Truth In LOVE Wins!

Ephesians 4:15

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 

Recently I had to speak truth into a students life.  It was about something that I knew would be kind of devastating to them, but I also knew it would help them grow.  Tough conversations with students (those you care about) are never easy.

(What I've learned to help ease these inevitable conversations.) Investing in a deeper relationship with your students as a spiritual mentor and not just the cool adult makes speaking the truth in love easier.  Meaning, solicited and unsolicited (leading of the holy spirit) truth should be spoken into their lives when the opportunity presents itself regularly, not just at times when its earth rattling.  Conversations on natural things are great but you cannot forget engaging in the ones about the spiritual aspects of life.  I've found that how I interact with them dictates the level of access I have to speak into their lives.  So I must balance friend/cool adult with youth pastor/spiritual mentor.  We never sacrifice our youth pastor/spiritual mentor hat for the friend/cool adult.  When we do that we become neither. In fact, I would venture to say we become more of a stumbling block. -This also is a tip for believers in general. You can become a stumbling block for others when you decide to sacrifice what you know to be right for selfishness.

So here are some thoughts of mine on speaking the truth in love:
 

• Speaking the truth in love is caring about how you convey the truth that must be spoken. 
• Speaking the truth in love (how you convey) is not allowing the change the truth of what you have to say.  Speak the truth.
• Speaking the truth in love is putting the truth in a way that it doesn't tear them down but builds them up. 
• Speaking the truth in love is caring more about them being freed by the truth, than you not seeming cool, or creating weird tension.
• We speak the true in love because we believe God's word is true.  We believe its part of becoming more like Christ which is our goal for their lives as well as our own.

I've only posted a few but I would love for viewers to chime in and leave a comment on what is speaking the truth in love to you...


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Hope it Helps: Hand Shake Hi to a Hug Goodbye!

I love connecting with students one on one.  I believe that it's a huge part of moving students from the weekend crowd into community within the ministry.  When a student feels known by the ministry they feel apart of it.  Whether it's by a student leader, volunteer or staff member it's important that they are known by someone.  Here are just a few things I think about when I'm interacting with students.

1. I want to be super intentional. - I want to make the best of every opportunity I get to effect a students life.  My intentions are to share Christ love for them through our time of interaction.  I do not apologize for my ulterior motive.ha 
2. I make sure they have my attention. - I want them to know that I understand its important that they are here.  So for however long I'm with them I'm completely engaged.

Grandma's Turkey

I remember when I was younger we would spend thanksgiving with my grandmother.  She would start cooking the day before thanksgiving at around 11pm and would cook all night long.  The house would smell so good it would be hard to sleep.  When it came time to eat my mouth would water as all the food made its way to the table.  One of the last things that would come to the table would be the turkey.  The turkey would be huge, my dad would carve it and from there we would eat turkey for the whole week.  Meaning my grandmother would find ways to use the leftovers.  She would make turkey sandwiches and turkey salad.  Even the neck that came inside the turkey she would use, she wasted nothing.

As I was reminiscing about my grandmother and the turkey it made me think about my life. God has used every part of my life.  Even the things that I thought was useless.  I've had some great moments in my life, and I've also had times in my life where I could've been labeled a screw up.  I've come to learn that just like my grandmother with the turkey God doesn't waste anything, but he uses it all the good and the bad.  I've seen God use parts of my life that I was kind of ashamed of.  He used it to help others that was going through the same thing.  I'm not giving you a green light to do the bad, but I really want to encourage those who have messed up.  Which would be everyone if we're being honest.  You might feel or even see yourself as worthless but God sees you as priceless, and all the hurt and pain you've been through He can use to help others.  So if you've done things that makes you feel useless and/or unwanted.  I really want you to know that God still loves you and your life still has PURPOSE.       

Trust God with your life
love u all