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!

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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!