What Are You Thinking...

Changing The Norm

2009-11-01T23:10:00.000-08:00

What does it take to live for Christ? What are we called to do to become a disciple?

These are questions that run through my mind so often. I wrestle with cost of discipleship and how does that apply to my life.

We live in a country that has us running 120 mph everyday in 12 different directions, but the cost of discipleship does not change. We are called to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow Christ. Does this mean change the flow of life? I believe it does.

We must change the norm of life. We must fight the flow of life that causes us to look to jobs, sports, vacations, and family more than Christ. Are we willing to give this all up for Christ? Whether we are to literally do this or not is not the point. The point is that we must change the norm. Change our priorities. If that means give up sports so you can devote yourself more to prayer, then God says yes. If that means quit your job so that you may spend more time ministering to your family, then God says yes.

Cost of Discipleship = Changing the Norm

Quit fighting to defend our American Dream and start pursuing God's Dream of Discipleship.

Success Is Attributed to Attempts

2009-01-29T09:30:00.001-08:00

i was reading some blogs and ran across this. what an interesting perspective. i would like to add one more thing to this. strike-outs were high, but he did not include that there are 3 strikes. think about that as you read this...

http://www.benarment.com/history_in_the_making/2009/01/you-cant-have-enough-bad-ideas.html

You Can't Have Enough Bad Ideas

Get this - Babe Ruth held Major League baseball's career strikeout record from 1926 until 1964. But what gave him such grief also made him the home run king. He swung at a LOT of pitches... and SOME of them connected! You've gotta love that. You can't have too many ideas because some of them will be great ones!

This year has been a year of strike-outs for me. I've asked favors that only got laughter on the phone. Feels like I've had more unreturned phone calls than answered ones. And I've had e-mail requests go completely ignored. The assistant to a very famous ministry leader wrote, "I don't know who this Ben is, but he'd better learn protocol."

Not easy for me, I'll admit. But I'm in good company. Call me the Benbino.

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The Balancing Act

2009-01-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

everybody is amazed how the tight wire person walks the taut wire. the question arises, "how can any human keep their balance with death starring them in the face below?"

with our job, family, school, finances, recreation, and much more starring us in the face, how do we differ from the tight wire act? where the person tries to keep balance with his body, we try to keep balance with our entire life. both are a balancing act.

here is the difference. when the tight wire act is jeopardizing their physical life 100 feet in the air, we are jeopardizing our spiritual life everyday. God understands that life is hard and crazy. he understands that it is hard to keep balance. he even understands our hardship so much that he created an anatomy that our bodies are hurt when we are not balanced correctly. we have a ph scale that makes us balance our acidic level. our body must keep an equilibrium in order to stay healthy. God created us to stay balanced. but that is not always the case.

if we are not staying balanced, then our lives, as we all know, will be a mess. Satan strategically puts obstacles or stumbling blocks in our lives to keep us off balance. when he does, we are tempted more easily, anxious, fearful, nervous, worrisome, and so on. (if this is the case then pray, Phil 4:6) God wants us to be balanced. placing him above all us, but also placing him with all else. our balance is weighed out by how much God is in each part of our lives.

does God have weigh in on our jobs?
does God have weigh in on our schooling decisions?
does God have weigh in on family situations?
how much does God weigh in on your every decision?

our balance is measured by how much God is weighed in with every situation in our lives.

how well are we balanced?

Disturbed With Status Quo

2008-12-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

Relationships on the Clock

2008-12-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

the other day i was meeting with senior guys for lunch. we have been meeting for 4 months on mondays to discuss discipleship and scripture. many times i get frustrated and tired of never being able to see results from our meetings. this monday in particular, there were results.

one of the guys that i love dearly, opened up to me. as i sat there talking to him for about an hour, i realized that relationships are time consuming, tiring, and frustrating, but profitable.

the moment that you initiate a relational bond, you have started your time clock. some relationships see progress and success early. some other relationships don't see this progress and success for quite some time. but what we can draw from all of this is, relationships require time. time that can deflate a person, time that can discourage another. please remember this though, time is of the highest necessity. we never know when we will see results, so keep plugging away.

