Kristina Sears

The Results are in!

Over the summer, we have had the results of many, many groups of people come in and effect our lives. Some of these results were for the good, some for the bad, some that had lasting effects, and some that maybe barely skimmed your attention. We have had the results of Supreme Court cases blasted out. You may have heard about that one. We have had the results of the FIFA woman’s soccer championship come in the news with the U.S. victory! We have heard of the people and nation of Greece in calamity. Finally, you and I have begun a new alliance with Cuba. Fantastic! (sarcasm? maybe!?.)

In Nehemiah’s time, they were dealing with the same ups and downs of life that we do today. By Nehemiah 9, they had conquered the task of rebuilding the walls, but then got to a season of life where they read the Scriptures again for the first time. It was a time of celebration that led to “fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.” (Verse 1) While you may not see sackcloth after starting First Priority in your community, you will hear things like, “I can’t believe we hadn’t started this years ago.” or “Why haven’t we thought of this sooner.” It is very much the same feeling as in Nehemiah’s day. People lament the fact that they let time go by without sharing the Hope of Christ with lost students in school. In verse 3 of Chapter 9 we see the people spending a quarter of their time reading and praying and a quarter in confession and worship.

I HAVE GOOD NEWS!

We have not wasted time. We have seen 7,715 students respond to the gospel in the 2014-15 school year! 7,715 people letting us know that they began a relationship with Jesus this past school year through First Priority.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us [and these students] new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 1 Peter 1:3-4 (italics mine)

In that we celebrate! As you continue on with First Priority, may you spend time celebrating, mourning, confessing and worshiping.

Peace,
Brad

Acts 26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Jesus calls all that follow Him to be fishers of men. He then challenged all of his followers with the great commission “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16: 15)

Our calling as a follower of Christ is to preach the Good News. The Good News that God wants all people to know Him, and have real life. Paul, if you remember, met Christ on his way to Damascus. After his encounter with Jesus he said he went and started declaring the Good News in Damascus that all should turn back to God. I like to think of this as Paul starting to share right where God put him. Where has God put you? He saved you and then left you where you are to influence the people you are around. Your family, your friends, your school or work place. All of the people that you encounter at all these places are searching and looking for life and hope. You might be the only light they see or the only Bible that they ever read. It is you, don’t be disobedient to your calling. Think about the people that God has placed in your life and simply start praying for them. You might be surprised at how God will use you to influence them toward a relationship with Jesus.

The Big Picture of Ministry

I know sometimes it is hard to see the “Big Picture” of ministry. We get so drained, frustrated, and hurt, etc. All little things have a tendency to cause us to forget to see what we are working toward. As Nehemiah and his team organized to rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, something spiritual was happening to the people. They united together for a cause (rebuilding the walls) and God was working and rebuilding the people’s hearts. Look what happened when the priest Ezra opened up the scriptures.

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:5-6

The people stood and worshiped God!

Is that not what we pray for and work for? That is the “Big Picture”!  Lives changed and people worshiping God. I truly believe that by uniting the church (First Priority) for a cause (school evangelism), we will bring about what we all want: the big picture in lives changed and people worshiping God.

Keep on keeping on. God is at work in people’s hearts. Let us be faithful in the task He set before us.

Mark and Brad

Acts 18:9-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

The other day I was flying back home from Nashville where I had the opportunity to be on the set of the new movie coming out about Rachel Joy Scott called “I Am Not Ashamed”. Back in 1999 two boys at Columbine High School took guns to their school and started shooting up the place, 12 students and one teacher lost their lives that day. Rachel Joy Scott, a committed young Christian girl, was the first one shot. After being shot several times she was asked by these guys if she still believed in God? She said, “YES”. That would be the last word she would ever say, but wow what a word. YES! The movie about her life is coming out April 20 2016, 17 years from the day she died. For more on Rachel’s story: http://www.freeheartday.com/rachel-joy-scott-her-story-must-be-told.

