Beyond the Message: Death

I've had some good feedback from you students about going beyond the message on my last series, so I will do that again for this "Untouchables" series. The first untouchable subject that doesn't get talked alot about is death. I tried last night to help you understand that, even though it may be weird or uncomfortable to talk about it, the Bible tells us that we are wise to think about death.

Death is a natural occurrence in our lives. The Bible also tells us in Ecclesiastes that there is a season for everything – a time to be born and a time to die. Death is something that is reality for everyone – no one can escape it. We all are born and we all we die. So understanding that is natural should help ease some of the fear about death. Death is simply a part of life.

I didn't have too much time tonight to go into this, but death was not a part of God’s original design. Had Adam and Eve not sinned there would be no death. God created us for life and that life He created us for was an abundant life that centered on a relationship with Him. But we chose to rebel and sin - and with sin comes death. God didn’t design death, but death became a curse of sin. And because of our sin nature – death comes with it.

Death is a reality, but it is to remain in the hands of God and not man. Look at what Paul says should be the Christian’s position on death… "Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:20-21).

Isn't that a little confusing, but a powerful statement? Paul is saying I'm going to use the life God gave me for Christ! As long as I have life that means I'm living life in Christ and that is a good thing. But he also says to die is gain. Most of us are OK with the living life is Christ, but we're not so sure about death being gain. What's there to gain in the grave? Paul knew that life - true life - is gained in death. Because no longer am I living FOR Christ, but now I am living life WITH Christ! That is the gain. That was God's original design - that we would be with Him forever. That is why Paul can say death is gain.

I know that is a hard perspective to develop. God's still working on that in my life. I love life and everything that comes with it. But I want to learn to grow towards loving death. Not in some sick, twisted way... but in the Biblical perspective of longing to be with my Creator & Savior!

Where do you go with this? As Psalms says, you'd be wise to think about death. Where will you spend eternity? Where will your family and friends spend eternity? If you need help answering that question - I'd love to talk to you more on this topic!

Disaster Relief Mission: Pics, Stories and Investing

I've been meaning to get back to this and write some more about the Disaster Relief Mission I just returned from with my students in Bay St. Louis, MS. It was such an incredible time to meet new residents and work on their homes. God provided us some beautiful weather to work in during our time there.

The first home we worked on was for a sweet elderly lady who was waiting for her new home to be built. She and some of her pets survived the storm, but her home didn't and she was starting over. We were the team that was prepping the foundation for a stilt style home - so that meant digging 2' square holes 3' deep... and we had to do 12 of them.

Not bad work with an auger, but a little tougher with just posthole diggers and shovels. Much harder work after you hit the water table after only about a foot. Digging mud isn't fun. Apparently one of my leaders likes to take pictures of my backside. She'll remain nameless.

Sheet rocking was next as we had the opportunity to work on a home that would be occupied by a single mom with one child and one on the way. It was a tiny home, which made maneuvering with 12' sheets pretty tough. Unbelievably we were able to get 80% of the home done in 2 days. It took alot of prep work by removing the old paneling, nails, a gazillion staples and then hanging some new insulation. Some of our team even worked outside our assigned job and started cleaning up the yard and landscaping.

Our final project was a roofing job. We were on a 2-story roof with the task of removing the blue roof (you see alot of blue roofs still down there) and the stripping shingles and nails and laying new paper. Fortunately, even though it was high, we had a good pitch to work from. It wasn't quite the view and weather I had roofing on a mission trip in Seattle overlooking Puget Sound a few years ago, but again, God gave us some great weather. Being on a roof pulling nails does something to you when you don't have music to listen to... so to pass the time we sang every song we could come up with, but inserted the word "roof" or any other roofing term. Needless to say, we were definitely "bringing roofing back."

Loads of hard work, but I didn't really think about it. Well, at least not when I was working. I was thinking about it more at night in the bunkhouse with a truckload of snoring old men that sounded like jackhammers working a street somewhere. At 2:30 in the morning when you can't sleep due to the loudness you tend to notice how sore you are, how the mattress you are sleeping on feels like a 2x4 and how much you wish you weren't a light sleeper.

I walk away from these trips really struggling with the concept of ministering to the least of these. It's easy to go somewhere and help for a period of time, but does my daily life match my life "on mission." I just pray more and more that I would be able to see people through the eyes of Christ. And I want to invest in things that will last... things that a storm can't take away. To know God's Word and to give it to others is investing in eternity... that's where I want my investments to end up!

