After 10 stops in 8 states plus 1 stop in New Brunswick, Canada, the Follow tour has come to an end.  We logged over 8,500 miles and clocked 960 hours as the invitation to Follow Jesus was given to over 6000 students. The Follow tour, which started back in April made its final two stops December 29-30 at the First Wesleyan Church in High Point, N.C. and simultaneously at the Skyline Church in San Diego, CA.

Taking a detour from the traditional way of holding the Regional Wesleyan Youth Conventions, the Wesleyan youth division took the conference on the road hosting the events in our churches and college campuses. This allowed us to cut the cost of registration, build relationships with the local church, raise up new leaders, and most importantly, reach more students.

God showed up in a mighty way and students responded. 510 students made first time decision to accept Christ as their savior. 1170 students re-dedicated their lives to him. 749 students answered God’s call into fulltime Christian ministry and over 2,500 students made commitments to “Follow” Jesus and serve him wherever he may lead.

While the Tour has come to a close the movement has just begun. The 2012 International Wesleyan Youth Convention has been set for Louisville, KY this coming December 28-31. Before the dust can settle from the tour, the international convention will continue with the same call to “Follow” Jesus. We believe that these students can shape the culture they live in. God can use them to bring the message of His hope and love to a desperately seeking generation. Follow 2012 will challenge them to do just that. Watch the Follow 2012 Promo Video.

Faith, Grace and Works
Luke 8:4-15

The first time I ever heard the story of the Sower and the Soil was when my uncle Mike read it to me. I was 16 and he called me over to his house one afternoon. Evidently my mother had called him with concerns about how I was living my life. Since I had no father growing up, my uncle served that role in my life from time to time. It was cool when he would take me camping; it was not cool when he would have to question my faith. His words stung as he pointed out that I did not have “deep roots” and was in risk of “falling away” in the face of temptation. What my uncle taught me that day was “where there is no fruit, there is no saving faith”. That’s the sobering truth behind the parable of the sower. And the sad thing is he had me dead right. He called it and I had no excuse. In my heart I was a Christian, but my lifestyle was far from it.

Many people’s hearts look the same way.  Believers have enthusiastically signed up for Jesus and committed to following him,  but either the concerns of the world or their own callousness have impeded progress to the point that we stop and question question whether they’re still in class with Christ or not.  The truth is anyone owned by Him, filled with his Word, and possessed by his Spirit will bear fruit.

As leaders we often encounter the person who prays to receive Christ, but doesn’t really get into church, youth group or the Bible, or anything.  What if a person accepts Christ but nothing changes… will he still go to heaven?

In other words, is it possible for a person to be legitimately saved without being transformed?  What if the meaning of this parable says, “no?”  There are all kinds of people who take an initial interest in Christ and make public professions of faith, but many, sadly, don’t take the Gospel to heart.  They may give brief evidences of life-change, like going to church and carrying a Bible, but they soon show their true colors.  They are unproductive, and therefore, unregenerate.  This parable suggests that three out of four hearts that hear Christ don’t know him.

Some people will find this idea unacceptable.  They will want to talk about grace, argue against lordship salvation, and remind you of a little reformation doctrine called justification by faith.

But I am reminded of what James said: Faith without works is dead.  It cannot save.  I also remember John Calvin’s formula for reformation: Faith alone justifies, but faith that justifies is not alone.  It results in works of obedience.

This in no way discounts grace.  Grace is the agent that calls forth faith and saves us as a result.  Far from being anti-grace, a belief in the necessity of transformation upholds grace.  It says that anyone who legitimately receives the supremely powerful grace of God cannot help but be changed.  The same grace that saves us is the same grace that grows and sanctifies us.

“T’was grace that brought me, safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”

Amazing Grace, John Newton

How can God grip a life without it being radically altered?
How can the Holy Spirit possess a person without bearing fruit through them?

“And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?”

Everything, Lighthouse

I’m grateful that my uncle read this parable and tested the quality of my own heart-soil. As leaders I want challenge you to chart your progress and see if spiritual fruit is growing there.  Luke 8:18 says, Consider carefully how you listen.  We must not let the words of Scripture merely enter our ears.  Those words need to saturate our hearts so that eventually they will get pumped out in our actions.

Test the quality of your heart’s soil. In this parable Jesus speaks to four types of hearts, what’s the condition of yours?