As I was traveling home I was wearing a tee shirt about the movie that said in big bold letters ‘I Am Not Ashamed’. You would not believe the attention I got from wearing that shirt. Several people asked me about it, over 25 gave me a smile or thumbs up. I got 10 weird looks and 3 or 4 disgusted looks. As I read these words from the book of Acts, I am reminded that I do not need to be afraid and I do not need to be silent. There are still many of us in America who are not ashamed! We are not alone, but I am afraid we are silent because we are afraid. We forget that God is with us and if God be for us who can be against us! (Rom. 8:31) Please Lord remind us that you are with us and help us not to be silent but to say “YES”, I stand with the Creator of the Universe and I will be heard in this city.

Keep Fishing!
Mark Roberts

Guest post by our Tampa Bay, FL City Director, Amber Johansen

I love my job. I run a non-profit which helps middle and high school students to create an environment on their campuses to seek and to share God. Often more than not, it’s on public school campuses.

I know: God is not in public schools.

Wrong. He is and He is showing up more often than you’d think.

Our clubs meet weekly and are student-led. All students are welcome, no matter their background or belief system. It’s truly a sight to behold watching these students struggle with their awkwardness and social norms while trying to share their insecurities, doubts and hopes.

Today was one of those days. I visited a high school club which we had started in August. It started out really slowly…I mean, really slowly. In fact, during one of the lunch periods, we had only one student coming. It was painful.

It’s about this student that I would like to share.

From the start, it was obvious that she had nowhere else to be; no one was missing her; no one was counting on her to make them laugh. She’s serious- minded, focused and, above all else, awkward. I mean super awkward. She’s a tall girl and not about the latest style or trend. She doesn’t laugh at the right time or know how to work a room. She’s just Kelly…she doesn’t seem to fit in and she’s ok with this. Kind of.

For the first few weeks of the club, it was just Kelly struggling to make small talk. But…she kept coming. Sometimes she would talk, and sometimes she didn’t have much to say.

A few months later, the club hit the social calendar. The kids started coming and they just kept coming. Soon, Kelly was surrounded by other students. She wasn’t swallowed up, though, because her leader remembered Kelly’s faithfulness when no one else was there; when it was awkward and a little boring. Her leader made a point to speak with Kelly before and after the club; to ask her about her grades and about her classes. Even though the club had expanded, Kelly was treated like she was the only person in the room. I guess this is why she bothered coming at all.

Today, I visited the club and was able to see it in full force. The chairs were full and the kids were chattering away. I barely noticed Kelly at first. She was quiet and blended in.

Once I did, though, I was happy for it. You see, “faithful” is a rare quality and one that I am desperate to experience. She reminded me of why I bother at all.

When the bell rang, she came over to hug me. This struck me as odd because teenagers rarely want adult contact (at least not in my home) and especially from strangers. It was a big bear hug (she dwarfs me in size) and I was glad for it. In all my “to-do” lists and adult stress I hardly stop for hugs, but it is simply one of God’s greatest joys. She went from leader to leader hugging each of us with the same love and intention. It was very touching, really.

I could cry now just thinking about it.

As she left the room, I said what any mother would say: “we love you”. She looked back with the sweetest, most angelic look and said: “I love ya’ll, too”. Yeah, I was reduced to tears. What a moment. It reminded me of why I do what I do: kids matter and God sees.

Right then, all of us had experienced God and HIS community. Priceless!

(Kelly is a fictitious name to protect the student’s identity)

52 Days to Hot

Nehemiah 7:3 states: “I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not
to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on
duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents
of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own
houses.”

As we look at the 7th chapter of Nehemiah, we notice that Nehemiah gave specific instructions to the people of Jerusalem. Your job as the director for First Priority is the same. You organize and challenge the networks to bring the Hope of Christ to every student. Notice that the gates were not to be opened “until the sun is hot”. Ask yourself these questions, “Is the school ministry we are launching ‘hot’? Is everything in place?”  When you get to your ministry launch date, here are the things that need to be “hot”.

Networked churches.
Networked parents.
Trained Campus Coach.
Trained student leaders.
Trained faculty sponsor.
Has your network of student leaders gotten permission from the school?
Do you have a meeting place?
Are the churches promoting the launch of the cycle?

