Just When You Think It's Over...

After 16 years of encouraging Middle School and High School students to do something unthinkable in our culture, I've learned a few things:

• Fasting from something that hurts your relationships is always worth it
• Don't under-estimate what a young person can do (or who they can influence)
• We grow closer in our relationship with God when we cut out the extra noise
• When families make a commitment to place "WE" over "ME", the whole family wins
• Just when you think something is over, it usually isn't

FASTING FROM SOMETHING

The reason you decide to avoid something is that you realize how it may be hurting you or others. Smoking, drugs, addictions, even media have a negative impact on our relationships. Lori and I noticed that many parents at restaurants and stores have been handing their kids electronic devices to watch movies or cartoons or play games while they are involved in conversations or activities with other adults... and we have also noticed that many young people have a really hard time carrying on normal conversations with their peers, let alone other adults. I think our tendency to try to "keep our kids entertained" so that they don't interrupt us is a bigger problem than we realize. I remember getting in trouble with my brothers when we started being a distraction or started to act up when my parents were trying to talk... you know what I learned by getting in trouble? I learned to pay attention to other people and not to spit spitwads at others when people are talking. Parents: it's ok to put your kids in situations where they will probably not act perfectly... and it's even wiser to remove things from our lives that distract or hurt our relationships with others, and God!

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE TEENS

Teenagers want to do something that matters. They want to make a difference. They are also incredibly influential and inspiring. When we hear of a 30-year-old making a decision to avoid certain media, we think "that's interesting... good for them", or "what a weirdo". But when a teenager makes the same decision, we think, "That's amazing! I wish I could do something like that!" There are countless stories of students who have jumped into this fast and have impacted their friends, their teachers, their parents, and others. We need to expect more from teenagers, not less.

CUT OUT NOISE; GROW CLOSER TO GOD

I'm not sure I have to get into this one. It's kind of a "no-brainer". But I do think that while we know this is true, how often do we actually do it? It's like when we want to lose some weight and we know we need to avoid certain foods and exercise... and then we still grab a tub of ice cream and sit and binge-watch our favorite show. We need to take time to cut out the things that are hurting our relationship with God... or we won't grow closer to God. I guess we have to decide whether our media choices and our time choices are more important than the things we need to do to grow closer to God. 

WE OVER ME TIME

I've heard this every year from families... "This past month of the fast was amazing! We did it together and it seems like there was less stress. We had so much fun together." But by the end of April, they are stressed out and tired. I know this because it has happened in my house for over 16 years. And while I'm not advocating that we should always fast from media distractions (although maybe I should and I'm just being selfish), I think there is incredible value in focusing on "we" over "me". It is so incredibly selfish for someone to say "I just need some 'me' time." I get it... we all need time away from chaos, complaining, crying, and everything else that comes from being a human on planet earth with billions of other people... but parents, you need to hear this: WHEN YOU HAVE DECIDED TO HAVE SEX, YOU DECIDED TO GIVE UP "ME" FOR "WE". And when you have kids, you have a responsibility to put your family above yourself. If you don't, you will regret it... trust me. I have heard more stories than I can count... I gave up a lot of things I like to do while my kids were at home, and I don't regret not doing those "me" things. I stopped playing golf; I said "no" to side jobs or extra responsibilities that would have taken time away from my kids and family; I even cut out working out every day (I play basketball 1 day a week for 2 1/2 hours) in order to make sure I was there for my kids. I learned how to coach softball. I went on field trips. I worked on projects... and while it sounds like I was amazing, I still see areas where I regret focusing on "me" over "we". I wish we had played more board games together. I wish we had gone on more hikes and walks. I wish I had prayed more often with my kids and wife. 

JUST WHEN YOU THINK IT'S OVER

We are wrapping up year 16... and it's been an awesome adventure. Over 400 students, 400 families, nearly 10,000 sponsors, have been a part of this yearly event. It has brought in over $250,000 in money raised to send kids on mission trips and camps. But even more important, is that teens and families have grown closer to each other, and to God. Just because it's April and everyone is "back to normal" in their routine, doesn't mean that the fast is over. Prayerfully, we called people to spend time with God... and if they did that, hopefully, they have a habit of finding time to spend with God, daily. Many of these kids will be involved in mission trips to help point others to Jesus... and that's an eternal outcome that we can't quantify. People throughout the year come across this website and read the posts from kids... and they are inspired to do something about their relationship with God... how awesome is that? Just when you think it's over... 

Thank you all for another great year on this adventure... I can't wait to see how God uses this challenge over the next year!

