PRIMAL - A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity

I recently had a chance to review a new book by Mark Batterson (author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase), called PRIMAL: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. (Thanks Mark and Liz!) Here is a small taste of what the book is about, as well as my thoughts:

When Jesus was asked what was the number one command, He responded with this: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength... and love your neighbor as yourself." Sounds like 2 commands, but maybe it's just one...

Mark Batterson makes a challenge for all Christ followers that we all need to be reminded of, and we all need to focus on. If we can simply live up to this primary command, it would be revolutionary, not just for our lives, but all over the world!

If you haven't created a reading list for the new year - or even if you have - put PRIMAL at the top of that list and make it your first read of the new year!

SUMMIT SUNDAY - THIS SUNDAY!

This Sunday @ 9:30am should be one of the most exciting mornings of the fall for students and parents!

Do you want your student to be successful in all they do - to reach the peak of their potential? Make sure they're at SUMMIT SUNDAY this Sunday at 9:30am!

Here's what we have for students Sunday:


Here's what we have for PARENTS this Sunday at 9:30am:

FREE Parent Breakfast and Seminar @ 9:30AM in FLC 108

Parenting Your Teen in a Media World.

Angels and Demons

Last night in our high school ministry, we started a 2-part series called, "Angels and Demons". We're looking at the reality of spiritual warfare and talking about ways that we can see/sense the spiritual realm impacting our lives daily.

As I began preparing, I had a strong sense that the enemy would work hard to distract students (and me) from what God wanted us to know and understand in this area. So, last night, we tried to kill a few myths:

#1 - Everyone should pray to their guardian angel (while guardianship may be a reality, the phrase "guardian angel" is not actually found in Scripture - and angels should not be prayed to or worshipped - Hebrews 1 talks about this)

#2 - The devil is just a halloween character - no big deal

#3 - Angels are little babies with wings

#4 - The devil is everywhere and can control anyone at his choosing

#5 - They don't exist - This is the scariest one to believe

The truth is that they do exist... and the battle fought in the spiritual realm is a battle that impacts us on a daily basis - whether it is a spirit of complacency, insecurity, lust, deception, pride, fear, anger, etc, we lose regularly because we don't pay attention.

Here are a couple key truths we ended with:

- This is REAL. It's scary. Apart from Christ, we walk this battle every day alone, in fear, in emptiness, and in darkness.

- The reason we turn on lights when we're afraid is because we were made for the Light.

FALL RIOT RECAP

1599 students and adults

156 decisions for Christ

44 first-time salvations

1 Savior to receive ALL the glory!

What an incredible night! Thanks for your prayers and for helping make it possible!

FALL RIOT 2009

Wednesday, October 7th
6:30-8:30pm
North Campus Worship Center

FREE COMMUNITY-WIDE STUDENT RALLY!

FREE Chick-Fil-A!

Football highlights from area schools!

Big prizes!

Live music!

Dance crews!

Quarterback challenge!

Drum lines!

So much more!

Don't let your student miss this HUGE event!

FALL RIOT

Wednesday, October 7th @ 6:30pm

FREE COMMUNITY-WIDE STUDENT RALLY!

football highlights from area schools!

FREE Chick-Fil-A!

big prizes!

live music!

dance crews!

quarterback challenge!

drum lines!
so much more!

Destiny...

I've taken some time away from blogging, but I come back with one of my favorite videos of all time. Such a true message! If we haven't embraced it, we've missed out. If we don't embrace it, we'll continue to miss out. When we do embrace it, watch out!!!

Celebrating Freedom

Today, we celebrate our independence. We remember the sacrifices made in the past - and still being made - to secure our freedom as a nation. To my grandad to my cousins, family and friends, people I know personally and those I dont - Thank you!

Today, I can't help but think of the freedom purchased for us on the cross. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." Freedom not just live, move and breathe, but to LIFE - a life that is exciting, often tough, filled with adventure, but full and better than one could imagine. That's the free life in the Spirit, bought on the cross.

The First 6 Years...

This weekend, Michelle and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary! We went out to the Kemah Boardwalk for the first time, ate dinner on an outdoor balcony at sunset, rode the ferris wheel and the wooden rollercoaster, ate ice cream, and watched the sailboats come and go.

The weather was beautiful and the night was awesome, but I am most thankful for my beautiful wife and the awesome 6 years we've spent together! I am so lucky to spend my life with her as my wife!

At sunset, I asked her what she enjoyed most about the last 6 years... she's pretty good:

BEACH RETREAT 2009

What an AMAZING week at High School Beach Retreat! We took 334 students and leaders from our North Campus and saw 75 students follow Christ in baptism - 34 for the very first time!

Check out these pictures of the week:

BEACH RETREAT 2009

The best week of the summer! See what happens and what students say about Beach Retreat...

SHIFT STUDENT MINISTRY

SHIFT is the new title of the North Campus Student Ministry! Every one of us in on a spiritual journey. Some people are still stuck in the driveway with their vehicle in Park, while others have been on the road for years, seeing sights that they never could have dreamed of or described. Imagine taking this journey in first gear - you won't get far and you'll never be on a good pace. So many people get stuck in the same gear spiritually, and our desire is that students would SHIFT their faith into a new gear! For some that means getting out of Park and starting the journey. For others, it may be getting out of the same gear (spiritual rut) that they've been in for a while.

The Christian life is about constantly SHIFTing to the next gear. Our desire, purpose, and vision is to see students all over the North Houston area SHIFT their faith and enjoy the incredible journey that God has laid out for them.

Here is our vision in one statement:SHIFT STUDENT MINISTRY is building a generation of students who LIVE passionately for Jesus in a way that impacts others, who GIVE of themselves, and GROW in Christ's love!

Premiere Weekend

PREMIERE WEEKEND IS JUST ONE WEEK AWAY!

Join us February 6-8 as we roll out the red carpet for Premiere Weekend. Students will be in host homes throughout the Houston area for an incredible time of fun, fellowship, and growth. Our featured guest speakers will include Dr. Jay Strack, Alex Himaya, Brent Crowe, and the Student Leadership University team.

Premiere Weekend will feature high energy worship led by the ELEVATE BAND and Aaron Ivey (Spur58). The worship, small group times and activities will make this event one powerful weekend in the lives of the students who attend.

Cost: $65 to register and then bring $10 at Friday's check-in for recreation and fun. This cost includes a Premiere Weekend T-shirt, all food, our incredible speakers & worship bands and an amazing weekend to remember.

Schedule: Friday, February 6th at 6:00pm check in at your Second Baptist Church Campus. We will finish after church on Sunday, February 8th.

Information: High School Ministry: 713-365-6305

Download Premiere Weekend Registration Form Here

Simplicity

I read some great thoughts today about simplicity from Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges (authors of Lead Like Jesus) and Lee Ross. Here are some of their thoughts on how to focus on simplicity:

• Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
• Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you.
• Develop a habit of giving things away: “de-accumulate.”
• Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry. Time-saving devices almost never save time, and must be maintained.
• Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
• Develop a deeper appreciation for creation. Get close to the earth. Walk whenever you can. Discover once again that “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.”
• Look with healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes
• Reject anything that breeds oppression in others. In a world of limited resources, does our lust for wealth and pleasure mean poverty for others?

A SHIFT IS COMING...