Josh O’Bannion’s Blog

Last night we had our monthly volunteers meeting with everyone on our leadership team with ReFUEL.  Pastor Phil was our special guest speaker & facilitated our meeting.  I believe we were challenged in such a way that you don’t really hear a lot of Sr. Pastors do.  I appreciate our pastor taking time out of his busy schedule to come talk to our staff.  He really drew some lines down in the sand.  So with that being said, I wish we taped our meeting last night, but we didn’t.  So I’m giving you all my notes publically.  Those leaders who couldn’t make it, I’m asking you to read this & take it to heart.

Here’s the Notes:

There are Special Places on Campus:  (Our Example is the Tabernacle Plan)

1. Educational Spaces

2. Recreational Spaces (which can interchange sometimes with educational places.  Like you can teach in a gym or large room.)

3. Social Spaces (A gym isn’t a social place.  You just stand around & not much to do.  You play there or can set up a speech to learn there. But social is a cafe, coffee shop, lounge, etc…)

4. Sanctified Spaces (Spaces that are set apart)

• The question becomes…can you unsanctify something? 
• You can selfishly take something back from God…
• But it’s the people who decide what the building is used for.  Example is…you can’t unsanctify the Bible.  But you can unsanctiy the use of the Bible.  My actions make it set apart or not.  (CLOSE IT & ITS POWERLESS)

I John 2:15-17 – “Don’t love the world’s ways.  Don’t love the world’s goods.  Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.  Wanting your own way.  Wanting everything for yourself.  Wanting to appear important.”

• Selfishness
• Greed
• Pride

“Practically, everything that going on in the world has nothing to do with the Father.  It just isolates you from Him.”

• Isolate is different from Insulate.  (Insulate is like a Styrofoam cup.  When you hold it, you’re not effecting the contents of the cup.  A paper cup isn’t a good insulator.)
• But Paul used the term isolate meaning cut off.
• Can’t feel God anymore?  What are your influences? 

“The world & all it’s wanting…but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.”

The 2 M’s of Youth Ministry

1. Model – You’re an example.  A role, speech, ethics, moral, manners model.  People do what people see. 

• Whatever you do in minimum, others will do in excess.
• You takes your cues from people you model.
• No matter what you do – you can only fake it for so long.  If you can take it off & put it on, then it’s not too thick.  Your character will reveal itself. 
• You can fake spirituality & worship…but you can’t fake real love, compassion, mercy, faith, etc…
• “Not what is said but what you do that becomes the most telling.”

        2.  Moré(s)- (Pronounced More-ay)  Latin term for societal norms, customs, virtues & values.

• Society determines the norms.  (They’re different)
• Our culture is trying to tell us what is normal. 
• There are words that change their meanings.
• If you want to change the culture – change the language.

EXAMPLE:  Murder is now called abortion.  Kill the old is now called euthanasia or mercy killings.  Gay use to mean happy, now means alternative lifestyle.

Moré’s derive themselves from established practices rather than its written laws.

• Meaning:  Something is done for so long that it becomes the norm. 
• Perfect example is gay marriage, or people just living together. 
• We have become desensitized.

Becareful what you say & do…words are powerful.  They’re your authority & power.

• The question becomes…how far do you move the customs & values to be relevant? 
• Is saying a cuss word, playing a secular song, etc…is that worth the fight at the end of the day? 
• KIDS WILL DO WHAT THEY SEE & DO IT IN MAXIMUM.

This word Moré:

• The English word “morality” comes from moré.
• The Greek equivalent is ‘ethos’.
• Ethos means ‘ethics’ in English.

So how do we deal with tough issues?

• Sexuality (homosexuality)
• Music (You can’t demonize notes – its the words)
• Music should reflect Jesus – people ask what about beats? 
• The answer is what does it do to the morés I’m trying to live?  The beat isn’t bad…you still know the lyrics to that song though.
• Meantality – why do you think what you think?  What you are at that moment is your mentality
• Methods- THe message is always constant.  Make sure the methods don’t go too far from the morés. 
• “The methods determine the morés & what is acceptable.”

II Corinthians 6:17 – “Come out & be separate…touch not the unclean thing.”

• Don’t be impressed or seduced by the world. 
• You’re struggling with being tempted by the world?  THEN STOP LOOKING AT IT!

HERE IS A GREAT QUOTE FROM OUR SR. PASTOR:

“I’d rather God accept us than us gain the approval of the world we live in.”

• Are we trying to buy these kids or win them to Christ?
• Are we trying to confuse them or make them like Christ?
• Your opinions better line up with the word of God!

Teach purity, teach truth, search scripture…because we get our morés, customs, values & virtues from the HOLY Bible.