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<rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><atom:link rel="hub" href="http://tumblr.superfeedr.com/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"/><description>—  @kennethwagner blogs here</description><title>KennethAllenWagner.com</title><generator>Tumblr (3.0; @kennethwagner)</generator><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/</link><item><title>PULSE is the current series at UNITED (1/28-2/25).  We are...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgd2cyZAXJ1qcvimmo1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;PULSE is the current series at UNITED (1/28-2/25).  We are talking  about what it looks like to become the heartbeat of your school.  This  series will continue through February 25th.  We will also be having a  guest speaker from &lt;a href="http://newspring.cc"&gt;NewSpring Church&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/daveyblackburn"&gt;Davey Blackburn&lt;/a&gt; on the 18th of February.  Come and  check it out!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you have missed UNITED click &lt;a href="http://www.calvarywesleyan.org/#/students/united-video"&gt;HERE&lt;/a&gt; to check out the messages!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/3200681932</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/3200681932</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:38:56 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>This website is now the informational feed for UNITED and...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgd12699ZO1qcvimmo1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;This website is now the informational feed for UNITED and occasional thoughts of Kenneth.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/3200363308</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/3200363308</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:10:53 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Me and my bride!!!! </title><description>&lt;img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l4hikpKvQr1qcvimmo1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Me and my bride!!!! &lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/729518307</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/729518307</guid><pubDate>Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:36:24 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Thoughts on Discipleship</title><description>&lt;p&gt;In my ministry here at Calvary Wesleyan  Church we are about to have an extreme shift when it comes to how we do  Student Ministry.  We are about to scrap this concept of splitting  middle and high school and bring them back together for a United group.   Conveniently we are changing the name to United; we are uniting two  groups, we are united in Christ, we will be united in worship, service,  and growing.  I’m flippin’ jacked out of my mind about the journey we  are launching in January.  Friday nights will be our main night with  games, chill time and worship through the Word and music and then  Wednesday nights will be our night for discipleship.  This is where this  post comes in.  I wanted to journal some of my thoughts that I have had  recently on this topic. So here we go…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My thought is for a discipleship program to work for students, first  of all, they have to understand the need.  They have to be aware that  there is a level of Christianity that is deeper than their current state  and also deeper than maybe they have ever seen.  Many times students  use their parents as a measuring stick of their spirituality.  This  means students will only go as far/deep as their parents.  That is  unless they have a mentor/small group/discipleship leader that models  discipleship in its truest context.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Second, in our consumeristic mindset students have to realize how and  why it benefits them.  So not only the need but they need to know  ‘whats in it for me?’.  I believe our job is to live a life of  discipleship that is so attractive that students want to follow us as we  follow Christ.  I’m not talking about having a Escalade on 26′s  attractive, I’m talking about disciplined in reading Scripture, talking  to God, and just living a life that is evident of the grace you have  received.  They will soon understand that this is an attractive life  because we are living life to the full, not just waking up and hoping  everything goes well.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lastly, after we have shown students the need and shown them why it  benefits them we have to point them outwards.  When student’s lives are  being changed we need to begin to turn them around and show them a lost  and dying world all around them. I firmly believe students are in the  greatest mission field they will ever be in, middle and high school.   Public or not, doesn’t matter.  My experience has shown me people need  Christ in public and private schools with the need being nearly equal in  both.  When they begin to grow in their faith and they have leaders who  model discipleship and lifestyle evangelism then it will be natural for  students to begin to do the same and begin duplicating students just  like them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Well, these are my thoughts.  I want to know what you think.  You  dont have to write a dissertation, but what do you think about  discipleship?  Similar thoughts or something completely different? Leave  a comment.