To be honest, I was planning on blogging a lot about Brazil. I had some great experiences down there and met some amazing people, but I never wrote anything. I don’t know why really, I just didn’t. There was one lesson from that trip that has stuck out to me more than any other though and it’s probably not what you would expect to get from a mission trip.

You see I only met those seniors that went on the trip this year. I only knew them as the good kids who loved God and worshipped like it was their last time to sing. I only knew them as the kids who I trusted with my middle school students on retreats. These were top of the line students who loved Christ. That’s all I have ever known them as.

Then I began to listen to their testimonies. I started hearing about mistakes and regrets from their past. I heard about huge moments in their life that brought on serious ramifications that they will deal with the rest of their lives. I heard and found out that they weren’t perfect. Obviously, I knew that they weren’t perfect but I didn’t know the person they were describing in their story. I remember saying to myself, “I had no clue he/she went through that.”

Then it hit me. The way that I saw them – the child of God who wanted nothing more than to worship and share Christ – was the way God saw them. God didn’t see them the way they used to be. In fact, he chose to remove our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west.

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12

I didn’t know the person those seniors used to be. I couldn’t imagine them making some of the mistakes they made – and what is so incredible and beautiful at the same time is that God knew them when they were making those mistakes and he knows them as the individual they are now.

He was there for comfort and correction during the mistakes and now that’s he’s dropkicked the transgressions from the westside to the eastside, he is there to receive their worship and sees them as the pure child of God that they are. Blameless. Washed. Forgiven. Doesn’t even know them as the person who messed up. Doesn’t see them that way and never will again.

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

One thing I have learned though is how to be a pastor on facebook. No, I don’t mean copy and paste your latest message into 54 different status messages each week. I mean, well, you will understand once you see for yourself. Oh, and also – I didn’t learn the hard way on all of these. Just a few.

1. Don’t poke back. Under no circumstances should you ever “poke back” someone. I don’t care if they poked you first. Don’t do it. I have NO clue what it actually means, but the mystery and non-explanation from facebook should tell you enough that it’s not the greatest of ideas.

2. Turn chat off. I would love nothing more than to spend my precious facebook time chatting it up with 26 different middle school kids, but I just can’t do that every time I am on facebook. I mean, I have to change my status and check to make sure my students haven’t committed any murders in the past 24 hours and then go click “like” on every status my wife posts (yes, that’s a part of a husband’s job these days.) Actually, I take it back. I really wouldn’t love chatting it up with 26 middle school students every night. Just on Wednesday’s.

3. Uh, check your pictures. People can tag you in any picture these days. So, take a look through every now and then and make sure that one picture of you from college where you are witnessing to the toilet bowl isn’t on there. Not saying you have to appear to be perfect, but come on…let’s not get too extreme.

4. Don’t be Big Brother. You aren’t the facebook police. One of the easiest ways to keep kids away from your ministry is by constantly pointing out how “bad” they are. They wanted to be your friend on facebook because they like you, not because they want you to comment “tsk tsk tsk” on every status message about talking to a boy. Also, don’t comment on everything going on in someone’s life just because you already have seen it on facebook. I did do this one and was called a “creeper” for knowing stuff that was made public. Yeah, I didn’t get it either, but certainly learned from it!

5. Be normal. Not every post has to be a verse or have some kind of spiritual significance. Be yourself. Students are interested in hearing how normal you are. Obviously a filter is needed, but don’t think I don’t post about using my wife’s deodorant! Cause I do. Post about it…not use my wife’s…wait, I did do that.

There’s 5 easy to follow rules for being a student pastor on facebook. Learn those and you are quickly on your way to building meaningful, deeper relationships with students. Plus you will learn all the new cool shorthand ways to say things. Who knew that SMH meant “shaking my head.” SMH.

The most important part of Rush Hour though is the opportunity to share the Gospel. That’s why we have the event. That reality hit me pretty hard last night. I have been thinking for a few weeks now on how I was going to share the Gospel and last night I got scared.

