Learning Systematic Theology and then Leading Middle Schoolers!

That is pretty much my life right now. I get to read a Systematic Theology book for most of the day and then head on down to the youth building with a "melted brain" and a room full of energetic youth. Actually, it is a lot of fun...I am making it sound worse than it is.

In other news, Thanksgiving is next week! My favorite holiday! No gifts to buy, no stores to visit (for me) and just quality time with the family. Who could ask for more?

Josh

Caught Up!

So I have to make a confession. I have been really caught up in the "political season." It is like a car accident, and I can't turn away. Two people stand up in front of the world and shoot off a bunch of talking points. Some of the points are true, some of them are not. Either way, the one speaking the points is hopeful that those listening will just "take his word for it" and leave it at that. In fact, the only way for a person to know what is true and what is not is to look at the actual record, which requires a little work. Some just won't do it. They don't want to know the real truth, but will still offer an uninformed opinion on the matter.

Compare that to how people approach their faith. They say faith plays a vital role in their life, but then someone comes along and challenges them with a false accusation about scripture and/or God. Too many believers respond with, "I didn't know that...I'll get back to you," and then walk away from the encounter with doubts. Think about it, that's what politics is! A politicians goal is to put doubts in the hearts of people about the other candidate...when someone is uniformed on the truth, they are tricked into believing what is not true.

Think about this...We have become "uninformed Christians." Christianity and faith in God is consistently bashed from all sides, yet the common response from believers is, "I'll ask my pastor" or "you should read this book I read." That simply won't cut it!

1 Peter 3:15 says, " Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope you have." Being prepared involves study, practical application, and knowledge. Not just sitting through a 30-minute sermon. I tell my group all the time, "Don't take my word on this. You need to go and read your Bible to check on what I am saying." There are consequences to NOT taking your faith seriously...am I saying that NOT reading your Bible and NOT exercising your faith makes you an uninformed Christian? Yes...reverse that trend.

Don't get caught up in that...

Josh

Some Nights

Problem #1: Some nights I feel like sitting on my couch and doing absolutely nothing, even though my kids want me to go in the backyard and play with them.

Problem #2: Some nights I want to eat every single thing in my fridge and pass out into a coma while watching Monday Night Football, even though I know my body would take a physical beating from that type of torture.

Problem #3: Some nights I don't want to read my bible, even though I know it is the one thing that will give me peace from the days events.

Problem #4: Some nights I don't feel as close to Jesus as I should be, even though those are usually the nights that I choose not to read my bible.

Problem #5: Some nights I feel crushed by the weight of providing for a family, being a good husband, and making sure I don't mess the whole thing up...

Realization to #1: Sitting on a couch doing nothing sounds appealing, but my kids won't ask me to "play" forever. Actually, time is ticking away. Me doing nothing will leave a lasting memory of my lack of love and laziness in their minds. I may have been working all day, but they have been craving my attention all day.

Realization to #2: Football is cool. Eating food is fun...Dying of cardiac arrest at an early age would not be.

Realization to #3: Trying to figure everything out on my own is usually what gets me in trouble in the first place. Reading God's word is the perfect prescription to a stressful day. Why wouldn't I want that? 

Realization to #4: I often wonder why Jesus chooses to stick around. I only seek Him when I am in trouble, and I only "ask" for things, rarely "giving" him things. Happiness comes when I flip that around. 

Realization to #5: I will mess it up...If I keep trying to do it alone. Lord, I'm just putting it in your hands.

Most nights I just can't believe how blessed I am...Even when things aren't running smoothly.

Romans 8:28 "For I know in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."

Mission Plans?

So...

The trip is over. That's right, all the planning, fundraising, and actually executing a trip to Nassau has come to and end. God first laid the trip on my heart back in September 2011, and it is hard to believe that it is now a thing of the past.

Each mission trip I attend teaches me so much about myself and the people who are experiencing it with me. So many times we think that we will come riding in on a white horse and save the people we are there to serve, but truthfully, we always end up learning more about ourselves in the process. We see that we need to do a better job with a our relationship with God. We see that we take too many things for granted. And we see that God's plans are not the same as our plans.

I saw God in so many ways through our high school students on this trip. Think about this, not one time (in 7 days) did I have a high school teenager come up to me and complain about anything...ANYTHING! These students did not have access to computers, cell phones, iPod's, or iPad's! The only devices that had power buttons were the room fans that were needed to keep our cabins "cool". Yet no one complained! They were serving people, and by extension, God!

