Last week fpStudents hosted a phenomenal concert by a rapidly rising music star.  His name is Cameron Mitchell, and while he is a great singer, musician and songwriter, what’s most intriguing about him is the story that follows him.  

If his name doesn’t ring any bells initially, you may be unaware of this great story.  Here’s the brief version: Cameron grew up as a Pastor’s kid, learning the importance of an intimate relationship with Jesus as well as a strong appreciation for music.  Last year, as an aspiring singer-songwriter in his early 20′s, he was accepted onto the Oxygen channel’s ”The Glee Project,” a reality show who’s grand prize is a 7-episode role on the hit TV show “Glee”.  

As the contestants vanished each week, Cameron found himself continually being pushed to compromise his morals and faith values by the judges.  Ultimately, he was given the chance of a lifetime to join the Glee cast, but he turned it down, choosing instead to continue his career without the kick-start the show would provide.  

While Cameron performed his own original songs for fpStudents last week, we had a chance to hear his story, and he shared the amazing impact his decision has made in his life.  Cameron has experienced an incredible outpouring of love and support from fans all over the world, including nearly a quarter of a million Twitter followers to date.  His EP has risen in sales on iTunes, the most popular song being the first song he had ever written, entitled “Love Can Wait.”

As Cameron’s impact and influence continues to rise, I am left with the question: would I have responded the same way? If the world held my dreams on a platter in front of my face, would I have the guts to choose God’s plan instead?

Would you?

If you’d like to read more about Cameron’s time in Knoxville, check out the following articles from the Hardin Valley Academy paper and the UT Daily Beacon.  Also check www.fpStudents.com for video links to Cameron’s interview.

HVA paper: http://my.hsj.org/DesktopModules/ASNE/ASNE.Newspapers/Mobile.aspx?newspaperid=3964&editionid=0&categoryid=0&articleid=493698&userid=0

UT Daily Beacon: http://utdailybeacon.com/news/2012/jan/31/la-performer-helps-launch-church/

At least, I HAD, until I discovered at great way to accomplish my goal of reading the Bible while wrestling with the age-old excuse that “I don’t have time” to just sit and read.  Want to know my secret? Here is comes.  I stopped reading the Bible.  And I started listening to it.

I have typically read through the Bible with the YouVersion Bible app on my phone.  They have some fantastic reading plans that can help you achieve your study goals.  But they also have a unique set up that allows you to listen to someone read the whole Bible in several common versions.  Problem solved! So far I have blown past my reading schedule as I listen to an epic voice tell me the awesome stories and truths of the Old Testament, every time I get in the car!

But there’s a catch.  A catch? Yes, a catch.  And this is the point that I want us all to understand.  Although I have found a more convenient way to take in God’s Word, I still have to make the commitment to play the audio clips when I get in the car!  No matter how simple the process is, if I want to achieve my goals I still need to RESOLVE to do it!

My prayer for you this year is that however you choose to grow personally and spiritually, you will choose to commit and follow through on your decisions.  Reading the Bible is a huge value to me, and I am choosing to make it happen.  What do you value? How are you simplifying the process? What are you setting up to ensure that your goals are reached?

Middle School

Tonight the middle school spent some time talking about the destination we are heading to.  We don’t always do a great job of thinking about where we are heading.  Tonight we  challenged students with the truth that our choices today will determine our destination tomorrow.  We want students to understand that the choices they are making today have a direct correlation to the consequences that they will deal with in the future.  We challenged students to ask themselves two specific questions tonight.  The first is “Where are your choices today taking you tomorrow?”  The second question is “Is that destination a place that God wants you to be?”  We helped students see how they can course correct this semester and start heading in the right direction by pulling over and stopping (stop making choices that are taking you in the wrong direction), and calling for help (seeking wise counsel). 

Here are some questions that you can use with your middle schooler to help connect with them about what God showed them tonight. 

1.            What destination do you think the choices you are making today are taking you?

2.            Is that a destination that God wants you to be in?

3.            Are there certain things that you need to let go of that are taking you in a direction that you don’t think you should be going?

4.            Do you think it will be easy or hard to let go of those things?  Why or why not?

5.            What is wise counsel?  Who is someone in your life that is already where you want to go, that you can turn to for advice? 

