Star Wars in Concert is coming to Town…Tickets on Sale Tomorrow!

I’m totally getting tickets to this! You can check out more on the official page here!

TO GET TICKETS GO HERE… If you’d like to go with me… comment or e-mail me at bsmith@lifeatvictory.com

How to Revolutionize Your School

7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly… -Acts 6:7

We’re just finishing up our Viva Revolution series here at Revolution and I am getting absolutely stoked for what God is going to do at Rev and in all of our students lives. We’re called to revolutionize the surrounding school districts with the message of God. I thought I’d share some thoughts and ideas on how you as a student, can revolutionize your school:

1.) Get on Fire For God Yourself- You can’t give what you don’t have. Fall in love with God, spend time with Him, get in His Word, come to Rev, find friends who will talk God with you, etc.

2.) Don’t Just Talk, Live It – Anyone can talk a good game, anyone can say they’re a Christian, but are you actually living it? When you say your a Christian, you represent Jesus everywhere you go. If you’re talking it, but not living it, you’ll be considered a hypocrite, and people will run from God.

3.) Be Bold – This is probably the hardest step for students. Being bold and standing up for what you believe, regardless of what comes against you. You’ll have to say no to things that you may want to say yes to, you may be made fun of for not doing what everyone else is doing, or you may not get to go to all the places everyone else does. BUT, I promise you that long term it’s worth it. You’ll establish yourself as a leader, you’ll earn people’s respect (regardless of what they say), and ultimately people will see you living a life that they wish they could. Then comes your opportunity to share your faith with them. BE BOLD! (Joshua 1:9)

4.) Invite Friends to Revolution - One of the best ways to Revolutionize your school is get friends to go to youth group with you. Talk about Rev as much as you can, talk about all the sweet events, act like it’s the best thing going on in Pittsburgh (Cause it is!), then grab your friends and say, “You gotta come!!!” Whatever it takes, get them here!

5.) Respect the School and it’s Policies – This is the most important. You can be doing all these things, but if you’re doing them by breaking school rules and policies, you’re going to Unrevolutionize your school. Remember, your life will speak louder than anything. Live the life, respect the school, and watch God revolutionize your school.

I recently heard of some testimonies from school districts in South Carolina being revolutionized by teenagers from a certain youth group. Teachers were giving testimonies of how their lives were changed as a result of what God was doing in students lives. Entire school districts were and are becoming on fire for God. I believe that is what God has called us to here at Revolution. We can’t do it without you. Your the ones who can and will Revolutionize your schools!

Are you up to the challenge?

What are you going to do with what God’s put in you?

Will your high school be different because you went there?

You are the Revolution

What My Friends Have Been Teaching Me Lately

Isn’t it amazing that friends can change our lives just by something they say mid conversation? That happens a lot to me! Here are some sweet things my friends have taught me without even realizing it:

Zack Blair - “Surround Yourself with People that Scare You”- This has helped me so much – get people around me who know so much more than I do that they scare me and have them invest in me. It’s taking me to another level.

Chris Martin - “Be the best ____ (Your name or ministry) “Bubba Smith” You can Be - It’s so easy to try to be those you idolize isn’t it? I’m learning who I am and how to become the best Bubba I can be, regardless of what others think.

Mike Steidel - “Be a Great #2″- Being a youth assistant puts me in a support role of my pastor. I’m really enjoying learning how I can add value to him by serving him and being a great number 2 guy.

Laura Steidel - “You’re Loved for Who You Are, Not What You Do”- This is changing my life. So often, I try to cover up insecurities in my life by accomplishing things. It’s very hard for me to find my value in who I am, instead of what I do, but I’m determined to get there!

Nathan Hurst - “What are You Doing to Making Yourself Indispensable?” – I’m recognizing that I’m moving beyond a level in leadership where I can just lead by passion. I need to start developing skills and actually build teams, people, etc. in order to take the next step. I’m excited for this next season!

What have your friends been teaching you?

You Never Know

On Friday I got to go back to my high school, North Allegheny, for a football game. I have to say, it was a blast! I loved high school! However, the reason I loved going back wasn’t for the reasons I used to like going there (the social life), this time it was because I got to say thank you.

I got to thank my Principle and Assistant principle from high school for changing my life. I reminded them of one instance when I got called to the office with a friend for doing something stupid. They sat us down, and the assistant principle looked at both of us and said, “You’re both leaders, you know that don’t you? You influence everyone around you and you can either use it for good or for bad, it’s your choice.”

My friend and I left that meeting laughing and saying to each other, “Us leaders?????” hahaha… What a funny thought”

It’s  been 6 years since that incident and I’ve had my life totally transformed. I’m nowhere close to arriving, but I’ve really purposed in my heart to develop myself as a leader, to influence others for good, and to develop leaders.

So why share this story? Because I”ll always remember that experience, it was the first time someone told me I was a leader and believed in me.

What’s my point? You’ll never know how big of an impact you can have in someones life if you’ll just believe in them enough to care and to encourage. You could change their life forever just by telling them you believe in them.

The best part is you never know what they’ll accomplish as a result of your encouragement until years later when the come back and thank you.

I’m so glad I got the chance on Friday to thank people for changing my life, who probably rarely see the outcome of their investment in students.

Who has impacted your life and doesn’t know it? Find them and tell them how they made a difference in your life. I promise you, it will be one of the most fulfilling things you do.

Tony Horton’s Thoughts on Yoga

Ok, so Tony Horton is the man. He is the guy that does P90X -  This video is hilarious! We all joke about how we think yoga sucks . . . Here is what Tony thinks of people that say that:

There is Nothing Better

“I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” -John 10:10

I was listening to Keith Moore and he said this:

“Living for God is the best life you can live. A lot of people will say Christians are boring and don’t have fun, but… Hugging a toilet in the morning  isn’t fun, sitting in jail for doing something stupid last night isn’t fun. No, the Christian life is the best life, the most fulfilling life, there is nothing better. If there was something better, I’d do it, but there is nothing better.”

