RCC Youth

Alive!

2011-08-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

About 30 years, 8 months, and 5 days ago I was ALIVE for the first time. I came kicking and screaming (as most newborns do). My parents gave birth to a boy named Beau Alan Ballard in Temple, TX at King's Daughter Hospital. I also became a younger brother to Bradley Wayne Ballard (hope my brother does not mind me telling his full name) for the first and only time in my life! I was born into a heritage that dates back many years. My father's family had a heritage. My mother's family had a heritage. Not only did I have parents, but I had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Also, about 3 years later, for the first and only time I had a younger sister (Crystal Nicole Ballard). As I learned about these families, I learned that there is a legacy; a rich environment in which I am a part of. It does not revolve around me, but I contribute to this legacy and heritage.

As I grow and become a dashing and charming young man, I contribute to this legacy. Not only was I born into this heritage, I contribute to it again by marrying a stunning woman named Erica Anne Thomas. We are joined for life and we contribute as a couple and add Elijah, then Sadie. They are our children. They become ALIVE for the first time when they are born.

I again became ALIVE for the first time 15 years and about 11 months ago. I was "born of water and of Spirit" - John 3. I was born into a family that had a long lasting heritage that dated back many years. I have brothers and sisters, but only one Father. There is a legacy with this family. This family cries and laughs together. We smile and frown together. We explore and sit together. We eat and fast together. We drink and thirst together. We work and play together. When this family hurts, I hurt. This family does not revolve around me, but I contribute to this legacy and heritage. All this is possible because one man, who is the Son in this family, surrendered and became obedient to His Father. I don't deserve a place in this family, but my Father desires for me to be a part of this family. He holds me just as I hold Elijah and Sadie and loves me. He scolds me when I need a redirection. His Spirit counsels me when I need guidance. His love is never ending! All this is a rich heritage to which I am a part of.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us ALIVE with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. - Ephesians 2:5

20 for 20

2011-07-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Genesis 2 for Friday, July 8

Psalm 119:11

2011-06-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight we spoke about the power that words have in your life. Words can either build us up or tear us down. Our communication is mostly made up of verbal words that we express to others. We hear words in songs, pray words to God, read words in a book, listen to words from our parents, sing words in worship, and the list could go on and on. James speaks about our words and sometimes words of praise and words of cursing come out of the same mouth. And for Christians that is not acceptable to God. We need to monitor the words we hear and the words we say, for it is the foundation of our communication.

What words did you hear tonight? Was it the words on the radio? Were they words from your parents telling you to clean your room? Were they words spoken in hatred toward another? Were they words that were offered up to God in prayer? Or were they words that you were reading in a book? Post at the bottom what you heard.......then say if it built you up or tore you down.

BB

Whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
Colossians 3:16

20 for 20

2011-05-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last Chapter of Matthew for Thursday, May 12. Matthew 28

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2011-05-11T07:51:00.001-07:00

Matthew 27 for Wednesday, May 11

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2011-05-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

Matthew 26 for Tuesday

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Matthew 25 for Monday, May 10th

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2011-05-08T19:17:00.001-07:00

Sunday, May 9
Matthew 24
Happy Mama's Day!!

20 for 20

2011-05-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Matthew 23 for Saturday

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2011-05-05T11:57:00.001-07:00

Matthew 22 for Friday

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2011-05-05T07:20:00.000-07:00

Matthew 21 for Thursday for Cinco de Mayo.

20 for 20

2011-05-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

Matthew 20 for Wednesday, May 4. Sorry been off track due to Senior Day.

BB

20 for 20

2011-04-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

Matthew 19 for Monday

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2011-04-22T15:23:00.002-07:00

Matthew 18 for Easter Sunday!!
Hoppy Beaster everyone!! (that's what Sadie says)

20 for 20

2011-04-22T15:23:00.001-07:00

Matthew 17 for Saturday

20 for 20

2011-04-22T15:22:00.002-07:00

Matthew 16 for Good Friday

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2011-04-22T15:22:00.001-07:00

Matthew 15 for Thursday

20 for 20

2011-04-19T19:43:00.001-07:00

What comes after 13? 14 right, that would mean Matthew 14 for Wednesday.

