In the video below, Trevin Wax coaches leaders on teaching Spring 2013, Session 13: The Consummation – The King Returns to Live with His People.

Tips and videos for previous lessons are available on the Adult Blog. You can also check out the Additional Resources page for podcast recommendations and blog posts related to this week’s subject matter.

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UPCOMING SESSIONS

Session 1 – Knowing God: The Role of Theology in the Life and Mission of the Christian

Session 2 – The God Who Is: The Existence of God

Session 3 – Our Great God: What God is Like

This is a guest post from Ben Trueblood (Director of Student Ministry for LifeWay). To see the entire series click here.

Student ministry summers can be both fruitful and challenging. It is a time when you, as a student ministry leader, become busier and the students in your ministry do the opposite. You are challenged because students have a more relaxed atmosphere and a different schedule that often negatively impacts their spiritual lives. Yes, this is a significant challenge and it is one that you should meet head on. Expect more from your students this summer and challenge them. Don’t allow another summer to be wasted! Here are three ways that you can make the most of your student ministry summer:

Consider focusing your summer toward one theme.

As you plan ask yourself the question: What is the one thing I want my students to take away from this summer? Once you answer that question, align all of your Bible studies, programming, and meetings to that one takeaway. Make sure your students see the connection between Bible studies, study topics at camp and the theme. One question you might be asking at this point is: If I focus on just one theme won’t the students get bored? The simple answer is no. One of the most challenging things about summer ministry is that as school shuts down for break, so do the students. As you know from working with students they quickly begin to shut down mentally and oftentimes spiritually. Because of this, summer is the time to be even more strategic and focused on your ministry.

Connect your students with opportunities to serve.

Many student ministries take the opportunity in the summer months to take a mission trip, which is great. However, don’t miss the ongoing opportunity you have to involve your students in missions locally. As students serve together it will help build unity within the ministry and it will help the students develop a heart for their community. These are two things that are essential to a healthy student ministry and the summer is a great time to experience growth in those areas.

Challenge your students to think.

Yes, even in the summer. Resist the temptation to take a lighter approach to Bible studies. Summer has often been the time to relax and let things go. In your student ministry, it should be a time when you stomp on the gas pedal. Show your students that the summer can be a time of tremendous spiritual growth. Model this for them in your life personally. Take the time to meet with that extra student or group of students for intentional discipleship. Choose Bible study material that will challenge them to think and engage deeply with God’s Word. This summer, The Gospel Project will spend 13 weeks studying the Triune God. This would be a great study that will challenge students to think as well as point them directly to the life-changing gospel of Jesus.

Make the most of this summer. Be strategic and focused as you enter this very important season of ministry. Deep down your students don’t want to just sit around. They want to grow this summer. They want to be challenged with God’s Word. They want to engage in the discipleship process and they want to see how the gospel impacts and transforms their lives. I pray that this summer will be one of the more fruitful summers you have seen.

Click here to see all of our Summer TGP Studies!

Psalm 53:1a – The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

It fascinates me that, last night, I preached Psalm 14, which is almost identical to Psalm 53. Without question, God has placed one thing in my path, on purpose, two times. And what is striking me most is the first line of both Psalms, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

The fool, a person about whom the Bible speaks with the utmost contempt, says to himself, in his own heart or mind, that there is no God. Often, we immediately take this verse as a way for us to look down our noses at any atheists we know, calling them fools and touting our own superior understanding. But I think, if we are careful, we can find more meaning in this text. The fool says, not only outwardly, but at times inwardly, that there is no God. He may not even admit his atheism. He may not even recognize his own atheism.

So, here comes the question that stunned me: “Are you an atheist?” “Of course not!” I cry, “I’m a pastor and a seminary student! There’s no atheism here.” That is what I say with my mouth. What about my heart? What does it tell me? What will reflect my heart’s condition is my behavior. Does my heart show me as a true believer in God through action? Am I acting, with every second of my life, as one who believes that God, the true God, the God of the Bible, is with me? Or, am I saying I am a believer with my lips, but actually living as though I am the only one here. Am I living as a fool? Am I living a practical atheism?

