The Effects of God's Will on His Youth Ministry

After discovering God's will for His people and the church I quickly changed what I was doing. No longer was I trying to entertain teens with games and then sneaking in a quick devotion. I began to incorporate intentional fellowship, encourage meaningful worship, and devotions became sermons focusing on discipleship and evangelism. I also encourage missions work organized and impromptu. When I changed my focus to God's will, everything changed. My brother in faith, Randy, was so right when he advised me; "Do what God says to do."


It takes time and serious prayer applying God's will to youth. It is constantly evolving each and every day. Anyway, the overhead laminate film projector did not seem to matter anymore. It became cool to project the lyrics on a wall with a plastic sheet and play contemporary worship music over the sound system. Instead of sounding like bad karaoke, the youth were singing as to please The Lord. The quick devotions became 20-30 minute sermons. Every week I faithfully pray and seek what God has willed for that weeks sermon.


After several months of the same old routine with 9-12 youth, God began to move. The more I found myself surrendering to His will, the more youth He was drawing in to our youth services. Literally it seemed like overnight that we went from an average attendance of 9-12 to 20-25 teenagers. God was obviously blessing "His" youth ministry in our small town. Most people may think 20-25 teenagers is really not that impressive. Maybe it is not for most towns, but for our town it is. What impresses me the most is the number of youth who continue to come every Wednesday night and worship the Lord in a way that is not the norm for today's youth ministry.


Since May of 2009, God has taken the network of 12 students that I had been blessed to minister to and multiplied it now to an average attendance of 40-50. Through it all, God has truly blessed me by allowing me to network and build relationships with nearly 100 teenagers in our area.


Now forget about the 12, 40, 50, and 100. My real point is not numbers, numbers mean absolutely nothing if all a ministry does is entertain teenagers. What I really want to draw attention to is the faithfulness of the youth to worship in the way God has called us to worship Him. I find it fascinating how God reaches youth and keeps their attention so unconventionally compared to what we think is needed. I have seen teenagers grow spiritually in ways I never imagined. I have also seen students turn from sinful lifestyles that most people would have written off as a lost cause.


When we are within God's will and His plan, He moves. We should never think that our plan is greater than His. We simply do not have in mind the things of God nor could we ever dictate or plan His heart's desire. We simply must come before Him in obedience to His will and submit. We must seek His desire and earnestly serve in such a way as to please Him alone if we are to truly be an ambassador for Christ.

I want to encourage you to apply God's will to your daily life. You will discover blessings beyond measure. I assure you, there is no greater place than to be in the midst of The LORDS will. What I shared in my last post as God's will is this; repentance, following Him, fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. I certainly have not arrived so to speak and neither has the youth group I have been blessed to minister to. My life and His ministry are constantly and continually evolving and hopefully will continue to do so until The Lord brings me home! I never want to come to the place where I think "I have arrived."


The picture is the most recent I have of the Flippin FBC YOUTH Group! A least some of them from from 2012.


Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

God's Will for His People and His Church:

As I was seeking God’s will for His church, I did so with extreme sincerity. Over a period of several months, I found myself digging deeper and deeper into God’s word more than ever before. I also found my relationship with Christ maturing exponentially. By exponentially, I mean significantly deeper and with greater sincerity than ever before. The more the relationship grew, the stronger the desire, hunger and thirst I had for Christ became. All the while I was asking the BIG question; “What is God’s will for my life and for His church?” I think most want the answer to that question.


I quickly discovered, God was not about to give me a road map of His will for my life. Like everyone else, wanted a clear concise picture of how I was going to get from point A to point B. I believed if I had a map, so to speak, then I could easily obey God’s will. Sounds simple right? Wrong, spiritual obedience requires faith. Where is faith if life is spelled out by a road map? There is none. Faith is believing in what is not seen.


As I faithfully searched for the answers to my BIG questions, I found certain desires naturally surfacing. They way I worshipped became sincere and so much more than music. Worship was no longer about what pleased me, but how my life and song blessed God. I developed and increasing hunger to know and learn more about the Holy Bible and how it applied to my life. I no longer was satisfied with who and where I was. I wanted to grow and mature in my faith and character. Being around other Christians became more important and necessary to me. Missions work became more important to me and leading others to Christ became a daily passion.


Without becoming all theological, here is what God revealed to me through His word and through His Holy Spirit. Christianity is not about a specific plan or road map. God's will for our lives simply begins with this; repenting from our sinful self in order to follow Him. When Christ comes knocking on the door of your life, He reveals to you the gravity of your sin and the separation it creates between you and Him. If you are sincerely convicted by your sinful life, then you will desire change.