• The Hardened Heart — Represented by the hard path, this heart stiff-arms the Gospel.  It remains unstirred and unresponsive.Acid Test: Does the Bible bore you?

• The Weakened Heart — This person is like shallow, rocky soil.  There is an initial response to the Word, but pressures and difficulties cause the person’s faith to wilt.Acid Test: Do you relax your standards around unbelievers?

• The Congested Heart — This heart is crowded by both the Word and worldliness.  The cares of life, the allure of money, and the pursuit of pleasure choke out God’s influence.Acid Test: What do your priorities say about your heart’s first love?

• The Transformed Heart — The legit Christ-followerAcid Test: How are you different today than you were six months ago?

The Follow Tour made two stops in November (Grand Rapids, MI and New Brunswick, Canada) – more venues scheduled!

The Follow tour partnered with Bethany Bible College and their student weekend, Encounter. Over 300 students attended and were challenged with the call of Jesus to follow after him. Dr. Jim Dunn spoke and opened an invitation to students who were experiencing God’s call on their lives. Over 250 students responded to the call of full-time Christian vocation, and a call to serve Jesus in whatever capacity they could. John Vermilya, from Kingdom Building Ministries was also a featured speaker. Reports are still coming in as to the response students made at this event.

The Follow tour also made a stop at the Kentwood Community Church in Grand Rapids, MI, where over 300 students gathered as well to hear the same message of Jesus. Jeremy Kingsley was one of the featured speakers and gave an invitation for students to receive Christ as their savior. Fifty-three students made first time commitments and 85 rededicated their lives to Jesus. Rev. Scott Simmons spoke, giving students an invitation to answer God’s calling on their lives. Thirty students responded to the call of full time ministry and 62 more answered the call to serve him in whatever profession they choose. The conference ended with over 100 students accepting the challenge of Matthew 16:24 to follow Jesus.

The Spiritual Formation Department and The Wesleyan Youth division would like to thank Pastor Ian Nacy and the entire staff of the Kentwood Community for hosting the event, as well as Rev. Scott Rhyno and Bethany Bible College for allowing the Follow tour to come to BBC.

Moving forward – the next two venues are scheduled for December 29-30 at Skyline Church in San Diego, CA and First Wesleyan Church in High Point, North Carolina. Details and online register available at mywycon.com. Early registration deadline with a free t-shirt is Dec. 15, 2011. Follow the movement @mywycon.

“I’m not a faker anymore?”

His statement begs a question of you and me.  Are we fakers?  Is our faith in Jesus Christ authentic?  Do we walk our talk?  There are many who no longer ask these questions.  Some will emphasize that all one needs to do is to accept Jesus as personal Savior.  That’s it.  There is a waning focus on behaviors, which should follow beliefs.  I suppose this would be accurate if all we need or want Jesus for is so we can have a free pass to heaven.  We want all of Jesus has to offer, but we don’t want Jesus to have all of us.  Yet, it’s not about what you or I want.  We need to look at what Jesus would call “genuine Christianity.”

There are some “least of these” who need our attention if we are genuinely going to follow Jesus.  The poor.  The hungry.  The thirsty.  The imprisoned.  The naked.  The lonely.  The sick.  The outcast.  The addicted.  The homeless.  The weary.  The elderly.  The young.  There are some who are materially rich, yet spiritually poor who need the love of Jesus too.  I’m a faker if all I do is live for Jesus in my own little comfortable world while people all around us are dying and literally going to Hell.

Fakers are selfish with their time, money, encouragement, recommendations, admonishments, opportunities, accolades, and giving credit where credit is due.  Fakers patronize, act like they like others, are good at talking, pretend to care, and tell others they are next to Jesus when it comes to personal ministry endeavors.

Genuine followers of Jesus Christ love Him first and therefore have the ability to love others.  Love during this season of the year might mean feeding someone.  Caring for the sick could show love.  Love might mean you are on your way to visit someone in jail.  Love definitely means paying more attention to your family.  It might mean you will take time to disciple someone.  Believe it or not, loving Jesus this fall could include jumping into a pile of leaves or snow with the young at heart.

Don’t be a faker anymore.  Jesus was all in for all of us.  Whether young or older; if you live in Dakota or Delaware; time and space doesn’t ultimately matter.  What matters is this – authentically love Jesus with all you have – your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then, and only then, will you truly be able to love your neighbor as yourself.

