I don't even have the right words to say...

With the economy in the shape that it is in, as a student life minister it is hard to find the right things to tell your students to go to. This year we were unsure if we would be going on a mission trip. So what do my students do? They are so willing to give of themselves they find a organization that will take them to Africa so that they can be God's hands and feet. Two of my seniors are going on this trip and I am so humbled by there willingness to serve and love others. One of them made this video and this plea...


I am so proud of the students I work with and I am learning from them each day. Their light burns so brightly and I am honored to say we are friends.

I can't live their lives...

For the past few weeks I have been doing a sermon series called "Going all In" and our group has talked about what it means to be all in for God and what that looks like. Before our service started I was talking with one of our students and she was telling me about things that she had heard about someone who use to attend our group and now is in college. This person she was telling me about was such a leader and had a passion for growing in Christ. I would have never thought that this person would be doing the things he or she is doing. She shared with me how college has brought her friend down and how she never really saw this coming. Remember this is right before I am getting ready to go up and preach and the topic that night was entitled "Not everyone will go all in!" I can't believe what I am hearing and now I have to get up and talk about how there will be some people who follow and some people who don't and some who just pretend. I have to say I was heart broken. I had this overwhelming since of fear for my seniors who graduate this year and those who have gradated in the past. I started thinking about the culture that college brings and the different relationships people will make. I have seen so many people go to college and walk away from their faith. So many people who have never had that type of freedom and who can't handle the temptations that college brings. The sad part is I have seen so many college students say, "I have the rest of my life to live for God just give me these four years!" After that statement is made I have yet to see them return to their faith they loved so much during High School. I was driving home after Edge and still feeling all the emotions from the night I began to pour out my heart to God. I questioned if the people I minister to are real or just pretending. I questioned whether my seniors could really handle college or would I be having this same conversation a year from now about someone else. Then a sense of peace came over me and a thought stayed in the for front of my mind. I can't live their lives...

No matter what I do people will make their own choices about God, life, college and faith. I can give hundred's of examples of where I have messed up even in college but they will have to learn that for themselves. We seem to be a people that has to fall before we can rise. I want so badly to protect my students from falling but I can't, that is up to them. I can't live their lives but I can continue to point to the one who brings life. I just hope Christians take Jesus to college with them. I hope they don't see youth group as a child like thing, but a foundation and starting point with Jesus for the rest of their lives. I know students are thirsty for life but I hope they know that Jesus is the well that won't run dry.

I pray that God would bring satisfaction to those lives I can't live!!

You will laugh, cry, sing and be a little freaked out!!

Who ever had this idea is a genius!!

Dinner SHOCKER, the conclusion!!

Let's recap for a second. I sent out a text to 100's of people and a girl I didn't know tried to get me to call her so that we could have a "fun" conversation. She texted me her home phone number and then I called and asked to speak to her mom and then she hung up on me. I texted her and told her that if she did not let me talk to her mom then I would make it my life's ambition to find her mom and tell her what just happened.
10 minutes later...
I called the number the fifteen year old gave me and her mom picks up. She sounds very nice and calm at this point. I explain to her mother who I am, what I do and why her daughter received a text from me. I then continue to say, "Ma'am I am sorry to tell you this but your daughter was saying some inappropriate things through text and wanted me to call so that we could have an adult conversation." Her mom was silent then says, "WHAT!" I told her that as a parent I was just calling her to let her know what had happened because I would want to know. She then asks, "What did happen?" Nothing I was just calling to let you know that your daughter is trying to have some weird conversations with a complete stranger. Then it started to go a little down hill. She turns to her daughter and says, "Who is this guy and what did you talk about." I hear in the background, "Mom he texted me first, I don't know him."

"Why are you texting my daughter?"
"Ma'am I have already explained that to you remember."
Why are you calling my daughter and trying to talk dirty she is only fifteen, and how did you get my home number?"
"Again, I have already told you all this and I am not trying to talk dirty with her that is what she was trying to do.  And she texted me this number. Look at her phone and you will see."
"Let me see you phone!"
"I erased the messages mom, sorry."
"Ma'am why do you think she did that? She knew I was going to ask you to check her phone. I am sorry about this but I just wanted to let you know how your daughter was using her phone."

She then begins to ask me all kinds of irrelevant questions like name, address, phone number. I am now a little frustrated and ask this mom if she really understands what has just happened and if she has any questions for me about what just happened. She then begins to scream and yell over the phone never to text, call, contact her daughter again. Then the nice sound of a dial tone comes across the air ways. Natalie and I are still at the dinner table shocked.

I was really thinking that this mom would thank me for being an authentic person and let me listen while she beat the child.  In her eyes it was my fault that her daughter did this and I was the one who lead her into it.  I understand her heart was broken and a little bit blown away but her natural reaction was to blame someone else.

I hope we continually pray that God will open our eye's to the real world and help us to respond in the way that his son would.  Sin has blinded so many and I wonder for those who read this, are you blinded or blaming someone else for something?  May we be a people who are not deceived by false innocence nor the appearance there of.

Why I love Mac's and David Crowder...

You know that was so done on a Mac!!

Dinner table SHOCKER!! pt 1

I mentioned in my blog last week that I had some crazy phone conversations and promised to share one with you. Every Tuesday I send out a massive text message to over 100 people to let them know what is going on at youth group on Wednesday. I have been doing this over a year now and it seems to be a good reminder for them. Natalie and I are sitting together at the dinner table and I have already sent out this text message to everyone. I get a message back a few minutes later that says "Hi what is your name." I tell this person who I am and she continues to let me know that she has never met me before. This happens occasionally when students get their numbers changed and don't tell me. I asked her how old she was and if she lived in this county. I am preparing to invite her to church and then all of sudden her conversation turns to this...
She says, "Do you have a picture phone?"

"No, why would you ask that?"

"Just wondering...  Hey here is my home number call me."

"Why would I call you?"

She replies, "So we can have fun on the phone."

Now I knew exactly what that meant and by this time Natalie is freaked out along with me that a girl who is 15 would want to talk to a stranger like this.  I tell the girl I will call her in ten minutes.  When I called she picked up the phone so fast it didn't even ring.  She asked if this was Crockett and I asked to speak to her parents.  A wave of panic ran all over this young girl.  She asked, "Why do you want to talk to my parents?"  I explained because she was going to have a inappropriate conversation with a stranger and I was going to tell her parents about it.  She didn't like that so she hung up on me.  I then texted her if she didn't let me talk to her parents right then I would find them and talk with them myself.  

It breaks my heart to think that a young girl would have that type of conversation with a complete stranger.  What is missing in her life for her to do this?  What do you think her identity is found in?  What would you have done? 

I will share my conversion with her mom later this week.  It will surprise you...

Recap...

What a week I have had! It has been so crazy, and at times I have felt stretched to the limit. This week has brought so many good things and yet so many things that were so unexpected, but that is what I love about ministry. Know one can say that I have a boring job and I wouldn't do anything else. Let's review...

* I preached yesterday on doctrine and it was challenging. Not challenging in what to say but how to make it interesting. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and I hope we can be a doctrinal pure church.
* We had four people come forward and one talked to me afterwards about baptizing him this week.
* We kicked off our Wednesday nights this week which is called Edge. Everything went really well and it was good to see all of our students again.
* Our group has grown so much that we are going to have to bring more couches in to make space for everyone. If we keep growing like this we are going to have to think of something like 2 nights of edge or meeting some where else. That is a great problem to have.
* This week I had some crazy phone conversations with people and I will blog later this week about one of them. (It is a shocker)
* We had a meeting Sunday from 1:30 to 7:00. Yeah it was a little long but God is doing some great things here at First Christian.

It really was a great week all around and I can't wait to see what happens this week.

We as a church forgive you...

