Newspaper – Page 3 – Thoughts from a Crosseyed Jesus Freak

Christian Living, God, Life, Ministry, Newspaper

What Teenagers Taught Me (Newspaper 7-2-16)

I was very impressed this past week. If you read the last article I submitted, you will remember that I was one of the dean’s for Youth Camp at Guadalupe Christian Camp this past week. There is so much negativity going around about the younger generations these days, and I will admit that I have fallen in to this category at times as well. There are many things that are blamed for the actions and sometimes total lack of respect shown by teenagers today, but I discovered something that opened my eyes to a possible solution.

This past week I was reminded that there is a lot of hope for our future generations, on multiple occasions. The week started off a little on the rough side, with some of the campers not listening to directions and purposefully cheating at some of the group activities that we had planned as team building exercises. I was not sure what was going to happen by the end of the week, especially if things kept going the way they were.

On Wednesday morning, though, two of the adults, took a few minutes during breakfast just to remind the campers that they needed to listen and treat each other and the adults there with respect. We reminded them that we were going to be serving at a nursing home on Thursday, and that they needed to act with the utmost respect while there. It seems that the talk that morning had a great impact. We really did not see any lack or respect or lack of listening the rest of the week. In fact, the way the campers carried themselves the rest of the week gave me great hope for the future.

I saw teens step out of their comfort zones and spend time with the residents of one of Carlsbad’s nursing homes. We even did a service project there, and some of the teens came back to me asking if they could go tell some of the residents good-bye before we left to hang out at the beach area. There was a camper that even brought a verse from Leviticus 19:32 to my attention, so that we could share that with all the campers before leaving for the nursing home. The verse reads, “Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” There was also a group that got a flat tire on the way home, and was stranded at the McDonald’s in Artesia for around 3 hours. My wife and I were able to go back and help take kids from the side of the road to McDonalds so they were out of the heat while their van got fixed. Not once did I hear anyone complain about the circumstances. In fact, they sat and played games the whole time, just going with the flow until the tire was replaced and they were able to get back on the road.

I realized one big thing this past week through all of this; teenagers have the potential to surprise us, they just need a little guidance. If we hold them to a higher standard, and ask them to act with composure and respect, they will. But if we expect them to act disrespectful and to not listen, then they will live up to those expectations as well. We need to treat them with respect and expect them to do the same, and guess what, you just might be surprised at the end results.

Christian Living, God, Life, Ministry, Newspaper

The Faith of a Child (Newspaper 6-18-16)

June is the month that the church camp that we work with, Guadalupe Christian Camp, hosts their weeks of camp for the summer. There is a Beginner week for K-2nd grade, Elementary week for 3rd-6th grade, and Youth week for Jr. and Sr. High this year. Beginner is already completed, but as I write this on Wednesday, Elementary camp is going strong. My wife and I went to visit the kids on Tuesday that we sent from Carlsbad (we had 16), and then we will be spending the week next week at Youth camp, as I’m one of the deans for that week. So, we spent about seven hours at the camp yesterday, just hanging out and spending time with the kids and adults that are there this week. And I was revitalized and reminded of something great while we were there, and as I prepare for spending the whole week there next week. What was I reminded of? Why I love being in ministry and how important it is to have the faith of a child.

While we were there, we got to see kids excited about learning God’s word through the Bible, and having fun while doing it. We got to see an adult that was there for the week talking to his own son about what being saved is all about. I’m not sure where the full conversation went, but the idea that some of the kids there are interested enough to start asking questions about giving their lives to Jesus is amazing. Also, we got to spend some time talking to the camp manager and his wife, and seeing their excitement about getting to invest in the lives of these kids is energizing. And I get to spend all week there next week with a bunch of teenagers. How can you not like this job!?

I was reminded of something a little greater than just all of this, however, and that is what I want to share with you today. These kids actually are a model of what we are supposed to be like in our faith. That is not saying that we should not mature and therefore have a weak faith. Actually it means just the opposite. The faith of a child is actually very strong. It holds excitement and commitment. It holds a longing for learning more and more. In fact, Jesus tells us that we all need to have the faith of a child. Matthew 18:1-5 reads, ‘At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.’

In a world where we tend to over-analyze everything, we need to be reminded to have child-like faith. That does not mean that we should not study and try to learn more. Just the opposite, because the kids that I know want to learn. They are on fire in their faith and cannot get enough about what it means to be a Christian. Seeing this in action again reminds me of why I love doing what I do. If you are reading this, and you do not have a relationship with Jesus, I would love to talk to you. Just name the time and the place and I will be there. Your life will never be the same!

