My Final Post

Circumstances Change, But God Changes NOT!

Changes happen all the time. It's no different for adults. You know the changes of life can be sublte or drastic. You can experience change when friends move, when your boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up with you, when your school changes, when your parents stop talking about divorce and start court proceedings, when a friend or a family member dies, or when you contract a disease. No matter how circumstances change. God changes not!

How does God not change? He says to you, "I am faithful. I am always gonna' be there no matter how circumstances change. I am good."

God is faithful. "This is a true saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself ( II Timothy 2:11-13)." God is always faithful. You may not feel you are always faithful to God. But God will be faithful. You can trust Him for He changes not.

Think of the geyser in Yellowstone National Park--Old Faithful. Check out this webcam with predicted eruption times. Every twenty or thirty minutes the geyser erupts. For decades this pattern has continued. Yet God is more faithful than a geyser. He is the everlasting God. He changes not! He is consistent. He changes not!
God is always there for you. "I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of the dead, you are
there (Psalm 139: 7-8)." God will be there for you. You may experience elevated highs or the deepest of lows. No matter. God wil be there for you. No matter how changes occur. You can trust God.

God is good. "Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! (Psalm 34:8)." How do you taste God? You suggested that you can taste the Lord by licking the wall, by reading the Bible, by doing good things, and by observing the godly attitudes of other people. I suggest that you taste God by eating foods that are good to you. What satiates your appetite? Watermelon? Apples? Oranges? Pizza? Fries? Ice Cold Mountain Dew? Double mocha Frapp No Room? God is good like the taste of your favorite food. God is good. Trust Him.

The Chronicles of Narnia reflects the uniqueness of God. Aslan the Lion is good but you must still fear Him. The book shares this dialgoue between Lucy and the Beavers.

“Is – is he a man?” asked Lucy.
“Aslan a man!” said Mr. Beaver sternly.
“Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of Wood and the son of the great
Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan
is a lion – the Lion, the great Lion.”
“Ooh,” said Susan, “I thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”
“That you will, dearie, and make no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver,
“if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees
knocking, they’re either braver than most or else silly.”
“Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver, “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver
tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But
he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

God is good. You can trust Him. He isn't safe--He's the God of the Universe, the Everlasting God. Check out Chris Tomlin's present worship song; "Everlasting God." One to buy!

If you don't have God in your life as the boss of what you do, then you have no access to his help. God provides great things for His followers. You can experience pain and joy and have no hope. But with God you
have hope that you can trust Him. Why? Because God is faithful, He will be there for you, and God is good. You can trust Him!

My life circumstances have changed As of today, the Elder Community of Northwest Chapel has directed me to shift all student ministries responsibilities to a transition team so that I can pursue what God is calling me to do for the future. I am still on staff at Northwest Chapel. But I will not be responsible for Student Ministries at midnight tonight. I have been given the gift of time to focus on missions--to discover what God wants me to do for the future. So I commission you to be advocates for God's church. Responsibilities change but my relationships with you does not. So stop and talk with me anytime.

But please don't eulogize me. I am not dead! I am embracing this decision and I agree that this must occur. I trust God and His leadership team. So keep this verse in mind as you respond and react to this news: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)." If you have concerns, then go talk with your parents, volunteer staff, or our elder community. May you speak the truth in love while in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:3). While circumstances change, trust God for God changes NOT!

Til' you see me,

Pastor D

New Summer Intern Middle School Ministries

Please welcome Josh Placeway! Josh graduated from Grace College onMay 5 with a double major in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministries. His track was the The National Institute (TNI) the youth ministry major at Grace College located in Winona Lake, Indiana. The program is run by CE National.

The National Institute equips individuals for youth ministry through academic pursuits and practical experiences in order to lead andminister in a local church, para-church,cross-cultural, or camp setting. He is presently serving as Middle School Youth Intern.

If you missed this Sunday, Josh introduced himself and you would have discovered some things. Josh enjoys reading, playing and watching sports, hanging out with students, and rooting for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

He is the youngest of three in his family. He has an older brother and sister. Josh will return to Grace Theological Seminary this Fall after his internship.

What's on Josh's iPod?

Coldplay; Copeland ; John Mayer; U2; Darkroom; Snow Patrol; Jack Johnson.

