Sermon Development

Here's an outline for proper sermon development

1. Subject
2. Theme
3. Proposition
4. Transition sentences
   
5. Main points
6. Sub points
7. Illustrations
8. Applications
9. Conclusion
10. Introduction
11. Title
12. Polish
    

1. Subject
   
   • one-word summary of entire passage
   • most often the word will be found within the text itself
     
2. Theme
   
   • typically 2 or 3 words
   • particular aspect of the subject that the passage is emphasizing
     
3. Proposition
   
   • 1 sentence summary of the entire passage
   • complete sentence
   • in imperative form
   • brief (3-5, can be 5-7 words)
     
4. Transitional sentences
   
   • a rhetorical bridge between the proposition and the main body of the sermon
   • currently only used with more literary audiences or in settings where classic rhetoric is involved
     
5. Main points
   
   • like the proposition: brief complete imperative sentences
   • 2-5 main points
   • each main point is a summary of each paragraph of the entire chapter
   • serves to clarify, amplify, or in some way explain the proposition
     
6. Sub points
   
   • 2-5 sub points
   • serves to clarify, amplify, or in some way explain the main points
   • may only be on your paper to help the communicator, may not be necessary to give them specifically in the sermon
     
7. Illustrations
   
   • meant to be windows on the Word
   • somewhere between 2-4 per sermon, depending on sermon length and need
   • can have varied forms; from human interest stories to word pictures to analogies
     
8. Applications
   
   • making the truth relevant
   • minor applications for each main point
   • application section near the end of your message
     
9. Conclusion
   
   • often the weakest part of most sermons
   • purpose is to bring the sermon to a final conclusion, like landing an airplane
   • summarize your proposition and main points
   • save your best illustration to the end, finish the illustration with a punch-line and say nothing else, simply end
     
10. Introduction
    
    • designed to be approx 15% of your overall sermon time (should be at least 10% but never more than 20%)
    • serves to introduce the subject, theme or concept of the passage
    • serves as a hook (attention getter) and should introduce the emotional tone of the passage
      
11. Title
    
    • often proposed early and adjusted at the end to make sure that it matches
    • useful for advertising and marketing purposes
      
12. Polish
    
    • your sermon is not finished when you write your final word on the page, it is after you have gove over it 2-5 times that you will discover that you need to adjust or readjust or edit particular content
    • it is often useful to preach it several times out loud before you actually present it
    • you may also want to have other people listen to your sermon and give you pointers
      

Requests and Updates for 12/02

Requests
==
+ Focus on the path God has for me, not the path I have for me
+ Diligence in finishing the semester strong
+ Hunger and thirst for prayer and His word


Updates
==
It's been a rough few weeks. I've been in kind of a rut where I don't feel like I want to do anything. And if you look closely, it may look a bit like depression. But it's all part of the natural ebb and flow of life.

I realized that I need to be creative in order to be really energized. After I finished Jeff & Nancy's music video, I was on such an emotional high that there was no where else to go. And without a creative outlet, the rest of my emotions just kind of petered out.

The phone interview with Glenn went well. And it seems like a place that I would like to intern at. The problem is raising funds. It would cost about 1500 /month just to be a part of InterVarsity. So, we're looking at about 6000 after all's been tallied up.

As I contemplated about my future in bed, something clicked. I don't want to be a big hot shot director. My heart is in ministry, specifically, the creative arts. I've been wrestling with how to produce documentaries on topics of social justice and still make a living. I have to say, I've been kind of distracted by Hollywood. This is not to say that it's not a path, and if the opportunity arises, I'll definitely take it. But God brought my attention back into focus. It's about His people and reintroducing the wonder and joy of the arts to the Church.

If that's the direction I want to go, then maybe an internship at 2100 may not be the best thing for me. I might be better off looking to intern at a church that is at the cutting edge of the arts. I don't know how easy this would be to get, but all's possible with God, right? ;)

This doesn't really set me on a different direction. It's more like filling in the gaps. Now, it's just a matter of letting God open the doors to take me where He wants me to be.

More immediately, I want to try and meet with Susan, the Creative Arts director at Metro. I have a vision for it and would love to see the arts thrive at Metro.

I've also been struggling with my place at Metro. As much as I love it as a church, I feel like I haven't brought much value yet. This might be my eager eyed millenialness, one of my own personal demons, or a carry over from when I was in the world of corporate. But I feel like I need to perform. Then again, it may just be new job jitters. Or it may just be the school mentality of being graded.

School is going to wrap in about 2 weeks. That means final exams, papers, and presentations. Because of the rut, I didn't get any real work done over Thanksgiving. That just means I have to work harder and spend my time more wisely. Staying up 'til 4:30 AM would not fit the bill.

In that schedule, I need to fit God. I need to be a lot more deliberate and disciplined about spending time with Jesus. I'm thankful that He manages to find me every Tuesday morning, even if it does wreak havoc on my sleep schedule.

7 Verses on Homosexuality

**Note: The following verses are taken out of context. They are meant for reference only.

Leviticus 18:22
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Leviticus 20:13
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

Genesis 19
Story of sodom & gomorrah

Deuteronomy 23:17
"None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute.


Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 1:9-10
understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,

Requests and Updates for 11/19/08

Requests
==
+ Reconciliation with ex
+ Internship at 2100 Productions
+ Spend a semester at a film school

Updates
==
On Monday, I got a Facebook message from my ex. We had dated for 6 months back in high school. Like most relationships, it started out well, but it wasn't too long that things got terrible. But as miserable a time that was, it was an integral part of the development of who I am emotionally, spiritually, and personally.

Since then, I've moved on and had forgiven J for the things she said and did. As we got to talking, my heart broke all over again for her. This time out of love. She's suffered through so much.

In the end, it was nice reconnecting. Will it develop into a friendship? I hope so. Jesus doesn't just call us to forgive, but he calls us to reconcile. But that doesn't necessarily mean that we need to be friends.

Speaking of ex-girlfriends, I went to CCCNJ this past Sunday for my friend's baptism. Every time I go back, there's a little bittersweetness. There's the longing for the people there and the dreams I had for ministry. But there's also the hurt from the leadership. The main thing is it no longer feels like home. Even though I've only been to Metro for about 3 months now, it's starting to feel like home.

The future has opened up as a result of going to Metro. Before, I always had to take into consideration drama before making decisions. As long as drama was around, I would be around. This meant I wouldn't plan any long term engagements. But now, I can consider doing things like going to Wisconsin for a 3-7 month internship. I can move out to LA. Or go and do anything.

I'm hoping to have a phone interview with Glenn soon to talk about the internship at 2100 Productions. I'm really excited to be a part of Intervarsity. All the people I've interacted with have been so generous because they're genuinely nice and helpful. Beyond the technical, I want to grow personally too.

