JB's Babble Tablet

Flip Flops, the choice of a generation

2008-09-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

As I spend my days hanging out with HS students, one thing that I notice is their choice of shoes. It seems that Flip Flops are taking over the world. If you look at the feet of 10 HS student at least half of them will be wearing Flip Flops, regardless of weather. So I decided to put together a list of why so many people in this generation have chosen the Flip Flop as their friend.

1.They are versatile and dependable
2.When you fell lonely they are there for you
3.Your feet have the opportunity to “breathe” when you wear them
4.Jesus wore them so should we
5.They make my toes happy
6.I don’t have to take the time to put on shoes
7.There is an unstated bond between you and others who also wear them
8.If for some reason you should need to kick someone in the face you can slide off your Flip Flops real fast and pose like “Daniel Son” from Karate Kid and this would intimidate your opponent immediately
9.The Rainbows on some Flip Flops remind me of Luck Charms cereal and how could that not be awesome
10.Most people know that Chuck Norris invented Flip Flops and I wear them so he will not kill me

Varsity

2008-09-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

There are so many crazy things happening at Varsity these days it is hard to keep up. The new building is so crazy awesome I can't even begin to tell yo how amazing it is. Students are showing out every week and bringing their friends. We just started a group called Life Hurts God Heals. It is a recovery based program modeled after Celebrate Recovery. I get pretty emotional when I think about students breaking free from addiction and finding peace in pain. I am very excited about our upcoming series, MIRACLES. I am sure that God has so much he wants to teach us and I know that he wants to see miracles happen in the lives of our students. God is rocking at Varsity, and God is rocking me!

What a beautiful day!

2008-09-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks the much needed rain has blanketed the upstate keeping me from riding my motorcycle to and from work. Although I am glad we got the rain I am not glad I have had to drive my gas drinking truck when gas prices went to over 4 dollars a gallon. I wish there was something we could do to lower the prices, but honestly I doubt that we will stop our busy lives long enough to actually think about refusing to put up with this any longer. It is sort of frustrating, but I can't really complain because I, like you, stand there and throw my hard earned money right down the proverbial drain. I really don't have a good solution to the problem but I am doing my part. I bought a motorcycle that gets 36 miles to a gallon. I love it. Anyway, today was beautiful day for a ride. Thank you Jesus for nice weather.

Why Chinese Buffets are the most amazing places on earth.

2008-09-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

I think Chinese buffets are the most amazing places on earth and here is why.

1.It is a place where you can eat as much as you want to.
2.You can not come back to the restaurant for weeks at a time and no one gets mad at you
3.Can anyone say “imitation crab”?
4.I feel very important because I am usually the largest guy in the room.
5.If you and a friend are mad at each other you can go to a Chinese buffet and the relationship will be immediately restored because the place is so awesome.
6.I think Jesus invented China!
7.There is no other place other than heaven where you can get hot wings, fried rice, and a grilled pork chop all at the same time.
8.You can eat with a fork if you choose to do so.
9.The Diet Pepsi is amazing.
10.MSG should make you live longer. It keeps food edible all day long. That should work on humans as well.

I know that many of you may disagree. That is ok. It leaves more for me.

Blogging

2008-09-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Because my friend over at 3amjosh.com has compelled me to jump back into the blogging world, I am going to make an effort to blog every day for the next 30 days. After that I am going to decide whether or not I will continue. Until then I am compiling a list of topics that you, my readers, might be interested in. Here are a few ideas.

1. Why Chinese Buffets are the most amazing places on earth.
2. What does "Change" really mean?
3. "Flip Flops" the choice of a generation.
4. Gravy??? How, when, and why!
5. President??? Do we really have to?

These are just a few of the things that I am going to be blogging about over the next few weeks and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

I think that when I say "my readers" we all know what I mean. Thanks for reading Mom!

Where is the Passion?

2008-09-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, my Family and I went out to watch the Clemson Tigers take on North Carolina State. To be honest I am not really that impressed with the Tigers this year for several reasons.

1. Lack of Leadership - I am not on the field wit the guys, but it seems that no one is stepping up to take this team to the next level. These guys are no longer in high school. If we are going to compete on a national level it will take more than hype and recruiting to get it done. I am looking to see the sidelines filled with players pushing one another to win.

2. We do not have a mentality of winning - If we are going to be a successful football program we must think, believe, and act like we are winners. We are too busy pulling out our memorabilia from the Danny Ford days hoping that one Saturday they will roll him up to the sidelines in a hospital bed to lead us to our second National Title in the schools history. Why not just try winning the next game. This was the problem with the Alabama game. We walked into that game thinking that our ranking would get it done. Not gonna happen. If the players and the coaches could start thinking and believing that we are winners, I believe that our football team could move from mediocrity to success.

3. Lack of Passion - If I have to watch the Clemson Tigers run down that hill hill one more time like they could care less about what they are going down there to do, i am going to puke. What ever happened to the days of passion and zeal. It is pretty awesome watching Skip Holtz lead ECU to a winning season. Those guys are playing like they believe!

If anyone reads this blog who is a South Carolina Fan and you hate Clemson, go ask God to forgive you and send me an apology for being evil.

What do you think of this?

2008-08-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

Weekends are Awesome

2008-06-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

I love the weekend. It makes me happy. This weekend I have spent a lot of time with Renae and the boys. I installed a security system in my house. I watched some movies. I went to the mall and bought sugar free chocolate. It was not that bad but not worth the 4 bucks it cost me. This guy and I spent a lot of time sitting in chairs in the mall while we watched people walk by. Very random weekend and very random post.

Theophostic Prayer Counseling

2008-06-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

I had a long session this morning with a Theophostic prayer counselor. All I can say is WOW. I am blown away by the human mind and it's ability to totally be jacked up. If you are in ministry, or breathing for that mater, you should check it out. God has a plan to heal our minds to help us better serve others.

Thank God for Senior Pastors

2008-06-04T14:09:00.001-07:00

It seems to me that the office of a Student Pastor is the revolving door of ministry. I heard the other day that most Student Ministers are out of the ministry within 18 months. What the heck? I want to make sure that I stand the test of time in ministry and finish strong.
Earlier this week I wrote about "The Bishop" and his talk on leadership. This has caused me to continue reading and studying Exodus 17 and our role as "not the Pastor". Here are a few thoughts from the scripture that God gave me this week in relation to our role as a "junior leader" and how we can support the Senior Pastor. If we can keep a healthy view of what God has called us to do we can make it.

vs 8. I am in a battle and I am under attack

vs 9. The Senior Pastor has a plan and a vision and as a "junior leader" I am here to support and help fulfill that vision.

vs. 10 Always follow the leadership of your Senior Pastor. The stakes are too high to try and go at it alone.

vs.11 Our success in ministry is directly connected to the faithfulness and leadership of the Senior Pastor

vs. 12 There is lots of pressure associated with the role of the Senior Pastor. Senior Pastors get tired and need others to support them.

vs. 13 Our ability to win the battle is a result of the Senior Pastor and those closest to him working hard to stay close to God.

These are just a few thoughts about how God designed our role to function as Student Ministers.

Strike the Rock

2008-06-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

Exodus 17:5 5 The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai.[b] Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

God is rocking my world this week with this passage. As I study this passage one thing sticks out to me in a huge way and that is the phrase "strike the rock". Here at Varsity we are about to strike the rock with a vengeance! I really like that phrase and I saw it over in another passage.

I Corinthians 10:4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.

Moses struck the rock and God made water flow from that rock to give the people something to drink. In I Corinthians we see that the rock was Jesus! Here is the deal! In the same way people are thirsty for water they have a thirst for Christ. We are going to strike the rock and give them JESUS!

You can plan, promote, prepare and produce the greatest movement in the world but, if you do not give people Jesus then you have failed. Here at Varsity we are striking the rock and pray that Jesus flows and people never thirst again.

Leadership

2008-06-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

I listened to a great message today on leadership by the Bishop TD Jakes. He spoke on the ten commandments of leadership. I am blown away by his insight and love for Jesus. I know that in order for us to lead we need others to speak truth into our lives. I have key people in my life that speak truth to me on a consistent basis. The Bishop was added to that list today. I know that he most likely we will not meet on a weekly basis but hopefully I can continue to be encouraged by him in other ways. Who are some people who speak truth in your life?

Twitter

2008-05-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

How long do you think twitter will last?? It seems to me that it may be a fad but I really love it. I can update from my phone. That makes me happy. Let me know what you think.

What is your Dream???

2008-05-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am watching the movie "The Astronaut Farmer". Here are a few thoughts.

Are you dreaming?
Is your family dreaming with you?
Do they support your dream?
Can you accomplish dream under your own power?
If everyone told you that it is impossible for your dream to become a reality would you continue?
Have you given your family a dream to buy into?
Does anyone think you are crazy?

