Scott Huff

My Blog Has Moved!

2010-05-04T23:42:00.006-04:00

If you are not using Wordpress for your blog you may want to check it out. The features are the best I have seen. Enjoy the new blog! Thanks! Please follow my new blog at its new address...

www.scotthuffblog.wordpress.com

The Best Sex Ever: God's Word on Sex

2010-03-22T12:50:00.003-04:00

We continued with our latest series called "The Best Sex Ever" last Wednesday at FUEL. The topic for the week was "God's Word on Sex". We looked at many passages that discuss sexual impurity and sexual immorality while using passages that discussed obedience to God and the protection of our bodies. We studied how sex was created by God to be great, not just good and that sex is not just an urge, but a real temptation for people. We also looked at how sex is not just physical, like the world says, but that it is fully spiritual. God's Word is clear to present the pain and consequences that come from pre-marital sex or adultery within marriage. Our beliefs influence our behavior when it comes to our sexul decisions. The question is... do we rely on culture/society, feelings/emotions, or God's Word/standards for making our sexual decisions. God wants sex to be a great thing for us but within the context of marriage between a man and woman. He created it just like He created us. We need to be obedient to our Father in all things, including sexual decisions.

The Best Sex Ever: Created in God's Image

2010-03-15T10:32:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday night we began our 4 week series on "The Best Sex Ever" with our student ministry. The first week was about being created in God's image. We discussed how culture and society influence us wrongly about sex, what the differences between guys and girls are, and how these things need to be embraced by teenagers. The overall theme for this week was about how God loves us no matter what and how each of us is unique in our own way. We have been given wrong information by friends and culture about what real love and sex are. Students today assume that love=sex which is incorrect and sets these kids on the wrong path. TV, movies, music, magazines, etc. cause mass confusion which leads to confusing thinking, and then confusing actions. This week's purpose was to lay a solid foundation for how God created us and what He had in mind for sex to be. I have a question box that allows students to ask questions they have about sex which could make for some interesting weeks to come!

Check this book out... "A Certain Risk"

2010-03-09T11:25:00.001-05:00

Paul was born and raised in a village carved out of the jungle in Dutch New Guinea, where his parents were missionaries. With a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in educational leadership, Richardson is part of a group creating a network of state-of-the-art Christian schools in some of the most impoverished environments on earth. Richardson lives in southeast Asia with his wife, Cyndi, and their three children.

Paul served as an elder at Mosaic before moving back to Southeast Asia. His father Don Richardson is the author of "Peace Child."

In his memoir, A Certain Risk: Living Your Faith at the Edge, Paul will inspire you to engage the complexities of your world with creative solutions-with creativity that comes straight from the heart of the Creator. Drawing on stories from his life as a change specialist in the world's largest Muslim country, Richardson explores what causes you to be pinned down under personal apathy and disappointment, and he helps you seek the Spirit-fueled life that can set you free.

- Posted from Scott Huff's iPhone

Peace, Patience, and Self Control

2010-03-09T11:20:00.002-05:00

These past few weeks in FUEL we discussed 3 of the "fruits" to finish the four part series on God's Extreme Makeover. We used Galatians 5 and the "fruits of the Spirit" to kick-off each message.
Peace is a good foundation for many of the other fruits. We need to maintain the peace that God offers us. We struggle to do this because of the "enemies of peace" that we have in our lives. These include: noise, fear, anger, information overload, and myself. We react on these enemies by worry, consumption, procrastination, and etc. God wants us to have a peace that would blow us away. It's a peace that can takeover our lives if we can just get our own selfish desires out of the way and allow for God's will to run our lives.
Patience is something we could all use a little more of in life. God teaches us patience through various ways such as the timing of events or answered prayers. God asks us to be patient so that He may accomplish His will. We need to keep our own desires and motivations out of His way. Quit pushing the issue in life and rely on God that He will succeed.
Self control allows us to see God's will come into fulfillment. We can't have self control on our own. It must be led by the Holy Spirit. We need to replace our kingdom with God's so that He can work in our lives. Self control keeps us from giving into temptation and will ultimately allow us find the available hope and love that God offers us. This topic wrapped up our series and is a great beginning to our next topic.

God's Extreme Makeover

2010-02-07T13:27:00.002-05:00

We began a new series at FUEL this past week called God's Extreme Makeover. During our time of worship the Chic-fil-a cow showed up to celebrate my birthday with our youth group. It was a fun time and our youth enjoyed it too. We began by discussing the fruits of the Spirit and how they are free gifts from God that we can have if we are filled with the Holy Spirit. God makes these things available to us for free as long as we are relying on Him for the sanctification of our bodies. We all need and desire an extreme makeover. But, most all of us try to do this by changing our outside, appearance, and cosmetics. For a true transformation we need to begin on the inside because this is where it counts in the eyes of God. I am so looking forward to the coming weeks while we investigate what it means to go through a true "extreme makeover". Galatians 5 is what we are using as the main scripture passage for this study. It will be lasting 4 total weeks. We will be looking at 3 specific fruits of the Spirit: peace, patience, and self-control.

