Solid Foundation

Today I was reading in Luke 6 and how Jesus taught about the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders.

46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

I began to think to myself about things in this world that don't have a strong foundation. I read an article about the Tower of Pisa and how it is leaning because the builders only gave this 183 foot tower a 3 foot deep foundation. On top of that the word "Pisa" means marshy land.

As Christians it is so important that we have a strong foundation! We have to be in the Word so that we can know what it is we are supposed to do, and then we need to do it.

Francis Chan had an analogy once about how if a father told his daughter to go clean her room and she went and came back and said, "dad I memorized what you said...go clean your room...go clean your room."

The father would be upset because his daughter did not do what he told her to do. Sure she memorized it and she knew what she was to do, but she didn't do it. The father then tells his daughter to go and clean her room.

She goes into her room and comes back and says, "dad I have learned how to say clean your room in Hebrew, Greek and some crazy African dialect with tongue clacks and everything. (I added that last one)

The father was even more upset because he daughter was not doing what he told her to do. This is such a mirror to our lives sometimes. We know what we are supposed to do but we don't.

God calls us to do these things so we can build a solid foundation of our faith. So that when the storms of this life come and try to pull us away, we stand firm on what we know to be true...that is Jesus is Lord.

When we are obedient in the small things we have a solid foundation to be obedient when the big storms come around.

Not Just a Fan

This post is gonna have to do with Sports and Facebook! I am a huge fan of sports, even though this year all my teams have let me down I am still a fan. I also enjoy Facebook, but I am not really the one who plays all of those games like Yoville or whatever other games there are.

On Tuesday I took my Dad to a Minnesota Twins game at the new Target Field. My Dad had never been there and so my wife and I said we would buy tickets for my dad for fathers day. I know it was a little late but oh well.

I went onto StubHub to look at the prices on tickets and I found seats on the third base line that are normally $36 tickets and got it for less then half of that. For those of you who are not following the Twins, they are 55 and 71. They have not had the season that all the fans were hoping for.

I began to think about how I got these tickets so discounted and tried to apply it to life. Sometimes in our world today I think that we have a lot of fans of Jesus. When things are going good they are all about going out to the field and wearing their jerseys and shirts about how Jesus is their homeboy. But when the going gets a little tough we sell off our tickets as cheap as we can.

In the same way on Facebook it is simple to put the Bible in your book interests on your "about me" page. You can become a fan of Jesus Christ on Facebook. I took the liberty to look up Jesus Christ on Facebook as a public figure and there were 3 million people who have "liked" Jesus.

While I think this is all good to be open on Facebook about your faith, I see at times where this boldness does not translate over into our real life. Now I don't want you all to think that I am just bashing on people, because I am writing this to myself probably more then anyone else. I am a pastor, on my Facebook page it says Youth Director at Hope Fellowship, and yet I find myself just being a fan of Jesus.

I think that if Jesus were to come back today he would be saying, "hey guys I don't just want fans, I want followers."

Matthew 16:24-26

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. ²⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. ²⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?^[l] Is anything worth more than your soul?

In my life I don't want to be just another fan of Jesus on Facebook or one who only goes to the games when the team is good. I want to be a totally sold out follower of Jesus Christ! I know that means that I need to give up my own life to serve Jesus whole-hearted! What good is a life of just being a fairweather fan, what do we have to gain? I want to follow Christ and lose my life so that Christ can give me life! Who is with me?

Bible Character Fantasy Draft

Hey all I am back! I want to have something deep and spiritual to say to you all but for some reason God has me in a goofy mood today. Hey I have an excuse to be goofy, I am a Youth Pastor.

On Thursday I am going to be doing a Fantasy Football Draft! This will be my 6th year doing fantasy football, the 3rd with this league. I enjoy fantasy football, all the trading and drafting and dropping injured players. I like to think those who can't do play fantasy football.

As I was doing my devotions this morning I was reading a little in John and then reading some in Judges. I don't know if many of you have read Judges, but if you have you know that these people were like, beastly. Sure they have their flaws. Samson had a weakness for the ladies, Ehud jumped kings on the john (Okay that is actually kinda cool), Othniel married his cousin. But the judges and many other biblical characters were totally bad to the bone...in a good kinda bad way? Nevermind.

So I began to think, "what if we did Bible Character Fantasy Drafts?" Pretty sweet huh? I think if we were to do that it would look a little something like this...

(Cue Music!)

Commissioner: Okay quiet quiet. I would like to welcome you all to the 5th Annual Bible Character Fantasy Draft. Let's get started, first a few rules. Please don't pray that God will smite the person who takes the pick you wanted. Other than that you are good.

Team FirenBrimstone: With the first pick in this years draft the FirenBrimstone draft The Judge Samson.

Team DudeswithLongHair: No way we named our team after him! (Starts to Pray)

Commissioner: Ahahah no smite prayers remember.

Team Shalom: With the second pick the peacemakers draft Solomon.

Team FirenBrimstone: Good pick he may not be the most fit but that guy is smart.

Team Agape: With the third pick in the draft Agape drafts Jesus.

Team Shalom: Whoa Whoa I don't want cause any problems but no one said you can draft diety?