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806570011</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806570011</guid><pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Cut it down Madam</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I am speaking on forgiveness this week  at Fuel and Traffic and I ran across this quote.  Thought it was  something to consider…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the book. Lee: The Last Years, Charles Bracelen Flood reports that  after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee visited a Kentucky lady who took him  to the remains of a grand old tree in front of her house. There she  bitterly cried that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Federal  artillery fire. She looked to Lee for a word condemning the North or at  least sympathizing with her loss. After a brief silence, Lee said, “Cut  it down, my dear Madam, and forget it.” It is better to forgive the  injustices of the past than to allow them to remain, let bitterness take  root and poison the rest of our life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;What tree do you need to cut down in your life?&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806567664</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806567664</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>My Best Friend...</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://kennethwagner.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/515972-r1-07-18a-copy.png?w=202&amp;h=300" alt="515972-R1-07-18A copy" title="515972-R1-07-18A copy" class="size-medium wp-image-121" width="202" height="300"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="wp-caption-text"&gt;My Best Friend&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No, its not our anniversary but I just want to take a second and brag  on my wife!  Besides deciding to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior this  is the best decision I have EVER made.  The past year 16 months have  been the best 16 months of my life!  We have been able to do so much,  see so much, and just enjoy each other’s company!  It has been an  incredible ride here in Delaware so far.  We haven’t had family around  so we have gotten the chance to lean on each other for everything and it  has been nothing short of amazing.  God’s plans are so just and so  clear that I pray I never question them in my life.  God has blessed us  so much, physically, spiritually, financially, with friends, and  students who are growing passionate about seeking Jesus with their whole  hearts!  God has truly blessed me with the Godliest, hottest, and most  compassionate wife I could have EVER asked for!  I have so much that I  want to do in this life but my number one prayer is that I be faithful  to my God and faithful to my bride, everything else is just icing on the  cake.  I pray that the Holy Spirit would always keep us close and  seeking God and in turn we will grow closer!  That’s all for now, I just  wanted to take a second and talk about my best friend and my bride,  Sherry Anne Wagner (its gotta nice ring to it).&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806564353</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806564353</guid><pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Last Night</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Me and one of my friends Matt Beasley  got into a long conversation.  That along with the Scripture that God  directed me to right before I talked to him and the book Forgotten God I  read a few weeks ago rocked my world.  It’s been a few weeks brewing  but this is what i’m thinking.  Turn in your Bible and get ready to  underline/highlight this because it is imperative that we understand  this Scripture.  1st Corinthians 3:16 “Dont you know that you yourselves  are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”  Ok, so maybe  you’ve read it before.  You know all about it.  Last night it hit me.   We can be Christians and just go through life or we can live a life that  is FULL of the Spirit, it makes all the difference in the world.  Not  all Christians live a life that is FULL of the Spirit.  Yeah, the Spirit  is there regardless of if we acknowledge Him or not but we have to  opportunity to capatalize on GOD living IN US!  Listen, dont read this  and act like you’ve heard it all before.  If we are living by the Spirit  then EVERYTHING changes.  We don’t have time to gratify our desires, we  dont see it necesary to complain, we will always put others first, etc…   So ask yourself this.  When was the last time you asked the Holy  Spirit to lead your life?  When was the last time you asked the Holy  Spirit to free you from bondage?  When was the last time you asked the  Holy Spirit to give you the eyes of Christ?  How many times do you  acknowledge the Holy Spirit during a typical Sunday service at your  church?  Think about this, why did all of the prophets in the OT and the  disciples in the NT walk in supernatural power…because they were fully  surrendered to the Holy Spirit and held to an unwavering faith.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Christians, when we live in the Spirit we are most dangerous to the  enemy!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806560902</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806560902</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Re-Blogged from Perry...</title><description>&lt;p&gt;10 Questions Church Leaders Should Ask  Themselves&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#1 – Am I loving “social networking” more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#2 – Am I loving my particular brand of theology more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#3 – Am I loving my particular worship style more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#4 – Am I loving my platform more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#5 – Am I loving attention more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#6 – Am I loving facilities more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#7 – Am I loving opportunities more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#8 – Am I loving ritual more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#9 – Am I loving success more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;#10 – Am I loving the ministry more than Jesus?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Basically…am I loving ANYONE or ANYTHING more than Jesus!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I thought he was right on with this.  Most people that read my blog  may have already read it on Perry’s but I thought it was worth a  re-post!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806558206</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806558206</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Thursday's</title><description>&lt;p&gt;This summer is going to stinkin awesome!  Most of the Thursday’s this  summer we have stuff planned with the students.  Later on today we are  going to the beach and I am pumped about it.  Other Thursdays will be  things like going to the park and grilling out, a water park trip, going  to the HUGE Arundel Mills Mall, and a bunch of other stuff!  It is a  time for me to get OUT OF THE OFFICE and build some deeper relationships  with students.  This time will be awesome for our ministry because we  are getting to the size where I just cant connect with every student  every week.  I will be taking my Flip Mino HD that my family got me for  my birthday (it was June 16th btw // happy bday to me)  in hopes of  trying to get some footage of a life in Student Ministry.  This camera  is going to allow me to catch things on video that are hilarious, dumb,  random, entertaining, moving, etc…  If you dont have a Flip yet I think  you should look into getting one.  They are THAT cool!  Anyways, just  checking in on this thing and letting you know whats going on in my  world!  Oh yeah, because Sherry is working 3 days a week now she gets to  go with us!!!!!! Yeah that is GOOD NEWS!  I LOVE sharing this ministry  with her!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806555614</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806555614</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>My Script From My Last Message</title><description>&lt;p&gt;By far one of the hardest messages I  have EVER had to speak.  I had to face this one before my students got  it… BTW: The idea of this message came from reading the book Crazy Love  by Francis Chan (EVERYONE should read this book).  Hopefully this  message inspires someone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The message tonight is titled “Profile of the Lukewarm”.  We are  going to take a look at what it means to be lukewarm in the eyes of a  Holy God.  Tonight I want to talk to you from two separate passages of  Scripture that are extremely powerful, but first I want to ask you a  question.  When was the last time you saw someone throw up?  When I say  throw up I’m not talking about the little throw up in your mouth thing,  I’m talking about really seeing someone up-chuck.  For me it was two  years ago when I was on a road trip with the baseball team.  We were  going to a college that is up in the mountains and unknown to me one of  my teammates gets car sick.  He’s got his head tilted back and he looks  like he’s asleep and then all of a sudden “PUKE” he throws up  everywhere.  Luckily he pointed it down and not out so it got on the  floor and started to run up to the front of the van.  It was disgusting!   For me, the whole throw up thing is not a big deal when I do it.  If  my stomach is really hurting or I feel like I’m going to throw up, I  just go ahead and do it.  But it’s a completely different when other  people do it, you know what I mean?  I mean I’m good with seeing it but  the whole smell just makes me want to gag!  Ughh!!!  So by now  everybody’s got that picture in their minds, the last time they saw  someone throw up.  You are probably thinking where in the world is he  going with this?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  When God looks at your life  what do you think he thinks?  Do you think He’s pleased or do you think  it makes Him want to throw up?  Seriously, how do you think it makes  God feel?  But Kenneth, God doesn’t throw up!  Let’s look at the first  Scripture.  Turn to Revelation 3:14-16.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;READ Revelation 3:14-16&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Jesus says, “I know your deeds…”  Jesus sees what we do.  He  knows where our heart it is.  He knows if we are living for Christ or if  we just exist in a lukewarm state.  We have to do something, I mean we  can’t say that we have experienced the love and salvation and the  freedom of Christ and then live like it hasn’t changed us.  How many of  you like coffee when it is lukewarm?  How many of you like soda when it  is lukewarm?  Exactly, you like your coffee hot and you like your soda  cold.  And it’s the same way with God.  God can’t stand when we are  lukewarm.  He would rather us make up our flippin mind whether we are  going to serve him or not.  I mean seriously if you are not living to  please Him why would you want to spend eternity with Him?  If nothing in  your like looks like you believe in heaven why would you ever want to  spend eternity there?  You say you believe in heaven but most of the  time you live like hell.  