Living off the Daily Bread

Key #7 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

Key #7: Learn to be content with what God has given you.

This is an easy concept to say, but much harder to grasp. Our culture screams at us to buy more, buy bigger, and buy newer. If we do, we will finally discover true happiness (so we're told).

The Bible has a different message for us, found in Ecclesiastes 5:10:

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

1 Timothy 6:6-10 is much the same:

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

And to top it off, Hebrews 13:5:

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Money (and possessions) in itself is not evil. Allowing that money or the drive for more to consume yours or my life is 'the root of all kinds of evil'.

Nowhere are these verses proved more true than in third world countries. I've heard stories upon stories, and witnessed for myself, how truly happy a person can be living with next to no possessions. But simply taking a vow of poverty will not lead to happiness. We must remember the last half of Hebrews 13:5. Rather than seeking happiness and contentment in possessions, we must instead find our contentment in God.

God is all we need.

Once we discover the truth in that statement, everything else becomes secondary, especially money.

View Key #1 here.
View Key #2 here.
View Key #3 here.
View Key #4 here.
View Key #5 here.
View Key #6 here.

Key #6 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-26T14:36:00.000-04:00

Key #6: Avoid debt when at all possible.

This is something that could be considered very counter-cultural. We live in a society that tells us we deserve more and better things, whether we can afford them or not. What is great (or maybe not so great) about our society is that you don't have to actually be able to afford something in order to purchase it. Credit cards, bank loans, and other lending tools allows us to bring things home and pay (or attempt to pay) for them later.

The Bible gives a great perspective on debt in Proverbs 22:7:

Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

And also here in Romans 13:8:

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.

When we borrow money we give up some of our financial freedom. Think about it...if I'm debt free I am able to spend each penny of my paycheck as I see fit (hopefully following God's leading as I do). If I have a $500 monthly debt payment each month, I no longer have any freedom with that part of my money. The more debt you take on, the less freedom you have. This is why the Bible is right on when it says 'the borrower is servant to the lender.'

Have you ever been in a church service where a missionary or someone from a non-profit organization was raising money to help support their work? Have you ever truly wanted to give to the cause but not been able to because of previous financial commitments (read: debt)? My hope is that whenever God lays it on my heart to give money away I will be free to respond in obedience.

I'm attempting to do that by keep to a twofold plan: 1) Planning ahead and save up for large purchases (both expected and unexpected) and 2) Refraining from purchasing things I don't need and can't pay cash for.

*Disclaimer*
There are times in life when going into debt is usually necessary. Paying for college and buying a house are the two most common situations. That being said, it is possible to do both with minimal debt. Both are situations where the item being paid for is a long-term investment that will hopefully last a lifetime. The key is to keep necessary debt as small as possible and avoid all other debt whenever you can.

View Key #1 here.
View Key #2 here.
View Key #3 here.
View Key #4 here.
View Key #5 here.

Key #5 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-25T11:43:00.000-04:00

Key #5: Be wise about when and where you spend money.

Yes, that is pretty vague. We could spend hours debating what is and isn't wise to spend our money on. Here's the principle I'm driving at with this point: create and stick to a budget.

It does take time and effort to maintain a budget. It is difficult to refrain from buying something we'd really like to have (more on that in Key #6). But keeping a budget is a perfect way to be responsible with the money God has given us to manage.

The Bible doesn't necessarily say the word 'budget', but does refer to budgeting principles in Proverbs 24:3-4:

A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.

And in Luke 14:28-30:

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

Now, just before these verses in Luke, Jesus is talking about counting the cost of becoming his disciple. I'm not trying to take verses out of context to make a point. But, Jesus does reference the fact that it is foolish to take on financial responsibilities without having a plan. Spending and spending without a budget not only leaves a person wandering aimlessly in their present finances, it also makes it impossible to determine where the money has gone in the past and where it will go in the future.

Through the use of a budget, we are able to abstain from unnecessary debt and take advantage of interest accumulated over time. Which brings us to Key #6...

View Key #1 here.
View Key #2 here.
View Key #3 here.
View Key #4 here.

Key #4 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-24T11:24:00.002-04:00

Key #4: Pay your taxes in an honest manner.

I did some research recently about the tax gap in America. Basically the tax gap is the number you get when you subtract how much money our government takes in in tax revenue from how much they should take in if everyone were to be honest on their taxes. In 2001, the tax gap was nearly $300 billion per year! In other words, over the last decade our government has been cheated out of nearly $3 trillion dollars by their own citizens. Or put another way, $300 billion dollars per year means that the government receives $1,000 less than it should for each person in the United States.

Granted, many people disagree with how our government spends the money it does take in, but our national debt would not be nearly as bad as it is if we all were honest on our taxes.

The Bible even has something to say about this matter (which is why we are discussing it) in Romans 13:7:

Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

In other words, not only is it illegal to cheat on taxes, it also goes against what God teaches us.

I understand that when doing taxes there are 'grey areas' open to 'interpretation'. Here's what I would say: If you don't feel comfortable explaining to Jesus what you're doing, don't bother doing it.

As Christians we ought to be setting an example for the world to see and follow, in every area of our life, taxes included.

View Key #1 here.
View Key #2 here.
View Key #3 here.

Key #3 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-18T14:56:00.002-04:00

Key #3: If you want to earn money, you have to work for it.

Let me start by saying that I know people do win the lottery. I know rich relatives die and leave an inheritance. I know you occasionally find a $20 bill on the sidewalk. However, those things are not ordinary and should not be counted on.

We don't have to look far to find a get-rich-quick scheme. The news is peppered with people who tried to acquire wealth through cheating others out of theirs. The Bible is clear that this is no way to gain wealth. Proverbs 13:11 states that:

Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.

Proverbs 28:19 is similar:

A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.

These are proverbs and are not meant to be hard and fast rules. There are people in the world who are rich and do little to no work. There are people who work very hard and have little to show for it. The point of these proverbs is to show the kind of lifestyle we ought to live.

When we cut corners and only do things that are quick and easy, we fall into living a life that is only focused upon ourselves and our own needs. Through diligent and hard work we give our employer something valuable in exchange for our paycheck. Our focus broadens so that we actually become aware of the needs of others.

This is the lifestyle we're called to live as Christians. As servants we need to focus less upon ourselves and more upon those around us. Hard work allows us to do that.

When we live our life in this manner, we won't be wasting money on the get-rich-quick schemes and fantasies that Proverbs warns about.

View Key #1 here.
View Key #2 here.

Key #2 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-17T13:42:00.004-04:00

Key #2: Give a portion of your money back to God before you do anything else.

Like I said earlier…unless you view the money in the bank account with your name on it as God’s money, none of these other keys will make sense.

And before I dive into this key, let me state that I’m not seeking to bump up my own paycheck. As a pastor at a church it is extremely hard to talk about giving money to God when the congregation knows full well that my salary comes out of the offering. So, when we talk about giving money back to God, it doesn’t even have to be in the offering plate. It could be done by giving money to a Godly charity or by directly helping to meet the needs of your neighbor. I would suggest that at least a portion of your tithe goes to your local church, but the exact amount is between you and God.

The Jews in the Old Testament were commanded to give a certain percentage of their income to God (a tithe). I’m not going to go into detail here about how that all worked, but I just mention it to show that this concept has been in place from the beginning. In fact, it can be traced all the way back to Cain and Abel bringing their sacrifices before God in Genesis 4.

Whatever amount you decide to give each year, your attitude is of utmost importance. Jesus acknowledges this in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7:
"Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

And in Mark 12:41-44:
Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

As you do pray about and follow God’s lead regarding tithing, consider the promises God makes. Proverbs 3:9-10 says:
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.

And my absolute favorite (because I don’t know of anywhere else in the Bible where God basically says ‘test me in this’) comes from Malachi 3:6-10:
“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’

“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!

“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’

“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test"

I can remember my parents teaching me this attitude from a young age. I recall receiving a $3 allowance as a kid. The very first thing I would do with that allowance was set aside 10% of it ($0.30) to put in the offering plate at church. Granted, $0.30 didn’t go very far, but I was learning very early on that when I gave away the first 10% of my ‘paycheck’ God would be faithful to meet my needs through the other 90%.

We must remember that we are simply managing money for God, and if God wants us to return back to him the first portion, we ought to do so with a joyful heart. God promises us that the remaining sum will be enough.

(A common amount to tithe, taught by many churches and pastors, is 10%. The amount you give should be between you and God. Whether you give more or less, the attitude with which you give needs to be one of joy.)

View Key #1 here.

Key #1 To Successful Money Managing

2011-05-16T14:35:00.002-04:00

Key #1: Understand that everything in the world belongs to God.

I’m not sure what it is, but when I see a paycheck with my name on it, next to an amount of money, it is so tempting to think that that money belongs to me. After all, I’ve worked hard the previous week or two and I’ve earned that paycheck. And besides, it isn’t as big as it should be, especially with the government taking their cut! :)

But does that money really belong to me? Deuteronomy 10:14 seems to point to a different owner:
"Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God."

Psalm 50:9-12 emphasizes this point as well:
But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mine and everything in it.

Maybe instead of thinking of myself as an owner of my money, I ought to be thinking of myself as God’s money manager. It’s his money; I’m just making sure what is done with that money is pleasing to him.

The question is: Can he trust me to use his money in ways that pleases him? Or am I a person who will take that money and spend it on whatever my heart desires that week?

In Luke 12:42-44, Jesus uses a parable to explain God’s view on the matter:
And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns."

This is logical, right? Anyone who pays an investment broker should have no problem grasping the money managing concept. What would you do if your broker suddenly began using the money you gave him to pay for a trip to Europe? Exactly…you and your money would be looking for another broker who can be trusted to invest your money in a way that pleases you.

We are the brokers for God’s money. Do we invest it in ways that will bring dividends that pleases God? Or do we take that money and spend it on ourselves?

Understanding key #1 is essential to understanding God’s view of money. If we fail to grasp this, none of the other keys we discuss from here out will make any sense. This is the foundation that must be laid before we can successfully manage our, I mean, God’s money. :)

(Just to be clear…when I say ‘your money’ from here on, you and I will both know that the money really belongs to God. I’m just saying ‘your money’ to reference the amount of money God has entrusted to you.)

Money, Money, Money

2011-05-16T14:28:00.005-04:00

For our last week at youth group we spent our time talking about one of the most mentioned topics in the Bible: money. The Bible is full of wisdom and tips regarding wealth and possessions. I narrowed these down into ‘7 keys’. I’ll spend the next 7 posts looking in depth at each key.

Disclaimer: Following these ‘7 keys’ is not meant to guarantee an increase of money in your bank account. In fact, it could lead to a smaller bank account, depending on who you are. These keys are meant to help us successfully manage the money God has given to us. My goal isn’t that everyone who reads this will become rich. My goal is that everyone who reads this will get to heaven one day and hear God tell them that they did an awesome job handling his money!

So stay tuned for the 7 Keys to Successfully Managing Money (through God’s eyes).

A Powerful Muscle

2011-05-06T10:56:00.003-04:00

Have you ever stopped to think about which muscle in your body is the most powerful? Abs, biceps, calves, and the heart all pop into my mind.

But what about the tiny, little tongue?

You wouldn't catch my tongue bench-pressing 200lbs, but the power it still possesses boggles the mind. My tongue has the power to get me booted off of an airplane, ruin someones life, or even send me to prison. It's incredible how many lives can be messed up from such a small muscle.

The Bible mentions this theme in James 3:2-12. James compares the tongue to a rudder on a ship, the bit in a horse's mouth, and a spark causing a forest fire. We've probably all got firsthand stories of times when our tongue got us into trouble. We can attest to the fact that the tongue cannot be tamed, as James also mentions. Maybe our tongues should come with warning labels attached!

As depressing as this all sounds, there is good news! Even though we cannot tame our tongues, God, in his infinite power and wisdom, can help us. When we seek his help and guidance, our tongues become an agent for incredible good rather than evil.

I mentioned the negative power of the tongue earlier, but it also possesses great potential for good. Your tongue also has the power to speak words of encouragement, hope, and even direct someone towards the path to heaven. Yes, your tongue can literally assist in helping someone to move from a path headed toward hell to one headed for heaven.

When we surrender control of our tongue to God, he can use it to perform great things in the world. It doesn't take any special license or certificate to use your tongue in this manner. The only thing required is allowing God to have his way.

Proverbs 18:21 speaks great truth: The tongue can bring death or life...

Which will your tongue bring?

Better Together Pt. 3

2011-04-27T14:33:00.002-04:00

We've spent two weeks talking about 1) what the early church looked like and 2) what our roles as individuals are in the church. Finally, we discuss what makes the church any different from a major corporation.

As we've said earlier, each individual in the church ought to be using their unique gifts and talents to serve within that church. The body functions best when people are performing tasks that coincide with what they are good at and enjoy doing.

But can't the same be said for a corporation like McDonald's?

If McDonald's is running efficiently each person in the corporation will be performing his or her assigned task. A vice-president might not be equipped to make a Big Mac and a food delivery driver may not enjoy managing a franchise.

So what distinguishes the church from McDonald's?

In a word...love.

As Jesus was talking with the disciples in John 13:34-35, the topic came up about how people in the world would know that they were followers of Jesus. He gave them a simple and yet insanely tough task of loving the people of the world.

As a follower of Jesus myself, I read that statement and have no problems with the thought of it. But a question comes to mind: How do we love one another?

There are many examples of what love is NOT supposed to look like in our world today. Movies, friends, songs, and even parents can be bad examples of love. So how do we know what it looks like to truly love one another?

Another simple yet tough task: Follow the example of Jesus.

Jesus loved everyone regardless of race, financial standing, past sin, or attitude. He ate meals with people he was supposed to avoid. He healed people who weren't grateful. He wasn't just focused on earthly things, but on the eternal souls of people.

Jesus loved people in order to help them restore their broken relationship with God.

This is why the church differs from McDonald's. The church ought to be full of people who love each other and care about the eternal souls of others.

Do you love as Jesus loved? If not, how will anyone know you're a follower of Jesus?

Better Together Pt. 2

2011-04-08T13:28:00.002-04:00

Last week we discussed the first church and how it all got started. This week we fast forward ahead to today and examine our role in the church as individuals.

There are certain phrases that a pastor hears from time to time after a Sunday morning service:
*I really enjoyed the service today Pastor.
*I thought the sermon was awesome this morning.
*I liked the song selection today.
*Thanks for getting us (pronounced: me) out early!

Now, let me begin by saying that there isn't anything inherently wrong with any of those statements. But...what (or rather, whom) do all those statement revolve around? Yup, you guessed it: I.

As a pastor when I hear those statements I always try to dig down below the words. The reason I do this is because some people really felt the Holy Spirit working and others simply were entertained from an individual standpoint. Why do I try to distinguish between the two? Because I'm overjoyed when the Holy Spirit speaks to you; I'm saddened when you leave simply entertained.

What is your primary reason for going to church? Is it because it's comfortable and enjoyable or is it because it's challenging and life-altering?

Imagine a church where everyone's individual desires were catered to. Imagine a church where the pastor did everything for the congregation. Imagine a church were being uncomfortable equaled transferring to another church.

When Paul talks about the church in 1 Corinthians 12:14-21, he compares the church to a body. The body is formed of different parts all created for specific purposes. In order for the body to function properly, all parts must be doing their jobs.

This is common sense when talking about the body, but do we view the church in the same light? Do you view your church as broken when your gifts and talents are removed from it?

We're created as individuals by an awesome God. The uniqueness we see in ourselves was created for a reason. When you fail to take your place in the church body, the whole body suffers. Too many times we're focused on trying to serve exactly like somebody else in the church. We see their impact and want to mimic their ministry (we pastors are notorious for this). Other times we simply sit in the pew and watch everyone else do the work. Neither is the recipe for a healthy church body.

In order for the church to function as it is intended, each and every person needs to be active in the church body by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through his or her gifts and talents.

Are your gifts and talents being full utilized in the church? If not, why not?

Impact of television

2011-04-05T16:16:00.001-04:00

A quote I want to share from the book 'The Sacredness of Questioning Everything' by David Dark.

(Referring to the impact of media, specifically television, on our lives):
"We get to the point that we save our strongest emotions for the people who don't exist. Or in the case of sports figures, celebrity politicians, and radio talk show hosts, we get most worked up and alive (if you can call it being alive) by the way of people we don't know and who in all likelihood don't want to know us. The living, breathing people next door or in the next cubicle or in the same house who might benefit from our showing up to them emotionally get left behind."

Makes me wonder how harmless (or harmful) TV really is...

Better Together Pt. 1

2011-04-04T15:34:00.002-04:00

For the next 3 weeks in youth groups we're discussing the church. We started our series in the most logical place to do so: examining the first church in Acts 2.

The picture of the first church that's painted in Acts 2:42-47 is truly something to behold. It's hard to imagine any Christian can read that description and not desire to be a part of something like that. In some ways it's similar to most churches today and in some ways it's quite different. But what struck me has nothing to do with either the similarities or the differences.

I've read this passage numerous times before and a question popped into my head for the very first time: Where did this church come from?

This church comes into existence literally days after Jesus ascended into heaven. But the ground work for the church goes back farther.

Jesus lived on earth for somewhere around 30 years. However, his public ministry took place for 3 years. During those 3 years he had 12 disciples who spent the majority of their time with Jesus. When you hear the word disciple, think apprentice. And I'm not talking about Donald Trump here. I'm talking about a person who watches and imitates somebody so that they can learn their ways/craft/profession in order to someday either branch out on their own or perhaps even take over for the master.

This is what the disciples were doing for 3 years. Jesus spent that time teaching them how to take over for him once he finished his work on earth and ascended back into heaven. 11 of those 12 disciples got it. It might not have been the smoothest process, but as the pages of our Bible flip from the gospels to Acts, we see a force of believers powered by the Holy Spirit that is unstoppable.

As the disciples take over for Jesus and in turn train new disciples, the vehicle they use to accomplish this is (drum roll, please) the church! It wasn't as if Jesus went into heaven and suddenly the disciples sought out a church to join. They continued carrying on the ministry of Jesus and what resulted was the church.

Read that again. The disciples continued carrying on the ministry of Jesus and what resulted was the church. The church didn't exist to provide some sort of measuring tool for God to reference when deciding our eternal fate. The church exists when we continue to carry out the work of Jesus today.

Read the description of the church in Acts 2:42-47 again and tell me if that doesn't sound exactly like what Jesus was doing while he was on earth.

The church isn't a building. It's not a pastor. It's not even an institution. It's the result of people seeking to continue on as an apprentice of the Son of God. Anything else claiming to be a church just simply isn't.

The Trinity Pt. 3

2011-03-14T11:22:00.002-04:00

Our third and final week on the Trinity focuses on the Holy Spirit: our Counselor.

There are many things the Holy Spirit does in our lives. We are going to just focus on a couple of those.

In John 16:6-15, Jesus makes a pretty shocking statement. He tells the disciples that it is better for them if he is taken away into heaven so that the Holy Spirit can be sent. Can you imagine Jesus telling you that face to face?

How can it be better for Jesus, God himself in human flesh, to leave earth? What is better than being able to sit and chat with the God of the universe over coffee?

The problem with sitting with Jesus over coffee isn't the ability to do so...it's the availability to do so. There are 6+ billion people on earth. If there truly are 1 billion Christians as some experts say, imagine all billion of those people wanting to have a chat with God in flesh (because everyone would). To make an appointment with God to discuss an upcoming job offer might mean waiting in line for 28 years! Can you imagine waiting that long to speak with God?

Jesus gave up certain abilities when he became human; specifically, omnipresence. He is no longer able to be everywhere at the same time. He set that ability aside in order to walk this earth as a human.

Enter the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit does possess omnipresence. Consequently, he can be everywhere at once, which means he's able to be present with all Christians everywhere. Your wait time to speak with God just drop from 28 years to 28 nanoseconds! Maybe Jesus was on to something. Maybe it really is better that he left earth and sent the Holy Spirit. But how does the Holy Spirit work in the lives of Christians? Here are a couple ways:

1. The Holy Spirit reveals right and wrong
Some people chalk this up to a conscience. A conscience is nothing more than an implanted set of morals learned somewhere in life (usually in the development of a child). The Holy Spirit leads in a different way. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the right and wrong choices before us from the view of God. Morality is no longer our compass. God now guides us. The Holy Spirit will never force us to make a decision either way, but He will reveal to us what is and isn't sin if we'll take the time to listen.

2. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom for living
At first glance this might seem the same as #1. There is an important difference here, however. Sometimes in life our choices are not between right and wrong, but between good, better, and best. Some examples might be the aforementioned question regarding a job offer. Another example might be the decision between two college courses available during summer term. Neither decision is necessarily a sin and thus a wrong decision. But how do we know which decision is best according to God's desire for our lives? The Holy Spirit will guide us in these decisions as well.

The question might naturally arise: "That's great, but how do I know where the Holy Spirit is leading me?"

Galatians 5:16-25 is a good starting point. The Holy Spirit will never lead us into sin. And while there is no cut-and-dry answer about the best way to hear the Holy Spirit, there are principles we can follow.

*The best way to hear the Holy Spirit is through the Bible.
*The Holy Spirit sometimes speaks through Godly people in our lives.
*The Holy Spirit sometimes speaks through visions and dreams.

My advice: pray and read. Through prayer and Bible reading we can increase greatly our ability to hear and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Trinity Pt. 2

2011-03-04T13:34:00.002-05:00

Last week: God the Father as our Provider. This week: God the Son as our Savior.

In order to understand the role of Jesus (God the Son) as our savior, we must understand why it's essential for Jesus to have been both fully God and fully human. Let's begin by setting the plot:

God created Adam and Eve perfectly and put them in the perfect Garden of Eden (Genesis 1 & 2). Adam and Eve then decided, with the help of Satan, that they would disobey God. (Genesis 3) Thus, sin entered the world and the consequences of that decision have been felt ever since. The personal, intimate relationship that humans were created to have with God was lost. This might not seem like such a big deal, except for the fact that we were created for that relationship. Anything short of it leaves us empty and broken.

Since that relationship has been lost, the question might arise: Can we get it back? If so, how?

Some good news...Yes, it can be restored. And the bad news...There's nothing we can do to get it back.

When sin came into our lives, two things happened: 1) We are now guilty of sin, which means we must pay the accompanying penalty of death (Romans 6:23) . 2) Sin takes root in our lives and holds us captive (Romans 8:7-8). In order for our relationship with God to be restored, those two things must be dealt with.

Enter Jesus.

Because he is both fully God and fully human, Jesus is able to defeat both results of sin. He came to earth and lived a sinless life as a human. Consequently, he was not guilty of the death penalty like the rest of mankind. He was then able to offer himself in our place. The guilt we've earned, Jesus was able to take upon himself. He did just that when he was crucified upon the cross.

But it doesn't stop there. If that was the end of the story, we'd be free to have a relationship with a God who is now dead. Not very appealing. But Jesus rose from the dead ultimately defeating sin and death. Through that victory Jesus is able to set us free to begin the relationship with him that we were created for back in Genesis. It's a relationship that will ultimately last for all of eternity.

Jesus won't, however, force himself upon us. He's taken our guilt and he's defeated sin, but he won't bully us into a relationship. The choice is ours. We can either die for our sins as we deserve (and spend eternity apart from God) or we can allow Jesus to take our penalty for us (and spend eternity with God).

Jesus loves you so much that he came to earth and suffered a terrible death as an innocent man. And he did it all so you could spend eternity with him. How will you respond to him today?

The Trinity Pt. 1

2011-02-25T11:02:00.004-05:00

For the next three weeks in youth group we are taking time to study the Trinity. This is a tough topic that is sometimes hard for our small human minds to comprehend. I readily admit I don't understand the Trinity as much as I'd like. However, I do seem to learn more each time when I take time to study it.

Rather than try to explain how God can exist as one God in three forms, we're spending our series looking at how each form of the Trinity interacts with humanity. This week we examined God the Father and how he relates to us as our Provider.

Why does God provide?
Reading through the Bible, it is evident that God loves us and wants us to have a relationship with him. This is why he provides for us. The Garden of Eden is a perfect (literally) example of how God provides. Adam and Eve had everything they ever needed in life, even a personal relationship with God, right at their fingertips. But, they chose to disobey God in Genesis 3 and sin entered the picture.

Immediately the world experienced tension. Will God destroy this now fallen creation and start over or do something else? He did something else.

God explained to Adam and Even how things were going to be different now that they'd sin. And then he did something extraordinary: God made clothes for them. It seems like such a small, unimportant thing, but it's crucial to the story. AFTER Adam and Eve sinned, God displayed that he would still continue to provide for them. After all, he still loved them and still wanted a relationship with them. This is great news for me, too. Even when I mess up and fall short of God's plan for me, he still loves me and still provides for me.

How does God provide?
Again, reading through the Bible, we see that God doesn't provide everything for humans all at once. He makes it a habit of giving us what we need each and every day. There is no better picture of this than in Exodus 15 & 16, when God provides his people with manna. They were literally trusting God each and every day for their daily food. He could have given them 40 years worth of food at once. But through providing for them each and every day, their relationship with God grew because of the trust that developed. Don't forget, God wants to have a relationship with us. This is accomplished much better when we constantly return to him to meet our needs. At times it can frustrate us, but in the long run our relationship with God benefits.

What does God provide?
God is more concerned with meeting our needs than our wants. A great example of this is in Genesis 37-50, the story of the life of Joseph. You can make a strong argument that as Joseph is sold into slavery, falsely accused of rape, thrown into prison, and forgotten about, God is not meeting the needs of Joseph. But as you continue on in the story and see how God wove all that together to provide a way for Joseph's family to survive a famine, it becomes clear that God was providing all along.

I imagine that if Joseph got to choose his life story, he would have picked something quite different. He probably even questioned during those tough years whether or not God was still providing for him. But in the end, God understands our needs much better than we do.

When we realize that he loves us...when we realize that he wants a relationship with us...when we realize that he provides for us gradually throughout our life, it becomes easier to trust God when he doesn't seem to be providing for us exactly how we'd like him to.

God the Father is our ultimate Provider. And I must say, when we look at things from an eternal perspective, he's pretty good at it.

Sexuality Pt. 2

2011-02-18T11:50:00.004-05:00

This week we finished up our 'Hey it's February which means Valentine's Day which means let's talk about sex' series. At the end of last week the teens were able to submit questions that would be answered during this week's lesson. We started by examining 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and using that as our framework from which to answer the questions.

Why does the church not talk about sex?
(Don't you love how perceptive teens are?) It's hard to pinpoint an answer for this question. I think there are multiple reasons. 1. For some reason I think we're afraid that if we talk about sex too much people will just go out and do it. 2. We don't have all the answers and so we just avoid the topic altogether. 3. The generational gap in a large group setting makes it difficult and uncomfortable to discuss sex. Whatever the reason, it's no excuse to skip over an important and God-created thing like sex.

Wouldn't God have known that sex would lead to sin, and as a result make sex not feel good?
It's important to know that everything created before the fall of man was created good. God said so. Sex was one of those things that God created before sin entered the picture. As a result, sex is a good thing when used properly. Why would God make something that's good and then make it so that we'd never want to participate in it? Sex was perfect until sinful man got a hold of it.

How can you say 'No' without being extremely harsh?
My advice is to simply be honest. If someone is pressuring you to do something you don't want to do, be honest but firm in your response. If the other person doesn't understand or doesn't care about your decision, then I wouldn't worry about being too harsh because they aren't worth it anyway

What's wrong with living together before marriage?
To be perfectly honest, there is no 'Thou shalt not live together before marriage' commandment in the Bible. In order to understand God's stance on this topic, we must examine other truths mentioned in the Bible and apply them to this situation. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 we see that we ought to 'run from sexual sin' (NLT). Now, two people can make any excuse they want for living together (save money, get to know one another, spend more time together, etc...) and even be fully determined not to have sex until marriage. However, what they are doing is definitely not running from sexual sin. In fact, it seems to be running towards it! So, while we aren't commanded to not live together before marriage, we are commanded to run from sexual sin and this simply cannot be done when living together.

What does the Bible say about birth control?
I read a book a year or so ago entitled Right Thinking In A World Gone Wrong that did a great job of looking at birth control from a Biblical perspective. You can read my post about that chapter of the book here.

Again, this is a topic not addressed directly in the Bible. In order to reach a conclusion, it is important to separate the two kinds of birth control: those that prevent the fertilization of an egg, and those that kill a living embryo. 'Traditional' birth control, such as the pill and condoms, are meant to prevent an egg from being fertilized. My personal belief, formed from Bible reading, research, and discussion, is that this form of birth control is acceptable. And of course I'm talking about within marriage. Sex should not be taking place outside of marriage anyway, so there's no need to discuss the acceptability of birth control for contraceptive means outside of that context.

The second form of birth control, including the 'morning after pill' and abortion, kills a living embryo. The Bible teaches that murdering a human being is wrong. My firm belief is that an embryo is a living human being from the moment of conception. Size, ability, viability to live outside of a womb, and appearance is not what constitutes humanity. Being a human means that we are created in God's image. I would argue strongly that an embryo is most definitely created in God's image and thus, is a human.

Where should the line be drawn? (or How far is too far?)
Here is my simple response to that question: Imagine that another person is going on a date with your future husband/wife. Imagine the love that you have for your future spouse and how deeply you care about them. Now, what are some things that you wouldn't want the other person to do with your future spouse? Anything that is on that list, you should not be doing with any person you might be on a date with.

And please don't say 'It doesn't bother me that my future spouse is sleeping around or being taken advantage of'. If that's the case, I hope to meet your future spouse first in order to tell them not to waste their time on you. You ought to care so deeply for this person that anytime they are hurt, you hurt. And also, don't forget that the person you are out on a date with could very well be someone else's future spouse. Care for them. Look after them. Respect them. After all...wouldn't you want your future spouse to be treated that way as well?

What about pornography?
Somebody has to say it, so I will...pornography is sinful and wrong. No exceptions. It seems like so often this gets swept under the rug because there are so many more 'worse' things out there (like drugs, STDs, bullying, etc...). I'm not saying those things aren't bad, but I don't think any of those impact our culture today like pornography.

The last couple topics that we've covered aren't mentioned specifically in the Bible. This one, however, is. In fact, Jesus himself addresses pornography. In Matthew 5:27-28 he tell us that even to look at a woman lustfully is to commit adultery. It doesn't get any clearer than that. I don't even feel the need to discuss it any further. I'll simply close with this. There's no better time to break an addiction to pornography than now. It will only get worse. Pray to God for strength. Find people willing to hold you accountable. Voluntarily install an Internet filter on your computer (gasp!). Basically, run from sexual sin.

Sexuality Pt. 1.2

2011-02-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

This a continuation of a previous post on why God created sex. That post can be found here.

We've already discussed that a reason God created sex was so that we could take part in the 'creator characteristic' that God has placed within us. Now, the relationship in which sex and babies should take place.

2. Trinity-like Relationship
In Genesis 2:15-24, we see the creation story from a different perspective. Here, Adam is in the garden alone; Eve has yet to be created. God brings all the creatures on earth to Adam so that he can find one suitable to be his companion. As they come, none is found. God then causes Adam to fall asleep and he forms Eve out of Adam's rib. They are created to compliment each other and be in relationship together. This relationship is meant to be a picture of what God experiences within the Trinity (God has given us the same 'relater characteristic').

The Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, & God the Holy Spirit) is difficult to understand and even more difficult to explain. There are many ways to try to describe a unified God present in three parts. All of those ways always seemed a bit lacking to me. I've recently discovered what I believe to be one of the best descriptions of the relationship within the Trinity, written by Glenn Stanton (found here...read it, it's well worth your time).

Sex is meant to be experienced within that kind of a relationship. Marriage is how we experience that kind of relationship between two people here on earth. When you make the commitment to build that kind of relationship first, adding sex completes the bonding.

BUT, sex is only meant to be experienced in a relationship that is intimate, permanent, committed, exclusive, self-giving, and complementary (the exact characteristics you find within the Trinity). When you take sex out of a marriage between a man and woman, you lose those ingredients.

If you have sex with multiple people and for one night only, you lack the intimacy, permanency, commitment, exclusivity, and selflessness that it's meant for.

If you have sex with a boyfriend/girlfriend, fiance, or even have an affair, you're still missing the permanency, commitment, and exclusivity.

If you have sex with someone of the same gender, even though you might be legally married in certain states, you are missing the complimentary nature of the relationship.

The bottom line is that we were created to be in a relationship similar to what God experiences in the Trinity. We aren't forced to be in a relationship like that, but it is a God-given desire that exists deep within us. Sex will never meet that desire. Only when we build that relationship first, through marriage, are we able to add sex to set the whole thing ablaze. Sex works physically outside of marriage, but it will never work emotionally and relationally like it was created to. Outside of marriage, it's a recipe for the exact opposite of what is present in a 'Trinity-like' relationship: broken hearts, neglected emotions, and crushed souls.

Sexuality Pt. 1.1

2011-02-11T11:05:00.003-05:00

It's now February, which means youth groups around the country will be talking about sex. I've been thinking about making this the topic for the rest of the year and seeing how our attendance responds to that. :)

Rather than talk about the do's and don'ts of sex, we spent this night talking about why God created sex and how it's an amazing thing. Just about all we need to know about sex is given to us in the first two chapters of the Bible. It's here that we see two reasons God created sex.

1. Procreation
Genesis 1:26-31 tells the story of God creating Adam and Eve. Like all the rest of creation, they are created by God. Unlike the rest of creation, they are created like God. Not the same as or identical to, but with characteristics of God (ability to reason, love, etc...). One of these characteristics being...the ability to create.

Humans create all sorts of things: buildings, cars, artwork, ipods, and slinkies. Through our creations we are displaying the 'creator characteristic' that we've received from God. However, the ultimate way in which we showcase this characteristic is through having children.

Think about it...nothing else we create is as awesome, complex, or unique as a child. (Granted, it is a miracle from God that this happens, but we get to play a part in it!). Sex was created so that we can take part in this aspect of God's character.

Now, we aren't told to go crazy and have sex with any and every available person in order to create as many babies as possible. We are meant to create babies within the context of a 'Trinity-like' relationship, as God describes in chapter 2 of Genesis.

And because this post is growing in length, more on a 'Trinity-like relationship' to come tomorrow.

The Coming Economic Armageddon

2011-02-04T14:51:00.003-05:00

It's time for another installment in my book club. I've just finished reading The Coming Economic Armageddon by David Jeremiah. I generally stay away from books with this sort of title, but the fact that it is written by David Jeremiah was enough to peak my interest.

The book can really be divided up into three sections. The first section deals with the current economic situation in America. It tells some of where we are, how we got here, and where we might be headed. The second section looks ahead to the end-times economy talked about in the Bible, largely in Revelation. The final section helps the reader step back and place everything in perspective.

It is an interesting read in that Dr. Jeremiah does an excellent job of explaining how things today could be leading into an even more unified worldwide economy which seems to be central to the book of Revelation. I found myself thinking time and time again that any money or wealth I possess could be gone in an instant (which the Bible warns of, by the way; see Proverbs 23:5).

I picked up this book expecting it to be more about current financial issues, but in the end was pleased with the Biblical view of money and economics that is presented. This book won't give you investment secrets or foretell the future. But it will help reinforce a view of money that is both Biblically and eternally grounded.

Zehr0 rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Dangerous People Pt. 3

2011-01-28T13:36:00.002-05:00

It's the final week of the 'Dangerous People' series. This week we examine Peter and the faith he both did and didn't display when Jesus called him out of the boat.

The story is found in Matthew 14:22-33. The disciples are in a boat headed to the other side of the lake when a storm comes upon them. It's apparently frightening enough that they fear for their lives. In the midst of it all, a strange figure (resembling a ghost) appears out on the water. The figure states his name as Jesus. Peter, maybe wanting to be thorough, tells the figure to call him out onto the water as well. He is told to come.

At that point Peter has 2 choices: 1) Stay in the wooden boat being thrown back and forth by the wind and waves or 2) Go be with Jesus who created the world and also controls the wind and waves.

When I read this story, my gut reaction is that Jesus asks Peter to do a crazy thing. But the more I think about it, what Jesus asks Peter to do begins to make perfect sense to me. Where is the safest place to be in that storm? It certainly isn't apart from Jesus in a boat; it's next to Jesus. If Peter is looking for somewhere safe and secure to go, the logical place is to go is by Jesus. It seems silly at first, but more logical the more thought I give it. Why would Peter place his faith in an ordinary boat as opposed to Jesus?

Yet, this is something many of us do everyday. We have faith when we drive that our car's steering mechanism won't break sending us careening out of control. We have faith that the food we eat isn't poisoned. We have faith that the other people will stop at a red light as we proceed through the intersection. We have faith that the total in the checkout line is really what we owe for our goods.

It's not bad to place faith in different things...but do we find ourselves trusting other things more than we trust God?

We can know without a doubt that God is trustworthy. The Bible is a book 1,000+ pages long and nowhere in there does God prove that he's unfaithful. He proves himself faithful time and again. All those things I mentioned earlier have failed people before. God has not. God will not. (Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever)

At times God may ask us to do some crazy things in life (walking on water). But the path he asks us to take (walking next to him) is always better than our own path (staying in the boat).

I don't know what God might be asking you to trust him with. But I do know that whatever he's asking you to do, trusting him is the absolute best decision you can make.

Hebrews 11:1 - Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

Dangerous People Pt. 2

2011-01-21T13:21:00.002-05:00

After a week off due to snow, we're back in action with our 2nd 'dangerous person' of the Bible. This week we look at Esther and the situation she found herself in.

Reading through the first three chapters of Esther, you'll find a king named Xerxes, a queen named Vashti who had her position stripped from her, a young Jewish woman named Esther who catches the king's eye and becomes queen, a Jewish man named Mordecai who is Esther's relative, and a royal official named Haman who hates Mordecai and the Jews and gets the king to sign an edict to eradicate them from the kingdom. There...you're all caught up and ready for Esther 4:1-17.

The Jewish nationality of queen Esther is a secret to all but Mordecai. Thus, when an edict is written to kill all the Jews, Esther has a decision to make. Does she 1) reveal her identity and plead with the king to reverse the edict while placing her own life in danger, or 2) keep quiet about her identity and hope that the edict passes without her nationality becoming known?

As the story goes on she does go before the king, her life is spared, and the edict is reversed. But let's say she had chosen to keep quiet...would she have been found guilty for the numbers of Jews killed under that edict? And guilty or not, what would have been the response of Jesus when Esther stands before him at the end of her life?

Many people would agree that there are things Christians SHOULDN'T do (lie, steal, murder, etc...). But would you agree that there are things Christians SHOULD do (help the poor, feed the hungry, etc...)?

In James 1:26-27 and James 2:14-17 it seems very clear that being a Christian is about more than just what you believe. It's also about how your beliefs impact your actions. We can't simply feel bad those those who need help, we must do something about it.

It wasn't enough for Esther to feel bad about the edict to kill the Jews. If she were to hold to her beliefs, she needed to stand up for her people. She risked her own life to do so.

We may never be called to risk our life for someone else (but never say never). However, are we willing to go the extra mile, perhaps even doing something that is a little uncomfortable in order to help those in need? Are our actions matching up with what we believe?

Dangerous People Pt. 1

2011-01-07T11:06:00.002-05:00

For the next 3 weeks we're going to look at people in the Bible who are dangerous. Dangerous, not because they are a threat to people around them, but because they allow God to work through them. First up on the agenda: Daniel and his three friends.

We see in Daniel 1:3-21 that Daniel and his three friends are taken captive to Babylon. The king orders the smart, good-looking guys to enter training in preparation for serving in the king's court. Daniel and his three friends are chosen. Part of their 3-year training involves eating the food given them. The problem arises because this food is offered to an idol before being served. Jews were commanded by God not to eat food offered to an idol. (And the plot thickens...)

Daniel and his friends are presented with a decision: either keep quiet and live, or speak up and risk the consequences. There is surely no physical harm in eating this food. They only reason they object is because they are seeking to serve God in everything they do.

As a result, they speak up and are given a 10-day trial period where they are allowed to eat vegetables and water. Once the 10 days are up, they look very fit and are allowed to continue with their special diet.

As a result of their standing up for what they believed, 3 things happened:
1. Their faith and trust in God grew deeper.
2. God blessed them.
3. People around them took notice.

In our daily lives we are constantly faced with decisions. Do we stand up for what we believe or do we keep quiet and go with the flow? These 4 men risked a lot, but the results were worth it.

I can't and won't promise you that your results will look exactly like the story here. But I can promise you that when you stand up for the truth, your faith and trust in God will grow deeper, you will be blessed by God, and people around you will probably notice. You might not be blessed until heaven and people might take notice and scorn you, but as Daniel and his friends discovered, the results are worth it.

