What's the youth pastor thinking? That is a good question.
I would have to say I have been thinking about Ryan, my best friend, and how it stinks that the Saints lost yesterday. Ryan has always been a Saints fan. He is a die hard loyal fan and his team has been awful for so long. I was really pulling for him.
I've also been thinking about my good friend Jeff Hunt. I am actually wearing a mechanics shirt right now that has the name Jeff Hunt on it for the name tag. I'm thinking about him because he is going to have a kidney transplant. Jeff had leukemia five years ago. He has had a bone morrow transplant and now he is having a kidney transplant. His brother Todd is the donor. I've been praying for Jeff a lot. He is a really good guy and I really hope this is the last huge thing he has to come up against for a while.
On a lighter note, ever since last night I have been thinking about this mystery package that is sitting next to my desk. Contained in this mystery package is a bundle of fun and entertainment. I'll give the person who guesses what it is the first chance to really enjoy it. Have fun.
The last thing I have been thinking a lot about is "life-change." I have been reading a book I have really been enjoying called Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley. Through that book I have been reminded that as a pastor and a communicator what I am really after is seeing life change in the people in my ministry and in my own life. It seems like I had lost that perspective a little over time. It is easy to go to church or read the Bible and find yourself doing those things just because it is what you do. Actually expecting that God has something to say that is going to cause change in your life takes a complete change of perspective. Instead of coming to hear or reading to read you approach those things ready to apply. And when you apply what God has to say that should result in a change. Allowing God to change you is not easy, but it is awesome. It doesn't get a lot cooler than when God is at work in your life molding you into His image.
As a result of thinking about life change I have began to think about how God is at work in my life, changing me to be more like Him. I have been thinking about how I have been challenged recently to grow and to change and I have been trying to think through how I have responded to those challenges. Have I simply heard the challenge or command and shrugged it off or have I responded by taking action and allowing God to change me? I think those are important questions to ask. So I ask them of you. Has God been challenging you to do something, to change in some way? How have you responded to that?
Take a minute to answer those two questions by posting on this blog. I will get us started by posting my answers too.
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Jake is the Youth Pastor at Hill Country Bible Church Southwest. He is married to the beautiful Krista Box and is a graduate from Texas A&M University. He likes to think that his students care about what is going on in his life and so he created this blog. He highly encourages you to read it and make uplifting comments on it whenever you can.
What's the Youth Pastor Thinking?
A blog for two14 Student Minstries Southwest
Jake Box
Jake is the Youth Pastor at Hill Country Bible Church Southwest. He is married to the beautiful Krista Box and is a graduate from Texas A&M University. He likes to think that his students care about what is going on in his life and so he created this blog. He highly encourages you to read it and make uplifting comments on it whenever you can.
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6 comments:
So the two question are: "Has God been challenging you to do something, to change in some way?" And, "how have you responded to that?"
Yesterday in church Phil was talking about how we should view ourselves as missionaries. I think he even said that we are missionaries. As a result we should act like missionaries. We should know our culuture, engage the people in this city and begin to build relationships with people so that through those relationships we can introduce them to Jesus. That was very challenging to me. To view myself as a missionary and then begin to act like a missionary.
Yesterday was not the first time I had heard Phil talk about that concept. In fact I have had that challenge before me for a couple of months now. So I have had time to respond to it, but honestly I don't feel like I have changed a lot as a result of it. I have begun to faithfully pray for the couple who live in the apartment across from us. But I have yet to engage them in a conversation. I also began to reach out to other people in my apartment complex through organizing a fellowship event each month, but I slacked off on that last month. So, I would have to say in regards to this challenge I am in the process of being changed, but have a lot of changing to go. I need to allow God to continue to really shape me in this area.
So that is mine. Now it is your turn...
Wow, I'm still the first to comment, and I'm a day late. I guess people are anticipating that you won't post this week :P. Get ready for an extra-jumbo-large comment!
Box, a long while ago you and I had breakfast at Magnolia Cafe, and we were talking about studying Romans because I had been getting a whole lot of that book, what with D-groups, BSF, and personal study, and you asked me how it was changing me. If it was changing me. Romans is a hard book to find a lot of physical application in, because it is so theological. All the change and growth I was experiencing was happening in my brain, in my perpective. You told me that our lives should be changing, and if it is our perspective that is changing, it should influence the way we live. It made me stop and think, because my brain was doing a lot of growing, but my life wasn't changing a whole lot. I'v never really forgotten that conversation. That is one thing God has been challenging me to do. Another big one is God has been challenging me to share my faith, something that is hard for me to do, because there isn't a whole lot of people that I know that don't know what I believe. Most of my friends, as far as I know, are christians. The others I know have heard the gospel before.
How am I responding? As far as Scripture application: I have really started to try and take apart the sermons, and the scripture I read, and figure out if there is any thing in what they are saying that I need to apply to my life. How do I need to change based off of what they are saying, or what the Bible says? As far as sharing my faith: I was thinking about this just last night, because at BSF the lady that was giving the lesson that night really encouraged us to share the gospel with the people we know. We were studying the first part of chapter 9 in Romans. And it struck me that I try hard to show my friends the love of Christ by the way I act and treat my family, but I never engage them in spiritual conversation. I think that I need to start doing that a lot more. It's going to be hard, but these people need to know what I'm about. And what God's about.
There are other things, but those are the major ones.
Jake F. that is some good stuff man. Thanks for posting that. I will be praying for you those areas. Keep it up!
hi Jake !!! How have you been !! well iv missed ya'll so much and im probably going to start coming back. Sorry i left i just had to get my life kinda staight ! ill talk to you soon !!
Kayla
Hey Kayla, it is great to hear from you. We have missed you a lot. Come on back. Everyone will be very excited to see you again.
This is Lindsey - no blog for me :)
To be honest, I feel that God has been nothing but challenging me in the past few months. And honestly, I have not respnded so well to date.
There are 2 main areas I feel He is challenging me in: discipline and trust.
It may seem that these 2 things do not go together much, but I am learning that they do. I have had a hard time being disciplined in not only my time with the Lord, but other areas of my life - work, exercise, my eating habits, serving my husband and others around me.
As I thought about why I am struggling with these things, I was also thinking about a conversation a while back I had with krista about my struggle with trusting the Lord, that He will always provide for me, and that He has my best interest in mind.
What I discovered is that if I truly trusted the Lord, it would be a lot easier for me to spend time with Him, and live like He calls me to live. What's more, if I was more disciplined in spending time with Him, learning more about who He is, it would be easier for me to trust Him.
So, as I said earlier, I have not changed much in this area since I have thought about it. But, I am committing to allow the Lord to change me. I am committing to spend time with the Lord everyday, and pray for Him to change my heart so I can truly be sold out for Him, holding nothing back. It really does start with discipline. For my heart cannot change apart from God and spending time with Him, so even though it is hard right now, I must be disciplined with my time and choose to spend it with Him. So, that is how God has been challenging me, and how I am beginning to respond.
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