Don’t Study the Bible

Posted on June 29, 2007 by ronklabunde

Don’t study the Bible; let the Bible study you. God’s word is alive and active, sharper than a razor blade, able to separate our soul from our spirit; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Yet, we come to the Bible to study it, as if it’s a text book. When studying the Bible, we can come away will all kinds of profound insight – “Wow. ScalpelIt’s sharp. Hummmm. It has a pen-like handle on it. You know.? It kind of looks like a scalpel.” Hello! It is a scalpel. We feel so much better when we have discovered what it is – we can even sound devoted to God when we share the intellectual insight we have discovered about God. Studying the Bible can make us feel better about ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we are healed. We must give the scalpel of scripture to the master surgeon and let Him study the inner workings of our lives, revealing our cancerous sin, self-righteous indignation, and brokenness. It’s painful to let the Word of God study us, but it brings healing and improves the quality of life. Don’t study the Bible; let the Bible study you.

Scalpel Comic

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Pursuing God’s Will

Posted on June 28, 2007 by ronklabunde

“This, then, is how you should pray: ’Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.’” (Matthew 6:9-11, NIV)

Why would Jesus instruct us to ask for one of the basic provisions of life immediately following our request for His Father’s will to be done? Could it be that God’s will is so great, risky, on the edge, beyond the physical world, and of the Heavenly Kingdom that it potentially jepordizes our physical wellbeing? Could it be that the closer we move to the center of the Father’s will and embrace the realities of His Kingdom on earth, the more our physical wellbeing is brought into jepardy. Perhaps so. Why? Because the Kingdom of Heaven is adamently opposed to the Kingdom of this world. The conflict of these kingdom’s often presents itself in the core of our being as we long for  heaven on earth while pursuing the perfect will of God in our lives and in this world. This conflict exists in two realms – heaven and earth – each realm affecting the other. Yet, in the midst of this conflict, Jesus is concerned with our physical wellbeing; otherwise, He wouldn’t instruct us to ask for His Father’s provision. Knowing that Jesus cares about our wellbeing, we must ask, “Am I embracing and pursuing the will of His Father?“

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Father Moment

Posted on June 27, 2007 by ronklabunde

Sunday morning my oldest daughter (age six) came to sit with me halfway through a morning of worship with our High School Students. As she snuggled next to me, with my hands already raised in worship, I whispered in her ear, “You know how you come to me and raise your hands up to me – to pick you up – to hold you – to receive my love – to give me your love. Well, when we worship God, it is good to raise our hands to Him too. It is one way that we say to Jesus, ‘hold me; I want to receive your love and show you my love.’” My daughter then raised her hands to Jesus. What a great moment as a father – teaching my daughter how to demonstrate her love to the Father.

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Listening to Who YOU Are

Posted on June 26, 2007 by ronklabunde

The spiritual discipline of silence is essential for hearing the whisper of God’s voice telling us the reality of who we are – the value and strength we possess. It is this calling of God that leads us to the outward expression of our true identity. But we must be willing to enter into a consistent place of silence to hear His voice and have the courage to follow what we hear; understanding that what we do can never contain the magnitude of who we are – as we live in the image of our Creator.

For more on this thought read “God’s Calling” or “Let Your Life Speak” by Parker J. Palmer.

let your life speak

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The Thriving Church

Posted on June 18, 2007 by ronklabunde

If only the “pastor” is bringing Jesus to the people, the church will die. The people must bring Jesus to the people – the people at work; the people in their neighborhoods; the people at home; the people in the marketplace; the people at church. When the people bring Jesus to the people, the church will thrive!

Filed under: church, discipleship | 2 Comments »

God Speak

Posted on June 14, 2007 by ronklabunde

It was 4:15am when I heard my name spoken in a very loud, bold, and firm manner. No, it wasn’t Stefani or someone standing outside my open window. I awoke as I answered back to the voice in a loud voice, “What.!” Yah, I felt a little silly when I realized I had awoken my self by sleep talking. As I turned over in bed to resume my unconscious state, a strong impression came on me that God wanted to speak. So, I said okay and got out of bed 20 minutes later, went downstairs, and opened my Bible. No strategy to opening it. Just opened it. Isaiah 49 was pearing at me. So I bagan to read and stopped at verse 7. I don’t why I stopped at verse 7, but I did.