- Posted from Scott Huff's iPhone

"Man vs. Wild" Series: Part 3

2010-01-28T14:52:00.003-05:00

We finished up our "Man vs. Wild" series last night at FUEL. It was great to walk through the story of Jesus in the wilderness and to see the tempations He faced. The 3rd temptation that we covered was idol worship. Satan tells Jesus He can have all that He sees if He would bow down and worship him. Jesus denies Satan while saying, "Fear the Lord your God, and serve Him only" which comes from Deuteronomy 6:13. We looked at the issues of the idols in our lives; the things we put before our relationship with God. This can include money, power, fame, possessions, etc. I encouraged the (40+) students to spend their time focusing on God rather than on earthly, temporary things. We all want more of the things we do/don't have, but we struggle to want more of God. We fear Satan because of what he can do, but we don't fear God the one who has defeated Satan. Why do we do this? Why do we worry about what people think more than what God thinks? The only thing that matter for eternity is our relationship status with God. The things of this world make no difference in our eternal life. We must seek after the God who loves us and desires for us to be with Him once we depart from this place. "No one can serve 2 masters" (Matthew 6:24) and we must choose between God and the "junk" of this earth. What will you choose?

"Man vs. Wild" Series: Part 2

2010-01-22T20:43:00.004-05:00

We addressed the 2 temptation of Matthew 4:1-11 this week in FUEL. This temptation was to make God resuce Him. Jesus was asked to throw Himself off of the pinnacle of the temple and to make God save Him. Satan quoted that God would not allow Him to be harmed by sending His angels to protect Him from harm. Jesus then quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, "you shall not put the Lord your God to the test." This part of the series focused on not testing God but simply relying on Him through our faith to protect us and guide us in all of situations that come in life. We all come from different life circumstances but we all must rely on God because of what He has done for us and what He promises to do through us. He doesn't need us but we definitely need Him. He does want us because we are His children and He desires a deeper relationship with each of us. His sovereignty is what makes it possible for us to follow Him through each adn every situation because we know He is in charge and in control of all things that happen here on earth. He is our God whose authority is unquestionable and unchallengeable beause He is the Creator and Sustainer of the entire world.

Strength To Stand Conference in Pigeon Forge, TN

2010-01-19T14:19:00.004-05:00

I am still tired from one of the best weekends yet in the life of our student minstry. We took 38 students, 2 children, and 10 adults to the Strength to Stand Conference in Pigeon Forge, TN on 1/16-1/18 which is organized by the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association. This was a great weekend filled with great worship led by Rush of Fools and preaching by Jay Strack, Jared Herd, Scott Dawson, and David Nasser. The theme this year was "STIR" based on 2 Timothy 1:6. We are called to stir the gift and stir the world as followers of Christ. The most exciting part of the weekend came when 3 of our students accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This came on Sunday night when Scott Dawson presented the Gospel to 7200+ students and adults. I had the privilege of leading our students in their decision during this time. There were tears and hugs and smile galore as these students made the greatest life-changing decision ever. We also had several students recommit their lives to Jesus Christ as they had fallen away from His authority in their lives recently. I will be praying for these students and their new-found faith in our Lord!

"Man vs. Wild" Series: Part 1

2010-01-15T16:23:00.003-05:00

In FUEL this week, we began our new series called "Man vs. Wild". This is going to be a 3 part series detailing Jesus in the wilderness and will include "survival" games. We played a game of who could eat the raw fish (sushi) faster this week. In part 1, we addressed His forst temptation: Hunger. We looked at how Jesus did not give into Satan's temptation of turing stones into bread so that He would not be hungry anymore. We analyzed how Satan would have ruined God's plan for a sinless Savior and thereby eliminating our ability to gain access to heaven. This is an event where Jesus was able to demonstrate His trust in God's provision and ultimately God purpose for Jesus and all of mankind. Jesus also demonstrated waiting on God's timing for things to happen. We often struggle with this and we want to push the envelope ourselves and make things happen. God has a perfect timing for everything and we have to trust in that because He is God.

Where Do I Find Truth?

2010-01-08T21:15:00.005-05:00

We had a great night at FUEL this week. We had 40 students show up for a normal Wednesday night service. The atmosphere was great with some great praise songs led by a student, Kelli Crawford, who did a wonderful job. The feeling in the room was awesome with the students watching and listening with great intent. I shared with the students about "Where Can You Find Absolute Truth?" We looked at several passages of Scripture regarding the Word of God. I used 2 Peter 1:12-15 as the main passage to show how Peter had such a great desire for people to read God's Word even up until his impending death. I shared my personal experiences with the Bible and how it is life-changing, transforming, and encouraging. I explained how the we, as believers, need to get alone and in silence with the Word of God. The Words will come to life and we should tremble at His Words (Isaiah 66:2). I pray that we all learned how we need to be alone with God so that He can transform our lives. I also pray that we have a passion for each other to grow in the Lord. We need to have an accountability to one another for us all to be like Christ.

