July 5, 2009

freedom

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.

July 2, 2009

Pray for Kate

kate mcrae

Kate McRae is a 5-year-old from Phoenix who has a malignant brain tumor. She is headed into surgery tomorrow morning (Friday) at 9am. I found out about this because her dad Aaron is one of the pastors at Cornerstone Church in Chandler (where I worked for 7 years).

Please watch the video, and consider raising some awareness for this beautiful little girl.

You can also see her Caring Bridge website by clicking HERE

June 29, 2009

woven

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 26, 2009

our new home

We just got the call and our offer was accepted on a house! We still need to get the inspection, but it looks like we’re about a month away from moving in! We got it for CHEAP too! It’s a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house just a few miles away from our church. I’m stoked that it has a loft and a couple of pretty sweet Man Cave possibilities. It also has a pretty sweet Hawaiian room that Brian Wurzell discovered first, haha!

We’re stoked to have a home that we can use for ministry! We’re excited to open the doors up to friends, family, students, and anyone else who is looking to beat the heat!

You can send your donations for this ministry to “Mission Community Church, ATTN: Ryan Guard” ha!

Here are a few pictures from the online listing:

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June 23, 2009

A question for Christians

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

Can you hear this?

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.

more about “Hearing Test on Vimeo“, posted with vodpod

June 21, 2009

weekend #1

I just wrapped up my first weekend on staff at Mission Community Church (launching a new website next week)!

Saturday was my fifth day on staff, but I was still facilitating a volunteer training session with our Jr High Pastor Josh Barton. Our College Pastor Jason Robinson was on vacation with his wife Kim, who is the Student Ministries Admin. It was pretty crazy to start without her there (I have so many questions!). Kim and Jason are back in action tomorrow, but Josh Barton left for camp today, so the madness will continue for at least one more week.

I spoke this weekend at our Saturday night combined youth service, and then today in our separate Jr High and High School services. The Saturday night crew is… unique. They don’t really know how to interact as a group yet. The service has only been going for about a month, so we’re going to have to create some community in there SOON!

The Sunday morning crews are amazing= tons of energy and lots of laughs today! The crowd looked like it had a good mix of students, from completely indifferent to completely on board.

I gave a good chunk of my testimony and pitched a thumbnail of my vision for the Student Ministries. I’m exhausted every time I share my story… it feels like I’m ripping my chest open for everyone to come up and take a peak. I loved the attentiveness of the crowds, and their response afterwards. Well, actually… the Saturday night service emptied IMMEDIATELY after I dismissed them! Maybe they all had to pee REAL bad? Weird…

I’ll be working on filling up an empty summer calendar this week! It doesn’t make sense for ANY youth ministry to shut down shop in the Summer, no matter how hot it is!!!

Broom hockey anyone?

June 17, 2009

marketing FAIL

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.

cometomergeorgotohell

June 16, 2009

reaching inward

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!

June 12, 2009

we made it

We’re here in AZ! Well, I’m here… Lindsay went to Ohio for 5 days already. She seriously needs to get a job with Southwest Airlines.

We’re staying with our friends Brian and Promise until we land somewhere permanently. We’re not moving back into our old house (it’s still for sale). There are houses here in AZ going for like 150k that were TWICE that just a year ago (just like mine that is STILLLL FOR SAAAAAAALE). We’ll be house shopping non-stop once Lindsay gets back in town.

Tonight is my welcome party with the students, and then this weekend I’m being commissioned up front in all five services. Should be fun! Then on Monday I am in the office to hit the ground running! I love driving up and seeing the construction going on!

Lindsay is going to keep her eyes open for a job- let us know if you’ve got a great one for her!

I’m so excited to plug in and start doing life with this community. I’m missing my Calvary students for sure… this new crew has some huge shoes to fill, and so do I!