I Love My Grandma

2008-11-09T22:42:00.000-08:00

many years ago, i was talking to my grandma buckley. she told me a word of wisdom, she was full of them. she said, "treat all your elderly like they were your grandparents." that never left my head. every time i meet an elderly person i see them as my grandma or grandpa/granddad. i give them a huge and love listening to their words of wisdom.

why am i saying this?

the body of Christ was built up with a multitude of generations. in the new testament when a man believed and was baptized, he returned home and converted the household. the church was never designed to reach the baby boomers, gen Xers, gen Yers, etc. the church is designed to reach every generation and unify them as one.

when we go to family reunions, we don't separate saying, "you go over there because you are a gen Yer or you are a baby boomer." we come together as a family and converse, commune, and fellowship with the family. the church must come back to an intergenerational community. we must be one family fellowshiping, worshiping, and growing together.

stop worrying about who we are NOT reaching and start reaching all generations together. we must become one, unified in the name of Jesus Christ.

Leaders Doing Kingdom Work

2008-11-02T22:11:00.000-08:00

tonight was another awesome night with the high school ministry. i am always blown away to watch our leaders minister to the students. you know that God is moving when you constantly see students staying after wards to talk to the leaders about different situations in their lives. i am truly blessed to be working with leaders that are doing kingdom work.

that phrase, kingdom work, has been hitting me a lot recently and i feel that the more we focus on the expansion of the kingdom, the more we will see of God putting kingdom opportunities in our laps. i believe that God celebrates when He sees His people doing His work.

tonight i watched a leader give her personal bible that her mom gave to her to a girl that has been struggling with issues in her life. the girl did not own a bible so our leader said take mine. WOW!!! our leader did not just give the student her bible, but gave the student God's word.

kingdom work was accomplished tonight...

Pursuing Christ or A Sin Free Life

2008-10-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

a few months ago i was reading someone else's blog, sorry can't remember who, but one thing that the person wrote was that he believed that believers are focusing too much on the omission of sin rather than the pursuit of Christ. wow, did he really say that. some would disagree with that statement and say, "they are one in the same."

but truthfully they are not wholly the same.

Philippians 3:12-16 says that we must pursue the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, not looking back at our past, but pressing forward.

one of the biggest faults the Church is living with right now is, we are trying to become perfect by omitting our sin or living a sin free life and we keep on failing. when this happens we get frustrated, upset, and depressed that perfection can never be achieved. the sad response that follows those emotions is QUITTING. believers quit their service, their church body, and most importantly their relationship and commitment to Christ.

God is a god of faith, hope, and love. why would we assume that our relationship is suppose to be depressing, frustrating, and upsetting with a god that holds those 3 things of faith, hope, and love. Paul continually writes not about how to abide by the laws that God gave to us, but rather to pursue Christlikeness.

*ask the question, "who should i become?" rather than asking, "who should i NOT become?"

but what does that really mean? SIMPLE, we are to pursue a life that looks directly like the life that Christ lived here on earth.

impossible?

YES! you are right, but Matthew 19:26 says that all things are possible through God. if that is the case, Christlikeness or perfection can only be achieved through Christ that connects us to God.

this is the bottom line. if we had a world or a church filled with believers pursuing Christlikeness then we would have a grip load of believers moving forward. yes they will fall, but they will jump back up and continue forward. when we pursue Christ, we pursue to accept people and love them where they are at. the pursuit of Christ will expand the kingdom, but the pursuit to a personally sin free life will lead to limited people being reached because the omission of sin is a selfish act, but the pursuit of Christlikeness is a selfless act.

PURSUE CHRIST and this world will be turned upside down!!