New Year's Revolutions

2009-12-31T12:23:00.003-05:00

The last night of FUEL for 2009 was a great night. We had a great time of worship and I spoke on spiritual disciplines as a means of change for 2010. These New Year's revolutions are vital to a believer and what better time to recommit your life to them than at the beginning of a new year. The revolutions consisted of 1. Read the Bible, 2. Pray to God, 3. Give to God, 4. Go to Church, and 5. Serve Others. These 5 spiritual disciplines are things we do but may not actually commit ourselves to. My challenge to our students was to make a commitment to doing these things more, more effectively, or even just to start doing them in general. The reasons behind these disciplines is because God commands us and expects us to do these things. God has done His part by revealing Himself through Scipture and we can follow that with praying returning favor to Him, meeting with a body of believers, and serving those in need. I pray I can make the same transformation for this coming year to improve my walk with Christ by doing these things better.

Kentucky Wildcats Basketball Wins #2000 And I Was There!

2009-12-23T10:04:00.002-05:00

Monday night, December 21st at 7 pm the Kentucky Wildcats started a game against Drexel University at Rupp Arena. I was in attendance with my wife, Lori, and sitting in section 230 row FF seats 5 and 6. The game was a blowout with UK winning 88-44. Demarcuse Cousins and Patrick Patterson led the team in scoring with 18 points a piece and John Wall had 16 points along with 7 assists. Cousins also led the way with 13 rebounds in the rout. #3 ranked Kentucky improved to 12-0 on the season with historical win #2000. Immediately after the game, confetti and streamers filled the air of Rupp Arena and the crowd stayed standing in their places. No one was leaving early from this celebration. After the game Coach John Calipari and his team came to center court with a microphone. He addressed the crowd about how this team has only had a small part in the wins at Kentucky but that the fans have been here the entire time. Calipari said, "People have a pride in their Commonwealth's team and it means something to them." He also handed the microphone to Coach Adolph Rupp's son who told of how proud his father would have been. Former coach, Joe B. Hall, and former players (Jamal Mashburn, Kenny "Sky" Walker, etc.) were all in attendance for the momentous occasion. The evening was great and I look forward to #3000 but first a National Championship is in order - maybe the 2010 one? :)

Went to NYC to Watch the CATS Play UConn

2009-12-15T10:42:00.003-05:00

I was in New York City last week from Wednesday 12/9 to Saturday 12/12. Lori and I went to Madison Square Garden to watch the Kentucky Wildcats beat the UConn Huskies 64-61! The game was great as it came down to the wire with the CATS pulling it out. I made a sign and took it with me... it read "The Great Wall of Kentucky Stretches from Lexington to NYC". It was so good that it got me on ESPN several times. I got texts throughout the game from friends and family saying they saw me on TV. It made the game that much more fun! We also toured Yankee Stadium and saw the restaurant used in Seinfeld. We went to a Broadway show called "Memphis" which was also very good. We had a great time in NYC with Lori's friend Tashena who lives there. It made for a great trip and some wonderful memories!

Days Divide Performs at FUEL

2009-12-03T10:37:00.004-05:00

Last night at FUEL we replaced our typical Wednesday night with an acoustic concert by the Christian rock band DAYS DIVIDE. It was a great night where we had 50 people in attendance to hear some great music. Days Divide played their acoustic versions of their rock songs. The students absolutely loved it. They got so caught up in the atmosphere with jumping around, clapping to the beat, singing along, and dancing... no, make that interpretive movement! :) It was a great night put on by some great Christian men who have brought their love for music and God to a whole new level. I am thankful for their ministry and I pray that God will continue to bless these guys! Check out their website http://www.myspace.com/daysdividemusic

Will Media and Technology Save the Church?

2009-11-25T10:12:00.006-05:00

I recently read an article by Scott McClellan on Collide Magazine's Blog entitled "Will Media and Technology Save the Church?." I agree with Mr. McClellan that media and technology will not save the church because the church does not need saving. The church of Jesus Christ is made to outlast all things and at no point will it need to be saved. Media and technology are great compliments to the work of the church but nothing will ever overtake the Gospel as the priority of the local church. We are called to make disciples of all nations, not to entertain them with flashing lights, smoke machines, and great animated powerpoint presentations. Those are things are not bad in themselves, but if they becaome the priority of the church then we have taken a serious misstep and we must go back and correct that. I believe these things truly enhance worship of our Lord and Savior but, like Mr. McClellan, they will never fill the enormous shoes of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Listen, Receive, and Do God's Word

2009-11-19T09:25:00.002-05:00

In FUEL last night we studied James 1:19-25 which is about listening, receiving, and doing God's Word. We have to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger when it comes to listening to God's Word. We often hear God's Word but don't often "hear" it. We have too much other junk in our lives that interferes with our listening to His Holy Word. We are commanded to receive God's Word upon listening to it. But often we are consumed with moral filth and evil that take up our heart and mind. But we must remove all that filth from our lives so that we can grow spiritually and take in more of God's Word. The process of spiritual growth begins at the salvation experience and then the sanctification process of removing the bad and filling it with the goodness of God. Once we listen and receive God's Word, we then must do God's Word. The doing is the part we all struggle with because we often "forget" what we have just heard or learned just like "a man who forgets what he looks like just after looking in the mirror"(v. 22-23). We need to remove the nastiness in our lives and replace it with the joy and greatness of Jesus Christ. Don't be angry and grumpy, but be joyful because of your Savior!

