May 17

The Story of Our Lives

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I received this email and thought I would share it. I hope you enjoy!

On the first day, God created the dog and said, “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past.  For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.”

The dog said, “That’s a long time to be barking.  How about only ten years and I’ll give you back the other ten?”
So God agreed……
On the second day, God created the monkey and said, “Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh.  For this, I’ll give you a twenty-year life span.”
The monkey said, “Monkey tricks for twenty years?  That’s a pretty long time to perform.  How about I give you back ten like the dog did?”
And God agreed……
On the third day, God created the cow and said, “You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer’s family.  For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.”
The cow said, “That’s kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years.  How about twenty and I’ll give back the other forty?”
And God agreed again……

On the fourth day, God created humans and said, “Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life.  For this, I’ll give you twenty years.”
But the human said, “Only twenty years?  Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?”
“Okay,” said God.  “You asked for it.”
So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves.  For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family..  For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren.  And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.
Life has now been explained to you.
There is no need to thank me for this valuable information.  I’m doing it as a public service. If you are looking for me I will be on the front porch.

May 13

American Idols

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This is an article I wrote for a friend as part of his blog. He has asked several youth ministers to contribute to a project entitled, “Hot Topics for Teens.” Below are my thoughts on idols from a teenagers perspective.

When you think about idols, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s a statue of a fat man sitting with his legs crossed, perhaps it’s a big shrine dedicated to someone or something, or maybe it’s just a picture of someone prominent to whom people worship and pay tribute. When I think about idols in our culture today, I think of things and objects that many times go unnoticed. Sadly, Americans have made everything from money and objects to people and things idols today. Consider some of the most popular “American” idols from a teen perspective.

Money

It’s one thing to like money, but quite another to be in love with money. Many people spend their lives working to earn just a little bit more so they can buy this or that. They simply love money. Listen to what the apostle Paul said about money, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (I Tim. 6:9-10). When we allow money to become a god in our life, we run the risk of falling away from God. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matt. 6:24). We only have room for one God in our life.

Possessions

We use our money to buy things that we really don’t even need. We are always looking for the bigger and the better. Sadly, too many have allowed material possessions to become a god in their lives. Jesus was approached by a man asking, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The man informed Jesus that he had kept the commandments since he was young. Jesus responded, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Lk. 18:22). What the Bible says next is a sad reflection of many so called Christians’ attitudes today: “But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich” (Lk. 18:23). This young man allowed his possessions to possess him and become a god in his life. Many times we do the exact same thing. We can’t allow material possessions to replace God. We only have room for one God in our life.

Status

Who are you? Are you a star athlete? What about a cheerleader? One of the smart kids? Are you popular? A class officer?  Someone everyone in school likes and respects? Or are you just one of the many students who sometimes go unnoticed and overlooked? For many teens and adults alike, who we are or for what we are known is a big part of our lives. We want to have a status of which we are proud. We want to have a status among our peers that is accepted and respected. The important thing for us to remember is, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (I Sam. 16:7). Who we are in the eyes of our friends is not nearly as important as who we are in the eyes of God. The only status that truly matters is that we are faithful children of God. We only have room for one God in our life.

Have No Idols Before Me

It doesn’t matter whether or not our idols are money, possessions, status or something completely different; God has been clear, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Ex. 20:3-5). Anything that comes before God in our lives is considered an idol. If we want to be pleasing to God, we must rid ourselves of the idols that occupy our lives.

Idols Are Worthless

Idols have no value in our lives. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, told his people the idols they were following after were worthless (Jer. 2:5). Why? What was it about their idols that made them so worthless? They were worthless because they were unable to protect the people who worshipped them. The idols that Israel had begun to follow after were nothing more than manmade gods, they were worthless. Sadly many people of Israel never came to this realization. Let us learn from the people of Israel about the worthlessness of our idols.

God Is All You Need

Friends, we must make a point to clean house when it comes to the idols in our lives. Remember the words of Jesus, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). We have to deny ourselves and give up those things in our lives that get in the way of our relationship with the Father. We may think we can’t live without them, but we are wrong. Jesus went on to say, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26) We may gain wealth, popularity and friendships with the idols we allow in our lives, but that doesn’t profit us anything in the end. Unfortunately, for those who practice idolatry of any kind, they will not inherit the kingdom of God (I Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:5). Remember, we only have room for one God in our life.

Your Challenge

Sit down and make a list of all the things in your life that you have elevated to idol status. Spend time in prayer asking God to help you with the struggle you are having of allowing these “idols” to dominate your life. Begin today tearing down these idols and replacing them with a time of Bible study and prayer.

May 02

Top Ten Things from our Youth Spring Retreat

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This past weekend we had our annual Spring Retreat at Lake Frances in Crossville, TN. Below is my top ten list from our super, awesome weekend together!