Just a few questions.

"By God's grace may we not die with our dreams still in our hearts"

Mother's Day 08

2008-05-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

This morning I did a search on Youtube for Trisomy 18 and watched a few videos about families of children with Trisomy 18. It is a sobering thought that 90% of these Children don't make it to their first birthday. That makes this day for my wife an extra special day!
Not only has Dawson made her a mother, we have little DJ. These boys are so blessed to have my wife as their mother! I love you baby. Happy Mother's Day!

Varsitysecrets.com

2008-04-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Varsitysecrets.com has had over 5000 hits since April 8th. WOW. I can't believe that. This series has really shown me that Students want a place to be honest and are crying out for help. We are here to help them find a relationship with Christ and become all that God wants them to be. This week we are dealing with SEXUAL SECRETS. Kinda scary. Pray for our students as we take on this tough issue.

My Secret

2008-04-28T06:18:00.001-07:00

Me Secret is a series that we are doing in Varsity. For the past two weeks we have covered addiction and lying. This week we are talking about sexual secrets and I know that God is going to do something great in the hearts of our students. Please pray for the students who God wants to set free this week. Check out www.varsitysecrets.com.

Crazy Week

2008-04-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Lots of things happening this week. Started a new counseling today and I feel very drained from the experience. I have a question...If you read this and think it is cool...leave a comment and tell me...if you read this and think it could be better...let me know as well. check out twitter.com

Switchfoot

2008-04-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

I heard these guys answer questions about ministry in front of a room full of Youth Pastors. It was great to hear how God is using them to make a difference. Jon Foreman rocked my face.

Chicago

2008-04-09T22:08:00.000-07:00

Willow Creek is pretty sweet and the Shift conference is mostly good. Shaine Claiborne rocked my socks today as he spoke about grace. I don't think I have ever met another person that reminds me more of Jesus than he does. BTW Twitter is the new Blog! Try it soon! www.twitter.com/joshbradley

Travel Update

2008-04-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Landed in Chicago on Sunday night after a very interesting flight. We have been checking out churches for two days and I am blown away with all the cool ppl I have met in the past couple of days. FOLLOW ME @ TWITTER.COM I am updating three, four times a day. I enjoy it much more than blogging.

Wednesday Night JUST HAPPENED!

2008-04-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

Another week of Varsity is in the books and we are continuing to see students lives changed every week. I am so thankful for how God is working. We had more than 130 people there last night and I think that is awesome. The next series will begin April 16th and I know that people are going to freak when they hear what we are doing.

Hard Lessons

2008-04-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

God is rocking me lately. I seem to be a pretty difficult learner. This past week in Mexico God really spoke to me about how I view people. It is easy for me to categorize people. I have no problem writing people off in a second. God is helping me to be more understanding of others and myself. Thank you Jesus for not leaving me the way you found me.

Mexico

2008-03-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mexico was an incredible experience. There is a new fad for churches to move away from mission trip type experiences. I think it is tragic. I am glad Jesus or Paul did not have the same ministry plan. Anyway the trip was amazing and the students really came back changed. While I was gone these are the things that happened.
1. I was really sick (not better yet)
2. Renae was really sick (still sick)
3. Dawson went in the hospital b/c he was really really sick (he is home now)
4. DJ got sick (better)
5. A car full of robbers crashed right beside my house and are still on the loose
6. One of our team members crashed the van in Mexico (not that bad but thank God for insurance
7. One of our team members had a death in their family while we were gone

Wow that was a lot

Blogging

2008-03-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

I never write Blogs!

Check it out!

2008-03-03T18:42:00.001-08:00

Pastor on call

2008-03-01T21:16:00.000-08:00

Every weekend one of the Pastors at this place are on call. This weekend it has been my turn and with the exception of one call it has been pretty quiet. I hope it stays that way! What have you been up to this weekend????
Click the button below and leave me a message to let me know.

JC is here!

2008-02-29T18:54:00.001-08:00

This is pretty cool you should try it!

2008-02-29T07:32:00.000-08:00

This video makes me very happy!

2008-02-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

Pics of the Family

2008-02-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

I love my boys!

Unquenchable

2008-02-11T06:18:00.000-08:00

This week we start the series "Unquenchable". Worship is the topic and I cant wait to give this away during the service. Should be fun.

This is an AMAZING Album

2008-02-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

Click Here
This is totally rockin my face right now!

