Once again I'm awake with some things on my heart and on my mind. Maybe this will help but then maybe it wont. I do know that God knows what is on my heart and how heavy at times it gets. That heaviness takes on a new role when it gets to be at this place because it affects my thoughts and the things I think about and it also affects my actions to a certain degree. It also hits harder when things around you are closer than arms length. There is nothing like family pain - no greater hurt.

I fully enjoyed our Wed night Bible study this evening as the students got to write down questions and not put a name on those questions. Both our pastors at church were asked as many questions we could get through - there were MANY! I think I did a good job leading and kinda running the show and the next steps as we moved from eating pizza, leading game, announcements and then into the meat of the evening with answering the students questions. The thing that troubles me this evening, or this morning now as I look at the clock - work is going to hurt in a few hours but what can ya do.... the thing that troubles me is the fact that God is an idea for most people. Yes most folks believe in God or a god but one that is only an idea. I mean that by saying that God is there unless it makes me change what I am doing, what I am wanting to do or making me stop and change direction. For most if I asked the question if God was boring, I bet most would say yes.
Think about it with some student growing up in church they have heard the stories, been to the pizza parties, had their fair share of VBS and Sunday morning small group time. They know the basics of most of the big parables and stories of Christ but there life is lacking something important and that is the willingness to step a little further in faith to dig a little deeper in those stories and parables and apply them to their life. They are just stories, often times heard many times since 2nd grade. The real life application of life change and understanding from Christ is just under the surface of those stories, parables and experiences if they would just dig a little deeper.

We cannot expect our students, our friends or family member - to follow a God they do not know. I am talking a personal relationship with them. Not a facebook friend who we only know occasionally and use to build up our importance stance on bragging how many friends we have. I am talking about the handful of friends who would have your back when you need them. A friend that stick closer than family and when the world pulls away over a mistake you made, this friend steps forward and leans in to help, to listen and to love on you. We cannot stay on the surface of our friendship with Christ. He wants to know you better - well he knows everything about you but it also has to work in the other direction.
Meaning that when you are faced with a decision say, cutting, making out with your boyfriend or girlfriend, going to a friend house when you told mom you were going to the mall, when you cheat on a test, all those sly and sneaky things that we decide to do -if we have to do something that we know we shouldnt do but do so anyways - God becomes just an idea. It may be thinking that takes us to - the God idea is for someone else - I am doing this regardless of the outcome or the pain that it will bring.
Knowing God is moving our hearts and our thinking and our true meaning of making a good sound decision from just knowing him to really having a relationship with him. Trusting in him.
Far too many are stail with this idea of God in our lives maybe because we have not experienced him since summer youth camp. Maybe you see the fun your friends are having at school and you think why am I not? Maybe you feel that life begins later and when you are older, like an adult, you will then put your life in order and follow Christ. You may also be at a place where - hey mom and dad dont really put a priority on this God thing so why should I?
This God idea, I can pull that out when I need it, like a free get out of jail card. I can use it when I want to appear better than someone else. I can use it when my boyfriend wants to go to this place but I dont want to go "That Far" just yet. Maybe you just dont feel God as all working in your life.

As a student leader and as a dad, these things really break my heart. Maybe they should really to a certain degree. I think that is healthy because it will keep me searching to fill that gap of brokenness for them and patch it with the scriptures, the love God has for me and for them and through that I can share that. When I am broken, God is remolding and reshaping. He is filling in the gaps to make my heart complete.
I often think that we dont challenge our kids enough. Sure they have all kinds of pressures on them today. Much more than I did when I was there age but to the core challenges and pressures are the same from one generation to the next. Things are amplified and shine bright today and influences and media are so much more stronger today. What I struggled with at 16 they are struggling with at 14 or 13. Even with all these amplified things in their lives, the basics of knowing Christ is the same.
We cannot expect our children to know and follow God if they do not know him. We also can't expect them to follow him if they have not been taught.
We have to preach Gods word to them, through our church, through our student ministries, through our parenting - and that is not just on Sunday mornings but all the time. We have to look for those teachable moments and then step forward and do those hard things.

Following Christ is an everyday decision. A battle on some days with selfishness and instant on generation who want the drive through instead of the sit down and talk God. My prayer is that we, myself included, that we dont lose focus on helping people around us know Christ and move him from our personal shelves of ideas and instant satisfaction to really knowing God is with us in all things. He is at the center of our lives, in our decisions, in our choices, in our relationships - God is who he says he is in your life. Life change happens when God steps in and he takes over.

I am excited about one student who I know through a few other students. I have not had much conversation with him other that a few short words and surface level stuff. His comment on facebook was asking about change. Can a person change their life on their own?
My comment was no - no you cant because willpower is all we have and over time that becomes weak and most times we fail and really changing. I invited him to YCI on friday which is a bible study in the school system here that meets before school. He asked what that was and said he had never been. I told him I would be there and to come - I would let him know how real life change works. Not through his power or through anything he will do. Christ alone will have the power to change him, if he is willing.
I look forward to that conversation. Lord, you do what only you can do with that. Just use me to share your love for him and speak your words that you want me to say.

Idea god - to real God .... a God that changes everything.

thanks for being here this morning and praying that your heart, mind and soul fills with new idea's who God is to you.

Lonnie~