Growing up I always felt pretty average. I wasn’t ever the best at sports or the smartest in class or anything like that. I was smack in the middle. Completely average in every way.

In football, I was the only starter under 6 feet. I played hard but my name never appeared in the paper next day and there was never any chance that I would play beyond my four years in high school.

As for my grades, I graduated 25th in my class… out of 54. It doesn’t get more average than that!

Even today I still feel pretty average. I’m not the best looking or the most talented. This average guy is just pretty plain vanilla. Rather than feeling sorry for myself I feel pretty great about my average status. When I look in scripture, I see a plethora of average or below average individuals. Even a cursory reading of the Bible makes me see that I am part of a very large group of average men and women. Some might even have called these people losers. They started life out as average joes and janes but they didn’t remain average for long. These average people rose above themselves and became great and powerful, amazing and world-known. These individuals went from average so-and-sos to international super stars. Let’s take a quick look at a few nobodies to find out who they were and what they became.

David- When we first meet David he is a mere shepherd boy so average that his own family essentially forgets about him. When Samuel comes calling looking to annoint a new king they “conveniently” forget he’s even a part of the family. However, this shepherd boy showed his mettle when he killed Goliath, became a feared warrior, and became a great and mighty king. Don’t forget that he also came to be known as a man after God’s own heart. Average no more.

Gideon- In Judges 6, Gideon is told (by the angel of the Lord no less) that he is a mighty warrior. Gideon’s reply shows just how average Gideon saw himself. “How can I save Isreal?” he asks. “I am the least in my family.” The least in his family ended up leading the army of Israel into a great battle where they triumphed over an army that greatly outnumbered his own.

Moses- He left Egypt as a disgraced prince and lived for 40 years in utter obscurity as a shepherd. He returned to Egypt in order to lead the Israelites out of slavery and triumphed by standing toe to toe against the most powerful man in the world.

Joseph- Joseph was seen by his brothers as some punk with a loud mouth and a big head (full of crazy dreams). To silence him they sold him into slavery. After toiling away as a slave and then in prison, Joe rose to the ranks of a great leader and literally saved the world from famine and starvation.

The Woman at the Well (John 4)- She was an outcast so outside of her community that she had to fetch water at a time when no one else would be at the well. But after a chance encounter with The Living Water she went back into town and became a powerful witness for the Gospel. “Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did.”

The Apostles- They were simply a rag-tag group of no names and nobodies. They were simply average men living in the middle of Palestine, a obscure Roman outpost. It is hard to believe that these nobodies took the message of Jesus to the masses and turned the world upside down.

But let’s be clear. In fact, I want to be crystal clear that these people became stars because of one reason and one reason alone.

They didn’t become stars because they were the smartest, the best looking, or the most talented. It wasn’t because of their titles or their deep pockets. They didn’t become stars because they were born that way.

The only reason these average people became stars is because they had the faith and the courage to obey when they heard the voice of God.

One more time: The only reason these average people became stars is because they had the faith and the courage to obey when they heard the voice of God.

The world around you will encourage you to be average. The world wants you to look and be just like everyone else. They will tell you to just go along. Don’t stand up for your beliefs or stand out in the crowd. Don’t cause a scene. Do as your told. Blend in.

That is no way to live your life. Nobody should shoot for average.

The only way for us to shine out like stars is to give our lives over to the Star Maker. No one in the kingdom of God is average. Jesus Christ came to this earth to invite us into the family. The Father takes us in and through the power of the Spirit average lives are transformed in to the extra-ordinary.

In order to shine like a star you must have the faith and the courage to obey when you hear the voice of God.

So here’s the question.

What is the voice of God calling you to today?

Do you need to make that apology? Do you need to confess that sin? Patch up that friendship? End that relationship that is dragging you down?

If you want to rise above mediocrity- to be more than average- you have to step out in faith and into obedience.

I was given the topic of “Service.” Now, being that this could be a very broad issue I decided to do two things. 1) I wanted to be up front and honest about our attitudes surrounding “service” and 2) I wanted to leave these students with a few practical “service” ideas that they could begin practicing right away. So, the following is what I shared with them earlier this week.

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If you speak, you should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If you serve, you should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1Peter 4:8-11 TNIV)

I think we can all agree that we, as followers of Jesus, are called/challenged to serve others. We are to be servants of all and in doing so we show others the love of God and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. The problem comes when we fail to live lives marked by service. Service or serving others should be a lifestyle for the believer rather than an event to check off our Christian “to-do” lists. We aren’t called to DO service but are called to BE servants.

When you look at service as merely an event or something that you simply check off a list every once in a while, your serving can be hindered by 3 things. These 3 things seek to stop your service dead in its tracks by trapping your mind in fear and apathy.

Serving Can Seem Like a Waste
You step into a situation and you begin to immediately call things into question- “Do these people really need help?” “Have they even tried to get a job?” “Why are we here?”- or you begin to become hyper-critical- “All we are doing is slapping paint!” “It is too hot!” “Nobody said ‘Thank you’ to us!!!” Because you see service as a one time event your heart isn’t in a condition to really see the people your are helping. You have no long-term perspective on how to show and embody love in this situation. No wonder it seems like a waste.

Serving Can Be Scary
The people you deal with. The neighborhoods you have to go into. The equipment you use. The weirdoes you encounter. The situations you’re forced into. Serving can be scary and when something is scary we avoid it like the plague. We’re in, we’re out, and we leave a smoking trail behind us as we hightail it back to our homes and what’s comfortable.

Serving Hurts
While in high school I was helping tear down a garage for a family during work camp. As we were shoveling debris away I stepped right onto a nail. I threw down my shovel, pulled out the nail and the board it was attached to, and threw it down the street as far as I could. For the rest of my time there all I thought about was how much my foot hurt (and if I was going to get lockjaw). I wasn’t thinking about the service. I wasn’t thinking about love. I wasn’t thinking about Jesus.

I’m not going to lie to you. I have to battle against every single one of these mindsets. Romans 12:10 says that we are to “outdo one another in showing honor” (ESV). This means that service is an all new mindset. Service is 24/7/365. Service is a lifestyle. If we can begin to change our minds/hearts about service than our fears, our bad attitudes, and our focus will then be centered. We will then be focused and empowered by the embodiment of true sacrifice- Jesus Christ!

Event vs. Lifestyle pt 2 Tomorrow

I am super excited about this. It has been a goal of mine to pursue opportunities in public speaking and teaching. This opportunity fell in my lap and I am running with it. One day I would love to travel and speak. I love inspiring people and discussing issues of ministry, leadership, and development. This is a chance to do something different and to work on my skills. This also lets me meet and interact with students who are about to set out and serve teens and their families. This is promising to be a great weekend.

Please keep me in your prayers as I am preparing to teach this class. I’ll be sure to post some content for the weekend here soon. Thanks for your prayers!