Soul Hacker

The Robot that Made Itself

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:26:00 +0000

Joe Made Himself

Imagine you walked into the forest and found a watch sitting there among the leaves and the dirt. Would you first imagine that the watch made itself? Of course you wouldn't. Why? Because you can clearly see that the watch has a designer. Anything with design shows evidence of a designer. This is the basis of what is called the Teleological Argument for the existence of God.

First of all, this goes against all logic. What can make itself? According to the boundaries of time and space - NOTHING. Your next logical question is, "well how could God have made himself." This
is easy. At the big bang, time AND space were created. Because God is spirit, he exists outside the boundaries of time and space. He is immaterial (spaceless) and eternal (timeless). So it logically necessitates that the first mover is one which could create time and space: an eternal being with no beginning.

The Conservation of Mass states that "matter cannot be created or destroyed." So where did all the matter in the universe come from? Well that is an interesting question; one that even scientists can not answer. If you will google the term "ex nihilo," you will find that the most prevalent theory among scientists declares that the universe was made "out of nothing." This is logically impossible.

This brings me to an argument that I devised, based on the Big Bang and the currently observed design in the Universe:

Premise 1 - The Universe has an Evident design
P (2) - Explosions create Chaos
P (3) - The Big Bang was an Explosion
P (5) - The order in the Universe can not be a result of the Big Bang

or a simplified version looks like this:

Explosions create chaos
The Big Bang was an Explosion
The Order in the Universe is not the result of the Big Bang

I don't know if when you were a kid, maybe you took a small explosive like an M-80, and put it amongst some pieces of paper in a shoebox. Once you lit the fuse, did a house of cards ever erect itself? No. Explosions create dis-order not order. All the design that you see in the universe; your eye, your ear, the solar system, your lungs, the trees...etc. - are result of a designer.

Here is a cartoon I developed to show the fallacy of a designed object believing that it was the result of an accident -

When Robots Question their Existence
by: jessetheradical

In conclusion - God's existence can be proven by the fact there is design in the Universe. What evidence is there that a building had a builder? - The builder itself.

What evidence is there that a painting had a painter? The painting itself.

All design is in itself the evidence that the Universe had a Designer.

And there you have Teleology in a nutshell.

(This is a follow-up in a series about Proofs of the Existence of God. To see the first in the series, Click Here.)

Why Christians should Homeschool.

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:21:00 +0000

Let me say this: I love teachers. I love public school teachers. Some had great influence on my life and I still consider great friends. This is not about them. This is a battle cry to parents to restore the God-given purpose in their home that the government has wanted to take away.

This list could be 3 times as long. I don't have enough time to write it all. Maybe there will be updates or revisions. But for now - a Manifesto on the Biblical Principal of Discipleship within the Home.

Reasons why Christian Parents Should Homeschool:

Education is the job of the parents, not the job of the government

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

Religious Education is not provided in the public school.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Kids in homeschool are smarter.

If you look at the test scores above, you will see that the "average" public school student scores in the 50th percentile. However, the "average" home school student scores in the 80th and above percentile on standardized tests.

Students are taught to teach themselves.

Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire - (Commonly attributed to W.B. Yeates) You have to ask yourself what is the goal of your child's education? In public schools, they are taught information, then asked to regurgitate information, resulting in a really bad method of life-long learning. In most home-schools settings, children are able to learn according to their own methods, and it provides time for interest, creativity, and more free-reading time. "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day: Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime."

Children should not have hours and hours of homework.

I can remember in high school, catching the bus at 6:10 in the morning, which means I work up about 5:15. Then I would be in school all day until 2:45. After that would be baseball practice or games till sometimes 8:00 at night. And once I got home, my family had already eaten dinner so I would eat by myself. Finally, I would have to stay up till 11:00 o'clock studying and doing projects. <----- This is stupid. I want my childhood back, where I could have enjoyed this phase of life. I ended up falling asleep in almost every class because of this type of schedule. Now, I had friends who were home-schooled and guess how long it took them to complete ALL their work for the day..... 3 hours. They would start their work at 9:00 and finish by 12:00. Then they would have the rest of the day to BE A KID. Why is it that a kid spends ALL DAY in public school, and is STILL assigned homework. Do they not know a kid has to mow the yard when they get home, or help their dad fix their mom's car, or go to ball practice, or help take care of their little sibling. Public School has killed the family unit, by creating so much extra in life and so much pressure, that what was once the purpose of the family is now owned by a Corporation known as the Government.

Jesus called us to make Disciples, not college Graduates.

Your job as a Christian parent is to raise up a child who will be a disciple and make disciples. If you need evidence of this, please reference Matthew 26:18. A normal Christian family gets maybe 3 hours of Christian instructing a week: Sunday School, Sunday Service, and maybe Wednesday nights. But for 40 hours a week, the Government has dictated what your child should be learning and this includes: Evolution, "Sex - Education", and that the Bible is not the most important book in all history. The best sex-education your child can receive is seeing their mother and father in a faithful and monogamous relationship.

You are the Most powerful influence in the life of your child

There is more to education than books, test, speeches, and projects. Subjects like character, prayer, morality, and and servanthood are ultimately more advantageous to the career of life of your child than science and math. One of the smartest man I ever knew was a successful business man. He married an incredible lady who is currently mayor of a bustling town. He was the most faithful servant at the church he attended, and was well known throughout the community for his heart, ethic, and love for Christ. Most interestingly of all; He could not read. In no way am I advocating illiteracy, but I am saying that the qualities that carried this man through life were not based on Education. They were based on virtue.

Your child needs virtue more than they need the APA guide for style and grammar. Your child needs your constant and visible example in their life more than they need to know when Columbus sailed the ocean blue. All of those other things are valuable, but they are secondary to God's primary purpose for you in the life of your child - "Training up a child in the way they should go."

I'm sure there will be a lot of feedback on this, and a lot of disagreement. This is my heart and what God has laid on it. Ultimately, we give an account of what we did with what the Holy Spirit has shown us.