20 for 20

2011-04-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

Matthew 13 for Tuesday

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2011-04-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Matthew 12 for Monday

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2011-04-17T15:08:00.001-07:00

Matthew 11 for Sunday, April 17

20 for 20

2011-04-14T21:49:00.003-07:00

Matthew 10 for Saturday

20 for 20

2011-04-14T21:49:00.001-07:00

Matthew 9 for Friday

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2011-04-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

Matthew 8 for Thursday

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2011-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

MATTHEW 7 FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13

20 for 20

2011-04-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Matthew 6 for Tuesday, April 12

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2011-04-10T20:40:00.002-07:00

Matthew 5 for Monday

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2011-04-10T20:40:00.001-07:00

Matthew 4 for Sunday, April 10

20 for 20

2011-04-08T08:01:00.001-07:00

Matthew 2 for Friday, April 8th

20 for 20

2011-04-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

We are starting 20 for 20 reading/quiet time. Although it won't actually be the original 20 minutes for 20 days. It will more be like 20 for ????, because it will go longer than 20 days. But we are going to begin in Matthew 1. So Thursday night (7th of April) read Matthew 1. We will try to do a chapter a day. i'm ALL in BB

20 for 20

2011-03-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

John 19

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2011-03-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

John 18

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2011-03-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

John 17

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2011-03-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

John 16 for Monday night

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2011-03-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

We have 2 chapters for tonight: John 14 and 15

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2011-03-12T12:00:00.001-08:00

John 13

20 for 20

2011-03-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

John 12

I hope everyone is keeping up with their daily reading. After day 10 it gets really hard to stick to our agreement, so try really hard to keep up with it.

20 for 20

2011-03-10T06:06:00.001-08:00

John 11

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2011-03-09T06:17:00.001-08:00

John 10

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2011-03-08T05:58:00.000-08:00

John 9 tonight at 8 pm

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2011-03-07T06:42:00.001-08:00

John 8

20 for 20

2011-03-07T06:41:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post for Sunday's reading of John 7.

20 for 20

2011-03-05T07:43:00.001-08:00

John 7

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2011-03-04T08:48:00.001-08:00

J. o. h. n. 6.

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2011-03-03T07:32:00.000-08:00

It's John 5 tonight.

20 for 20

2011-03-02T07:40:00.001-08:00

John 4 tonight at 8:30 pm since we have BC.

20 for 20

2011-03-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

John 3 tonight at 8 pm

If you want to comment on the blog, click on the 0 comments link at the bottom. It should pull up a window that will let you leave a comment.

20 for 20

2011-02-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

Leave comments or questions for John 2 by clicking on comments below.

20 for 20

2011-02-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

At Soul Link, one of the speakers gave us a challenge. The challenge is to take 20 minutes of your day to read and pray and do it for 20 continuous days. It is to be 15 reading and 5 prayer minutes. Our youth group is going to take on this challenge and spend 20 minutes at 8:00 pm each night for 20 days. We are going to begin in John 1 and read the entire first chapter tonight (Feb 27) at 8 pm. Everyone read at 8 pm. We are all doing it together. Remember to at least read it twice, then spend the rest of the time in prayer. The duration of the time should last 20 minutes. The word of God is powerful and if we take this challenge serious, we could greatly grow from this challenge. TAKE THIS CHALLENGE SERIOUS!! God takes covenants very serious. Then after you read chapter 1, if you have any comments you would like to add look at the bottom of this post and make a comment, either on blogspot or facebook.

i'm ALL in,

BB

But you can't expect the church to change the whole world....

2011-02-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

I came across this video and it hit me hard. Watch it and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrMLlZqPT50&feature=related

Don't read this part until you watch the video.....

