July 5, 2009
I am taking a couple of weeks to talk about freedom with my students. Today seemed like a good day to kick that sort of conversation off. It’s kind of a hot topic this week, ya know.
Galatians 5:1 says that, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
It sounds redundant…
Freedom is a way of life. We are free to live in that freedom. Does that make sense? I used this example to help explain it to my students:
A few years ago I had a volunteer in my youth ministry who was amazing. He was seriously a great guy. He was funny, intelligent, relational, and always available for our youth ministry gatherings, activities, etc. On the surface he seemed like the ideal volunteer. He had placed his faith in Christ- he was “born again” to use the words of Jesus. He had been set free, but… he wasn’t experiencing freedom. He was still in a noose of sexual sin. One night he arranged a meeting with an underage girl after talking to her online, but when he arrived at their meeting place he was met by police officers. He’s currently in prison.
Born again…heaven bound… made new… forgiven…
But in the stranglehold of sin.
My friend had been managing his bondage (Dallas Willard covers this in “The Divine Conspiracy”. Chapter 2 alone is worth the cost of the book).
Being in a stranglehold is a horrible way to live, if you can even call it living.
Jesus sets us free, and then invites us into freedom.
So I am begging my students to take off the masks, and to leave them off. To be honest about who we are. And to love each other right where we’re at. And to tap into the freedom that only God can provide.
I hope that my friend in prison is finally experiencing that freedom, which has nothing to do with the walls that surround him. And I hope that you are too. Because if the Son has set you free, you are free.
June 29, 2009
Woven is an ugly word. It’s just not fun to say.
But it’s the only word I can think of when I picture what happened this past weekend at Mission.
I taught in the junior high and high school services again this weekend, but this time it was different. I actually don’t really want to talk to much about it. I don’t want to ruin it.
I felt… CONNECTED.
Connected to the gospel.
and to the God that dreamed it up.
and to the students in the room.
and to the Church that I still believe is the hope of the world.
We didn’t have enough seats. Students and staff were everywhere. And everyone was leaning forward as I read from God’s word.
I am in awe.
I don’t like when people say “Good job Ryan!” after I preach.
I don’t want them to miss the point.
I am a mouthpiece. A loud, sweaty, Jesus-loving mouthpiece.
The gospel really is good news 
June 23, 2009
I’m guessing that most of the people who swing by this blog are Christians, or perhaps you were at one point but you no longer identify yourself as one. Either way, this question is for anyone who has personally decided to become a follower of Jesus at some point.
Why did you decide to become a Christian?
I shared my testimony this week with the students at my church, and I told them why I did. I had spent a year investigating the claims of Christ, the resurrection, prophecy, other religions, etc… and I became convinced. I placed my faith in what I believed to be true.
I surrendered to truth.
I walked away from my old life out of obligation. I felt that I had to. I walked away from friendships because I thought I had to. I quit drinking, stealing, drugging, fighting, and lying because I had to. “It’s the least I can do” I would say. I even dated a Christian girl… a really sweet girl, but she was at the opposite end of the dating spectrum for me. She asked me to pray for dinner one night out with friends and I had no idea how to. I said, “You pray, it’s so much prettier“. I was a Christian because I was convinced.
But now I’m a Christian because I’m convinced it’s the best kind of life. I still believe it to be true, but I also believe it to be the best way to live. I honestly enjoyed my old way of living, and I walked away from it expecting some sort of joy in the next life as a reward… but now I’m motivated by the life Jesus offers TODAY. I wasn’t drawn to it at first, but now I’m all in. Joy, pain, suffering, prosperity… whatever. It’s all a part of the abundant life that Jesus came to put on display and invite us into.
What about you?
Were you CONVINCED by truth or were you COMPELLED by a way of life?
June 23, 2009
Yanked this one from Brian Wurzell’s blog. We discovered that my wife has supersonic hearing. Can you hear this?? Turn your volume way up… and if you have an iPhone go get this app and try it out.
June 17, 2009
My youth group at Cornerstone was called “Merge”. We put together a website (cometomerge.com), and then started brainstorming some ways to add to it, improve it, etc…
This idea didn’t pan out.
June 16, 2009
The past few weeks at Mission have been all about discovering our giftedness. Last week’s message concluded with a challenge to get involved and serve at the church in some way. Everyone that wanted to take the next step was handed a card, asked to pick a couple areas of ministry they want to plug into, and attend a training this Saturday.
640 people signed up! 31 of those were for Student Ministries… not bad. I’m PUMPED about the 178 people that signed up to volunteer in our “Justice/Mission” ministries.
That’s so many! Some cynicical statistician will probably say, “Yeah but only ___% of them will actually follow through and stick with their commitment“, but I think this church might not be a victim of stats like that.
I love numbers like these… they’re the best kind of evangelism. When that many people step out and use their giftedness for God’s glory people will notice.
We’ll have some church on our hands for sure!
