Sorry, I've been busy lately.

I have been occupied with other things over this past week and I haven't had much time left for JimmyBob's Place. Part of it is that I started a MySpace account, a Xanga account, a Yahoo Groups account, and another Youth Pastor's Forum. The other parts of it are that Survivor started up again on TV, for my birthday I got "Rockstar Table Tennis" for my video game system, and I have been really tired. One night I even fell asleep at this computer.

Anyway, tonight I was thinking about a Scripture that I shared in a sermon I preached this past Sunday. It is found in 1 John 2 and it is verses 15-17. They say. . .

"Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever."

I never thought about the fact that this world is fading away. Like most people, I stop at the parts about eyes, flesh, and pride.

These verses tell us that there are two forces at work against each other. There is "this evil world" and there is "the will of God."

There are two offers that we must consider. We can choose to crave the things of this world or we can crave the will of God.

There are only two outcomes (we can assume according to these verses in particular and verified through others) of our choosing one craving over the other. If we choose to crave the things that the world has to offer, we will eventually suffer eternal death. If we crave the will of God and do it, we will live forever.

Now the part that stuck out at me was that this world and it's cravings are already fading away. They are soon going to be dissolved and vanish. God is already working His will and the end of the world (as we know it) is soon to come. It makes sense that if we crave doing the Father's will that we can go on living forever, because God's will is eternal. It also makes sense that if we choose to satisfy the cravings of this world that we will eventually perish along with those things that are even now fading away.

God allows us to identify ourselves with either one. It is up to us. I can't see any other way to interpret these verses. They make sense to me. More than anything else, they speak hope into me. That my God is moving and working things out. That I should stay in love with Him and trust Him over all other influences in this life. Even if I mess up bad, I should repent and draw close to Jesus, who loves me more than I can imagine, because it is my alignment with His side that leads to eternal life.

What do you think?

Youth Ministry Report

I wanted to tell you several things that are happening in our youth group lately. I thank God for the growth and depth I'm seeing.

1. Last Friday night we held a See You At The Pole Rally and All-Night Lock-In. Thirteen different youth groups showed up. We had a total of 305 people! That was incredible. We were only expecting 140-150.
   
2. We are beginning a Youth Choir. So far I have 11 students signed up. They will begin the first Wednesday of October and start practicing 3-5 Christmas songs by Steve Taylor. Their first full performance will be at a Christmas Block Party our church is co-sponsoring in the neighborhood. If everything works out well, they will also get prepared to sing in the Arizona Assemblies of God Fine Arts Festival in the spring.


3. Some of our youth have wanted to sponsor a child through Compassion but haven't had the $32/month to carry the load alone. So, I picked up a packet of a little 6 year old girl from Mexico named Maylin. I presented her to the youth group last Wednesday night and I had over 20 kids raise their hands saying they would like to sponsor her. I am going to receive a Compassion offering the first Wednesday of each month to cover the cost. They will need to write her letters too. And hopefully, when we're in Mexico City next summer, we'll be able to travel a short way to see her.


4. About a month ago I began to sense that God was leading us into a deeper prayer focus. I asked any of our young men if they would like to become a prayer partner with me. Basically, that meant that they would meet me 10 minutes before each youth group service and pray for me and everything that would happen that night. They would also need to correspond with me over email concerning prayer needs, etc. Five guys responded and it has been a good experience so far. I love it when they pray over me. It is empowering and comforting. Praying for them is a joy that anyone who has worked in youth ministry can understand.

There are so many other things that I could mention, like Student Leadership Development, Teen Bible Quiz, our worship team, and the fact that our Senior High Sunday School class is busting at the seams with 33-36 students every week. Sunday School! It is taught by the parents of a couple of our students. They are such wonderful and giving people.

Please pray for students accross America everywhere who will be around their flagpoles at school praying during See You At The Pole. Like everything, after it's been established and organized, it can lose it's purpose and power. Pray that SYATP will be used by those who have a burning in their hearts already for Christ and want to see their world changed. But, also, for the kids who join in, pray that they will catch the Spirit. Pray that it isn't all a routine or tradition.

Amen.

The Impossible

I believe that God is looking for a generation that will dream of great things and dare to set about achieving them for His glory. He is searching the earth for those with extraordinary faith, people of sincere prayer and actions of love. He desires that someone will look at their circumstances (impossible dilemnas) and they will declare that with God "All things are possible."

Here is quote I heard recently:

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It is a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."

That quote came from Slam Magazine in an advertisement for Adidas sneakers! Wow!

This is just a sneaker ad people! It is used to movitate athletes to physically excel and wear Adidas when they go for it.

How about applying those thoughts to our spiritual walk? Power to change the world?

When God promises to go before us, when He promises to fight for us, when He promises to carry us through, what else do we need to know? When God gives us the dream and tells us to take it, why do we still see impossibility?

Oh God, have patience with us and help us to be different. Can it be that we are plagued by doubt and fear? Do we really believe in God?

When we have the guts, we will see the glory of the Lord. Just ask the snail in these pictures.

So there. Nothing's impossible...

JimmyBob's Place 2

Until all Blogger in Beta gliches are fixed...

GO TO JimmyBob's Place 2 and post there.

Thanks friends!