Unmerited Favor

2010-01-27T13:56:00.002-05:00

Powerful Video

MSNBC - Vietnam War Photo from Family First on Vimeo.

2009-10-13T23:18:00.002-04:00

A Change of Direction for Unmerited Favor

If anyone has ever kept up with this blog much, you will have found that a majority of what has been written has been about what God has done through our ministry at Ridgeway! Sprinkled in among those stories have been blips and information about my incredible family.

A conviction came over me about how much I have written over the church and ministry....my job more than my family who so far outweighs what I do, yet it seems that I write more about my job than them. I guess I got into the hype of wanting to make my ministry and my name greater than anything else, hoping that from "wisdom" that I so selfishly thought I had would benefit the world.

From here on out, this blog will be more about my family. You will get a sneak peek into the heartfelt feelings of a dad who absolutely loves his wife and kids. You will see my struggles that I face as a dad, so this blog will remain as Unmerited Favor because I have done nothing to deserve the family that God has given me.

I ask myself many times, "What did I do to deserve such an incredible wife and kids?" The answer is, "Nothing." Fortunately, Sarah saw in me something that was worth marrying me and to her I am forever grateful. The children born to us are a daily reminder of God's goodness and grace.

Join me on this journey. I pray that you will learn from my mistakes, but also rejoice in what God is doing in the life of my family.

2009-06-03T08:47:00.002-04:00

Falls Creek Update: Monday and Tuesday
(If you want quicker updates, I am able to update more frequently on facebook where I am able to quickly upload pictures....our internet connection here is not the greatest and we have to walk to Timbuktoo in order to post anything)

Monday
We had a great day of travel and everyone got settled into their bunks! There are 42 of us staying in the cabin OKC, Olivet....it's about 75 yards from the prayer garden and high on a hill so we are definitely getting our exercise.

In our cabin devotions tonight, I spoke from the Scripture 1 Kings 19: 8-15. From this the challenge made to the students and I make the challenge to you is:

v. 11, --God says to Elijah, "Go out and stand before me". God is calling our students to doing this this week--to go and and stand before me. Not run, not walk, but stand. God simply wants us to be still.

As Moses was standing before God, there was wind, an earthquake, and fire, but God was not in any of these. It says in verse 12 that , "And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

This week is all about the gentle whisper. Yes, there will be "wind, earthquakes, and fire"--there will be great worship music, great sermons and yes God will speak through those, but God will speak mostly in a gentle whisper--through His Word. We substitute concerts, music, ipod sermons, tv sermons, devotionals for the incredible Word of God. God wants to speak to you through a Gentle Whisper--His Word. Students(and you adults) need to get alone and just read God's love letter to us.

It says next that Elijah went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Where was Elijah? He was in a cave. Many of our you have been in a cave and God is asking you to go out of the cave and stand. What cave is it that you find yourself in? Family issues, friend issues, personal issues....whatever it is God is asking you to "Cast all of your care and anxiety on Jesus because He cares for You!"(1 Peter 5:7)

Finally, God tells Elijah to "go back the same way you came....." If I was Elijah, I would not want to go back the same way I came mainly due to the fact that there was a madwoman trying to kill me, but God tells Elijah to go back the same way that he came. It's interesting that God is telling all of us to "go back the same way we came". We are going to have to go back into the same world, the same family, so what do you need to prepare for? The good thing is that we get a chance to go back the same way CHANGED and given the opportunity for the CHANGE that Christ has done in us to effect our families and friends.

God is soooo good! May our students hear from God through the Gentle Whisper! (Check out the song by BlueTree called Life's Noise--pretty cool)

Tuesday

Our Junior High Guys awoke to the sound, not of a trumpet, but of an air horn! That got their attention!
The food has been excellent courtesy of James and Jana Purcell!
Our girls played their first volleyball game and came in second(meaning they lost, BUT they did a great job)
Our softball team did great but also came in second--should have seen Nic Meador's homerun--very cool!
Our Sapulpa group made it safely around 7:30 just in time to join us for worship.
God has been so evident and moving this week in our midst. The worship in our cabin has been awesome! The worship and Word in the tabernacle has been incredible. Tonight, we had two students who made professions of faith! We celebrated with them in the cabin by singing the song, "O Happy Day!" How cool is that!
One of the coolest things this week is seeing our senior high students mentor our junior high kids in our family groups. I sooo appreciate these guys and gals learning to invest in the lives of those younger. These family groups meet together 2-3 times a day in prayer and discussion in applying the Word to their lives. Last night the family groups each shared their stories of how they came to know Christ!
Because the prayer garden is only 75 yards away, we have plenty time to spend time in prayer(it doesn't have to just be a the prayer garden) but it has been a great place to spend one on one time with God and many of our students use this venue for their quiet time.
Please be in prayer for us as the warfare will continue to increase as we go through the week. Please pray for me--kidney stones. It was interesting to explain what a kidney stone was to some of our junior high girls. Our students prayed over me last night and I was no longer "stoned" :)

Wednesday Morning

The airhorn is my friend--I got Jase good this morning :)
Our students are about to go and spend some time in the Word
Check out my facebook page for more up to date status updates and mobile pictures--you can see our softball team, Cassie in our infamous mohawk wig, Nick in a nice "mustache"
More updates coming later.....

2009-03-24T23:45:00.003-04:00

God Sightings during Mission MyTown

Mission MyTown was awesome! If you have a story to share, please email me or comment on this blog! We will having a celebration service, Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. to share what God did during Mission MyTown and the Nuevo Laredo Mission Trip.

On Friday, we had a group go again to help the ministry, Filling the Void! What an incredible opportunity we had to pray over individuals downtown. It was cool to see the willingness of our group to pray and meet the spiritual needs of those who are less fortunate than ourselves! It's amazing how God uses these opportunities to not only bless others, but He uses them to encourage and bless us!

John and Rebecca Williams and their two sons, Zac and Ethan, were able to hand out over 120 free hot chocolates and coffee at the River City Parks at the soccer fields as part of the servant evangelism day! They simply passed out cards that said, "God Loves You" and it also included info. about our church. People came to the concession area to collect their free hot chocolates/coffee! What a simple way to share the love of Christ!

We also had a great group on Saturday that came out to a home in Sapulpa and got so much accomplished and was able to share the love of Christ with a couple in our church! It was amazing to see the incredible attitudes of our church as they served with joyful hearts!

In an earlier blog post, I shared with you about our new brother in Christ. Well, he came to church on Sunday and he is so fired up about his new relationship that it is effecting his whole family. I talked with two of his family members today of the change they have seen in him and I am praying for these family members....again, I am blown away how God works!

Join us Wednesday night to hear more stories from Mission MyTown....in the next day or two I want to share some exciting things happening as a result of Mission MyTown!

2009-03-20T17:54:00.002-04:00

Mission MyTown for Saturday

1. Servant Evangelism at RiverCity Parks in Sand Springs. Contact 671-6766. Will be giving out free drinks sharing the love of Christ.

2. 609 S. Poplar in Sapulpa...we are helping a great couple in our church
Bring "loppers", weedeaters, chainsaws, polesaws, rakes...wear gloves

Both begin at 8:30 a.m.

2009-03-18T23:23:00.003-04:00

Zander in Nuevo Laredo

Wanted to pass this picture along--it's Alexander sharing his testimony after a drama----what an answer to prayer--you can find other pictures at http://www.awestar.org/ and look on the left side of the page under trip updates.

2009-03-18T22:43:00.004-04:00

Update on Mission MyTown from Wednesday, March 18

Wow! What a great evening at Shannon Valley! We had approximately 130-150 people from our church and the Shannon Valley Community! Great food--burgers and briskets!

Ridgeway--thank you for coming out and loving on this community! You went beyond yourselves to share the love of Christ and that is our prayer--that they see Christ and desire Him!

We are starting to develop some great relationships through our partnership with Shannon Valley! It's great to see the same faces and see people being connected! Some of you have been a part of this ministry from the very beginning-over a year and a half ago--and we are seeing obstacles removed.

Thank you to everyone who helped set up, cook the meat, clean up, serve the food, play with the kids, and mingle with our new friends! I believe God was honored tonight!

If you have any stories, please email me at mike.lehew@ridgewaybaptist.com. My new brother in Christ that I shared about yesterday joined us tonight at the cookout as well. I am excited to see what God is going to do in his life.

What is coming up for the remainder of Mission MyTown:

Thursday---no official Mission MyTown activities, but still look for opportunities to share the love of Christ

Friday---Filling the void-ministering to the homeless.
Contact: Melissa Shepard
Meet at the church at 10:15 a.m.--arrive back at the church around 2 p.m. If you are meeting the group downtown, meet at the BOK Tower on the first street side(one way street). There may be free parking located near the Jazz Hall of Fame(be prepared to pay for parking)...when you go inside go up the escalator, take an immediate right and you will see an unmarked door by the UPS door). You will split into groups and hand out lunches and learn the ropes of this ministry.

Saturday--Servant Evangelism Project at River City Parks in Sand Springs
Contact: John Williams
Meet at 8:30 a.m. and plan on handing out simple cards that simply says God loves you. People can bring these by the concession stand to receive a free drink. For more information, please see John Williams

Code Ministry--we will go back to 609 S. Poplar in Sapulpa--bring chain saws, rakes, weed eaters. Meet at 8:30 a.m.--

Again, if you have any stories to share from this week, please email me at mike.lehew@ridgewaybaptist.com

ALSO, DON'T FORGET TO KEEP LIFTING UP OUR AWESTAR TEAM IN NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO....CHECK OUT WWW.AWESTAR.ORG FOR TRIP UPDATES!

2009-03-17T22:26:00.002-04:00

Update on Mission MyTown from Tuesday and Schedule for Wednesday

We had two groups go out today in the community. One group headed up by Cindy Sharp went to DaySpring Villa to minister through helping to clean up! We had a great group of men, women, and students go! They got a chance to be a blessing to the workers and women at the shelter and I'm sure they were blessed as well.

Today I had a divine encounter. The group going to DaySpring Villa was about to leave when a gentleman walked in and asked to speak to someone. Over the next 30-45 minutes he poured out his heart and he asked Christ into his life! What an amazing day for him and an amazing day for me. I am thankful for our new brother in Christ! I am hoping you will soon get to meet him.

Another group went to a house in Sapulpa to help some of our very own with some debris/tree removal! It was a great time! We removed quite a bit of debris which was quite a relief to the homeowners--what an incredible opportunity to give back to this couple who has given so much!We will be headed back to 609 S. Poplar in Sapulpa on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. till we get it finished!

What in incredible day! If you have not gotten a chance to be a part of Mission MyTown maybe you have had an opportunity to see God at work at your workplace. If you have a story either through Mission MyTown or your workplace, please email them to me at mike.lehew@ridgewaybaptist.com

We are in the process of getting stories from each of the days happenings and we will post them here as they come in.

Wednesdays Schedule:
For those that can, please meet us at 3 p.m. to get things rollin' for the cookout--cutting tomatoes, lettuce, onions, making koolaid, tea and water. We will head to Shannon Valley at 4 p.m. to begin setting up. We will need help making sure that the grounds are kept clean during the cookout as well.
Please park just east of the community--you will see the church van or bus along with John Williams white van. James Purcell is leading the charge in grilling the brisket and burgers.

2009-03-16T22:44:00.004-04:00

Mission MyTown Schedule for Tuesday, March 17

Dayspring Villa: Meet at the church at 12:15; Ministry will be from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Cindy Sharp will be the team lead.

Code Enforcement Ministry: we are waiting to hear back on an opportunity, so until then we will be headed to 609 S. Poplar in Sapulpa to help a couple in our church
Map: http://www.mapquest.com/mq/7-LmEsJDDS

Coming up on Wednesday: we will be headed to the Shannon Valley Community located between 51st and 61st on Hwy 97 on the west side of the road. The festivities will start around 4 p.m. We will need some people at the community hanging out and we will need some to help haul some tables and other things in preparation for the cookout which will start at 5:30 p.m.(thanks to Jess and Cassie for handing out the flyers). Inflatables will be there around 4:30 p.m.

