Leading 3 students to Christ...celebration!
We meet with a group of teens on Sunday Nights at our house. They are friends of Aly, my second born. It's an interesting mix of old friends and new ones.
After my Sabbatical the school year was getting ready to start and I had read "The Purpose Driven Life" with Aly and her new boyfriend, Mason, and I wondered what it would be like to reach out to some of her friends or his friends that either don't attend church or aren't connected to youth group. There was something inside of me that had this urge to reach students for Christ in a world where I just keep hearing one story after another of teens falling away from God or flat out leaving the faith.
I also felt for my daughter who was really desiring to go deeper in her walk with some of these friends that shared many common interests, but didn't really have much of a relationship with God. It seemed like a win/win. But I was scared spitless. I hadn't done anything quite like this before, and it had been 13 years since I was a youth pastor, so there was something unnerving about assembling a group of teens and engaging spiritual conversation, whether they were church or unchurched. I just didn't want to fall on my face.
Heidi felt very committed to the same desire and was eager to be a part of this collection of searching, hungry teens who needed a positive community where they could be open and honest in the safety and security of good hearts that would handle their heart with care and concern. At least this is what we hoped the group would be. There's never a guarantee.
So I remember calling each of the students after sleuthing around and finding their phone numbers. It felt weird being a 43 year old man and calling guys and girls that were between 16 and 18 years of age inviting them to a "bible study" of sorts. But to my surprise, each of the students I invited accepted the invitation and on that first night in the Fall of 2017 they all flooded into our home, ate food like ravenous wolves, and gathered in the living room to introduce themselves to each other and to begin this journey of exploring God's hearts and each other's. It was pretty awesome...even on night one. It's only gotten better as the months have gone by.
Deep things have been shared. Things that have been kept secret there whole lives. When one would take the risk to share, it would open up someone else to unlock their hidden worlds. As people shared, cried, and let go...freedom began to form. For each one it happened differently which makes sense 'cause they're all coming from a different place with a different personality and a different set of lenses with which to look at and interpret life. It's the unique perspectives of each that creates an atmosphere of learning and awakening. And this is what unfolded in time, naturally and casually, yet intentionally and deliberately.
Recently I've felt really tugged by God to probe into their hearts as it relates to their individual experiences with God and relationship to God. This last Sunday Night we found ourselves talking about the afterlife and the questions of being confident of your salvation and where you would go after you died. It's a pretty simple idea in Christianity, but it's very potent as you listen to people talk about their doubts and confusion. I felt like the ground many of them were standing on was very shaky, and I think they could feel it as they tried to articulate the nature of their relationship with God.
Two of the students in our group had come to Christ in the last year, one as recently as December, so I probed into their story of how and when they invited Christ to come into their hearts and offered their lives to God. Their testimonies created awesome questions in everyone else which eventually led to each person sharing their ideas of God and the connection or affection they have for God.
But that was the moment I knew we needed to press into an important aspect of the gospel...believing and receiving Christ...believing in the hearts and confessing with the mouth...calling on the name of the Lord to be saved. I believe connection to God and affection for God are parts of the journey toward a relationship with him...God is wooing us all our lives, we are unknowingly seeking our origin and author. Our creator. One shared how they used to journal when they were young to God, but didn't really know why. Another shared how they just started praying last month because they felt the need to begin talking to God. Another shared that they always wanted God but their idea from growing up was to be 'openminded', so they never really stated or declared where they were really at with their faith. They all admitted that they had never gone beyond connection and affection to "invitation". They had never accepted Christ, confessed sin, received Jesus as Savior and Lord, and invited him into their hearts and offered their lives to follow him in return for his grace and forgiveness.
It was late, so we circled up like we do, and I prayed to close the night. I told them that I would take some time that very night to summarize our conversation and to give them a "prayer of invitation" for salvation in case they struggled for the words to express their desires. I told them they didn't need to pray the exact words, but that the prayer would provide some of the important components of salvation to deepen their understanding of who they were and who Christ is and what he's done. I took some time to form a text for our group text thread, and click, I sent it out.