Team FirenBrimstone: Yea if the Son of God can be drafted we might as well mail in the season its over. If a guy can defeat death we are royally dominated!

Team LastShallBeFirst: I call God, I call God.

Team Agape: You can't draft God we have Jesus, they are one in the same!

Team GhostHunters: We call the Holy Ghost.

Team Agape: Seriously? Come on!

Commissioner: Hey guys this is a draft not a theological debate.

Team Lukewarm: We draft Lucifer.

Team FirenBrimstone: Not cool dude, not cool.

(Some time passes)

Commissioner: Alright we are almost done with this years draft. Only one Bible Character left. Who wants Judas?

Team FirenBrimstone: No way I am good.

Team Agape: Pass.

Team Shalom: While I just want to make peace with this situation I must decline.

Team DudeswithLongHair: Hair is to short.

Team LastShallBeFirst: Is that my mom calling?

Team GhostHunters: No thanks!

Team Lukewarm: Sure why not...

Commisioner: Awkward...

Maybe we should leave the Fantasy Drafts to football??

Spring Blitz!!

Today is gonna be a short post cause we are going to Spring Blitz this weekend! I and 11 of my awesome leaders will be taking 37 students up to Duluth MN.

This is mine and Laura's first major trip with our Youth Group! We are super pumped, it has been a bit of a stress filled week leading up to it, but it is gonna be awesome!

I think part of the stress is because Satan's minions are at work, and they don't want this to be the awesome weekend that God has planned!

Please be in prayer for the hearts of the students, that they would be open to what God has in store.

Please pray for the leaders that will be going that they can just love on the kids!

And Please Pray that Satan has no lying, deceiving ways this weekend with this conference!

God is Good! And this will be a great weekend! See ya'll Sunday!!

Check Check Test 1-2

I love music. I love listening to music from big bands and small bands. I love going to concerts. This may sound kinda funny but one thing I find interesting at concerts are the people that test the mics. Check Check Check Check Check Test Test Test 1-2-3-4-5-6-7. If you have ever been to a concert you know what I am talking about.

I began to think to myself, "how often do we as Christians check our mics?" Or do we even care if our mics are on?

As Christians we are called to go into the world and make disciples! (Matthew 28) We are called to be ambassadors! (2nd Corinthians 5:20) But at times I find myself being OK with not speaking out.

"Oh I don't want to cause an argument." Or, "I don't think it is gonna make a difference." Well if I truly believe that the gospel is so life changing why am I afraid to step up to the mic?

2nd Timothy 1:7a

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power...

The Holy Spirit gives us the strength, power and the words to say! We just have to step up to the microphone! Speak out be bold. Tell people about the life changing Jesus. Tell them how he changed your own life, and that he can change theirs!!

In Acts 4 a number of the early Christians were just arrested and commanded not to preach the gospel of Jesus again or they could be jailed or killed. They were scared out of their pants. Their lives had been changed by Jesus. They spent 3 years with him for Pete's sake! Yet they were told they could not talk about Jesus! You know what they did? They fell to their knees in prayer. Then after they had prayed it said that the place they were in shook! Then they went out and preached the gospel!! Talk about boldness!

Prayer shakes our lives and the places we are and the people around us!

Dependent prayer is essential in stepping up to the mic!

So how bout you? Is your mic on? Are you bold in speaking out the gospel to all of those around you?

Maybe you are saying Tyler I don't know I am just not that kinda person? I would say we all are those kind of people! 2nd Corinthians 5:17-19 talks about how we are made new in Christ!

You are not the person you were before Christ! So be BOLD! When you don't feel bold, pray that God will make you Bold!

We do not have the spirit of fear but the Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead! When we pray dependently on God, HE MOVES!!

Check Check is your mic on??

We All Make Mistakes

Wow I have not blogged for a while! I am not making excuses except that I have been really busy. On Friday my youth group and I are heading up to Duluth Minnesota for the District Blitz Conference.

I have been to this conference at least 4 times! But this is my first year as the Youth Pastor going up! I have even more respect my old youth pastor Mark! You do not realize how much work goes into these events until you are in the trenches!

One of the biggest things I did not want to do was make a mistake! To bad that did not happen!! I met with one of the other Youth Pastors in my area to talk about going up to Blitz. As we were going over numbers and money I realized that I only counted one night for our hotel!! We went from having a little extra money to cover some costs to help send a few kids on the trip to being 250 dollars short!! YIKES!!

I called up one of my youth leaders and was like, "I AM FREAKING OUT MAN! WE ARE SHORT AND I DON"T HAVE THE MONEY TO SEND THE KIDS WITH THE SCHOLARSHIPS!" He just responded calmly, Tyler relax it will all work out.

Well that night I just put down my books and calculator and cried out to God. "God I screwed up, and I need your help. We are short money and I want everyone to be able to go who I said can have a scholarship. God I know that you are in control, your will be done!"

You know what!? God showed up!!

Today I was sitting in my office at Church and a woman I don't even know, that I had never even seen her before gave me money for students who could not afford it! I was blown away! I never even told anyone except a few of my leaders!

In my mistake God makes himself known!

