Fuge Update #4 - "Sleepwalking"

Ever known or even seen someone who sleepwalks?  Kind of a strange phenomenon...Someone is up and moving, eyes even open, but they're not really cognizant of everything that is happening around them.  It's as if their brain is on autopilot mode and they are just making their way through the tasks of life that they might complete in daily life.

"I could do that in my sleep!"

That's a phrase I often hear from teenage boys trying to puff up their chests in a sort of male-testosterone-ego-sharefest.  But the truth of the matter, and as we were challenged last night, you can't be a true disciple of Christ if you are sleepwalking in your faith.  If you are just going through the motions effortlessly and aimlessly, then you have clearly fallen asleep in your faith.  The truth of yesterday was that we PROCLAIM.  How are we proclaiming God's love story in the world around us?

Our speaker, Gary said this last night:
"God never calls us into relationship without radically calling or sending us out!"

Truth be known, most of our students (maybe even adults) in the church are bored in their faith.  Do you ever think the apostles were bored?  Do you ever think the disciples were looking for something to do because they were tired of the same old thing?

Put it like this - we should be sneezing the Gospel into the world.  We shouldn't be covering up our faith.  We should be sneezing out and hoping it sticks on people and they become infected with the love of God's story of pursuit - and ultimately his pursuit of us as his children.

Our youth are already making a difference in the community of St. Francisville.  They are serving at St. Vincent de Paul in Baton Rouge.  They are reaching marginalized teens in their school.  They are cleaning widows houses in our community.  They are seeking to be diverse.  They are seeking to PROCLAIM God's story.  I suppose if we as adults don't step out of our comfort zones, they will soon pass us by as they sprint toward Christ.

Fuge Update #3 - Faded Glory

Had to make a stop in at walmart today for a few necessities.  Along the way, I passed by the clothes section of wally world.  I happened to notice the walmart brand, "Faded Glory."  Throughout the course of the day, God has been challenging me with the idea of faded glory in my walk with him.

What things in my life need to fade away in order for me to better reflect his glory?  In our church group devotional tonight, I gave each of the kids three notecards.  On the first, they wrote faded on one side and glory on the other.  I challenged them to write what things needed to fade away in their life and then some things they could add in place to better reflect God's glory.  On the second card, the kids wrote down prayer requests and ways the adults could encourage them throughout the week. On the final card, the kids wrote EMail at the top.  They will be using these cards to write each other "encouragement mail" during the week.

Kids shared great things God is doing through them this week.  I can't wait for us to get home so you can hear just how much God is pursuing and challenging your teenagers to grow!  Keep us prayed up!

Fuge Update #2 - The "Home-wrecker"

I've got to be honest and say that I'm not 100% sure why they call it the "Home-wrecker" but I've got a few ideas.  We split up last night at the hotel and took our kids out in Newnan, GA for dinner.  My group, and most of the other guys, made it to a mexican joint called Moe's (pretty much the same as Izzo's).  So, I did what came natural to me and ordered a burrito called the home-wrecker.  It comes with a little bit of everything.  I don't know if it's called that because it's just that good or because of the residual effects of eating a large, nicely wrapped and deliciously prepared bit a mexican food heaven.  I'd prolly have to say it's reason #2 (pun intended).

But as we made it in to camp today and got settled, we've been hit early with the theme of camp...The Pursuit.  Really, it's about the idea that God is unashamedly pursuing us, and that he is calling us to pursue the world in the same way he is pursuing each and every one of us (including your hormonal teenager!).  If we really get this idea of the pursuit into our hearts and live it out, I'd say it could be its own kind of home-wrecker.  You see, if we really get the message, then it might wreck some things in our lives that we have been chasing and giving ourselves over to.  I hope our kids this week will have their eyes open to what it is that they are pursuing and chasing.  I hope they will leave those things aside and give God the real estate of their hearts.

We've made it to Greenville safe and sound.  Pray for our adults who need rest, patience, and an extra dose of flexibility.  Pray for our students that they will tune in.  Pray for our students that they will come back transformed by the word of God.  We'll be walking through Ephesians and I'd encourage to pick up your Bible and read through it as well...that way when your kids get back, you can have more to talk about then, "How was camp?"

God is about to move in your kiddos lives.  I hope you are ready for the challenges they may bring back to your homes.  Perhaps the home-wrecker may have turned some stomachs upside down (or the out of date yahoos one van consumed), but if we really get serious about pursuing Christ, some of the things in our lives might get turned upside down or even wrecked.  I hope God wrecks some things in my life so that I can pursue follow him!

Fuge Update #1

Alright everybody....synchronize bladders!

Would have been a good thing, but after 2,137 stops, we made it to the hotel in Newnan, GA.  We got everybody settled in and decided for some reason to release about half of them into Walmart to get a few extra supplies.

We made good time.  We will be leaving in the morning around 8:30 to head to North Greenville University to check into camp and get settled for night one of worship.

Please to continue to lift us up as we travel and to stay flexible.  Also, pray for our weather...it's looking like some rain this next week.  We are all excited to see how God is going to work in our kid's hearts over the coming days.

Meet Colton and Moose our new youth mascot!