by Ken Turner | Faith
Navigate: “Let them lead me…” That morning in the fall of 2007, when I pulled over and parked on the town square I ended up having one of the most meaningful conversations with God I’ve ever had. To be in a place in life where I had absolutely no idea what to do next was really confusing. At the end of that conversation with God, I eventually turned on the vehicle and pulled away. I still had no idea what the future would hold but I did have one thing… a sense of God’s presence.
This is part of a four part series on Psalm 43
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
If you take a deep look into Psalm 43 you will notice the phrase “let them lead me” referring to God’s light and God’s truth in Psalm 43:3. Here’s a promise that you can hold on to… God’s light, or His presence in your life and God’s truth, or the accuracy of His word (the Bible) will lead you… if you will allow it.
When you are in a dark moment of life, it’s easy to begin thinking all the wrong thoughts. Thoughts like, “Has God forgotten me? Has He given up on me? Is there something wrong with me that He’s taken away His blessing on my life? Am I no longer of any value to Him? Does He just not care about me any more?” But guess what? None of those things are true if you have a personal relationship with God.
Here’s proof in Psalm 139:12, “…the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.” It doesn’t matter how dark the darkness may be… the darkness and the light are both alike to God because He is the light and light always dispels darkness!
So, let me step back into the personal journey I was on in the fall of 2007. (You can read how it started here). There were two things that became my lifeline and these two things clearly became my navigation system and led me when life was making absolutely no sense at all.
Those two things were:
- God’s Presence. I accepted the truth with 100% of my heart that God WAS with me. I talked openly and honestly with Him daily, believing He was with me and He was trustworthy.
- God’s Word. I embraced the Bible as my main source of strength, truth and wisdom to direct my path. I spent 18 months in the book of Psalms, sometimes only reading 3-5 verses in a day and absorbing those truths with all my heart. I often looked specifically for the “truth” and “lies” from scripture. I would read a passage and think, “This is the real, absolute truth, therefore this other perspective is a lie.”
In a time of life when things seem dark, know this… you are NOT ALONE. You have access to God’s presence and the truth of His word and through these two resources you will not wander and be lost along the way. He will navigate your journey so be ready to embrace Him as your navigator.
While I was waiting on God, one morning He so clearly spoke to me about the next phase of my journey that it opened a door I never even considered. And in the next twenty-four months I saw more spiritual fruit than I had experienced in my first twenty years of ministry combined. I’ve shared it here in an audio interview.
Also, I’ve created a FREE RESOURCE titled, “10 Truths To Remember When Life’s Path Grows Dark” and you can get it here.
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by Ken Turner | Faith, Spiritual Growth
Illuminate: Send Out The Light!
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me…” Psalm 43:3
Early one morning after the kids were off to school, I got one of those phone calls from the school office. “Mr. Turner, your daughter forgot her____________ (fill in the blank here if you are a parent… I don’t remember exactly if it was a notebook, homework, gym clothes or something else but if you are a parent you can relate). She wanted us to call to see if you could drop it by the school office.” So I took off to the school to drop off the forgotten item.
This is part of a four part series on Psalm 43
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
It wasn’t a big deal that day to make the run to the school because to be quite honest, I had flexibility in my schedule and there was a reason I was so “flexible.” It was the fall of 2007 and I had spent the past seven years in a ministry focused on training adult youth leaders in youth ministry. It was a “dream job” for me. It was so fulfilling to invest in people who loved God and loved teenagers and help them any way I could to be a little more effective. Part way through that seven-year journey, I transitioned from being a full-time youth pastor to leading this new ministry to over 1,000 youth leaders full-time. But on this morning… when the school called… my schedule was wide open because our ministry to youth leaders had come to an end because of a lack of ministry funding. It was a difficult time and I felt like I had wandered into a dark forest and was completely lost. No job and no idea this would ever happen. I had been surviving by doing some side jobs to try and keep the bills paid.
After my run to the school I turned around to head back home to continue my quest toward figuring out what in the world I was supposed to do next. At the time we lived in a farmhouse south of Lebanon, Indiana. I drove past the Lebanon town square in this quaint little town north of Indianapolis that looks like a scene from the movie “Hoosiers.” Something seemed to say, “Just stop.” So I did. I pulled over on the corner of the town square, parked and turned off the engine. I had no idea what to do next. I started praying.
For quite some time I sat in my SUV having a long conversation with God about my situation. I explained to Him how lost I felt and reminded Him that I didn’t pursue things in life for these past 20 years that would bring me a high income or any type of fame and fortune. It seems funny to me now that I felt He needed my reminders! In the course of my conversation with God I began to notice something and I brought it up to Him. I noticed vehicles passing by. One truck had a plumber logo on it, another was an electrician, an office across the street was where an attorney worked and there was a bank behind me. I told God that each of these people have something to do today… they have a purpose and direction. But, I’m so lost. Lost as if I’m in a dark forest and I don’t know what to do. So I prayed and I waited.
Eventually my prayer time ended and I can still remember lifting my hand to place the key in and turn the ignition. And that’s significant. Before the engine would start there needed to be an “ignition” to fire it up. Once ignition takes place fuel begins to flow, then it burns and we have power to move again.
I don’t know if you’ve ever been in this place where you feel utterly and completely lost… but I’d like to tell you from personal experience, there is hope!
Recently I was preparing to speak at a college and career conference in Cincinnati, Ohio and the theme was taken from Psalm 43. As I studied the chapter I realized there is a message here that actually covers the steps that bring us from darkness back to the light… back to God’s holy hill… back to the top of the mountain of victory.
So, I plan to share with you a story of my personal journey. A journey that includes some of the specific ways God brought my family and me through a time of darkness when many things didn’t make sense. It’s a story I’ve often wondered if I would ever share and yet now that we are on the other side… I can see so many lessons God taught us and I realize so many other people are either just entering what feels like a dark forest experience, are in the middle of it or wondering if they may possibly be near the end of a time of darkness and about to see the light of God’s presence like never before!
I think this will be a four part series of articles in order to unpack the story but we will see.
But here is the first step toward making sense of life if you feel things are getting strangely dark. Ask God to “Send out the Light” as in Psalm 43:3. Think of it this way… “God please send out thy light, illuminate my path, shine the light, light the torch, ignite the flame, light the flare, and create an explosion of understanding.” The impact of this statement is a lot like hearing “they’ve sent in the Marines, called in the National Guard, things are serious and it’s time for something big.”
So, for starters I want you to know that on that morning I chose to stop and sit on the corner of the town square and ask God to “light my path, show me the way, ignite a flame of understanding”… He did and I look forward to sharing in my next post exactly what He said. But for now… stop… talk to Him and boldly ask Him to “Send out the Light.”
I’ve created a FREE Resource called “10 Truths To Remember When Life Grows Dark” and you can get it here.
Psalm 43:3
“O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me…”
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by Ken Turner | Faith, Family, Ministry To Fatherless
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6
After living in Indiana for 21 years we moved to the mountains of Tennessee in 2010. Our family enjoyed so many things about Indiana. The people we served in the two churches where I was a youth pastor became like family. Our farm house in the country was surrounded by corn fields and flat… really flat land. But it had it’s own sense of natural beauty.
When we moved to Tennessee I constantly found myself admiring the mountains. I grew up in the foothills of South Carolina but it had been a long time since spending much time around mountains. I remember so many times during our first year here I would comment to my wife and kids about how beautiful the scenery is here. I would often say, “I bet the people who have lived here all their life don’t even notice these mountains. They are probably just so used to it.”
Don’t you think that’s one of life’s great pitfalls? It’s especially true of our relationship with God. Do you remember a time when you hungered and thirsted for God more than you do now?
