms and values of this world….We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God….shouldn’t there be a huge difference between the person who has the Spirit of God living inside of him or her and the person who does not?”

The Spirit will NEVER lead us to say or do anything contrary to God’s Word…because it is the Spirit that gave it to us! (2 Peter 1:21) The Spirit CONNECTS us to the Word. An example from my own life recently was our recent mission trip to New Orleans. Brooke and I prayed for an opportunity to share the Gospel with a family. We believe the Spirit led a Hindu couple to us within seconds after we ended the prayer! The true Gospel was preached. So, the Spirit's role, in that situation, was connecting a couple to hear the Word...which the Spirit gave men thousands of years ago to write! Go back and read 2 Peter 1:21 for more insight on that. This makes sense…the author (God, the Spirit), would want us to know what the book is about!

2. Before He ascended, He gave the commandment that we live by today. Take a few moments and read Acts 1:6-8. In verse 6, we see the desire of the disciples was still leaning toward a military and political power to drive out the Romans. In Acts 1:7, we see a beautiful reminder of the sovereign control of our great Lord. May we not walk in our own ways of thinking that neglect to daily worship the Lord for His sovereignty! In Acts 1:8, we see our commandment given. We must live by this commandment daily! Part of millions of pictures of God's grace is His Spirit empowering us (with both the Word and the Opportunity) to preach His Gospel! Are you doing that? In verse 8, we see the word “witness” – martyreo – used. This word translates the idea of willing to live and die for the Gospel. It goes far beyond the simple command of witnessing…it's to live the Gospel! Romans 12:1-2. Are you doing that?

How does this apply to you? I believe C.H. Spurgeon said it best when he once wrote, "A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit's aid than he can create a world." May we as broken sinners, trust and rejoice in the overflow of the Spirit. May we submit to His leadership...which points us to Christ...which glorifies the Father.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Dave

Sheep or Goat?

This post comes from the message that I was privileged to give yesterday at Northstar church; a church just a few miles from where I live. During my recent mission trip to New Orleans, this text really challenged my walk. I have a simple question for you; are you a sheep or a goat? Are you on the RIGHT side of the King…or are you LEFT out of His kingdom? Take just a few minutes and read Matthew 25:31-46. I’ll wait.

These are some points that I’ve gathered from the text.

1. Sheep = RIGHT with the Lord.
a. His Right Defeated Sin (Salvation)
- Moses teaches us in Exodus 15:6 that the Lord’s right hand is glorious in power…and shatters the enemy. This verse occurs after the glorious parting of the Red Sea and the defeated of the Egyptians. I love the promise of this verse. We are given the defeat of sin, the glorious right hand of God…by way of the cross. Jesus tells Caiaphas in Matthew 26:64 that He alone will be seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. This verse brings chill bumps to my soul! Jesus, the glorious One, tells one of His accusers that He alone is the RIGHT and glorious treasure that will conquer sin and return in glory. We are told in Hebrews 12:2 that we must, “Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of God” What glory! As sheep to His right, we are given the gift of Jesus…the one that endured the cross and gave us the perfection of our own faith! Finally, we see in Colossians 3:1 that we must, “been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the RIGHT hand of God.” Christ is seated at the RIGHT hand of God…and as sheep, we join Him on His side. What grace!
b. His Right draws us to the Pasture (Worship)
- Looking to Matthew 25:40, we see the ROOT of our mission…to worship Jesus. Whenever we help the homeless, feed the hungry, take care of the oppressed, and preach the Gospel…we are doing it all for worship. Are you in His pasture? Are you grazing on His glorious field? Is Christ your shepherd? Psalm 23 comes to mind here. What field are you grazing? What satisfies your soul? Jesus told us in John 10:27 that, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they will follow me.” Does He know you? Do you know Him? What do you worship?
c. His Right identifies us with His mission (Evangelism)
- Matthew 9:36 really jumps out to me. Matthew writes that when Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them as sheep without a shepherd. When we realize His saving power and worship Him for His grace…we must look to others with the same compassion. What mission are you on? Matthew 25:35-39 tells us the mission.

2. Goats = LEFT out of His Kingdom
a. Left side people aren’t saved.
- John 3:36 really jumps out here. John teaches us that, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not OBEY the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. Left side people, goats, aren’t saved. They don’t turn to His saving power over sin. They don’t listen to His commands. They live for themselves. Jesus tells us that one day He will command us to depart from Him, because he never knew us! (Matthew 7:23)
b. Left side people rob Him of His worship…for now.
- Galatians 5:20 shows us how this happens. Left side people, goats, live by the desires of their own flesh. What do you live for? Matthew 6:19 tells us that left side people spend their resources on treasures of this earth. They aren’t looking after the needs of others. They are seeking what will please themselves. Does this fit your life today? Philippians 2:10-11 tells us that one day…left side people will worship…but only when it is too late and the wrath of the Holy God is on them. Don’t let that happen to you!
c. Left Side people live by their own mission.
- Go back and read Matthew 25:41-46. Does this fit you? Left side people reject the mission of the Savior. They live for themselves. Don’t fall into this sinful trap. Leonard Ravenhill once said, “Christians spend more money on dog food than on global missions.” What a tragedy! I’m not saying dogs should starve…but we should approach the mission with great joy and urgency. John 14:15 really hits it on the bull’s eye. If we love our Savior, if we are RIGHT with Him…than we should do what He commands.

