A time of reflection over what God has done in 2008 and what He will do in 2009! www.debgraper.blogspot.com
12/18/08
12/13/08
Get Vision
The value we place on something is shown by what punishment or pain we are willing to go through for it. That’s a beautiful quote..... What are those things in your life that you would fight tooth and nail for? What is it that you so passionately believe in that as soon as it gets mentioned – your mind and your body jump alive? We should have those things in our lives that we love so much that we would climb through glass to get them. But every now and then you meet someone different; when they speak to you about what it is that they love and are passionate about – it makes you homesick for the same emotions. You even find yourself getting excited about the thing that they love even if you haven’t been personally invested in it up to that point. But their words and passion excites you. There is something so amazing about a person who is sold out; driven, unmovable and unstoppable in their pursuits. What do you love like that? Me personally I feel that way for my family and I also feel that way for the young people that I minister to today. In leading CYM; there have been some choices and decisions that we have made that others didn’t understand - but we made a choice early on that the thing that we believe most in; the message of Jesus Christ will not stop. Our message of loving Jesus and others around us with our entire hearts will never be snuffed out. It may be hard to take if you don’t feel the same way but truthfully we really don’t give it much thought. There’s much more work to be done than worrying if we are offending people with the message that offended people for generations. Time is short and only getting shorter. If you are new to CYM we welcome you. Our hope is that you would see that this isn’t about church as much as it is about being part of a bigger thing; a group that truly loves and cares for each other and loves and cares about Jesus. I have two huge binders of visitors who have come into CYM. Some have walked in and turned around and walked right out, others have walked in and stuck around for a short time and then left, and still others who have come in and stayed for years and have gone on to become leaders and helpers here and then of course over time some have moved on to different things. Sadly, I know of at least one who came in and walked out and a few short years later died at the young age of 16 in a car crash. Over the years I’ve had people walk into my office and they see the stack of visitors who’ve came and they act like we’ve really done something. Me, all I see is that they didn’t stay… they didn’t change their lives, and they might not EVER come to being a true follower of Christ. To some of you; we might just look like another youth group but what I see on a daily basis and what I know is that this is a family that is led by a group of followers of Jesus Christ who give up their time, their money and their own comforts, so that others might have lives that change. I say all that to give you vision. Of what we are right now; but also what we will always be if I have anything to say about it. What we are doing has a great affect on the world around us. There is nothing more amazing than to watch a young person come into this ministry with a disconnected view of the God who created them and watch them as they begin to see that they personally mattered to the Creator of the Heaven and Earth and that He died for them. If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what He reveals, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 The Message. I have been so privileged to see people get direction and determination where there used to be stumbling. What’s your vision? Do you have anything like that? Do you feel as if you matter to this world? That people actually care about you? I hope so. CYM stands for Chosen Youth Ministries. A long time ago this ministry was perfectly named from a scripture reference in 1 Peter 2:9 by a woman named Jen who felt as if it captured the people who belonged to it. The day I walked in I had the opportunity to change it if I wanted. There was absolutely no way that I could. My vision was the same as hers and it fit with what God was saying to me. But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. 1 Peter 2:9 The Message. Over and over again; throughout the years I’ve been told by people who were around me that God wanted me to know that this group was filled with people who would change this world; and I believe it with all of my heart. Some have already moved on, some are still here today and some haven’t yet walked through our doors. But when they do they will be welcomed with open arms and cared for up close. They will be spoken to and told that they matter to us and to the most beautiful man who ever walked this earth.
There are so many people just going through life, coasting on autopilot and they are thrown around every which way and are at the mercy of all the people who surround them.
On June 3rd of this year it will be 7 years of leading CYM. It came from humble beginnings in a small room with white walls and a drop ceiling. We had about 12 chairs in a circle that we hoped against hope we would fill on a night. Over time we grew; we’re still not a mega ministry but those who come are here because they share the same mindset and they work hard for what we do and what we stand for.