In order to open that so called door, you must repent. Not become perfect and sinless, but turn away from your sinful desires and nature. It is dying to a self directed life and surrendering to a Christ directed life. Paul said it best "I no long live, but Christ lives in me." In this way, your sinful self no longer directs your life, Christ does. Through this, you literally follow Him.


In repenting from sin by dying to self and following God's will by living in Christ; that is when those seemingly natural desires and passions emerged with in me. I am certain it is the work of the Holy Spirit within me. Gods will for our lives is not about a road map, it is about becoming what He has called us to be. As we become more like Christ, then we discover God's direction. At times He may give very precise instructions. Predominantly His will is that we trust Him in fulfilling the great commission in and through us no matter where you are in life. In our homes, at work, at school, during leisure, when ever and where ever God's greatest commission and will for our lives is making disciples (Matthew 28:19)


In short, God's will for our lives is to repent, follow Him, become a part of His body of believers and make disciples. In and through this process certain themes or practices emerge that are God's will for His people and for His Church. Here they are: Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions.


Ironically, after God revealed to me His desire and will for me and for our youth group, I came across a book called “The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry. Written by Doug Fields.” I purchased the book and began to read it. Initially I expected to find what everyone else was doing. I expected to learn how to entertain teenagers most effectively and get them in through the church doors. To my surprise, God affirmed everything He had already placed upon my heart.


In The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry book, Doug outlines the purpose of the Church in these scriptures:


Matthew 28:19-20 therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.


Matthew 22:37 "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.


Matthew 22:39 Love your neighbor as yourself.


Evangelism, that is what making disciples is all about. We are to go out and reach people for Christ, leading them to salvation through repentance and entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ.


Fellowship, thats the product of baptism. when someone is baptized they are symbolizing the fact that they have given their life to Christ. When you give your life to Christ, you become a part of the family of Christ. As a family, we must fellowship in order to strengthen our relationships and build one another up. We are called to be a body, not divided individuals.


Discipleship, is teaching others how to obey the word of God. It is also learning how to obey the word of God.


Worship, is all about loving The Lord with all your heart, soul and mind. Worship permeates every aspect of our expression. It effects our song, speech, character, obedience, works, discipline, habits, ethics, morals, values....


Missions, is loving your neighbor as yourself. It is about doing things for others. Maybe it's your neighbor next door, or maybe it's your neighbor on the other side of the world. Missions is being the hands, feet, mouth and heart of Jesus in this world.


So what is God's will for my life and for His Church? It certainly is not a road map although there will be times when God will give very specific direction. God's will first and foremost is that we repent and follow Him. Jesus himself said "unless you repent, you to will perish." (Luke 13:3,5) Repeatedly Jesus Christ is quoted throughout the gospels saying "Follow me." In following Him, He certainly wills our lives and His church to be centered around five specific areas. Fellowship, worship, discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Think about how the life of Jesus Christ clearly defined, expressed and set the example for all these areas?

In my personal testimony I experienced, if your life is truly in Christ and you align your life around these areas, you will no longer find yourself searching for the answers to God's will, you will find your life guided in God's will. You no longer are consumed about tomorrow, next week, or next year because you know God will lead guide and direct you each and every moment of each and every day. What I have discovered is that knowing God's will is directly related to the degree of my obedience and dependence on Him.


May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

The Word Disciple Freaked Me Out

Larry and Susan truly were an amazing couple. We were in our early 20's and they were in their early to mid 40's. The age gap initially made us feel like they were second parents to us, but as our relationship grew, they became more like best friends. Larry was a retired police officer from Pompano Beach, Florida. I was an active paramedic with Broward County Fire Rescue. For obvious reasons, we related very well to one another. Larry had a way of encouraging me to be a better person, husband and father.

I never felt awkward around Larry that is until one night when he asked a very random question. We were all eating dinner at their house together, just talking, telling stories and laughing. Then all of the sudden, Larry cleared his throat and said "Bill, Carri, Susan and I have been praying about something. We want to disciple the two of you. What do you think of that?" I will tell you what I thought of that. "Disciple, oh wow! I'm just a little freaked out, are these people really apart of some cult and they have sucked us in and now Larry wants to marry my wife and move us to some commune where we will never see our families again? I've seen this stuff on TV before." That is what I was thinking, what I said was very different, "That sounds nice, Carri and I should pray about that." Larry and Susan both smiled and said, "That would be a good idea."

