Investment Advice (Not What You Think)

Emily is a high school senior that I have known since she was a seventh grader. This is part of that story.

I first met Emily when she came on a missions trip with the middle school youth group at gracespring. She went to Nashville to serve with us two years in a row. When she entered high school, that was the year that Beth(Best Wife Ever) and I started leading a high school small group at gracespring. Emily was placed in my wife's group.  

Emily continued to be actively involved at church. Ministry teams, missions trips, service projects, you name it...Emily has probably helped out with it.

Her junior year of high school she entered into the Jr. Internship program that we have in the Gracespring Student Ministries Department. I was a part of this program back in high school.

Emily is a senior now with a very strong case of senioritis. Emily has done a great job of making wise decisions. No, she's not a boring goody-goody, she's a wise young lady who likes dance parties and One Direction. 

This brings us up to a month ago. Emily, as a junior intern, is suppose to teach one time in Impact during her internship. So, she was assigned the date of March 28. I was then able to teach her what I was taught as an intern about teaching. The prep work, the practice methods, the delivery techniques and many other random things. She did an amazing job! 

I couldn't help but reflect back on how Emily and I arrived at this point. Someone walked me through something that I was then able to walk Emily through. How powerful is that! 

Who are you investing in? Yes, you have something to offer. Who could you invest in? Why not ask them?

Religious Tools - Don't Be One

"Is this a day to save life or destroy it?" - Jesus of Nazareth

Every time I see a headline that has Westboro Baptist Church in it my heart cringes. 

If you don't know who WBC is, they are a church from Topeka, Kansas that believes there purpose in this world is to let the gay community know how much God hates them and hates those who support them. They protest soldier’s funerals, school shooting funerals, and many other solemn events simply to prove a point. 

This is just one example of the messages of hate from WBC, and is actually pretty mild compared to most of the signs they protest with. I didn't feel right posting a picture of the more inappropriate signs.

I was reading this morning in Luke 6 where Jesus encounters a group of people like WBC. 

What happened was Jesus was in the Temple on a Saturday(Sabbath), and there was a man with a crippled hand. Now there were these men called Pharisees, the WBC of their day. They were no longer interested in God, they were only interested in upholding the man-made laws they had established based off of God's law, which meant doing ZERO 'work' on the Sabbath. These men already wanted Jesus dead because He was pretty good at making them look like the fools that they were.

On this beautiful Saturday in Jerusalem, Jesus knows that the Pharisees are watching Him like a hawk and they want Him to heal the man and therefore disobey the(man-made) law of Sabbath. Here's what happens:

"But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand,“Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!  At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him."

The Pharisees were wild with rage, just like WBC they had lost sight of the heart of God. Yes, God has set up laws for us to live by once we are saved to help guide us towards living more like Him. But, God is first and foremost concerned with saving His children. He brought the Israelites out of slavery and then gave them the law. 

We (you and me) can't be stuck-up religious tools who demand everybody follows every law of God. Our desire should be to help them experience and get to know the God we know. The God who loves, not hates. The God who gives grace. The God who longs for us to know Him. 

"Is this a day to save life or destroy it?" - Jesus of Nazareth

Are you doubting\dispising Christianity because of people like WBC?

Have you been hurt in the past by someone who claimed to be a Christian?

If so, please give God another chance. Don't base your view of God solely on a few misguided people. 

Feel free to email me, peter.david.jenkins@gmail.com or friend me on Facebook with any questions you may have. 

Today I Could...

What's that one thing you could do today to make someone else's day...

How could you serve someone?

What could you do to cheer someone up?

How could you make someone feel important?

What are the reasons you wouldn't do it?

Are your reasons good? 

Or do you feel lame for even having them as reasons?

Is this post slapping me in the face as I write it?

Yes.

So let's both do something today. 

Don't waste the...

time...

encouragement...

smile...

hug...

friendship...

love...

...that you have to offer.

3 Questions You Should Regularly Ask Your Friends

I believe that my generation is one that desires honesty. We desire to know how you're really thinking/doing/feeling/sleeping at night... okay that's creepy... but you get the picture.

I've come up with three questions every friend should ask their friends.


