Thirst.  Visions of a dry desert with the beating sun. No water for days and the buzzards are circling overhead. Ever feel that thirsty? Maybe it is not water that you desire. Lacking hope, insecurity, no direction… these are all “thirsts”  that can drive you crazy. 

But what do you do to satisfy your desire?  What is your source for pure, clean, living water?

God is the source?

God promises to be our sustainer and provider.  When we choose to give Him the steering wheel, he drives us to what we need.  But it is so easy to look at outside circumstances. Peter was commanded by Jesus to walk on water. But he looked to the waves and the the huge storm and lost his connection to the source. What distracts you from the source?

How can God become your source?

Trust is the key to allowing God to be the source.  I find it so hard to trust God when it comes to Him providing for me.  I guess it is just that I don’t trust God like I say I do.  I am like one of the Israelites wandering in the desert.  I whine and complain that God will not provide. I miss the opportunity to trust God and see Him provide.

We all need to exercise our trust muscle.  In our lives we need to look at what is hardest to trust God will the and give it to Him.  For me it is fundraising, I feel I am to weak for God to bless me in asking others for the cause of equipping youth for transformation. So I miss the blessing of His provision for I do not allow Him to provide.

God is bigger than our lack of faith. Daily we can connect with Him, acknowledge our need and listen to Him.  He will fill us with His living water.

So here is my May newsletter sharing about the unify event we did in April in North County San Diego. Enjoy!

Dear ministry partners, What is worth investing your life in? If you’re like me, you would say: Jesus, family and transforming teenagers are worth the investment. Together we unleashed youth to serve and worship at Unify 2013 in April. Here are some stories. Unify Rally Week At seven North County San Diego schools, you helped empower teenagers to host Rally Week leading up to Unify. Hundreds of teenagers heard the message of Jesus at student-led events. Justin goes to Charter High where Christian clubs are not allowed. However, he received permission to bring the Christian band, “Serenade and Strum,” on campus, led by local youth pastor Benji Horning! Another day he shared how Jesus impacted His life in front of fifty students at a pizza party on campus. You can see his video at youthworkers.net/training.Unify Worship The Unify worship night gathered multiple churches and almost 600 students, with 12 students leading worship. Scotty is a high school senior, a worship leader and middle school director at his church. After singing at Unify, he shared how powerful it is when students from multiple churches come together to worship God. He also shared his story in front of more than 100 students at San Pasqual High during the week. Unify Service At Kit Carson Park in Escondido, students cleaned up a nature trail by cutting back brush and digging culverts. Two 40-yard dumpsters overflowed with brush and branches! Because of these partnerships, Wayne, our liaison with the parks and recreation department, shared how excited he was to get these projects done. How will you Unify? More youth around you need to be empowered to make disciples. Thank you for your efforts in their lives. Let’s continue working together to equip students and those that love them! In His Service, www.nnym.org www.youthworkers.net kboer@nnym.org

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

-Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV

Trees
I love trees. Ever since I was a child I have been in awe of them. Their majesty shows in the textured bark, slender branches and spectacular foliage.
They represent strength and stability beyond my short lifespan. Some trees have been around for centuries!

Planted
When my friend shared the verse above with me it stuck with me. I have chosen it to be my theme verse for the year. I want to be like a tree planted by the water. I want to not fear in drought or heat.

Rooted
Each year I also choose a theme and because of this verse it is “rooted.” I desire to go more deeply in my relationship with God and experience all He has for me. The more I am present with Him, the more I experience His presence. And there is no need to fear or to worry.

Trust
All it takes is trust. Allowing the Creator and Savior of the universe to be your friend and master. Simple but not easy. So I invite you to trust Him as I am also trusting. Join me on this journey and we will together experience all God has to offer.

Cell phones, traffic, crowded rooms. People everywhere but why do I feel so alone?  Loneliness is epidemic in our society.  Our technology seems to increase the problem. People can connect through a device without ever having to see a real human being.

In our frazzled busy lives God calls us to relationship.  He wants us to be with Him.  But why would the sovereign God desire to us be present with Him?

God lives in community.

I do not know how it works but God lives in community with Himself. There I said it.  He exists as three separate persons who talk to each other and are there for each other.  It is not multiple personality disorder, God just exists in a state that is more than we can understand.  But the cool thing is that relationships are so important to Him because He lives in community.  So He wants to be there for us.  He is no big clock maker in the sky.  He is intimately involved in our affairs. 

God loves you.

OK so that might sound trite until you gather the full meaning of the phrase.  The Creator of the Universe choose to love you even though you were in bondage to selfishness and turned your back on Him.  He loved you so much He paid the price of His own death for you.  God died for you. Not only did He die for you but he allowed the intimate communion between the Father and Son to be broken.  That is why Jesus said on the cross, “My God , why have you forsaken me?” Jesus experienced separation from God the Father.  Ouch.  I love my wife dearly and love to be with her. But after 20 years of marriage would I willingly die for you and risk separation from her? Sorry but probably not.  That is why his act is so endearing. My God gave His all for me.  I want to be with Him because He loves me so much.

Living present with God means experiencing that joy of being with Him first hand.  It is not from a book, building or somebody else.  It is real, authentic and true experience with the God of the universe.

God in You.