Think of it this way. You have a major problem. Perhaps you are caught in a traffic jam and are late for a meeting. Perhaps you have just discovered that an assignment is due today when you thought it was next week. Perhaps you just received some bad news from the doctor’s office. Perhaps you are a pastor who is feeling the pressure to straighten out a thousand twisted threads in a church when you only have 2 hands. Perhaps you are a mother whose children simply will not behave. How do you live in these pressure-filled moments? Would someone who looks in at your life believe that you believe in God? Do you pray, trust God, and respond with Christlikeness? Or, like so many of us, do you get frustrated, stressed out, overwhelmed, or discouraged? Do you complain, saying, “I don’t deserve this,” and then have a pity party?

Christians, if we are honest, there are times when, if we are not careful, we will live like fools even when we say with our lips that God is there. When we live for ourselves, when we act as though we must solve all our own problems, when we fail to trust God for the future, when we look for others to blame for our problems, when we act without prayer, we live as fools, as practical atheists. Sure, we acknowledge Jesus with our lips; but, when the rubber meets the road, we deny Jesus by the way we try to handle everything on our own or refuse to try to do something that appears to be beyond our own human abilities.

Today, repent of living as a practical atheist. Turn away from the temptation to make this life all about you, your comforts, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Live like one who believes, truly believes and knows, that God is real, he is with us, and he will never forsake his children. Ask yourself, on a regular basis, “Am I living as a fool or as a believer?” Ask, “Does this action make me look like a believer or a practical atheist?” Determine to live genuine faith before your Lord.

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that there are moments, and far too many of them, when I live as though I am the only solution to my problems. I pray that you will forgive me for living in my own little world of practical atheism. Though I would never declare philosophically that you do not exist, I sometimes live as though that is what I believe. I pray that you will fill me with your Spirit, and remind me regularly of your presence. Let me live what I truly believe, that you are my God, my Creator, my Lord, my Refuge, my King, and everything I need. I trust you. Help me, I pray, to live out that trust in every aspect of life.

This is a guest post by Eric Mason (Pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in PA). To see the entire series click here.

The summer months are almost here, and the summer is typically a time of relaxation and ease. However, as husbands and fathers our God given task should not cease. In fact, the summer is a prime opportunity to take initiative to lead our families. In my new book Manhood Restored I examine several aspects of leadership in the home that are vital. Let’s look at them here.

Ministry of Presence

It is almost embarrassing that such a practical point must be mentioned, but men must be at home. Men must be present. When children grow up, they remember certain details about their upbringing. Many times those things are major details, like vacations and big-time punishments. But one thing children never forget is if their father was present in their lives and what that presence was like. When men speak of their father being absent or not around, it is an embedded memory. Presence in the home is the bedrock of being in a family.

As Psalm 127 articulates, a man is to labor in his home. This laboring includes providing, visioning, praying, instructing, and much more. None of that happens without presence—the active involvement in the life and development of the family. Our family is to be the people with whom we have deep and rich relational commonality. Jesus has restored the ability for the man not to be a passive and/or aggressive presence in the home, but one that impacts the life of one’s wife and children. What should the memory of a father and husband be like for his family? This is the sort of burning question men should think through each day in the home.

Ministry of Spiritual Formation

Planning for the spiritual growth of one’s wife and children cannot be overstated. We must be able to biblically work through God’s vision for them. As it pertains to the children, we must seek to root them in the gospel as much as it depends on us by saturating them with a biblical grid. Take initiative and instruct your family in the word of God. Show them the beauty of God’s redemptive story.

Ministry of Gospel Promotion in the Home

Whether we are discipling, challenging our wife, having fun, or instructing, the principles of the gospel must permeate all. This isn’t an easy priority to have before us. Many times when I am discipling my sons, I become so agitated by their actions that I forget the gospel. I forget mercy, love, grace, and, most of all, I forget I am supposed to be helping them to understand forgiveness. Without the gospel, I am only projecting behavioral modification. Change of heart must trump mere change of behavior. Therefore, the goodness of God through the gospel must trump all other philosophies in the home. Don’t only teach them how the gospel transforms all of life, but show them how the gospel is transforming your life.

Ministry of Family Vision

The family must know where the family is going. We are not on some aimless journey of spirituality, but on our way to God. Because we are on our way to Him through Him and with Him (Titus 2:11–15; Matt. 28:20), there is divine reasoning and meaning in every day of our lives. Having biblical vision gives the house biblical grounding and purpose. Vision keeps us from running aimlessly. The culture of biblical vision running the household will give the family a great sense of gospel hope. Remember, Jesus has vision for His family. Jesus has prepared a place based on His vision for us to spend eternity with Him (John 14), has an image that we are conformed to (Rom. 8:29), and will bring it to fruition (Rev. 19–21). To follow His example means we project a similar vision for our own families.

