An Open Letter To Parents Of Students:

Dear Parents,

You have been given, by God, an incredibly significant and beautiful role. You are the spiritual shield for your children.

Ephesians 6: 10-12

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

We put on the armor of God, not so we might, maybe, eventually, make a stand against the devil but rather because as believers we already have a place, a spot in the army of God, and we must take our place. Not maybe, but definitively, because we have authority through the Holy Spirit to defend ourselves.

Luke 10:19

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

Until one has accepted Jesus Christ and understands the battle around them, one cannot take their stand against the enemy’s schemes. More specifically, our children fall into this category. If your child has not accepted Christ they certainly fall into this category and are not equipped to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. But, even if they have, they are still under your authority, as parents, you are the authority in the household – and the enemy does not play by the rules, the only thing he does do is respect authority (Acts 19:15). He will not leave our children alone simply because they are young. No, the arrows will fly at them.

One place in particular, as parents, you must take in this battle is to be a shield of faith that covers our little ones from the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Ephesians 6:16

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Our shield of faith, which can be applied through prayer and intercession on behalf of our children – it can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one that are aimed at our children.

You have a place in God’s army, you have authority over the enemy, you have armor that protects, and extinguishes (Eph 6). You have been given authority over your homes, your families, as protectors of your families, and guidance to the cross of Christ. (1 Tim 3:1-5, 1 Tim 5:8, Eph 5:23, Pr 22:6).

Christ has authority even over us, so ultimately it is in communicating with Him that we know how and when to take our stand. This does not mean if we pray, nothing bad will happen. We are wheat being choked by the weeds (Mathew 13: 24-30)– we will always have hardship, and evil in this world, but we also have the Kingdom of God within us, which means sometimes, despite the evil around us, we will see His glory revealed, His freedom accessed, His deliverance experienced, and His restoration attained.

We love your children, and we hope this brings you great courage and joy, that you are not empty handed, you do not have to sit back and watch, you are equipped with the armor of God, you can take your stand.

Ephesians 6:13b-14a

“…and having done all to stand firm. Stand, therefore.”

Many Blessings in Christ Jesus,

Your Youth Leader

The Most Controversial Claim Jesus Made:

Of all the controversial claims Jesus made, one may be more incendiary in our day than all the rest: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In our pluralistic age, these feel like little more than fighting words. But have we missed their full meaning in the fires of the current controversies?

What’s surprising to those who would take the time to investigate more is that this claim first appears not in the public square or at a debate or showdown with religious rivals. Rather, it’s a private dialogue, in an intimate gathering, with Jesus’s closest of friends.

Comfort in the Chaos

His disciples are fearful, perhaps even beginning to panic. One of their own number has just left as a traitor (John 13:21–30). Then Jesus has announced that he himself will be leaving them for good (John 13:33). Now he informs them that Peter, chief among them, will deny him three times (John 13:38). Into this confusion and emerging fear, Jesus speaks a consoling word in John 14:1–4.

The banner over all that follows is verse 1: “Let not your hearts be troubled” (also John 14:27). Jesus as “the way” is first about the comfort and peace and assurance of his followers. These are not first fighting words, but soul-quieting, heart-feeding truth. Comfort first, not controversy.

Jesus is moving his disciples from troubled to trusting. “Let not your hearts be troubled.” That’s the negative. Then the positive: “Believe in God; believe also in me.” What is the great antidote he gives to being troubled, or being anxious or fearful? Faith.

And trusting Jesus is still the great antidote for fear today. But not just general trust. We need specifics — which he then provides. We could count them in different ways, but here are four.

1. God has a big house — and a big heart.

The heart of what Jesus says he will re-express in John 16:7: “it is to your advantage that I go away.” But first, he describes the wideness of his Father’s provision. His house is not small.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)

God’s house does not have only a few rooms, but many — not despite the Father’s heart, but as an expression of it. That his house has many rooms says something about who he is. And that he can be trusted even in the present trouble.

And these are not just rooms in general, this is not just mercy in general, but room “for you,” mercy “for you.” Jesus goes “to prepare a place for you.” Do not be troubled; you will be in God’s house! I may be leaving, Jesus says, but I am going to secure for you the most important good imaginable — so good that it dwarfs every one of your fears, if you only had the eyes to see it and heart to feel it.

2. Jesus will take you there.

Jesus has more details to give, and specific promises to make:

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:3–4)

Not only is the Father’s heart and house for his chosen people, but Jesus himself will come back and take us to himself. He won’t sit around waiting for disciples to get to God on their own; he will come back and get them and bring them himself. And there is more.

3. Jesus himself will be there.

Maybe the two sweetest words in the passage are here: to myself. “I will come again and will take you to myself.” This is the great consolation to troubled disciples. Jesus won’t just get them to heaven, but he himself will be there. And the essence of that place will be communing with him: “. . . that where I am you may be also.”

Here we find a shift from place to person. Not only is Jesus heading to heaven, to his Father’s house, and not only will he himself come get his disciples and bring them there, but heaven itself for the disciples will be about knowing and enjoying Jesus. He will be there with us.

But Jesus doesn’t go directly from this upper-room conversation to heaven. There is a pathway to walk.

4. Jesus has prepared the place for you.

Twice Jesus says, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2, 3). What does it mean that he “prepares” a place for his people? Is heaven in disarray? Is God’s house in shambles, and Jesus will be the renovator?

There is a second “way” in this passage: not for us, but for Jesus alone. And it’s inimitable and utterly unique to him. Where he goes next, after this upper-room conversation, is not first to heaven, but to death. “The way to where I am going” (John 14:4) is the way of the cross. Without Jesus taking this way (on our behalf), there is no way for us (to his Father).

“Preparing a place” doesn’t mean construction in heaven, but crucifixion on earth.

