Simul Iustus et Peccator

Question

2012-02-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

John Wesley's Small Group Questions:

8. Am I enjoying prayer

Cultivating a Life for God (Church Smart Resources 1999)

Dredging The Heart

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

We moved to Charleston SC about 4 years ago. It's a great port city with much to offer. One thing I've learned is that all that water I look out across everyday as I drive to work isn't all usefull to the port. Some of the harbor at low tide is only a few feet deep and unless you know how to read the channel markers you might find yourself in what locals refer to as "pluff mud".

Another curiosity I've found is a barren expanse of land I drive over ever day to work. For years I'd often speculate over what this strip of land was. An industrial dump, weapons test range for the Naval Weapons Station, a future housing development? It wasn't until we were heading out of town on a trip with some students that I voiced my thoughts. A student informed me that this area is where they dump the mud they dredge out of the harbor to keep the channels open for ships.

Every morning I rocket down Hwy 526 late for work I feel the gentle nudge of the spirit asking if there is anything in my heart that needs to be drudged up and dumped here. Is there anything that needs to be addressed or any sin that has started to put down roots. My drive has become this quiet reminder of my continual need to repent and seek first the kingdom of God. (Matt 6:33) I'm thankful that it's the spirit inside me which uses my fallen surroundings to show my dependency on Christ my savior.

Robotic Children

2012-02-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

I stopped and laughed out loud as I saw a bumper sticker for a website called..."Robots for Kids"

I was hoping it was for website where you could buy robots that would act as your children. I explored further. Turns out it has something to do with education. Booooo

Remember friends...

"Let's eat Grandma." and "Let's eat, Grandma." are very very different.

Scrabble

2012-02-06T12:22:00.001-05:00

If you have $12,000 hanging around I'd like this of Christmas next year..

http://www.geekalerts.com/the-worlds-largest-scrabble-game/

Impact: I'm With Stupid

2012-02-03T11:48:00.001-05:00

Recently, I had a parent email me about our upcoming series on guys, girls, dating, and relationships. As I thought about it I'm sure there's other parents of teenagers who are wondering the same thing.

Hopefully the below email helps explain what Impact will cover over the next few weeks.
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Hey Parent,
I'd love to! Our goal in this series is simple. We want to help students shape a biblical look at guys, girls, dating, and relationships. Being the mom of teenagers I'm sure you know that they are inundated with other messages about such and important topic! We are breaking it down into three weeks each of which will hopefully take the students another step in crafting their thoughts.

Week 1. is Different by Design : We'll talk about the fact that we are all created in God's image and as a result we have great worth and value. So how we treat each other has to reflect that. We'll look at some funny ways guys and girls think different. Key scripture will be Gen. 1 and 2

Week 2. Will be Guard Your Heart. Here we'll introduce the key principle in this series. It comes from Proverbs 4:23 (a book written so young people would be wise) Often students give their hearts away and end up with lots of hurt. We'll talk about the fact that it's grace that enables us to have new hearts when our hearts are hurt and grace that empowers us to keep them. Please pray for us this week especially as I feel there is a great opportunity for the Gospel to heal some who have really been trying to fill the God shaped whole in their lives with the Hollywood teen romance.

Also on Feb. 12th at 6pm we'll hold our annual "Battle of the Sexes" This is always a fun evening where we separate students into two groups (guys and girls) and they compete in some fun trivia and events.

Finally Week 3. We're calling "Battle" It'll be kind of a summary but focus on the verses in scripture that Paul wrote to Timothy when he said to treat each other like brothers and sisters. It's not easy but we're called to honor each other so I don't just guard my heart but I guard my brother's heart and my sister's hearts too!

That's a quick summary of what hopefully will be a very powerful series.

I am leaving out three specific areas because I feel they are best addressed in the context and with the authority of families. (and I'll say this from the front)

1. Sex is a gift from God in the context of marriage. This is not a series on sex. Students NEED a biblical view on the subject. That's best given them by their parents. I'm happy to help if they need some pointers on how to have those conversations.

2. I'm not answering the question : "When should I start dating?" Students don't like me after they hear my rant on that subject. I will say we have close handed issues : Jesus is Lord, Savior, Christ, and King... and we have open handed issues like should teenagers be dating. Open handed issues are best handled in the context of families. So honor your parents as an act of worship to Jesus.

3. Finally I'm not going to answer the question... "How far is too far in a relationship?" I feel it's the wrong question. The right question is are you guarding your heart and fleeing from sin? The heart isn't always the smartest part of our being so are you guarding it and running from temptation, leading anyone else to be tempted, and do you have accountability to encourage you on the way.

