Creation

One week down in the process of storying through the Bible and I think it went alright. We focused on the creation story as found (primarily) in Genesis 1-2. We were able to identify that the main character in the story is God and that he did some pretty awesome things.
Personally, I found it encouraging to see that in the beginning the relationship between God and man was not just unbroken, but it was intimate.
Next week we look at the fall, and how God now relates to mankind following this act of rebellion. Should be good.

 

The Beauty of the Story

I have learned several lessons throughout my life that have served me well.  Things like: don’t run with scissors, the power of the words “please” and “thank you”, and the importance of family.

It was not until I was in college that a professor of mine taught me the power of a story.  To be honest, all the above lessons are often illustrated by a story.  ”There was a boy who once ran with scissors, he tripped and fell…”  Stories allow us to relate another person’s life to our own, and from them we can learn countless lessons.

One of the classic films about Christ is called “The Greatest Story Ever Told” yet often when we view the life of Jesus we see him in the midst of his teaching and we confuse his stories for THE story of God’s redemption.  So, for the next several months we will be endeavoring to understand the story of the Bible.  This is a story that has been told for many generations, and it is a story that impacts everyone’s life.

I’ll get back to posting current updates to this blog now that the holiday season is over.  I’ll try to keep you current on the story as parents and youth, but I encourage you to get engaged with this story as it is indeed the most important story ever.

 

Who Is Jesus, Really?

For the next several weeks during our Wednesday night services we will be looking at answering the question: Who is Jesus, really?

I find for all the things we say about Jesus it is tempting to speak of him in the church as a known entity.  That is, it’s easy to talk about Jesus when we are talking about other things, but the truth is we need to do a better job actually learning who this man-God is, especially since we believe his life was the most important ever.

This week we looked at Christ as God and man.  Next to the concept of the trinity there are few ideas in the Christian faith as difficult as the dual natures of Christ.  Is he God?  Yes.  Was he man?  Yes.  At the same time?  Yes.  Hmm…

In the Bible, Christ identifies himself directly with the Father God.  He claims in John that if you have seen the Son then you have seen the Father.  This is a pretty good intimation that he was indeed God.  However, this difficulty was not even fully grasped by all his disciples.

We see how difficult it was for them when he had resurrected.   He appeared to all of the disciples except for Thomas.  When Thomas was told that Jesus had risen he doubted, claiming  that he needed to touch the wounds of Christ to believe.  Sure enough, one week later Christ appears to the disciples again, this time with Thomas their, and offers Thomas the opportunity to believe by sight and touch.

Thomas believes immediately that Christ is God and professes as much when he says “My Lord and My God.”

The deity of Jesus is one of a several difficult questions that believers should have about their faith.  There is nothing wrong with having questions.  What I like about God, is that when I have questions about my faith, he offers answers just like he did to Thomas.  Not in a condemning manner, but with grace and love.

So what are your tough questions about faith?  Ask them, there is no guilt in not knowing, pursue God and he will be found.

Grace and Peace.

 

GSN – Hollywood Squares

I love game shows.  Especially as a child and teenager I can remember watching all sorts of game shows.  During the summer I would roll out of bed in time to watch The Price is Right.  Then I would surf the channels to watch whatever other daytime game shows were airing that season.  One of my all-time favorites was the game show Hollywood Squares.  I liked it because the game was simple (just like tic-tac-toe) and the celebrities (some of who I knew, most I didn’t) said and did funny things before answering the trivia questions.

The goal of Hollywood Squares was to either agree or disagree with a celebrity who answers a trivia question.  If you agree with the celebrity answer and they get it right you get to mark the square with your X.  If they get it wrong, then your opponent gets to put there O in the square.  The first to get tic-tac-toe wins.  Ultimately the trick to the game is discerning when to agree with the celebrity and when to disagree.

As believers we too must be discerning about who we listen to for answers to our lives questions.  It is tempting to trust our friends and our own intuition to make important life decisions, but in reality we have to be very careful who we go to with the most important choices we face.