High School

Focus:  Year of XII

Family Discussion:

Happy New Year families!  This week at fpStudents we will be discussing the top 12 things that your student (and YOU!) need to know about 2012.  For your convenience they are listed below!  Some are challenges that will take your student to the next level of following Christ, and some are important events that you need to have on your calendar for this year.  Know that the fpStudent staff is lifting you up in prayer and we are always here as a resource for you as you lead and grow your students!

Top 12 Things To Know About 2012:

1. Read “The Plan Of Your Life” by Dr. Chris Stephens!
2. fpStudent Goal:  Average 215 students on Wednesday nights!
3. Environment of Inviting – Woman at the Well in John 4
4. Your Relationships Matter To God – 2 Corinthians 6:14
5.  Be Humble and Coachable – John 3:30
6.  fpStudents presents “Cameron Mitchell” in concert – January 25
7.  Fusion Weekend – February 17-19 “Weird”
8.  Jr./Sr. Field Trips to UT Campus – February 26 & April 22
9.  Missions Opportunities – Haiti in March
10.  “The Dead” Movie – April 25
11. The Bash – May 23
12.  fpStudent Camp – July 8-13

Happy New Year!

As you begin this brand new year, I want to challenge you with one simple question.  One, tiny, miniscule, itty-bitty question…that can change the way you experience 2012.  Are you ready? Here it is:

What is your destination?

If you go on a road trip, you have an end in mind.  If you run a race, you are aware of the finish line.  If you enroll in college, you likely have a goal as to what you want to get out of it. This year, don’t miss out on the amazing things God can do in your life.  Achieving your potential can really be as simple as deciding what your destination will be.  Experience 2012 with the end in mind.  Set it now and place it on your dashboard like a GPS that will guide you to December 31, with  purpose and intention.

I’m praying that 2012 is an amazing year for you! God Bless!

Merry Christmas!  We are only hours away from the most wonderful day of the year!  Which means, there are only a few days left to listen to the greatest music ever…Christmas music!

2011 has been a banner year for fpStudents.  God has done some amazing things; we’ve seen crazy growth and lives changed all year long! As we finish out this year we decided to do a unique two-week series focused on the amazing season of Christmas, specifically seeking to understand the intent behind some of the most popular Christmas carols!

Typically Matt Grimes and I will do the majority of the teaching at our fpStudents worship services on Wednesday nights.  But for this series we stepped back and let a few others share what God had put on their hearts.  I was so excited (and a bit anxious!) to have several high school students speak during the series!

I was BLOWN AWAY by the level of intensity, honesty and passion that Whitnie, Tatum and Bailey brought in their delivery of God’s Word.  They knocked it out of the park, and we (the students included) learned some great things as a result:

1. Students Are Gifted! Regardless of your age, when you choose to follow Christ God supplies you with gifts that are to be used to glorify Him and make Him famous.  I truly believe that life change will happen among students and families at Faith Promise and beyond when STUDENTS begin using their gifts in God-honoring ways.  What gifts are you holding back? How can you impact your world for Christ through what He’s given you?
2. Teaching Is Learning! If you ever feel like you have reached an impasse and are having a hard time growing in your relationship with Christ, take some time to share what you know! Each student who taught during this series commented to me about how much THEY learned through the teaching process.  This doesn’t mean that you have to be on a stage in front of a crowd. When was the last time you intentionally shared what God has taught you with someone else? I believe that we can get full of knowledge, and in order to make room for more information, we MUST look for ways to pass on what we know! How are you exporting your relationship with God and sharing it with others? In this Christmas season, how often do you find yourself telling others WHY you celebrate the birth of Jesus?

I am so pumped about where God is leading fpStudents in 2012.  Please continue to pray that He will interact with students and change families forever.  And, of course, have a very merry Christmas!

I’m not a big bowler.  I mean, I’m no stranger to the 100 point mark, but turkeys are pretty rare for me!  However, recently I’ve been thinking about bowling as it pertains to parenting.  Weird, huh? Well, let me explain…

As the parents of two kids under the age of 4, I am constantly looking for ways to help my kids excel in life.  I love them with all of my heart, and I am highly interested in their development and growth.  As Luke says of Jesus as a kid, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52) That’s my constant prayer for my kids!