What's are Josh's favorite movies?
Hoosiers; Patch Adams; Apollo 13; The Incredibles; That Thing You Do; The Sandlot.

What books is Josh reading?

The Cost of Discipleship By Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry By Doug Fields; Experiencing Jesus By T.D. Jakes; Pierced By the Word By John Piper; The Last Word By N.T. Wright

Pastor D

Wisdom from Proverbs

Proverbs 22 prompts me in three ways--trust God, be diligent, and remove debt. Verses 17-22 is the first of thirty sayings which covers chapters 22-24. You can read the first one to direct you to trust in the Lord. To put your trust in the Lord is the first and wisest thing to do.

Second, diligence in daily tasks. As you read and re-read the book of Proverbs contrasts abound. One is the sluggard and the diligent. I often learn from mistakes and correct them. Here in verse 13 the wise one challenges the sluggard, "The sluggard says, 'There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!'" What he means is I will do nothing because I fear what is outside. You can be lazy by doing nothing at all worrying or fretting about what is out there to slay you. Or you can be diligent and courageous and do something no matter what is outside. Fear can paralyze or catalyze action. I want to catalyze action on daily tasks and not merely fear that something might go wrong or that I may fail. I take to heart what President Teddy Roosevelt once said (regarded as the man in the arena anecdote),

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or here the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in he arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."("Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910)

President Roosevelt's words catalyze me to action rather than the sluggards cries to be paralyzed about what may happen. I want to act courageously--to fail while daring greatly. This is the approach of my daily tasks today. I will strive valiantly in the arena of life, serving God the best that I can.

Third, God's truth guides me to remove debt. I owe some money. I will make plans to pay it back . It may take me awhile. But with God's help and wisdom, I will repay the debt and "owe no man anything but to love one another (Romans 13:8)." Verses 26-27 challenged me to remove debt, "Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you." So you need to be mindful of accumulating debt. Put this in your mind now, and be free from threat.

May God use His word to challenge your life and catalyze faith in action everyday in your life.

Pastor d

Finishing Edit on Jamboree Movie

I am finishing the edit on the Jamboree movie. It is rendering and encoding. Numerous students mobilized to serve. I want to thank them for their hands and feet, their smiles and cheers, and their time and freedom. God used them in a great way. I hope you can come help next year. Or the next time there is an opportunity to help out. Maybe you can help at Vacation Bible School.

pastor D

Leeland lyrics "Beautiful Lord"

When Temptation Wins
I came across this song by Leeland which helps you when you succumb to temptation. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (I John 1:9)." When you sin, you can receive God's forgiveness. So don't despair and give up following Jesus. Immediately ask God to forgive you. He will forgive.

I'm so glad God forgives, but He also desires that I do not keep sinning. In I John 1:8-2:2, the Disciple John tells followers of Jesus about sin and forgiveness.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He is the propitiation concerning our sins, and not concerning ours only, but also concerning the sins of all the world.

Jesus made payment for your sins. He is our advocate before God the Father. He intercedes for you and I when we sin. And the great news is that He has provided the payment of sins for the whole world if each person would just accept Jesus as Savior of their life. Wow! Jesus takes care of your sins, of my sins.

He wants you and I to not sin. You can live with less sin in your life by trusting in Jesus and by obeying His ways. So don't despair or give up. Rather repair and live it up for Jesus!

Pastor D

Wisdom from Proverbs

From time to time I have seasons of temptations. As the Bible states, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all (I Cor. 10:13). " Temptations will come. Some may be less intense than others. Few are fiercely intense. Whatever the richter scale, temptations shake your life and challenge your commitment to Jesus. Temptations abound. So how do you overcome them?

God's truth tells us that God provides the way out so that you can endure it (I Cor. 10:13). In fact God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear! He provides the way out. It now depends on you to take the way of escape. You can overcome temptation. God has provided the way. Just choose the way out.

In Proverbs 11 today, I see the words righteousness throughout the chapter. Righteousness is right living. God's Word defines right living. In this chapter God wants you to live rightly. For example in verses 19-22,

"Truly the righteous attain life, but those who sow righteousness reap a sure reward. The Lord detests those whose harets are pervers, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free."

Living right according to God's standards bring life abundantly. You can be sure that if you seek evil, then you will gain evil (see verse 27).

