Devotional Thoughts | Nailscars.com

Confessions of an Average Youth Minister

For Worship: Lessons from a 5 Year Old

I got a chance to go with my wife and oldest son to Bourbonnais, IL last weekend on a family mission trip with our church. As we were getting ready for the trip Meredith and I were trying to explain to Nathan (our 5 year...

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Praying for Numbers

Before you read this post please understand that I know that more church happens outside of the walls than inside of it. I know that people coming to church is the result of a life change and very rarely the beginning of one. B...

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When I see him I smile

If you need to know how much I like my son you just have to know one thing: when I see him, I smile. No matter how hard my day is, no matter what I have been going through or what sorts of things I am wrestling with in my head,...

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Good Friday

We have come once again to Good Friday and once again I am amazed and humbled by the sacrifice of God. I know me. I live with me. I am aware of my faults and shortcomings. I am aware of the things that I shouldn’t do that...

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Relationship

So if the difference between Christian faith and all other forms of spirituality is that Christian faith offers a relational dynamic with God, why are we cloaking this relational dynamic in formulas? –Donald Miller: Searc...

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Good Friday Ideas

Squishy Circuits: An electric lesson for younger youth and children

Resurrection Snacks?

It’s been too long

About Me

I don’t have all of the answers and some weeks it feels like I don’t have any of the answers. I forget students names sometimes and say stupid things that hurt their feelings. I often find a good word picture or object lesson and build the lesson off of that instead of the other way around. I have put the finishing touches on a Wednesday night Bible study on Wednesday more times than I can count. I don’t always pray as much as I should and I never study as much as I should. I try every new youth ministry model that comes from the “experts” and I have had at least 3 mission statements over the past 5 years.

But I love students ministry. I love watching teenagers as they serve God. I love to see them worship and forget about themselves for a while. I love seeing someone wake up to the love of God if only for a little while. I love to see them out serving their community and sharing the love of Christ with others. I love to be a part of their lives and I love seeing the world through their eyes. Like I said, I’m an average youth pastor.

About Nailscars.com

For over 10 years now I have been trying to add creative ideas for use in the local church. In the early days Nailscars.com was just a place to publish some scripts, but it has become a collection of creative ministry resources for youth ministry and worship.

I began writing a blog more to process my own thoughts more than anything else. As I started writing the comments that I got back from people amazed me. As I was honest with my struggles most of them would write and say “Thank you.” “It is just nice to know someone else struggles with these same things,” was a common response.

So this has become a place where I share the struggles and successes of being in youth ministry. I hope that you find something that God can use in your life and ministry.

For Worship: Lessons from a 5 Year Old

Praying for Numbers

When I see him I smile

Good Friday

Relationship

About Me

About Nailscars.com

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