What’s this have to do with bowling? Well, when I was younger I remember learning to bowl with the inflatable bumpers covering the gutters.  It was amazing!  I could toss the ball down the alley with my eyes closed and there was still a great chance of hitting a majority of the pins!  I believe that parenting can look a lot like that…we find ways to adjust and direct the course of our kids as they barrel towards various goals in their life. We coach them in their relationships with family and friends, hold their hands as they learn how to obey and follow instructions, and walk with them through each step of growth into young adulthood.  As parents, we are the bumpers!

The temptation as “bumpers” is to see success in our kids’ lives through our assistance and choose to stay in place…forever, if possible.  The bumpers exist to train, not to remain! No bowler who keeps bowling with bumpers ever becomes truly successful in the real bowling world!  At some point the bumpers must be removed so that the bowler can experience bowling the way it was intended…complete with the pitfalls and dangers of the sideline gutters.

Parents, are we adequately serving our kids as bumpers? Do we see our role as protective and preventative? Or do we use our influence to train our children how to bowl without bumpers?

I truly believe that, as Andy Stanley would put it, this is a tension to be managed rather than a problem to be solved.  Our goal should be to create balance as our kids’ bumpers, sometimes re-routing and sometimes allowing them to feel the pain of their mistakes.  How do you manage this tension? How have you seen your kids react to your role as their training bumper?

Series:  Epic

Focus:  Noah – True Obedience

Family Discussion:

Tonight during their large group experience students learned that obedience that is pleasing to God requires two specific actions; hearing the truth, and choosing to do what the truth says.  We learned this by taking a look at the story of Noah and how he displayed extreme obedience to God and what He asked him to do.  God desires for us to not just know the truth and what God wants us to do, but to choose to be like Noah and follow up with doing what God ask us to do.   

In their group times student took a closer look at some areas in their own life where they need to choose to not just listen to what God wants them to do, and choose to follow through and take action on what God wants them to do.  We challenged them to think about some ways that they can choose to take action on what God has asked them to do. 

Here are some questions you can use to engage with your students this week:

•  What are some examples of things that God has asked you to do?

•  Have you always chosen to take action and do what God has asked you to do?

• Why is it important for true obedience to choose to act on what God says to do?

• What is one thing that God is asking you to do right now that you are struggling with taking action on?

I used to know everything.  And then I became a parent.

Apparently, raising kids is one of the most natural things that you can do…people have been doing it for years! The strange thing is, kids don’t come with an instruction manual. Not that I would read it…I am a man, after all…but it would be nice to know that it exists!

In my nearly 4 years as a parent I have learned a few helpful things that I’d like to pass on to you today.  My knowledge is by no means extensive…which is why next week my wife Holly will be sharing her thoughts on the subject as well…but I have seen the following “nuggets” as very useful on the journey of parenting.  Here goes…

1. Kids don’t do what you say, they do what you do.  Trust me, kids figure this out early! If you tell them to eat their vegetables while going to town on ice cream…your authority will not have the impact you want it to.  You are the model for how they make decisions. Show them the right steps to take, and with each step they will trust you more.
2. My relationship with my wife is the most important earthly relationship. I love my kids, but the reality is that one day they will leave.  The goal in parenting is to prepare them to live without you. This is a truth that I have learned to share with them early by modeling to them that my favorite person in the world is Holly.  Nothing will come between us, including my wonderful kids.  Let them know that your spouse comes first.
3. Fight for face-to-face time. Especially in the early years of parenting, there are a lot of side-by-side interactions with your spouse.  That’s normal.  Parenting is tough, and you have to lean on each other and work towards a common goal. But if you don’t fight to keep your focus on your spouse, that “side-by-side” will shift to “back-to-back” and you’ll miss out on the marital intimacy that God desires for your life.
4. Give the “why” before they need the “why”. Don’t wait to your kids are in middle school to explain the reasoning behind your decisions.  The more you involve them in the process of choosing family activities, friends, hobbies, etc., the less they will ask why later.  The “why” of your family decisions should be clear and consistently communicated even before they can fully understand the cognitive process.
5. Partner with the local church. Parenting is tough, and I wouldn’t want to do it outside of the body of Christ. Following Christ is a team sport, and I’m grateful that God allows us to experience community in our pursuit of Him.  Get involved with a group of people with your values that can encourage you and speak truth into your kids. It will make a huge difference!