In our mistakes God makes himself known to us! This is the same in every part of our lives!

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

We all make mistakes it is called sin. And we deserve to suffer for those mistakes! But God showed up! In the form of a baby!

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We are only 150 dollars short for our trip now! God is awesome!

When God's people pray dependently and humbly God shows up!

I am blown away by God's amazingness! I am humbled that he cares for me and provides for me even in my mistakes! We serve an awesome God!

Can I get an AMEN??

NOW IS THE TIME!!

I don't know if you guys realize this, but our world is messed up! Everything we know is backwards! I believe that the Bible is the PERFECT word of God! I believe that everything in it is 100% true! It gives us the guidelines and the examples to live by so that we can have a good, not always easy, but good life. A life filled with purpose and meaning!



But here is the rub. People are not living by the Bible. You could be saying that well that is because people don't believe it is true! Yes you are correct, but even the people in our churches are not living as the Bible says!



I am not saying that you are this terrible person when ever you sin or mess up. What I am saying is that when you are sinning and don't care we have a problem! I am writing this to myself just as much as you!



I had a night a few nights ago that I had to drop to my knees and just pour my heart out to God!



"God I am so sorry for living this apathetic life! I am sorry I tried to legitimize these things that your word is very clear that I should not do! Father forgive me I screwed up! Help me to not just pray this pray and go back to my ways!"



What is it that you find yourself trying to legitimize?



Maybe your ways are poor speech!

James 3:10

¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

Maybe it is that you are engaging in pornography or other sexual sins? Or that's what she said jokes!!!

Ephesians 5:3-4
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Maybe you struggle with talking behind peoples back! (This is rampant in the church)

1st Thessalonians 5:11b
¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point! I am convinced that God is doing something awesome in this generation, but we must be committed to living that holy life! So here is what I want to say to you all!



Now is the time! We cannot say oh I will live better when I am older, or when I slow down! I have heard it to much, "I am young and I just want to live it up!" Live what up? Your life? What a waste! Don't waste your life people!! NOW IS THE TIME TO LIVE FOR CHRIST!



You wanna feel alive? Try Jesus! Talk about an adventure, my life before Christ was pointless and boring! After Christ my life has been filled with meaning. Even at the times when life sucks I know God is in control! There are times when I am not drawing close too Christ and I can feel it in my life!



CHURCH!! NOW IS THE TIME!! WAKE UP!!



We cannot be the church and be engaging in the things of this world! You wanna indulge yourselves in the ways of this world then don't call yourselves the church! You cannot serve two masters! NOW IS THE TIME TO DECIDE!!



The World or God? You cannot have both!



I wanna leave you with this passage!

1st Corinthians 16:13-14
¹³ Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ¹⁴ Do everything in love.

Call of Duty!

I want to confess something to you all! I enjoy video games once and a while! See I had you all in suspense, you thought it was gonna be a huge confession!

I am not a big gamer! I am just to busy with two jobs, planning a wedding and other daily activities! When I do play it is for the most part with friends! The game that I play the most would be Call of Duty!

Basically it is a man game! You shoot guns, blow up things, and win the war! It is everything that young boys pretend to be when they are young. While the girls are playing house, the boys are out winning wars! At least in our heads!

That sense of heroic activities makes males feel like they are a man! We have a call of duty! This next part is to all my fellow men! What if...

What if we as men saw what our true call of duty was?

Is our true call of duty to make lots of money to get what ever we want? Is it to have the highest score on a video game? Is it to have to hottest woman we can just show off to our friends? Is it to do what ever makes us feel good? Is this all our call of duty is?

NO!

Making lots of money, having the hottest woman, doing what ever we want cause we are a man does not make you a man!

What is our true call of duty? Our true call of duty is to be a man of GOD! I am twenty-one years old! I am not saying I know what it is completely to be a man! I am still working on it! I write this to myself just as much as I do to all of you!

What does the Bible say that a man of God is! King David was considered a man after God own heart! I think that is a good place to start!

David was a warrior!

1st Samuel 17:48-51
⁴⁸ As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. ⁴⁹ Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

⁵⁰ So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

⁵¹ David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.

David was compassionate!

2nd Samuel 9:7

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”

It was the custom at that time when a new king comes to power the kill the family of the last king! David spared the life of Saul's grandson!

David Worshiped God!

Psalms 117:1-2
¹ Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
² For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.

I don't know when or why it happened but the man is to be the spiritual leader of the household! The man who worships God leads his family! You want to lead your family and have them respect you!? Surrender to God!

David Repented!

2nd Samuel 12:13-14
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for^a]"> the LORD, the son born to you will die.”

Real men with the true call of duty admit when they screw up! I know this goes against what our pride is telling us! Not only do real men admit it, they accept the consequences of their actions!

<>

There are so many other things that we can take from the life of David! Crack open that Bible and read it! There are some sweet stories! I do not say this to beat anyone up! Everything I say is out of love! It may be harsh at times, but this world needs real men! We have to many men who think that being a man is working, or not working, paying the bills and that is it! We need Men who are on the Call of Duty that God has given them! And that is to be men after God's own heart!

