New year, new blog!

Last Thursday was my first day back in the office since early December.  Everything went back to normal …well…sort of.

Thursday was also my first day not interning under Bryan Ball.  Bryan resigned and his last official day was Wednesday the 2nd.  And while I'm happy and 100% supportive for what God has planned for Bryan and Brittany, I'm feeling really overwhelmed and uncertain about the future.

I know God will always come through, He's never failed before, but Zac and I were talking about how easy it is to forget the faithfulness of God when we're in times of uncertainty.  When the Hebrew slaves were brought out of Egypt and they saw God part the Red Sea through Moses, they were sure that God was going to provide for them; yet, chapters later in Exodus, they ask Moses if he lead them into the desert to die.  It's so easy to forget God's faithfulness in times of uncertainty.

In Psalm 77:11 Asaph says 'I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago."

In this Psalm, Asaph looks back and remembers the times where God has proved His faithfulness. As I sit here in Starbucks, remembering the good times I had interning under Bryan, fighting tears and getting strange looks, I remember the fact that at the end of 2011 I had no idea that God had one of the most incredible years in store for me.

When I first signed on to this internship I was uncertain.  I felt like I wasn't good enough.  I spend the beginning of 2011 playing church while living completely different outside of church.  God convicted me and I changed, but I held on to my mistakes from the past.  I figured God had given up on using me to do the things He wanted to do through me. 

I remember before I interned I told Bryan I needed more time to decide weather or not I should.  I prayed and I felt like I should go for it, so I did.  I remember at the beginning of 2012 I felt like I didn't deserve ministry, and I felt like I wasn't good enough for it.  I felt like giving me this internship was like giving a 2 year old a fragile and expensive gift. 

But when I look back on how 2012 actually went,  I'm completely blown away.  God used me to do incredible things.  I saw incredible changes in some of our students, and to be a part of someone's walk with God when I wasn't even sure mine was as good as it should have been, was easily the most mind-blowing thing of my entire life. 

I was driving down I-94 on my way to the office and I was thinking about everything God had done this past year, my eyes welled up with tears as the Holy Spirit began to speak to me.

"I never doubted for a second that I called you

I never gave up on you

And even when you were far from Me I knew I could redeem you

Because My sheep know My voice."

How good it is to hear, know, and listen to His voice (John 10:27)!

I'm reminded of my favorite lyrics from the hymn 'In Christ Alone':

"No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath.

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

Nothing can pluck me from His hand because I hear His voice calling me out of the darkness into the light where I can stand! I think that's one of the biggest realizations that I've had in a long time.

 

Back in June we took a trip to Colorado for desperation 2k12.  The closer we got to the mountains, the more I realized how big the mountains actually were. Last year, as I got closer to God, the more I realized how big His mercy is, how big His love is, how big His greatness is.

It's a new year, and I'm confused as all get out.  I'm one year closer to my future but it's as unclear as ever…but, as I finish my internship under Zac Weaks, lead a full band on Sunday mornings for U1jh, and continue to preach the good news of Jesus Christ, I'll be hard not to have one of the most exciting and mind-blowing years of my life!

Hooorahhhhh for 2013!

-JDWayt

Patience

Sorry for posting this so late. I guess it serves as a good example of patience haha. I've still been blogging on allabout1.tv though so check that out!

So first things first. I like how the ASV calls patience 'longsuffering'.

We tend to think of patience as waiting for our food in a drive-thru. Or we think having patience is waiting ten minuets for an app to download.The truth is that patience is more than just waiting for stuff. We can't just sit around and wait for things to happen. The times where we have to be patient are times where we should be in preparation.

Patience is not synonymous with laziness. A lot of people (myself included) confuse patience with laziness. We figure that if God is going to do something great in us, we just have to sit around and wait for it to happen. It doesn't work that way, we need to be willing to work hard in times of patience.

Being patient with God isn't always easy, but we have to understand that some things take time. Also, God's desire is for changes to take place in our hearts and minds. For example, God doesn't want us to live in debt. However, having patience in that situation doesn't mean you wait outside your mailbox for a huge check, it means learning to pay off your debts slowly but surely. It'll take time, it won't be easy, but it will change your spending habits so you wont fall into that trap again. God will move, God will provide, and He will most certainly be there every step of the way. However, patience is work. We know that God's ways are higher than our ways. We should be good stewards and work until God moves.

Being patient with others is also tough. We easily get mad when others don't change as fast we think they should. But again, if it bothers us that much, we can't just sit around and wait for them to change. Pray for them, talk to them (In love of course), and be willing to help them. When someone is treating you like garbage, it's tough to be patient with them. But patience is a fruit that is rarely seen before it is fully ripened. Unlimited forgiveness will pay off in this area, maybe not in this life, but it will. One of my favorite Relient K quotes is "The end will justify the pain it took to get us there." Patience or lonsuffering that endures until the end will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

Patience with ourselves is more important that I think people realize. We are new creations in Christ, but we are also changing more and more to be like Him. That takes a long time. Most of us want to be free from sin, but how many of us are willing to do the work to get better? It will take time. All of us have a sin nature that we were born with, life with Christ is unnatural in a sense. It's a life that is different than what our culture and our desires would expect. We are in the world but not of the world. Living like Christ takes time, it's something that we have to learn. I didn't know math from the time I was born. I had to learn it. I had to start with the basics and mature a little bit before I could move on to things that were more complex. There were things I didn't understand at first but I knew that if I worked at it long enough I'd get it.

