7-7-07 Video of the Day - Bill Cosby "The Boss"

7-5-07 Video of the Day - Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon

Youth Conference Tales - Volume 1

The air was fridged, yet stale. I awoke suddenly to the harsh, dischordant beeping of an alarm clock signalling that 5:00am had arrived...a few hours earlier than it should've I thought. Dragging my weary carcass from the comfort of the hotel bed, I stumbled through the dark searching for the bathroom. WHAM!! My foot struck an incredibly hard object, sending shock waves of pain reverberating up my leg. The loud snort and heavy breathing that followed told me that the hard object was Preston's head. He didn't budge. I finally found the light and began my routine hygiene ritual. Even after my shower, my eyes were burning from lack of sleep, and the razor with which I shaved felt like I was scraping my face with the dismembered lid of a tin can. I exited the bathroom desperately trying to stop the bleeding I had induced from multiple lacerations in my flesh (who invented shaving anyway?) only to find all three of my roommates still sound asleep. Not wanting to awaken them too harshly lest they be startled and disoriented, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "HEY, TIME TO GET UP!!!" (not really, but that would have been cool). The four of us finished getting ready for the sessions that day, and I clumsily made my way downstairs in search of however many shots of espresso would fit into a medium paper cup. While offsetting my lack of sleep, the Quad Con Panna (thank you Brother Frank) gave me a burst of energy that could only otherwise be found in illegal substances. I was suddenly a changed man! I went charging back upstairs and burst through the door, cheerfully encouraging my young compadres to make haste with their preparations lest we miss the 6:30 shuttle.

The coffee did other strange things to me that week, but one of the most notable was our invention of "Freeway Preaching". Not to be confused with it's close and much older cousin, street preaching, freeway preaching is the art of screaming the Romans Road as fast as you can out the window of your bus as other cars drive by with their windows down. Our biggest audience was drivers of convertibles who often would speed up very quickly to avoid the conviction of the gospel. Once I had successfully influenced the Junior High boys sitting around me to join with me on this variation of Biblical Evangelism, we realized that a shortened message was necessary if our audience was to gain anything from our shouting, and began focusing on such verses as Romans 10:13 and Romans 6:23. We had many quizzical looks from passers-by, but sadly none of the hearers of our invitation for salvation pulled over and repented. I'm glad my wife wasn't with me because she has a bad habit of quenching the spirit when I begin such activities as "freeway preaching". She says she is quenching the caffeine, but I disagree. One good thing that came from all this was a few 13 year-olds who are going to go back to their home church with a new sense of boldness for which I'm sure their youth director will LOVE me. I hope none of those kids know my real name...

Teaching Sunday School

Acts 28:30-31 "And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." I am really enjoying having my own Sunday school class. Brother Jones has split our class 4 ways (JH Boys, JH Girls, SH Boys, SH Girls) and last week was my first week teaching the junior high boys class. We are currently in the bus, but I told all three of them that my goal is we get so big that we outnumber Pastor's adult class. Anyway, we had a time and I'm really looking forward to what God is going to do through our class. It is really challenging me to look at how my walk with the Lord is and make sure I'm right with God. I don't think anything compares to being in a teaching or leadership position because you are forced to live what you teach if you are to maintain any credibility. These guys keep me on my toes and continually challenge me with their excitement and enthusiasm about the things of God. I can't wait until next Sunday!

7-4-07 Video of the Day - The Perfect Day

...Which Things the Angels Desire to Look Into.

1Pet.1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Tony Hutson preached at us about the Holy Ghost while we were at youth conference, and it really impacted me as I thought about how often I go through the day without the power of the Holy Ghost on my life. What's interesting is I'm beginning to realize that there is a whole other facet of Christianity which I've never before experienced. It is more than just knowing that you are pleasing God, it is living life in a VIP status with God. John 15:7 says, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Too often we assume that prayer is ineffective because we see so few of them answered, but I think it's because we aren't abiding in Christ (my lesson today is on abiding, which is why it's on my mind). James 5:16 says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." If you leave out the part about being a righteous man, your prayers probably won't avail much. Another though I had was how much I would like to abide in the love of Jesus on a daily basis. John 15:10 says "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." While I know Jesus loves me, many times I don't really feel like I'm abiding in His love because I haven't been keeping his commandments. How exciting would it be to master this thing of being filled with the Holy Ghost and abiding with Christ? Let's find out!

6-30-07 Video of the Day - Who's on First?