There will be no evening activities at the church other than Financial Peace.

2009-03-16T21:28:00.005-04:00

Picture Update from today, Monday, March 15 at Mission MyTown

What an incredible day of ministry! We had three ministry opportunities going throughout the day: our Senior Adults made blankets, we had a group downtown to help minister to the homeless, and another group help a family with their yard.

How proud I am of our senior ladies! What an incredible crew! About 14 ladies came together for lunch and ministry as they made baby blankets!

What a great day at Filling the Void. Micah Shepard got a chance to minister alongside his mom and in one particular conversation, they were talking with one of the gentlemen and he struck up a conversation with Micah. One of the guys that was showing them the ropes commented that up to that point when they had a conversation, very few words were said from this gentlemen, but he really opened and said more than at any other time and this was attributed to Micah.

Helping Lisa was a tremendous blessing to us today...the attitudes of all were incredible as we served the Lord with gladness. Through our conversations and actions and praying, we pray that Christ was exalted! For me personally, I enjoyed ministering alongside my family!

Thanks to everyone for coming out to share the love of Christ with our communities! Stay tuned for the plans for tomorrow!

Also....don't forget to check out the Awestar update and pictures at http://www.awestar.org/. You will see pictures of our students!

2009-03-16T00:52:00.004-04:00

Pray for our Students who are with Awestar in Nueva Laredo

This picture is from the awestar website: in it can you spot Nick, Danielle, Megan, Merribeth, Mark and Alexander? Check out daily updates and pictures at www.awestar.org and go to trip updates.

They will be back on Saturday and will hopefully be able to share what God did in Mexico on Sunday morning during our lifegroup time at 9:30 a.m.!

2009-03-15T22:10:00.005-04:00

Mission MyTown Update for Monday:
Mission MyTown is a ministry providing opportunities for families and LifeGroups to do ministry together in sharing the love of Christ with our communities.

Filling the Void: Monday meet at 10:15 a.m. and will carpool to downtown Tulsa
If you are meeting the group downtown, meet at the BOK Tower on the first street side(one way street). There may be free parking located near the Jazz Hall of Fame(be prepared to pay for parking)...when you go inside go up the escalator, take an immediate right and you will see an unmarked door by the UPS door). You will split into groups and hand out lunches and learn the ropes of this ministry.

Code Enforcement: Meet at 1427 East university in Sapulpa at 1 p.m.; You can bring trashbags, lawnmowers, tools to trim trees, rakes
What if I can't do the physical labor? How about coming and prayerwalking the neighborhood! Pray around the neighborhood!

Blanket Ministry: Meet at 10 a.m. at the church
If you would like to make baby blankets for DaySpring Villa and local hospitals join this group to make a difference. Bring food for a potluck lunch.

Please be in prayer as we share the love of Christ with our communities!

2009-03-05T23:44:00.000-05:00

New 7th Day Slumber Video

2009-02-26T14:07:00.001-05:00

And I Quote.......

"My grandmother always said: 'God has a plan for all of us.' I should have went along with his, not mine; my plan sucked."

-Mickey Rourke, quoted in the Sun Times

2009-02-07T01:05:00.002-05:00

My Good Friend Caleb

You need to meet one of my friends--his name is Caleb. The thing I like about Caleb is he is not like anyone else. He is his own person and is very comfortable with who God made him to be. I thought I would share a profound quote from him.

I mentioned to him that our senior adults were commenting how they appreciated Caleb and some of our other students for making them feel comfortable as they sat in the student section of our morning worship service. They really commented on how nice the guys were and that Caleb offered his jacket for one of them to wear since it was cold.

I love Caleb's comment:
"Hey, no problem. I love those ladies. They are my homies."

Profound words from my friend Caleb--he is one fun guy!

Check out his blog at www.capedconstablecaleb.wordpress.com

2009-01-28T23:58:00.002-05:00

Question of the Week

When you wake up in the morning does satan say "Oh no......he's(she's) awake"? Does he worry about your influence in this world--at home....at school...with your friends?

2009-01-28T23:10:00.002-05:00

Back in the Land of Blogging

What a whirlwind the last few months! This week alone has been crazy with the ice, but it has been good to stay home. To be honest, I pray for times like these to where I have to unplug and I can stay home.

Got a chance to play out in the sleet/snow with the kids. They had such a blast sledding down the hill. It's amazing how they can stay out in the freezing cold for hours.

I've recently moved my parents again about three miles from us! It's nice to have them close to us. Sarah's parents have recently returned from Belarus as well. We love having them back....they have been gone for 12 years as missionaries to Belarus. My kids really enjoy having them back.

In Closing......
"For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." Colossians 1:13

2008-11-18T16:36:00.002-05:00

Jesus lives inside of me, BUT......

"Yes, Jesus lives in me, BUT if my sin keeps someone from meeting Christ, I will not die spiritually, but it may lead to someone else's spiritual death."

This was a quote from one of my good friends, Jeff Jordan. Jeff teaches our Sunday Morning Large Group on Sunday mornings. He always does a phenomenal job. This past Sunday Jeff brought to us the Scripture of David committing adultery with Bathsheba. I wanted to share some insight that Jeff brought up:

1. My sin has far reaching affects.
David's sin didn't start with the act of adultery--it started when he decided to stay back. David was where he wasn't supposed to be. David was supposed to be with his men leading the charge in the battle.
-He implicated Joab with Him. What started as David's sin, Joab became an accomplice--therefore it had a far reaching affect.

2. There will be specific consequences to my sin
The Lord considered David's sin to be evil---please know that God is jealous of His name and he holds us to our vows.
Because of David's sin, his son died a grueling death.

Other thoughts:
-Many times when we sin, we are thinking of ways to skirt the sin or get out from underneath the pressure and it all becomes about us---Instead of thinking about what consequences I will face--what about Jesus?--what consequences did he face because of my sin(He became sin and was nailed to the cross)
-Do I really believe the wages of sin is death? What position have I put God in to punish me--it's defininitely not what He wants to do--he desires to love me, but I have put him in a position he does not desire to be in--the disciplinarian. It's not his choice, but it's my choice.

My sin can keep other people from eternal life. Have you thought about that?

Jeff-thanks for the Word on Sunday--for challenging me!

2008-11-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

New Creation from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

2008-11-04T00:05:00.002-05:00

Check out this video by John Piper--he reminds us towards the end of the video of what is the most important. God already knows who is going to be our president. If we are consumed by the what if's based upon who is elected into the office of President of the United States, we have forgotten the most important thing---God is in control--God is sovereign!

2008-10-21T21:46:00.004-04:00

Tulsa State Fair Cookie Stacking Champion: Hannah

Hannah won her heat at the Tulsa State Fair for the Cookie Stacking Contest with a total of 24 stacked cookies: AWESOME JOB HANNAH!

2008-10-21T21:38:00.002-04:00

Bear Fight at MORPH: Caleb vs Nick

2008-10-21T13:12:00.003-04:00

MORPH Weekend: Group Shot
This picture didn't turn out that great, but it represents the coolest group of students who gave up their Fall Break to Love Out Loud.
I am very proud of them for the selflessness! God used them in incredible ways to bring hope to the hopeless.
Our students were exhausted by the end of the weekend. I played too much football and felt my age all the way down to my feet.

Ridgeway Students are AWESOME!

--A Huge thank you to our adults who weathered the whole weekend: Megan, Bethany, Kristen, and Ray! You guys are fantastic!

--Thanks to Scott, John, and Chris for leading the morning devotionals!

--Thanks to Lisa Hamilton and our wonderful Senior Adult ladies for making the desserts!

--Thanks to Bob for cooking and for cleaning up after us--also to Aimee, Jeremy, and Christian--you guys are such a blessing!

--Thanks to Sarah and the Dobrinski's for cooking the Friday night meal!

2008-10-17T00:07:00.004-04:00

Day One: MORPH Weekend: LOVE OUT LOUD

What a great day! This morning Chris B. really set the tone for us through the Word! Thanks so much Chris!

Our students did an incredible job of helping a lady and her neighbor with some much needed yard work that they couldn't do. One thing we want to accomplish is to love our community out loud. I'm hoping that Ms. Sherry sensed the love of Christ from our students! Thank you students for setting an incredible example!

We had a great lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ham sandwiches! We then headed to Shannon Valley to love on people in that community. We essentially are asking each household if they need anything done around their house like mowing and weedeating as well as inviting them to the playground to just play soccer, football, etc. It was great to see our students and adults make those much needed connections with the children, students and adults of this community. Please pray for us as we go back tomorrow!

We closed the evening with a hot dog cookout at the Reed's house--thank you so much for your hospitality. Patsy is battling cancer so we got a chance to encourage her through prayer! What a wonderful couple the Reed's are!

Thanks to Jeff J. for coming and leading us tonight in the Romans vs Christians game! The kids loved it!

2008-10-16T08:56:00.002-04:00

MORPH Weekend: LOVE OUT LOUD

We start today our ministry projects in our community! We have about thirty students who are excited about getting out into our community. Brent Higgins challenged us last night in the Word and got us off to a great start. He talked about COMPASSION! Brent will be here again on Friday night at 7 p.m. so feel free to join us!

Through our weekend, we are wanting to teach our students two things:
1. Serving One Another Unselfishly
2. Being sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in ministry. So many times we are so scheduled that there is no room for direction from the Holy Spirit. If God prompts one of our students or adults to meet a need in our community as we drive or as we serve, then we hope immediate obedience to the Spirit's prompting will be learned this weekend.

As I write this, a group of our students are preparing breakfast--biscuits/gravy/eggs/sausage! Our students are pumped....they are sooo pumped a few of them got up around 5 a.m.(a little tooo early for me).

This weekend we have partnered with the Code Enforcement Officer, so we will be going to homes who have received complaints about their lawns and we will do somewhat of an extreme makeover to their lawns so they don't get a ticket.

We are also partnering with a community down the street from our church where we will be doing random acts of kindness and playing games with the kids. Our whole goal in this is to LOVE OUT LOUD--presenting Jesus through actions and words. My prayer is that people do not see us, but they see Christ and through that they would desire a relationship with Christ.

Thanks to the parents who are helping us this week: Ray Teague, Scott Hamilton, Brian and Melissa Shepard, Bob Alexander, and Tim and Sherry Dobrinski. Thanks also to Chris B. and John W. for coming to lead our morning devotions.

Please pray for unity among our students. Please pray that the people we minister to will come to know Christ. Pray that our eyes will be opened to the lostness of our community.

2008-09-27T10:35:00.003-04:00

FIREPROOF---A MUST SEE MOVIE FOR ALL!

Sarah and I went on a date night last night and saw this great movie. We highly recommend it for all! If you are struggling in your marriage, I highly recommend you set aside a time for you and your spouse to go and see this movie! Even if you have a great marriage, it's a great reminder of our promise to our spouse!

I would love to hear what you thought of the movie. It will definitely provide some discussion for you as couples! There are some great resources for couples at www.fireproofmymarriage.com.

2008-09-12T15:12:00.003-04:00

QWESTion Mark

Check out our new blog for our Student Ministry Series: Qwestion Mark.

Qwestion Mark is a forum for people to ask the hard questions about God, the Bible, circumstances in your life, or other spiritual questions.

We are on a Qwest to help you find answers. We hope this will be a tool for you and your friends as a resource to find Hope.

QWESTion Mark

2008-09-11T22:23:00.003-04:00

The Real Reason Why Baptists Don't Dance
From Todd Pruitt at toddpruitt.blogspot.com

Was this on Saturday Night Live?

2008-08-12T11:24:00.001-04:00

Random Cool Pictures of my Kids
Pic #1: Elijah wanted a mustache like dad used to have, so he created his own
Pic #2: We were getting things ready for InnerMission up at the church, so my kids decorated themselves in these cool outfits.