I have bolded and italics below what caught my attention in Isaiah 49.

1 Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me;
from my birth he has made mention of my name.

2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.

3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

4 But I said, “I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”

5 And now the LORD says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength-

6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

7 This is what the LORD says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and rise up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Well, that’s about it. What does it all mean? Why did these statements catch my attention? I have some ideas on this. I love it when God speaks like this.

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Older Adults/Parents make Great Small Group Leaders

Posted on June 12, 2007 by ronklabunde

One of the most frustrating comments I can hear from a parent or someone older than 35 is “I don’t want to serve in Student Ministries because the students prefer to have leaders that are young”. I don’t think these students would agree.

Each statement below is written by a different student pertaining to their small group leader – who, by the way, is 35 or older and in many cases the parent of a student who is in junior or senior high. This year my small group leader…

  • really got to know me and helped me along in my walk, and she taught me how to trust God and rely on His plans for me
  • explained all the lessons completely and made everything clear to me.  She was so kind and loving to all of her girls.
  • is amazing, she really encouraged me a lot
  • helped me become saved, encouraged me to be closer to God, taught me more about God
  • has helped me realize how to help show other people the glory of God
  • helped me grow in relationships with God and my friends.  She also taught me how important it was to be consistent and keep praying
  • helped me realize that I needed God!
  • taught me to always look to God
  • helped me with problems at school and at home, taught me ways to act Godly
  • acted as the hands and feet of Jesus, showed us we can trust God with anything
  • helped me to remember that God is always there with open arms, Leslie is awesome!!
  • showed me how to radiate God’s light
  • has been able to give us good advice for our problems, and she has set a good example for us girls.  We really appreciate what she has done.
  • was nice and cared for us, and gave us very good advice.
  • gave me advice and listened and helped me grow in my faith with God.
  • gave me very helpful advice in a very tough situation that I’ve been through.  She has been a very positive role model in my spiritual life and has challenged me more than she knows.
  • has helped me forgive people more quickly
  • helped me through tough times and used God too
  • encouraged us and made our experiences fun!
  • I wasn’t here much at all, but my small group leader sent me letters.
  • was so fun! She helped me with lots of my problems.
  • has helped me to grow in my relationship with God, she has shown me how to live or Christ
  • made me feel loved and was a good person to talk to
  • helped me by digging deep in the Bible more, and having open discussion about the topic
  • challenged me to be nice to people that I didn’t want to be nice to and I had to pray to God for help in doing this
  • challenged my faith in a good way, she gave me suggestions on how to get closer with God
  • has helped me grow in my spiritual walk, has encouraged me to pursue my goals with my gifts and talents, has always been there to talk about whatever
  • has encouraged me in different situations (mainly with friends to do the right thing).  She has really been there for me and someone I can go to for Godly trust.  I love her!
  • has been there for me to talk to and be a spiritual role model and leader in Christ.  She’s not perfect but sure is close!
  • encouraged me in my faith and showed me a great example of a good Christian woman to follow after
  • has encouraged me to grow and helps me look at things out of a Christian point of view, like if I’m going through something at school or home

Youthfulness is a mindset, not an age. We should never let age disqualify us from ministry. Students are simply looking for love. On the other hand, if student ministry isn’t the best place for someone to serve based on their gifts and passions, they should just say it! No excuses necessary.

For more on what God is doing to transform our students’ lives read:

The Best Team of Small Group Leaders in the Country

Stories of Spiritual Formation 

High School Students make Great Small Group Leaders

Note:

For anyone who is offended because I refer to 35 year olds as “older”, relax. I’m 36. Remember youthfulness is a mindset.

Filed under: church, discipleship, leadership, youth ministry | Tagged: , , , , , | 3 Comments »

The Best Team of Small Group Leaders in the Country (Seriously)!