Conclusion

Men, step up and be the husband and father that God has called you to be. Be intentional about being home, engaged and interested in your family. Take the task of spiritual formation and gospel promotion in the home seriously. This is the most important legacy you can leave your children, and the most formative way to love your wives. What is the vision for your family this summer? Are you setting a trajectory for family that is centered on Jesus? Where are you as a leader taking your family? Does the family identify that direction as the goal?

Click here to see all of our Summer TGP Studies!

In the video below, Trevin Wax coaches leaders on teaching Spring 2013, Session 12: Perseverance – The King Preserves His People.

Tips and videos for previous lessons are available on the Adult Blog. You can also check out the Additional Resources page for podcast recommendations and blog posts related to this week’s subject matter.

Video helps for upcoming lessons:

Session 13 – The Consummation – The King Returns to Live with His People

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Session 1 – Knowing God: The Role of Theology in the Life and Mission of the Christian

Session 2 – The God Who Is: The Existence of God

This is a guest post by Trillia Newbell (Managing Editor for Women of God Magazine). To see the entire series click here.

Summer: a time for sunshine and relaxation. As I look ahead to the summer, the thought of gathering seashells all day long sure does sound appealing. The hustle and bustle of life often slows and rest can become my craving. The kids are no longer in school and leisure for the family becomes an almost unquenchable appetite.  But though vacations or slower days may be ahead, there still remains the need for the Lord.

Paul instructs us in Ephesians 5: 15-16 on the best way to use these summer days ahead. He says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” The phrase “making the best use of” is an instruction for us to redeem our days. How do we redeem our summer days? By looking carefully how we walk. This means that though summer days may usher in times of relaxation or downtime, we don’t take a vacation from pursuing God and wisdom for walking out our faith through His Word.

Here are a few simple ways to turn the lazy days of summer into purposeful, useful, redeemed days.

Turn relaxation into fellowship with friends

Times with girlfriends at the pool can turn into play and fellowship. In order to redeem our summer days we have to be intentional. Think of ways to encourage your friends or ask good questions. Many times small group studies will help generate spiritual discussions. Fellowship doesn’t need to be forced or drudgery. The more we make speaking about the Lord a priority, the more natural it will become. As we relax, let’s ask the Lord for opportunities to address each other in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19).

Turn relaxation into fellowship with God

Hammocks and reading are staples in the summertime. If you don’t have a hammock but you enjoy reading, perhaps it’s cuddling under a tree. Whatever your signature reading spot is what we choose to read might help us redeem our summer days. It is, of course, a wonderful thing to read a variety of books. But it may be good to evaluate what we read throughout the summer and supplement some with good, biblically sound resources. There are plenty of books that aren’t drab, rather are full of great truth about the Lord. Consider using your relaxation time to soak in personal reflection on biblical truth. We usually read in preparation for gathering with others in a small group, why not reflect on your studies while enjoying the summer weather.

Involve your kids and their activities

School’s out for summer! Soccer has begun or gymnastics or swim team. Whatever it is, our summers with our kids can get busy with activities. Summer time isn’t a time for our kids to take a vacation from the Lord either. We must continue to train up our kids in the way they should go even through the summer (Proverbs 22:6). A simple way to do this is to maintain consistent devotional routines throughout the summer. And while you’re at it, why not find a few women at your kid’s practices or activities that you can engage in gospel-centered conversations? If you are there for significant time periods you can always form an organized discussion group.

Keep your quiet time

If you read your Bible throughout the year at a certain time, don’t stop because of summer. I’m not going to prescribe a time of day to read. That is up to you. But I imagine a temptation for many of us is to sleep in and put off reading the Bible. It’s hard to gain wisdom without reading the Word. Ask God to help you discipline your body to exercise self-control in all things (1 Corinthians 10: 25-27). A biblical study material may help direct your Bible reading and provide you with a clear plan for the summer. Maybe find a new time to read and make it consistent with the assistance of your Bible study material.

We know that our pursuit of God during the summer won’t add anything to our justification. It is by grace that we are saved and it is not by works so no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8). We are compelled by the love of Christ to run to Him and learn from Him even during the lazy days of summer. It is by God’s grace that we can pursue Him during our summer days. Let’s pray God helps us redeem our summer, not wasting it because the days are evil.

Click here to see all of our Summer TGP Studies!

