Wednesday Worship:

Do NOT Fear The Moment of Death:

A few years ago, I was talking with a Pastor who told me something profound: “If I fear death as unbelievers do, I have nothing to offer unbelievers. Only when you are free from the fear of death are you really free.”

Though as believers we know that Heaven awaits us after death, many of us still wonder about or fear the moment of death. What will it be like? Will it be frightening to experience the soul’s departure from the body?

May we remember that Jesus came to deliver us, “that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

I love Charles Spurgeon’s perspective:

Depend upon it, your dying hour will be the best hour you have ever known! Your last moment will be your richest moment, better than the day of your birth will be the day of your death. It shall be the beginning of heaven, the rising of a sun that shall go no more down forever!

There’s evidence that at the moment of death, the believer will be ushered into Heaven by angels (Luke 16:22). Different angels are assigned to different people (Matthew 18:10), so perhaps our escorts into Heaven will be angels who have served us while we were on earth (Hebrews 1:14).

Most importantly, the Lord Himself will be with us during our deaths. He has promised to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). God promises that all who know Him will experience acceptance into His holy, loving, and gracious arms.

Erwin Lutzer describes death and God’s presence with us this way in his book One Minute After You Die:

Death is not the end of the road; it is only a bend in the road. The road winds only through those paths through which Christ Himself has gone. This Travel Agent does not expect us to discover the trail for ourselves. Often we say that Christ will meet us on the other side. That is true, of course, but misleading. Let us never forget that He walks with us on this side of the curtain and then guides us through the opening. We will meet Him there, because we have met Him here.

Psalm 23:4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (emphasis added).

Nancy Guthrie writes in her One Year Book of Hope about this verse:

There is no doubt that a shadow is a dark place to be. But when the Lord is our shepherd, we no longer have to fear the dark places that death takes us. In the shadows we reach out to find him beside us, and the fear of the unknown fades. When he gently uses his rod of correction to prod us in the right direction and his staff of compassion to draw us close, we find comfort.

When we are in the fold of God, death is impotent to destroy us. It is depleted of its evil power. The valley where we encounter death is transformed into a place of peaceful comfort; it is in this valley that we are more aware of God’s presence than ever before.

Ten Big Daily Reminders:

I wake up lost every morning. At least that’s what it feels like. Perhaps something similar is true of you.

Somehow during the night I’ve forgotten the big realities about God and the universe and myself and the gospel. I desperately need to steady myself with biblical truth rather than stumbling forward to live from unbelief.

I tend to forget the big realities during the day as well. I regularly catch myself living on the idiotic assumption that I will constantly remember the things that really matter — and that I will act in line with them. I assume that the realm of the seen and touched will not overwhelm the realm of the unseen and hoped for.

But in reality, whether it’s night or day, I don’t stay awake to what’s truly important for very long. I am like that college kid who sits in church on Sunday morning trying to keep his eyes open after an irresponsibly late Saturday night. My eyelids droop by default, and my mind wanders from the glories of the Bible to superfluous, naturalistic daydreams (that may or may not end with an embarrassing full-body twitch that snaps me awake again).

So, I’ve learned over time to put structures in place that remind me of those unseen things, especially during my bleary-eyed, half-conscious mornings.

One effort is this list of ten truths.

I’ve added a short commentary for each in hopes that something here might help you in your pursuit of remembering the biggest truths that we can be prone to assume and forget.

1. God exists. (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)

It seems so simple, so basic, but I tend to wake up a naturalist, and a narcissistic one at that. I assume that all there is in the world is what is in front of my face. My bed, my wife, my kids, and most importantly myself. The simple yet ultimate existence of God immediately clears my lens, makes me small, and infuses meaning into every step. God exists — and that changes everything.

2. God loves you. (Romans 5:8; John 16:27; Jeremiah 32:40–41)

Another massive biblical reality, this immediately counters my hesitation to embrace God’s ultimate authority, reminding me that he has set his affections on this little speck of a person. He is far from indifferent toward me.

3. Jesus died for you, and the Father has now bound himself to give you only good things. (Romans 8:28, 32)

This draws me quickly to the central reality of all history: the cross. It is an objective truth set in time and space, so it immediately draws my gaze away from my own capacity to garner acceptance from God through my efforts. Furthermore, the outworkings of the cross make clear that even the harshest trials will come to me as blessing, for my ultimate good, no matter how bad I feel at the time.

4. God sees you as perfect. (Hebrews 10:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

My self-absorption, anxiety, and self-pity know no bounds. They must be beaten into submission by the beauty of imputed righteousness. The question “How am I doing?” is met head-on with the answer “Perfect.” In that regard, every day is a good day.

5. That is because of Jesus’s perfection, not yours. You deserve hell. (Romans 3:10; 1 Timothy 1:15)

There are two main purposes here: first, to counterpunch when my flesh looks for a way to subtly claim credit for the perfection that is mine only in Jesus; second, to maintain a sense of trembling gratitude for my salvation. While I enjoy the glory of the gospel, there should always be an awestruck voice in the back of my mind that is whispering, “I shouldn’t be here.”

6. You will die. (James 4:14; Hebrews 9:27)

Nothing brings clarity to me like this simple and straightforward reminder. How quickly I assume my earthly immortality, and how often I need to think of myself as a terminal cancer patient.

7. You will live forever in the new heavens and new earth. (Romans 8:18; Hebrews 10:34)

I don’t want to be a clearheaded fearer of death, like some atheistic poet. I want to glory in the guarantee of indescribable bliss that is just around the corner. And I want to live like it’s real — because it is.

8. For now, you are an exile on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13–16)

This keeps me from feeling at home when I’m not at home (especially in my own home). It prepares me for not fitting in, for weird looks when I speak with conviction about Jesus, and for holding loosely to every bit of earthly life.

9. Nothing on earth is truly worth putting your hope in. (Jeremiah 2:13; Galatians 6:14)

This is a practical specification of #8. It is right for me to remember that I will inevitably be disappointed by every earthly pursuit or relationship or emotional experience. It runs me back to my true Home and the true Bridegroom.

10. You have no right to be unhappy. (Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8–9)

This is a summarizing application of all the previous reminders, but it merits its own slot. How quick I am to become “blah” when there is a treasure trove of happy reality at my disposal! I must beat this into my discontent little brain. I can be plenty unhappy, but I have no right to be.

These reminders flee from my mind like stray socks in an armful of laundry. Every time I pick one up, another falls. By the time I read #10, #1 is beckoning again. What a grace that #4 is still true!