That’s one thing that is so rewarding about the ministry we have with youth in juvenile detention centers. Many of them are fatherless and so many have never really known much about God or the Bible. But God often uses this time in their life to speak to them and show Himself real in their life.
Sometimes the words I hear from these youth bring conviction to me. It causes me to ask, “Do I still hunger and thirst for God? Do I still notice His hand at work in my life… or have I gotten used to it?”
Here are 10 powerful statements from 10 different youth I have met. I hope this inspires you to be thirsty for God today.
- My dad died at 15, I’m 13 and I don’t want to die on the street like my dad. (13 year old boy)
- I’m locked up, I’m 12 and I have two kids. Is my life over? (12 year old girl)
- I gave my life to Jesus. Now I am reading the Bible and praying everyday. Please don’t bring me any other books, I just want to read the Bible. (13 year old boy)
- Will you pray with me? I want God to change me. I want to know Jesus personally. (15 year old boy)
- My dad died on the street two years ago and I have no one. How do I know God’s plan? (13 year old boy)
- I’m glad I got locked up. This is like the whale in Jonah’s life. If I had not landed in the belly of this place, my path would not have changed. I’m ready to follow God’s path, I have given my life to God. (15 year old boy)
- I have no one. I don’t even know where my dad is and my mom lost custody of me when I was 2. (15 year old boy)
- Will you pray with me? Will you talk to me? Can I see you when I am released? Will you teach me to study the Bible?
- I came to the Bible study tonight hoping there would be food. I got something more fulfilling than food. I learned about God and His word. (17 year old boy)
- Before I got into trouble, I told everyone I was an atheist. But I now realize there really is a God and I’ve decided to believe in Him and trust Him as my Savior.
Question: When you find yourself becoming spiritually complacent, what have you found that reignites your passion for God?
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by Ken Turner | Faith, Youth Ministry
Seriously… it is possible because I could have succeeded at both! I graduated college in 1987 with a degree in youth ministry. I married the woman of my dreams on August 29 and started my first youth ministry on September 13, 1987. Of course like most first time youth guys, I had a few other responsibilities beyond just being a youth pastor. I taught about five hours per day in our Christian school. I decided that I wanted to be a good husband and I wanted to be a great youth pastor.
One of my first goals was to visit in the home of every teenager on the Sunday school roster. We had around thirty teens attending and around seventy on the roster. I began to set appointments for every night of the week (except Wednesday) to get into these homes.
I was on the fast track to becoming a great youth pastor! Our attendance started growing. My wife and I spent the first six months of our marriage out almost every night of the week visiting teens. By the time we hit the first anniversary, our youth group had grown from around 30 to almost 60 on a good night in youth meeting. Ah yes, the joy of success in the ministry! I could easily see 100 teenagers in our youth meeting within the next six to twelve months!
But wait, something was wrong. You see, Jennifer and I were struggling. We were tired, we were sometimes even kind of empty. That sinking feeling you get when you know something is not quite right was becoming all too common. I began to do some serious soul-searching. The real question at hand was, “What is a successful youth ministry?” I began to realize that we could be big. Isn’t it possible to be big but not godly? Our youth group could be strong in outreach but weak in unity. Our youth group could be strong in unity but very weak in outreach. We could have high standards but also be very judgmental and critical. I had to come up with an answer to this dilemma. How can I justify my methods as being pleasing to God?
Here’s how I did it… I chose to embrace these truths.
God wants me to be a good Christian more than He wants me to be a good youth pastor.
Are you more concerned with gaining respect and recognition for your ministry accomplishments or are you mostly concerned with cultivating a relationship with God? I realized God wanted my heart first. This was very freeing for me.
God wants me to be a good husband and father more than He wants me to be a good youth pastor.
The Bible says of Jesus that in Him was found no guile. This means that in Christ was found no hypocrisy, no inconsistency, or nothing fake. If the whole world thinks I am the greatest Christian leader but my wife and children do not, then the applause of the world means nothing to me. If my wife and children think I am the greatest Christian leader but the world does not agree it really does not matter because the opinions that count most are from those who know me best and those I love the most.
God wants me to evangelize and disciple and He wants me to make it my way of life. God does not want me to attempt to reach my entire city in twelve months or less! He wants me to reach my city, period. He has given me the ability to do all He wants me to do in a 24 hour period and He wants me to do it gracefully. He does not intend for me to live life at the speed of light but to know that His call for me is to be fulfilled over a lifetime, not just within the next few months.
God wants me to be a principled leader.
If I develop principles to guide me in leadership decisions then I will be a consistent man and God will not have to be ashamed of me for having huge blind spots in my life and ministry.
So remember that you have a life and a ministry. Speaking of having a life… why don’t you stay home tonight and enjoy your wife without feeling guilty about it. Better yet, she might want to go out on a date! It wouldn’t be a waste of your time. Besides, it’s what God really wants!
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by Ken Turner | Faith
Think of one of the happiest moments of your life. What happened? Was it a childhood moment? Did it occur during adulthood? What brought so much joy? Was it an experience like visiting a special place? Was it a reunion with a loved one who had been absent? Was it a gift you received that filled you up? Was it an accomplishment, a big win on the field, or maybe it was a financial win. Okay… do you have that moment locked into your mind? Next question. Did it last? If so… for how long? Stay with me here… I’m not trying to turn gladness into sadness. Wouldn’t it be incredible to experience happiness and joy on a regular basis?One thing we know for sure, material things, winning a game, and making money can be fun but that fun doesn’t really produce real joy that carries us throughout life. We’ve all met people who “have it all” but still aren’t happy. There’s a reason for that.
When I was a church youth pastor I took teens on mission trips. On one of my first trips into Mexico we were traveling to a small village to do children’s ministry and passed by a park. We decided to stop and play with kids in the park for a few minutes. The kids were full of laughter and joy! They were running up and down the playground playing soccer with an old ragged ball and the field was mostly dirt and rocks. There were some kids flying kites. I went over to hang out with the kids with kites. Those kites were flying high but looked really unusual. One of them reeled in his kite and I got a closer look. The kite was made of sticks he had broken off trees at the park and a Walmart bag. I couldn’t believe how high these things were flying. These kids were having just as much fun as any kid who’s ever flown a kite. They didn’t need expensive stuff to have fun and find joy at the park on a summer day.
Jesus put it this way, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” John 15:11
We know for sure that Jesus wants us to experience fullness of joy. He can actually bring that joy into our life. I realize that my “personal happiness” is not my key focus in life and I’m not about to start living out my days thinking “I deserve to be happy at all costs.” That kind of thinking can lead to a pretty self-centered life. But there is joy, an inner peace that Jesus can provide and I can have that joy in the midst of any circumstance life throws my way.
There are three truths from John 15 the lead to a life full of joy.
1. Active Dependence
Have you figured out yet that you can’t fix everything that goes wrong in your life? The more I learn that He is my strength, my shield and my provider, the more joy I experience. Face each day with the zeal and work ethic to give your best and in doing so you will glorify Him. Then rest in the knowledge that He will take our frail efforts and do more with it than we could ever do. Learn to depend on Him and abide in Him as the source of strength. He promises four benefits of abiding in Him.
1. We Are Fruitful – (Verses 4,5)
2. We Are Useful – (Verse 6)
3. Our Prayers Are Answered – (Verse 7)
4. We Glorify God – (Verse 8)
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
2. Loving Obedience
When we begin to understand the love of God we will respond with loving obedience. I’ve noticed there are three motives for obeying God. They are DREAD, DUTY and DESIRE. We can choose to obey Him because we DREAD what might happen if we don’t. We can obey God out of DUTY because, after all, He’s done so much for us it is our duty to obey Him. We can obey God out of DESIRE from an outflow of overwhelming love for Him based on our understanding of His love for us. Either of these motives work… but obeying Him from an overflowing heart of love and gratitude is certainly the key to real joy.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
3. Fullness of Joy
Jesus said we can be full of joy. The word “full” means to cram full as a net full of fish with room for no more! And He said our net would be full of “joy” which is a spirit of delight and peace with Him.
So remember that “happiest moment of your life” you thought about a few minutes ago? It didn’t last forever did it? But Jesus has something to offer you right now that really will last. He can restore the joy into your heart and cram you full of it. Don’t be afraid to take a few minutes today to talk to Him about it and find what He calls “Fullness of Joy.”
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11
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by Ken Turner | Faith
“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said this in his book, “Life Is Tremendous.”
(If you would like a FREE printable PDF of this article, click on the image to download)
If Charlie is right, then what are the most important books we should read and who are the most important people we should meet and learn from?
I wasn’t much of a reader earlier in life. To be honest, I just didn’t see the value in reading books. Maybe it was partly because I grew up in a small, rural community where most people worked manual labor jobs to earn a living. Even though I decided to go to college to study for youth ministry I still didn’t see great value in reading. Of course, I would read my Bible and I would read for classes but looking back I can see that most of my choices to read were directly connected to an “obligation” to read… not a desire to really grow.
One day I came face to face with a deficiency in my life and for some reason it shook me to the core. It happened while I was a college student. I had signed up to sell books and Bibles door to door for The Varsity Company which at the time was a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers in Nashville, Tennessee. I was in “sales school” for five days in Nashville with hundreds of other students from all over America.
All the students gathered in the big conference hall and found our seats to prepare to listen as Joe Martin, our sales and marketing trainer opened up the morning session. He started by asking, “How many of you read the assignment I gave last night?” If the silence from these college students was a sign of the guilty, then we were guilty enough to fill up every jail in Tennessee that morning! I don’t remember everything Joe Martin said for the next several minutes but I do remember how I felt by the time he was finished. The message I did get… and I got it loud and clear… is that I was never going to change, I was never going to grow, I was never going to even come close to the potential God intended for my life if I did not take seriously the life-changing impact of reading.
I determined by the time Joe was finished with his “Come To Jesus” sermon about our slothfulness that if he ever asked again… I would be prepared to say yes, I am reading. We were supposed to be reading “Life Is Tremendous,” by Charlie Jones and I went back to my room and read the entire book that same day. It was on that day that Charlie taught me this, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”
So, if reading can change a person so dramatically… imagine how much more enriched our life would be if we read the Bible… the most powerful book ever written?
So here’s my challenge to you… begin to read with a desire to grow! This is different than reading out of obligation to complete an assignment. And make reading the Bible the top priority.
Here Are 9 Benefits of Reading The Bible
From Psalm 119
1. Victory Over Sin In Your Life
* Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Verse 11
* Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. Verse 29
* I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. Verse 101
2. Cleansing From Sin
* Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Verse 9
3. More Joy
*I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Verse 14
*I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. Verse 16
4. Wisdom and Direction
*Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. Verse 24
*Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Verse 34
*I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. Verse 99
5. You Will Be Revived… Rejuvenated
*Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O Lord, according to thy lovingkindness. Verse 159
*I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word. Verse 107
6. Renewed Strength
*Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. Verse 117
*My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Verse 28
7. You Will Experience Liberty and Freedom
*And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. Verse 45
8. Less Shame and Embarrassment
*I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed. Verse 46
*Let my heart be sound in thy statutes; that I be not ashamed. Verse 80
*Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Verse 116
9. Comfort in Affliction
*This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. Verse 50
*I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself. Verse 52
*Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. Verse 153
I was impressed the first time I read David’s plea in Psalm 51:10. It tells me that he sometimes came face to face with his own inadequacies and his own lack of desire to really change and grow. If you have lost the desire… the real hunger and thirst to know God more… why not pause right now and ask Him to renew a spirit of hunger and thirst for Him?
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10
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