If things work out, I may go out to LA sooner, rather than later. Last week, I talked to the registrar about the possibility of taking my electives at another school. I would try and take some film classes at either NYU, USC, or UCLA. The registrar said they wouldn't have a problem with it, but they had to run it by NY accreditation.

Since the seminary doesn't offer film classes, it wouldn't be a easy to find equivalents for the classes I'd be taking. I don't even know if the schools would let me take a semester there without actually enrolling.

If the vision that God's given me is true, then He'll make it happen.

There's a lot of hope in this uncertainty.

Requests and Updates for 11/4/08

Requests
==
+ To pursue God, not career
+ Discernment in deciding what to do in these next two years with classes, work, and internship
+ Discipline to get all my work done.


Updates
==
I met with my adviser today to talk about what classes to take next semester. For the most part, he recommended everything that I was planning to take anyway. But as I looked over the requirements sheet, it dawned on me. I might not graduate on time.

The first two semesters, I took 13.5 credits each. This semester, I took 12 credits. In order to graduate, I need 93 credits over 6 semesters or about 15.5 credits a semester. If I continue at the current rate of 12 credits, then I'll have 1 semester worth of classes left over. If I pile it on, I'll only be behind by 1 class.

This semester has been particularly hard because in addition to class and homework, I'm also working at Metro. It's definitely been a strain adjusting, but I really enjoy it. It would be a shame if I stopped.

So, I have a few options.

1) Take the extra semester and graduate late
2) Try to load up classes this summer.
3) Load up next 3 semesters and stop working at Metro.

Another wrinkle in this puzzle is my plan for next summer. I had discovered 2100 Productions, a Christian production company run by InterVarsity. They have a summer internship program that I was thinking about applying for. Obviously, if I do option 2 above, it'll put a nix on those plans.

While I was sitting in class today, I decided that I was going to take the risk and apply for the internship. It would be a great place to learn from other people and get a feel for real world work. The whole point of internships. As much as I would like to stay at Metro and do video and all that stuff, I would be leading that innitiative. Which means the only learning I would get would be from my mistakes.

The problem with the 2100 Productions internship is that it's in Wisconsin. It's unpaid. And I would have to find my own room & board. Talk about needing faith. Even if I wanted to live out of my car, I would still need a place to shower. I've tried taking "showers" in sinks and it is quite the ordeal.

All this leads to the question, what do I plan to do when I graduate?

Although I feel like I'm a pretty good public speaker, I don't feel led in that direction. If anything, I feel like God's leading me to be a Creative Arts Pastor or something like that.

But my main goal is to do social justice documentaries for missions. The problem is making that sustainable. As I try to get my film career off the ground, which probably means a few more classes, I need to making money to pay back loans and help support M as she goes to school. And I'm still not quite sure what that will look like.

The one thing I do know, is that I need to trust God. That He will bring me to where He wants me to be.

How to Love God

The greatest commandment is to love God and love others. But how do you do that? It's relativly easy to love others, I mean, they're right there. But how do you love God when He's intangible and far away?

Let's start by looking at how you love the people around you. This may be your spouse, your significant other, a really close family member, or that friend who's always been there for you.

These last few weeks, I've realized that I'm actually loving my girlfriend of 10 years more. Out of that love, I've started to be more affectionate towards her. There are moments where I just want to hug her and hold her close. Or times where I just want to kiss her. And times when I think about her and smile. All these actions and reactions come from the feeling deep down in my heart that screams, "I love you!"

Beyond affection, there's the things that you do for the people you love. You sit and listen to them when they've had a hard day. You have meals together and engage each other. You do stuff for them when it's inconvenient for you. You make sacrifices for them. All because you love them and you want what's best for them.

Sometimes you have to do things you don't like. Like confront them about a bad habit. Or not spoil your child because you want them to grow up valuing what they have.

So if that's how you love someone close to you, how do you love God? How about loving someone NOT close to you?

Jesus said, "'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:40, ESV)

Jesus also said, "'For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'" (Matthew 25:35-36, ESV)

Now, wouldn't you do that for someone you loved? Feed them when they're hungry, give them water when they're thirsty, clothe them when they're cold or naked, visit them when their sick or in prison? Isn't that love too?

And since we can't do these things directly to God, because He's intangible, isn't it convenient that there are all these people in the world who can receive it in his stead? So, by loving others, we're loving God. Which makes sense, because that's part of the great commandment, to love God and love others. In other words, it's the same thing.

I know that I love God, but I don't love others nearly enough. I also know that I want to love God more, so I should love others more. And that love that we have for others isn't some obligation, but a reaction to that feeling that wells up inside of us. Since God's not tangible hear for us to direct those feelings towards, we direct it to the people around us. Specifically, the people who need it the most.

So, go out there and love God by loving the people around you. Especially the people that really need it.

Requests and Updates for 10/16/08

Requests
==
+ That I would rely on God, not myself, thus, not stressing myself out
+ Faith and trust that LA is the place for my future
+ I finish that paper

Updates
==
It's been a hard few weeks. Tons of work and stress. Even though I went on a brief vacation, I came back to a ton of stress.

LA was fantastic. You can see a few pics here: http://www.ninjavspenguin.com/blog/2008/10/11/la-day-1/

I can definitely see myself out there. And in many ways, I'm actually looking forward to moving out there. I don't know if it's just because I have some great friends in LA or that it's just different than the NYC metro area, but I'm okay with it.

I also have my first late assignment for school. I had a paper due on Tuesday and it's still in draft stages. It's only worth 10% of the grade, so I'm not terribly worried. But what I realized, was I was obsessing over getting it perfect or at least an A. It's been a long while since I've done anything like that. But as a result, I got really stressed out to the point of near panic and just froze. I had the time to do it, but I just kept distracting myself so I wouldn't have to think about it.

As I look forward to the future, there's still a lot of uncertainty. Even the 2011 plan M and I had is most likely out the window. I'm not really looking forward to a 2013 plan, so it may end up being a 2009 plan? I don't know, we haven't really talked about it yet.

I went to the first Metro small group on Wednesday and it was an interesting experience. I feel awkward in these groups sometimes because I don't want to take over. I also don't want to end up just teaching either. But it was only the first week, so we'll see where that takes me.

Work is time consuming. I'm responsible for uploading the weekly podcasts, responding to some communications cards, doing the presentation on Sundays, working on the new website, working on the branding, and sometimes breaking down the gear on Sundays after service. It's a lot to do amidst all the other school work.

Even though I've slipped a little bit, I know that God will help bring me back. And things will work out.

Requests and Updates for 9/26/08

Requests
==
+ Build good relationships at the new church
+ To take Metro and its community to where God wants it to be
+ Discipline to pray and read my Bible

Update
==
It's been a while since I updated, but that's because there were things still in development that I didn't want to jinx.