How to Link a QR Scan Code to your Website

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:16:00 +0000

It's the best thing since sliced bread. Well not really, but QR codes make you feel like a special agent once you pull out your smart phone and scan it to pull up "secret" information.

You see them everywhere these days. It reminds me of those images on the boxes of cereal where you had to get the special red glasses to see what was contained in the image. There is something mysterious about QR codes. For a long time I felt out of the loop, because I didn't have the App to scan for these.

Well recently, as I was creating some promotional material for my church, I thought it would be a neat idea to engage the younger population by linking a QR code to our church's website.

You can link a QR code to anything: a youtube link, your twitter account, or even a pop up text message.

First, if you don't have one, download a scan code app. On my iphone, I am using ScanLife.

Now let's give it a shot. Scan this image here - Before you start thinking how lame that was, just imagine the places where you can put these: on the back of business cards, on church bulletins, on Gospel Tracts, on tickets for events, on promotional material.

Like I said before, people want to know what the code links to because they feel left out if they don't. Now of course, only those who can are those with smart phones - which equals the majority of people under 50. So I think you will be ok. The other thing to do is list a link or a recommended app to download to view them.

Ok, ok so I am done talking. So how can you make these? In order to find out you are going to have to scan the last item on the page.

You see? You couldn't resist could you? The power of QR codes.

Why BIG Churches are afraid of small Churches

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

The MegaChurch has a Mega Problem

I pastor a Small Church. The average congregation in the United States is 100 or less. Our average attendance has increased from 80 in August to 115 in December. Thankfully we are a growing congregation, but still small by any measure. And this is a good thing.

You see, over the past few weeks, we have seen several new members join. 13 to be exact. (but who's counting? actually I am) I have been pastor there for 13 weeks. So if you are not a math major let me help you. We have been averaging 1 new member a week. Wow that's great you might say!! Well it's great for us, but the funny thing is, several of these new members have come from BIG churches.

One family started visiting a few months ago. They really liked the music at their church. However, since they had been visiting our church, no one had contacted them to say they were missed. No one had contacted them to see why they had not been there. Now I know what you are thinking. Are big churches supposed to keep track of everyone that goes there? Whether they should or not isn't a question. The problem is - THEY CAN'T. Exactly you say, that's why people should be connected into a small group and find fellowship and accountability within a close knit community. So let me throw you a bone here - The Church IS the close knit community.

If a church is too big to follow up with it's members and get them plugged into a small group, then it's too big.

Here's the example of another family. When they heard a "young" preacher was coming to the church, they stopped coming. So they started visiting a "bigger" church with an "experienced" pastor. After several weeks, this couple comes back to our church. I start to get to know them and the conversation they have with me is that they wanted to be in a church where they felt needed and wanted. They said the Pastor of the bigger church seemed to not care if they came there at all.

I'm not saying it's the Pastor's job to follow up with every visitor and recruit, but if this is what is communicated from the Senior Leadership from the church, I can only imagine what is being communicated by the other members. Attitude reflects leadership.

Maybe I'm naive but I want any member of our community who is able to get plugged into what God is doing through our church. And then I want to equip them to be spreaders of the Gospel and disciple makers within their own niche communities.

So you ask - do you expect all churches to stay small? No, I expect them to multiply. There will be more posts coming about that in the future. But for now I can say that big churches are missing out on a few things: attention to care, follow-up with non attenders, and accountability.

So, if there is anyone else who goes to a church where they don't know if you are there or not, there is a small church in your community that would LOVE to see you next Sunday.

Which Translation does God use?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Fröhliche Weihnachten - (German)
Joyeux Noel - (French)

Buone Feste Natalizie - (Italian)

Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan - (Chinese)

What do these all mean? MERRY CHRISTMAS. But someone had to translate for you because they were in a different language. A language that we didn't understad. A translation is when someone takes a Word you don't know, and puts it in the language you DO know.

The Bible says in John 1:1 that the WORD was with God and the WORD was God. But there is a problem, because you and I don't speak the language of God. So God translated his word for us by putting his WORD into a language we could understand.

John 1:14 says "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God sent his Word into the language that we could understand - skin and bone.

If someone ever asks you, "Do you believe in the Inerrant Word of God?" Say, "Yes, his Name is Jesus."

Next time you hear someone at a restaurant speaking a language you don't understand, just remember, without God's translation of Jesus, we wouldn't understand him either.

Feliz Navidad, próspero año y felicidad

(Merry Christmas and Happy New Year)

Christ in Chanukah

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:29:00 +0000

8 Candle Menorah

Finding Christ in Chanukah

John 10:22 - 30 (Jesus at Feast of Dedication) - So where does the Feast of Dedication come from?

Feast of Tabernacles was largest feast of Israel - Lev. 23:42-43

Celebrates God dwelling with men

When we looked at the timeline for the birth of Jesus, it most likely occurred in the fall during the Feast of Tabernacles

Feast of Dedication became more Celebrated because of it’s Miracle

Celebrating a new“Temple”(Happened during the 400 years between OT and NT)

Chanukah called Feast of Dedication

Also known as the “Festival” of lights

The tradition goes like this in 171-164 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanus made a royal law that the Jews are to bow down and to offer sacrifices to Zeus. Soldiers came from the village of Modiin with a statue of Antiochus and took over the temple and erected a statue inside the temple. Jews were forbidden to observe the Sabbath nor study the Torah (Antiochus had Changed times and law). A family named the Maccabees with their father Mattitias gathered a small army against the Syrians, Maccabees in Hebrew means Hammer. Mattatias with his 5 sons John, Simon, Judah, Eliazer, Jonathan began to fight. When Mattatias fell ill and died, the leadership went to his son Judah who would lead the army. The Maccabees with Judah as their leader led a few thousand Jews to fight in the hills and defeat 20,000 Syrians. News of the defeat preceded them so as they came to the temple it was vacated left empty and ransacked.

Start of Chanukah - Supposedly, when the Jews rededicated the Temple and wanted to rekindle the lampstand, they found only enough oil for one day. It would take 8 days to make a new supply they decided to kindle and burn the remaining oil, a miracle occurred as the oil that was enough for only one day lasted for eight days ... thus, the term representing, "the Feast of Lights. This is why the Chanukah menorah has eight candles instead of the seven the temple menorah has, 8 candles to commemorate this miracle.

Today, Chanukah is more celebrated than the feast of Tabernacles,

Birth of Jesus celebrated on Christmas

God dwelling with men

John 1:14 - “The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us.”

The word “dwelt” literally means tabernacled or make one’s tent.

In the Old Testament God sent his presence, but in the New Testament God sent himself. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”

He IS the new temple

John 2:19 - Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

John 8:12 - “I am the light of the World”

In Christmas we have a fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles and Hannukah

Christian Dubstep = GODSTEP

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:23:00 +0000

I love dubstep. I love Jesus. I love young people on fire for Jesus.

I love it when young people who are on fire make dubstep about Jesus.

This song was made by a friend of mine, who is an up and coming DJ/ Singer, Song-writer.

Prepare to be amazed.

Why Definitions are Important.

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:50:00 +0000

8 Week Old Homo Sapien

Laws can only be understood within the context of the words they are written with. Words can only be understood within the context of the definitions society understands them by. What happens when people are confused by definitions, is that we can create logic or theories that defies everything else we previously understood about the world. I present an example of simple words, which now have no meaning at all.

Definition of Homicide: the killing of one human being by another.
Definition of Kill: to deprive of life in any manner.
Definition of Human Being: a member of the species Homo sapiens.
Definition of Homo Sapien: the modern species of humans, the only extant species of the primate family Hominidae. (not dependent on age but on genetic makeup. From the moment of conception the living organism is considered human)
Define Life - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganicobjects and dead organisms.
Define Deprive - to take something away from.
Homicide Explained: the killing (taking away of life) of one human being (any homo sapien).
Define Abortion - See definition 1.

God can Use Anything and Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:15:00 +0000

Seven years ago, an 8th grade young man in the youth group I was pastoring came to me with a problem. He was friends with a senior in high school who he respected very much. The only problem was, this senior was an Atheist. My young friend who I will call "David" (aka teenage boy confronting giants) came to me asking for advice on how to reach this atheist with the Gospel.

First of all, we committed to praying for this senior. Secondly, after hearing about this senior, my friend David told me he was very intellectual, but also open. On my bookshelf, I had a book by Ray Comfort called "God Doesn't Believe in Atheists." This is a somewhat humorous book but also an intellectual look at the logic of Atheism. I told my young friend David to give this book to the Senior, and to keep on loving him as Jesus would love him. You may think I'm a bad person, but I actually forgot about this whole incident.

That was until Monday night. I received a call from my young friend David (now on his way to the mission field). David discovered his friend the Senior from a long time ago on facebook. But he was shocked. This open atheist now is a Christian. And get this - he's studying to be a Preacher! Glory to God!

I don't know any part of the story of when this atheist came to faith in Christ. But I do know that when
David gave him the book, the Senior was sincerely thankful that someone cared more for him than just "being his friend," and cared enough about his eternity to do something.

It is funny how many stories I hear like this, and it reminds me of Isaiah 55:11 -

"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

ANYTHING done in the name of Jesus, wether it is giving someone a book, sharing with them a scripture, sending them a facebook message, or praying for them; God uses it ALL to bring about HIS salvation in the heart of the believer. Sometimes we think maybe something as a Gospel tract would be so insignificant that we don't use them. But I know story after story of someone coming to Christ because someone cared enough to hand them a Gospel tract. You see, nothing is insignificant when it comes to God' kingdom.

1 Corinthians 3:7 tells us -

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

You may be the one who plants a seed. You may be the one who waters a seed, but none the less, God will use all of those to make things grow.

Now, Go plant some seeds.

Poem for my Wife

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:40:00 +0000

from the top

of your head to

the soles of your

feet, I am in

love

with everything

about you. your skin

becomes my satin sheet.

your smile is so radiant that

it has burned an impression

in my mind. your laughter

becomes an orchestra

that serenades in the

chambers of my

heart. at the

core of my earth

flows a molten hot

magma of melted me. you

tamed my timid heart into a

stallion that rides for purpose.

i can't find my way back even

if i wanted to because this

wilderness challenges

perception, inception,

belief, reason

leaving only

you me.

Who was Saint Nick?

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:15:00 +0000

Nicholas of Myra fighting against Persecution

Santa Clause. Chris Kringle. St. Nick. The mythical character goes by many names, but who was he? The answers will surprise you.

In 280 AD, a young man named Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in the city of Patara which is now in the area of the world called Turkey. His parents raised him in the fear and admonition of the Lord and taught him the "sacred books" from the age of 5. His parents died while he was still young, forcing him to grow up quickly and now being responsible for a fortune.

Saint Nick became known not because of what he fought for, but because of what he fought against. Seeing that he was wealthy, St. Nick started by fighting against poverty.

The most famous tradition attributed to St. Nick is when he discovered the unfortunate plight of a father with three young girls in a very impoverished situation. Because the father did not have any money to pay a dowry for these girls to be married, they would be subjected to being sold into slavery and enduring a life a abusive servitude. The legend says that when St. Nick heard of this situation, he threw a bag of gold into the windows of the family's house to pay for the oldest girls dowry. The next night (some traditions say the next year) he threw another bag of gold. The father was so overjoyed and wanted to know who this generous mystery man was, so he stayed awake the 3rd night until he heard the bag of gold after it was tossed in the window. Upon running out the door to catch the midnight giver, he discovered young Nicholas, who told him not to tell anyone what he had done. Wanting to keep his giving secret, he claimed that all the glory belonged to God and not to him. Of course the father could hardly contain his excitement from the awesome acts of this young miracle, and began spreading the tale of the midnight giver known as Nicholas.

Some traditions also say that he threw the money down the chimney, or that he placed the money in their socks which were drying by the fire. But none the less, the tales of Nicholas the giver began gaining momentum. As children heard about this, they would leave their shoes out by the door so that Nicholas could place coins in them to be found at the morning. If you really want to play St. Nick this year, give gifts to children in need and not just your own.

