Youth Unleashed

Do We Really Want Peace?

Admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:20:10 +0000

It would seem that the thing this world longs for, better yet, searches for—the powerful demand it, the intellectual diagnose it—the tag word, that one thing that the world seems to need or want is PEACE.
Is that really what we need? Maybe… but not in the way or in the form that they think. The world… governments, leaders, radicals… they all define peace as a world without war. A world where everyone gets along—a world with equality, without racism, without discrimination… A world of fair trade, equal bargaining, and universal tolerance…
Are these things good? Maybe some in theory, but this type of peace—this type of world can never exist. As long as there are human beings there will exist problems… there will exist hatred… there will exist inequality. As long as human hearts are in the equation there will always be evil. Is peace really what we are looking for???
Yes, I think so, but not in the way we tend to think… Peace can only be found; it can only come from God. Humans cannot garner—cannot create peace… He is the Prince of Peace. He is peace in its true form. This world has no idea what peace is because true peace only comes from God. Peace cannot be experienced outside of the grace of God.
Until this nation… until this world aligns itself under God, there will not exist a true peace that passes all understanding. Oh God that you would turn hearts and give us the nations!

Does the church have it wrong?

Admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:18:28 +0000

For so long the Church, and rightly so, have talked about—strived toward being more like God. We pursue this in our worship, in our preaching, and in our living… We have tried to be holy and righteous, which are good things, but I think that perhaps along the way we have lost the plot when it comes to practical evangelism. Perhaps we as the Church, in an attempt to reach people with the Gospel, have gotten it wrong?
If in our attempt to reach people, we were to have a realistic look at God (our ultimate example), maybe we would see that ultimately God became Man in order to reach man. I am fully convinced we will never reach people if we cannot relate with/to them. Do not underestimate the power of being real—without the judgment toward people… If you remember, Jesus spent his time in the highways and byways of mankind, surrounded with the lost and lowliest. Church was never meant to be contained within 4 walls.

Thoughts on Legacy

Admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:07:06 +0000

Legacy is not buildings, ceremonies, or traditions. It’s not style of songs, type of preaching, or method of service. It’s not about denominations or particular beliefs. Legacy is dropping and putting these things aside to focus on what really matter—what God holds dear to his heart. Dropping differences in opinion, method, and ideology… but passing on a love for the lost, a love for the building of his Church, and a love for a supernatural God.
It’s not about how, when, or what… buy WHY? Ultimately it all needs to come back to a raw love for the lost, love for building the Church of Jesus Christ, and love for a supernatural God. We need to teach these things to our sons and daughters—we need to pass it down to our leaders, and impart it to those we father.

If God had an iPod…

Admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:11:26 +0000

If God had an iPod, I think he would have each of us listed under Artists and would take no greater delight than to push play and turn it up real loud!

I picture God with his headphones on, his “God” hat tilted and turned to the side and his moves in full swing as he gets his dance on to our worship of him!

Spiritual Notes to Myself

Admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:10:46 +0000

I read this the other day and was blown away at the thought…

“Jesus’ life didn’t go well. He didn’t reach his earning potential. He didn’t have the respect of his colleagues. His friends weren’t loyal. His life wasn’t long. He didn’t meet his soul mate. And he wasn’t understood by his mother. Yet I think I deserve all those things because I’m so spiritual.” -Hugh Prather

Does the supernatural power of God have the ability to change people?

Admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 20:07:45 +0000

You could make the argument that God is God (omnipotent) and he can do anything—whatever he wants whenever he wants… or can he?

I imagine he could, but I would answer the question as such: The supernatural power of God can only change what we allow it to. If it’s any other way, freewill is eliminated and it’s not the nature of God to force himself on any human heart.

Just a thought…

I have a confession to make…

hconley — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:57:20 +0000

Since I was a kid, I my favorite athlete was Michael Jordan and during his prime the Bulls arch rival was the Lakers… Stemming from that I have always favored L.A.’s other basketball team, the Clippers.