Just Like Jesus Pt. 2

2010-12-10T10:30:00.002-05:00

In the last part of our series we looked at the kind of life we are called to live as a follower of Jesus. The main Scripture for the night came from 2 Corinthians 5:15-21. As we read through these verses, we noted a couple things in particular:

1. When we are washed clean by the blood of Christ, our old life is gone and a new life begins.
2. That new life is meant to be spent living as a representative of Jesus.

Most of the night was spent talking about what it means to represent Jesus. We compared this concept with famous figures representing brands/products. Specifically, we looked at the endorsements of Tiger Woods. (There is actually a bit we can learn from Tiger in regards to representing someone/something)

Most of Tiger's money is made not from winning golf tournaments, but from endorsing products. The companies believe that if Tiger is associated with their product, they will be able to increase sales (and it obviously works, otherwise they wouldn't pay him the big bucks they do).

Similarly, as Christians we live a life representing Jesus, with the hopes that more people will be drawn to him as the result. We're not after increasing sales numbers, but we are after seeing as many people as possible discover the relationship with God they were created to experience.

When it was discovered that Tiger was involved in a number of affairs, some companies terminated their relationship with him (Gatorade, AT&T, Accenture, Gillette). Basically they felt that what Tiger was associated with no longer represented what their company stood for. Tiger was now doing more to hurt their brand than help it.

Gladly, this is where our relationship with God is a bit different. When we act in a way that does not represent Jesus (and we will), he does not terminate our relationship with us. His love for us is able to cover over those things. However, it does not mean that we are accurately representing him. In fact, I can see him being frustrated as I do things that aren't in line with what he stands for.

Tiger was not dumped by these companies because he had a moral failure while using any of those companies' products. I doubt he had an affair while drinking a Gatorade. I don't think he was with a woman in the back of a Buick. But, it does not matter. Whether he's filming an AT&T commercial or spending private time in his own house, he still represents those companies. He can't choose to represent Gillette on second, and then not represent them the next.

Same with us representing Jesus. It doesn't matter whether we are in youth group on Wednesday night or if the calendar says Sunday. We represent Jesus 24/7, wherever we are and by whatever we are doing. There's no asterisk beneath our actions stating that 'these words do not reflect the position of Jesus Christ or his church'.

How well are you doing representing Jesus? If you need a gauge to help answer that question, two good places to start are Galatians chapter 5 and Ephesians chapter 5.

Just Like Jesus Pt. 1

2010-12-03T10:41:00.002-05:00

We're doing a short 2-week series in youth group about living like Jesus lived on earth. We hear a lot about his birth (especially this time of year) and his death (especially at Easter) but what about how he lived his life in between those 2 events?

The passage in the Bible we looked at was John 14:1-14. The story takes place as Jesus is with his disciples on the night he will eventually be arrested. The discussion turns toward heaven and the reason Jesus came to earth. Jesus reveals to his disciples 2 main reasons he came to earth.

1) To provide a way for our sins to be forgiven.
2) To be a role model for us to follow.

We spent most of the night talking about how Jesus is a role model for us. But we first covered the statement Jesus makes in John 14:6 where he tells his disciples that there is no other way to heaven than to believe in him. It doesn't matter whether or not Jesus is our role model if we don't believe in him and what he did for us on the cross. That is of utmost importance. Once we've heard, believed, and accepted that message, it's on to how we should live life from that point forward.

Jesus begins by stating that he has his own role model: God the Father. Everything he has said and done on earth was exactly what the Father wanted him to do. In fact, Jesus has done such a perfect job at modeling his life after his Father, that he says when you've seen Jesus, you've also seen God the Father. The reflection in his life is so accurate that to see one means you've seen both!

The tables are then turned as Jesus commands his disciples to live their lives as Jesus has lived his. He even tells them that they will do even greater things than what Jesus has done! (Let that sink in for a moment). Through the Holy Spirit we are able to model our life after Jesus just as he modeled his after the Father. It doesn't mean that we always do a good job of that, but we do have the potential and ability through the Spirit to live just like Jesus did.

Have you believed and accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross? If so, do you now seek to live your life just like Jesus did? When people look at you, can you tell them, "When you see me, you see Jesus"?

Giving Thanks and Praise

2010-11-19T11:11:00.003-05:00

According to many Thanksgiving trivia quizzes...the first Thanksgiving took place in the year 1621. And while this is the date for the 'traditional' celebration with the Pilgrims and Native Americans, it is hardly the first 'Thanksgiving-type' celebration that took place.

The very first celebration took place all the way back in Genesis chapter 4. In this story, brothers Cain and Abel bring portions of the fruits of their labor to God as an offering. Cain brings produce and Abel brings animals.

As they both present their offerings to God, only Abel's is accepted. Cain is left feeling angry and dejected. Why wasn't his accepted?

It doesn't seem to be the type of offering that was the problem. After all, when the sacrificial code is developed in the Old Testament both animal and grain offerings were part of that code.

Rather, the attitude with which Cain's offering was presented seems to be the problem. We don't know exactly what Cain's attitude was, but it seems that it certainly wasn't one of thanksgiving and praise. He ends up being so angry that he kills his brother Abel. (And you thought your family Thanksgiving celebrations get rowdy!)

The bottom line of this story is a theme that is echoed throughout the Bible: God is more concerned with the attitude of our hearts than he is with the action of offering a sacrifice.

Think about that this Thanksgiving holiday. If you simply bow before a meal out of habit rather than actual praise, you are bringing an unacceptable offering to God. If you drop extra money in the offering plate out of guilt or pride, you are bringing an unacceptable offering to God.

Rather than just watching football and stuffing our faces, let's spend this Thanksgiving giving real thanks to God!

Pain and Struggles Pt. 3

2010-11-12T10:57:00.002-05:00

We took a little different angle on the topic this week. So far we've discussed that pain happens to everyone on this earth and that the only true healing from the pain in our lives is found in Jesus Christ.

This week we talked about how God can use us to help bring healing to another person's life. We began by looking at the stories in Exodus 14, Joshua 5, Matthew 14, and Acts 3 where God did an incredible thing through 1 or more people. It wasn't that God needed help to pull off a miracle, but that he chose to allow other people to be involved in his miracles. Many times God chooses to work in this world through another person being obedient to his calling.

When it comes to somebody experiencing healing, God often works in this same way. The question is: are we willing to be obedient and allow God to use us in that kind of situation?

It seems that many times those opportunities arise when we have serious discussions with people. It's very easy to have surface-level conversations that focus on the weather or current events. But what if we asked someone how they were doing and then waited until the person told the truth, rather than just settling for the 'fine' that so often comes. Not that it's bad to talk about the weather, but are we seizing those chances to have meaningful conversations with our friends and families?

I'm no expert on how God works or why he chooses to use people in his plans. But I do know that quite often pain is healed by God when we spend time with each other talking about what's going on in our lives. Where might God want to use you to bring healing to another person? Are you willing to care about that person and have deep conversations with them?

Pain and Struggles Pt. 2

2010-11-05T11:17:00.002-04:00

God desires that we experience freedom from pain in our lives. We were created to live pain-free and he wants us to return to that. The only source of healing from the pain in our lives is found in Jesus Christ. All other sources are temporary or don't even heal our pain at all.

Let's look at three stories where people experienced healing from Jesus. (These stories all deal with physical pain, but he heals our emotional pain as well.)

John 9:1-7
Here Jesus heals a man born blind. The healing is actually initiated by Jesus himself, not by the blind man. The blind man seems to have no clue who Jesus is. As Jesus passes by he does nothing to call out and ask for healing. Who knows where this man may have looked for healing in his life prior to this point? It is clear, however, that he had not yet found the healing he was looking for. Only when Jesus entered his life did he experience freedom from his pain.

Matthew 20:29-34
This story is somewhat similar to the one from John. Jesus is walking along the road and this time comes across two blind men. The identity of Jesus is very clear to these men. They call him by the name 'Lord, Son of David', showing that they understand he is the foretold Messiah. Their faith and understanding is clearly shown as they call out to him and fully expect to be healed of their blindness.

Luke 5:17-25
This story is a bit different from the other two. In this story a man is paralyzed. This time neither Jesus nor the person in pain initiates the confrontation. The man's friends take him to Jesus and take some pretty drastic measures to ensure he meets Jesus. The house Jesus is teaching inside of is so full that they go up to the roof and lower their friend through a hole that they created. These friends knew that Jesus could heal their friend of his pain and they did whatever it took to bring him to Jesus.

The question I ask is: in which story do you find yourself? In every story Jesus was the source of true healing. However, each person came to that source in a different way.

If you find yourself in story #1, I encourage you to take a look at the person of Jesus. Discover the healing that only he can bring to your life.

If you find yourself in story #2, I encourage you to continue calling out to Jesus for healing. He doesn't always exactly bring healing when we want or how we want, but he does offer it to us. We must be willing to follow him as he leads us down the path of healing, however long of a path that may be.

If you find yourself in story #3, I encourage you to not give up. The paralyzed man's friends faced great opposition, but they persevered. Continue seeking to bring your friends and family to the One who can heal them.

Whatever story you find yourself in, rest assured: Jesus is the true healer!

Pain and Struggles Pt. 1

2010-10-29T11:58:00.004-04:00

This past Thursday we showed the movie 'To Save A Life' at our church. As a follow up we will be spending the next 3 weeks discussing pain and struggles that we deal with in our lives.

We started Wednesday night by reading the story in John 5:1-15 about the man who had been an invalid for 38 years. It is a fascinating story about a man who works through the pain in his life. There are 3 truths we can take from this story:

Truth #1: God wants us to be free from pain.
We were not created to live with pain. The Garden of Eden was a pain-free environment until Adam and Eve brought sin into the picture. And while pain is the consequence for living in a sin-filled world, God still desires that we be set free from the pain we were never ment to experience. He knows it's real, but he takes no pleasure when we suffer. You see this in the response of Jesus. He wants for this man to be healed, both physically and emotionally.

Truth #2: We need to recognize that God can heal us of our pain.
There can be many different sources of pain. Sometimes pain is the result of our own bad choices. Sometimes it's the result of someone else's bad choices. Sometimes it is simply the result of circumstances out of anyone's control. Regardless of who or what causes our pain, God can help take it away. When Jesus asked the man if he'd like to be healed (a seemingly needless question to ask a man who hadn't walked in 38 years) the man responded that he couldn't get well. He had apparently given up all hope. Sometimes the pain in our life is too much to bear. When we try to handle it alone we can find ourselves on a road that leads to despair. God wants to give us freedom, but we've got to begin working through our pain with him.

Truth #3: Other people will notice our healing and growth.
It was pretty obvious in the story that the man had experienced healing. Physical healing is something that can be easy to spot. But when we allow God to take away our emotional pain, other people can see that too. We may be friendlier. We may encourage people verbally for the first time. We may even begin to mend a relationship that has been scarred by pain. People will notice and hopefully they'll desire to experience that same freedom from pain in their own life. What a great opportunity that can be to share the love of God with another person!

The bottom line is that pain is a very real thing in our world today. We won't be removed from that until we step foot in heaven. But even though pain exists in our world, it doesn't have to be something we carry with us every day of our life.

The question Jesus asked the invalid man is the same question I pose to you: Would you like to get well?

The process won't be easy. It may even be painful. But the end result is being free from the pain that has plagued us for so long!

The Bible Pt. 3

2010-10-15T13:23:00.005-04:00

This week we wrapped up our series on the Bible (not that we won't use the Bible the rest of the year!). We looked at some facts about the Bible and even went over 4 steps last week to remember as we read the Bible. This week we focused on the different types of literature in the Bible. Knowing how to read each type will greatly increase our understanding.

You wouldn't read a comic book and a novel the same way. You wouldn't read the newspaper or a biography the same way. Likewise, the Bible consists of different types of literature that we must be aware of in order to know how to read each book.

I put together a bookmark with a chart containing the 9 different types of literature found in the Bible. The bookmark also contained a few facts about each type and 2 good questions to keep in mind when reading that type of book. I adapted the file to fit onto a full sheet of paper. Feel free to view or download a copy of this here.

When we understand what kind of book we are reading, we are much more equipped to understand and apply what we take in.

The Bible Pt. 2

2010-10-08T15:24:00.003-04:00

In youth group this week we took the time to look at 4 steps to remember when reading the Bible. Following these 4 steps will bring about both understanding and a changed life (both purposes of why we read the Bible).

1. Ask God to help you understand the Bible
It's no secret that things in the Bible can be tough to understand. We even see in Acts 8:26-40 a story about an Ethiopian who was not understanding what he was reading in the book of Isaiah. God heard this man's cry and sent Philip to help explain what the passage meant. This is one purpose of the Holy Spirit. He takes truths in the Bible and makes them known to us (see 1 Corinthians 2:6-16). Before we begin reading we ought to pray to God and ask him to help us understand the words that we will read.

2. Read the Bible
It seems to simple that it shouldn't even have to be a step. But the simple fact is: many of us don't read the Bible as often as we should. There is no set number of minutes a Christian ought to spend in the Bible every day. But it should be a regular habit in our lives. We cannot rely solely on what we hear from our pastor or local Christian radio station. I would shudder if I found a person who only knew from the Bible what I told them. I do my best to read the Bible and convey it's truths accurately, but the best way to get the unfiltered message is to go straight to the source.

3. Talk to other people about the Bible.
This is a way step #1 can be answered. I love when a group of people read the same passage and all pick up on a different truth. Not only do other people help us understand what we read, they are also invaluable in helping to remind us to carry out step #4 in Bible reading.

4. Apply what you read in the Bible.
It really doesn't matter how much you read the Bible if you refuse to apply it's truths to your life. God is not concerned with how much of the Bible you know, but how much of the Bible you apply. Knowing the destination is one thing, but following the directions to get there is a whole other thing. If we skip this last step, the other three are quite pointless.

The Bible Pt. 1

2010-10-01T10:25:00.003-04:00

For the next 3 weeks in youth group we'll be talking about the Bible (a good topic, I know!). For the first night we simply spent time discussing what the Bible is, how it was written, and whether or not we can trust the words it contains.

The Bible is the inspired word of God. That claim is made within it's pages (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But for most people the need to prove the Bible true must be answered without using Scripture. After all, I can write a book and within that book claim to be writing words directly from God. A few words on a page does not make something true.

So how can we know whether or not the Bible is accurate and trustworthy? There are 2 ways that I personally know the Bible is true.
1. Countless test have been done on the languages and translations and copies of the Bible. The number of copies through history, the time span between the originals and first copies, and the accuracy of those copies virtually guarantees that the words we read in the Bible are reliable and accurate. One needs look no farther than the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls between 1947-1956. Scrolls containing text of virtually every book in the Bible were discovered. These scrolls showed that over the past 2,000 years the text of the Bible has been virtually unchanged (except for translation into modern languages). No other book in existence can boast such a claim!

2. The Bible is yet to be proven incorrect. People often challenge us to prove that the Bible is true. Why not turn that challenge back upon them? Can they prove that the Bible is not true? Until someone can emphatically prove the Bible wrong, I choose to believe every word it says. And I've got a gut feeling that evidence will never be found.

In response to the above statements, ought we be reading the Bible frequently? After all, if this book has indeed been authored by God and passed down to us, shouldn't we be dying to read the words it contains?

The Bible is the best way we can learn who God is. And since God authored the Bible, who better to tell us about God than God himself! We simply cannot form an accurate view of God apart from the Bible. It is his love letter to us. Let's not break his heart by pushing it to the side as if it has no meaning to us!

One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven

2010-09-21T14:01:00.003-04:00

One of the more practical, challenging books I've read in awhile is One Thing You Can't Do In Heaven by Mark Cahill. Mark spoke this past summer at the Momentum Youth Conference. After hearing him speak (he knocked it out of the park) I was very excited to dive into this book. I'm not sure why it took me until September, but regardless...

As I read I found myself responding in two different ways:
1. I was inspired by Mark's stories of witnessing and found myself longing to imitate him. I would not be shocked to find out that Mark has witnessed to tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. His mindset is that every day God will bring someone across his path that needs to hear the gospel message. How many people in my daily life cross my path who are on a road headed for hell? How many do I impact?

2. The practical tips and strategies for witnessing are simple and yet impactful. His primary style is to ask people thought-provoking questions that can easily lead to a spiritual conversation. It isn't about having a perfect speech worked up; it's all about conversing with people and sharing with them the truth that we've received from God's Word.

There are times I find myself struggling to share my faith in everyday settings. If you are in those shoes too, this book is a great resource which will both equip you and inspire you as you seek to fulfill the Great Commission.

Identity Pt. 3 - What I've Been Created To Do

2010-09-17T10:24:00.003-04:00

In our final week on identities, we discussed how each of us has a unique identity. We have all been created with different gifts, talents, and abilities...and that's good!!

Reading though 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, we see that just as God has created the body with unique parts, the church functions much the same way. Each body part is different and carries out a different purpose. The church ought to be made up of different people who carry out different purposes within that body of believers. Just because someone isn't gifted in the 'big 2' areas of a church (musical ability and public speaking ability) doesn't mean that they cannot have a purpose within the church. In fact, our churches have enough musicians and speakers. Bring on the artists, cooks, and encouragers!

Since we've all been created possessing certain abilities, logic leads us to the fact that we've all been created without certain abilities too. We need other people to do the things that we either don't enjoy or are not skilled to do. When this happens we see results that far exceed what we could have done on our own. This is the church working as it should!

But we've also got to remember that in the same regard other people need us as well. The church was never meant to be a place to go and have your needs met without offering anything in return. Do you know what word is defined as: a person who habitually relies on or exploits others and gives nothing in return? It might sound like some people in our churches, but the word this describes is 'parasite'. Are you being a parasite in your church? Are you showing up on Sunday mornings, relying on other people, and offering nothing in return?

Identity Pt. 2 - Who I Am Not

2010-09-10T10:34:00.003-04:00

Last week we discussed who we are as Christians (followers of Jesus). This week we take a look at a few things we shouldn't be as Christians.

1. We shouldn't be defined by other people's opinions of us.
We probably all have the desire within us to be liked by other people. This is part of the reason our country is so fixed on materialism. Winning the approval of other people can detract from our ability to serve God (just ask Paul: Galatians 1:10). But is being liked by other people really the problem?

Take money as an example. The Bible speaks often about money. Yet, money is never said to be evil in the Bible. What the Bible does say is that the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). It's not sinful to have money, even lots of money. The problem arises when money becomes the center of our lives. Evil arises when we place the important of money above God.

It's the same with people liking us. It's not bad for people to have good opinions of us. However, when that becomes the center of our life, it is a bad thing. Paul isn't saying that you cannot be liked by people and serve God too. He's saying that you cannot have it be your goal to please other people and served God also. Eventually the two things will butt heads and something will have to give.

2. We shouldn't be focused on ourselves.
Arguments and quarrels are common things in our culture. But, have you even thought about what is at the root of most arguments? It generally has to do with selfish desires. James writes about this in James 4:1-2. Hardly anyone gets into fights at school because both parties were being too kind to each other. It boils down to selfish desires within us that we want to be fulfilled.

God reminds us that he will meet all of our needs. When we allow ourselves to find peace in that fact we are able to focus on those around us and love them as God calls us to do.

3. We shouldn't judge by outward appearances.
It's all too easy to judge someone based on what we see. The challenge for me is to examine the judgements I make and remind myself that they are based upon nothing more than stereotypes and a lack of knowledge. My goal needs to be to find out what is truly inside of that person, because that is what matters. God reminds Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7 that what is on the outside of a person isn't of much importance. Of utmost importance is what's in a person's heart. Are we willing to go past the shallow judgements we make and get to know what is inside of a person?

The challenge I gave to the teens was to seek someone out at lunch the following day who is probably wrongly judged. They were encouraged to not worry about what other people would think of them (point #1), take the focus off of themselves (point #2), and have a conversation with them so that they can truly learn about what is inside (point #3).

I'm so excited to hear how everybody's lunches went!!

Identity Pt. 1 - Who Am I?

2010-09-03T10:46:00.001-04:00

This week in youth group we discussed what determines our identity. Is it our athletic ability? Our grade point average? Our artistic skills? The clothes we wear?

It can be a dangerous thing to place our identity in things that can so quickly change. Our grades may suffer because of a calculus class. Our starting position on the basketball team may be taken away due to a broken leg. What's more...the things we place our identity in may be considered important by our culture one day, and the next be considered not so important. Our identity needs to be found in something else...well actually, someONE else. Our identity needs to be found in Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:1-2 tells us to allow God to transform the way we think. We ought to consider being a child of God of utmost importance, not how expensive our jeans are.