Inscribed

I grew up in a pretty conservative Christian home. I spent 16 years in the Covenant Church which is also pretty conservative! When I was a Junior in high school my family switched churches to a baptist church, and I now serve as youth pastor in a baptist church.

I often joke about how I don't make a very good baptist! Thank goodness for God's Grace! ;) Even though I cannot dance, I do. I have tried beer, but not till I was 21! I also have a tattoo! No need to quote Leviticus to me. I know what it says. I know that a lot of Christians have a hard time with tattoos. My mother included.

I really wanted a tattoo when I turned 18, but some factors played into me not getting it until I was 21. Money, that was a pretty big one. I wanted to make sure that what I got meant something! I also wanted to respect my mom and so I waited until I moved out.

But I was reading in Isaiah today! It says this!!

Isaiah 49:16a

¹⁶ See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;

Now look at that word inscribed! This word is used six other times in the Old Testament! Each time it is used it talks about inscribing or writing something into stone or metal! It is permanent!

In Isaiah the Israelites are complaining that God has forgotten them. God tells them that he has "tattooed" them on the palm of his hand! It is hard to forget something that is on your hand!

No matter what you are going through know that if you have surrendered your life to Christ your name is on the palm of his hand!

If you feel like God is distant, or has forgotten about you, remember you are inscribed on his hand!

This means that you are important to him! When I was deciding what to get for a tattoo I asked myself over and over what do I want to remember that my life is most about!

My tattoo is Greek for Love! The word is Agape. This is what I want to remember most! God loved (Agape) me so much that he sent his son Jesus to die for me! When I surrendered my life to him he wrote my name on his palm! My goal, or purpose in life is to share that LOVE with everyone I come in contact with!

1st John 4:19

We love because HE first loved us!

This is my life verse! I want to Agape because God first loved me! His love is what makes my heart beat! I never want to forget it so I inked myself! Every time I raise my arm, for worship, or work, or yawning, or saying hello to anyone, reaching for a hand shake or hug. If I am frustrated with life and I throw up my arms wanting to give up, I have it there to remind me that...

GOD IS LOVE!!

Defying the Odds!

As some of you may know I am the Youth Pastor at a Church in Ramsey MN. The School that most of my students attend is Anoka High School. Two of the Seniors in my Church play for the Anoka High School Girls Basketball Team! This season for them has been a season to remember! They finished the regular season with a record of...

2 and 24!

They also have not won a postseason game since 1999! I was 11 years old! Most of the players on the team were in diapers!!

Now you might be thinking to yourself, "wow Tyler way to encourage the team." But this story is not over! These girls defied the odds!

In Minnesota State High School League every team is entered in the Sectional Tournament. This is where the story gets cool! These girls won the section tournament! So today My pastor and I are going to the game at the Target Center where they play the number one seed!! This is the first time EVER that Anoka has been to state for Girls Basketball!

Talk about defying the odds!

I love the story of David and Goliath! This is a story about defying the odds! Goliath was a huge scary man, and David was believed to be in his teens! I don't know about you but when I was a teenager I was a scrawny little dude!

But David had faith! David believed that HIS God! Yahweh was greater then anything or anyone! He believed that God could and would defy the odds!

1st Samuel 17:45-47

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

And you know what...He did!

What about you? What is your giant in your life? Job Loss? Marriage Problems? Drugs? Porn? Lack of Purpose? Just life overwhelming you? What ever is your Giant do you believe that God can defy those odds?

I know that in the heat of the moment it is hard to say God is in control! But I tell you what it is so freeing! To know that it does not all rest on your shoulders! God is in control! Cry out to God! God please defy the odds in my life! God I know you are bigger then the Giants in my life! God you are in control!!

Way to Go Anoka Girls Hoops!!! Good Luck at State!!

Tsunamis and Slivers

One of the biggest things I have been challenged with as of late is my prayer life. I want to be one who is devoted to God in prayer. But at times I find myself just trusting in my own strength to try and get things done.

1st Thessalonians 5:17

Pray Continually

If I had to paraphrase this I would say PRAY ALL THE TIME!

Now at time I think we as Christians today, myself included, think of prayer as a programed thing.

Before a meal

Before a message

Before a meeting

Before bed

After a meal

After a message

After a meeting

After bed

We even have designated prayer meetings.

Now I am not saying this is bad, but for me I want to pray a totally dependent prayer! God I need you so much, and I want to talk to you so bad, I would even stop in the middle of eating! GASP!!

I have been challenged to pray when I am driving in the car. Turn the radio off and just talk out loud what I am thinking about to God.

I wonder if the people driving by me think I am nuts??

This world is in need of prayer warriors. People who are not just about praying at the right time, or when it is convenient or programmed.

There was a Tsunami that hit Japan today, as well as 18 other countries! PEOPLE ARE DYING! Did we take time to stop what we were doing and pray for these people. Sure we posted on Facebook that our prayers go out to Japan. But did we...really...PRAY!

I don't mean to say this to condemn anyone, because I am just a guilty as the next person. Sure I will pray for you and then I don't. How hypocritical can I be! God help me change!

Some of these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ! Please take time today to pray for them!