Ok, that was probably WAY more then you were looking for I hope it gives you some perspective. I'd welcome any thoughts you might have from a parents perspective or things you think I might need to address.

Hope that helps.

Dave

Question

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000-05:00

John Wesley's Small Group Questions:

7. Do I give it (scripture) time to speak to me everyday?

Cultivating a Life for God (Church Smart Resources 1999)

Elephant Room and Our Ministry

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last week was one of the busiest in recent memory. We had several semester kick off gatherings and team trainings including CPR training and the very important Darkness to Light Child Abuse Awareness training. With all that was going on, my favorite part of the week came Wednesday when our core team got together for the day and attended a satellite viewing of The Elephant Room.

The Elephant Room is a gathering in the Chicago are of several influential pastors from across the country each with differing views on the church. The idea is to distill out the common ground that connects us while respecting the views that challenge us. The day had nothing to do with youth ministry and everything to do with theology. It was really refreshing. I'm a big believer in the fact that as we sharpen our theological beliefs the ministry which we lead (youth, children, arts, whatever) reaps some excellent rewards. Here's a few...

We're reminded that it's all about Jesus. Not the latest and greatest gathering tool, or small group curriculum but it's all about Jesus.
It feeds and challenges our own souls. Those in ministry pour out plenty. To avoid burn out we need to be sure we're being poured into also.
It challenges us to examine how we are "rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Tim 2:15)

Faith

2012-01-29T17:37:00.002-05:00

Here's the graphic from our last series at Impact. We titled it FAITH?

Question

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

John Wesley's Small Group Questions:

6. Did the Bible live in me today?

Cultivating a Life for God (Church Smart Resources 1999)

Flute from the Street

2012-01-23T18:42:00.000-05:00

"Parents... If your kids don't learn flute in school they are going to pick it up on the street."

Props to @ylstash

Resource For Families: What Bible Do I Buy My Teenager?

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

This time of the year we begin our Confirmation process. For those outside of the Anglican context here's a link to help better put that in context. With this season beginning another question normally comes up? What Bible should I get my teenager?

I love this question because it means first that parents value God's word enough to want it in the hands of their children and second it means that they are not just picking up the first Bible they see on a bookstore shelf.

So how do you go about choosing a good Bible for a student? Here's some helpful tips...

"Teen Bibles"? are not normally as attractive as they sound. Thanks to Christian publishing you can find Bibles geared towards every make, model, gender, age, race, and flavor or human. Yes they might have some interesting sidebars but the truth is your student isn't going to be a teen forever. Point being buy the Bible not the marketing.
Study Bible Vs. Portability: Study Bibles are great with footnotes, references, concordances etc. however they are large and in charge. Small ones are fine but you sacrifice a lot of helpful information. If you want your student to have it with them everywhere don't get a study bible. I will say that with all the apps, and quality websites available scripture is more available then ever before in human history. I'd go with the study bible.
Translations? Niv, ESV, KJV, NKJV, LMNOP? I can go on. They're all the same Bible right? Well yes. Without getting into geeky greeky points about how the Bible has been translated I'd make it simple. What translation does your home church use? Nothing is more confusing to a young person when things are worded differently.

If you are part of our ministry I'd encourage you to get your student an ESV Study Bible and a good set of high lighters. I'd also encourage you to write in the cover a list of your favorite scriptures and a little note of encouragement. Your 13 year old boy probably won't tear up at this gift but it'll become dear to them as they grow in their faith.

Impact's Back This Sunday!

2012-01-19T17:41:00.000-05:00

Quesiton

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

John Wesley's Small Group Questions:

5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

Cultivating a Life for God (Church Smart Resources 1999)

DaveLibbon.com Will Not Blackout

2012-01-18T16:08:00.001-05:00

To ease fears DaveLibbon.com will not be blacked out over to SOPA/PIPA. Please don't riot.

Resources for Families : Dinner and the Cell Phone

2012-01-18T06:30:00.000-05:00

The older your students are the more likely their phones have become a distraction. I'm 30 and yes my phone is a distraction. Props to my friend Meg for the find on this great idea. It'll need some tweaking to be used in a family context but I think cleaning up dinner would be a good motivator. Enjoy...

