Legacy Youth Ministry Resources

Illustration texts

Pat Riley on Unity

Pat Riley, one of the winningest coaches ever, had an incredible season with the Los Angeles Lakers, taking them to the championship in 1980. But the next year, everything fell apart. What happened? They were no less talented than the year before. Why couldn?t they win? According to Riley, they had fallen victim to a terrible disease that he called ?The Disease of Me.? You see, incredible hoopla surrounded Julius Ervin?s game. Other players got jealous, dividing into cliques and ruining their team spirit. As Riley put it, ?Because of greed, pettiness, and resentment, we executed one of the fastest falls from grace in NBA history.? (Written by Steve Miller. Taken from Pat Riley, The Winner Within, G.P. Putnam?s Sons, New York, 1993, pp. 40-52)

Either Hang Together or Hang Separately

?We must all hang together, else we shall all hang separately.? (Benjamin Franklin on the signing of the Declaration of Independence.)

Qualified By Being Unworthy

The Church is a society of sinners - the only society in the world in which membership is based upon the single qualification that the candidate shall be unworthy of membership. -- Charles C. Morrison

The Problems of the Lukewarm

A single person who lacks commitment can be a major source of problems in your organization. --Brian Tracy

If Planning For A Lifetime, Educate People

If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people. --Chinese proverb

What People Look For in a Church

In a January/February, 2002 edition of Moody Monthly, these are some of the main things people look for when looking for a church. (Based on a survey of 1015 people, 18 and older.) 1. How much the people seem to care about one another: "Extremely" or "pretty" important: 78 percent Somewhat important: 16 percent 2. The theological beliefs and doctrines of the church: "Extremely" or "pretty" important: 76 percent Somewhat important: 16 percent 3. The quality of preaching: "Extremely" or "pretty" important: 76 percent Somewhat important: 18 percent 4. Friendliness to visitors: "Extremely" or "pretty" important: 71 percent Somewhat important: 21 percent

Gates on Working Together

Gates on Working Together "Success still involves getting people to work together?." (Bill Gates, "Ask Bill," New York Times Syndicate, Jan. 14, 1997)

Religion Not "Efficient" for Gates

Priorities What you define as important in life will define your priorities. If you value acquiring the right clothes and toys and cars, you'll allocate lots of time shopping. If you think that a successful business is all there is to life, you'll spend all your time there. If worshipping God's isn't a big part of your life, then you'll consider a worship service a waste of time. The Los Angeles Times quoted Bill Gates as once saying, "Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There's a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning." (Bill Gates, in "Quotes," Los Angeles Times, Dec. 31, 1997)

God's Love Languages

God's Love Languages Worship, Church Often great romances go sour because they don't understand each other's love languages. Who can tell us what a "love language" is? (How a person receives love.) So, you've got a girl who feels loved when her boyfriend communicates with her on the phone or personally. But the guy thinks the best way to show love to her is by training all the time to be the best at every sport in the school in order to impress her. Problem is, that doesn't leave much time for communication. So, she doesn't feel loved, no matter how hard he tries. Some guys feel loved when their girlfriends speak highly of them or respect them. If the girl thinks it's more important to get her nails looking just right for him, and leaves him sitting in the den with her father for an hour while she perfects her nails, they've got a problem. She's trying to show love to him in a way that he doesn't receive love. Have you ever thought that it might be the same way with God? Could some people be trying to show love for God in ways that aren't really His love language? Fortunately, God let's us know how He wants to be loved. Two ways are corporately (with a group) and privately. Some people say, "I believe that I can worship God better sitting in a deer stand than in a church service." But when we understand love language, we understand that the issue isn't about how I like to love, but how God says that He likes to receive love. If you like to worship in your deer stand, go for it! God loves private worship. But He also likes to be worshiped in the congregation of His people. I don't have to understand why he likes it. He simply tells us that He likes it. If we're serious about loving Him, that ought to be enough. Worship isn't about us. It's about Him. copyright - Steve Miller, 2003

Worship as a Powerful Mediator of the Sacred

Worship as a Powerful Mediator of the Sacred Church, Worship When worship is functioning as it should, it can be a powerful mediator of the sacred. It can open the heart, shape the religious imagination, and nourish the spiritual life, all within the experience of community. - Marcus Borg, The God We Never Knew

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