Secondly, Nicholas fought against paganism. When he was a teenager, he made a trip to Egypt. After being exposed to the polytheistic religion of the Egyptians, he returned home with a new zeal for the Lord and desired to enter into Christian Ministry. After spending time at the Monastery of Holy Zion near Myra, he was elected bishop of Myra and ordained. Quickly he became known for his holiness, passion for the gospel, and contagious zeal for the Lord. It is said that he challenged the old gods of paganism at the principal temple in his district who was Artemis. Interestingly, she was known as the god of "the hunt." A correlation to the Yule god of war and hunt "Odin." Mythology had it that Odin would ride through the sky on a magic horse with 8 legs (8 reindeer?) during each winter, and that Odin would reward kids based on their behavior. Children would also leave out food for Odin's horse. Odin was known to be able to morph into different animals or shapes, so Odin could morph down the chimney to leave presents for good children. The Real St. Nick fought against the paganism that parallels what he would be remembered as later in European and American culture. Upon the Christianization of Germany, the legends of St. Nick morphed with the pagan god Odin and became what we now have today as Santa Clause who flies through the sky rewarding based on behavior. The real St. Nick didn't give based on goodness of children but gave based on the goodness of God.

The fight against paganism continued as emperor Diocletian directed in 303 AD the persecution and imprisonment of Christian leaders who would not deny the name of Jesus. Saint Nick was locked up and while in prison, he was tortured for his allegiance to the faith. Stories of his faithfulness trickled out of the prisons as he became known as one who would take whatever punishment dished out, and never forsaking his Lord. When Constantine ordered the cessation of the persecution, Nicholas returned to the town of Myra and was hailed as "Nicholas the Confessor." He did not bear a jolly round belly and fur, but he bore the marks of persecution and confession. The red on his garments was because of blood shed in allegiance to his Savior.

Lastly, Nicholas fought against heresy. One of the most interesting stories connected with St. Nick centers around his role during the Arian controversy. Arianism was declared heresy at the Council of Nicea, as it asserted in contrary to John 1:1, that the word (Jesus) was a created being and had not existed from all eternity. One tradition mentions St. Nick actually attending the council of Nicea in 325 AD when Arianism was rejected. It is reported that Nicholas got into a heated debate with Arius about whether there was a time when the Word did not exist. Nicholas strongly disagreed, so much to the point that he punched Arius knocking him to the floor of the council. He was passionate about the preservation of Christian Orthodoxy. Santa Clause IS coming to town, and the heretics better watch out.

If you really want to be St. Nick this Christmas, fight against the things which he did: against poverty, against paganism, and against heresy. If your desire is to share Christ's love like he did, we must be willing to endure the persecution that he did also.

Wisdom from the Wise Men

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:23:00 +0000

Matthew is the only Gospel that presents the story of the Magi (or wise men) who visit Jesus. Starting in Matthew chapter 2, we read of 3 men traveling from "the east" who were studiers of the stars (astrologers). Some biblical scholars believe these men could have been from the Zoroastrian religion somewhere in Persia. Following the star to Jerusalem, they meet King Herod, but then find that the star directs them to Jerusalem. After meeting this baby King, they are warned in a dream to avoid Herod, so they go back home a different way from how they came. Here are some simple wisdom keys we can learn from the Wise Men.

Mysterious dreams from God are more powerful than the clear words of Kings.
Many saw the star, but only a few paid attention to where it was leading.
Who gives gold to a baby? The same wisdom that worships an unseen creator.
If the wise men were from Persia, the journey would be at least 1,000 miles. What's your excuse next time you miss Sunday School?
Don't arbitrarily worship an uncommon King.
Stars shine in the night. It was during the dark that God guided them. Don't fear dark times.
They looked for Jesus among the religious leaders, but found him among regular people. Where is your Jesus?
They didn't know theology. They just knew he was King. You don't need a degree to worship.
The wise men didn't come to seek; they came to worship. Seekers want entertainment but worshippers want a King.
God will always give a sign that leads to Jesus: His Word, His Spirit, His Love.
They went home a different way then how they came. Jesus will make you take a new road.
Studying natural phenomenon gave them an indication of the supernatural. Science will always lead to the Creator.
What's the best way to worship Jesus? Bring whatever gift you have.
The only way they saw God's sign was by looking up. You'll never see God's sign by looking at yourself.
A baby didn't need gold. God doesn't need your gift, but he wants it.
You visit a baby by getting low on your knees. Humility is the best seat in the house. Still true today.
When in the presence of a king, you forsake your personal dominion.
You don't travel to a King for what you will get. His presence is gift enough.

During this season remember that the first Christmas was celebrated by the GIVING of gifts in honor of Christ and not by GETTING gifts. Let everything we do be our worship and our gift to a Holy King.

Real Life Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:08:00 +0000

The problem with dictionaries is they tell you what a word technically means but not what it actually means. So I will be starting a series called "Real Life Dictionary." Here are some words and there actual meanings. Listed first is the definition and then the word.

Place to store dead batteries. (Flashlight)
Beautiful girl that takes all your money. (Daughter)
The thing you do the day before dental appointment. (Flossing)
Time of year when you accumulate a lot of junk. (Christmas)
Doing things you don't want to do but acting like you enjoy it. (Marriage)
Magical place to make laundry disappear when guests visit. (Under Bed)
Place to find old thank you cards. (Bible)
Where the possibility of anorexia is extremely low. (Baptist Church)
Equivalent to a four letter word in most churches. (Evangelism)
Guy who makes a list and only checks it once. (Chuck Norris)
Location to store fallen leaves until disposal. (Yard)
Sits on your desk just for looks. (Dictionary)
Game where the largest percentage of players are bad. (Golf)
Person that only speaks one language. (American)

What is your favorite "Real Life Dictionary" word?

