“And I like the music.”  That made me immediately smile and then become incredibly thankful for our music minister Vance Watt.  In some ways music at our Wednesday night Bible studies has become a focal point even more than Bible study itself…not really…but I feel so fortunate to have him here doing music for us.  Last night we heard a song written completely by our students, music and all, called “Mercy.”  It started to bring tears to my eyes hearing a verse by a young man who I had the privilege of leading to Christ talking about forsaking the former life to embrace the new life with God’s help and “mercy.”  How cool is that?

I would say that I love my church.  All over the place we have people stepping up to the plate in huge ways, practicing “Religion that God our Father sees as perfect and faultless…to look after orphans and widows…”  Stand proud CenterPoint, Jesus is rising to his feet in response to our work.

I’ve started realizing that it’s only through the *stuff* we go through (I say *stuff* because I have some other words that could describe the *stuff* I’ve seen some kids go through, but I’ll censor for now) that we even we begin to understand reliance upon God.  Being around some of these guys and seeing their resilience to whatever life throws at them has been incredible and a source of great inspiration as I go through some difficult times in my own life.  It’s one thing to preach the gospel to other people and then quite another to apply the very principles you’ve been teaching…and decidedly difficult.  But this should be encouraging for us as we minister the gospel…if we know it so well and it’s hard for us to move from theory to practicality then how much more so for those we’re ministering to.  Have patience my friends, patience.

So I sit here trying to rejoice in the sufferings…James 1 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  Perseverance must finish its work…huh, so I guess we should invite trials and sufferings because that’s how God develops his character in us.  How unworldly…How dangerous.  That’s what I’m talking about.  None of this sissy *stuff*.  Skeptics say faith is just a crutch for those who can’t deal.  Faith isn’t a crutch, it’s accepting the mission to stop being so selfish and do the will of God.

I’ve also learned something else lately.  If you’re so angry you just feel heavy, stop and consider this from Psalm 32…”Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered…When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ - and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”  BE HUMBLE!!!

Alright I guess I’ll step down from this box for a moment, thanks for listening to my rant.  Here I am waiting…no expecting God to show up even in the midst of *stuff*.

“it’s blogs like the one i am about to write that i wish more people would read this thing. not that i think i have something really important to say or that it will become more popular, but so that it brings awareness and attention to the things and people that need help and support. and i’m not always going to post things on facebook, because i know i get annoyed with all the notes. so i am not going to be apart of the annoyance. i hope you feel the same way. alright, good talk.

i’ll be the first to admit that i am somewhat of a cry baby. i can’t take it when i see other people cry, i don’t know what it is about seeing other people evoke such emotion that tears would flow that makes me cry at that said emotion. i would like to think that i am sharing that moment with them. on that note last night i had to fight tears back amongst a few hundred teenagers as i watched line 150 perform. line 150 is a drumline ministry based out of centerpoint church in tallahassee that “exists to foster the well-being of young at-risk men in Tallahassee by sharing the gospel in word and deed, establishing healthy mentoring relationships, and encouraging excellence in education…music is the means.” this ministry was started a very good friend of mine eric stites while i still worked at centerpoint and i remember when it started with 2 kids and no drums in the sweltering heat of the sun. most of the kids weren’t christians, many had kids of their own, had troubles in school, and very little family to support them. not the kind of kids you would attract to the “church” and honestly not the kind most “churches” would want around. so eric and centerpoint went to them with something to do and a interest in them and their story that they had never felt before. now there are over 30 kids i believe, who receive tutoring and mentoring and some have given their lives to christ, some haven’t, but they all have experienced change in their life for the better. this is the way ministry ought to be. the day where we create a really cool program and have a “big name” speaker and pass out a bunch of fliers and expect true change is over. those things are good for planting a seed, but it is time for us, it is time for me to go to the people who need to know christ and care for them, live life with them, love them. so last night my wife teri and i went to DO IT BIG youth rally @ leon high school (shout out to Ben, Roshad, Stuart and their team of people for putting that on AND making it attractive for all cultures and races, i’ll write about that later) to support my friend eric and line 150. as teri was crying and through the tears i was fighting back we saw right in front of us what true life change is and it was something worth rejoicing and crying over. i want to thank eric and centerpoint for starting this ministry and being an example of we all need to be doing more. for more information you can go to line150.com. support them, help them, pray for them. this is a way for all of us to march to a truly DIFFERENT drum…”