My hair on the back of my neck began to stand up a little and I got a little perturbed at this man's view of our church (and maybe yours did too). Now I know it this is a clip from an old movie (some of you may know what it's from), but I know several people today who have this same view. And I bet some of you know people in your school or job who have this view. The view is that in the world there are thousands, millions of hurting people and what is God's church doing about it? We gather together once or twice a week and sing songs, pray, collect money, listen to a sermon, discuss the Bible, eat of a cracker, drink a little juice/wine, talk to our friends, and what purpose does it serve? What do we do about it? It's almost as if we are in training, but we never go out and perform. For example a police officer, they train for serveral weeks and learn the laws, but do they sit in the police station after their training all the time? Or do they go out and fight crime and write tickets?

The statement that hit me hard in the clip, was when the guy sitting on the right said "you can't expect that the church can change things over night, can you?" It hits me hard in two ways: 1. How many times have we used an excuse like this? You can't expect for me to talk with him/her and change their life, do you? You don't expect that we can change those rough neighborhoods of Waco, do you? You are really saying that God can't do something or that he is powerless. 2. When we say this, it is focused on ourself and not focused on God. We are saying that the church is making the change. It is saying that the people who call themselves Christians are the driving force. COMPLETELY WRONG!! It's God doing the change!!

I have been guilty of thinking this way, and it limits God power to work in this world. If God can part the Red Sea or cure people of cancer, then surely he can change the hearts of people. Let us be known by what we DO, rather than what we DON'T DO.

i'm ALL in,
BB

Youth Announcements

2011-01-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

This message is for everyone in the RCC youth group: We have a lot of stuff that will be coming up and changing over the next few months. So here goes:

- Beginning next Wednesday night (Jan. 19th) we will not meet at the church building for class. Instead, the JH will meet at the Hectors and the HS will meet at our house. There will be, however, a van that will go to each house from the church building at 6:45 pm if you need a ride. Now don't worry we will not be stoned or dismembered from our church if we do not meet at the church building, you can relax. We will still be talking about Jesus and God and all that other stuff. We are beginning a new study over the book Do Hard Things. Books will be distributed beginning this Wednesday. And begin to read the book, it's a good read! But this Wednesday we will have combined classes in the fhall. Parents if you would like to donate $5 per book to help reduce the costs of the book, it would appreciated.

- Those of you signed up to go to Soul Link, you need to pay $40 by January 30. (Remember to use your money in your accounts)

- Also on January 30 is our Chili and Dessert Cookoff with an Auction that is Silent. If you plan to be going on this summer's mission trips, it would be wise to be involved with this cookoff, it helps support the trip. There are a number of tasks to be done:
5 youth judges to taste the chili
5 youth judges to taste the dessert
4 youth people to help make a advertisement for the cookoff
6-8 youth people to help prepare the church building on Sunday afternoon
4-5 youth people to serve chili and fill drinks
3-4 adults to supervise the teens so they don't throw chili on the walls and call it creative art.

- On February 18-19, we are going to take a trip to Abilene to watch Sing Song. If you are interested in going, look for the sign up and info sheet on the Family Matters board.

- (youth member, maybe Bailey) Hey Beau!
- (Beau) What's crackin?
- You mentioned mission trips in the earlier announcement. What are we doing for our mission trips in the summer?
- Well we are going on a trip that will have a mission! That's why we call them mission trips.
- No what I mean is where are we going? What will we be doing? That kind of stuff.
- Oh you want to know specifics? Why didn't you just ask that? The HS is going to Tuba City, AZ and serving the Navajo Indians on June 5-11.
- The Navajo?
- Yeah, you know like the Native American tribe. But you don't want to call them Navajo. You want to call them Dine'.
- Why that?
- I'm not going to tell you right now. Sign up to go on the trip, then you will learn all kind of stuff about their culture and you will get to experience it as well. And the JH is going to go to Foster's Children Home in Stephenville and serve the families on August 7-11.
So be looking for info brochures coming out in the next few weeks about these trips.

That's it for now. i'm ALL in!

