Ministry – Page 6 – Tyler Ramsbey

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 tylerramsbey Culture, Leadership, Ministry

Peter Pan Syndrome

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12

There are times (more than I would like to admit) that I HATE being young. The fact that my age group tends to spend their days getting drunk, having sex with anyone/everyone, and playing HOURS of video games does not help. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have realized that 18 seems to be the new 12. NO ONE wants to grow up… I feel like my generation is in a screwed up version of Peter Pan.

What I love about Scripture is how practical it is. As a young pastor in ministry, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and looked down upon. Paul writes to a young pastor named Timothy and gives him five ways to set an example while he’s young. This applies to you EVEN if you are not a pastor. This is some rock solid advice.

Set an example with your speech.

What are young people known for? Probably NOT speaking with wisdom and intelligence. Unfortunately, the vast majority of young people seem to breath vulgar and disrespectful language.

If you are young, people are EXPECTING you to be like that.

Prove them wrong. Speak life and not death. Be an encourager!

Set an example with your conduct.

Once again, young people are known for getting drunk and being stupid (occasionally on video). DO NOT give into that stereotype. Be the type of person that when people ask your age, they are visibly surprised when you tell them BECAUSE of your maturity and conduct.

Set your eyes on eternity and pursue the joy that is found in Jesus. I can speak from firsthand experience when I say it is FAR BETTER than living for the next high!

Set an example with your love.

If you are married, a great way to do this is by treasuring and cherishing your wife. I got married when I was 19 (which is considered almost crazy in our culture). My goal is to place my wife above EVERYONE except God.

Another way you can set an example in love is by serving people. Unfortunately, our generation is known as being self-centered and lazy. PROVE this wrong!

Put down the controller, get off the coach, and serve someone for FREE.

Set an example with your faith.

This one applies ESPECIALLY to Christian teenagers and young adults. Most of us grew up in youth groups where Jesus nor the Bible were taught. It seemed that the focus was more on drinking soda out of a sock and less on worshiping the Living God. As a result, many people abandon their faith when they graduate high school.

Do NOT be that person. PURSUE the things of God! Yet be careful that you are known NOT by how much you know, but instead by how much you actually live it out.

Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.

Let your faith be the fire that enables you to set an example in speech, conduct, love, and purity.

Set an example with your purity.

This one is completely counter-cultural to popular culture today. We are told to live our lives “young, wild, and free”. Have sex, look at pornography, and fantasize in your mind; everyone is doing it so you should join them.

PLEASE do not give in to the culture on this issue. MAKE WAR against sexual immorality. Every time you are tempted, God WILL provide a way out.

Being young may honestly suck at times but God has called YOU to live out 1 Timothy 4:12. Which one of these do you find the hardest to live out? What are some good resources YOU recommend? Let me know by leaving a comment, I would love to hear from you!

November 6, 2014December 4, 2014 tylerramsbey Christian Life, Ministry

Lost (for 40 years!)

Missed church? Check out the message HERE!

Can you imagine being lost for forty years?

I have the opportunity of teaching the Bible this weekend at The Rescue Church. We are currently going through a series called “The Story”. It is based on a book called The Story which removes verse numbers and breaks large sections of the Bible into chapters (using transitions in order to cover large amounts of text, at times). It is not meant to be a replacement for the Bible but it is a very good introduction; especially for people who are new to Christianity.

I will be sharing from Chapter 6 which is called “Wandering”. This chapter is about the Israelites wandering around in the wilderness for forty years – Can you imagine??

One of the leaders of the early church, James, refers to the Bible as a mirror. When we set our attention on the Bible, God enables us to view ourselves through the lens of Scripture. As I have been studying this chapter, God has convicted me of sin and led me into worship more times than I can count.

I believe God has something powerful to say to you this weekend!

Whether you are a Christian or not, it would be an honor to have you join us this Sunday. We have multiple locations and service times (including online!)

