YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN

I've always been a fan of Neil McClendon. He hates me saying this but he spoke at my church when I was in Youth once. The thing I appreciate about Neil is the same thing most other Youth guys appreciate about him. He's not afraid to speak the truth and he does it in a very convicting and relevant way. Most Youth Pastors are not really afraid to speak the truth but for some reason when we do it it just comes across as arrogance and pride. However, Neil leaves you wanting more.

Besides his man-crush for bacon (or "meat candy" as he calls it) Neil has a bagful of one liners that render you useless for the next few minutes because you're focused on digesting what he just said. Here are a few of those...

• "God is not a complex being with with several attributes in several boxes, He is one box with all attributes."
  
• "Religious people are always offended."
  
• "Christianity is not a feeling to be maintained, it is a reality you were created to enjoy."
  
• "Most of the hard things in life will require more joy than discipline."
  
• "The Bible has more confidence in joy than we do."
  
• Chemistry definition of Conversion: "The process by which a chemical gives up its natural properties to become something its never been before - the byproduct of which can never be the same thing again."
  
• "Most of us want to have experiences instead of habits."
  
• "The church we preach to looks very different from the church we preach about."
  
• "Proof that you know God is that you can endure things that don't feel good."
  
• "Suffering is not punishment, it is an invitation."
  
• "The thermostat in God's house is set on glory!"
  
• "God does not relate to us based on convenience, He relates to us based on maturity."
  
• "Don't walk away with more determination than when you arrived, leave with more joy!"
  
• "Evangelism is the privilege of the individual, not the responsibility of the church."
  

Thanks Neil, for challenging not only my students but also all of us.

If you're in the Sugarland, TX area... visit Neil's church. Grand Parkway Baptist Church