For so many of you your life is an oxymoron.   We need to make up our minds!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And so this second passage kind of covers the lukewarm lifestyle  but in a different way so let’s take a look at it.  Turn with me to  John chapter 15, verses 1 through 8.  We will get back to the whole idea  of the lukewarm lifestyle.  Let’s read.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;READ John 15:1-8&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I want you guys to notice one of the first things that I read in  that passage.  It says, “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no  fruit.”  Where have we, as American Christians, gotten the idea that we  can be Christians but bear no fruit?  How does that even make sense?  If  we honestly think that we can say a prayer and then see NO life change  but yet still feel like we will spend eternity in heaven, I have a real  problem with that.  I heard it said once that, “Information without  transformation equals damnation”.  Basically what the means if I can  break it down is if you know everything you need to know about Christ  yet you have never seen a change in your life then you are in real  danger of spending eternity in hell.  I don’t know how else to say it.   Let me ask you a few questions to try and make it a little more clear  for you guys. Has your relationship with God actually changed the way  you live?  Do you see evidence of the things of God in your life? Or is  your relationship with God overshadowed by other activities, sports,  addictions, and sins in your life?  I believe that lukewarm Christianity  has become an epidemic in America today!  I say this because when I  read the New Testament and see the things that Christ calls us to do and  then I look around at the people that call themselves Christians it is  really hard to match the two up.  It just doesn’t make much sense.  I  mean when people actually take the words of Christ literally and  seriously they are considered “radicals” or “overboard” when in reality  they are getting it right!  So with that said would you describe  yourselves as totally in love with Jesus Christ or do the words  halfhearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?  Because  Jesus says in this verse that He cuts off EVERY branch that bears no  fruit and that’s not very promising to those of you in here that do  absolutely nothing to show that your life is in the hands of Almighty  God.  As a matter of fact, that’s a scary place to be.  I am going to  take a few minutes and explain to you what the lukewarm person looks  like and you can decide for yourself whether or not you are truly  following after Christ or if you are just a lukewarm believer.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly.  It is what is  expected of them, what they believe “Good Christians” do.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right  when they are in conflict.&lt;br/&gt; oThis is what we talked about two weeks ago but it is worth  repeating.  Our desire is to fit in both at church and outside of the  church.  But the problem is most of you care more about what others  think of you than what God thinks about your hearts and lives.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they  want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.  They don’t  genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry  because God is going to punish them.  Lukewarm people don’t really  believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful  one.&lt;br/&gt; oJohn 10:10&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical  things for Christ, yet they do not act.&lt;br/&gt; oLukewarm people call radical what Jesus EXPECTED of ALL His  followers.&lt;br/&gt; oYou think it is so awesome the Anthony and Joe would give up their  summers and go away from their families and friends to minister to  people in Ireland yet you do not do anything.  You choose to be quiet  when you have the opportunity to tell your friend about Christ or invite  them to Fuel/Traffic.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their friends or  classmates.  They do not want to be rejected.  They would rather be  disobedient to God then rejected by their peers.&lt;br/&gt; oJesus says, Matthew 10:32-33 “Whoever acknowledges me before me, I  will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever  disowns be before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people gauge their goodness by comparing themselves to  others.&lt;br/&gt; oI’m not a Bible thumper or Jesus Freak like _________&lt;br/&gt; oor I’m not nearly as bad as _________&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people say they love Jesus and He is, indeed, a part of  their lives.  But only a part.  They give him a section of their time,  their hearts, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their  lives.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people love God, but they do not love Him with all their  heart, soul, and strength.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people lobe others but do not seek to love others as much  as they love themselves.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people will serve God and others as long as it doesn’t  inconvenience them.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep them from feeling  too guilty.  They want to do the bare minimum, “to be good enough”  without requiring too much of them.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they  are slaves to the god of control.&lt;br/&gt; •Lukewarm people probably drink and cuss less than average, but  besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical  unbeliever.