Youth Worker On Fire Podcast

Running your race is different than running in someone elses race. This is the race God has prepared in advance for you to run. (Ephesians 2:10) The more you try to look like, act like and minister like other people, the more you will feel like a fish out of water. God has designed you a certain way to run... Find your groove! Find your rhythm and God will use yiu in amazing ways you did not think...

Simone Biles (Team USA Gymnast) was hit by the mental block called "the twisties" (a Gymnastics term) during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics . Since then, according to a recent interview given by Simone, "Life has not been easy".  The twisties happens when a gymnast is in midair and loses their sense of where they are and how they'll land, making the move risky. Biles described it as being "lost in the ai...

This TV series caught my attention... " Bear Grylls Survival School "! Series Description: A group of brave children leave technology at home and embark upon an adventure in the wild. For two weeks, they must work as a team while Bear Grylls teaches them skills they'll need to survive. This podcast episode will help you understand that you can ask more of your students... You SHOULD ask more of yo...

It's difficult discipling teenage guys (young men). Dr. Jonathan Denton , Assistant Professor at Charleston Southern University , who wrote a book on the topic, says "We ask for too small of a commitment. We have to set the bar high for them." Dr. Denton's background is impressive! The courses he teaches, the books he has written, and his seasoned (20+ year) full-time student minstry experience......

Human Being or Human Doing? ... Kelsey O'Connor said it best in her commencement speech at NC State University. She suffered a career ending brain injury while playing softball for the NC State Wolfpack. After she recovered... she understood more about life. Everyone wants to know... What Are You Going To Do In Life? Very few ask ... Who Are You Going To Be? That is where this episode comes in! Ho...

Avery Hooper is a brilliant young lady who knows how to face obstacles and overcome them! Her father and mother led the way spiritually and familiarized her with Jesus Christ as Savior of the world. They also led the path of student ministry in her life through church and their own involvement in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and CRU (formally known as Campus Crusade For Christ), which ar...

The past few weeks have been very, good, hard, motivating, hurtful, joyful and inspiring. In other words, "Normal... with a bit of an edge". Matthew 6:24 - 7:14 NLT - "…God cares more about you…" "NOW" matters! Jesus said, "Why are you worrying about what you wear or what you are going to eat? God clothes the lillies of the field and He cares more about you…", but we worry anyway.  This is about s...

In 1 Kings 19:10-18, God tells Elijah that He will speak to Elijah on the mountain. So Elijah climbs the mountain! Some big and loud and terrifying things happen, but God is not in any of those things. Elijah hears a gentle breeze and he knows that this is God and he comes out from hiding. God often speaks in a whisper. I think because He likes the intimacy with us. There are a few times in my lif...

Youth Pastor Summit is a premier conference and training for next gen pastors, youth pastors, educators, and their teams. Youth Pastor Summit (presented by Student Leadership University ) is conference designed to encourage and equip every leader. This conference includes breakout / small group sessions, labs, worship, lunch, fun activities (free day at Universal Studios Orlando we chat about in t...

There's an old saying that still stands true, "Facts tell and STORIES SELL." Jesus often told stories, some as parables, to illustrate the truth of God. There was no written Bible for many years after Jesus died and rose from the dead. It was the stories by word-of-mouth and the reading of the Old Testament, Jewish scriptures, and letters of the apostles, which were not highly distributed amongst...

You may be an amazing speaker. You are probably an incredible person, but people listen and believe you are who you are when other people, students, staff, parents and colleagues say great things about you (what you and/or your ministry have accomplished). It's still happening to me. People are still talking about good things, God things, that we accomplished. We accomplished the most and gained t...

"Do for others what you want them to do for you." Have you ever had someone hold a door open for you when your hands or arms were full? Felt pretty good knowing someone cared. How many doors have you held open for people? Some of those doors you opened were emotional, spiritual, life changing, job or vocation changing doors. This episode includes a NASA scientist, his 3 interns, and a 75 year stud...

