The Garage Door

Super Breakfast

Hey everyone!

It's Pastor Lance here.  I am sitting in my office at school getting very tired because of all the food I ate this morning at Super Breakfast.  It was great to start the morning seeing all of you and just hanging out.  I want to thank the Proppers for their hospitality and all the food.  Wow there was a lot of food and if you know me well, I love food.  Yet, more than food, I love hanging out with people who have the same love for Jesus as I do.  It is a love that is not without struggles, but it is a love that has confidence of knowing that nothing separates us from the love of God.  My challenge for all of us to not go through the motions of faith.  It is so easy to go from day to day and not really grow at all. It is possible to look back at your life the last year and seen so little growth that you wonder if you have grown at all.  Maybe you feel you have gone backwards.  I tell you what, if I ate everyday like I ate today at super breakfast, I would definitely grow.  Maybe we need to feed our faith the same way. Today, I want you to stuff yourself on God's word and to stop going through the motions of reading the Bible.  Stop going through the motions of your faith, of your friends, of your life, of your schoolwork, and of your family.  I am attaching the music video of Matthew West's song "Going through the Motion."  Watch it and emulated it.  Also, to see if people are actually reading the blogs, the first 10 people who come up to me and say, "Stop Going Through the Motions!"  will receive a prize.  Thanks for breakfast Proppers!!!!!  PS.  Why don't you stuff yourself on Philippians 4: 1-9.  Some good food there!!

 

Students reflections from Colorado Challenge

On the bus trip home we passed a journal around for students to write down what God did in their life.  Here are a couple of journal entries.

"I learned that even when you are not looking to grow more He is always there trying to pull me in.  Which I feel He did this week."

"God has showed me this week to be patient!  Also, He showed me that He's still there when I run away.  And He's waiting til i come home.  I am so grateful that He will take me back EVERY time.  I still can see a picture of God coming out to hold me when I realize I need Him and I come home."

"This week I learned that I really relate to the older son (in the story of the prodigal son).  I've always thought I was so much better than so many people.  God helped me realize that I need to let go of those thoughts and admit my flaws and 'put my trash out on the ground'.  I have to stop thinking I'm so great and love everyone equally.  I really enjoyed this trip and what it brought out of me.  I pray to God that I stay on fire as I come back home."

"From this trip I learned that I don't have to earn God's love.  He already gave it to me.  Now I can spend time devoting my life to God instead of trying to prove myself to Him"

"God made me realize that I have to stop relying on people and other things to make me happy.  He is all I need.  He told me no matter how often and how big my sin is, He will forgive me.  His grace is enough.   When everyone else walks out He will still be here for me.  I need to be grateful for all the blessings He has given me.  I have to be more respectful to my parents because they do so much for me and love me so much.  I am so glad I went of this trip."

"God showed me that I need to trust Him and let Him be in control"

Rock Climbing and Rappelling

Yesterday the students on the Colorado Challenge participated in rock climbing and rappelling.  It was a fun and eye opening experience.  Many students and leaders were able to see the comparison between trusting the ropes for rock climbing and rappelling and trusting God.  The ropes that are being used can hold 5,000 pounds (Last time I checked nobody weighs that much :)  We are being belayed by professionals. In eleven years since this company has been opened nobody has been seriously hurt.  Even with all the facts, we fine it hard to trust.  This is same for our relationship with God.  We know in our head a majority of God's promise, but we want to put trust in ourselves.  We want to be in control, because it is 'easier'.  We want to hope in ourselves or the world.  When we do this we miss out on life/adventure.  Just as if we did not rappel or rock climb.  Sure it is 'safe' on the ground, but we miss out on the adventure.  When we trust our self over God we miss out on God's best for us.  

Colorado safe and sound

After 18 hours of driving to Colorado Challenge we made it!!!  We are excited to see the adventure God is going to take us on this week!  As you can see the adventure has already began as we entered camp it started to hail.  The weather ended up knocking out the power for the whole night.  As a result we had chapel outside, students went to bed early, and we had to follow the camping bathroom motto "If it is yellow keep it mellow.  If it is brown flush it down."  Oliver Hersey (camp speaker) challenged us to ask the question that God asked Hagar in Genesis 16:8  And He (God) said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?".... If you could join us in praying for the students and leaders.  We are praying the prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesians 3: 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Courageous in Calling

"There is no perfect equation for anything God calls us do, but it's always exciting to pursue our destiny in Him!"
 
