How does a parent get their child involved in church?

First and foremost the parent has to model the behavior that they want their child to adopt. If you want her in church consistently then you have to be in church consistently. This will show them that it is serious to the parent and that it is more than an extra activity but a part of the way of life.

Secondly, you must be find a church that is supportive of the values and goals that you want for your child to absorb and commit yourself to that church and that church alone for a substantial duration of time, in your specific case I would say the remainder of her High School career. Children of all ages need consistency and in this world it seems that everything in their life changes so fast they can’t count on anything. When the church becomes a constant they are more likely to latch to it.

Thirdly a teen is going to be drawn where their friends are. If the youth group does not have anyone in it that the teen can or will connect with then they will feel isolated and alone and not want to go.

Fourth, it is important for any parent to realize that the principle influence in a child’s life will always be the parent. In turn that means that the one who must be discipling the child in Christ is the parent as well and that the youth minister and youth group are only there to support and enhance what the parent is already doing, which is why number one is so important.

Finally there as to be some lines drawn. If the previous four statements are applied first then this is an easier task. Not to say that it is at all easy but if placed first in the list it is almost impossible. The parent is the parent and makes the decisions if the parent decides that the family is going to start attending and participating in church then that is the rule and is enforced. Many times parents will tell me they don’t want to force their kids to come to church because they are afraid it will turn them off to religion. But the fact is that we force our children to do many other things and yet never consider to apply that principle. They go to school, eat their supper, go to the doctor, go to bed, have a curfew, etc etc etc. Again when the previous four are applied this becomes easier.

Does anyone else see a problem developing

Most recently this claim has been the forefront argument of the homosexual/ gay rights movement. We have even seen entire denominations of Christian churches move towards the legitimatizing of the homosexual lifestyle. As this happens inevitably we hear the “born this way” or “God made me this way” argument.

But where does it end

What about hoarders? They can’t control their urges. We condemn their homes and take their children and make TV shows that profit off of their embarrassment. If they were born this way why can’t they be left to live how they would like? The TV shows have shown even small children with tendencies of hoarding. Who are we to judge?

What about murderers? What if there are some that cannot control their urges? They have no moral balance and thus cannot stop from killing. Should they not be excused from any punishment maybe given refuge in a place where they can live and unleash their brutality?

What about pedophiles? They claim they cannot control their feelings. Why do they receive such harsh criticism? Isn’t it unfair to treat them so harshly?

DUH!!!

All of those are ridiculous arguments! Why because every one of those things is wrong and we have accepted them to be wrong and we understand why they are wrong! We were made by the Creator God our Lord to be a reflection of His Glory. Sin has screwed us up! Not God  not the moon or the stars or any other thing but sin! We cannot think that just because we cannot overcome something within ourself that it is God’s will for us  Romans 8:24 -26a

²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. ²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness”

If we could control ourselves why would we need God’s grace? If we were able to perfect ourselves what need for the sacrifice of Christ? We need to watch our blasphemy of God’s name and His work.  Following Him is not easy that is why we need Him. It hurts. Mentally, Physically, Emotionally and Spiritually it hurts. But in the end…..it is worth it.

I have seen this occur in my blog reading and commenting time and time again. An author will post their views and then anyone who opposes them gets trashed and demeaned.  That is not good.  I believe that every person has room to be wrong and that every person is at least partly wrong in their positions. Why? Because everyone is imperfect. Opinions are not facts and are not based on facts. Sure someone will quote facts but what they are really spouting is their interpretation of the facts. Everyone should recognize that they have some room to be corrected and grow and be stretched and at the very least take an opposing view and chew on it.

Sometimes bloggers have really healthy interaction with their commenters and when they do it is beautiful. As a church staff person I have always wondered what it would be like to work in a environment where sharing differences  on non-essential theology and methodology was not only allowed but encouraged.  Too many times I have seen senior pastors either force their staff to agree with them or push them out when their was disagreement. Worse yet I have seen senior pastors completely avoid issues so that they will not get into a deep discussion.

Now don’t get me wrong a public disagreement between staff can be divisive…… but maybe…… what if we modeled it in a Christian way?

