Six Ways To Make An Impact at Your School...

Last night at SURGE, our middle school ministry, our students spent time praying for the school year that starts today for most of them. They prayed that God would use them and that he would guide them this school year. With that in mind, I thought I'd post a "top-ten" list (even though I only have six) of how to impact your school this year with the love of Jesus.

Six Ways To Make An Impact At Your School:

1. Pray. - Pray that God would let you see your friends, classmates, and teachers as He sees them.
2. Be A Friend. - For most of us, our biggest fear is to be the loner, the left-out-one, the kid who has to sit all alone in the cafeteria. One of the best ways to make friends is to focus on being a good friend yourself.
3. Be Intentional. - Use the friendships and relationships God has given you to point people toward Jesus and show them his love for them.
4. Be A Good Student. - One of the best ways that you can show your teachers respect is by being a good student. This doesn't mean that you have to make all A's. It just means that you turn in your work on time, do your best, and act respectfully toward your teachers and professors. If you have a teacher that is not a Christ-follower, being diligent about your work and respectful to those in authority shows your teacher the difference that God is making in your life.
5. Be Vocal About Your Faith. - Don't be afraid to talk about your belief in Jesus. Contrary to popular belief, there is no law that says you can't talk about God in your school. So be open about what you believe...and invite your friends to church or to your next youth group activity!
6. See Your Campus As Your Mission Field. - Yes, you are at school to learn. But if you allow God to work in you and through you this school year, then He can give you a much bigger purpose and mission for getting up early and going to school 5 days a week. Understand that every day you get to go to a place where you are surrounded by people who may not know the love and truth of Jesus. Live in such a way that your school is your mission field. By the way you act and talk, let others see the love of Jesus in real and practical ways.

Touching The Untouchable...

Last night I had the privilege to speak to our Middle School & High School students at our monthly joint ministries gathering that we call Shockwave. It was a blast hanging out with them and our student ministry team did a great job with the event. I spoke on the passage in Mark 1:40-45 where Jesus heals the leper and talked about how in the midst of the incredible pain, isolation, and loneliness that the leper felt, Jesus brought hope, healing, and restoration. Jesus was the only one who could clean the unclean. He was the only one who could cure the incurable. And Jesus was the only one who was willing to touch the untouchable.

The cool thing is this: Jesus treats us the same as the leper. When we've wandered far from God and realize we're dirty and sick in our sin, it's only the person of Jesus who can clean and cure. When we seem to be so isolated and lonely in the world, it's Jesus who offers a caring touch.

But it doesn't stop there. Jesus then calls us - commands us - to go and touch the untouchable in our world. We've been made clean. We've been given a cure. We've been touched by hope and love. And we're called to share that hope with even the very least of the people around us...the hurting, the helpless, and the hopeless...so that we might become the very hands of Jesus.

Who was the last "leper" that you touched? Whens the last time you showed love to someone simply because God loves them? How long has it been since you've served someone without expecting anything in return? When is the last time you've touched the untouchable?

And if you're currently involved in sharing the hope and love of the God of touch within your community, I'd love to hear your story. Feel free to comment away and share your ideas of bringing hope into our world.

Youth MiniStarZ...

I've devoted my entire adult life to student ministry. My closest friends are all youth ministers. So I know we all know that there's a lot of truth in this video I saw today over at MoreThanDodgeball.com. It cracked me up. Enjoy!