The Phone Stack

We usually take a pretty hard line against phones at dinner, but a new trick just popped up that gives us hope for the future.
It’s called a phone stack, and it’s a buzzing, flashing reminder of every phone-etiquette rule the world seems to have forgotten.
It works like this: as you arrive, each person places their phone faced down in the center of the table. (If you’re feeling theatrical, you can go for a stack like this one, but it’s not required.) As the meal goes on, you’ll hear various texts and emails arriving… and you’ll do absolutely nothing. You’ll face temptation—maybe even a few involuntary reaches toward the middle of the table—but you’ll be bound by the single, all-important rule of the phone stack.
Whoever picks up their phone is footing the bill.
It’s a brilliant piece of social engineering, masquerading as a bar game. It takes the phone out of the pocket—where you can sneak a glance and hope nobody notices—and places it in the center of attention at all times. Suddenly, picking up your phone is the big deal you always secretly knew it was. And more importantly, it comes with consequences.
But if, after the third ring, you decide your call is more important than your lunch tab, we’re sure your friends won’t object.

Article from http://www.getkempt.com/the-code/the-phone-stack.php

The Latest Beauty Secret Will Amaze You...

2012-01-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

As the father of two daughters this is a very important thing for them to grasp. As a youth minister is something I'd encourage every teenage girl to watch and parent to talk to their kids about..

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Big Props to Erin Cooley for linking to this on FaceBook

Jesus Vs. Religion and YouTube

2012-01-13T20:16:00.000-05:00

There's this interesting thing inside of me that when something hits the Christian culture and people go a little crazy about... warning flags start to fly in my mind. My inbox / Facebook / Twitter feed was packed with people talking about the below video...

To be honest I haven't watched it yet (call me a rebel (although I have read the poem)).

I did find a really well written and balanced article by Kevin DeYoung on The Gospel Coalition Website He has a brilliant observation that many younger Christians have a hard time seeing grace as more then God's forgiveness of sin. When the truth of the gospel is that it's grace that transforms the believer, sustains the believer, as well as redeems the believer. Below is DeYoung's conclusion. The entirety of the article is well worth the read...

"The strengths in this poem are the strengths I see in many young Christians—a passionate faith, a focus on Jesus, a love for grace, and a hatred for anything phony or self-righteous. The weaknesses here can be the weaknesses of my generation (and younger)—not enough talk of repentance and sanctification, a tendency to underestimate the importance of obedience in the Christian life, a one-dimensional view of grace, little awareness that our heavenly Father might ever discipline his children or be grieved by their continued transgression, and a penchant for sloganeering instead of careful nuance.
I know the internet is a big place, but a lot of people are connected to a lot of other people. So who knows, maybe Jefferson Bethke will read this blog. If you do, brother, I want you to know I love what you love in this poem. I watched you give your testimony and give thanks to God for his work in your life. I love the humble desire to be honest about your failings and point people to Christ. I love that you love the church and the Bible. I love that you want people to really get the gospel. You have important things to say and millions of people are listening. So make sure as a teacher you are extra careful and precise (James 3:1). If you haven’t received formal theological training, I encourage you to do so. Your ministry will be made stronger and richer and longer lasting. I encourage you to speak from the Bible before you speak from your own experience. I encourage you to love what Jesus loves without tearing down what he also loves and people are apt to misunderstand. I encourage you to dig deep into the whole counsel of God.

Thanks for reminding us about Jesus. But try to be more careful when talking about religion. After all, there is one religion whose aim is to worship, serve, know, proclaim, believe, obey, and organize around this Jesus. And without all those verbs, there’s not much Jesus left."

Question

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

John Wesley's Small Group Questions:

4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work , or habits?

Cultivating a Life for God (Church Smart Resources 1999)

Small Group Leaders Training: Gospel Transformation

2012-01-10T13:25:00.000-05:00

Here's a little presentation we put together as part of our small group leaders training. Thought it might be interesting to some.

Culture Alarm !

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-05:00

Found this to be thought provoking.

Hyper Dog

2012-01-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

File this one under fun family nights. We found a cotton candy machine on the cheap this morning during our Saturday grocery trip. I've made cotton candy before and somehow forgot how much candy goes into the air. As thin wisps of sugar floated in the air and we enjoyed our little project our Siberian Husky Keira was inhaling loads of sugar. She then proceeded to race around the room at lightening speed. Note to self: put the dogs outside next time - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Little Five Iron For Your Weekend...

2012-01-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

Some of the most powerful lyrics that have moved me....

"The very spark that burns the stars,
drew near to me today,
the God of everything that is,

whispered in my ear that

His love is boundless."

*From World Without End

Things We Didn't Know Last Year

2012-01-06T09:59:00.000-05:00

This came across my reader a few days ago. Thought it was interesting as we kick off the new year...

From our friends at the BBC..