This is the best commercial of the year.

2008-02-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Varsity

2008-01-31T06:41:00.001-08:00

Mike Hepola rocked our socks off last night at Varsity. He did the 4th message in our series Xtreme Life. The kids loved it and they were blown away when we gave away an Xbox 360 for the guys and a day at the spa for the girls.

Text Me!

2008-01-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

This makes me happy. Anyone in the world can send me a txt message by sending it to joshbradley@vtext.com. That is freakin awesome.

Homeless on Tuesday

2008-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

We took some of our students to the Triune Mercy Center tonight to minister to the homeless people here in Greenville. It was great. Some students are really stretched by the experience and some are right at home. I love to see these guys acting like Jesus. It would be hypocritical to travel to another country to do mission work and forget about the people right here in our own city.

Monday: Not Long Enough

2008-01-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but it seems that Mondays fly by so fast that it seems like it never happened. I started working early this morning and I am lying in my bed right now trying to finish up. We need longer days on Mondays!

We did Led Zeppelin at Church Today!

2008-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

Stairway to Heaven introduced the message about the life of Jacob. Pretty cool.

Varsity Leaders

2008-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have the greatest group of adult leaders in the world. Last night we spent some time hanging out and talking about how we can better connect with students. We hooked up my laptop to a 46 inch flat panel and did a training session on Facebook and how to txt message from an email address. Bottom line is that the Adults at the Varsity are passionate about loving teenagers and connecting them to Jesus. How do you connect to the people around you?

Here is what God is teaching me.

2008-01-23T07:42:00.000-08:00

It is easy to love people who are nice. Loving mean people however, is another story. It seems like I am constantly confronted with opportunities to love people. It is hard. It is not fun. I don't like loving people who are mean. God is helping me. I find direction in this verse.

I Corinthians 13:1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Free Xbox

2008-01-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

I am on my way.

Memories

2008-01-13T07:46:00.001-08:00

Does anyone remember church like this on Sunday Night?

Memories

2008-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

Does anyone remember church like this on Sunday Night?

Family Update

2008-01-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

Life is Insane! The new baby was home for a few days and came down with a virus known as RSV. It is a respiratory virus that attacks the lungs. DJ has been in the hospital since last Friday night. He should be coming home soon. Please pray for our family during this time, as you can imagine it has been difficult.

Christmas is over!

2007-12-27T06:28:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a great Christmas. We had a great time hanging out with all our family. The Bradley Clan has grown from three to four. Wednesday we picked up our new Foster Baby from the NICU. He is four pounds eleven ounces, and very cute. We are glad to have him as part of our family. Pray for him as he continues to grow and develop. He has some medical issues related to his premature birth that should clear up with time. I have some Christmas pictures that I will post in the next few days. I love you guys and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.

Seriously, THIS REALLY WORKS!!!

2007-12-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

THIS REALLY WORKS!

Click The Link below
Select an account type
Complete an offer (most of them are pretty simple)
Refer people to do the same thing you did
Your Xbox is on the way

Click Here

I love Student Ministry

2007-12-20T11:07:00.000-08:00

Most people really struggle finding a job that they love. So many people are working in order to retire at 65 and start living. That is crazy. I love what I do and hopefully I will be a Student Pastor at 90 years old. I am living the life I dreamed of right now. I am not on a list with the wealthiest men in the world, but I am completely fulfilled in what I do. Lesson for the day: Find what it is God made you to do and do it! You will love it.

My Crazy Friends

2007-12-19T06:23:00.001-08:00

Some of my best friends in the whole world are living on the top of a 30 foot lift. They are trying to collect 100 bicycles for some of the less fortunate children in the community where they are planting Freedom Church. It is really cold and it rained last night. Pray for these guys as they try to reach Acworth, GA with the transforming power of the gospel. Check out the action on a live webcam here.

Get an Xbox 360 Elite for free.

2007-12-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

THIS REALLY WORKS!

Click The Link below
Select an account type
Complete an offer (most of them are pretty simple)
Refer people to do the same thing you did
Your Xbox is on the way

Click Here

This makes me laugh...

2007-12-17T09:56:00.001-08:00

Songs that rock

2007-12-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

Desperation Band is on of my favorite bands. Their new album Everyone Overcome is unbelievable. You have got to check out "Maker of Heaven". I am driving to work this morning singing it at the top of my lungs. All the while everyone passing me on the road is thinking I have lost my mind. Check it out and let me know what you think.

