The Greatest Need on Our Campus

One of the struggles of our ministry every year has been reaching guys. We feel as though we have done everything we can to be more effective in this area. Our leadership guys are relatable, share their faith, and genuinely want to see students on campus come to Christ. We have followed up with guys, shared the gospel, taken guys to lunch, invited them to play football, racquetball, eat pancakes, play video games, watch sports, you name it.

In light of the effort, we have seen a minimal response. There are some young guys who have joined the cause and become involved, but not that many. Looking at our ministry and other groups on campus, there are some guys that follow Jesus, and I’m always excited to see those guys grow in their faith. However, it seems as though there are very guys that truly want to follow Christ.

There are two problems we run into.

1) Men just don’t realize their need for Christ. They are focused on academics and a future career or just having a good time in college. The bottom line here is that God has to change the hearts of men so they will realize their need for Jesus and prize him over what the world offers them.

2) The bigger problem is dudes who claim to be believers but live like the guys just mentioned. Being a Christian is just a title to them, they have no desire to grow in their faith or be used by God in order to influence others.

I’ve gleaned some advice recently from a few articles that we can apply in our hopes of seeing dudes walk with Jesus.

The first, Raising Men not Boys, is by a friend of mine who’s had an immeasurable impact on the lives of men over the last 40 years, David English.

The second is from Peggy Noonan, whom David mentions in his article which I thought was an interesting read for any of us who have hearts to see men live out the lives God has called them to. Welcome back Duke .

This brings us to the only place we can go, which is where we probably should have started. PRAYER. Over the rest of the semester, our plan is to get together and pray two or three times a week for lives of men on campus to be changed.

What are your thoughts on this subject? What are maybe some ways you’ve been able to reach guys on your campus?

Think

John Piper encourages both thinkers and non- thinkers in one of his recent books, Think. I am tempted to consider myself a thinker, but I’m afraid one of my high school teachers or my parents will read this and expose me for my lies. So, I’ll admit it, I tend toward not thinking. I can usually take things at face value.

Instead of making non-thinkers like myself feel like an idiot, Piper gives a fivefold plea.

1) Be Thankful for Thinkers
There are those who through rigorous thinking have given us many things, both natural and spiritual, we would not have otherwise. A car to drive, books to read, the forward pass, John Wayne movies, and Oreos. Plus we would not have the Bible without those weirdo’s who learn Greek and Hebrew and translate it into English.

2) Respect Those Who Serve You with Thinking
The pastors, teachers, and writers that devote so much time and energy into teaching the truth of scripture in ways that relate to our lives really deserve respect.
“Respect those who labor among you…esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1st Thessalonians 5:12-13)

3) Pray for the Vulnerable Thinkers
Pray for those who, although deep thinkers, can so easily be turned from the truth and teach that which tickles the ears of their listeners.

4) Avoid Wrongheaded Thinking
Although I’m not a thinker, I need to measure everything I hear or read against the Bible. That way when someone teaches something that contradicts scripture I can recognize it.

5) Read Your Bible with Joy
Read, read, read my Bible so I can treasure Christ more and more. Memorize it, enjoy it, and apply it to my life.

Are you a thinker or a non-thinker? Piper's plea is that both would learn to treasure God in all things and above all things.

Best Ministry Ideas - Taking Advantage of Campus Events

Last night while SFA played Sam Houston State (what in the world is a bearcat?), in basketball, some of our students were setting up a coffee shop. As students were leaving the game to walk back to the dorms we were able to offer them a free cup of Starbucks coffee. As they waited in line for a cup of coffee we asked students to fill out a contact card if they were interested in talking more about a relationship with God or a Bible Study.

Several things went wrong; the breaker box couldn’t handle running four pots of coffee and twinkle lights. Go figure. So we had to keep flipping switches and asking people to wait a few more minutes for coffee. Because of this we couldn’t’ keep coffee ready so some people walked out and others saw the long line and kept going. Then SFA lost by 15 points which meant a lot of people left early from the game.

Having said all that, we picked up some new contacts and are looking forward to sharing the gospel with some of the students we met last night.

We have found that we can take advantage of events already taking place on campus by setting up outside of the event with free coffee, free ice cream, etc. Everything from comedy shows (Tim Meadows from Saturday Night Live) and movies being shown in the student center have been beneficial in helping us meet students.

Counterfeit Gods

Recently finished Tim Keller’s Counterfeit Gods and I’m currently trying to pinpoint my own idols. What are the idols in my life that I put before the one true God?

Keller says that we commit the sin of idolatry because, “there is something you feel you must have to be happy, something that is more important to your heart than God himself. We would not lie unless we first had made something – human approval, reputation, power over others, financial advantage – more important and valuable to our hearts than the grace and favor of God.”