Christian Living, God, Newspaper

The Need to Unplug (Newspaper 5-28-16)

My wife and I just took a trip back to my home town for a week long vacation, and it was wonderful. We got to see some people that we had not seen in over a year, as well as just unplug from technology and relax for the week. I want to start off saying that we, as human beings, were made to live in community with one another. We are meant to share life together, and one of the best ways of sharing life together is through being a part of a local church congregation. Getting to walk through life with others that believe in Jesus like you do is one of the best things about Christianity. We were never meant to do this thing called life on our own, and if you’re a believer but are not involved with other Christians regularly in some way, then you are missing out on something critical. Believe me when I say that this is one of the many reasons I love being in ministry, getting to spend time weekly with fellow Christ followers, even when we do not all see eye-to-eye on everything.

I write all of that above, however, to write this. There are times in life when it is necessary to unplug, and spend some time in solitude. This is something that I knew, in my mind at least, but that became a reality while we were on vacation. During this trip, while we spent time with friends and family in Tennessee, I did something that I had never really done before. I unplugged from my phone, tablet, e-mail, social media, and just tried to refocus, recalibrate, and refresh. That doesn’t mean that I left my phone and tablet completely, or that I didn’t spend some time on social media sites while we were gone. I checked in from time to time, it just means that I was not constantly trying to connect with just anyone and everyone like I normally do. In fact, I had close to 500 e-mails to filter through when I got back to the office last week. We are so inundated with technology and information in todays world that we seem to become addicted to it. At least I know I was getting there. And again, while we were built to be in community, we were also built to unplug from time to time.

Jesus Himself even modeled that for us during His time on this earth. There are numerous passages in the gospels that show us that He regularly left the crowds, and even at times His disciples and went to a mountainside alone to pray. In other words, He unplugged regularly. Again, there are numerous passages, but I picked out a few to show you here. Mark 6:45-46 states, “45 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” In Luke 6:12, which takes place at an earlier time in His ministry, Jesus again goes to the mountain alone. It records it this way; “12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” I will not quote it here, but on the night He was arrested, Jesus spent time alone praying as well. If Jesus found the need to unplug, and spend some time alone with God, what makes us think that we do not? Community is a great thing, but we all need to unplug for a short period from time to time.

Newspaper

A Legacy of Faith (Newspaper 5-14-16)

While you are reading this, I am currently relaxing and enjoying a little vacation time in Tennessee with my wife. It’s great to get away for a little while, but this trip has a little more significance to it than just a time of relaxation. It is a celebration as well. Let me explain. The minister from the church that I grew up in in Tennessee is retiring this weekend, May 15, and we are here to attend and speak at his retirement party. He has spent the last 42 years in ministry, all with the same congregation. This celebration of his time in ministry is being called “A Legacy of Faith”, and it is just that.

I write to you today about Clint because he has been a huge influence in my life. He is and will always be a mentor to me. In fact, I do not think I would be in ministry today if it was not for him. When I was finishing up high school, he is the person that first put the thought of ministry in my mind. He was the person that took me under his wing when my dad passed away when I was just fifteen years old. He is the person that taught me more about the practical side of ministry, not just how to study and put together a message, but more of the day to day, taking care of people. Not only can I say that I would not be the minister that I am today without his influence, I can honestly say that I would not be the person that I am today without his influence. And other people have realized that as well. In fact, I was asked to be one of a handful of people to speak at his retirement party, and I am humbled and honored to get to do that.

I have a point in writing all of this. I am not just writing about someone that you have never met. The point is this. Clint is a mentor of mine, and because of that he has helped shape my personal and professional life. My life has been blessed with a number of great mentors, and that is something that I think we all need in our lives. A mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor. It’s someone that has lived out what you are going through, whether on a personal or professional level. That’s the relationship that we see between Paul and Timothy in the New Testament. Paul’s letters to Timothy, that we know by the name I and II Timothy are full of Paul’s knowledge, in an attempt to help Timothy develop and become who he needs to be. Take a moment and read this advice from Paul in I Timothy 6:11,12; “11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

We all need someone that can speak into our lives like that, like Clint and others have done for me. If you have that relationship, celebrate it. If you don’t, find it. Also, find someone that you can be a mentor for as well. We were never meant to live this life alone!

Newspaper

I Believe in God, But… (Newspaper 4-30-16)

Have you ever said something along the lines of the following; “I believe in God, but…”? It is so easy to fall into that mindset. We see something that we think should be different, and it makes us wonder about God. Culture around us does not want us to take God too seriously. For the most part it is fine to say that you believe in God or a god, but the moment your belief and faith start changing who you are, people think that you are taking it too seriously. In other words, you can believe in God, but don’t let it change who you are.

