To be honest, I don’t. Of course, I never knew my biological father. But I imagine how that moment must have felt for those of you who do. What a rush knowing that he believed in you, that you were ready to take the big drive solo.

Maybe that’ how Peter felt when Jesus told a water soaked Apostle Peter on a beach to “Feed my sheep.” In a sense Jesus was throwing him the keys to the car and saying, “take it for a spin.”

Jesus was leaving Peter in charge of this ragtag group of young disciples. He was to feed and lead them to accomplish THE Cause of making disciples who make disciples in every nation. For three and a half years Peter was double clutching, second guessing and taking wrong turns. But it was okay because he only had his learner’s permit and Jesus was right there by his side.

But now Jesus was getting ready to evacuate the planet and Peter would soon be the one in the driver’s seat, leading the disciples in their quest to race the gospel around the globe. The good news was that, although Jesus would soon be gone, His Spirit would soon come to drive Peter as he drove the disciples to the finish line. The Holy Spirit was like a GPS meets Turbo charge in one and He would give Peter the direction and the power to get the job done. By the time the blood rushed to Peter’s head as he hung inverted on a cross the gospel had gone from Jerusalem to Rome and beyond. That’s a lot of souls. That’s a lot of mileage.

What kind of car was Peter driving? I don’t know but my best guess is a Honda. After all, the Bible says in that “the disciples were all in one accord…” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

So just what is the car? It’s the body of Christ on a mission for Christ! And where is this car today? Parked! Instead of motoring from our Jerusalem through our Judea and Samaria, it’s sitting in the pews of our church buildings. Like a Ferrari wasting away in a garage we are called to drive, but too often we just collect dust and rust.

The keys to that car have been passed on from generation to generation and now it’s our turn to drive. In essence Jesus is throwing us the keys and saying “Go ahead. Take it for a spin.” He is entrusting us to make disciples who make disciples in our own little world and to take the next generation with us, just like Peter did as he drove the young disciples to make disciples who make disciples.

Start your engines and let’s drive!

No single act in the Christian life is as dangerous as evangelism. Bible study, prayer and attending church are not dangerous, they are disciplines. But when you actually open your mouth to proclaim the gospel to someone you risk some kind of loss. In some countries that could be your life. But in America it is most likely your reputation, a relationship or maybe even a pending promotion. When you share the gospel, even in a loving way, you could be subjecting yourself to mockery or, at the very minimum, alienation by co-workers, classmates, family or friends. When you proclaim Christ’s controversial message to those you know you are picking up your cross in a visceral and vocal way. You are that proving you are willing to die to that relationship, if need be, so that that person can hear and have the opportunity of being transformed by the gospel. Now that is dangerous and that is evangelism.

The first thing Jesus did when he officially appointed them as apostles in Matthew 10 was to unleash them on an evangelistic campaign. Why? Because Jesus knew that when the disciples were put in a position of danger that they would be forced to either trust in him or run and hide. Jesus understood that discipleship without danger was really no discipleship at all.

If there is nothing to lose then there is nothing to gain. Maybe that’s why Jesus boldly stated to the large crowds who were following him in Luke 14:26-27, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

If you saw someone carrying their cross in that culture they were on their way to be crucified. So, in this passage, Jesus is inviting the crowds to come die with him by bearing the shame of His Name.

Are you willing to bear that same shame? If you are then start sharing your faith right away because evangelism gets splinter in your hands quicker than any Bible study ever could. Even as I type these words there are Christians across the globe dying for sharing their faith. They have picked up their crosses by proclaiming the Name of Jesus and risking everything.

In the United States you may not get killed for sharing your faith but you could lose your job, your reputation and your relationships. But remember that if you risk nothing then you gain nothing when it comes to your own spiritual development. And there is no spiritual discipline that risks as much as a lifestyle of relational and relentless evangelism.

In most discipleship meetings in the United States the only danger may be from a paper cut from turning the pages of the Bible or a a hot coffee tongue burn. Again, nothing lost, nothing gained.

Not too long ago I was invited to a men’s Bible study. As the guys who were there described themselves and their meeting I heard phrases like “we are a band of brothers” and “we are spiritual warriors!” So when they asked me to share for a few minutes I pulled a pin on the discipleship grenade. I said something like, “No offense guys but, while this is a great little Bible study, I wouldn’t quite call yourselves warriors yet. Warriors don’t sit around and talk about how they are warriors they go out and fight the battle and then they gather together and tell stories of what happened on the battlefield.”