I love everyone who went to Nassau with me, and I know all the people who worked with loved our group as well. It was truly unforgettable...and if I could say anything to God, it would be, "Thank you for using me and giving me such an amazing group!"

Here are some pictures that capture our amazing week in Nassau!

Josh

Atlanta Dayz....

So, a middle school trip to Atlanta!

A few months ago I thought it might be interesting to take a bunch of middle school students to Atlanta so that we could do pretty much everything the city had to offer. AND...I believe we accomplished our goal. We spent 4 days "seeing" the sights and ran ourselves into the ground doing it. Simply put, you know you have accomplished something when a 7th grade boy (who is normally running everywhere and staying up all night) is completely wiped out and falls asleep at 8:30pm! Oh yeah, I won!

Here is a rundown (and review) of some of the activities we did during our Atlanta trip. Enjoy!

1. The Varisty - For those of you who don't know what The Varsity is, let me explain. It is the largest (or one of the largest) carport restaurants in the country. Basically, it's a HUGE Sonic with an indoor seating area. The main restaurant is located downtown, right off of I-75. We stopped there on our first night because someone told me I had to go there. Now that I have been there I'm trying to figure out "why" I had to go. They have hamburgers, hotdogs, chili, fries, and stuff like that. When you actually get your food it looks like everything on your tray has been sitting on it for 24 hours. Don't get me wrong, I ate it :) But other than the interesting "Subway" feel of the building, there really isn't a reason to go to this place other than saying you've been there.

2. Zoo Atlanta - You could call this the Atlanta Zoo, but that would be too easy. Seriously, this was a cool zoo. Since the zoo is located in the city it is kind of closed in and not spread out so much. That means all of the exhibits are close together. Which I LOVED! We saw pretty much every animal you could think of...which included AWESOME kung fu pandas. Or regular pandas...either way, the zoo was nice!

3. Fernbank Museum of Natural History - No need for a long review here. The building is beautiful and so are the dinosaur bones in the main entry. They have an IMAX as well! And that is all...Seriously!! We spent the majority of our time in the gift shop because that was pretty much the only place where there were things to look at. Oh wait, their main exhibit was called 'The Scoop on Poop'. You read that right. So if you ever want to pay $20 a person to learn more about #2, Fernbank is your place.

4. Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees - Baseball, peanuts, ice cream, and friends...enough said. It was fun.

5. Georgia Acquarium - This review will be short. Georgia Aquarium is the best Aquirium I have ever been to, period. No other even comes close. However, since it is the best it is always packed. But, it should be packed...cause it's the best! (the best = whale sharks, beluga whales, dolphin shows, shark-petting, etc)

6. World of Coca-Cola - Check out the history of Coca-Cola, try to find the secret formula, and watch the 4D movie about how Coca-Cola is delivered throughout the world. But all of that is just a time waster because at the end you get to sample 65 different coke flavors from all over the world in their Taste-It room! That's the best part.

7. Six Flags over Georgia - I had a great time because I love thrill rides. If you are not a thrill ride fan, just stay home. There is not much to do at this park if you don't like roller-coasters. I mean, you can eat stuff and watch other people go on thrill rides, but that doesn't sound like fun. Some of the kids were just flat-out bored. (Surprising, isn't it) Overall, the park is clean and is kept up well. It was a good time.

I enjoyed our morning bible study times, the pranks the girls played on us, and just getting to know everyone on the trip a little better. I always try to mix up our activities so that everyone will enjoy at least one or two things, but for me, just seeing our middle schoolers enjoying their time together is worth it in the end.

Until the next trip...

Josh

It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated!

A few weeks ago my oldest sons teacher recommended that he try to enroll in honors classes for his 3rd grade year. Apparently, in order for a kid to make it into one of these classes they have to pass a bunch of tests. I don't know much about these "honors" things because the only thing a teacher ever recommended for me was home school.

The funny thing is, I wasn't expecting too much from my boy. The reason: He's MY son! That means he should be blessed with my inability to get good grades in school. At least that's how I rolled when I was his age. Anyway, because of his "genes" I prepared all of my lines if the testing didn't go well and he didn't get into the honors classes...

"It's not you, it's them!"

"It's an honor just to be nominated."

And the best one...

"You're always gonna be daddy's honor student."

Well, this week I found out that none of those lines were necessary. My boy got in...and that is very cool for him! I am sure he will succeed because this school stuff is right up his alley. But putting the whole "honors" thing aside, it taught me a valuable lesson on how I shouldn't be surprised to see my kids succeed. God has gifted each of them with talents and abilities that will develop as they grow. The most positive thing I can do for my kids is encourage them to pursue those things. 