I Love my Kids!

2008-08-12T11:21:00.003-04:00

My Brother and I in Chicago

This is a picture of me and my brother, Bobby(and Caleb, my nephew, in the background). Of all places we get to see each other is in Chicago at the Navy Pier. We were on Mission Trip and they were on vacation the same week, so we met up at the Navy Pier! It was good to see him and the fam!

I love my brother !

2008-08-01T23:07:00.003-04:00

What is our L.I.T. Ministry?

We have just started a ministry in our church for 5th and 6th Graders called L.I.T. which stands for Leaders in Training. The whole goal is to disciple these students and help them find their fit in ministry. This link gives a better description of what it is and gives an idea of what we will be doing: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=0f8ba5f7bbf6dfdac794

I met Clint May, who leads this ministry in his church, back at a conference in April. When Clint was talking about this, it was like the light went on. The thing I like about it is not just the serving part of it, but the strong discipleship emphasis.

We just started two weeks ago and I am looking forward to seeing how God uses our children to minister in our church. My daughter Hannah is involved and really enjoys it!

2008-07-29T10:07:00.003-04:00

Pray for Nic and Mark in Panama!

Nick and Mark are with AWESTAR in Panama this week. They will be arriving back on Sunday sometime...I am so proud of these guys! Check out these pics.

2008-07-23T16:53:00.003-04:00

Update from Studentlife Chicago Wednesday

Pic #1: Caleb Holding up the Bling Bling

We are in a group of other churches and our name is Gold Rush---we have a little cheer that we do before we go to our mission site

Pic #2: Crazy Pic at our Mission Site

Pic #3: Group Pic at Wheaton after morning celebration

Pic #4: Holders of the Key: Austin and Jacob--these guys are responsible for making sure all of our supplies/food are ready to go before we leave for our mission site.

Pic #5: Williams Random Pic of the Day: Enjoying the food at the #2 rated cafeteria in nation

Got a chance to meet more people at our mission site. A great group of people who are doing a great thing for their community. It's cool to see how relationships form just through serving. Please pray tomorrow specifically for Nicci as she will have an opportunity to take on of our new good friends out to lunch--what an incredible ministry opportunity.

Just want to say I am so thankful for our two adult sponsors: Jeff and Nicci---they really love students. What a great investment they have made in our students this week.

Our students have been wonderful and have done such a fantastic ministry this week and is allowing the Holy Spirit to mold them. One thing that has been stressed this week is that we are not just doing this to get a pat on the back or doing these things to get a warm fuzzy which is what happens many times, but that we are allowing Christ to change our thinking and for us to realize that much of our ministry should happen outside of a time schedule....sometimes we think that we can only do ministry when the church sanctions it or it is scheduled, but true ministry is an overflow of the heart.

This week I am reminded that we are teh flesh and blood of Jesus alive in the world through the Holy Spirit. I am reminded that I am God's hands, feet, and ears.

This week, I have been reading a book called, "Irresistable Revolution" by Shane Claiborne and it is very intriguing. Want to share one quote that has stuck with me this week:

"....some time back we have stopped living Christianity and just started studying it." I find it sometimes easy to study the Word and not allow it to be digested. How about you? Are you living Christianity or are you just studying it?

Have a great evening!

Wise words from Nick: Please help me....William is a bully :)

Can someone from Ridgeway come and save Nick? Tune in tomorrow for the latest...........

2008-07-22T16:36:00.005-04:00

Monday/Tuesday Update from Studentlife Chicago

Let me give you scoop on the pictures above first:

1. This is some of our students standing in line for dinner: Austin, Alex, Amber, and the back of Jake's head. The food is absolutely fantabulous. Wheaton has the 2nd best food cafeteria in the nation---lucky us!

2. Williams Random Pic of the Day--we will do a Williams Random Pic each day for your viewing pleasure.

3. Like I said before, Wheaton has the 2nd best food cafeteria in the nation--not so good for me...since yesterday morning Immodium AD and Kaoepectate has become a close friend of mine. It's not because of the food here--It all started yesterday morning. I am feeling a little better today--praise the Lord for Immodium and Kaopectate! (Did you know that diarrhea is hereditary? It runs in your "jeans"! :)

4. The Humanitarian Service Project is where we are serving this week. They are a non-profit organization that reaches out to senior citizens and children. They provide birthday gifts for over 1200 children each year and so we had an opportunity to wrap gifts for these children. They also deliver groceries to over 115 Senior Adults and 100 needy families. (See below about our day)

5. This is a picture of our group wrapping gifts. I was amazed at the gifts of our group in wrapping---I for one thing do not have that gift(ask my wife) and so I was the designated bow person.

It's been a good week to just be still. The worship is incredible and the teaching is great. It's interesting that last nights message was very similar to what we have been talking about at Ridgeway in regards to hearing God's voice. An interesting point that Darrin made was that in Psalm 119:105, it says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Note, it does not say a trucklight or a floodlight, but a lamp...the lamp illuminates the here and now--not the future meaning that following Jesus and His Word is step by step and day by day. He wants us to cling to him on a minute by minute basis.

We had a great day on our mission project....we have been able to meet a few people--pray that our conversations would flow with grace and love towards the people who work at the Humanitarian Service Project. It is not a religious organization, so there is great opportunity for us to impact those who work the the Project. So, could you pray for us in this regard? We will go back tomorrow so please be praying for us between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

PARENTS: YOU CAN GO TO WWW.STUDENTLIFE.COM AND GO DOWN TO FIND YOUR STUDENT AT CAMP, CHECK WHEATON AND THEN LISTEN LIVE. You can email your student or send a gift card or listen to the services live, check out pictures or the Studentlife Blog

Hope everyone is having a great week! Will post more tomorrow!

Mike

2008-07-21T02:45:00.004-04:00

We Made It

It's 1:47 a.m. in the morning and we are settled in our rooms! The above picture is William's nightly routine of cleaning his nostrils. Can you believe we only stopped twice during this 11 hour trip? I am amazed at the depths of our bladders!

Our team had a great day in the van of getting to know one another better! It was a great day! Later this morning we will check in at Wheaton College......will post more later!

Mike

A Note from our good friend Nick: NICK IS THE COOLEST EVER!!!! HES MY FAVORITE!!! GIVE HIM MONEY.....ALOT OF IT!!!!!

2008-07-18T18:12:00.006-04:00

StudentLife Chicago or Bust

We leave Sunday for our Studentlife mission trip. We are going through StudentLife and will be serving at a comunity service center. We have a group of eleven adults and students going.

We will do our best to give you daily updates on what is happening in Chicagoland. We will be staying at Wheaton College!

Darren Whitehead, teaching pastor of Willowcreek Senior High will be bringing the Word. Kristian Stanfill, worship leader from Northpoint, will be leading in worship! It's going to be GREATTTTT!

Pray for us as we travel....we will travel all day Sunday and stay overnight in Chicago and start on Monday at Wheaton College. Pray for us to be obedient to sharing the Gospel as the opportunities present themselves.

Mike

2008-07-11T00:03:00.004-04:00

Continue to Pray for our Summer Missionaries: Aaron, Mikayla, Bethany, and Mandi

Check out http://www.awestar.org/ for the Trip updates. Here are some pictures from their site. We will be having a welcome home party for the missionaries....will keep you posted.

2008-07-06T23:18:00.001-04:00

Can You Find Dre in this Picture?

2008-07-05T23:08:00.002-04:00

Monday's Falls Creek 2008 Video

2008-07-05T22:41:00.003-04:00

This is our Tuesday night Falls Creek Video---Kudos to Brandon H. for all you did this week in getting the videos together....they were all wonderful!

2008-07-05T22:29:00.002-04:00

We are Back!
What a great week! Yesterday we had a great day of worship, fun and more worship! I want to say thank you to all of our sponsors and cooks: Hillary Atkinson, Megan Dobrinski, Shawna Mattes, Jana Purcell, Kristen Pieper, Sarah Lehew, Greg McMullen, James Purcell, Chris Matthews, Bob Thomason, Brian Shepard, Brandon Helscel, Jennifer Grant, Jana Foley, Pam Vallett, and Lena Mohney!

Our cooks won 2nd place for their meat dish: Subtle Butt(a.k.a. Roast)--ask your students about subtle butt :) They did such a great job! The food was tremendous!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Brian, Chris, Jake, and Amber for leading us in nightly worship---you guys are great! Thanks for your ministry to us during the week!

Also thank you to our students who helped to stay back and clean the cabin while everyone went home: Brittany, Kristen, Katie, Danielle, Andrea, Jacob, Nick, James, and Brian and Kristen! You guys did wonderful.

Overall we saw God do amazing things: One student gave their life to Christ, 5 students feel called to ministry, and we saw many students--over half of our students reconnect and recommit their lives to Christ!

We will be sharing what God did on Wednesday, July 9 at 6:30 a.m., so parents, I hope you will join us!

2008-07-04T11:20:00.002-04:00

The Devil Prowls Around Like a Roaring Lion

I write this not to give the devil any credit because he truly is a moron, but I write this to ask you to pray. Usually at the heels of victory many times there are obstacles or defeat right around the corner. I am reminded by Elijah and his victory over the Baal prophets on Mt. Carmel and immediately after that astonishing victory, he was defeated by depression. In a sense this is what we battled a little bit yesterday.

The mix of being tired and Satan's desire to destroy us proved much fodder for him, but I must say that today we are doing well. It is a new day and Christ lives in us. Jesus who is in us is greater than he(Satan) that is in the world.

Even in the midst of the battle, many victories were won. One of the things we do in our cabin devotions is we meet in our family groups and share what God did during the day and share what decisions were made during the service. Many of our students recommitted their life to Christ......it was a great victory--praise the Lord.

Could you pray for the continued moving of the Holy Spirit today? Through the tiredness of us all may we stay focused to hear from God.

I love our students---they have been so great this week. We've seen many walls be torn down and drought driven lives turned to Christ. It's been an amazing week.

Parents, the lives of your students have been changed by the power of Jesus Christ. What preparations do you need to make in your home and in your life when your student returns? You should be so proud of your students! Can I gve you a couple of suggestions?

1. Know Jesus--Invite him to be Savior of your life. If your home is not filled with the presence of Jesus Christ it will make it more dificult for your teenager to stay strong in following Christ.

2. Start praying for your students as a parent and then as a family! Pray for God's protection over them.

3. Get plugged into church. Your students have taken some bold steps this week, why not you? How about you stepping out of your comfort zone and providing the spiritual leadership for your students. Allow our church to partner with you as a parent.

4. Ask them how their week went--ask them if they made a decision for Christ Don't just let them go to sleep when they get home....talk to them!

5. Join us Wednesday, July 9 as we celebrate what God has done.

Can I speak heart to heart? Parents, church.....if you do not Christ as your Lord and Savior--today is your day.....KNOW that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. This thing that we do is not a crutch nor is it just another activity nor is it religion......Jesus is our hope, He is our Messiah, and Lord. There will come a day when we will all have answer for our lives. We seem to think that we have all the time in the world, but you never know when your time will come. There is a 100% chance that you are going to die...then what? Will you be able to talk your way into heaven....Will you be able to get into heaven because you're a good person?
The only right answer is Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life....No one comes to the Father except through me." There is no other way to get to heaven(even if Oprah tells us differently)
As we have been challenged all week--will you FOLLOW Christ? Jesus loves you so much! I'm speaking on behalf of our students and I'm hoping that they will share with you when they get home, but for the sake of your own soul, come to Christ! I urge you and plead with you!

How do you ask Christ into your life?
Through praying:
Admit that you are a Sinner(For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)
Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and he rose again
Commit your life to Him--die to yourself

If you have any questions, wait for us at the church on Saturday and we woul love to chat with you!

Parents, thank you for allowing your students to join us this week! They have ALL been great--it has been a joy! We have had incredible sponsors and cooks!