In the Bible we have the story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam (1 Kings 12) in which Rehoboam (the king of all Israel) is asked to ease the burden on the average citizen.  Rehoboam goes to two separate groups for counsel.  First, he goes to speak to the elders in the community, who tell him to ease the burden.  Then Rehoboam goes to his peers, and they give the exact opposite advice, they say to be even harder on the people than ever.  Rehoboam listens to the counsel of his peers and rejects that of the elders, and what was the result?  The nation of Israel split that very day, never to be reconciled.  Jeroboam led the northern 10 tribes to form “Israel” and Rehoboam was left with the lower two tribes that took on the name “Judah”.  Never again was the nation of Israel unified.

What could have solved this problem?  Well had Rehoboam used discernment and followed the instruction of his elders the nation of Israel likely would have stayed unified.  So what?

As believers we need to be humble enough to accept the counsel of our elders.  In fact here are my guidelines for decision-making (the big decisions).

First, What does God say about it?  What has he said in his word?  The only way to know that is to read it!  Second, what do my parents and mentors in Christ say?  They love me, and they love the Lord.  Their words are greatly appreciated as they are not nearly as blind as I am in making wise decisions(they have been there and done that).  Finally, I speak to my believing peers.  As they have shown a dedication to God, they often add to the decision-making process.  This model has served me well for the last 13 years, and hopefully will the rest of my life.

So who are your Christian mentors?  Who are the people who love you and love the Lord?  Seek these people out.  Also, if you are asked to give advice on life decisions of someone (a child, a peer, etc.) make sure you are speaking from your relationship with God and not just your pragmatic wisdom.

Grace and Peace.  Below is a little “old-school” Hollywood Squares for your enjoyment.

 

Street Signs: Yield

There are times when there is a force greater than yourself that you need to “give way” to.  Sometimes that is based on size or strength (as in to a semi-truck) and sometimes it is based on giving way to someone who knows more about a particular situation (a student yielding to a teacher).

Christians are commanded to yield.  We are told to give way to the will of God.  That means that we have to deny what we want and do what the Lord asks.  Luke speaks of this as taking up our cross and following Christ (even unto death).  As people we often hate the idea of yielding.  We despise the idea that God can tell us anything to do.  I mean, we have free will so why can’t we just do as we please?

I struggle with this sometimes in my own life.  The concept that what I want to do and what I know how to do is not always what God is asking is difficult.  But then I remember a couple words from our Old Testament prophets.  Isaiah (55:8-9) speaks about God’s ways and God’s thoughts.  His thoughts and ways are superior to mine.  He knows everything, the beginning and the end, and he has a determined end.  So he asks me to live my part inside of that story.

Jeremiah (29:11) reminds me that this same God knows everything, and I can be confident in yielding to him because his will is not to harm me, but to give me a hope and a future.  See, God doesn’t want me to have a good life.  He wants me to have the best life (though this may look different then what some pop-pastor books would lead you to think).  He wants me to experience the fullness that he has determined is in my best interest.  Yielding to God is the first step in making that happen.

What areas in your life do you need to yield to God?  What do you need to let go of and trust in God’s plan?  There is no day like the present!

 

The Invisible Hand

Some economic theorists have a lot of faith in the invisible hand that guides the free-market.  The idea is that over a period of time the volatility of the world economy will even out (I suppose due to the Law of Large Numbers).  Someone can correct me if I’m wrong about the “invisible hand of the market” but that isn’t really the point.

We are studying the book of Esther in the high school YU, and we are seeing consistently another form of the “invisible hand.”  This is not some self correcting mechanism, instead it is the providential hand of God working out his will on the earth.  Esther is a great book to see this in for a couple of reasons.  First, it is a story.  There is a beginning, conflict, climax, and resolution.  The story is understandable and exciting to witness, and it is easy to see that God orchestrated portions of the story to end the way he wanted.