Jesus Will Be Enough

What comfort, then, do we find in confessing Jesus as “the way”? What communion with him do we find in this truth for which we’re often called to contend?

In John 14, Jesus speaks to his disciples in their confusion. In their uncertainty. In their anxiety and fears. And he comforts them by saying, in essence, “I will be enough for you.” You know the way already, because you know me. I am the way. I will be sufficient for you. You don’t need to look elsewhere; you don’t need to supplement me with anything else.

You’re disoriented, and I am the way.
You’re confused, and I am the truth.
You’re fearful, and I am the life.

Knowing me is enough, and will be enough, he says. Your search can end with me.

His Glory, Our Joy

Jesus gets the glory of being “the way,” (not “a way”), “the truth” (not just true), and “the life” (not just life), and as he does, we get the joy and peace and stability of having such a Lord and Savior and Treasure. “The way” is not centrally belief in certain principles and execution of particular actions, but trusting and treasuring a living person. At the heart of Christianity is not pillars to follow, but a person to know and enjoy.

Jesus is the way. By all means, contend for this precious truth in the classroom, over coffee, and on the street, but don’t miss its sweetness first in the depths of your own soul.

6 Things Jesus Does With Your Sin:

It is good to remember what the cross accomplishes.

Here are six things Jesus does with sin:

1. He Condemns It.

Jesus puts a curse on sin. He marks its forehead.

Romans 8:3 – “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.”

Jesus says to sin in no uncertain terms, “Sin, you’re going to die.”

2. He Carries It.

Like the true and better scapegoat, Jesus becomes our sin-bearer.

1 Peter 2:24 – “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

3. He Cancels It.

He closes out the account. (Even better, he opens a new one, where we’re always in the black, having been credited with his perfect righteousness.)

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 – “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful”

That word resentful is more directly “to count up wrongdoing,” which is why some translations of this text say, “Love keeps no record of wrongs.”

Colossians 2:13-14 – “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

That last proclamation leads us into this great truth:

4. He Crucifies It.

1 Peter 3:18 – “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

At the cross, Jesus dies and takes our sin with him. Only, the sin stays dead.

5. He Casts It Away.

Jesus takes the corpse and chucks it into the void.

Micah 7:19 – “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

Psalm 103:12 – “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

6. He Chooses to Un-remember It.

Jesus is omniscient. He is not forgetful. But he wills to un-remember our sin.

Jeremiah 31:34 – “And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Hebrews 8:12 – “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 10:17 – “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Astonishing. We bring our sin to him, repentant and in faithful confession, and he says, “What’re you talking about?”

This is how Jesus forgives sin: He condemns it, carries it, cancels it, kills it, casts it, and clean forgets it. If we’ll confess it.

1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

8 Beliefs You Should Know About Mormons:

1. APOSTASY AND RESTORATION 

Mormons claim that “total” apostasy overcame the church following apostolic times, and that the Mormon Church (founded in 1830) is the “restored church.”

If the Mormon Church were truly a “restored church,” however, one would expect to find first-century historical evidence for Mormon doctrines like the plurality of gods and God the Father having once been a man. Such evidence is completely lacking.

Besides, the Bible disallows a total apostasy of the church (e.g., Matt. 16:18; 28:20; Eph. 3:21; 4:11-16), warning instead of partial apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1).

2. GOD

Mormons claim that God the Father was once a man and that he then progressed to godhood (that is, he is a now-exalted, immortal man with a flesh-and-bone body).

However, based on the Bible, God is not and has never been a man (Num. 23:19; Hos. 11:9). He is a spirit (John 4:24), and a spirit does not have flesh and bones (Luke 24:39).

Furthermore, God is eternal (Ps. 90:2; 102:27; Isa. 57:15; 1 Tim. 1:17) and immutable (or unchangeable in his being and perfections; see Ps. 102:25-27; Mal. 3:6). He did not “progress” toward godhood, but has always been God.

3. POLYTHEISM

Mormons believe that the Trinity consists not of three persons in one God but rather of three distinct gods. According to Mormonism, there are potentially many thousands of gods besides these.

However, trusting in or worshiping more than one god is explicitly condemned throughout the Bible (e.g., Ex. 20:3).

There is only one true God (Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; Isa. 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:18; 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4; James 2:19), who exists eternally in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14).

4. EXALTATION OF HUMANS

Mormons believe that humans, like God the Father, can go through a process of exaltation to godhood.

But the Bible teaches that the yearning to be godlike led to the fall of mankind (Gen. 3:4ff.). God does not look kindly on humans who pretend to attain to deity (Acts 12:21-23; contrast Acts 14:11-15). God desires humans to humbly recognize that they are his creatures (Gen. 2:7; 5:2; Ps. 95:6-7; 100:3). The state of the redeemed in eternity will be one of glorious immortality, but they will forever remain God’s creatures, adopted as his children (Rom. 8:14-30; 1 Cor. 15:42-57; Rev. 21:3-7). Believers will never become gods.

5. JESUS CHRIST

Mormons believe that Jesus Christ was the firstborn spirit-child of the heavenly Father and a heavenly Mother.

Jesus then progressed to deity in the spirit world.

He was later physically conceived in Mary’s womb, as the literal “only begotten” Son of God the Father in the flesh (though many present-day Mormons remain somewhat vague as to how this occurred).

Biblically, however, the description of Jesus as the “only begotten” refers to his being the Father’s unique, one-of-a-kind Son for all eternity, with the same divine nature as the Father (see note on John 1:14; cf. John 1:18; 3:16, 18; see also John 5:18; 10:30).

Moreover, he is eternal deity (John 1:1; 8:58) and is immutable (Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8), meaning he did not progress to deity but has always been God.

And Mary’s conception of Jesus in his humanity was through a miracle of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20).