Flandreau, SD: 10:00am
Colman, SD: 10:00am
Deeside, Jamaica: 10:00am
iCampus: 10:00am
Garretson, SD: 6:00pm

Head on over to www.therescuechurch.com for directions, more information, and past messages!

October 20, 2014December 4, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry

God Chooses Weak People.

Check out the Message that inspired this post by clicking HERE!

Have you ever faced a challenge and felt COMPLETELY inadequate and unprepared?

I have felt this way for the past eleven months (and still do). I have the honor and privilege of pastoring The Rescue Church in Garretson, SD. I remember having many conversations with my wife leading up to launch, explaining how I thought I was the wrong guy for the job. I’m not the best leader. I’m not the best counselor. I’m not the best speaker. And I’m definitely not the best pastor.

Why the heck would God choose ME to help lead His Church?

When I got to Garretson this morning, I sat in the sanctuary and looked out over all the chairs and equipment. Eleven months ago, I thought all of it was impossible. I never would have said that out loud, but in the quiet times the enemy whispered lies into my ear.

If you have ever felt this way, I want to encourage you with a Scripture that has spoken deeply into my heart and situation. The Apostle Paul writes this to a young church in Corinth –
“Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in his presence.” 1 Cor. 1:26-29

If you feel foolish, weak, insignificant, and despised you are in the BEST position to be used powerfully by the Living God.

Be of good courage today if you are overwhelmed by what God has called you to do. He has purposely chosen YOU for His purposes so that HE receives all the credit. I discovered that God chose me to plant His Church in Garretson precisely because there is no possible way I could do it in my own power.

God chooses people who seem to have nothing to offer SO THAT when God paints a beautiful picture with that person’s life, HE receives the credit and glory – not the brush.

What about you? Leave a comment about a time when you felt inadequate yet God STILL showed up in a powerful way THROUGH your weaknesses.

October 7, 2014October 7, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry

Now ALL Glory to God… [Garretson Update]

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:20

I am sitting here in awe at the power of God.

The past couple of weeks have been both exhausting and rewarding. Our team in Garretson has experienced intense spiritual warfare as we came closer to holding our first public service; I now understand why.

If you don’t think Satan is real, try venturing into a new town to help establish a community of committed followers of Jesus Christ.

We have officially launched; this is a great milestone. Not only did we have every ministry in place (Worship Service, Rescue Kidz, and Nursery), we had 75 people join us!! Honestly, I told God I would be happy if there were 40 people there. Due to my lack of faith, I thought I was setting myself up for disappointment if I believed God for anything more. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. (Take this as encouragement that God can accomplish infinitely more than YOU might ask or think too!)

Below are some pictures of the night!

**By the way, if you live in the area we would be honored to have you join us on Sunday nights at 6pm. Our building is right on Main Street, you can’t miss it!

View from the Coffee Bar before the service.

Rachel Kuphal leading worship (She did AWESOME!)

My beautiful wife hanging out in the Nursery!

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Ministry

Garretson Update!!

I love my church.

It has been an AWESOME privilege to participate in what Jesus is doing in the community of Garretson. If you would like a recap on everything that God has used the Rescue Church to do, click HERE.

As students have been heading back to school, we have been remodeling our building here in Garretson. The work is coming along quickly, thanks to a great team of people dedicating countless hours of their time to help.

October 5^th is our launch date.

Yes, it is coming quick… like REALLY quick!

I am both excited and nervous as we get ready to hold our first service. As October 5^th approaches, we are still in need of some very important pieces. Below are some of the crucial items we need with attached price tags.

Main, motorized projection screen ($500)
Rear projection screen ($100)
Carpet for the Lobby ($2,500)
70 High-Quality Chairs ($2,800)
Pro-presenter License ($400)

Total Need: $6,300

In order to launch on October 5^th, we need YOUR help. Below are ways to give.

Online Giving*
1. Click HERE to give from our website.
2. Type your amount into the “Special Designation” area.
3. For the description of your donation, type “Garretson Needs”.
4. Click “Continue” and fill out your information.