The Ground is Broken

2007-12-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

Our Student Ministry facility is underway. I can't wait to move into the building, August 2008. Wow. Wednesday night will be very interesting. You do not want to miss it.

Friday...

2007-12-07T20:17:00.001-08:00

We are still in the hospital. We didn't go home today because Dawson was running a low grade fever. I think we should go home tomorrow if the doctors can identify the cause of the fever. Continue to pray for Dawson over the next couple of days while he recovers. By the way, Friday is usually Wild Wing Day and since we could not go there we brought the wings here. Most of my family came over and we had a wing feast in the waiting room. Pretty cool.

Been a While

2007-12-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

I am a bad Blogger. The past few days have been crazy. Dawson has been in the hospital and I have been out of town. Anyway, Dawson's surgery went well and he should come home tomorrow. Things are busy and I am starting a new project that is pretty exciting. Can't say much about it now but there will be more to come in the future. See ya

Clemson Footbal

2007-11-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

I had a panic attack during the last 2 min of the Clemson/USC game tonight. I was breathing hard, my heart was beating fast, I was completely overwhelmed by the game. It was 21-20 and we were driving the field. We kicked a field goal with three seconds to go and won the game. My symptoms subsided. I actually had to sit down and talk myself through the fact that this was only a game and it would be OK. I am weird! (Yes this really happened) Well, we will see what kind of bowl bid we will get. Lets go Tigers.

No Wednesday Night

2007-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

What will I do with all my time? for the first time in a long time Varsity is canceled on Wednesday night. I will miss you guys but be back next week as we continue our series V-Tube.

Homeless on Tuesday

2007-11-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night we had a group of students go over to the Triune Mercy Center to play some music and serve a meal to some of the Homeless people here in Greenville. My friend Paul Blumer is the Founder of Food For Life Ministries and he is psycho for Jesus. The Varsity band played and we all had a great time hanging out. My friend Bobby got up and shared about his new life in Christ. Check out this video of the whole thing.

Varsity Sneak Preview

2007-11-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

We are currently in a series called V-Tube. It is a spoof of Youtube and we asked for people to send us videos. Check out this crazy video we are going to show Wednesday night of the Varsity Logo.

Humilty

2007-11-08T18:36:00.000-08:00

Why does this seem so simple when I read it?

Luke 14:11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

God is teaching me to humble myself whether I like it or not.

On a similar note, I read a great quote on Steven Furtick's blog the other day.
"A focus on self-preservation
is the greatest limitation
on the momentum of a movement."

Jesus is rocking me right now. I need it.

V-Tube

2007-11-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

This week we begin our new series V-Tube. We are taking a look at how to share our faith as a student in today's culture. Let me know what you think of the graphic.

No More Candy!

2007-11-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

My birthday and Halloween is on the same day. I have eaten candy and cake for the past two days. My doctor is going to kill me, if I don't go into a diabetic coma first. Bye-bye candy, hello treadmill.

Birthday!!

2007-10-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Today I turn 31 years old. I realized that when people tell me Happy Birthday, it makes me happy. What a coincidence.

Life

2007-10-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

When a young person is taken from this world at such an early age we try our best to make sense of the situation. Honestly, it is difficult to know God's every thought or plan when we see such pain. In the midst of such tragedy I have learned to rest in the truth of God's word. I find peace in the words of this scripture.

Friday is a great day!

2007-10-26T13:24:00.000-07:00

Wild wing has become a second home to me on Fridays. Renae, Dawson and I eat there most every week and honestly I think I am addicted. After an long week it is great to, in the words of James Dobson, "Focus on the Family." The past couple of weeks have been really stressful and I am excited about chilling out for the weekend. Tomorrow I am going deer hunting. I am all jacked up and I can't wait. Hopefully there will be some pics to post in the next couple of days.

Wednesday Night Thoughts

2007-10-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a great night here are some thoughts.

Mike Hepola is amazing and I wish he had a blog
I love teenagers
Jesus is working in our student ministry in some crazy ways
Next week will be interesting
This video was a riot
Facebook has revolutionized communication in the 21st century
I love the song "All Because Of Jesus"
I can't believe we are bringing these guys to our camp this summer
We have an unbelievable staff of people in our student ministry
Josh Martin is a great worship leader
Elicia Dressler is rocking it in the film world. She is the life blood of our Media dept.
We have a great team of people
Our Adult Leaders are amazing
Jesus is amazing and I am in awe of the fact that I get to do this for a living

Are you serious?