1. Birds binge drink.
More details
2. Bald people grow the wrong type of hair - so fine it's invisible to the naked eye.
More details
3. Aristotle is thought to have been the last individual to know everything that was known at the time.
More details
4. Women's tears reduce ... desire in men.
More details (Guardian)
5. President Kennedy's famous line "Do not ask..." was inspired by the headmaster of his prep school.
More details
6. Princess Diana had two wedding dresses - one a back-up design in case her first choice was revealed before the big day. More details
7. Huskies can smell thin ice.
More details
8. JD Salinger was a fan of Tim Henman.
More details
9. Good cops are better at getting confessions than bad cops.
More details (Daily Mirror)
10. The average hug lasts three seconds.
More details (Daily Telegraph)
11. Cattle once regularly swam between Hebridean islands.
More details
12. Elton John has no mobile phone.
More details
13. Incan brides had to peel a potato to prove they would be a good wife.
More details
14. UK postal workers get through two million red rubber bands a day. More details
15. Artist LS Lowry was a debt collector.
More details
16. The ransom paid to release Richard the Lionheart, captured in 1192 on his return from the Crusades, was the equivalent of about £2bn in today's money.
More details
17. People with full bladders make better decisions.
More details (Daily Telegraph)
18. Chickens feel empathy.
More details (Daily Telegraph)

...

Click here for the rest!

Question

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

John Wesley's Small Group Questions:

3. Do I confidentially pass onto another what was told me in confidence?

Cultivating a Life for God (Church Smart Resources 1999)

The 5 Podcasts I Have Listened To In 2011

2012-01-02T08:47:00.000-05:00

Every day I wake up and head to work I'm looking at a solid half hour commute one way. That puts me in the car for an hour a work day. Not bad seeing how the national average in `07 was 46min according to Gallup. The other nuance I should let you in on is that I can't stand the radio. It's been a slow downward spiral from music, to talk, to now I can't remember the last time I actually listened to the radio while in the car alone.

So what I do is use that time to sharpen my skills and challenge my self. Here's an earlier post about how I've come to use Siri to take notes while driving. So what have I come to listen to over the past year? Glad you asked....

5. Mars Hill Audio / Desiring God Audio

These are two sermon feeds I've come to listen to. Each week, both ministries post the sermon from their churches. Both feed me spiritually while expounding great theology and challenging subject matter. It's a great way to start the day off by sitting under two solid gospel centered preachers.

4. Critical Hit Podcast

Ok this one has absolutely nothing to do with youth ministry or leadership. Because of that fact it's really important. For everyone who works with young people in the church context we need a chance to check the brain and just unplug for a while. Critical Hit is a podcast I came upon about a year ago. It's centered around an RPG called Dungeon and Dragons. What I take from it is a great storyline. It's basically weekly installments of a Lord of the Rings type story told with a good bit of improve and chance thrown into the plot. On more then one instance I found myself wishing it would become a movie.

3. Youth Ministry Garage

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away a group of friends sat down around a microphone to talk about youth ministry. Not Youth Ministry Theory, or Philosophy, not ivory town in a perfect church type stuff but real down to earth questions that come up every so often in the ministry. One of those guys happened to be Doug Fields, along with several other notable youth pastors. The show went dark on somewhat of a hiatus and has sufferance being run out of Doug's garage of all places. (told you it was down to earth) It's a great write in your questions and they'll take their best shot at answering them.

2. The Resurgence

This podcast's tag line says it all... "Ministry is tough, and you need training." Important things that need to be thought through. Not so much a "show" as the last few on the list but more of audio from various teachings and conference seminars. The feed isn't updated often but when it is it quickly jumps to the top of my playlist.

1. Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast

Andy Stanley's monthly podcast is short sweet and leadership gold. The principles he communicates are solid and foundational. They are both good reminders yet challenging. Much of our weekly team meetings come from phrases used in this podcast. Quality.

Honorable mention...

- Perry Nobel Leadership Podcast

Love him or hate him there's some good things he has to say. This is a lighthearted talk about leadership in the church. Worth a listen. He posted some audio from a leadership gathering at his church where Stephen Furtick spoke on gratitude. It remains one of the most mind blowing teachings I've heard in the last 6 months.

- Student Alpha Podcast (video)

Not something I listen to weekly but come Fall it gets an hour of my time every week. Alpha is a simple basic course in Christianity that comes out of England. They've taken the course and compressed it into a handful of videos for students (Now remember "students" in Europe are college aged) For our community it works well for our high school crew. Every fall and spring our church holds an Alpha course. Every Fall we tag on a High School Alpha for students who are interested in exploring the fundamentals of the faith. It always is an amazing time.

(All of these can be found on Itunes in the podcast section)