Week In Review: Top Ten

10. Bucks Game--I went to the Milwaukee Bucks game and (courtesy of a friend) sat five rows from the court. Very exciting being that close--and the Bucks won.

9. Meeting with Roger--One of the highlights of my week is meeting with another guy leader from my Sunday night class and sharing Christ with them. This week I met with Roger Crum. This guy is a godly dude! He really encouraged me to love Jesus more.

8. ABF--TK taught high school class on Sunday and did an excellent job breaking down the difference between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom. He showed us how often the wisdom of the world slips into our thinking without us even noticing.

7. Youth Group--This last week in youth group, our small group broke down differences we have with people and how they keep us from loving people like Christ wants us to.

6. Dinner at Purdy's--I went over to the new restaurant in Sturtevant: Luann's Kitchen. She taught me how to make lasagna, and even better, I got to sample the lasagna she made.

5. Sleepover--Friday night, eight high school guys spent the night at the house. Three quick hits: We had an NBA Jam tournament, the guys ordered pizza that got delivered at 1:45am, and Goose and I went out and got Munchkins for breakfast.

4. Joe's Play--Saturday afternoon we got to see Joe Laumann star as the lead in a production of Schoolhouse Rock.

3. Christian Birthday--Highlight: I got to celebrate the third birthday of Christian Beilgard. Lowlight: He cried when others blew out the candles on his birthday cake.

2. Discussion on Care--Sunday night in class, we discussed how to confront others and how to care for others. I learned a ton about how to better handle difficult situations from some very wise people in youth ministry. Correcting others is a sensitive issue and starts as we daily confront sin in our own life.

1. Prayer and Fasting--Last Friday, a dozen high schoolers fasted from food for the day and spent the day praying for the youth group. It was such a blessing to see these students give up their Friday night to pray for their peers to seek the Lord's face.

Top Ten: Cabin Fever

This last weekend, seven of us guys (me, Pete, Tim, Bryce, my dad, Tim's dad, and Ace) went up to the Haumersen family cabin. It was a blast, here's a top ten from the weekend:

10. Weather--Absolutely perfect. It was upper 70s during the day with a fantastic breeze off the lake. Night was (somehow) even better, dipping into the 50s--perfect for sleeping.

9. Sleeping--I slept very well last weekend. I shared the bunk house with Pete and Bryce. We shared the same mindset: sleep in until the cooks (pops, Pete H, and Ace) wake us up with breakfast. My queen futon was quite comfortable.

8. Sunset Kayak--The first evening, Tim took us on a sunset kayak ride across the lake. While navagiting around turtles, seaweed, and narrow passages, we watched a beautiful sunset go down over the water.

7. Swimming/Pontoon Boat--One big highlight was riding on the pontoon boat around the lake. Not only was this much easier than being the weak load on the two-man kayak with Tim, but we got to swim off the pontoon. No worries, though, I was safely secure in my adult lifejacket.

6. Powlison--A book that I brought along for the weekend and got to read from was Seeing With New Eyes, a book on counseling by David Powlison. Very helpful book on speaking God's truth into other's lives.

5. Food--Phenomenal. The three dads did a fantastic job in preparing food. Even in buying the food. Great food choices--with tons of food available at each meal. A sampling: made to order omlets, lasanga, cookout, snacks, and cake.

4. Lazy River--On Saturday, we went kayaking down a local river. Tim and I got to shoot the breeze while rowing past drunk tubers and other sketchy party groups. The river was very pretty and perfect for a Saturday afternoon ride.

3. Fish--Ace caught us some fish. Pete H showed me how to clean them and then let me have a try (I was terrible). Somehow, Pete H took my butchered work and made some very tasty fish out of it. Nothing like eating something that was alive minutes earlier.

2. Outdoor Shower--I loved this outdoor shower. To save filling the holding tank, a fenced-in outdoor was available. It was great. I felt like Lewis and Clark (except for the shampoo, soap, retractable shower head, temperature control, hot water, and fenced in part).