What if instead of shutting down or fighting we sought to understand the other side through a different perspective. Not agreeing with the other side but trying to understand the path that got them there so that we can understand the foundation before we judge the conclusion. And all the while we are not bashing or trashing people because they don’t think like us.

And do not  misunderstand me to be saying truth is relative and that what one person believes is ok for them and not for me and we just need to accept. Believe me I believe what I believe and if I think you are wrong I think you are wrong but I want to know why you have arrived at the belief that directly opposes mine. I do not want to write you off.

Now consider the impact. I minister in a community with a very diverse group people and pastors.  I have church members and other pastors in the community that are Republicans and I have church members and other pastors in the same community that are Democrats. Now we all know how confrontational these two sides can get. But can we say that as Christians we handle our differences any different? One church uses traditional music and one church uses modern “rock” worship and the leaders post blogs essentially damning the other church’s actions. I could go on and on with examples. No wonder people act with such selfishness an hate when the ones who are to love do not model love.

Maybe if we could begin to see where our opposition was right we could work towards a understanding of  how to work through and around what we are doing wrong.

I will confess that many times when I am running in the store of gas station that I blow by people and never think twice about who is waiting on me.  What really is sad is that I used to work retail and I know how big a difference a customer with an outgoing personality can make in a employees day. I have even said to myself years ago that I wanted to be that guy.  Often times I will forget peoples names and simply brush it off with lame excuses but not Chris. Within a day of being at the event he had learned every name not just on our team but on the entire YS staff that was onsite for the conference which must have been a good 50 people.  And it was more than just memorizing, he had genuinely gotten to know each person and cared for each and every one of them.  When we would walk through Chris would take time to speak with anyone who stood still long enough whether that be a security guard or a janitor or a YS staffer.  With a smile on his face and a kid word on his lips Chris would make sure that everyone in his path would be left with a smile.

As I sat in my office reflecting on this week and my experience and what I had learned what convicted me the most was how I fail so many times to love the people around me whether I know them or not. It is really a powerful thing, a difficult thing to be sure, to love all at all times but oh so important and a lesson that hope to be able to learn.

I have been pondering this issue of envy for a while. I will be honest it isn’t because I recognize it in people around me and think that they need to hear about it is because I personally am a very envious person.

Oops…. I just admitted I am a sinner.   Now I will be in hot water.

Seriously though, as a young minister with a heart on fire for God and a desire to be more than the status quo I find myself envying other ministers and ministries all the time.  And I hate that part of me. In my heart there is a delicate balance between wanting to do all I can for the Kingdom and wanting to be like so and so minister at super church across town.

James 3:14-16 says this

¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

There are two distinct things that we as leaders have to face.

1. Envy
2. Selfish Ambition

OUCH!!! I have already discussed the Envy part a little bit but you throw the selfish ambition in and it is like twisting the knife.

Envy presents two problems

1. It is disfavor with God’s favor on others
   1. When we take the position of envying someone for any reason it is immediately questioning God’s favor on that person. While it may be indirect the statement that we are making is that whoever we are envying is not deserving or is less deserving than we are. We may make comments like “it’s not fair” or “that could/should be me” etc.
2. It is displeasure with what God has given to us
   1. Whatever situation we find ourselves in and  in whatever state of life it may be , we must hold onto the fact that God has placed us there to be stewards of what He has given us.  Our displeasure is the equivalent of shaking our fist at our Lord and saying that He does not know what is best. DANGEROUS place to be to say the least.

Envy itself presents itself in several forms.

1. Relational Envy- When you envy someone’s relationships and the qualities they seemingly have.
2. Material Envy- When you envy someone’s material possessions
3. Physical Envy- When you envy someone’s physical appearance.
4. Developmental Envy- When you envy someone’s advancement in life.
5. Skill Envy- When you envy someone’s ability to do something or do something better than you can

I had never thought about these but when I really started delving into this issue it cut me deep.

Relational envy can destroy friendships and marriages. I causes drama period, ever known a person to try to get between two friends….that is relational envy.

Material envy is probably the most well known and thought of. It consumes people and their time. It is why we have so many workaholics.

Physical Envy is what the fashion industry is built on. But we can take that further, do you think the makers of P90x and Insanity SlimFast and any fat burner at GNC are really interested in your health. NO!! They are preying on your physical envy

Developmental envy is my failure.  But it goes deeper. A kid who can’t wait to be 16 or an adult wishing he could be a kid again. Or a minister wishing he could be in a church that was really reaching people and experienced the freedom to do ministry apart from church politics

Skill envy pulls us into comparing ourselves to everyone else.. You will never and I mean NEVER  be the best… the minute you are someone comes along and is better. You need to deal with it.  Accept the skills God has given you give them over to Him and develop them for HIS glory.

Envy is destructive. Look at Cain and Able, Joseph and his brothers, Judas, the Pharisees and Jesus, all examples of envy invading the heart and causing great sin to follow.

Bottom line we have got to stop comparing ourselves to everyone else and move on with what God has place before us. Envy can accomplish no good and James tells us that it is directly opposed to anything of God. It is earthly not heavenly, unspiritual not spiritual, and of the devil not of God. According to 2 Timothy 2:22 we are to flee evil and so we should run as far away from envy as we can.

Search your heart…..what is God telling you/

First let me say personally that I believe it was way over the line.  It is one thing to refute a claims validity or a persons integrity but when you get personal I think you need to take a step back.  But as we do with so many things we cannot just look at a sliver of the pie and get the whole story.

1. Perry is brash that is what makes him successful as a preacher, he tackles things in a very open way and speaks his mind and people like that. With that type of personality comes slip ups.  Just as with an adrenaline junkie there will be broken bones.

2. Perry has been under constant fire for a long time. Eventually that takes its toll and the thick skin is broken. I think that is what I saw and heard Thursday

3. Someone made the statement that it ruined the whole message. Listen if one sin in a persons life can ruin the message then you are either idolizing a man and are dismayed because he isn’t perfect or you are looking for imperfection so as to not have to listen. Truth is truth and there is no way around it

4.  No blogger or stranger is going to call Perry out and get him to apologize or change.  He is a pastor of a HUGE church and every DAY there are probably HUNDREDS of complaints that their church has to field. What has to happen is that someone in a position of trust needs to say something OR God needs to convict.  All of us on the outside looking in simply need to pray for one of those two things to happen

5. Just to let you know, Perry is human…… Just saying

6. I don’t know a pastor that doesn’t struggle with sin. Some just do a better job of keeping it hidden. Perry is Perry and at least you know where he stands

Those are my thoughts.  After ministering in churches over the last ten years I have seen a lot and I can honestly say that the good always comes with bad. It never changes.  I will continue to thank God for churches like NewSpring and pray that their leadership will stay close to Him.

Finally I doubt that Pastor Perry will EVER find this hole in the wall blog but if he does let me say this:

Pastor I am one insignificant blogger that sees you as a great man of God still growing and maturing in your faith, something that we all continue to do.While I don’t always agree with you I definitely support you and admire you. Thanks for being obedient and for influencing a generation of believers and pastors.  Keep up the good work and know that there are bloggers out there that won’t rip you to shreds.

Well that wraps up my thoughts on Unleash I have a lot to process and will be chewing on these things for a while.

Ok here it goes

• God can give you a sloppy wet kiss or a big fat kick….it’s his prerogative
• If you are a pastor every week the rocks are coming…people will want to stone you
• Acts 14:8-10 Paul heals a man—- that is a Great day in ministry
• Be careful listening to the crowd. Those that deify will crucify
• Acts 14:11-19 Paul is stoned— Yeah pretty much a bad day in ministry
• Acts 14:20 Paul continues on—-Call to every pastor
• They stoned Paul…..the pastor…not any of the support staff….the Pastor