Friend, today, come to the RIGHT side of the King. Repent of your left-sided, sinful, selfish living. Turn to the only One that has redeemed you from the darkness of the left. May you enjoy and graze upon His field of glory forever.

Soli Deo Gloria!
Dave

Why is Resurrection Day so important?

Why is Resurrection Day so important? In order for us to fully get a glimpse of the beauty of this weekend, we must tackle this question. This weekend is a glorious reminder of the grace, mercy, kindness, power, and glory of our Lord. For just a few minutes, let's focus in on a few points together that will guide us in celebrating over the empty tomb. You may want to have John 20 open with me as we look at these points together.


The Empty Tomb brings excitement in worship.
-You may notice in John 20:1-2 the excitement that arose to the early morning followers. The first verse lets us know why we gather on Sunday morning for worship. We gather, on the first day of the week, to worship in great excitement. I'm not too legalistic with the fact that it HAS to be Sunday we worship as a church body...but I'm sold on the riches of Sunday morning. I wonder...do we wake up on Sunday mornings with great excitement in worship? Do we sing, fellowship, listen, read, and serve in a way that radiates the power of the empty tomb? It's sometimes difficult for me to worship with excitement because of a long list of responsibilities that come with being a staff member. I'm convicted by this. I want to wake up on Sundays with excitement over worship.

I remember a time early in my ministry when I was asked to play the organ in my church. I wasn't familiar with all the organ buttons...and pedals. Well, during the invitation...I experimented with the pedal of the organ. My curiosity led me to believe that the pedal was to serve as a sustaining tool for the instrument. It wasn't. It was the volume pedal. I managed to make an entire row of blue-haired women jump during the response to the Gospel. There was excitement that morning in worship.
-I love how John 20:3-4 shows us the fact that John was more athletic than Peter. How important is it that we know that John beat Peter to the empty tomb? I love the Bible. May we wake up this Sunday morning with Psalm 100:2 in our souls; "Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." Let us worship with the JOY that our Savior is alive! Let us worship with gladness that He is ALIVE and we are ALIVE in Him!

The Empty Tomb brings clarity to Scripture.
-John 20:8-9 shows us the importance of Scripture in the life, ministry, atonement, and resurrection of our Lord. I love how the Scriptures tell us that the disciples were overwhelmed with excitement over the empty tomb...and were focusing on the ramifications the experience had on understanding Scripture. 2 male witnesses came to the tomb...to verify the testimony of the women. This perfectly connects to Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15. The Empty tomb was a believable and credible story with Scripture being fulfilled in the witness of the 2 male disciples. I wonder if we approach the empty tomb with the certainty on our questions being answered in Scripture? Do we see the resurrection as the culmination and definition of the entire Bible? Paul reminds us that, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith," 1 Corinthians 15:14. I love this story. John and Peter had a Biblical discussion on the way home. Peter would later take the encounter of the empty tomb and use it to preach...Scripture. Take just a moment and read Psalm 16:10. After you read this verse, see how Peter uses it to help bring clarity to Scripture in preaching on the empty tomb in Acts 2:25-28.

The Empty Tomb brings Transformation.
-Finally, we see in John 20:11-29...two stories of two people being transformed by the empty tomb. Mary becomes a missionary (John 20:11-18) and Thomas becomes a believer (John 20:24-29). The empty tomb transformed the lives of these two heroes of the faith. How has the resurrection transformed you?

When I was a child, my mother MADE me take piano lessons. I hated it. I had to practice each day for about 15-20 minutes...in order to impress someone that I didn't care about in a 30 minute lesson. For years, I had no joy or passion for the piano. I wanted an escape. After many years of nagging, my parents allowed me to quit taking lessons. When I turned 15, my aunt Leta passed away. Leta was an incredible pianist. I loved visiting her home and sitting in the living room as she played for us. I'll never forget the immediate transformation that took place in my life as soon as she passed away. I blew the dust off of my piano books and began to play. In just a few days, I wrote a song for her that was played at her memorial service. Now, as a 27 year old, I have passion and excitement to play. What happened? I saw the treasure of the instrument.

So often, we go to church because we HAVE to. We do quiet times because we feel like we HAVE to. We develop a distaste for the very treasure that we should celebrate. I truly believe if we look at the victory and infinite worth of the empty tomb, we will daily live as transformed, adopted, children of the Most High. Instead of going to church this Sunday morning because you HAVE to...why not read John 19-21 and see the importance of the celebration? See the victory that is both yours and mine in the empty grave.

Friend, Resurrection Day is important. Let us celebrate together this Sunday.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Dave