1. Prayer/Worship--It is really a shame that I don't pray more with other Christians. This last weekend, we met together and prayed. We read Scripture together, shared requests/praises/attributes of God, and prayed for each other (and others!) a lot. We even were led in singing by Tim and Bryce.

Top Ten: Last Week of Summer 2010

The following post is a top ten list from the last week of summer (unofficially August 15-21):

10. Salt-and-Light Season--Our final game of the year was last Thursday. The relationships on the team go beyond just playing a game together. The prayer, accountability, and encouragement are all huge parts of every Thursday night in the summer.

9. Drew in Seminary--Drew spent the week in Indiana...starting seminary! God has laid a passion for His people on Drew's heart and Drew is faithfully obeying his God to serve Him with his life.

8. Psalm 34--In youth group on Wednesday, we studied Psalm 34. We talked about: communal worship, tasting and seeing the goodness of God, and clinging to God's character in times of trial.

7. Ikea Run--Cortney, Luann, and Bryce came with me to Ikea last Tuesday and helped fill my house with furniture. Not only were they a blast to hang out with, but they have an eye for what looks good together in a living room.

6. Rob Druktenis Party--Saturday we had a party at Rob's house. He threw the party to celebrate God's goodness to his family in providing Rob with a new job. What a great, biblical thing to do--celebrate God!

5. Fantasy Football Party--I closed the week with what probably can be classified as the nerdiest event of the year...the fantasy football draft. We had three pizzas, 4 packs of soda, and taco dip. What more do you need?

4. Worldliness--On Sunday in youth group, we talked about how worldliness slowly creeps into our lives and causes us to drift from God. What excited me was to hear how students are going to make specific changes to their life to fight worldliness. Especially encouraging was hearing how students were encouraging one another in the fight.

3. Lunch with Tim--I got to eat lunch with a good friend during the week and he encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. Tim is a good brother who loves Jesus and is faithful to obey Him. I was blessed in meeting with him.

2. High School Leaders Meeting--I am excited about the upcoming year of youth ministry. Friday night we gathered at the Purdy's house (Luann made A+ food...again). We talked about our hearts, the direction of the group, and the changes we'll make for next year. God has brought some of His best children to serve in the youth group. Its going to be a good year.

1. Prayer--Most of all, I am grateful for prayer. I am grateful God hears prayer. I am grateful that even when I'm not always with the people I love, I can always pray for them. I am grateful that my friends pray for me. I need it. Badly. God is so good and I am grateful for the way I can love others through prayer.

Top Ten: Spring Training

This past weekend, I traveled to Phoenix with Rob and Wayne. We spent time hanging out with the Brewers and relaxing in the sun. Here's a top ten list:

10. In-N-Out--On the final night of our trip, we had dinner at In-N-Out. Rob had never had eaten there before. After tasting it, Rob said: "This tastes exactly like George Webb."

9. Fellowship--Wayne got to spend time with several players, encouraging them in their walks with Jesus. One of them in particular recently professed faith and is really excited to grow. It is always really cool to spend time with other believers.

8. Sermon--Sunday night we went to church and heard a great sermon on God's work in salvation. The pastor preached unconditional election and limited atonement without ever saying those terms. I'm blessed to often be able to hear God's Word explained simply and clearly.

7. Tim Dillard--Friday night, we hung out with Brewers pitcher Tim Dillard. He is a cool brother, who does a hilarious impression of Harry Caray. We had a blast hanging out with him at Wayne's favorite coffee place--Tully's.

6. Brewers Game--We got great seats to the Brewers' games every day. Spring training games are more fun than regular season games--just a more fun crowd and more enjoyable atmosphere. It helped that the Brewers won every day we were there, too.

5. Dinner with the Hanels--After the game on Saturday, Rob and I ate dinner with the Hanel family. We sat around the pool, ate a well-prepared dinner, and just enjoyed a perfect Arizona night.

4. Early Flight--Friday morning, I wanted to catch an earlier flight to Arizona, but the flight was full. God graciously opened up a seat on the early flight.

3. Prodigal God--While waiting for my flight home on Tuesday, I finished the book "The Prodigal God" by Tim Keller. This is a great book, describing the joy of God and detailing the subtle sins that creep into our lives. I had to constantly repent while reading.

