What the Junk's with Jesus Camp -- STAND UP

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Ok here's the link to a site for something called Jesus Camp. Jesus Camp is a movie that's coming out that is a documentary of the generation of youth today that's coming up and will bring out revival in America. This sounds great, but it's not. Watch the preview and let me know what you think. Here's what I commented on when I wrote them that pretty much gives my thoughts on the matter.

Well... I really want to see this movie. I'm a youth pastor and I know the next youth of today will be the turning point for the generation. In saying that I am a little scared of this movie based on the preview here. It talks about evangelical Christians, but none are shown in the video. It almost sounds like you're training kids as an army. All you're creating is a Christian Taliban. Is that what you want? I believe this will have the opposite effect that you're trying to get across here. Just like the da Vinci code, the movie will show the exact opposite of it's intended effect. Don't make this nation anymore secular by making Christians seem like extremist. We're not out for Judgment and just because these people are, doesn't mean we all are. I pray that everyone doesn't lump all Christians together to be like you guys, b/c we're totally not. Please don't say we are!

You might think I way harsh, but I doubt you will when you see the preview. The youth of today are the generation that's going to decide if the revival we so desperately need will come about. God wants us to have a revival where we all turn to Christ like we've never before. All revivals in HISTORY that were ever significant were started by people under the age of 18. If you're one of the students then I want you to know that I'm praying for you. If you're an adult begin praying for them. They call our generation a post-Christian generation, there's people on TV everyday cutting Christians down, and there's people who specifically Mock our God and everyone thinks it's ok. They think it's ok because we don't stand up for God.

I wrote the other day a Job description for a Christian that I will soon put up on here. I don't meet all these things all the time, but I'm trying because Jesus calls me to Seek after Him. In this document I think that all Christians should stand live for God and stand up for Him. If you can't handle it, don't claim to be a Christian. I'm so sick of the minority of people setting the rules for the majority because the majority doesn't stand up. Christians are the majority in this country, but unless we stand up we're just silently accepting what they say.

Now for Jesus Camp. You read what I have said above. Don't let this movie be another slap in the face to those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ. EVERYONE is going to use this movie. The people who hate Christians will label all of us as terrorist, Christians will point to a change through the next generation, and the rest of the people will see it and be afraid that we're trying to dictate their lives. I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER!!!! More evil than good is going to come from this movie. I ask that anyone and everyone stand up and let people know that Christians are not silent, we're not here to force you to do anything, we're here to save your life. I can't take anymore. God Rocks, JW

And then there were 3

That's right everyone, there's 3 left from our list of churches that we're looking at right now. You can cut out Grace Bible Church. We went there, and it was a long way for a very short day trip, but we went. That church is out, we felt it wasn't the place for us. Not sure how to explain what God was telling us, but it was definately not the place God wanted for us. A couple of days ago I got a letter from them the other day, and it confirmed what we'd known since the day we went and visited. I still left it open and didn't contact them b/c I wanted to wait for God's answer and not my own. Next, a good friend that I get advice from time to time from advised me to get away from the denomational lines. I'm definately considering it in light of the last church... If you wan know what I mean let me know. The only problem is that I owe a lot of my church experience to my old Baptist church that I grew up in. So what do I do? I've decided that I'm going to keep them open, but keep looking for non-denominational churches. Ok as for the second church you can cut out, that's Gayton Baptist Church. Funny thing is that it's a church that we weren't sure about from the beginning. The site was very vague and really didn't say much about the church. We didn't visit the church, but felt weird about it. Well they didn't feel I was the best fit, so that one's out.
OK so... What does that leave? That leaves 3 other churches that we're looking at and I'm going to give you them in order of what I feel is the best feeling towards them.

1) Westover Church (NC) -- I've visited this church and it was freakin awesome. They were very people oriented and even the people in my family got a hug from a complete stranger. They have a large youth group and are focused on missions. What are the drawbacks? I'm not sure there is any except with this large of a church, it's going to be hard to learn all the students and try not to let anyone fall through the cracks. The answer is that I have leaders to be me to everyone...So now it's up to you.