May God Bless You! See you tomorrow between 11 and noon. We will call when we get to Oklahoma City to give you an idea of when we will be arriving!

2008-07-03T08:24:00.002-04:00

I have not been able to download any pictures orvideo....will try again later

The Drought is Over! (In More than One Way)

My 15 year drought is over. One of the things they do here at Falls Creek is the t-shirt contest. In my 15 years of going to Falls Creek we have never won or came close to winning the contest. Now think about this....there are approx. 100-150 churches here.....so we entered the contest and we won the award for BEST OVERALL T-shirt!

Very cool.....BUT.......that pales into comparison to what God is doing in the lives of our students. THE DROUGHT IS OVER IN MANY OF OUR STUDENTS' LIVES! We've had many students recommit their lives to Christ and last night one of our students, Mallory, invited Christ into her life!

The whole atmosphere has changed since Monday night since our struggle with the enemy and so I want to say thank you for praying. I'm not for sure what you guys did in church last night, but your praying this week has put an end to the drought of many of our students.

Our devotion/cabin time last night was absolutely cool! The worship was incredible! What was cool though was what happened afterwards. Before I tell you what happened, one thing we have tried to do is not have a plan...usually we have a specific plan, but we've intentionally not had a plan so that God can truly reign.

As soon as the worship was over one of our students Terrance M. asked if he could share a Scripture. Terrance really challenged the students and after that, student after student came and testified through Scripture and testimony! It was absolutely wonderful! It was a great encouragement to me as their youth pastor to see passion where there used to be no passion.

Parents, you would be proud of your students--they have ALL been great! I will post more later this afternoon because I want to share specifically what God is saying through the messages....if you have a chance listen to last nights message. Go to www.skopos.org and then Falls Creek/Current Summer Downloads/Listen to the Service.

Continue to be in Prayer!

Mike

2008-07-02T08:17:00.005-04:00

Falls Creek Update Wednesday, July 2

Hello again Parents and Church! We had a great day yesterday! Pastor Scott and Brian V. made it in yesterday afternoon. I am so grateful for our pastor...we are very blessed as a church to have Scott. Scott has always been so supportive of our students.

Parents, you will not believe this, but for us this is a first......drum roll please...........the guys won the Tuesday Edition of Dorm Wars! Not that it was perfect, but our guys won! Interesting enough you'll see the picture of the shrine of beauty products on our girls side....quite funny!

Our students played softball and volleyball yesterday afternoon.....our softball team played their hearts out, but lost. Our girls volleyball team won their first game!!! Wahoo!!

Our prayer this weeek is that students will "Be Still and Know that He is God". One of the ways is through teaching our students what a daily quiet time is. Please pray that
our students through this time will fall in love with Christ and His Word. Pray that the Word of God will bring refreshment and encouragement to the lives of our students.

Last night was a great night of worship! Darren Spoo, the speaker for our evening worship services challenged us out of John 1. He challenged us with the question: What kind of shoe are U in the context of your relationship with Christ? He brought out four pairs of shoes:
1. Fuzzy Slippers--fuzzy shoes are comfortable....are you tooo comfortable in your walk with Christ? Has it become just another thing to do?
2. High Heeled Shoes--high heeled shoes are tight and uncomfortable(not that I would know--but that's what the ladies say). Those who have a high heeled shoe relationship with Christ is characterized by being tight and uncomfortable--more about rules than a relationship.
3. Sunday Shoes--Sunday Shoes are shoes you wear once a week. those who have a Sunday Shoe relationship with Christ is characterized by an affair one day a week--your relationship with Christ is not a lifestyle but an hour or two.
4. Dress Up Shoes--he compared this to his children wearing his shoes for dress up. Dress up Shoes relationship with Christ is when you have not made your faith your own--you are living your parents faith.

So I ask, "Which one are You?" In our family group last night we added one more: Work Boots. People who have a Work Boot relationship focus so much on the doing that they rarely experience God. To be honest this is one I struggle with...I sometimes get so busy doing that I miss God, but I would say at the same time I also experience God through the serving....I see God change lives!

None of these shoes adequately describe or characterize what a true relationship with God looks like. The Bare Foot--no shoes is more of what a true relationship is---coming to Christ as we are with all of our imperfections and following Him.

God is up to something here. There are many students that are thinking. There are some students who know God in their mind, but not in their heart. Could you pray that would know in their heart that He is God?

We had a few students make decisions last night and I will share more either later today or tomorrow, but want to adequately follow up. God is doing work in the lives of our students and our adults.

Will try again to post pictures later today. Please pray for Pam V. as she makes her way here today to help cook! I love our cooks--it really is the hardest job of them all--Jennifer and Jana are wonderful! Thank you also for praying for Rachel B.--she is feeling better!

In Christ,
Mike

*Don't forget to also pray for our AWESTAR and China missionaries!
*Feel free to leave any comments and we will share those with the students!

2008-07-01T09:15:00.002-04:00

China Update from Mandi

I just received this from Mandi who is teaching English as Second Language. Keep praying for her!

Hello! Thank you all so much for the emails and prayers! I started my first day of teaching today. I thought it went really well! It was pretty much a day to get to know the kids and lay down the ground rules. They are really cute children and most of them were very sweet. I only got through about half what I had planned, but I'd rather it be that way then run out of things to do:)

The Dallas Baptist students got here on Saturday. They are teaching elementary school this summer. There are about 25 of them. I have gotten to hang out with them and join in some worship services. They are all very nice and quick to include me. There are some very servant-hearted people in that group and I think I could make some good friends. I feel fortunate and humbled to be a part of such a great group. I am praying for a teachable spirit.

I don't think the DBU team is quite as adventurous in their eating as I am. They went out for pizza last night:) But a few of us stayed and went to a Chinese place nearby. The cafeteria food has been interesting, to say the least, but we're getting by;) Sorry I haven't been able to send any pictures yet. I don't have a place to hook up my computer to the internet, but hopefully I will soon.

2008-07-01T08:24:00.003-04:00

Falls Creek Update-Tuesday Morning, July 1

Good morning parents and church! We had a great day yesterday--only one snag with the transportation--we had to switch our charter bus at our lunch stop--it was a very smooth transition. We arrived at Falls Creek around 1:45 p.m. and got a chance to sing Happy Birthday to Elizabeth--she was a presented with a gift--"I Would Die for You" by Brent and Deanna Higgins--the story of BJ Higgins(www.prayforbj.com) who gave his life for Christ. Elizabeth is new with us this year, so it was a great opportunity for everyone to get to know her.

The students had an opportunity to go swimming and to the different ropes courses before dinner. Each student is in a family group led by one of our sponsors. Would you pray that through these family groups each of our students get connected this week? We've got a great group of students!

Also, please pray for one of our young ladies, Rachel. She has a sore throat and is not feeling well this morning. We took her to the clinic yesterday, but the doctor was not there--we will try again this morning. Just pray that she will be back to normal this afternoon after getting some rest.

Please pray for focus. Last night there seemed to be some sort of spiritual obstacle , not from students but from the enemy. We had our cabin devotions planned out, but changed them due to a sense that the enemy was trying to keep us from focusing. Last night in our cabin devotions, our theme was EXAMINATION using the Scripture from Psalms 139:23,24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." So essentially through this Scripture and speaking it, we were giving the Holy Spirit permission to step on our toes--to reveal anything that offends Him. As Brian asked us to pray, it seemed to be the turning point for the evening.This along with the worship was a turning point to becoming focused.

We asked the students and I ask you, "What Kind of Sheep are U?" Everyone falls into one of these three categories:
a. You are a goat, not a sheep(Read Matthew 25:31-46 and John 10)
Do you know Christ as Lord and Savior--not just do you say it but do you live it? Has there been a point in time where you gave your life to Christ? Unfortunately, according to the Scripture, if you have not done this you will be cast into the eternal fire(v. 41)
b. You are a sheep, but not following Christ
This is a difficult sentence as we explained tonight because in our church culture it seems we can justify anything and try to fit everything under the heading of being a believer. Essentially are you following or not...He's either Lord or He is not--there really is no in between although in our American culture we have added a category to make us feel "safe". (Romans 6:1-2)
c. You are a sheep on the heels after Christ following diligently behind Him
Are you following Christ as best you know how? Is He the center of your life?

What kind of sheep are U?

After our worship time, the family groups met to dive further into these three points along with talking about how they are doing. It was a great time of sharing and praying for one another.

We got to bed about 12:05 p.m. Man, our guys did great in getting to sleep--so kudos to our guys.

We have an incredible group this week. Today is our first full day and will be eating breakfast shortly. We have two incredible cooks--Jennifer G. and Jana F.--Pam V. will be joining the team tomorrow!

I will try to post some pictures later today and may see if we can get a video posted as well. You can check out last nights evening service at www.skopos.org .....go to Falls Creek/Current Camp Materials/Evening Service.

Also, keep praying for our AWESTAR and China missionaries this week!

Jacob sends out a shout out to his family--Woot, Woot! Zachary says hi mom in Kansas!

Thank you for praying!
Mike

2008-06-30T00:01:00.007-04:00

Falls Creek or BUST!

We leave in the morning for Falls Creek. If you don't know much about Falls Creek, it is the largest youth camp in the world. Each week, 5,000-7,000 students gather together to worship and seek God. You can check out more at http://www.skopos.org/ and go to Falls Creek. You can also listen to the evening worship services by going to the same website and clicking on Falls Creek/ Camp Materials/Listen to the Service

It's going to be an incredible week. I am hoping that we can provide you with daily updates to see and hear what God is doing through pictures, testimonies, and blog reports. The first update will probably be Tuesday morning--Mondays are always a hard day due to traveling and getting everyone on the same page.

Could you pray with us this week? Pray for those who do not know Christ to ask Him into their lives and for each of us as believers to truly seek God. The theme for the whole camp is GRAZE....our cabin theme/t-shirt is "Don't Just Do Something, Stand There." We've all heard at one point in our life from our parents or another authority figure, "Don't Just Stand There, Do Something." We want to challenge our students to simply spend time with our Messiah--simply to love Him--adore Him. Our desire is to "be still and know that He is God." Would you pray that our students would not be blinded by the misperceptions that is presented to them about who God is by the world? Pray that they would KNOW the real God and His deep desire to know and love them.

Parents, I pray that you will be refreshed this week! I will be praying for you as you prepare for your students return on Saturday.

Mike

**Also, while we are at camp....check out the AWESTAR updates of our missionaries in Peru(Mikayla and Aaron) and Chile(Bethany) among other trips @ http://www.awestar.org/ and to go trip updates. We also have another missionary in China(Mandy). We had a great opportunity to host the AWESTAR missionary leaders before they headed for AWESTAR University--what a great experience--so in essence we feel like all those who are going on AWE trips are part of our church family!

2008-06-29T23:52:00.003-04:00

Freedom Celebration 2008

We just wrapped up another Freedom Celebration. Our Freedom Celebration is a great ministry to our community. We have FREE Hot Dogs, Ice Cream, Games, Pony Rides, and best of all a great FIREWORKS SHOW! I'm a little biased, but I would say one of the best around and it's all right in front of our church. I'm guesstimating that we had around 2,000 people.

Got to meet a lot of new people which is always a cool thing. Brian, Sherry D. and their team did such an excellent job of putting it all together. It's always thought through and done very well. Our desire as a church is for this to be a BRIDGE event--inviting people in our community to a non-threatening environment but creating the opportunity to BRIDGE them to Christ through simple conversation and Christ-like attitudes.

2008-05-29T14:23:00.002-04:00

The WOW's of Student Ministry

It's a time like this, the story I am about to share, that you realize why we do what we do for those who serve as mentors in student ministry. Many times in ministry it seems we are deep in the battle, rescuing the perishing, caring for the wounded and it's times like these that through all the attacks of Satan, we can see the rewards.

It's also times like these that we realize that it's not us that causes the tide to turn, but it's God's grace and sovereignity that causes the tide to turn. Yes, He does use us as vessels, but it is ultimately Him that deserves all of the credit.