So when I face more intense temptation now, I can overcome them by applying what I know God provides. I will choose the way of escape and thus bear up under temptation. I can handle it only with God's help. God wants me to be free of bondage, to be unshackled from temptations bonds and embrace life with boundless energy. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. You have the strength to endure temptation. Choose the way out.

Pastor D

Sunday Evening Discipleship

I came across by Charles Swindoll that helps illustrate the point that we are in a spiritual battle. We need to march forward for our King. He has made us his princes and princesses. Just like C.S. Lewis' story the Chronicles of Narnia. You need to armor up and join the battle for God's truth. You need to think the truth. You need to live the truth with love. You need to speak the truth in love.

Before the breakup of the Soviet Union, Christians were routinely persecuted for their faith by the Communist regime. We have many inspiring stories of courageous Christians behind the Iron Curtain who were willing to die for their faith during this difficult period in world history.
One such story involves a house church in a city in the former Soviet Union. The small group of believers who gathered there were afraid to carry Bibles, so they memorized large sections of the New Testament and recited Scripture to each other.
Each week they would arrive at the house at different times, to avoid arousing the suspicions of KGB informers. On one particular Sunday the church members were all safely inside the building, with the windows closed and doors locked. They began the service by softly singing a hymn and praying.
Suddenly, the door burst open and two soldiers armed with automatic weapons walked in. One shouted, “All right, everybody up against the wall. If you wish to renounce your faith in Jesus Christ, you can leave now and no harm will come to you.”
Two or three church members left, then another.
“This is your last chance!” the other soldier warned. “Either turn your back on this Jesus of yours or stay and suffer the consequences!”
Another member left. Two more covered their faces in shame and slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with small children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly. They fully expected to be gunned down on the spot—or, at the very least, imprisoned.
After a few moments of silence, the soldiers closed the door and looked back at the church members left standing against the wall. One of them said, “Keep your hands up—but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers. But instead, we were converted.”The other soldier added, “We are sorry to have frightened those who left, but we have learned that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted.”

So live for God's kingdom.

Sunday Evening Discipleship

Bread Series--conclusion this Sunday Night 6:30-7:45pm

The final discipleship session for the school year focuses on God's forever Kingdom. God's people in the Old Testament waited and waited for a Messiah--a Deliverer. They thought when this Messiah comes he would arrive in a big, spectacular way. They thought His coming would instantly, perhaps violently, radically change the world for them. They thought their enemies would be struck down, their lives would become prosperous, and their faith would be embraced by all. They were wrong, God's kingdom didn't and doesn't work that way.

Jesus explained that God's kingdom is like leaven. Leaven is a small, simple ingredient that works itself in and through the dough--transforming the dough and giving rise to the dough for bread to be baked for eating. God's kingdom is like leaven--it's truth works itself in and through you, transforming you and giving rise to a person living out the truth in real life. You can see your role--your place to live out God's radical and revolutionary ways in your own world. Your unique place is one that you can see work slowly and mightily through you. It is a lifetime transformation that God desires. You can pick up new pieces along the journey. You can make a radical impact these final weeks of school. God can do His kingdom work through you. You are his princes and princesses in battle for Him. Go and make a difference for Him!

Join us this Sunday night for a challenge and praise time to ignite your life for living for God this coming week. May it fuel your soul and impact others for Christ!

Tips for Small Groups:

• Praying Together--some students will be uncomfortable praying out loud. Let them know that everyone feels self-conscious when praying out loud for many times. Some people don't get over it. But students can work at it with you. Share how you learned to pray out loud with others or how you still feel challenged about praying out loud with others. Remind them that each one is simply talking to God who is the perfect Father and just wants them to share with Him what's on their minds as we have directed them this evening.
• Prayer Help--Try using a fill in the blank sentence; e.g. I want to thank You, God for _____; or I want You God to help me with _______. You may want them to write out their prayer and then read it back to God. Encourage students to try. This may be the only time they get coaching on how to pray and you get the chance to help one student become a great prayer warrior for the rest of his or her life.