I've settled on a new church, Metro Community Church in Englewood and I've been going there for the last 4 weeks. It's great little church, very warm and inviting. It is a bit far, but 30 min commute isn't terrible.

Everything kind of fell into place really fast. After I visisted the first time, I filled out their connection card. On Monday, Pastor Stephen emailed me welcoming me to the church. I shot back an email real quick inquiring about internship possibilities. I got an email back from Pastor Peter, we set up a lunch for that Friday, and got the offer.

It was amazingly smooth and fast. Metro had been looking for someone to do web and video stuff. I've been looking for a new church and an internship. So we were an answer to each other's prayers. Amazing how God works like that.

Even though things were pretty much good, the decision had to be approved by the elders. So I didn't want to say anything until everything was finalized. Things are good and I've already started.

My first big project is redesigning the website. The current site, emetro.org, is all static. I'm going to help them move to a CMS like Drupal or Joomla. Since we would have to redo the design, I figured this was a good chance to rebrand Metro.

The rebrand is going to be much harder but M is on board and the leadership seems to be keen on it too. It's a matter of coming up with a concept and design that the senior staff are happy with. They've had a few logos come by their desks, none of which really wowed them.

School wise, I'm mad busy. I started learning Hebrew. So now I can read and write it. My vocab is only about 30 words, which I need to memorize, but it's pretty neat. Most of my work is just reading and writing response papers. I have a few papers here and there. But one large research paper due end of semester.

Personally, I've just been keeping busy. Between school and internship, I've found it's hard to fit anything else in. I've fallen way behind on all of my blogs. The only ones I keep up with are the news ones. So, needless to say, I haven't had much time to pray or read my Bible.

For the most part, I haven't felt the need to pray. I want to, but everything's been going good. Now that I've said that, I'm sure God's gunna throw something my way.

The road ahead is still filled with uncertainty, but I have no fear because I know the Lord my God will not lead me wrong.

Requests and Updates for 9/2/08

Requests
==
+ I would focus on pursuing God through my studies
+ He would grant me power, wisdom, and opportunity as I disciple people
+ Trust that He will provide all that I need

Updates
==
I've officially started church dating. I call it that, because being with a church is like being in a relationship. I'm looking for one where we can really grow together and challenge each other.

2 weeks ago, I went to Liquid. I've been there before, so I kind of knew what to expect.

This past Sunday, I went to Metro and I really liked it. There's a lot of signs telling me this is where I should go.

1) Pastor Peter, the head pastor, used to be in broadcasting. He was a producer for NBC before going into ministry.
2) They have a video ministry and they're interested in moving towards short film (aka, drama).
3) They don't have a youth ministry yet, but have a core of devoted high schoolers who go without their parents.
4) An intern, who just left, also went to ATS.

Not that anything is official yet, but just looking at the future, it's full of hope and possibility. This is the happiest I've been in 2 months.

Classes start today and I'm really looking forward to a new year. I've been doing well so far. I don't want to say it's easy, because it's a lot of work, but I feel like I'm in that second year groove. Where you're kind of familiar with the way things work and how to do assignments.

I don't want to be comfortable. I want to push myself to be the best student I can be. At the same time, I don't want to be overly focused on the academics. I want to learn so I know God better. I want to live out my faith more and apply the things that I learn.

I started meeting with one of the kids and my heart breaks for her. I want to help, I want to care, but I don't know how to break through the walls. Her schedule also makes it really hard to be consistent. But when I look into her face, I see so much sadness and hurt. She's resigned to accept it, but I know that Jesus can heal her.

I know when meeting with a girl, I need to be extra cautious. But I also need to trust God that he's using me and all her friends to reach out to her.

Sorry I'm being so cryptic, but need to protect her identity. Pray for her, she needs Jesus.

Requests and Updates for 8/22/08

Requests
==
+ I find a new home for my ministries
+ I am following God, not my own desires
+ I find a new family that cares about me

Updates
==
Surprisingly, the decision wasn't that difficult. I guess because emotionally, I had already moved on. I'm not angry, just heart broken that it came to this. Goodbye CCCNJ.

Drama is the one thing that's been consistent in the last 6 years. No matter what happens, no matter how bad or difficult it gets, I push on. I love this ministry. I love the family and community it fosters. I love the creative freedom it gives to people. I love how we honor God by using our gifts and talents.

I talked about taking Drama independent. Well, as a result, I'm not allowed to hold my meetings at church. Since 90% of my team can't drive, it effectively kills the ministry. So that's it, I begin my search for a new home.

I feel bad for SG10, my small group. They're caught in the middle of this ugly divorce and they deserve so much better. I trust that God will carry them and will provide them with another leader.

I hope you guys stick around and keep me in your prayers.

Requests and Updates for 8/7/08

Requests
==
+ I honor God in all that I do
+ I don't rebel for the sake of rebelling
+ That God would mold me into the man He wants me to be for the service He has in store for me

Updates
==
It's been a few weeks since I got back from Kyrgyzstan. A bunch of people have been asking me how the trip was. For the most part, I've been responding with, "We'll see," because there were a lot of unresolved issues right before returning. Today, I can give you an answer to that question. It was a waste of time and money.

For the last 6 years, I've been doing drama. I've been writing and training my team to perform sketches. And more recently, we've been doing short films. Not Oscar caliber material, but I'm happy with our results based on our budget and skill level. We've been operating independently until a few months ago when the church wanted to have the right or power to approve everything that we produce. I got pissed.

Why? Because I'm a volunteer. I put my sweat, money, love, time, and energy into this ministry. The only reward I get is the knowledge and comfort that I had complete creative control. It's putting out a product that I know I've done my best on not only to entertain but to honor God.

Why is final cut so important? Because the edit is the final leg of the story. It's like getting fiber optics to the curb, but the last 10 feet are copper, what's the point? Or a mechanic who finishes 90% of the work on your car and then hands the last bit to a toddler.

If it were really about the art, then they would want to be involved from the very beginning of the process, but they can't be bothered. No. This is about control and ultimately about free speech. It's about what I can and can't say. It's about what I can and can't put online.

Why is free speech so important? Because it allows us to express ourselves. It allows us to communicate. Without free speech, we wouldn't be able to tell people about Jesus and what He did for us. Granted, that's an extreme example, but if you look around the world, there are plenty of places where it's not only illegal, it's punishable by death. But the flip side is that people can say nasty things about you and your religion. And that's the sacrifice that needs to be made if we want something good.

Obviously, there are certain restrictions that we have to take into consideration with free speech, such as endangering others. For example, it's illegal to yell, "fire" in a crowded theatre because it'll incite a riot.

But some organizations are so afraid of free speech, that they're unwilling to come to any compromise. If that's the case, I refuse to work with those people, paid or unpaid.