Posted on June 11, 2007 by ronklabunde

SM Logo3I often brag that we have the best small group leaders in the country. A statement I truly believe. The concentration and quality of our leaders is so great that other pastors comment to me on them. I’m aware that other passionate, committed, missional small group leaders exist around the country, but finding the concentration of these people in one ministry is rare. How can I be so confident of this? Read the statements of our students below and you will begin to see the significance of our small group leaders’ pastoral ministry to students. Each bullet point represents a different student. And this is only a sampling of the statements we received. This year my small group leader…

  • helped me become saved, encouraged me to be closer to God, taught me more about God
  • has taught me about how God wants me to radiate His glory.
  • helped me realize that I needed God!
  • has shown me other points of view that I hadn’t thought about my faith. I have really enjoyed my time with her.
  • taught me a lot by using her own personal experiences, she also always brought other Bible verses and writings in addition to what was given to her
  • helped me by letting us talk about whatever was on our hearts and minds, I love Mike
  • took us out a lot, and just gave really good advice and showed us he really cares
  • really got to know me and helped me along in my walk, and she taught me how to trust God and rely on His plans for me
  • explained all the lessons completely and made everything clear to me.  She was so kind and loving to all of her girls.
  • was a really good listener in our small group and always gave us a good time
  • was available to talk whenever needed and answered any questions we had
  • helped in hard times, talked to us about anything, and listened
  • provided us with care and concern; listened to us
  • has helped me to grow in my relationship with God, she has shown me how to live or Christ
  • has helped me to grow in my relationship with God, she has shown me how to live or Christ
  • challenged me to be nice to people that I didn’t want to be nice to and I had to pray to God for help in doing this
  • challenged my faith in a good way, she gave me suggestions on how to get closer with God
  • has helped me grow in my spiritual walk; has encouraged me to pursue my goals with my gifts and talents; has always been there to talk about whatever
  • helped me to work through a lot of my problems in a Godly way
  • was the best example for us girls and was always there for me no matter what
  • she has been so helpful.  Whenever I need to talk to someone, she is there.  She has made it easier for me to be open about my faith, even if some people don’t understand.
  • helped me to grow in my relationship with God
  • taught me about faith
  • has encouraged me to come out of my comfort zone
  • has encouraged me in different situations (mainly with friends to do the right thing).  She has really been there for me and someone I can go to for Godly trust.  I love her!
  • has been there for me to talk to and be a spiritual role model and leader in Christ.  She’s not perfect but sure is close!
  • encouraged me in my faith and showed me a great example of a good Christian woman to follow after
  • has encouraged me to grow and helps me look at things out of a Christian point of view, like if I’m going through something at school or home
  • helped me to realize how much more I can give to God and how I can reach out to others
  • had much wisdom and made it easy for me to apply the lessons to my life
  • has helped me on a personal level with my struggles as a Christian
  • shared many personal experiences to show how God can help people grow
  • has really given me a great role model for me in helping me be a better Christian
  • has always been there for me.  We’ve enjoyed great times together here and he and I had a very meaningful conversation that helped me while I was hurting.  He also has challenged our small group each week with something.
  • he has helped me through some hard times with my personal relationship with God, family, and my girlfriend
  • prayed for me and gave me verses to minister to my friends with
  • he has taught me about forgiveness and he helped me pick out a life verse to help me in my life.
  • he has brought up different points of view, was a big encouragement, he always cared, he was there to listen
  • tried to fit 12 kids in a 5 passenger van so we could go to Rita’s (to achieve the dream of free water ice).  It, however, failed.
  • taught me how to be a better follower of God by telling us how to be nice to people you don’t even like
  • has been awesome and helped me get through a tough time in my life
  • taught us how God wants us to live our lives
  • helped me with my relationships
  • helped me learn more on what I could do to be more like God
  • help us further understand what we already know
  • helped me interact with God by group discussions
  • taught me more about God and how important it is to worship him and spread his word
  • taught me a lot of good things about God
  • showed us the way to have fun.
  • changed my life; he became like a big brother
  • helped me with problems at school and at home, taught me ways to act Godly
  • acted as the hands and feet of Jesus, showed us we can trust God with anything
  • helped me to remember that God is always there with open arms, Leslie is awesome!!
  • is amazing, she really encouraged me a lot
  • has helped me realize how to help show other people the glory of God
  • helped me grow in relationships with God and my friends.  She also taught me how important it was to be consistent and keep praying
  • taught me to always look to God
  • showed me how to radiate God’s light
  • helped me grow in my relationship with God by teaching me more about him, and what his purpose is
  • invited me in like an old friend when I was new.
  • gave me support and encouragement
  • has listened and talked to me
  • taught me a lot about my relationship with God
  • helped me grow closer to God
  • has encouraged us with her words, she is a very good role model and I definitely look up to her
  • I only came 3 or 4 weeks, but she is a good person to talk to about anything
  • taught me more about God
  • was great!  She read in the Bible, gave us stories, etc.
  • helped me get closer to God
  • has been able to give us good advice for our problems, and she has set a good example for us girls.  We really appreciate what she has done.
  • was nice and cared for us, and gave us very good advice.
  • gave me advice and listened and helped me grow in my faith with God.
  • gave me very helpful advice in a very tough situation that I’ve been through.  She has been a very positive role model in my spiritual life and has challenged me more than she knows.
  • has helped me forgive people more quickly
  • helped me through tough times and used God too
  • encouraged us and made our experiences fun!
  • I wasn’t here much at all, but my small group leader sent me letters.
  • was so fun! She helped me with lots of my problems.
  • helped me understand the relationship between God and me.
  • he taught me about God.
  • he helped me not to sin.
  • taught me how to express my feelings and religious beliefs.
  • was very nice and brought me closer to God.
  • is a really good and nice small group leader, made my relationship grow with God.
  • is a great role model in a Christian way.  She made sure we each could experience God.
  • was great, I love Benj.  Yea Benj!
  • he was great, I love him.
  • helped me learn about God and become a better Christian.
  • would have deep discussions on what we were talking about in large group.  She is amazing!
  • we would have deep discussions on what we would be talking about that night and she would always have answers to our questions.
  • has really discussed with us in depth the things we learned, what really helped was she shared her experiences with us.
  • has helped me with better loving others and showing the bad points of gossip.  She has been a great leader to talk to and I know she is always there.
  • has helped me learn and understand more about God.
  • has directed me in my search in the Bible.
  • created a fun environment where we could learn about God.
  • taught me to stand up against peer pressure.
  • encouraged me to read my Bible more.
  • encouraged me to stand up against peer pressure.