2. Weather--No clouds. 70s. Sunscreen. Shorts. Very nice.

1. Hotel--Single funniest moment (only to me, I think). We had just gotten to our hotel and we were walking down the hall looking for our room. When we got to our room, the maid had the door open a crack and was spraying some kind of "freshner" into the room and onto the carpet. Wayne tried to crack a joke as we stood there waiting for her to finish. He asked: "Did someone just throw up in here?" The maid just nodded and walked away.

Top Ten: Leaders Retreat 2010

Last weekend, some of the youth leaders went up to Fort. We prayed, served, loved, laughed, and got sick. Here's the top ten...

10. Pioneer Restaurant--For the first time (ever), we ate at the Pioneer Restaurant. This restaurant has no known claim to fame. However, our group annually stops to take pictures with the statue in front of the restaurant. This is a tradition we have done with the Project Serve group the last four years. Below, is my first picture of the statue eight years ago (apparently when I thought: I could grow long hair, I was the coolest person on earth (see: the pose) and when I was 200 pounds lighter).

9. Safety Force--TK did a great job of taking a simple privilege that Fort had given him (walkie-talkie) and abusing it. He was told the walkie-talkie was only for use in an emergency/medical situation as he watched the tube hill. Instead, he used talkie to make jokes, cry wolf, and radio in for hot chocolate. Below is a picture of a girl who went down the tube hill without shoes because TK told her "that's the rules":

8. Ace's Uncontrollable Laughter--On Saturday night, Ace lost it. He could not stop laughing. Didn't matter what was being talked about, he couldn't stop. This, of course, caused the rest of us to start laughing. Fact: We weren't very productive during that devotion time.

7. Unity--One thing that I am so thankful to God about is the leaders. God has so blessed the youth ministry and me personally with a great staff of leaders. God has brought men and women with different backgrounds, personalities, and gifts to serve. It amazes me how well these people work together, how they encourage one another in Jesus, and how they are so content for God (and not them) to get the glory. Winners: God (he gets the glory), Me (I get blessed), and the students in the youth group (they see Jesus through them).

6. Don Francisco--As we were taking a rather boring ride to Fort, Bryce got the great idea to listen to Don Francisco as we drove. Soon, the whole van was chanting, "Don Fran-cis-co" and there was nothing I could do but happily oblige.

5. John 15--Over the weekend, we studied John 15 together. This is a wonderful chapter, with many rich themes. Sunday morning, we sat together and discussed things like: God answers prayer, the importance of abiding in Christ, what pruning looks like, the love of God, obedience, real joy, loving others, and the Holy Spirit. These leaders shared deep truths they saw and also how God was working in their lives. Exciting stuff!

4. Banquet Dinner--Lobster. Steak. Moose something-or-other. 'nuff said.

3. One-on-Ones--I got a chance to sit down with several of the leaders and talk to them about how things were going in ministry. I went in wanting to encourage them as they served. I left being encouraged. They love God. They love the students. They are willing to serve God in any way to see that the students grow.

2. Ace's Comeback--Tom, the camp's head honcho, came into the room where all of us leaders were eating to greet our group. He, apparently, was a friend of Ace's and decided to take the opportunity to embarrass Ace in front of his friends. Mistake. What resulted was the single greatest comeback ever witnessed live.

Tom: Hey, I didn't know they let old guys like you up to Fort.

Ace: Look at you.

Tom: Well, at least I'm better looking.

Ace: That's not what your wife said.

Tom: (leaves room)

yeah...

1. Prayer Time--The best part of the weekend was how it ended. We spent time praying for ourselves, each other, and the group as a whole. There is something about praying together with other believers that is so refreshing. This was one of those times.

Top Ten: Meeting Kevin DeYoung

Today, Drew Papillon and I drove down to Moody to hear Kevin DeYoung speak at Founder's Week. Kevin DeYoung is one of my favorite people to read, because he loves the gospel and communicates it clearly and understandably. He blogs, writes books, and, like today, speaks at conferences. While this list will be meaningful to just me, here is a top ten list of the trip:

10. Cake Shakes--A trip to Chicago is never complete until one hits up Portillo's for a cake shake. They are delicious. Despite being mocked (by me) and threatened with a mysterious "thighmaster" (by David), Drew refused to get one.