Courageous in Calling
Critical Question: Do I have the courage to act on what God has called me to do?  Do I understand and embrace my role in culture?
 
God has a unique purpose that He desires to carry out in me.  To know this purpose I must first know Him.  To fulfill this purpose, I must trust Him and have the courage to act on it, which may feel like a risk.  My talents
and heart converge to create my calling and purpose. I am competent in my calling because I am committed to further developing and honing my talents and skills.  My foundational understanding of how God is working during my current season of life determines the specific way I apply this calling, especially how it relates to the greater culture. (Catalyst Conference)
 
  

John and Kate

I was going to blog on this topic, but Dave Weemhoff beat me to the punch.  Instead of writing a blog on it myself I will direct you to his blog.(He wrote pretty much what I was going to write)  John and Kate

Yuck Night

Monday night TRL had it's annual yuck night.  What is yuck night?  It is a night of complete mess.  We play games such as egg toss, tug of war through mashed potato, cake head, ice cream sundae slip and slide, and the like.  Almost 200 students showed up!!!  With a good amount being disconnected students!!!  Praise Jesus!!!

 

Cubs vs. Sox

Wednesday me, several students, and Eric Byrd attended the Cubs vs.  Sox game.  It was the first Cubs vs. Sox game for all of us.  It was awesome to see all the passionate fans.  There was a lot of cheering and trash talking on both sides.  The atmosphere was electric.  The only bad part about the game was the Cubs lost :(

Billy Graham Library

By Pete Pinkowski

While I was on vacation last week Eric Byrd and I were able to visit the Billy Graham Library. The Billy Graham Library invites you to encounter highlights of Billy Graham’s extraordinary life, a journey from the pastures and dirt roads of North Carolina to platforms and arenas in the world’s greatest cities. 

The centerpiece of the Library is A Journey of Faith, a presentation that features multimedia displays and re-creations of historic moments in Billy Graham's life and ministry. Spanning the decades from the 1940s to the present, the exhibits show how God prepared and used this humble man to take the message of His unchanging love to an ever-changing world. 

 We were able to witness the power of a life changed through obedience to God.  One of the most encouraging parts of the Library was hearing at the end of the Journey of Faith Tour, Billy Graham via video present the Gospel.  He is still preaching the Good News and effecting lives!!!  If you are every in Charlotte, NC I highly recommend stopping at the Billy Graham Library (bonus is it is free)!!!  

 

Porn and Students

On April 15th Community Christian Church hosted a special event to address the dangers of pornography and create an open dialog about teenage sexuality.  The event featured Mike Foster and Anne Jackson as our keynote speakers.  If you follow the link you can watch the video of the conversation took place.  Porn and Students I thank people that have given their lives to stop the issue of students and pornography!!! 

People need mentors, models, partners, and friends

We all need people surrounding us.  People who surround us have a strong influence on the outcomes of our life.  The question you all have to ask yourself is do you have the right people surrounding you?...    We need mentors, models, partners, and friends and more than one for each category…. Mentors are like coaches.  Mentors help guide and direct us in different aspects of our lives. They can help us with our family/ marriage, relationship with Jesus, job specific mentors, etc. (a mentor could be via book, but we do need human interacting mentors).  Models are people who have lived (noticed it is stated lived i.e. they are dead) lives that are worthy of following.  There are people in the Bible to model after, grandparents or parents, Christian leaders (John Calvin, Martin Luther), etc.  Partners are people who work alongside of you and support you.  These people would put their job or life on the line for you.  Nobody likes to work where they have no partners.  We all need friends that will love us no matter what.  No matter if we did something really stupid, and it was our entire fault they still love us…. Who are your mentors, models, partners, and friends?  (Inspired by Rick Warren)