This is a guest post by Todd Engstrom (Community Pastor at The Austin Stone Community Church). To see the entire series click here.

Summertime always prompts images of grilling in the backyard, vacation road trips, watching baseball, and adventures in the neighborhood.  In the church, it’s often a season where we “take a break” from ministry and community. I’ve always found that idea somewhat odd when I consider my identity in Christ.  I don’t really ever “take a break” for an entire season from my earthly family, so why would I skip out on my spiritual family for three months?

My family rhythm certainly changes in the summer, but it doesn’t disappear entirely. The kids are out of school, and we’re on the go more, but we don’t stop teaching our kids about Jesus and His Word. We certainly don’t cease to be brothers and sisters in Christ with our church family during the summer either.

What if your community continued striving to be a spiritual family this summer, rather than pushing pause?  In my experience, there are a few things that will help a community thrive in a season where many fade away.  Here are three ideas to consider implementing:

Gather in new ways.

Because summer is a new season where rhythms change, take the opportunity to change up your gathering.  Instead of the regular weekly routine, try gathering on Friday evenings for a BBQ on the deck and some low-key conversation.  If you have younger kids, let them have a sleepover and stay up way too late, while the adults enjoy some conversation outside.

Summer is also a great time to connect your community with those who don’t know Jesus.  Try gathering at the park or the pool, and intentionally have folks invite their neighbors. We call this a “Third Place” at The Austin Stone, and it’s our primary way of engaging in God’s mission with our community.

Study something new, and in a new way.

Because of vacation schedules and other events, most people will end up attending a group, on average, six times over the summer. The flow of a group will inevitably be interrupted.  Rather than trying to have a cohesive study plan that requires consistent participation and builds week to week, try something that is a little more self-paced.

I’d recommend using a study that someone can easily do independently, and then utilize a group gathering time to discuss the takeaways from the material.  Focus on questions like “What was the most helpful thing you learned?” and “How did this change the way you interacted with your family/friends/neighbors this week?”

Summer is also a great time to incorporate the use of digital technology to help foster conversation. Rather than depending entirely on the face-to-face gathering, try having an ongoing discussion through email, a Facebook group, or by using church communication software.

Vacation together.

This one requires planning, but it’s the best thing my community does – we enjoy vacation with one another. We’ve done it a number of ways – going to a lake house, road tripping to the mountains, and going to a family camp together.  Having our entire families interacting and creating memories with one another fosters such unique and authentic community that it’s compelling for our neighbors who don’t know Jesus.

A week of community vacation also presents an opportunity for more intentional time for discussion, as well as much more informal time for sharing life and dreaming about the future of your community.  You can do so much more in one focused week than you can in an entire semester’s worth of group gatherings!

Enjoy your summer to the glory of God.

Summer is a hard time to start new things, but it’s a great time to adapt a lot of your existing practices to the challenges of a summer rhythm.  Most importantly, though, is to rejoice in this season that God has graciously given for His glory and our good. Summer is a blessing to be enjoyed, and an opportunity to change up your normal rhythms.

Click here to see all of our Summer TGP Studies!

In the video below, Trevin Wax coaches leaders on teaching Spring 2013, Session 11: Following – The King Shepherds His People.

Tips and videos for previous lessons are available on the Adult Blog. You can also check out the Additional Resources page for podcast recommendations and blog posts related to this week’s subject matter.

Video helps for upcoming lessons:

Session 12 – Perseverance: The King Preserves His People

Session 13 – The Consummation – The King Returns to Live with His People

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Session 1 – Knowing God: The Role of Theology in the Life and Mission of the Christian

Session 2 – The God Who Is: The Existence of God

This is a guest post by Alvin Reid (Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary). To see the entire series click here.

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” Shakespeare

Summer marks that time when people take vacations and generally pull themselves away from their normal routines. I love summer — reading books in a hammock, reclining by a pool, and taking time to reflect. Summer seems to bring out the youth in all of us.

We also see a change in the summertime in our churches as well, as many talk about the “summer slump” in attendance. But if you are in student ministry you know how the summer offers unique opportunities for students to step up and step out in their faith. Youth camps, mission trips, and other activities that focus on Christ in a season of leisure offer phenomenal times of growth. But you, as a student pastor or leader, can slip into the mindset of letting weekly, consistent discipleship decline in the busyness of preparing for those activities. I believe summertime can offer a great time of growth for students who are out of school. And I have just the resource for you.