Home Stretch

For every person who participates in any kind of fast, there is the home stretch where your mind takes over. You start thinking about the day after your fast, the things you can finally do (watch, listen to, read, play) when it's all over. The problem with this thinking is that we begin to forget what we have done and why we did it. Here's some questions everyone needs to wrestle with this week:

• What was I fasting from?
• Why was I fasting from it?
• How has this fast changed me? My stress? My everyday life?
• What have I been doing to grow closer to God during my fast and how can I keep that moving forward?

This is when leaders become leaders... when they recognize how a decision they have made has made their life better or worse... then responding to it to continue to be successful. 

Success during this fast IS NOT avoiding media... it was to remove something in our lives that was taking up time we could spend, growing closer to God. My hope and prayer is that you have grown closer to God through taking time to read His Word, prayer, memorizing Scripture, and listening to music that helps you focus on Him.

Spotify Music for Media Fast

NEW SONGS ADDED

So you might be wondering, "what is some good Christian music I can listen to?" Well, I want you to know that we have put together a Spotify playlist that not only can you listen to, but that you can add music to if you come across a song that is really connecting with you during the month. Here is the playlist link:

Ourthirty Playlist

Just follow the playlist and add a song that helps you focus on God... there's already a lot of good songs on there... we just wanted to create a space for you to share your songs with the rest of us!

The Beginning of Another Year

After leading and participating in this Media Fast for the past 16 years, I am still impressed and encouraged when I see how a group of teenagers not only decide to make a commitment to avoid media that is not focused on God, but that they find ways to pursue God that is not "the norm". The other day, as we are getting ready to launch the beginning steps of the fast, I overheard 3 of our High School students ask, "So are we going to go through April?" Of course, this peaked my interest so I interjected, "It's only through March... you've done this before." They then explained to me that they had already started in February and they were discussing whether they would go 2 months or 3 months!

God is amazing! It's never more evident than when young people, who are honestly seeking Him, decide to let Him lead their thoughts and ideas... producing actions that speak louder than words. I am looking forward to this year! Over 40 Middle School and High School along with many of the families and youth leaders and volunteers are getting ready to pursue God with complete abandon... HERE. WE. GO.

15 Years!

For the past 15 years, we have challenged students to step up and meet the ultimate test... can you take 30 days, avoid media that is not focused on God, and spend that extra time working on your relationships with others and with God.

I can honestly say that every year, I am so proud of how we have High School students who not only take the challenge, but inspire others along the way. Over the past 15 years, we have averaged over 20 students per year who step up. Add to the the 3-5 families who join in. We still have former students who participate in the fast each year!

We have written over 200 daily-devotionals... we have utilized book studies, prayer practices, and Bible study methods. About 10 years ago, we started this blog page to keep track of past experiences. Each year we challenge adults to not only sponsor students, but also to join in the fast... and every year I hear from 2 or 3 adults who are sponsors that join in with the students.

We do use this opportunity to raise money for our mission trips and over the last 15 years we have raised over $9000 per year to send kids onto mission trips to grow in their leadership skills, grow in the their faith, and learn how to share the Gospel with other people. We have no idea how many people have heard and seen the Gospel through these trips, but I know it has always impacted the students who go.

God is good! I have seen how He uses this simple expression of fasting from something that nudges us away from Him and I've seen how it impacts our students every year. For the first time in 15 years, I took this month to just observe, listen, and see how God is moving in our kids. It was not easy avoiding commenting on each blog post because I saw God working in so many ways (I am going back through now and commenting... haha). The Holy Spirit was definitely moving in their hearts!

I work within a culture that can only measure success on numbers. We say that we don't but the reality is that every time I talk to someone from another church, I get the same question: "How many kids are in your youth group?" I wonder if Jesus ever had a question like that? "How many kids in your group, Jesus?" "Well, it's been 3 years, we have 12 leaders, still... half of them are under 18... and then we have a few who show up from time to time," Jesus. 

What inspires me every year is not how many High School students who do the fast... it's how those that step up to the challenge are changed by focusing on God for 30 days... and this year, I love what God has done through our kids. Stories of taking stands for faith in class, having Gospel-centered conversations with friends, being asked to pray for sports teams, inviting friends to youth group, serving in children's ministry, sharing spontaneous devotionals for radio stations' Facebook pages... it has been an amazing month! It has been an amazing 15 years! There is something amazing that happens when the Gospel is elevated and centralized in our lives.

As we close out this year's fast, I want to give this final challenge... What are you doing to make Christ known? What are you committing to in order to grow in your faith? How is your faith nudging you to grow closer to God and others? Maybe... just maybe... a 30 day Media Fast will help you answer those questions, too!

Great job everyone! I'm incredibly honored and proud to be a small part of your spiritual journey. I can't wait to see what God does next in your lives!

2017 30 Day Media Fast begins soon!

It's only a couple days away! This year, our students are doing something a little different with the devotions during the month... they have been given a book in which they will connect with 1 of their sponsors and meet with them each week for 4 weeks to discuss what they are doing in their devotional time.

I can't wait to hear the feedback from the students who connect with an adult who is crazy about them... but I'm even more excited to hear back from those sponsors who get a chance to see how our students are growing in their faith!

God has got some big things planned this year... keep an eye on this blog for feedback from the students!

Impressed

Can I just say how awesome of a youth group we have right now! Our students are stepping up as leaders in some amazing, and not-so-up-front ways... between taking 30 Days to avoid media not focused on God to serving Middle Schoolers to finding ways to influence their friends... it's amazing to me to see God work in the lives of young people. Maybe that's why I love pushing, encouraging, inspiring, and playing with these students. Every year, we have a group of kids take a month to focus on God, in midst of school, Spring Break, sports, homework, chores, jobs, family tension, friend tension, church, youth group, etc. Maybe some of adults need to jump in for this last week and join them in their commitment... yes, the Final Four is vastly important to our stress release (sarcasm intended)... but maybe... just maybe... focusing on the Gospel for a week "may" do the same thing? Yes, I'm using a guilting tactic... but it doesn't make the fact any less true: The Gospel changes everything.

Keep it up everyone! I'm proud of you all!

New Year... New Perspective

A new year... a new perspective... on the media, anyway.

This year, the challenge is to avoid any media that takes your mind away from God or Godly things. Now most of time, I don't think that it's wise to take one verse from the Bible and try to apply it. Often times there is a lot of context that we miss... and without context, we may be just taking a verse and making it fit our desires, not God's. And that's dangerous...

That being said, I ran across a verse in 2 Corinthians 6:12, "You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections." Paul was writing to the Corinthian church and discussing their desires. The things that may be keeping them from growing in their relationship with God. Many of them were rich and had just about anything they needed or wanted. Later, he goes on to talk about their bodies being the temple of God (and one of the most misinterpreted verses in all the Bible... "do not be unequally yoked..." 

Here's the issue... the media fast is not meant to be a limitation. It's designed to help you see how your choices (what you watch, listen to, or read) and actually limiting you. It's those very things that stir up your emotions, direct your thoughts and dreams, and take your time away from God. The church isn't designed to restrict you... but your own desires and choices do restrict you probably more than you realize.

So this year... it's not about "what I can and cannot do." It's about recognizing what is restricting you in your walk; what is restricting you in your relationships; and what is restricting your hopes and dreams. Right now... your affection is for your favorite band or TV show or book. Maybe your affection is your video games, Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Snapchat / Pintrest / whatever... if your affection is on something other than God, there's a pretty good chance that this affection is the real problem with you growing in your relationship to God.

Media Fast + Time with God - "Other-than-God" Affection = Gospel-centered Growth

Last Week Rush

So it's the last week... what next? Are you going to make changes in your life to keep connecting with God? Or are you planning on going back to the same routine as before the fast? Make a commitment this week to make sure you always find time with God. Post here what you plan on doing at the end of the fast...

Last 10 Days

So... 10 days left. You have all been doing a great job. I've been slacking a bit on the devotionals. I'm sorry if you have been waiting for each day's devotional... this year I' have found myself more busy than in the past. I can't believe the month is almost over! But as we get close, I know you will all want to go back to your normal routine... but here's a question you need to answer for yourself: HOW HA THI MONTH CHANGE YOU? Seriously. Have you really connected with God? Or just filled your time with other stuff? If you haven't taken the thime to pursue God, then you are probably not growing a whole lot... I know I'm assuming, but I want you to take this last 9 days seriously... so take the time to read through some of the devos from the past month... and honestly pursue God... don't waste this month! You're almost done!

Ready to go

So what do you think of the "New Look" site? Not bad... not bad... so you might be wondering what you need to do on here? Well... the cool thing is that there are years of examples of things people have written on this blog so feel free to look through their previous posts. It's amazing to see how God was working through different individuals during the fast. I know God has been excited for this month... yes... I said God is excited. How do I know? Well, wouldn't you be excited to have some time with someone you would die to meet? Imagine... just one day with that person you never thought you would meet... imagine that day turning into 30! How cool. Do you realize that God sees you as a person He is dying to spend time with... in fact... He did die! You... the creator of the universe... and 30 days... AWESOME!

So what do you do with this? Just use this place as a spot to share your journey. This month won't be easy. There will be temptations. There will be tough days. But share about your day on here. Share if you saw (or didn't see) God show up... this gives those who are praying for you and your friends a chance to respond, encourage, and know how to pray for you. You have sponsors who want to hear from you. You have people who are on this journey with you... so share it! And share it often... not just once or twice. Plan on going on here at least 2x a week and sharing what is going on...

If you have questions, call me or email me... I'm praying for you all!

Matt

Great Job

So most of you are done for the year on here. And that's fine. But what I hope is that you come back every month or so and remember how important it is to get away from distractions and focus on God. If you want to keep posting stuff on here during the year, that's fine. I will be checking in every month or so... or until next year, we'll see you later! Great job everyone! No contact your sponsors!

So close.....

You all are so close... can you feel it?

So I know what you are thinking... "Only 2 more days and I can watch whatever I want."... really? if you are thinking that, slap yourself... go ahead...

Listen, I know what your emotions are telling you but think about it... I really believe the music, movies, tv shows, and media choices we make are keeping us from connecting with God. Be honest... is your favorite band worth sacrificing your relationship with God? Do you really want to watch something that hurts your relationship with God?

Ok... this sounds harsh but sometimes we need a reality check. Honestly think about the stuff you watch, listen to, or read... does it glorify God? If not, then why would you do it?

That's what this fast is about... I'm proud of your all for sticking with this year's fast... but don't go back 5 steps after coming as far as you have... maybe the reason you needed to do the fast was to get closer to God... why would you sacrifice that?

Keep going... I'm praying for you all!

Colorado

So I was away speaking at a conference in Colorado and Oklahoma over the past weekend... I missed you guys... looks like you are all doing well. Give someone who is doing the fast a call today... ask them how they are and when the last time they posted anything was... oh, and are they doing the contests?

But more important... ask each other how you their spiritual development is going. Are they reading thier Bible? Are they doing the devos? Are they actually pursuing God?

One thing I got from these kids this past week is the importance of talking about your spiritual walk... the reality is we don't really talk about it. We post something about it. We Twitter about it. But we don't talk about it... so take some time today to check in on each other. How is your pursuit of God going?

Sorry everyone

Sorry about the devos everyone. I haven't had internet access for the past 4 days... we are back up and running tonight though! See you all this week. Hope you are all doing well!

Half way...

You are all doing great. You're over the toughest part... now you can cruise into the last 15 days because you know you can do it!

But don't lose sight of what's important... this is not about avoiding media... it's about drawing closer to God. Today's devo (Day 15) focuses on some key Scripture that discusses what it looks like to fall away from God. Moving away from God is usually subtle. It begins with a TV show... then 2... then homework needs to be done... then room cleaned... now time to relax... another show... then some music... phew! Time for bed... next day go to school... 3 weeks later the only time you've spent with God is at church. Remember... stay on task... keep focused... and I'm praying for you!

Day 9? Where is it?

So those of you who are following the devos, you may have noticed that there wasn't a Day 9... my hope is that you took yesterday to seek God on your own. Did you seek silence? Did you avoid all media? Did you notice God's presence right there with you? Well, if not, read today's devo... it will "BLOW" you away! Trust me

Music

Ha. After I challenge you to seek silence this week, I found this sight. It's not perfect but if you're having a hard time finding comperable music in the Christian genre, check out this site... it might help

http://www.ministryandmedia.com/CCMchart/default.htm

Silence

Read the Day 8 Devo... I got a big challenge for you all! Time to see who's ready to really take this to the next level. If you really want to seek God's presence, you'll step up and respond.

BTW, I love how encouraging you all are to each other. Just a couple things to keep in mind:
 - DON'T USE THIS SITE FOR CONVERSATIONS (LIKE REPLACING FACEBOOK). Definately encourage each other. Definately pray for each other. But don't let this replace you actually speaking to the person! We live in a media infested world which is destroying our ability to personally relate to others... like texting, email, facebook, myspace...
 - BE HONEST WITH WHAT YOU ARE FEELING AND THINKING. But keep it, you know, clean. I haven't seen anything bad yet... I'm just reminding us all
 - SHARE IDEAS and SCRIPTURE. This is a great place to share you ideas of what you and your family are doing... show your parents this site. Encourage them to read it (especially if they aren't doing the fast with you... which they should be). Share what you are reading in the Bible and how it's affecting you... don't just put "it's cool" or "I like it"... share why you think it's cool or you like it. What specifically are you getting from reading it

You guys are awesome! This has been the best year yet! Keep it up!

Almost 1 Week Down

Ok... 5 days in. How are you? I have from many of you that you are really taking this serious. You are reading your Bibles. You are looking for positive music. Keep chasing Jesus. Keep doing the Devos. Sign up to follow us on Twitter. Encourage your friends to sign up too.

One last thing... your first week isn't usually the hardest. It's usually the second week that it kicks in a bit. I'm going to give you guys a huge challenge next week. It may be the hardest week of your life. Follow the devotionals and be ready... you will definately need God to get through next week!