Wednesday Worship:

Why I'm Complementarian:

By complementarianism, I mean the view that men and women are equal as God’s fellow image bearers, but nonetheless have some differences of role in the church and in the home. The way I like to put it is equal, but not interchangeable. In other words, you cannot simply swap male and female in and out of different roles without any consequence; nor are the differences between male and female mere matters of anatomy. There are some fundamental, structural, psychological differences as well (though they are never matters of better or worse). Two specific ways this plays out: I think the husband is called to a loving leadership role in the marriage, and the office of elder/bishop/overseer (and pastor as we typically use the term) is reserved for men.

Let me be clear: as a complementarian, I oppose with all my heart (as much as any egalitarian, I hope) the misuse of male strength, so common in ancient cultures and still prevalent today. I recognize that many human cultures have indeed perpetuated systems and environments in which women have been denigrated and downplayed and devalued. But whereas egalitarianism tries to redress this problem by taking away the principle of male headship altogether, complementarianism does so by radically redefining it in light of the gospel. “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). That means complementarianism is a call to die, to love, to serve. In my relationship to Julia, it means that I seek to be the first to soften and apologize in conflict, and that I seek to put her needs above my own – it means that I walk 10 miles to please her rather than walk 1 mile to please myself. I don’t do this perfectly, of course. But that is my target. That is what complementarianism means to me on a daily basis.

Why do I hold this view? A few reasons:

1) First, and this is more of a preliminary consideration than an argument per se, egalitarianism (as I use the term, the view that men and women have identical roles) is historically quite eccentric. To the best I can tell, its the product of recent Western cultures only. Almost every other civilization has conceived of men and women as having different roles in various spheres of life. I am not saying all ancient/Eastern cultures were/are complementarian. I think complementarianism, biblically defined, is radically subversive in every culture. For example, the call to Christ-like, sacrificial love from husbands to their wives runs counter to the staunch patriarchalism of many ancient cultures. Jesus’ own treatment of women (welcoming them as disciples, teaching them, etc.) was profoundly counter-cultural. I am simply saying that we should have some historical perspective in approaching this issue. Egalitarianism may be the default leaning in our setting, but if we widen our horizon its very much a minority voice. Unless we have a bias in favor of 21st century Western democratic cultures, this should humble us a bit and give us perspective. Why should our culture see the truth more clearly than others?

2) The Trinity is my model for all human relationship. And I would say the Trinity is pretty decidedly complementarian (Father-Son-Spirit), not egalitarian (Brother-Brother-Spirit). I am aware of the debate about this point in the literature, but it seems basic to me that a father-son relationship is complementarian: each person complements the other with a unique role. In the case of the divine Father-Son relationship, for instance, the Son eternally submits to the Father, while the Father does not eternally submit to the Son. The very fact that this God reveals this relationship with our words “father” and “son” is quite telling. Has anyone ever seen a father and son relate to each as though they had identical roles? Does it sound egalitarian when Jesus says, “the Father is greater than I?” (John 14:28)?

That means before I ever get to debate about male and female, a crucial domino has already fallen for a long while back – namely, the premise that relationships of hierarchy and subordination, of headship and submission, are not necessarily bad or oppressive or unfair. In fact, this kind of differentiation of role characterizes the relationship, the architectonic relationship, the love and joy that pulses at the core of reality. Diverse roles within equality of being and value: this is what a perfect, overflowingly joyful, happy, free, loving God looks like. We don’t need to be scared of this. It’s not bad.

3) Before we ever appeal to Scripture, there are strong sociological reasons for believing that men and women are different in a variety of ways that transcend culture or upbringing. Again, at the risk of reiterating this point too much, the differences are never a matter of better or worse! But there are differences. That makes me further open to the fact that maybe these differences go back to something about the way God made us.

4) The creation narrative of the Bible emphasizes that men and women are equal as God’s fellow image bearers (Genesis 1:26-28). In fact, it seems to me that the text indicates that the image of God shines forth in humanity as male and female; thus, if either all men or all women were to suddenly vanish, the image of God on planet earth would not be reduced to 50%, but to 0%. At the same time, however, the creation narrative is not what you would expect if the Bible were an egalitarian book. If that were the case, you would probably expect men and women created together, naming each other (or both named by God), and each sharing various roles. That is not the case. Adam is created first, names Eve, and she is called his helper. I am not interpreting these facts just now, I am simply reporting them. That is what happens in the narrative. It’s what we all to interpret, and submit ourselves to. I don’t know that Genesis 2 would itself get me to complementarianism without the rest of the Bible, but it’s certainly hard to read it as an egalitarian account.

5) Throughout the Bible, both men and women play a vital role in the life of God’s people. Both use gifts to minister to others in significant ways. But in both Old and New Testament, God establishes a pattern in which the office of highest authority and leadership was held by only men. Throughout the Old Testament, women could serve as prophets, which was an occasional, diverse, ad hoc institution, but only males could serve as the Levitical priests, the regular, ongoing office of leadership among God’s people. Then in the gospels, Jesus calls only male apostles in his inner 12.  Egalitarians typically respond that Jesus was adapting to the culture, but is this really plausible? Jesus was not afraid to challenge the culture. He did so all the time. Is it really plausible that Jesus would challenge the culture of his day as radically as he did but capitulate here?

You often hear people say that its sexist to deny equal leadership opportunities for male and female; then was Jesus sexist? He could have chosen 6 and 6. Or 9 women and 3 men just to prove the point. But He chose 12 men. Was Jesus sexist? Was God sexist for the way He set up the Levitical priesthood? Should we be more progressive than Christ was? There is a pattern here already established before we ever get to the office of elder in the church (which, I would say, completes the pattern: priest –> apostle –> elder).

6) Then of course the Pauline texts, five of which stand out to me: I Corinthians 11:2-16, 14:33b-35, Colossians 3:18-19, Ephesians 5:21-33, and I Timothy 2:9-15 (I leave I Peter 3:1-7 aside for now). I remember reading through Two Views on Women in Ministry and struggling with Craig Keener’s contribution on I Timothy 2. I wanted to give him a chance to prove me wrong; I read with an open mind. Sometimes I got overwhelmed by the amount of background information he would present, and I would wonder, “hmmm, what if it really was just an issue related to the women in Ephesus?” (Egalitarians typically argue that Paul’s restriction was due to the fact that women were less educated in the first century and as a result more susceptible to false teaching, which indeed certainly did happen in Ephesus [I Timothy 3:6]).

But then a rather obvious thought suddenly hit me: if the problem was women in Ephesus who were teaching false doctrine, why didn’t Paul place a restriction on women … in Ephesus … who teaching false doctrine? Why would Paul universalize his concern along the lines of gender? That seems awfully sexist if it really only a problem with certain women. Were there no uneducated men in Ephesus who were susceptible to false teaching? What about women who had not succumbed to false teaching – wouldn’t it be unfair for Paul to exclude them if his concern was only with those who had? Furthermore, there is confirmation of Paul’s prohibition in I Timothy in I Corinthians 11 and I Corinthians 14. And in the latter Paul prefaces his comments with, “as in all the churches of the saints,” and grounds his teaching in “the Law,” which seems to suggest we are dealing with a trans-cultural principle.