2007-10-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

I ask myself this question everyday when I think about being a youth pastor. "Are you serious?" God allows me to stand in the gap between life and death, grab the people he died for by the hand and pull them through whatever crap they are in and into a relationship with him. I WILL NEVER GET OVER THE EXCITEMENT OF WATCHING PEOPLE WALK FROM DEATH TO LIFE!!! God loves us too much to leave us where we are.

Varsity

2007-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday night we will welcome Mike Hepola back to the stage. Mike will be wrapping up our series Next. I cant wait to see you guys there.

Reveal

2007-10-20T16:56:00.000-07:00

Reveal is coming. Click Here

Funny

2007-10-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

This past Wednesday night one of my friends drove up from th ATL and stopped by to check out the Student Ministry at Brookwood. It was fun to hang out with Shea, Amber and Kinsey. Funny thing happened during the message, Shea was leaning against the wall and accidentally set off the fire alarm. Everyone turned around and Shea was fumbling around uncontrollably while the alarm went off. It made me laugh. I love these guys and I am praying for them as they make some major decisions on their life. I am thankful to have friends like these guys they are amazing and I thank God for them as they await the new addition to their family.

I am very tired!

2007-10-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

I did not go to sleep on Friday night. I was up late to leave out for a hunting trip on Saturday and by the time I went to bed it was time to wake up so I just stayed up. I am weird. Saturday was fun and I so glad Clemson did not loose today, (that was mainly because they did not play).

Beauty Pageant

2007-10-09T21:42:00.001-07:00

I went to my first pageant tonight. It was pretty cool especially because the girl I went to see won the sophomore class. Renae and I are very proud of her. It was really long and the funniest thing happened. Each finalist had to answer a random question on stage in front of the judges and the audience. One of the representatives from the junior class was asked, "What novel would you read on a Saturday if you had all day to do nothing but read, and why"? Her response was, "I would probably not read a book since I am not a good reader. I would probably go outside and play a sport". That made me laugh. And the funny thing is, she won the junior class. How amazing is that. Fun night.

Wednesday is Coming!!!

2007-10-08T18:18:00.001-07:00

Wednesday is on the way and this week we kick off our new series Next. It is all about dating and this first week is titled What a Girl wants. I am really excited about this series. See you guys on Wednesday.

Jesus Loves Me

2007-10-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

I am astounded at the love God has shown me. I really am in awe of the fact that he sees me as his child. On of my favorite things to do is look in the eye of a student and tell them that they are a masterpiece. I love to tell them that God loves them and there is nothing they can do to be separated from that love. As a youth pastor I am constantly faced with students who have been emotionally scarred through different relationships. I love to tell those students that God will not abandon them, he will not abuse them, he will not leave them, he loves them and he sees them as he created them to be, a Masterpiece.

Tigers Fall

2007-09-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

The Clemson Tigers fell to GT today in a messy football game. I am glad tomorrow is Sunday. Sundays makes me feel better.

I am a little slack

2007-09-26T21:20:00.001-07:00

I have been pretty slack with my post lately but life has been kinda fast paced. Tonight was really awesome at Varsity. We are constantly trying to encourage our students to have purpose, know God and dream big. One particular student came up to me and said the following, "I need help. I am failing every single class in and I have no motivation to finish high school. I don't think I can finish. I don't ever believe I can finish. The only time I ever think I can do it is when I come here. When I come here I think I can do it." I have never been so excited to see God working in a students heart. There is nothing more amazing than watching God change a persons life. God is more amazing than I can imagine. Cool stuff.

Football

2007-09-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

I am ready for Saturday. Clemson football is off to a great start. I hope we can play the last half of the year. Usually we drop the ball toward the 2nd half of the season. NC State will be a good test this Saturday. Let's go Tigers!

Back To Work

2007-09-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

We had to come home from vacation a day early. Dawson came down with a fever. He has an infection and is on an antibiotic. He is doing better.
I actually unplugged myself for five days. No cell phone, laptop or ipod. I was really able to focus on my family. I think we all need to take time to focus on those we love the most. I have decided to take one day a week and turn off all electronic devices that compete for my attention and focus on Renae and Dawson. I think it will help me love them better. I am surprised how much I did not miss my phone during my vacation. I really didn't think about it. It was pretty cool. While we were gone we celebrated 10 years of marriage. I am thankful to God for my wife and I can't wait to spend my life with my beautiful Renae.