I then helped them to re-imagine a new kind of gathering where they all picked a handful of others they were seeking to reach with the gospel. I cast a vision of a gathering where danger was introduced as a key element. Of course they could and should still dive into the Scriptures. But now the truths of the Divine Field Guide (aka “The Bible”) would be punctuated by stories of real men risking everything by reaching others with the good news of Jesus verses just reading about those who did this 2,000 years ago on a different continent.

Some kind of chord was struck in their hearts that morning. They resonated with my challenge. I am excited to hear how their new format unfolds.

But it needs to unfold in more than just men’s Bible studies. It needs to unfold in women’s Bible studies, church services, Sunday school and youth group meetings.

As I travel the nation and connect with young people through Dare 2 Share training conferences, I find teenagers mostly bored with church. Why? Because they live in a cause-driven culture and go to information-driven churches. To them church is more of an information download than the gathering of spiritual warriors who are working together to accomplish a dangerous mission. But the cause of Christ is at the epicenter of danger. It is his last and lasting mandate to “make disciples of all nations….”

I believe if we can unleash our young people, our old people and every “people” in between for THE Cause then we can witness massive amounts of souls saved. But I also believe that we will see an accelerated spiritual growth in the lives of those who are advancing the gospel because of the dangerous form of discipleship they are engaged in as they advance the kingdom of God.

Let’s do more than beat our chests and talk about being warriors for Christ. Let’s beat down the doors of hell and plunder lost souls from the empire of darkness. Then we can gather around the campfire, share stories, dive deep into the Word of God and give him praise for all that he is doing.

Now that’s dangerous!

Almost eleven years after the tragedy at Columbine High School a lone gunman unleashed two bullet from a 30-6 Rifle into two teenagers at Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colorado. One is in critical condition. The other was released last night.

My heart breaks for these two teenagers and for the hundreds upon hundreds of teens at this school who will never be the same. Their innocence lost at the sound of two blasts and at the sight of their friends getting hurt.

But thank God for math teachers. Dr. David Benke tackled the shooter while he was reloading. And then other teachers piled on. I’m married to a public school teacher and I thank God that, since Columbine, teachers like Dr. Benke are saying, “No more. Not at my school.”

These teens need hope now more than ever. These teens need Jesus now more than ever.

Pray with me for the students at Deer Creek Middle School. Pray for the teenager who is currently struggling to recover at Children’s hospital. And, yes, pray for the lone gunman to come to Jesus and receive the redemption he so desperately needs.

And please, I beg you, pray that God raises up a generation of teen evangelists who reach their friends with the good news of Jesus Christ so that young people across the United States can say with the Apostle Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Relationships, training and interactivity are the name of the game at this youth worker’s training conference and it shows in the hallways. They are full of youth leaders deep in conversation about lessons they are learning and old principles they are putting into practice in new ways.

At SYMC you’ll discover a vibe and a tribe. The vibe is that of the Holy Spirit reverberating through the lives of the top notch Simply Youth Ministry team and the fired up group of trainers they have assembled. The tribe is that of fellow youth ministry revolutionaries like yourself who are tired of the status and sick of the quo.

Come join us this weekend in Chicago (I will be there on Sunday and Monday after the D2S Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska) and you will become a fan of the SYMC too. I, like the bearded guy o those irritatingMen’s Wearhouse commercials, guarantee it.

In spite of the odor challenges I will never forget that spiritually life-altering week. God used it to transform my young life. It was at this camp that I really began to catch a vision for what God could do through an army of fired up teenagers (there were 2,000 of them or so at this particular camp.) It was there that God moved my heart to make a difference with my life by investing in teenagers.

To be honest this change of perspective began before I ever got to Hollywood. It started on the bus ride. Driving from Denver to south Florida was a two day extravaganza and Kenny Sanchez, the bus driver and my youth pastor, asked me to stay up with him to talk as he drove into the late hours of the night. As teenagers snored and snoozed all around us we had a deep conversation about the power of the gospel and the difference that one teenager could make. Kenny believed in the power of the gospel and the potential of young people. Kenny believed in me. When I walked off that bus two days later I wasn’t just soaked in sweat I was drenched in faith. I knew that God wanted to use me, and other teenagers, to make a difference

That road trip changed my life.

Youth ministry is like a road trip. It’s full of twists and turns and lots of late night conversations. And it’s on this road trip that youth leaders often encounter some big problems:

Flat tires

What’s your flat tire? In other words what are your personal and ministry capacity challenges? Of course you could ride on the rims all the way to your destination but if you want to make it to your destination as safely and quickly as possible you probably want to fix that flat before you step on the accelerator.