In order to discover what those idols are, what are those things I must have, we can look to our thoughts and finances. Keller quotes Archbishop William Temple,”Your religion is what you do with your solitude.” He says, “the true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention…What do you habitually think about to get joy and comfort in the privacy of your heart?”

Then of course the easy question that helps us learn our idols. When I have discretionary money, what do I spend it on?

So far, with the thought I’ve given to this, one of my idols is sports. Keller says in the book that this would not actually be my idol, that there is something going on underneath the surface, a hidden idol. That leads me to this, my hidden idol is significance and the approval of others.

Here’s why.
1) I follow sports because if it comes up in conversation with other guys, I want to know the scores, the hot topics, stats, etc. I gain significance from knowing this stuff, and approval when others acknowledge that I know it. Why else would I keep up with the Carmello trade rumors? I don’t really care about the Nuggets or the Knicks.

2) Every year I get some cash for Christmas from parents and in-laws. Where does that money go? It’s my Astros ticket money. Heather and I have been to the opening day game of the Astros season 8 of the last 10 years. (we missed one because my son was born two weeks before the game and one because I could not get out of a conference I had to attend) I cannot imagine not being able to attend that game every year.

3) My thoughts often drift to sports. Even in fantasy. I daydream about being one of the guys on “College Gameday” or being a guest on “Mike and Mike in the Morning”.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this. Cut off cable? Then I would just spend more time watching games/highlights on the internet. This idol must be replaced with the one true God, then I could actually watch and follow sports without it controlling areas of my life. How do I do that? Well, I’m praying and looking forward to God’s response.

What are your idols? How do you replace them with the One who rightfully deserves to be first in our lives?

Trevor Bayne

I'm not a Nascar fan, but I now have a favorite driver. I love this kids humility. He says some things that are very mature for someone his age near the end of the interview.

Jesus in the Dugout

Maybe my favorite part of being on staff with Campus Crusade at SFA is the opportunity I have to invest in guys on the baseball team. Over the last 3 or 4 years I've been leading devotionals/chapel times in the dugout on Sunday mornings when we play at home. At first, thats all it was, I saw the guys on Sundays and that's about it.


Over the last year, I've been able to spend time at practice on occasion and I meet with a few of the players on a regular basis to talk about how they are doing in their relationship with God. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to talk with guys a bit more as I continue to spend time around the team.


For me to be able to hang out at the ballpark and talk with guys about Jesus, this ceases to be a part of my job. Its just plain fun.

Four Years Goes By Fast

Today, I ran into a familiar face on campus during an outreach time. As I began to talk with the guy, we recognized each other but couldn’t remember why. About halfway through the conversation he realized how we knew each other. I had led a Bible study with his fraternity three years ago when he was a freshmen and he had attended a few times. Now he’s a senior trying to graduate. Over the last year he and his girlfriend had a baby and were now trying to raise a 9 month old little boy while finishing school. Recently they were engaged and are planning on getting married this summer.

It was obvious from our brief conversation that he wasn’t a Christian although it seemed like he was open to learning more about a relationship with Jesus. We only had a few minutes with him but we were able to share the gospel with him and his fiancé. (She had walked up as we were talking)

My hope is that they would place their faith in Christ and the future of their son and family might be changed because of God’s work in their lives. My regret is that I did not pursue him further three years ago when he was a freshman so that he might have spent his college career seeking to grow in a relationship with God.

Willing to Go It Alone but Love the Team

Just a few days ago, I received a plaque for 10 years of serving with Campus Crusade for Christ. This caused me to think through the last decade and my life on staff with CCC. All of those years have been spent at SFA and we have really loved being here and leading our staff team for the last six years.

Right now, we have alot to celebrate. We have an amazing staff team that we love doing life with and serving together on campus. There have been about 20 students begin relationships with Jesus this year, one just this week. We are actively trying to share the gospel with several different student groups on campus. And we have, for the most part, had the money we needed. This year has really been alot of fun.

I began to wonder if all that went away. If we didn't have a staff team, or if we had very few students involved, and if we were trying to operate without much money, would we still stay here? Would we continue to trust God for the students at SFA?

I really think we would. We would keep walking with God, keep sharing the gospel with students.

I hope that doesn't happen. I hope we continue to see staff join the cause. I hope we continue to see changed lives among students, students taking the challenge to reach their peers with the gospel, and students willing to go to the world with the gospel.

But I think even if that wasn't the case we would still be here 10 years from now, unless they run us off.

Yankees Draftee Gets Kidney From Coach - ESPN Video - ESPN

Great story! I can only hope I would have the same kind of tenderness in my heart as this coach if I were presented with the same situation.

