Ignite

In a few hours I will be participating in a weekend retreat for high school guys and gals called "Ignite." I have no idea what to expect from this experience, except that I will be used by God. I have been learning and praying that God will use me. I am not perfect, I don't always know what I am doing, I don't always find the time to read the Bible, I don't pray to God everyday, I don't always sing worship songs, I don't always help people out, I don't always listen to God when he speaks to me... but for the next 3 days, I'm available for God. I will never forget when Jonathan Falwell said, "It's not about your ability, it's about your availability." When I hear that, I think about how many times I've been UNavailable for God - when I heard him say "Go" and I stayed. Or even the times when I just didn't give God any of my time or any of me in order to be used. I'm tired of that. I want God to use me. I want to be the Isaiah 6... "Here am I, Lord! Send me!" I want to have that confidence and faith that he will respond to my request and say "Now's your time to shine! Get out there!"

As I'm sitting here in my Psychology class, not listening to the professor, I am thinking and praying about the 9th and 10th grade guys that I will be teaching to. I've never lead a Bible study before. I've never really been in a Bible study before, so this will be interesting. Immediately when my buddy asked me to teach with him this weekend, Satan put thoughts in my head... "You're not smart enough" or "You don't know anything about the Bible" or "You aren't perfect, how are you supposed to teach these kids when you're sinning yourself?" So after literally pausing for 15-20 seconds after Matt asked me to do it, I told him to sign me up. I don't care that I have 2 tests to do this weekend. I don't care that I could probably stay home and do work and have fun. What I do care is that when I have an opportunity to be available for God, that I say to myself, "Now's your time to shine! Get out there!" So here's to doing what Satan doesn't want you to do. Here's to listening to God out of faith.

And I hope this doesn't come off as "oh hey look at how holy I am. i'm leading a bible study!" I don't know what I'm doing!!! This is to glorify God and only God. I can't do this on my own. I'm not perfect. I hardly know anything about the Bible, but I know that if I'm willing to give God my weekend and "my time," he will bless it. I'm not going to regret this weekend. My only regret is that I haven't done this more!

This is just a initial post about whats going to happen, and I'm sure there will be more posts to come, but if you can only take one thing from this, take this... Be available for God. I dare you. Just try it once and get back to me. See if it doesn't change you or help you grow.

I'm doing what Satan doesn't want me to do... boo-yah! How about them apples?! I hope you have a great weekend! I know I will (and you'll be hearing about it soon!)

"Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law."
Psalm 94:12

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