The Source of Temptation

2009-11-13T10:41:00.003-05:00

This week's FUEL study was on "The Source of Temptation". We continued in our study on James by looking at 1:13-18. In this passage we read the God does not tempt anyone and He is not capable of tempting anyone. So, where does all the evil in the world come from? This passage explains that temptation/sin come from our own evil desires and the work of Satan in our lives. We are fallen, sinful people and Satan uses our inner evil desires to help us sin. He caters to our evil desires by dropping hints and making suggestions for us to give into. So, if you have an evil desire to be rich then Satan will provide opportunities where it seems you may become rich by doing something evil. He may provide an opportunity for you to hurt someone in order to gain money. It may look appealing because of the financial gain but sin will occur because of giving into the temptation. What we need to do is grow spiritually in life where we can flee from our evil desires and pursue after the One and only righteous God of the universe. We must rely on Him and His desire for our lives because this life is not our own but it belongs to Him, as we are His followers and have been redeemed by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.

The Testing of Faith

2009-11-05T14:45:00.004-05:00

The testing of our faith is evident by James 1:2-12. We will be tested with the goal being that we pass the test. Not only should we pass the test but we should persevere through the trial by relying on our faith. Our faith should be strong enough to be confident in what God can do and then expect Him to deliver us through each and every situation. God allows for us to be tested in "many ways" because He needs to see that our faith is not merely spoken but acted out when the time comes. James tells us to "consider it pure joy" when we face trials because it will develop the persistence of our faith. The reason behond the trials is to be able to present the believer as "mature and complete". We will need wisdom from God to encounter trials and defeat them successfully. Verse 12 says, "blessed are those who persevere under trial." We will be rewarded for persevering through trials from within (tempatation of sin) and without (persecution). You can only receive the prize if you have entered the competition of a life with Jesus Christ. We will all struggle but only those who have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are able to persevere to the end will receive the "crown of life".

Fear of Commitment

2009-10-29T10:48:00.005-04:00

Last night in FUEL we discussed the "Fear of Commitment". We all struggle with committing to things, either too many commitments or too few. The question we must ask ourselves, is are we committed to the right things? What do your commitments involve? Are you committed to things you don't really care about or want to put your time and effort into? Are you committed to the things that you value and are most passionate about? You must first realize what you value so that you may make the appropriate commitments towards it. My passions and values are in who God is and what He has done so I make commitments that allow me to work towards God and put my energy and efforts towards Him. So ask yourself, am I committed to the God who created me, the one who sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for me? OR am I committed to the meaningless things of this earth that are insignificant in the grand scheme of eternity? I pray that you will commit yourself to God and to Him alone becuase He provides the greatest benefits and none of the costs. After all, what do you have to lose?

Fear of Rejection

2009-10-23T11:28:00.007-04:00

I spoke at FUEL on October 21 about "The Fear of Rejection" and how it can run our daily lives. This fear is perhaps the greatest fear facing today's youth. They are constantly under-attack to be more like another person, dress like them, speak like them, act like them, listen to the same music as them, do the same foolish things as them, etc. I pray that youth of today will be able to hear the Gospel message about a God who loves them for who they are, faults included. I hope they can learn that being rejected by people has no consequences for for the after-life but being rejected by God can affect you for all eternity. We need to live life for an audience of one and only try to gain God's approval because man's opinions are just that, opinions of people who will die just like us.

(See Matthew 10:28)

Preaching at My Alma-Mater Hannibal LaGrange College

2009-10-15T21:44:00.005-04:00

I had the great opportunity to preach at my alma-mater Hannibal LaGrange College yesterday, October 14, 2009. It was truly a great honor and I enjoyed every minute of my time there. Dr. Tom Hufty gave me this opportunity and I am truly thankful him doing so. I got to see many old faces and bring back some great memories. Alyssa Askew, a current HLG student and a member of Bethel Baptist Church (my home church) led worship before I spoke. I spoke for about 30 minutes on Mark 10:17-22, the story of "The Rich Young Ruler". You can check out my sermon at http://www.hlg.edu/life/chapel.php

The NEW FUEL Starts Tomorrow!

2009-09-22T09:17:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, September 23rd, begins a new format for our Wednesday evening youth event called FUEL. We have been mostly Bible study oriented but now taking it to more of a worship service type event. I had acquired a guy to lead worship for us beginning tomorrow but he just agreed to go to Germany for a couple weeks with his son's band. So, I have been pumping up this NEW FUEL and now my worship leader has gone AWOL. So I tried to recruit a teenage guy from the homeschool group that meets here at the church. He offered up a whole band for us to have play tomorrow night! But then he went on to say let me check and make sure we can do it. he is supposed to let me know today if they will be here or not. I am hoping and praying that God will provide this need for our ministry. If all goes well we may try and continue this partnership with these guys so that we may have an even more effective service. I am not too worried because I know God is in control of the situation... as always!

God as our "Ultimate Creator"

2009-08-31T21:13:00.004-04:00

Before "time" God was there. I often forget that before creation God was there and I now wonder what He did before He created earth. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..." The beginning spoken of here is our beginning as a created species on a created planet with created heavens and earth. God was and is the supreme being and authority in our lives, in humanity, on earth, and in the heavens and space around our planet. As the "ultimate creator" God creatively made all that we know including us. Each of us is different in some way... physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. We, like God, are also creative but in our own way. We cannot create something out of nothing (ex nihilo) like God did. What we can do is show God's love to others in creative ways. We have the ability to create ways to reach others and share the gospel with them. I pray that we can actively seek out creative ways to reach people and minister to them in a variety of ways.