Disaster Relief Mission: Bay St. Louis, MS

This will probably be the first of a few posts and hopefully I will get some pics up here from the trip. Now that the trip is winding down I've found a moment of free time to write a little about the trip and what God has been doing.

This is my fifth trip over here to the Katrina damaged city of Bay St. Louis (and surrounding areas) of Mississippi. My first trip was only a few months after Katrina hit and I've never been the same since. I've never seen so much destruction and devestation and yet somehow seen God working in the middle of it.

So much life has returned here, although a year and a half later there is still so much work to be done. The people and their stories are amazing. We met a family on this trip that literally rode the storm out with each other and their dogs tied to a tree with Christmas lights they found in their attic. It's humbling to see their living conditions of being stuck in a tiny trailer for all this time. But it is exciting to be working for them to get them back in their homes.

God was definitely here this trip. He always is, but I was able to see Him work in really powerful ways through our students all the while teaching them about what it means to "walk as Jesus walked" (1 John 2:6).

I love coming here but it is always hard for me to leave. I think I leave some of my heart behind because of the relationships we are able to build and the work we have been able to accomplish. I'm always challenged everytime I come over about how tightly I can cling to my material possesions. That needs to change. Not that stuff is evil, but the desires behind having stuff can be. Helping people throw away everything they owned and tearing apart all that they have left in a house really helps keep things in perspective. I'm reminded of that "only one life will soon be past... only what's done for Christ will last!"

March Madness

With a title like that you'd think I'd be writing about how much I love all the basketball on TV (despite my bracket crumbling before my eyes) or maybe I'd be writing about how everything in bloom is driving my allergies crazy, but no, March Madness for me is really just my life... and not just my life in March.


I don't know what attracts me to "busyness". But I do know that I've always been that way. I'm not one for sitting on the bench, sitting back or even sitting around. Within me is an insatiable desire to "do" - to be active - to be involved. Maybe that's why I like the concept of March Madness. So much basketball on TV I can't even watch all the games. Maybe my blog and life should be titled "Todd's Madness."

The other day I was talking to our college minister who after hearing my summer schedule had a puzzled look on his face like, "Huh?" While he was saying, "How are you going to do all that?” I was thinking, "Wonder how I can work going on that college mission trip into my summer schedule!"

The story about Mary and Martha in Luke 10 sometimes really bothers me. I don't know if I'm allowed to say that something in the Bible bothers me, but I guess I just did. I've read it and even taught on it so much that I can practically retell it word for word. I think if I were Jesus I would have told Mary to get off her duff and make some cookies or something. But Mary was doing the "most important thing" sitting at the feet of Jesus.

I pray that in my busyness I never lose sight of the most important thing. In fact, I really pray that my busyness stems from the most important thing and that would be loving God and loving others. I don't want to be a Martha. I want to be a Mary that is motivated by my time with Christ to serve like a Martha. I think I'm finding the balance better in this world of my madness!

Beyond the Message: Best Sex Ever Pt. 6

Hey students... like I said last night, some of you are breathing a sigh of relief to know that the "sex talks" are over, but I realize for others of you that this may have brought to surface in your life some painful memories, shame or guilt. Remember, my desire was to simply present truth from someone that loves you and greatly cares about your future!

As we’ve been talking about what the Bible says about sex just remember that sex was God’s idea! He created it! He created it to be wonderful. He created you and I as sexual beings. It was his design. He made it up. He designed our bodies that way. He designed sex to be pleasurable. But He designed it within a boundary; one plus one equals one for all of life. Sex not a purely physical thing, just go out and have sex. It won’t be any big deal. No consequences. Whoever you want. That’s what the world says. God says one plus one equals one, and because of that some of you who have been sexually involved you’ve been kind of putting your hands over your eyes, kind of afraid and are struggling through the concept of “now what?”

So, if that is you and you have walked down that road – if you’ve gone a little too far or if you’ve gone all the way – maybe you’ve said things like: “I don’t like what I’ve become… I wish I could start over… Will this memory ever go away?… Will this crisis ever end? …” I want to tell you that God is crazy about you. You’re not the only person alive who’s ever messed up. God can still invade your life and use you in great ways.

We talked about the truth that God forgives and forgets. Some of you have said, “God, come into my life. I want a relationship with you.” But then you turned your back and you’ve walked the other way. In many ways we flip God off with our life. But do you know what He does? He passionately pursues you. When you walk away from God, you know what He’s doing? He is chasing after you.