6. THREE KINGDOMS

Mormons believe that most people will end up in one of three kingdoms of glory, depending on one’s level of faithfulness. Belief in Christ, or even in God, is not necessary to obtain immortality in one of these three kingdoms, and therefore only the most spiritually perverse will go to hell.

But the Bible teaches that people have just two possibilities for their eternal futures: the saved will enjoy eternal life with God in the new heavens and new earth (Phil. 3:20; Rev. 21:1-4; 22:1-5), while the unsaved will spend eternity in hell (Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 20:13-15).

7. SIN AND ATONEMENT

Mormons believe that Adam’s transgression was a noble act that made it possible for humans to become mortal, a necessary step on the path to exaltation to godhood.

They think that Christ’s atonement secures immortality for virtually all people, whether they repent and believe or not.

Biblically, however, there was nothing noble about Adam’s sin, which was not a stepping-stone to godhood but rather brought nothing but sin, misery, and death to mankind (Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 5:12-14). Jesus atoned for the sins of all who would trust him for salvation (Isa. 53:6; John 1:29; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).

8. SALVATION

Mormons believe that God gives to (virtually) everyone a general salvation to immortal life in one of the heavenly kingdoms, which is how they understand salvation by grace. Belief in Christ is necessary only to obtain passage to the highest, celestial kingdom—for which not only faith but participation in Mormon temple rituals and obedience to its “laws of the gospel” are also prerequisites.

Biblically, however, salvation by grace must be received through faith in Christ (John 3:15-16; 11:25; 12:46; Acts 16:31; Rom. 3:22-24; Eph. 2:8-9), and all true believers are promised eternal life in God’s presence (Matt. 5:3-8; John 14:1-3; Rev. 21:3-7).

11 Beliefs You Should Know About Jehovah Witnesses:

11 Beliefs You Should Know About Jehovah Witnesses:

1. THE DIVINE NAME.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that God’s one true name—the name by which he must be identified—is Jehovah.

Biblically, however, God is identified by many names, including:

God (Hb. ‘elohim; Gen. 1:1),
God Almighty (Hb. ‘El Shadday; Gen. 17:1),
Lord (Hb. ‘Adonay; Ps. 8:1), and
Lord of hosts (Hb. yhwh tseba’ot; 1 Sam. 1:3).
In NT times, Jesus referred to God as “Father” (Gk. Patēr; Matt. 6:9), as did the apostles (1 Cor. 1:3).

2. THE TRINITY.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Trinity is unbiblical because the word is not in the Bible and because the Bible emphasizes that there is one God.

Biblically, while it is true that there is only one God (Isa. 44:6; 45:18; 46:9; John 5:44; 1 Cor. 8:4; James 2:19), it is also true that three persons are called God in Scripture:

the Father (1 Pet. 1:2),
Jesus (John 20:28; Heb. 1:8), and
the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4).
Each of these three possesses the attributes of deity—including

omnipresence (Ps. 139:7; Jer. 23:23-24; Matt. 28:20),
omniscience (Ps. 147:5; John 16:30; 1 Cor. 2:10-11),
omnipotence (Jer. 32:17; John 2:1-11; Rom. 15:19), and
eternality (Ps. 90:2; Heb. 9:14; Rev. 22:13).
Still further, each of the three is involved in doing the works of deity—such as creating the universe:

the Father (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 102:25),
the Son (John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), and
the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30).
The Bible indicates that there is three-in-oneness in the godhead (Matt. 28:19; cf. 2 Cor. 13:14).

Thus doctrinal support for the Trinity is compellingly strong.

3. JESUS CHRIST.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael before the physical world existed, and is a lesser, though mighty, god.

Biblically, however, Jesus is eternally God (John 1:1; 8:58; cf. Ex. 3:14) and has the exact same divine nature as the Father (John 5:18; 10:30; Heb. 1:3).

Indeed, a comparison of the OT and NT equates Jesus with Jehovah (compare Isa. 43:11 with Titus 2:13; Isa. 44:24 with Col. 1:16; Isa. 6:1-5 with John 12:41).

Jesus himself created the angels (Col. 1:16; cf. John 1:3; Heb. 1:2, 10) and is worshiped by them (Heb. 1:6).

4. THE INCARNATION.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that when Jesus was born on earth, he was a mere human and not God in human flesh.

This violates the biblical teaching that in the incarnate Jesus, “the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9; cf. Phil. 2:6-7).

The word for “fullness” (Gk. plērōma) carries the idea of the sum total. “Deity” (Gk. theotēs) refers to the nature, being, and attributes of God.

Therefore, the incarnate Jesus was the sum total of the nature, being, and attributes of God in bodily form.

Indeed, Jesus was Immanuel, or “God with us” (Matt. 1:23; cf. Isa. 7:14; John 1:1, 14, 18; 10:30; 14:9-10).

5. RESURRECTION.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was resurrected spiritually from the dead, but not physically.

Biblically, however, the resurrected Jesus asserted that he was not merely a spirit but had a flesh-and-bone body (Luke 24:39; cf. John 2:19-21).

He ate food on several occasions, thereby proving that he had a genuine physical body after the resurrection (Luke 24:30, 42-43; John 21:12-13).

This was confirmed by his followers who physically touched him (Matt. 28:9; John 20:17).

6. THE SECOND COMING.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the second coming was an invisible, spiritual event that occurred in the year 1914.

Biblically, however, the yet-future second coming will be physical, visible (Acts 1:9-11; cf. Titus 2:13), and will be accompanied by visible cosmic disturbances (Matt. 24:29-30). Every eye will see him (Rev. 1:7).

7. THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force of God and not a distinct person.

Biblically, however, the Holy Spirit has the three primary attributes of personality:

a mind (Rom. 8:27),
emotions (Eph. 4:30), and
will (1 Cor. 12:11).
Moreover, personal pronouns are used of him (Acts 13:2). Also, he does things that only a person can do, including:

teaching (John 14:26),
testifying (John 15:26),
commissioning (Acts 13:4),
issuing commands (Acts 8:29), and
interceding (Rom. 8:26).
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Matt. 28:19).

8. SALVATION.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that salvation requires faith in Christ, association with God’s organization (i.e., their religion), and obedience to its rules.

Biblically, however, viewing obedience to rules as a requirement for salvation nullifies the gospel (Gal. 2:16-21; Col. 2:20-23). Salvation is based wholly on God’s unmerited favor (grace), not on the believer’s performance.

Good works are the fruit or result, not the basis, of salvation (Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-8).

9. TWO REDEEMED PEOPLES.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe there are two peoples of God: (1) the Anointed Class (144,000) will live in heaven and rule with Christ; and (2) the “other sheep” (all other believers) will live forever on a paradise earth.

Biblically, however, a heavenly destiny awaits all who believe in Christ (John 14:1-3; 17:24; 2 Cor. 5:1; Phil. 3:20; Col. 1:5; 1 Thess. 4:17; Heb. 3:1), and these same people will also dwell on the new earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1-4).

10. NO IMMATERIAL SOUL.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that humans have an immaterial nature. The “soul” is simply the life-force within a person. At death, that life-force leaves the body.

Biblically, however, the word “soul” is multifaceted. One key meaning of the term is man’s immaterial self that consciously survives death (Gen. 35:18; Rev. 6:9-10). Unbelievers are in conscious woe (Matt. 13:42; 25:41, 46; Luke 16:22-24; Rev. 14:11) while believers are in conscious bliss in heaven (1 Cor. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:21-23; Rev. 7:17; 21:4).

11. HELL.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe hell is not a place of eternal suffering but is rather the common grave of humankind. The wicked are annihilated—snuffed out of conscious existence forever.

Biblically, however, hell is a real place of conscious, eternal suffering (Matt. 5:22; 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev. 14:11; 20:10, 14).

By: Justin Taylor

6 Keys To Family Devotions In 2018:

I’m a father of two young kids with another on the way. I can’t think of many things more important for them in 2018 than regular exposure to the living Word of God. If you’re a Christian parent of young children, I assume you share the same conviction: Your kids need to hear from God, and you long for them to listen carefully to his good Word.

But it’s hard. Life is busy, kids are lively, and reading the Bible often struggles to compete with the Disney channel, Legos, and the newest phone app.

Here are six tips my wife and I have found helpful in our rhythm of Bible reading with our young kids.

1. PICK A REGULAR TIME AND PLACE FOR BIBLE READING. 

In general, children tend to love a routine—a regular, anticipated time with Mom and/or Dad associated with a particular activity. Sporadic and random Bible reading may not engage your children in the same way a regular, planned, prioritized “special” time will.

In our home, we’ve chosen the chunk of time before bed for Bible reading. Our children know that, in the 15 to 20 minutes before bed, we’re going to gather in their room to read a Bible story, discuss it together, and pray. They’ve come to look forward to it, and it’s become as regular and natural a process as brushing their teeth. It may even help them sleep better, as many bedtime routines seem to.

2. READ SHORT CHUNKS. 

Some of us will have to guard against being overly ambitious in the beginning. Since we believe in the power of God’s Word, we want our children exposed to as much of it as possible. So we read two full chapters from Genesis each night. Needless to say, a 5-year-old’s eyes will probably start to glaze over.

I encourage you to pick manageable passages, chosen based on thoughtful criteria. You may decide to begin in Genesis, and move through the Bible sequentially. The key is to not rush it, and to think ahead of time about the right “chunks” for each day.

3. STOP TO EXPLAIN AND GAUGE COMPREHENSION.

Even if the passage for the day is only one chapter, that can be a lot for a young child to absorb if read all at once. It’s incredibly important to stop often along the way, explain things, ask questions to gauge comprehension, and ensure your kids are following along and grasping what the passage is saying.

4. THINK OF AGE-APPROPRIATE QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION.

This aspect has become my children’s favorite part of our nightly time together in God’s Word. I’ve begun thinking of a few basic questions for each of them that will help them do three things with the passage we’ve read: (1) solidify their comprehension of the passage, (2) connect it to the Bible’s overall story, and (3) apply it to their lives.

When you ask simple questions, you’re doing much more than “quizzing” them to ensure they were paying attention. You are actually leading them, interactively, in a time of interpreting and applying God’s Word. And you are preparing them to engage the Scriptures directly on their own in the years to come.

5. CONNECT EACH PASSAGE TO JESUS.

Jesus makes an amazing—even shocking—statement to the Pharisees in John 5: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life. But it is they that bear witness about me.” He is saying, in no uncertain terms, that the Scriptures are centered around him—his incarnation, his life, his teaching, his death, his resurrection, his return.

What does this mean for daily Bible reading with our kids? It means if we’re trying to help them understand any part of the biblical storyline, we must give them a sense of how that part connects to the major character—and great climax—of that big story.

6. LET BIBLE READING LEAD TO PRAYER.

Listening to kids who are learning to pray can be humorous. If yours are anything like mine, their prayers can be hilarious in their simplicity and self-focus. God has heard prayers in our home for dogs, movies, imaginary people, and, of course, coveted toys.

If we’re honest, though, our children’s prayers often are really just “kid versions” of our own. We can easily resort to praying only for our needs and wants, rather than spending time praising and adoring God, and asking for his Spirit’s work in the lives of others. One way to grow in our prayer lives, then, is to intentionally tether our prayers to our reading. We can help our kids “talk back” to God daily, based on the ways he’s speaking to them through the Scriptures.