Giving via Mail*
You can make a check out to “The Rescue Church” and write in the Memo field “Garretson Needs”. Your check can be mailed to our church office – 300 E. 2^nd Avenue, Flandreau, SD 57028

*The Rescue Church is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which means your donation is tax deductible. You will receive a record for your giving for tax purposes.

Check out the pictures below to see the work that has been done so far!

This is the Coffee bar in the Lobby.

These are the double doors that separate the lobby from the sanctuary.

This is a view of both the coffee bar and the Nursery we built.

This is the Audio Booth in the Sanctuary.

Another view of the Audio Booth.

This is the stage in the sanctuary.

September 9, 2014September 9, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Leadership, Ministry

REFUSE to be Ignored

Refused to be ignored!

I first heard this statement last week when I was at a roundtable event in Chicago with a group of roughly 18 pastors and church leaders. The biggest insult to a church is not to have people slander the members and leaders but instead to simply ignore them.

Satan wants quiet little churches that mind their own business and make absolutely no impact in the lives of those around them.

That’s not the church in Acts.

That’s not the church Jesus promised to build.

That’s not the church that will change the world.

If your church was to shut down today, would the community notice? Or would everyone continue their days and weeks without even realizing there was a church there in the first place? Is the church you belong to a FORCE that makes a difference or a FORTRESS for dead religion?

What is YOUR church doing in order to NOT be ignored and to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around you? Let me know by leaving a comment, I would love to hear from you!

August 16, 2014August 22, 2014 tylerramsbey Ministry, Missions

As If YOU Were Suffering

You are jolted awake by the muffled scream of your daughter in the other room. As soon as you leave your bed, you hear the cracking sound of an automatic rifle and more screams coming from the village you live in.

Your heart begins to accelerate and the persecution you have been praying for deliverance from begins. You are literally walking through the worst nightmare imaginable.

As you race towards your daughter, a blunt object smashes against your face.

As you begin to regain consciousness, you realize that you have been unresponsive for hours on end. It is a struggle as you try to open your eyes because your face is mutilated and crusted with dry blood.

Suddenly, you remember your family and force yourself to get up to check on your wife, daughter, and son.

They are nowhere to be found. The only signs of them are blood splattered mattresses.

You panic.

In a state of shock, you sprint out of your house while broken shards of glass penetrate through the bottom of your feet. Your worst fears are being realized before your eyes. All around you, dead bodies of both men and women are littered throughout the streets. Friends, relatives, young, and old are lying lifeless around you with various parts of their bodies mutilated.

You begin to feel numb.

As your vision regains focus through the tears filling your eyes, you see the decapitated heads of young boys on poles in the middle of your village.

There’s your son.

His head decapitated and impaled by a stick in the middle of a group of boys who faced the same fate. His glass-like eyes pierce through your entire body. You fall to the ground and cry out to God with groaning; unable to even form words out of extreme distress and shock.

Remember the prisoners, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily. – Hebrews 13:3

How would you react if you were in this situation? My guess is you would literally scream out to God with your entire being. We are called to remember our brothers and sisters in the faith around the world AS IF WE WERE SUFFERING WITH THEM!

When was the last time you seriously spent time praying for them? Not just a few emotionless words but actually crying out to God for those who are being brutally murdered, tortured, and humiliated for their faith in Jesus?

Please join with me in praying for our brothers and sisters around the world who are facing extreme persecution. Remember them as if you yourselves were suffering bodily. Cry out to God for deliverance on behalf of the Christians and other persecuted groups around the world.

Pray, Share, and Spread the word. Let’s join together. Prayer is far more powerful than any of us realize.

August 13, 2014August 13, 2014 tylerramsbey Christian Life, Ministry

The Sacred Apprenticeship

Have you apprenticed yourself to sin or to God? Are you experiencing death or renewal? Who is molding your life – is it the desires of your flesh or the Holy Spirit of God?