Need I say more? Now you know why I believe we have the best team of small group leaders in the country.

To read more of what God did to transform our student’s lives this year read:

Stories of Spiritual Formation

High School Students make Great Small Group Leaders

Older Adults/Parents make Great Small Group Leaders

Filed under: church, discipleship, leadership, youth ministry | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Stories of Spiritual Formation

Posted on June 11, 2007 by ronklabunde

SM Logo3What does spiritual formation look like in a persons’ life? How can we know when spiritual formation is occurring? Perhaps, one of the most effective ways is to capture short clips from the larger story of people’s lives. This is exactly what we did with the students who chose to participate in our small group discipleship ministry during this last school year. It is humbling to read this small sampling of student statements and consider the influence of our small group leaders in the process of spiritual formation. This year…

  • I become saved and grew closer to God
  • I realized how important it is to have a relationship with him.
  • God has been there for me and has shown his glory and awesomeness. 
  • SM to help me grow in my relationship with God because it has helped me thing less on what other people think and more on God and what he has planned for me.
  • I have grown more mature in my relationship with Christ.
  • I realized that I needed God!
  • God has taught me what the purpose of life is.
  • God has helped me to trust him and put less hope and faith in earthly things
  • God challenged me to give up a large sum of money for the homeless.
  • God has taught me to show His love in everything I do especially involving the non-Christians in my life
  • God has shown himself to me in different ways and has given me a new perspective on my life
  • God has taught me this year that I really need to do to be known as a Christian.
  • God taught me to love everybody, not just my friends or those that are “cool”
  • I discovered how to have a stronger foundation of faith in God
  •  God taught me to reach out to others while having fellowship and accountability with others
  • I learned so much more about his love.
  • I became a stronger Christian
  • I grew closer to God and friends
  • SM (Student Ministries) helped me to form new relationships, especially with God
  • I discovered the value of spending time with God daily
  • I got baptized
  • God brought light to areas of my relationship where I wasn’t close with Him and areas that I need work on in my life.
  • God has shown me that I can use my music to glorify Him.
  • God has taught me more about his love
  • I have learned how to live for Christ
  • God opened my eyes back up to what I was searching for.
  • God showed me how I was living as a worldly Christian and different ways I can change it.
  • God challenged me to live a Christian life 24/7 and start applying myself with non-Christians.
  • God really helped me to realize the importance of spending time with Him
  • God used me to help lead worship for the people.  It was a pleasure.
  • SM showed me how I need to leave everything to God and he will provide.
  • God helped me be stronger in my faith
  • God used me to show other people to God.
  • God and I became much closer friends.
  • God showed me how to act Godly and get out of my bad habits.  Also he showed how amazing he can be.
  • I learned how to radiate God light.
  • God has helped me know he is always there for me, and I just need to go to Him
  • God has challenged me to do my daily devotions
  • God helped me to learn to be more forgiving
  • God led me to pray for people I didn’t like and am mean to.
  • God has helped me realize that I need to stand out as a Christian
  • God has helped me with overcome emotional issues.  I began making better choices.
  • Student Ministries was some place I could bring my friends from school and tell them about God
  • SM helped me to make more friends and allowed me to become more comfortable with friends.  I’ve really been able to open up about my faith.
  • I realized that I needed God!
  • God allowed me to grow with patience and faith.
  • God encouraged me to reach out to people in my classes.  I have become a lot more open about my faith and I feel that have grown more as well.
  • I have added more time to devotions.
  • God gave me strength.  God helped me to realize the beauty in all his creations.
  • God and I have a much stronger relationship.
  • God helped me understand him and my life more.
  • SM showed me that I need to leave everything to God and he will provide.
  • I opened my heart to serve God.
  • God helped my leaders to show me how to radiate God’s glory.
  • God has shown me how to repent against my sins.