OK so here we go off the deep end so stay with me.  When you become a Christian then God lives inside of you. The Holy Spirit comes and resides in your being.  It is not somewhere between you lungs and stomach.  It is a spiritual indwelling.  No you are not possessed. You are more empowered. It is like plugging in to supernatural strength that is personal and cares. The Holy Spirit is a counselor, guide, powerhouse, authority and communication link.

We need to honor God by inviting Him into everything we do. He is already present with us. We need to be present with Him.

It was paradise. Really. Beautiful trees, fruit on the ground and a running stream with waterfalls. For our 20th anniversary my wife and I celebrated by hiking the Iao Needle in Maui.  We walked with each other, sharing adventures born out of decades of being together.  She is my best friend and life partner.

In ancient times there was another couple who walked in Paradise. Everything was pristine, rivers running, fruit trees everywhere.  And they had intimate fellowship with one another… and with God.  In the story of Genesis Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden of Eden. And that relationship is available today.  Actually it is expected and even desired by God for us. 

So what does it mean to walk with God?

It is coupling an ordinary experience with an extraordinary entity. God Most High chooses to be with you. It is kind of like dancing with the stars (the celestial fireball stars). But it is more of an intimate and powerful affair. Here is how it works.

Be with God

God desires to be in relationship with us today. It is more than just conversation.  It is presence.  When I sit with my wife looking at a glorious sunset words cannot contain the moment. It is a shared story.  

Being there is so vital in any relationship. We need to create stories with God.  Taking time to dwell on God and allowing God into our whole lives. Realizing that God is with us in all that we do and wherever we are. Ask God to surprise you to show you His wonder. 

Listen to God

He is calling to us and speaking. But rarely we listen.   Chris Brown, one of the lead pastors at the church I attend gives this example.  There is music playing everywhere that we cannot hear. Multitudes of songs are captured in the air. We just need to be tuned into the right frequency to hear it. That is the way God speaks. I find in my life that I am better able to focus on his voice when I am in the wilderness taking a hike or going hunting.  I sense God speaking to me and I am in conversation with Him.

When do you hear God’s voice? Reading His Word, being with other believers or just getting away are all ways to listen to Him.  It is yours to discover how best to communicate with God.

Partner with God

Walking with God is the realization that God is working with us.  He sends us out as His ambassadors to share His love and story. He shows us how to better love those around us and bring them into a shared story with Him. He loves our creativity and diligence.  And He has a vested interest in our success. Jesus said to go and make disciples and that He would be with us always.  The Holy Spirit is inside of those who accept Him and gives guidance and counsel.  We choose to work with Him and rely on His supernatural strength in our everyday circumstances.

Are you living life without His power? That is your choice.  He is giving you the chance for abundant life now and an incredible eternity hereafter. You can choose this life today. It will cost you all you have and be worth it.  So take a step. And walk with God.

Serving youth is a busy life. Many times we get so caught up in our schedules that we don’t have time for God to work. However I came across this post on our National Network of Youth Ministries Facebook page from Jeremy Holbrook, a youth leader in Columbus, Ohio:

“Good morning everyone! Praying for you this morning as you embrace the partnership with the Spirit to reach others for the everlasting Kingdom of Christ! Hold on to His word, believe in His promises, and allow Him to “mess” with your schedule and put you in the places He’d have you go today, for His name’s sake!”

What a great reminder! So I asked him how God has been messing with his schedule and here is what he responded:

“Kevin, in a very cool experience, the Lord used an opportunity to interrupt our youth ministry’s work & witness trip last week (in atlanta).. We had pretty specific plans and an organized itinerary to follow–but on Wednesday morning, we were able to impromptu deliver 20 dozen donuts to Northpoint Community Church (staff meeting) to show our appreciation of their ministry that reaches across the country. The blessing, was that from where we were staying (Lilburn, Ga) to the Krispy Kreme facility, to the church, and then back downtown to serve at the homeless shelter, we were very pressed for time…however, we pulled into the shelter (no joke) on the very minute we were scheduled to arrive. God messed with our schedule, and got the glory!”

I am encouraged by Jeremy’s dependence on God in allowing Him to dictate his priorities. How will you allow God to make “Holy Interruptions” into your schedule? You can check out our Facebook page for more conversations on working together to transform teenagers into disciple makers.

Christmas in June seems so out of place but the importance of Christmas lasts all year long. So how can the Christmas Story have meaning to us when it is so far out of season?

God Transforms Daily

I was reading through the Book of Matthew and came across the story of the angel Gabriel telling Joseph that his fiancé didn’t shack up but had God inside of her. Wow! What a shocker. The supernatural intersects with the natural and disrupts lives. But God also gives wisdom to handle it. God is still at work today in our lives. He is changing us and moving situations to through power and wisdom. His goal is transforming us to be one with Him.

God With Us

2000 years ago God came to earth in and put skin on. He walked and breathed and felt pain just like us. That is what the term “Immanuel” means: God with us. God chose to be intimate with us Because He came, died
and resurrected, now His Holy Spirit lives inside of us in the ultimate sense of being “with.”

Christmas Every Day

When we choose to be with Him, He hangs out inside of us! It is the gift of His presence, His very Being. God lived in us. His power and wisdom is in our bodies. I don’t understand how the infinite God dwells in such a finite form as me. But that is the whole story of Christmas. God bridges the gap to be with us.
This is a gift meant to be given. There are so many more that need Christmas in June and every month of the year. Anyone can experience Christmas if they choose. And those who already have the gift can choose to give it away.