Mackenzie Balmer was a girl who grew up without the church. When she encountered Jesus, she found out that God had a wonderful plan for her life already in place. She and her husband Zane have a unique love story and they both have a ministry profession. Mackenzie is with Apex Missions for students with the EFCA (Evangelical Free Church of America). She helps youth pastors and their youth groups g...

This episode is about taking action! Especially, acting like (aka modeling) the person you want your children and/or students to be like. "Do what I say and not what I do!" Was an old saying. It didn't work when it was popular and it doesn't work now. What do you want your children, grandchildren, students, volunteer staff to be like? Whatever that is... you need to be modeling exactly that. You w...

25 years seems like a long time until you compare it to history. We overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and under estimate what we can accomplish in 10 years. Time and longevity matter! Invest in teenagers and your personal future will change. Life changing events happen. Students grow up and in a few years after school, they are making decisions that change all of our lives. When you pl...

How does an Oncologist end up on a podcast like this? Why would she take her precious time to give to us her knowledge and kindness? Great questions!    Dr. Sarah Friend (formally Sarah Cooke) was a student in the youth ministry I was the pastor of. She gives great credit to my wonderful wife, Colleen, for disciplining her during high school. She talks highly of our adventurous mission trips and s...

Having fun with students is hard work... Gettting students to laugh along with you and/or making them smile is even harder! Why does it matter? When you get students to laugh or smile it raises their IQ levels... no joke! According a study, it makes a person 31% smarter.  When you make someone smarter, they feel better about themselves... and about you. That's why you hear most public communicator...

Organizations and churches want to save money, so they try to hire people for one thing and put too many hats on them... that way they don't have to spend more on staff. As a result, they complain about everything, because you are doing "little to nothing" well. That responsibility lies on those who hire without the faith to believe that God wants to do more. It's your responsibility to say "No" t...

Breaking Strong Holds… Maybe you have been praying for someone or for a certain person to have an encounter with God. An encounter life changing that it would have them seeking to ask Jesus Christ personally in their heart. Has it maybe seemed like it's taking forever? Not even a sign of hope? Jim Halstead ( Founder of Go and Tell Ministries ) asked Jesus into his heart in 1976. He started praying...

During a recent interview between Erika from "Erika Taught Me" and Chris Voss (Author of "Never Spilt The Difference" and a former FBI Hostage Negotiator), she asks this question: Chris, how do you use these special communication methods that you've developed during your time as a hostage negotiator in your every day life? We dive deep into these every day methods and practices in this episode! Jo...

Caleb Turner is the Youth Director at Factory Church located in Concord, North Carolina, USA (a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina). Caleb has been in full time student ministry for a little over one year at the time of this recording and we cannot wait to share with you his life story here on the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast ! Saved by his adoptive parents first and then saved eternally by Jesus...

Jeff Bezos , the founder owner of Amazon , understands and believes in the difference between a Calling and a Career. If a great business man believes in a calling, how much more should we? Are you called to serving others and adventure? Or are you stuck, because you can't see beyond a pay check? Jesus said an earthly father knows how to give good gifts to his children. How much more does your Hea...

Andy McDaniel... Leader... Ripple... Tsunami!   What is a tsunami? A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean, usually the result of an earthquake below or near the ocean floor. This force creates waves that radiate outward in all directions away from their source, sometimes crossing entire ocean basins.   Andy McDaniel was born and raised...

Lenita Abouchabake is from Sydney, Australia and the Founder of Teen Coach Academy . This is her second interview on the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast. Lenita's business is helping adults who already serve teenagers and their families become teen life coaches. That may seem odd to some of you, but life coaching has been around for quite a while... and this is even better! Youth workers need to make...

Most people really do not know why they believe what they believe. Many of us who do, need to be refreshed, so that we can fight spiritual warfare more effectively. But in your hearts set Christ apart [as holy—acknowledging Him, giving Him first place in your lives] as Lord. Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited...