Tonight is my turn to preach in the youth on the “Crazy Ones” series…We basically got the idea from an Apple commercial that challenges us to continue to think different…to believe that it is possible for a person to change the world. I have to admit I love this whole series. I love what it represents and what it stands for. I love to speak and dream over kids, teenagers, and even adults the concepts and disciplines of hope, love, vision, dreams, destiny, and purpose. I think all of us could use a little encouragement in this area of our lives. We all have a purpose and a destiny…so what happens to us along the way? Why do we become so complacent…why have we become tamed?

Tonight I get the honor of speaking on “wild originality”. My subject in point is none other than John the Baptist. John is a wild man. This guy isn’t your ordinary person…he doesn’t dress ordinary…he doesn’t speak ordinary…he is just downright weird.

Check this out…

Mathew 3

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

John was a strange guy to say the least. Think about it. Here is this man dressed in “camel hair” with a leather belt. He is eating locust and honey…now I don’t know about you…some of you might have had that for breakfast this morning…I don’t know…but I assure you it’s not in my diet. Let’s not forget that if we ever went to church and our preacher came out with only a dead animal skin around him held together by a leather belt…he would probably be kicked off the stage…and maybe even thrown in jail.

Put all that aside and what do you have?

You have a man who doesn’t care what people think…only what his God thinks. You have a man so utterly dependent and focused on God that he doesn’t even care about the impending danger that approaches his own life. You have a man that can call it like it is and still see the altars flooded with souls crying out repentance.

Yea…John was original…and you know what?

So are you…

So reach out today…be a bit crazy and chase the impossible dream. Ignore the snickering and laughing. Reach past the thoughts of feeling foolish because of how you look, walk, and talk. Reach past that and see for yourself…that your life has value…not because of what you do or the things that you will accomplish…but because of whose child you are.