9. Directions--As we pulled up to Moody, we approached a Moody security guard who was handling parking for the event. We rolled down our window and asked where to park. He directed us to a parking garage, which was directly across the street (and in plain view). He then proceeded to give us several steps of directions to get to this parking garage (again, which was right across the street). Thankfully, we didn't get lost.

8. Seeing LT--Surprisingly, I got to see my old roommate, who was also in town bringing some of his high school students to the conference. He's doing well, teaching high school in Ohio. It is really cool to see old friends that God is using in ministry.

7. Happy Day--Ride home. Pitch black outside. Blasting Tim Hughes. Air drums and guitar. Rejoicing in the forgiveness of sins. Real joy because of Jesus' love.

6. David--Since David works for Moody security, Drew and I had a good time needling David about his job and security guards in general.

5. Picture--I wanted a picture with DeYoung. So, we got in line to meet him after his message. As we inched closer to him, I showed a guy standing next to me in line how to take a picture with my phone. He failed. No picture. Not even a blurry one. I almost cried. So, we had to naggingly ask him to take another one with us (shown above).

4. Memorizing Romans--I meet with Drew each week and we spend a few hours together, mostly made up of me whining about my sin and Drew encouraging me with the gospel. Its great (for me). Drew also keeps me accountable in memorizing verses. We worked on 1 Peter 1 and 2 this fall with the youth and now we're starting Romans 3. I really appreciate Drew helping to keep God's Word in my thinking.

3. My Interaction--So, I get up to DeYoung in line to meet him. I should have rehearsed some lines or something. I got nervous. I stumbled my way through the conversation. It was about as smooth as asking a woman who's not pregnant if she is having a baby. It was about as smooth as getting someone's gender wrong. It was about as smooth as my interactions with girls in middle school. In short, I choked.

2. Drew's Interaction--Not surprisingly, Drew immediately brought Bob Kauflin up in conversation:

Drew (to DeYoung): "I only like you because Bob Kauflin likes you."

DeYoung: "Oh, I love Bob. He's a great guy. How do you know Bob?"

Drew: (in tears) "I don't really know Bob" (then softly, to himself) "But I wish I did."

Ok, I made that last part up.

1. DeYoung's Message--The message he gave was really good. He preached out of Leviticus 1 and did an excellent job of explaining the chapter (tough to pull off in Leviticus) and applying it to us today. Take home points:

A. True Worship of God is Costly

B. God Is Holy and Without His Provision, We Are Not

C. God Provided an Acceptable Substitute for Our Sin

D. Christ Is the End of the Law for Everyone Who Believes

He closed by connecting the sacrificed lambs of the Old Testament to the Lamb of God (Jesus) in the book of John. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, our sin has been paid for. We are covered by His blood. When God, then, looks at those who have been forgiven, He can say to us: "You are My beloved son, in you I am well-pleased."

Talk about a reason for a joy. Jesus loves me.

Top Ten: Fort Wilderness Retreat 2010

Fort 2010 rocked. I had a blast. I learned a lot. Some of the things I will most remember from the retreat:

10. Worship through Singing--I really believe that we have the best worship group in the world in the youth group. The best part of the group isn't talent (which they have), its not the song choices (though they're good), or their need to rob glory during singing (which they don't do). They love God and they love to worship God. Their worship is an overflow of their life, not an emotional pep rally for the rest of us to enjoy. Worshipping God, while being led by brothers and sisters who love the gospel and live the gospel, is an incredible joy.

9. Chad, Part 1--Chad Rich. Missionary. Jack of all trades. He helped me in so many little ways over the weekend, taking care of detail after detail. I love how each time I see him, he challenges me to think about God's Word in a new way. A good brother.

