not by faith = confusion leads to indifference
I wrote this article for Youth Worker Journal a few months ago. As a youth pastor and parent I often wonder about the issue of indifference in the hearts/lives — how a student becomes– I’m beginning to understand this: That any person, most people, myself included all have to deal with the belief that somehow following rules for first the idea that “being and doing” good somehow brings something i.e., God’s love, righteousness, “better”, consistently becomes impossible and thus indifference becomes a reality at some point. Why? Because...
Read MoreSo what about it? What matters?
What really matters? How important is your Faith? (Notes from last talk at Dayton Christian High School) Couple of questions? If there was no age limit on being able to drink—would you? If pot were legal would you smoke it? If you got your girlfriend pregnant would you consider an abortion? After all it is legal? Is loosing your virginity the worst thing you could do? Is “Christianity” about rules or faith? Both? On a scale of 1-10 how important to you is your faith? On a scale of 1-10 rules? How important? Do you care about a relationship...
Read MoreIt’s Impossible period.
To many, many “Christians” this scripture verse is something to strive after… “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” ~Leviticus 19.2 For the record… this is an impossibility period. Really? So many things are running around my mind these days. Hurting students. Students that find church to be irrelevant. Parents that are struggling. People that want “good” things and only “good” things and fear the daily grind of living in a fallen broken world with broken people. Students that refuse to engage God. ...
Read MoreConditional Love
Conditional love? Really? I see it all the time. Especially amongst people that ought to know better. “Do it my way and I’ll love you.” “Obey and I’ll love you.” “Be this or that, look like this, do everything right, and you get the prize. My Love.” I know so many that have said, “If I have to earn it, no thank you.” or “I’m tired of trying to earn your conditional love.” When my 2 young men were little boys there were many rules to protect them and of course us as parents. Rules to protect the...
Read MoreAh Paradise
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I was thinking through the whole Easter happening over the past few days. I was reading the historical week account in the book of Luke and came to the scene of the 2 criminals hanging on their crosses next to Jesus. Remember the scene? 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for...
Read MoreHe Lives! Really? What difference does it make?
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” ~Matthew 28.6 “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ~Colossians 1.27 “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” 1 Corinthians 15.14 This Sunday is Easter. He is risen. Right? So? What does that mean? What is the value of the Risen Savior? What does it mean? What’s the big deal? I have celebrated Easter since I can remember. I was given new suits...
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