Last week at fpStudents: High School student services we wrapped up a series called “Stockholm Syndrome.” This is the phenomenon that occurs when a hostage or kidnap victim develops feelings of compassion, trust or even love towards their captors. While this syndrome sounds absolutely ridiculous, we all experience various forms of Stockholm Syndrome every day.

Romans 7:14-15 tells us that, “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

We all experience slavery in a very real way. From birth we are controlled by our sinful nature, and even when you turn your life over to Christ, there is a deep emotional connection that we all feel towards sin.  Inevitably, we do what we do not want to do…sin holds us in emotional bondage. 

In addition to this emotional link we all share with sin, we choose to remain enslaved when we continually believe the broken promises of sin.  Sin promises us pleasure but delivers pain, promises power but delivers weakness, and promises freedom but repeatedly delivers slavery.

This control must stop.  This is not who we should be. We were not created to live in Stockholm Syndrome.

According to Romans 3:21-23, “…a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Avoiding sin will not deliver us from its control. Achieving goodness will not overshadow it. The only way we can defeat the power of sin in our lives is to respond in faith to Jesus Christ.

I don’t know how you came to read this today. No clue what your past 24 hours has looked like. But I can tell you this: Jesus came to set you free, and He will never break His promises.  If you feel the burden of Stockholm Syndrome in your life, hand it over to Him. 

If you’d like help in understanding what following Christ is all about, please contact Faith Promise. We’d love to walk with you on this amazing journey.

Last weekend fpStudents High School students from both campuses experienced a phenomenal event called Fall Retreat.  It was a joyous occasion where students had the opportunity to climb a huge inflatable Iceberg and be catapulted off a massive Blob into a lake.  They sweated it out on the Competition field and got covered from head to toe in soap, lemonade and flour! And of course, they spent a lot of time simply hanging out, as high school students tend to do.  But these activities paled in comparison to what the students learned during this 2 day adventure.

The theme of the retreat was IMITATE, and over the course of 3 large group sessions, we helped students discover 4 major truths about the way we live life.  I’d like to share them with you now, and my prayer is that they will shift your attitude and outlook as it has similarly affected many students in the past 2 weeks.

1. WE ALL IMITATE. Whether it is a family member, athlete or actor, we all have the desire to imitate others.  It’s ingrained in us to such a degree that we don’t even choose to do it, we just imitate naturally.  It’s not a bad thing, either, simply a truth to life.
2. WE WERE CREATED TO IMITATE. So, if we all imitate, God had to have designed us to this this on purpose. Genesis 1:27 shows us that, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God intentionally made us in His image from the beginning.  Skip over to the New Testament and we see things kick up a notch. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God…” which means that we are CREATED in His IMAGE and CALLED to be IMITATORS.
3. WE WERE CREATED TO IMIATE JESUS. Once Jesus landed on earth, humanity was handed the perfect example of how we should interact with the world around us. Philippians 2:5 gives us the specific mandate, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” Now, none of this should be a shock…God made us in His image and wants us to live our lives as imitators of His Son. Got it.  So, how do we do this?  How do we re-align our lives to the selfless attitude that defines Jesus Christ?
4. YOU CAN ONLY IMITATE JESUS TO THE LEVEL THAT YOU KNOW HIM. Let it sink in a bit.  If your relationship with Jesus is shallow, so will your imitation of Him. If you only talk to Him or think about Him on Sunday/Wednesday, then your ability to mirror His attitude will be greatly hindered. But if you make it your goal to chase after Him as passionately as you can, you have a much greater chance of being mistaken for Him!

So, my question for you today is…how well do you know Him? Are you attempting to imitate someone you know of, but have no relationship with? How would your family answer that question about you?

Tomorrow morning a team of 18 from Faith Promise will be heading to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to spend several days ministering to nearly a hundred orphans.  While we are on this trip we would LOVE your prayer support! 

While we are in Haiti, our goal will be to connect you with the missions experience every day.  You can follow along with our trip each day via www.michaelbwallace.com.  Team members will be blogging about their experience as well as posting pictures and video from each day of the trip. 

The team members for this trip are:

Kristina Booth
Dave Breaux
Tonja Breaux
Katy Creasman
Whitney Fulwiler
Carl Hall
Sabrina Hall
Ryan Hargis
Amy McGehee
Tatum McKinnon
Austin Parrish
Hannah Ridner
Kelly Searle
Bryce Spencer
Michael Wallace
Holly Wallace
Sydney Weisberg
Whitnie Williams

Thank you for your support!  As you experience this journey with us, feel free to leave comments on the website…it will be great to hear from you!