BB

Dissonance

2010-11-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

I want to talk about Jonah for just a bit. Jonah was a prophet of God. We know very little about Jonah. He was a prophet of God during the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25). He also was called by God to go to the city of Ninevah and "cry out against it, for their wickedness has come up before 'God' (Jonah 1). During this time, Ninevah was a "great city". It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire. God called Jonah to travel up to a pagan, Gentile, capital city and rebuke them and tell them to turn their lives around. And Jonah decides he does not want to do it, so he runs away from God. Here is the dissonance! Dissonance is anything that is in conflict. We often use this term with musical notes. Example, your band or choir teacher tells you to play or sing a C, but instead you play a C# (C sharp). There is dissonance and you can hear it! It sounds awful. The sound is not in harmony and you can tell.

At this point Jonah had a dissonant ministry. It was not in harmony with God's calling. Instead he decides to head for Tarshish. Some people believe that Tarshish is a far off location on the coast of Spain and some believe to be closer to Israel. But wherever it is, Jonah decides to flee "from the presence of the Lord".

Why did Jonah decide to do this? Did he really think that he could "flee" from God's presence? Was this just an act of pure rebellion? Was he afraid of the city of Ninevah? We learn later that he wanted God to judge the people of Ninevah for their wickedness. Jonah did not want God to forgive them. Wow!! I heard a speaker one time say that Jonah didn't want the people of Ninevah to repent because they were so wicked, he wanted them to be judged, kind of like a Jewish person living in New York City (during WWII era) gets a calling from God to go to Berlin and ask the German army to repent. But instead they flee to San Francisco because they want the Nazis to receive the consequences they deserve.

This is a huge calling for Jonah. Not only was Jonah called to travel to a foreign city, he was was asked to forgive the people of Ninevah himself. Sometimes we are negative towards Jonah and think 'why did he flee, why didn't he just trust and follow God?' It's easy for us to think this, because most of us have never been asked by God to go to Bagdhad or Kabul and tell the Iraqi/Afghan militants to turn towards God.

But how many times have we decided to rebel against God's calling? How many times have we decided not to give to a person holding a sign saying "I'm hungry God Bless". How many times have we decided not to talk to a particular friend about their inappropriate relations with their boy/girlfriend? How many times have we given in to gossip about someone? How many times have we decided not to go into a mission field because of discomfort? How many times have we decided to talk back to our parents because they made us mad 2 hours before? Whatever the case may be, it's dissonance. It is rebelling against God's calling. It is out of harmony with God. And whatever discomfort may come, remember God is the "God of all comfort" (2 Cor 1:3).

Jonah 4:9-11

Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death." Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. "Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?"

I was a T-ball All Star!!

2010-10-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have sitting in my office, two trophies. Trophies that I have had for almost 25 years. One of those trophies is back when I played T-ball in Rosebud on the Rosebud Lumber team. The other is when I played in Rosebud for Mr. BBQ. Those were great times! Since I grew up right accross the road from the baseball fields, baseball was a part of my life. Anytime we had any free time, we went to Burns and Hoelshcer Fields. I was very fortunate to be able to play numerous games of ball on those fields. But those trophies in my room are a reminder of that part of my life. A time when I had no worries, few responsibilities (not compared to today), and just a carefree attitude and passion for playing the game. It did not matter if I actually got to play the exact postition I wanted or if I hit any home runs during a game of derby, because I just wanted to be on the field with my friends.

Another part of my life, I grew up in a church building. This building had been around for 50 years when I was a child. This church had a legacy of faith. The people who made up this church looked out for me. They taught me God's Word. They cried with us when our grandparents had passed away. They threw my parents a 25th Wedding Anniversary. They helped my parents raise my two siblings and myself. And as I write, I look around my office and notice that I don't really have any memorabilia to represent that part of my life. But I don't need any trophies. I have Jesus!! He has shaped who I am. It wasn't the game of baseball that taught me determination, passion for life, or commitment. It wasn't my church that taught me the Word of God or hosted a party for my parents. It was God! It has always been God! It was Him working through those people. It was Him! It was Him who got me involved with FCA in high school. It was Him who guided me to become a youth minister. It was Him working through the game of baseball that taught me those characteristics.

Trophies, who needs trophies?

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? Psalm 77:11-13

A Call to Radical Discipleship

2010-09-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt taken from the book Unchristian.

If we belong to Jesus Christ, we have a double calling in relation to the world. On the one hand, we are to live, serve, and witness in the world and not try to escape from it. On the other hand, we are to avoid being contaminated by the world. So we have no liberty either to preserve our holiness by escaping from the world or to sacrifice our holiness by conforming to the world.

Escapism and comformism are both forbidden to us. This is one of the major themes of the whole Bible, namely that God is calling out a people for himself and is summoning us to be different from everybody else. "Be holy as I am holy".

The foundational theme recurs in all sections of scripture. Let me give you an example from each. God said the people through Moses: "You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you used to live, nor as they do in the land of Canaan to which I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God" (Lev. 18:3-4) Similarly God says through Ezekiel, "You have not followed my decrees, but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you" (Ezekiel 11:12).

It is similar in the New Testament. Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke of the hypocrites, "Do not be like them......(Matt. 6:8). Finally the apostle Paul wrote to the Roman Christians: "Do not conform any longer any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed" (Romans 12:2).

Here then is God's call to a radical discipleship, to a radical nonconformism to the surrounding culture. It is a call to develop a Christian counterculture. The followers of Jesus, for example, are not to give in to pluralism, which denies the uniqueness and lordship of Jesus, nor be sucked into materialism or become led astray into ethical relativism, which says there are no moral absolutes.

This is God's call to his people to be different. We are not to be like reeds shaken by the wind, as Jesus said, but to be like rocks in a mountain stream; to be like fish floating with the stream, but to swim against the stream - even cultural mainstream.

We are faced, in fact, with two cultures, two value systems, two standards, and two lifestyles. Which shall we choose? If we are not to be like chameleons, changing color to suit our surroundings, what are we to be like? The answer is that we are to be like CHRIST!! The eternal and ulitmate purpose of God by his Spirit is to make us like Christ.

- John Stott

Are you bored?

2010-09-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

If you are ever bored for a little while and need something to watch, check these out:

Evil Baby Laugh

Dog Attacks Shark

Devil Cat

I Work at Subway

Who Am I

The Crazy Song

Get Down by Audio Adrenaline

Brush your Teeth

School Begins!!

2010-08-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies is Ferris Buellers Day Off. I love that movie for several reasons, but I like it because it speaks of a group of students ditching class for a day. Nah just kidding!! I like it because throughout the movie it tells a message that I think we can learn. Ferris makes all kinds of plans not to get caught for skipping. He sets up his bed, actually his whole house so that when the principal comes by to see where he is, it would make it seem like he really is home (which he is not).

And I use that analogy to express a true and simple fact about us. You are going back to school. And a number of you have seen God work in wonderful ways this summer! But are you going to make it seem that God has no place within you? Are you going to make it seem like He is residing in your heart, but He really is not there?

My suggestion to you would be to walk the walk and talk the talk.

Washable Markers

2010-03-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

All night last night, I couldn't really sleep. I could not sleep because I kept thinking about the activity we did during Bible Class, and where I was during the whole process of cleaning up my mess. During class I had you write with washable markers on the floor a number of sins. Sins from several passages and are sins where people struggle. Seriously struggle. Then I had you go around with a toothbrush and scrub them off the floor or a paper towel and wipe them off. During this activity we got all kinds of involvement and below is a list of what the adults and myself saw:

1. Some enjoyed the part when writing on the floor and did it with a great attitude, but did not like it when asked to clean it off, especially with a toothbrush.
2. Some wrote on the floor, then let the others clean up their mess with no effort from you.
3. Some wrote on the floor and cleaned up without any complaining.
4. Some wanted to stand and watch others do everything.
5. Some only wrote half the words on the paper, then cleaned up half as well.
6. Some were excited the whole time.
7. Some when asked to clean, said they needed to do something else.
8. Some cleaned their mess, then looked for other places to clean.
9. Some asked others to help and you cleaned together.