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806554489</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806554489</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Thoughts From Andy</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I listened to a Leadership Podcast from  Andy Stanley and I thought I would post some of my notes.  Enjoy…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;•When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.&lt;br/&gt; •Success breeds complacency and complacency breeds failure.&lt;br/&gt; •Vision begins with a burden and a burden reflects a broken heart.&lt;br/&gt; •What breaks your heart?&lt;br/&gt; •Don’t let success or momentum overshadow vision.&lt;br/&gt; •People almost never complain about the vision but they will complain  about the processes of achieving    vision.&lt;br/&gt; •Stories are the most powerful way to communicate vision.&lt;br/&gt; •Stories bring the emotional connection to the vision.&lt;br/&gt; •Celebrate the vision!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806552418</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806552418</guid><pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>He's Read the Book</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Me and my Sr. Pastor were talking today  and he said something that I thought was profound.  It all started  because I have just started to read Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis and I  am completely freaked out!  If you have read the book, you know what I  mean.  Satan is whacked out!  Anyways, my Pastor starts using a baseball  analogy to describe Satan and i’m like OK this actually makes sense  (i’m not the smartest guy, but I try).  So he goes on to say that Satan  is like a good pitcher.  If a pitcher is good then he has read the book  on you.  Just like a good pitcher knows what you can/cannot hit, he  knows what makes you fall, he knows what makes you take your eyes off of  God, and ultimately he knows what really pisses you off!  I gave it  some thought and this is so true.  When I went up to the plate in  college pitchers didnt throw me a whole lot of fastballs because I was a  fastball hitting guy.  They threw me a steady diet of sliders away and  change-ups down because they knew I would chase them (way too much btw).   And Satan does the same thing.  He doesnt tempt me with the slots down  the road (gambling is legal in DE?) because he knows I’m gonna hit that  one out of the park, thats a no-brainer.  He doesnt tempt me to grab a  12 pack while I’m at the gas station becuase he knows I’m gonna hit that  one in the gap.  But the crazy thing is…he knows what the slider away  and the change-up down is in my life and thats what he throws to me!   EVERYTIME!  He doesn’t mess with the stuff that I am already having  victory in, he throws me the stuff where he knows I struggle.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Think about the implications of this in your life.  If Satan’s read  the book on you where does he know where to hit you?  He doesnt just  shoot from the hip or hope he tempts you right.  He knows exactly what  to do to trip you up and get your eyes off of Jesus!  So examine where  you are and what you hit best.  This may seem kind of obvious but it was  obvious in college that I couldnt hit the slider away and change-up  down and I could never really seem to do anything about it!  I’m not  saying we can’t overcome things that Satan tries to put in our lives but  we may never, in this life, have COMPLETE victory.  There is a  difference!  Overcoming and victory are two different things…maybe that  will be my next blog!  Anyways, think about what you struggle with and  know that Satan is already working there!  Men and women of God let’s  get into the batting cages of life and work on the pitches we can’t hit!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806550715</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806550715</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>The Cussing Pastor</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.edyoungblog.com/2009/06/the-cussing-pastor.html"&gt;This&lt;/a&gt; video REALLY caught my attention.  What do you think?&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806549414</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806549414</guid><pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Storage Units</title><description>&lt;p&gt;As I was driving down the road today I had a thought.  I promise I  usually think while I am driving but today I had a “good” thought.  It  was in Harrington and it is something that I see most everyday.  It was a  storage place.  Where millions of Americans store mostly crap that they  dont need.  And the thought hit me,  I bet poverty in America could be  ended by selling all the crap that is in those storage units! People in  other countries would actually have clothes to wear and shoes to wear if  we just gave all that stuff that is “junk” or extra away!  If we  emptied all the storage units we could then use all the buildings for  temporary housing for the homeless.  There are tons of things that could  be done with storage units/junk in storage units.  I dont know, maybe  you dont think this is a big deal but I think the implications could be  huge.  By the way, if you have a storage unit what does that stuff  really mean to you anyways?  Just a thought…&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806548196</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806548196</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Middle School</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I twittered about this the other day but  I thought it was blog worthy as well.  