I Just Don't Have Enough Time

2008-10-20T23:53:00.000-07:00

what a popular thing to say. i have been thinking this for a while now and i hear that coming from so many different people. so why does it constantly feel like this?

look at the world around us? we go through each day overflowing with things that we have to do and items that need to get done. Satan has created a full schedule in our lives to make us feel overwhelmed. i have realized over the last couple of months, we will never have enough time in the day.

so what can we do now?

live today for today. don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. we tend to see the whole picture in many details and get overwhelmed. stopping worry yourself about the items that cannot be taken care of today. plan for them yes, but don't dwell on them, hence spending way too much time worry about things.
look at your day with a purpose. what are the non-negotiables that you must get done today? if you can get just one thing done today what would it be? get something done that will be productive and accomplish that.
prioritize your life. easier said than acted upon. truly think about this. priority means putting what is most important in your life first. most would like to put God first, but sit back ask the question, "do my actions show that?" if your family is second to God then what are you doing to improve on that priority today. prioritizing your life means investing your time in the day to accomplish growth in those life areas.
give back what you have been given. God does not ask for much, but the one thing he does ask for is huge. US!! God has given each one of us eternal life and all he wants back is for us to accept and continually give our moral life back to Him daily. how are you given back to God daily?

Surfing Discipleship - Part 2

2008-10-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

2. Become Daily Devoted

Titus 3:14
- says we must devote ourselves daily to doing what is good so we may be provided with our daily necessities and not live unproductive lives. (paraphrased)
this really comes with desire
- devotion follows where our heart’s desires are
- devotion is a commitment
- devotion is a response
- devotion is our obedience
when we accepted Christ, we entered a constant growing relationship
- NOT an inauguration party
- leave that to the next president
surfers have to swim everyday before they can surf
disciples must devote ourselves daily before we can turn the world upside down

3. Take Your Faith Out

Acts 1:8
- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
our faith was never meant to for safe keeping
faith is not what we obtain, but what must be shared
- it is every believers responsibility to take faith to the none believer
we will never learn how to reach the lost until we understand the lost
- live in the world, but not of the world
like the surfer who sits on his board getting the feel of the open water and the early forming of waves
we must take our faith out into the world and get the feel of what we are about to encounter

4. Pursue Christ-likeness

Philippians 3:10-14
- 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
discipleship is never said to be easy
it is our attitude that must be set in place
- put our attitudes to becoming like Christ
growth is a direct result to effort
- when we attempt we grow
- our efforts my result in failure
- our efforts might result in success
- but, our growth will be measured by our effort
we must become like Christ
- humble
- loving
- selfless
- be a servant to God
learn that every step to a solid foundation comes from a gradual consistent growth
like a surfer learning to ride a small wave, we might fall
- BUT, it is not failure that makes us grow, it is what we do with that failure
- learn how to ride the small waves first
a true step in the discipleship process is to put a valiant effort into becoming like Christ

look for the final steps of the discipleship process...will be published in a couple of days

The Hills - Temporary Satisfaction

2008-10-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

last night Stephanie wanted to watch The Hills that was recorded from earlier that night. to be honest, i really can't stand that show, but Steph had a rough day and i went ahead and watched the show.

i forgot why i really hated that show, but as soon as i was watching it, it all came back to me then. how can anyone get interested in a show like this? it was full of an over dramatic life of 20 year olds. in my opinion, i felt like these guys were all stuck in high school drama except that they are legal to do much more. we watch this why?

why drama?

people thrive off of drama. it gives them some type of excitment to go through stupid things. at the end of it all, i realized how these young adults are ultimately looking for satisfaction. the problem lies with where they are looking for this satisfaction.

Psalms 17:12-15

12 They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover. 13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword. 14 O Lord, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. 15 And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

the people who are looking for satisfaction in this world will receive it, but will slowly realize that the world's satisfaction is temporary even here on earth. the people who put through trust in God and see God's face daily will be eternally satisfied in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

go into the world offering people the eternal satisfaction of Jesus Christ. this satisfaction will be the only thing that can save you from the drama that Satan has created. us young adults are constantly looking for satisfaction. only if The Hills people realized that Jesus Christ was their true satisfaction. but that could never happen because then MTV would take it off the air. that would be so awesome!!!

let's change this world and offer the eternal satisfaction JESUS CHRIST!!!!