It also reminds me of how God views us. There are so many times that I wish God would just step in and make a situation more pleasant for me. But he just sits back, like a proud papa, and says, "I gave you the tools to get out of this mess. You'll be okay." The cool thing about God is that He KNOWS we will succeed because we have his "genes". That's right, we are created in His image and are His children. Have you ever taken one second to actually think about what that means?

The next time you're down...The next time you feel like you don't have what it takes...The next time you don't even want to try because you think you'll fail...

Just remember, your Heavenly Father expects you to succeed because you're His child! You're His creation! And because of that, in the words of the band Switchfoot, "You were meant to live for SO MUCH MORE!"

That's your lift.

Josh

Does Youth Ministry Work?

I have been involved in full-time youth ministry for almost 10 years. It's pretty amazing to think that I have been a part of so many young lives. Of course, many of those "young" people are well on their way to being "old" people! (What does that make me?)

Over the course of 10 years in a "specialty" field, you learn a few things. For example, I have learned that being in 7th grade and 11th grade are the equivalent to being in "No Mans Land". Why? Because in 7th grade you don't have the experience of being a 6th grader in a new environment, and you don't get to be the cool people on the block like 8th graders. Juniors in high school (11th graders) have it the worst! You're one year away from one of the greatest years of your life, but you're not their yet. You're not a freshman (who get to experience a new school), you're not a sophmore (who value their worth through not being a freshman), and you're not a senior (self-explanatory). You're just a junior. Nothing more...nothing less. Ho-hum...

Anyway, here is something else I have learned. Youth ministry doesn't work!

Wait...wait...WAIT!!!!

Before you click away from this blog let me explain myself. Of course youth ministry works...sometimes. I am a strong advocate for youth ministry. I believe that God uses youth ministers, adult volunteers, student leaders and more to make youth ministry one of the most positive influences on a young teenagers life. Leading a young person to Christ is an amazing experience. The passion and glimmer of hope (in Christ) that is ignited in a teenagers heart is one of the most wonderful things in the world to witness. As a youth pastor, I have had the honor of standing in the gap and being a "father" figure to a young person whose father had walked out on them. I have had the privilege of being a spiritual leader for a young person when their family didn't have anyone who would take on that role. I have laughed, cried, loved, lost, and been able to teach the Word of God to so many each week. God uses youth ministries in many ways, and HE can make them work!

So when does youth ministry not work?

Answer: When parents are not spiritual leaders at home.

There are amazing, God-sized, exceptions to this rule, but for the most part it's true. I was reading Think Orange by Reggie Joiner the other day, and he said something that I have witnessed time and again in my ministry. He said, "No one has more potential to influence a child's relationship with God than parents." And the reason for this can be boiled down to one thing...TIME! On average, parents spend 3,000 hours a year influencing their children. That's right parents! In that time, your children are learning your habits, seeing how you handle money (and what matters to you), paying attention to how you treat your spouse, observing your lifestyle, witnessing how you talk to people, figuring out if you really believe and live out that "Bible" stuff, and taking notes for when they become adults. Simply put, they will follow your lead! So where and how are you leading them?

How many hours a year do youth ministries get with your child? 40. That's it...40! That is the average. We get more time with some and less time with others, but that number should say it all. Compare that to the 400 hours a teenager spends playing video games each year and you will see how low youth ministry falls on the scale of influence.

Youth ministry is the most effective when youth pastors, like me, can walk alongside parents and reinforce the positive biblical truths that are being modeled at home. If the biblical truths we are teaching in youth group are not modeled at home, what example do you think the teenager will follow? (Again: 3,000 hours of learning one thing...or 40 hours of learning another thing)

God has given parents (not youth pastors) the primary responsibility of training and leading their children to a strong relationship with Jesus Christ. Intimidated? Take heart! If God has given you this amazing assignment, it means He believes you are fully capable of completing the task. And as a bonus, He has provided youth ministries to assist you in your task. THAT is what youth ministry is all about. ASSISTING YOU!

Parents and youth ministers must be on the same team and run plays from the same playbook (the Bible). Parents take the lead, and youth ministers can be the "other" adult voice that affirms the parent to the teenager. When a teenager recognizes that the same biblical message is believed, taught, and modeled from multiple directions...the seed takes root!

If you'd like to learn more about the 3000/40 principle, read Think Orange by Reggie Joiner.

Josh Huisman

Bright Lights

Could you imagine a world without churches?

