Farther up and Further in!

Last night I announced that as of August 27th I will no longer be a part of the youth ministry of First Assembly of God.  I have been the worship leader and a youth leader at Ignite youth ministries for 7 years.  It has been the most fun, fulfilling, difficult, amazing, powerful, overwhelming, humbling experience of my life.  I have seen God do so many things, change so many lives, and give so many gifts in the time that I have been there.  We have had the most dramatic and powerful worship experiences of my life and some of the worst as well.  The Lord has been so faithful to meet us where we are and chase us down when we didn't want to come.  His deep and unending desire to be with His people has been displayed to me in incredible, lavish, extravagant ways.  I have loved almost every minute of my time there.  I am so unworthy to have even been involved with what He has done.  He is so good, and He is leading me on.

 

The day before the Fort Wayne One Thing Conference the Lord Spoke to me in a significant way that He was changing my path.  He told me He was calling me into a season of preparation and consecration.  He gave me a whole list of reasons and goals He had for the next season of my life and He told me that none of them could be accomplished to fullness while I was still involved in the youth ministry.  He said to me:

 

Your priority list is as follows -

1. Your heart in me - the first commandment in your life. Your heart has begun to cool from to much time in your comfort zone.  There is still life there but there is frost around the edges.  You must keep your heart aflame!
2. Your family's heart in me - your wife and children need you to be washing them with the Water of my word.  You have not done enough to stir their hearts with love for me.  That is all you've been about in the youth ministry but you have in some ways neglected that responsibility with your wife and kids.
3. Your heart toward others - there are people I have placed in your life that I want you to invest in and you have not had the time.  Make use of the time and pour into their lives in a more intimate and costly way.
4. Preparation for your future - I have a calling on your life.  I have a destiny but you are not ready for it yet, and staying where you are will not get you there.  Go back to school, finish your degree and get DEEP in the Word.  I am forming you.  I am equipping you.  The dreams and callings I have spoken over you are still alive and well.  Become a better writer, a better speaker, and gain more wisdom and confidence with people and money.  LEARN and GROW!!

I don't claim these to be the exact words of God but that was the gist and in typical God fashion each of these is expanding to be much bigger than the small beginning I am able to record here.  I can't wait to see the man I become in 5 years which is my guesstimation of how long this next season will last!  Pray for me and for Ignite as this transition moves forward.

 

Love you all

Josh