The Heart of a Kids Pastor

My heart has two main purposes.

To pump blood through my body would be the first because otherwise I would be dead and not writing this blog.

The second is to show kids Jesus.

I talk to kids who have had the crap beaten out of them for years, who wonder why they are in foster care, and who don't have a single idea of what it means to live in peace. I get to show these kids Jesus. I get to teach them that God does love them, that He wants their lives to be amazing. I teach them that life is really hard sometimes, but God will give them peace when the hard stuff happens. I don't lie to kids and tell them that life is always going to be awesome and that they will not have any problems if they follow Jesus. I tell them the truth. Which is what hurting people, kids included, need to hear.

I want kids to know that they are not alone. My heart is to bring hope to kids who have never known hope and peace to kids who have never had peace. My heart is to have parents love their kids like Jesus loves their kids.

My heart beats to bring Jesus to families so that kids can grow up knowing what it means to be selfless and to love others. Kids matter because these kids are going to grow up and either change the world or follow the mistakes of their parents and ruin it through their own selfishness.

Now is the time to bring kids Jesus. They are going to be the church, and how we deal with them now will dictate how far they reach for the impossible.

Who wants to be like Jesus?

I am a Christian.

That is all....

No wait, that's not all.

I grew up thinking that faith was a solo act. It was just me and God against the world (was that to melodramatic?). As I grew in my faith I realized that without other people I am, well, alone. Who wants to be alone? God made two people so that they wouldn't be alone, Hebrews 10:24-25 teaches that we need to meet together so that we can be encouraged. We were made to go to church.

I love The Crossing. It's mission is to have Jesus change the lives of everyone who lives in Elk River and the surrounding areas (like New York city). This is not a small vision, this is a huge undertaking.

Pastor Eric's heart is to be like Jesus, and that is why this vision is happening. Honestly, I have been in church for most of my life and I have known a LOT of pastors. Pastor Eric is the Godliest man I have ever met. He eats, breaths, drinks, and lives Jesus.

God uses Pastor Eric for His glory.

If the goal of every Christian is to be like Jesus then Pastor Eric is doing a great job. I pray for my pastor every day because he and his family are doing something incredible for the kingdom of heaven.

The Crossing, Pastor Eric and Pastor Kelly all boil down to one thing, one solitary vision.

It is always only about Jesus

That is what I want to be like.

Mirror Image

I see two people in the mirror (mind you, I am talking about when I am alone, not when my wife is standing next to me...just wanted to clarify). I see the man who has done stupid and horrible things, and the one who has been forgiven and strives to serve his guts out for God.

I think the two of me in the mirror are fighting over my life.

I always see the horrible things that I have said and done, mainly because I am like an elephant. I know who I am inside and that scares the crap out of me. I have the potential in me to destroy my marriage, my ministry, and my friendships. I see my face in the light of sin.

I also see the man who is forgiven. I see my face in the light of forgiveness. I see the man who wants to change and not stay the same. The man who never wants to quit being better today then I was yesterday. I see my potential to change my marriage, my ministry, and my friendships.

I can change the world. All I have to decide is which person I want to win.

Do I want to see all of my failure, or all of my success? Do I want to settle for a good marriage, or work at making it a great marriage? Do I just come to church to teach kids and get a paycheck, or do I show them the love that Jesus has for them and pour love into their life? Do I want to look in the mirror and see that my life has been only about me, or that it has been about Jesus?

I see the two people that I am, but the bible says that God only sees one. Once my sin has been forgiven that other guy is nowhere to be found. God only sees me in the light of forgiveness. God believes my potential is only capped by how far I will let Him work in my life.

If I only look at myself through my sin then I am limiting how far God can take my life. When I look in the mirror I still want to see two people. One who is forgiven...and Jesus.

Spray Paint

So I was spray painting circles for my classroom today. Why you ask? Because circles are round, duh. Anyway, I found myself praying as a painted (which means that I got more on my hands because I wasn't paying attention) and as I prayed I started to think about the amazing things that are happening in our church. God is moving at The Crossing. Not a little shuffle mind you, God is dancing a jig at this church. He is MOVING.

A move of God is often seen as a hysterical uprising.... a mass of people coming and committing their lives to follow Jesus. I see it as one person making a commitment. And really that is what God is all about. He doesn't need a stage or a show to make someone commit. All He needs is one person evaluating their life and realizing that without Him they are..... blank circles. They are going around and never really getting anywhere. They are bland and blank. God wants to show them that their lives can be full of color and excitement. God wants one person to commit his or her life in the quiet of their hearts. That is a move of God.

On TV you see masses of people at a stadium coming forward to make Jesus the leader of their life. This weekend there may be one person sitting in the auditorium of The Crossing, and that one person will quietly commit to follow Jesus. Then that one person will tell others. They may or may not believe, that is up to them. But for a moment they are given the choice. God moves one person at a time. Never forget that. When you talk to people, serve people, and preach to people, the goal is that one person will have their lives changed forever. That is how God moves. That is why God is moving at The Crossing. One addict, one suicidal, one hurt person is sitting down and deciding whether or not to put their trust in Jesus. And in that moment God moves.

Spray Painting is AWESOME! (I swear it's not the fumes)