“Eternity is at stake here Wes. Don’t screw this up.”
“You aren’t qualified to speak on that. Think about where you were 3 years ago!”

A nice little wave of panic came over me.

I did begin to think about where I was 3 years ago and something I know and have known for a long time came to me- I’m not in control. When you follow Christ, you relinquish control. There is no way I could have scripted out the last 3 years of my life.  If you have ever read the Bible, you know that God has made it a habit of using unqualified people. I may be unqualified, but I am willing.

A peace then came over me. As I begin to write what I will share with the students tomorrow night, I know that God has already been working in the hearts of the kids that will be there. He is busy drawing their hearts to Him. I am nothing but an instrument and that is comforting to me.

Thank you Lord for using the unqualified.

Will you join me in praying for Rush Hour?

Recently I read a story about Maurice Clarett attempting a comeback into professional football.  If you aren’t familiar with Maurice, here is a refresher:

Clarett, a former Mr. Football in Ohio, started for the Buckeyes as a freshman and quickly asserted himself as one of the premier running backs in the country. He rushed for 1,237 yards in 2002, helping Ohio State to its first national championship in 34 years.

But he was ruled ineligible the following year for taking special benefits worth thousands of dollars. He sued to enter the NFL draft early, before he was out of high school for three years, but lost in court.

After he was eventually drafted by the Broncos, he was cut before the season started. Then, in September 2006, he pleaded guilty to having a hidden gun in his sport utility vehicle and holding up two people outside a bar.

Maurice did his time in prison and then did 4 1/2 months in a transition house.  Now he wants a shot at his passion again.  He wants to play football.  He’s stayed in shape and if he can prove he has his head on straight, there is a team in the United Football League that wants to give him a tryout.

I hope he makes it.  I even hope he makes it back to the NFL and is successful.  Call me crazy, but I love the underdog.  He paid the price for his mistakes and deserves another shot.

Why is it so easy for us to cheer for sports underdogs, but not ministry underdogs?

A close friend and mentor of mine, Justin Davis, was exactly that. He was a successful pastor in a church he started and then had an affair.

Let me guess.  Your heart didn’t flutter with excitement at the thought of him pastoring again did it?  Justin’s comeback journey was painful and his marriage went through the most intense refinement possible… and it worked.

The underdog, who most weren’t cheering for, is now a campus pastor and on the teaching team at Cross Point Community Church.  The journey isn’t over though.  He wants others to learn from his experience and has started Refine Our Marriage.

I know most of my readers aren’t in that season of life, but one day you will be.  We can still take away a lot from their story.  I know that I have.  The main thing that keeps sticking out to me is this:  I have 54 days before I will be married and I am 100% sure that Justin loved Trisha just as much as I love Amy 54 days before their wedding.

I am not above anything.  This isn’t a “this can’t happen to me” scenario.  I am so thankful for the wisdom that their story has spoken into my life and you will be too.

I hear a lot of people talking about “God’s will.”  It’s a church buzzword that sold millions of books.  It’s also a terrifying thought to Christians for them to not be inside God’s will.  I remember pleading with God to reveal his will to me last year.  It was a scary thing and that’s when it becomes a problem.

“Show me your will for my life! Please. I’m ready. Show me.”

That’s not a bad prayer, but what happens after you say amen?  Is there action?  Or are you paralyzed with fear to make a decisions because of not knowing 100% if it’s God’s will?

The decision I was faced with was scary.  It could have become terrifying, but guess what?  I knew that the choices were both God’s will.  There wasn’t a wrong choice for me to make.  I just needed to make one.

The reason?  I gave up authorship of my life a while back.  God’s will for my life is to enter into a relationship with him through his Son’s sacrifice and then spend my life connecting to God through the passions that were placed in me by loving others. (DISCLAIMER – For the theologically advanced – I am not saying this is the only thing needed in spiritual maturity.)

