3 Thoughts on Leaders + a Question on Confession

McKenna has been living out the faith she proclaimed in baptism yesterday!

It's always encouraging to celebrate baptisms; there's no better picture of the changed lives we hope to see! As we celebrated with McKenna yesterday, it was clear to me that McKenna is a strong leader. Her dad said as much about her leadership in their family. Kenny talked about her leading her peers towards Jesus including handing out Bibles. She carried herself as a leader as she shared her story.

McKenna, it's clear that you've been living out the faith you proclaimed yesterday - and that's how it should be! Keep going!

Healthy, servant-minded, effective leaders don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

Krysta and Rachel are leaders worth following!

These 2 ladies have not only been walking the walk as they invest in children's ministry at Christ Community, they also are gifted communicators! Their ability to help us see the why behind discipling our young people is invaluable! 

When you serve alongside people like Krysta and Rachel, not only do you enjoy serving, but you're going to grow because of how they invest their gifts in you. Contact Krysta if you want to be part of changing kids stories with the message of Jesus!

Investing in the next generation that's leading us isn't just about volunteering, it's also about just showing up in their lives.

This coming Sunday is our back to school bash. We often decide whether or not to attend events like this based on whether or not they offer something for "me." I was asked to volunteer this coming Sunday night and it flashed me back to events like this I attended at my home church growing up.

I remember people from every generation coming together to invest in young people:

Doc Demotte always welcomed us with a smile and a mint in his pocket. (Looking back, he probably funded the event as well.)

Vonda had developed creative games that connected to Biblical truths.

Other older church ladies were doling out cookies and juice like nobody's business!

Nobody was "too old" or "too young" to be inviting the next generation to join Jesus.

Later on, research would confirm what I'd experienced. Being known by 5 adults in your church outside of your parents is the greatest indicator of staying connected to the church as you move into adulthood.

This coming Sunday at Christ Community, every kid will be "promoted." They'll be in new classes on Sunday morning and they'll celebrate the upcoming year on Sunday night. All of that might have nothing to do with you, but it is an opportunity to be 1 of 5 people who takes a genuine interest in a young persons life.

Talk to the teen sitting in your row.

Show up on Sunday night just to see what's happening and meet a family.

Smile at a young person.

Ask them a question that helps you learn more about them.

Invest in the next generation that's already leading us. I promise you - we have some young people that love Jesus deeply and have a lot to teach us!

When should I confess my sin to other people?

Psalm 32 led us into a deep dive on confessing sin yesterday. We focused mostly on confessing our sin to God. The question still hanging out there is, When should I confess my sin to other people?

James 5:16 is most helpful:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

When your sin has hurt the other person, confessing to them is needed if you want healing. That confession should then lead to shared prayer.

Here's the caution. Many times we do this in place of or prior to confessing to God.

Confessing to others is about healing. Confessing to God is about forgiveness.

If we seek forgiveness from people instead of shared prayer and healing, we're putting them in a place they weren't meant to be. We're giving them the power (and asking them) to do something only God can do: forgive sin.

Don't get me wrong. We need to forgive others. But our forgiveness is for relational healing, not soul healing. That comes only from the Lord.

So if you're sin has hurt someone, confess that to them. But after you've confessed to the Lord and received the forgiveness of sin only Christ can provide.