Series:  Stockholm Syndrome

Focus:  Our Human Connection With Sin

Family Discussion:

This week fpStudents: High School begins a new series that is quite intense.  In today’s Parent Connection you will learn two things: why we are doing this series, and how you can help.

1. “Stockholm Syndrome” is the phenomenon wherein a hostage or kidnap victim develops feelings of compassion or even love toward their captor.  Even after the victim has been set free from their captivity, they will often defend those who did them harm.  In this series we will discover the truth that SIN does the same thing to us.  It holds us captive, and even after we choose to follow Christ, we tend to have a deep connection to it.  This phenomenon can derail someone’s life completely, and the great truth we will learn in this series is that there is a way out of Stockholm Syndrome.

2. As a parent, you spend a large amount of time influencing your student.  Whether it is driving them to and from school, practice, church, etc. or sitting around the dinner table, watching TV or even going on family trips.  Use this series to ask some tough questions of your student, and prepare yourself to being transparent with them.  Students remember stories, and the story your life tells will have a great impact on them.  Take advantage of this opportunity to get real with them about the transformational power of the Holy Spirit.

This series will conclude with a Movie Premiere for our very own scary short film entitled “No One’s Home” on October 26.  I would encourage you to partner with your student to get as many of their friends to fpStudents on that night as possible!  We will present the Gospel in a very clear way, and I pray that dozens of lives will be changed forever!  Thank you so much for partnering with us to make it hard to go to Hell from East Tennessee.

Last weekend fpStudents High School students from both campuses experienced a phenomenal event called Fall Retreat.  It was a joyous occasion where students had the opportunity to climb a huge inflatable Iceberg and be catapulted off a massive Blob into a lake.  They sweated it out on the Competition field and got covered from head to toe in soap, lemonade and flour! And of course, they spent a lot of time simply hanging out, as high school students tend to do.  But these activities paled in comparison to what the students learned during this 2 day adventure.

The theme of the retreat was IMITATE, and over the course of 3 large group sessions, we helped students discover 4 major truths about the way we live life.  I’d like to share them with you now, and my prayer is that they will shift your attitude and outlook as it has similarly affected many students in the past 2 weeks.

1. WE ALL IMITATE. Whether it is a family member, athlete or actor, we all have the desire to imitate others.  It’s ingrained in us to such a degree that we don’t even choose to do it, we just imitate naturally.  It’s not a bad thing, either, simply a truth to life.
2. WE WERE CREATED TO IMITATE. So, if we all imitate, God had to have designed us to this this on purpose. Genesis 1:27 shows us that, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God intentionally made us in His image from the beginning.  Skip over to the New Testament and we see things kick up a notch. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Be imitators of God…” which means that we are CREATED in His IMAGE and CALLED to be IMITATORS.
3. WE WERE CREATED TO IMIATE JESUS. Once Jesus landed on earth, humanity was handed the perfect example of how we should interact with the world around us. Philippians 2:5 gives us the specific mandate, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” Now, none of this should be a shock…God made us in His image and wants us to live our lives as imitators of His Son. Got it.  So, how do we do this?  How do we re-align our lives to the selfless attitude that defines Jesus Christ?
4. YOU CAN ONLY IMITATE JESUS TO THE LEVEL THAT YOU KNOW HIM. Let it sink in a bit.  If your relationship with Jesus is shallow, so will your imitation of Him. If you only talk to Him or think about Him on Sunday/Wednesday, then your ability to mirror His attitude will be greatly hindered. But if you make it your goal to chase after Him as passionately as you can, you have a much greater chance of being mistaken for Him!

So, my question for you today is…how well do you know Him? Are you attempting to imitate someone you know of, but have no relationship with? How would your family answer that question about you?

Action.  Adventure.  Risk.  Danger.  Courage.  How do you respond to the battles life throws at you?  In this special “Man Night” movie experience, you will have a chance to discover what it takes to become a man, and what it looks like when you get there.

Join us on October 9th for lunch and a FREE movie!  This event will begin at both the Pellissippi and Blount campuses, and is open to all high school guys.  You can register for your ticket at www.fpstudents.com.