8. Encouragement Papers--Every students gets a sheet of paper with their picture on it--and other students can write kind notes to them on that paper. There are some people who are really gifted at writing notes and they give up a lot of free time to encourage others. I know I am built up after reading what others said to me.

7. The Boys of Fox--I love these guys. Chad A, Ace, Christian, Erik, Colton, Codey, Justice, and Evan. These guys were a blast to room with. These guys really grew in their love for God and I got excited thinking about how God will grow them over the next 12 months until the next Fort.

6. Michelle's Farewell Speech--Despite spending most of the weekend devoted to trying to cause me serious bodily harm on the broomball court, Michelle's words during open mic time on the final morning were a great blessing. When I started working at RBC, she was in middle school, now she's a senior who, by God's grace, has grown greatly. I remember her sharing (in July '09) that she wanted to really grow this year. This prayer has been answered (Jan '10).

5. Paul--A great brother. Paul Henschel is a genuine Christian, who lives a humble, holy, and godly life. He opened up God's Word and taught the students from it. He's a friend who has given his life to serving the body of Christ. This last weekend, he built up the small part of the body that I love the most.

4. Hullabaloo--Hilarious. Too many funny things to mention. Cool Jerk. The youth mini-stars was sweet and funny. Very humorous. The Never Ending Story was well-done. And, Rob Druktenis, baring midriff--more sick then funny.

3. Chad (and Cortney), Part 2--Chad and Cortney Andersen. They've recently started helping with youth group and I loved having them there. I got to room with Chad--who loves students and wants to see them all grow. He kicked off the weekend serving: we were in a big-time bind and needed a vehicle and he gave up his for the weekend to help us out. Cortney is just as great: loves girls and loves seeing them grow in Christ. I'm pumped about serving with these two.

2. Testimonies--Um, wow! Tony is a good friend, who encourages me to grow weekly. To hear how God's grace saved him and how God is working in his life was a blessing for us all. Amy's humble testimony grandly displayed the greatness and grace of God. Bryn's challenged us to appreciate God's grace in a new way. I could listen to those testimonies every day and be encouraged.

1. Students and Leaders--I love the students. I love the leaders. I love spending time with them. I love talking with them about Jesus. I love singing to God with them. I love them.

The Christmas Mix '09

I have some standards. Standards (or boundaries) are set up beforehand, before an event/issue/area, to protect one's self (and sometimes others) from making foolish choices in the heat of the moment. God has given us emotions and these emotions, when guided by God's Word, are fantastic. When operating under the control of the flesh, they can deceive and mislead us.

With that in mind, I have standards about Christmas music. The standard is to not play Christmas music unless one of the following two conditions is met: 1) it is after Thanksgiving Day or 2) snow has fallen.

Last night, snow fell in Racine, Wisconsin. I was prepared for this. I was excited about this. Without the aforementioned standards, my emotions would have caved in. I did not cave in. It was worth the wait.

Despite this strict standard, my taste in music is horrible. I can fairly easily like a song. Maybe it was in a movie, maybe a roommate played it enough that I liked it, maybe it is so over-the-top sappy that I like. With this in mind, I thought I would post 10 of my favorite Christmas songs. I tried to avoid "classic" songs or songs that get overplayed. Embarrassing? Yes. Helpful? No. Funny? Maybe.

Quick Serious Note: If I could recommend an album, it would be Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Becoming Man. Made by Sovereign Grace, Christ-centered, with 'the Reason for the season' in mind. Most of the songs below have lyrics that are shallow, weak, and/or misplaced.

Anyways, ten of my favorite Christmas-only songs:

10 This Baby (Steven Curtis Chapman)

Reason: Because many people whom I love sang this song last year at Christmas time.

9 Better Days (Goo Goo Dolls)

Reason: My roommate in college played it. It makes me think (though this wasn't the original intent) of the better days we have to look forward to in eternity.

8 Little Drummer Boy (Audio Adrenaline)

Reason: Kinda-cool rock revision of the classic song.

7 Sleigh Ride (Jump5)

Reason: Pop music at its finest.

6 Christmas Time is Here (Sixpence None the Richer)

Reason: Soft, slow, relaxing.