On Monday I woke up and individually texted each of the students that I knew hadn't invited God to indwell them by His Spirit. I told each of them that I was proud of them and was praying for them. Throughout the day, I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. No response.
Around 7:30pm that night I received the first text..."Thanks for the texts...it helped me put my heart into words!"
At around 9:45pm another text come through..."I am am so happy! I prayed a prayer of invitation in my own words...I never knew how to do this or when would be the right time, but I decided tonight was the perfect night to do it!"
I wondered about the other young man that I knew was walking forward in his journey who I texted earlier that morning. It had gotten late and I was getting ready for bed when all the sudden I heard by phone buzz around 11:00pm..."I got that text and I want to thank you for that. I've been doing homework, but I'm planning on praying to invite God into my heart in a little bit...I want to and I feel like it would be good for me to do so."
My heart leapt with joy! It's been a little while since I've led someone to Christ and there is nothing like the feeling of taking someone's hand and putting their hand into the hand of God. That introduction is matchless...there's nothing like introducing people to Jesus. Nothing.
I've continued to text them this week and their joy and excitement for their future with God is coming through with each text.
I just sent another email to a teen that's been talking to me for the last several years about many hurts in her journey of life and was asking me about "having God in her life" and though I've shared with her several times that she need's God in her life to fight her battles, I decided to send a more straightforward email talking about what we talked about with our group this last weekend and I sent her a prayer of invitation and salvation. I guess I just feel a boldness right now to introduce people to Jesus and to challenge them to invite His Spirit to make a home in there hearts. How can you fight you battles or endure you struggles without his abiding, indwelling presence. He is joy and wisdom and strength. And when you are living from the inside out as a Christian, it's so much less stressful and pressurized than when you're trying to manage life from the outside in.
So, I'm just celebrating today...I don't take enough time to celebrate, and I just want to thank God for giving me the privilege of being a part of these precious moments with people that change their eternities. This is why I do what I do. I am a bondslave to Christ and an ambassador of the gospel of God's grace.
With all my heart for all my days.
After my Sabbatical the school year was getting ready to start and I had read "The Purpose Driven Life" with Aly and her new boyfriend, Mason, and I wondered what it would be like to reach out to some of her friends or his friends that either don't attend church or aren't connected to youth group. There was something inside of me that had this urge to reach students for Christ in a world where I just keep hearing one story after another of teens falling away from God or flat out leaving the faith.
I also felt for my daughter who was really desiring to go deeper in her walk with some of these friends that shared many common interests, but didn't really have much of a relationship with God. It seemed like a win/win. But I was scared spitless. I hadn't done anything quite like this before, and it had been 13 years since I was a youth pastor, so there was something unnerving about assembling a group of teens and engaging spiritual conversation, whether they were church or unchurched. I just didn't want to fall on my face.
Heidi felt very committed to the same desire and was eager to be a part of this collection of searching, hungry teens who needed a positive community where they could be open and honest in the safety and security of good hearts that would handle their heart with care and concern. At least this is what we hoped the group would be. There's never a guarantee.
So I remember calling each of the students after sleuthing around and finding their phone numbers. It felt weird being a 43 year old man and calling guys and girls that were between 16 and 18 years of age inviting them to a "bible study" of sorts. But to my surprise, each of the students I invited accepted the invitation and on that first night in the Fall of 2017 they all flooded into our home, ate food like ravenous wolves, and gathered in the living room to introduce themselves to each other and to begin this journey of exploring God's hearts and each other's. It was pretty awesome...even on night one. It's only gotten better as the months have gone by.
Deep things have been shared. Things that have been kept secret there whole lives. When one would take the risk to share, it would open up someone else to unlock their hidden worlds. As people shared, cried, and let go...freedom began to form. For each one it happened differently which makes sense 'cause they're all coming from a different place with a different personality and a different set of lenses with which to look at and interpret life. It's the unique perspectives of each that creates an atmosphere of learning and awakening. And this is what unfolded in time, naturally and casually, yet intentionally and deliberately.