2) NewSpring Community Church (SC) -- I haven't visited this church because it's in SC and hard to travel there with school, work, and a life. The main perks to this job is the leadership. The Senior pastor is a old youth pastor. He knows all the problems and will work with the issues that most people don't understand. They've also got an awesome youth room if you wanna go to the site and look at the pics. They truly love their students. The drawbacks are first the senior pastor. I know I said it's a perk, but let me explain. The pastor would be able to see the issues and be sincere to them, but he'll also have greater expectations. He's been there and done exactly what I wanna come in and do. It's like trying to teach Michael Jordan's basketball team to play basketball with him on the sitting there watching you. It would definately be nerve racking for me. What do you think?

3) Pinecrest Baptist Church (VA) -- I again haven't been to this church. This church caught my eye, but again had a weird site. I know you're gonna point out the denomination, but I'm going to be open. If you haven't visited their site lately, it's much better now. I can't say a lot about this church other than it seemed good. Because of the lack of good, I can't really point out the drawbacks other than the location. This isn't a problem b/c I'm just gonna go where ever God sends me.

So what have we learned? God's taken out some, he's left others, and I'm sure as I keep looking and praying for God's will that he'll send me more. Keep praying, go look at these sites again, and let me know about what you think. Thanks for your help and prayers. God Rocks, Jtw

I'm not alright

Artist: Sanctus Real
Album: The Face Of Love
Song: I'm Not Alright

If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then “cool” is just how far we have to fall
I am not immune
I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall
Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth, I need to confess
I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you, it leads me to you
Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I’m open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I’m not that strong
I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you, it leads me to you
And I move, and I move, and I move...closer to you
And I move, and I move, and I move...closer to you
And I move, and I move, and I move...closer to you
And I move, and I move, and I move...
I’m not alright
I’m broken inside, broken inside
broken inside, broken inside
And all I go through
Leads me to you, leads me to you
I’m not alright, I’m not alright, I’m not alright...that’s why I need you

Yo service vs worship

Yo everybody my new few blogs will definitely be weird so don't freak out on me. I've been reading a book recently that talks about youth workers and how they fall into a trap of spending so much time in service to God that they don't worship God and their personal relationship with God is hurt through it. I recognized that the warning signs listed are totally me and I've become fairly stupid because of it. If you don't know what I mean then that's ok, I'm saying that I've spent so much time trying to be God to people that I can no longer just turn around and talk to God because I've moved to far away. Man I feel stupid, I mean who can't feel themselves moving away from God right? Well a lot of people think that service equals holiness, well it's not and I'm a good example of this. I do a lot of help students, and they don't even know it sometimes. So I've decided to follow the books advice and return to God. I'm going to have to rely on God more, and purposefully return to God. If I start saying NO more to people it's because I'm spending that time in worship to God and getting myself back on track with God. Please don't be mad at me if I refuse to do something, but it's only because I can't honestly teach you something that I don't feel. This is why I've decided that my personal relationship with Jesus will now come before others. This is the way it should be but I've forgotten that. I've become a stranger to God and now I MUST return to a brother and a disciple...I hope you understand...My God bless you all and I'll be here for everyone. I've not abandoned anyone, just cut back on the yes in order to say yes to Jesus instead...Thanks Kbye God Rocks, Jtw

yo visited a few churches

Well for those of you that actually read this and want to help, I visited 2 of the 4 churches and found one other for your viewing. I don't want to tell you which is which because I want you to keep praying for all of them. The first one I visited shannon was going there with very low expectations. She didn't like it from the site. It was a large church, and frankly it was awesome. It was very inviting, I even got a hug from a perfect stranger. They were geared toward helping others and huge on prayer. This one has a lot of pros and cons, so keep prayer for this one going. The one I went to last Sunday wasn't as good. It had a few things that were better than the first church, but there was a problem. We only had one person talk to us and we are the one's that started talking to them. A huge problem was the service. It had a lot of older people in it trying to be something they're not. They were trying very hard to be relevant to the culture and they weren't and shouldn't have been. It's easy to pick out a fake a mile away. So now what? I'm keeping this church open because we could help if they'd let us and I'm not going to say no to God if he choses that place. Keep praying for both of these churches, regardless of what I may think of them.
Ok here's the new one that I wrote to the other day, but not heard back yet. This one is a church started by a youth pastor, which is cool and scary at the same time. Let me know whatcha think.
www.newspring.cc
Let me know whatcha think. Well Thanks for all the prayer and I look forward to hearing from you on whatcha think and what I can do about this. God Rocks, Jw