Parents, press on. Daily, prayer-fueled exposure to the Word of God is the best gift we can ever give our kids.

His Eye Is On Bigfoot:

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”

– Job 11:7

I’ll tell you why I hope Bigfoot exists — and why, in a way, I hope he is never discovered. Because it excites me to think that there are creatures out there God has made for his own enjoyment and to enhance the wonder of life on the earth.

I like to think about those creepy fanged fishies deep in the Mariana Trench, swimming around in the murky darkness of the oceanic fathoms, their dangling bioluminescence their only lantern into the future. Most of them we will never see — at least, not on this side of the new earth, where we don’t have the lung capacity or the mechanical capacity to withstand the pressure of such depths. There are species down there we have zero clue about. I think of exotic fish in clear pools of water in the darkness of undiscovered caves deep in the jungles that human feet will never enter. In the thickest centers of the wildest forests, there are species of insects and birds that are yet undetected.

And maybe there are Bigfoots in the North American woods. I mean, we didn’t know about the mountain gorilla until 1902! Can you believe that? An actual large primate we didn’t know anything about until the 20th century?

I believe that God made all things for his own glory. Anything that was made, he made and made for ultimately for that end — to reflect the wondrous creativity and power and love and God-ness of himself. And this is why there are some things we just don’t know about. If we could know everything, we’d be God. So I think God keeps a lot of things to himself. The answers to a lot of our “why” questions, for instance. And maybe, just maybe, giant frolicking sea monsters and fields of space flowers on some unreachable planet and big upright primates only detectable by the blurriest of camera lenses.

God has bathed this world in wonder in such a way that mere examination can’t do it justice. Recently noted atheist scientist and TV personality Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted, “I wonder who was the first person to see a bird soaring high above & think it a good idea to capture it and lock it in a cage.” Some wiseacre replied, “A scientist.”

Science can help us see the wonder, but it can’t quite figure out how to help us wonder at the wonder. As C.S. Lewis wrote, “In Science we have been reading only the notes to a poem; in Christianity we find the poem itself.”

And this is why I hope we never catch Bigfoot: If we did, the fun would be gone. The mystery would vanish — poof, with a whimper. We’d lose the wonder. He’d be skinned, flayed, vivisected. We’d have his brain in a jar at the Smithsonian. And we’d lose another increment in that feeling that there’s another world just around the corner. It’s better, for now, not to know.

I like that God keeps some things just to himself. It reminds me that he’s God and I’m not. It reminds me that this world he’s created is revealing his glory, not mine. This is part of the reason, I suppose, that when God responds to Job’s inquiries with an epic journey up the dizzying heights of divine sovereignty, he includes some stuff about sea monsters.

I like that God teases us with these mysteries. So long as the mystery of Christ has been revealed (Eph. 3), and we have all that we need to be saved and to work out that salvation, I am totally cool with these little misty visions haunting the created order, always one step ahead of us, peeking around trees, leaving mushy footprints, stray hairs, sketchy images. They help me delight in God’s delight. They help me remember this world is wondrous and it belongs to the God who spoke the cosmos into being without breaking a sweat.

His eye is on the Sasquatch, you know. Even if ours are not.

6 Marks of Gospel Centered Unity:

When we lose unity within the church, it’s usually because something has become more important to us than the risen Jesus.  And, in any church with sinners–which, of course, is every church–conflict will exist and achieving resolution is often difficult.

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson said, "The gospel is a message of reconciliation and peace with God. How can non-Christians be convinced that Christ reconciles us to God if we are not reconciled to each other?"

This quote may sound odd to us. Most modern churches would rather protect personal preference over corporate, spiritual unity and community under Christ.

But our gracious God is more concerned about the unity of the church than her programs, size, or parking lot.  And healthy churches are known, in part, by what they believe and teach, their holiness vertically to the Lord and horizontally to one another, and their spiritual unity in Christ.

Paul addresses the problem of division in the local church in his first letter to the Corinthians. This church had been founded in Corinth just a few years earlier. Members of the church were accustomed to picking and following their favorite church leader in Corinth, a city renowned for its public speakers.

The problem was one of destructive divisiveness. As Paul heard about the nature of these quarrels from his friends, Paul’s concern grew. He writes:

“My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:11-12)

Thus, the reason for Paul's opening command:

“I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Cor. 1:10)

Unity in the church is not something we should ever take for granted. We’re called to do both: contend earnestly for the faith and be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-6). “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him” (1 Cor. 3:17). Guard the unity of your church; it doesn't ultimately belong to you.

Paul then gives us at least six reasons for the church to seek unity in the midst of blessings. As we follow the Lord’s lead, may these be true of us. And may we spend time on our knees, praying before God for these in our church, families, and ministries.

Gospel-centered unity showcases Christ.

Paul asks, “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. 1:13). Divisions in the church raised suggestions that Christ is divided and such suggestions lie about Christ. “Accept one another, as Christ accepted you” (Romans 15:7).

Our unity displays Christ. Withdrawal from one another denies Christ. Members of the church are to be united to display the truth about Christ.

There is only one Christ, and the message that Christ has brought us is the important thing, not the preacher who preached it. Nor should we have a wrong attachment to preachers. Rather, preachers should point towards Christ, and we should love the ministers for the Christ they serve.

Gospel-centered unity elevates the cross. 

Paul writes, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Cor. 1:17).

Division on the basis of worldly appetites promotes the messenger (pastor / preacher) and obscures the cross.  Unity of mind and rule is a fruit of a mature congregation. Disunity and different standards are the fruit of immaturity.

Gospel-centered unity conveys humbleness. (1 Cor. 26-27)

The kind of divisions the members in Corinth were expressing should have been ruled out by their own history.  The gospel of Christ demolishes this world’s estimates of what is valuable and shows that a status-oriented culture is false.