Some of you are reading this not knowing that He’s been chasing you to get you to hear, to pause your life, to turn off the TV, to turn off the music, to get away from your friends, to get away from a party, to stop being insecure for just a minute to open up a little bit of your life where He can get into you through the power of the Holy Spirit to get into your life to say, “I love you. I want a relationship with you. Stop running from me. Accept my forgiveness.” Because God not only forgives He also forgets.

If you need to accept God’s forgiveness for the first time in your life, would you just email me (todd@wildwoodstudents.com) so I can pray for you? God is ready to forgive you and make you that new creation that we talked about. He wipes clean your mistakes. As always, I’d love to hear from you guys about how this series impacted your life. Feel free to be honest – share the good and the bad. I love you guys and am praying that you will not only accept God’s forgiveness, but that you would pursue his plan and purpose for your life!


Info/Research for this series has come from: Family Research Council, MTV Surveys, Henry Kaiser Family Foundation, Saddleback Church, USA Today, XXXChurch.com and other miscellaneous articles on various related topics.

Living in 4-D

Some of my staff and I ventured to O-town at the end of last week for a student ministry conference... and not just any student ministry conference, but one at the Hard Rock Cafe Universal. The conference was good. Alot of good speakers, sessions and resources. But what makes this conference great is the free afternoon we get in one of the parks. Due to a staff member that will remain nameless, but is at the point of not being able to take a spin on Dueling Dragons, we opted for Universal Studios. You know, it's the one with Twister, The Mummy, Fear Factor Show and Shrek 4-D.


Did I mention it was 4-D. I don't know what any of the other "D's" stand for when there are just three of them, but 4-D is much more exciting. Water sprays on you, your seat shakes and things touch your feet at which point two of my macho guy staffers raise their feet and scream like a girl. Want names? Drew and Shawner.

I've had some time to process the weekend. The tidbits of information from speakers; having your heart challenged toward being a Godly leader; the fun time with my staff but also the time of connection. It was not just an experience in 4-D, but we are called to live in a 4-D world.

I read some stats this morning (not March Madness stats for my bracket) but about the lives of teenagers. It was pretty depressing. But more than the stats, my mind starting placing faces and names with stats. I'm not called to minister to the names and faces, but the heart, life and everything else that comes with the package. Life in 4-D, I guess. Sounds exciting when it is Shrek coming off the screen, but somewhat scary in real life. I guess because it is real life... meeting people where they are, not where you want them to be.

So the journey begins for all of us. Things never work out in our lives like they do on paper. So, how do we live this life? All I know is that the journey must start at the cross and culminate with surrender. I love the words of Jesus to us in John 10:10, where he says that He came to give us life... and a better one than we've ever dreamed of. What an awesome promise... there can be joy in the journey! Is that life in 4-D? I'm not exactly sure, but I love living it!

God-sized Dreams & God's Promise

“You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good…” (Genesis 50:20). I heard this verse today at this student ministry conference I’m attending here in Orlando. At first it was somewhat in passing – just a glimpse into the end of Joseph’s life, but then I really began to think about that promise. A similar sentiment is echoed in the New Testament in Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. They are the people He called, because that was His plan.” In my life there are times I really believe that promise. Unfortunately there are times I really don’t. I find it easier to crawl into my cave and dwell on any situation or circumstance that isn’t working out the way I’d hoped.

I think I like Joseph so much because he was a great dreamer. He probably crossed the line with his dreams and vision at times into cockiness and self-reliance, but he had extraordinary faith and a great hope that God would powerfully use Him. I am challenged by His life in looking at how shallow and simple my dreams can be… or worse that I don’t dream. I am reminded of the great question, “What would you attempt for God if you knew you couldn’t fail?” Sometimes I have a hard time answering that. I’m praying for God to give me big dreams. To be willing to attempt something so big that it is doomed to fail should God not step in.

My life yielded to God says, “Here I am. I’m ready. I’m available. The good. The bad. I know it all can be used by You for Your glory and renown.” That’s the desire of my heart.

Beyond the Message: Best Sex Ever - Pt. 5

The question everyone wants to know is, “How far is too far?” But remember I said that when you ask, “How far is too far?” you treat sex as a game. How far can I go? If I know that I can’t score, what else can I do?” Let me go beyond the message and talk about more about “the line” and boundaries.