10.   Ultimate Frisbee and Corn Hole

One of my favorite games to play is ultimate frisbee. The object of the game is to get the frisbee in the end zone without dropping it all while passing it from one teammate to the next. What a blast it was watching kids play a game together that some had never played before.

Another game we played was corn hole. This just may be the simplest game ever created and yet it can keep you busy for hours. The object is very simple: you toss bean bags and try to land them on a board that has a hole cut in center. Who would have that such a simple game like this could cause so much fun and excitement?

9.       Lake Frances Staff

One of the neat things about our weekend was we had the opportunity to meet John Roethlisberger. John was a three time United States Olympian (1992, 1996, 2000) and a three time collegiate national champion. For a guy who has such accomplishments as he does, John was a very humble and fun going guy that we all enjoyed getting to know.

Harry was another one of the staff members who we enjoyed getting to know. He was always helpful and did not have a problem interacting with our group. He even joined in some of the activities with the kids.

I must not forget to mention the wonderful kitchen staff at Lake Frances. Our meals where always hot, filling and on time. We didn’t have a bad meal the entire time we were there. In fact, several of the kids commented on how good the food was.

8.   Foam Pit

One of the cool things about the place we went was the gymnasium. It had a basketball court, a floor with springs underneath it, a trampoline, and two different form pits. We all had a blast finding ways to dive in the foam pit. Unfortunately, some of us got buried underneath the foam a time or two!

7.   High Ropes Course

As far as the activities go, this was by far the highlight of everyone’s weekend. The majority of our kids and all of our adults participated in this challenging ropes course. If you have never seen or participated in a ropes course, you’re missing out. Each person must complete four different challenges all while suspended 40 feet about the ground. You begin by climbing a tree to the starting point (again…40 feet in the air).  After you complete all the challenges and make it to the end of the course, which by the way can be both challenging and tiresome, your harness is attached to a cable and you swing off a platform (hhmmm….40 feet in the air) out across the lake. Everyone who participated was nervous and even at times scared, but everyone who started the ropes course ended up finishing it. What a great experience to be involved in.

6.   Group Encouragement

The really neat thing about the ropes course was the encouragement that all the kids were providing one another. It was awesome to watch and listen to the kids as they helped encourage each other as they were trying to overcome the obstacles along the way.  As a youth minister this was a very proud moment for me.

5.   Time with God

On Saturday afternoon everyone spent 45 minutes alone and used that time to read scripture and pray. It was so encouraging to have everyone take this seriously and use their time wisely. Had I not stopped everyone so we could move on to something else, many of the students would have continued to use that time for reading and prayer. 

4.   Growth as a Group

My favorite part of a retreat is the opportunity it allows for a group to grow closer to one another. Last weekend provided me an opportunity to build a relationship with some kids that I hadn’t had an opportunity to have previously. Not only did it give me that opportunity, but it also provided that opportunity to our students. In my opinion, our group as a whole is much closer now than it was at this point last week.

3.    Memories

Anytime I take a group of students somewhere, we always make plenty of memories. Last weekend was no exception. Everything from canoeing to volleyball, from the bonfire to witnessing kids overcome their fears will forever be a memory that I cherish. Thanks, to all the girls who took pictures to capture our memories.

2.    Blessings

This past weekend I was reminded how blessed we are to have opportunities like this to enjoy time together like we did. Our elders at Karns are very supportive of our student ministry and want them to get as much out of things like retreats as possible. This past weekend our students were reminded how blessed they are to be a part of a congregation that has elders like we do.

On a personal note, I was reminded how blessed I am to work with a congregation like Karns and the students that we have. It is a blessing to work with an eldership that truly wants to see the student ministry accomplish great things in the lives of the students. I owe so much to my amazing Father in Heaven for these great blessings.

1.       Worship

My favorite part of the weekend was the time we had together to worship. I enjoyed all the lessons, focus group sessions, and periods of singing.  It is truly an amazing thing to listen to students pour their hearts out in praise to the Father. Sitting around the bonfire Saturday night I couldn’t help but think, “God is doing something special with this group of people.”

This past weekend was a special weekend for our Karns family, especially the youth group. It was a weekend that I will always remember. I hope and pray that each and every student and adult who attended was challenged in a way that will make a difference in their lives as they travel the road toward heaven!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Apr 20

The Family of God!

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The weekend before last, Miranda and I were in Colorado Spring, Colorado for a youth conference. While we were there we made an observation about what a great blessing we have as Christians to have family all across the world.

Miranda and I were met on our first full day in Colorado by a couple from the congregation named Allen and Tina. They took us to dinner and spent over three hours talking with us, getting to know us, and sharing thoughts on God’s Word with us. Over the course of the weekend, they continually checked with us to see if we had everything we needed. Sunday, after our morning worship service, Allen, Tina and their three children invited us to lunch. What a blessing it was to meet this great couple and get to know them better.