I had lunch today with one of my students, Alexander. I've sensed in the past few weeks God doing a work in his life and today our lunch confirmed that....a different young man than what I have seen in the past six months.

A few months ago, I saw the motions of a disciple....today I saw the heart reflections of a disciple as he spoke with conviction, humbleness, and repentance.

I've prayed many times for Alexander wondering what we could do better or what we weren't doing to reach this wounded student, but in time God's goodness through worship picked Alexander up and placed him on his knees in awe of who He is.

The beauty of a prodigal son returning to his first love Jesus is why I do what I do and today God gave me a glimpse of his incredible love and reminded me of what He saved me from.
Alexander, thank you for allowing me to see Christ in you. May God continue to do an incredible work in your life and may He use you to advance His kingdom!

2008-05-09T23:39:00.001-04:00

MORE Gulf Shores Pictures!

2008-05-09T23:13:00.003-04:00

Gulf Shores, Alabama Vacation Pictures

We just got back from Gulf Shores--what an excellent time with my family. It was just us--no schedule, I didn't wear a watch, I didn't have my cell phone with me--just me and Sarah and the kids! What a great vacation!

On the drive down we stayed overnight in Vicksburg, Missippi. We rode the ferry(car and all) from Dauphin Island to Gulf Shores--fed the seagulls and saw actual dolphins. The kids loved it! We stayed at the Gulf Shores Plantations which had six outdoor pools and one indoor pool(which came in handy on the day it rained). This was a great time to go because it wasn't crowded at all and most of the time our kids had the indoor pool to themselves.

This was the first time the we as a family went to the beach--what a great time. The temperature was great, we loved digging in the sand and playing in the water. We also caught us a jellyfish and saw some stingrays. The beach was about 100 yards from our condo.

On one day when it rained we went to the Naval Station in Pensacola, Florida. The kids got to see the airplanes and memorabilia. We didn't get a chance to see the Blue Angels, but the kids got a picture in one of their old planes.

On our way back we stopped overnight in Memphis and the next day went and got Elijah's build-a-bear! It was a great road trip for our family--one I think our kids will never forget.

Our family theme verse for our vacation--Psalms 33:6-9:

The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created.

He breathed the Word, and all the stars were born.

He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked ithe oceans in vast reservoirs.

Let the whole world fear the LORD, and let everyone stand in awe of him.

For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.

We challenged our children with this Scripture as we looked upon the ocean and fascinated ourselves with God's creation.

2008-04-29T00:03:00.005-04:00

Happy 4th Birthday Elijah!!!

My youngest son, Elijah, turned 4 years old! What a day he had! He invited his friends Kira, Kien, Daniel, and Olivia for a great birthday party! I asked him what his favorite gift was and he said, "Everything!"

Elijah is my live wire--always hopping and ready to go! He is so fun at this age and is very smart for his age. Sarah and I are so blessed to be his parents!

2008-04-28T23:55:00.002-04:00

Father/Son Camping Trip

Here are some pictures of our Father/Son Camping trip that Noah and I went on with a couple of other Fathers and Sons. We hiked about 8 miles--yes I said right--8 miles!!!!! Our boys did so well!

Our focus was Proverbs 3:5,6 and it came in handy many times as we applied to our situation as we hiked!

2008-04-15T23:48:00.002-04:00

Should not our Love for Christ be Enough?

We hear a lot today about the 18-30 crowd vanishing from the churches. It is a staggering statistic that 75%-85% of college students leave the faith or vanish from the church after their freshman year in college. It is somewhat frightening especially when people lodge bombs at the church saying it is not doing enough to entice this crowd.
Now, as I write this, note that these are thoughts going in my head and so I would appreciate your confirmation or disagreement with these thoughts. I am trying to seek out the problem at hand:

1. Is the church really to blame or is the individual to blame?
I've seen countless students leave after youth ministry. I am perplexed by this. I struggle with this. I'm sure the church is to blame to a degree because in most cases entertainment is the focus in order to keep students in church, but it seems this method is not working.
But what about ministries who really challenge students in their faith and raise the standard--students still leave. I'm not talking about legalistic student ministries, but student ministries that strive and teach students to truly be a disciple for Christ.
My question is, "Is their faith really real?" Have they allowed the glamor of emotion to supersede their relationship with Christ? Have we as a church conditioned them to this as we go from event to event and it seems that God only moves only when there is emotion involved. Can God move outside of emotion?

2. Should our love for Christ be enough to finish the race?
I tell our students that I do not serve because I have to or to get something, but I do it--I go to church and serve because of the great love that Christ lavished on me.
Are students in love with Christ or just in love with the institution of church? Have we taught students and modeled to students what it means to really love Jesus and taught them to be? Above all, our love for Christ should compel us to finish the race--not events, not music, not preaching, not _______________(you fill in the blank)

3. Many abandon the church because they see the flaws and hypocrisy of those inside.
My question to those who abandon because of these reasons is, "Why not try to help the situation? Why give up?"

I struggle with these questions because we are challenged in the church culture to do more, plan more, do more events, etc. etc., but when will people be responsible and stand for Jesus even if they do not get anything? When will our selfishness be thrown to the side and we lay ourselves on the altar for His glory?

I am reminded of Scripture in which there were many who even after following Jesus for a time, left because I guess he wasn't hip enough or didn't want their toes to be stepped on.

I really don't know who reads this blog, but if you are reading it pardon my rambling-these are just thoughts that are challenging me. It's late and I don't know if this makes much sense. If it makes sense to you, let me know what you think.

*Our reward is not here on this earth, but in eternity with our Savior.

2008-04-14T13:41:00.004-04:00

Are you a "Peculiar" Person?

A thought provoking blog by my friend, Brent Higgins. Check it out at: http://www.prayforbj.com/ on the Monday, April 14th. Just a glimpse:

Are we "peculiar?"
Have we come out from the world and been separated by our choices? Do the things we do really reflect well on our Savior? Have we become so comfortable with the world that we allow pictures of ourselves doing that which can only be construed in some sense to be "self-gratifying" because they don't point to Jesus, to represent who and what we stand for to the extent that we post them for others to see?

If who we are cannot be seen in brief glimpses into our lives, there is nothing peculiar about us. If we are truly following Him, if we have really come out from the world and been separated, then our peculiarity will be revealed in ways other than how we choose to eat our cereal.

2008-04-12T02:13:00.006-04:00

Hannah Turns 10 Years Old!

I cannot believe, Hannah-my oldest, turned ten! Tonight, she had five friends over and they had pizza, birthday cake, and then went to the movies.

She is becoming a young woman of God--something that I have prayed for a long time. Hannah is very simple--much like her mother. She is okay with who she is. She's a great friend and loves people. She thinks of others before she thinks of herself. She loves to laugh. She does a great job at setting an example for her brothers and sisters for the most part. She spends time in the Word. She loves reading--for her birthday, she wanted a library card(can you believe that--how awesome is that?) to the Tulsa Library.

As I write this and as I said at the beginning of this particular blog, I realize how much she is like her mom. What a testimony of Sarah's faithfulness. It is true that our children watch us--I'm thankful for the great example Hannah has in Sarah.
I must say that for me as I reflect on these past ten years, I am blessed by my daughter Hannah. I pray that God continues to guide and direct her for the mission field.

Mad TV Bob Newhart Skit - Mo Collins - Stop it

2008-04-09T11:56:00.001-04:00

Life would be easier if we could just tell people to "Stop It"...great stuff

2008-03-24T22:41:00.003-04:00

Zered Brook

What in the world is Zered Brook? It sounds like someone's name. Actually Zerod Brook is found in the book of Deuteronomy 2:13,14:

"Moses continued, "Then the LORD said to us, 'Get moving. Cross the Zered Brook.' so we crossed the brook.
THIRTY EIGHT years passed from the time we first left Kadesh-barnea until we finally crossed the ZERED BROOK! By then, all the men old enough to fight in battle had died in the wilderness, as the LORD had vowed would happen."

This is the passage of Scripture that God is telling the Israelites it's time to get moving after 40 years of wandering through the desert. To me, Zerod Brook is a breakthrough, an obstacle overcome.
I've thought of my Zered Brooks in my life--breakthroughs in my life. I couldn't imagine going through 40 years of wandering. I've never wandered that long....I'm only 34, but there have been periods of time in my life that I have wandered. There was a period in my life that I wandered for about 2 years--in and out of a semi-depression and then one day after wrestling with God, I came to my Zerod Brook after confessing my pride. I crossed my Zerod Brook and it was similar to may salvation experience. It was amazing.

I can imagine what the Israelites thought once they crossed the Zered Brook-a sense of relief, a sense of a new beginning, a breath of fresh air.

Maybe you in are in a pattern of wandering. What do you sense is the cause of it. Could it be pride like it was for me? Pray for your Zerod Brook--your obstacle overcome. It will only come through serious soul searching and repentance. May you cross your Zered Brook and may there come relief, a sense of a new beginning, a fresh start.

2008-03-10T09:46:00.002-05:00

A Great Birthday Present for All Guys!
If you ever desire to get me a gift for my birthday or Christmas, I would suggest the following:

2008-02-27T23:06:00.002-05:00

Happy 8th Birthday Noah!
I can't believe that my Noah turned 8 today! We had such a great time! We went to Chuck E. Cheese and he invited his good friend Jacob. We had pizza, played games, and ate cupcakes!
For his birthday, Noah got a Jedi sword, Playstation II Game--Star Wars Legos, and a Nerf game. Afterwards we went to Mardel and he got a BibleMan video!

2008-02-20T22:54:00.003-05:00

Arabia '08-Senior High Retreat

This past weekend was our Senior High Retreat! What an incredible weekend! Brent Higgins was our guest speaker. Check out Brent's website at http://www.prayforbj.com/ and http://www.awestar.org/. Brian and Melissa Shepard were our worship leaders. Check out http://www.brianshepardband.com/.

The Holy Spirit's presence was so evident. Brent shared about his son BJ--you can read more from his book called, "I Will Die for You". What an incredible story of a young man who was wise for his age and who lived a life devoted to Christ. Brent also spoke about how to hear from God and then on Sunday morning shared a message on Idol Worship.

Brian and Melissa did an incredible job of bringing us into the presence of God and preparing our hearts for the Word! I have heard great comments from our students. They were encouraged and challenged as well as I.

2008-02-09T21:23:00.001-05:00

Planet Wisdom Conference

This is a picture of our Jr. High Group that went to the Planet Wisdom Conference! This next week we will be taking our Sr. High to Grand Lake Baptist Assembly for a retreat. Brent Higgins will be speaking and Brian Shepard will be leading worship for us!

This was a great weekend...our first official Jr. High Event. We are going to be doing more separate Jr. High and High School Events so we can better connect with each age group. Usually when we do all youth events, many of the younger ones won't come, so this weekend was a great time for them!

I love our sponsors! Thanks James, Jana, Megan, Jake, Aimee, and Sarah for spending time with our students!

2008-02-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

Happy 6th Birthday Grace!

My Grace turned 6th yesterday! We had some of her friends over for an Italian birthday. Sarah made some aprons with all of the girls names on them, had them decorate a giant cookie that each of them took home and had cake and ice cream.

Grace is such a joy! She loves to sing, dance, and play with her dolls! She loves makeup and loves to paint her nails! She loves to pray! Sarah and I are soooo blessed to have Grace!

2008-01-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

India/Nepal Mission Trip

I will be leaving to India/Nepal this Monday, January 14 through January 29. The first week we will be in India where we will attend a conference of believers! It should be quite exciting to meet brothers and sisters in Christ! Pray for a harvest because I know for some time they have been praying for a revival and many unbelievers will be there at this conference. You can check out more information on the specifics.

The second week we will be ministering in Nepal. We have partnered with another local church to reach an unreached people group for the Gospel. Please pray for us as we do chronological bible storytelling! It's going to be a great opportunity.