ahill

But I quickly realized that’s because I had forgotten how impactful a week away from family and all that is familiar can be when you’re a teenager.  And the fact that I would get to share this time with our kids was truly a privilege.

Romans 8:28-29 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”  As the speaker for the weeks spoke about how God uses the bad things in our lives for the good, I realized how perfect this subject was for so many of our youth.  Over the next couple of days, our kids experienced a brokenness and transparency like I’ve never seen before.  I will be the first to tell you that emotions are never a good measure of what is going on in our spirits, but the tears that were shed from the hurt and pain present in these young peoples lives was testimony to me of God’s Spirit at work.  Hearing them share and from that knowing they were drinking up all that was being taught was ministering to my heart as much as theirs.

As I reflected on my own life, I realized how appropriate this subject is for all of God’s children.  “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us,” says Romans 8:18.  We can rejoice in the pain and suffering of life because we know God is at work redeeming us. 

You can count me now a believer in camp…getting away to find home.

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Mark 1:15 records Jesus saying, “The time has come…The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  He then tells Simon and Andrew, “Come, follow me…and I will make you fishers of men.”  If your like me, “repent and believe the good news!” conjures up visions of fire and brimstone preachers intimidating people into a conversion experience that leaves them more scared and nervous than it does rejoicing as the man healed of his leprosy did.  And maybe your reaction to that is like mine, running as far as I can in the other direction for fear of offending my friends and family.  How much more offensive it will be, though, if when I get to heaven and am sharing stories with the saints I tell them I was afraid of offending my friends and family with the gospel.  Maybe we just need to let people know, repent and believe the good news.  It’s not uncomfortable, it’s the greatest news the world has heard.

Later in Mark, Jesus says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Thanks be to God that I am a sinner, called by God to be an overcomer through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  The kingdom is growing, so let’s let fellow sinners know the good news of God’s grace and mercy.

Be praying for our ministry that we would continue to see young men and women come to know our Savior and that those who come to know Him would be “bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that [they] may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified [them] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.”

It was after I said this that one voice piped up saying, “but what about poor people?  We don’t have houses…”  “What?!?” I thought in my head.  At this moment, there were two conversations going on…one, an inward monologue and the other an outward dialogue.  On the outside I told him that Jesus doesn’t need a house, but comes to live in your heart when you ask him.  Therefore, he could be a Christ follower as well, since Jesus didn’t need a physical house to live in, but only his heart.

On the inside, my mind began to race as I thought through how a boy of 12 years could have the perception that Jesus was only for “rich people.”  Have we really, as the Church, sent out the message so clear that even a 12 year old gets it to say, “Come as you are, the gospel is for you, so long as you look like me, talk like me, act like me, etc, etc, etc…”???  And I by no means want to point the finger at the Church and say look at what’s wrong with this, as my postmodern mind wants to, but it was such an insightful comment I had to share it with you.

It’s hard not to feel like our efforts are only a drop in the bucket sometimes but I’m encouraged by something I learned during my time at Desire Street in New Orleans 4 years ago.  In 2 Samuel 5, David inquires of the Lord about how to defeat the Philistine army.  The Lord replies in v. 23, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.  As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.”  In the same way, I know the kingdom is moving forward, even in spite of us…

Our website is brand new so there’s lots of information to check out like…pictures of our latest performances, dates and venues of future performances, and a little about who we are.  Be sure to check back often and tell your friends!!!

Eric Stites

Line 150 Director