Ignite Student Ministries

The son who left

ccoakley77 — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 17:38:44 +0000

I want to look at Luke 15, the story of the lost son. If you are like me you have heard this story so many times that you could start to quote it. But, every time I hear this story I hear it as a story based only on the son that left his father’s house. There are actually 3 main characters in this story the son who left, the son who stayed and the father. This month I want to focus on the son who left.

I remember when I was about 12 or so I had bunk beds; I was an only child and not really sure why I had bunk beds but I did. One night after everyone had gone to bed I thought that it would be cool to sneak out and go down to the river, which was only about 3 blocks away from my house. I decided to take the ladder off my bunk beds and put it out the window and lean it against the house, so I did and I climbed out the window. Hahaha frrrreeeeeeeddddoooooooommmmmm!!! I wish I could tell you that I made it to the river that night but the truth is I made it to the end of the yard; I was so scared, it was dark and my mommy was not with me. So I ran back to the ladder, climbed back inside and put the ladder back. Sorry, Mom, if you are reading this and this is the first time you are finding this out. It was then that I realized that I was safe in my house.

I can only think that this was what the son who left thought when he finally realized that he had it way better back at his dad’s house. This son left a very comfortable life because he thought there was something better out there; he wanted to live life his way and only his way. Until one day he was eating what the pigs where eating that he was hired to feed. He realized that his father’s house was a much better place; even the servants in his house were treated and were eating better than he was. You see, for a long time I thought God was there to just give me rules because he was strict but now I realize that He has given me parameters to live by so I can have the best life possible, and that life is not always the one that has the most money. So of you reading this and you feel like you life is nothing but a pig trough right now, you feel like there is no direction to your life but down, you feel like there is no hope, my answer to you is to just simply come home. You have a heavenly Father that is just waiting for you to come on home; he is not there to punish you, he is waiting for you so he can wrap his arms around you and tell you that he loves you and that he has been waiting for you to come home. The only time that I have seen God run is when He ran to me and held me in His arms. So what is keeping you from coming home, what is holding you back? The God of the universe wants you to know that He loves you and He knows it hurts sometimes but he has not and will not leave you. So now may you come home. We all were the lost son at some point but thank God that He still wants us all home.

God’s Fanny Pack

ccoakley77 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:48:29 +0000

I will never forget going on a vacation with some awesome people, their name will not reveled to protect them. As we went out for the day I noticed something they had on, something that I have not seen in a while, something that the inviter thought was a good idea, but fell just shy on the coolness meter. It was a fanny pack. Now if you use a fanny pack I do not mean to offend you, but you must know society, as a whole, does not have them high on the fashion list. So of course I did what every other person would do, I made fun of the people wearing them, jokes upon jokes upon jokes. Others were looking at us thinking, How did you get stuck in the 70’s? Haven’t you heard of a backpack or even a plastic bag? When we finally got to our destination we decided to start to ride some rides. After the first ride my wallet became very uncomfortable and so did some other peoples, and sure enough you know what we did, we asked the people carrying the fanny packs to carry our valuables. As much as I made fun of the fanny pack it was actually helpful that day.

In one of our staff meetings recently our lead pastor was reading from 1 Samuel 25:29 which says, “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! …” As soon as I heard this verse, I thought how cool, no matter what happens, I am in God’s fanny pack. If you are breathing then you know that life is tough. Sometimes it even seems like we are getting attacked from people that we thought were on our side. It may even seem like life is throwing everything at you. I know that sometimes I think that it cannot get any worse and sure enough it does. If we are all honest we all have days that we do not want to face the world and all we want to do is stay in bed with our Tow-Mater pajamas on from the movie Cars. Right now for me life is tough; the summer is not welcomed when your wife is a substitute teacher because last time I checked school had to be in session to get work. In the midst of all the worry, hurt, not knowing what is coming, the doubt and even the anger I know that I am in God’s fanny pack, I am literally living in his treasure pouch. You know what goes into a treasure pouch, treasure. If you are in the pouch you are considered His treasure, yeah that is awesome. No matter what life is throwing at you, you are safe and secure in His fanny pack. So now may you realize today that you are His treasure and you are worthy of His fanny pack.

My life as a lap top battery

ccoakley77 — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:53:43 +0000

Recently I was talking to one of my friends about how I had to get a new battery for my laptop because the battery was 3 years old, which is a good run for a laptop battery. It should have held over 4 hours of charge, but I was only getting about 30 minutes out of it. So it was time to replace the battery. The first time that I used the next battery was awesome. It lasted longer than I could remember it lasting. I didn’t have to sit next to an outlet to use it, but in fact, I was laying in my hammock outside working on some stuff, though eventually I had to plug it back in to get recharged.