If you're in Baton Rouge, go out and give this guy a standing ovation when Wake Forest plays there next weekend.

Yankees Draftee Gets Kidney From Coach - ESPN Video - ESPN

Boldness in the Classroom

Today, a young lady involved with our ministry had the opportunity to take a bold stand for Christ in the classroom. The students in the class were asked to prepare a slideshow explaining more about who they are and what they’re like. She had included the gospel on one of the slides, but the professor never got to it.

Instead he asked the students what motivated them. After a few moments of silence, she held up her hand and said that she was motivated by the gospel and her desire to share the gospel with others.

The professor replied, “Why don’t you come up front and tell us about it.”

The student then proceeded to share her story about how she became a believer and explained the gospel to the entire class.

Sitting down, she wasn’t sure how her stand for Christ had gone over with the professor, but after class he asked her to stay a few minutes. The professor wanted her to know how impressed he was with her boldness. So am I.

Teammates

In 2003 David Halberstam wrote Teammates, a book detailing the friendship of four men who played for the Boston Red Sox during the 1940’s, Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky. That book still sits on my bookshelf and reminds me about my need for friendship and community with other guys.

Here’s an excerpt on their friendship.

“It was something unusual in baseball: four men who played for one team, who became good friends, and who remained friends for the rest of their lives. Their lives were forever linked through a thousand boxes cores, through long hours of traveling on trains together, through shared moments of triumph, and even more in the case of the Red Sox, through shared moments of disappointment. There were aware that they had been unusually lucky not just in the successful quality of their careers, but also in the richness of the friendships they had made.”

We need close friends, not just people we say hello to when we see them at Wal-Mart but those who know us deeply, our triumphs and our disappointments, and pray for us, laugh with us, and mourn with us. As leaders this need is even greater in our lives. Leading alone is dangerous and draining. Reading through the New Testament we see over and over again the benefits of believers leading within community and leading together in close friendships.

Here are a few that stand out in the book and in Scripture.

1) Encouragement

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke we’re told of Jesus sending the disciples out to proclaim the kingdom of God. The account in Mark 6 tells us that Jesus sent them out two by two. I find it interesting that Jesus told them where they were going (the lost sheep of Israel), what to say (proclaim the kingdom of God), what to take (nothing extra, essentially what they were wearing), but He didn’t want them going alone. I think that shows the value of friendships.

Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, and has not another to lift him up…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The greatest examples of encouragement in the friendship of Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Doerr, and Pesky came after their baseball careers.

In 1962, Dom was diagnosed with Paget’s disease which causes enlarged or deformed bones, and would cause DiMaggio to bend way over. In 1983, Pesky began to lose weight; he dropped from 170 lbs. to 130 lbs. They were concerned he may have cancer, but finally the doctors found out he had become allergic to wheat. For Bobby Doer, his wife developed multiple sclerosis in the 1940’s, and then suffered multiple strokes in 1999. Through all of this they would rally around each other with visits and phone calls because of their deep love and care for each other. Even the book itself was written because of Pesky and DiMaggio taking a road trip to Florida in 2001 to see Ted as his health deteriorated, he would pass away the following summer. These four friends would continue to be an encouragement to each other for 60 years.

2) Accountability

Even the apostles needed someone to hold them accountable. In Galatians 2, Peter is eating with the Gentiles until some of the Jewish believers show up, then it says Peter withdraws from the Gentiles because the Jews might think less of him for eating with non-Jews. Jews did not eat with Gentiles because they were uncircumcised and didn’t follow the law of Moses. Because Peter is one of the leaders of the early church, other Jews join him, even Barnabas. Paul confronts Peter on this. In Acts 15, Paul and Peter along with other apostles and elders of the church declared that if the Holy Spirit made no distinction between Jew and Gentile believers and if both are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, then why would we place a “yoke on their neck” that they can’t bear.

In other words, Paul was telling Peter, don’t hold them to a standard even you don’t keep and since we aren’t saved through the law or circumcision, if they are believers in Christ then there is no distinction between us.

In the 1940’s Ted Williams was maybe the best player in the game, most people considered him the best hitter of his era and some believe he is still the greatest of all time. So needless to say when he talked, whether it was true or not, people listened. Except for Dom DiMaggio, being a close friend of Ted’s, he wasn’t star-struck when Ted spoke. Once after a game, Williams was holding court and everyone was agreeing with him. When Ted looked over at DiMaggio, Dom had a smile on his face.

Williams interrupted what he was saying, looked over and said, “Dommy, you think I’ full of crap don’t you?”

“Why do you ask that?” Dom replied.

“Because the look on your face says so.” Ted knew that Dominic DiMaggio wasn’t going to just agree with whatever he said and he respected him for it.

