Video Transcript: Phase 2 Culture - Modeling

We've been talking about developing a culture, a culture of transformational  discipleship, a culture shaping an environment of discovery. And we've already  talked a lot about decoding and the work that the youth leader must do in terms  of decoding what you think and decoding what God thinks. But there's another  aspect to building culture, and that has to do with modeling. We talked a little bit  about that before, but I want to emphasize that youth are watching you. They're  watching you early on in ministry. I was a youth pastor, and I had taken the  youth group up to a place in Colorado called Red Rocks, huge, huge rock.  There was a big amphitheater that was built in between two large rock  structures, and we were up there. There's always a fun place to go visit. But  there were people climbing the rock, and I remember looking at these people  that were way up there in the rock and very dangerous thing to do. And I  remember saying, Boy, that is just dangerous and stupid. And then I then I just  said, almost underneath my breath while I hope they're okay. And one of the  girls in the youth group caught that and said, What are you talking about? How  can you care about what someone's doing? That's stupid. Well, it took me by  surprise, but it caused me to realize that youth are watching they are watching  us as adults, and particularly as adults that say that we're Christian, they're  watching us. They are studying us, and that's what determines the it plays a  significant role in validating what we say. You heard some you've heard the  phrase that what you're doing speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying.  Youth see us. They're very they see who we are. Also life in a glass house,  when I first got saved surrounded by missionaries. I wanted to be a missionary,  and one of the first things that was told me is that missionaries live in a glass  house, and what that meant was that you are transparent. People can see you.  They see who you are. They see what's going on on the inside. And so your  behavior has to be consistent with your belief, because you do live in a glass  house, which means so if we all live in a glass house, even though we try to  hide or put masks on. Eventually, people can see what's on the inside, but  particularly young people, because young people are adept a young person can  spot a phony like that, and so and so we, we, we live in a glass house by  modeling, because we, they see us, and then they also hear our whispers. I was taking a class writing class from Professor Shelley, and at one point he talked  about, it's not just what you shout in the air, in the realm of writing. He said, it's  not what you shout, but it's what you whisper. And I had to learn. I learned. I gain an appreciation for the beauty of the implied that sometimes it's not what we  shout or what words come out of our mouth, but it's what is whispered by our  actions, perhaps by what we don't say, or just by what people see, it's not only  what you shout, but it's what you whisper. I think of the child who, out of all the  adults that are surrounding them, will go to one person. Why would that child go  to that. Person because something about it's because something about that  adult said, you're safe with me. It's not only what we shout, but it's what we 

whisper. So the reality is, in all of this, you matter. You as a leader. You matter  who you are, how you live, what you think, what you believe, your demeanor.  You matter leaders examine their lives. They watch their lives and doctrine  carefully. As Paul exhorted Timothy, leaders walk with God. They live lives of  obedience and devotion. Leaders apply what they teach. Remember what  James said you who say, do not steal. Do you steal? Leaders allow the Holy  Spirit to apply lessons, first to them and then through them. The leaders are  transparent. They share their journey with others. A part of teaching is being real and transparent. I know that there are some believers who think that they need  to put a front, put, put, put up a front that they need in order for them to be  credible, they have to not be transparent. But transformational leaders are  transparent, and so therefore you can share not only your successes, but you  can. You can share your struggles and share even your failures, because it's  about God. It's about God working in you and sharing the journey, sharing how  yet, this was tough for me, and yet God continues to walk with me and bring me, bring me through so leaders are transparent. They share their journey with  others. Leaders stay freshly attuned to God. They study the Scriptures again  and again, as if for the first time, this is important. When you read the Bible,  never think that because you've read a passage, that means you don't have to  read it again, or you don't have to study that book again. The Bible is the written  word concerning the living word, and so therefore God will speak to you over  and over again in different ways applied to different settings. It is a journey. It is  a walk with God. And so therefore you study the Scriptures again and again, as  if for the first time, it remains for you the living Word of God. To you, very, very  important. Leaders model a God shaped purpose. We live purpose driven lives.  You probably have read the book purpose driven life. That's what leaders do.  We have a God shaped person. We are here for a reason. We are not here by  accident. God has created us uniquely in his image, and that uniqueness comes out and what He has called us to bring us to be, called us to do using our unique set of gifts and skills for the benefit of the advancement of this kingdom. That is  who we are, and so therefore we live. We model a God shaped purpose. And  then leaders model love. They seek only the highest good of others. Love is  seeking others highest good. Love is a verb, and so we are actively involved in  seeking the highest good of others. We are servant leaders, and that's our focus when it comes to the young people that we serve. So so we matter. We are, we  are important. God is going to work through us to make changes in the lives of  young people, which is why he puts us in their lives. We become a part. Of their  story, and we will play a role in how God works in them. That is, that is our, our  privilege.