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

I want to be faithful in prayer, and I think that is more then just our programed prayer! Pray continually! When I am in the car I want to talk with God! When I am walking from classroom to classroom, while I am at work, I want to pray for the students. We have the opportunity to communicate with God through prayer!

So whether life throws us tsunamis or slivers I wanna be a dependent on prayer. I want to be dependent on God. I want to pray continually, and be faithful in prayer!

How bout you? Will you join me? Through Tsunamis and Slivers let us Pray Continually!

The Ultimate Transformer!

Alright! So if you are reading this you are in for a sneak peak! Starting March 23rd at Hope Fellowship's Sr. High Student Ministries we are kicking off a series called The Ultimate Transformer!

Pretty Sweet huh? I left this picture pretty vague to make it more suspenseful!

But I am actually gonna talk a little about what it is!

Here we go...

Jesus is the Ultimate Transformer!

How awesome is that! Now if you are being transformed by Jesus you know what I am talking about! Our life will never be the same!

If you don't know what that is like, or you want to know more I am talking about that starting Wednesday the 23rd of March!

Jesus Transforms our lives! He does this first by the example he sets! More importantly he Transformed our lives by dying on the cross, and rising from the DEAD!!

2nd Corinthians 3:17-19

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Based on the example that Jesus gave us through his life we are being transformed! The Ultimate Transformer is transforming us! It the words of Crush from Finding Nemo...

That Was Totally Wicked Man!!

What Examples do we have??

Jesus Valued People! Acts 1:8

Jesus Was Balanced! Matthew 15:39

Jesus Was Selfless! John 13:1-17

Jesus Prayed! Matthew 9:37-38

Jesus Felt Peoples Needs and Pains! John 11:35

Jesus is the Ultimate Transformer! Are you being transformed?

Hearers and Doers

So think about this! Those of you who grew up watching Charlie Brown, you know the way that the adults talk! Wah-Wah-Wah-Wa!

Sometimes in the Church I wonder if that is all we hear? Wah-Wah-Wah-Jesus-Wah-God-Wah-Friendship-Wah. We hear what the pastor is saying. We tell the pastor how moving his message was. But then we forget to move!

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

People wonder why people in the Church sometimes don't have a purpose. Sometimes I think it is like Christian Comatose!

Sunday morning rolls around and the people file into church. They sit down and
'hear' the pastor. After an hour they start getting restless, looking at their watches, adjusting their butts in the seat. The pastor says those words that most people are waiting for, "let's pray!"

What happened to the days that the word of God changed us! Not only did it change us, but we did something with that change in our life.

Let's not just hear the things that the Bible is saying! Do it!

Don't just be a hearer, be a doer!

Blending Into The Crowd

So at youth group we had a sweet event. This is actually an event that I did when I was in youth group. It is called Wheres Shmeckpepper! Now I know what you are thinking...What in the world is a Shmeckpepper? Well I am glad you asked!

----- These are Shmeckpeppers!-----

At Hope Fellowship I am blessed with some awesome adults who are willing to dress up in crazy outfits!!

Thanks Joe, Tanya, Bob, Christine and Ed!!

These awesome people dressed up in crazy outfits and walked around the mall. The object of the event was for the kids to walk around and try and find the Shmeckpeppers.

As we were out at Rosedale Mall in Roseville, MN I was reminded of something. As I was walking by the crowds of people they all just blended in with the next person. Then with a glimpse of hope...a Shmeckpepper! They looked semi-normal, yet there was something about them that made them seem different!

I think as Christians we should be like this. It is not our job to blend into the crowd and just get by!

1st Peter 2:11-12

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

I urge you. Paul urges us to, as aliens of this world, abstain from sinful desires. The Devil wages war against us! We are at war. Do you just wanna blend in with the world so that you can get by, or enter the battle field?

Now I don't want you guys to think you have to live a good life to earn your salvation. The reason we should live a good is so that the people who don't know Christ can see our life and be attracted to God! We are to be Christ to the world. We cannot be Christ to the world if we, first, do not act like Christ, and second if we are just okay blending into the world!!

So let me ask you are you a Shmeckpepper??

Civics and Civility!

Those of you that know me, or if you don't know me you would find out that people who drive slow drive me nuts. I don't mind if you drive the speed limit. To be honest even 1 or 2 miles under doesn't even bother me. But when it is 65 MPH, 55 MPH is not okay!

I was driving home from work today and I was stuck behind a Honda Civic! Yep you guessed it. They were going 45 in a 60. That was not even the worst part they were fluctuating between 45 and 55. So not only are we going slow but I can't even put my cruise control on and ride it out.

AHHH!!!!

Then when I finally had the chance to pass this person I kicked my little 4 cylinder Toyota into gear and VROOM! But as I passed I looked over and saw that the young girl was crying.

I felt like a JERK!

All I could think about was how mad I was that this person was driving like blind wombat! Now I don't know why she was crying, but frankly it doesn't really matter. The fact was she was hurting!

Then it hit me...

How often do we just fly by people on the highway of life and all we can think about is why are they slowing me down?!?!?!

Why was I in such a hurry? I didn't have anywhere to be!