And the reflections that I made to you were about our journey with God. Because the truth of it is we all have made a mess in our journey. Sometimes we get off path. But God asks us to clean up our mess by asking forgiveness and turning on the right road that leads to Him. And when God asks us to clean it up, what is your response? Is it any of the above 9 observations from last night? Do you get excited about making a mess, then sigh because God asks you to clean it up? Do you stand back and watch others work hard at trying to clean up your mess? Do you do what you are asked without complaining? Do you clean your own mess then look for others? Do you give God half of your full effort?

I could not sleep last night, (not because Elijah woke up and woke us up) but I kept thinking where I was on the journey. So at 5:30 am today, I was guided to a conclusion. And now I am glad that I was awake. Tired, but glad! Maybe God wanted me up most of the night to bring me to this point where I can make true reflections on my life. And I have to ask, where are you?

Matthew 7:13, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

BB

Large Crowds Followed

2010-02-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

In what avenues do large crowds gather today? Sporting events, Olympics, concerts, musical festivals, church worship or events, opening day for Harry Potter or Twilight, and the list goes on. But what is it that large crowds are attracted to? Good music, entertainment, new intriguing storylines, people, and the list goes on.

On a whimsical thought today, I looked in the Bible and searched for the phrase "large crowds". And guess what..... they all were about Jesus. The large crowds were following Jesus. Why were they following Jesus? Some followed Jesus because they wanted to get healed. We see this in Matthew 8:1-4. Some followed Jesus because they wanted to be entertained. They wanted to see him perform miracles. Some followed because they truly believed He was the Son of God and they were interested in His teachings. Some followed to catch Him in His words, so they could bring accusations against Him. And the list goes on..... But for the most part large crowds followed because there was something about Jesus that people desired. "He taught as one who had authority....." (Mt 7:29), He had compassion on people (Mt 9:36), He fed people (Mt 14), He fed people spiritually, and the list goes on.

Why do you follow Jesus? Do you follow because you want to be entertained? Do you follow because your friends do? Do you follow because you want good food at church potlucks? And the list goes on.

BB

The Bear Necessities

2010-01-28T20:16:00.001-08:00

Today, Elijah convinced me to watch The Jungle Book with him. You know how you watch something your whole life and never get the real message of the movie til you are about ohhhh....let's say 29. Well that was me today.

Moguely (sp) has grown up his whole life living with the wolves. When word gets to the wolves that Shir Khan (the tiger) is coming back in the area, they decide to send the "man cub" back to the "man village". So the black panther (don't know his name right now) volunteers to take him to the village, so he can grow up with a normal human upbringing. Along the way he encounters several animals that detour his journey. Some want to capture him and take him back to live with them or eat him. One friend that finds Moguely is Balou. Balou is a big bear who becomes his friend...............oh what do I keep writing this, you probably have seen it. Now let me get to my point.

At the end, Shir Khan locates the man cub and wants to eat or kill him. As he is about to do so, Balou comes and rescues Moguely. Moguely gets away unharmed, but Balou fights a tiger and loses......well Balou doesn't die, he is just badly injured. Anyway while Balou is lying on the ground........the black panther begins to talk with Moguely about how Balou fought for his safety and that's what friends do. He then quotes John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Of all my years of watching this movie, I never recognized that quote in this story. I don't know what was happening in my ADHD mind that I could have missed that......oh wait the Sonic commercial is on right now, man I love these things, those guys are so funny........oh yeah sorry about that. Back to my blog. "Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Just a couple verses later Jesus, as he is talking with his apostles, no longer calls them his servants he calls them his FRIENDS, because they know his master's business.

How many times have you told another person to "stay out of my business"? How many times have you said that to someone you love? I can remember several times, telling my parents that. You know their response......"You are my business!" What is our "master's business"? Luke 19:10: The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. You are His business. I am His business. The person sitting next to you at your lunch table is Jesus' business. The teacher who you dislike sooooo much is His business. And maybe the only way they or you will know that is that you are a true FRIEND to them.

Live it,
BB

Because that's the way God made it!!