More noteworthy perhaps, is the surprising absence of any mention of God or the LORD.  The entire book takes place and in no spot is God identified.  Yet it is impossible to miss his activity.

Here are a few examples of God’s invisible hand in the story of Esther.  First, the vanquishing of the former Queen opens the door for Esther to attain prominence (as the new Queen).  Second, the plot to assassinate the King which was discovered by Esther’s cousin (and the nemesis of the villain, Haman) and allowed him to be honored by the king by the very man who wished him (and all the Jews) killed.  Finally, the idea of Haman setting up gallows to kill Mordecai (the cousin) that ultimately are used against him.

Do you see what God was up to?  I mean it is so clear on this side of the story.  But what I find most amazing is Mordecai recognized his (and Esther’s) part in the story that belonged wholly to God.  When Esther was deliberating risking her life for the cause of saving the Jews, Mordecai scolded her claiming that she was placed in a high place for just this time, however, knowing the story’s end (that God would remain faithful to his people) he confidently told her that rescue would come from somewhere.  Even if she chose not to be involved.

Don’t miss this.  You live in God’s story.  Whether he is evident to you as a major player or he seems distant and invisible, know that his story is bigger than you.  You can take a part in the story and move it closer to its glorious ending (the second coming of Christ and the re-creation of the earth and heaven) or you can choose not too, but God is under no obligation to wait for you.  His story is happening and the conclusion is already written, and he allows you to be a hero in the story. Every Day.

Rest in confidence with the knowledge that God loves you, and wants you to be a part of his story.  And is there any other story you would really want to take part in?  Live his story!

 

Love

Love – The most misused and misappropriated word perhaps in the English language.  We profess love to inanimate objects.  We claim to love celebrities.  We have taken the word love and stripped it of its power.  But this has all been said before.  What I want to focus on today is the misuse of “love” in relationships.

Junior high girls are infamous for scribbling ” I Love So and So” on their binders and then, when the break-up inevitably happens the name is scratched off, only to be replaced by a new name a week later (who is now the “love” object).  Unfortunately this type of inappropriate “love” is commonplace and even encouraged by some.

I heard a pastor say two years back that dating in junior high and high school is “divorce practice”  and I think he is largely right.  Think about it.  You start a relationship, grow to infatuation, claim that as love, things go south, you start to hate the person, then you break up.  Rinse and Repeat.  Over and over again young men and women are falling in and out of “love” and then when they bind themselves with a gold wedding band, and the infatuation diminishes, love is gone, divorce is imminent.  That is all they know.

We have done a disservice to young people teaching them to be serial-daters.  Instead we need to rediscover what love looks like in a relationship and then move young people to know that they don’t need to (and truly shouldn’t) date until they are prepared to love properly.

So what is love?  Well biblically you can look at 1 Cor. 13.  You see love is the cardinal virtue (ever lasting) and you see that it is characterized by what it is and is not.  Open your Bible and read this passage.  Is that how you love?  Is that how your teenagers relationship looks?  If not, get out (or get them out) all it is doing is teaching them the wrong way to live.

Also, I would like to take a quick look at the love of God.  Specifically by looking at his Son.  How did God love us through Jesus?  He sent him who knew no sin, to become sin, so that we could live forever.  He laid down his life for us.  Likewise, true love is always self-sacrificing, and the ability to lay down yourself for someone else is not something that is usually developed at a young age.  There’s nothing wrong with waiting a while to date, in fact, it is probably the healthiest way to date.

Just some advice from someone who made lots of mistakes dating, before finally discovering what love truly was.

 

90 Day Bible Reading Challenge

I have been conducting some interviews of our students over the past month and a half and one of the more disturbing things that I see is the lack of intentional Bible reading.   Students know they should read, they just choose not to. In an effort to combat that I introduce you to the 90 Day Challenge . Here you will be pushed to read the New Testament in 90 days (aprrox. 3 Chapters per day). We begin this tomorrow, October 1 and finish right before years end.

So students download the reading plan and stay up to date. Try this, you will learn that this is 15 minutes every day that you don’t need to miss.

Parents, your child is going to be reading the most important document in the history of mankind. Join them. For the next 90 days, you read the New Testament. Then talk about with them. Make sure they are current. Make sure they are understanding what they are reading.

This could be a watershed moment in your family’s spiritual vitality. So come on and join in.

 

What’s Going On?

Well it’s been a while since I updated this blog, but to be fair I didn’t teach Youth University a couple weeks back, nor did I teach a lesson on Wednesday at Supernova.  That’s not to say that I haven’t been working, just my work has been culminating in different ways.

Some of what I’ve been doing is fine tuning our calendar to make it fill the needs of the student ministry.  For those of you who may not know Outloud Student Ministry – focuses on five unique pillars to reach our community for Christ.  Below are the five focuses (foci?).

1. Personal Devotion – The idea that students can grow in Christ and lead others to do the same is impossible without personal devotion.  If you are looking for a daily devotional here is one online for free.
2. Worship – Worship is our gift back to our heavenly father.  We worship, not because God needs us to, but rather because we must.  God has done so much to give us awe, and in that state we stand and give glory back to Him (you will notice that we are intentionally getting students on the platform to help lead in worship, as we know that worship is not passive but active).
3. Discipleship – The art of learning from some one further down the road than yourself.  If you aren’t being discipled, you aren’t following Christ very well.
4. Evangelism – Tell others the good news of Jesus Christ.  Words are always needed, but words are inadequate if our lives fail to reflect what we say.  Go and tell, to all nations, the good news of Jesus Christ.
5. Missions/Justice – I wrapped these together though they are often seperate.  Missions is the concept of going and making disciples in the name of Jesus Christ.  This could be local or international.  Justice, is the concept of finding what is wrong in the world and making it right under the leading of the Holy Spirit (this could be issues such as world hunger, etc).

It is our belief that each of these pillars are what will drive successful ministry.  If you want to know more about how each of these are being implemented within the church (and particularly within the student ministry) leave a comment below, I’ll be responsible and reply promptly.

 

Open Eyes

In 2 Kings 6:15-18, we have the story of a city under siege.  Siege warfare was a brutal way to force a city into surrender.  The armies of the attacking force would surround the city allowing no one and nothing to enter or exit.  This meant that the city would lose supplies and any access to reinforcement.  Often the attackers would just pound away at the city night and day with catapults to diminish the defenses of the city.

If your city was under siege, you had two real choices.  First is to fight the siege force immediately, though this will probably lead to your army being destroyed it is an option.  The other option is wait as long as possible for the siege force to get tired (or bored) of the attack and leave.

So the city in 2 Kings is under siege and the servant of Elisha wakes up to see the armies all around.  Dismayed he cries out “what are we going to do now?”  Elisha looks up and sees the problem and immediately sees the solution.  He prays a prayer so that his servant can see the solution as well.  He asks God to “open the eyes” of his servant.

Immediately the servant sees the answer, all around the mountain that they are on is horses, soldiers, and chariots of fire.  You see, God was there the whole time.  The servant just wasn’t looking with open eyes.  And sure enough the attacking army was defeated soundly, through a divine blinding light.

We are much like that servant.  We get surrounded by all sorts of nasty situations.  Some of our own doing some not, regardless in the midst of that situation we often times fail to see that God is still on our side.  Instead of relying on God to help with a problem, we try to solve the problem with our own power and might.

Unfortunately, oftentimes we can’t.  We can’t do all things, but God can.  So, regardless of the situation in which you find yourself, whether it is a situation you caused (personal sin or addictions) or whether it is a situation that was forced upon you (family crises) know that you have a loving and all-powerful God wanting to help you.  You just need to learn to rely on him, and the best way I have found to rely on God is to have him open my eyes to his provision in the bad situations of my life.

So, when you are in a bad spot and you are tempted to fight or surrender out of your own accord.  Ask God to open your eyes to what he wants to do, you will be amazed.