– Dr. Jim Dunn

The Follow Tour made another stop this past weekend in the Buffalo, NY area. The Wesleyan Church of Hamburg hosted the event as 300+ students gathered to worship and answer the call to Follow Jesus. The Spirit of God was evident as hundreds of students responded in one way or another. Sixty students made first time decisions to accept Christ as their savior while over 100 rededicated their lives to Him. Dr. Jim Dunn spoke and opened an invitation to students who were experiencing God’s call on their lives. Forty-eight students answered the call of full-time Christian vocation, and 88 students joined them answering the call to serve Jesus in whatever capacity they could. Jeremy Kingsley was also a guest speaker, and Atlantic was the worship band. In the final session, over 160 students responded to Matthew 16:24 to Follow Jesus.

On Saturday, the Follow Tour and the Wesleyan Church of Hamburg added a unique feature to this event. They hosted a Fall Fest that invited the community for a great time of games, activities, and giveaways. This was a great opportunity for the students attending the Follow Tour to serve and give back, and for the Church of Hamburg to connect with the community.

The Spiritual Formation Department and The Wesleyan Youth division would like to thank Pastor Kevin Beers and the entire staff of the Church of Hamburg for hosting the event, and for providing great leadership and support to the Follow tour.

The next Tour stop is scheduled for November 4-5 at Kentwood Community Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Tour is simultaneously joining Bethany Bible College and their Encounter student weekend.

Go to www.mywycon.com to register and to get more details.

How would you describe your ministry?  Is it one that asks questions, probes problems, and develops innovative solutions?  Does it find opportunity in difficulty and refuse to quit in the face of opposition?  That’s where being shrewd can be a blessing and bring longevity to your ministry.

Being shrewd, however, is often misunderstood. Chances are your ingenuity will face extreme heat and scrutiny.  To many, our creativity is nothing more than sad compromise.  While others might weep over a burning organ, you’d roast hot dogs over it.  What others might consider apostasy you would consider kingdom activity.

In Luke 16, we find one of Jesus’ more shocking stories. He tells of a corrupt businessman who cheats his boss, and then he tells us to be like that man! …Well, sort of.

Actually, the Parable of the Shrewd Manager does not glorify theft and deception.  It glorifies innovation and ingenuity in the face of difficulty.  It teaches us that shrewdness is a character quality not to be abandoned to the world, but redeemed for the kingdom.

Christians need to recover their smarts, especially for the sake of advancing the Gospel. We need to employ some sanctified ingenuity to plant and grow seed on ground most Christians ignore.

Jacob was shrewd when faced with the prospects of war with his twin brother, Esau. To appease him, Jacob sent gifts on ahead.  By the time the two met face to face, the tensions were dissolved and they embraced as brothers.

Nathan was shrewd in confronting King David’s sin with Bathsheba.  He used a parable to open David’s heart and get him to pass judgment on himself.  Nathan entered through the back door rather than hardening the king (potentially) with a full frontal assault.

Paul was shrewd too — numerous times.  In one famous example, he was stretched out on the rack, prepared to take another 39 lashes for his mission’s activity.  As the cat-o-nine-tail was raised, Paul calmly asked, “Is it lawful to whip a Roman citizen before he has had a trial?”  The stunned soldiers became putty in his hands.  To administer such a punishment unjustly meant receiving the same yourself.  Before he knew it, he was escorted to freedom.

Another time, Paul found himself in a hearing before the Pharisees and Sadducees. The first words out of his mouth were Hey, I’m just here because I believe in the resurrection.  Result: Mayhem!  Pharisees and Sadducees divided sharply over this issue, and half the court immediately saw him as not guilty.

Admittedly, the story of the shrewd manager is not such a clear-cut case of Spirit-inspired smarts. There is the sticky fact that the manager’s actions were morally wrong yet spiritually admirable. However, the bottom-line is clear: A little street smarts can go a long way in the service of the Gospel.  Consider the following strong points of being shrewd:

• Shrewd people see facts accurately.  This manager did not deny his problem or underestimate the likely consequences.  He knew he was in big trouble, likely facing prison and the loss of his reputation.  Something had to be done to head off these troubles.  On the other hand, this man also knew his own limitations: He was too weak to dig and too strong to beg.  A third option had to exist.

• Shrewd people develop options creatively.  They don’t give up or wallow in self-pity.  They look for new possibilities even when the outcome seems inescapable.