Because of my position and my conviction, many of my ministries are in danger. I've decided to take CG.Drama independent of the church because the approval process would be crippling. Not that changes much, because I've been working without the church's support for the last 6 years. But it will make things difficult because I will have limited access to rooms to practice.

If I ever can't do drama in a church, I walk. It's that simple. Regardless of whatever other ministries I'm involved with, that's the deal breaker.

I think about the things that I gave up to pursue ministry. A well paying job which I had just received a raise, an easy commute, a life of relative comfort and simplicity. In exchange for a life of low pay, long hours, heartache, and frustration. And I haven't even left the country yet. When that happens, I face the threat of disease, political and religious factions that want my blood because of what I believe, uncertainty, and loneliness.

Why would I do that? Because I have a God who did all that for me and people need to know that.

I know my reward is not on this earth. And no matter how much I try to do the right thing, things may not always turn out well. But that's okay because I know that God will vindicate me in the end.

I've already given up everything once. Doing it again a second time will be that much easier. And eventually, I'll have nothing that they can take away because the love of God is in my heart.

I've struggled a lot with identity. Who am I? Am I defined by my religion? My job? My interests? And tonight, I realized who I am. I'm a sinner in need of God's grace. No matter what else changes, until the day I die, that one fact will still remain.

I know I'm imperfect. I curse when I'm angry. I drink. I'm stubborn when I think I'm right. And that's just counting what I do right now. But I'm so grateful to know that Jesus loves me and accepts me just the way I am. He loved me before when I would curse Him and laugh at those who believed in Him. And He'll continue to love me no matter what I do. In my success and in my failure. Especially in my failure.

Do I want to change? Yes. But I'm less concerned about looking good than being good. I want to stand up for what I believe is right. I want to stand up for those who are being oppressed. So when the day comes and someone points a gun to my head and asks me if I'll deny Jesus, I'll be able to say, "No."

I've been asked what I'll do when I finish school and I never know how to answer them. I don't even know what I'm going to do next month, let alone know 2 years from now. All I want to do is do what Jesus tells me. Nothing more and nothing less. He's told me to love him and love others. And I'll do my best to do that.

Now, I'm at a crossroads. I don't know what will become of my ministry here at church. I don't even know if I'll continue to be in this church.

I'm thankful for my mom and M who support me and understand my struggles and will tell me when I'm being a whiny bitch. I'm thankful for all of you who pray for me. Even if you don't, but read these messages, thanks for listening.

Requests and Updates for 7/4/08

Requests
==
+ Glorify God as I work w/ coworkers to produce documentary
+ Comfort and peace from the uncertainty and uneasiness
+ Safe travels

Updates
==
I'm ready to go to Kyrgyzstan, even if I don't feel ready. I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen once I hit landfall, but that's okay.

In Kyrgyzstan, I'll be shooting a documentary about the broken families and bride-kidnapping. I'll also document Mercy Foundation's response to the need of the area. Hopefully, I can capture some cultural stuff too.

The point of contact that I had been communicating with is back in the states for surgery. I don't know who I'll be working with there, but it'll be a lot of teaching and learning.

Shooting shouldn't be difficult, it's coming back and sorting through hours and hours of footage in a language I don't know. It's going to make editing a pain.

Even if I feel like I lack the skills and the readiness, I know it's not about me. I have the camera work experience and the editing experience to carry me. It's just a matter of mustering all those things up. In the end, the project is in God's hands, and I can't forget that.

See y'all on the 22nd.

Requests and Updates for 6/13/08

Requests
==
+ Discipline and heart to do my devos (it's been a few weeks)
+ Trust God that IP will get made
+ My worth and identity isn't found in the projects that I do

Updates
==
I don't know what's going on, but I've been feeling kind of bummed out. Last night, I just wanted to wallow and eat ice cream. Felt like such a girl (no offense to girls).

I've been working on the Senior Banquet 2008 slide show and had to restart it a few times. The idea that I finally settled on is not nearly as exciting or fun as I would have liked. Every time I sit down to work on it, I just sigh and want to do something else. But I need to finish it by Saturday night since I'm leaving for Mexico on Sunday.

I've also been trying to get Irreplacebly Precious made. IP is a 70 page script Dan and Joyce wrote about 3 to 4 years ago. We spent a lot of time writing and then preparing it for a big live performance, but ended up canceling the show. Every once in awhile, I still think about that decision.

Part of me wonders, "what if", and the other part says that it was the right decision. I usually don't live in the past, but this is one of those things that I never really got closure on. Getting it made now should help that. To that end, I'm going to rewrite it in screenplay format.

I'm still struggling to find all the actors necessary to fill the cast. Right now, Jeannie and Andrew are on board, but need to find another guy.

The whole censorship thing isn't completely resolved, but it ended up being a lot of miscommunication amongst the leaders. Even though I still feel singled out, it probably wasn't the intention. The good thing about it is that it's forcing the leadership to look at Drama and its other ministries in a serious manner. Something that I rather get hammered out sooner rather than later.

So, I'll be in Mexico for a week. It'll be good to relax and get away to do some writing. Then when I get back, I have about 2 weeks before going to Kyrgyzstan.

Requests and Updates for 5/27/08

Requests
==
+ I would place God first in all things and see how my actions would honor him or be good for his people
+ My heart as it's broken for the church
+ My loneliness as I feel like a prisoner in the church
+ That I would do what's right and good, not what looks right or looks good

Updates
==
Retreat was long, but I learned a lot about interviewing and shooting documentaries. There's so much more that I need to learn, practice and prepare and it's making Kyrgyzstan seem harder and harder.

I've been working on a long term project about my church. So Whenever I get opportunities to get some b-roll or document some stuff, I try to take it. During one of the first worship sessions at the retreat, Shirley came up to me while I was shooting some b-roll of the worship team. I wasn't going to be more than 5 minutes, but she was furious.

She didn't want me filming ANY of the worship times. Part of me understands the motivation. She doesn't want me to be a distraction to the people who are worshiping, which is fine. But there's better ways of telling me than to yell at me. But whatever, it's a minor thing, so I let it pass. It's not worth fighting over. It also wasn't the right time or place to fight because I knew that if I did, I knew it would end up ruining my weekend.

On Sunday night, I was asked to shoot video of "Family Night", where different teams prepared songs and skits for the church's entertainment. Everything was fine and good until I got back on Monday. I receive a message from P.Chu on Facebook that Chuck, Shirley's husband, had told him to ask me to not post the footage online.

I was pissed.

What are we, in grade school? She can't politely ask me directly that she has to have her husband have P.Chu ask me? But that's not the main reason that I was upset.

