There's Still Jesus

Hello readers.  Welcome to my heart.  Let's begin.

Since becoming a campus youth leader and being concerned about the youth at our church as a whole, I've quickly learned something----- there's no way I can be everything for everybody. 

I've heard pastors and listened to sermons and heard people who have critically bashed church leaders of large congregations, claiming that they're unable to properly and effectively pastor everyone in their big church.  And now, with the vantage point I have now, I pretty much chuckle at the criticism because sadly, I've found it hard to pastor a little over just 30 students.  For example, I could have to address a text from a student asking about the balance of living in freedom and willingly and fearfully submitting to God, a student opening up about parental issues, a student dealing with depression, a student dealing with boy problems, a student dealing with family problems, also while being responsible to communicate vision to new leaders, continue to serve current leaders, dream up new vision, implement new changes, prepare material, respond to emails, meet parents, problem resolutions, work full time, my own devotional, my own family problems, my own relational baggage, studying scripture, growing in my walk.........

Whew....

Can we all agree that ALL these things deserves 100% attention?  All these things deserve 100% intentionality and effort in pursuing and is it possible for one person to do? 

Now, if the inadequacy of this being done consistently and well of a man is on himself, I will glady accept that.  When appointed the position I reminded God time and time again that I couldn't get it done, and His grace beautifully and continues to remind me that I can not do it without His assistance and reverent power and grace anyway.  So I quickly remind myself time and time again that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has empowered me enough only by itself, nothing within myself but of what's been given to me because of it, so all of this is able to be done because Jesus is overall the head of the church.  So my focus is to continue to build ALL and EVERYTHING on Jesus so that when my human abilities fails myself and the students, there's still Jesus.

Notice I said, when I fail them----- there's still Jesus.

When I fail, there's still Jesus.  When we fail, there's still Jesus. 

I love my church, Church of the Highlands, because they put such a focus on small groups.  VERY risky methodology.  It's risky because you're basically putting the health of the people God is going to hold you accountable for into their own hands, and asking them to be the church.  You're asking them to be pastors for one another.  The person that's dealing with deep theological questions needs someone to walk through it with him, to dig and study with him.  The person dealing with depression needs consistent love and attention, a friend, a best friend.  The person dealing with family issues needs a new family, a breath of fresh air from people who treat them right and love them unconditionally.  The person dealing with relational issues needs accountability-----all these things ONE MAN cannot do for everybody. 

So the people must become the church.  The people become each others pastors.  And strangely, that's what I see in the early church in Acts is people spreading and sharing the gospel.  Not just showing up to listen to a pastor speak, but the gospel becomes an active part of the lives of the people in the church.  So just as the pastor proclaims the gospel, so should we with each other.  And even when small groups and our friends fail us----

There's still Jesus.