My encouragement to you is that you run away from “the line” question and you establish your boundaries now! This is too important to wait on – even if you’re not dating yet. But you’ve got to do this before you’re tempted to be making out. Do this before you’re rolling around on the carpet getting carpet burns and the TV has gone into some infomercial that you’re not paying attention to anymore. That is not the time to be setting your standards or boundaries. So, let me give you a few common sense principles as you’re trying to figure out what to verbalize as far as boundaries.

1. The further you go, the faster you go. Every time you cross that physical line your sense of satisfaction and fulfillment go down a lot quicker. It might take you months to go across your first line but it won’t take you as long to go to the next one because you’re not going to be as satisfied.

2. The further you go, the further you want to go. Drawing the line mentally does nothing to stop that physical desire. God made you to go all the way. So just because you draw the line mentally, if you don’t say anything and you don’t draw a physical line, then it won’t stop anything.

3. The further you go, the more difficult it is to go back. God didn’t design us to go backwards. He designed us to go forward sexually. It is almost impossible to permanently retreat to safety once certain lines have been crossed.

4. Where you draw the line determines your next temptation and the intensity of your next temptation. Temptation increases as passion increases. So assuming that you will be tempted to do more than you want to do, how intense do you want that temptation to be?

5. Where you draw the line determines the consequences of giving in to that temptation. So let’s say you drew the line at just holding hands. One night you went on a romantic date to Waffle House and you got a little carried away afterwards standing at the car and you actually kissed. So what are the consequences? Maybe a touch of guilt. Or worst case scenario, someone gets strep throat. But let’s say you draw the line at the edge of intercourse. You happen to give in to that temptation. Your consequences are much greater and bigger than strep throat. Make sense? Just some common sense principles.

The world so desperately wants you to believe that you are defined by who you date and how far you go. But God defines you in another way. He defines you with three words – you are chosen, you are holy, and you are loved. God has picked you. He has chosen you. He has accepted you. He has approved you. He has made you significant and called you out to be separate – to be holy. He values you, so you must find your value in Him. Some of you have spent your entire life wanting someone to pick you. Some of you are going way too far in a relationship because you want someone to value you. You have intrinsic value from God. And He loves you! So set good boundaries and pursue intimacy with Him!

Beyond the Message: Best Sex Ever - Pt. 4

Hey students... let me just start off by thanking the ones of you that have given me feedback on this series. I always appreciate your comments! Remember you can post them here or just email me: todd@wildwoodstudents.com. I want to hear from you!

Last night I just wanted to give you straight talk from God's Word about sex. Remember, the premise has been that there is alot of confusion surrounding this topic. And I realize you are getting bombarded with messages from the world that glamorizes sex and makes sex outside of marriage appear normal. Which, by the way, is another reason to guard what you are watching on TV & the movies. Eventually the cultural fakes for intimacy will take root in your life if you keep filling your life with them.

Intimacy... it is what we all desire. To be known and fully loved is the greatest need every human being has. Because society pushes sex as the foundation for any relationship - intimacy has been devalued. And when intimacy is devalued your relationships will suffer. So don't buy into the lie that sex is just some recreational activity that is separate from a close, personal relationship. Remember God's equation: 1+1=1 for the rest of your life!

So let me summarize what I talked about last night. We all crave intimacy but the culture cannot provide it. So it offers fakes. It says sex outside of marriage? Go for it. It says, same sex? Whatever you want. Fantasy filled life? No big deal. But those are fakes. The end result for you and I is it leaves us empty and it leaves us hurting if we follow those things. God’s plan is the better plan. God’s plan is for your best.

And you have to start by realizing the intimacy that your soul craves can only be found in a relationship with God. He created you with a God-shaped hole in your life that can only be filled by Him! The world will offer you all kinds of things to try to fit in that hole, but none of them will fit - none of what the world offers can meet your need! God stays ready to offer that love to you. Remember these words that Paul prayed in Ephesians, "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ; though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (Eph. 3:17-19).

When you understand and receive that love... when you find the intimacy that your soul desires, it calls you to commitment! And I challenge you to express your commitment to God. I could go something like this: "God, I’m going to pursue your best in the area of my sexuality. I’m going to trust you that your love will fulfill my deepest longings. I’m going to recognize that what you have planned for me is good and I want that.”

Let me leave you with these words to think about today: "I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is" (Romans 12:1-2).