2009-12-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

Elijah is going through the phase of asking the "Why's". I will give you an example of what I am talking about:

Me: Elijah, can you see that cow over there in the field?

Elijah: Yeah!! Hey Papa I see a cow over there. What is it doing?

Me: It is eating.

Elijah: What is it eating?

Me: Grass.

Elijah: Why is it eating grass?

Me: So it doesn't get hungry.

Elijah: Why does it get hungry?

Me: Becasue it's stomach is empty.

Elijah: Why is its stomach empty?

Me: Because is it hungry. (At this point I don't know what else to say)

Elijah: Why is it hungry?

Me: Because that is the way God made it.

And Elijah has now come to the point where he accepts that answer as the final answer of everything. He knows when he hears that there is no more asking why.

What a powerful point......that we should not ask anymore questions about why things happen, why do we look this way why, why, why? It is because God is in control! That's the way God made you. End of discussion!!

But let me continue, of course one day when Elijah was telling me about something I thought I would turn the tables and ask Him the "whys".

Elijah: Look at my animals, Papa!

Me: Yeah, they look cool.

Elijah: The tiger is standing next to the hippo.

Me: Why is the tiger standing next to the hippo?

Elijah: Because he likes him.

Me: Why does he like him?

Elijah: (looks at me for a second with a confused look on his face) Because that's the way God made them.

Me: Why did God make them that way?

Elijah: Because He loves them.

I didn't ask anymore questions after that. What else could I ask?
A 3 year old teaching a 29 year old about the sovreignty of God. I was humbled.

The song "Praise the Lord" is based on Psalm 148. You know....."Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore Him, praise him ye angels in the sky........"
This is what verse 5 says of Psalm 148, "Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created."

What else do we need to know.

BB

The Carlton Dance!!

2009-11-10T09:30:00.001-08:00

For all of you Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fans, enjoy this video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxdauqh3epw

You might be an Idiot if.....

2009-10-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last night I was putting Elijah to bed. Before Elijah goes to sleep he has a sequence of events that he likes to do. Around 8:00 pm he likes to have a cup of yogurt for his bedtime snack, then brushes his teeth, plays with his animals for 1 last minute, kisses mom goodnight, Papa reads him 2 books, then prays, tells everyone "he loves them infinity and see you tomorrow".

Last night he prayed this way, "Thank you for everyone, thank you for the clock, thank you for the walls, thank you for the carpet, thank for........, the list goes on. As I was laying there beside him I have to admit I grew tired of his "thank you's". I even interrupted him during his prayer and said "No, Elijah we have to pray for the people who are sick and need help."

Yes I know, I'm an idiot!

I interrupted a prayer where my son was thanking God for all the things around him and told him something else. It's not that praying for the those who need help is bad. I just interrupted a heart felt prayer by my son and let my idea of the traditional prayer outwiegh his.

I am sure there are lots of lessons to be learned from this. And I am sure this probably won't be the last time I show my stupidity in fatherhood. But I wonder how many times we let our own thoughts outweigh others or more importantly how many times we let our thoughts outweigh God's?

Dirty or Clean Hands

2009-09-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know what a car mechanic looks like? What I mean is when you walk into a car shop, what is one thing that will distinguish a mechanic from the front desk worker? They all may be wearing the same uniform that says Brian’s Auto Shop, but not all of them may be a mechanic. They all will probably be wearing boots to protect their feet from heavy objects. They all may look a certain way, but if you will notice a good mechanic’s hands will be dirty. Their hands will be dirty from the grease, dirt, or oil from a vehicle. The mechanic will get their hands dirty from being underneath the car, changing the oil, working to repair an engine part or changing the tires. If a mechanic claims to be working real hard but has clean hands, then what can you conclude about the mechanic? Either they have some miracle soap or they are lying. My guess is that they are lying. James 2:17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” The mechanic’s dirty hands are representation of his actions. Dirty hands tell others his actions are following his responsibility. They tell others that he is doing what he is supposed to be doing. The mechanic could go in the back of the shop and rub dirt from the ground to get his hands dirty, but then again his actions would not be true. Our faith in God is more than just a belief or idea. It is showing what you believe. If your actions do not accompany your faith, then your faith is not real.

