Caution: Inspiration Contained within

Jesus, Mother Teresa, Bethany Hamilton, Nick Vujicic, Bono, Felix Baumgartner, Ghandi, Frodo. These are some people that are truly inspirational. While each of them are famous for different or similar reasons, they are all an inspiration to others.

Why are they inspirational: Some are leaders of movements, some pro athletes, amazing speakers/musicians, and one guy went on a huge journey even if it was fictional. They are inspirational because of things they have experienced or accomplished. They make us think about our lives in a unique ways.

Today I watched a video of a talk given by Nick Vujicic. You can watch it here.
He is truly an amazing speaker and very inspiring. God has given him many talents and not given him other things that give him a platform (watch the video or Google him and you will understand). I was floored by his story, I was amazed by the message he gave. Not because of what he has done, but because of what God has done in and through him.

Lately I have been thinking: How can I inspire the lives of the people I work with? How can I inspire the students I teach to be inspirational for other students? And the message I watched today was the reminder for me. I might not always be inspiring, and sometimes my students feel like their life isn't inspiring, but God is always inspiring. God is within us when we accept him, He has given us the Holy Spirit to do great things in us and through us. That is what I need to teach and how I can lead by example. We need to find those moments God has changed us and shown his power.

Students often say to me that their testimony is boring. Yes, my students testimony might be boring because they have never done anything. But if I help them see what God has done in and through them, their testimony will be inspiring. Because so often we make our testimonies about us and how we found God, but maybe we have that wrong. Maybe we need to be twisting it around to what God did to and is doing to us.

If we really want our lives to be inspirational we have to make others think about their own lives in a unique way. And that way can simply be by making people look for what God is doing in them. If they don't see God's work they might just be inspired to find out how to get God involved. If they already know they have God, maybe they will be inspired to dig a little deeper and find more ways God has worked in them.

I want to challenge you to take a moment and look within. Find what God has done in your life, because I promise if He is a part of your life he has done something truly inspirational.

-Kyle

Stratos Jump

As I'm sure almost everyone who would read my blog would know; Felix Baumgartner jumped from a balloon in space over 128,000 ft free falling to the point of breaking the sound barrier.

This dude is nuts! If you haven't seen the video check it out here!
Now I have never been skydiving or base jumping, but one thing I know for sure is this must have been a rush. Whether you think the guy is crazy or not, he had the experience of a lifetime. (no seriously he promises not to do it again).

The thing that amazes me about this video, is this guy has such a passion for his sports of jumping off high places and plummeting towards the earth. He has jumped off the tallest of ever structure he can here on earth, he has jumped out of the sky and now he has free fallen from space to be able to tell the tale.

What I find inspiring about this guy, is that he was willing to lay his life on the line for something he desired. While I would personally never take the risk, he did something that I think is astonishing.

I bring this up because our theme this year in my youth ministry is OWN IT. The idea behind it is this; no one else can choose/live your faith. You don't inherit it, you don't earn it, you choose to believe in it and live it out. So what does that mean: it means highs and lows, work and enjoyment, and sometimes sacrifice and being willing to lay it on the line.

Felix Baumgartner was willing to lay his life on the line for a rush, and a couple world records that will likely be beaten one day. And if he is willing to do that, it makes me think what would we be willing to lay our life on the line for. How solid is my faith? Would I be willing to do anything for it? I truly believe it is. But are my students there? If they aren't what steps do I need to take to get them there? These are questions I am working on answering. Are they questions you should be asking about your ministry?

-Kyle