More than that, when our identity is placed in Jesus, we ought to let that identity dictate how we live each day. We need to do everything as a representative of Jesus, as Colossians 3:17 and Ephesians 5:1-2 says.

Paul gives us an example from his life-story in Philippians 3:5-8. Earlier in his life he placed his identity in his nationality and his actions as a Pharisee. Once Jesus got ahold of him, his identity was found in Jesus and He even says the only thing worth any value to him was knowing Jesus, his Lord.

Is your identity found in something that will someday fade away? Or is your identity found in fact that you are forgiven by Jesus and are now God's child?

Steve Fee

2010-07-30T09:57:00.002-04:00

Last year I posted about Steve Fee, the lead singer in the worship band at the youth conference. You can read that old post here if you'd like. This year the Fee band was not scheduled to lead worship the entire week but to simply play on the last night of the conference.

However, upon arrival at Momentum we learned that the Fee band is no longer together. Steve Fee has confessed to having an affair. He has stepped back from music and is taking the time to seek counseling and repair his damaged marriage.

It's hard to explain the flood of emotions that come with an announcement of that magnitude. I felt sadness for a man who deviated from God's path and chose to follow his own sinful desires. I felt anger at a man who lived a lie before fellow believers. I felt joy that he's doing what is necessary to repair what has been broken.

I've re-read my post from last year and have decided that what I wrote about Steve is all still true. He was one of the most gifted worship leaders I've seen (maybe still is). His songs about God are still true and worth singing (in fact, all 4 worship leaders at Momentum played at least one Fee song).

Steve is a sinner saved by grace who temporarily took his eyes off of following God. We've all done it. It was wrong and sinful. But isn't this what makes Jesus so wonderful?! He's able to take a broken, repentant person like you or me or Steve and use them for his purposes!

My hope is that Steve will allow the Holy Spirit to fix what needs to be corrected in his life. My hope is that through this Steve will be used by God to speak to other men and women who are not faithfully committed to their spouses. And my ultimate hope is that one day Steve will again use the marvelous gifts God has given him to once again usher God's children into the presence of the Almighty.

Teens worshipping

2010-07-29T10:46:00.000-04:00

This has been one of the most refreshing things the past two youth conferences. I love seeing a large group of teens feel free to worship God with all that they've got. It is something that I don't often see anywhere else. They feel freedom to raise their hands as they sing. More than that, they feel freedom to pump their hands and jump as they worship too! And it wasn't just to "new" songs, I saw it happening to old hymns as well.

We as adults can learn something from the worship of children and teens. They are not afraid to worship God with all that is in them. They get excited thinking about what God can do through their obedience and surrender. Where did we lose that along the way? I don't think it was just due to our aging bodies not allowing us to jump in the air as we worship. I think deep down we feel the need to act a certain way when we are in church. And most of the time it's not because we want to please God, but those in the pew behind us who can see what we're doing.

How do we get back to that place where when we worship God the only thing in the room that matters is us and him?

Sikh Temple Visit

2010-07-28T09:21:00.000-04:00

One option available to the students as an afternoon activity is to visit a local temple of another world religion. Our group signed up to go visit the Sikh temple in Dayton.

To give some background on Sikhism, here is some copied text from godweb.org:

"The word 'Sikhism' derives from 'Sikh,' which means a strong and able disciple. There are about 16 million Sikhs worldwide, making Sikhism the 5th or 6th largest religion in the world, on a par with Judaism. The majority of Sikhs live in India, primarily in the state of Punjab. Large populations of Sikhs can also be found in the UK, Canada, and the United States.
Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak Dev, who was born in 1469 to a Hindu family. After a series of pilgrimages to Tibet, Sri Lanka, Bengal and Mecca, he began emphasizing that religion should become the basis for bringing people together rather than driving them apart. He was particularly concerned about the conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India. His most famous saying is, 'There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim, so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow the path of God.'

While retaining the Hindu belief in the transmigration of souls and reincarnation, Guru Nanak taught that one could escape the cycle of death and rebirth by living rightly. The ultimate goal of life is not to enter paradise or heaven, but rather to be united so completely with God that the chasm between the human and the divine is dissolved. In this respect, Sikh belief compares to eastern or mystical strains of Christianity in which unification with God is the chief end and purpose of life, rather than salvation. Sikhs also emphasize the love, grace and justice of God, another parallel with Christianity.

Sikhs aim to live in a way that balances work, worship and charity. Community is emphasized, and the Sikh temple (gurdwara) is the center of Sikh communal life. The most easily observable Sikh practice is the wearing of a turban."

This was the first experience I have had with the Sikh religion. As for the building itself, remove from your mind any picture of an oriental building. This one was an ordinary looking building that would have passed for a house if you did not know what was inside.

During our time there a professor at a local university who was Sikh explained to us the basics of the Sikhism. Here are some things that stuck out to me:

*It seemed like the most important thing to the Sikhs was their turban that they wear.
*They don't view their religion as the only true religion. Basically, they teach you should be true to whatever it is you believe.
*They are said to emphasize peace, but their emblem displays swords, it is important to them to wear a dagger, and their past history has not necessarily been peaceful (but then again, our history includes the crusades).
*They place a great emphasis on hospitality and have an 'open kitchen' after their services.

It was interesting to interact with someone who's religious beliefs are vastly different from my own. I couldn't help but feel sorrow for the men and women I saw who live devout lives as Sikhs but are ultimately devoted to the wrong thing.

Speaker #3: Mark Cahill

2010-07-27T09:55:00.000-04:00

For me, the most gripping speaker of the week was Mark Cahill. Mark is a former athlete who played basketball with Charles Barkley in college. He is unashamed of Jesus Christ and is sure to share the gospel with nearly everyone he comes into contact with.

He began his message by saying that every second 2 people die. The question we need to ask ourselves is: Do we care about the eternal destination of those 2 souls? Even if half the world is saved by Jesus, that still leaves one person every second who enters hell. Think about that. Since you've started reading this 30 people have probably died and gone to hell. Do you care about those people? What if today one of those people was somebody you know and love?

A couple things really struck me about Mark. First, he begins every day by asking God to bring people into his life with whom he can share the gospel. When was the last time you and I prayed a prayer like that? It's not that he's just sharing Jesus with his friends, he's asking God to bring complete strangers to him. He compared us to the watchman in Ezekiel 33:1-11. Mark said our job is not to convert people to Christianity, but to blow the trumpet, in other words to warn the world of what is to come. What they do with the message is up to them.

The second thing that got to me was a statement Mark made. He said that 'sharing your faith is a conversation.' Too often I feel the need to have a well thought out argument and know every little fact about the Bible. In reality, my job is to simply converse with a person and allow that conversation to lead to God.

I'll end with a thought I had when digesting Mark's message. What am I more frightened by: driving a car or sharing my faith? The honest answer would be sharing my faith. And yet, probably the worst thing that can happen to me when I share my faith is that the person will reject the message and we'll both be on our way. However, every time I drive a car on the road I am risking being involved in a life-ending collision! How misguided my fears are!

Speaker #2: Mike Yankoski

2010-07-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

This is a speaker I had not heard speak before, but was looking forward to. He is the author of Under the Overpass, a book about his and a friend's experience of being voluntarily homeless for 5 months. He did this so that he could understand better what a homeless person faces and also see firsthand how the church responds to homeless people.

He spoke of many experiences he had with different people during those 5 months. Some were quite shocking as he told of how churches and Christians treated him. Some of them made me proud and others made me feel ashamed to be a Christian.

The question that kept running through my mind was: What presumptions do I have about people who are homeless? I realized I tend to view them as unwise money managers, addicted to drugs or alcohol, lazy, and/or uneducated. And while this may be true about some people who are homeless (and many who aren't homeless!), it's not my job to judge them.

My job as a follower of Jesus is to see how I can best be used to meet their needs. This sounds nice and good, but in order to do that I've got to take the time to get to know the person. They may have a need for food that is apparent but also have a need for encouragement that is hidden. They may have a need for shelter that is obvious but also have a need to be loved that can easily be overlooked.

Am I meeting those needs as an opportunity to share the gospel or am I turning a blind eye because it's inconvenient for me to help them?

Not to scare anyone into action, but according to Ezekiel 16:49, Sodom was known to not help the poor and needy. And in case you aren't aware of their outcome, check out Genesis 19:24.

Speaker #1: Brett Harris

2010-07-24T11:18:00.001-04:00

Brett is the twin brother of Alex Harris. Together they have written books including their most famous, Do Hard Things.

Brett spoke to the teens about expectations placed upon them. He brought to our attention that as we grow up many expectations are placed upon us that stretch us and allow us to grow. Children learn to write and speak a language because they are expected to. Yet, as we grow up we somehow come to think that learning a 2nd language is too difficult, even though we already learned a language by the time we hit kindergarten. Children learn to walk at a very young age. Yet, as adults we make excuses about our lack of ability to do the tango. If we can learn to walk as a 1-year-old we can surely learn to tango as a 41-year-old.

The main difference is that those things are not expected of us. When something is expected, we often rise to the challenge and meet the goal. When it's not expected, we often fall short or even refuse to try.

Brett posed the question: What if the expectations were raised? What could this generation of teens do if the bar was lifted high? What could you do in your life if the expectations were raised?

Think about it adults: when was the last time you developed a new skill? Did you develop that skill on your own or were you required to develop it by someone or something outside of your control? My guess is that most of us grew in that skill because we had to. It was either learn or be fired. Grow or be left behind. Change or be embarrassed.

This is why coaches in the sporting world are truly great. They take an athlete and push that athlete to develop their skills and talents to new levels. 99% of the time the coach is unable to do what he or she is asking the athlete to do. However, the bar is raised high and the successful athletes rise to the occasion.

Are you willing to put yourself in a place where the bar will be raised? Are you willing to take that class on gardening? Are you willing to attend the Bible study where each participant is asked whether or not they shared their faith during the past week? Are you willing to go with your spouse to that marriage seminar? Yes, the experience might be difficult, but that's when true growth takes place.

Back in Action

2010-07-23T10:07:00.003-04:00

After the longest break from blogging in my career (I guess you'd call it that?), it's high time to get back to it. The next handful of posts will be reflections from my time at the Momentum Youth Conference that Megan and I attended with some of our teens last week.

Enjoy!

Good for Jesus to leave?

2010-05-28T13:37:00.002-04:00

As you read through the book of John you come to chapters 14-17, which are sort of Jesus' last words/teaching before he's arrested and crucified. A good bulk of this time is spent with the disciples. Even though Jesus has told them multiple times that he would eventually have to leave them, they haven't quite grasped it yet. In these chapters they begin to understand more and more what is taking place.

Much of what Jesus tells them looks ahead to what it will be like after he leaves and ascends back into heaven. It would seem logical to think that life after Jesus would be pretty depressing, especially in light of everything that he's done the previous 3 years. Yet, Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will be sent. What's more, Jesus says these words in John 16:7:

"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."

Do you hear that? Jesus says it's good for him to leave so that the Holy Spirit can come. In fact, the Greek word symphero could also be translated to mean profitable or better.

Do you personally believe that statement? I mean really believe it? If you had the choice between the Holy Spirit or Jesus himself being in the same room as you, which would you pick?

Yea, me too. Of course we'd pick Jesus. He's got flesh and we can reach out and touch him. And yet, Jesus basically says that we ought to choose the Holy Spirit for our benefit!

If Jesus holds this high a view of the Holy Spirit, I shudder to think how much I suppress the work of the Holy Spirit in my own life. (Jesus hints at what a Spirit-led life would look like in John 14:12)

Can you imagine the Holy Spirit working in your life doing even greater things than what you read about in the Bible?

Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions

2010-05-18T11:05:00.003-04:00

It's time to add another book to my book club reviews. Today it's: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. As the title suggests, there are nine chapters that cover an array of topics. The topics were settled upon after reviewing the results of a poll, in which over 340,000 votes were cast, that asked what the most controversial questions are regarding Christianity.

The nine topics are as follows:
9. Birth Control
8. Humor
7. Predestination
6. Grace
5. Sexual Sin
4. Faith and Works
3. Dating
2. The Emerging Church
1. The Regulative Principle

After reading through Driscoll's book I happy to report that the questions are all answered on a Biblical basis. (The only chapter I have a problem with is the one discussing predestination. As a pastor in the holiness/methodist tradition I disagree with the thinking of Driscoll, a pastor in the reformed tradition. That being said, his points on the subject did cause me to think deeply about the issue.)

The book is worth reading if for nothing else than teaching us how to examine Scripture in order to answer the questions our culture poses to believers. I'll leave you with a few good quotes from the book:

(From the chapter on sexual sin)...What they are asking is how close they can get to sin while still being without sin. But there is already sin in their heart because they are seeking to get closer to sin and not closer to God.

Worship is not a style of music, a meeting in a church building, the corporate singing by God's people, something that starts and stops, or something that only some people participate in.

When it comes to worship, which is all of life, the God of the Bible cares about both what we do and why we do it.

Thought of the Day

2010-05-10T09:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday in Sunday school we were discussing the Holy Spirit and the role he plays in our lives.

A question to consider: If you were asked to determine which was more important in your life, the Holy Spirit or your cell phone, which would you choose?

Now, when you walk out the door in the morning, are you more likely to forget to spend time in prayer with the Holy Spirit or stick your cell phone in your pocket/purse?

Does question #2 change your answer to question #1?

Ever wonder what heaven might be like?

2010-04-30T11:48:00.003-04:00

The past couple weeks in youth group we've talked about raising the bar high. The desire isn't to simply come to the point where the saving blood of Jesus covers us, but to go farther, to the point that our lives begin to look dangerously similar to Jesus himself.

As Christians who have been brought from death to life, our eternity will be spent with God in heaven. Have you ever sat and wondered what heaven is going to look and be like? I know I have and I bet you've given it some thought as well.

Here is where the previous 2 paragraphs combine...what will it be like in heaven when we stand before Jesus to give an account for our life?

This week we watched a drama by Pete Briscoe entitled 'The Bema: Judgment Seat of Christ'. It is based off of what the Day might be like that is described in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

God has given us so many 'things' on this earth to use for his purposes (i.e. money, time, talents, gifts, abilities). The Bema will be the point that we give account for how we've used those. Don't think of this judgment like a courtroom, but think of it like a 4-H fair. We don't stand trial for our sins; instead we are rewarded for our life lived for the purposes of Jesus. It isn't something to dread, but rather a day to look forward to.

The challenge is to stop living our lives in a selfish manner. Instead of living for today, we ought to live for that Day. Instead of worrying about what others think about us, we ought to worry about what Jesus will think about us. Instead of living to make our lives comfortable, we ought to live to glorify God.

Raise the Bar High (Pt. 2)

2010-04-23T14:52:00.002-04:00

Last week in youth group, in regards to 'raising the bar high' we examined the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. This week we asked the question: "How far are you willing to go to get rid of sin in your life?"

Jesus makes an interesting statement in Mark 9:43-48 about cutting off a hand or foot and plucking out an eye that causes you to sin. You have to admit, if everyone took this passage at face value we'd have a lot of blind, crippled people in the world. What Jesus is driving at is the drastic measures that we ought to take to keep from sinning. Sin is a serious thing that shouldn't be taken lightly.

To help us better understand sin, James writes about the progression of sin in James 1:13-15. Here we see that it starts with temptation, leads to the desire/decision to sin, followed by actually sinning, and finally death. It can all be traced back to the temptation to sin. Read Genesis 3:1-6 and see if this wasn't the case with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

If sin starts with temptation, the logical thing to do to remove sin is to remove temptation. I've always wondered what Adam and Eve were doing anywhere near the tree that could destroy humanity. (For that matter, I wonder why Adam didn't just cut the thing down...but that's for another time). If Adam and Eve had simply went somewhere else in the Garden it seems like the situation would have turned out much differently. Ideally they would have avoided any situation that could have led to them sinning.

Is it the same in our lives today? Wouldn't it be much easier keep from sinning by removing whatever temptations we can? Are you willing to voluntarily put an Internet filter on your computer? Are you willing to never be in a house alone with your boyfriend/girlfriend? Are you willing to not even go to the party where alcohol or drugs will make an appearance?

If a teenager were to come up to me and ask me to pray that they would stand up to temptation and not drink at the party Friday night, I'd probably call them crazy. Instead, I'm going to pray that they have the wisdom to not even go to the party where they know they'll be tempted. Why place yourself in a position to possibly fall?

God gives us power to overcome temptations, but he also gives us a brain to help us avoid certain temptations. How far are you willing to go to remove temptations in your life?

Disclaimer: There will always be things that tempt us that we have no control over. When those things come at us we must remember that the Holy Spirit has been given to us to lead us to victory (1 Corinthians 10:13). God does not want us to put ourselves in situations to fall, but when something comes up he will never leave us or forsake us.

Raise the Bar High (Pt. 1)

2010-04-16T10:09:00.003-04:00

The next three weeks in youth group we're going to look at what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. There were 12 famous disciples who followed Jesus during his earthly life, but for us today, what does it mean to be a disciple?

The first thing we covered was the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. I won't sugarcoat it, there is a cost. However, we must not confuse the cost of being a disciple with the cost of salvation. The cost of salvation was paid by Jesus on the cross. We cannot pay that cost. But, the cost of being a disciple falls squarely on our shoulders.

There are some things Jesus said in regard to being a disciple: Matthew 8:18-22, Luke 14:25-27 and Mark 10:17-22. There are some tough statements Jesus makes involving letting the dead bury the dead, hating family members, and selling all of one's possessions. Taking these statements out of context can be dangerous. Perhaps following them in their context is dangerous as well.

Basically Jesus tells us that he must be the most important thing in our life if we are to be his disciple. He can't take 97th, 11th, or even 2nd place. He's got to be at the top. So here's a good question to ponder: how do we know for certain Jesus is the most important thing in our life?

An easy way to tell...check where you place your focus. The decisions you make in life reveal what you are primarily focused on. If you're making all your decisions based on what your boyfriend/girlfriend will think, how popular you will be in school, or what will get you ahead at work, it's pretty clear that your focus isn't not primarily on Jesus.

If Jesus truly is the most important thing in our life and where we place our focus, our decisions in life will show it. Which brings us to the cost of being a disciple: the decisions we make. The cost for you and I to be a disciple of Jesus is making decisions that place him at the top of our life. It might be giving up a week during the summer to serve overseas or not lashing out at someone when they tear us down. The cost is going to be different for everyone, but rest assured, there is a cost.

With all that being said, here is what Jesus tells us regarding the cost of being a disciple: "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (Luke 18:29-30)

In my own words: the cost of living your life as a disciple of Jesus is most definitely worth it!

April Service Night

2010-04-08T09:39:00.002-04:00

This month for our service night we went to Willow Manor (a local nursing home). While we were there we sang some hymns with the residents and then spent the remainder of our time visiting with them.

I must say that I was extremely proud of the teens. They did an awesome job of striking up conversations with people. I was a little worried they would cluster together, but any groups I saw were around a resident who was telling a story. :)

We all enjoyed our time there and it seemed like the residents enjoyed us coming as well. This wasn't a service night that will be written about in the local newspaper. It wasn't a night where we fed the hungry or brought justice to the world. But we did get to see faces light up and hearts connect.

Mission accomplished.

Planted Seeds

2010-04-06T15:54:00.002-04:00

Having just come through the Easter weekend, there were millions, if not tens or hundreds of millions of people around the world in church on Sunday who don't normally attend. Those millions of people hopefully heard the gospel message at some point during the service. This is the point where Satan likes to come along and snatch those seeds away so that they can't take root.

Will you join me in taking some time this week to pray that those seeds will sprout and begin to grow?

Successfully Returning to Eden

2010-04-02T10:20:00.002-04:00

This is the week we've been waiting for in youth group. We finally quit talking about all the things that didn't solve the problem of sin and move to what did...Jesus.

After reading the crucifixion story in Luke 23:32-24:12 we looked at why certain things happened in the story:
1. Why Jesus had to die
2. Why the curtain of the temple was torn
3. Why it's so important that Jesus rose from the dead

1. Why did Jesus have to die?
It doesn't make immediate sense that God would come to earth as a human only to die after 30-some years. When I think of an all-powerful God, I don't usually think of death being a part of that. So, why did Jesus die?

If you remember back to the Garden of Eden (where this whole mess started) God told Adam that if he chose to sin, he would surely die (Genesis 2:17). Paul also says in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death.

The system has been set up. If a person sins, the only punishment that can pay for that sin is death. Nothing else will do. Consequently, if the sin in our lives is to be removed so that we can again have an intimate relationship with God, the death penalty must first be payed.

We can pay our own penalty of death, but that means that we must then spend an eternity in hell apart from God. We can't have someone else on earth pay our penalty for us because they already have their own penalty to worry about. So, anyone who is going to pay our penalty for us must live a perfect life so that they don't have their own penalty to pay.

Enter Jesus.

He came to earth, lived a perfect life, and then volunteered to take our punishment upon himself. Our penalty has now been paid. Because Jesus took it for us, we are now able to have that intimate relationship with God that we see in the Garden of Eden before sin entered the picture.

2. Why was the curtain of the temple torn?
It was symbolic of the new covenant that is now in place. Before, God's presence dwelt in the temple in an inner room that only the high priest could enter and only once a year after extensive purification rituals. If the high priest was not completely pure on entering God's presence, he lost his life.

Now that Jesus has made us pure through paying for our sins, we are all able to approach God. No longer is God's presence closed off from us. In fact, Paul says that we are now God's temple where God's presence (the Holy Spirit) dwells (1 Corinthians 3:16). The sin that was in the way has now been removed! God's presence is again available to those who've been purified by Jesus!!

3. Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead?
This one is pretty logical. The whole point of Jesus dieing on the cross was so that our sins could be forgiven, allowing us to once again have a relationship with God. But, if God is dead, what's the point? He absolutely had to rise from the dead.

Plus, if he hadn't risen from the dead, Satan would have won. And if Satan won, God isn't who he said he was. And if God isn't who he said he was, we are all wasting our time.

As essential as the crucifixion was to removing sin, the resurrection was equally important! We can now have a relationship with an all-powerful, ALIVE God!!

The flood couldn't remove sin. The tower of Babel failed. The old covenant/10 Commandments couldn't do it.

JESUS DID DO IT!!

Gentlemen...(Re)Start Your Engines

2010-03-31T10:58:00.001-04:00

It's time to get back in the youth group groove after a week off for spring break.

Praying that the Holy Spirit will do something awesome!

Failed Attempt #3 To Remove Sin

2010-03-19T10:46:00.003-04:00

This was the final week in youth group that we examined things that failed to fix the problems brought into the world due to sin. We've looked at the flood, the tower of Babel, and this week: the 10 Commandments/Law.

Again, as before, God did not institute this system hoping that it would fix the problem. It was never meant to eradicate sin and God knew it was not able to. It was started in order to paint a clearer picture of just what it would take to remove sin.

The story picks up with Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt. They had been slaves in that country for generations. When Moses led them out through the power of God they were now a group of people (probably 1 million+) with no land and no governmental order. The first place God led them after leaving Egypt was Mt. Sinai. On that mountain we see a wedding ceremony of sorts. God gives the 10 Commandments to Moses to give to the people. The people pledge to serve God and obey his commands. In return, God promises to be their God and dwell in their presence.

This is how the events take place in Exodus:
-Chapters 20-23: God gives the 10 Commandments and other laws
-Chapter 24: The people pledge to obey the laws and serve God
-Chapters 25-31: Instructions for building the Tabernacle (the place God would live among the people)

Now, in all fairness, the Tabernacle is not the ideal set-up. It doesn't come close to the Garden of Eden. Then, Adam and Eve were able to relate to God face-to-face. Now, God dwells in an inner room in the Tabernacle that only the high priest can enter and only on one day a year after performing extensive purification rituals.

This is a far cry from the relationship Adam and Eve had in the Garden. BUT, it is a big first step toward that. Until then the people didn't have any of God's presence. Now at least they have something, even if it is closed off from the general population.

The purpose: to show the people the level of purity that was required to enter God's presence. The high priest had to perform many rituals and sacrifices in order to purify himself before entering God's presence. If it wasn't done properly, he would lose his life. Basically, humans can once again enter God's presence, but it must be after all their sin has been forgiven.

As you continue through the Bible you see that the people fail in their pledge to obey and serve God. God warns them constantly to repent of their ways and turn back to him. Eventually he brings punishment and his presence leaves the temple (See Ezekiel 10).

This system was never meant to be the solution. God wants a deeper relationship than only meeting with the high priest once a year. But, this system did show us a little more of what it would take to once again have that intimate relationship with God where we can be in his presence.

Next on the agenda: Jesus, the one who finally bridged the gap back to God's presence!

Failed Attempt #2 To Remove Sin

2010-03-15T09:39:00.002-04:00

Last week we talked about Noah and the flood and how that event was not meant to remove sin completely from the world. Rather, it was meant to help human beings begin to understand what it would take to remove sin.

This week we look at the attempt by humans to fix the relationship with God that was destroyed in the Garden of Eden with the onset of sin.

At the end of the flood God commanded Noah and his family in Genesis 9:1 to spread out over the earth and fill it. By Genesis 11:4 we can clearly see that not only does sin still exist, but humans are disobeying God and trying to restore his presence with him by their own means.

They attempt to do that by building a tower, or more closely to what we would call a ziggurat today. It was an attempt to provide a way for God to come down from heaven and dwell again among humans. The thinking was if God came down to them, things would again be as they were in Eden before sin entered the picture.

What's ironic is that God does come down to them, not to dwell with them, but because they weren't obeying the command he gave them in Genesis 9:1. Rather than spread out across the earth they were all living in one city and trying to build a great tower.

They didn't understand that they couldn't simply ignore sin and expect things to be like they were before. They didn't understand that the flood showed that sin must be removed completely in order to defeat it. They thought that if they wanted to have a relationship and that God wanted the same thing, it would magically happen.

But sin can't be ignore; it must be removed. Only then can God and humans again have that relationship that existed in Eden.

God foiled their attempt to disobey his command. He caused them to begin speaking many different languages. The people then naturally dispersed and fulfilled what they were commanded to do: fill the earth.

I see two things in the story that we should remember.
1. Humans show that they long to have a relationship with God. This is a good thing. Granted, they attempted to get that relationship in the wrong way, but at least the desire is there.

2. Sin cannot be ignored. Just because both God and humans want to have a relationship, that isn't enough. Sin absolutely has to be dealt with first.

Failed Attempt #1 To Remove Sin

2010-03-05T14:15:00.002-05:00

Last week we looked at creation and how sin came into the perfect world that God created. For the next 3 weeks we're going to study different events throughout history that did not fix the problem. This week: Noah and the flood.

I'm sure many of us know that story very well. If you need a refresher, it's found in Genesis 6:5-9:17.

As God looks over the world his heart is saddened by what he sees. He approaches a holy, righteous man named Noah and reveals that he's going to bring a flood over the whole earth. It is up to Noah to be obedient and build an ark so that humanity and animals are able to survive the approaching judgment. The passage seems to indicate that Noah is the most righteous person on earth. Basically, if you were to choose any one person and start over, that person would be Noah. It only seems logical that in order to remove sin from the world, God picks Noah and kills everyone else. Noah is obedient and he and his family, along with the animals, are spared from dieing in the flood.

As they exit the ark, it is tempting to think that the problem of sin has now been solved. In fact, 99.99% of sin in the world has been wiped out due to the flood. Now all that's left is the most righteous man alive and his family.

Yet as you continue reading in the Bible something stands out. Sin is still there! Even after the flood sin has not been defeated. It is easy to point a finger at God and say, "You failed." That, however, is viewing the flood in the wrong light. The flood was never meant to defeat sin. God knew that. The purpose of the flood was to show us as humans what it would take to defeat sin. Basically, even something as big as a flood over the whole earth killing all but 8 people cannot solve the problem. It's going to take something far bigger and far more drastic than that.

It really gives us some perspective on the sin in our lives. The measly little sin that didn't seem like a big deal cannot be defeated even by a flood destroying the whole earth.

It only took one little sin by Adam and Eve to set history down a path it was never meant to go. Getting rid of 99.99% of sin in the world won't fix the problem. What will? Sorry, that lesson isn't coming for a few weeks. Next week...man's attempt to restore the relationship with God that was present in the Garden of Eden.

How Life Was Meant To Be

2010-02-26T10:15:00.002-05:00

Everywhere in the world we can see the effects of sin. Hospitals are filled with people in physical pain. Jails house people who've broken laws that have been set forth. Courtrooms are never empty of people who've been wronged by someone else.

Is this really the life God intended for us? Couldn't he have created something much better than this? Well, he did!

Going all the way back to the beginning of the Bible, we see God that created the world exactly as he wanted it to be. After creation the universe had order, the earth had life, and humans had an absolutely perfect relationship with God.

Adam and Eve were blessed in a way that we can only imagine today. They actually had a relationship with God that was not hindered in any way by sin. Ok, at least initially they had that. The problem was they felt the need to sin against God's command and once sin entered the world, it was paradise no more.

As bad as it was for Eve to be told about pain in childbirth and Adam to be told about the ground producing weeds, the worst thing that happened was the severed relationship they had with God.

God used to walk with Adam and Eve in the Garden. They knew him intimately. They most likely saw his face (something Moses could only dream about: Exodus 33:19-23). It was life as it was supposed to be.

It seems only logical that God would simply destroy creation now that it was tainted by sin. Why not start all over again? One word: Love.

God loved Adam and Eve so much (and consequently, you and me too) that rather than give up on the relationship he desired with them, he would put history in motion so that eventually the problem of sin could be fixed.

The next 3 weeks in youth group we're going to study 3 things that DID NOT fix the problem: the flood, the tower of Babel, and the 10 commandments. Let me jump ahead a bit and say that God did not fail in his first attempts to fix this problem. Actually, the flood and law were never meant to eradicate sin. What was the point then?...you'll just have to tune in next week to find out. :)

What is love anyway?

2010-02-19T10:39:00.002-05:00

Due to snow we cancelled youth group last week, which meant that our lesson originally scheduled for before Valentine's Day was pushed back one week. So, without further delay...

There are some pretty bad examples of love in our world. All too often love is relegated to a feeling or emotion that comes and goes as quickly as the weather. But is that really what true love is? Thankfully, as we'll find out, no.

1 John 4:7-21 paints a beautiful and true picture of what real love looks like. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is often viewed as the love chapter, but I might start a petition to give 1 John 4 that recognition. Some powerful statements from those verses:
*God is love
*God loved us before we loved him
*God loves us so much he sent his Son to take the punishment for our sins
*God loves us so much that he lives within us
*God calls us to love everyone just as he loves everyone

This kind of love is what every person longs for. In fact, you can conclude from these verses that a person who hasn't been filled with God's love cannot possibly love others. It might look, smell, and sound like love, but it's nothing more than a cheap imitation. Only the kind of love that is displayed through Jesus hanging on the cross is true, genuine, unconditional love.

That being said, Christians are called to do something with that love. Once we've been filled we are to love others. This sounds like a nice thing to say, but the rubber really meets the road when we realize that includes loving those who are our 'enemies'.

In Luke 6:32-36 Jesus specifically tells us that Christians are to love their enemies. This is more than just refusing to lash out when we are provoked by someone. It is an active love that has a passion to see those enemies welcomed into the Kingdom of God. It requires swallowing our pride and sacrificing ourselves for another person (I think Jesus has some experience here).

I would sum it up in these 2 statements:
1. You cannot love other people if you yourself are not filled with this love from God.

2. We cannot call ourselves Christians if we don't love everyone around us.

Both of those statements are bold (literally) and might stir up some interesting discussion. I sometimes shutter at making concrete statements like these but as I've read God's word I see both of those being backed by Scripture. Love...real love...and not the cheap, stale, candy hearts kind, comes from God. And only when we've accepted and been filled with that love can we begin to spread that love to those around us.

Topic #18: Trusting in God

2010-02-17T16:01:00.004-05:00

Chapter 18 of the book is such an uplifting one. Nathan Busenitz, an associate pastor at Grace Community Church, does a wonderful job of bring to light the many verses in the Bible that speak so clearly to the character of God and why we can trust him. I will simply list verses that reveal God's character.

-Nehemiah 1:5 - Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands,

-Psalm 33:4 - For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

-Psalm 33:11 - But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

-Psalm 100:5 - For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

-Psalm 102:26-27 - They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.

-Psalm 147:5 - Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

-Proverbs 16:4 - The LORD works out everything for his own ends—even the wicked for a day of disaster.

-Isaiah 46:10 - I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.

-Daniel 9:14 - The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.

-Romans 9:17-18 - For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

-Romans 11:33-34 - Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"

-Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

-1 John 1:5 - This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

-1 John 4:16 - And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

Topic #17: When Bad Things Happen To GOD'S People

2010-02-16T15:09:00.002-05:00

Chapter 17 in the book focuses on a topic that many Christians have wrestled with through the years. A person can do his or her best to worship God, follow his commands, and love his or her neighbors, and yet something bad still arises. How can this be? Irv Busenitz, a professor at The Master's Seminary, does a great job of tackling this topic by looking at the book of Habakkuk.

First off, if you'll notice in the title, it says: "When bad things happen to GOD's people," not good people. It's basically pointless to talk about why bad things happen to good people because no one in the world is good. We are all born in sin at birth and have all sinned in this life, meaning we come up short of the standard God has set for us (Romans 3:23). We all deserve to experience pain and punishment, so it should be no surprise when we do.

However...what about God's people? What about those who've been set free from the power of sin and death and as a result live their lives to honor and glorify God? Why do bad things happen to those people?

If you read through Habakkuk (try it, it's only 3 chapters long), Habakkuk first asks God why nothing is happening to deter the people of Israel from their life of sin. God responds by telling Habakkuk he is doing something, sending the Babylonians to bring punishment to Israel. After hearing this, Habakkuk asks God why he's bring the Babylonians. God responds that he is in control of Babylon and that Babylon will in time experience the judgment they deserve as well.

The bottom line is (and most people hate this answer): God is God and we are not. Only he is omniscient. Only he knows everything there is to know. Only he knows what will happen in our lives as a result of the hardships we face.

And let's be honest. Would you be as close to God as you are right now if it weren't for the tough times in your life that drove you to your knees? Would you know firsthand the faithfulness of God is you didn't have to rely on him during painful times? Would you be as quick to praise him during the good times if you hadn't struggled with praising him during the bad times?

Bad things in the world are a direct result of sin saturating creation. But praise God that he is able to use a fallen world to draw us closer to himself! And praise God that one day we'll be able to spend eternity with him apart from 'bad' things happening to us!

Topic #16: Pain and Suffering

2010-02-07T13:46:00.001-05:00

Rick Holland, executive pastor at Grace Community Church, covers a topic in chapter 16 that the Bible promises we will all experience in this life: pain and suffering.

James 1:2 "Consider if pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds."

It is inevitable. We live in a sin-filled world where evil and suffering are the consequences for rebellion against God.

Just thinking about a time in our life when we experienced suffering can bring up many emotions inside. We may be fearful about what the future will hold. We might be angry about what we're going through.

Let's look at both of those emotions from a Biblical perspective.

We tend to become fearful when we lose something in life (a loved one, security, money). Our fear comes when we begin to think about our future. But a Christian ought to take comfort in knowing God is sufficient. According to Romans 8:38-39 nothing can separate us from the love of God. That means that no matter what we go through, God's love will never fade, run out, or be stolen from us. When we rest in that fact we can let go of the future and consequently place our fears about the future into his hands.

We experience anger during suffering when we lose trust in God and question his actions. When we angrily ask 'why', we are doubting God's actions in our life. All of this flows out of a default perception that we don't deserve pain and suffering in this life. But the fact is, we do. In fact, we ought to be asking God why we don't experience pain and suffering every moment of our lives! God in his mercy makes our time in a sin-filled world bearable and at times enjoyable. When we feel anger welling up inside due to suffering we ought to remember God's mercy and thank him that we do not get every ounce of pain we deserve.

I say none of these things to heap guilt upon anyone for the pain they might currently feel. I write these things to give us hope! As Christians, no matter what we go through in this life, God will always love us and heaven will always be on the horizon!

I'll end with a great quote from Randy Alcorn in his book, Heaven.

"For Christians, this present life is the closest they will come to hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to heaven."

If that doesn't put things into perspective...

Jesus can do what through me?!?

2010-02-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

All through the Bible you can read stories of God doing some pretty crazy things through people (parting the Red Sea, defeating entire armies, walking on water). I think the temptation is to place those people up on a pedestal and marvel at what happened in their life. But the God they served then is the same God I serve now. I am a human just like them. Why can't God do that in my life?

He can!

We spent our time Wednesday night looking at the story in Mark 6:30-44 where Jesus fed the 5,000 people. Some notes from the story:

*The disciples had just returned from going out in pairs. On their trip they did some pretty amazing things through the power of Jesus.

*They returned to Jesus, were debriefing, and hadn't eaten yet.

*They all left in a boat to get some privacy. The people followed. Jesus taught them.

*At suppertime the disciples wanted the people sent home so they could eat (remember they were still hungry).

*Jesus told them to give up their little bit of food to feed the crowd (remember they were still hungry).

*Jesus blessed their meager amount of food and asked the disciples to pass it out (remember they were still hungry).

*Only when the disciples obeyed Jesus did the miracle take place. If they had been selfish with their food, this miracle would cease to exist.

*The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover food (remember they were still hungry). How cool is that?!

Some thoughts to help apply this to ourselves today:
-What is my 'bread and fish' that Jesus is asking to use?
-Am I willing to be selfless when it's hard (ex. when I'm hungry and Jesus wants my supper)?
-Am I being fully obedient when Jesus asks me to do something? If not, am I missing out on a moment like the one the disciples experienced?

I think Ephesians 3:20-21 sums it up best: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Does God want to do something "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine"? Are you willing to be obedient in order to find out?

Topic #15: Illegal Immigration

2010-02-04T13:30:00.002-05:00

I must be honest and say that the topic of this chapter is not one I've had to deal with very much. This boggles me because I can't understand why thousands of people don't flock from all across the world to move to Vincennes! :)

Before I begin discussing this topic, I refer us back to my previous posts about being obedient to our government and racism.

Now that we've got that settled, it is important for churches in our country to view this as a spiritual issue more than a political issue. Let's let government sort out the politics; that's what they do best (well...nevermind, I won't go there). We ought to focus on the soul; that's what we do best.

When someone living in America illegally comes to our church and professes to be a Christian, we need to encourage them to view their situation Biblically. The Bible clearly states we are to submit to our government (Romans 13:1-7). Going against this is a sin and ought to be treated as such. A Christian living in our country illegally needs to repent of their sin and work to make it right so they no longer continue in that sin. As a church, we need to help them in this process.

I also want to mention employment of illegal immigrants by Christian business owners. Every effort needs to be made to obey the laws of the government (I'm sounding like a broken record). Some people may lie about their immigration status. When their status comes to light we need to treat them respectfully, yet still take the necessary measures to uphold the law.

Through it all we must not forget that any illegal immigrant who comes to our church or business is still a person. They still need the saving blood of Jesus to cover their sins. We must never forget that.

Topic #14: Racism

2010-02-02T11:50:00.002-05:00

This chapter in the book, covered by Mark Tatlock, senior vice-president of The Master's College, covers a topic that has plagued every nation throughout history. Racism at its core comes from a sinful desire to gain power and control. It is a direct result of the fall in Genesis 3 and will eventually be completely eradicated in heaven as all Christians from every race and generation worship God together.

At first glance, it may seem that God himself is racist when reading through the Old Testament. God often commands Israel not to intermarry or make covenants with other nations. However, this does not come from any one people group being superior over the other. The command not to intermarry was given so that Israel would not be prone to the idol worship that saturated those other nations (Exodus 19:3-6). In fact, God created only one race, the human race, and places his own image in each person.

What I want to touch on is how the church today ought to handle this topic. The church in America faces a unique situation in that we worship in one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. We are not to discriminate based on ethnicity. We are to accept every ethnicity into our congregations. we are to love people from each ethnicity with God's love.

That being said, we must distinguish between a person's race and faith system. Certain races are known for holding to certain beliefs (such as the prevalence of Islam in Arab countries). We must accept each person regardless of how they look, but we should not agree to automatically affirm their faith. Too often those two things are grouped together. We must understand that a person cannot choose their physical racial features. But that person can choose what faith they hold to. (Even in countries where certain religions are persecuted, the people still have a decision. The decision is more difficult to make, but it's a decision nonetheless.)

The bottom line is this: The way a person looks, the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and the way they talk is no reason to attempt to exercise superiority or control over them. As Christians we must treat everyone as equal in God's sight while not affirming any system of belief that isn't Biblically sound.

A great example is found in John chapter 4. Jesus did not discriminate against a Samaritan woman. Instead he showed her love while firmly holding to the truth. As a result she came away not feeling discriminated against, but loved.