The Gospel Project offers a specifically Christ-centered approach to learning the Scriptures. If your church is not currently using it, summer offers a time to walk through the materials and give them a “trial run” while teaching some important truths to your students. Notice the focus of the summer study:

1. Knowing God: The Role of Theology in the Life and Mission of the Christian
2. The God Who Is: The Existence of God
3. Our Great God: What God Is Like
4. The Omni God: God’s Omniscience, Omnipresence, and Omnipotence
5. Good God: The Goodness and Love of God
6. Holy, Holy, Holy: God’s Holy Righteous Character
7. Jesus’ Deity: The Son of God
8. Jesus Humanity: The Son of Man
9. Jesus Work: Prophet, Priest, and King
10. The Spirit’s Identity: The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
11. The Spirit’s Work: The Work of the Holy Spirit
12. God in Us: The Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit
13. The Trinity: The Mystery of One God in Three Persons

You could teach this in your normal Sunday time. Or, you could have a summer Bible study where you focus on theology (as I say in my new book As You Go: Creating a Missional Culture of Gospel-Centered Students, students learn trigonometry in high school, they can learn theology in church!). You could have a Sunday evening study or a weeknight study in homes, or go outdoors, or another creative time and place.

One of the most popular features of the summer for students is going to see movies. I remember stellar movies the summer my friends and I got our driver’s licenses. Movies like Aliens, the first one with Sigourney Weaver. Freaked me out.

I love helping students see movies and their storylines from a biblical lens. Storylines we love, like a man falling in a hole and getting out (action movies from the Avengers to Transformers), rags to riches (Cinderella, Princess Diaries), and boy meets girl (Hitched, most romantic comedies), all feature a general storyline of beginning, rising action, some form of intrigue or danger, and a denouement, or a rescue/resolution/some form of heroism, ending in the ubiquitous “and they all lived happily ever after.” We love these, because there is something in the Imago Dei within us that yearns for a happy ending.

Movies weakly reflect the the gospel seen in the Story of Scripture. God created an amazing world and created man to worship Him. The fall broke creation and separated us from God. Jesus came to rescue us by His substitutionary work on the cross and His resurrection, and we have the hope of the happily ever after in the restoration. This redemptive theme is critical to The Gospel Project, which is a reason I love it. What if you taught The Gospel Project series and used it to explain our love for movies and stories and happy endings comes from our yearning for the hope found in Christ?

The summer of my youth I mentioned above offered me more than a time to watch movies. It gave me a time to grow deeper in my faith. We took a long choir tour (that was our version of a mission trip back then) where we had to memorize Scripture and songs, go through devotional work, and minister to peers in several states. We saw God change lives. I saw God change mine. Instead of joining the movement of leisure and checking out on learning, why not use the summer as a time to dig deep in the Word? The Gospel Project summer study may be just what you need.

Click here to see all of our Summer TGP Studies!

The summer is usually a time when people vacation and generally pull themselves away from their typical schedules. Sadly, this is often reflected in their spiritual lives also. During the summer church members are less engaged and involved in community life at their church.

Summer church attendance reflects this well. In response to the summer lull, many pastors and leaders become lax on intentional discipleship strategies.

What would happen if we redeemed the summer for gospel growth and mission?

What would happen if the local church did not waste its summer?

Over the next month The Gospel Project has asked several church leaders and practitioners to supply us with blog posts that provide encouragement and ideas for engaging people during the summer for spiritual growth and missional living. As each blog is posted, the links will appear below.

• Alvin Reid: Student Leader, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Todd Engstrom: Small Group Leader, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Trillia Newbell: Women, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Aaron Armstrong: Family, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Eric Mason: Husband and Father, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Ben Trueblood: Student Pastor, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Jamie Ivey: Mom, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Michael Kelley: Men, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Josh Cousineau: Parent, Don’t Waste Your Summer!
• Andy McLean: Youth Minister, Don’t Waste Your Summer!

The Gospel Project’s Summer Studies

To Gospel Project seeks to provide Christ-centered biblical theology for small groups and Sunday school classes. This is accomplished in our studies by focusing on three components to accomplish this goal.

• Systematic Theology
• Biblical Theology
• Missional Application

The Gospel Project has a great study on “The God Who Is” for adults and students, exploring the attributes of God, the work of Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The kids will walk through a chronological study of Old Testament focusing on Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1 Kings, Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.

You are not going to want to miss these studies. We urge you, Don’t Waste Your Summer!

Click here to see all of our Summer TGP Studies!