1. What Area of Life Do You Not Want Me to Ask About?

I stole this question from a speaker named Dave Bennett who stole it from a friend of his. This is the end-all full life-check question. This is where you'll be vulnerable for growth's sake. You open yourself up for someone else to speak truth.

2. How's Your Relationship with Jesus?

This is a tough question to ask and it can be worded in different ways. Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, this is still a vital question. A relationship with Jesus is the most important and life-giving relationship a person can have. Why wouldn't you ask somebody about it? (Future blog post)

3. How Can I Pray for You?

"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." 

-James, thought to be the brother of Jesus

When we pray for each other, we are connecting our hearts with God's and those we are praying for. We care for their struggles and we celebrate with their victories. God designed us to live this life in community; praying for each other enhances community in a heart-shaping way. 

Accountability, man-talk, girl-time, heart-to-heart, however you want to label this, the truth is the same. We need to be caring for each other in a way that makes us bold enough to ask these tough questions. You will see your friendships grow as a result of regularly asking and honestly answering these questions. 

How has your life been shaped by questions others have asked? What question have you used to help your friends grow?

Replenish

Am I Ugly?

This past weekend, I read a heartbreaking article about a new trend among teens. I felt led to share this discovery with you all in hopes of supporting and caring for students and each other. I asked my good friend Michael Wiltshire, to do some research on the trend and compose a loving challenge to us all. I pray that we will all be called to Christ-like action.


Michael's Response:


The trend that we are referring to is a developing YouTube phenomenon where adolescents are posting videos asking the question, “Am I ugly?” The teens then open the comments section up for people all over the world to post their judgment on the teen’s appearance. Some of the comments are supportive. Many of them are horribly crafted to inflict painful judgment on the young girl or boy. Here is one of those videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwU2OcJVoIg&feature=related


Lysa TerKeurst, an author and blogger for Proverbs 31 Ministries gets to the heart of this trend when she writes, “I could have been one of these questioning girls. I remember what it was like to feel different. Unaccepted. Not pretty. Desperate for someone to validate me. Craving acceptance from friends and attention from boys. Because that’s what I thought would fix me.”


Lysa rightly points out that these teens are not merely curious about their appearance: they are desperate for validation, affirmation, and unconditional love. We believe in engaging culture in meaningful ways and we will certainly do our best to communicate the love and acceptance God has for each and every student. Our hope and joy would be that because of this post, you will be emotionally moved to action. If you're a parent, please take time to watch this video and know that there are countless like it (from both genders). More importantly, take time today to tell your children how beautiful and special they are to you. And how much joy they bring you every day! Don’t just assume they know that—tell them regularly! If you're a teacher, be on the look out(as I know most of you already are) for students who may just need an extra cheerful, 'hello!' or 'how are you today?' If you're a student, be bold and mention to your friends how important it is for you to encourage each other and not bully. Let’s work together to develop students(and adults) who are confident in themselves and in their Father God! Let’s work daily to show them that they are loved. No matter what.


Thank you, so much, for your love, compassion, and action. 


If you have any thoughts you would like to share or other resources that may be helpful please share them in the comments section below. Let's equip and encourage each other. 

What I Learned from a Turtle

Tweet: No matter how busy you are, sometimes you need to stop and help a turtle cross the road.

I helped a helpless turtle today and it reminded me of a story I read while I was preparing for my lesson in Impact on Wednesday night.

He\she hissed at me...but I knew he\she needed my help.

When Jesus was here on earth, the disciples came to Him and asked who was the greatest of the disciples. They were a humble group and I'm sure they just wanted to know so that they could pray for each other better...yeah right. Jesus answers them by doing something you'd never expect.

They must be in a marketplace or maybe near the temple in the city because Jesus then summons a little kid to come over to the group (Does this make Jesus a Stranger Danger?). The child comes over and Jesus sets Him on His lap(that's how I picture it anyways) and says that the greatest in the Kingdom are those who admit their sin and humble themselves like a child.

SIDE NOTE: Can you imagine being this kid? He is being compared to the greatest member of the Kingdom of GOD and he's probably sitting on Jesus' lap eating a booger or licking the dirt off his hand. 