In Garretson, I am meeting with a great group of people every Tuesday afternoon to study the book of Romans. This work of literature is considered by many to be one of the most influential letters in all of history. In Romans, the Apostle Paul is explaining and clarifying the Gospel for a group of ancient believers in Rome. It was written over a thousand years ago but is extremely relevant for today.

In Romans 6, Paul makes the point that all of us are either slaves of sin or slaves of righteousness. To look at this from another perspective, we all serve some type of master. This is true whether you are religious or not. You either serve the master of sin or the master of Christ.

Dave Seemuth, in his commentary on Romans, explains it this way….

“In certain skilled crafts, an apprentice works under a master, who trains, shapes, and molds his apprentice in the finer points of his craft. All people choose a master and pattern themselves after him. Without Jesus, we would have no choice – we would have to apprentice ourselves to sin, and the results would be guilt, suffering, and separation from God. Thanks to Jesus, however, we can now choose God as our Master. Following him, we can enjoy new life and learn how to work for him. Are you still serving your first master, sin? Or have you apprenticed yourself to God?”

Below are three ways you can apprentice yourself to God.

Spend time with Him!

It is truly strange that there is such a large number of Christians who think they can grow in their faith without ever seeking the God they claim to know. If we had the opportunity to meet our favorite celebrity, we would be willing to give up an entire week’s worth of sleep! How come we hit snooze on the alarm clock multiple times and forget meeting with the God who CREATED our favorite celebrity?

How can you possibly be trained, shaped, and molded by someone you never speak with?

Spend time THIS week seeking the God who made you. Be still and seek God through prayer and Scripture. (If you have never read the Bible, I recommend the Gospel of John as a good starting place!)

Work from HIS wisdom!

An apprentice does not make up how to do the craft. You apprentice yourself to someone to specifically learn the set of skills you need to be successful. How often do Christians (me included) try to serve in ministry without seeking God for a proper understanding on how to do the work in the first place!

I think all Christians (and churches) are guilty of this in some degree. We are guilty of thinking we are “clever” enough to strategize our own way of doing ministry. Then, when things do not go as WE planned, we expect GOD to bless it!

The next time you make a decision, spend time seeking God’s direction! Instead of expecting God to bless YOUR “amazing” plan; seek to pattern your life and decisions after HIS wisdom.

NEVER graduate!

The goal of a regular apprenticeship would be to learn the skill or craft and then venture out on your own. Unfortunately, many Christians have applied this type of thinking to their sacred apprenticeship. Christians begin their faith attending church, committed to community, and seeking God; then, out of pride and foolishness, they decide their too “spiritual” for these things.

Lack of accountability will ruin your life and demolish your integrity.

An apprenticeship with God lasts for all eternity. You will never graduate from the foundation of His Scriptures, the support of His Church, or the strength of His Spirit.

On a daily basis, seek to spend time with God, work from HIS wisdom, and NEVER graduate His apprenticeship as you “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” – 2 Cor. 3:18

Have you apprenticed yourself to God? If so, what are some other helpful disciplines to grow in the Christian faith? Leave a comment and let us know!

August 11, 2014 tylerramsbey Ministry, Missions

Kickball and Palm Trees

(Below is a guest post from Jon Sanders. Jon serves as the Lead Pastor of The RESCUE Church, a multi-site church with a huge vision for reaching rural communities for Jesus Christ. You can connect with Jon @ jonsanders.org)

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4

I was recently reminded of this verse as I was serving with a team of people from The RESCUE Church on a trip to our campus in Deeside, Jamaica.

Now I’m sure what I’m about to say next will sound very minor and insignificant, but here goes…

I LOVE kickball! (It’s ok. You can laugh at me. I still love playing the game of kickball and I’m not ashamed to say it out loud!)
I love palm trees!
I love to travel!

So here I was…having TRAVELED to Jamaica…surrounded by PALM TREES…playing KICKBALL with a bunch of great kids…when it dawned on me again that I truly serve a GOOD GOD who rewards those who seek after Him and loves to give us the desires of our hearts!