Please be in prayer for my family as I am gone. I'm hoping to give occasional updates and pictures....you can check these out by going to http://www.awestar.org/ and then go to Trip Updates and then click on RidgewayIndia2008. Again, I'm not for sure if I'll have access, but am hoping to keep everyone updated.

Thank you for your prayers!

2008-01-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

Let Me Tell You What God Did in Nueva Laredo Part 2

Andrew and I practicing for the drama: FREEDOM

We started early in the morning learning the drama on December 27. I was cast as a good knight. My fighting partner was Andrew.

A God sized thing happened on Day 2. Groups have to have a permit in order to go and perform in public. To that point, there were about 40 groups including us asking the governmental authority to perform in public. They initially turned down all 40 groups. Walker and Jorge, our interpreter went and talked with the authorities and still turned us down. We prayed, they prayed and one of the authorities said that he had seen the drama and then approved us doing the drama! What a miracle!

We got a chance to practice the drama for about five hours and we found out that that afternoon that we would get to go to the plaza to perform the drama. I was incredibly nervous because I had not got down what I needed to know. It was only by the grace of God that I made it through the first drama, but it was AWESOME. Many people gathered in the plaza to watch and people gave their hearts to Christ!

The next day in my time with God, He led me to Judges 6:14: "Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel(Nueva Laredo) from the Midianites(grip of Satan). I AM SENDING YOU! Talk about confirmation from God that I was here for a purpose! The day before I did not feel worthy, I was nervous trying to get the drama down and did not want to become a stumbling block to my team or to those I was ministering to. In addition to this, I was sick.

It was as if God was saying, "HELLO--I am in control!" In my journal I wrote:

Mike, you may not have everything down and your health is not to it's fullest, but go with what you have--you have 26 other people to support and help lead--Go with what I have provided you!
Verse 15 has been your plea and here I am to tell you to GO, "I will be with you!" Yahweh Shalom--the Lord is peace--I will be your peace today and comfort today. Trust me enough to do so.

God's confirmation was so evident and his Word spoke truth to my situation! The rest of the week, I had an amazing peace!

2008-01-03T19:43:00.001-05:00

Dad, Hannah, Elijah, and Grace

Elijah excited about his hotwheels!

Modeling Hannah's Hannah Montana Wig--how do I look?

Hannah, Noah, Grace, and Elijah showing their favorite Christmas Stocking Gift

Christmas Pictures

I had to leave the day after Christmas for Nueva Laredo, but wanted to share some pictures with you from our family Christmas! I love my family!

On Christmas Eve, we watched the Nativity Story--what a great movie. We enjoyed having Caroline join us for Christmas this year. On Christmas, we read the Christmas story, opened gifts, and then headed to mom and Jim's for Christmas lunch! I absolutely loved watching the kids open their gifts!

2008-01-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

Let Me Tell You What God did in Nueva Laredo....Part I

What a great week in Nueva Laredo! I spent December 26-January 2 with a group of young adults sharing the love of Christ! God worked in my own life through these missionaries as we worked alongside to bring Hope to a lost city. I am hoping to give you a taste of what I experienced through my journal and my personal time with God, so hopefully there will be many parts to this post throughout this next week.

Wednesday, December 26.....

We left the AWESTAR office around 5 a.m. and headed to Nueva Laredo. The trip was a good opportunity for us to get to know one another. Kristen P. was my co-pilot--Josh T. was my backseat driver(not really--he helped keep me awake) Annie slept pretty much the whole thirteen hours in the back seat.

We arrived in Laredo, Texas around 5 p.m. and stopped at Sam's Club to get some groceries. All of us except Walker and Katie were in the vans. After taking a bathroom break and sitting in the parking lot for about 15 minutes, I had my window rolled down and I was looking through the AWESTAR journal. As I was reading, a lady came up to the window(scared me half to death, because I was in deep thought) and she shared a need and asked if we could help. She was trying to get to Houston to see her husband, who had cancer.

After talking with her briefly, all of the students got out of our van and surrounded her. We told her one thing we can do is pray and one person that could change her circumstances and life is Jesus Christ.

After sharing the Gospel with her, she invited Christ into her life. I tried to talk with her, but she was not fluent in Spanish, so we pulled out our card written out in Spanish to explain the Scriptures. Kristen helped to translate and she asked Christ into her life!

It was a GREAT wake up call. It was a huge reminder for us to expect the unexpected. It was a confirmation to me of my purpose on this mission trip.

Praise God!!!!!

2007-12-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

Ice Storm Recovery Pictures

Here are some pictures of our fortress of limbs from the recent ice storm....this is just half of them. For about a year, I've begged Sarah to let me get a chainsaw--THANK YOU ICE STORM. I went to Sam's and bought a manly chainsaw!

I really felt manly when the first time I was using it, it started snowing, so I felt like a true mountain, manly man! I grunted a lot like Tim the Toolman!!!

What really matters.

2007-12-17T21:40:00.001-05:00

WOW-AGAIN! A presidential candidate willing to speak about Christ.

2007-12-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Lehew Kids!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1267613618

AFN Commercial - Don't Pass Gas Grandpa

2007-12-09T15:09:00.001-05:00

Don't Pass Gas!

2007-12-09T12:23:00.000-05:00

Winter Wonderland

Today we didn't have church(at least at the church building, but we did at home)....the electricity was out till about 9 a.m. and ice all around us. Here are some pictures from our back porch

2007-12-06T16:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Sarah turns the big 34 today! We(me and the kids) made a mad dash to Wal-Mart at 10 p.m. last night to get her gifts. The kids chose out chocolate, neon duct tape(Sarah's a pro making things out of duct tape), and a new purse.

This morning Noah helped me make Sarah breakfast in bed and then we headed to Guitar Center where we purchased her a digital piano. We've always had a piano in our house, but they have never fully worked and so Sarah will now be able to enjoy playing the piano along with teaching our kids how to play.

One of the greatest things I admire about Sarah is she is so unselfish. She never asks for anything. She always thinks of others. Usually when Sarah gets a gift certificate from someone she has such a hard time spending it on herself and in turn will give it to someone else to utilize. This characteristic makes it so hard to shop for Sarah because she says she never wants anything, but for years I have known she has wanted a piano that would work, so I am so excited that we were able to get it for her birthday/Christmas present.

Mike Huckabee: Chuck Norris Approved

2007-12-05T13:07:00.001-05:00

This is great! Mike Huckabee for President!

2007-12-01T13:16:00.001-05:00

2007-11-30T17:21:00.000-05:00

Our Children/Teenagers on the Mission Field: To go or not to go?

Check out more of Brent Higgins blog at www.prayforbj.com. These are some great thoughts from a parent who has gone through the prayer and concern of letting their teenager go onto the mission field:

Allowing our children to follow after the heart of God does not remove them from life experiences it expands them.When BJ was 14 and wanting to leave the country for five weeks, we did not immediately say "yes." We stewed and we brewed.It was true that we had let our daughters go overseas, but we had either been along, or they went for shorter term trips. They were in high school. He was still a child in our eyes. He was our youngest, we wanted to protect him and keep him close.

He did normal junior high things. He went to sleep overs, ski trips with his class, band trips, etc. He knew how to have fun. That never lacked. He talked on the phone, went over to friends houses, played video games and cultivated a zit farm.

But his calling in life was not the same as other students. His fervency in sharing with others about his Savior was born of a deep abiding friendship with the King. He heard His voice and He hungered to follow after Him in obedience.In our lives, the closer we are to the heart of God, the more our thoughts and prayers are centered around His will and desires. This is never a bad thing. When we see it in our children we must realize, they are not "normal." Their desires have been birthed by their Savior. We as their authority must be completely surrendered to Him to discern His will for them. It's too easy to make knee jerk decisions that we are more comfortable with, without taking into account the Lord's will.

When BJ returned the first year, from Peru telling us he wanted to go to Thailand...that he was "called" to Thailand, we took it to prayer. We received no peace. We could not give our blessing. He also returned wanting to go to Mexico for a Christmas trip. We struggled with that as well. We took it to prayer, but found ourselves frustrated that his desires seemed to run clear of the family. Ultimately, we did not let him go there, either.

In the Word, in the account of Samuel's youth (I Samuel 1-3), I see parallels that are pertinent to raising children who follow hard after God. I see myself in Hannah's prayers and concerns. I try to imagine releasing my child for His service at such a young age. It does not come easily. It does not come at all, for many.I see the sons of Eli who were raised to follow the Lord, but found their own will more important. They went through the motions but took advantage of situations at every turn to benefit self.

How many children being raised in churches or outside of them do we see follow this path?Nurturing the child who cares mostly about Christ-centered opportunities is uncharted territory for most parents. This is not the way most of us were raised. Even if we were, we worry for their safety. We may think they are being too serious too much of the time.

The Word tells us to 'come out from the world and be separate.' When we see our children doing this we need to consistently encourage them, while seeking Him ourselves. We are still the authority He has placed over them for such a time as this. If they are following Him, they will yield to us whether they like it or not, and whether we are right or not.

Eli looked at Hannah and thought she was drunk. The world looks at us and thinks we are crazy for letting such young ones do what God has called them too. Story after story reveal parents who have fought against public opinion, knowing their child was not "normal." They let their child go, when family and friends said it was insane.Samuel heard the word of the Lord. He did not understand it at first. He had to be trained. When our children begin to hear from God, the world says they are crazy. They are not. They are the ones He is raising up. They do not always understand the timing issues that come into play, so we must help discern this on their behalf. We must be seeking Him hard ourselves. This can be an intimidating process. He is not the author of intimidation. He will provide answers to His faithful ones. He will bring peace to these situations.

Jesus, at an early age (Luke 2:41-52), took on adult responsibilities. At 12, he began to do adult things. His parents were not thrilled about it at all. They did not even understand it at first. In their view, He was taking this whole growing up thing, too far. He was not. He was not "normal." The things He focused on were the things His Father in Heaven moved in His heart to do. He had earthly parents and was obedient to them. He was here for a purpose.

Ultimately, His parents had to yield to that purpose and help foster growth, rather than hold Him back, so He could be all His Heavenly Father wanted Him to be.Our responsibility is the same. We may not like it. We may not be sure of it. We may make mistakes in the journey. Our children will forgive us. So will our Father in Heaven.That child that follows hard after Christ is not the norm in our world, or even in our Christian sub-culture. We have to make decisions that move them into the path and will of God.

That does not always mean we say "yes." It does mean we seek Him hard and yield to His will above our own.Peace.He will bring peace to each and every question and decision to those who seek after His heart.

2007-11-29T12:14:00.001-05:00

I Need Your Prayer Support

On December 26-January2, I will be heading to Nueva Laredo, Mexico for a mission trip with AWESTAR(http://www.awestar.org/). Three other students from our student ministry along with other students from across the country are going to present the Gospel to an area that is filled with gun battles right across our border. Google Nueva Laredo and you will find the strife happening.
God has called us to go and we are going to present the Gospel through Drama. Would you pray for me and our team....if I can count on you for prayer support, could you email me at mike.lehew@ridgewaybaptist.com.

Another mission trip I am going on is to India and Nepal on January 14-29. Our church has partnered with another church to adopt this unreached people group. We will be doing chronological Bible Storytelling to the leaders of this unreached people group. I am a little nervous, but at the same time very willing to share Jesus with those who have not heard. Please pray as we prepare--pray as we memorize the Bible stories and are able to recite these from memory to teach the leaders. Again, if I can count on you for prayer support, please email me.

If you would like to partner in any way through financial donations, please email me. Above all, I ask for your prayer support.

Thank You!

2007-11-14T15:58:00.000-05:00

Wisdom from a 12 Year Old

http://www.ksbj.org/eblogs/morningShow/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/logan-calf-story.mp3

2007-11-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

Wisdom from Oswald www.rbc.org/utmost

The Changed Life
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new —2 Corinthians 5:17

What understanding do you have of the salvation of your soul? The work of salvation means that in your real life things are dramatically changed. You no longer look at things in the same way. Your desires are new and the old things have lost their power to attract you.

