Striving To Be "Christ-Like"!

Wednesday night youth class. After our lesson time, etc. there are some weeks I like to include a game or activity but tie it in with a way to leave them with something to think about that went along with the lesson or just biblical based. Tonight we reached our "pie face" game challenge week (but this will be a repeat game for sure, although next time we will try not to go so overboard with the whipped cream, we had it everywhere lol and emptied the whole can; it was messy)...just like last week's challenge they get excited about doing it but then nervousness sets in when it is time cause they realized they are about to be hit in the face with whip cream but don't know when it is going to happen. You spin the wheel to see how many times you have to turn the handle and you never know when the hand will pop up to hit you in the face with the whipped cream. Though they had fun, they all agreed how much better they felt when the paper towels were used to clean everything...

Have you ever heard the Parable of the Two Farmers? Don’t go looking in your Bible, you will not find it there. However to its credit, it did show up in one of my favorite movies,  Facing the Giants , which I am currently going through a summer youth bible study at the church where I am the youth leader. It goes like this:   There were two farmers who desperately needed rain, and both of them prayed for rain. But only one of them went out and prepared his fields to receive it. Which one do you think trusted God to send the rain? The answer: the one who prepared his fields. This is not a Bible story but a simple illustration that conveys a complex thing. You do not always realize it, but you are one of those farmers praying for rain. Each of us have a respective field: work, finances, family life, school, friendships, etc. Or like I discussed with my students in class... one has a summer job, one takes piano lessons, one is in choir class, one plays volleyball, one is in band...

As we continue are Wednesday night youth bible study on Facing the Giants, our 2nd study was about preparing for rain and studying through Hebrews chapter 11, which is known as the FAITH chapter. It mentions people from previous books in the old testament who put their faith in action. In the movie scene when Mr. Bridges (the older gentlemen who had been seen in the school praying over the lockers) came in to encourage Coach Taylor to stay with the football program in the middle of the school considering hiring a new coach, because the team had a 6 season losing streak and continuing towards another losing season. Mr. Bridges told Coach Taylor a story about two farmers who desperately needed rain. He said that both farmers prayed for rain, but only one farmer went out and prepared his fields to receive it. Then Mr. Bridges asked, “Which one had more faith?” His final words to Coach Taylor were, “God will send the rain when He is ready. You need to prepare your field to receive it.” ...

As I embarked on my new season of ministry as youth leader in May 2018, after our kickoff to our new Wednesday night youth class and summer bible study series, this is what I shared with the adults to pray about: Sure there will be fun activities and outings to come, but I pray we help each other grow in the Lord. This journey is about chosing faith over fear and failure. Knowing there are prayers of others going on behind the scenes, that are NOT in vain. When school starts back, our youth may face "giants” of moving from elementary school, to middle school, or to high school. Also, I think of the students who are finishing high school or college and now face life decisions of jobs, careers, and additional study and training. Some will leave home for the first time, facing the “giants” of making personal choices and decisions that will affect them for years to come. We must be in special prayer for the youth as they face the “giants” of life and daily livi...