Pastor D

Wisdom from Proverbs

I have neglected posting my thoughts from God's Word. As this new month begins, I have a couple of thoughts. I concur with the words of Agur in Proverbs 30; " I am weary, God, but I can prevail. Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One (verses 1b-3)." I am weary. This school year has been challenging. But I will prevail. There are many things that I do not know. I am comfortable with admitting what I don't know. The hardest part is moving on from setbacks. I praise God for accepting me as I am. I can do a lot of things well. But I can only do one thing at a time. So this is where I ask God for wisdom. I need His insight. I can beat myself up so easily--telling myself that I have to do more. But God is transforming me. I can go to him for refuge from myself and my high expectations and desire for perfection. Later in verse five Agur says, "Every word of God is flawless, he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." I need refuge. God provides that for me. I praise God that I can be weary but not despairing. He will protect. He will provide. He will take care of me even when I don't understand what's going on.

Today's reading from chapter two, verses 1-5 help me move forward. Rather than pausing to flog myself, I can cry out to God for help. See verses 3 and 5b; "indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding...you will find the knowledge of God." Coupled with knowledge from God is respect for God. Do I truly respect God? I wonder sometimes. He is the Ruler of this Universe. He knows what's going to happen the rest of this day and tonight and tomorrow. So why do I fret about things so much. I can choose to trust rather than worry. I can choose to put my faith in God rather than shut my faith down. I can choose to rely on God rather than merely relying on myself. I can receive knowledge and wisdom. "For the Lord gives wisdom (Proverbs 2:6a)." God will give me wisdom for each day. I will not despar. I will trust. May God encourage you to trust God rather than worry. He can take care of you.

Pastor D

Sunday Evening Equip

Small Group Info and Tips

This Sunday night we will explore how God is our Father. You can call upon Him everyday to meet your needs and trust in His provisions. Your relationship with God should be shaped by these truths. I will email the abbreviated outline for Sunday Night. I learned from last week that I need to make things shorter so that students can gather in small groups.

I want all the students together to create a corporate worship experience filled with music, teaching, and small groups. This short three-week series will fill the gap between the end of the last session and the summer break. I am still experimenting and learning when to integrate and how to integrate all age groups for a corporate experience. I expect high school students to model a walk with Christ so that the middle school students would "idolize" their remarks and actions to foster a legacy of students committed to follow Christ better. I expect the adult leaders to gather with a small group of students and to engage in one meaningful conversation about your walk with God where students "rub-shoulders" with you and peer into your own walk with God right now.

I provide the list of questions for adult volunteers to target their discussions in small groups around the main theme. Yes, you will need more time to get to know them. But try to listen well and rephrase their responses so that you communicate that you really heard what they said.

What if there is silence or a "I-don't-know" reply? Allow for silence. Then ask, "Who wants to help (student's name) with this question?" If there is still no comment. Say, "If you had to guess, what would you say?"

This week I will try to give more time to small groups. You can change, modify, or throw out the list of questions and the proposed scripted lines. But please stay true to the main point for the session. You will wrap up the lesson and help them take God's truth home with them for the week ahead. My prayer is that you will help prepare them to live out God's truth in real life for the coming week. Please offer suggestions by leaving a comment. I'd really like to hear from you.

Other Small Group Tips:

1. Pick 5 minutes one day to pray for the students who will come this sunday night.


2. Show up ready to talk with students discovering what he or she is interested in this week.


3. Seek to actively listen. To be heard is to belong.


4. Take turns praying for one another.

Pastor D

Sunday Evening Equip

The Bread Series



This week we will target how God is the provider for our daily bread. Many people memorize the Lord's Prayer, or DIsciples' Prayer. But I wonder have you spent some time unpacking it and really thinking about what Jesus said. This Sunday night you will unpack these familiar verse differently. Come to engage in learning how God is your Father. You will learn how to relate to Him better as your Heavely Father. Your Heavenly Father provides for you. He cares for you. He loves you!

Pastor D

Shame on me

I have not posted since Friday. I intend to post at least once a day. But my own life got very busy over the weekend. Still, no excuse for posting how my journey with God is going. As I reflect on this past weekend, I am not satisfied with the time focusing on hearing God's voice. God is the One I follow. Yet I often find myself occupied with my own needs and wants. I leave God out. So I will spend five minutes each day in silence pondering God's truth for my life and then seeking to obey His promptings.

So should you!