Recently I've felt really tugged by God to probe into their hearts as it relates to their individual experiences with God and relationship to God. This last Sunday Night we found ourselves talking about the afterlife and the questions of being confident of your salvation and where you would go after you died. It's a pretty simple idea in Christianity, but it's very potent as you listen to people talk about their doubts and confusion. I felt like the ground many of them were standing on was very shaky, and I think they could feel it as they tried to articulate the nature of their relationship with God.
Two of the students in our group had come to Christ in the last year, one as recently as December, so I probed into their story of how and when they invited Christ to come into their hearts and offered their lives to God. Their testimonies created awesome questions in everyone else which eventually led to each person sharing their ideas of God and the connection or affection they have for God.
But that was the moment I knew we needed to press into an important aspect of the gospel...believing and receiving Christ...believing in the hearts and confessing with the mouth...calling on the name of the Lord to be saved. I believe connection to God and affection for God are parts of the journey toward a relationship with him...God is wooing us all our lives, we are unknowingly seeking our origin and author. Our creator. One shared how they used to journal when they were young to God, but didn't really know why. Another shared how they just started praying last month because they felt the need to begin talking to God. Another shared that they always wanted God but their idea from growing up was to be 'openminded', so they never really stated or declared where they were really at with their faith. They all admitted that they had never gone beyond connection and affection to "invitation". They had never accepted Christ, confessed sin, received Jesus as Savior and Lord, and invited him into their hearts and offered their lives to follow him in return for his grace and forgiveness.
It was late, so we circled up like we do, and I prayed to close the night. I told them that I would take some time that very night to summarize our conversation and to give them a "prayer of invitation" for salvation in case they struggled for the words to express their desires. I told them they didn't need to pray the exact words, but that the prayer would provide some of the important components of salvation to deepen their understanding of who they were and who Christ is and what he's done. I took some time to form a text for our group text thread, and click, I sent it out.
On Monday I woke up and individually texted each of the students that I knew hadn't invited God to indwell them by His Spirit. I told each of them that I was proud of them and was praying for them. Throughout the day, I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. No response.
Around 7:30pm that night I received the first text..."Thanks for the texts...it helped me put my heart into words!"
At around 9:45pm another text come through..."I am am so happy! I prayed a prayer of invitation in my own words...I never knew how to do this or when would be the right time, but I decided tonight was the perfect night to do it!"
I wondered about the other young man that I knew was walking forward in his journey who I texted earlier that morning. It had gotten late and I was getting ready for bed when all the sudden I heard by phone buzz around 11:00pm..."I got that text and I want to thank you for that. I've been doing homework, but I'm planning on praying to invite God into my heart in a little bit...I want to and I feel like it would be good for me to do so."
My heart leapt with joy! It's been a little while since I've led someone to Christ and there is nothing like the feeling of taking someone's hand and putting their hand into the hand of God. That introduction is matchless...there's nothing like introducing people to Jesus. Nothing.
I've continued to text them this week and their joy and excitement for their future with God is coming through with each text.
I just sent another email to a teen that's been talking to me for the last several years about many hurts in her journey of life and was asking me about "having God in her life" and though I've shared with her several times that she need's God in her life to fight her battles, I decided to send a more straightforward email talking about what we talked about with our group this last weekend and I sent her a prayer of invitation and salvation. I guess I just feel a boldness right now to introduce people to Jesus and to challenge them to invite His Spirit to make a home in there hearts. How can you fight you battles or endure you struggles without his abiding, indwelling presence. He is joy and wisdom and strength. And when you are living from the inside out as a Christian, it's so much less stressful and pressurized than when you're trying to manage life from the outside in.
So, I'm just celebrating today...I don't take enough time to celebrate, and I just want to thank God for giving me the privilege of being a part of these precious moments with people that change their eternities. This is why I do what I do. I am a bondslave to Christ and an ambassador of the gospel of God's grace.
With all my heart for all my days.
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