Youth Pastor Search pt 2

Ok here's the update on what's going on with the search for a church. I've completed my resume and cover letter. I've sent them out to 6 churches. I have 4 left because one church already filled the position and 1 didn't meet the criteria after talking with them. Ok here's what I need from all those weird people who read what I write and will be willing to help.

First off, pray! Pray that God will send me to the right one and all the others will not be anything like the vision that God has given me.

Secondly, I'm going to give you the websites for the remaining 4 that I'm currently looking at. All of these have have been sent my resume and have responded that they will let me know something soon. OK here's the sites

1) Grace Bible Church www.vbgrace.com
2) Pinecrest Baptist Church www.pinecrestbaptistchurch.com
3) Gayton Baptist Church www.gaytonbaptist.org
4) Westover Church www.westoverchurch.com

Let me know what you think, regardless of how important you think it is. I appreciate your help on this, and I know that God will use all your comments to help me decide on which ones to cut and which to keep. Thanks peeps. God Rocks, Jw

Need I say more?

This song pretty much expresses my heart at this point in my life. So here it is and enjoy

Yearn
by Shane and Shane

Holy design
this place in time
that i might seek and find my God
my God

CHORUS
Lord i want to yearn for You
i want to burn with passion
over You and only You
Lord i want to yearn

Your joy is mine
yet why am i fine
with all my singing and bringing grain
in light of Him

Chorus

oh You give life and breath
through Him You give all things
in Him we live and move
that's why i sing

Chorus
(Acts 17:25-28, Hebrews 12:28-29)

The Search

I'm in the search for a youth pastor job? I've wrote many churches already, but I need help. If could keep you ear open and more importantly pray that God will open the door somewhere that He finds perfect for me. I'm praying for just that. It's hard and I'll tell ya why. I know what vision God has given me and basically I'm trying to be picky over the location. I want a place close to where I'm from because I want someone to take care of my kids when I'm away on trips or whatever. This is me limiting God and His work in my life. I've come to the point where I'm just saying "whatever you want God." I'll go anywhere and do whatever you want, just send me. So this is where I'm at in my overwhelming search for a future for me in ministry. As long as I'm ministering to Student and I'm doing what God wants, who am I to question HIM. Well Thanks for the prayers and I'll keep ya in the loop. God Rocks, Jtw