This event is designed to challenge and inspire you…and your dad!  In order to participate you will need to register ahead of time with your father, or an adult male mentor.  We will have a ton of great guys available if your dad/mentor is unavailable.

For this unique event, we will provide you with the FREE movie tickets, and you will be responsible for lunch on your own.  Tickets will be distributed at your campus following the last service on Sunday, October 9^th.

If you have any questions, please contact us at students@faithpromise.org.

Heartless Series
Week 1:  Guys vs. Girls

Recap of the Night:

During the large group experience tonight we unpacked some of the differences between girls and girls.  Here are those differences we unpacked:  Girls are emotion (feeling) based, guys are physical (fact) based, girls are more open in their relationships, and guys are more closed, girls are more nurturing (the motherly instinct) and guys are more protecting (the provider instinct).  During our large group session we saw how the differences, although challenging to deal with in the context of a relationship, can actually give us a true picture of who God is.  

In our group time we unpacked how both guys and girls are created in the image of God, so both sexes bear the image of God.  We talked about more differences (age appropriately) between girls and guys and what those differences can teach us about who God is.  We challenged students to see that God intends for the relationship between a girl and guy to be very special and that students should protect it and not enter into it too quickly.  

Here are some questions you can use to engage with your students this week:

•

What are some differences that you see between girls and guys?
 

•

What differences between girls and guys is most frustrating to you?

•

What can you learn about God from the differences between the opposite sex?

•

How does understanding the difference between the opposite sex help you to better appreciate them and help you to better interact with them?

Is 3 years of age “old enough” to be considered the “Man of the House”?

This is the question I asked myself a few weeks ago as I prepared for a trip away from home.  I added the final items to my already stuffed overnight bag as my son, complete as always with a Hot Wheels car in each hand, watched from across the room. Once I zipped the flap closed on my suitcase, I turned and knelt to face Colt.  The conversation went something like this:

“Colt, Daddy is going on a quick trip.  I won’t be gone long. In fact, I’ll be back in two days,  in time to say goodnight to you! But, son, while I’m gone, what do you think I need you to do?”

Colt responds with his well-rehearsed answer. “To obey Mommy and take care of Emmy…”

“That’s right, son.  And even more than that, I need you to be the Man of the House.”

His eyes get wide, and he grabs my arm. “No, Daddy! I’m only 3. I’m a big boy, I’m not a man!”

His comment made me pause for a moment.  Was I pushing this on him too soon? Can he handle the call of manhood at such an early age?  Am I being completely ridiculous in my parenting?

In this moment I realized something that I never fully realized before: No one else can ever speak truth into my son like I can.  I’m his Daddy.  He hangs on my every word.  He runs and jumps in my arms when I come home each day. In his eyes I can do no wrong. Now, I recognize that a season will come when he will be less attached to me and perhaps even prefer to not hug me in front of people, which in that same moment brought me to the next point: His journey to manhood starts now.

Men, the legacy you instill in your son does not start at age 18.  It is a process of speaking truth into him from an early age and helping them see the potential God has placed inside of him.  He will see his role clearly and chase after it passionately when it is intentionally modeled for him from birth.

So, is 3 too young to be the “Man of the House”? Maybe. But Colt can’t afford for me to wait until he’s 18 to talk about it.  His future is dependent on my leading him to where he needs to be.  Even when it’s tough, or possibly awkward, that’s what our job as Daddy is all about.

Topic: Game Plan

This final week is about the most important aspect of any endeavor…the Game Plan.  From football to building a car or applying makeup, having a game plan is CRUICIAL!  So, what is God’s game plan for our lives?  And how do we live it out each day?  Matthew 28 gives us Jesus final instructions before leaving earth…the game plan we should all live by.

During this journey you are challenged to join your student in completing the “Two-A-Day Student Reading Plan.”  This simple process involves reading a chapter from John in the morning and a chapter from Psalms in the evening, followed by a moment of reflection and prayer.  Use this tool over the next 21 days to grow closer to God, and look for ways to connect with your student as they do the same!

You can download the final week’s reading plan HERE (http://fpstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/TwoADays_week3.pdf) We will have printed copies available at the fpStudent services each week if you would like to pick up a copy as well.

Week 2 of this teaching series is all about the concept of “Team Over Self.”  This is a common theme on virtually any team in the world.  But the crucial question is how does that affect your role and attitude on the non-sports teams you are involved in…like Faith Promise Church, fpStudents, your small group…even your family? 