On Tuesday I decided to head to  Chipman Middle School to have lunch with some of my students.  It is so  funny to see the response that I get.  I mean, it is basically a   homecoming when I walk in the doors.  The students run up to me, people  are wanting to sit with me, and best of all they are giving me their  extra food (its cafe food, but I will live).  Anyways, I say that to  tell you about my experience in the High School in my area.  When I walk  in there it’s like I have the flippin’ plague (ok, so maybe I am  overexaggerating).  Only a hand full of students actually embrace the  fact that I am there and even fewer seem to want to sit with me.  I have  my suspicions on why they act like this.  I believe its mostly because  they have never had a youth pastor that cared enough to meet them where  they are.  They just opened the doors on Sunday or Wednesday night and  said HERE WE ARE…COME AND SEE!!!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;BUT…Here’s the cool thing with the Middle Schoolers, if we as leaders  in Fuel and Traffic Student Ministries begin to form the culture to  where it’s normal for me or other leaders to be at lunch then that will  flow right into the High School.  Students will no longer ask “Hey, what  are you doing here [with the awkward look on their face]” they will  embrace it as normal.  This is something that is going to take time but I  am willing to pay my dues.  It is definitely worth it!  I mean really,  how many students want to have somebody to come and eat with them?! ALL  OF THEM!!!!  Youth pastors and leaders, get out of your office and get  out of your comfort zone and get in the schools!  If the schools  are open in your area but you have never taken advantage of that you  should repent!  You have a HUGE opporunity…don’t take it for granted!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806546456</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806546456</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Phillipians</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I’ve been reading through GEPC  (Galatians Ephesians Philippians and Colossians) and it’s just reminded  me of how much I love Scripture.  The stories, the styles, the Truth,  the spotlight affect it &lt;span&gt;sometimes&lt;/span&gt; always has on your sins, and everything else.  But today, as I was in  Philippians, a couple of verses jumped out to me.  I have read them  before but they were so powerful today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Philippians 3:10-11 says, “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the  power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming  like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection  from the dead.” (TNIV)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I mean I want to know Christ but can I honestly say, as Paul says,  that I want to participate in His sufferings?  Hmm…I wish it was easy to  say yes to this question.  How about you?&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806544779</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806544779</guid><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>In Your Face</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img class="aligncenter size-full  wp-image-95" title="megaphone copy" src="http://kennethwagner.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/megaphone-copy.jpg?w=500&amp;h=375" alt="megaphone copy" width="500" height="375"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;This series was developed over a lot of discontent while looking at  how many “Christians” talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. I’m sure  you’ve never done it but you know someone who has, right?  Anyways, this  graphic was developed by one of my best friends [&lt;a title="Lincoln Miller's Twitter Feed" target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/lincmiller"&gt;Lincoln Miller&lt;/a&gt;].  He’s  pretty much a stud!  I might even attempt to put one of my sermons up  on this blog (everyone hold your breath).  Hope you enjoy the eye candy.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806541776</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806541776</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>A Sense of Arrogance</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I’m going to try a new approach to this  whole blog deal.  I’m going to try short blurbs with the occasional  dissertation on things that happen to be on my mind.  I think this will  be a more effective approach to give me more consistency.  I got this  idea from my &lt;a href="http://www.devastationandreform.com/"&gt;brother&lt;/a&gt;.  So with that said, here’s my first thought of this new approach.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have thought about this topic many times before but never really  had the notion to talk about it until now.  It came to my mind while I  was watching a pastor on TV talk about how he KNEW he was called into  Full-Time Ministry.  He knew beyond of a shadow of a doubt (whatever  that terminology means) that he was supposed to be a preacher.  There is  nothing necesarily wrong with this statement, I have made it before too  but what is wrong is when we make this statement out of a sense of  arrogance, which I have done before as well.  As a pastor, I feel that  the arrogance in the statement comes into play when we feel like this is  the only profession/service that anyone can be “called” into.  So many  times I think pastors make “lay” people feel so unworthy, they make them  feel as if what they are doing will never be as important as Full-Time  ministry (which by the way we are ALL full-time ministers) and I feel a  sense guilt that I have possibly made someone feel this way.  