I think that so often we wrongly believe that if we give full surrender to the Lord that He will make us do the very things we hate the most…that following Christ will mean giving up everything we love.

But over and over again God has proven Himself to be faithful and GOOD to me as I have followed Him. Sure, there have been times that He has led me way out of my comfort zone and I have given certain things up in order to follow His leading in my life, but what I’m learning is the more I seek Him and truly follow Him, the more my desires align with His desires…and then He gives me the desires of my heart!

So let me encourage you to seek after God with ALL of your heart today…and tomorrow…and the next day…and for the rest of this year…and next year…and the year after that…and watch what happens in your life. You may just look up one day and realize that you’re playing kickball as palm trees blow in the breeze nearby!

If you want to watch a video recap of our most recent trip to Deeside, Jamaica check this out:

August 6, 2014August 6, 2014 tylerramsbey Church Planting, Ministry, Vocational Ministry

Three Vices of Ministry

Ministry is exhausting yet rewarding; brutal yet satisfying; ugly yet beautiful.

Virtually every believer in Jesus Christ would agree with that statement. There is a false belief that one becomes a minister when he/she receives a spiritual title and job description. Contrary to this belief, Scripture teaches that all Christians are called to be ministers and priests – some have the privilege of working in paid ministry; others have the honor of doing ministry without a specific salary.

I believe there are many temptations in ministry; vocational ministry has specific vices that have historically plague the evangelical church. Below are three things that I have learned since I began vocational ministry. I am a Campus Pastor for The Rescue Church and have been responsible for launching The Rescue Church in Garretson, SD.

Do NOT neglect your walk with Jesus for ministry.

This is arguably one of the largest temptations of vocational ministry. The vast majority of pastors do not read their Bible or pray outside of a church context. They spend hours studying Scripture in order to form a teaching and yet spend no time getting to know the author of the very Scriptures they are reading. Sadly, it is extremely easy to follow in the footsteps of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day – “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39)

If you are in a paid ministry position or are pursuing a specific calling, do NOT neglect personal time with Jesus. It is one thing to know the history, context, grammar, and language of the Bible. It is a much more satisfying experience to know the God who inspired the biblical text.

Do NOT find your identity in ministry.

This was one of the biggest struggles I had when I began to work vocationally for The Rescue Church. Anytime that a person sets off to plant a church in a new community, discouragement and doubt will plague his/her mind. In the community that we are planting the church, there was a church plant before us that failed. Especially in the beginning months of planting the campus, I wrestled with thoughts of failure. Every pastor, whether they admit it or not, battle against these same thoughts.

We need to remember that our identity is not found in what we do, it is found in what Jesus has already done. Pastor, regardless of whether you fail or succeed, Jesus is still Lord and Savior. God has not called you to be a mega-church pastor; he has called you to be faithful. Everything that you need to go to the next level in your life and ministry, God has ALREADY provided. Be a faithful steward with what He has given you.

Do not let success or apparent failure drive you to narcissism or depression. Worship Jesus not your ministry.

Do NOT sacrifice your family to ministry.

This is perhaps one of the biggest issues that pastors struggle with. In ancient times, people would sacrifice their children to false gods. Many pastors who are in vocational ministry are sacrificing their children and wives to the false god of ministry. Before you enter into vocational ministry, PLEASE identify your priorities. I am a husband before I am a pastor. The needs of my wife come before the needs of the church.

No pastor would say he is trying to sacrifice his family to ministry and yet it happens all the time. If you are a pastor, on behalf of your family, I urge you to examine your life. If you are gone every day and evening in order to be a “successful” pastor you may succeed in growing your church but you will fail in being a husband and father.

I promise you that your church can have a multitude of different pastors; your wife only gets one husband and your kids only get one father. Be willing to give up your job in vocational ministry if it means saving your marriage and family.

If you were to come up with a list of temptations in ministry, what would you place as the top three? Do you agree with me? Disagree with me? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think!