Maybe that flat is a relational challenge that you have with another member of the youth staff. It could be a nagging sin in your personal life that is holding you back. Maybe you just need to pump up your prayer life by going on a spiritual retreat. Flat tires could range from physical challenges to spiritual hang ups to emotional break downs. Whatever is holding you back from driving that church van all the way to San Jose is your “flat tire.” Fix it.

Bad directions

Youth leaders who are using a typical youth group curriculum may be unknowingly using a flawed map to get to where they really want to go. In a way publishing groups are determining the ultimate destination of many youth groups by default. Whatever the philosophy of the writer becomes the road map for the youth group and although I’m sure there are many good maps out there there are most likely some very flawed ones at well. My challenge to youth leaders is to refuse to delagate, abdicate or relegate the direction your youth ministry takes to some person whose theology/philosophy you are not sure of. Why? Because bad directions are a stinking waste of your time, your life and your youth ministry potential. Ask the hard questions. Evaluate youth ministry curriculum before you buy. Make whatever adjustments you need to make to their maps before you teach them to your teenagers. How? Evaluate whatever map you use by the compass of God’s Word and make sure it is leading you to lead your young passengers in the right direction.

Unreached destinations

After all this talk of bad maps and lousy directions I have to tell you something that may surprise you. I believe that most youth ministries are headed in the right direction, they are just not going far enough! If we make our ultimate destination as a youth group “Survival City” (i.e. to the place where our teen don’t bag their faith after high school) then we may have missed the better city just down the road (i.e. serious commitment to Christ!) And, although “Serious City” is a great destination, an even better one may be one more city down the road…The town called “Multiply.” Not all the kids will make it there but some will. And those who do will do more than just survive they will thrive and spiritually multiply by making disciples who make disciples.

This is where Jesus drove his disciples. Although plenty of people got off his bus after they were converted, and some rung the bell for Jesus to pull over after they got filled up with loaves and fishes, he had a handful (eleven of the twelve disciples) who make it all the way to “Multiply.”

What’s the lesson for us here? Simple. If we don’t have Multiply as our ultimate destination none of our kids will make it there. Most will likely hop off the bus before it ever rolls into town. But if we can get a handful the whole way then these road warriors will produce 30, 60 and a hundred fold (see Mark 4 and the Parable of the Sower for proof of this.)

Let’s choose our ultimate destination, fix our flats and get driving. As we do let’s make sure we are using the compass of God’s Word to make sure our maps are leading us in the right direction.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget the Red Bull.

Someone please stop the crazy train so that I can get off! And, whether or not you choose the right or left side of the tracks, I’m inviting you to jump off with me.

Don’t get me wrong. Although I am deep red in my politics as an American I am pretty blue in my face as a Christian. Why? Because I’m tired of holding my breath waiting for American evangelicals to realize that this country is not going to be converted to Christ politically. If just half of the tight, right and mostly white Republican believers devoted a quarter as much time reaching their neighbors for Christ as they did watching Fox News then maybe we could make some real progress as a church and as a nation. And the same goes for you Christian Democrats out there (although you can insert MSNBC or CNN in this analogy if you’d like.)

Our politics flow out of our worldview which flows out of our theology which flows out of our relationship with Christ. So if we want to truly influence politics then we must, first and foremost, influence others to embrace Jesus as their Savior. Then we must plunge them into a passionate pursuit of God through prayer, worship and obedience to His Word.

The real boogeyman is not the President, a political party, the homosexuals or an Alaskan icon in high heels who can see Russia from her front porch. Satan is the real boogeyman. And I believe that he is doing everything he can in his power to get Christians distracted. For the right-leaning Christians (like me) he is trying to get us to worship at the altar of Glenn Beck rather than Jesus Christ. He is seeking to get us to hate the President instead of pray for him. He is trying to get us to seek a political solution to a spiritual problem.

For the left-leaning Christians (like, not me) he is seeking to get them to worship a political agenda instead of a risen Savior. He is seeking to get them to mock the right instead of pray for them. He is seeking to get them to replace the power of the gospel message with a green lifestyle.

Can true Christians differ politically? Yes! Should these Christians discuss, debate and dialogue on the important issues of politics? Of course! But let us never forsake the true “weapons of righteousness in our right hands and in our left.” The Word of God, prayer, love and the gospel message are more important and influential than any ballot box, news station or political affiliation. They have divine power to change hearts and not just pass bills.