One of the tests for determining if the work of salvation in your life is genuine is— has God changed the things that really matter to you? If you still yearn for the old things, it is absurd to talk about being born from above— you are deceiving yourself. If you are born again, the Spirit of God makes the change very evident in your real life and thought. And when a crisis comes, you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference there is in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you did it. It is this complete and amazing change that is the very evidence that you are saved.

What difference has my salvation and sanctification made? For instance, can I stand in the light of 1 Corinthians 13 , or do I squirm and evade the issue? True salvation, worked out in me by the Holy Spirit, frees me completely. And as long as I "walk in the light as He is in the light" ( 1 John 1:7 ), God sees nothing to rebuke because His life is working itself into every detailed part of my being, not on the conscious level, but even deeper than my consciousness.--

I am amazed today in our Christian culture, how many squirm about what it really means to be a believer and the evidence of salvation. Many in the church today think that because they said some type of prayer or walked an aisle then they are truly saved.

When I bring up evidence of salvation by our fruits in our ministry, there are some who do not agree with me. They simply believe because of a "decision" they are safe from the flames of hell.

A few weeks ago in our student ministry, we were talking about Romans 12:2, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
My question is, "If our thinking and our life has not changed since we "prayed or walked an aisle", is one truly saved?" I would like your thoughts. Many are seeking God's will but can't find God's will because their thinking and their heart have not been transformed through God's salvation.

A couple of my thoughts just thinking out loud:
James 2:17,18 "You see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now some may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.
James 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

Is there really a gray area when it comes to salvation? It seems that the American church culture believes so. But the Bible is clear, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth you are saved. Romans 10:9, 10

We typically use this verse in the church as the part of the invitation/salvation prayer, but I don't think Paul intended for it to be a one time confession or prayer, but a continual attitude and daily confession. Does someone who simply says a one time prayer and not live what they believe truly saved? Think of the disciples--was it a one time confession or was it a daily confession lived out in their lives? Think of the martyrs--was it a one time confession or was it a daily confession lived out in their lives?

I don't know if the state of the Americal soul worries you or not. It does me. There have been many times that Sarah and I have considered going overseas full-time to be a missionary and we do that on an occasional basis, but we have come to the conclusion that God has called us to become missionaries to the unsaved believers-those who think they are saved when in reality true repentance and salvation has never occurred.

I could go on and on and on and on, but we are over Christianized in this nation...we have tons of spiritual resources---music, books, concerts, conferences and still revival has not come to our nation. Wouldn't you think if God could use 12 ordinary, unschooled men to change the world, he could use the millions of believers in this country? I believe it hasn't happened because we have many who claim to be Christians, but not true followers of Christ.

So, what are your thoughts? Not your opinion, but your biblical thoughts? Am I barking up the wrong tree?

2007-11-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

iGo.2 with AWE STAR

This past weekend, our church hosted AWE STAR Ministries and it's iGo.2 conference. Over 100 missionaries who have served with AWE STAR came together for worship and prayer! In conjunction with this, we did our MORPH Weekend. Our students got the chance to see what AWE STAR is all about! It was an incredible weekend--everything from the worship, to the praying, to the messages, to the food and the fellowship---it was great!

I was impressed with the sincerity of worship. These missionaries are in their early 20's and teenagers! There was such truth in worship--it was great! One thing I appreciate about AWE STAR's ministry is their strong stand on discipleship. This was not a weekend where you had to make students pull out their BIBLE! It was a part of who they were. AWE STAR mission trips teach the Word, prayer, and what it truly means to be a follower of Christ.

One of our students, Andrea, went with AWE STAR to Mexico and then this past summer went to Panam for 30 DAYS! She learned so much and it is so evident in her life! My prayer is that many of our students will go on the mission field.

Some people ask me, "Why should they go overseas? Why can't they do missions here?" I personally believe students have to go overseas to see what true Christianity is--they will be able to see in real life what it really means to follow Christ--they will be put in situations that they HAVE to trust in Christ. In the states, we've created to a degree fluff. I believe that once they see the other side, their whole outlook will change--trust me, it's happened to me as I've gone to Belarus and Nicaragua. I do not think I would have really been able to appreciate it all without going on the trips. I believe they will be able to see their homes, their schools, and their friends in a different light if they go on a mission trip.

But really the main reason to go is to share the greatest message in the world--Jesus died on the cross for our sins and He rose again on the third day! Isn't that reason enough--to go to those who do not know Him?

I will be going to Nueva Laredo, Mexico December 26 through January 2 with AWE STAR! If you would like more information about AWE STAR, please check out http://www.awestar.org/.

2007-10-18T23:16:00.000-04:00

Praying for My Boys

This is one of my favorite pictures of my boys, Noah and Elijah. We took this picture at the George Washington Carver National Museum and Park located near Neosho, Missouri on our way back from our vacation back in August.

This pictures makes me think of what my boys will grow up to be. My earnest and heartfelt desire is that they become men of God....I don't say this because it's what I'm supposed to say especially as a pastor, but I sincerely pray that they become influencers for Christ.

If you have read any of my blogs, you've heard me speak of BJ Higgins(http://www.prayforbj.com/) and his life. I pray that my boys become BJ's--that regardless of the cost they would stand for Christ boldly and unashamed.

I many times feel inadequate as a dad as Sarah and I try to spiritually raise our kids. I know that on a daily and weekly basis I screw up and many times they may not see Christ in me, but I pray that through all of the screw ups they know that they have a dad who loves Jesus. I pray that they will grasp who they are in Christ. I pray that they will become young men of God who are responsible and who love others.

If you are reading this, would you take a moment and pray for me--that I would be a God-centered dad and that regardless of my screw ups my boys will come to know Christ and make a difference forHim!
Thank You!

2007-10-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

Hannah's Baptism Video from September 30, 2007

2007-10-02T22:49:00.000-04:00

A Great Article on youth ministry by Dan Burrell www.sharperiron.com

The Dumbing Down of Youth Ministry
by Dan Burrell
For too many churches, the youth pastor has become little more than the spiritual equivalent of an activities director on a cruise ship. He plans “events” and activities, hangs out with the kids, entertains, and provides some semblance of oversight in order to keep the kids reasonably safe and occupied.
Many churches have designed “youth programs” that allow their teens to grow up with a sense of “entitlement” wherein they expect to be amused, indulged, and isolated from the adults with most every whim of appetite and interest being met by the church. They have separate services—sometimes to the point that they never even have an opportunity to go to the adult service, which is often described as “dry” and/or “irrelevant” to what they need. (Think about this: Many children are growing up in a church culture where they never sit under the pastor’s teaching or with their parents and family in a church service from infancy through adolescence because of nurseries, children’s programs, and youth programs.)

Parents frequently demand that the church hire a youth director or pastor whose primary job description is to keep their kids “engaged” in church. This engagement takes place preferably through weekly activities, contemporary music, activities, and youth centers equipped with video games and comfortable lounge areas exclusively reserved for teens. Youth pastors are expected to be “hip,” accessible, relevant, and responsible. They need to be masters at keeping teens “occupied.”

Thus, many teens develop an “us” vs. “them” mentality toward the older generation in their church (those of their parents’ and grandparents’ ages). Many of the “older” generation are quite fine with this scenario because—let’s face it—teenagers can be rowdy, messy, and ornery. They become compartmentalized apart from the church “body” with their own facilities, program, ministry leadership, music, and calendar. They aren’t encouraged—nor sometimes even permitted—to be integrated into service opportunities generally reserved for adults—opportunities like serving as ushers or greeters, participating in the adult choir, or even working in various aspects of the children’s ministries. Over time, they buy into a “consumer” mentality of church and expect to have their “needs met” rather than to find their role and function within an overall body life.

Today’s youth ministry has been dumbed down for a variety of reasons. I offer a limited list here:
We have created an extended adolescence. Western culture has normalized a premature adolescence and a delayed adulthood that have extended puberty into a nearly decade-long process. It begins with little girls wearing makeup in elementary school and ends up with 30-year-old college grads living in their parents’ basements with moms still doing their laundry.
We do not believe teens listen to or have a thirst for strong scriptural teachings. By listening to our culture, we have bought into the fallacy that kids can’t or won’t tolerate “deep” stuff and that we must “keep it real” by offering them intellectual and spiritual junk food. We fear challenging our students with meaty subjects that might bore them or turn them off to spiritual interest.

We have bought into an entertainment mentality that sees keeping teens occupied as an adult’s obligation. The mantra of today’s teens is often “I’m bored.” Angst-ridden parents with an inflated sense of guilt seem all too willing to rush to provide more activities and distractions for their precious progeny.

We fail to recognize the raw potential most adolescents possess. When we study the culture when Jesus walked the Holy Land, we discover that most of His 12 disciples were probably in their late teens to mid-20s. Children were expected to put away much of their childhood once they reached maturity, which is age 13 in Jewish culture. From that landmark age, apprenticeships and jobs soon followed, and many got married in their mid-to-late teenage years. Today’s teens are no less capable of acting maturely and of making an impact even in their youth.

We have low expectations and even lower accountability for teenagers. Many parents have surrendered their kids to an extended period of foolish behavior marked by rebellion, antisocial (toward adults) behavior, irresponsible conduct, and a lack of accountability. During this time, parents “expect” them to experiment, to sow their “wild oats,” and to push the limits. Today’s parents expect too little from their teens and seem more than willing to shrug their shoulders and to roll their eyes at behavior that could threaten their health and heart for many years to come.

With these causes in mind, what steps should youth pastors consider to bring sanity back to our strategy for spiritual development among adolescents? Here are some thoughts:
Emphasize Teaching, Not Activities
Expectations need to change as far as what parents and their teens expect from youth ministries. If youth ministry is about drawing a big crowd, then build a huge lounge, order the PS3’s, buy a pizza oven, and hire a band. If it’s about training young people in the Scriptures and equipping them for ministry, let every parent know upfront that the church’s responsibility is not to provide recreation, entertainment, amusement, and a weekly complimentary buffet. Kids need to spend more time at home, not less. Mom and dad would be smart to park the cars in the driveway for a few years, to turn their garage into a family “rec center,” and to invite their kid’s friends over to their house. Let the church be used for biblical equipping. That doesn’t mean that at church teens won’t have the occasional fun activity or food. It just means that it is the occasional treat, not the expected norm.

Provide a “Grownup” Youth Pastor
Kids don’t need their youth pastor to be their “buddy.” He needs to be their pastor. He doesn’t need to dress like a mortician, but he shouldn’t pretend he’s 16 either. (Few things in this world are more pathetic than adults who refuse to grow up. Neither real grownups nor real teenagers respect people like that.) Balance is essential in being an effective ministry leader. The youth pastor must be mature enough to know what his objectives should be, where his boundaries should lie, where his authority should reside, and how to move students forward spiritually.

Challenge Teens Toward Maturity
Our Western culture exalts values that promote rebellion—from hard-edged rock ‘n’ roll to extreme sports to uncensored expression. Rebellion has almost become synonymous with being “American.” Fast cars, loose morals, and risky business in all its permutations have been the generational mantra from James Dean to Tom Cruise to Britney/Lindsay/Paris. But even many teenagers are now becoming aware of the soulless vacuousness of such a lifestyle. They desire something more substantive, more concrete, and weightier. Certainly not every teenager is sick of low expectations, but a core is ready to get a jump on their peers and to start taking life seriously.

Spotlight Prioritizing
Youth leaders can train teens by teaching them to comprehend and establish priorities in their lives. What role is authority going to play in their lives, and where is that authority found? Every teen should be confronted with the principle of “first priorities.” Are we willing to give the Lord the first and the best in what we do vocationally, with whom we will spend our lives (marriage), in how we will spend our money, and in how we will use our talents and gifts?