• Shrewd people see outcomes realistically.  They have a way of seeing the future before it happens.  They aren’t idealistic or fatalistic, just realistic.  They can think a plan through and see what it will most likely lead to.

• Shrewd people take action decisively.  A shrewd person is not immobilized in the face of multiple options (the paralysis of analysis). Even when the perfect scenario doesn’t exist, a plan of action is decided upon and implemented.  Then it is carried through with energy and focus.

Studies have shown for years that high school students are influenced more by their peer group than by their parents. It was just a few years ago when these students were in elementary school and parents still had the upper hand; but those days are long gone. Even students who have a good relationship with their parents will still admit that mom and dad’s influence is fading as the years go by.

This freaks parents out (believe me I know. I now have a teenager). Adults usually lament this fact, because we fear all peer influences are negative. We assume kids will drink, party, cheat, undress…do whatever it takes to be normal; even if “normal” means wrecking your life.

But Christian kids need to realize that peer power can work for them. After all, they are part of the group; they have a tremendous amount of influence over their friends. In fact, given the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they can have more influence over their friends than anyone. As youth leaders our task is to help them gain this perspective and show them how to exert their influence in loving ways.

Of course, society has weakened the concepts of love and grace. To many, love means little more than being nice, and is generally tied to some self gratification “what’s in it for me” kind of attitude. Grace has been defined as a little more than accepting one another’s sinfulness and often blurred with tolerance. In the end we lose sight of the fact that love and grace are transformational powers. Love does make you nice…nice enough to speak the truth even when it may hurt. Grace does make you accepting… accepting enough to slog through the muck of another’s sin to help him or her get beyond it.

Confrontation is not at odds with love and grace. It is an expression of love and grace.

Confrontation usually isn’t what people expect of loving, gracious people but it’s often what they need. And that’s the beauty of this brand of love. It has shock value. It hits you right in your sin and calls you to higher ground. Done in the right way, it’s wonderfully arresting.

Jesus and Confrontational Love (Luke 10:38-42)

No one showed more tough love than Jesus. When the rich young man tried to impress Jesus with his legalistic obedience, Christ called his bluff and told him to sell out or take a hike. After Peter denied knowing Christ, Jesus took him through a painful restoration process. And when the pompous Pharisees played the role of big guy, Jesus used tactful terms like “white-washed tombs,” “brood of vipers,” and “children of the devil” to describe them.

But maybe the simplest example of tough love is Jesus’ encounter with Martha in Luke 10:38-42.

Attempting to relax with friends, Jesus finds “Miss Busybody” wrecking the party. Martha wonders where Mary gets off not helping in the kitchen, and she can’t believe Jesus won’t “validate her feelings.”

Notice the gentleness of Jesus’ confrontation: “Martha, Martha”…you can just hear the sigh in his voice. He’s not angry or raging. He realizes her reaction is all too typical. It’s the shadow side of her strength—giving and serving—that is being expressed here. God wove her together to be a “Type A,” but Martha is letting it get the best of her.

Notice too how Jesus doesn’t exploit the opportunity, using it to do major surgery on Martha’s heart. He doesn’t rip open her chest, evaluate every impure motive, and turn the spotlight on every dark shadow he finds there. He speaks to the problem and nothing more. That’s important, because if we’re not careful, confrontation on one issue can quickly turn into a sweeping critique of a person’s character. But Jesus doesn’t do that. Instead he uses the moment to remind everyone of the higher priorities Mary is demonstrating. That call to “higher ground” is the whole point of confronting love.

Being Confrontational starts with:

• Trusting
  Trust God to use you as a positive influence in your student’s life. Trust that He desires you to confront your students when they need it. Prayerfully trust Him to give you truthful, grace-filled words to say as you confront.
• Optimism
  Be upbeat and positive. Be as serious as you need to be, but show your confidence that good things will result as your students hears you and takes your words to heart.
• Understanding
  Go into the situation ready to listen. Your student might just open up and share some serious things with you, giving you the chance to help even more.
• Grace
  Don’t come off as self-righteous. Remind you’re student that you’re not perfect either and you’re both in this journey together. Communicate that you’re just doing what you would want someone else to do for you.
• Honesty
  Whatever you do, don’t back down from your original purpose. Don’t wimp out or soften the blow. “Wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Prov. 27:6). Speak the truth openly and honestly. Your students are depending on your positive influence. They need you!