Service Night #3

2010-01-29T14:52:00.002-05:00

We switched things up a bit for our service project this month. We practiced serving others without even leaving the church. I went to the Free Methodist World Mission website and printed off bio sheets for over 40 missionaries. I placed the sheets all over the gym and put 2-3 tea light candles beside each one. We then spent 30 minutes praying for the different missionaries. After each student finished praying for a specific missionary/family they took a tea light to a lit candle in the center of the gym. They lit their tea light and placed it beside the sheet of the missionary they just prayed for. By the end of the evening we had the gym all lit up with over 100 tea lights signifying the prayers lifted up on behalf of the missionaries.

It was an awesome picture of something we can do to serve others without traveling many miles to do it.

Topic #13: Global Warming (Minus Al Gore)

2010-01-26T15:40:00.002-05:00

Continuing on in the book, chapter 13 deals with the environment and global warming. This chapter is not written by a single author, but is representative of the general stance of Grace Community Church.

Global warming is a topic we cannot get away from. We hear something about it probably at least once a week. Many would lead us to believe our global temperature is on the rise. But what does God have to say about the earth and how it's to be used? Does the Bible give any clear direction about environmentalism?

A great place to start is, well, the beginning of the Bible. Genesis chapters 1 and 2 describe the creation of our planet and also tell of God's commands to Adam regarding all of creation. God commanded Adam to rule the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28; Genesis 2:15). This wouldn't have been such a tough task if sin hadn't entered the world in chapter 3. As it is man is forced to work a ground that produces weeds and subdue and care for animals that are scared of him. The earth will never return to it's pre-sin state until God destroys it and creates a new one (Revelation 20:9).

But how are we to treat the earth in the meantime? We must first understand that the earth was created for man, not man for the earth (Genesis 8:21-9:3). This isn't a license to waste the earth's resources. But it also means that God cares more for humans than he does for the earth. It was not the earth that was given the image of God; it was man and woman.

Here is how I picture it: Imagine giving your child (Billy) a brand new pair of shoes for Christmas. You've spent many hours looking for just the right pair and are so excited to see Billy open them Christmas morning. Your desire is that Billy enjoy the shoes and use them for his pleasure. Now, of course you don't want Billy to leave those shoes outside in the rain or purposefully tear the sole from the shoes. But you also don't expect Billy to keep the shoes perfect, just like they were when you bought them from the store. You expect them to have grass stains, dirt on the bottom, and possibly a broken shoelace. You bought the shoes for Billy knowing full well that in a matter of months you'll probably have to replace them.

In many ways the earth is our shoes. God is proud of his creation. Yet, he created earth for us. We are to enjoy it. We are to use it. We are not to waste it. We are to look forward to the day when God will create a new earth for his people to enjoy. An earth free from sin. An earth that will last for eternity.

A few thoughts about global warming:
-What would Al Gore think of the eternal fire that burned on the altar in the tabernacle/temple?
-What would an environmentalist think about God destroying the earth by fire in Revelation 20:9 (talk about global warming!)

Bottom line: Are you more concerned with setting the recycle out than telling your neighbor about the good news of Jesus? Do gas guzzling SUVs make you more upset than the abused child? We must make sure our priorities in life don't turn away from where they should be: the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)

Inviting Someone To Church

2010-01-22T10:40:00.003-05:00

This week in youth group we talked a little more about the passage in Matthew 9:9-13 where Jesus interacts with Matthew the tax collector. Last week we discussed how Jesus loved everyone. This week we looked at the 'follow me' question Jesus asked Matthew.

Now, Jesus didn't invite Matthew to church because, well, for all practical purposes Jesus was church. When someone new comes to church or youth group our hope is that they will begin to follow Jesus with his or her life. So the two invitations are the same even if the words are different.

It can be so hard at times to invite someone to come to church with us. I know when I was in school this was definitely something I struggled with. I'm sure we've all wondered to ourselves why it can be such a challenge for us to do something as simple as inviting a person to church.

We should know that we aren't the only ones involved in the battle. Satan would love nothing more than to see us not invite someone to church. As a result he'll throw every excuse at us to deter our efforts. That being said, the God that we serve controls Satan and binds him at will. Maybe we should spend some time in prayer before we approach that person and ask God to give us the courage and strength we need to overcome Satan's own efforts.

I read either a book or an article once that told about a survey (and I'm upset I can't find it now). This survey was taken by people who were currently in church, but had not been Christians all their life (basically they started coming to church on their own decision, not that of their parents or anyone else). They were asked why they started coming to church. The top answer had nothing to do with the music, the pastor, or the style of service. The number one reason the respondents began going to church was because someone asked them to go. Simple as that. Makes perfect sense really.

How many people in our lives are not currently coming to church simply because we haven't asked them? There are people all around us who will spend eternity separated from God in hell if their present course remains unchanged. Do you love them enough to do something about it? Will you put yourself out there and invite them to church this week?

I found a funny video about inviting a person to church. It can be viewed here.

Topic #12: Money, Money, Money

2010-01-20T15:37:00.003-05:00

You may have heard it said before that in the Bible Jesus talked more about money than he did about heaven and hell. Jonathan Rourke, a pastor at Grace Community Church, writes chapter 12 of the book.

Some groundwork needs to be laid before we can talk about how Christians ought to handle money. First, we must recognize that all money is owned and controlled by God (Psalm 50:10-12). We might earn money through jobs that utilize our talents and time, but even those are gifts from God (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

Second, money in and of itself is not evil. It is also not evil to possess or lack money. Jesus says that the poor will always be with us (Mark 14:7). That makes sense if you think about it because being poor simply means the amount of money you possess is being compared to those who have lots of money. A millionaire might be poor in the future if the average net worth of a person were to be $100 million.

In many ways money does not come from spiritual maturity, but instead reveals spiritual maturity. Having different amounts of money reveals to ourselves and others whether we serve God or money (Matthew 6:24). Those who serve God willfully give their money back to him. Those who serve money hoard it all for themselves.

The author sets three key concepts Christians need to know about God and money.
1. We are to be a faithful worker.
Being a faithful worker allows us to not be dependent upon other people (1 Thessalonians 4:12). Proverbs is full of verses exhorting Christians to work hard (Proverbs 28:19-20 for example).

2. We are to be a careful planner.
Our world is full of 'get rich quick' schemes and investment opportunities promising to be 'sure things'. We are also bombarded with credit card offers promising to allow us to buy things we cannot afford at the present moment. Both show a lack of concern and planning for the future. Investing money and using credit cards is not a sin. However, we must be careful that we are not reckless with the monetary blessings God has given us.

3. We are to be generous givers.
This is always a hard thing for a pastor to talk about, mainly because too many people assume we encourage people to give so that we can get a raise. I cannot tell you how false that is. My desire in talking about generous giving comes from my passion to see people experiencing the blessings of God in every area of their lives. Giving to God's work in this lifetime helps ensure money will not control us (Matthew 6:24). It also allows us to experience great rewards in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).

This is an area that the church today largely struggles with. It saddens me to think of the work not being done due to the lack of generosity from its members (due to poor planning or greed). As I talk to other pastors and hear of their budget struggles I can't help but think of the stress being caused due to poor giving.

Do you view yourself as a steward of money that belongs to God? If not, read through the Bible to see what it says about money. If so, are you spending the money in ways that the owner would approve?

Topic #11: Christians and the government

2010-01-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

This chapter of the book is written by John MacArthur himself. He tackles a topic that pervades so much of what happens around us today: government. I have never been a person who has been extremely involved in government. I vote on election day and try to stay educated on the things in the news, but beyond that I genearlly abstain from involvement. I've always felt a little bit of guilt about that...but this chapter made me wonder why I felt that guilt.

As Christians our first calling is not to our government. Our first calling is found in Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

We are commissioned as Christians to make disciples. That is our priority as believers in Jesus. Government is not going to change the world. An army of Christians living out the 2 previous verses will.

We also need to remember that God is in control. No matter who is in the White House or the mayor's office or on the school board, God is over them all (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

Really, God only commands us to do two things in regard to government: submit (Romans 13:1) and pay taxes (Romans 13:7). It is my full belief that if we as Christians would live how God calls us to live, our government would struggle to find things to keep it busy. There would be little need for welfare if we took our job seriously to give to the poor (Luke 18:22). Our prisons would sit mostly empty if we took our job seriously to teach the fear of the Lord to all our children (Psalm 34:11).

All that being said...we live in a fallen world that will never operate as it was intended until Christ returns. What are we to do? We should pray for those in government. Pray for their salvation and that their decisions will allow us to worship God as we are called to do without hindrance.

It's not evil or sinful to be involved in the government on any level. However, for those involved there is a very real danger that their position in the government will begin to take precedence over their position in Christ. For those of us who aren't in government, there is a very real danger that our discussions will center more on politics than it will on the gospel.

I'll sum it up this way. As Christians the things we see happening in the world ought to cause something to stir within us. We should be stirred to see change happen in the lives of people all over the globe. But as Christians our first response should not be to try to change things through governmental action. Our first response should be to pray to God and seek to love the world without limit. Only when God's people go make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey God's word will our world be impacted as we desire it to be.

Topic #10.3: Capital Punishment

2010-01-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

And now...part 3 of this chapter regarding the unnatural ending of human life: capital punishment.

First, some Biblical facts about capital punishment: It was instituted by God (Genesis 9:6), upheld by Christ (Matthew 26:52), and further upheld by Paul (Acts 25:11). In the Old Testament the death penalty was instituted for crimes such as murder, witchcraft, false prophecy, homosexuality, blasphemy, rape, and idolatry. The purpose of the death penalty was twofold: 1) to bring retribution to the guilty and 2) as a warning to others about the penalty of certain crimes.

The argument is often made that the death penalty was part of the Mosaic code of the Old Testament and that since we are no longer under that code we should no longer exercise the death penalty. But deeper examination shows that in Genesis 9:6 when God first speaks of capital punishment, the Mosaic code had not yet been given. The principle transcends the laws of the Old Testament.

In today's world Romans 13:1-4 guides us in our understanding of government enforced capital punishment. Governments are under God's control and are his agents in the world. He has given those governments authority and part of their authority is to carry out punishment in regard to what God has instituted (verse 2). In Genesis 9:6 God instituted the death penalty for those guilty of murder. God values life very much and the taking of another person's life is a serious offense, punishable by death according to God.

As individuals we are not to carry out the job of the government. Our job is to submit to the government (Romans 13:1) and to forgive those who hurt us (Matthew 5:38-45). I can already hear the arguments, "But Aaron, the government is composed of individuals." True, but as agents of the government some individuals are to carry out the government's work when called to do so. And, as individuals themselves even they are called to submit (no one, not even the President is above the laws of the government).

Capital punishment does not prove God to be a ruthless killer who holds no value for life. Quite the opposite. Capital punishment as a penalty for murder shows just how much God values life and how far he will go to protect those who possess that life.

Jesus did what?!? (Part 2)

2010-01-14T10:53:00.002-05:00

Again in youth group we read a story about a shocking thing that Jesus did. In Matthew 9:9-13 Jesus goes up to Matthew, a tax collector, and asks Matthew to follow him. The shocking thing is that tax collectors were not thought of highly in that society. They were often thought of as thieves for collecting more money and pocketing the profit for themselves. And I'm sure society saw them that way for a reason, they probably did profit from their position.

But all that being said, Jesus still asked Matthew to follow him. And not only that, Jesus and his disciples went to his house for dinner when they were invited. This was an absolute no-no from the Pharisees' perspective. To eat a meal with someone conveyed friendship and acceptance. Pharisees would not have been caught dead conversing with a tax collector, much less eating with one.

When they question Jesus about his actions, Jesus gives two great responses.
1. Jesus tells them that he's come not for the healthy, but for the sick. Basically he's come to offer love and forgiveness to those in need of a Savior (which oddly enough, included the Pharisees as well)
2. Jesus then tells the Pharisees to go figure out the meaning of a specific Scripture passage, 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' (NLT) What Jesus was after was not a person's outward appearance. He was after their inner heart. He cared more about how the Pharisees viewed their neighbors than how they viewed themselves.

As I read through this story in the Bible I decided to write a friend from high school to ask him how he viewed Christians during his days in school. (He became a Christian a year or so after we graduated.) His response was quite shocking to me. It really opened my eyes to how myself and others may have come across to our peers. I read the email at youth group and it sparked some good discussion about how we treat different people at school and also about how we are perceived by others (whether those perceptions are true or not).

The bottom line is that we are called by God to love everyone. There will be people who are different than we are. But that doesn't mean we're given an excuse not to show them love. Jesus spent time with people who were very different than he was. The difference in his life was that he sought them out and then did everything he could to show them the love of God through his life. Are we doing the same?

Topic #10.2: Suicide

2010-01-13T12:33:00.000-05:00

I touched briefly on this topic in my last post about euthanasia. However, there are a couple facts about suicide that Christians ought to be clear on:

1. Suicide is prohibited in the Bible. It is prohibited because it is the murder of one's self (Exodus 20:13).

2. Suicide is not the unpardonable sin. That sin is reserved for the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:30-32). What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? Basically it is the hardening of one's heart and willful rejection of God to the point that repentance is not possible. It's not that God can't forgive that specific sin because he isn't strong enough or loving enough or something along those lines. He can't forgive that sin because in order for someone to get there they must be completely unwilling to ask for forgiveness. Basically it's more of a logical thing. God can't forgive them because they won't allow God to forgive them by asking for forgiveness. And, nowhere in this passage is suicide mentioned.

Thus, God can forgive those who've committed suicide (Colossians 2:13-14). However, a Christian whose life is submitted to God's power and authority should not consider suicide an option. While it is possible for a true believer to commit suicide, it is and should be viewed as uncommon.

Christians who have suicidal thoughts need to understand what leads to those thoughts. Feelings of depression and hopelessness are often underlying causes of attempted suicide. While depression can be helped with medicine, Christians ought to examine themselves to find out if those feeling of depression or hopelessness are stemming from an incorrect understanding of who God is and how He works in the world. Medicine will never cure the emptiness that results from a person not experiencing the presence of God as they were created to do.

My prayer is that anyone considering suicide would know that God is in control (Matthew 6:25-34), he has a plan (Romans 8:28), and he longs for you to experience endurance and joy in this life (James 1:2-3).

Topic #10.1: Euthanasia

2010-01-12T14:42:00.003-05:00

Chapter 10 in the book is entitled: A Right to Die and A Right To Kill. It covers the topics of euthanasia, suicide, and capital punishment. While these three things are related to each other, I will cover each with it's own post. (This chapter in the book shows the general stance of John MacArthur's church.)

The definition of euthanasia, according to the book is: a deliberate medical act or omission taken by oneself, one's doctor, or a third party for the intent purpose of causing one's death, and successfully causing that death.

That being said, there are some distinctions that need to be made.

Active euthanasia involves proactive steps to cause a death. In this instance action is taken to end one's life in a way that is not brought on by illness or injury. (Example: being injected with a substance that would end a person's life)

Passive euthanasia involves the withholding of available medical treatment that would clearly enable a person to live a significantly longer life than if the treatment were withheld. (Example: a person who is diabetic deliberately not taking insulin shots and dieing as a result)

Letting die involves the withholding of life-sustaining medicine or technology from a patient whose death is imminent even with treatment. (Example: taking a loved one off of a life-support machine who is not able to survive without it)

Now that we've got the specific terms down...what does the Bible say on the subject?

The Bible tells us that each of us faces a forthcoming physical death (thanks Adam). And while our death is approaching, only God knows the time and place. Life is a gift from God that we are to appreciate and use to worship His glory.

Death via murder is prohibited by Scripture (Exodus 20:13) and because suicide is murder of oneself, suicide is prohibited as well. Euthanasia differs from suicide only in that it is a medical act. Thus, ending ones life (via medical means or not) before the time appointed by God is prohibited by Scripture. When looking at letting die we must understand that it is different from passive euthanasia. Letting die applies to a person whose death is immanent even with treatment. The book says it perfectly: "Whereas (Passive Euthanasia) seeks to cause a person's death, (Letting die) seeks to 'enhance' the well-being of the patient by avoiding the prolongation of the dying process." As a result I (Aaron) hold to the stance that letting die is acceptable when that person's death is both immanent and inevitable.

Dr. Keith Essex provides four excellent biblical guidelines regarding death:

1. Death is inevitable (Ecclesiastes 3:2)
2. Death is an enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26)
3. Dying is a process (Hebrews 11:21-22)
4. Suffering is a part of the present earthly life and death (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Our life is a gift from God. He has given us this gift and he has a plan for us. The ultimate selfish act we can perform is to take control of our own life and decide when it is finished. Euthanasia is not the way to die well. The way to die well is to have lived a life fully surrendered to the God and to one day stand before Jesus and hear, "Well done good and faithful servant!"

Jesus did what?!? (Part 1)

2010-01-08T15:07:00.002-05:00

As we dove back into youth group following Christmas break, we started by looking at a story about Jesus that is often talked about, but I'm not sure it's really thought about much.

In John 2:13-17 we see a side of Jesus that might shock some people. When words are used to describe Jesus they are often words such as: loving, peaceful, forgiving, powerful, or teacher.

But what about the word angry?

It's not that Jesus walked around 24/7 with a scowl on his face, but do we often think about things that make Jesus mad? And deeper yet, do we think about the fact that Jesus did get mad?

In John chapter 2 as Jesus came into Jerusalem for the Passover celebration he saw something that sparked his anger. Inside the temple people were selling animals and exchanging money. It's not that these things shouldn't have been happening. People needed lambs to sacrifice during the celebration and they needed the correct money to buy those lambs. But the fact that this was all taking place in the temple stirred his anger.

I'd say what truly made Jesus angry was probably what wasn't happening...worship. Because people set up shop in the outer courts of the temple, the Gentiles who came to Jerusalem to worship had no place to go. The Jews could enter the inner courts and get away from the temporary marketplace. But the Gentiles had nowhere to go. Their place for worship was completely overrun.

That is why Jesus got upset. That is why he made a whip. That is why he flipped tables. That is why he drove the merchants out of the temple.

Did Jesus sin here? Only if it's a sin to get angry when people aren't allowed to worship the God they love. So, no, he didn't sin. The whip peaks my interest though. The Bible says nothing about him hitting people with the whip or even snapping the whip once. I'm not sure why he made it, but I think it'd be very interesting to have been there to observe this event.

As I get off track I'll end with this thought: Jesus showed his anger because worship was being hindered. So we must ask ourselves, "Is there anything in my life that hinders worship, either my worship or the worship of others? Is there anything in my church that hinders worship?" If so, what can we do to make sure those hindrances are removed? And remember, Jesus took pretty radical measures himself to remove the hindrances.

Topic #9: Homosexuality

2010-01-06T15:14:00.002-05:00

This chapter of the book is another very sticky topic in today's culture (as many of these posts have seemed to be). John Street, an elder at Grace Community Church, authors this chapter.

I am not going to dive into the psychology behind homosexuality in this post. I am not qualified to make such statements and thus will refrain from doing so. Instead I will focus on how Christians and the church are to treat gays and lesbians.

There are two extremes that need to be avoided. Some churches refrain from ministering or associating with anyone who proclaims to be a homosexual. Other churches open their arms and accept them into the fellowship no questions asked. Both extremes are incorrect from a Biblical standpoint.

First, let me say that no person who is a homosexual with no desire to change their lifestyle can be considered a Christian. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 makes this very clear. Those who truly are Christians by definition are followers of Christ who seek to honor God with their body (1 Corinthians 6:20). If this seems harsh I encourage you to examine 1 Corinthians 6 for yourselves to see God's teaching on the subject.

In light of the above verses, here is how the church ought to respond: with the love and truth of the gospel. Every effort should be made to treat a homosexual as we would any other person who has not been saved.

When a person who is a homosexual expresses a genuine desire to be cleansed with Christ's blood, the desires and temptations will most likely still remain with the person (as any alcoholic, pathological liar, or person addicted to pornography can attest to). A daily sacrifice of those desires over to God must be made. That being said...here are 5 good principles taken from the chapter for discipling someone tempted by homosexuality.

1. Identity must be formed 'in Christ'. (Romans 8:1; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 3:1; Philippians 1:1; 2 Timothy 1:1)

2. Confession must include the condition as well as the behavior of homosexuality. (1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 7:9; Jeremiah 17:10)

3. Repentance must involve a complete renunciation of homosexual sin. (Psalm 19:13 Psalm 119:133; Romans 6:12-13)

4. God's original model for sexuality must be taught. (Genesis 18:20-21; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Kings 14:24; 1 Kings 15:12; 1 Kings 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7; Romans 1:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:8-11)

5. Sexual relationships must be viewed as a matter of worship. (Ephesians 5:3)

As a church we ought to make sure we do 2 things: (1) We must teach what the Bible teaches about homosexuality and (2) we must love as Jesus loved while still calling people to leave their life of sin (John 8:11).

Topic #8: Birth Control and In Vitro

2009-12-31T15:06:00.003-05:00

This is a topic that hits close to home with me. My wife and I do want to have children, but we currently use birth control to keep that from happening at this immediate moment. What does the Bible teach about birth control? What about conception in an 'unnatural' way (in vitro and surrogacy)? This chapter in the book is taken from material assembled by the staff at Grace Community Church.

The Bible is clear that a purpose of marriage is procreation (Genesis 1:27). Psalm 127:3-5 also states that it is a blessing to have many children. But the Bible does not specifically say whether or not a married man and woman can take measures to help determine when they will conceive children.

At its core, birth control is a means to delay pregnancy in order that a married couple can still enjoy the pleasures of sex within the marriage bed. Both children and sex are meant to glorify God. 1 Corinthians 7:5 does forbid a married couple from withholding sex from each other for an extended period of time, so that method is out as a form of birth control. A very common form of birth control, and often the most controversial in Christian circles, is 'the pill'. I will not go into detail in this post about how the pill works. For a more detailed description, visit this link here. In a nutshell, any Biblical hesitation regarding the pill would arise regarding whether the pill can kill an embryo after conception has taken place. As I read through the chapter and took in all the medical descriptions, there is no clear data that says the pill can potentially kill a fertilized egg. Again, if you want a more full description of how the pill works, visit here.

The technological advances that have taken place allow doctors to fertilize a woman's egg with a man's sperm outside of the act of sexual intercourse. While I believe there is nothing wrong with this action, the results of this action can lead to sin, namely murder. (If you haven't read my last post on abortion here, this would be a good time to do so as fertilizing eggs leads to the creation of embryos).

A common practice in in vitro fertilization is the creation of multiple embryos to be implanted in the woman's uterus a some point in the future. Often extra embryos are created. These embryos are then usually frozen for long periods of time or are even 'discarded' when the married couple no longer needs them. What we as Christians need to realize is that this embryo is as much a human being in a glass petri dish as it is inside of a mother's womb. To destroy that embryo is no different than what takes place during an abortion. Both are human beings and both situations should be considered murder.

Here are a couple good guidelines for Christians seeking to have children through the means of in vitro fertilization:
*It should not be an option for singles attempting to have children. Children were meant to be raised in a family consisting of a mother and a father within a marriage.
*It should not be an option for couples who are not married. Again, children were meant to be raised in a family consisting of a mother and a father with a marriage.
*Every embryo that is created from the mother's egg and father's sperm should be eventually implanted in the mother's womb.
*Only a healthy number of fetuses (three at most, but preferably two) should be implanted at once in a mother's womb. Any more than this often results in the death of some of the embryos.
*It is advisable to store a woman's egg and a husband's sperm separately if needed due to an upcoming medical procedure (such as radiation or chemotherapy). See the above points as to why this is advisable.

In regard to surrogacy, again, the Bible does not specifically address this issue as right or wrong. However, when a third party was involved in Scripture, it did not work out in an ideal manner. See Genesis 16 for an example. The ideal way to go for married couples unable to have children via natural method or in vitro fertilization is adoption. What better way to fulfill the command in James 1:27 to look after orphans than by adopting them into a God-loving household?

Topic # 7: Abortion

2009-12-29T23:21:00.001-05:00

Abortion permeates our culture today. It is estimated that as of 2008 some 45 million abortions have taken place in the United States since Roe v. Wade. 45 million babies! 45 million people would be nearly equivalent to Spain the 28th largest country in the world.

While the term 'abortion' does not occur in the Bible, God's Word is still very clear on the subject when you examine it's teachings on unborn children. Bill Shannon, a pastor at Grace Community Church, does a wonderful job in the book of compiling these verses. Here is a sample of what the Bible says about unborn babies:

*Job 10:8-12 shows that unborn babies possess human qualities
*Jeremiah 1:4-5 shows that God can work in the lives of humans before they are born
*Luke 1:41-45 shows that the unborn John the Baptist lept with joy, a human emotion, in the womb of his mother
*Psalm 51:5 even points to the fact that we are sinful beings not from birth, but from conception

There are even points in the Bible when both children and unborn infants are referred to in the same way. In the New Testament the author Luke used the same Greek work to describe an unborn baby in Luke 1:41, 44 as he used to describe a child in Acts 7:19.

The Bible makes it clear that from the moment of conception the fetus possesses human qualities and should be treated as such. Any taking of an innocent life equates to murder (Exodus 20:13).

As a church I think we know that we are to oppose abortion, but I think we lack in our understanding of how to lovingly handle the situation. Too often we forget that there are real human beings involved in the process. When we speak out against the process we too often speak out against the pregnant mothers as well. As a church we must be firm in our stance and yet provide a safe place for pregnant mothers to come when faced with the decision of abortion. Mothers who have an abortion often want to be empowered to make decisions regarding their own lives. As a church we should give them that power to make an informed decision about the tiny life growing inside of them. We ought to come beside Biblically-based organizations that seek to be a safe place for pregnant mothers. We ought to offer hope and forgiveness for mothers who have gone through an abortion.

God loves all humans: the unborn, the scared, the helpless. As the church we must never forget that and strive to love everyone with the love of God.

Topic #6: Divorce and Remarriage

2009-12-26T10:05:00.002-05:00

This is a topic that is very tempting to skip over. I'm sure every person who reads this post has been touched by divorce in some way or another. Teaching the Biblical stance on divorce can be a very touchy subject because of the many emotions involved. This chapter of the book was adapted from a booklet Grace Community Church put together about divorce and remarriage.

The first thing we must know is that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:14-16), just like God hates lying, stealing, and any other sin. Divorce only exists because of sin within human beings. So naturally, removing sin would equate to the removal of divorce as well.

Marriage was meant to be permanent (Genesis 2:24). Divorce is allowed Biblically only on two grounds. The first is due to sexual sin and the second is when a believing person is basically deserted by his/her unbelieving spouse. Even in these two circumstances divorce is to be the last option.

It can be tricky to discern where domestic abuse falls into this discussion (especially between professing Christians). Under no circumstance should a man or woman remain in a relationship that places his or her life in danger. If the abusive spouse consistently acts in this manner and refuses to change, he or she is to be treated as an unbeliever (see Matthew 18:15-17). An unbeliever who continually abuses his or her spouse has basically deserted his or her spouse, so wouldn't the grounds for Biblically allowed divorce come into play?

Here is where it gets sticky for me: remarriage when dealing with divorcees. The Bible seems to be quite clear that anyone who divorces for a reason other than Biblical grounds commits adultery when marrying another person (Mark 10:11-12). Paul even says that such a person ought to stay unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:10-11).

Now, it's not that God cannot work through a marriage formed under the circumstances mentioned above. God works through me and I am a sinner through and through. But what God desires is clearly mentioned. The ideal situation would be for the divorced parties to repent and eventually be reconciled to each other.

We need to look no further than God himself to see a picture of this. Many times in the Bible marriage is shown to represent God's relationship with humans. In the Old Testament God entered into a covenant relationship with the Israelites. However, they broke that covenant by committing adultery with other gods (Jeremiah 3:6-9). They were then divorced (exiled) for a time. The purpose of that exile was not to be lasting. They were sent into exile so that they might realize their sins, repent of them, and return to God in order to be fully restored. During that time God did not enter into a new covenant with another nation. He waited until the time arose for them to be reconciled back to each other.

We would do well in today's world to treat marriage, divorce, and remarriage in a Biblical manner.

Topic #5: Idols in America

2009-12-23T15:05:00.003-05:00

It is probably safe to say that there are things about ourselves that we wish we a little different. And in the world we live in today it is extremely easy to find someone who possesses a little of what we desire. The temptation, though, is to place those people on a pedestal. In chapter 5 of the book Tom Patton, another pastor at Grace Community Church, tells about the problem of idol worship in our country.

It's easy to read the first few commandments and assure ourselves that there are no images of gold or silver set up in our houses that we worship. But do we ever place other people in a place where we worship them? Or do we possibly set ourselves up in that place of worship?

What used to be the American dream has changed just a bit. It used to be that the American dream involved a loving family, big house, new car, and the best job possible. Now fame has been added to that dream. It is everyone's desire to have at least a few minutes of fame.

Look at the fads on the Internet today. Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, and even this blog of mine can very easily be all about me trying to make myself more well known. Basically if I'm living the American dream, but nobody knows about it, it is then a waste of time. It seems that we have grown tired of trying to emulate others who've failed us time and time again. In response we place ourselves 'out there' in a way that hopefully causes people to envy our own situation and maybe even strive to be more like us.

King Solomon summed up the problem of living for different idols in this lifetime. He tried living for pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3), hard work (Ecclesiastes 2:4-6), material possessions (Ecclesiastes 2:7-8), popularity (Ecclesiastes 2:9-10), and wisdom (Ecclesiastes 2:12-14). In the end he discovered that the only thing worth while was found in God (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26).

Basically, we will never be satisfied with who we are until we discover who God wants us to be and strive towards that. Everything in the world that so briefly fills the God's shaped hole within us will eventually pass away, leaving us empty yet again.

Topic #4: Media Consumption

2009-12-22T15:08:00.004-05:00

This is a topic that probably increases in importance with each passing day. Advancing technology allows us to access media in more ways today than ever before. It us to be the newspaper, then the radio, then the television, and away we went. Now it is absolutely essential that we as Christians monitor what we take in and, if we are parents, what our children take in.

Kurt Gebhards tackles this tough topic of media in chapter 4 of the book. Perhaps we wouldn't have to examine media at all if it weren't saturated with sinful content. But it is, and so we will.

A common theme in the Bible is that Christians are to do everything possible to avoid sin. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, Proverbs 22:3, 2 Timothy 2:22, Psalm 101:3, and 2 Peter 2:20 are just some of the examples. The media placed before us often times glorifies sin and neglects the consequences that come as a result. Constantly listening to this message can distort our thinking and lead us down paths we were never meant to follow.

Even media with little to no sinful content can be a waste of our God-given time on earth (Psalm 90:12). We have no idea how many days we have left. I can only imagine standing before God bragging that I have seen every Christian movie ever made. I'm sure that he would look back at me and assure me there were other plans he had for my life.

And while we must be careful to monitor what goes into our minds, parents also need to take responsibility for the media placed in front of their children. I love a quote made by the author in this chapter: "In a culture where parents excel at sanitizing little hands, bandaging little cuts, and vaccinating little immune systems, we must not neglect the spiritual well-being of little eyes, ears, and hearts."

It is alright to tell a son he can't have a television in his room. It is acceptable not to allow a daughter to have an Internet-enabled computer in her room. As parents we have the right, no, the responsibility, at times to keep things away from our children than will tempt them to sin.

This doesn't mean we make their decisions for them for the rest of their lives. We need to teach them to examine these things for themselves. But I can't imagine teaching my son to swim by throwing him in the pool in the backyard while I ran an errand. Or teaching my daughter to drive by sleeping the back seat while she navigated the busy interstate. No, we were there with them, teaching them, when the time was right. A 2-year-old is not ready to learn to swim. A 9-year-old is not ready to drive a car. And yet, how often do we place our kids in situations regarding media that they aren't mature enough to handle?

Topic #3: Video Games

2009-12-19T10:52:00.002-05:00

If there is anyone who sees the influence of video games, I can as a male who's somewhat recently graduated from college and who works with teens. Video games are a huge part of life for many teens in today's world. In this chapter of the book Austin Duncan, high school pastor at Grace Community Church, cites a study that found that video games are pervasive among all teens, showing no significant difference between ethnicity or income level. But as Christians how should we handle this topic?

When we talk about video games we must break the discussion into two parts: the content of video games and the actual playing of video games.

Easiest first: content. As video games have evolved (we've come a long way since Pong) they have become increasingly realistic and graphic. Many video games exist that promote theft, murder, drug use, and adultery. Not only are they present in many games but in some you are required to do them to advance in the game! Clearly this should be setting off bells and whistles in a Christian's mind. Just because these games are 'fantasy' doesn't mean that it becomes alright for us gratify the desires of our sinful nature in some fictional universe. Philippians 4:8 makes it very clear as to what we should set our mind on. Also, James 1:13-15 gives a very clear picture of the progression of sin in our lives...

First, there is the temptation to sin
Second, there is the enticement to sin
Third, there is the desire/intent to sin
Fourth, there is the action of sin

In order to keep away from number 4 we must strive to keep ourselves from number 1. There is great temptation and enticement to sin when there are no consequences, as is often seen in video games. What starts as seemingly innocent in a fantasy world can quickly give birth to sin and death in the real world.

Now to address all of us, whether we spend our time playing anything from morally questionable games to solitaire or pinball. We must understand that our time on this earth is precious. Not one of us knows how much more of it we have. That being said, we must look at our video game habits and question whether or not they are a good use of our God-given time (see Psalm 90:12). Again, not that video games are inherently evil. (There are times in the office where my brain just won't kick into gear. I've found that a quick Sudoku puzzle can get the juices flowing.) But when we spend 5, 10, or even 40 hours a week playing a video game, we must look at it from God's perspective. There are so many people on earth who we are called to love. How are we able to do that when seated in front of a glowing screen? As Christians there has to be a point where we look at a video game and say, "There is something of more eternal value that I could be doing right now."

Teens: are we willing to put the controller down and see what God might have for us in reality? Parents: are we willing to put our foot down and limit our children's video game playing? Adults: are we willing to stop and ask God how he might want us to use that time or money we've been giving to video games?

Topic #2: Internet Dating

2009-12-18T13:30:00.003-05:00

I was somewhat debating whether to skip over this topic, but since this has been a huge area of growth on the Internet lately I thought I better read up. This is obviously an area that is not addressed directly in the Bible. The closest we get is when the disciples catch fish 'in-the-net'. Okay, so that was a bad joke. Marching on...How should we as Christians respond to Internet dating and online 'match-making' companies?

The author of this chapter of the book (Rick Holland, executive pastor at Grace Community Church) brings a couple good points to mind. First, does increased compatibility lead to automatic success in a relationship? After all, what the websites base matches on seem to come strictly down to compatibility. But the Bible never mentions compatibility in relationships. In fact, marriage is to be an earthly picture of the relationship between God and humans. Did God choose to give his Son for us because we are compatible? I don't think that was the case. It seems to me that Jesus came to earth solely because of love.

Now, I wouldn't say compatibility is evil or unrealistic. Every couple has some degree of compatibility. But I wouldn't base a relationship solely on it. In order for a marriage to work (which is exciting that I'm beginning to have credibility in this area, coming up on 3 years of marriage) the couple must choose to love and serve each other. Simple enough. And it's also the picture of the relationship we are to have with God, loving and serving him.

Second, the other thing to be cautious of when dating online is accountability, or lack thereof. Rick states that in a healthy face-to-face relationship the couple interacts with many other people and those people can observe the growing relationship. Advice and/or warning can then be given to the couple as needed. But online there is no one that 'has your back'. An extra measure of precaution needs to be taken in those instances.

Online dating reminds me a bit of in vitro fertilization or test tube babies. At the outset it wasn't commonplace for babies to be conceived in that 'unnatural' way. That doesn't mean there was anything inherently evil or wrong about it. Today it has grown into a common and accepted form of conception. I imagine online dating will evolve in much the same way in the future.

Topic #1: Entertainment

2009-12-17T15:57:00.001-05:00

John MacArthur begins the book by tackling a broad topic. Entertainment can range from anything like movies, to music, to video games, to knitting. As we look at this topic we must understand that entertainment in and of itself is not evil. However, it sure can lead us down the wrong path if we aren't careful.

We must understand that as humans we are not created to be entertained. If so, God would have a show like no other out in the sky each evening for us to watch...wait, maybe he already does. :) The miracles Jesus performed were never to amuse people or excite them. They were to help bring them to faith in God and reveal a little more about who he was.

When we are faced with a decision regarding entertainment we should ask a few questions (straight from John MacArthur):
1. Will this activity produce spiritual benefit? (1 Corinthians 10:23)
2. Will this activity lead to spiritual bondage? (1 Corinthians 6:12)
3. Will this activity expose my mind or body to defilement? (Philippians 4:8)
4. Will this activity benefit others, or cause them to stumble? (1 Corinthians 8:8-9)
5. Will this activity further the cause of the gospel? (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
6. Will this activity violate my conscience? (Romans 14:23)
7. Will this activity bring glory to God? (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Think about the last time you did something purely for entertainment. Now run that thing through this series of questions. How does it stack up?

Odds are most entertainment placed before us in our culture has at least a hint of evil in it. But what if I were to find something wholesome with which to entertain myself. Golf, for example. I like to golf. It is good exercise and allows me to get outside and have fun. But if I spend 3 hours on the golf course by myself, how does that mesh with question #5? Could I have spent those 3 hours in a better way? Probably. Does that mean that I should not have gone? Thoughts?...

Controversial Issues

2009-12-16T15:28:00.004-05:00

I've recently started a book spearheaded by John MacArthur entitled Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong. In the book John and others from Grace Community Church (where he is a pastor) tackle different issues that Christians face in our world today. They look at the issues from a Biblical perspective and encourage Christians to pause and decide for themselves what their response will be.

As I read through the book I will highlight each issue and give a short summary along with my thoughts. This will allow me to clarify my thoughts and also give you an opportunity to dialogue along with me. So get those responses ready and feel free to post them.

Warning: There are nearly 20 issues covered in the book so this may be a longer series. Yet I feel it will be a good one...

True Christmas Story

2009-12-11T10:47:00.002-05:00

December 25th get closer with each passing day. Empty space below Christmas trees disappears. Cookies are being baked by the billions. Credit cards are being maxed out everywhere.

Welcome to America's version of Christmas. It's a holiday that centers around spending lots of money, spending time with family you may or may not get along with, and gaining an extra 5 or 10 pounds. But what does all of that have to do with the reason we celebrate Christmas? Do we really know what happened on that night over 2,000 years ago?

A powerful and refreshing way to read the Christmas story is to place yourself in either Joseph's or Mary's sandals, depending on your gender. As you read, ask yourself these questions:

Girls: What would you think if you found out you were going to have a baby, yet have never had sex? How would you convince your friends and family you really were still a virgin?

Guys: What would you think if your fiance was pregnant and you hadn't had sex with her? Would your feelings for her change?

Girls: Imagine being pregnant and traveling 90 miles via donkey or camel or whatever animal it was simply to take part in a census.

Guys: Imagine traveling 90 miles with a pregnant woman on a donkey or camel or whatever animal it was.

Girls: Imagine being 9 months pregnant and sleeping in a cold, smelly barn with all the animals.

Guys: Imagine sleeping in a barn with a 9-month pregnant woman.

Guys and Girls: Imagine your son being worshipped right before your eyes.

Guys and Girls: Imagine your son in danger of being killed by a decree from the king.

When we place ourselves in their sandals we see that this was a pretty intense story. Joseph and Mary must have been incredibly grounded in their faith to make it through everything that came at them.

But above all that, the God of the universe came to earth as a baby. He gave up so much to live a human life. The One who provides for everyone in history needed to rely completely on his parents to provide for him. What irony.

Fun facts about Christmas:
*Nowhere in the Bible does it mention that there were 3 wisemen. I guess we just assume there were because the Bible mentions 3 gifts being given to Jesus. There could have been 50 for all we know.

*The wisemen did not come see Jesus as an infant in a manger. They came to a house to see a child, probably 2 years after Jesus was born. (Contrary to every nativity scene ever made)

*The angel didn't tell Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, Caesar did.

Jesus is a human, just like you!

2009-12-04T11:48:00.003-05:00

As the calendar turns to December (or if you're in retail...October) our thoughts turn more to the upcoming Christmas holiday. It's a wonderful time to celebrate the fact that God himself came to earth as a baby and spent his next 33 years or so showing how to live life to the full.

In youth group this week we took time to examine just what it means that Jesus became a human. Now, first we must establish that when Jesus came to earth he did not simply dwell inside the shell of a human body. Jesus was a human (and actually still is). Everything about him was human. These next two stories tell us very clearly that Jesus dealt with many things that we as humans deal with.

In Luke 4:1-13 we read the story of Jesus being tempted by Satan. I won't go into detail but it is quite obvious that Jesus was tempted during his life on earth (and not only that but he was tempted after not having eaten for 40 days!). When we are faced with temptation in our lives, we can go to God and know that he knows firsthand what we are going through.