As I went by I started to pray...God give me your eyes! Let me see what breaks your heart and let me act on it when I can!

I don't wanna be so caught up in the highway of life that I miss chances to help people who are hurting! This world is hurting, and we have the opportunity to help!

I wanna love on people because Jesus loved on people! I can't love on people if I am to worried about passing the slow Civic.

1st John 4:11-12

¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I want God's love complete in me. So I want to love! I want to love those who love me. I want to love those who are nice to me. I want to love those who are easy to love...

...I also want to love those who are hard to love. I want to love those who are not nice to me. I want to love those who are hard to love. I want to love those who drive slow on the highway, because we are called to love like Christ loved!

1st John 4:19

We love because He first loved us.

How's your driving? God is working on Mine!

We Are Ambassadors!!

I have been mulling around the idea that we are Ambassadors of Christ! What does it mean that we are Ambassadors?

2nd Corinthians 5:17-20

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

We are Ambassadors in Christ. Verse 18 talks about how God has allowed us to join in ministry with him! God allows us to serve with him! That is awesome!

So what is an Ambassador?

Ambassadors are those who speak in the name of someone. We speak on behalf of God. Talk about a huge responsibility! If God is a reconciler and we are his Ambassadors then therefore we are reconcilers. However we do not reconcile those to ourselves, but to him who we speak for.

God

Verse 17 says that ANYONE who is in Christ is a new creation. I have had people say to me, "Tyler I am not a pastor or an evangelist. That is fine, but in this passage God is not saying you are Pastors in Christ or Evangelists in Christ. We are Ambassadors in Christ. This is not for select Christians. If we are in Christ we are a new creation! Being part of that new creation is that we are Ambassadors.

If God has done something cool in your life, give Him the credit. Tell people about it.

"Dude you will never believe what God has been teaching me."

Ambassadors speak on behalf of someone, we speak on behalf of God. In this passage we read that God is a reconciler. So we as Ambassadors should implore people to be reconciled to God.

We speak the heart of God.

How do we speak the heart of God? We know the heart of God! How do we know the heart of God? By dying to ourselves, experiencing his Grace and digging into his Word.

How can I be an Ambassador? We must seek the example of the one we are an Ambassador for.

Jesus was Selfless even to the point of death! So as an Ambassador be selfless.

Jesus was Loving! So as Ambassadors be love. John 13:35!

Jesus was a Reconciler! So as an Ambassador implore others to be reconciled in Christ.

Be Selfless, Be Love, Be Ambassadors

Cattle on Hills

I was working on some finance stuff today. If you know me, you may know that I can worry at times. And there is nothing more I worry about then money. This is a constant struggle of mine, between God and I.

Money Sucks!

With Laura and I getting married this summer it has only been amplified!

Money Really Sucks!

Sometimes I find myself thinking man what if we were back when they did bartering? Anyone wanna buy a sister or something? Just kidding to my sisters!!!

But what I am getting at is this verse.

Psalms 50:10
"For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills"

Now you must understand that during this time Cattle was the stuff! You were measured for your wealth by your beef!

Where's the Beef??

This verse is talking about how God. The God who created us and loves us, has access to the wealth of the world. After all it is his.

So today I found myself worrying about paying for health insurance for Laura and I when she comes onto my plan. I was freaking out about how much it was going to cost! It is a little crazy! But Laura kept saying, "Tyler it will all be okay, God will provide, just pray about it." At that point I was thinking to myself

This is not what I wanted to hear!!

However looking back on it, it is exactly what I needed to hear! I was reminded of this verse. God is the God of everything. God will give me what I need if I am faithful to him. I thank God daily for Laura and her positive attitude when I don't have a good attitude! She is such a blessing to me, I do not even deserve it!

Praise God! In good times and bad! Praise God!

Jesus Paid it All

One of my favorite hymns of all time is Jesus Paid It All! I enjoy attending the Vespers service at Bethel University in St Paul, MN. Every time they play that song I just can feel the Holy Spirit fill the room.

Jesus Paid it all! All to Him I owe!

Here is a little shout out to Kaleb and Shane! A couple of Brothers in Christ of mine! They started an Acoustic Project and it is awesome, are know as ninety9for! They both have an amazing heart for God! I am encouraged to see other men so in love with God! Keep up the good work brothers!



The beauty of this song speaks about how Jesus paid the cost for us! We did not deserve it, yet he paid the cost. As the snow is falling outside the window I am reminded of the line in the song, sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow!

If we are in Christ we have been washed white as snow! No matter what happened to you in the past, no matter what you have done, or said, or seen! Jesus paid it all!! All he asked is return is to live by his Spirit!

Romans 8:1-4

¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

So how do we live by the spirit? We die to ourselves daily and give Jesus our lives 100%. We are made fully alive when we live in the Spirit! We were dead to sin, but Christ makes us alive in his Spirit!

Romans 12:1-2
¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If you feel like I am preaching that is because I am! I am convince that we live in scary times! We live in days that I don't think we could have ever imagined! There are people even in the church that have not given their lives to Christ. They have not died to themselves so that they can be made alive in the Spirit! And I am sorry to be so blunt, but those people...