There is a danger of appealing to murky, uncertain background situations in such a way that the actual statements of Scripture become neutralized. People do this to try to make Romans 1 not really about homosexuality per se. The bottom line is that Paul does not say that he doesn’t permit a woman who has been influenced by false teaching to teach and have authority in I Timothy 2. He says he doesn’t permit a woman to teach and have authority. Period. No qualifiers. I want to honor Paul’s words.

7) Ephesians 5:21-33 is perhaps the most profound passage in the Bible on the meaning of marriage. Marriage is an institution ordained by God at creation, prior to the entrance of sin into the world. And in this passage, there are clearly different roles for male and female in the way marriage is designed to operate. Certainly Christian husbands and wives are to practice mutual submission (5:21) in the way that all Christians are. But when Paul gets more specific about the husband-wife relationship, not all the arrows point in both directions. There are certain responsibilities that husbands have that wives do not, and certain responsibilities that wives have that husbands do not. For example, Paul nowhere says, “husbands, submit to your wives, as the church submits its (wife??), Christ.” It does not say that.

Gender means something. Diverse roles in gender mean something. In this passage, their meaning is bound up with the gospel. Male, female, husband, wife, Christ, and church are all somehow integrated in Paul’s thinking. “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (5:32). If we flatten out the differences of role assigned to husband and wife, we are in danger of tampering with this God-ordained institution that pictures, and is predicated on, the gospel. Its a big deal to flatten out the differences and make all the arrows point in both directions.

I am not ashamed to be a complementarian. I do not accept that I am out of date by taking this view. I think it is the best and most reasonable synthesis of all the relevant biblical data, and I think it accords with much of what we know apart from the Bible in the arena of common grace, and I think it can work well in every day life for mom, dad, kids, and society as a whole. It is not a view to be scoffed at and dismissed as out of touch. It should be taken seriously as a non-sexist, non-patriarchal option on the table – even for we in the 21st century West.

*Blog taken from Seminary paper.

Every Good Church Is Messy:

I have been in the church for over ten years now. I’ll never forget my first experience in a real Bible-believing, Spirit-filled, grace-singing church. I was surprised people enjoyed being there, floored that they knew the words to the songs, and freaked out that they talked about their faith when they weren’t at church. I saw spouses doting over each other, kids being respectful, and college students staying sober. It had a tremendous effect on me — I was sold on the church.

Ten years later, I have felt the pains of being in church. I have felt the pain of getting ground up in the gears of church politics, leaders leaving members in the dust on decisions, friends uttering harsh words, members ruining their lives in sin, and congregational meetings that almost seemed like an episode of Jerry Springer.

Church hasn’t always been pleasant. But while I’ve watched many people give up on the church and flee from it like a haunted house, nevertheless, I still love the church. What I am doing may confound people, but despite the imperfection and sin we see in the church, we still love the church.

No Surprises

No one should be surprised that the church is made up of sinners — it’s one of the admissions that opens the membership door in the first place: we are not perfect and never will be in this life. At its best, the church in this age consists of sinners who are sincerely but imperfectly following Christ. And inevitably, the church also has people who are not truly following Christ.

Even the earliest churches in the New Testament were this way. People were proud of their gifts (1 Corinthians 12:21), unloving, unwilling to associate with other races (Galatians 2:11–12), some were involved with lawsuits (1 Corinthians 6:1), some were getting drunk during communion (1 Corinthians 11:21), some were living in sexual immorality and even sleeping with their own family members (1 Corinthians 5:1)! Paul actually told one church their meetings did more harm than good (1 Corinthians 11:17) — that’s amazing.

Paul was not derailed by any of these things. And he certainly didn’t give up on the church. He said these differences are necessary to prove who is genuine in their faith (1 Corinthians 11:19). The mess was in line with what the apostles expected, and it should be with us, too.

So, why do I love the inconvenient, messy, and sometimes painful local expression of Christ’s body?

1. We are humbled by those who are hard to love.

God is bringing people of different backgrounds, nationalities, socioeconomic statuses, and spiritual maturity levels together (Ephesians 3:10). The church’s diversity is a beautiful thing, and part of the beauty is that it grows us by bringing us into orbit with people unlike us — sometimes with people who are hard to love.

Loving lovable people is easy. Associating with unlovable people in unlovable situations will always make us marvel at the love of Christ. It forces us to grow in knowing and sharing that love. In the mess, we will find beautiful displays of forgiveness, compassion, humility, and reconciliation. These never would have been seen apart from the mess.

2. We are warned by those who fall away.

Some of the worst things I’ve seen in the church were caused by people who had fallen away (or were falling away) from the faith. Seeing the results of their actions was sobering. When I first saw the problems in the church, I thought Jesus was the problem. I thought his work in our church was insufficient, or at least incomplete, and that he was the reason we faced the issues we did.

Then I realized most of those people causing scenes were struggling in their faith. This aroused compassion in me, rather than judgment, and it made me want to pray for and help them (Matthew 18:12). If I had left the church at the first glimpse of trouble, I would not have understood the root issue of the problems — or the vital importance of striving in faith side by side with other Christians (Philippians 1:27).

3. We are prepared to love outside the church.

I have become more gracious and less judgmental. I have learned to work through disagreement when it occurs. This lesson has been massive, not just in church settings, but for how I act at the office and with my family. I have learned to love better, more fervently and consistently.

If you have not had a reason to question loving the church, then your love has not been tested. Great lessons happen in the life of the church.

4. We learn to love what God loves.

The greatest and most important reason why I love the church is that God loves the church. Christ loves his bride, his holy ones for whom he died to purchase them with his own blood (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:22–23; Revelation 21:2, 9–10; 22:17). If the one who had to die to make us holy is not ashamed to call us brothers, how could we refuse to love those who are sinners like us (Hebrews 2:11)?

God’s plan to make his grace known to the world is not for a bunch of perfect people to live together in perfect harmony, but rather, for sinful people to cling desperately to Jesus, even in the hardest instances. God’s light may not shine in every corner of the church, but it still shines all around. When the church looks to Jesus for help in our weaknesses, powerful things can happen.

Paul saw the mess in each of the churches, and he still gave his life to building them (Acts 20:24). The reason we love the church, and all its mess, and all its baggage, is because it’s there that we see God’s amazing grace conquering our sins and transforming us to look like his Son. When the world sees that, even the mess of the church can make Jesus look great.

Sunday Worship Begins On Saturday:

Every journey requires preparation. Where are you going? What will you need? And what should you leave behind? If you’re going to the grocery store, you need money and fuel. If you’re going to the beach, you need a towel, sunblock, and a beach chair.

