Mormons. Kony. Belief. Action.

Do you really believe what you say you believe? That is a very interesting question. If you really believe, then what? What do you do with it? What do you do or say or how do you act on what you say you believe? I was challenge by this article about Mormon belief. In one part the author shares how there is a huge emphasis on working your way to get to God within this religion. Therefore part of the belief of this religion is heavy on works. This article started to get me thinking about what it means to believe.

If you believe in a movement does that mean you follow it? For example Kony20112 is a huge movement in the media and blowing up on Twitter, Face Book and You Tube.  Its purpose is to stop a leading terrorist of child abduction. The mans name is Joseph Kony. Many people hear the video and believe. So how would you define their belief? I would say by action. People support, pray and promote the cause to stop Joseph Kony. Others have other opinions about the topic and even different ways on how to go about stopping him. An interesting thing that I have noticed in many of the replies on YouTube, is that some people are against the video, but have no response or action on how to change anything. So even though they do not agree, they have no action to their belief and what they are saying.

Lets flip it around on Christianity and the Bible. Many say they believe. Many have walked an isle and said a pray, but now what? How do you keep up a lifelong belief and movement in and about Jesus? How do you keep following the Bible and Jesus teachings? I would say that the answer is not just a lifelong record of showing up at church, but more of a biblical worldview of giving up our lives for the gospel and loving our neighbors as ourselves. See, we go to church, but we also should plan as a church. The church is not an hour or a building, but those that believe in Jesus. As we believe, we should lay our lives down, share our faith and disciple believers and start a movement. Belief should cause an action.

Sometimes because we have the knowledge and scriptures memorized, we think that equals belief. But the church should be a movement not a monument. We should not just be an organization, but an organism that moves and promotes change for a life of freedom and purpose.

So what do you believe? What do you say you believe? Do you really believe it? Put it in action.

The Staggering Stat of Discipleship

We live in a day and age where consumerism defines us. We want what we want when we want it. Most times we will get it. Think of a 30 second big mac commercial from McDonald's. You see it, you have a desire in you to get it, so you go and get it. Its just that easy. We constantly press our Easy Button and our desires are magically fulfilled. Alan Hirsch has a 2 minute video that is worth watching.

The problem with consumerism is that it has infected our churches. Instead of obeying Jesus last words of "make disciples" we have created attractive programs and events that have served as our recruiting strategy to fill our pews and chairs. But if people come, then we are a successful church. Let's put it this way: Good programs and Events = Vision of many/most churches. Yes the gospel is shared in those context, but is it lived?

So, what do we do? We change the vision. God can do anything including working through our programs and events, but call me old fashion, what if we just made disciples? To make a disciple means you are involved in shaping someones life. You help shape their worldview and character. I do not know anyone who can do that through a program or just 45 minutes of Sunday School. It takes time and relationship. Below is a model that has not been tested, but I am in the works of building for our youth ministry. Its not the model itself that is great, its making disciples that is the goal. Maybe this model will change the stat of the 10 people that I have talked with and only 2 being discipled that have grown up through our church and are now out of youth ministry.

(2211) The 2211 is a set up and a structure for our youth ministry. Each of our youth leaders will take their students (their small group/Sunday school class) per semester and Have 2 get togethers, 2 Community Involvement projects, 1 one on one with a student and meet with me once per semester.


2 - The two get togethers are just activities that the groups do as a group (not the whole youth group, your small group and/or Sunday school class). This shows students you care about them enough to get together with them outside church times. They start to trust you and build a relationship with you. Many more implications.


2 - The 2 Community Involvement Projects show the students that community is important. Students get to work together and with their leader. They learn about service and community. This could be as simple as a Community Kitchen type of event or just raking leaves for an elderly neighbor. The point is: they are serving together.


1 - One on one. This could be anything from having the student come and eat dinner with your family to go to a park and pass a football. The point is: the student has your full attention and you have theirs.


1 - Meet with me once. Although I will have constant conversation/aid/accountability, with our leaders through meetings and e-mail, we still get to meet one on one together. We chat about youth ministry, but its not all business. We can chat about life, family and more. (I meet with the 2 female leaders).

This blog post is not to sell anyone a discipleship plan, but just to encourage to change current models that may be built on consumerism, good programs and events. Outside this model we have a Sunday night meeting with small groups after the message, Sunday School, Worship Service and our The Well.

To make a disciple, you have to ask yourself what is a disciple and how do I make a disciple? Start with the Bible, its a great resource.  Then get a game plan together and do it. I pray that many disciples and world changer would grow up out of our youth ministry. It would be tough to know the stats on how many people are actually being discipled in churches, but I pray that we would let consumerism take the back seat and follow Jesus in making true disciples.

12 Goals of 2012

My 12 Goals of 2012

The difference from a vision and a new years resolution is that a vision is a life long goal that can be broken down each year to fulfill the overall vision. A new years resolution is mostly intended to try something different or try to change something. Some of my goals relate to the vision that God has called me to and some are resolutions. As we all know, most people make goals and keep them for about 5 days. I hope to keep many of these goals at least past January, ha. So here they are:

1. Make a proactive choice to make Jesus Lord daily. 
2. Win: Share my faith as often as people exist.

3. Build leaders: Students and adults.

4. Date my wife more.

5. Paint all rooms in my house.

6. Get Blue Belt in Jiu Jitsu.
7. Workout often

8. Invest in kids school, hobbies and lives.

9. 10 Outreaches at Hixson High/Middle School with follow up Discipleship

10. Grow deeper in my relationships.

11. Grow: Read more books and meet with mentors more.

12. Keep house clean.


Here are last Years Goals: Last Years Goals


What are your goals??