This morning, Facebook was already covered in pictures and videos from the retreat. Why am I censored? Why are walls built around me? Why am I singled out? And it wasn't even, "Please let us see it first" it was straight up censorship. But the issue goes beyond just censorship, it taps into the nerve of this video ministry.

When I proposed this to the leadership, I understood that I would have to shoot crap that I wasn't interested in. Like the Family Night. I didn't want to shoot the Chinese adults, but I did it anyway. Because in order for me to have the sex, I have to do the money too. I'm fine with that.

What's the point of shooting video if no one's going to see it? What's the point in capturing these performances if they're just going to sit on my hard drive?

Had I known that I wouldn't be able to post it online, I wouldn't have wasted my time or my own money buying tape and batteries or asking a friend to run to B&H after work to buy extra batteries. Or ran back and forth on that stage for like 2 hours.

The kids were really excited about what they had prepared. They were really excited that I was going to film it. And putting it online so that they could enjoy it, so that their friends could enjoy it, would be really edifying.

I have a few options: 1) Post it anyway as a big "Fuck You", 2) Back down, yet again, 3) Be sneaky and have someone else post it, 4) Fight and most likely lose, 5) give up completely and try building this ministry elsewhere.

Analysis of options
1) The worst option because it's the option that I REALLY want to do. My gut wants to do it so bad, but I know it's the wrong decision.

2) I'm tired of backing down. This isn't the first time this issue has come up, but I hate being France. I hate surrendering before a shot is even fired. It makes me feel like a pussy. There's submitting to authority and there's being a pussy.

3) This could work. But will most likely end up being like #1.

4) This is a potential beachhead for other issues. If I fight and lose, then it saves a lot of time in the future because then I can just do #5. If I fight and win, it doesn't mean the war is over and may lead to more fights later on.

5) Kind of like #2 but has the most potential. But going somewhere else doesn't mean that these fights won't be there either. It would mean a lot of work building the ministry again, losing about 7 years worth of work.

Sigh.

The Fight is Over

In my update yesterday, I had mentioned that I would fight for Byron to go on the retreat. He got wind of hassle and withdrew his registration. And just like that, the fight was over and I'm okay with it. It doesn't make what happened any better, but at least it's resolved.

Thanks to everyone who prayed about it.

Requests and Updates for 5/12/08

Requests
==
+ Self-discipline to do work
+ Submit to authority
+ Opportunities and enegery to meet w/ ppl

Updates
==
Everything's been winding down in the last few weeks. And it's becoming harder and harder to get motivated to do stuff. With no deadlines, a lot of the projects that I need to do just end up sitting there.

On Friday, this new kid, Byron came to YG. He had come to Boba Nite and was then invited to come to YG. He seems genuine about learning more about God and Christianity, which is a rare opportunity these days. And wonderfully, God's placed him in my small group. So I feel a sense of responsibility for him.

This past week, Byron learned about the Memorial Retreat. Registration had already passed a few weeks ago, but there's gotta be ways to work him in. I had him get in his form right away but I didn't anticipate the road block that would be Shirley.

Of course she doesn't care if he's a seeker or not. All she cares about is the amount of "work" that they have to do. Even when we offered other alternatives, such as me giving up my spot or getting him a hotel room, she still said no. She didn't have the balls to tell me, so she had P.Chu tell me to stop fighting. I don't fight for a lot of things, but this is one of the things that I'm going to fight about. (sorry, Chris, I can't let it go)

It's just really upsetting that she's not the only one that sees it this way. Have we become so focused on programs that we're missing the big picture?

I'm in a unique position. Since I'm just a volunteer, I can break rules and fight fights that paid staff can't. If Shirley wants a fight, I'll bring it. I play to win, and if I can't win, I'm going to make it miserable for you to win.

As much as I know I should submit to authority, I can't when a person's life is at stake. I'll continue to do my best to work w/in the system, going over Shirley's head, or even just sneaking him in, whatever it takes.

A lot of people will be coming back this week and I'm trying to find time to meet with all of them, catchup, and just maintain good relationships

On Prayer

Intro
When I was a kid, this was when I believed in a god but still wasn't a Christian, I would close my eyes real tight and pray for this awesome 10 speed mountain bike.

Is that what prayer is? Just asking for stuff from God as if He were some magical Genie Santa Tooth Fairy?

Jesus’ Prayer
Let's see if there are any examples of what prayer looks like. If we're going to look for examples, a good place to start is Jesus.

Before Jesus was betrayed by Judas, He prayed the following:

Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

- John 17:1-5

Jesus continues and prays for His disciples, others who believe in Him, and those who will believe in Him in the future.

Jesus sounds kind of selfish, "glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you". How often do we ask to be glorified. If anything, we'll ask that God be glorified rather than us. But if we understand the mission of Christ, who He was and His uniqueness, than this prayer makes complete sense.

Jesus knew who He was and understood that through His accomplishment, that the Father would be glorified. He knew that He already had "all authority", so when He prayed, he prayed with expectancy. Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen. He would suffer and die so that the Father may be glorified. There was no "if it be your will" wishy-washy-ness. There was power and confidence in His words.

It's like when I would ask my parents for money or for food. I wouldn't be like, "Hey, if it be your will, would you maybe perhaps make dinner?". It was more like, "Ma, I'm hungry." or "Ma, I need money for the movies." or "Ma, I need to buy new clothes because there's this new fashion trend and if I don't have new clothes I won't be cool."

Pharisee and Tax Collector
I know, for me, it's hard to relate to the Son of God, so let's look at other examples. We have the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

- Luke 18:10-14

First, we have the negative example in the Pharisee. Who's prayer is self-centered and self-exalting. He's praising himself in comparison to "other men". He even starts listing his resume: fasting twice a week, giving tithes.

Then we see the tax collector's prayer, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" That's it. One sentence. He knows who he is, "a sinner". He knows that he needs God's mercy. But he's not afraid to be honest with God, laying out who he really is. He prays from the heart. I know I don't want to admit that I'm a sinner. To say it from the heart, that this is who I am, a sinner.

When I was a kid, and I asked for a bike, I would try and negotiate with God. I'd promise to stop making fun of that ugly kid in class. Or I'd start being nice to that girl. Or I'd be like the Pharisee and cite how I've been good and deserve a new bike. Man, was I persistent at it. In that sense, I was on the right track.

Persistent Widow
Jesus gave another parable of the Persistent Widow.

In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

- Luke 18:2-8

This "unrighteous judge" eventually gave in to what the woman was asking, just so she would get off his back. Now, God, being righteous, wouldn't He be even more inclined to give justice to his people?

So how do we know that we should keep praying for something? It depends on the answer.

But does God answer prayer? No, really, does He? Think about your prayers. Think about the ones that He's answered and the ones that He hasn't.

