SEC 2006 - Campus Revolution

Student Evangelism Conference
Harvest Church
Ft. Worth, Tx
July 28-29, 2006

The Conference was GREAT! We had a really good time and I think the students that went we're challenged. Shane and shane were awesome! Also, Starfield and Salvador play concert style. I was a little disapointted b/c Chandler wasn't there. I don't know what the deal was, but he didn't speak. However, the guyS that spoke in his place were really good. The Student Evangelism Conference has two goals...(1) to bring lost students into a relationship with Christ. (2) to motivate christian students to share Christ On their campus. Friday night was the big evangelistic sermon where a guy named Clayton (I don't remember his last name) spoke about spiritual bondage to sin using the NT reference John 8 where Jesus says, "...know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." He also used the OT reference with the children of Israel in slavery. It was good stuff, challenging and relevant. Kids came down in droves; I had the honor to counsel with a 13yr young man named Scotty who accepted Christ. On Saturday, a guy named Alvin Reed challenged students to be unafraid to share there faith. Overall it was a good conference, and an eye opening experience for some of my students. But I still missed Matt Chandler.

The Best Date I've Ever Had

This is a picture of John and Kim's Daughter, Bethany. Their son, John Michael is in Houston right now, but Bethany is still in Duncan. I love these kids like they were my own. I hope one day, I can have kids with personalites as big as these two. So different. John Michael is a sensitive, tender, baseball and peace loving 7 yr old. Bethany is a rough and tumble, play in the floor, "catch me Bwudda Bwyan," 3 yr old girl.

Last weekend John and Kim wanted to go out, and asked me to keep Bethany, to which I definetively agreed. Upon arrival at the Culley house, Bethany met me halfway across the floor saying, "Will you take me on a date, Bwudda Bwyan?" John and Kim had been talking about their date and I guess Bethany didn't want to be left out. Kim said that cars was showing at the cheap show and we still had time to grab a "Chicky Nugget" Happy meal at McDonalds. So I said, "Sure, B." (That's what we call her..."B") Anyway we traveled to Mickey D's and then on to the movies, primed and ready for, "Tow Mater and Lighting McQueen." We got our ticket (Notice the singular ending on ticket, another advantage to taking a three year old on a date, she gets in free at the movies.) and settled into our seat. About 5 minutes into the movie, Bethany is out like a light and stays that way for the rest of what turned out to be a very good movie. Upon our leaving the theatre, on the way to the Culley family van, B said grogily with squinted eyes, "Bwudda Bwyan, are we gonna go on our date now." Maybe the single cutest statement I've ever heard, she didn't know what a date really was, but she wanted to go on one. If I would have been made of butter I would have melted right there in the parking lot. Bethany and John Michael have a special place in my heart and I hope that I'm here long enough to see them grow up.

No freebies...

Man, I'm just sick and tired of the apathy in the church. I don't know what is causing it or what root it stems from, but it drives me insane. Before I get to carried away, I want to say that I've noticed a good bit of apathy in my own life, so I'm preaching at myself too. I don't want to be one of those guys who says, remember the good old days, but dang, I can remember a time when people cared about Christ. A time when people cared about advancing their walk, and growing closer to Him. A time when students would clear their calenders for a week of camp, and adults would take a week of vacation for it. Now...nothing of the sort. Students have to work, or babysit, or "my parents won't let me," and adults are no where to be found when I'm pleading for a sponsor for camp. Do we even want to grow? Will we not even suffer the thought that abundant life requires dying to self?

James 1:22 (NLT) says "And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself."