by Ken Turner | Ministry Update
Since launching a NEW teen devotional series on April 29, 2016 called “Walking With God” our posts on the High Impact Teen Facebook page have been viewed by over 23,000 people.
One surprise has been the number of youth from outside the USA who are engaging with the devotionals. It’s a great reminder of just how vast the world is and how far reaching the gospel is across our land.
Pray for this new ministry outreach and for the gospel of Christ to reach many with the truth of scripture.
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Ken Turner | Faith
Have you ever wondered about the voice of God? If He speaks to you, how do you know it’s really Him. Have you ever known someone who freely talks about the way they seem to “just know” what God wants them to do? Maybe you’ve had a person tell you that God told them you were supposed to do something. Sounds kind of scary but this happens more often than you would think.
The truth is… God really does speak to His children and He seeks out ways to guide and direct our life.
God Usually Speaks in a Still Small Voice
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
1 Kings 19:11-12, “…and behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
Some people spend years of their life thinking that if God wants to tell me something… He will do something drastic to get my attention. God can get our attention, there’s no doubt about that! But most of the time His “normal mode of operation” is to speak quietly to us.
God Speaks to Us Through His Word
It’s easy to say, “If I knew what God wanted me to do I’d do it.” But think about this. I am a father and my wife and I have three children. If I wrote them letters and explained exactly how I want them to approach life, how they should make decisions, handle money, find a husband or wife, or anything else… and they said to me, “Dad, I’d like to obey you and follow your directions but I don’t know what you want me to do.” I would probably say, “Have you read my letters?” If you read the letters, you’d know exactly what to do.
God left us His letters… the Bible to instruct us. Read His word and He will speak to you deeply.
God Moves in Our Heart
Sometimes God will impress upon our heart something He wants for us. It’s a little more difficult to explain, but as you grow in your spiritual life there will be times when you sense God is leading you in the decision making process. He will lay things on your heart such as ways to serve Him and ways to help others. Remember to filter everything through His word. He will never lead you to do something that is contrary to his word.
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Ken Turner | Ministry Update
High Impact Mentoring is a NEW outreach launched in May 2016 with the help of the Christian Association of Youth Mentoring (CAYM).
With the help of CAYM and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, we are moving forward and creating a mentoring ministry model through church partnerships across the state of Tennessee.
In May 2016 the first CORE Mentor Leader Training was held at First Baptist Church of Kingston, TN with mentor leaders attending the sixteen hour training from three churches. The churches receiving the first initial CORE Training were First Baptist of Kingston, Eternal Life Harvest Center of Knoxville and First Church of Dayton.
Our next step is to recruit and train mentors from the three church congregations to start mentoring as a part of their church ministry. We are in the process of identifying mentors as well as students who are in need of a mentor in Roane County, Knox County and Rhea County.
The High Impact Mentoring Initiative has plans to expand across the state over the next few years.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about the High Impact Mentoring Initiative please contact:
Ken Turner, High Impact Teens, 423-381-0018, kenturner@highimpactteens.org
or
Michael Leach, TN Department of Children’s Services
https://www.tn.gov/dcs/article/dcs-staff-directory listed under “Child Programs.”
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Ken Turner | Faith
Image hearing the news that the most notorious person on earth has changed. Or maybe you get a call that someone who has personally caused you all kinds of trouble in life now wants to be your best friend because they have completely changed. Could the biggest criminal, the most notorious drug dealer, the gang leader or the bully in the hallway at school really change? I mean REALLY CHANGE?
Have you heard about a man named Saul in the Bible whose name was changed to Paul? Saul was a notorious murderer of Christians, going house to house capturing men and women and executing them just because they had committed their life to Christ.
One day while walking down the road on the way to a city called Damascus a bright light burst onto the scene and blinded him while the voice of Jesus spoke from “out of nowhere” saying, “Saul, why are you kicking against the pricks?” Jesus literally asked him why he was ignoring the conviction God had placed in his heart and why he was continuing down this life path of wickedness.
Saul fell to his knees and when the voice stopped Saul couldn’t see and he didn’t eat or drink for three straight days. God sent a man named Ananias to talk to him and Saul accepted Jesus as his Savior and became transformed. He was so transformed that his name was changed from Saul to Paul and he is the Paul that ended up writing about half the books of the New Testament.
God is powerful and He can change lives. He can help you do a 180 degree turn and become a completely different person if you will let Him.
“And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?” Acts 9:20-21
Here Are the Key Factors of Saul’s 180 Degree Life Change
- He Experienced God’s Voice of Conviction. Don’t ignore what you know is God’s voice. God has a unique way of “pricking our heart” and making us aware that we are living in sin. He tells us that we are wrong, we are headed the wrong way and its time we stop and listen.
- He Stopped and Embraced the Silence. For three days he couldn’t see, eat or drink. He was consumed with nothing but an overwhelming sense of “what now?” When God speaks to you it’s important to stop and listen. Maybe it’s time away from the distractions, sometimes it’s a time of illness, time in the hospital, time after the break up of a friendship or just some change in life that gives us that opportunity to be alone and listen to God. He has a message and you need to have ears wide open to hear it.
- He Recognized the Voice of Truth. God sent a man named Ananias to talk to Saul about who Jesus really is and how Jesus could transform his life. Do you know the difference between the “truth tellers” in your life and those who aren’t? It’s very important to know who to listen to and who to ignore when it comes to decisions that will change your life forever.
- He Committed His Life to a New Purpose. When Saul accepted Jesus into his heart he put 100% of his heart and passion into sharing the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus. He became a preacher and surrounded himself with other disciples of Christ. When God changes your life, He changes your heart and with that should come a commitment to a new life purpose and new friends that align with that purpose.
Read Acts 9:1-22
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
Like this:
Like Loading...
by Ken Turner | Ministry Update
GTI stands for Gateway To Independence. GTI is the former Woodland Hills Youth Development Center in Nashville, TN and the home of one of our weekly youth outreach ministries of High Impact Teens.
In the fall of 2015 we started the first ever All Pro Dad Chapter in a juvenile facility as an outreach to teen fathers. The sad reality is that sometimes fatherless teens become parents themselves before they are even out of their teen years. I wish it weren’t so… but it is.
In the past seven months I have taught 15-20 young men how to be a “real dad” using the All Pro Dad materials as well as other resources and the Bible. It’s amazing to see these guys start to understand “fatherhood” for the first time.
Our weekly outreach to GTI is every Wednesday so keep this in your prayers in the middle of the week!
As much as anything taught in the class, I’ve sensed a unique development among these young men. I find myself interacting with them as a father would with his own sons. At times I have to be a little tougher when they distract or misbehave, and at times I get to just dig deep into heart issues we all face and I also get to enjoy laughing with them and just connecting… kind of like “fathers and sons.” There are days we laugh a lot, there are days I have to be all business and there are some days when tears are shed. It’s like a “laboratory of life” when I’m there.
So keep these guys in your prayers! And their children as well. They need all the support and guidance we can give.
Ken Turner
kenturner@highimpactteens.org
Like this:
Like Loading...
