I love the Bible. The actual words from God given to us to be used as a guide for life and to strengthen and encourage us in good times and bad. Written down are Scriptures like Psalm 23 which I consider to be one of the most famous passages in the Bible. We also read the stories of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Job, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaac, Jeremiah, and others from the Old Testament, and are reminded that the same God to loved, protected, and guided them is the same God who loved, protected, and guided the early church apostles, leaders, and followers in the New Testament, and is the same God who loves, protects, and guides us by the Holy Spirit.
So far, 2010 has been a year of bad news followed by worse news and on and on. First, parts on the front of my truck had to be replaced, then my home furnace started acting up, followed by being notified that the project that I was contracted to work on was being cancelled and I’m out of a job. But God gave me a promise in December and he confirmed it again to me last night that 2010 is a year of growth, both personally and for the Beyond Youth Ministry. And growing I am doing.
What’s really exciting is this. Good leaders lead by example and can only lead others where they have already gone. In other words, as the pastor of the Beyond Youth, the growth that I am experiencing is the same growth that I expect God to make happen in the lives of my students. I’m so excited for them! Not for what they’ll have to endure, but for the abudance of growth that will occur in their lives.