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

2009-08-26T16:42:00.006-04:00

I am 1 hour away from FUEL where I will be speaking out of Psalm 24:1-6. The topic is Give Us Clean Hands and a Pure Heart. We must strive to present ourselves sanctified, pure, and clean before God each day. We let too many things in our life run how we live our life. Possessions are what push us, not the passion for a relationship with our Father in heaven. I pray that my students will learn something tonight that will speak to them in a way that will push them to flee from the things of this world and pursue God. I hope they will set aside the idols, emotions, and physical "needs" they think mean everything to life. We will be writing things that come between us and God onto a large canvas that already has a clean hand identical to the on in this picture. The words of... anger, sadness, friends, pain, status, beauty, etc. will fill up the space that surrounds the hand to leave only a "clean hand" which is purified by setting aside all the things in our life that lead us astray. When you meet God and He stretches out His hand to you... will you be able to grab His hand or will you end up handing Him your cell phone, your computer, list of people you hate, a list of people who are "more beautiful than you", etc. You need to have clean hands to be able to grab thhe hand of your creator when it comes to that day and each day when you spend your time with Him - you should pursue purity as if He is right next to you... because HE IS!

Baptizing My First Youth

2009-08-17T20:21:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday August 9th I got to baptize a rising-sophomore named Brittany. She got saved while we were at camp and I got to baptize her as my second ever baptism but my first youth! It was truly a great day where our church was able to celebrate with her in the salvation that we all have in Jesus Christ. I look forward to baptizing so many more students in my ministry. God was revealed that day and as He is everyday. I only hope to catch a glimpse of His greatness each and every day. I know this can happen if I wake up each day looking for what God has planned for me and not what desires I have planned for myself. Thank you God for your greatness and mercy!

The Month of July!!!!!!!!

2009-08-10T17:15:00.005-04:00

WOW! July was a great month for me. It began with taking 11 youth to Cedarville, Ohio for Student Life Missions Camp (6-10). We had one girls get saved and another who rededicated her life to Christ. We did work at Adcare Hearth and Home for alzheimers patients. the kids really enjoyed it and now we will begin doing it hear in Lexington in September. Jeremy Kingsley was a great speaker and Rush of Fools did a great job leading worship. The lead singer, Wes, came and spoke to our group one night along with Dustin, the lead guitarist. It was great to meet and greet with those guys in a small personal setting. The day after we got back from camp I left for Peru for a week (11-18). Where do I begin... I got to preach on the 12th twice. Once in the morning to 53 youth where 27 were saved and once in the evening where over 25 were saved. We handed out hundreds of Bibles throughout the week in Lima, Gomorrah, and Pachacutec. We got to share the Gospel and hand out blankets to prostitutes in downtown Lima where several were saved. It was a great week where hundreds were saved and hundreds more had seeds planted. I came back to Lexington for a week before heading to Las Vegas/San Diego for Cory Wells' wedding (29-3). In Las Vegas we saw 2 Cirque du Soleil shows - LOVE and O. They were awesome! I got to play TPC Las Vegas where I shot 73. We drove to Riverside, CA for Cory's wedding on the 1st and then on the 2nd drive to LaJolla where I played Torrey Pines South with Marc Mangiafico. I shot 76 there with an eagle on 13. It was a great day... I loved it! Ahhhhhh the month of July is now over.

Vacation Bible School

2009-06-25T12:20:00.005-04:00

Vacation Bible School was this week. We had a great turnout of close to 100 kids each day. The theme was Boomerang Express. I dressed up a little Australian on Sunday monring and did the announcements with an "aussie" accent and wrestled a blow up alligator, ummm gecko actually. I couldn't find an alligator. Anyways it was a great week and we had many families attend that are not affiliated with our church in any way which means we have a list of visits to make starting next week. Also, mine and Lori's anniversary was last night and we went to Malone's and ate some wonderful filet mignon. 3 years and counting!

It's been 2 1/2 months and I haven't written anything!

2009-06-03T12:15:00.004-04:00

So i have been a little busy and haven't written a thing for 2 and 1/2 months. SO here is a recap of what has gone on in that time. Church softball has started and we stink. We are "un-victorious" this season with 4 games left. Lori and I went to Philadelphia to visit Andy and Kasey and had a great time. We saw the Rocky statue, ate cheesesteaks, went to a Phillies game, and saw the Liberty Bell and all the buildings there. Then there was the 30 Hour Famine with the youth on April 24-26 weekend. We didn't eat for 30 hours and we played games at the church and began the tearing down in the gym to make way for the renovation which starts next week. I also got to preach on Famine Sunday and the students did all the work in the service (ushers, greeters, singers, children's sermon, etc.). We raised $2500 for hungry children across the world. On May 11th I tried to qualify for the US Open and failed miserably. Wwell it wasn't that bad but I didn't qualify. I finish 33rd out of 80 or so. Not too bad for a youth pastor! Lastly I went on vacation last week to Destin, Florida with Lori, Stacey, TJ, and Madelyn. We had a blast. The weather was great, food was great, golf and swimming were great. We even got to meet up with the Lyons' family at AJ's for dinner our last night and there 2nd night there which was a great time! OH, and how could I forget that I won an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles through Catalyst for my dominating NCAA bracket. I had 14 of Sweet 16, 8 of Elite 8, 4 of Final Four, 1 of Final 2, and the Champion picked correctly! I get to go on that trip next April. I won the trip out of 15,000 people which was awesome. OK now I have caught up everything so I can back to writing on here a little more frequently!