I truly  believe that people can have just as strong of a conviction and calling  to be a teacher, mechanic, stay-at-home-mom, butthole (jk, although some  people appear to be “called” to this), waitress, barista, business man,  etc, etc, etc. So whatever it is we are “called” to let’s just do it  WHATEVER IT TAKES to make Jesus’ name famous and not ours because all  callings are equally as important as the next no matter how someone may  have made you feel/think in the past.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thoughts?&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806537421</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806537421</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400</pubDate></item><item><title>Last Night</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Last night I had the opportunity to go  to a Philadelphia Flyers game.  I didn’t really think much about it  because they were free tickets and I am not really a hockey fan.  Thanks  to Keith Bilbrough who is the flippin’ man I got to go for FREE with  him and his son, Luke (who is a stud Traffic student)!  Wait, I bought a  Coke Zero on the way home, so the whole trip cost me like $1.59.   Anywas, like I said I wasnt really concerned about the seats and I  figured we were going to be up in the nose bleed section but I should  have known that wasn’t the case because first of all I was going with  Keith Bilbrough and he doesn’t do anything half way and also because we  had a parking pass that put us RIGHT beside the Wachovia Center.  I  don’t really want to glamorize this any more than I really need to other  than to say our seats were AWESOME!  We were in a private box that had  its own butler guy, bathrooms, and a bar.  Our view looked like this…&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;img src="http://kennethwagner.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/img00335.jpg?w=500&amp;h=375" alt="From the Box" title="img00335" class="size-full wp-image-90" width="500" height="375"/&gt;&lt;p class="wp-caption-text"&gt;From the Box&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I say all that to say this.  I saw SOOOOO many empty people there  last night!  We, Christians, have a mission field right in front of our  face.  We just have to open our eyes. I just want to ask one question  today, Where is your mission field?  Because I promise you if you are  following Christ He has put people around you who NEED JESUS!!!!  God,  please allow us to open our eyes and see the people you have put in our  lives!!!!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806535677</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806535677</guid><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Coming Up</title><description>&lt;p&gt;For the past few weeks we have been in a  series called “Why Wait?”  We have talked in depth about the realities  of premarital sex and the devastation it can cause.  It has been  intense.  The title of the messages were: The Culture of Lies, How Far  is Too Far?, Sex: From a Guys Perspective, Sex: From a Girls  Perspective, and Do-Overs.  We have seen students begin to set some  boundaries and others reinforce some that they have already had.  God  has really been moving during this time! Next week is our last week!  I  can’t wait to talk abot Do-Overs and just share with the students how  they can be made whole again.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;img src="http://kennethwagner.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/poster-2.jpg?w=500&amp;h=500" alt="Why Wait?" title="poster-2" class="size-full wp-image-87" width="500" height="500"/&gt;&lt;p class="wp-caption-text"&gt;Why Wait?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Coming up in the next couple of months we are going to be going  through some pretty awesome series.  During the last part of March and  early April we are going to be going through a series that takes us back  to the basics of Christianity.  We are going to cover some pretty  elementary stuff (if you grew up in Sunday School), but it definitely  needs to be spoken (because most of our students didn’t grow up in  Sunday School).  I am still looking for a title for the series so if  somebody could hook a brotha up that would be awesome.  We are going to  be covering: Creation, Scripture, Grace, and Baptism.  I have thought of  naming it, Back to the Basics, Starting Point (b/c that is what North  Point calls their beginners class), and well, that’s about all but none  of those are real catchy.  Anyways, drop me a comment or tweet me or  text me or something if you have any ideas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Also, in the month of May we are going to be moving into a series  called YouPick.  Its going to be a play off of the YouTube symbol and I  got the idea from Vineresources.com.  I am going to get every student to  write one question that have always wanted answered about God,  Christianity, etc etc and then me and some of my leaders are going to  sit down and determine which questions carry the most weight.  I can’t  wait for this one because if it sucks it’s the students fault (j/k).   Its definitely going to give them some ownership knowing that I will be  answering their questions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So that’s what is on tap for Fuel and Traffic Student Ministries in  the next couple of months…&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806534286</link><guid>http://www.kennethallenwagner.com/post/806534286</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500</pubDate></item></channel></rss>