While Jesus might not have experienced the exact same temptation you face down to the smallest detail, he was tempted and does know what that's like. Just because Jesus didn't have to stand up to temptation coming from an adulterous Internet website doesn't mean that he wasn't ever tempted by beautiful women. Rest assured that even if he hasn't faced the exact same temptation as you, he has still dealt with the emotions that are present. And besides...when was the last time you were tempted by Satan HIMSELF? That's what I thought...

We also see a great picture of the humanity of Jesus in John 11:1-44. This is the story of Jesus and Lazarus. Jesus is good friends with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. When Lazarus dies Jesus comes to the family and deals with some very real emotions. He deals with sorrow when he sees humans wrestling through the concept of death (something we were never meant to experience). He maybe deals with some pain as Mary and Martha get on his back about taking too long to get there. The fact is: the emotions Jesus felt were very real. When you experience emotions in your life you can go to Jesus and know that when he says, "I know how you feel," he really means it.

These aren't the only emotions Jesus experienced. Jesus dealt with a close friend betraying him (Mark 14:43-52), his best friends abandoning him (Mark 14:50; Mark 14:66-72), and even crowds of people wanting to kill him (Mark 15:1-15).

Bottom line: Jesus came to earth and experienced humanity to the fullest. He was not spared from any human emotion during his life. we can approach Jesus with anything and know that not only does he know what we are going through, he also knows what it's like to go through that.

Some questions to help you stretch your picture of Jesus:
-Can you picture Jesus sweating?
-Is it possible Jesus didn't like certain foods, even though he created them?
-Can you picture a physically unattractive Jesus?
-Is it possible James (Jesus' brother) beat him in a footrace?

Story Time with Jesus (Part 3)

2009-11-20T11:16:00.004-05:00

This week we wrapped up our series on parables told by Jesus. We finished the series in Luke 15:11-32 where we find the story of the prodigal son.

This is a heart-warming story with lovable characters and a happy ending. What I really wanted to make sure we understood was that this was more than just a fairytale. The story represents a portion of our relationship with God.

When reading the story we are drawn in by the always loving, always forgiving father. His son treats him like dirt and yet he continues to love him as his own son. The son leaves home and wastes his portion of the estate and his father still loves him. The son comes home and has the nerve to face his father again and yet, his father still loves him.

We all desire to have that kind of person and love in our life. The truth is: God loves us completely, no matter what we do. Now, he does not always agree with the decisions we make, but he will always forgive us when we ask.

I get a great picture in my mind of this father in the story sitting on a rocking chair every night peering out into the horizon. Every night he sits and longs for his son to come back home.

It's the same with God. He's sitting on the porch in a rocking chair just waiting and longing for you to return to him. He's never going to force you to come home but is always ready for you to make the decision for yourself. Doesn't that sound like a God you could serve with your life? Doesn't that sound like the kind of God we want controlling the universe?

Are you ready to 'come home'?

Story Time with Jesus (Part 2)

2009-11-13T13:07:00.002-05:00

This week we read a parable told by Jesus about a farmer who planted seeds in a field. It can be found in Mark 4:1-20. The story goes that a farmer was scattering seed and the seed fell in different spots. Some fell on the path, others in rocky soil, some in with weeds, and some in good soil. The point to the story is that each kind of soil represents a condition of our heart.

Some people are like the path. Their hearts are hardened and when they hear the message about Jesus it never gets the chance to take root and bring about change. The seed is usually taken away or forgotten before it can grow.

Others are like the rocky soil. They hear the message about Jesus and receive it with full sincerity. Yet, they don't take the time to grow and establish deep roots in their faith. When trouble comes they have nothing to draw strength from and eventually wither away.

Still others are like soil with weeds. They receive the message about Jesus and also begin to grow. In the meantime there are so many other things that steal away that person's time and energy. They are never able to grow and mature properly because of all the other things that crowd out their relationship with God.

Finally, other people have a fertile heart. They readily receive the message about Jesus. But it doesn't stop there. They continue to grow and mature, ensuring that they are able to withstand the things that come their way. In the end the amount harvested is far greater than what was sown. Basically this person impacts many people through their changed life.

The big question is...which soil are you? I think too often we assume that if we are a Christian we must be the good soil. While I think we should strive to be the good soil, I don't think we should automatically assume we are there. I see many people in church each week who have lots of 'weeds' in their life. I also see many people who aren't grounded like they need to be and I worry that one bad circumstance will pull them away.

Ask Jesus to help you grow and mature. Being the good soil takes time and energy. It is a lifelong pursuit to grow closer to Jesus no matter what.

What kind of crop will you produce?

When Church Kids Go Bad

2009-11-07T10:24:00.002-05:00

It's time for another installment in 'Pastor Aaron's Book Club'. I've recently finished a book that focuses on discipline in church settings.

This book is not written solely for the lead person in a youth ministry. It would be a great read for anyone who volunteers in a youth group, teaches a teenage Sunday school class, or works with teens in any aspect in the church.

Not only does the book discuss discipline techniques but it also dives into unique cases involving caustic, high-risk, and AD/HD teens.

It is an easy read full of great ideas to implement in any teenage group in the church.

Story Time With Jesus (Pt. 1)

2009-11-06T10:29:00.003-05:00

This week was the first of 3 Wednesday nights we'll spend looking at stories (or rather, parables) spoken by Jesus. First on the list: The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

When Jesus is asked what must be done to inherit eternal life, the response (given by the asker, an expert in the law) is to love God and love your neighbor. When Jesus responds that this is the correct answer, the expert then asks Jesus who his neighbor is. Jesus responds with the story of the Samaritan (I won't type it out, click the link above if need be).

It is good to know a little background about the relationship between Jews and Samaritans. Basically they were sworn enemies. Samaria used to be part of the kingdom of Israel but through the years conflicts with Jerusalem escalated to the point that a temple was built in Samaria to rival the one in Jerusalem (no wonder they didn't get along). Jews and Samaritans would not eat together and generally didn't speak to each other. (Read Luke 9:51-55 to see an example of how the disciples viewed Samaritans).

That being said, Jesus tells a story that puts a Samaritan in a good light and then proceeds to tell this expert that the Samaritan was a neighbor to the Jewish man. Jesus is implying that Jews are to love Samaritans and vice versa!

To sum up the point of this story: As Christians we are called to love God and neighbors. To clear up who our neighbor is...it's basically anyone with a pulse.

Once we get that down we can take it one step farther. The Samaritan didn't just love the Jewish man because it was easy, he sacrificed time, energy and money to show the Jewish man love.

Who in your life do you need to love today? How can you do so sacrificially as the Samaritan man did in this story?

School Dances

2009-11-02T12:29:00.002-05:00

School dances have long been staple at many high schools, especially during the homecoming and prom seasons. My high school had dances during both events and while I generally enjoyed my experiences at the dances there was one thing that usually left me somewhat repulsed. The type of dancing done by some students at these events would be shocking to many and probably embarrassing both to the parents and even the students themselves. There would be students at my dances who would act a way at the dance that seemed completely contradictory to how they acted normally in school. It seems that the excitement, music, and longing to fit in can impair the judgement of teens at a dance.

Why do I bring this up? Today I came across a contract by a school in California that any student attending a school sponsored dance is required to sign. Of particular interest to me were numbers 2 & 8 under 'Dance Rules'...

#2: Students dancing or behaving inappropriately will be escorted out of the dance and will not be given a refund. This includes any sexually explicit or violence-oriented dancing commonly known as freaking, moshing, battling, or grinding. *NO TOUCHING IF DANCING BACK TO FRONT; *NO TOUCHING BREASTS, BUTTOCKS OR GENITALS; *NO STRADDLING EACH OTHERS LEGS; *BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. Students who are asked to leave the dance will lose the next dance or a Senior event and other disciplinary action may be taken. Parent will be notified.

#8: It is important to remind you that the basic concepts of the school dress code policy will be enforced. Attire that is overly revealing, low cut, or excessively sheer is not appropriate for any school activity. Please keep this in mind when renting or purchasing your attire. It would be most unfortunate to spoil your high school experience through poor choice in dance attire and be asked to leave the event. Please choose wisely and check with a school administrator if you are in doubt. No props are allowed at any of the dances.

I love the fact that a school is finally taking a stand on what is widely considered to be inappropriate dancing (especially for high schoolers). I'm sure the principal of this school took some heat for this decision. I, however, would like to give him a standing ovation.

If you'd like to view a sample contract from their prom visit here.

Service Night #2

2009-10-30T13:36:00.002-04:00

Wednesday night was our second service project of the year. This one was a little more low-key and more behind the scenes, but in my mind extremely important nonetheless. We divided up into four groups and went around town, stopping at specific places to pray.

We stopped at nursing homes, the hospital, schools, pastor's houses, Vincennes University, the courthouse, a cemetery (which I was informed was a bit creepy at night), and the welfare office. While at those places we made sure to pray for the people there who are Christians and also those who aren't Christians.

I think it opened all of our eyes to how easy it is to pray when we begin to look at things from God's perspective. Rather than simply driving by a building caught up in our own little world, we began to realize that at the nursing home someone might soon die who didn't know Christ. At the welfare office someone might be going through the hardest thing they've ever faced in life. At the courthouse someone might be taking a hard look at what their life has become.

As Christians who have the ear of the most high God, we need to be lifting people to him in prayer. Try it the text time you go for a drive. When you go by a building think about who might be in there and then pray about that person/situation.

Jesus said what? (Part 3)

2009-10-22T10:50:00.002-04:00

This is the final week of looking at statements Jesus made. This week we'll actually look at four statements he made that seem a little 'backwards' at first glance.

(Move your mouse over each link to read the verses)
-Luke 14:11
-Matthew 20:16
-Mark 10:43-44
-Matthew 5:44

When first reading these statements it may appear that Jesus is being very illogical. It may seem that he's lost it, that 'the hamster has fallen off the wheel' as some might say. But the fact remains, Jesus spoke these statements. So what do we do with them? Was Jesus being serious when he said these things?

An important thing to do when reading the Bible is to make sure you aren't pulling verses out of context as you read. These 4 verses all take place within a story and/or situation that provides us background on what is going on. In order to understand what Jesus is talking about, we must read the whole story.

I won't type all the links and verses out here, but I will give you the key verses in each section that reveal the perspective of Jesus as he's talking.

-Luke 14:11 (key verse is Luke 14:15)
-Matthew 20:16 (key verse is Matthew 20:1)
-Mark 10:43-44 (key verse is Mark 10:37)
-Matthew 5:44 (key verse is Matthew 5:19)

Once you've done that you realize that in every situation that these statements are made Jesus is talking about heaven (also worded as the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven). When Jesus makes these remarks he's not looking at things through an earthly perspective. His perspective is on heaven.

When we change our perspective to heaven as well, these statements begin to make logical sense. If I'm living for heaven it is logical to place others before myself. If I'm living for heaven it is logical to love those who've hurt me (Jesus loves me even though I've hurt him). If I'm living for heaven is it logical to humble myself.

We ended the night with a challenge to truly put others first (or serve them or love them or honor them) in our lives. The highest way to do this is to help them understand the love God has for them. It's great to offer food, money, and time as we serve (and those things are all good!), but the best thing we can offer is God's love. Will you look at things through the perspective of heaven this week and live a 'backwards' lifestyle?

Jesus said what? (Part 2)

2009-10-16T11:03:00.004-04:00

This week in youth group we talked about Jesus breaking the law. Yup, you read that right. In Luke 13:10-17 (and other places as well) Jesus did not follow the law in the manner the religious leaders thought he needed to. In this instance he had the audacity to do 'work' by healing a woman on the Sabbath.

As we look at the story, the question arises: "Jesus broke the law. Does that mean I should too?" The easy answer to that is "No". The harder answer is...well, tougher to explain.

Jesus knew that the purpose of the law was to help humans love God and love others (see Matthew 22:36-40). The law was not given because the Jews were bored and needed something to do. The law was not given so that humans would learn to follow 613 laws in an exact manner. The law was not even given to take away sin. The law was given to help us love.

Jesus understands that and that is why he healed this woman on the Sabbath. He loved her even though his act of love went against the law.

Now, here is where it gets sticky. Our sinful nature reads this and tells us that we are free to break any law as long as we are loving someone. Be careful about believing that statement. 99% of the time we will be able to love God and people within the laws, rules, and boundaries that have been set up. But there are rare occasions (countries where Christianity is illegal, for example) where we must break a rule or law to show someone the love they deserve.

This is not something that should be taken lightly. I would encourage no one to break a law for this reason until they've prayed, thought, and studied up on the problem. Even then I would caution that person to proceed, in the word's of my former professor Dr. Bounds, with fear and trembling.

The reason we discussed this at youth group has to do with the perception of Christians and also the reason Christians do what they do. Often Christianity is viewed as a religion that forces people to act a certain way, say certain things, and perform certain acts. What we do is boiled down to laws we must follow. Even some Christians do what they do simply because they strive to follow the rules.

Don't misunderstand me here, there is nothing wrong with following the rules. But if as a Christian you are preoccupied first and foremost with keeping rules and laws, then there is a problem there. Christianity is not about laws...it's about love. As Christians we should strive first and foremost to love God and love people. Now, 99% of the time that will lead us to follow the laws and rules that have been set up.

But on rare occasions we must remember that at the heart of it all isn't the law, but love. When we find ourselves in those spots we must, with fear and trembling, love the person above all else.

Feel free to respond with any comments about this topic.

Jesus said what? (Part 1)

2009-10-09T10:01:00.003-04:00

This was our first week out of 3 talking about statements Jesus made while he lived on earth. Number 1 comes from Matthew 6:19-21.

Jesus tells us that we should not spend our lives acquiring things on earth that will be stolen or destroyed, but to 'store up treasures in heaven' where they won't be stolen or destroyed.

As we dove into this topic, the question naturally arose: 'So, how much can I have on earth?' There are two extremes in the world. Some people have enough money to buy about anything. Others have almost no money (by choice or not) and live in utter poverty. Is either extreme what we are called to? Is the 'right' place to fall somewhere in the middle?

I've decided that I hate that question. There are Christians who are very wealthy and Christians who are impoverished. Both are blessed by God and both are called to a specific purpose. I cannot tell any person that they must fall into a certain spot on the 'wealth spectrum'.

As I look at what Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21, I think he agrees with me (or more likely that I agree with him). Jesus points out that what is important is the heart. It's possible to give a million dollars to charity and have zero treasure in heaven as a result. If it's done with impure motives we should not expect to be rewarded (just ask Ananias and Sapphira). Storing up treasures in heaven is a matter of the heart. When our hearts focus on loving God and loving other people, our actions will flow from that. Only when our hearts are focused on heaven will our actions lead to treasures being stored there.

Bottom line: love yourself first and you treasure will be on earth. Love God and others first and you treasure will be in heaven.

Service Night #1

2009-10-02T13:18:00.002-04:00

Throughout this school year the youth group will be doing something a bit different on certain Wednesday nights. Rather than do nothing but meet in our upstairs room and simply talk about Jesus, once a month we will go out into the community and spend time serving (as Jesus called us to do).

Wednesday night we spent an hour at a local gas station owned by a family in our church. Our time consisted of pumping gas, washing windshields, and handing out free soda. It was a great opportunity to service people in a pretty random way. We were also able to invite many of the people we served to church. We may never know how that night will impact eternity, but it's in God's hands now.

I'm proud of our students. We had as big a group as we've had all year and they did an awesome job initiating conversations with those who came through the station.

I'm already looking forward to our next service night.

Lifestyle of Jesus (Part 3)

2009-09-25T11:03:00.002-04:00

This is the third and final lesson in a series about the lifestyle of Jesus. We've already looked at His lifestyle of Forgiveness and Prayer. This week is servanthood.

In John 13:1-17 we see the ultimate example of Jesus serving while on earth. He is spending his last moments with his disciples before he is arrested and eventually crucified. He takes these last precious moments and does something no one in the room would have expected: he washes the feet of his disciples.

The culture dictated that this job was reserved for the servant who was the lowest of the lowest. It makes sense. I wouldn't want to wash feet either that were caked with dust and mud due to a day of travels. Yet, Jesus takes the position of this servant and washes their feet.

After he is done he asks the disciples if they understand what he has done for them. After explaining he tells them that they are to go out and do the same to others.

Fast forward to today. In our sock and shoe culture are we to spend our time washing the feet of everyone? Well, yes and no. What was important in that upper room was not necessarily the act, but everything surrounding the act.

Foot washing today looks differently than it did in the first century. Today it looks like giving a hot meal to a person who hasn't eaten in 2 days. Today it looks like doing something with your family that wouldn't be your first choice. Today it looks like giving up a Saturday to work on the parsonage (thanks to everyone who's done that for us!!). Basically, it looks like anything that requires us to serve sacrificially.

So the bottom line: why does Jesus ask us to serve? Simple answer: that is how we love. You cannot express love to someone without serving them. Let that sink in. Read it again.

You cannot express love to someone without serving them.

Jesus is love. It would make sense that Jesus being love expresses itself through serving on earth.

That is why he said he came 'not to be served, but to serve.' He calls us to do the same. How can you sacrificially serve someone today?

Apology

2009-09-24T13:28:00.003-04:00

Dear Walmart,

For years I've gotten on your case about displaying Easter candy in February, Halloween costumes in September and Christmas trees in October.

Today I realize there is a store that is worse than you...Lowes. As I walked through the store in my shorts and t-shirt I found myself in two isles of Christmas trees and inflatable snowmen. What's worse, there were plenty of people browsing those isles. No longer will I get on your case about trying to sell items 2 months before the actual holiday.

Please accept my apology and know that if I don't shop at your store it's only because there are too many people there and it gives me a headache.

Sincerely,

Aaron

Lifestyle of Jesus (Part 2)

2009-09-21T14:58:00.002-04:00

So, again I apologize for not posting this summary on Friday. Apparently with moving into a new house I've been busy lately or something... :)

Here it is...the much anticipated 2nd part of the Lifestyle of Jesus series. Last week we looked at Jesus being forgiving. This week we looked at Jesus being prayerful.

If you read through the gospels you'll find many places were Jesus prayed. What stands out to me is the many different reasons he prayed:
-When he is sad (Matthew 14:23)
-Early in the morning (Mark 1:35)
-When he was busy (Luke 5:16)
-When he has to make a major decision (Luke 6:12)
-With other people (Luke 9:18)
-When tough times are coming for someone else (John 17)

Basically, Jesus didn't simply pray quick prayers for the food he was about to eat. He didn't wait until the last minute after everything else had failed. Jesus prayed often and about everything. This is how he was able to know so clearly what God's plan for his life was. He got away, got focused, and got listening. Some of those prayers were very intense times (see: blood dripping from Jesus in the garden before he's arrested).

My desire for prayer in my life (and yours) is that prayer will be real and relevant. I want it to be a time when I can block out everything and focus completely upon God. I don't want the only time I speak to God be when I'm thanking him for fishsticks. I want to listen to him guide me through tough life decisions. I want to feel him prodding me to speak to someone I don't know about his love. I want him to give me the words to say to comfort someone in a time of need. All that can happen...when prayer takes a central role in my life.

Lifestyle of Jesus (Part 1)

2009-09-11T10:44:00.002-04:00

And so begins the year of Jesus...

For the first few weeks of the year we will discuss different aspects about Jesus' life on earth. The first aspect is forgiveness. We spent the evening looking at the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).

The Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus who was 100% guilty of committing adultery. They use the situation to trap Jesus in his words. According to Jewish law people caught committing adultery (which makes you wonder where the man is in all this) were to be stoned. According to Roman law, the Jews did not have the authority to carry out executions. So you see the predicament...either Jesus offends the Romans or the Jews. Lose-Lose.

Yet, Jesus is not focused on the question. He's focused on the person at the center of the question, the woman. She was guilty and deserved death. And yet, Jesus offers her another option. He offers her forgiveness.

Now, this wasn't a get-out-of-jail-free card. He told her to then leave her life of sin. But the fact remains...he forgave a guilty woman.

What a great example of how Jesus lived his life. He forgave people who were completely unworthy. And the best part is that it continues on into today! You and I are forgivable as well! Jesus looks at us, sees our guilt, and offers us forgiveness. All he asks is that we accept it and leave our life of sin.

Take these two things away from this story...
1. The religious leaders cared nothing for the woman. Jesus at that moment seemed to care only for the woman. Which should be our response today as followers of Jesus? (no brainer)

2. Jesus offered forgiveness to someone who did not deserve it. This is awesome because we, like the woman, are guilty and yet Jesus offers us forgiveness too!