As Sunday morning approaches, it can be all too easy to give the corporate worship of the church less thought and preparation than that trip to the grocery store. Going to church can sadly become just another weekend activity. But should corporate worship be different? How should we prepare our hearts for the weekly gathering of God’s people? Here are a few suggestions.

Know Your Destination

The journey begins by knowing where you’re going. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes implores his readers to “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:1). For Christians, the church is the household of God as the Spirit builds us together into his dwelling place (Ephesians 2:19–22). How we approach God in worship reveals what we think of the God that we worship.

We are willing to prepare for things we value. When we value celebrating God and gathering with his people, adequate and purposeful preparation is easy. But when we view the gathered church as merely another Sunday morning option, then we won’t properly prepare for the gathering.

Our weekly gatherings as the church are more than a social club, more than an experience, and more than a place to be recharged for the week. As people united with Christ, we have new priorities, a new family, and a new life. Where are we going? We are going to meet with God, for when God’s people gather, God is there.

Prepare to Love Others

Once you know where you’re going, you must determine what you need to get there. One thing we need to begin the journey is renewed thinking about God. Our view of God shapes our engagement in corporate worship.

God’s Spirit uses our meditation on God’s word to renew our thinking about God. Often, I wake up with a hard heart first thing in the morning. I am not automatically excited about the things of God. This is not necessarily a sign of dead spirituality, but simply the natural disposition of the fallen human heart.

So, what should we do? We should contemplate the incomparable majesty of God that makes angels cover their eyes (Isaiah 6:2), rivers clap their hands, and hills sing for joy (Psalm 98:8). Contemplate God’s infinite love by considering how the God who created everything was so mindful of you that he sent his Son to die in your place. Contemplate the everlasting rest to come for the believer: all exhaustion, cancer, and despair will be forever gone, and we will be in the very presence of the one who is himself the fullness of joy. Contemplate the things we cannot see that await us — like the crown of glory and the full and final satisfaction that will be ours.

Second, we take one another on this journey. A worship service is not exclusively a vertical praising of God. It is also horizontal building up of the body of Christ. As you gather on Sunday morning, consider how you might encourage others. Pray that God would give you words to say, Scriptures to share, and specific encouragement to offer to his people. This was Paul’s expectation of the Corinthian church: “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

When we gather with the people of God, we should prepare in order to contribute, to encourage, and to build up others. Think through the individuals in your small group or on the ministry team you serve with, or just pull out your church directory and pray for the people in your local church. Write some thoughts down and share them with particular people you want to encourage. Pray for members of the church throughout the week. Prepare your heart by considering others.

Leave Your Burdens Behind

Whenever my family goes for a trip, my wife and I must determine what we don’t need. On any journey, deciding what we leave behind is as important as what to bring. And just as the capacity of our family van is a scarce resource, the same holds true for my limited mind and affections.

We prepare our hearts for worship by leaving behind worldly distractions and sin (Hebrews 12:1). Sadly, this is rarely a deliberate consideration for many Christians. We don’t evaluate how our Saturday night fun might impact our Sunday morning edification.

On a campground, nobody wants to sleep in a bug-infested tent. So we keep our tents zipped up throughout the day. If we give ourselves to worldly distractions and sinful actions, it is as if we leave our tent open throughout the day, and then when we gather for corporate worship we spend our time swatting at gnats. Instead, we should prepare our hearts for corporate worship by intentionally disengaging from the world.

Thoughtful preparation for corporate worship sets the right trajectory for our journey together. It presents us with an opportunity to warm our affections and soften our hearts, packing what we need and leaving behind what we don’t, as we gather together for God’s glory and our good.

Three Years, Two Lessons:

This week marks the start of my fourth year in full-time vocational youth ministry. Given enough time, I could write thousands of words about all that I’ve learned, mistakes I’ve made, what I would do differently, what I would do the same, etc.

But I'm a youth leader. I don’t have time to write all that and you don’t have time to read it.

With that in mind, I’ve condensed much of what I’ve learned over the last three years into two really big, really general ideas.

HERE’S WHAT I’VE LEARNED IN MY FIRST THREE YEARS OF YOUTH MINISTRY:

1) YOUTH MINISTRY IS MESSY.
We’re ministering to imperfect, sinful human beings—and immature ones at that. If that weren’t messy enough we too are imperfect, sinful human beings. This results in one big and obvious conclusion: Youth ministry is messy!

Students are going to make some unwise decisions. You’re going to make plenty of your own. Parents are going to get under your skin. You’re going to return the favor. Volunteers will likely fail to fulfill their commitment to the youth ministry. You’ll likely fail to fulfill your commitment to your family. There will be problems. There will be tension. There might be chaos. There certainly will be messiness.

As long as we are imperfect people ministering to imperfect people (which is forever if you’re keeping score) ministry will continue to be messy. Don’t be surprised by it. Don’t run from it. Embrace it as the reality of broken people ministering to broken people in a broken world. Where sin, brokenness, and messiness increase, grace abounds all the more (Rom. 5:20).

2) MINISTRY IS A PROCESS.
Ministry takes time. If we’re honest, results typically come much slower than we’d like. But let’s remember that not all growth is quickly realized or even quantifiable at all. Good fruit takes a while to grow. Embrace the process.

Similarly, we’re always youth leaders in process. The day will never come where we “arrive” as youth leaders. There will always be room to grow as counselors, communicators, small group leaders, and so on.

While transformation and growth may happen at a slower pace than we’d like, both in our students and us, don’t despise the process! It is in this space that we are slowly being transformed one degree at a time (2 Cor. 3:18).

Two big lessons that I have learned in three years: youth ministry is messy and it is a process.

Expect More From Young Men:

Throughout history, we have thought of our young men as restless, healthy, and built for activity. Words like driven, hard-charging, and adventurous come to mind.

The possibilities for young men are endless. They can bear the yoke in their youth and lay the foundation for the rest of their lives. They can marry, have children, and provide for a family and for others — or at least get the training, education, and experience that will enable them to provide.

We are eager to see young men exert energy because we all know what happens when you put testosterone together with capacity to work for the kingdom. And we also know what happens when you mix the same testosterone and capacity with idleness. The ancient saying proves true: “the devil finds work for idle hands.”

Single, Childless, Idle

Picture this: one in five less-educated young men are not working and not seeking marriage, and they seem happy about it. No one wants to see that, but we’re looking at it. According to University of Chicago economist Erik Hurst, young men between the ages of 21 and 30 without a college degree worked far fewer hours in 2015 than in 2000, and in 2015, eighteen percent of these men reported not working in the last year (up from eight percent in 2000).

