A New Way to Be Human: Abandoning Separation

Our world is a bit of a hot mess. It can be utterly exhausting and overwhelming because there is so dividing us as a people. This last weekend I had the seemingly impossible task of talking about a new way to be human when it comes to judging another human. Judgment is the inhumane way. The human way is love. It’s time for us to abandon what’s separating us and find how we can connect better to one another. One of the most fun parts of this message was in honor of Black History Month, I prepared this message with the thought-provoking voices of African-American leaders Dr. John Perkins and Bryan Stevenson. Race is one of the most divisive issues in our country, including the church, but it’s important that the very things that divide us can be what connect us back to each other.

Truthfully, this was a hard one for me to prepare and preach. There was a lot happening within me as I was preparing this message. I felt like it was in a pressure cooker of judgment. Perhaps my vulnerability will lead you toward some better places, too.

May my own stumbling and fumbling through being made new push you toward a new way to be human. God knows we need less divides and more love in our world.

Speaking for your People - Words Matter. Hope Moves.

When you have an opportunity to gather your people together, what happens during that time is priceless. Holy. Potentially life-altering. How you curate the words that are spoken and hold the space for your people to experience a new thing is important. 

Inviting someone into that space is vital. Asking them to use words that bring hope, life, and truth is a risk. I get it. It's a gamble to ask someone to step in for a day or a weekend to bolster what's already been happening in your community and what you're hoping will continue after they're gone. It's nerve-wracking to ask someone to speak on "this" and hoping they don't talk about "that". You cross your fingers that you won't have to do any clean-up after your speaker leaves.

This year I'm inviting you to ask me to come and bring words of hope, life, and truth to your people. I boldly want to ask you to trust me. I humbly ask that you'd consider what my unique voice could bring to your people. I commit to bring my best, to love your people, to thoughtfully consider the specific words they need to hear. I promise to be a voice of hope in a world so desperately in need of it. 

Don't only take my word for it. Here are some words that will tell you what I bring with me and how my words will intersect your people.

If you'd like to explore a retreat, a conference, a service, or a training, take a couple minutes to fill out my speaker request form. It'll help us cut to the chase and figure out if it'd be a good fit.

Even if I cannot speak into your people's lives this year, know that our words matter. Being leaders and people of hope moves us into possibility and our fullest potential. Speaking words of life are so needed in all our lives. Rooting our hope in what lasts beyond our present circumstances allows us to move forward in spite of fear or doubt. 

May your words bring hope. May those you invite to speak into your people's souls do the same.

Grow Youth Ministry Curriculum and Strategy!! GET IT.

If you're in youth ministry and constantly trying to figure out teaching curriculum -- and all the goodies that make the curriculum work for you -- you've got to check out the Grow Youth Ministry Curriculum and Strategy resource. It's brand new from the genius work of my dear friends, Kenny and Elle Campbell at Stuff You Can Use.

It's seriously everything you need for your students, volunteers, and parents. It's great Kingdom content, super user friendly, and really fun!

The team who contributed to this is the most diverse - racially, ethnically, and gender - that I've EVER seen. That alone makes this curriculum and strategy worth purchasing!!! 

I'm super stoked and honored to contribute to this brand new resource. I wrote the series on justice and I was thinking about you and your students the entire time I wrote these 4 adaptable messages. As a youth pastor at heart, I LOVE it when there are solid resources available at a good cost. And this curriculum is. 

Check it out. I don't think you'll be disappointed. (ummmmm...and if you are, they offer a 200% guarantee. Love these peeps!)