May we regularly work to humble ourselves by comparing what we deserve (wrath) with what we are given (grace). This should be a ground for humility when things are going well in your life, too, because it is based fundamentally on God and His love, not what you ultimately deserve.

Gospel-centered unity demonstrates spiritual maturity. (1 Cor. 3:1-4)

Division is a sign of spiritual immaturity.  These Christians had every opportunity to grow in Christ, yet they continued to live by the secular norms of their society. Gospel-centered unity is evidence of spiritual maturity among Christians.

Gospel-centered unity reflects submission to God. (3:21-23)

God directs the various pastors and workmen He employs and His church is founded on Christ alone. God owns the church and He will destroy anyone that destroys His temple.

Gospel-centered unity acknowledges that the church belongs to God, not men, and reflects the churches submission to God’s authority.

Gospel-centered unity comes from treasuring God’s promises. 

Division is unnecessary.  If you are in Christ, all things are yours. Petty divisions demonstrate a misunderstanding of God’s great promise.

As we continue to celebrate what God has done, is doing, and embrace what lies ahead at your church, think of the riches that we have in Christ. Be joyful and expectant in prayer! Devote yourself to exploring the richness of the salvation that Christ has given you in the Gospel, the daily blessings that you have, and the riches that God has promised to you.

Are you seeking true, biblical unity in your church? Mediate daily of the undeserved blessings and promises that you have been given because of Christ alone, and the divisions in Christ’s church that Satan wants to bring in times of blessings will disappear.

Why Jesus Came:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, 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

This, I think, is my favorite Advent text because I don't know any other that expresses so clearly the connection between the beginning and the end of Jesus's earthly life-between the incarnation and crucifixion. These two verse make clear why Jesus came; namely, to die. They would be great to use with an unbelieving friend or family member to walk them step-by-step through your Christian view of Christmas. It might go something like this, a phrase at a time:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood

The term "children" is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah (Isaiah 8:18, 53:10). These are also the "children of God" (John 1:12). In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his "children" especially in view.

It is true that "God so loved the world, that he gave Jesus" (John 3:16). But it is also true that God was especially gathering "the children of God who are scattered abroad" (John 11:52). God's design was to offer Christ to the world, and to effect the salvation of his children (see 1 Timothy 4:10). You may experience adoption by receiving Christ (John 1:12).

he himself likewise partook of the same things (flesh and blood)...

This means that Christ existed before the incarnation. He was spirit. He was the eternal Word. He was with God and was God (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9). But he took on flesh and blood and clothed his deity with humanity. He came fully man and remained fully God. It is a great mystery in many ways. But it is at the heart of our faith-and what the Bible teaches.

that through death

The reason he became man was to die. As God pure and simple, he could not die for sinners. But as man he could. His aim was to die. Therefore he had to be born human. He was born to die. Good Friday is the purpose of Christmas. This is what most people today need to hear about the meaning of Christmas.

he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil...

In dying, Christ de-fanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin. This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies" (Romans 8:33)-on what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9).

Satan's ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon of the devil-the one mortal weapon that he has-is taken out of his hand. He cannot make a case for our death penalty, because the Judge has acquitted us by the death of his Son!

and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong surgery.

So, we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the Now.

If we do not need to fear our last and greatest enemy, death, then we do not need to fear anything. We can be free. Free for you. Free for others.

What a great Christmas present from God to us! And from us to the world!

An Open Letter to FBC Stanleyville

Dear Stanleyville Family,

On Sunday each of you received a recommendation from the Pastoral Staff and Deacon Body to be voted on December 6th at 7 pm in the Sanctuary. The three points to be voted on are:

1. Stay with 2 services, with Pastor Eddie preaching the 11:00 and Pastor T preaching the 9:00.
2. Sunday School will run 10:00-10:45 am, with bells at 10:40 and 10:45 am on the minute.
3. Combined services will be held on Easter, Homecoming, Thanksgiving, and Christmas-having at least one combined service in Church quarters outside of those holidays/events.

Those are the recommendations from the Pastoral Staff and Deacon Body to be voted on December 6th at 7 pm in the Sanctuary.

It has been a joy, blessing and a privilege to preach/teach the Word of God every Sunday for the last ninety days and I would love to continue to preach/teach.

If I could go back in time and change how I responded to the meeting in June I would but I can not go back in time; therefore, I believe along with the rest of the Pastoral staff and deacon body that our best course of action moving forward is to adopt the three recommendations. I believe it would do more harm to our church to reject these recommendations than if we accept them and seek to move forward towards unity from this point in time.

It has been a joy, blessing and a privilege to preach/teach the Word of God every Sunday for the last ninety days and I would love to continue to preach/teach. 

I have been busy but from all of the responses I have received from students and parents CREW Student Ministry has not suffered nor do any of the students feel like they are playing second fiddle to my preaching. Student after student shared in messages and texts how much they were learning during my preaching and how for the first time they were excited to attend the church service.

Below is an extended quote from one of my volunteers concerning how I have handled both the added responsibility on top of CREW Student Ministry.

You’re doing a wonderful job as Youth Minister and in your Assoc Pastor role. I do not see that the youth ministry has sufferedr in any way as a result of your expanded responsibilities. The youth benefit from both your youth leadership and expounding of the scripture during Sunday sermons. Attendance in SS seems to be growing. Wednesday fluctuates due to school activities. Your studies and lessons are always interesting and easy for them to understand and relate to. You continue to use technology and social media to reach them which is fantastic. You are so invested in their spiritual, social, academic and sports lives. I’m sure it means so much to them and their families when you keep up with, and attend their extracurricular activities. I don’t know how you do it!  But I can say from my viewpoint you are the most effective and involved in the lives of our youth than any of our prior youth leaders. That’s 20+ years worth, BTW! 

