Mpact Student Ministry's ONE BIG PARTY

I am proud to work alongside a great team of pastors. Joseph Kellogg, the student pastor at The Assembly at Broken Arrow, just had a huge event called ONE BIG PARTY. Illusionist Jim Munroe, aka MAZE, presented the gospel in one of the most innovative ways I have ever seen. Read Jim's own comments about the event below from his blog:

October 23, 2008
Broken Arrow, OK Outreach - 800 Students
I’ve just returned from Broken Arrow, OK…. a suburb of Tulsa. The Assembly Church invited us out to share our magic and the gospel at an annual event they call, “One Big Party.” Pastor Joe Kellogg, aka Big Phat Stud, coordinated an amazing event.
We started off, earlier in the day, at Broken Arrow High School, the largest senior high school in the state of Oklahoma. During three lunch periods, we performed crazy effects that gained a ton of publicity. Lots of jaws were dropping from the close-up magic, and several students made decisions to come to the event later that evening right there at the school.
At the event, later that evening, I was pumped to include Mr. Brad Fogarty on stage as the newest member of the MAZE troupe. He performed and shared the gospel powerfully. The result…. 60 students became Christians!
It was an amazing event. Next up…. ROUND ROCK TEXAS. Right near Austin, TX. HOME TO THE GREATEST SCHOOL IN THE UNIVERSE…. the LONGHORNS! Sorry Broken Arrow, OK… had to say that!2 hours ago

Love is being "Intentionally Unintentional"

While on vacation this week, I took advantage of not having timelines and pressures of the regular work-week-cycle. On one of those days, I sat and watched people going about their lives consuming products at a popluar outlet mall in the area. As I sat there I had no desire to consume anything, I was there to watch my baby girl as my wife visited with an old friend. It was refreshing to know that she was not going to spend money on low pirced items that we probably would never use anyway.

Nevertheless, as I observed people that day one couple caught my eye. This couple came out of a store smiling and laughing and I could tell that they were having a great time. You might say, so what I would be happy to if I was off vacationing somewhere with my family. But I am talking about the happiness that comes from really enjoying each other. Yet, the other thing that caught my eye was the way this twentysomethings couple was dressed. Why? Because clothing speaks volumes about who a person is or at least who they are trying to be...

The girl was dressed in the typical middle, to upper middle class, style. In other words, she was Hollister, Gap, or fill in any other hip (for now) clothing chain. Her hairsyle and dress code said that she was more than likely from a family that is doing well, lives in a suberb, more than likely she is in college or just graduated, and plans on having the American dream as her dream for life. So you are probably assuming already that the guy is dressed the same or maybe he is a jock that has won over the cheerleader. You would be dead wrong.

The twentysomething guy had long hair, part of which was hidden under a wornout beret. His shirt was one of those that has a hilarious, but tacky, phrase like, "Your village called and they are looking for their idiot." His shorts were tattered, fraid camouflage and his sandels dated back to the time of Jesus. He looked like a Bohemian who would fit right in at a local coffee dive quoting creative poetry.

And these two were walking hand-in-hand, laughing and simply enjoying life together. Two unlikely people from two different cultures living in community together. This made me think of the church and the major issues she faces today. Can our church welcome the Western-minded consumer and the emerging-postmodern person? I thought on that for a few days and decided that the church can do it, but the church must be "intentionally unintentional" in doing so.

Being intentionally unintentional means that we are intentional in reaching the sub-cultures in our communities and ministry contexts. But we do it in a way that is unintentional. That is to say that we do it out of love not duty. In his new book (Reverse Mentoring), Earl Creps explains that this generation can see right through someone doing something out of duty as opposed to doing it out of love. It is not our duty to save people; that's God place. God has to so saturate our lives with his love that we live out and speak out biblical truth through love.

Paul explains to the church that we need to, "speak the truth in love, being grown up in all aspects of Jesus Chirst." (Ephesians 4:15). He later explains in 1 Corinthians 13 that without love anyhting we do is like the clanging of symbols...its a bunch of noise! So we must ask ourselves continually, "Are we making Jesus Chirst known to people out of duty to our churches or pastors or are we doing it because the love of God is so rich and full in our lives that we are compelled out of the love God has for redeeming His beautiful creation?"

Love brought those two together, and love can bring people to the saving knowledge of a God who misses his prodigal children. Not programs, or lights, or videos. It takes a true love that only comes from those connected to God through Jesus Christ. Are you loving in a way that is intentionally unintentional?

I will post more of my thoughts on this througout the next week or so, but I am more curious about what those reading the blog think about this topic. Until then think on this:

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." (Colossians 4:5-6)

Understand this "You are complete in Christ"

In the movie, Jerry McGuire, we have the now famous line, "You complete me." (Holding back my tears...come on David; be strong). It is the dream of all romantics to find that person that completes them, but is that what Scripture tells us completeness actually is?

