President's Update

JUST LIKE JESUS

Have you ever reflected upon what it means to “think and act… just like Jesus”? Phil. 2:5 tells us do exactly that!

In a recent study that I have led with a group of leaders, we have been going through the Life of Christ, looking at various events in Christ’s life and asking the question…
what is Jesus thinking? It is a profound question and one that gives great insight into the life and message of Jesus. You soon realize that His thought process were quite different than ours. And yet we are told to have the “mind of Christ” (I Cor 2:16) .

As one of the business men in my executive study said, “What would it be like, to go though life for just one day, with no ego? To live with no regrets about any past failures; to look to the future with no worry, because of total dependence; and to live completely in the present moment… knowing of the Father’s complete presence. What would that feel like?” And yet that is how Jesus lived every moment… and then told us to walk as He walked.

The next time you read of some event from the Life of Christ… I encourage you to stop and reflect upon “how Jesus was thinking”. Train your mind to try to “think and act… just like Jesus”. It’s an exciting way to study the Life of Christ.


SONLIFE CLASSIC

Global Youth Initiative has grown out of strong training base in North America. Of the 40 plus organizations involved with GYI, almost all have been impacted by the training Sonlife North America has offered.

Just recently, Sonlife North America merged with YouthFront of Kansas City… moving away from the Classic Sonlife training and leaving a real vacuum for this material in North America. It is because of this, the leadership team of GYI knows we again need to meet this pressing need. Over 90% of all full time youth workers are in North America… and we must engage them in the Classic Life of Christ training, to see them mobilized globally for the Great Commission.

Because of this, I have been spending a good deal of my time, rewriting the Classic Sonlife material, and retesting it under a new banner called Live 2:6 (taken from I John 2:6 “walking as Jesus walked”).

The response has been exciting.

We have received numerous e-mails from previous Sonlife leaders, requesting either resources or training. Within a month we hope to have a new web site up… offer a new training seminar… and begin to deliver some of the Classic Sonlife resources.

I’d appreciate your prayers, as we begin once again offering this training.


LIVE 2:6

One of the new models of training we have been testing is a small group format. I have engaged 17 guys… all youth leaders… in a 2-year quarterly gathering for the purpose of studying the Life of
Christ and sharpening each other in ministry. We have just had our second three-day meeting and have enjoyed being together, talking ministry, and studying the Life of Christ.

I’ve enclosed a Pictures of our gathering… even though not all of the guys were available when we took the picture.


ISRAEL REVISITED

Over the last month, I have had over 100 e-mails from leaders around the globe, sharing with me some of what the Lord did in their life in Israel. It was a great joy to see the ongoing fruit of what has happened.

One of the young leaders stated, “Ever since I have returned from Israel, I find myself with a whole new perspective as I study the Scriptures. I mentally see the locations and gain a new grasp of the context. More than anything, I find myself with a deeper understanding of Christ’s life and ministry… causing me to love Him more and seek to challenge others to live as He lived. My passion for making disciples who can make disciples has been deepened, and my love for His Word has grown so much deeper as I find myself explaining Jesus to others. Thanks so much for our investment in us. I have already listened again to all the messages on the GYI website and am encouraging my disciples to do the same.”


MULTIPLIED TRAINING

One of the joys I experience is hearing reports of leaders around the globe going deeper in the Life of Christ and teaching what they are learning to others. Years ago I wrote a training manual that we have called the ‘Strategy Seminar’ that has become the core training of those involved in GYI. For over 30 years this seminar has been taught. But unlike other training tools I have written... the Life of Christ is a very deep subject, and all of us who teach this seminar find ourselves going deeper and deeper into Jesus.

While I get tired of teaching many seminars... I never tire of teaching the Life of Christ. His life is always fresh and full of new insights. These are some pictures of recent training events sent to me from Poland and Loas... just some of the many places where younger leaders are being equipped to live life after the pattern of Jesus. Monthly I receive reports of training being conducted in Africa, Europe, Latin America, India and SE Asia. Continue to pray that young leaders will be challenged to walk as Jesus walked and share His passion for loving the lost and fulfilling the Great Commission. May His life be exalted and a new generation fall deep in love with the Master.


PRAYER REQUESTS

• Sonlife Classic training being offered again in North America... wisdom on how to move forward
• Potential new ministry launches in South America, India, and Nepal
• A July trip to the Middle East for study and meetings (June 30-July 13)
• Wisdom for next steps for GYI as we continue to build momentum


ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

A man was stranded on the proverbial deserted Pacific island for years.

Finally one day a boat comes sailing into view, and the man frantically waves and draws the skipper's attention. The boat comes near the island and the sailor gets out and greets the stranded man.

After awhile the sailor asks, "What are those three huts you have here?"

"Well, that's my house there."

"What's that next hut?" asks the sailor.

"I built that hut to be my church."

"What about the other hut?"

"Oh, that's where I used to go to church."
______________________________

One day a housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt.

Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to his wife, "What setting do I use on
the washing machine?"

"It depends," she replied. "What does it say on your shirt?"

He yelled back, "DENVER BRONCOS."
__________________________________

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does.

The next day in a written test, she included this question:

"My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I am strong and attractive. I pick up things. What am I?"

When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of

the students answered

the question with the word "Mother."
__________________________________

Eight-year-old Susie came home from school and informed her mother that today in class they had
learned how to make babies. The mother, rather shaken by the development, called the teacher to complain.

After listening to the mother complain for a few minutes, the teacher responded, "Did you ask her to explain how it is done?"

"No," said the mother.

"Then ask her and call me back," replied the teacher.

"So how DO you make babies?" the mother asked her daughter.

Susie responded, "You drop the 'y' and add 'ies.'"
_________________________

A little girl asked her father, "How did the human race come about?"

The father answered, "God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so all mankind was
made."

Two days later she asks her mother the same question.

The mother answered, "Many years ago there were monkeys, and we developed from them."

The confused girl returns to her father and says: "Dad, how is it possible that you told me that the human race was created by God and Mom says we developed from monkeys?"

The Father answers, "That's simple, honey. I told you about the origin of my side of the family, and
your mother told you about her side."
____________________________

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of blood.

Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face."

"Yes," the class said.

"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?"

A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."
_____________________________

(True Story) When my now 14-year-old daughter was 3 and her younger brother was getting into everything, she asked, "Mommy, can we put him back, now?"

Deciding to take this opportunity as a teaching moment in how siblings should treat each other, I explained to her that we could not put him back - that her brother was a gift from God.

She looked up at me with her big blue eyes and responded, "I understand, Mommy. God didn't want him either."

President's Update Archives