I remember when I first felt the call to youth ministry. I was so scared that I couldn't do it. I felt like I wasn't good enough, and I didn't know what I was doing. I was right. I can honestly say though, that God has done a tremendous work in me, I still have a ton to learn, but He is changing me. I have more confidence in my calling now than I ever have before, and my future is less intimidating and more exciting now than it has ever been. I've learned to be patient with myself and trust that I'll get it some day.
So, my challenge for you today is to be patient. Whether you struggle with unforgiveness, addiction, hatred, pride, or whatever, I challenge you to persevere, endure and be patient until the end. Be active in your patience, don't be lazy.

Thanks for reading!
-JDWayt

Peace.

Peace.
 Most of the time when I think of peace I think of hippies holding signs that say something like "Make love not war." We typically think peace is something that comes naturally and that war and quarrels and stress are things that are unnatural. That's not the case. The truth is that disagreements naturally lead to quarrels. Peace isn't something that comes naturally it's something that needs to be made and maintained.

 Peace with God was impossible before Jesus. This is the beauty of the gospel, Jesus died and rose again bridging the gap between humanity and God. Peace with God just requires us to accept that Jesus is who he said he was and to have a personal relationship with Him.

 Peace with others requires something as well. In Ephesians, Paul says not to let the sun go down while you are angry with your neighbor. We need to make sure that our disagreements and quarrels with others are taken care of.
 Making peace does NOT mean keeping quiet and holding everything in. Sometimes the best possible thing you can do is voice your opinions and concerns so everything doesn't get bottled up inside. Making peace between you and your neighbor means being mature and discussing your differences and opinions.
 Stephen Covey said in his book 7 Habits of Highly Successful People "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." I think that little proverb can go a long way in making peace with your neighbor.

 Finally, you have to make peace with your self. Here it comes full circle. Once you have a relationship with God you don't have to beat yourself up over your past. Even in circumstances I can't control, I have peace knowing that no matter what, God is with me.

Thanks for reading, I'm going camping next week so you'll just have to be patient ;)


- Jdwayt

Joy

 It's not hard to make me happy. I'm happy when I get paid on thursdays, I'm happy when I'm serving at the church, I'm happy when I'm spending time with my girlfriend but all of these things are temporary.There are a lot of things in this world that can make me happy, but there are very few things that bring me joy.
 Joy is different than happiness. Joy is something that is long term. Just like love isn't always emotional, Joy isn't always happiness. Like all fruit there are times when they are in season out of season. If you had an apple tree in your back yard and I saw it in mid December, it wouldn't be bearing any fruit, but if it's healthy you can confidently tell me that it will bear fruit in it's appropriate season.
 When people go through tough times, it's hard for them to bring joy to others. But if they are spiritually healthy they will bring joy in the appropriate season.
 So. How do we bring joy to God? This is pretty simple, by bringing glory to His name. In Psalm 147:10-11 God is delighted when we put our faith in Him. We should strive daily to bring Joy to God. We should trust Him with our finances, our relationships, our future, literally everything should be %100 in God's hands.
 If we want to bring joy to God, we can't invite Him to follow us. We have to follow Him.
 Bringing Joy to others is a lot like loving others. Bringing joy to others doesn't always mean making them happy. Bringing joy to others means doing things for them without asking for anything in return. I was at Open Door Ministry earlier today, I bagged food to hand out to people. Some of those people will never see me. They will never know that I spent three hours placing frozen meatballs in plastic bags, but it doesn't matter. I know that someone who is struggling to make ends meet will now have food for the next week. Their circumstance might not change, but they will be joyful in the fact that are being cared for by God's people.
 Now for bringing joy to ourselves. We can take joy in serving God. This is the best thing about joy. Bringing joy to others and bringing joy to God will also make us joyful. Remember that this is different than happiness. Serving God and others won't always make us happy, but we will have the long term feeling of joy that we are living out our purpose, to bring honor to the name of Jesus Christ.

 Sorry I haven't been able to blog the past two weeks. Last week was the 4th and the week before that I was in Colorado. However, every Monday I blog on allabout1.tv. Check it everyday for blogs by me and the rest of the Under1 crew!

Thanks for reading!
-JDwayt

Love

 Love is the greatest commandment. God is love. Love is greater than faith and hope. Love never fails. These are all things the Bible says about love. It's important to know that love doesn't always do what is popular or favored but love always does what's best. Love doesn't tickle ears and pluck heartstrings, love fights tough battles and isn't always welcomed. Telling people what they want to hear isn't love because you don't really care about them, you only care about their opinion of you. I think it's important to understand this before we dive into what it means to love God, others and yourself.
 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. (Mark 12:28-34 NIV)
 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." That's the greatest commandment. The number one reason we should be living life is to bring glory to God. In everything, in our workplace, in our schools, in our homes, we should be showcasing our love for God.
 Loving God is important. How can we love other imperfect people if we can't love a perfect God. I think that's why this is the greatest commandment. We have to have a deep, personal, loving relationship with God before we can really understand what love is.
 The second greatest commandment is "Love your neighbor as yourself". Loving others is important but it's not easy either. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul give a perfect description of what love is. The hardest part of living out that list is the fact that all those characteristics are unconditional. Love is ALWAYS kind, love is ALWAYS patient, love ALWAYS perseveres etc.
 I'll be the first to admit that I love people conditionally. There are coworkers, customers, and other people that I 'love' because they are nice to me. There are other people who I'm not so quick to love because it doesn't help me out in the end.
 Jesus loved the people everyone else hated. Jesus loved them unconditionally and he loved them without asking anything in return. Jesus loved tax collectors but never asked for money, he loved prostitutes but never asked for sex, he loved servants only to serve them in return. I think that shows us a perfect picture of loving others in action.
 God so loved the world that He gave, and didn't condemn. That's how our love for others should be. We need to love without condemnation. Condemning others as Christians makes God's love seem exclusive, and it isn't. It is freely given.
 Next, we need to learn to love ourselves unconditionally. The world tells us to love ourselves when we are successful. We think that because we didn't get that job or because we didn't get approved for that loan, or that a marriage didn't work out that we are failures and that we are unworthy of being loved. I failed the same English composition class in college three times and one of my hobbies is writing. I understand it's easier to fall into the lie that we have no value because we have no net worth, we have no value because we are unsuccessful, we are worthless because we are failures.
 The truth is that Jesus saw enough value in each and every one of us that he was WILLING to die a brutal death so that we could have eternal fellowship with him. He conquered sin and death, not for his own sake, but for ours. He took all of the responsibility and put it on himself because, apparently, we have value. Jesus bought us with a price, not a bargain-basement-clearance-special-offer price, but a full price that cost him his own life.

You guys are awesome,

- Jdwayt

Series: Fruit of the spirit.

 Apples are delicious but not all apple trees are created equal. One time I was walking with my cousin and we came across a crabapple tree. I thought crabapples were just smaller apples so I bit into it and it was bitter and gross. I know now to stay away from crab apples but the only way I can tell the difference between a crabapple tree and a regular apple tree is by the fruit.
 It's the same way in Christianity. Religious people are just like Christians right? Until you find out that they are bitter and gross just like crabapples. The only way to tell the difference is by their fruit.
 Now I don't mean to be judgmental, nor do I intend to condemn anyone because they are imperfect. (I would just be condemning myself.) My intentions are to study what it really means to have a Godly character. I want to bear the best fruit possible. So what what fruit should I bear.
 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self‑control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:22-26 NIV84)
 Alright, so let's get right into it. Every week we're going to look at a different fruit and see how it applies to our relationship with God, others and ourselves.
  It's easier to spot an apple tree in a desert than it is in a forest. What I mean by that is that it's easier to spot love where love doesn't normally grow. It's important to demonstrate these Godly characteristics when it's not 'normal' to do so. So, when times are difficult I have to ask myself this:
Do I love when it's easier to hate
Do I bring joy when it's easier to bring sorrow
Do I bring peace when it's easier to star a conflict
Am I patient when it's easier to jump the gun.
Am I kind when I "have the right to be angry"
Am I good when being bad has better rewards
Am I faithful when it's easier to give up and give in
Am I gentle when I want to be harsh
Do I show self-control when it's easier lose control?
 What sacrifices am I willing to make for the name of Jesus?
I'm really excited to start this series. I want to dig and dive in to what it means to have a Godly character.

- Jdwayt

My blogging advice.

There is very little I can offer you. I've been blogging since I was about 15 years old. Here I am 7 years later and I don't have much to show for it. But blogging has been a hobby of mine and believe it or not, I've learned a thing or two about blogging.

1. What is your theme?
Mine is my life as a Christ follower. I share with my readers the work that Christ is doing in me so that they can also learn from it.
Stick to your theme. It's what gets people to keep coming back. People want to know what they're expecting when they read your blogs.

2. Post. Edit. Write.
This is what my time consists of on Wednesdays.
First I post a blog. The next thing I do is edit another blog so it's ready for the next week. The last thing I do is write a blog. I might not have the time or the creative energy to write on Wednesday but it's ok because I'm already a week ahead. I work ahead to avoid pressure.

4. Make time.
If you read my blog from a couple weeks ago you already know what this is about. It's important that you set aside a time specifically for the purpose of blogging. Use that time to do the less creative and more laborious parts of blogging. Like editing and posting and promoting for example.

5. Do what you do no matter what.
This is probably the most important point. Keep in mind it's YOUR blog. Even if you are the only one that reads it (and I have a ton of posts that nobody has read) its fine because it's still a part of who you are.


Anyways that's it. I hope it helps. Next week I'm starting a 'series' and it's going to be a lot of fun! (For me anyway).
- Jdwayt