...will go to Hell if they do not surrender to Christ!

I do not say this to scare you! I say this in love to show you the way! If I did not love each and everyone of you I would not write this! If you are reading this and you have been made new in Christ! Amen I stand beside you in worship to God! If you have not experienced the Grace and Mercy of Jesus Christ, please we do not know how long we have on this earth!

Romans 10:13
¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you have questions please comment on here. If you do not feel comfortable commenting, email me at tyler.roland5@gmail.com. I am convince that everyone needs Christ. Not everyone will see that in time, but I pray that if you are reading this and you have not made that decision, NOW IS THE TIME! Email me, if you have my number, call me, if you know where I live, find me. This is life is to short to waste it on nothing! Do you want your life to have a purpose? Live for something bigger then yourselves!

Be Careful Little Eyes!

The title of by blog is based on the Hebrews 12:1-2 passage, but there are other passages in the Bible that talk about eyes. I am not sure what it is, but I am fascinated with the concept of eyes.

I have told my youth that...

...We must be careful what we allow in our eyes because what goes in our eyes effects our minds, as our minds are compromised so goes our heart. As our heart goes, our ill actions will stem from them.

Matthew 6 Jesus talks about the eyes...

Matthew 6:22-23

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good(Healthy), your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad(Unhealthy), your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.

Your eyes are the lamp of the body! So how important is it for us to protect our eyes! We protect our eyes to protect our heart. What we allow in our eyes will effect what our heart feels.

If we are focusing on what we want, then our mind tells us we need to get this for ourselves. If we become focused on ourselves then our heart is only concerned for what we want. We therefore become self-centered people. And our Heart is not in tuned with God's.

Your focus becomes your reality!

I want my heart to break for what breaks God's heart! I want my focus to be God so that God can be my reality!

If I focus on the things that breaks God's heart, then my mind with be in line with what God's will is! Then my heart will break for what breaks God's heart! Then my actions with reflect who God is!

Eyes-Mind-Heart-Action!

We do not just make the statement that I want to follow God, I want to do God's will! We must first Focus on God, then our mind will be in tune with God, then our heart will be lined with God's, So we can show God's Love to the world through our actions!

If we want to live for God, we must protect our eyes. God must be our Focus!

As Goes our Eyes, Goes our Heart!

Overflowing

I am starting my new communication in ministry class at Northwestern on Monday. In my reading for this class I am reading this monster textbook. It is like 780 pages! But as I was reading in it today I came across at chapter that talked about how to be an effective preacher you must be saturating yourself with God's word! I thought to myself, "shoot, this is not just for preachers. This is for every Christian!

So I asked myself! Am I saturated with God!?!

I looked up the word saturated. It says that it means to be soaked, charged thoroughly or completely. To be brought to a point of saturation!

I love that! Am I charged by God? You could put it this way...

...Am I satisfied in God?

If you want to be an effective Christian, if you want to impact people for Christ you must be satisfied in God!

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

If we thirst and hunger for righteousness Jesus says we will be satisfied! I don't know about you but I want to be satisfied in God. If we are satisfied in God we are saturated with God. To be saturated is to be completely filled.

What happens when something is full and you add more to it!?

It overflows!

So you want to overflow? You want to be an impact to those around you? First you must be satisfied in God! Do you have a hunger for God's word? Do you cherish the Bible? Do you "eat it up?" I want to overflow, but first I must make sure I am being satisfied by God!

Are you satisfied in God?

I Am Blown Away!!

I am daily blown away by something that you can never understand just by reading more about it! This thing is nothing like math, you can't do some calculations and understand it. It is not science, nor can it be explained by science. It is not health but it can affect it. It is something that is superhuman yet it is attainable for every human! I know what you are thinking.

JUST TELL US ALREADY!!

I am talking about God's Grace!! I am daily blown away by the grace that God has lavished on us!

Ephesians 2:8-9

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.

For it is by Grace!! Grace is getting something you don't deserve. Grace is receiving a gift simply because the gift giver wants to give it to us. All we must do is accept it!

We have been saved through faith! To accept God's Grace we must have faith in him! It seems so simple! It is almost too easy?!? We live in a culture that says there ain't no such thing as a free lunch! TANSTAFL (Read and Economics book)! But God gave us this gift! All we need to is accept it and daily surrender to Christ!

How can I be proud of myself in such a thing! I can't! God's grace is amazing, I mean there is a song singing about how amazing it is. I hope that you have been blown away by Grace. You can never fully understand how awesome it is until you have felt and experienced it! So accept it! Experience it! Love it! Be amazed by it! God is so SWEET!!

Iron Deficiency

Proverbs 27:17 says this,

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Okay this message is going out to my male readers, sorry ladies!

Dudes! Why do we always think it is weak to depend on others? Being a guy is tough, (Not as tough as being a girl) but it is still tough! I am reminded everyday of the things this world bombards us with! Sex, Money, Pride in being a ladies man. We are told to be so many things, or not do certain things!

-Real men don't cry.-
-Men don't ask for directions.-
-Men don't read directions.-

We put up this image of who we think we need to be and not who God created us to be.