Some people might read that question and believe that the world would be a much better place if that were the case. They would point to some of the horrible stories that have flooded our news in recent years, and what argument against Christians and the Church would be complete without mentioning the Crusades. Our society is quick to call for "the head" of something when things go bad, or mistakes are made. I'm not saying anyone has called for churches to end, but many are calling for people within the church to just be silent. "We know you love Jesus and that works for you, but please don't force Him on anyone else," is what we hear more and more.

So, what if the church followed that advice and stopped trying to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? What if the world could just flip a switch and the Church would be shut "off"?

In the book "Think Orange", Reggie Joiner tells an interesting story about an English professor he had in college. The professor was an agnostic and very much anti-Christian. Almost every day the professor would bring up some horrible atrocity that Christians were a part of. Joiner says, "He seemed to include all Christians in the same category, painting them as the most ignorant, narrow-minded, and prejudiced people in the world." As a result, many students in the class began to view Christians and their beliefs as a danger to society.

One day a student made a comment that he thought would be sure to please the professor. "Everybody would just be a lot better off if we just got rid of all the churches!" Joiner recalls how shocked he was when the professor responded, "That would be a tragedy! If we got rid of the churches, it would be like turning the lights off in our society. We need churches like we need our consciences."

The Christian church is second to none in meeting the needs of its community. The message of Jesus tells us to be a light in the world, and to meet the needs of others. How?

Matthew 25:35-36  "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Yes, there are Christians (and Christian leaders) who have done (and will do) horribly bad things. But the amount of good that is done by Christians because of the gospel of Jesus Christ dwarfs the bad. Our country is littered with Christian food shelters, rescue missions, adoption agencies, care/support groups, and millions of other generous acts that occur every day to show someone in need the love of Jesus. Lets not forget the millions of people who are lost, hurting and believing that they have no place to turn, and then a Christian friend invites them to a Sunday service where they hear the healing and restoring message of Jesus Christ. But for some reason, only the horror stories grab the headlines.

You see, if Christians (and by extension, the church) followed the advice of society and just kept the message of Christ to themselves, millions and millions of lights would be blown out in the world, and what comes when there's an absence of light?

So I'll ask again, could you imagine a world without churches?

Well that would be a world without Jesus, and I wouldn't want to imagine that for anyone...


Josh

Foundations

Outbreak!

Hey Everyone,

I started reading a book by Greg Stier called 'Outbreak'. It's an eye opening experience to the ins and outs of youth ministry. The book gives an inside look at what made Christianity go "viral" in the years that followed after Jesus ascended into heaven. Let me explain what "viral"means...

Remember the movie Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman and Cuba Gooding Jr.? It was about a deadly virus that infects an American town. A little monkey brought the Ebola virus to the United States and infected a small group of people. Over time that small group turned into a large group, and before you knew it, the government was trying to figure out how to stop the spread of the virus before the whole country was wiped out. It's an interesting movie.

Greg Stier talks about that movie quite a bit, and then asks why can't a move of Jesus spread through our youth groups in a similar fashion. Think about it. What would happen if our young people became "infected" with the gospel of Jesus Christ? What would happen if every where they went (school, sporting events, movies, etc.) they spread that gospel to their friends and unchurched teens? The number of people who came to know the Lord would grow exponentially!

One shocking bit of information that Greg points out is that over 75% of high school students will go off to college, and/or find a job, and then walk away from their faith...never to return. Why is that? I believe it's because students never actually make their faith their own. Sure, they attended church and youth group (although some don't) but the gospel of Jesus Christ was never truly a part of them. They were never "infected" with it. It was never a part of every fiber of their being.

Well, as I look at the youth ministry God has placed me over,  I think it's time for a change. I want the teens in our group to catch this virus. I want their parents to catch it as well. After all, the only way to catch a virus is to be exposed to it...so parents...it's time to step up and expose your kids to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Who knows, maybe this whole Jesus thing will catch on and change the world. Do you want to be a part of the Outbreak?

Josh Huisman

Doors

Celebrity Apprentice has Christians?

So a week or so ago I was watching Celebrity Apprentice. It just happens to be one of my favorite shows on television right now. Anyway, Lisa Lampenelli (I know I spelled that wrong) has been this season's biggest annoyance. She swears so much she could make a sailor blush, and she calls people names that are humiliating!
Well, in one particular episode she was negotiating with one of the other cast mates over which model they would use for a photo shoot. That's when Lisa said it..."You're lucky I'm a Christian, and a God-fearing woman." It slipped through her lips just as easily as every expletive and hurtful word she has said to every person this season.
Keep on being a light in the darkness Lisa. Let it shine.