Hurst describes this as almost one-fifth of the population simply being idle: not in school and not working. Seventy percent of these young men live with their parents (up from fifty percent in 2000). These young men are not married, not having kids, and not earning an income. They are young, single, childless, and idle.

Virtual Happiness

What, then, are these young men doing with their lives? According to Hurst, they are playing video games. Leisure time, largely spent playing games on computers and consoles, doubled from the early 2000s to 2015.

When Hurst relayed these statistics to Econtalk Podcast host Russ Roberts, Roberts could scarcely believe the numbers or accept the idea that so many young men would choose to live with their parents, and not work, so that they could play video games.

In response to the incredulity of Roberts, Hurst pointed to “happiness data,” which indicates that the reported life satisfaction of these “less educated young men” has gone up.

These guys are not married, not working, playing video games in mom’s basement, and loving it.

Hurst speculates that if these young men were out on the street, they would be forced to work, even for relatively low wages. But because of what he calls “private transfers,” which refers to the way their parents fund their lives, they don’t need to work. So they don’t.

Hard to Love the Idle

The apostle Paul has a simple solution for such a dilemma: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

He won’t get a job? He wants to sit in the basement on the Playstation all day? Stop stocking the fridge. Cut off the food supply. It’s time for him to provide for himself.

Does this seem harsh? It actually would be a great kindness. And what feels or seems kind is often cruel.

Proverbs 19:18 admonishes parents, “Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.” Let’s not make it easy for young men to be lazy, for them to take at no cost, for them to remain dependent upon their parents, training them to look for every loophole out of having to work.

Low Expectations, Soft Bigotry

God created man to work, provide, lead, and protect. And making man in his own image and likeness, God created man to bring the very character of the one he reflects to bear on all creation. God creates, provides, protects, and leads. And God doesn’t do any of these because he needs them, but for the sake of others.

A former U.S. president once referred to “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” To expect a man in his twenties to remain jobless, uneducated, and unmarried while devoting his energy, employing his ingenuity, and exercising his creativity surfing the web or playing video games is to expect nothing from him. And to expect nothing from someone is the worst kind of insult.

But to expect him to provide, protect, and lead is to highlight his worth and potential as a man made by God. It is to assume that he has dignity.

Finding something to do is as simple as paying attention. But our society doesn’t expect boys to do that anymore, and we have all kinds of excuses we make for them. If we don’t train boys to pay attention to others, make sacrifices, take risks, and work hard, we’ll rob them of the full and fruitful lives they are capable of.

The New Testament casts a better vision for young men in the church than our society does today. We do not accept their immaturity, or look down on their youth (1 Timothy 4:12), but encourage them as brothers (1 Timothy 5:1). We do not give them a pass, but expect them to grow in self-control (Titus 2:6) and “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). We stand ready for them to handle the Scriptures for themselves, that they might have the word of God abiding in them (1 John 2:14) and — mark this — overcome the evil one (1 John 2:13), which is immeasurably more satisfying than winning at video games.

Let’s adjust our vision first, and then train our young men to realize their purpose and potential. Let’s help them see the good in God’s design for work — how work contributes to the world and makes us more like Jesus. Let’s inspire them to dream bigger dreams than conquering the next level on the screen. Most of all, let’s show them that happiness is not found in entertainment, food, or freedom, but in the God who has drawn near to us in Christ.

Dear College Freshman:

Dear college freshman,

Ready or not here it's here. It’s no exaggeration that these next four years will be some of the most meaningful and formative of your life. For this reason, it’s vital that from the first day you set foot on campus you have the right perspective—one informed and shaped by the wisdom of God’s Word.

Perhaps you already know today’s typical college scene isn’t hospitable toward serious followers of Christ. In reality, it’s quite inhospitable, a spiritual war zone of sorts (Eph. 6:10–13). Drunkenness and sexual promiscuity are the norm, not the exception. Vulgarity is rampant. Porn is common. Academic integrity is increasingly elusive, and the winds of postmodernism blow briskly through the classroom. Consequently, the pressure on campus to conform to the world far outweighs any encouragement to live with biblical conviction.

That is why I’m writing to you—to encourage you to stand firm in the grace of God (1 Pet. 5:8–9, 12), and to let nothing come between you and Jesus during your freshman year.

Here is a five-part biblical strategy for maintaining a strong walk with God on campus.

1. Find a solid church home.

The first thing you need to do when starting your freshman year is find a good church. This is what they call a no-brainer. You need a church. Every Christian needs a church. A churchless Christian is a vulnerable Christian. Why? Because the local church is Christ’s ordained means of protecting, nourishing, equipping, and tending his blood-bought flock (John 21:15–17; Eph. 4:11–14). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, executes these tasks through spiritually qualified elders (1 Tim. 3:1–7). These undershepherds are called and set apart to faithfully proclaim the Word, administer the sacraments, pray, and watch over the souls of God’s children (1 Cor. 1:21; 11:23–26; Acts 6:4; Acts 20:28).

Therefore, dear freshman, if you neglect the ministry of the church during your college years you will be like a lost and exposed lamb in the wild, vulnerable to the evil one’s attacks (1 Pet. 5:8). Moreover, you will be impoverished of godly wisdom and accountability during a season of life when you need it most.

And not only do you need the church, but the church needs you. Christ has given you spiritual gifts to bless his body—yes, even in college. Christ’s body is healthiest when every member is doing their part. “When each part is working properly,” Paul writes, “the body grows so that it builds itself up in love” (Eph. 4:16). You are a vital member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12–26).

How might the Lord use your gifts to build up a local church? Perhaps you could assist with youth ministry or serve in the nursery or help with musical accompaniment in worship or take a missions trip. Opportunities abound. Discover how you can use your gifts to serve a church.    

Make finding a church a priority—not a shallow congregation that replaces worship with entertainment and discipleship with amusement, but one that proclaims Christ from all of Scripture and shepherds its members’ souls. Jesus loved the church so much he gave his life for her (Eph. 5:25). We should love and cherish her, too.                  

2. Build a strong devotional life.

In addition to finding a solid church home, be sure to spend daily time with the Lord. Start each day seeking him through Bible reading, reflection, and prayer. This simple yet life-shaping discipline will set the right spiritual launch code, setting a daily course that combats sin and exalts Christ. When you pursue him this way, you enter each day wearing the armor of God, not just jeans and a T-shirt (Eph. 6:10–17).

There are many daily Bible reading plans available online. Choose one before you embark on your new semester. Spend 15 to 20 minutes each morning in the Word and prayer. Even Jesus “very early in the morning” sought time alone with his Father amid the busyness of life (Mark 1:35). We all need to “be still and know that [he] is God” (Ps. 46:10).        

The world will always attempt to press you into its mold. Regular exposure to Scripture, along with godly reflection and prayer, will yield grace and wisdom to resist the world and live out your faith during these crucial years.          