Nehemiah gave instruction, motivated, challenged and organized the people to do their part. You do that through the Initiation Team and the Vision Casting Event.  They successfully completed their task and the walls were rebuilt in 52 days. You aren’t rebuilding the physical walls around a city, but your task is not easy either. Your work is important. God has placed you in your community to unite the church and bring about revival. Go and make sure it is “hot”.

Brad Schelling

The devil’s M.O.

M.O. is his modus operandi, his usual way of doing business. Today, we are seeing his M.O. is distraction. There is an enemy who will always try to distract you from your mission. He is always trying to spread rumors and cause dissension among people. I love Nehemiah’s reply! “I am carrying on a great project and cannot come down.” 

 “But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.” Nehemiah 6:2-4

Sometimes it is easy to get sucked into all the drama and gossip of meetings and people’s agendas. I call that ‘politics’ (in a negative way) because they simply wanted a meeting, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” We spend so much time defending our positions and over-spiritualizing things instead of just carrying on the project and not coming down. If you are trying to unite the church to take the gospel to the school campus, somebody is going to try to bring you down. If I may quote Taylor Swift (sorry), “People throw rocks at things that shine.” You can either throw a rock back four times and sit through four meetings with the same people or you can continue your “GREAT PROJECT”!

Carry on!  It is worth it: A United Church with a Plan to Influence the School(s) with the Gospel.

Brad Schelling

1 Thing to Do, No Matter What Your Ministry

Help the poor. Profound. Yes it is. But when you are out in the community, you will have the opportunity to meet people’s needs outside of your core focus. In Nehemiah’s situation, the volunteers who were building the walls needed help. His goal was to build a wall. He could have ignored them, but that wouldn’t have been what God wanted him to do. So he met their needs. In a First Priority situation, you never know whose needs you will have the opportunity to meet along the way. First Priority groups have been known to do backpack programs, feed teachers, sponsor compassion children, provide essentials to families in the school who have had a house fire, work with community development, provide daycare for single moms. You get the idea. Ministry, well the lives of people, are messy. When you get involved, expect messiness. Nehemiah did. You will too. I encourage you to pray through Nehemiah 5 to experience and notice how he reacted to 2 different situations. Your ‘meet someone’s need’ opportunity may be different, but Nehemiah may help influence your path.

Peace,
Brad Schelling

How to overcome discouragement 10 times!

Have you ever felt like everyone was against you? Me too. It happens to all of us. It seems to happen more when we have a goal and are working towards something. Nehemiah had it with opposition from Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod! Not only that, but, “Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, ‘Wherever you turn, they will attack us.’” Not only did Nehemiah have 2 individuals and 3 people groups against him, but he had the very people that he was serving coming back again and again and again and again with negativity! How did he endure?
Do you remember back a few weeks to the title of the Nehemiah 2 article? It was called ‘Your hand to success’. It was God’s hand that helped him get started. It is God’s hand that is going to keep him going through this discouragement. Nehemiah 4:14 says, “Don’t be afraid. Remember, the Lord who is great and awesome.” Nehemiah went back to the foundation of his call, when he spent 9 months developing his burden. Had Nehemiah not started with a developed burden from God’s hand, how do you think he would have responded in this situation?

Peace,
Brad Schelling

Matt. 4:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

If you are following Jesus you are fishing for men. There is no way around it. You are a follower of Jesus today because someone in your life was fishing. Think about all those people God used to influence you toward a relationship with Jesus. I believe each of us live where we live, we work where we work because God put us there to influence ‘our’ world. Your job and mine is to bait our hooks with the fruits of the Spirit so that we will be attractive to the lost men and women we are around. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Think about the people God has put in your life right now. Are you influencing them toward a relationship with Christ? If you are not, that is why you are frustrated as a Christian, you quit fishing. I have learned over the years if local churches quit trying to fish, they fight and eventually fail. They usually split and rename the new church “Harmony” Ha. Be encouraged! God has called you to greatness!

Keep fishing,

First Priority