“Real joy and peace do not depend on power, kingly wealth, or other material possessions. If this were so, all people of wealth in the world would be happy and contented, and princes like Buddha, Mahavira, and Bhartari would not have renounced their kingdom. But this real and permanent joy is found only in the Kingdom of God, which is established in the heart when we are born again.
“The secret and reality of this blissful life in God cannot be understood without receiving, living, and experiencing it. If we try to understand only with the intellect, we will find our effort useless. A scientist had a bird in his hand. He saw that it had life, and, wanting to find out in what part of the bird’s body the life was, he began dissecting the bird. The result was that the very life of which he was in search disappeared mysteriously. Those who try to understand the inner life merely intellectually will meet with a similar failure. The life for which they are looking will vanish in the analysis.
“In comparison with this big world, the human heart is only a small thing. Though the world is so large, it is utterly unable to satisfy this tiny heart. Our ever growing soul and its capacities can be satisfied only in the infinite God. As water is restless until it reaches its level, so the soul has no peace until it rests in God.”
(Foster & Smith, Devotional Classics, Sadhu Sundar Singh (1889-1933?), p. 310)
Got this from a friend. There’s one swear word in the middle, so … sorry about that. It’s still super funny, though. Enjoy!
I put the following together as a way to recount and honor of the wonderful team God has given me to work with in youth ministry, and how they have served the Lord this past year. May it bless, encourage, and inspire. – Kev
I was reading in Judges the other day in my Holman Christian Standard Bible, and something struck me because of the way it was worded in this particular version. In Judges 5 we find the record of what is known as The Song of Deborah. Deborah was a married woman, prophetess and judge in Israel (4:4). It was customary for songs to be written to celebrate victories, and in this passage, Deborah describes the Israelite victory over Sisera and the Canaanites. What I found particularly interesting was that the first words out of Deborah’s mouth had to do with leadership and volunteerism: “When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, praise the Lord” (5:2). A few verses later she says, “My heart is with the leaders of Israel, with the volunteers of the people. Praise the Lord” (5:9)!
I really resonate with Deborah’s words. I love when I look out over the landscape of Planet Impact and I see leaders leading and people volunteering. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: Without caring, committed adult leaders we could not have a successful youth ministry. You are the ones who make great youth ministry possible. I want you to know afresh that my heart is with you. I am constantly thinking of you, praying for you, trying to come up with ways to bless you, encourage you, and equip you to be even more effective in loving and leading students to Jesus.
As I look back over this past year, I can say that we have battled and it has been a victorious year for us. Since I can’t sing to celebrate our victory, I have decided to write something of a poem or even a liturgy of praise to God for your faithful service unto the Lord. Enjoy!
Julianne takes girls to Starbucks and talks to them about life and hair.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Don runs wires all day for Verizon, then races to the church on Wednesday afternoons so he can mold young musicians into true worshippers of God.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Janis has a passion for seeing young people discover freedom and healing in Christ and pours herself into them by serving as a teacher for Life Hurts, God Heals.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
David desires to see students worshipping God with reckless abandon and works hard to create environments wherein they can experience God’s presence in a powerful way.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Joey sets up his DJ equipment and entertains students at our Serve and Swim parties and Invite Nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Teresa is an encourager and gets up early to go and support students attending See Ya At The Pole at Connetquot High School.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Ines brings her entire family to church on a Saturday to serve lunch to the elderly at the Senior Saints’ Luncheon.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Jean engages with students in lively discussions in small group.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Ren starts Planet Impact TV and gets the Internet buzzing about our youth ministry.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bob Kogut loads up his truck with tools and materials and works hard to make our Winter Retreat vision come to life.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Stan works alongside our friends from London at Hobbs Farm, pulling weeds so food can be grown to feed the poor.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tommy Labarbera sets up cones and directs traffic on Sunday mornings and plays sports with students on Monday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Carlo builds relationships with students in his small group and facilitates discussions that cause students to grow in Christ.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Kim meets with girls in small group to talk about godliness and purity.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Lily goes to the city with a group of students to attend a concert. Along the way she laughs with them and talks with them about their lives.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