It’s often said that only Bobby Doerr could correct Ted Williams when he got out of sync as a hitter. The fact that Ted would listen to Bobby critique his swing showed the amount of trust and respect he had for Bobby Doerr.

We all need people like that in our life. If not we can become like Peter and not realize we are making a mistake, and as Peter did, we can unintentionally lead others astray.

3) Community/Fun
Several times in the New Testament, Paul writes that he hopes to visit those he is writing to because it will bring him great joy. In 2nd John, he says that he hopes to visit those receiving his letter because it will make his joy complete. In Acts 20 when Paul leaves the believers, “37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. Seems like the New Testament believers really loved each other and enjoyed being together.

I think this is the one I miss out on the most, and it takes being together in order to build a friendship to the point of having accountability and encouragement. My tendency is to just get through the day or the week until I can have some time to myself, which usually ends up with me in front of the TV. Instead I need to plan time with friends because the time is coming when I will face a difficult situation and I will need encouragement, and then there will be a time when I will stray from the way of Christ and I will need a true friend to confront me in love and grace.

This friendship among Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, and Johnny Pesky developed over years of doing life together, making it a shared experience.

How great is this need today among believers in Christ.

Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Proverbs 18:24 “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Best Ministry Ideas - Splitting Wood

Yesterday, I took seven guys up to our family farm, about 30 minutes north of Nacogdoches, to split wood. I had also promised them we could ride 4 wheelers and fish. When we got there we had no keys for the 4 wheelers and the fishing supplies were no where to be found.



I was concerned that this might ruin the day. Instead, the guys had a great time splitting wood for a few hours, and I'm not talking about using a gas powered log splitter. We did it the old fashioned way, sledges and wedges. One of the guys brought a football and so we would split wood for awhile then throw the ball around.



On the way back we stopped to eat some greasy burgers at Fuddruckers. Its amazing the community built among men from working together and then enjoying some artery clogging food. In the future, we may try to do more stuff that will give guys a chance to accomplish something together, even if its just chopping wood.

Campus Time Monday, January 24,2011

Monday afternoon during one of our weekly outreach times, a student and I approached a guy sitting in the student center to talk about his spiritual beliefs. I knew it was going to be interesting when he said that he would “love” to talk about spiritual things, then we noticed the book he was reading, a book about Hinduism.

Over the next two hours we talked with Justin about his beliefs, plus three of his friends came and sat down with us and joined in on the conversation. None of them were believers, but all of them had grown up going to church regularly. The great thing about that is they had a good understanding of the Bible and could talk about various passages. The sad part is most of them did not have good experiences growing up and that contributed to their current atheistic or agnostic worldview. Justin was the only one that seemed to still be investigating faith, evidenced by the book he was reading. He’s researched Judaism, Buddhism, Muslim, and Hindu religions and he loves what Jesus taught but doesn’t believe He is the Messiah.

I have no idea if our conversation moved them any closer to re-examining Jesus and who they believe he is, but I made some new friends and I think we will be able to continue talking whenever I see those guys on campus.

Garbage Warrior and Ministry Effectiveness

Garbage Warrior is a full length documentary I came across this weekend. The film stars architect Michael Reynolds who has a dream to build sustainable housing that doesn’t need expensive technology or utilities. These are not the type of homes you will find in your newest subdivision, but the construction of the house allows it to heat itself, use rain for most water needs, cools itself, and recycles its own wastes.

The problem Reynolds ran into is that these homes didn’t meet the standards for the state of New Mexico. They were threatening to shut down everything he was trying to accomplish. In order to live in these homes he was building and to keep his architect license, he had to comply with a slew of codes and requirements that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. During this time, Reynolds learned the Andaman Islands were almost destroyed by the Indian Ocean Earthquake of 2004 and resulting in a 33 ft. high tsunami. This is where Reynolds and his team were able to jump into action and help a desperate population of people who had virtually no shelter.

On this island there were no codes or requirements, this unique team of builders were able to build and teach the residents how to build homes which would be self-sustaining. For example, before the tsunami, the island used wells for water. The salt water from the tsunami ruined all the wells, but Reynolds and his team built the houses in such a way that the islanders would be able to use the over 100 inches of rainfall they receive annually to provide their water needs.

Okay, its taken me three paragraphs to communicate my point and how this movie stirred my thoughts toward ministry. Are there “codes and requirements” that we put on ourselves and those involved in ministry, church, etc. that keep us from providing for and helping those who desperately need to hear the gospel and have a relationship with the God of the universe?

Reynolds and his team just needed the opportunity to provide for those in need without any type of restrictions. They were able to concern themselves only with results on the Andaman Islands.

I’m still processing this. It could be just a morning ramble on too much coffee or maybe there’s something there that I can apply to what we do at SFA.