The Next Generation

First off I'd like to say that if any of my students read this please understand that this probably isn't about you, so don't think it is. This is some of my observations that I hope aren't true. The more and more i learn about student the more scared and the more i realize the utter importance of my job. Growing up I was a complete idiot. I did some of the stupidest things ever. I don't expect the next generation of students that come up to do anything less. There was a difference though. The truth was still the truth. It's come to my attention, and it's only got worse, that the truth has become a personal issue. I've actually heard people say well what is right for you, may not be right for me. If you believe that and you're reading this hit yourself in the head right now. The truth is the truth no matter where you are or who you are. There is no "well it's right for me" truth out there. This is something that I'm hearing and it seems like the truth has somehow become blurred. Since God made the truth, He gets to decide what's the truth. If He says it's wrong, then it's wrong; end of story. Another alarming trend is the amount of sexual things that is so open in our culture. I've had this conversation with lots of students and leaders. I remember asking one student one time that if he knew it was wrong why would he have sex? The response was "I felt like it." I was like WOW!!! Isn't that crazy. It's like they know it's wrong, they'll tell you it's wrong, but when it comes to playing out what they believe it doesn't matter what they believe. Does that not scare you because it scares me. The attitude about sex is that it's just fun, but it should be much more than that right? Another thing that might just be with pastors is that the generation has a major lack of biblical knowledge. I have to admit that I don't know enough and never will. It takes a lot really learn something for me, except when it comes to students. I learn quickly, and I hope I give good advice when they come and need it. I know they don't see me as judgmental or condemning, because I've been there and not afraid to tell them of my struggles. I think that this lack of biblical knowledge seems to be maybe the root of some of these other problems I've listed. If they knew what God found right and wrong and what HE really thought about it it, would they be able to ignore Him? The last thing that bothers me is the lack of wanting to learn and think. It seems like they want the answer now without finding out the knowledge for themselves. If you've ever asked a student a question that doesn't really have an answer, maybe to just talk about you'll know what I mean. They get frustrated at not having the answer. Try it sometime. In saying all that I have to say that there's hope. God has not given up on this generation, nor will He let Himself be forgotton. More students than ever are seeking for answers, and GOD is the ANSWER. There's a spark of hope for the future. Will they embrace the God of the universe or seek after themselves and everything but God? I will do everything that God tells me to ensure that I can give them a chance to hear from God. I was a complete idiot and God found the time to get my attention. It's freaking awesome that the God of everything wants to talk to me. I wish this next generation would learn this. When you realize just how BIG GOD really is then how can you want to do anything but do His will and want to please Him. If you're apart of the next generation and you're reading this, again don't think it's about you. I do hope it changes your life and that you stop wanting to do everything you want and start wanting to seek God for who He is and please HIM only. My prayers will be with you and for this generation. I'm usually very optimistic, but sometimes the truth is what you need to hear. God Rocks, Jw

Mississippi

Well this week I spent a week with some awesome people in Mississippi. I went down there to serve those who had nothing due to hurricane katrina. My wife and I were 2 of the 4 leaders that went. There was a lot that went right and a lot that went wrong. I learned much more than I could have ever wanted to learn. First, I learned a lot about people that I didn't know. I learned that sometimes I have to hold my tongue and sometimes people can misunderstand when they don't care to learn all the information. I learned that leadership doesn't come easy to everyone and I must be patient. These are among some of the things I learned about people. Second, I learned that God's plan is freaking awesome. We climbed on tall roofs, constantly had to jet out into intense traffic, was chased by dogs, spent days in 95+ degree weather, and everyone constantly had nails through their shoes into their feet. Now in saying that no one was hurt more than a bandaid. Scary thing is that God waited until after all the students were gone to side swipe the van. A lady hit the van that I was driving with her car on the way to take it back. Nothing more than a very small dent. No one got a ticket, only one very pissed off lady. Thirdly, I learned that people will mess up and probably lie about it, but the truth will always come out. We had some students do stupid stuff, but hopefully a lesson was learned. If anything was learned is that Integrity is something that's very easily lost, and extremely hard to get back. Lastly I learned a little something about Control. Some people have the theory that In order to have control you must have everything under control. This is crap. Control isn't achieved with trying to control every part of someone's life. Control is acheived by respect. When it comes to students they want people to try to control them, they need honesty and help with choices. Sure they mess up from time to time, but isn't that how people truly learn right from wrong? God I know speaks to some people the way he does to me. He doesn't speak in a small voice, but a random Bat attack to the back of my head. This is how I've learned to deal with students in my 6+ years in youth ministry. I got a lot of time to talk to a lot of the students and I'll continue to pray for all of them each night. So when I got back I was asked if this trip was a success. We helped a lot of people and received a chance to serve. The real point was to see God in a new way and grow closer to Him. Did they learn this? I have no idea, but I know that I grew closer because I saw a spark in the next generation that I hope all of them have. This gives me hope that the next generation will not let God go away, but instead grow up to Love God and want to express that love to others. I will write more on this later. I would say that the mission trip was a success, at least to me. I just hope that all the students that read this will think about this and pray to God for change. God Rocks, Jtw