In Psalm 119 I recall a verse that says in effect that you need to meditate on God's truth regularly; even at night!

"In the night, Lord, I remember your name, that I may keep you law.
This has been my practice. I obey our precepts (Psalm 119:55-56)."

I wonder if you would take the challenge to stop your busy life and hear God's voice. You will need to direct your thoughts by reading a chapter of the Bible, like Proverbs. Then ask God to speak to you from His words in the Bible. Next, be silent and listen. As in all interactions with people, He may have something to say or not. He is a real person--sometimes people have nothing to say at a particular moment. However, if you make it your regular practice, He will speak. So like the young person Samuel say in prayer, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening ( I Samuel 3:10)." Then sit in silence for five minutes jotting down any promptings you receive. I hope you could let me know what God is saying to you. I'd like to pray for you about His promptings. You'll hear from me tomorrow (or maybe sooner).

Pastor D

Biblical Communication

Be quick to listen, slow to speak

I am changing how I interact with people. Often I take my time responding to what others ask. I ponder what to say. In fact, I may even give a one-word reply. Then continue contemplating my response. The challenge is that the other person continues on with the conversation. Either they did not wait for my reply, or they were processing what they wanted to say while not listening to what I was saying anyway. Whatever the case, I am so thankful for God's truth. James 1:19 is so clear. I memorized it first in the King James Version of the Bible. But I discover that if I read it in another version, then I can revisit God's truth in a fresh way.

"Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with
your ears, follow up with your tongue (James 1:19 The Message)."

I am re-learning how to communicate with others. God's Word gives me guidance. His truth directs my life. I want to follow Him everyday.

Do you?

Then live the truth that you already know. Implement the things that you've learned from the Bible. Act upon it. God will help you.

"However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all
truth. (John 16:13)."

As a Christian you can get guidance for your life from the Bible for the Holy Spirit who indwells you will help you like a Friend. You can follow God everyday. It is time to do so.

Pastor D

Student Discipleship Structure

This three-week experiment targeting small groups for all students will begin Sunday, April 22. The groups will be open to new students at any time. We will meet at Northwest Chapel at 6:30pm until 7:45pm. At then end of this experiment, we will evaluate the program and consider if this is how we want small groups at all in Northwest Chapel Student Ministries.

Each small group has anywhere from 4-10 students in the group with an adult discipleship facilitator and co-facilitator (if available). We will group students according to the following criteria:

1. Grade: Middle school will meet separate from High School.
2. Middle School: If enough facilitators are available, we will gather sixth graders in one group from the seventh & eighth graders.
3. High School: If enough faciliators are available, we will gather upperclassmen in one group and underclassmen in another group.

I understand that these groupings may not be an easy transition. Egos, insecurities, poor communication skills, and personality conflicts abound to plague our efforts to connect students into the beginnings of meaningful relationships. So I discerned these objective groupings for this three-week experiment.

To facilitate relationships I propose small groups (2-4 students per adult). It will be my job to monitor this RUTHLESSLY because students and maybe some facilitators will not want to gather into two new groups when the group grows to 8 students. When one group reaches 8 students, then we will spawn a new group with another adult facilitator. If we can have a co-facilitators who will be ready to start a new group, the students and the adult facilitator can already have some relational connection.

I will add to this blog what I think about what you as a faciliator should eventually know, do, and become during this experimental session. Thanks.

Pastor D

New Discipleship Format

For the Bread Series the basic small group structure will be one where we have a large group time of singing and teaching followed by small groups according to grade levels (middle school & high school).

Basic outline for Sunday evening discipleship:

1. Gather all students together (Middle School & High School) for welcome & worship
2. Teaching Time in large group (Opening activity, set-up, teaching & response)
3. Small Group Time (dig in & making it real)
4. Spend time in prayer for the students. Ask for and record prayer requests to keep track of over the course of this 3-week session.

Return to my blog to discover more helpful items and tips for small group time and this discipleship segment.

Contact me to send you via e-mail the series outline, it's about 12 pages total in Word-format.

Thanks.

Pastor D

Sunday Evening Discipleship

Schedule

April 22, Bread Series #1
April 29, Bread Series #2
May 6, Bread Series #3
May 13, No Discipleship Mother’s Day
May 20 AWANA Jamboree Service Project
May 29 Memorial Day