hearing the voice

Tonight we started a new series for our middle school students. For the next several weeks we'll be talking about spiritual disciplines. We'll work through prayer (tonight), accountability, Bible memorization, service, generosity/tithing, and how to study the Bible. It's good, solid teaching, aimed at helping students develop and practice spiritual life.

The thing is, I'm thinking that the best method of helping students walk in spiritual life is not the transmission of information via lecture.

I am praying that these next few weeks give our leaders the opportunity to engage students in great, deep conversations about developing a relationship with God. I am convinced that when students have the chance to learn from someone they trust, someone who is following Jesus, someone who is full of the life of Christ--that's when it will begin to sink in. That's when it takes root. That's when the transformation that Jesus wants for all of us begins to happen.

What an opportunity our leaders have! They get to rub shoulders with some of the greatest students alive, to speak into the lives of eager young minds, to impart life and spirit and truth--they get to be influential.

It's not an easy path. It's not a quick fix. It's a long process. But I believe that it's the way that God works--through men and women who are fully alive to God, filled with the Spirit of God, simply following Jesus. Just as it was when Jesus started it all with his original band of followers.

I am so thankful for the men and women who have chosen to walk with us, with students. I know that they make sacrifices in terms of family, convenience, social lives, money...but every once in a while I get a vision of the men and women who have influenced my life, and it all seems to gel.