God’s Answers
It's generally been said that God answers in 3 ways: yes, no, and wait. But this is only partly accurate. There's usually no ambiguity with the no and wait. No is pretty obvious. It's like when I asked for a new bike. I was asking for purely selfish reason. Of course God was going to say no. But aside from the selfishness, I wasn't doing anything to try and earn the bike. I wasn't working or trying to make money. I was just hoping that one day, I would open the garage one morning and see a brand new bike waiting for me.

Or when I prayed that God would heal my dad when he got cancer. It was a pretty obvious "no" when my dad died. It was partly selfish, because I wanted my dad to be around. But God wants to heal people, right? Was it fair that I would have to grow up without a dad? What about this whole thing about justice?

That's one way to look at it. But God answered in a different way. And I think this is where we often get caught up. We think that God is only capable of answering in binary, yes and no (wait is basically a delayed form of yes or no). But a lot of times, God answers in different ways.

God, creator of the universe, knew that there was more at stake than one physical life. There was my mom's spiritual life. Todd's life, Nancy's life, Hilary's life, my life, and many others at stake that I have touched and will touch in the future. Where I was only concerned with 1 life, he was concerned with a hundred lives. God was answering a larger need for spiritual healing.

Sometimes, God gives an answer that we don't like. Like my dad dying so that other people would be saved. Or when you ask,"what should you do with your life", He tells you, "follow and obey". Or when you ask,"chicken or beef", He says, "pork".

One of the common threads that we've seen in all these examples is the contents of the prayer. Not only are they honest and expectant, but they are also focused on spiritual things. Things that we have no direct influence over.

If I wanted a bike, I could find work to earn money which could be exchanged for the bike. That's my responsibility. But spiritual things are up to God.

How to Ask
Now, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't ask for things. But be mindful of how you ask. Is it selfish? Have you been diligent and responsible for your things? Is it honest and true from the heart?

Here are some practical examples.

• Instead of praying for school and good grades, pray for diligence and discipline to study and prepare.
• Instead of what college to go to, pray that your future education and profession would expand His Kingdom and glorify Him.
• In addition to praying that friends would come to Christ, pray for opportunities to share and be Christ in their lives.

If your prayer life has been anemic, it's time to do some house cleaning and get real honest with God. Like the tax collector, pray from the heart who you really are, what you're really feeling, and what you're really concerned about.

And if getting a bike will expand His Kingdom and glorify Him, you’ll get that bike.

Speaking this Friday

I will be speaking at YG this Friday. The topic is going to be prayer.

Requests and Updates for 5/5/08

Requests
==
+ That I don't get stuck in "recharge" mode
+ A vision for next year's YG curriculum
+ Preparation for Kyrgyzstan mission
+ To love God and not the ministry

Updates
==
Finished with my first year of seminary and this second semester has been really hard. I think it was a combination of class, ministry, and Boba Nite. That, and 4 of my 5 classes were kind of eh. I have one more extra credit paper I need to do by Friday, but there's very little pressure on that.

Boba Nite was fantastic. The reviews that I've been hearing and the feedback that I've been receiving has been really good. Yesterday, I met with the YG Core team and talked about it. It was really encouraging to know that the church is really getting behind this ministry. For a moment, I had thought about shifting the focus and goals, but now I'm convinced there's a need for this ministry.

As I enter the summer, there are a bunch of projects waiting for my attention. Some of them have deadlines that I need to get started on, others have been collecting dust but should still be finished. And with the drama alums coming back soon, there may be new projects that we start.

In the middle of all this is Kyrgyzstan. It's about two months away and there's still so much that needs to be done. Fund raising, curriculum building, and cultural preparation. As much as I think the training program and materials are inane, I don't see much point in fighting it. Part of it has to do with the leadership. The few times that I have said something, my comments are met with blank looks of boredom.

I'm in this transition phase right now where I'm recharging all the margin I had lost from Boba Nite. The big danger is to get stuck in this powered down state. My devos have suffered because of it as has my productivity. But there's no time like right now to get back in it.

State of the Church

The Church in the beginning of the 21st century is facing an identity crisis. How does it effectively reach and foster genuine faith in a culture that views the church as ancient and archaic? How does the Church answer the most pressing questions and needs of this new age where poverty, disease, and injustice still exists? If the Church is to remain relevant, it needs to answer these questions.

Not just pat Christian answers, but real, practical and effective answers. As Jesus walked amongst the poor and touched the diseased and fought for those in bondage, the Church needs to do the same. It needs to embrace change, continually contextualizing its message amongst the myriad of subgroups and cultures. It needs to understand technology and how to leverage it for not only the Kingdom, but for the Global Community. It needs to be less about preaching and more about being like Christ.

Requests and Updates for 4/15/08

Requests
==
+ Submission to the missions training and planning
+ Discipline to finish the semester strong
+ Stress and final planning of Boba Nite
+ Power and knowledge as I disciple Sean and Hilary
+ Guidance for summer plans
+ Preparation for Kyrgyzstan

Updates
==
Greetings and many thanks for your faithful prayers.

Missions training was really discouraging. The way the run it and the plans that they have all seem arbitrary. Also, the way that they're selling these trips to us doesn't get us excited to do God's work. It's difficult when you're constantly being told that you're going to be ineffective and you can't accomplish anything in 2 weeks. At the same time, there's this blind faith that no matter what we do, God will use it, so we shouldn't try very hard.

But I'm not in charge, I'm not in control. I wasn't given knowledge and intelligence to instigate dissension. But now that I have knowledge, I feel that it is my responsibility to correct where things are wrong. Especially with things that are important. Like missions.

This trip is really important to me because it's a taste of the direction I think God is taking me. I was in contact with some staff from Kyrgyzstan and we talked about the documentary plans. It's really amazing because both our visions are perfectly aligned. Both of our visions, purposes, plans, and intents are the same. They're also very willing to support me with interpreter and transportation to accomplish the documentary. The church is also supporting me by approving the budget for a new camera. We actually got more money than we asked for. Now we need to be responsible and spend that money wisely.

God has given me the passion for film and is definitely building my skills. Kyrgyzstan represents a lot of firsts. it's going to be my first documentary. It's going to be my first time doing a missions project like this. Although I'm going with other people, our missions and responsibilities are completely different, so in a sense, I'm on my own. First time in central Asia.

That's why this trip is so important to me. It represents the possibility of my future ministry. As much as I want to do well and be a good steward of the resources that God has given me, I know that I have to trust in Him for the out come. Finding that balance is so difficult, because we're so used to equating an effect from a cause.

More immediately, school is about to finish. I have about 3 more weeks until no more responsibilities. Finals, papers and such are all I see in the future. It's really hard to focus and to be disciplined to finish my work well. Although I've been doing well this semester, I feel very ill-prepared for all my finals.