I couldn’t agree more… In fact, I often say that my life didn’t even start until I started living for God. If there was a better life – I would not be living for God right now.  I’ve lived without God and I’ve lived for God, and there is no comparison between the two.

There really is nothing better than living for God!

Book Review: The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork

I’ve really felt like I need to take some time in my life and study out teamwork. I feel like I’m going from a “Me to We” mentality when it comes to work and leadership. The more I get into this, the more I can see the importance of being a team player and the importance of building and empowering teams. This book gave me tremendous insight into the power of a team and the importance of being a great team member myself. Everyone should read this book who wants to be a leader. Here are my highlights:

• “It marks a big step in your development when you come to realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could do alone.” -Andrew Carnegie
• One is too small a number to achieve greatness
• If you think you are the entire picture, you’ll never see the big picture.
• Your potential is only as good as your current team
• If you build the right team, your dream will take care of itself
• The greatest compliment you can receive is to be counted on!

• Your team will reach their potential only if you reach your potential.
• Great teams have great depth
• Few people are successful unless a lot of people want them to be
• The difference between two equally talented teams is leadership
• You don’t have to be the leader to be a leader on your team
• The time, money, and effort required to develop team members don’t change the team overnight, but developing them always pays offs. Investing in the team compounds over time.
• “Even when you’ve played the game of your life, it’s the feeling of teamwork that you’ll remember. You’ll forget the plays, the shots, and the scores, but you’ll never forget your teammates.”

Overall, I think every leader needs to read this and learn that team work really does make the dream work.

Overall Grade: A+ Buy it here!

Attn: Pastors and Youth Pastors- An Offer You Can’t (or Shouldn’t) Refuse on Sexual Purity

Dear Pastors and Youth Pastors,

I’ll make this short and to the point: We just hosted an event for sexual purity called “Silver Ring Thing” and it was a huge success!

Our final numbers were: 1300+ Students, 500+ commitments to sexual purity, and nearly 150 salvations!

We’ve hosted this event for 3 years in a row and have seen tremendous success all 3 years. It brings in people from all over our city. I’d strongly encourage you to consider hosting a Silver Ring Thing event at your church or somewhere in your community.

Here is some more information on SRT:

What is it: A Sexual Abstinence program where students commit to sexual purity by putting on purity rings provided by SRT. For More Information Go Here!

You Can also watch Promotional Videos Here!

Cost: The Cost is very minimal compared to what you get. Definitely worth it!

What They Do: Then they run a highly media driven production promoting sexual purity. Silver Ring Thing will bring their own people, own staging, lighting, merchandise, they even advertise for you! Basically, they’ll work with you to make the event the best it could possibly be.

How to Host an Event: E-mail JC Andrews at jc@silverringthing.com and let him know Bubba informed you about this opportunity. Or fill out an application online here.

Bottom line – this event  should be an offer you can’t refuse. The way Silver Ring Thing puts on a show to make teenagers aware of sexual abstinence is amazing. You will not find a better program that covers that material – it’d be a great way to kick-off a sex series, to connect with other churches and youth groups, and to see the lives of your students change forever while they receive a visual reminder (the ring) of their commitment! You need to host one of these!

If you have any questions, send me an e-mail at bsmith@lifeatvictory.com and I’ll do the best I can to get you started in the right direction.

Host an Event – You Won’t Regret It!

Bubba Smith

Top Ten Posts August 2009

Here are the top ten posts people viewed in August 2009:

1. Ministry Highlight: Moore Life Ministries
2. Silver Ring Thing: No Ding Before the Ring…
3. P90X
4. You Won’t Get to do This Again (Part 1)
5. You Can Have all the Opportunities You Want and Then Some
6. The Social Media Revolution
7. Summer of Service Tribute
8. You Won’t Get to do This Again (Part 2)
9. What Are You Gifted At?
10. Develop Your Gift

Book Review: Fearless

Over the course of the summer I have had some things come into my life that brought fear in an instant. It’s interesting that you never really know where your faith is for an area of your life until you have to use it. That was definitely the case for me, it’s a lot easier to say what the Word of God says about a subject opposed to actually doing something with it. So, long story short I decided I need to find out what the Word of God says about Fear! Immediately after that I saw Thomas Nelson was coming out with this book for the Book Review for Bloggers so I got it.

This was my first Max Lucado book, so I had huge expectations based on his reputation for writing. To be honest, I enjoyed the book, but I did not end up reading all of it. Some of the fears I just didn’t relate to because of the season of life I’m in and I felt like the book got repetitive pretty early on.

The main theme of the book is that we all live in a fear driven society and we often let fear run our lives. The answer is obviously to have the one fear that is healthy: the fear of God. Fear God and all of your other fears seem to fade away.

I did get side tracked by a series by Keith Moore called “Free from All Fears“  that really helped me with fear as well.If you’re struggling with fear of anything, I’d recommend listening to this series.

Overall, the book is a good read. I wouldn’t say it is a must read, but if you’re struggling with fear at all, it will give you some perspective of how much God loves you and how small your fears are in light of that.

Here were some of my highlights:

• It’s not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It’s whom we discover in the storm: an unstirred Christ.
• Fear, at it’s center is a perceived loss of control.
• Worry has more questions than answers, more work than energy, and thinks often about giving up.
• For fear of the worst, most people never enjoy life at its best.
• Fear is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat a life.
  
• The One Healthy Fear – the fear of God!
• When Christ is great, our fears are not.

Overall Grade: B     Buy it here

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