As I was thinking about how awesome my new battery was, I thought of my life. I think our spiritual life is a lot like laptop batteries. If I am only going to church on Sunday and never opening the Bible the rest of the week or spending time with God in some way the rest of the week, how can we ever expect that our charge will last a full week? It is great that we go to church on Sunday to get the full charge, but what are we doing the rest of the week to keep that charge? The Bible tells us that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. What happens when a branch is not connected to the vine? It eventually dries up and dies. We need to stay connected to the power source so we can stay as full as possible. I know that I have felt very dry this month, this is busy for me; 3 retreats, Easter, a funeral, a baby dedication and that is just at the top of the list. We get busy and for some reason when life gets crazy I think that I can go days, maybe even weeks, with out charging up. Common sense would say the more you do, the more charging you need, but not me. I think the more I do the less I need to charge. The point is that we all need to be charged, and once a week will not cut it. So now may you get connected to the power source in the way He has created you. It may be through reading, music, writing, painting, serving, fellowship or something else. Whatever way you get connected, stay connected. May you remain always connected to the source that has created you.

Celebrate the Little Battles if you Want to Win the War

ccoakley77 — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:19:43 +0000

Recently I was on an airplane. This was the first time I had been on a plane in over 2 years. Usually I would have to ask for an seat belt extension or suck it in so much that I would be really uncomfortable for the whole trip. A couple of months ago I wrote a column entitled “For I know the Plans I Have for you.” I have been trying to honor God with my body for the first time ever. Well the day to travel came, and if you have ever been really overweight you can understand the feelings of getting into a seat on a plane. So I checked in, got on the plane and there it was, the seat. I sat down and since I had not flown in a while I thought the seats had gotten bigger. Then it was seat belt time. I sucked in the gut and prepared for battle. It clicked in and I let the gut go, but something was wrong. There was still room under the belt. The flight attendant came by and asked me to tighten my belt. I began to cry. She asked what was wrong and I said, “You asked me to tighten my belt.” She said, “I am sorry, it is regulation.” I then proceeded to tell her about Jeremiah 29:11 and how I was trying to honor God with my body. I am still way overweight, but I am losing weight big time. I am celebrating the victory. God wants us to celebrate our goals and He wants us to praise him for every inch we get closer. How about your life? Sometimes our passion dies because we do not celebrate the inch we just gained on our goals. God is a God of advancement and He wants to push us every day. So what have you not celebrated? Some of us don’t feel like we are worth the celebration, but Christ said you were worth it when he died on the cross for you. You are worth the celebration. So now may we be a nation of celebration not only for the goals we accomplish, but because Our God is a God of advancement and he cares for you deeply.

Com”man”ication

ccoakley77 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 05:05:08 +0000

Recently my friend called me and left a voicemail. The purpose of the voicemail was to ask me to speak at a retreat. The voicemail was a little on the weird side and it was about 30 seconds of goofing off and then like 4 seconds of asking me to speak. The voicemail just seemed really strange to me. I got the feeling that he really didn’t want me to do to. speak We were college roommates and we are both youth pastors so there is always this competition going on, but it is almost always healthy in the way that we are pushing each other to be better at what we do and who we are. But this voicemail just seemed like he really did not want me there, or that he wanted to speak, but they never asked him. So for four days I let this burn inside me. I played the voicemail for my wife and she had the same sense, no where near as strong as mine, but still thought it was a little off. I was getting to a point where I wanted to take the speaking engagement just to make him mad. On the 5^th day I decided to pray about it and I heard very clearly that I needed to call him and bring it up and see what happens. So on the 7^th day (I avoided from calling him for 2 days) I called him. I began our conversation by telling him that I loved him and that I valued our friendship so much that I had to bring this issue up. Then I told him what I was feeling about the voicemail and how it was making me feel. To my surprise he said that he never meant it that way, and that he really did not want to ask me over a voicemail because he was so honored that he was the one who got to call me and present the opportunity.

It was a tough thing to do, but I am glad I did it. As I began to think about this later on I started to wonder to myself how many friendships have I lost because I did not want to bring up some hard conversations or that I have just given up on and said, “Well, if that is they way the want to act, I will just forget about it.” I would have lost one of the greatest friends I have ever had in my life if I didn’t call him and clarify the voicemail. How many relationships have you lost because you or the other person was not willing to bring a difficult situation up and talk it through. I believe that God is hurt by our lost relationships and I know that the devil loves it when we lose relationships. Not all relationships are ones that are intended to last forever or, if we are honest, begin in the first place. My buddy and I help each other become better pastors. I know the devil would want us to be mad at each other and stop our friendship, but I believe that God has brought us together as brothers for such a time as this. If there is air that needs to be cleared, clear it. If some dirty laundry needs to be washed, grab some detergent and wash it. We can no longer be a nation that gives up on relationships with people. God made us for community. He tells us to bear one another’s burdens. We were meant for relationships. We were meant to sharpen each other. We were not meant to pull back and throw out relationships more than we throw out trash. So now may you be a person of relationship. May you strive for unity in community and may you throw out the trash more than you throw out people.