3. Cultivate healthy friendships.

Maintaining a godly focus in college involves establishing healthy friendships. Friends have a profound influence on the way we think and behave. We must be careful and wise with our choice of companions (Exod. 23:2; Prov. 13:20; Ps. 1:1–2).

As you approach your freshman year, decide what kinds of friendships you will cultivate. Will they be friends who build you up or drag you down? Will they encourage your walk with God or lead you away from him? Will they hold you accountable or let you wander down wrong paths?

God’s Word warns us that “bad company ruins good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). Be cautious and intentional, then, with the company you keep. And be sure to remember Jesus is the ultimate friend—“a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24). He loves you, and he will never fail you or forsake you (Rom. 5:8; 2 Tim. 4:16–17).

4. Fight for sexual purity.

God designed sex for marriage (Gen. 2:24–25). Sex is meant to be a beautiful expression of love between a husband and wife in the context of a lifelong covenant (Song of Songs 6:2–3). When practiced outside of marriage, this gift is cheapened. When misused, it yields shame and brokenness.

Sexual promiscuity is rife on college campuses. “Hooking up” and engaging in unrestrained sexual behavior is almost expected in today’s student culture. But Christians are called to be courageously countercultural in this regard. Rather than give yourself to many, dear freshman, save yourself for one. Yes, save yourself for your future spouse—the one you will love and cherish as long as you both shall live. You won’t regret it.

Decide now that you won’t place yourself in compromising situations, especially as you have more freedom than you’ve ever before experienced. Sexual purity is the will of God for your life, so make it a high priority (1 Thess. 4:3–5; 1 Cor. 6:19–20).  

5. Be gospel-driven.              

There is nothing like the gospel to compel you to walk closely with God in college. This is the amazing news that God loved you so much that he sent his Son to fulfill the law’s demands (Heb. 4:15), bear the wretched curse (Gal. 3:13), and rise victoriously from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3–4).

King Jesus conquered sin, death, and hell, and he did it all for you—for all who turn from sin and rest in him alone for salvation.

Dear freshman, it is the glorious gospel of grace that will drive you to find a solid church home, foster a strong devotional life, establish healthy friendships, and pursue sexual purity. Good intentions, personal resolutions, and parental expectations may inspire for a time. But only by abiding in the incomparable love of Christ will you remain steadfast and immovable during your first year in college and beyond.

The Weight of 9:00 AM:

I woke up last night in a cold sweat. I was dreaming that I got up to preach in the 9:00 am service and no one was there. I began talking to the chairs hoping someone would come in but no one ever came.

I tossed and turned last night before getting out of bed and heading down to the basement. The weight of everything getting ready to take place was crushing me.

The burden of preaching was crushing me.
The burden of being called Pastor and having all eyes on me was crushing me.
The burden of my children being thrust into the limelight was crushing me.
The burden of people's hopes and dreams that I can grow a church through my preaching was crushing me.
The burden of being seen as an agent of disunity was crushing me.
The burden of tension between the Pastoral staff was crushing me.
The burden of judgmental stares from people was crushing me.
The burden of church members thinking I am a fool was crushing me.
The burden of realizing that if this service does not succeed I could lose my job was crushing me.
The burden of having to preach a home run sermon every week was crushing me.
The burden of the churches financial situation was crushing me.
The burden of bringing new families into the church who will tithe was crushing me.
The burden of being called Pastor was crushing me.
The burden of Pastoral Ministry was crushing me.

The burden was crushing me.

And

That is a very good thing.

The crushing weight of everything taking place in the fall drove me to my knees... no... it drove me to my face on the floor of the basement crying out to God... crying out to Jesus Christ!

I was crying out to Jesus to move in my life.
I was crying out to Jesus to remind me that my identity is found in Him and not in my job.
I was crying out to Jesus to remind me that I my justification is not contingent on the number of people who attend the 9:00 AM service but is secure in Heaven.
I was crying out to Jesus to humble me, mold me and shape me.
I was crying out to Jesus to mold me into His image. He is the potter, I am the clay.
I was crying out to Jesus to speak through me.
I was crying out to Jesus to move in FBCS.
I was crying out to Jesus to make FBCS a light in the midst of our dark city.
I was crying out to Jesus to bring lost souls into our churches that they may hear the Gospel and be saved.
I was crying out to Jesus to burden church members for souls in our city and for church members to go outside the walls of our city being salt and light.
I was crying out to Jesus for Him to make His name known in our church, in our city and around the world.
I was crying out to Jesus to heal disunity.
I was crying out to Jesus to provide financially.
I was crying out to Jesus to not let me lose my job.
I was crying out to Jesus!

In the midst of my prayers the still, small voice of God spoke to me and said, "Be faithful. Preach the Word. All I am asking you to do is be faithful."

Oh may I be found faithful!

May God get the glory if the service succeeds, families joins and our financial situation improves.

May God get the glory if the service fails.

May I never forget that my shoulders are not strong enough to carry the burdens of FBCS BUT Christ's shoulders are strong enough. I cast my worries, cares, fears and burdens at the feet of the one who gave His life for me. HE IS STRONG ENOUGH TO CARRY IT ALL.

May God get the glory in everything that I do!
May God get the glory in everything about to take place!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

2017/2018: CREW Activities

CREW exists to reach, teach and release 7th-12th grade students and here is how we will be doing that this year:

Sunday School:

We will continue our study through the Bible. We should be through the entire Old Testament by the end of this school year.

Wednesday Nights:

We will be focusing on three series: 

1) Habitudes by Tim Elmore. Habitudes are pictures which teach a leadership lesson from the Bible.

2) The Apostles Creed. We will be breaking down the Apostles Creed section by section to help to teach students what we believe as Christians.

3) The Mission Of God: We will be studying God's plan to spread a supremacy for His name among all people groups on Earth.

Activities:

September:

• Saturday, September 9th: Paintball
• Wednesday, September 20th: Manicures & board games at Arbor Ridge

October:

• Wednesday, October 4th: Dixie Classic Fair
• Saturday, October 21st: Kersee Valley Corn Maize

November:

• Wednesday, November 1: Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Shopping
• Friday-Sunday, November 17th-19th: Ridgecrest

December:

• Saturday, December 2: CREW Ugly Sweater Christmas Party

January:

• Snowflex

February:

• Super Bowl Party
• Serve Widows for Valentines Day

March:

• Ice Cream Fight
• Winter Jam

April:

• Camping at Pilot Mountain
• Serve our community with the PMBA

May:

• Canoe the New

June: 

• Summer Camp: June 18-22

July:

• International Mission Trip to Honduras

It is going to be an exciting year in CREW reaching, teaching and releasing 7th-12th grade students.

