This weekend we are taking 20 leaders from our youth ministry up to Winterpark for an amazing weekend of leadership training! I'm SOOO pumped for it. God is going to do amazing things with our youth ministry and it starts and ends with our leadership. So, I'm so excited that we can all come together for a weekend and talk about where God has us and where He is taking us.
I absolutely love the leaders we have and their doing spectacular things in our youth ministry, but after this weekend is through, I know we are going to PUMP UP THE VOLUME!

I am absolutely amazed by our students! We just came back from Fine Arts 2010. This was a competition event put on by our AG district where students can compete in all sorts of ways. Our students blew me away with the level of talent that they have. God is so amazing and I can see Him working in our student's lives. From Siana's dance to Mason's drum solo to the large human video group, I was so proud. GREAT JOB GUYS! YOU ALL ROCK!


Ryan Sharp

"I got my finger on the trigger, but I don't know who to trust."

That's how you write a song.

Springsteen isn't trying to impress you with his writing, but trying to bring you into a conversation. That's why I believe this is one of the greatest anti-war songs ever written. It's so good, you may not even realize its anti-war, and thats exactly why it's so effective.

By assuming the point of view of a soldier, Bruce creates a statement without marginalizing anyone in the process. Instead of nailing people in the face with an opinion, he paints pictures that require the listener to ask questions. I'm sure Bruce hopes these questions will lead you to his same conclusions, but he leaves it up to you.

Springsteen certainly isn't the originator of this approach. Neither is Dylan or even Shakespeare. King David uses it in his most famous Psalm "23", where he assumes the role of a sheep. And as a communicator, Jesus applied it almost exclusively (Mathew 13:34).

So take a tip from Jesus, and Springsteen: Tell a story. If people are smart, they'll get it, and I think people are smarter than we give them credit for. Don't you?

Inquiring Minds

I know you're out there readers. I really want to know what you think about these questions that will be talked about in Grace's new series called Inquiring Minds.


Post a reply to this blog and let me know your thoughts about one or more of these questions.
I'll post my opinions later.

THANKS,
Ryan