“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 2:14

I hear a lot of people say the Bible never really made sense to them until they gave their lives to Christ. Well there you go.
If you have ever been around non-Believers and they think you’re crazy, well welcome to the party. God has changed your heart because you heard the Gospel and the Holy Spirit of God convicted you, and then converted you. You and I were influenced by somebody, but make no mistake…we play only a small role in the salvation department of God, but it is a huge part of God’s plan. Our job is to love God and love people. I pray today that you will play your part. Pray for those you are around and ask God to give you the opportunity to partner with Him to influence the lives of people so that they too may understand the Spirit of God.

Keep fishing,

Mark Roberts
VP First Priority of America

Nehemiah 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 coordinator for First Priority is to 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 we are launching on ‘hot’? Is everything in place?”  When you get to Phase 3 (Direction), here are the things that need to be “hot”.

A network of churches.

A network of parents.

Trained Campus Coach.

Trained student leaders.

A 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. You will notice if you read on that the rebuilding of the walls and the unity of the people caused a revival in the city.

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”.

Mark and Brad

We are learning more and more that it is the small daily habits that impact the long term effectiveness of a leader.  Will you pray this prayer regularly for your community?

O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of ________ your servants, confessing the sins of the people of __________, which we have sinned against you.  Even I and my father’s house have sinned.  We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.  Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’  They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

In Christ,

Mark Roberts & Brad Schelling

If you have seen the movie Unbroken, you know it is about an Olympic track star Louis Zamperini that became a solider and then a prisoner of war. I just finished his book The Devil At My Heels. It was the most inspiring book I have ever read. This man endured unbelievable hardship. As I finished the book, I sat in my comfortable chair and thought about the blessed life I have had. I thought of how blessed we are to live in the United States. I also thought of James 1:2 that says, “Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

I realized that my trails are really nothing. This man, like the early disciples and Christians outside of the United States, faced persecution like we can not imagine. If we ever find ourselves in trials, James makes it clear that we should consider it JOY! I think I get it…James knew that most of us would never seek God unless we were in trouble. Most people never change until they are desperate. That is the rest of the story the movie failed to cover. In desperation, Louis gave his life to Christ at a Billy Graham crusade. Every American needs to read this book.

Mark Roberts

“While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.   When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.  ‘You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,’ she said.

But he denied it.  ‘I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,’ he said, and went out into the entryway.  When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, ‘This fellow is one of them.’  Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, ‘Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.’

He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know this man you’re talking about.’

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.  Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.”

Mark 14:66 – 72

If you cannot relate to this story, you must not have ever taken a stand with your faith.  I will confess that I have denied my relationship with Jesus several times and then reacted just like Peter.  I once heard the best description of a Christian from a talk show host in Atlanta.  Some lady, Mrs. I’m Better Than You, was arguing with the talk show host and said to him that he did not even know what a Christian was.  Which he then replied, “Mrs., I know exactly what a Christian is…a Christian is a disturbed sinner.”  Wow, now that is good.  I know I belong to Him because when I sin or deny Him, I am disturbed about it.  I have also learned some things from these times.  I think sometimes we deny Jesus because we cannot adequately defend our faith.  We know so little about the Bible that we cannot make a solid argument.  I have also learned that when faced with these moments, no one can take my faith story away…I was blind but now I see. The more time you and I spend with God, reading His word and talking to Him, the more we build that relationship and become more confident in who we are and whose we are.

– Mark Roberts

“Strategy is only as meaningful as the vision that gives it life; but a vision is only as effective as the strategy that gives it legs.”

What? I couldn’t believe my professor from Minneapolis knew about First Priority  I guess he must have lived in Birmingham two decades ago when Mark Roberts helped start it there.

He went on to share the ABCDEF’s of Vision Casting as:

Appropriate: it connects in a meaningful way to who you are

What is more appropriate than for Christian students to share Jesus with their peers?

Bold: it challenges things and asks for more than what is presently given

FP extends your student ministry (not just you) to the school.

Clear: immediately understandable

FP helps students reach students at school. Clear enough?

Desirable: immediate value

Students who begin a relationship with Jesus do need a place to be followed up with and discipled. How about your church?

Energizing: simple and satisfying; challenges and motivates; helps everyone say ‘ME TOO!’

How about when a student hears about Jesus at school and takes his whole family to church?  Happens every year multiple times.

Feasible: Continuity with reality.  It separates wise leadership from the dreamers.

First Priority is possible.  It happens all over the country for the first time every month of the year in cities, suburbs, counties, small towns, and villages.  It can happen in the school closest to you too.

 “A vision with feasibility is more than a pipe dream… Strategy provides both a logic and a first level of detail
to show how a vision can be accomplished.”
John Kotter

Would you take a look [again] at our First Steps guide to see how our strategy can help you see “The Hope of Christ in Every Student” in your school this year?  With 300,000 churches and close to 69,000 public middle and high schools in America, together we can reach them all.  It is feasible!

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)