So my question to you is: Are your hands dirty?

Live it,

A Happy Jesus?

2009-09-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night I suggested an idea at The Station that referred back to Beatitude no. 2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Mt 5:4) Each week is building off one another so follow me on this one:

Now the beatitudes are Godly characteristics that we should strive to have in our heart. The first beatitude is "poor in spirit" (dependent upon God). This is placed first because it is the most important characteristic as a follower of Christ and it puts the following beatitudes in perspective. Meaning: they cannot be fulfilled by our own strength, we must be emptied of ourselves and beg for God's help. So, the reaction to poverty in spirit is? Mourning.

Jesus, when speaking of mourning, is not talking about a shallow crying or sadness for a short period. He is speaking of an intense deep sorrow over our sins. Our sins cause us to be separated from God, which should cause us to deeply mourn. So if Jesus is telling us to have a deep intense sorrow over our sins we commit, does that mean that we need to be gloomy and filled with sadness? No. Let me put this way. Think of a friendship or relationship that you have. Think of the closeness that you feel when both of you are communicating well and enjoying each others company (this is a time of enjoyment, laughter, happiness.) Now if you did something wrong against that friend. How would it make that person feel? Horrible, right. Your friend may feel betrayed, let down, or hurt. But hopefully you have a strong enough relationship that you will remain friends. Well that same thing happens to the relationship you have with God when you sin. It hurts God when you sin. And it should cause you to mourn, knowing that you have hurt God. Not just a brief sadness for a couple hours, an intense sorrow.

So to help us understand this better lets look at the times when Jesus was grieving, filled with sorrow, weeping, etc. Then look at what he was mourning over. Compare how many times the Bible tell us of Jesus being joyful versus Him being sorrowful.

If you want to comment, click on the "Comment" link below.

The Station Video

2009-09-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

Green Beans and Ketchup

2009-08-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

When my son was younger, he would not eat green beans. And still to this day, he does not eat them. But at the beginning we salted and peppered them.....nothing. He would eat everything but the green beans. We tried everything to get him to eat them. I tried to shove it in his mouth – JK!! We tried to pretend the beans were an airplane, truck, anything to get him to eat it. Nothing was working. I thought to myself I can outsmart my son, how hard can it be? He likes ketchup!! I put some ketchup on those beans. Success! He ate one bean, two, then three…..I had a great idea!! Then he started to figure it out. Instead of eating the beans he sucked the ketchup off and spit the bean out. Failure. All I did was create a way for him to eat ketchup instead of the green beans. Which ketchup is good and all, but not as nutritious as green beans.

I say all this to tell all of you to put ketchup on your beans and maybe it will taste better.

No really, I say this because this is what we do to our faith. We need a relationship with God. We need spiritual nourishment to keep us healthy. Having a true relationship with God is our nourishment. Proverbs 3:5, 8 says “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding……..this will bring health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.” Our own understanding tells us to put ketchup on our faith, instead of just eating the green beans. Instead of having a true relationship with God, we like to cover it with ketchup. We like to do things that are (what we think to be) beneficial for us. It is not nourishing to put ketchup on green beans. It does nothing but add taste. We feed our taste buds and think it is something true. But we are only fooling ourselves. Jesus sees right through the ketchup. When He was sitting with His disciples at the Last Supper and tells them that He is going to be betrayed. All the apostles including Judas Iscariot say “Surely not I, Lord?” Jesus saw right through the ketchup of Judas. Jesus saw right through the faith of Judas and tells him that “It is you.” We mix things (popularity, entertainment, school, etc) with our faith and all it does is leads us away from having real nourishment. You see Judas let his greed for life and money cover his faith. It led him to betraying Jesus and his death. When we mix things with or cover up our faith it leads us eventually to betray Jesus.

Eat the green beans. Seek a true relationship with God. And don’t put ketchup on it no matter how good it tastes!

Live it,
Beau

Youth Calendar

2009-08-12T10:26:00.000-07:00