Brandon Shanks {dot} com

Last Night in Pictures

The following are some pictures from reverb last night.

 A special thanks to Adriana Torres for doing such a great job taking pics!

For the full photo album click here.

Reverb in Review 9/21/11

Series: "The Truth About God" - Week 2 - The Sweet Old Man

Series Big Idea: Too many times we try to create God in our own image. We allow our own misconceptions about God to separate us from Him. In this series we will expose and shread common false images that students often have of God, giving them the true picture of who God really is through Jesus Christ.

This Week's Key Scripture: Revelation 1:8

Understandable Message: This week we shreaded the misconception that God was nothing more than a sweet old man.  Michangelo may have painted him as old, however, God is not old but eternal.  This subtle misconception packs a dangerous punch.  The danger is that we would see God as real but not relevant.   That we would see God as present but not powerful.  God is not old and distant from the delimas of our day. Rather, God is eternal and ever-aware of the problems that we face in our everyday lives.  We looked at the truth about who God really is:

1. God Knows (Jeremiah 1, Psalm 139:2, Matthew 10:29-31, Acts 17:26) 
2. God Cares (1 Peter 5:7)
3. God Can (Jeremiah 32:17)
4. God Will (Mark 1:40)

Creative Elements:  This week we used excerpts from a hillarous viral video featuring an elderly couple trying to set up their webcam to introduce the message.  We also continued to use video to promote our upcoming See You At The Pole After Event next week.  

Songs: Amazed (Kutless), For Who You Are, Your Great Name

Next Week: See You At the Pole - The After Event

"The Truth About God" Video

This is a video that we used to introduce our new series "The Truth about God."  The idea is that in this series we are shreading our false images of God.  It was a fun video to make.  

Reverb in Review 9/14/11

Series: "The Truth About God" - Week 1 - The Cop Around the Corner

Series Big Idea: Too many times we try to create God in our own image. We allow our own misconceptions about God to separate us from Him. In this series we will expose common false images that students often have of God, and give them the true picture of who God really is through Jesus Christ.

This Week's Key Scriptures: John 8:2-11

This Week's Key Thought: God is not a cop around the corner. 

Understandable Message: This week we kicked off our new series by shreding the misconcepton that God is just a cop around the corner.  Sometimes students believe that God is just lurking in the shadows of their lives looking to catch them.  We looked at the account in John 8 when the woman who was caught in adultry was brought to Jesus.  In this passage, the men took it upon themselves to have a "steak-out" at this woman's house so they would catch her in her sin.  They assumed this is the way God was.  They illustrate the reality that we will become like what we percieve God to be.  They thought God was a cop around the corner, so they took it upon themselves to catch this woman in her sin.  
    We see the truth about God and his grace through the response of Jesus to this woman who had been caught in her sin.  He did not agree with their undercover operation.  Did he say that she did nothing wrong?  Absolutely not!  He acknowledged her sin and admonished her to stop.  However, he was not riding shotgun with the self-appointed holiness five-o looking to stone her in her sin.  God is not hiding out in the shadows around the corner looking to catch us in our sin.  Rather, God is standing in the open where we can see him.  He is standing between us and the full weight and consequence of our sins and destructive choices.  He is fully able to uphold the law in every way, however, hehe still seeks to make a way for us to be fully free and forgiven of all charges.  He has a rap sheet on us that could condemn us for life, and he has every right to do so.  However, he chooses to offer us new life through His forgiveness.  What is there not to love about a God like this?

Creative Elements: We had a fun video that we used to introduce this series.  We also themed our student chapel to match our series video & graphic title.  We had shreadded pictures that represented our different misconceptions about God covering the back of the platform.  Also, to go with our subject in the classes, we played the theme to COPS "Bad Boys" when students were coming in and leaving the student chapel to go to their classes.  Our classes also used this funny video to introduce the topic of the night (http://sermonspice.com/product/20855/obeying-the-law)

Songs: Glory, Everything I Need (Kutless), There is Nothing Like

Next Week: "The Truth About God" Part 2

 

Reverb in Review 9/8/11

Series: a stand-alone message: "The Road trip Essential"

Key Scripture: Exodus 33:12-18

Key Thought: God wants to be more than just your trip advisor.  He wants to be your travel companion.

Understandable Message:  We looked at Moses in Exodus 33 and how he confessed to God that he could not fulfill his purpose alone.  He needed God to go with him.  In real-life road trips if we forget an "Essential" then we can simply go to the store and pick up a replacement.  However, on our spiritual journey there is no replacement for the abiding presence of God.  Too many times we allow our luggage to be so full of other things that we do not have room for the presence of God in our lives.  However, if we will clean out our hearts and make room for His presence in our lives, we will experience the glory of God like never before.  For after Moses established his desire for God's presence in his journey, he was able to ask for God to show him his glory.  Too many times we want God's glory, without his presence.  We want his presants (gifts) without his presence abiding in our journey.  Students were challenged to: 1. Ask for his presence 2. Make room for his presence through repentance, and 3. Receive His presence into their lives.