College Retreat Reflection

2009-03-16T14:05:00.003-04:00

I just returned yesterday from a 3 day trip to Pigeon Forge, TN with our college students from Broadway. There were 10 of us on the trip and we did a whole lot of nothing while we were there. We watched TV, went shopping, played pool and various other games, and of course we did a Bible study over the weekend. We watched a video series called UNSTUCK by Dave Edwards. This video Bible series was about how we get stuck in things that we should have relied on God to take care of in the first place! We don't rely on God like He asks us to or like He would love for us to. We think we can handle any situation thrown at us when in reality we can't. We wait until we are in over our heads before we cry out to God for help. We have to have hope in who God is and in what He can do. This hope will lead us to faith in those same things and then action carried out as we depend on God to guide and lead us through our situation. Find your hope so you can have the faith in what God is capable of doing in your life. Don't limit God on what He can do, because He can do all things because, well... He is GOD!

Pastor Fred Winters

2009-03-08T17:16:00.003-04:00

This morning at 8:55 a.m. a gunmen walked in to FBC Maryville, Illinois. He walked down the center aisle minutes into Pastro Fred Winters sermon. He approached the stage with gun in hand and Fred asked him how he could help the man. The man pointed the gun towards Fred and fired 3 times. The man was tackled by 4 members of the church where 2 of them were stabbed and the gunmen attempted to stab himself during the scuffle. 4 people were taken to the hospital including Fred. Pastor fred winters later died from the injuries received during the attack. Pastor Fred leaves behind his wife, Cindy, and 2 children. Pastor Fred Winters was my pastor for 8 years. He baptized me during junior high and was a great influence on my life, my walk with the Lord, and my current career in ministry. I thank him for all the lives he reached through the years. He will be missed by many people from the Maryville area and the surrounding communities. I pray God will watch over his family and see them through this difficult situation.

My Ordination Service

2009-03-02T21:02:00.005-05:00

Last night, Sunday March 1, I was ordained at Broadway Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. Pastor John Birchett led the service with the Drex Kemplin, the chairman of the deacons, giving the candidate presentation on behalf of the deacons, Pastor John, Music Minister Jeff Randolph, and Brother James Heard after my completion of the council on February 21st. The service was great. Pastor John spoke out of 2 Timothy 2:14-30. Rebecca Seitz, Kevin Tolliver, and Megan Davis read scripture during the service as well. Brother Jeff led the singing with Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Just as I am, and others. I was encouraged by the number of ordained men (pastor, music minister, and deacons) that prayed for me while laying their hands on me. I received a Bible and an Ordination certificate from the church. A reception of Chic-Fil-A nuggets, cupcakes, and fruit foolowed the service. My parents and grandparents, Lori's parents and grandparents, and my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and niece Madelyn were all in attendance for the occasion. It was a great night for glorifying God and I pray that I can continue to do so.

Faith Greater than a Furnace

2009-02-20T12:15:00.005-05:00

I spoke at Woodford Christian School this morning to 100 kindergarten through 8th graders. It went well. I spoke on Daniel 3:13-29; the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. This is my all time favorite story from the Bible. It shows the blinded eyes of King Nebuchadnezzar and his confident attitude in his gods and his 90 foot tall golden idol. It also demonstrates the faith that these 3 men had in our God. Their faith was so strong that they knew without a doubt that God would save them from the fiery furnace and He did. They did not waver in their stance against placing another god before the One True God. They were a visible testimony to the king and all who were there for the glory of God and His capabilities. God performed a miracle so great that the king renounced his own gods and made God the head of the land and even place rules for required obedience and praise for Him. God did not let these faithful men down just like He doesn't let us down when we are in a time of need. Oh, to have faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego!

Take a Stand

2009-02-10T15:24:00.004-05:00

I am finishing the study with my student ministry tomorrow night on "Do Hard Things" which is a book by Alex and Brett Harris. This is the 5th and final week of the study and it deals with "Taking a Stand." The Harris' are 2 young men that have done the things they promote in their book and this 5th focus is no different. I only hope to proclaim this principle to my students in hopes that they would stop living for the world and live their life for the purpose of Jesus Christ. Pleasing people in the world today is only temporary and we can receive eternal blessings through glorifying Christ while we are here on earth. God commands us throughout the Bible to be free of this world and to proclaim Him only in the things that we do. We are to live in the world but not be of the world. Taking a stand for God requires being made fun of, persecuted, laughed at, uncomfortable, and uneasy but you will be respected once people realize you are sincere in your stand for God. Your sincerity must make it through the beginning of the stand and persevere to the end for ultimate glory in Jesus Christ. Listen to what Jesus says in John 17:14.