I am gonna be a little personal! When I was in middle school and early high school I had a porn addiction and it was killing me! My relationships with my family, friends and most importantly God. I was dying, and I wanted to die!

The lies of the world were telling me don't seek help, you can beat this yourself. Bull....crap. I needed one thing and one thing alone, God! God freed me from that lifestyle of addiction! AMEN!

But it did not stop there. I had to set up safe guards! Things like not being on the computer alone after midnight! Another thing I did was find a friend I could trust. Proverbs talked about as iron sharpens Iron so one person sharpens another!

I had an Iron Deficiency!!

Guys we are not alone in our struggles! First and foremost we have God! I think we also need brothers around us, spurring us on!

Chris Maas has been a great friend and my Iron in my struggles throughout life, not just my addiction!

So how bout you? Do you have an Iron Deficiency? Are you being sharpened by God and by others in Christ? You are not alone in your sin and struggles! You don't have to play the macho man!

We are all broken people! But we can be made whole in Christ! So real men can cry, because our heart breaks for what breaks God's heart. Real men seek God for every direction in life! Real men not only ask God for help daily but others as well!

Don't be an Iron Deficient Boy! Be a Man of God!!

Are You Out of Your Mind?!?!

I was reading in 2nd Corinthians today, chapter 5. Then a verse jumped out at me and made me think.

¹³ If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God;

I know that this verse is surrounded by a larger context, but I began to think do people think I am out of my mind?

Do people think I am crazy??

I don't go out and get drunk on a Friday night, because it is fun. I go to Church every Sunday. I raise my hands when I worship. I don't say God Dangit, when I stub my toe, because I love God and his name is HOLY! I remember back in High School people were blown away at the fact that I, a senior in high school, had never tried beer.

"You have never tried beer? That's crazy!"

I don't write this to make myself look good, because there are so many other areas in my life that I am convicted about. I write this as a challenge to myself. Am I (Tyler Roland) out of my mind for Christ??

A crazy person cannot be sane, and a sane person cannot be crazy! Are you Crazy?

As I read on more into chapter five, I came across a powerful passage! Why am I so concerned about being crazy? Why do I want to stand out in this world? Is it for my own glory? NO!

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Do you know what is crazy? It is crazy that God, the perfect, holy God reconciled me from my sins! You know what is crazy?! God sent Jesus, his ONLY son, to die for me, you and everyone! You know what is crazy?! God allows us to join Him in ministry! You know what is crazy?! We can become the righteousness of God, through Christ!

So the world thinks I am crazy? I hope so! Cause I serve a Crazy Powerful God! I serve a Crazy Loving God! I serve a Crazy Mysterious God!

I wanna be out of my mind!!!

Much Ado About Nothing!

So I am a part time Youth Pastor at Hope Fellowship Church in Ramsey, MN. In addition to that I am a Special Education Para for the Anoka Hennepin School District. In one of the English classes I help out in, they are reading the William Shakespeare's book Much Ado About Nothing. As I was helping my student with his test I was thinking...

...How many times do we as Christians make Much Ado About Nothing?

How often do we worry about things that really are not necessary to worry about? Now I am not saying that we should not be concerned about certain things. I don't think it is always smart to walk down a dark alleyway in Minneapolis at two in the morning. But, we worry about money and what we are going to wear. We make Much Ado About Nothing.

Matthew 6:25-27

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

So many times I find myself not putting my trust in God. I think that I have to do this so that I can get this. I then begin to worry about it.

I am getting married in July of this year! I am super excited, but to be honest with you I am also nervous. I am not nervous to be married! I am nervous because it will be my responsibility to be the provider for the family.

Then it hit me!! Like a giant cinder block! I AM NOT THE PROVIDER! God is the provider of everything. Without Him I do have reason to worry. However, I have God with me. He is the provider and the sustainer! Matthew says that God even cares for the birds, and how much more important am I? Wow!

So when you start to make Much Ado About Nothing remember this. All your Ado is not to much for God. He is the provider, and more then capable to be in control of mine and my families life!

Give as much of your Ado to God, as you possibly can!

Fixing our Eyes on Christ!

Hebrews 12 1-2

1.Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I think about the first part of this verse in terms of sports! This may seem kinda weird, but when I am playing a sport I need to make sure I have shorts and a t-shirt. I cannot go jogging in a pair of jeans. It holds me back, or hinders me. It is easy to get caught up in jeans. Sin is like a pair of Jeans.

If we want to live totally sold out for Christ, we must throw off sin!

Now here is the rub, we ourselves can't throw off sin! My pastor Josh talked in his sermon last Sunday about how we try to manage our sin. We say to ourselves...

“I wont sin, I wont sin, I wont sin…”

And what happens? We are so fixated on trying not to sin, WE SIN! It is not about managing our sin, it is about fixing out eyes on Christ so that we can become more like Christ! I fix my eyes I fix my eyes I fix my eyes on Christ, and run the race marked out for me, because Jesus has already paid the price! Can I get an Amen?

I fix my eyes on Christ because HE is worthy! I fix my eyes on Christ because HE is just! I fix my eyes on Christ because HE is love! I fix my eyes on Christ because he is GOD! What do you fix your eyes on?