What I have learned thus far as a youth pastor...

There is a gap between knowing theology and living it! This gap is not a necessary one but one that is only conquered by experience. Experience has been the tool that God is using to chisel away at my rocky exterior to reveal and form what is underneath. What is underneath? A man striving to find his identity in Christ and put into practice theological truths that are easy to believe yet hard to live out. God has placed me as a shepherd over a portion of his flock and I am overwhelmed with emotions of both inadequacy and joy. My desire for study and knowledge is balanced with my desire for practical experience in seeing the kingdom of God be furthered by the youth that have been entrusted to me and Jonathan (my cohort in ministry). These are some of the principles I have been exposed to in the past six months:

Humility - fighting ambition
Diligence - fighting procrastination and laziness
Faith - fighting worry and unbelief
Self-control - fighting indulgence and addiction

Perhaps the most important thing I am learning right now is that God is working whether I can measure it or not. God has already been doing awesome things in the lives of the youth at Lake Bible! The most important thing for me right now is to be faithful!