5 Carol of the Bells (Straight No Chaser)

Reason: A cappella group. Cool song.

4 Where Are You Christmas (Faith Hill)

Reason: Its from the Grinch movie.

3 I Hate Christmas Parties (Relient K)

Reason: Roommate played it and it quickly became a favorite.

2 Christmas, Baby, Please Come Home (Death Cab)

Reason: Its really catchy and when a friend was playing it, it stuck.

1 My Only Wish (Britney Spears)

Reason: Quite possibly the single worst Christmas song of all-time. It is terrible. Terrible words, terrible tune, terrible everything. And, because of this, its a holiday classic.

Top Ten: Lame Quiet Times

Everybody is looking for ways to have lamer quiet times. That's a given. The problem is some people keep slipping into habits of: extended prayer times, changed lives, and (worst of all) communion with God. What can we do to prevent to this? Well, I am hopeful this post can help. So, here's ten ways to have ineffective and unproductive quiet times:

1. Skip It. This is the best and easiest way to keep from actually meeting with God. I mean, let's be honest, you're busy! I get sick of these Christians running around acting like I need to do one EVERY DAY! Between hitting the snooze button seven times, three solid hours of TV/Facebook/Gaming/Movies, and having fun with friends, there's not a whole lot of time for God.

2. Hate It. If you (for whatever reason) can't do #1, the rest of this list should help. First off, start by dreading/hating/whining about having to do one (even if its just in your own mind). I recommend making it feel like a burden around your neck. If you can get your emotions to this point, even if you accidentally have a quiet time, it will be worthless. You can even get to the point where you would rather: clean your room, do homework, spend time with your family, read the Pennysaver, climb a fence with barbed wire, or count your arm hair rather then spend time with God.

3. Don't Pray. Make sure you don't kick off your quiet time with prayer. This is a no-no. Prayer slows you down and makes you think you actually need God. Prayer may lead you to think that you need forgiveness, that you need grace, that you need His help, that you need faith, that you need deliverance, that you need patience, in short, that you need Him. Now, the problem with this line of thinking is that it may make you realize you need God and thus pray more. So nip this area of spiritual growth in the bud.

4. Rush Through It. If you've got to do one, keep it short. Your time is precious and you don't want to waste it on eternal thoughts--you've got a mist-like life to live! The briefer your time with God is, the less chance you have to be a deep Christian. Your mind can tend to wander towards eternal things, towards the gospel, and towards Jesus if you stay in the quiet time too long. Some suggested passages for a quick quiet time: John 11:35 and Job 3:2.

5. Don't Actually Commune With God. You want to treat your quiet time like an assignment from school. You want to get the checklist mentality going. One good method of applying this is to never confess sin. Hold on to your sin! Here's why: you start confessing sin, you realize that you are incomplete, falling short of God's glory, and totally depraved. Then, God's Word naturally points to the remedy: Jesus. When you look at Jesus, you'll see complete forgiveness, atonement, fellowship with God, and righteousness. Your affections may be stirred to love God, to praise Him, and to obey Him. Don't let this happen, remember you want lame quiet times!

6. No Meditation/Reflection. The Bible repeatedly commands us to meditate on God's Word. God wants people to not just read His Word, but to think about it, to consider how it applies to our lives, to consider how great God is, to be captivated with Jesus' love, and to mull it over in our minds all day. So, if we avoid reflection, we can trick ourselves into believing that God's Word is old, outdated, and isn't relevant for our lives.

7. Read Too Much. This can be taken the wrong way, but here's what I mean. Let's say you're in the habit of never spending time with God. All of a sudden--maybe after a stirring sermon or a convicting word from a friend--you want to start spending time with God. A good way to rid yourself of this attitude is to launch into an impossible reading plan. Commit to reading something like the Old Testament in one week. After you fall behind after one day, become easily discouraged and tell yourself you tried.