Teach Doctrine, Apologetics, and Rhetoric
Many within Fundamentalism have bought into an “isolationist” mentality that encourages them to withdraw from the world rather than to engage it with truth. Without a doubt, it is foolish to shove our kids into a world system intent on ignoring and countering spiritual truth without adequate preparation. Today’s youth ministries have an opportunity and an obligation to equip our next generation of leaders with a sound grasp of biblical doctrine, the education to tell people “why” they believe what they believe, and the skill to fluently articulate truth and its logical defense in the public forum.

Encourage Service and Ministry
In a generation that’s “all about me,” Christian teens can make a difference by living out the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. By this author’s definition, service means using our skills and talents to be a blessing to others; and ministry means directly bringing the souls of men and women into contact with the Word of God. Our teens can learn and practice service and ministry at an earlier age than most give them an opportunity to do so.

Promote Cross-Generational Interaction
Rather than isolate our kids from the older generation, we should integrate generations. There is much older generations can teach teens, and there is much teens can do to inspire and encourage older generations. This integration means that those of us in the older generation must accept the fact that today’s teens aren’t quite the way we were at their age; we must be patient with them as they grow into maturity. It also means that teens must be taught respect and consideration for those who have traveled a few more miles down the road than they have. Our current approach of inflexible isolation is making generational transfers of ministry and leadership difficult and at times impossible.

Include the Pastor in the Ministry
The lead or senior pastor needs to be plugged in to the teens of his church flock. He needs to spend time with them, to preach to them, and to get to know them. He should be their cheerleader. Too often, teens view their senior pastor as some out-of-touch stiff who wears a suit and prays in the King James English. No wonder he makes little, if any, impression on them. Most surrender to go into the ministry in their teens with a vast majority doing so by the time they are 14 years old. Any pastor who spends time with his teens is using his time wisely. The youth pastor isn’t a substitute for the senior pastor; he should be an extension of him.

Create a Positive Spirit Toward the Youth
It’s long been a sport to trash-talk teenagers. Sure, they are pimply, hormonal, gangly, and unpredictable messes in sneakers. But they are also witty, gifted, vibrant, gregarious, curious, and reflective gifts from God. Let everyone else put them down and diminish them in word and in deed, but let the church and her leadership be their cheerleaders. When we project love, enthusiasm, interest, and confidence in our teens, we create a positive spirit and relationship that benefit both sides of the generational divide.

Train and Equip Parents, Not Just Teens
Today’s parents of teens often grew up in dysfunctional homes. These are the parents who experienced the consequences of the 50 percent divorce rate. These are the parents whose parents tuned out during the free-love, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll craziness of the 1960s and ’70s. Consequently, many of these parents didn’t have a stabilizing, spiritual role model during their formative years. The church has an opportunity to train and equip them as the parents of their teens. Church youth pastors and ministries ought not to be a substitute for parents but rather an extension of them. We can serve teens by serving their parents and by helping them to adopt healthy leadership strategies and biblical values in their God-given roles.

Today’s ministry leaders need to smarten up and to counter the dumbing down of youth ministry. An unfathomable well of opportunity is at hand. Wise pastors and spiritual leaders must recognize the opportunities, and alert and conscientious parent should anticipate them as they work together to see teens come of age into the leaders God created them to be.

2007-10-01T16:37:00.000-04:00

Hannah's Baptism Pictures
Congratulations Hannah! Yesterday, we celebrated Hannah's baptism! What a great day! Friends of our from Kansas came down to celebrate along with memaw and papaw!

2007-09-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Anabel!
You can check out Anabel's story at www.caringbridge.org/ok/djl and read more about her battle with cancer.

Saturday, we got to celebrate her being in remission! What an honor to celebrate with her. The thing I love about Anabel is her smile---what an encouragement...I know these last few years have been difficult for her and her family, but Saturday was an incredible highlight for us to see as she had such a great time with her friends, cousins, and family!

Congratulations, Anabel!

"Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord!

Psalm 105:1-3

2007-09-21T17:04:00.000-04:00

Blowing Chunks

This past Wednesday night we found the greatest game off of the internet for our students called Happy Meal. The whole idea is to see who can eat a Happy Meal the quickest with one catch--the fries, burger, and drink are all blended together before they are "drank".

We had three contestants-Rachel, Mark, and John. Rachel swigged hers down real well and won the competition. John barely drank any of his while Mark tried yet spewed back into his cup. While all of this was happening, I was gagging--about to fully blow chunks.

They all sat down--they received a t-shirt for the mess they had to go through. All of the other students loved it though.

Well, I got up there and they told me I needed to take a drink. Thinking, "I can do this," I picked up one of the cups, but I didn't know that the cup I picked up was the one in which Mark spewed in-AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!

Nobody tried to stop me, but I did see the horrors on their face as I took a drink of the Mcdonald's Barf. Not only did I gag, but started to Barf....I had to finish my barfing across from the youth room. The students sure got a good laugh out of it!

All for the love of Students!

2007-09-12T23:29:00.000-04:00

Good News because of the GOOD NEWS!

This past week Hannah asked Jesus into her life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so pumped! We were doing our family devotions using "The Way of the Master". After reading the ten commandments and coming to the conclusion that we have all sinned, we read, "If judgement day were today, would you go to heaven or hell?"
As my direction was pointed toward Noah, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hannah was crying. Huge tears were coming. For the first time, Hannah realized she was sinner and without Christ she was lost. She must have cried for about 30 minutes. The conviction of the Holy Spirit was so evident.
Confirmation of her decision came the next day when she asked Sarah, "What's next...what do I do next?" This gave us the opportunity to talk about her relationship with Christ and baptism.
I've been praying for so long that God would draw her near.
Sarah and I have been so careful in how we talk with our kids about salvation. One thing is we wanted it to be all God and not us. There would have been many times where we could have asked, "Would you like to ask Jesus into your life?" She would have said yes and it would been us, not the Holy Spirit drawing her to Himself.

God is so God. We continue to pray for Noah, Grace, and Elijah.

2007-09-11T17:31:00.000-04:00

"I Would Die For You" Book

Pre-order Brent and Deanna Higgins book, "I Would Die for You"

at www.christianbook.com walmart.com, revellbooks.com or amazon.com. You can check out Brent's blog at www.prayforbj.com.

You will be challenged by the story of Brent and Deanna's son, who after coming home from the mission field, contracted a deadly virus.

I met Brent and Deanna earlier this year and had a chance to go with Brent to Mexico for few days on a short mission trip. What an incredible couple! As I have read his blog, I have been so encouraged and so challenged. To read the words of BJ, a fifteen year old, you will be challenged to GO.

Please be in prayer for them this month. It will be two years since BJ went Home to be with Jesus on September 26.

2007-09-11T17:26:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to my brother

My brother Bobby, is the director of operations at Robyn Promotions(www.robynpromo.com). They were named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the country. Bobby has been with Robyn since almost the very beginning. Congrats, bro.!

Oklahoma City, OK (PRWEB) August 27, 2007 -- Robyn, a full-service print and promotions fulfillment company, was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the country. The Inc. 5000, an extension of Inc. magazine's annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

Mervyn Hackney, President at Robyn said, "It is an honor to be recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. Our growth is a testament to our incredible staff plus the addition of large businesses that entrust us to help manage their branded materials. We are indebted to both for our success."
Bobby Lehew, Director of Operations at Robyn said, "We have such a unique business concept, unparalleled in the printing and promotional products industry, that allows us to create printed and promotional materials for companies but also to close the loop and help manage these branded materials all the way through to distribution. With our creative capabilities and our advanced eCommerce Company Stores, businesses and organizations have entrusted us to manage their materials so they can focus on other priorities. The fact that the market is beginning to catch hold of this one-of-a-kind concept is very exciting for us."
The 2007 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2003 through 2006. To qualify, companies had to be U.S.-based and privately held, independent - not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies - as of December 31, 2006, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2003, and $2 million in 2006.

You can check out Bobby's website at www.bobbylehew.com

Mike Huckabee responds to evolution question

2007-08-31T10:29:00.001-04:00

My vote is for Mike Huckabee-not just for this comment--but overall he is unwavering when it comes to following Christ.
A lot of people will disagree with me, but do we really think that Obama, Clinton, Giuliani, Edwards, or any other top candidate will guide this country from Christian morals or will they waver?
Our Allegiance to Christ should come before our allegiance to our government.
It's sad that we as believers have compartmentalized our faith and government. It's sad that when it comes to voting, we set aside our Christian standards.

Joel Osteen on the gospel

2007-08-18T22:41:00.001-04:00

This video shows that Joel Osteen is wishy-washy in regards to the Gospel. He could have used this opportunity to share the Gospel, but it turns out that he is unsure of it himself. Many people are being led astray by him.

Allow me to re-introduce the Christ

2007-08-18T22:26:00.001-04:00

Amen and Amen!

2007-08-04T16:12:00.000-04:00

What a Great Summer!
I don't have much time to post right now, but wanted to give a short update and let everyone know we haven't fell off the face of the earth. Church, Falls Creek, Float Trip, ministry, family and other stuff have taken place all of this summer.
Tonight Sarah and I will be meeting with a missionary from India. My pastor, myself, and another guy from our church plan on going to India in January to make contact with our unreached people group.

2007-06-02T16:58:00.000-04:00

Winner of the 2007 Sands Springs Fishing Derby: Noah Lehew!!

Today, Noah and I went the Sand Springs Fishing Derby sponsored by the Sand Springs Parks and he won! Noah caught a 2 lb. catfish and he won for the biggest fish in his age group(6-8) and then won the overall trophy for the biggest fish! Along with winning two trophies, he won a tacklebox and a new Zebco Fishing Rod!

The derby started at 8 a.m. and around 9 a.m., Noah caught the fish on his Tazmanian fishing pole--it wasn't even a regular fishing pole. Everyone ooohhed and aaahhed as we took it to get weighed in! It was very exciting.

Funny thing is it's the only fish he caught for the day. He had quite a few more nibbles, but nothing more than his 2 lb. catfish!

What an exciting day! I will post a picture of Noah and the fish later this week.

2007-05-14T23:54:00.000-04:00

Nicaragua Mission Trip Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures from Nicaragua--what a great mission trip! Will post more later. Check out this baptism video in the Pacific Ocean---one of the highlights of my trip--getting to baptize David Jones! http://homepage.mac.com/melandjames/iMovieTheater6.html

2007-05-04T23:29:00.000-04:00

Nicaragua or Bust!
Pray for me as I will be joining a group 40 others for a mission trip to Nicaragua. I will be leading students. I will be leading them in soccer and baseball along with two other men. Our plane leaves Saturday, May 5 at 1:04 p.m. and we return on Saturday, May 12 at 3:45 p.m.

2007-05-03T01:21:00.000-04:00

IF SARAH GOT PAID IN DOLLARS FOR BEING A MOM AT HOME SHE WOULD MAKE $138,095

Survey: 10 jobs moms work would bring in $138,095 a year
Check out this article at http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/02/mothers.worth/index.html

I LOVE MY WIFE-thank you Sarah for all you do! YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN $138,000--THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN OUR CHILDREN!

2007-04-28T01:19:00.000-04:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Elijah!

Elijah Turned 3 years old today! We went to Chuck E. Cheese, opened gifts and then went to the mall to play at the indoor playground!

Elijah is an incredible little guy! How thankful Sarah and I are to be his parents!

2007-04-10T22:13:00.000-04:00

Happy 9th Birthday Hannah!

My oldest turned 9 years old today! She's getting older and I am getting old. It seems just like yesterday that we had her at the hospital in OKC.

For her birthday, she wanted to go to the mall, so we went to Build a Bear, the Disney Store and then she went shopping using her birthday money.

She then chose to eat at a Chinese restaurant in the mall. Grandma and Grandpa came over along with Uncle Scott and Aunt Amy!

It was a great day!

A Tribute to Families with Kids and Minivans

2007-04-09T23:43:00.001-04:00

This is a tribute to all the moms and dads who have minivans!