free events

i was very much impressed by the conference this weekend. there was amazing music led by the likes of jason upton and ricardo. there were concerts by truce (hip hop from nyc), what i call a messianic native group ( i really enjoyed this.) it had the tribal feel, with a lot of drums and beats, with guitar. speakers were nicky cruz, harvey carey and reggie dabbs. in which i was impressed by all of them.

i was amazed with the quality. i mentioned earlier that this was a free event that ran primarily on donations. i think i will call later today to see if the finances came in or not. but i am wondering if the wesleyan church could take a chance. if they could see the need to reach the youth of our church in a low cost event or even a free event in which they eat the cost.

the church where i youth pastor has an event like this. i have talked about it before on this blog before. barn bash is an event in which our church for the most part has taken the cost of the event ( roughly $10,000 not including many donations from the congregation.) we do ask for a donation of $5 but do not enforce this. last year we collected $3000, which meant we payed $7000 out of pocket, splitting the bill for the youth and outreach budgets for the year.

personally i think an event like this that the youth pay $3500 on last year was a worthwhile investment. because lives are coming to Christ out of barn bash. this year barn bash will have 7 bands headlined by an up and coming christian band edison glass (they were at most of the christian fests this summer.) and 6 other quality bands. we will have a skate/bmx exhibition team (enemy opposition) which was featured at logos5 in boston. as well as a acoustic stage (headlined by the infamous dave rowe) hayrides, cornmaze, free food (we have a lot of food)

if you are in the syracuse area the weekend of sept 16 i invite you to check it out. reply for more info or go to www.myspace.com/thebarnbash

joshua revolution (a free youth conference)

joshua revolution was started in niagra falls, new york. today i am leaving with some teens to go to a free youth conference called field of miracles in rochester. normally free means sad and pathetic. however, when reggie dabbs is speaking and jason upton is leading worship how bad can it be? not bad for a three day event.

i like it when organizations take chances to throw a free youth event. i remember going to a youth event in december put on by my denomination that was also three days. it cost each individual about $300. maybe the wesleyans can take som notes from joshua revolution which is by the way a much smaller organization.

in a nutshell

Leviticus 11:45 says I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Holiness is a different mindset, one that makes you set apart from the rest of the crowd. In fact that in the Greek form means set apart. Another verse in 1 Timothy 1:8-9 shares the same sentiment; “so do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life.

Do you notice how it is two separate things? Salvation and a holy life, we have already been rescued from the depths, the action; the sacrifice has already been made. This action has already taken place. This action of course was Christ dying and resurrecting three days later. In a Christians life we have already accepted this, that is how we are called Christians. The belief in these two acts of Christ.

The act of salvation is past, but the idea of living a holy life is present and future. It is our job to learn how to be a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God as it says in Romans 12:1.
This is of course not an easy task. But is definitely not unreachable. It is very possible and definitely a reachable goal. God does not ask of us something we cannot be. We have to be different, set apart from the world in our actions and deeds.

Now this holiness does not mean perfection. And this is where the church has messed up. John Wesley called it Christian perfection. Not meaning that we are perfect and cannot sin within holiness. In a way it means that we are bent away from the sinful nature that we were so proned to. This is how we got termed with the word hypocrites, because we cannot live up to perfection.

this morning

i saw joe lieberman on the news this morning talking about how he lost the primary in conneticut, and calling for unity between the parties. i like this idea.