What Christianity Offers:

In Philippians 3, Paul tells us of the righteousness we have by faith in Christ Jesus. It doesn't matter who we once were. All that matters is who are now in Christ. We gladly give up what we once treasured and forsake what we once pursued that was contrary to God. "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:9). We can lean heavily on Christ because we have something in Christianity that nothing else can offer. Paul goes on to say, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)

Notice the order Paul places this. What comes first? The power of the resurrection. Then suffering. Then death. We are all on a path toward death. But for the Christian, while death looms, it doesn’t define. Life defines the Christian experience. But not life in a general sense. It is a particular kind of life – the power of the resurrection. This means that Christians have greater power than anything else in the world. Since the beginning of time, humans have sought immortality. Every god we create, every idol we fashion, is an attempt to gain immortality.

Recently, I listened to the results of a study on NPR. Here was the title, “Has the human life span hit the ceiling?” We have made so much progress in the diagnosis and treatment of disease that some scientists wonder if we've seen the limit of human aging. Some thought our lifespans would keep increasing. The results of their research hit a rock wall recently when the average lifespan actually went down. One researcher confessed, “We cannot break through that ceiling. The take home message essentially is this whole ever-increasing life expectancy of humans cannot go on.” Is that really surprising?

We understand this desire, though, don’t we? Don’t most people want to live a long time? But isn’t the kind of life you live more important that just living? Paul gives us insight into the kind of life we have available to us as Christians. We don’t have immortality as we typically understand it – with this present life in continuation forever. We have something far better. We have the power of the resurrection. The life Jesus lived – obedience to God, suffering, death on the cross, then resurrection – is reversed for us. We have the power of the resurrection – the great hope that all is not lost, that this life and the next really does matter. And in that power, we can obey, suffer, and die with a peace that comes only from God. We have the righteousness of God in Christ. We don’t have to earn it. We just have to receive it. When we do so, we have the power of the resurrection. Do you want immortality? You have it in Christ. But more than just that, you have real, powerful, meaningful life. We are not invited to more of the same experience that this life has to offer, but into the power of the resurrection life that only God can offer.

Let Us Welcome One Another:

The redeeming death of Jesus saves individuals, but it does more than just this. It creates communities, miraculously forming redeemed people into churches who live as family with one another.

In Romans 15:7, the apostle Paul identifies the ground and goal of true community: “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Every church I know wants to be a welcoming church. But the way we think of “welcoming” is often superficial, limited to a warm greeting with a smile, a handshake, and a welcome packet on Sunday morning. Paul’s understanding of “welcome” is both deeper and higher than that — rooted deep in the soil of the gospel itself and reaching high to accomplish something of immeasurable value.

Root of Christian Community

“Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Paul wrote these words to the church in Rome, which was experiencing considerable tension between Jewish and Gentile Christians, who disagreed about eating certain foods and observing certain days. Into this conflict, Paul declared the gospel truth that “Christ has welcomed you.”

Christ’s welcome isn’t just a friendly handshake and a pleasant smile. It is salvation (Romans 10:13), reconciliation (Romans 5:10), reception into the family of God (Romans 8:16). And it is costly: it took Christ’s death in our place and resurrection from the dead so that we could be welcomed by him. Nevertheless, it was a price that the Son gladly pain in order to receive us (John 10:18).

Christ’s welcome of us is the basis and model for our ongoing welcome of one another: “welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you.” Because Jesus died in our place to welcome us into God’s family, our welcome of one another means we live together as family.

Dynamics of Christian Community

How does a healthy family interact with one another? That question guides our life together in Christian community. We love one another through disagreements, like a healthy family does. We’re willing to reconcile and worship and work together. We don’t avoid or despise family members who have quirky personalities, or annoying qualities — or those who are simply different from us in the way they dress or talk or look.

Instead, we accept one another because we’re part of the same family. We participate together in community and serve one another in the jobs that need doing, because that’s what a healthy family does. We find ways, both big and small, through words and actions, to say, “You are family to me, so I will sacrifice to serve you.” We welcome one another by serving in nursery, sitting by a hospital bed, providing transportation, praying faithfully, working through conflict, and in a thousand other ways.

The kind of welcome Paul calls for is not the task of a “greeters ministry” or “welcome team” alone, but of the entire church. It’s not an event, but an ongoing way of life. Loving our church family requires time and sacrifice and humility, just as Christ’s welcome of us into his family required his death on the cross.

Goal of Christian Community

The result of a Christian community actually living this way is breathtaking. Paul says that we should welcome one another as Christ welcomed us “for the glory of God.” It is possible for a community of redeemed sinners to display God’s worth to the world. There can be no higher goal for any church. Paul’s teaching is great news for small, ordinary churches. It means you don’t need gorgeous buildings, or state-of-the-art ministries, or famous pastors, or phenomenal music, or programs for all ages in order to bring glory to God. Your church glorifies God by being family to one another, by welcoming one another as Christ has already welcomed you.

Wednesday Worship:

Wednesday Worship:

How To Serve A Bad Boss:

On Sunday, I was asked a question by a church member on how to serve a bad boss. Below is my response. I hope it helps.

Rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. (Ephesians 6:7–8)

Consider these five things from Ephesians 6:7–8 in connection to your job.

1) A call to radically Lord-centered living.

This is astonishing compared to the way we usually live. Paul says that all our work should be done as work for Christ, not for any human supervisor. With good will render service “as to the Lord and not to man.”

This means that we will think of the Lord in what we are doing at work. We will ask, Why would the Lord like this done? How would the Lord like this done? When would the Lord like this done? Will the Lord help me to do this? What effect will this have for the Lord’s honor? In other words, being a Christian means radically Lord-centered living and working.

2) A call to be a good person.

Lord-centered living means being a good person and doing good things. Paul says, “With a good will [render service] . . . whatever good anyone does.” Jesus said that when we let our light shine, men will see our “good works” and give glory to our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

3) Power to do a good job for inconsiderate earthly employers.

Paul’s aim is to empower Christians, with Lord-centered motives, to go on doing good for supervisors who are not considerate. How do you keep on doing good in a job when your boss ignores you or even criticizes you? Paul’s answer is: stop thinking about your boss as your main supervisor, and start working for the Lord. Do this in the very duties given to you by your earthly supervisor.

4) Encouragement that nothing good is done in vain.

Perhaps the most amazing sentence of all is this: “Whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.” This is amazing. Everything! “Whatever good anyone does.” Every little thing you do that is good is seen and valued and rewarded by the Lord.

And he will pay you back for it. Not in the sense that you have earned anything — as if you could put him in your debt. He owns you, and everything in the universe. He owes us nothing. But he freely, graciously chooses to reward us for all the good things done in faith.