We have been taught this for so long but the culture around us, that it has created an interesting phenomenon. Craig Groeschel of Life Church, in his book, The Christian Atheist, calls it being a Christian Atheist. At first glance, I am sure that most of you are thinking that those phrases do not really go together, and I would agree. That is until I read the book and realized what Mr. Groeschel is actually talking about. And I realized that I have lived a big part of my life as a Christian Atheist, in one way or another.

So, what is a Christian Atheist. It is simply someone who says that they believe in God, but their lives are not transformed by that relationship they claim to have. They say they believe in God, and then add a qualifying statement to it. Something like, “I believe in God, but I don’t think He’s fair”. That was a big one for me. It was tempting for a long time in my life to say that I did not think it was fair that my dad passed away when I was fifteen years old.

The thing about our relationship with God, however, is that we have to be fully committed. The way we live our lives have to match up with what we claim when we say that we are Christians. To be a Christian means to become a follower of Jesus, trying daily to become more like Him. And that means to change who we are at the very core, to look more like Him. Titus 1:16, the verse that this idea of Christian Atheism is based from, says, “16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” In other words, you cannot claim to know God and then not back it up by your actions if you want to be taken seriously.

Starting May 9th, at Central Christian Church, we are going to be going through a series based off of this idea, called The Christian Atheist, looking at topics such as “I believe in God, but…I don’t know Him, I don’t fear Him, don’t go overboard, don’t trust Him fully”. I would love to see you here, and feel free to get in contact with me if you have any questions going forward. Let’s all strive to live like we truly believe in God.

Christian Living, God, Life, Ministry, Newspaper

‘Jesus Wept’ Moments Help in a Broken World (Newspaper 4-2-16)

Coming off of a great weekend celebrating the resurrection of Jesus through Easter, I was quickly reminded that we live in a broken world. Really, it’s easy to see that when we look around. There is pain, anger, despair, and a longing for something better that most of us see on a regular basis. We see news reports of attacks in this country and around the world, but sometimes it doesn’t sink in that this truly is a broken world.

My reminder came with a phone call that most people in ministry dread. A young mom had just lost her baby in the womb. I won’t go into detail about the situation, but it quickly reminded me that I long for something better. No one should have to deal with an innocent death like this.

Jesus understands our pain, however, because he lived in this world as well. A fellow minister gave me a great example of this when offering support this week. He called it a “Jesus wept” moment. The shortest but one of the most meaningful verses in the Bible is John 11:35, which simply states, “Jesus wept”. This was because one of his friends had just died, but he also knew he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus weeping was more because of the pain that the other people involved were feeling, and he took the time to weep with them.

While this is a broken world, with all that pain and suffering that we see, as Christians we have the hope of a better world. That’s what this past weekend of Easter was all about. It was celebrating Jesus conquering death and the grave. Jesus going to the cross to pay the price for our sins, and then raising back to life gives us the hope that death is not final. Take heart, because our savior has conquered death. I Corinthians 15:55-57 puts it this way; “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thoughts from a Crosseyed Jesus Freak

Christian Living, Newspaper

Getting Into Shape (Newspaper 3-12-16)

My wife and I recently joined one of the gyms here in town because we decided we needed to start taking our physical fitness a little more seriously. We’ve been going anywhere from three to five times a week over the last four weeks, and we are both already seeing the benefits of working out on a regular basis. I’ve noticed something interesting on our trips to the gym, and that’s that when we go about the same time everyday, we see almost the same people every time that we go. It makes sense when I think about it, because as human nature, we all tend to do better when we do things in patterns. In other words, it’s becoming habit for us to work out, and it’s habit for those that we see there on a regular basis as well.

When we first started talking about joining the gym, I told my wife that I was willing to take on the extra expense, as long as we regularly go. So far, we have been doing that. You may be wondering why I’m writing about the gym in a faith column. Well it’s really simple when you get down to it. Paul writes to Timothy in I Timothy 4:7-10, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.”

It says, train yourself to be godly. There is nothing wrong with physical training, in fact, it says that it is of some value, however, our spiritual training is even more important. The same principle applies to our spiritual training as our physical training. We need to make our spiritual training a habit. In other words, we need to be in the Word of God on a regular basis, we need to attend a gathering of other Christians on a regular basis. We need to be focusing on our relationship with God on a regular basis.

I’ve had a realization on the few days that we’ve missed going to the gym over the last month; I’ve missed it. How many of us really miss it when something comes up and keeps us from studying God’s word or when we miss gathering with fellow Christians? I know in my own life I haven’t been as committed to consciously working on my relationship with God as I have been committed to working out physically over the last month. Let’s all start taking both physical and spiritual training seriously, and if we’re going to slip on one, let it be the physical. “…train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

Thoughts from a Crosseyed Jesus Freak,

Kraig Birchfield