Seeing Fruit

2008-10-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

tonight was awesome. i got to see Nick come down from NAU to teach tonight. this is definitely one of those things that brings joy to me as a youth pastor. i am so proud to be just a part of Nick's development as this next generations leader. forget it, he is part of the now generation leaders making a difference.

Nick talked about James and how we all go through tough times, trials and temptations. i really appreciate Nick being so willing to be open and transparent in his lesson. i felt like it was well received and made a difference in a lot of students lives.

thanks Nick!!!

You Don't Know What I am Going Through

2008-10-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

we live in a world that believes that no one really understands what each individual is going through. the amazing thing is that it is a true statement, but engulfed in falsehoods.

the truth lies with no one really knows what each individual is going through because God has created each person differently. this means that the way people respond, react, interpret, exchange, and intake situations or information is different. so yes, no one really knows what i am going through...BUT!!!!!

everyone goes through situations daily. some people go through big situations, many go through small situations hourly or daily. many people are stuck in a situation that has been running their lives and their relationships. here is the falsehood to "you don't know what i am going through," everyone goes through situations and if we can step back and stop having a pity party, we can search how to conquer the situation. we need to stop saying that no one understands and start to overcome or move past the circumstance.

CONQUERING THE SITUATION

Listen to Godly People - i believe that God places people in your life to speak to you for Him. we love to say that i can't hear God audibly, so God must not be speaking to me. WRONG!!!! listen to those who are close to God. they will direct you in the right direction.
Don't Believe The Situation is Bigger Than You - God has placed you on earth to be a servant to Him. if God has that trust in us, don't you think that we should have that same type of confidence in ourselves? don't let a situation control you, it will kill you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Surrender Your Situation To God - this is probably the hardest to understand and to achieve. Luke 9:23 says that we must deny ourselves and follow Christ daily. this is a life change requirement. in order to truly follow Christ we cannot keep our situations, they don't belong to us. our situations are not for us to worry about. God wants our situation so we can actually do what he wants instead worrying.

Surfing Discipleship - Part 1

2008-10-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

a couple of days ago, i was talking to two seniors in high school. we meet weekly as I am discipling them through the school year. i was trying to explain what a disciple was to them and at times the got it and then at other times, failed. so this is what i came up with

becoming a disciple is like becoming a surfer

we stand on the shore watching Jesus surf
we are completely clothed and not ready
we put on our board shorts (girls...sorry bikinis or whatever)
we walk into the water...still watching Jesus surf
we learn how to swim
we learn how to sit on our board in shallow water
we lay on our board and swim
we get out beyond the waves and sit...still watching Jesus (get the hint on watching?)
we attempt to just ride a small wave
we learn how stand on the board and ride the small wave
we fall
we get back up
we learn how to ride waves
we learn how to ride bigger waves while constantly falling through the process
WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING JESUS SURF
you now have become a good surfer
you go to a new beach down the coast and surf
you surf and teach others to surf

translation:

Get Ready

people have a simple calling, get ready to follow Christ
this means deny yourself or get ready to change whom you are pleasing

whom are you pleasing? Yourself or God

in order to surf you have to have the clothing
to follow Christ we must have the tools available

bible - thanks captain obvious
faith - the desire to follow Christ
community of believers
accountability partner
mentor

without these materials how can you ever begin to surf or become a disciple

i will continue later...stay tuned

The Return

2008-10-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Just listening to a few people talk, I have realized that I have not blogged in a long time. In fact, I think I started this and it took no hits so I stopped. For whoever is interested, I am going to be starting again.

This time I am not going to be doing it for address issues or announcing events, but try to really use this blog as a reflection. Stay tuned for the up and coming blogs.