Turn from our sins and become like a child...sounds confusing to me. I'm not a dad yet, but I have five younger siblings, two of which are more then ten years younger than me. So when I think about a child, they come to mind along with a few of the kids our friends have had. When I think about how kids are...I get even more confused...they whine a lot, they want their own way, they disobey a lot, and you always have to keep an eye on them. So what part of being a child was Jesus referring to? 

Then it hit me. 

They are dependent.

Yes they do all those things I listed above. But, what are they even if they don't realize it? Dependent. They are completely helpless without someone to watch over them. 

So, maybe that's it. Maybe being great in the Kingdom of God is simply admitting our dependance. Yes, we need to strive to turn from our sin...but Jesus knew we wouldn't do that perfectly and we knew we couldn't do it at all unless we realized our need for Him. 

Without Him, we are hungry, dirty, stinky, and really whiny.

With Him, we are hungry, dirty, stinky, and really whiny until we cry out saying, "Daddy! I need you!" 

He replies, "I know you do, and I'm what you need." 

What do you think Jesus meant when He said become like a child? 

We Are Terrible At This

I sin. You sin. It's a fact. We all do things that are wrong.

Yet so often we get caught up in focusing on each other's failures. 

We see our friends sin and we think: 

"How could they do that?"

"They are a Christian and they were caught doing that?"

"I would never do that."

It seems to us like a sin that sets them apart from us. 

They will never regain our respect and friendship.

 "Brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path." - The Apostle Paul (Galatians 6:1)

Two words we are terrible at: Gently and Humbly.

See the person behind the sin. 

See the life Christ died to save. 

Remember their value is the same as yours with Christ. 

It's time to stop harping on each other, and start helping each other.

The Best Way to Walk Out of Church

I have had the incredible privilege of speaking twice in our main service at gracespring Bible Church where I work as an Assistant Pastor to Students(i.e. Middle School and College Guy). The first time I taught was full of nerves and sweat. The second had a slightly less of both. The reason I mention this is because a former boss of mine started a conversation with me that I'll never forget because he heard me speak.

The conversation started off at a restaurant in my hometown of Plainwell, MI. He lovingly called me, 'Pastor Pete' as I walked in the door. I instantly smiled and returned the warm greeting.

He let me know that he had heard me speak and was very proud of me and the pastor I was becoming. Anytime you have a boss that you respect, words of affirmation from them stay with you.

He went on to talk about how he been coming to gracespring off and on for a few months. His regular church was where he went to see his friends, but gracespring was where he went to get encouraged, challenged, and uplifted.

"When I walk out of my church, Pete, I'm just walking. When I walk out of your church, I'm bouncing!"

It was such a simple yet profound statement. And that's the way it should be. Sunday mornings at church shouldn't be a time when we faithfully sit in our seat and 'let' the preacher talk at us for an hour. It should be a time when we are reminded of God's love, grace, and sacrifice for us. That should cause us to leave church filled with excitement! 

How do you feel after a Sunday morning at your church? 

Should you be a part of change that needs to happen in your church? 

Should you be leading you and\or your family to a different church? 

Chardon High - Why God?

This past Monday morning many of us were awakened to the news of tragedy. It wasn’t as shocking as when it happened 13 years ago in Colorado, but it still breaks our hearts and leads us to ask questions. At 7:40 on Monday morning, T.J. Lane opened fire in Chardon High Schools cafeteria and shot five students before fleeing the school. Since the shooting, two of the students have died and two others are in critical condition. Students from the school commented that T.J. was often bullied for his ‘Goth’ wardrobe and attitude.

Chardon is a community very similar to Gull Lake, Plainwell, or Portage. This isn’t an inner city community where gang and domestic violence are common, it’s a community much like our own. We hear about tragedy like this and we can’t help but ask the question, where is God? Why didn’t He intervene? We know that nothing surprises God, but man it seems really unfair to those students. We all make mistakes, why were they punished in this way?

Throughout all of our stories are times where if we’re honest, we question the sovereignty or decision making ability of God. Why does He do certain things and not others? Why do miracles happen for some and not for others? Or maybe your story up to this point hasn’t included God very much at all and you’re asking the question, why am I here? What’s my purpose? Is there a God?


I know God welcomes our questions.


What questions do you have? Are you honestly asking them? 



You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:13