We have also seen a growth in our nursery, CREW, college/career classes, 9:00 am service and our 11:00 am services. Our attendance in several areas has been increasing these past ninety days. I believe our SS Director at our last quarterly church conference stated that we had 10 new members in Sunday School classes in the last three months. I can not remember a time in the three years I have been on staff that I have seen significant growth in a variety of different areas around the church as I have seen these last 90 days.

It has been a joy, blessing and a privilege to preach/teach the Word of God every Sunday for the last ninety days. I would love to continue to preach/teach. If I could go back in time and change how I responded to the meeting in June I would but I can not go back in time; therefore, I believe along with the rest of the Pastoral staff and deacon body that our best coursce of action moving forward is to adopt the three recommendations. I believe it would do more harm to our church to reject these recommendations than if we accept them and seek to move forward towards unity from this point in time.

I love each of you and I am open to whatever the church decides to do.

Recommendation from the Pastoral Staff and Deacon Body to be voted on Wednesday, December 6th at 7 pm in the Sanctuary:

1. Stay with 2 services, with Pastor Eddie preaching the 11:00 and Pastor T preaching the 9:00.
2. Sunday School will run 10:00-10:45 am, with bells at 10:40 and 10:45 am on the minute
3. Combined services will be held on Easter, Homecoming, Thanksgiving, and Christmas-having at least one combined service in Church quarters outside of those holidays/events.

Serving Him & His Church,

Pastor T Welch

Tough Questions on The Virgin Birth:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.-Isaiah 7:14

This past Sunday I had the privilege to preach my very first Christmas sermon. The sermon text for Sunday focused on the virgin birth. There was a lot of information on the virgin birth I wanted to unpack for the congregation but I realized that the majority of people there would have fallen asleep if I spent significant time unpacking Hebrew words for the congregation; therefore,  I left a lot of notes scattered around my office and took time today to compile them into this "tough questions" blog examining issues related to the virgin birth.

Is virgin or young woman the correct translation of Isaiah 7:14?

 Isaiah 7:14 reads, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Quoting Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23 reads, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, 'God with us.'" Christians point to this "virgin birth" as evidence of Messianic prophecy fulfilled by Jesus. Is this a valid example of fulfilled prophecy? Is Isaiah 7:14 predicting the virgin birth of Jesus? Is "virgin" even the proper translation of the Hebrew word used in Isaiah 7:14?

The Hebrew word in Isaiah 7:14 is "almah," and its inherent meaning is "young woman." "Almah" can mean "virgin," as young unmarried women in ancient Hebrew culture were assumed to be virgins. Again, though, the word does not necessarily imply virginity. "Almah" occurs seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures (Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalm 68:25; Proverbs 30:19; Song of Solomon 1:3; 6:8; Isaiah 7:14). None of these instances demands the meaning "virgin," but neither do they deny the possible meaning of "virgin." There is no conclusive argument for "almah" in Isaiah 7:14 being either "young woman" or "virgin." However, it is interesting to note, that in the 3rd century B.C., when a panel of Hebrew scholars and Jewish rabbis began the process of translating the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, they used the specific Greek word for virgin, "parthenos," not the more generic Greek word for "young woman." The Septuagint translators, 200+ years before the birth of Christ, and with no inherent belief in a "virgin birth," translated "almah" in Isaiah 7:14 as "virgin," not "young woman." This gives evidence that "virgin" is a possible, even likely, meaning of the term.


With all that said, even if the meaning "virgin" is ascribed to "almah" in Isaiah 7:14, does that make Isaiah 7:14 a Messianic prophecy about Jesus, as Matthew 1:23 claims? In the context of Isaiah chapter 7, the Aramites and Israelites were seeking to conquer Jerusalem, and King Ahaz was fearful. The Prophet Isaiah approaches King Ahaz and declares that Aram and Israel would not be successful in conquering Jerusalem (verses 7-9). The Lord offers Ahaz the opportunity to receive a sign (verse 10), but Ahaz refuses to put God to the test (verse 11). God responds by giving the sign Ahaz should look for, "the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son...but before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste." In this prophecy, God is essentially saying that within a few years' time, Israel and Aram will be destroyed. At first glace, Isaiah 7:14 has no connection with a promised virgin birth of the Messiah. However, the Apostle Matthew, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, connects the virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:23) with the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14. Therefore, Isaiah 7:14 should be understood as being a "double prophecy," referring primarily to the situation King Ahaz was facing, but secondarily to the coming Messiah who would be the ultimate deliverer.

Why Is the Virgin Birth so Important?

The doctrine of the virgin birth is crucially important (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27, 34). First, let’s look at how Scripture describes the event. In response to Mary’s question, “How will this be?” (Luke 1:34), Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). The angel encourages Joseph to not fear marrying Mary with these words: “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Matthew states that the virgin “was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Galatians 4:4 also teaches the Virgin Birth: “God sent His Son, born of a woman.”

From these passages, it is certainly clear that Jesus’ birth was the result of the Holy Spirit working within Mary’s body. The immaterial (the Spirit) and the material (Mary’s womb) were both involved. Mary, of course, could not impregnate herself, and in that sense she was simply a “vessel.” Only God could perform the miracle of the Incarnation.

However, denying a physical connection between Mary and Jesus would imply that Jesus was not truly human. Scripture teaches that Jesus was fully human, with a physical body like ours. This He received from Mary. At the same time, Jesus was fully God, with an eternal, sinless nature (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14-17.)


Jesus was not born in sin; that is, He had no sin nature (Hebrews 7:26). It would seem that the sin nature is passed down from generation to generation through the father (Romans 5:12, 17, 19). The Virgin Birth circumvented the transmission of the sin nature and allowed the eternal God to become a perfect man.

