WISE, INTENTIONAL

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

TITUS EMAIL

Volume 3, Number 5 – May, 2009

Welcome. If you are able to see the WILD DVD that explains the vision of WILD, it is on www.headwaterschristianyouth.com/wild website. It is well done and will help people understand WILD. Also on that website are past issues of the TITUS email and additional training material from WILD. Mike

BARANBAS’ INFLUENCE

All the disciples were fearful of Saul (Paul) because of his reputation. They really did not believe that Paul could actually be on their side. Possibly Paul was up to a trick to easily round up the believers in Jerusalem. Yet a disciple, Barnabas took the risk and befriended Paul (Acts 9:26-28). Barnabas was the mediator to introduce Paul to the apostles and explain what happened to Paul on the way to Damascus. Have you ever had someone take a risk on you or you take a risk on someone?

Barnabas played a key role in the development of Paul. His name was Joses, and renamed “son of prophecy” or “encourager.” Due to his character and manner, he was renamed this by his friends. He was a Levite and a Cypriot by birth, a prophet and minister with the apostles. Barnabas and Paul established a relationship that extended over many years. Barnabas gave legitimacy to Paul and his message, as Barnabas was highly respected in both Jerusalem and Antioch.

His strength was identifying potential kingdom workers and establishing new servants in ministry like Paul and John Mark. Barnabas served as the head leader initially in Paul’s first missionary journey. As a spiritual leader, one must be looking for the potential in younger Christians to help mentor and develop them to be the servants God intends for them.

Due to the persecution in Jerusalem, believers were scattered (Act 11:19-26). News of the conversions reached the leaders in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to check things out in Antioch. He saw evidences of the grace of God and encouraged the new believers. Barnabas was a good, Spirit-filled man, greatly used to reach people for Christ.

During this time Paul was in Tarsus, not far from Antioch. Barnabas needed help with the ministry so he went to get Paul to help with the ministry in Antioch. For a whole year, the two of them ministered together. Barnabas mentored Paul. Paul was being grounded in the faith, developed in ways that can only occur when someone disciples you. They taught and discipled a great number of people.

In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit said to set apart Barnabas and Paul for the work they were called, the first missionary journey. With them they took Barnabas’ relative, John Mark along who had been discipled by the pair. That was short lived when John Mark decided to leave the ministry team. Paul and Barnabas completed the journey, but when it was time to head out on the second missionary journey, Paul was adamant that John Mark not join the team again even though Barnabas wanted John Mark along. The disagreement caused the two men to split, each going in separate directions.

Barnabas was a people person. He was quick to forgive, fast to see the positive aspects of a person and dwell on them. His nature was to encourage, high on praise and be praised, hated rejection and was loyal. He was warm, empathetic, good people/problem solver, approachable, good listener and probably over-tolerant with non-producers, sometimes lost sight of the task. Barnabas took risks with young, new believers. Spiritual leaders need to seek God, asking Him to show us who we can invest our lives in and impact them for the Kingdom. By not following this model set forth in the Bible, we are missing out on some of the greatest ministry God offers to Kingdom laborers.

YOUTH MINISTRY INSIGHT

JONATHAN AND DAVID’S FRIENDSHIP

Becci told Monica another dirty joke. Whenever the girls are together, Becci tells dirty jokes. Monica is not sure what to do and doesn’t like listening to them. Sometimes she can’t help but laugh when the joke is funny. Her youth leader said Christians should not listen to crude jokes and walk away. What should she do? Tell her friend not to tell such jokes or walk away?

Do you have a friend who truly cares for you and looks out for your best interests? Is this friend someone who will hold you accountable to keep doing the right things, not encouraging or “remaining silent” when you have the opportunity to get in trouble or do something demeaning? Do you have a friend who would put their life on the line to save yours?

This is not a fairy tale dream. There are people who have placed their friends above their own needs and security. Two guys in the Bible were found to have that kind of friendship. Jonathan and David had bonded so well that Jonathan risked his life and the throne for his love for his friend David. Jonathan’s father King Saul grew to despise David and wanted him dead. In a well designed plan, Jonathan was able to let David know that Saul intended to kill David (1 Samuel 20) and let David escape.

The reality of the whole story was David had been anointed as the next king because of the sins of King Saul. Jonathan was heir to the throne. Their friendship had become so deep that their relationship was thicker than blood or the royal throne. They truly looked out for the best interests of the other.

In fact Jonathan gave David his robe and tunic (armor) he was wearing along with his sword, bow and belt (1 Samuel 18:1-4). According to Old Testament customs, it was considered a special mark of respect to be given by a prince some of the garments he had for his own wearing. The gift of the belt was a token of the greatest confidence and affection and was highly prized. In a symbolic sense Jonathan was handing over the throne to David even though Jonathan most likely did not know for sure that David would be the next king.

It has been said that a real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. Both Jonathan and David lived the exhortation Jesus gave in Matthew 22:39 to love your neighbor (friend) as you would love yourself.

What kind of friend are you? One who use “friends” for your own purposes and they remain friends until you have no more use for them. You can impress people from far away but to impact and make a difference in someone’s life, you have to be up close, they have to see the real you. If you are a Christian, you represent Jesus. What are you saying to friends about who Jesus is?

ILLUSTRATION – HELEN KELLER

Twenty-two year old Anne Sullivan arrived in Alabama, USA, to tutor the blind and deaf 7 year old Helen Keller, who could only utter animal-like sounds and often fell into destructive rages. For weeks Anne tried to break through to the girl’s consciousness, until the famous April 5^th, 1887, a day Helen Keller described 60 years later, when the girl was holding a cup under the spout while Anne was pumping water into it, using her other hand to repeatedly spell w-a-t-e-r, and suddenly Helen understood. She later said, “Spark after spark of meaning flew from hand to hand and miraculously, affection was born.

Ann gave almost her entire life to Helen. By 10, Helen was writing to famous persons in Europe – in French. She mastered five languages and displayed far greater gifts than her teacher. Ann was devoted to Helen, sitting beside her famous pupil (at Radcliffe), spelling the lecture into Helen’s hand. Ann’s devotion never changed.

The deepest of friendships have in common this desire to make the other person royalty. They work for and rejoice in the other’s elevation and achievements.

QUOTES ON ENCOURAGEMENT

“To love a person means to see him as God intended him to be.” Dostoyevski

“I have yet to find the man, however exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than under a spirit of criticism.” Charles Schwab

“A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results.” Ella Wheeler Wilcox

“As much as 77% of everything we think is negative and counterproductive and works against us. People who grow up in an average household hear “No” or are told what they can’t do more than 148,000 times by the time they reach age 18. Result: Unintentional negative programming.” Shad Helmstetter