After we Left their house, Carri asked me if I even knew what "disciple" meant. I said "no, not really." Then I may have said what I was thinking earlier, but i am nit sure. Carri laughed at my lack of understanding and then proceeded to tell me what disciple meant. I would bet she knew what I was thinking. Carri then explained; all they wanted to do was spend time with us, teach us what the Bible says and show us who God is. After she explained I thought "Oh, wow! Aren't I stupid?" I was so glad I never opened my mouth and inserted my foot in front of Larry and Susan. Being a very shy and meek person was a blessing in disguise that night.

Carri and I both agreed that discipleship was a great idea. After all, her mom told me I needed to figure out who God was. Up until this point of my life, I only had just a taste, just a little brush of seeing and feeling who God was. Little did I know, the gates were about to be flung wide open. God was about to walk right in to my heart and soul. The one who had been knocking on the door of my life, I was about to meet face to face.


The picture is a homeless boy in Nicaragua that we ministered to. Yes he knows Jesus now! The picture reminds me of how I felt trying to figure out who God was on my own.


Revelations 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ's love!

She Was Pregnant and Said We Will Go To Church!

Before Carri and I married, we did stray away from the church. Part of it was school and part of it was lack of motivation. Carri was in RN school and I was in paramedic school. We were busy. Honestly, we were not living the best of lives either. I still did not have a healthy respect for God’s word or His church. My language was not the best, and neither was my perspective on who Christ really was. We had become what the Bible describes as luke warm. We were neither hot nor cold; we were just doing our thing. I was pretty much clueless.

Three months after Carri and I had been married we discovered we were going to have a baby. We were very excited! Bringing a child into this world has a way of changing the way you look at things and view life. You are no longer responsible for just yourself; you are now responsible for the innocent life of an unborn child. When that child enters this world, it is your responsibility to raise and nurture them. A parent’s greatest desire is to have a healthy baby that grows into a successful adult. Have you ever heard a parent express desire to have a sick baby, and hope that they will grow and become a failure in life? Of course not.

After the initial shock and excitement was over, Carri decided we needed to take a closer look at our spiritual life. At this point in my life I did not care much about spiritual stuff. Besides I got what I wanted, I was married to the girl of my dreams. Out of respect for my wife, I listened and did not argue. Here is what she said: “This child is God’s gift to us and we will raise this child as His. We will go to church.” No problem with me in that statement, going to church got me what I wanted. I wanted Carri, I went to church, and I got Carri. So yea, going to church and raising our child in church could not be a bad thing.

Now it was time to get serious and do what was right. We wanted to give our child the best chance she could have in life. Having God on your side was a good thing. So obviously in my mind going to church was a great way to do that, especially on Christmas and Easter. I was sure that is when He paid the most attention to who was actually in church. Well guess what? Carri meant every Sunday. She got out a phone book, twirled her finger around with her eyes closed and randomly chose a church. Her finger landed on “The Church of The Cross, in Coral Springs Florida”. This Church just happened to be 2 blocks from our home.

Within a few short weeks of attending church, an older couple introduced themselves to us. Larry and Susan were their names. They were such an amazing couple. When they introduced themselves to us Larry simply stated, “We just want to be here for you guys, if you ever need anything we want to help”. Larry and Susan took us in as their kids kind of. They would pray with us, offer us advice when we asked, and they even spent time with us. Frequently we went to their home for dinner and just a friendly visits.

I remember so clearly one day, Larry said to me, “Bill you are going to make a good deacon someday.” I had no idea what he meant, but I had this vision of me wearing a religious gown with royal colors holding a candle on a stick and chanting religious chants. I thought to myself, “OK, I think not. If Larry only knew who I really was”. I ‘m pretty sure I just smiled and said thanks Larry. What I did not know at that time is that God was about to use Larry to open my eyes to who He really was.

As I close this story, I want to leave you with some advice. Get in a Church where God’s true word is preached. There you will find encouragement, inspiration, God’s presence, and God’s people. I’m not just talking about any church; I’m talking about God’s church. You will recognize it by the affirmation you feel within your heart. You will know it is the right place, because you will know in your heart, “This is where I belong.” I knew it, the first time we attended the Church of the Cross. We were welcomed and accepted immediately without hesitation, and we felt God’s word speaking to our hearts as it was being preached. That feeling I got when I first met Carri, and that feeling I got the first time I went to a Christian church, well it was back and it was even more powerful than before. Do you want to offer the best for your family, then get God involved.

Raising our children in church was the best thing we ever did for them. Not only did we become grounded in our faith, so did our children as well. All four of our kids had drug problems, we drug everyone of them to church their entire lives. Even when they did not want to be there. Ask them and they will tell you they were glad we did it.

The picture is of a night time revival in Nicaragua during one of our many mission trips.

Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

May my life be the proof and evidence of Christ love!