Leaving for the Lake

2007-09-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight was an amazing night at Varsity. I am amazed at how God is working in our Students. This is going to be an amazing year!

I am unplugging myself for the next 5 days. I am taking some time with my family and I can't wait to hang out with them uninterrupted for a few days. See you next week. I am like the little engine that could. I think I can, I think I can. No phone????? Help me Jesus!

Family Time

2007-09-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

I love my job. I love every minute of it. There is nothing in this world I would rather do than Student Ministry. I want to keep doing ministry, and I want to be careful not to let anything move into my life that is ungodly or immoral. I want to finish strong. In order to do that I must be healthy, emotionally, physically and spiritually. We should have a well rounded life. Balancing work and family can be difficult but it is necessary for a healthy life. If our lives are out of balance then it is hard to minister to others because of the stress in your own family. For the past few months I have been working, traveling and doing lots of things while leaving Renae to take care of Dawson. Honestly, the "Family Time Meter" is running pretty low. My Family needs some uninterrupted time with me. No cell phones, email, or laptop. Nothing. This is why I am attempting to do something I have never done before. Starting Thursday afternoon I will officially unplug for five straight days. What? This is my goal and I WILL do it. Renae and Dawson will be my sole focus for five days with no interruptions. I am turning off all of the above mentioned items and will not touch them for five days. I want to stay in ministry and one good way to do that is to stay married. Renae I love you so much and I cant wait to hang out with you for a few days.

Sunday morning thoughts

2007-09-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dawson has a new apparatus to help him sleep better at night. It is called a cpap (pronounced see pap). He has slept through the night for the last two days and that is awesome. DIRECTV made me so mad yesterday when they blacked out the Clemson game on gameplan. I think ESPN gameplan is a hoax offered by DIRECTV to make "steal" money from their customers. I am so mad about this that I should stop typing before I cuss. Needless to say I listened to the Clemson game here for free on the internet. Go Tigers.

Cool Week

2007-09-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

I had a great night at the Clemson/FSU game on Monday night. Tigers brought it home after a rough 2nd half and the defense looked amazing. I hung out with a lot of great friends but the highlight of the day was meeting Perry Tuttle, who caught the ball to win the National Championship Game for Clemson in 1982. He talked to me about student ministry for about 15 minutes, It was pretty cool. I love Clemson Football and I am ready for a great year. By the way this is my 100 post on this blog! Here is a pic of Perry Duggar (My Pastor), Perry Tuttle and Myself. Pretty Cool.

Labor Day

2007-09-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

Going to the game tomorrow. Taking the family. It will be amazing!

Wednesday Night Recap

2007-08-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, we had more than 100 students at Varsity
I love speaking about God size Dreams
I believe we have the greatest group of Adult Leaders in the country
I love teenagers
I love the song Happy Day by Tim Hughes
This verse is amazing and rocks my face off
I love being the High School Pastor at this church
Students can and will change the world!
We are on the verge of something great
We are in the midst of something great
I am glad that Jesus is the reason for the season--Go Tigers
Is there anything more exciting than a room full of teenagers on a Wednesday Night
I am living my Dream!
This list is kind of long and this is the place where I should link to people

Let's Go Tigers

2007-08-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Monday morning I have the pleasure of going to an FCA breakfast where Tommy and Bobby Bowden will be speaking together. I am so excited. I can't wait. After we leave the breakfast we will be traveling to Clemson to enjoy a great day of tailgating with the Callahan family. The only thing that could make the day better is a win over FSU. I am so glad football season is back. Let's go Tigers!!!

Dreams

2007-08-27T20:54:00.001-07:00

Wednesday night is on the way with the second of our three part series on Dreams. The week the message is titled Dream Robbers. I am talking about the obstacles that you may face while making your dream a reality. What are some obstacles that you have faced?

Back from the Mountains

2007-08-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am back and I am now more sure than ever that we have the greatest group of Adult Leaders on the Planet. We had a great time hanging out out this place. These guys are passionate about reaching teenagers with the truth of the gospel. I am blown away!!!!

I watched this and It made me cry for two hours.

2007-08-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Click Here.

Gatlinburg, TN

2007-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

I am leaving today to hang out with some of the greatest Adult Leaders on the Planet. I am so excited about this coming year and the impact that our Adult leaders are going to make on the lives of the Students in the upstate. are hanging out in a mac daddy cabin in the mountains of Tennessee. I will be without email for two days. I am co-dependent. There, I said it.