31 Nights of Christmas Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:14:00 +0000

You might think I've been bah-humbug about Christmas, but that is not the case. I love the family nature of Christmas events, especially watching Christmas movies together. These movies can be used to actively teach about questions by judging what things were properly or improperly portrayed about the real meaning of Christmas.
I asked facebook friends what was their favorite Christmas movie, and we came up with a pretty extensive list. This list is ordered starting with ones that are some of my top favorites, and then tapering down to ones I've never heard of before. Normally we try to watch (or at least have playing) a Christmas movie every night starting on Thanksgiving. So here she goes:

Elf
It's a Wonderful Life
The Polar Express
A Christmas Story
Family Man
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Nativity (had several votes, I've never seen it)
The Santa Clause
Miracle on 34th Street
Charlie Brown Christmas
Scrooged
A Christmas Carol
The Christmas Blessing
The Christmas Box
Christmas Shoes
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Jack Frost
Jingle All the Way
The Walton's Homecoming (worth checking out)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (I am just simply presenting the list from friends)
Christmas with the Kranks
Four Christmases
Fred Claus
The Little Drummer Boy
The Grinch (Jim Carrey)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Mickey's Christmas Carol
The Nutcracker

Honorable Mention - Ernest Saves Christmas

Which is your Ultimate Favorite Christmas Movie?

Putting Christ in the Christmas Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:21:00 +0000

CLICK TO LISTEN TO MP3 SERMON

The Reason(s) for the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Listen to MP3 Sermon Here

10 Things to Do in a Minute

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 03:52:00 +0000

What would happen if you focused your whole being on accomplishing something each minute. What if every minute was not just something passing by, but a new challenge to be successful? Your clock does not keep track of time; it keeps track of opportunities. Every minute is a new one. Here are some ideas to get you jump started on taking advantage of minutes.

Call your grand-parent that you haven't talked with in 3 months.
Write a thank you note.
Organize as many books as you can (in a minute)
Throw away as much trash as you can
Delete as many emails as you can
Read a Psalm/Proverb
Write out a list of things you need to accomplish today
Look your child in the eye and tell them you love them
Schedule a lunch appointment with a friend
And the best way - spend 60 seconds simply talking to God.

Now, what can you do with 1 minute?

Jesus on Homosexuality

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:50:00 +0000

I have heard a lot of people say that homosexuality is ok because Jesus never mentioned anything about it. Even though the Bible talks about homosexuality several times, their argument is, Jesus never talked about it so it must be ok. In that case, Jesus never talked about killing cats either, so that must be ok too. Sorry I don't mean to joke about such a serious topic.

I love homosexuals. I have a friend who is currently being set free from the homosexual lifestyle and following Christ. I say that because he is on a process of sanctification. He didn't just wake up one day and decide to be gay, and he didn't just wake up the day after trusting in Christ as Savior and no longer have the urges that he was living with it. But he is trusting Christ along the journey and repenting of all sin.

But that is beyond the point, and the point is to see what Jesus said about homosexuality.

"but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:28

I know what you are thinking, this doesn't mention homosexuality either. But let us look at what it does mention. Lusting after a woman is the same as committing adultery. So what is adultery? Adultery is SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE. What was Jesus' implied, understood, didn't even need to be stated concept of marriage - IT WAS BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN. Sorry for the over-emphasis. I'm not yelling, just making sure my point is clear.
So here we see Jesus saying that anything outside the realm of a married man and woman having sex is adultery. Homosexuality is clearly outside the realm of marriage.

When the Physical Father isn't Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:52:00 +0000

By guest blogger Hunter Miller.

I know there are people in this world that can relate to this post, and I truly hope that it is capable of encouraging and strengthening someone's heart - today on Father's Day.

Some people's father could not be with them today, because they got locked away.

Some people's father could not be with them today, because their father passed away.

Some people's father could not be with them today, because they walked away.

Whatever the case may be, My desire is that you understand that your physical Father is not in the present as much - So that your spiritual Father can be more present in the future of your life! Through all of the events of our lives, Yahweh's desire is that we turn to Him and magnify Him for His almighty attributes. Where you find fault in your physical Father, There is support to be found in your Spiritual Father. Follow me as I explain..

Perhaps your physical Father left you at a very early age in your life.. Yahweh can use this event to grant you more time to focus on Him. Yahweh will provide peace and understanding for the questions that we all have had. The tears, anger, and pain is not required every year on Father's day. Those come when we let a depressing spirit attach to us (from the devil). The devil wants you to focus on yourself, your mistakes, your failures, your losses, and your shortcomings. The devil will send messages to your mind about could of beens, would of beens, and should of beens. In all reality, We should be filling our heads with thankful fors, praise fors, and strengthened fors.

Perhaps your physical Father left this world, leaving a void in your life on a day like today. Yahweh can provide all the attributes of a physical Father, and more, if you are willing to accept His tender touch. When your in need of a pick-me-up, He will send down a blessing of encourgament. When your going through a hard-time in life, He will be there to hold your hand and walk with you through the storm. When you need someone to hug and cry on, He will be there waiting to wrap His arms around you and cover you in His love. When you want to feel the Fatherly joy and laughter, He can give you a presence to bask in that will leave you feeling unexplainably happy.

Perhaps your physical Father went away for a while, for something he did - Placing doubts, lost memories, and voids in your heart. Yahweh can provide assurance and knowledge of the characteristics that a real Father should hold. Yahweh will protect you from all the evil in the world, through the thick of night and the light of day. He will raise you to be strong and wise through His promises. He will teach you to hold your tongue when the temptation is right in your face, and how to stand your ground when the devil knocks at your door. He will teach you how to treat a companion, with love, compassion, trust, honesty, morality, and equality. He will not hold your physical Father's mistakes against you.

In the midst of Father's Day, I ask that you do not find the negative viewpoints on today - Rather, find the positive viewpoints and seek to notice the blessings that God has sent into your life. Whether they seem small, dig deep into them and notice the real depth of Yahweh's love for your life.

Once again, I hope this note was able to strengthen and encourage you - As it is thought's that have encouraged me!