This is compounded by the final planning of Boba Nite. Still need to buy a few things such as boba, drinks, and other food. A lot of final planning to make this the best show yet and to plant the seeds for following years.

In the meantime, I'm still meeting with Sean. I started going through the discipleship program I developed a few months back. So far, it seems like it's going well, even if we only get to meet every other week. Once the semester ends, I should be a lot more consistent.

Since Hilary accepted Christ, I want to walk with as she learns to walk with the Lord. We are definitely lacking follow up in the Church. We're so focused on getting numbers and conversions, that we sometimes forget that it's not the prayer that saves. Rather, it's the regeneration of the mind and spirit. I want Hilary and Sean to have the resources and guidance that I never had in walking with the Lord.

Then beyond that, there's a lot of mist and fog. My semester ends May 9 (extended because of extra credit) and starts again Sep 2. That's a lot of time to develop spiritually, professional, and personally. Aside from Kyrgyzstan, which is about 3 weeks in late June early July, it's wide open. Whether I intern at church, go to Beijing, or something else, I don't know. Not worrying too much about it, but it's definitely in the back of my mind.

Requests and Updates for 4/8/08

Requests
==
+ Guidance and faithfulness as I plan the summer
+ Protection, holiness, and power as I disciple Sean and Hilary
+ That I would have an attitude of learning rather than academics at school
+ Preparation for Kyrgyzstan

Updates
==
Thank you all for your faithful prayers. The Lord has heard them and has already begun to answer.

Last night, I had the humble opportunity to pray with Hilary as she accepted Christ. It's amazing the journey that God has brought her on and will continue to carry her through.

God has been good and provided a 4th act for Boba Nite: Tim Be Told. It's really exciting, and our hope is that we'll be able to put on a show that honors God, but most importantly, to create an environment where people can come to know God.

I spent a lot of time trying to render Gene & Rosita's video, and it came out really well. There's a few things I still need to adjust for Boba Nite, but it's mostly done.

As finals approach, I want to finish strong. I have one class that I absolutely hate and want to drop but I want to finish it out and not let the spirit of evil hinder my studies.

I met with Charles briefly to talk about Kyrgyzstan. Both trips, Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan, seem really disorganized. But I want to be humble and know my place.

As I look at the summer, there are so many possibilities. I have a lot of time to develop skills and gain experience, in what area, I still don't know. I want to be faithful and pursue what God wants for me, but at the same time, I don't want to be stagnant and just wait. I think I need to pursue different paths, find out details, and make a decision in faith.

Please let me know how I can pray for you.

Hilary Comes to Christ

It's only by the grace of God that anyone comes to know Jesus. It was my great pleasure and opportunity that He would let me lead Hilary to know Him.

To everyone who has helped guide Hilary along the way, your work has not been in vain. It was truly everyone who watered and planted the seeds that one of God's lowly servants had the benefit to reap what others have sown.

All praise to our creator God, for He is holy, powerful, and love.

On Unity

I went to a retreat this past weekend with my seminary. I don't know what it was, but I didn't feel comfortable. Maybe it was because I showed up at 3pm, towards the end of the retreat, or something else. But amongst these Christians, I felt alone.

Today, in class, we were talking about the split between Judaism and Christianity and then the further split amongst all the Christians. We have Catholics and Protestants. Even within Protestantism, we have different denominations, Baptist, Presbyterian, Evangelical.

I thought back to when I had met someone on the street. When he asked me what kind of Christian I was, I didn't know how to answer him. Aren't we all the same? Don't we all believe that Christ is our salvation? Don't we all love God?

This is the unity that so many churches and fellowships long for. Not so much that we agree on everything, but these core concepts of loving God. Rather than preaching for this kind of unity, so many people preach togetherness.

As great as togetherness is, diversity is so much better. In diversity, we have creativity, we have uniqueness, we have collaboration, we have the sum of different life knowledge and life experiences. If we were all "one" as many people desire, then we'd be so boring. Everyone would think the same and would result in stagnation.

I say, celebrate our diversity. Welcome people into the family of Christ in love. Love God and love His people. Be one in the spirit. That's unity.

Requests and Updates for 4/2/08

Requests
==
+ Meeting with Hilary tonight to talk about Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit does its thing
+ That I would finish the semester strong, on top of all the ministry.
+ I would just love God more.
+ Preparation for Kyrgyzstan.
+ Possibly interning at CCCNJ.

Updates
==
Thank you all for you faithful prayers!

There's nothing quite like witnessing to get you on a spiritual high. After I met with Hilary on Saturday, her salvation is all I've been thinking and caring about.

Boba Nite is also coming it up fast. Both Peter and I feel that God is going to do something great. We may still not have a 4th act, but that's okay. It's just that Boba Nite is right around finals, so things are going to be especially hectic for me. I want to be sure to finish off the semester strong.

I got accepted to the Kyrgyzstan mission trip. They still don't have a plan for the trip but I already know what I'll be doing. I'm going to go and shoot a documentary. Some of the footage will be used as promo, but I really want to just tell their story, whatever that may be. There's a lot of stuff that I'll need to buy in preparation for the trip. Hopefully, the church will have approved the camera budget.

I've started thinking about interning at CCCNJ. There hasn't been a lot of talk about it, so I don't want to get my hopes up. But it would be nice to get something I can put on my resume and also a little bit of money. Things are definitely starting to get tight in my bank account.

As always, let me know if there are anyways I can pray for you.

Divine Appointments

This weekend, I participated in 30 Hour Famine. Afterwards I came home, chillin, relaxing before I started editing. Out of the blue, Hilary IMs me, panicked about being wait-listed for her #1 choice. I don't know why, but I felt compelled to meet with her, so we met up at Starbucks at Barnes and Nobles.

She shared about college and the decision that she needed to make. I don't know where it came from, but I just started talking about God and eventually shared my testimony about how I'm messed up.

As we sat over cups of hot coco, I answered her questions about life, God, and such. The answers were right there and they all seemed to click.

We were talking about moral choices when I made gun fingers at some guy. I hadn't realized it, but we were literally sitting next to the Christian books section. Right after I made the motion, the guy turns around, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." And he put 2 books on our table. Hilary and I looked at each other, amazed.

Later, after I had prayed for her, a woman came up to us and said, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear you praying. I think it's wonderful. God bless." Again, we were amazed.

This came after we talked about divine appointments and how everything led up to that singular point. The choices these people had made, the choices that we had made, led the four of us to that Barnes and Noble this night.

Hilary needed something to show her that God was real. Nothing quite like a divine appointment to show his power and his grace.

Thank you, Jesus. :)

On Fasting

When we think about spiritual disciplines, we think of things like praying, reading scripture, meditation, etc. How often do we think about fasting? I mean, giving up food? It's like, necessary or something.

