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18- But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
Daniel Globig Sen. Reflection YMI480 Prof. Brian Kono Weekly Article 10.0 11.10.13 o o o o o o Title of Article: This Changes Everything (The Beeline Imperative) Author: Rick Lawrence (Executive Director Group Magazine) Source: Book Jesus-Centered Youth Ministry Date of Article: 2007 Length: 9 pages Subject/Issue: Jesus Christ; Personal Re-focus; Ministry Theology

Summary (1,517 words): The majority of this Jesus-Centered book is under the shadow of C. H. Spurgeon who focused so much attention on a beeline to Christ which is missing is much of youth ministry today. Rick Lawrence lived most of his life in Colorado, so he took the Rocky Mountains for granted in many ways. As he was walking into his office in the morning, he felt God nudging him to pause to listen. Rick, take your eyes off the asphalt. Look up. Stop. Smell the air. No, dont sniff it drink it in. If he were 47 percent more rebellious, he would drop everything and just walk into the mountains. [I am reminded of the movie After Earth where Will Smith keeps coaching his son through the wild take a knee, remember where you are, remember what your life is about, know your surroundings, breathe, and remember who I am. Focus.] God was reminded Rick to remember him. How easy it is to forget due to the storm of details and responsibilities that literally overshadow Christ. It is easy to forget the beauty around. We can simply overlook his looming presence, and literally forget who he really is. If you look at the people of God throughout history, youll see they move through a remarkably predictable cycle they stray from God, God disciplines, the people remember God, they return to faithfulness, they start forgetting, they stray and the cycle repeats The book of Exodus is really a book of whats happening now, in our culture, and in our youth ministries. I happens to us on personal levels, but the cycle is not a given, if we remember to remember Christ. We should remember God is everyday life. Gods Holy Spirit does work and transformation in us, taking the lead in Genesis 9.15: I will remember my covenant between me and you And with this promise, he asks us to take up our responsibility in 1 Chronicles 16.11-13: Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done Paul gave Timothy parting advice in 2 Timothy 2.8-9: Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David for which I am suffering He was humble enough to admit the truth that he was a notorious forgetter, like the disciples. At a youth Be all things to all people

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Jer.18- But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
ministry conference, there was a consultant who was talking about everything at the exclusion of Jesus. Rick Lawrence talks about a game involving slang, and how we often do not understand sentences because we do not understand one or two words so we completely misconstrue the idea. Sometimes, however, we just assume we know the word, because were too familiar with it. We lose our curiosity. And many times we have a wrong definition. Still, a deep threat to youth ministrys marriage relationship to Christ doesnt have to be a bad thing. With the possibility of a lost relationship, a marriage has the chance to see the spouse through new eyes. Donald Miller was teaching a bunch of college Bible students, and he told them he was going to go through the basics of the gospel, and he wanted to see what they noticed was left out. He left out Christ and no one noticed. Not one student. Youth ministries assume we are definitely Jesus-centered but are we really? Teens have the tendency to describe Christ as nice (in a particular study to back up this idea). Reflection Questions (8-10): 1. How Application and Action: Honestly, I am extremely challenged, both personally and ministerially. I found it hard to agree with the necessity for the beeline to Jesus in every little discussion but it makes much more sense in light of what kids can actually put to words. Most of them cannot even explain who Jesus is in a deep way, mostly because we are doing a poor job of explaining all of the attributes of Christ. But why do we only emphasize Christ? Why are so many churches ignoring the beeline to the Holy Spirit in our lives today? At Cascades Baptist and the Fathers House, I have constantly heard the necessity for gifting, passion, and constant refilling of the Holy Spirit. But in other ministries, this is seen as a moot point in the face of teaching Bible stories about the truth, mostly in reference to the nicety of Christ, and the care of a Father-creator who loves (because He must be defined by nice). I have lost this wonder. I have lost the awe. I have lost the passion. I want it back. Quotes or Stats: 1. Our remembering is central to Gods mission on earth. That means forgetting is our greatest enemy, and theres never a time riper for seducing us into forgetting that when were pretty comfortable in our understanding of Jesus. 2. But one of the marriage partners the church is sort of looking around for somethingn to spark our passions because were past the passionate curiosity stage with Jesus. 3. What all people young and old are really hungry for today is Jesus. Be all things to all people

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Jer.18- But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.
4. Because nice Jesus doesnt seem able to enter into the dark alleys in kids lives, they naturally turn to other gods, including: drugs and alcohol, video games, sexual experimentation, spirituality, sports, discipline and selfempowerment, their own untapped potential. 5. Wed been overlooking the elephant in the living room his name is Jesus. 6. Todays teenagers are just not getting who Jesus really is, or theyre not getting enough of who he really is, or theyre getting, literally, a fake Jesus. 7. Im convince that well recover our own life

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Be all things to all people