Secrets of a 600 lb Bench Press

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 20:52:00 +0000

The following information was shared to me from Davin Adams - the strongest man in NC and ranked 3rd strongest man in the USA among Raw Bench Press. Here is Davin benching 600 lbs (Steroid Free):

Davin is a normal dude. Not a roid head, but a simple farmer, who is almost literally, strong as an Ox. I asked Davin about some tips, since it is rare that you get to meet a man that strong. Here is a simple list of things he does every day -

Eats 2 bananas during every workout
Drinks a glass of OJ and a glass of Chocolate Milk directly upon waking up
Eats sushi every day for lunch (he says this is one of the most raw and natural forms of protein for your body to absorb)
Eats fish twice a day (breakfast and dinner, doesn't include the sushi for lunch)
Takes fish oil supplements
Takes glutamine during workout which practically eliminates soreness.

His workouts are simple also. He lifts chest twice a week, but he does it with intensity. Do this workout like it should be done, and you will not want to do any more. The workout is made of a heavy day and a light day. My figures below are based on someone who is currently bench pressing 250 (this is what I was pressing before going into the hospital) By the way, he normally does between 6 and 7 sets to warm up. Starting with 135 and then working up in 90 lb increments. This is a big factor in allowing the muscle to perform properly.

Heavy Day -

Week 1: 8 sets of 5 with 80% max (200 lbs)
Week 2: 8 sets of 4 with 85% max (212.5 lbs)
Week 3: 8 sets of 3 with 90% max (225 lbs)
Week 4: 8 sets of 3 with 95% max (237.5 lbs)
Attempt for new max

Light Day -

1 Set of between 10 - 15
1 Set of approximately 20
Both are done to maximum rep, so for first set, choose a weight that will not allow you to do more than 15
Next week reverse. Lighter first, then heavier 2nd
3rd week, add 5 lbs to both.
After the two sets - then do 1 set of pushups till failure
1 set of dips to failure

Davin says he has seen more people increase weight more quickly on the light days than on the heavy days.

The post title is kind of misleading. These are not really "secrets." The reality is, most will not bench over 400lbs, and a great goal for the average joe would be to work to 300. These techniques will work regardless of what weight you are shooting for. The actual secret is: hard work, good diet, lots of protein, plenty of water, plenty of sleep, and proper technique. So, don't do everything in this list, but maybe take 1 or two things away that you can incorporate into your current routine to make you better.

10 Things to do for Your Wife Daily

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:17:00 +0000

If you have read my post about Making Your Wife Fall in Love with You Again, then you have realized the importance of doing daily maintenance on your relationship. Marriage has no "cruise control." It is a delicate plant, which requires constant attention and care. Here are 10 things which you should be doing daily for your maintenance.

Pray for her. It's hard to be mad at someone you are praying for. It is hard to get in a conflict or have bitterness towards someone you are praying for. Most of the time, people are staying on the defense, trying to protect themselves. Prayer is the offense for a great marriage and relationship. As John F. Kennedy said, "The time to patch the roof is when the sun is shining." Don't wait for things to get bad before you start praying.
Serve her. Nelson Searcy of http://nelsonsearcy.com says that if Christianity was to be summed up in one word, it would be "service." We are called to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and this means especially for our spouse. On a chess board, the Queen is the most powerful piece. It doesn't mean that she is more important than the king, because if the King is taken, the game is over. I think the creators of chess understood an ancient principle - "if momma ain't happy, nobody is happy." If you want to be respected as the King, then treat your wife like the Queen. She has the most power on the board because she has your heart. Not because she is in a position of authority, but because you have chosen that your kingdom is her kingdom. The dating game that we play early on must be played for the rest of our lives. She is not just a prize to be won, but a prize to be won daily. And this can be accomplished through acts of service.
Listen to her. (Courtesy of my wife) I can not emphasize this one more. Women want to be heard. Not because they like to talk a lot (even though they do) but because they are creatures of communication. Their emotion spills out through their heart, and they need to know that their partner in life hears, understands, and acknowledges what they are going through. My wife and I went to a marriage seminar about 3 years ago. Not because our marriage was in trouble, but because we wanted it to be the best it could possibly. Most of the sessions were about effective communication. There I learned a simple skill, to ensure that the art of listening was accomplished. This was, whenever something is communicated to you, you then simply repeat it back to the person in their own words. This accomplishes a few things: 1) it lets the person know you actually heard what they were saying 2) When you repeat it back to them, it lets them know you understand what they meant 3) and, if what you "heard" was different than what they intended, it allows them the opportunity to restate their meaning. For example, if my wife said "I don't understand why you come home at the end of the day and still expect me to do everything around the house." What I heard was "You don't think I do anything around the house." (which does not seem true because you cut the grass, fix the plumbing, change her oil, vacuum the carpets, or whatever) But that gives her the opportunity to say, "No, I know there are a lot of things you do, but I just need help at the end of the day after keeping your wild daughter. I need a little break." Effective communication has taken place.
Encourage her. I've heard it said that it takes between 12 and 20 good comments to cancel out the effect of bad comments. There is negative everywhere we look. Negative on the news, negative on the Radio, and your wife will receive negative from other family, and possibly even you. That means you must do ALOT of making up for all the negative there is in the world. Television loves to show super models who only eat 2 stalks of celery and an orange a day to maintain their figure. This isn't reality. Encourage her by telling her how beautiful she is, regardless of what the media says beauty looks like. Encourage her by letting her know what a wonderful mother she is even though your daughter sometimes seems like a holy terror. My mother only had about 6 different meals that she could cook, but you know what, she always had food on the table. Encourage everything she does. (Here is a tip: What is celebrated is what you get more of. Did she do a wonderful job preparing a surprise trip for your birthday? Let her know how amazing it was. Anything that is encouraged will happen more)
Romance her. My previous article listed above has several good tips for romancing. As one woman mentioned to me - little things can go a long way. Open the door, make her coffee, turn down her sheets. Romance occurs when something happens out of the normal. But also, when something happens that she can rely on such as: kissing her goodbye before you go to work, and kissing her goodnight before you go to bed. Women like routines (at least I think) because it conveys a sense of security. They know it is something they can rely on. Lastly, do something completely crazy and out of the ordinary like - write her a poem. (If this is so far beyond the realm of ability for you, contact me, and I will help you write one) Do this, and you can bet on a little Brown Chicken Brown Cow.
Comfort her. I read one time about a painting of King James standing behind his Knights, and with his sword, he was prodding them into battle. The caption for this painting was "King James Comforting His Troops." Whether you know it or not, your wife is fighting a battle: for your kids, for her self, and for your heart. The world and the devil tries to tear good things down. 50% of marriages end in divorce. She needs comfort for the fight because it gets wearisome. And the comfort doesn't meant that we just dry tears or hold; it means we stand behind, uphold, respect, and relieve any pressure that would prevent her from doing the best job that she can. She needs to know there is a King by her side, and in the King's arms, nothing can stop them.
Protect her. I remember one time asking my dad, "If there was a tornado, what would be the safest place in our house?" His response was that we would gather in the middle of the house in the bathroom. My mom, my sister and I would get into the bathtub, and my dad would be crouched over top of us. If the roof failed, if the walls failed, and if the foundation failed, Dad would be left as a last resort. My dad never offered much in terms of spiritual guidance or emotional security, but I always knew with him there, we would be physically safe. Your wife needs to know the same thing about you; That when the tornadoes of life fall upon your family, you will be there shielding her, and literally over your dead body you will do everything to keep her from harm. If there is something I want my wife to know, it's that I might make mistakes, I might have a lot of growing to do, but as long as I live, I will keep her and my children safe. Safe from physical harm, spiritual harm, and emotional harm. "Fathers don't need to provide a shelter, they need to provide a covering." - Damon Thompson
Love her. This kind of goes without saying. That is what this whole post is about. But my point here is that in this sentence "love her," love is a verb. Love is not a feeling, it is an action. We can tell our wives we love them all day long, but until we show them, our talk is vanity. Show them through your heart, through our example, and through your time. Everything we do must be built around their best interest.
Appreciate her. This is not just a feminine need, it is a human need. I know from being in the ministry for 10 years that when you give all your heart to something, nothing means more than somebody recognizing it and saying thank you. I know that during my darkest days, someone could simply say, "Thank you Pastor Jesse for all you do. It has made a difference in my life." This was like a flash of lighting on a dark night, that gave me the energy and the renewed vigor to continue on. Your wife works hard. Wether she is a career woman or a full time working mom, it takes a lot out of her. Look her in the eye, and tell her specifically how she has impacted you or your family with her actions. Sometimes, all she wants is a "Thank You."
Bless her. I remember one time at a Discipleship Now event my Youth Pastor Dave told the leaders and chaperones during an altar call, "All I want you to do is go around and speak blessing over the young people." I had really never heard of such a thing. We have the ability to speak blessing? God has truly revealed to me the power that lies in the tongue - the power to speak life or to speak death. Speak life over your wife. Speak prophecy of blessings and prosperity over her creativity, her heart, her passions, her body, and her spirit. God was repeatedly speaking covenants of blessings with Israel, and with the Church. Why? Because she was the BRIDE of Christ. (hint hint) If God was always speaking blessing and blessing his bride, then shouldn't we do the same for ours? I know this last part may be a bit confusing, but let me conclude with this: The words we say have the ability to bless or curse. My prayer is that your words will always bless.

Stop Working so Hard - and Delegate

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:37:00 +0000

Those in ministry have a lot to do. Check out this list here.

But the question is not what CAN you be doing, but rather what SHOULD you be doing. God has surrounded you with people of varying spiritual gifts. Actually, you can let all your team take an online spiritual gifts inventory here: http://www.churchgrowth.org/analysis/index.html

So why are you doing so much? Why are you worn out all the time? You don't have to play the martyr. As I once heard a preacher say, "Jesus has already died for your church. You don't have to."

Here are a few reasons why we fail to delegate:

We think we can do the job better ourselves.
We are afraid to ask, because we think people are too busy or don't want to help.
We don't know how to ask.
We think people will feel undervalued by asking them to do small or unimportant tasks.
We are really not sure what to ask people to do.
We don't want them to see how unorganized we are.
We don't want to give things away and then people will think they no longer need us.
We are selfish.

But here is something to remember - your church hired you because there are things which you can do better than anyone else, and those are the things that you need to focus on. What are those things? Let's see what the disciples focused on -

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. - Acts 6:1-4

I can say for about 5 of the years that I have been in Youth Ministry, I neglected the ministry of the Word of God. I neglected my personal study of it, my love of it, and memorization of scripture. I was so consumed with the other details that I was drying up on the inside. Who needs to feed more - the sheep? or the shepherd who is feeding all the sheep? YOU MUST FEED YOURSELF CONSTANTLY. I don't care if you go to work and all you do is read the Word of God all day, study it, and soak in it. You must do this. Let everyone else do everything else, because there is NOTHING more important than the ministry of the Word.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. - 1 Timothy 5:17

Laboring in Word and in Doctrine is what your are hired to do. And not only this, but prayer. John Wesley said, "I have so much to do today that I must spend the first 3 hours in prayer." Nothing is more effective than prayer.

"Prayer does not fit us for greater work; PRAYER IS THE GREATER WORK." - Oswald Chambers

If what you are doing during the day is causing you to neglect these two things, either stop it, or find a volunteer who can do it for you. My next article will be on HOW to delegate. Now go pray.

Contentment vs. Fulfillment

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 02:39:00 +0000

If God has called you to be a missionary, don't settle for being a King. - Charles Spurgeon

Are you content in ministry? My friend Jesse Herring wrote a great article here about Effectiveness In Ministry. It got me thinking about a lot of things in reference to job satisfaction, commitment, and the "grass-is-greener" on the other side mentality.

Of course the reason the grass is greener on the other side is because there is more crap over there. But I see this mentality among youth ministers and ministers in general frequently. Could we do more at another church? Could we better minister if we had a more supportive senior Pastor? Some of these questions are common sense, but sometimes we beat ourselves to death with questioning instead of focusing on what God has given us.