3 Rocks that are thrown

1. Deception
   • Pastors you do NOT have to do everything
   • The Bible says those that will not work are LAZY but those who will not rest are DISOBEDIENT
   • The second most abused person in the church is the Pastor’s wife
   • Pastor Jesus doesn’t need you to love HIS bride he needs you to love YOURS
   • Pastor you will never impress your wife with your job performance…
2. Distraction
   • Churches have a lot of agendas other than Jesus
   • God is not green….. Kermit is
   • Pastors, your people can believe in you and go to hell or believe in Jesus and be saved
   • God can use us because we were barren and worthless and He could receive the most glory from us
   • Pastor you will never impress your wife with your job performance…
3. Discouragement

3 words to remember

1. Awareness
   • We make mistakes because we are unaware
2. Unity
   • We have too many HUGE Understandings in the church
   • Lead with integrity be who God called you to be not some stereotype
   • Get big vision from God stop trying to push yours
   • Listen to your staff they are called to do their jobs not to have you do it for them
   • Keep short accounts do not hold on to bitterness
   • Make expectations clear and realistic
   • Honor your staff’s time they have families too
3. Passion
   • If you can’t support the vision of your church get off the team
   • If your pastor is disobedient then let God cut him down (that is HIS job)
   • When a pastor has staff and leadership that gather around him he will be able to get up no matter what stones have hit him

Here are a few verses on Patience

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience….

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

2 Thessalonians 3:5  And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

I want to look at a few different aspects of patience. Adel Bestavros said “Patience with others is Love, patience with Self is hope and Patience with God is faith” I think this sets up a great framework on which to look at Patience.

Patience with OTHERS is LOVE- Let’s face it everyone screws up and dissapoints at some point. As we go through life those closest to us will make mistakes. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that love is patient. When you love someone you are able to look past their faults and realize that they have possess qualities that make them worthy of your devotion.  Great friendships, marriages and families are built around this idea.

Patience with SELF is HOPE – This is an area I struggle in. We all have aspirations dreams and desires for ourselves and no one likes to fail. Yet time and time again as we try to achieve what we believe we want we fall short. Whether these shortcomings are in academics, athletics, romance or in our profession it matters not everyone of us will wind up falling flat on our face.  These failures take there  toll on us and we can beat ourselves up.  We can’t understand and begin to question our self worth.  Patience gives us hope. A hope that if not today then maybe tomorrow or maybe further down the road but it will happen and can happen. Our dreams may only come to fruition with much dedication and work but the hope of another day will push us on.

Patience with GOD is FAITH- Wow…. How many times have you demanded an answer from God. Or expected God to give you what you wanted when you wanted. Yeah…. me too. But god doesn’t work on our timeline He has much greater things in mind.  The hard thing for us is that He doesn’t send us a memo or share with us a PowerPoint demonstrating his 5 step plan to get us where we need to be. Rather, He asks us to trust in Him fully and wait and see. Patient faith can be one of the most excruciating things to master but it is one of the most valuable

The common thread in all of these is sacrifice. To truly practice patience you need to deny yourself.  We don’t like sacrifice that is why patience is out of style. Again we want to have everything our way right away, We are self absorbed and until we learn to let that go we are in for major issues.

Trust in God’s knowledge-

Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’

God knows what is going to happen and has planned it out. Our job is to focus not on what our plans are but on how we can align ourselves with God’s plans and make His plans and our plans one and the same.  Too many times we get carried away by what the world tell us we need to do and get so far off the path God would have us on.  The tool of the moment is clutter. Our lives are so cluttered and we seem to not be able to get anywhere but don’t be fooled this is of Satan the more time he can get you to spend chasing worldly endeavors the less time you have to chase godliness and he knows this and entices you away deliberately.

Trust in God’s Direction-

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

The key to aligning ourselves with God lies in being sensitive to His direction. Obviously if we allow ourselves to be pulled from His word and from fellowship with Him we are not going to be sensitive to what He would want from us. God is not in the confusion business, rather He has a clear cut direction and path that he wants us to take. The issue we have is being willing to look for it.  Jesus Himself said the road would be narrow and the fact is the narrower the path the more difficult it becomes to navigate. Being sensitive to God’s direction will require sacrifice. We will have to give up on much of what we desire and in some instances choose to leave friends and family behind but the outcome is a life that is more pleasing to God.