5) Encouragement that insignificant status on earth is no hindrance to great reward in heaven.

The Lord will reward every good thing you do — “whether he is a bondservant or is free.” Your supervisor may think you are a nobody — a mere bondservant, so to speak. Or he may not even know you exist. That doesn’t matter. The Lord knows you exist. And in the end no faithful service will be in vain.

A Letter To My Son About Pornography:

My Dear Son,

The eye beholds much good and evil in this life. Beholding leads to becoming. What we continually put before our eyes and minds will shape and determine who we are. Images either tell the truth or lie, but they all speak. On top of this, our natural eyes are lustful things not easily satisfied (1 John 2:16). One lustful look can change us. One look can feed the monster within so that it rears up its ugly head looking for more.

“Feed me,” he says. His appetite is fierce and unsatisfied. One look leads to another, and then to many more.

This is the kingdom of sexual lust — a world of soft porn and free porn — and secrets contained in cleared web browsers. What you behold, son, you become. If you steep your tea too long, it becomes bitter. Likewise, if you sit and soak in pornographic fantasies, your life will have a bitter taste. At first the flavors might taste sweet, but bitterness will always be the end result. And the bitterness will be shared someday in your interactions with girls: how you think about girls, talk to girls, treat girls, and pursue girls.

A Wicked Education in Sex

Pornography misshapes your vision of girls, whether you realize it or not. And one day, pornography might affect your future wife. The women gleaming on the computer screen may not directly feel the effects of your lust, but they will indirectly, as you fuel the industry that enslaves and trafficks them.

But the images cannot feel the painful grief and loss a wife feels when her husband’s hidden sins are inevitably revealed. I plead with you to not let the tea steep that long — to not let one look turn into thousands of looks over the course of years. If this happens, you will taste the bitterness, my sons, and you will want to spit it out.

Lust distorts the glory of both biblical manhood and womanhood; it goes against the divine mandate in the garden of Eden. Men are to care for women — and provide and protect with humble strength — not exploit and dominate. Women are strong, capable, and your equal, not objects to be used and discarded.

But the porn industry diminishes both men and women, and reduces them all the way down to simple actors of animal lust for pixilation, instead of celebrating them as complex and glorious image bearers of their Creator. This is the consumer society we live in, devaluing human beings as they’re offered up for consumption. The porn industry is lining online aisles with a sexual zoo for viewing pleasure.

A Far Better Place to Look

You, my son, are called by God to reject sexual consumerism. You are called by Christ to seek pleasure in him, and to pour out your life in selfless giving to God and to others.

Jesus Christ is the opposite of pornography. Jesus lived a life of denial and sacrifice. No lust, ever. Sex for him was unnecessary, even as he imaged God perfectly. He became the least and the last in order to put us first. Pornography is self-exalting. It is putting your pleasures and desires first, before the glory of God and the good of others. Since Christ is the opposite of pornography, then look to Christ in your fight against sexual temptation and sin. When you behold Christ, you will become like him.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Look upon his face, and pornography will begin to look strangely dim.

A Safe Place After Sexual Failure

When Moses asked God to show him his glory (Exodus 33:18), the glory of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ had not yet been fully revealed. How much more glorious is it for you, when you ask God to show you his glory now after the cross and resurrection? You only have to read about this glory in God’s word, and meditate upon it in your hearts and minds. You will be changed. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

And if you are drawn into the illicit pleasures of the internet, remember the words of Robert Murray McCheyne: “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” One look at your sinful self calls for ten looks at Christ nailed to a cross for you. Being in Christ is the only qualification we need to behold his glory, even after we have sinned. He alone is the cure and the prevention for your sin.

Be Thou My Vision

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:22:

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”
A healthy eye connotes clear vision, and you will have a spiritually healthy way of looking at things (like the gift of sex). But your eyes can lie to you if you only see with them and not through them. The eye can distort your heart and mind if you are using it only to see what is directly in front of you. When your eyes are filled with the glory of God in Christ, you will clearly see through the distorting lies of lust.

Love,
Your Daddy

What I Can Do As A Student Minister In Light of Charlottesville:

In the wake of the Charlottesville protests  – and the ongoing racial turmoil our country has been in since its founding – it is time for me as a student pastors to leverage my influence to lead young people toward spiritual reconciliation.

As a Student pastor, I cannot avoid the conversation about race inequality. Look at the pictures of these white supremacists in Charlottesville; they are young men – not the older generation that everyone assumes still has racists roots.

These men were teenagers in a student ministry less than a decade ago.

If I passively sit back, waiting for my senior pastor to speak about hard topics, I am creating a culture of uninformed and spiritually weak Christians.

It is easy to feel lost as to what I can do to make a difference.

Being detached geographically doesn’t detach my ethical and spiritual responsibility to denounce evil and advocate for change.

What should I do as a student pastor to lead change?  

Have ongoing conversations about race, reconciliation, and Jesus’ model of ministry.

Offering up a prayer the Sunday after a racial tragedy isn’t going to change our culture. As a spiritual leader, I must constantly denounce hate and oppression and lead my students to live as citizens of Heaven – the hands and feet of the Body of Jesus Christ.

Theologian Karl Barth said, “We have to read the Bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other.” Student ministries cannot be detached from culture. The Spirit of God hasn’t give us a spirit of fear but of courage and power (2 Timothy 17). I must lead ongoing conversations about the injustices that are happening around the world and how the power of Jesus, extended through the local church, can radically change our world.

Expand my students’ worldview by ministering cross-culturally.

If ignorance breeds racism, then I must expose my students to the cultures that exist beyond their cul-de-sacs.  They need to see that people are people and that the need for Jesus transcends race, social status, and gender. Ministering cross-culturally has to be an ongoing aspect of your ministry. Serving one time in that one area will not shape my students’ worldview to minister to others.

Don’t tolerate hate in my church.

Love isn’t silent. My student ministries can’t be silent about evil. Jesus wasn’t – He constantly crossed racial and social barriers to heal broken people. It is time for me to speak up and use whatever platform that I have to influence change in my community. My students will follow my leadership.

Lead by example. 

At the end of the day, I have to help my students become doers of God’s Word. I need to cultivate Christians who act in our passive culture. Connect students and parents to the tangible steps to fight evil. Those steps will look different in each community. Christians have the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). Student pastors have the responsibility to equip students glorify Jesus.

In addition, here are a few passages I reference as I continue to stand against evil and encourage my students to be the salt and light of the world.

Bible Passages To Reference As You Speak Against Racism:

John 4 – Jesus’ Encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well

Luke 10:25-37 – Parable of the Good Samaritan

Ephesians 2:19-20 – “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

Revelation 7:9 – “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”

Matthew 22:37-39 – “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 2:11 – “But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”

2 Corinthians 5:14 – “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.”