• Have a passion for food?  Savor every bite with the company of friends or even strangers.  Allow that passion to convey love to others.
• Passionate about tech support?  Well then you are a nerd, but offer that support in a way that leaves people as excited about life as you are about a new pocket protector.

Once this happens, then the decision making isn’t paralyzing because you already know God’s will for your life.  You can ask yourself which choice lines up better with your talents, passions and abilities?

Decisions aren’t always easy, but they always require action.  Being paralyzed with fear leads to non-action.  Having confidence in and living out God’s will for my life has set me free of the fear of a decision “not being in God’s will.”  It has lead to a more joyful life for myself and those around me.

One last little disclaimer – This does not mean that every decision leads to success, more money and fame.  This just means that I can face each situation knowing that the outcome will never result in God loving me any less.  (Which will never happen, but you would be surprised at what fear can do to a person.)

Someone asked me Sunday night how they could specifically pray for me.  I responded with, “Pray that my life is ruined.  Pray that all my preconceived notions about this world are destroyed and that I will never be the same again.” I pray that for every person on this trip.  Every person came on this trip for different reasons.

On this trip we have a father and his two grown sons who recently lost their mother going together to serve Christ.  I can’t begin to imagine how much healing this trip could bring for them.

Also traveling with us are youth who are about to embark on the next chapter of their life.  This trip could be the springboard to Godly decisions during that season.

Some stories are too fresh and I hope one day we can celebrate the outcome that this trip might help bring, but the bottom line is that the people in the Dominican Republic aren’t the only ones who need healing. We all do.

Pray for us this week.  Pray for the people of the Dominican Republic and the people on our team.  There’s more at stake this week than meets the eye.

Talk to you guys July 20th!!

2 outs.  Bottom of the 9th.  Jim Joyce resumes his position behind 1st base.  Jim has spent the last 23 years of his life saying “Safe” or “Out”.  He’s the umpire.  And he’s the best.  Jim has umpired in All-Star games, Playoff series and several World Series.  He was even named the best umpire by the players.  He was as close to perfect as an umpire can get, until June 2, 2010.

In 130 years of playing baseball only 20 pitchers have pitched a perfect game.  Only 20 times has a pitcher successfully gotten every batter out in order.  27 batters come to the plate and 27 get out.  You have to be perfect.  It’s rare.  Every pitcher dreams about pitching a no hitter.  Only the brave dream about pitching a perfect game.

Armando got the ground ball he needed for his perfect game.  He ran to cover first base because the first baseman has fielded the ball and received the throw in time to get the batter out, but Jim Joyce saw it differently.  He called him safe.

No more perfect game.  Suddenly, the names Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce would be linked forever.  Two men were faced with a choice.  How would they react to a situation where any reaction would be accepted?

Armando would have every right to blame Jim Joyce for what happened and he would could get the entire nation to boo Joyce for the rest of his career.  Joyce could have shut the door and defended what he saw.  He could have chosen not to speak to the media or anyone.  Both of these men chose grace.

Armando immediately forgave the tearful Joyce when he came to apologize after the game.  Joyce hadn’t even showered.  He immediately went to say that he was sorry.

And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry. – Ephesians 4:26

The two key players in this situation had already put the situation behind them while the rest of the nation was just beginning to react.  I firmly believe that because they chose grace in that situation, they were able to live out grace the next day.

The next morning the same two teams were to play.  The same umpiring crew was to umpire.  Major League Baseball offered Jim Joyce the day off.  He declined.  Instead he led his crew onto the field.

At home plate they met again.  Armando Galarraga brought out the lineup card for the game.  As Jim Joyce wept, the two stood together and they publicly shook hands in front of the thousands in attendance and the millions that would see it.  They chose grace and their actions asked us all to choose it as well.

