Checking in with... Jessica

We're nearing the end of the Disciple Experiment, we're checking in with student number 4 to hear how their experiment is going and what they're learning. Here's the girl that pretty much lives at BUMC, rising 8th grader Jessica Armstrong.

I’ve had quite an adventure with the disciple experiment. Looking back has been really fun, this 30 day experiment started right after Jubilation choir tour when following Jesus was fresh on my mind. Then I took the disciple experiment to camp.

Now two weeks of a high adventure camp is pretty exciting…especially if you have no air condition in a heat wave with 100+ degree weather, but it’s even more adventurous if you’re following Jesus actively everyday. The disciple experiment helped me get out of the “bubble”. Yesterday I did the water bottle blitz, it was 90+ degrees before noon and me, my family and two other people got out of the Brentwood bubble and took a huge cooler full of ice and bottles of water. We drove around the streets of Nashville and handed out the bottles of water to very gracious people. Getting lost and serving God was fantastic because not only did we get to serve we also got to see Ringo Starr, a member of the Beatles. We were in a goodwill parking lot when a man rolled down his car window and yelled God bless!

Everyday I did the disciple experiment I felt lead to step out of my comfort zone, which I like to call the mind bubble. I encourage you to do it to, although I can’t guarantee you’ll see a member of the Beatles God will still make it adventurous.      

Day 24: Questions make me bad right?

Posted by: Megan Flynn

“Okay, I have lots and lots of questions.  I drive my teachers crazy.  I drive my parents crazy.  I drive myself crazy.  But I can’t help it – questions just pop into my head.  I try to stop them, but the don’t stop.  I am a Christian.  At least, I think I’m a Christian.  See, there I go.  I doubt that I’m a Christian half the time and doubt that Christianity is true the rest of the time.  If Jesus were sitting here right now, would I have a ton of questions for him! But I wonder if he’s answer them of send a bolt of lightning to zap me. “

 This sounds like something that I would have said a few years ago.  I worry.  I worry and over think absolutely everything I do all day long.  My faith is no exception.  Thoughts like “What if I’m wrong? Do I pray right? Do I pray enough? Does He hear me?  Am I good enough for Him to listen to me? How could he forgive me?” are always running through me head.  With so many voices constantly screaming at you that this way is right or that way is right how can we be assured that what we believe is true and what we are doing in right?

Many times in my life I felt like I may not be a Christian because if I was, then I wouldn’t ever be unsure. But I have come to realize that questioning is essential to faith.  God want us to seek him out.  He wants us to look for him, but he doesn’t want us to worry.  God reminds us again and again throughout the bible to trust him.  He knew what He was doing when we where made and there is nothing we can do to separate us from Him.

There are many people around me who are so sure and steady in their faith and seem to have every answer.  That used to frustrate me and cause even more doubt.  But the curious and questioning people are essential! We are made that way for a reason.  We challenge.  We test.  We push people’s buttons and start conversations.  And when we fight through all those questions, finally getting to the answer is even more rewarding!  Keep searching and keep asking, but leave the worry behind.

A message from Regina

Regina was the BUMC Middle School Youth Minister before the weird guy from Northern Ireland arrived. In fact, she picked him up at the airport when he arrived, the first person he met when he got here. She is loved and appreciated by that Northern Irish guy, and many at BUMC. I contacted her to ask if she could share something with us, about our Disciple Experiment question, "what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?"

But Lord, You said Dance…

As a child I dreamed of being an actress and dancer…lighting up the stage…accepting an Oscar or a Tony Award.  I practiced my acceptance speech using my hairbrush as a microphone on several occasions.  Right before deciding to leave a job I loved in Nashville to dance I felt the Lord calling me to Africa.  “But Lord”, I said, “you said dance.”  So, I told the organization I was going with that I could teach dance to the children of their orphanage.  While there, I was led to the bedside of a tiny baby dying of hunger.  I felt God say to stay.  “But Lord, you said dance.”  But in front of me lay the eyes of humanity saying…sit and be here with me.  

[The middle section has been cut out for the blog. To read the fully story of Regina's past year go to the link at the bottom]

The Lord does not care about plans.  He doesn’t care about how the world says things should be done.  He does not care about Tonys or Oscars or fame and fortune.  Did the Lord tell me to dance?  ABSOLUTELY.  But he also said…continue to listen and stop and be with me when I ask you to…without fear of what the world says that may look like.  The Lord said pick up your cross and follow me. 

I challenge you.  Do you stop each day to see where God wants you to sit?  Do you see where he wants you to come and meet with him?  Do you see the people around you he wants you to touch?  My calling is to dance.  But my calling is also to be a child of God and help his other children along the way.  So when you find yourself standing in front of someone who needs you and you think to yourself But Lord, you said _____.  Ask yourself, is this my moment to stop and be with God? 

Will you say this prayer with me?

Dear Lord,

Help me to see the need in the world.  Over the coming weeks help me to stop when someone needs a friend, or when I see someone who may need my help.  Help me pray that God would help me have a heart like Jesus.  Help me to see how my heart may change and help me to continue to pray that prayer for the rest of my life.

Help me to be the kind of person to my friends and family you would want me to be.  When I get caught up in my day to day activities…whether it is school, sports, dance or extra curriculars, help me to have the courage to stop when you ask me to and feel safe with the detours you send my way.  I love you. Amen.  

Regina's letter in full (click here)

Checking in with... Hannah

Week 3, and we're checking in with student number 3 to hear how their experiment is going and what they're learning. Here's BUMC's own country music star, rising 8th grader Hannah Williams.


During the disciple experiment i have been faced with many difficult questions and scenarios that i face everyday. Some of the devotionals hit home more that others, but the one i could really relate to was Obnoxious. 


The scripture for that day talked about the story of Zacchaeus. You see, Zacchaeus didn't have the best reputation, because he was a tax collector. And everyone was appauled when the heard Jesus was staying the night at his house. But Jesus did the right thing, he got outside of his comfort zone and witnessed to Zacchaeus and helped him turn his life around. Like Jesus a lot of us have probably had friends give us a hard time by getting outside of our comfort zone or doing something that isn't the usual. 


So, the disciple experiment has really challenged and encouraged me to get outside of what we like to call "The Brentwood Bubble." The way that I have challenged to do that is by going on Choir tour, the Atlanta mission trip and by volunteering every Thursday at Harvest Hands.

Day 20: What if I don't experience God?

Posted by: Caroline Enright (rising freshman at BHS)

Today’s devotional is asking where is God in the world, and am I still a disciple if I’ve never experienced God.

I honestly have this problem a lot in my life.  I hear all of these amazing stories about people feeling God and I’m like ok but what about me?  I also thought how can I follow Jesus if I have never really felt him.  Now I have seen God through people before like on choir tour, but I have never felt him hold my hand or anything. So what now?  How can I be a disciple of Christ if I have never felt him?

So two weeks ago I asked this at Wednesday night bible study and said that those miracles that the disciple saw through Jesus made it easy for them to be a disciple because they could feel God through those miracles that they saw every day.  But you never hear about someone being raised from the dead on the news every day.  Or do we?  What Jay and the girls at the bible study helped me realize was that miracles happen every day, and most of us look past them. We say oh that is just the doctors who saved that man’s life or it was just a surgery that made the blind person see.  The truth is that if we look at the simple miracles every day, everywhere you are sure to feel God in your life.