12/12/08
12/4/08
Pattern Yourself
Pattern Yourself
Imitate and Emulate! Pattern Yourself after Christ and others who are worthy of imitation.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (Amplified bible) - PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ. Good old Paul again in the bible… tells people to imitate him as he too is imitating Christ. That takes some confidence. How many of you could say the same thing; how many of you could with good faith tell those around you to imitate you? For Paul to be able to comfortably say this – he obviously had to be living what he was telling them to live like. He had to be walking the walk and not just talking the talk. Paul was willing to be their teacher – and I've told you before teachers will be judged even more strictly because of the influence they have on their students. To be the teacher that God requires you to be, you need to live what it is that you pattern for others. People MUST be able to see Christ in us; not just by us saying Christ lives in us but proving it through our behavior on a daily basis. And let me say that if you constantly have to point out the fact that you are a real Christian constantly to the people around you …. Maybe you might not be the person that you think you are. If you have to prove it with your words than maybe your persona is a bit weak. Because it's so much more than just simple words….it's much more important than that. To pattern yourself after someone – you imitate them – you make them your role model. A role model is a person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to imitate. How many of you can be truly comfortable in that role? Not just in certain parts of your life – but in ALL AREAS? How many of you think about what kind of person you are when you are around others – young and old alike? We tend to pick role models that possess the qualities that we ourselves would like to have and choose people who have affected us in a way that makes us want to be better people. HOPEFULLY! The bible makes it clear to us is that we are like little bitty babies when we first come to believe in Christ as Savior; but from then on there's supposed to be a growing up that takes place. Over time we are called to mature and we are supposed to switch from those who need to be fed to those who now feed others. But it's what we are feeding others that can be the problem.To do this in the way that God intended we can see that through the bible He tells us that we are to imitate, pattern ourselves, have role models and mimic certain people who have been put into our lives, from The Word and also in our lives. Think! Right now! It is important for you to think about whom it is that you have in your lives as your role models. Who are you patterning yourself after? Who is it that you are imitating? I've told you before that I imitate Paul…besides imitating Jesus Christ Himself. I also pattern myself after people who are living a life of dedication and devotion to Jesus on a daily basis that have the same mindset on ministry and loving others like Paul Scanlon of Abundant life church in England and Mark Batterson pastor for National Community Church in Washington, DC. And then throughout reading God's word I've come across others who have jumped off the pages that I think – "yes, I want to be like that!" Like Nehemiah who I am going to talk to you about next week. Tonight though with Paul – he sees that everyone is watching him- to either imitate him or criticize him so he tells these people and other people throughout the bible: 2 Thessalonians 3:7 for you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it; we worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. Philippians 4:9 keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing and the God of Peace will be with you. This wasn't pride… but simple truth. Like I said we have to live what we teach. And Paul was living it… and IF you are teaching – you had better be living it too. People are natural imitators. We are just like sheep we follow others all the time – some that we admire for the right reasons and some we shouldn't admire for some bad reasons. We learn by observing. We learn more and we learn quicker from observing than we do just from listening.That is why it is so much more important that you see Christianity lived out on a daily basis than just having someone just tell you about it or read it. Observance has the power of influence. We are influenced by what we see. What we see on a daily basis influences our thoughts; whether it is in television, at the movies or around family and friends, classmates or coworkers. We tend to imitate and pick up what others do around us. Even when we DON'T actually act in the same way; we can become numb to it because it becomes NORMAL over time. The continual seeing of something goes on to create greater and greater acceptance i.e..The more we see violence in media the less we become jarred by it. The more we see vulgar humor the more it becomes "not that bad." That's why it's important to listen to Paul in Philippians 4:8 when we says whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things. We then influence others by the way that we act. We tend to pick up mannerisms and behaviors of the people that we are around. This is true with: Kids and their parents, husbands and wives, bosses and their staffs. People are always watching…and they will be influenced by what they see. The more people value us – the more the more they will imitate us. Let's hope they value us for the good reasons. Children especially will imitate just about all that they see. When the dad talks ignorantly to the mom – the kids will talk ignorantly to the mom. If dad comes home and kicks the dog – the kids will eventually kick the dog. There is a saying "children have never been very good at listening to their elders but they never fail at imitating them." Ephesian 5:1, 2 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. It cannot be do as I say and not what I do. Not in Christianity it can't!!!! It is a life that we are supposed to share with each other; it's personal and not private it's vulnerable and not guarded and it's extravagant and not stingy. Paul made his life an example for others to follow.He preached and taught well but more importantly he modeled Christianity for all to see it well too. And because of his past – can't you just imagine that he had many doubters and detractors. When we look at him we can see what a true disciple of Christ is supposed to look like. Changed.Forgiven.Imperfect – but driven to succeed. Willing to fight the good fight. He obviously wasn't perfect at the beginning and he still made mistakes but his life pointed people to Christ, and caused those who believed to be stronger.Each one of us today has people watching us. Paul says that we are to be like Christ so that others will learn from us. This should be your goal. If we pattern ourselves after Godly people we will be godlier. If we pattern ourselves after ungodly people we will become more ungodly. If we choose to do the right thing over and over again it will become part of our being – it will be woven into who we are. Being a Christian is a high calling… it will take you great places and it will lead others to great places. Philippians 4:9 keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing and the God of Peace will be with you. Paul is talking about a way of life.If there are things in our lives that we wouldn't want people to copy then we need to quit them. Romans 14:13 NLT So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.Are you living a life worthy of imitation? Would you want the people around you to pick up your attitudes and mindsets and behaviors? Would they see Christ in you? I can tell you – not out of pride… imitate me. I love Jesus with all my heart. I am forever changed by what he did for me and want to point others to the same freedom and life he gave to me….but I'd like to have you take it one step further…I'd like to ask you to not only imitate me but emulate me. Emulate by definition means to strive to equal or excel especially through imitation. That means do what I do but do it even better!This is a life worth imitating. Live in a way to let others see what Christ is all about. Amen.
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