Like when I watch TV, there's this subconscious desire to snack or just munch on stuff. Chips, candy, frozen foods, and sometimes fruit.

Or what about gum? I know plenty of people who just HAVE to have gum or they feel like they're going to die.

Are we doing these things because we're hungry or out of habit? When I see a commercial for pizza or chips, how often do I start digging through my fridge or pantry looking for something to eat?

There was this one time, my friend Brian had just come back from a cruise. If you've ever been on a cruise, it's all about eating. Your entire schedule revolves around meals. There’s breakfast, lunch, dinner. Then there's the buffets. Afternoon buffet, midnight buffet, brunch buffet, and people line up for these things. There's even cruises that have 24 hour pizza kitchens in addition to the ships set of 4 and 5 star restaurants.

So, Brian comes back from this cruise to the Bahamas. We're getting ready to have some barbeque and he loads up his plate with ribs and sausage. And I comment, "That's a lot of food." You know what he says? "I'm not even hungry." We're talking like 5 ribs and 3 sausages while I had 2 ribs and maybe 1 sausage. And he finishes it! All because it was time to eat.

So where does fasting fit into all of this?

One of the reasons we fast is to discipline our body. Paul said, "But I discipline my body and keep it under control." (1 Cor 9:27, ESV) By not giving into that psychological need to feed, that urge, that desire, we keep our body under control. In the first few hours of fasting, it's so easy to forget that you're not supposed to eat.

This one time, I gave up beef and video games for lent. The first day, I was in the dining hall for lunch. Without even thinking about it, I had fixed myself a burger. It wasn't until I took my first bite that I realized that I had given up beef for 40 days.

Eating has become habit for us because we have so much food available. Fasting helps to break that habit so that YOU control what and when you eat, not your body.


In Psalms it says,

"But I, when they were sick--
I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest." (Ps 35:13, ESV)

"I afflicted myself". The psalmist is in pain from not eating. And when you fast, you get really hungry really fast.

It's not just our bodies that control us, but other aspects of our lives. All the hurt, fear, shame, guilt, and secret desires we hide in our hearts. When we fast, those things start to reveal themselves. The psalmist says,

"When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting,
it became my reproach." (Ps 69:10)

It is through fasting that we are able to see all the subconscious things that control us. And because we are controlled by these things, rather than God, we’re ashamed of them. The key is to not to let ourselves get bogged down in the self-pity or self-criticism. Rather, turn those things over to God now that we’ve recognized them.

I grew up with Asian parents and I didn't always want to eat what my mom prepared. I'd eat some and then I'd say I was full. Or when I’d go out to eat and get this massive plate of food, I’m full, but my parents would tell me to finish. "There's starving kids in Africa." They'd quip. But how is finishing my plate going to help starving children in Africa? That never made sense to me.

You see, we're conditioned to eat. Most of the times we have hunger pangs, it's not because we're hungry, but because we're dehydrated. Our natural inclination is to grab something to eat. But what we really need is a glass of water.

Fasting reminds us that we are sustained by God.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan, at the end of the 40 days,

"he answered, "It is written,

"'Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Mt 4:4)

It's God who provides us with life and breath. Just as he breathed life into Adam at creation, he continues to sustain us. Of course, if we don't eat ever, we'll starve, but we can go for a surprisingly long time without physical sustenance.

The important question is, why do we fast. All these things are good reasons. Discipline the body, reveal the things that control us, and remind us that we aren't sustained by food alone. But all these have to be done in the context of centering on God.

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Mt 6:16-18)

The hypocrites would "disfigure their faces", purposely making themselves look emaciated and under nourished to not only receive the sympathy of others, but their praise and admiration as well. Especially now a days, fasting happens so infrequently that it's almost revered. Or somehow they're more special or more spiritual or more holy because they're fasting. But Jesus tells us to "anoint [our] head and was [our] face, [so] that [our] fasting may not be seen by others but by [our] Father".

Fasting is about humbling ourselves before God. We're not going to make God do anything because of our fast. He's not going to love us anymore, nor will he be more inclined to answer our prayers. That's not the point of fasting. The point is centering ourselves on God.

As we humble ourselves before God, we see our utter dependence on Him. It's not about what we want. Nor about what God can do for us. It's recognizing our place in relation to God.

Kyrgystan: Approved

It's official, I'll be going to Kyrgystan for short term missions this summer.

Our church has committed to sponsoring the development of a new school/orphanage in Kyrgystan. We've been sending kids out there for the last 4 years or so. With the new commitment, there's a lot of pressure to get people on board both financially and spiritually.

Last summer, I shot my first short film, Love Angle. Since then, I have been blessed with equipment and opportunities to use film for the Kingdom. Most of these opportunities have come out of my drama ministry, CG.Drama. Now, God has blessed me with a new opportunity in Kyrgystan.

I still need to meet with the missions committee to discuss the details of the project, but I'm really excited.

Analysis of Student Run Ministries

It is difficult for High School students to run effective ministries. Here are the reasons:

1. Lack of discipline. Kids at that age just don't have the drive or passion to pursue it as a full fledged ministry. There have been exceptions, but they eventually fizzle out as the original leader leaves. I would say that this is true for most organizations, not just our church.
2. Lack of leadership. It's not so much that the kids don't have the skills to lead or manage a team. Since they manage clubs in their schools, they definitely have the capacity to do it. For the most part, the ministries in the church are seen as afterthoughts. It's school first, then church. This may just be an issue of education, but it's difficult to overcome with overbearing parents and the pressures of media about college and careers.
3. Turnover. By the time kids have learned enough of the trade to lead it, bam, they're off to college and a new set needs to be trained. Coupled with the previous points, it's extremely difficult to make lasting ministries without an adult leader.

Case studies
CG.Dance, CG.Music, CG.VisualArts. 2 years ago, we had a thriving arts ministry. Every aspect was covered. But once the leaders moved on or got too busy, the ministries died. There were a few people who tried to carry on the torch, but they never really took off.

Drama continues to exist because I was willing to take up the mantle after our previous leaders left. I am the 3rd director of drama. Drama has been around for about 7 years and I've been heading it for the last 4-5 years. I've tried to set up structures to pass the torch, but I don't see enough interest in any of the youth to do it.

Solutions
I think the first step is to foster a thriving college ministry. By college, kids begin to discover their true passions and interests. They also have developed their skills in the area of ministry to effectively lead.

Mark Driscoll on Religion

It's such a subtle distinction between being a Christian and believing in Christianity. And we have to constantly remind ourselves that there is nothing we can do to earn God's love. Believing in Him, serving Him, none of it. He loves us regardless. And it's the reaction to that love that we believe, that we serve.

Genesis

Practical Christian is a blog about life, faith, and its intersection.

You will find musings on God, sin, man, theology, culture, ministry, and current events.

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