Now, Jordan is long gone and the Bulls have not been good for a while and I have found my long time affection for them beginning to disappear… leaving me with only the crappy Clippers.

If you know me at all, I am the most competitive person you have ever met and I cannot stand losing… Having said that, here is my confession—I have become a closet Lakers Fan… Yep, it’s true… Believe it or not, I want them to win 70 games and to take home the Championship…

Can you blame me? The Clippers suck again…

No Expectations

hconley — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:25:39 +0000

Being a new father has given me a fresh and new perspective on how I see and even feel about God. From the first moment I laid my eyes on my newborn son, I loved him. It was a feeling that I have never felt before- instant love. The amazing thing about it was that my newborn had done nothing to earn my love, nothing to deserve my love… He just had it, totally and completely. There were and there are no expectations put upon my love. There are no criteria that he has to meet in order to maintain my love. There are no rules or regulations put on my love toward him—He doesn’t have to spend a certain amount of time with me; he doesn’t have to tell me everyday how much he loves me—there is nothing that he has to do to gain or to maintain my love… He just has it because he is my son.

As I have said, being a first time dad has given me a brand new appreciation and understanding of the love of God. For the past couple weeks I have been thinking about something and that something will forever change my life. The thought is this: GOD DOES NOT PLACE EXPECTATIONS ON ME. God does not need me to live by rules and regulations. He needs me to be his son. It is that plain and that simple. His love for me is not contingent upon me doing certain things or living a certain way. For the first time in my life I am coming to the realization that God has not put certain expectations on me that I need to fulfill if I am going to stay in his love and good graces.

Just like my son, he could mess up every day… he could poop on me everyday (which he has already pretty much done)… and it wouldn’t change my love toward him one iota. Why? Because there are no expectations, there are no rules put on my love. He just has it because he is my son. God is the same, there are no expectations put on his love toward us… What we do has no effect on his love toward us. It is unconditional. What freedom we can experience when we grasp the fact that we don’t have to live under the pressure of having to do this or do that or be this or be that in order to garner the love of God. GOD DOES NOT HAVE EXPECTATIONS ON US… Now, having said that, I try and be all that God has called me to be, but now I can live my life without the fear of disappointing or letting God down. He loves me because I am his son… It is that simple.

Letter From Papa….

grodriguez — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:04:04 +0000

As dawn broke through the clouds this morning, clearing the fog away and drying the dew on the ground, I began to think about YOU. It’s something that happens all day, and pretty much everyday. If I could count how often I think about you, it would be like hiking to the highest mountaintop at night, trying to count the stars that I see, and then continue with trying to count sand beside the shore.

I know you feel like I’m never around or can relate to you. To the hurt that you felt when your dad said, “Goodbye”, for the last time. Or when you got the news that your mom had passed - I know you felt like there could never be anything that could hurt that badly. Until he or she cheated on you with your best friend.

Try watching your love walk down the wrong path and not only changing his purpose, but the direction of mankind, and through it all, I still loved him.

The despair was too much for you to bear. So much so, that you came to the conclusion that you weren’t meant to be loved, but to be honest, there couldn’t be anything further from the truth.

You see, My love for you started long before you did. Before you were formed in your mother’s womb, I knew you and I sanctified you. I fashioned your inward parts, the corkyness, the humor, the writing, the dreams, your passion, your talents, your gifts and callings, all that was Me. I’ve been here since the beginning.

I never had thoughts of evil for you. I knew things would happen, but through it all, I’ve had thoughts of peace, not of evil. Thoughts of a great future, and thoughts of hope. For you were My greatest work; My prized possession. I would walk around and show you off to all the angels! I was so proud, that I even set up great things for you to accomplish that would be a signal of My love for you. But even though the first man and woman changed things a bit, it never detoured My love for you. So much so that the highest mountain or the deepest sea couldn’t keep Me away from you. And although sin was in the way, I had the master plan to work around it- or should I say- work right through it. So I gave My best for just an opportunity to give you the love that you deserve. Because “love always leaves a significant mark”, and I still have the marks that My love for you left on Me. Talk to you soon.

Love,

Me aka God aka papa