NYWC - Thoughts from day 3

During this morning's general session Eric Timm was on stage during the worship session with Starfield. Before he started his picture he painted the words, “Walk by faith… God will reveal.” The theme for the weekend is REVEAL, so this was very appropriate.

I have to say that after three days of being here Reveal is a good word for it. It’s like it doesn’t matter what seminar I choose. It’s weird how God keeps presenting me with the key passages that have shaped me over the years. Wherever I go the speaker starts talking about things that are reminding me of nearly every significant moment I have had with Him along my journey.

This morning Rodger Nishioka’s general session left me with one basic thought. It’s one story about one kid. He told a simple story about an old woman praying for a kid on the fringe. In the end there was a strange twist, the kid was praying for the old woman. And when she asked him why he had been praying he said, “don’t you see… because you are saving my life.” This was just one story about one kid, and it reminded me of the importance of every one I come in contact with.

I was in a seminar with Chap Clark and he said, “We love youth ministry but we often haven’t taken seriously the mandate to care for the kids.” This reminded me of a time when I was on a retreat with a group of seniors a few years ago. I was sitting on the bus and was just overwhelmed with the idea that I love doing this. Then as I was having that thought it was as if God was asking me if I love the kids or just the idea of youth ministry. It was a tough weekend of processing where my passion was.

In the evening session Chris Folmsbee took us to Exodus 33-34 and asked two questions.

Question 1: What will distinguish us as Christians? Answer: the presence of God. Moses refused to move forward without the presence of God. I remember when I was contemplating the transition to teaching and this was the exact scripture that I discussed with God before I dove in. The only thing that is going to separate me from any other adult in the lives of these kids is the very presence of God in my life. I want that presence.

Question 2. What’s the greatest gift we can give this generation? Answer: Recognizing the presence of God and eliminating the things that keep us from it. Our responsibility is not only for ourselves but is also for those we lead. This means that, like Moses, we ought to be about the duty of confessing the sins among us. Us is the keyword here. We need to be interceding on behalf of those we lead and nurturing in them an awareness of Gods presence and a desire for His holiness. Holiness here not meaning sinlessness but rather being in the presence of God and dwelling there.

Kids are thirsty to see God’s glory. My challenge is to be living in His presence so that my very life is a display of that glory.

These are the things that have been revealed to me today. My prayers tonight are first for family. I miss them and I desperately want to live out these truths for my three little ones. And second, for all those I teach. They are incredible kids and I want to learn to be more fully present and reveal God’s presence to them every day.