I have a friend named Dave Milam who is a senior minister in Charlotte North Carolina. A couple of months ago he put on his blog and church website that their church trailer was stolen. It had EVERYTHING in it. The trailer included all sound equipment, speakers, bibles, communion, projectors, children's ministry supplies and so much more. They meet at a AMC movie theater and so this really hurt their ministry. So Dave did what any minister would do, he tried to get their attention. He rented three billboards on the interstate that runs through Charlotte that says...
Those who stole our Church stuff...
Enjoying our communion trays?
Ever worry about lighting strikes?
We forgive you but we really need our stuff back?

Then he he made this video for the thieves to see.

I hope they call him, I hope Dave can talk to them, I hope Jesus will move in their lives...

"Dude, I'm going!"

Well we just got back from our Winter Retreat and my expectations were blown away.  Let me give you the highlights, and then an awesome story.  

* We saw a real life Indian and took a picture with him.  (He also played us a song)

* I have been to a lot of teen conventions but TCTC is by far the best one I have seen!

* It was so much fun to worship, laugh, dance, and listen to God's word with the youth group.  

* We went to IHOP at 1:00a.m in the morning.  Not good for the stomach on Sunday.  

* I got to baptize my good friend James Saturday night before IHOP.  

* Shane and Shane did a late night concert and I have never heard such powerful voices come out of speakers before.  

* We sat in the front row every session!! (I think impressive when you had 4,500 teenagers there)

My friend James came in my hotel room during the day and asked if he could talk to me about baptism sometime.  We were getting ready to walk around Gatlinburg at that time so I told him we would take care of it that night. We were standing outside waiting on the doors to be opened and so I asked someone beside me if I could use their Bible.  James and I stood there talking for about 20 minutes and afterwards he just said,  "I am going to do it, I want to get baptized!"  So I hugged him and yelled it to the whole crowd standing there.  During the general session they had a time of invitation and you could see it in his eyes.  God was bringing conviction, desire, hope and life into James.  Students were walking towards the front and James looked at me and said, "Dude, I"m going!"  

I saw in that moment that nothing was going to stop him from following God. His mind was made up right then that no matter what situation, trial, temptation or circumstance, nothing was going to keep him from his Savior.  In that moment it was him and Jesus and nothing was going to change that.  He was going to move, he was going to take the steps that need to be taken, he was going follow no matter what.  

Let there be more moments in my life where I don't question I just follow...

The Definition of Authenticity...

This video is by Nate Larkin a Senior Minister in Texas.
I am stunned by his honesty.

God I need my daddy!!

I was visiting a friend in the hospital the other day and needless to say it was a very intense visit. She just found out that she has stage 3 cancer and while in surgery her mother and I were talking and praying in her hospital room.  As I made my way out I went into the chapel which I had never done before.  The chapel had rows of chairs and a kneeling bench at the front.  I walked up to the bench got on my knees and began to pray.  I noticed that there was a notebook with a pen inside that said , "Let your request be known to God."  I then started writing all that I had been praying the last couple of minutes. 

After I was done, I wanted to look what others had written so that I could pray for them as well. I began to read what others had wrote and I was humbled.  So much hurt, so much pain and so many request.  The one that I remember the most took up the whole page and it was written by a child (you could tell by the hand writing).  All it said was, "God I need my daddy!!" I sat there and just cried.  I began to think...  

How big is God to hear all of our prayers?

Whether Christian or not at some point we all cry out to God for help?

I get to go home and be with my family while others live in this hospital.

Compared to eternity, how short is life?  

Our God is the everlasting God, he does not grow weary, he gives strength to the weak, and loves the powerless, so let us trust in the Lord.  

HELLO WORLD!!

Well this is my first attempt at blogging.  But you maybe asking yourself how did this come about?  Well I had sometime off last week and was praying about what God would have me do in 2009.  It became clear to me that I need to communicate and share my thoughts, feelings, ideas with those I know and love.  I decided to get a Facebook (which I vowed I would not do) create a blog (which you see here) and create a engaging website for our Student Life ministry (coming soon).  2 out 3 is not bad in just a couple of days!  I am new at this and when I learn more I will add as much as I can.  

To quote the Joker from The Dark Knight, AND HERE WE GO!!