In Matthew 5:48 we find Jesus preaching on a mountain side and he says this curious and difficult phrase, "Be perfect for you Father in heaven is perfect." The Greek word is "teleios" and is better translated "having reached it's end" or "complete." In other words, perfect is not as good a translation as complete. Understand that through Jesus Christ we are made complete as the Father is complete (or whole to put it another way). That is why money, or fame, or material wealth, or love, or addicitve behaviors never really end that search for completeness. People, things, and lifestyles don't complete us...Jesus Christ does.

In the word "teleios" we find the root word "telos" from which it is formed. Telos means the end. As when the disciples asked Jesus to tell them about the end (the telos) of all things. Our completeness has reached its end in Jesus. We don't have to go searching anymore. We don't have to go winning God's approval. We are made complete in him.

What have you been using or seeking to find completeness? Love, material goods, addictive behaviors, trying to find new ways or ministries to please God? My suggestion for you is to meditate on Matthew 5:48. Then refelct on the newfound completeness you have in Jesus Christ. Or at least think about it...

Recommended Blog: Swerve

I have been reading Swerve, the blog of Lifechurch.tv’s Craig Groeschel, for over a year now. I highly recommend the blog to you. Although Craig is the main contributor others, like Bobby Gruenewald are frequent contributors. Swerve also showcases many other guest blogs to increase the reader base of a network of next generation leaders who blog. Here is today’s Swerve to give you a taste:

LifeChurch.tv : swerve
Who I’ll Never Be (by Craig Groeschel)
Posted: 14 Aug 2008 05:48 AM CDT

I’ll never be as a great a leader as Bill Hybels.

I’ll never be as deep as John Piper.

I’ll never be as smart as Mark Driscoll.

I’ll never be as creative as Ed Young.

I’ll never be as passionate as Steven Furtick.

I’ll never be as funny as Perry Noble.

I’ll never write like Erwin McManus.

I’ll never preach on one point as amazingly as Andy Stanley.

I’ll never have as big of arms as Bishop Eddie Long.

I’ll never be as Purpose Driven as Rick Warren.

I’ll never be as positive as Joel Osteen.

Thankfully, I’m not called by God to be any of those people!
And neither are you!

Although I can’t be them, God has created me with the ability to:

§ Cast a compelling vision and move people radically toward Christ.
§ Recognize talent and gifts in people most overlook.
§ Reach people for Christ who are far from God.

What are the top three gifts/talents/abilities God has given you?

All I can say is that's something to really think about!

Cardboard Testimonies

I have come across a video from a church service (www.hillsidewired.com) called "Cardboard Testimonies." Each time I watch this video, I am moved. I will let the video speak for itself, then you can stop and think about it!

I have attached the video to this blog. It is titled, Cardboard Testimonies. Watch at your own risk...

Fight the System!

Fight the system. What system? The idea that an individualism that results from a society that is consumeristic is normal. That in some way this is the way of life. To acquire more, to work longer, to slowly drive yourself deeper into isolation. This is not God's plan for humanity and it sure is not God's plan for your life.

Peter, one of Jesus' most interesting disciples, had in many ways bought into the ideas of his time. He was loud, outspoken and rough around the edges. When Peter proclaimed Jesus as Messiah, he was praised...and just a short time later had the major slap to the face as Jesus comapres him to Satan because of his quick-to-pop-off mouth. Jesus was continually working with Peter to understand the thoughts and plans of this world are vastly different than the plans and ways God has for the world.

Peter thought Jesus had come to fight the domination system of their day, the Romans. Jesus would be the King David-style king who would put Israel back on the map. Peter's thinking was like the rest of his people. It was about him, about them; it was about national pride and power. Are we so different today? We want God to bless our lives or our ministies over anothers. Why don't we celebrate more the victories of others; even the victories that look totally different then what we imagine and are accomplished in different ways then we understand...or accept.

We must fight the ever increasing temptation to become individualistic. We must be careful when Jesus speaks to us to not pop off with our own ideas. Could Jesus is saying to us today, "Get behind me Satan?" Maybe we should approach Jesus in a more thoughtful and open-hearted manner. I believe when we do this we leave the arena of individualistic thinking...and move to communal thinking. God is known for doing 180s in our thinking; if we allow him.

Peter had that 180 moment on the day of Pentecost. And it stuck with him for quite a while. Later in his life we read his words to the church in 1 Peter 2:10. "Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." Peter learned that through Christ's death on a cross and his raising from the dead, he was creating a community of like-minded followers. A community of grace, mercy, and love. Peter writes this to the church in his day as a way of saying, "Fight the system!" Once you were not a people, you were lost individuals wondering aimlessly...and now you are a people, a community, that God is purposing to bring about change in this world.

We are still that church, that community, called out of the individualistic mindset into a communal one. A community of God's mercy and grace.

What are you doing today to fight the system?

Has it snuck back into your life and you need to refocus?

What steps can you take to move yourself more in line with God's communal purposes?

Think about it.