Creative Elements:  Last night the youth band did an acoustic worship set.  I love it when they switch it up like this.  Great job.  Also, during the message I used the simple illustration of a suitcase filled with things representing our lives being too full to fit God's presence.  We also had a big push to get our new Reverb Invite Cards into the hands of students.

Songs: Open up the heavens, More than life, Hosanna

Next Week: Beginning a new series.

It's Wednesday again!

"In a couple hours I will be standing before a group of students."  That's the first thing that went through my head this morning after I silenced my alarm (which sounds like it could be on a nucular reactor somewhere warning the townspeople of an imminent meltdown).  

Wednesday is here.  For most of us in a couple hours we will be participating in our various youth ministry programs.  For a moment students will come to our churches, far from their schools, and far from what happens in their world.  They are seeking affirmation.  They are trying to fit in.  They are searching.  Some are excited to be there.  Some of them were made to come by their parents.  There will be some students that we will meet for the first time tonight.  There are some that are asking real questions about faith.  There are others that you think may not be interested at all, but on the inside they are really looking for answers.  Some will go back home to parents that are fighting.  Some have been invited to a party on Friday by some friends....and the list goes on and on.

It's Wednesday again.  And I am faced with the reality that I do not have what it takes to be able to reach all of the students that I will stand in front of.  And the reality is that you do not have it either.  We all need the help of God tonight as we seek to share the love of Christ with students.  And the awesome reality is that  "God loves the students that we will stand before more than we could ever imagine."  

Luke 6:19 says ... the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

That is what I pray we youth workers experience tonight.  That we see students, with a diversity of needs, come to a place where the virtue of Jesus is present.  In that place of His presence, ALL of them can be touched and changed!  

God is with us!

We were created for this!

It's Wednesday again!

Reverb in Review 8/17/11

Series: "We Are..."

Key Thought: God defines who we are.

Understandable Message: The "We are..." theme is from what happened at NAYC this year on Thursday night.  We wanted to take the opportunity to carry-over the message that affected the students who attended NAYC this year.   This week we looked at how the King of Babylon had the plan to define Daniel through removing him from Jerusalem and teaching him the ways of the Babylonians (Daniel 1:3-4).  However, Daniel decided that he was going to allow God to define who he was going to be in his generation.  Therefore, he chose to take some things off his plate that others were enjoying.  Students were challenged to take compromise and silence off their plates as they step on their school campuses this year.  Daniel was not changed by his culture, but rather, he changed his culture!  Students do not have to back up or back down.  They are filled with the Spirit of God and are called to be giants in their generation!

Creative Elements: We used the website www.yearbookyourself.com to make some hillarous photos of our youth staff and teachers.  It was a great way to talk about school starting back and leaving a legacy beyond the yearbook.

Songs: We are the free, Desert Song, You hold me now

Next week: "We Are..." part 2

Reverb in Review 6/29/11

Series: "3D"

Key Thought: Deep faith is developed through the daily decision to pray. 

Understandable Message: This week we focused on the importance and power of daily prayer.  We focused on the example of Jesus and the reality that it is impossible to have a healthy Christian life without the discipline of prayer.  Each week in the series we are looking at a passage from Luke.  It has been great because many students are following the "3D" Luke/Acts Challenge and reading their Bibles each day.  The passage we focused on was Luke 11:1-4 when Jesus taught his disciples to pray.  Our teachers shared the elements of this prayer in our different Middle School, High School, and College-Age environments: 1.Praise 2.Purpose 3.Provision 4.Purity 5.Power 6.Priorities.  

Creative Elements: We kicked off the night in a fun way by playing a quick game of "Who Wants to be a Fraction of a Millionaire?" Donny did a great job hosting!  Our grand prize was $10.  Two lucky students walked out last night 1/100,000 of a Millionaire!  It was fun!  After this, the student band did a great job leading us in worship! 

Songs: What the World will Never Take, Hosanna, There is Nothing Like.  

Next Week: No Service due to FL District Family Camp.

The 3D Challenge

Last Wednesday night, with our kickoff of 3D, we issued a challenge to students and staff to read their Bibles everyday.  We simply called it the "3D Challenge."  This summer we are focusing on developing deep faith through daily decisions.  One of the daily decisions we are making is the decision to read the Bible.  

Everything changed when king Josiah found "The Book" in 2 Kings 22.  The Word of God was there all along, however, Josiah was not aware of it.  Our prayer is that this summer many students will discover "The Book" and be forever changed.  

As a way to remember the challenge, we gave each student a bookmark to remember what we are reading each day.  We also are posting the scriptures on a blog each day here and on facebook. 

 

Reverb 6/15/11 Video

Here is a quick video recapping youth service last week!