Wherever you are politically my prayer is that your true hero is Jesus, that your ultimate mission is the proclamation of His message with your life and with your lips and that the only real boogeyman in your world is the Devil.

Remember Paul’s words in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”Let us rivet our eyes to Him who gives us the audacity of ultimate and everlasting hope.

Yes we can!

“Speak like what?” I responded.

“Speak like this…” silent again.

“What do you mean Kailey? Daddy doesn’t understand.” (I was expecting her to use some deeper voice impression of God instead of, well, nothing.)

Frustrated she said, “Daddy God doesn’t talk to me. He is quiet. Why doesn’t he talk to me with words?”

Hmmm.

I wish I had a snappy theological comeback that a five year old could wrap her mind around but I didn’t. As a matter of fact I’ve been thinking about her question ever since. Yes, I know that God speaks to us through creation (Psalm 19) and through His Word (Psalm 119.) But, Kailey has a point, why doesn’t he use words?

Maybe He operates differently with you but I’ve been saved since June 23rd, 1974 and I’ve never heard the audible voice of God once. When I flip through the stations on my television set and see big haired preachers go on about the conversation they had with God over lattes last night I get a little frustrated. What am I missing? Why does God speak to me like this?____________(silence)

As I have marinated on this question over the last few days I think that one of the reasons why God doesn’t often use words is that it would remove the faith factor. Because I don’t have a “Greg, now do this….” voice in my head or in my ear I have to rely, search, pray, seek, watch and wait until He confirms in my inner spirit that this or that is the direction I should go.

Maybe it’s this internal confirmation (which some call the “still, small voice”) that is the way that God “speaks” to us without words. He uses circumstances, situations and confirmations in the deepest place of our soul to direct us.

Somebody once said, “90% of knowing God’s will is knowing God’s Word” and I agree. If you want to hear the voice of God then go and read your Bible. Every word is straight from the throneroom of God.

Last night as I tucked Kailey into bed I told her, “Kailey, God does speak today. He is speaking all the time and He speaks most of all through the Bible. Although we may not be able to hear His voice out loud, He is speaking.”

In the words of Francis Schaeffer, “He is there and He is not silent.”

The real question is not is God is speaking but are we listening?

It takes pioneers in various fields to push us average Joes and Jolenes above the fray and help us to look at the system in a different light. At some point, somebody riding a horse thought, “What if we could lay down some tracks and put some kind of motorized machine on those babies that would propel it along faster and to take more cargo with us?” Then, at another point, somebody riding a train thought, “What if this train had wheels and ran on the road instead of tracks? What if it was driven by a gasoline engine instead of a steam one?” Maybe it was riding in a Model T that propelled the Wright brothers to come up with the idea of making a machine with wings that flys. From airplanes and automobiles to cell phones and microwaves, just about everything we enjoy as a modern convenience is a result of pioneers saying, “The old system was good but there’s a better idea awaiting.”

I believe this same thing needs to happen in youth ministry. We need pioneers in the field of youth ministry who are going to think Biblically, creatively and relevantly to say “the old system was good but here’s an idea to get us there farther and faster.” Now you may not think of yourself as a “pioneer” but most of the pioneers in the past were people like you and me who were discontened with the system and set out to improve it.

Systemic change comes from asking hard questions. These questions fly in the face of “we’ve always done it this way” and “don’t rock the boat.” But who said change was easy, or comfortable for that matter?

Jesus called it “new wine in new wineskins.” I call it making systemic change. Whatever you call it, now is the time for innovation in youth ministry: to dream, create and refine a new system of youth ministry that gets our teenagers farther and faster toward the ultimate destination of Christlikness.

What is our little contribution to this process at Dare 2 Share Ministries? To recalibrate youth leaders toward THE Cause of Christ and to get them on board with youth ministry as a mission and not just a meeting. For more information check out http://www.dare2share.org/thecause.

What will you contribute to the systemic transformation of youth ministry? It may be something little or big but it is needed. I am calling all Henry Fords and Thomas Edisons to kick your creative juices in gear, dust off your Bibles and open your eyes to the new possibilities of youth ministry in a postmodern, economically-depressed, spiritually-open age.

Getting our teenagers down the road of becoming like Jesus is what we’ve all been driving for in our Model Ts. Getting them to their ultimate destination faster is where your prayerful innovation kicks in.