Southeast Conclave

2009-02-02T14:07:00.003-05:00

I attended the Southeat Conclave last week on January 29, 30, and 31 in Atlanta, Georgia. There were some great speakers in Francis Chan, Chap Clark, and Ergun Caner along with great worship led by Todd Agnew and emcee Brock Gill (illusionist). I enjoyed my 3 days there and really got alot out of the time in seminars and worship. God spoke to me in some clear ways regarding our student ministry, campus outreach, mentoring, and the love of Christ for all! I am so excited to put into place some of the things God laid on my heart while I was there. I became convicted over the thought that everything I do for our student ministry needs to be Jesus-centered and the complete focus of all the programs and events we have. Everytime we get together we have to have the focus of Jesus to make our time together worthy and successful. In ministry, we get caught up in the events and details while forgetting the real reason for the events and programs. Jesus is the focus and must be evident in all that we do.

Missional Renaissance

2009-01-24T20:13:00.003-05:00

I attended a conference on 1/22/09 at the Kentucky Baptist Convention building in Louisville, KY. The speaker was Reggie McNeal and the focus was his new book "Missional Renaissance". He was an enthusiastic guy who was a little scatter-brained at times, but a joy to listen to and hear his heart for the "missional" church. A "missional" church is a church who focus its attentions on reaching out to the community to demonstrate God's love to people. He proposes spending more time, efforts, and money on "blessing" the community around the church rather than "blessing" the current church. He used several examples to explain this process. He proposed that churches go into the community to serve rather than inviting people to service at church. He also stated that the church is just the airport to the greater destination - Heaven! I think churches spend too much time worrying about getting people in the door of the church where they need to spend time getting people in the door of heaven. He also talked about blessing people in the community by offering prayer up to people as much as possible (waiters, cashiers, etc.). I was challenged by his seminar and I look forward to using some of the things he talked about in my ministry.

Finish the Fight

2009-01-21T14:25:00.005-05:00

I just returned from a Strength to Stand Conference operated by the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association. The theme was "Finish the Fight" and the entire eperience was amazing! My students loved the entire experience. We were able to hear great speakers: Jose Zayas, Dave Edwards, Scott Dawson, and David Nasser. We also heard some great worship leaders in Matt Papa and Shane & Shane along with a concert by Jeremy Camp. "Finish the Fight" is a Biblical model found in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith." We are called to endure until the end and finish the fight. We are given the strength to do so through Christ Jesus and we must keep our faith in Him with our eyes on the prize. The prize of the crown of righteousness is a reward which will be given to me on the day of my judgment. My goal is to stand before God and Him to say "well done my good and faithful servant." I will not be perfect in my endeavor but I must try each and every day to accomplish something for the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Where Does Truth Come From?

2009-01-15T00:31:00.004-05:00

In today's society people challenge truth on a daily basis. Our world is filled with individuals who want truth but do not want it to include God in it. Truth cannot exist without God. People throughout history have tried to explain truth without involving God and have failed at it everytime. Truth begins with God being the supreme being of existence and continues through His Word and through His Son. Everything we try to justify by truth has to involve God's supreme authority and His deity. He created all things and continues to operate the world on a first-hand basis. His continual presence in our world is the final answer to all issues regarding truth. John 14:6 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Living Life with a Purpose

2009-01-10T20:16:00.006-05:00

Each day we wake up and do the things we always do for the sole reason of... ?
Is it just because we did it yesterday or because we can't think of anything else to do. We live out our daily life with no purpose or reason for the way we do it. God tells us throughout the Bible to live life with a purpose... a purpose of glorifying Him and receiving the gift of eternal life from Him. We cannot live a life that goes nowhere because we are scared. We must step out of our comfort zone and trust that God will lead us to a life that glorifies Him. We must have the purpose of God's glory driving us in each thing we do. We must wake up and say, "What can I do to glorify God today?" That is how God wants us to live and He commands us to do so.

A Lukewarm Christian

2009-01-07T11:17:00.005-05:00

In "Crazy Love" Francis Chan discusses a lukewarm Christian in chapter 4. A lukewarm Christian fits as a title to many of us who claim to be Christians. A lukewarm Christian can be summed up by saying they do and act the way they do because they are supposed to. There is evidence of Christ in their lives by their actions and speech but they only do these things out of fear of hell. The horrible part is they don't do them out of love for God. Love for God and a true relationship with Him should be what drives our actions, thoughts, and speech. Love for God should make us want to do things to help others and show His love. We are all caught up in doing things because of fear of hell not because of love for God. God does not need us like we need Him, but He wants us! How awesome that the God of all things cherishes a relathionship with us. If we are lukewarm Christians then we will be "spat out" as it says in Revelation 3:15-18. We will not have a place in heaven because we have not truly known Him. We must treat God as our best friend. Which must include but not limited to: talking to Him, constantly thinking about Him, wanting to introduce others to Him, etc. We need to bring the glory to God in ourwitnessing and serving. We do not need to be saying: look what I did today or look what I gave up for God. God deserves the glory and all of our heart, soul, mind, and body.

Crazy Love

2009-01-02T23:13:00.005-05:00

I began reading Francis Chan's book "Crazy Love" yesterday. This books first 3 chapters have been amazing and I am so excited to continue it. Chan begins by discussing the obvious aspects of Christianity and the attributes of God. Chan has a way of describing these things that seems so straight-forward but yet is so descriptive and in-depth. He does a great job of "telling it like it is." He also discusses how the attributes of God are so complex and how we, as humans, cannot even describe them accurately enough because His nature is so far beyond our comprehension. Can't wait to update on the rest of the book later on.