What Does Discipleship Truly Mean?

2008-05-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

re-thinking (true) discipleship
The term Discipleship” is used today without much vigor and has seemingly lost its biblical meaning, seriousness, and true sense of calling in most contexts. In ...

Students are Baptized

2008-04-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night was a really awesome night. We had the opportunity to witness 6 students get baptized. We started this new series a few weeks ago, "My Space" and there have been things that God has been doing within me and also the ministry that gives witness to the power of God. I feel so honored to be a vessel of God. Honestly, I do not feel worthy to be leading these students, but God has placed me here and I am going to do the best with what God has gifted me with and sit back and watch God do the rest.

If you would have told me that we were going to have 6 students get baptized on April 20th 6 months ago, I would have looked at you and said, "How?" The truth is, for so long we have been asking the question "how" and God is saying, "just trust and obey, I will take care of the rest." We live in a society and generation that believes that "we" have to do everything. This is why we ask the question "how," because we feel like we have to figure it out. This is not always the case with God on our side. He has a plan, a purpose, a will that we really cannot understand or fathom, but if we commit our WHOLE lives to him, we can be an instrument to that plan.

I praise God for those 6 students and I also marvel at his work inside the students in the North Valley right now. If you have attend in the last 4 weeks on Sunday Night, you would understand. It is not just the worship, definitely not just the teaching, and not the people who show up, it is the people showing up and doing ministry by connecting, relating, fellowship, and praising God together. I feel that a community is being developed that God is blessing here at The Crossroads' Student Ministry, The STORM. Praise God!!

Sunday Wrap-Up

2008-04-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really just sit back and watch God work and this past Sunday was definitely one of those times. I entered the evening thinking to myself that God was going to turn some students hearts to think about how they need to accept Christ. I sat down on the side of the stage waiting for some students to come up to me. Well, that did not happened and I wondered, what is going? Did this not hit the students like it hit me? At that point, I realized that my plan was not necessarily God's plan.

Many times life happens that way. We feel like our plan is the same as God because it is a Godly plan, but then God will twist us. There is a problem with thinking that we have it all planned out. We lose our dependency on God. We must all be at a place of alteration. If we are not allowing ourselves to be altered then we are not allowing God to work. The underlining of this is that God knows his plan for us and we don't, our dependency must be in the hands of our Father and be ready to be altered in order that His plans are achieved.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a
'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you...'

New Series-My Space

2008-03-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

We are starting a new series this week with the high school ministry. This is a series that I am really amped about and feel that God is really going to use this series and myself to speak to a ton of students. It is really interesting when we decide that we are going to confine God in a box of what he can do. The reality is that we can only do so much ourselves, but through God we can really work miraculously. God cannot be confined and with this series I am making a conscious effort to not confine God to a box. I have a goal at the end of this series. I want to see 20 students be baptized on April 27th, the last day of this series. We are going to be doing the baptism in the Koina Cafe and all family and parents are invited to this evening. Let God work.

NCAA Tourney

2008-03-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I really don't know that much about the NCAA Basketball, but how in the world can you pass up an opportunity to fellowship through sports. I just turned in my picks for the tourney and it is official. UCLA is taking the whole thing. Other notables, up setters: S. Alabama, St. Joe's, Davidson, Temple, St. Mary's, Baylor, and Arizona; Final Four, UNC, G-Town, Texas, UCLA.

We will see what happens. Game on!!!!

Koina Cafe is now open

2008-03-20T00:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been waiting earnestly for this time to arrive and it is now upon us. The Koina Cafe is now open. We will not have the Cafe part of it open until May or so, but we have offices and we can now do ministry there.

I am personally really excited to see where God takes The Crossroads and The STORM with the Cafe being open. One of the greatest parts about the Cafe is that we will have a place where people can come and meet with the staff and others. I hope and pray that we are able to allow the Cafe to be used the way that God has intended this place to be used.