There are so many ministry lessons here, but the one that I am learning from the most is this:  When your actions convey grace, they become a megaphone that carries the message further than you could ever imagine.  Whether it’s something as big as blowing a historic call in a baseball game to the way you react to being let go at your job.  People are watching.  Choose grace when using your megaphone.

I lead a small group.  I take that back, I lead a medium group. Well, it really could be called a large group and has been called a small church, but let’s just stick with “medium group.”  It all started one September afternoon after reading The Hole in our Gospel with a friend, we decided to start a small group. I wanted a group of 8-10 people who would be mission minded that could invest in the community around us as well as each other.  That’s all.  No more.

In January, we had over 100 people sign up for the group and 72 show up for a meeting.

Ministry Lesson #5:  A God given dream doesn’t conform to your stipulations. After completing that book, me and my friend both felt God calling us to start a group that will allow us to use the lessons we learned to reach others…but we put our own stipulations on it.  We could never imagine what God would do with this group once we stripped away our stipulations.

It soon became evident that there was a huge need at our campus, a lot of mid 20′s people wanting to connect and there was nowhere for them to go.  So we opened the group up to anyone that wanted to join.  Add to that fact that my group meets on the most convenient night for people that age and you have a perfect storm.

When God wants to do something, he will do it.  We have seen people’s lives transform all because we let go of our image of how it was supposed to be.

We do that all the time in life don’t we?

God has placed a strong desire in you to get married, yet you are depressed because it hasn’t happened yet.  Stipulation.

You have a deep passion for music, but believe you will be best used with a recording contract. Stipulation.

Go after your God given dreams and passions, but don’t put stipulations on how God will work it out. Your imagination pales in comparison to God’s plans.

At Cross Point we have a program for kids and their parents called FX. It happens once a month and allows kids to bring their parents to church. I have the honor to participate in this amazing program as a character called, “Mr. Big Idea.” My role is to connect the “Big Idea” to the kids by using a biblical story to tie it all together. I also do a video with our Family Ministries Pastor, Pat Rowland, that introduces the “Cool Tool” to the kids and parents.

There’s no great story behind Mr. Big Idea. A friend let me borrow a wig one day and I ended up keeping it. When it was time to come up with my character, that wig was really all I had. The character is a little bit Hulk Hogan and a little bit Matthew McConaughey from Dazed and Confused.

So here is last months “Cool Tool” video. As you can see, we have a lot of fun with it and try to be as creative as possible.

Lesson #4 may have come easy, but it’s just as important as the others.  Enjoy.

What’s a way you make ministry fun?

If you work at a church, you are expected to pray.

No, I don’t mean what you think I mean.  I mean you are expected to pray the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner prayer.  Really?  They do know that I don’t actually preach on Sunday’s right?  We all circled around and held hands and it was announced that I should pray.  I said sure and prayed and then filled my plate.  Things were really looking up until I asked which one was my seat and found out I was still at the kids table.  28 years later and I am still at the kids table.  I thought the person that blesses the food sits at the head of the table!

Lesson #3

Learn people’s names.

It’s a practice everyone should learn, but it’s something I struggle with.  It really hit home when one Sunday a group of my friends were standing around and I wanted to say hello to someone but couldn’t remember their name.  So I asked a friend and she looked at me and said, “Wes, you know you have hurt people’s feelings by not remembering their name.”  That hit me like a ton of bricks, but it’s true.  You can make someone feel 2 feet tall by not remembering something as simple as their name.

I remember a friend telling me a story about Bill Clinton.  A friend of his met him late one night at a restaurant bar.  They had a drink together and talked for about 30 minutes.  A few years passed and he actually ran into the ex-President again and before he could say hello, Bill Clinton called him out by name to see how he’s been.  Unreal.

Calling someone by their name instantly gives your message credibility.  It makes you more approachable and it shows respect.  After that day, I went and searched for tips on remembering people’s names and have tried ever since to be more aware of remembering names and faces.  It’s definitely taking some practice.