It occurred to me that a lot of people are trying to be content in ministry. They want to be happy, and for things to be stress free. Sometimes people become so not-content that it drives them away from ministry into a more "safer" career field in the secular world. But I don't think this is the way God intended them. Actually I think it is the opposite. I've heard people say that the "safest" place to be is in God's will. Actually, it seems in the New Testament that the most dangerous place to be is in God's will. When we are doing what God intended us to do, we will encounter the most violent opposition imaginable.

Think about it. If you are working at a bank making $80,000 a year, the devil doesn't care. Now I know that some people are called into this field and there are Godly people, like the CEO of Krispy Kreme who I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with. This man was full of Godly Wisdom, and used it for the Kingdom and not only for the secular world. But I'm talking to you - Youth Pastor, Minister, Teacher, etc.

You are probably encountering GREAT struggles and trial in your current position because YOU ARE DOING WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO DO. And the devil knows this, and he doesn't like it. He wants you out. That's why the deacon board doesn't like the concerts you have to attract un-churched teens. That's why the parents of your students don't want you going to a camp where they talk about gifts of the Spirit. That's why your Senior Pastor thinks you should not go on a mission trip because missions should be done at home (which is why you try to do them 51 weeks out of the year.)

You may not be content, but I suggest, than nothing you find in life will be more fulfilling. And I know that right now you are not seeing the fruits of your labors. Let me help you - Two years ago I was ready to give up. Ready to throw in the towel because I didn't see growth. But can I let you know that we currently have 7 young people from our ministry who have accepted a call into full-time service of the Lord? As of this fall, we will have 1 in Bible College, 3 in ministry internships, 1 on his way to a doctorate degree, and two waiting to be accepted into Bible college. If two years ago I had given up, I don't know if I would have seen any of this.

I have often thought how content I would be utilizing my gifts and abilities in a marketing or sales field in the secular world. I think I could make a lot of money. I'm not arrogant, just confident. But I doubt I could lay my head on my pillow at the end of the day and be more fulfilled than I am now.

Keep doing what you are doing.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7

Reaching out Like Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:30:00 +0000

The picture above is of a sycamore fig tree, just like the one a man climbed in the gospels to get a better view of Jesus. In Luke 19, we see the familiar story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. I believe Jesus was the greatest Evangelist to ever live, and not only that, but the greatest connector with people. The heart of this story is not about Zacchaeus climbing a tree, but a Savior who called him. For a minute, let's examine 3 aspects of Jesus' call that should be applied to the way we evangelize and connect with students.

Personal - Jesus called him by name. I can remember a lot of things: facts, jokes, stories, songs. But I have the hardest time with names. Charles Spurgeon had at one time 12,000 members and was reported to know everyone's name. At one point, he called out to a man "Well hello Mr. Gregsby," to which the man replied "My name is Mr. Greg." Spurgeon said, "I see, well I shall never make sport of it again." What a genius. Do you know all the students in your ministry by name? I don't. When I first came on staff at this church, I took home the directory and would study it every other night to get to know all the names of the students which at that time was about 70. Now we have upwards of 150, and it does get challenging. Make it a point to know the name of people you are connecting with. About once a month, I make sure everyone in our Wednesday night service fills out a name tag. This is a great way to make visitors feel more welcome, because they don't seem out of place and think that everyone else is new too.
Powerful - Jesus didn't ask to go to his house, he commanded it. Jesus admired, desired, and then required that Zacchaeus come down. When I visit a student or a prospect, I don't give them an option about church. It is a must. Jesus is a must. We have no other choice than to speak with conviction and passion about the God we serve. When you invite them, don't say, "well if you have time to make it to our service that would be good." Instead, tell them they can't miss it. It will be the best thing in their whole week. They must be there. Speak, invite, and relate... with power.
Punctual - Jesus didn't say he would come next week, or next year. Today was the day of decision. Capitalize on today. Capitalize on the moment and on now. You may not see that student again. This may be your only shot that God is going to give you. They are what you are in ministry for, so make them the highest priority on your list today. If you have someone call for a counseling appointment, do it today. If someone needs help on their school paper, do it today. If someone needs help moving furniture, do it today. Your immediate response will shock people. The rest of the world tells them to wait - wait in line, wait for your check, wait for this email, yada yada. We have the most important occupation in the world, and our master set the standard for promptness. I think what Jesus noticed is that Zacchaeus was interested, and he capitalized on that. Take advantage of the students who are interested, go to their house, and watch salvation follow.

If we could be Personal, Powerful, and Punctual like Jesus, our evangelism efforts would increase exponentially.

How to Lead a Staff Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Jesse Watkins) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:08:00 +0000

My Pastor was out of the office today, so he asked me to lead our weekly staff meeting. Most staff meetings revolve around calendars, scheduling conficts, etc., so I wanted to do something different. This is a simple guide you can use for your volunteer meetings, youth staff meetings, or any group training. Here are a few points at leading a staff meeting:

Have an agenda before you get there. Don't come to the meeting and then expect everyone will figure out what needs to be discussed.
Don't dominate; FACILITATE. You are to guide the meeting, not overpower it. No one wants to hear you talk for 1 hour (unless they are church members). Staff have import insights to share.
Have an allotted time. Normally 1 hour is good. Shorter can be better. If the meeting goes 1 hour, then cut it off, and save the rest for next time.
Ask engaging questions. - This is true whether you are teaching Sunday School, leading a meeting, or speaking 1 on 1. Challenge the people you are leading.

My meeting today only consisted of 3 questions - and the meeting lasted the whole hour. All staff were encouraged to give their input for the benefit of the whole. Here was my agenda:

In what area of your ministry do you need the greatest help?
How can the staff be more supportive and encouraging towards one another?
What goal, if accomplished this year, would be of the greatest benefit towards your ministry?

You would not believe the feedback and ideas we received from these 3 simple questions and just allowing people the time to think about it and respond. I was truly blessed by the meeting. When we went to staff lunch, they were talking about the questions I had asked, and how they were thinking about other answers after the meeting. We continued to brainstorm during lunch, which was fine, because they chose to do so. This is a great reaction from a staff meeting!

Now go and challenge some people!!