First night of the year.

2007-08-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight was an amazing night at Varsity. We had a great time welcoming a lot of new faces. I love speaking about living a life of passion and dreaming big. God is doing a great work in the lives of our Students and I know that this will be an amazing year.

Dreams

2007-08-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night we start our new series Dreams. I am so excited to kick-off the new year. We are hosting a little competition between the students of our local schools and I am anxious to see who all is gonna show up? It should be a great night.

Saturday.

2007-08-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

Today was pretty uneventful. I hung out in my recliner all day and watched movies. Dawson and I had a blast while Renae went to get her nails done with some of the girls. I watched three entire movies today and it was awesome. I love watching movies, it is one of my favorite activities. What are some suggestions for great movies I need to see?

Hanging Out with Students

2007-08-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

I just had a bunch of Students over to the house for a goodbye party for the seniors. It was pretty fun. These guys stayed until about 12am. I am tired and going to bed. By the way, Me and one of the seniors, Shoue dominated in Spades.

Simpsonized Josh?

2007-08-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today I turned myself into a Simpson character. It really makes me laugh. Here it is.

Student Ministry...Part III

2007-08-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

3. Build an Adult Leadership Team. Leading in student ministry can be very difficult and lonely place. Most youth pastors find themselves with lots of responsibility and very little help. When it comes to investing in the lives of teenagers, great adult leaders are few and far between. I have inherited a group of amazing Adult leaders and I am blessed to have people around me who love students. I not only want them to know I appreciate them, I also want them to know that my job is impossible without them. In a few weeks I am taking all of our adult leaders and their spouses to the mountains to hang out for a weekend. I will share with them our vision and we will spend some time training in different areas. I love the Adult Volunteers here at Varsity and I can't wait to spend some time investing in the people who invest in our students. What are some ways that have been successful for you to recruit adult volunteers?

Back Home

2007-08-11T18:37:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a week in Louisiana doing Katrina relief. The team of HS Students that we took were amazing. I am really tired and ready to go to sleep. That's all the blog I have in me today.

Student Ministry...Part II

2007-08-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

#2. Develop a Student Leadership Team.

Students are now more than ever crying out for someone to challenge them. One of the most valuable things you can do is develop your key students into key leaders. This week we have taken a group of our key leaders on a mission trip to Louisiana. They are blowing my mind. Teenagers want to be stretched out of their comfort zone. If we don't challenge them to lead, someone else will challenge them to follow. Find key student and make them key leaders. Students, what are some ways you would like to be challenged to lead others?

Student Ministry...Part I

2007-08-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

I love Student Ministry. When I am 90 years old and walking with a cane, I plan on still investing in the lives of teenagers. Nothing is more exciting than watching change happen in the lives of Students. I am convinced that Teenagers are more open to radical life changing Christianity than any group of people I can think of. I want to invest in the lives of the Students so that God will be glorified and that people will be what God created them to be. There are lots of things we need to focus on when reaching this generation of students, but, here are three of them that are huge to us:

Personally Invest in your Students. There are a lot of things in and around student ministry that can and will monopolize your time, but there is nothing more important than the time you spend with your students personally. Teenagers spell the word love "T I M E". They are hoping that you, or anyone else for that matter, will stop being so consumed with yourself and take a moment to ask them about their life. As youth workers, Student Pastors, or Parents we have to be very careful not to become lost in the many, many different things that can hijack our devotion and divert our attention. As your ministry grows it becomes more and more difficult to do this. How can we maintain a healthy connection to our students as our ministries grow, any ideas? Let me know what you think.

More to come tomorrow.

Great Friends

2007-08-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

Two of my best friends in the whole world are here this weekend and I am reminded of how crazy we used to be. Jr, Todd and I hung out last night and ended up at the IHOP. These guys love Jesus and I am praying for them as they start this.
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Emotion v/s Will

2007-08-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Emotions are a powerful thing and God created them. As teachers we are constantly presented with situations where we have the opportunity to tap into people's emotion. The level of responsibility in these moments are insanely intense. More than anything I want the preaching of God's word to bring change to people's lives. However, if we aim our message at the emotion, we set ourselves up for an emotional response. Emotional responses may or may not be authentic, I am not the judge. However, If we direct our preaching at the will, we eliminate the up and down of our emotion as is relates to our response. The will is breeding ground for change. Although an emotional message is more exciting, the best way to apply the truth of God's word is to aim it directly at the will.