It's raining.....

Well, it's been a few weeks since I last posted. Let's do a recap. I preached two services on evangelism, saw Alabama lose to South Carolina, had an awesome student messy game night and now I am recuperating from the madness. I think I finally got all of the shaving cream out of my ear. Ah, the joys of being a student pastor.

But something is on my mind. I sometimes feel as if I am trying to sell Jesus to students. Like Jesus is something like a car. Here is all of the nice parts about becoming a Christian and you should jump aboard. I am not saying that my faith is wavering or I am confessing something blasphemous, I am just wrestling with that thought right now. Don't know what to think about it but I don't think that it is bad.

I just feel that sometimes there is more to it than me telling the students about Jesus. I mean I know that relationships are important and having key leaders involved in the lives of students but am I missing something? I know it's not about flashy lights and the best worship team in town. I mean the Bible speaks for itself and we are just vessels to expand it's meaning and presence in the world by living out the words on the pages.

So, what to do? I am realizing that I need to stop relying so much on my teaching abilities and start working on more of the hands-on abilities. Recently, you would have heard me say it's all about the "heart knowledge not the head knowledge" meaning that it needs to come forth in action. But sometimes it is hard to do such things when everything is resting on your shoulders. I think that my problem is that I rely too much on ministering to kids and not actually living out my faith in my community. Do I really stop to listen or talk with people about Christ? I feel sometimes as if my job alone is supposed to do all of that and I don't think I am right. Yes, students need to hear about God but so do others in our community.

So, my prayer is that God would reveal to me ways to get our students living the words of Christ through actions in our community. It's great to have them all meet on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings but I think we need a more hands-on approach. While teaching and preaching is one of my strong suits, getting actively involved is where I struggle. I think we all struggle in this area. Can you admit it?

Aaron

Less of me....

So, to inform you of something you may not think that pastors think about is the fact that sometimes we do want to see people in the seats of our churches. There I said it. It is discouraging sometimes because you wonder what is going on? Am I not saying the right things, doing the right games, playing the right videos? While these things can be important to drawing people and entertaining them, do they really matter? For the longest time I have been, for lack of a better word "brainwashed" into thinking that we had to put on a show for people and then tell them about God's Word. Or that I had to present it this way because if I do and the lighting hits just right then, then that person will understand why they need Jesus in their life. Really? Can I draw students by my voice alone? Can the stupid video impact a student's life for eternity? Can that fog light really help me see Jesus?

I have come to this conclusion. That stuff is great and all but the power of God is way better! (I took that from Kanye, get it?) I feel that we focus way too much on saying the right thing, preaching the right thing or entertaining the masses so they can be awed and ewwwed to come back to our services. Since when did the Bible need flashing lights and high energy worship to make sense? Why do we need these things? I think that God wants to move without those things and will if we allow Him to.

You know I heard the other day that the Bible stands alone and doesn't need anyone to doctor it up or dress it up for people to understand. It's plain and simple. The truth is right there. Well, I don't understand what it says? Well, have you read it? Reading a passage from Leviticus about sacrificing animals is probably not the place you need to start. My point is this and I will quit rambling: do we not trust in the power of God to do great things? I mean God is wanting to do amazing things in our lives and the lives of others but do we want that? Are our minds caught up in the flashiness of putting on a production or are we allowing God to draw men unto Himself? Here's the thing I have learned, well still learning, is that God will provide you people that are hurting and need Jesus. What are you going to do with them when they show up? Point them to the flashy lights or point them to the Light that points to forgiveness?

Trusting in God is not easy, in fact it's a huge risk but whom else would you put your trust in? God will provide if you ask. He will move if you ask. He will show you amazing things if you ask. Do you want it?

Not I but Christ,

Aaron

hopefully this hurts you more than it hurts me...

So, I love my job. I mean I get to spend time with some awesome students, play video games, go on trips and act like a 15 year old some times. But, something really has gotten my attention. This post may not be one that you want to read but it needs to be read. So, please keep your daggers and swords at ease for now.

My heart is troubled. Why? I think we expect to much from our students. We think that we truly understand what is happening in their lives. We think that giving them their space will make the relationship better. Saying all of this, I think that parents of students, and I say this with much love because I have none of my own, are deceived. What are you talking about Aaron? Well, yesterday during our second service, I heard that over 65% of Christians who have a Bible don't read it. Wow. Really? So, my mind automatically raced towards my area of ministry and I wonder how many students read the Bible? The numbers can't be good. Can they be better than 65% of adults?

So here is my dilemma. How do we fix this? How do we get our students interested in reading God's Word? My thoughts are, it starts at home but then I sound naive and judgmental. I know that the environments where students are at today are not healthy, but that is all the more reason to have them study God's Word right? I think that it starts with adults, not knowing how to read the Bible and then teaching their children. I think that we rely too much on the church to fix our children. Can it become more of a pit stop in the every day journey of our lives, instead of a day care? Last time I checked the home is the spiritual place of growth.

If you know me, please hear me when I say all of this, I am not calling out any of your children. But, maybe this is the moment where you can sit down with your children and truly ask them when the last time they read the Bible was? Stop reading my blog and go grab your students!!  All I know is that it is harder for me, as a pastor to teach students the Bible when they have no idea what it is and how to open it and these are students who have professed Christ! Well, Aaron that is your job. Uhm, no. I am just a small piece in the bigger picture of your students lives. I love being that small piece but if you are just counting on me to magically transform the lives of students, then we are all in trouble. That may hurt. I say it with love.

I take full responsibility of guiding them on how to get plugged-in to a small group and make sure that we give them the best opportunities to expand their walk with Christ, but this is not an everyday deal. I only have them twice a week. How many times do you have them?? There has to be help from the other side. Do we really want our students to know God? Then, let's push them to want to know Him. Don't just say you need to read the Bible, read it with them, Discuss, dialogue and for goodness sake pray for your students!!

My passion is to see students grow closer to God through the Word and living out their faith in Christ. I know that parents want the same thing too. Can we put down the remote, open the Bible, put our foot down, show them who Jesus is, pray for each other, view church as a refueling station in the long journey with Christ and then do it all over again?? I think that we can! I know we can! It will take some sacrifice but it should be a sacrifice that is worth taking! Here again, no name calling, just a piece of reality that breaks my heart....I hope that one day we can turn this ship around because right now as a universal church body, we have hit an iceberg people and students are drowning. Can that be today? I am praying for all parents and students of our church and churches in this nation. This is a critical issue and WE can do something about it!

Aaron