Even though Miranda and I were in a completely different part of our country, a part that neither one of us had ever been before, we felt like we were a part of Allen and Tina’s family. Allen and Tina went out of their way to make us feel welcomed. They introduced us to people, sat with us, ate with us, and asked questions in order to get to know us; they made our trip so much more enjoyable.

When I think about the bond we share a Christians, I am reminded that family was all a part of God’s BIG plan. Yes, God provided the church as a means to help us find salvation. Yes, God provided the church so He could be worshipped and glorified. Yes, God provided the church so we could have a place to be encouraged and uplifted. But, let us not forget God provided the church so we would have an extended family.

Paul said, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26-28).

When we are baptized into Christ, we become part of the family of God. This family is unlike any other family in that we are united by the blood of Christ. Knowing that we can travel across our country, and even around the world, and find members of our spiritual family is so encouraging. What a blessing it is to be a part of the family of God!

Now that’s Something to Think About!

Mar 31

Examine Yourself Pt. 4

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This week I have challenged each person reading this blog to take a self-examination. We examined our attitude, conduct, speech, representation and yesterday our future. Unfortunately, sometimes exams like this bring to light things we need to improve on. I know that there a certain things that I need to work on to better live my life for the Lord. I’m striving daily to work on those things so I can be a better reflection of the one who lives in me.
Maybe after taking a self-examination you feel as though there is no way that heaven can be your future because the things in your past are too bad to overcome. Perhaps you feel that you have no hope. If this describes you, I have great news! God can take someone with a bad past, use them for his glory and change their future.
Rahab
Perhaps you’ve heard about Rahab before. This woman had so many things against her that it’s hard to imagine her future being heaven. First, she was a woman. Women were viewed as second class citizens. There was an old Jewish prayer that said, “I thank my God that I was not born a Gentile or a woman.”
Second, she was a Canaanite from Jericho which made her a pagan. Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, they were told that God would drive away many nations, including the Canaanites, and they (Israel) were to utterly destroy them (Deut. 7:1-2). Why? The Canaanites practiced all different types of sexual relations that Israel was told to avoid (Lev. 18). The Canaanites were evil people.
Third, Rahab was a harlot. Her profession is one that our society, even today, looks down upon. Rahab’s past was unpleasant. She had three strikes against her and it would appear she was doomed. However, she was spared for her actions concerning the spies (Jos. 2) when the Israelites defeated the city of Jericho (Jos. 6). From that day forward she remained with the Israelites.
If the story of Rahab ended there, we would be left wondering what might have been. Thanks be to God that her story doesn’t end at this point. As one reads in the New Testament one finds Rahab is mentioned in the geneology of Jesus (Matt. 1:5) and is one of only two women mentioned in the great Hall of Faith (Heb. 11:31). It is pretty clear that this woman with a bad past didn’t let that keep her from having a bright future.
David
Most people, even if they are not religious, have heard of David. David was handsome, powerful and perhaps most importantly, the king of Israel that was chosen by God. Yet, David had a pretty messed up past didn’t he? He committed adultery with Bathsheba who was married to one of the soldiers (Uriah) in his army and she became pregnant. Instead of coming clean about the sin he committed, David tried to cover up his sin with lies and deception (2 Sam. 11:5-7).  He called Uriah home from battle in order to cover his tracks; when this didn’t work, David had Uriah murdered (2 Sam. 11:14-17).
Most people would read this and think that David was a man on a road to destruction. But that wasn’t David. Yes, he made plenty of mistakes. We all do! However, David is well spoken of throughout the New Testament. It is clear that he is a person who is held in high regard. Not to mention David was even described as a man after God’s own heart (I Sam. 13:14). When you consider all this and not just his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, it’s clear that David didn’t allow his past to keep him from having a bright future.
Paul
When I think about someone whose past was almost too bad to overcome, I can’t help but think about Paul. Before he encountered a name change he was know as Saul of Tarsus, a great persecutor of the early Christians. In fact, when Paul was giving a defense before King Agrippa he said, “And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them” (Acts 26:10). Paul had a pretty rough past. Apparently he felt it was so bad that he would tell young Timothy, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (I Tim. 1:15).
Paul saw himself as the worst of all sinners, but God saw something else. God saw a man who was dedicated to what he was doing so God chose Paul. That’s right. Paul was handpicked by God to serve as His instrument to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15) and that’s exactly what he did, even considering his own life to be worthless except for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Saul, a persecutor of Christians, became Paul, persecuted with Christians.
Never Allow Your Past To Determine Your Future
Friends, I don’t know what your self-examination revealed, but I know this…there is no past so bad that God can’t help you overcome it. Rahab, David and Paul: Three people, three past and yet, three futures that were not determined by the past. Never allow your past to determine your future! Change your present situation with God and make heaven your eternal home.
Now that’s Something to Think About!