God longs to form us more into the image of Jesus. As He does this, it is our responsibility to bring others along with us in the journey. That is just what our Student Ministries team has done.

To read more of what God did to transform our student’s lives this year read:

The Best Team of Small Group Leaders in the Country

High School Students make great Small Group Leaders

Older Adults/Parents make Great Small Group Leaders

Filed under: church, discipleship, youth ministry | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

High School Students make Great Small Group Leaders

Posted on June 8, 2007 by ronklabunde

As I see it, high school students have what it take to be disciples of Jesus who are making disciples. I think the students they lead in our ministry would agree. Just read below and I think you will too.

Each of the statements below is written by a different student pertaining to their small group leader – who, by the way, is still in high school.

This year my small group leader…

  • has taught me about forgiveness and he helped me pick out a life verse to help me in my life.
  • has brought up different points of view, was a big encouragement, he always cared, he was there to listen
  • tried to fit 12 kids in a 5 passenger van so we could go to Rita’s (to achieve the dream of free water ice).  It, however, failed.
  • taught me how to be a better follower of God by telling us how to be nice to people you don’t even like
  • has been awesome and helped me get through a tough time in my life
  • taught us how God wants us to live our lives
  • helped me with my relationships
  • helped me learn more on what I could do to be more like God
  • help us further understand what we already know
  • helped me interact with God by group discussions
  • taught me more about God and how important it is to worship him and spread his word
  • taught me a lot of good things about God
  • showed us the way to have fun.
  • changed my life, he became like a big brother.
  • helped me grow in my relationship with God by teaching me more about him, and what his purpose is
  • invited me in like an old friend when I was new.
  • gave me support and encouragement
  • has listened and talked to me
  • taught me a lot about my relationship with God
  • helped me get closer to God
  • helped me understand the relationship between God and me.
  • taught me about God.
  • helped me not to sin.
  • taught me how to express my feelings and religious beliefs.
  • was very nice and brought me closer to God.
  • is a really good and nice small group leader, made my relationship grow with God.
  • is a great role model in a Christian way.  She made sure we each could experience God.
  • we would have deep discussions on what we would be talking about that night and she would always have answers to our questions.
  • has really discussed with us in depth the things we learned, what really helped was she shared her experiences with us.
  • has helped me learn and understand more about God.
  • has directed me in my search in the Bible.
  • taught me to stand up against peer pressure.
  • encouraged me to read my Bible more.
  • encouraged me to stand up against peer pressure.
  • would lead us in deep discussions on what we were talking about in large group.  She is amazing!
  • has helped me with better loving others and showing the bad points of gossip.  She has been a great leader to talk to and I know she is always there.

The old cliché “students are the leaders of tomorrow” needs to be thrown out the window. Our students are the leaders of today.

For more on what God is doing to transform our students lives read:

The Best Team of Small Group Leaders in the Country

Stories of Spiritual Formation 

Older Adults/Parents make Great Small Group Leaders

Filed under: church, discipleship, youth ministry | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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