For I know the plans I have for you… and this is not it

ccoakley77 — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:01:22 +0000

Recently my wife and I were able to get away for Christmas. I saved up vacation time and was able to take close to two weeks off. It was a great time to disconnect from life and reconnect with God (I know, a pastor that needs to connect with God, who would have thought…) During my time away, I heard the Lord speak these words to me, “For I know the plans I have for you… and this is not it.” I had no clue what He was saying to me. Frankly, I was confused. At first I thought He was calling us to move, then I thought maybe a different role in the church, then I thought about what was for dinner, then I thought maybe a different direction for my wife, and then I was just tired. About two days into this it became very clear that it was my weight. I am a big man, like 6’2’’ 350 big. I heard the Lord say to me that He has some pretty crazy world-changing things in store for me, but I am shortening the time that He has to use me. Wow, right in the back of the head, clear as day, no more questions needed to be asked. I needed to honor God with my body. Every day this year I have woke up and said this; “For I know the plans I have for you… and this is not it.” The college group in our church have taken an oath to help me “take the hill” on this one, and I will claim this hill for Lord.

So what about you, what are the plans He has for you and what is getting in the way of them? All of us have our little hiccups and potholes, what are yours? Is it a health thing, a mental thing where you never feel good enough, is it a spiritual thing where you feel that God is not there, is it a work thing where you give more time to your job than family, is it a materialistic thing where you love things more than people, is it pride things where you just know you are better than everyone else? Whatever is getting in your way of honoring God, let’s get rid of it. Take the hill, claim it for the Lord, get some people around you that love you. He has a plan for you, it is a plan to prosper you and give you a hope and a future. For I know the plans I have for you… and this is not it.

I am excited, is that ok????

ccoakley77 — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:07:35 +0000

Recently I went to the Bengals vs. Ravens game in Baltimore. I love football. I welcome fall like a conquering king that has returned to his kingdom. Football has always been a part of my life. My buddy hooked me up with tickets 4 rows back from the Bengals bench. These were no doubt the best tickets I have ever had in my life. The day finally came. My wife and I hopped a train and headed to the stadium. I was like a 3 year old girl in a life size Barbie house. The game was awesome. If you saw the game I was the one orange dot in the sea of purple.

Half way through the game there was an older lady behind us who began to scream. This lady was about the same age as my grandma. I cannot repeat what this woman was saying for fear of the FCC sending me a letter. This lady was so angry with how the game was turning out. You could hear the passion in her voice. When the Ravens were doing well she was up; when the Bengals were doing well she was down. At one point the Bengals were driving down the field and she became irate again, and as she was yelling I looked back. This was my first mistake. As I looked back she looked at me and then it happened – she gave me some sign language. Well the Bengals won in the final moments; let’s just say she was not happy. I just sat there, took off my jersey and waited for the place to clear out.

As my wife and I were on the train home, surrounded by Raven fans, I began to think, “when was the last time that I was passionate for the things of the kingdom like this lady was for the Ravens?” This is the point where most of us are saying “ouch.” Why is it so easy for us to get excited about football, baseball, video games, and new phones but it is hard for us to get excited about the things of the kingdom. The answer is me. I know some would say “well, the preaching at my church” or “the music is boring.” Those are side problems. We are the problem. At least for me the answer is that I am tied to things of the world. I put too much stock into things instead of seeing what really is important. I desire to go nuts in church when someone comes to know Jesus for the first time. I want to go crazy when a student sacrifices something they want to serve someone. I want to just throw up my hands in worship because I am signaling that God is all over me and He is leading me. I don’t want to be more excited because the Bengals are 7-2 or the Buckeyes are going to the Rose Bowl than I am when the Kingdom of God is advancing. The problem is me. I encourage you to look inside and ask yourself what makes you the most excited; you may have to join me on this journey of relining my heart. It is the kingdom stuff that will last; the other stuff is going to fade away. It is not wrong to be excited about the Bengals; it is wrong if that excites me more that the Kingdom. So now may you be excited for the kingdom. Go nuts for the kingdom and may you always invest in the things that are always going to have a good return.