John Long goes on his 80th missions trip, cooking for the team so they can minister in health and strength.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Patrice oversees registration and serves as a liaison with Tuscarora, ensuring that everyone is taken care of at the Winter Retreat.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Adriana talks to girls on the phone and has them over to her house for conversations about the things of God and to help them discover their identities in Christ.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Frank and Diane sit with students to discuss life and faith on Sunday mornings. They also give friendly smiles and answer questions for people on Wednesday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Josh works with students on the Tech Team on Wednesday nights, helping them develop their talents for God’s glory.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tommy and Naomi show up to Lauren’s Sweet 16 to encourage her and speak blessing into her life.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Tim gets a group of students together and spends a Saturday blessing Granny Frannie by cleaning her yard.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Carmen loves on students during Life Development, patiently interacting with them about important topics.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Mama Muller sees students in the hallways and makes them feel loved and cared for with her contagious smile and warm hugs.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Nico serves as a small group leader, letting students know he cares about them by being a good listener, asking questions, and offering life perspective.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bradley has an eye for students on the fringe. He greets them and makes them feel welcome on Sunday mornings.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Rolf welcomes students to youth service and ensures that they are kept safe by helping with security.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Richard serves pizza with a smile and makes it possible for James to be a part of our youth ministry by driving him home each and every Wednesday night.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Mike becomes a staple of the youth ministry announcement videos, keeping students informed about what’s happening.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Amarisa is a willing servant and gladly helps people at the Resource table on Wednesday nights.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Granny Frannie lets students know that she cares about them and wants to see them live well and make right choices, and she inspires all of us to invest our lives in the next generation.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Giovanni shows confidence in Justin who now leads a group of his peers on Wednesday nights, handing out goodies to everyone for Cuz We Feel Like It.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Bob Zuber identifies, encourages, and gives students with technical abilities the opportunity to grow in their giftings as He serves the Lord with gladness, faithfully modeling servant leadership.
When leaders lead and people volunteer, praise the Lord.
Give your friends, volunteers, small group leaders, teenagers … OK, anybody a gift that will entertain them as well as help them engage in better conversations this Christmas! Order a signed copy of my book What Would You Do? for only $8/copy (retail $10.99) and receive FREE SHIPPING! (Bulk pricing also available!).
Ordering Information:
Make check payable to Kevin Mahaffy and mail to: 58 Brooksite Dr.Smithtown, NY 11787
If you would like the book addressed to someone specific, please include information along with check.
“Sometimes it is action itself which leads us to our best contemplation. If we contemplate too long, we sometimes avoid the necessary action.” – Richard Rohr
Last week we had several tragedies in our community in the days before Thanksgiving. On Tuesday night an 11-year-old girl was killed crossing the street right in front of her mother in a hit and run accident on Main Street. On Wednesday afternoon a 15-year-old boy was killed crossing a major road on his bike just two miles away. Two college students on their way home for the holiday were killed in a car accident. Such horrible tragedies intensified by their proximity to Thanksgiving. Some of my students were friends with the 15-year-old boy who was killed, so I thought it would be appropriate for us to take some time as a youth ministry to talk about how we deal with loss. Here are some thoughts.
We all live with the reality of loss. Whether it’s a family member or a friend, at some point all of us are going to deal with the pain of losing someone. In those times our faith is put to the test. Faith can be understood as putting all of my weight on. What or Whom are we putting our weight on during times of crisis?
The end of life is a reality all of us will face. Whether through death or the return of Jesus, this life as we know it will come to an end for everyone. (Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 3:1-4)
It is OK to grieve. Having questions, doubts, fears, frustrations, even anger are all normal during times of loss, and we need to give people permission to grieve. Hey, even Jesus wept. (John 11:35)
Griveing is not a lack of faith. Christians do not grieve as those who have no hope, but the DO grieve. (I Thessalonians 4:13)
Go to God. A look at the Psalms will reveal a guy (David) who wrestled with God, who poured out his emotions and frustrations, but he did it in the right way. He didn’t hit things or cut himself or vent with rage on other people (that we know of), he poured out his heart to his Creator. (Psalm 23:4)
Receive from God. He knows what we’re going through and in His love, He did not leave us to walk through tough times alone. We need to help kids receive the help and the grace that God has provided through His Holy Spirit and through His Church. (Isaiah 53:3, Hebrews 2:18; John 14:26; John 15:26)
Trust in God. Help students know that even when things don’t make sense and they don’t have all the answers, they can trust in God because His very nature is love and He is trustworthy. (Isaian 55:9; Proverbs 3:5; Philippians 4:6-7)
The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live. When our time comes to an end, we are going to be asked whether we were known by God and we are going to be judged based on whether we were living for His purposes. Students should be challenged to evaluate their lives and respond to the good news of salvation through Jesus (Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 25; II Corinthians 6:2)
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