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Tug-of-War With a Fig Tree Branch

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Sometimes it takes hearing something more than once for it to really sink in. I’ve learned that in church even more than in everyday life. Think about it, how many times have we heard the same scriptures and similar messages in church? I can hear exactly what I need to hear, but unless the Lord is working in my heart before and during, it won’t truly be received. It won’t take root. As a youth pastor, that reality can feel discouraging. Because sometimes it feels like I’m pouring out everything I have to a message for the students, but speaking to deaf ears. Like it's the exact answer to a problem, but nothing gets solved.  But I think this can also be deeply relieving. Because it reminds us that our job is not to force transformation. Our job is to be faithful. Our job is to preach the truth, love students well, and trust God to do what only He can do. He is working, in His plan, in His timing, for His glory. We are simply called to trust Him and ob...
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Even the Weeds

Alive Youth Church Weekly, A short and sweet blog for you this week. A few months before my wife and I got married, I decided to spend a good chunk of money on some new house plants. Some pothos, a snake plant, a few succulents, a spider plant, I really went all out here. Even bought some new pots, good fertilizer, and a special watering supplement to keep them healthy. I did this so that we could have nice healthy plants to decorate our first apartment after our wedding. I still feel like this was a great idea and felt like I was scoring some big time fiancé points.  Right? Here’s the truth. The plants never made it to the wedding day and definitely never made the move to the new apartment. From lack of attention, little water or over watering (I’m still not sure), moving them outside for a bit because I was convinced they were attracting bugs, not the right amount of sunlight (too much, too little, again I’m still not sure). Whatever it was, the plants died.  So trust me whe...
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Rollercoaster Ride vs Country Road Drive

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Spend a few minutes today to give this a read! We post every Tuesday, a little something to chew on throughout the week. I hope you are doing well. AYC is so thankful for you! Thanks for being you! We will see you on Sunday night, 6:30PM.  Keep reading for a conversation on Rollercoaster Ride vs Country Road Drive kinda of faith.  Have a great week AYC! Rollercoaster Ride vs Country Road Drive I think we’ve all come to accept that there are highs and lows in our faith and in our relationship with Jesus. Students are more commonly labelled with this. There’s this unspoken understanding that because you’re young, you haven’t quite figured out consistency yet. That your faith will naturally swing up and down. We have normalized the highs.  Those moments where everything clicks. Where you feel close to God. Where you’re hearing Him clearly, feeling His presence, and you want to tell everyone about what He’s doing in your life. But with every mountai...
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The Eternal Impact of Asking

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Inviting someone to church is difficult. No doubt about it. I’ve always felt that, especially when I was a student. I was never quiet about my faith, I mean, it’s hard to be when most people already knew my dad was the pastor. I was already labeled as “the church kid." I didn't literally get called that, but most people knew it. Being quiet wasn’t the battle. The real tension came in explaining why I went… and then taking the next step of actually inviting someone to come with me. Even with some of my closest friends in high school, there was this unspoken agreement. They knew I was busy on Sundays, and I knew I probably wouldn’t see them that day. It worked. It was comfortable. It kept everything simple. But comfort has a way of quietly keeping things exactly as they are. I think one of the biggest reasons we don’t invite people to church is because we assume it will disrupt what we already have. We imagine it getting awkward. We picture our church ...
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It's Holy Week

Alive Youth Church Weekly, It’s Holy Week. You may have heard this, or maybe you have no idea what that means. If you're like me, the name might sound a little cliché to you. I mean, why is one week “holier” than the others? Shouldn’t every week be holy? I have a habit of downplaying things that sound “too churchy.” The church has its own language sometimes, and it can be hard to catch on and even a bit off-putting to those on the outside looking in. It's a reminder to truly understand your faith. To be able to define what's really happening within your heart and in your faith, not just know the flashy Christian words and habits. At times, I find myself like this during Holy Week. Knowing the words and the basics, but without the deeper meaning. Often, for me, Holy Week means an extra Friday service and a little more celebration on Sunday. Oh yeah, and an easter basket filled with candy, and a really good after-church lunch, with deviled eggs. Should we call them blessed eg...
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Sorry Christine... I Disagree

Alive Youth Church Weekly, When people ask me what I do for work, I sometimes hesitate. Not because I'm ashamed, but because I know what their response may be. Because the moment I say “youth pastor,” people tend to respond in very predictable ways. If you’ve ever had that moment, you know exactly what I mean. And if you haven't, then just trust me. The best is when I am shopping for a youth event and have the weirdest collection of things in my cart. I get questions and weird looks while walking through the aisles. I get it, it's not every day you see a hundred bags of chips next to twenty bottles of shaving cream in the same cart as twelve cases of soda, water balloons, garden clippers, and a stuffed animal. True story.  I don't often shy away from talking about my job, but recently, I have taken note of the answers and the pattern developing. When I tell people I’m a youth pastor, the response is often something like: “Wow, that must be really hard.” “Teenagers these...
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5 Things I've Learned in 24 Years

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Readers, I write this to you on my 24th birthday. I mention this because I expect texts, Instagram shoutouts, and fantastic gifts from every single one of you.  False.  I've learned that I actually greatly dislike celebrating my birthday and the attention that comes with it. But I tell you about my birthday because I want to share with you 5 things I've learned as a 24-year-old youth pastor. I would love to say 24 things I've learned as a 24-year-old youth pastor, but nobody wants to read that long of a blog, and I'm not completely sure I've learned that many things. At least not 24 things important enough to share. So I am sticking with 5.  Number 1: Busyness will mask itself as fruitfulness.  If you're busy, it does not always mean you are producing fruit. You can mark up your calendar and fill your entire day; you can have every meeting, plan an excessive amount, and go all out for every event and still not make disciples. Busyness ...
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