It Starts in the Heart-

Proverbs 16:9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. …

We have to come to a place in our hearts where we make a conscious decision that we will follow God. All the good intentions and lip service in the world will not do any good in these matters.  As a matter of fact it is intentions and empty words that have led to much of the uncertainty that exists in our world. These things have no worth without action and determination.  I think of athletes that are determined to be the best and as a result they order their lives in such a way to achieve that level of success.  Whether it be sacrifice or regiments or whatever is needed they do. If they choose not to then they will not achieve their goal. We as Christians need to make that effort. It starts in the heart. It is not until we have allowed God to transform that heart that we can begin to follow Him completely.

It continues with the mind-

Proverbs 1:33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm

Once we have made the decision in the heart the action begins to take place and we need to begin to devour the word of God and devote ourselves to prayer so that we may truly no Him. I would challenge that not only do we need to be reading the Word and praying consistently we need to be educating ourselves about spiritual matters.  There are many Christians who have neglected developing their spiritual life for far to long and know no more about the Bible than a child learns in Sunday School.  And it is not the absent church member that is guilty of this but also the church leader that has fallen short.  When we choose to not develop ourselves we do one of two things. Either we are saying we do not care or we are saying we do not need to because we are good enough.  Both options are lies straight from Satan and need to be put down.  We must learn to listen and listen close.

Through these things we can face uncertain times with certainty. God is in control and He is calling for us to follow……Can you hear Him?

What is He saying to you? What will you do about it?

And here are my results…. interesting. I think a lot of this is spot on maybe they are generalizations of stuff people want to hear idk

The Dewey Color System® is now the world’s most accurate career testing instrument.
This report based on your personality traits indicates your two most enjoyable day-day-day occupation skills. It’s a summary of the full report, the Color Leadership Evaluation 5.0.
“Studies indicate workplace enjoyment is the key to success. So as you read, consider only “Was I mostly having fun at work?” Disregard your present and past employer’s environment.

Best Occupational Category
You’re an ORGANIZER
Keywords
Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate
These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.
ORGANIZER CAREERS
Suggested careers are Administrator, Secretary, Printer, Paralegal, Building Inspector, Bank Cashier, Private Secretary, Statistician, Operations Manager, Financial Analyst, Bookkeeper, Medical Records Technician, Developer of Business or Computer Systems, Clerical Worker, Proofreader, Accountant, Administrative Assistant, Banker, Certified Public Accountant, Credit Manager, Store Salesperson, Actuary, Dental Assistant, Business Education Teacher, Food Service Manager, IRS Agent, Budget Analyst, and Underwriter.
ORGANIZER WORKPLACES
Your very careful, conscientious, conservative nature gives others the confidence to trust you with handling money and material possessions. Structured organizations that have well-ordered chains of command work best for you.
Suggested Organizer workplaces are large corporations, business offices, financial lending institutions, banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, and quality control and inspection departments.

2nd Best Occupational Category
You’re a DOER
Keywords:
Emotionally Stable, Reliable, High Energy, Practical, Thrifty, and Persistent
These adventurous types prefer action-oriented, concrete problems rather than dealing with thought-provoking, ambiguous, abstract dilemmas. Fields of interest include mechanical, construction, and outdoor careers. They might also enjoy working with machines, tools, and equipment to repair or build something.

Section I: You and Your Team
This personality overview section highlights your natural workplace talents—the tasks you pursue with passion. You’ll learn how your natural strengths complement those of your coworkers and how, joining forces, you can resolve on-the-job dilemmas.
Section II: Your Key To Success
Here you discover your capacity for dispelling disruption and maximizing profitability. Use this proven, beyond-self-perception advice to create a more positive career path free of detours.
Section III: Managing Strengths and Weaknesses
Your evaluation’s highest and lowest scores result in this section’s recommendations for staying on-track in your career and reversing wrong turns. In focusing on your talents and missteps, you’ll re-stoke your energy and enthusiasm for managing costly mistakes.
Section IV: Leadership Power Moves
This final section identifies your “street sense,” those power moves that turn obstacles into insignificant details. Here suggestions based on your color-ranked evaluations will guide you towards making the most of an interview or harnessing your fast-paced workday.