Breaking the Bubble

2008-12-29T15:08:00.006-05:00

It is so hard to try and step out of your comfort zone. You must first acknowledge that you have a comfort zone and be humble about how big (or small) it really is. Then you must realize that just because you do not know what might happen away from that "bubble" does not necessarily mean it may be bad or harmful. We have to be able to take the initiative of making the first step. If we are able to do this then God will grab our hand and guide us from that point. We have to show our faith that we trust God will guide us down a path of righteousness and safety. If we show Him our trust then He will make our gains and rewards great. We have to be able to get out of the way so that He may lead us. I pray that I can "pop" my bubble and use my life in ways that I can't understand but that God will make evident to me as long as I have faith.

More than a haircut!

2008-12-18T15:07:00.005-05:00

I went to get my hair cut today and heard a lot more than I had planned on while I was there. The lady who cut my hair, Sylvia, asked me about the "church" t-shirt that I was wearing. So I told her about it and that I was the youth pastor at a church here in town. She began to tell me her "life story" while she cut my hair. Sylvia was raised by a single mom and given way too much responsibility by her teenage years. At age 14 she came to Lexington looking for a job and found the infamous lifestyle of prostitution. She worked as a prostitute for a couple of years until she saved money to make it to Miami. She continued the prostitution while she was there. She got hooked up with a pimp that beat her 2-3 times a day. She received her money and he provided the clients. She became involved with various types of drugs (cocaine, heroin, lcd, etc,). She became an alcoholic and had no direction in her life. She had a boy through one of her clients but she doesn't know which one. She had to raise the child on her prostitution income. She eventually found Jesus Christ through someone at a shelter and moved back to Lexington while leaving the prostitution lifestyle behind. She is now a volunteer worker with drug addicted people and with a battered and abused women's shelter. She proclaims Jesus to these women and tells her story so that hopefully they don't have to go through the same things she went through. Sylvia is a bad-to-good story of how Christ reaches people through the unlikeliest of circumstances. God worked in Sylvia's life so that He could use her to work in the lives of many other women. Praise God!

Humble Pie

2008-12-12T15:36:00.006-05:00

In studying Luke 1:26-38, I have realized how God used the insignificant Mary to bear the greatest event of all-time. She was a devout Jewish woman who had done nothing spectacular and had no claim to fame. But, God chose her because she would not question His will nor His process for carrying out the miracle of the virgin birth. Mary was humble and filled with humility. Her greatest concern was if she was "good enough" for the task at hand. She wondered why God would choose her for such an important event. In the same way, I wonder why God would choose me to minister and teach students how to know Him more. So many times, I don't feel like I am worthy (and I am not) but I do know that God works through me. I know that it is not me doing the ministering or teaching. I just have to remain humble and understand that all of the success that comes my way comes because of what He does through me. It is not of my own good deeds but it is the work of the Holy Spirit through me. God is so GREAT!

Vision is...

2008-12-08T22:08:00.002-05:00

Vision is something that a lot of us have but do not necessarily cast or state unless we are required to. Vision for what we plan on doing in the future must be carefully thought out and have solid Biblical foundations in order for it occur and be successful. Vision must follow the God's will which can only be discerned through prayer to God and studying of His Word. We must be open to what God has planned for us and look to follow His lead and leave behind our own wishes which often lead to pain and destruction. Vision is God-led and we must have the courage and faith to trust He knows the path.

Reality Check

2008-12-05T11:03:00.002-05:00

A man by the name of Mike came by the church today and wanted to talk to a minister. I was here and met with the man in the stair well. Mike had a lot of things happen in his life: schizophrenia, alcoholism, drug abuse, pornography addiction, etc. He is facing a lot of persecution as a disabled individual through medicare and soical security issues. His family has albeit disowned him and will not aid or provide him in anyway. This man has a heart to help people and wants to be used for good. He believes he has been born again and had a lot of knowledge of the Scriptures to back it up and support his life and the things he has gone through. Mike just wanted me to listen to him and provide an open ear for the trials and temptations in his life. I was able to do so and I learned a lot through listening to Mike. God revealed to me that the world we live in is fallen and that we all stumble and we all are persecuted and tried everyday. It was reality check for me to hear first-hand that an individual was going through these things and that he desperately wanted God to help him. I think God is helping him and I explained why I thought so. The Holy Spirit lives in him and he speaks in a way that shows the fruit of which God has blessed him. Mike made me realize that I need to be more in-tune with what is going on in the world around me. Our world is evil and God is the only good we have. Many people are going through things just like Mike and we as believers need to be there to help or just listen to what they have to say. I will continue to pray for Mike and his situation.

New to blogging!

2008-12-02T16:23:00.003-05:00

This is my first blog ever. It is exciting to think I have finally created a blog. So many people have them and I enjoy reading them but, I had never created one until now. The plans for this blog is to write down the things I am involved in as a student minister and how the Lord reveals various things to me. It will also include random thoughts of whatever comes to my mind. Let the BLOGGING begin!