During this journey you are challenged to join your student in completing the “Two-A-Day Student Reading Plan.”  This simple process involves reading a chapter from John in the morning and a chapter from Psalms in the evening, followed by a moment of reflection and prayer.  Use this tool over the next 21 days to grow closer to God, and look for ways to connect with your student as they do the same!

You can download the second week’s reading plan HERE (http://fpstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/TwoADays_week2.pdf).  We will have printed copies available at the fpStudent services each week if you would like to pick up a copy as well.

This week I had the opportunity to attend the funeral of a friend’s father. I mention this to you to highlight one common theme I heard and reheard at the service. That word is memory.

Each of the grandchildren at the funeral were given the chance to share some memories of their grandfather. This led to laughter, tears, smiles and hugs as all in attendance remembered the life this man had lived. It is these memories that will live on in the lives of this family.

So, in light of the fact that you are reading this….you and I are still in a position to create memories that will impact our families beyond the span of our lives.  What are you doing to create stories that your kids will tell in 20 years? How are you shaping their mindset and framing their worldview?

Chances are you are doing this without even trying. Just imagine the stories and memories you family will create if you do it with great intention!

Series: Friday Night Lights

Topic: Preparation

Parents, as we begin this school year with all the anticipation and anxiety that it can bring, our goal in this series begins with a challenge.  This challenge is for you and your student to prepare for and practice what it means to follow Christ.  Over the next few weeks we will equate the journey of following Jesus with football, which, as a sporting event, requires a specific diet and exercise. 

During this journey you are challenged to join your student in completing the “Two-A-Day Student Reading Plan.”  This simple process involves reading a chapter from John in the morning and a chapter from Psalms in the evening, followed by a moment of reflection and prayer.  Use this tool over the next 21 days to grow closer to God, and look for ways to connect with your student as they do the same!

You can download the first week’s reading plan HERE (http://fpstudents.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/TwoADays_week1.pdf).  We will have printed copies available at the fpStudent services each week if you would like to pick up a copy as well.

Colt’s Story from fpStudents on Vimeo.

I’m not sure why we don’t talk about it more.

Ok, that’s a lie. We want him to feel normal, that’s why.

Truth is, he’s not normal. And it’s a miracle.

As I write this I am in Dallas, less than half a mile away from the site of a miracle. 3 years ago my wife, Holly, and I were in a state of shock. We discovered in July of 2008 that our beautiful baby boy had a cranial deformity called ‘craniosinostosis.’ Which basically meant that in order for him to look and act like a ‘normal’ kid, he would need fairly extensive surgery. As a 9 month old infant.

And in November of 2008 we spent 2 weeks at Children’s Medical Center, a stone’s throw from this very spot, as Colt endured a dual craniotomy, 2 separate invasive surgeries, to correct his deformity.

The miracle that took place at that moment was not medical…it wasn’t even logical. I know that before Colt was born God had a plan to take care of him. You see, God moved in my life to lead me to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. Why is that important? Well, my attending DTS meant that Holly and I needed to relocate immediately after graduating college and getting married. Which meant that we would be living in a new city with new friends and new jobs. But ultimately it meant that when our first child was born, and a cranial deformity was detected, that we would already be living less than 45 minutes away from several of the most experienced cranial surgeons in the world.

The successful surgeries.
The providential placement of our family.

Still not the greatest miracle that happened here.

I remember the morning of the first surgery. I was bitter and angry, although I didn’t show it. And I broke down when we had to hand Colt over to the doctors, weeping like never before. Not because I was worried, but because I was frustrated that I couldn’t fix this little boy that I loved with all my heart.

The greatest miracle that I experienced then was the recognition that God loves Colt, and me, more than I could ever imagine. The truth is, Colt is just on loan to me. He’s always been God’s. Always will be God’s. But I have the privilege of helping him grow to see who God is, and show him how much God loves him. On the day of Colt’s first surgery I realized for the first time that God loved Colt more than I did.

And that He loved me even more than I did.

Let that sink in. Read it twice if it helps.

God loves you more than you do.

That simple truth, the fact that it is true and that we can have knowledge of it, is a miracle.

And I am so grateful that I could learn this lesson from my baby boy. Because God made him special I was able to see the true depth of His love.

I’m not sure why we don’t talk about it more.