"You Discipled Us With Your Life"

On a large ceramic coffe mug that was signed by former students and youth leaders from our time in Illinois,  mug that often holds my morning caffeine fix, is this one thought from a youth leader: "you discipled us with your life."  Earlier in the week I posted a blog called the It of Your Life.  That simple expression defines and describes the IT of life of my wife and I. 

The youth leader was Andre Tripplett.  We got news yesterday that at the age of 27 Andre went home to be with Jesus.  But as Meredith and I have reflected the past 24 plus hours we came to this conclusion.  There are a lot of people who don't get our IT, but Andre did.  Not only did Andre get IT, but Andre lived IT. 

Discipleship is not a 6 or 13 week study.  It is not a getaway weekend retreat. It is not a book you by at the bookstore. While all these things are beneficial. It is simply life on life.  It is late night conversations.  It is unexpected phone calls.  It is watching the students of your life win. It is watching them lose.  It is giving everything you have to individuals to at times see them walk away and do exactly the opposite.  It is years later seeing them giving IT away. 

Our IT does not necessarily attract large crowds.  Our IT is not a church growth plan.  Our IT is slow, grueling and the most rewarding way we could live our life.  Our IT is putting our lives into someone else's life and teaching them the most important principle of being a disciple: give away all that you have been given.

Andre gave.  And he gave some more.  I think from the outpouring of comments that document his impact.  Whether he knew it our not he discipled us with is life.

To 'Dre

I am sitting at my desk with the sound of clicks on a keyboard because if I were to say it aloud I might break down and cry. So here is to my friend where so many days were spent over a cup of coffee dreaming, growing, laughing.

You were truly a man after God's own heart. While I thought I was teaching you, you were really teaching me. Your life was teaching me how to be humble, how to be graceful, how to love unconditionally. I watched you smile in midst of incredible pain, a smile that would light up a room. I watched you open you lengthy arms and embrace those who needed a hug. I watched as you unassuming persona spoke words of life and built others up, all the while your meekness never recognizing how great you were.

I think all of us somewhere in us looked at you and said "I wish I could be like that." You were a musician, an artist, a brother, a son, a servant, a friend, a hard-worker, a leader, a worshipper, a LOVER OF JESUS. You were bright, intelligent, smart, funny, witty and at times slow to get a joke. You were an overcomer as you fought you dsylexia to continue to read and learn and grow. You are the kind of man tha I want my boys to grow up to be like.

My heart broke when I heard the news. Yet at the same time leapt with joy for you. You are playing that over-sized Guild guitar in the one place you always wanted to be, with Jesus. Today, you will never lay hurting in a hospital bed, but will lay yourself at the feet of Jesus. Today, you will never have to sit out a dance for shortness of breath, but will dance for eternity. Today is an ending and a beginning. Today, we don't say good-bye, but simply say we will see you soon.

Your my friend and a brother. You are my favorite black man.
I love you!
Love,
PJ

Mentoring

While a college student at Lee University, I was given the experience of a life time. Several men in my life took time out of their lives to invest in me. At the time it was one of the more trying experiences, looking back it has been the most rewarding.

We are in a day and culture that lacks fathers and father figures. Mentoring is the principle that Jesus taught his disciples when he summed it all up in six words "freely you have received, freely give." Whether we recognize it or not we all have something to give. The most important thing we have to offer is our time and our attention. Imagine with me the difference you could make just by taking one hour out of your week to give away to someone else. It would be revolutionary.

For more information on how to mentor or where to begin, feel free to contact me.

The "IT" of our life

So this morning I got the awesome opportunity to speak at our church LifeGate Church. While preparing for this message I got stuck looking for a word. While usually I have very little difficulty with words, I just could not come up with an adjective to describe this something. The best word I could come up with is "IT".

"IT" is the indescribable, can't put into words dream and vision and life-calling that God puts in our hearts. It is the doctor who leaves a practice for medical missions, the businessman who gives up major profits to start a non-profit, the pastor who gives up a salary to follow a dream. That is the "IT". "IT" is the one thing that God drops on you that you just have to do. "IT" is the one thing that make you feel alive. "IT" is the one thing that makes you feel like you.

Lexington and LifeGate are our "IT". It is not that we don't have questions about how it all works out, it is just that we know that this is "IT".

Chase after, start, follow and dream up the "IT" of your life.