Just me and my log splitter

ccoakley77 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:47:54 +0000

Recently a group of guys from our church got together and cut down and split logs for another guy in our church to use as firewood for this upcoming winter. My job was to pick up the log splitter from the rental place and bring it out to a house that I have never been to before. So I got the log splitter hooked up to my hitch and away we went. I followed the Garmin’s directions and thought I was at the right house, so, I pulled up the long narrow driveway that was straight up a hill. I pulled in and try to listen for the sounds of the chainsaw, but could not hear them. I called my buddy that was already there and asked him if he was behind the house or something. He said he was in the driveway, but I did not see him. I soon figured out that we were not in the same driveway. Just about that time the owner of the house came out and was looking me up and down– did I mention that it was 7 am on a Saturday morning? After I humbled myself and told the owner that I had pulled up the wrong driveway, he said not a problem. Now I had to turn the truck and log splitter around. If you’ve ever had to back a trailer up, you know that it is hard. Times that by 10 and you get how hard it is to back a log splitter up. The owner of the house stood behind my truck and helped me back up, but then the real problems came. I did not have enough room to swing the truck and the log splitter. It kept jack-knifing. The owner kept picking up the log splitter and moving into position so I could back up.

So, let us recap: I am in the wrong driveway at 7 am in the morning on a Saturday, the owner is picking up and moving a log splitter that is attached to the back of my truck.

What would you have done in this situation? Would you have yelled at me, called the cops and said that there is a very handsome, but strange looking fellow in your driveway, looked out the window at me or would you have done what this guy did by coming out to help me? For me, that morning, that guy was Jesus with flesh on. I would like to encourage you to never hesitate to help someone, never stand by and watch someone that is struggling, and never pass up the opportunity to be Jesus with skin on to someone that may need it more than you will ever know. So now may you be Jesus, with skin on, to a generation that needs him more than ever.

What are you aiming at

ccoakley77 — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:31:32 +0000

Recently I was invited to go target shooting with some guys from my church. Now, this may come as a big surprise but I have never shot a gun before in my life. So there was a time of training and then we got to shot at some paper targets. The one thing that interested me was the fact that we had to “Site the gun.” For those of you who do not know that means, simply put making sure that the gun is line up and shooting strait with where you are aiming, sometimes the sites move and you have to reline them. What you have to do is to make sure the gun does not move from shot to shot, take a shot, study the target and if the bullet is going a different direction than you are aiming you will have to adjust the sites. After that you need to take another shot to see if that fixed it or if you still need to adjust more.

This is also true for our Christian journey. I know that I get off target or track sometimes. We all loose our way from time to time. Sometimes we think our sites are all lined up but for some reason we keep missing the target. So, let me ask you, when was the last time you hit the bull eyes? Are you feeling like you just can not do anything right lately, maybe things are just not going the way you hoped, maybe you are just ready to give up. Check your sites, maybe they are off, the Bible calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus, if our sites are fixed on Jesus then everything is going to be ok. It is when we start shooting at other targets that our life becomes unaligned. So what are you aiming at, are you fixing your eyes on Jesus, do your sites need to be adjusted. I know that in my life over the past couple of months I have started to aim for Christ instead of Chris’ wants and something’s are lining up, we are not becoming rich in money or cars but my spiritual and emotional life is in line with what God wants. So now may you have the courage to pick up your site and align them to the target that God has for you. Keep pounding the path because sooner or later you will reach your destination.

Slot Car Christians

ccoakley77 — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:35:57 +0000

Recently I was invited over to my friend’s house. We had lunch and talked for a while and then one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me started to take place. My friend took my wife and I downstairs and there was one of the coolest things that I have ever seen. It measured 40 feet long by 15 feet wide and it had 2 levels. It was a slot car track. This was not like the ones that you can buy at Wal-mart that you put together. This was all hand crafted and put together by my friend. It also had a computer that not only timed how fast your laps were, but kept track of who went the farthest on the track. This thing was awesome. It was so cool that I went to church the next day and told everyone that would listen. I even started inviting people to come over and see it – yeah, that is right, I was inviting people to someone’s house that was not mine.

I started to think about my excitement later that afternoon and I was a little disturbed by one thing. I found myself more excited and inviting people more to the slot cars than I was to church. Now there is nothing wrong with being excited about slot cars or anything like that, the problem I was having was that I was more excited about the cars than I was about church. Church should be the best place to be. Church should be fun. Church should be a place where people know that they matter to God and that they matter to other believers. Church is the place that we meet with God’s people, and people are God’s plan to share his love. There are so many hurting people that need someone to just invite them to a place that has nothing but love. We need to be excited about inviting people to church and when they come, we need to be a church that loves first, listens second and talks third. So now may you be excited about church and your part to be the love of God.