8. Avoid Christians Who Are "On-Fire". People like this can be annoying. They are always joyful, seeing victory over sin, encouraging others, and growing in the Lord. The worst part, they actually seem to enjoy spending time with God. A lot of time it spills over into wanting to see others share the joy that they have. They want others to have this joy of the Lord. They want to see others cast off sinful habits, grow in God's grace, and cherish Jesus. This leads them to ask penetrating spiritual questions like: Do you spend time with God? and How can I help you more closely walk with God? The sad thing is that they really love you--they really do care about you--and you don't want to break their hearts by telling them you are spiritually lame, so just avoid these kind of people. Warning: Avoid RBC Youth leaders, they are the worst!

9. Compartmentalize It. What do you do, you ask, if you make it all the way through a quiet time? The answer: don't let it spill over into your "real" life. Leave it in that 10 minute (or less) block. Just being a hearer of God's Word keeps you lame, its the doing of it that's important (don't bother looking up James 1.22). Try as hard as you can not to put anything you read into practice. Don't talk about it. Act like you never did a quiet time in the first place.

10. Don't Repeat It. It can be dangerous to get into an actual habit of quiet times. Spiritual growth, affection for Jesus, and real transformation are not far behind. It is probably better to use the time you could use for quiet times and fill it with excuse making. Come up with good ones like: it doesn't make any difference; it's lame; i don't have time; I did a quiet time yesterday, that's probably good enough; I went to church on Sunday, what more do I need?; and my favorite, I don't know what to read (of course we know full well what to read, we are just being lame!)

Anyways, I hope this helps you to become ineffective and lame spiritually. You keep up this lifestyle for an extended period of time and you can even convince yourself that you're a Christian. Sure, those on-fire Christians may call you out--because, if you really were a Christian, everyone would see the fruit from your life--but hey, they just love you with the love Jesus has filled them with. Have fun wasting your life!

Top Ten: Project Serve, Fall 2009

10. Michelle and Shag--Michelle thought she spotted our host-leader, Bruce, through the trees. Turned out it was just a red stick.

9. The Students Impressed Me, Part 1: Hard Work--The students worked hard. We started off with little sleep going into Saturday and the students worked from 6:30am until 9:30pm. I didn't hear them complain, grumble, or whine. They didn't try to avoid work, skip out on work, or cut corners. They served in humility, unity, and holiness. I was impressed.

8. Don Francisco--Turns out 70s ballad singer Don Francisco has a bit of a cult following in our youth group. Most of the students already had all of his CDs, but they continued to marvel at his musical talent.

7. Bear Accident--I'm not sure exactly what he was looking for, but a wild bear climbed into our church van, shattering the back window. Luckily, no one was hurt.

6. Getting Reprimanded--So, we made our dinner stop as the second quarter of the Packers-Vikings game was going on. Naturally, I wanted to go inside McDonalds and watch the game. I went up to the TV in the restaurant and began to try to change the channel. As I was doing this, I got yelled at by a young worker, who told me not to "mess" with the TV. I told him that I was simply trying to change the channel. His reply? "Like I said, don't mess with the TV." (I didn't think pressing the "channel" button on the TV was equivalent to "messing" with the TV. I do have a TV at home I know how to use quite well. I thought this experience would qualify me to change the channel. Apparently, no exceptions could be made.)

5. Eating Lobster--TK, Sam, and I each took down several pounds of meat during dinner on Saturday night, including some really good lobster. That was one of the best meals I've had in a while and it tasted really good after working all day.

4. The Students Impressed Me, Part 2: Speed Fellowship--It is such a joy to talk with these students and hear what God is doing in their lives. They are sensitive to sin, desirous to grow, and eager to learn. They encourage me, big time.

3. Wood Splitting--I learned some things: what a wood splitter is, how hydraulics work, Sam can take out wood with an axe, and people don't like big logs being dropped on their feet...

2. The Students Impressed Me, Part 3: Shooting Shotguns--50 shots. 10 people. 2 had never shot before. Everyone hit a clay pigeon. Wow.

1. The Students Impressed Me, Part 4: Studying Habakkuk. I praise God for His Holy Spirit, who causes spiritual growth to happen in my heart and the students' hearts. They spent time in God's Word, they worked on memorizing verses from the book, they applied God's Word to their lives, and meditated on its implications for them. Very impressive.