5 Reasons Why The Virgin Birth Is Important:

1. Jesus Had A Heavenly Origin

The most important reason to hold the belief in the Virgin Birth concerns Jesus' identity as God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. If Joseph were His true father, then Jesus would be only a human being. He would not be the Son of God as Scripture clearly states. He would have had His beginning in time rather than eternally existing. As the Bible states,

In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God (John 1:1).
Thus the Virgin Birth is crucial to Jesus being the Son of God.

2. Jesus Had A Sinless Nature

A second reason why the Virgin Birth is important concerns the sinless character of Christ. If Jesus had a human father, then He would have inherited a sinful nature as the rest of us have. The Bible says.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, . . . thus death spread to all, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).
To the contrary the Scripture states that Jesus never sinned. Peter wrote,

Who [Jesus] committed no sin, nor was guile found in his mouth (1 Peter 2:22).
John testified.

And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin (1 John 3:5).
If Jesus were the son of Joseph, then His sinless character would only be a myth.

3. Jesus Was The Perfect Sacrifice

A third reason why the Virgin Birth is crucial to the Christian faith concerns our salvation. Without the sinlessness of Christ there would be no salvation. Christ came, according to the Apostle Paul, to save those who were under the law.

But when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Galatians 4:4,5).
This echoes Jesus' own statement,

For the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).
God required a sacrifice that was without blemish, "Your lamb shall be without blemish" (Exodus 12:5). If Jesus were a sinner in any sense of the word, then He could not provide salvation for us. However, because He came into the world by supernatural means and lived a sinless life, He could be that sacrifice for our sins without spot and without blemish. The Bible makes this clear:

For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

4. It Shows The Uniqueness Of Christ

What the virgin birth does is show the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. No one else has ever come into the world the same way as Jesus. The unique and miraculous nature of Jesus carried on through His entire life. His birth was a miracle, His public ministry consisted of miracles, Jesus miraculously lived a sinless life, He miraculously came back from the dead, and left this world in a miraculous way. From His entrance into this world until His departure, the life of Jesus Christ was a miracle.

5. The Bible Says So

The fifth reason to believe in the Virgin Birth is because the Bible says so. If Jesus were not actually born of a virgin then the Bible is wrong. If it is wrong concerning the Virgin Birth, then it is possible that it may be in error about other matters. Once the door opens to the possibility of error in Scripture the eventual and logical result is that the entire foundation of the Christian faith will crumble. The doctrine of the Virgin Birth and the credibility of Christianity go hand-in-hand.

Summary


There are at least five reasons why the virgin conception of Christ is an important doctrine. First, it confirms Jesus heavenly origin. Second, it is necessary for His sinless nature. In addition, the virgin conception was also necessary for Him to be the perfect sacrifice. It also points out the uniqueness of Jesus. Finally, the virgin birth is important because the Bible says that is what happened.

Christmas FOMO

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full-John 10:10

I have a confession. I am one of those weird people that can't get enough of the Christmas season, no matter what time of year it is. We all having coping mechanisms. Some people shop. Some people eat sweets I listen to Christmas music.

There's something about Christmas that brings a smile to my face. So, naturally, when Christmas comes around, I want to make the most of it. It's as if I develop Christmas FOMO (fear of missing out). I want to make sure I experience the season to the fullest, so my December days are jam-packed with Santa visits, Nutcracker tickets, Christmas tree excursions, gingerbread house contests, holiday light exhibits, caroling concerts, every Christmas movie known to man, and too many Christmas parties to count. It's no wonder that by the time January rolls around, I'm ready for a long nap.

Maybe you can relate to that feeling. While none of these things are bad, it's easy for me to lose sight of the joy God is trying to show me in the middle of this season. Amid the busyness, I am reminded to be present, to look around, and to realize that God is at work.

It's time to celebrate what God has done in my life, to reflect on the past year, and to observe God in the little things around me. When I can look at each day through the lens of faith, hope and opportunity, God shows up and uses me in ways I could never imagine.

As I shuffle from party to party, I realize I have the opportunity to encourage others, to bring laughter to those going through difficult times, and to be generous to those I have never met. This one concept has changed my whole approach to the Christmas season. It's amazing how much I see God when I actually take time to look for him at work in my life. Instead of a list of dates on my calendar, I instead recognize how many opportunities I have to know God more and to experience the joy he intends for me to have throughout the year. Where is God at work in your life? What opportunities is he giving you today?

Whisper, Starbucks and Gospel

Every week I schedule time to read the latest trends and studies on students in America. At the beginning of November I was reading an article about how the anonymous app Whisper is making a comeback among middle, high school and college students. In case you don't know Whisper is an "anonymous" app where an individual can post anything he or she wants anonymously.

After reading the article I re-downloaded the app and began to read the posts. What I found was an online world filled with depression, suicide, sexual sin and all sorts of debauchery (don't I sound old using that word).

After reading post after post about students going home and cutting themselves or planning on getting drunk I felt compelled to post something. I posted a whisper that I was a follower of Jesus Christ and was praying for people and would love to pray for them. I posted the whisper to the app and attempted to start something else. Within minutes my phone was blowing up with people asking for prayer: I kept receiving notifications on the app. I would try to start something else but every few seconds my phone would vibrate with another individual asking for prayer.

There are a lot of hurting people in the world.

People kept asking me for prayer. People asked for prayer for sick family members, for the world, help with thoughts of suicide, with addiction to drugs, alcohol and porn, one lady asked if I would buy her a car (she got me confused with the other Pastor who makes lots of money). I would tell people I was praying for them and than I would ask if they had any questions about Christianity. This led to lots of questions: was Moses high when the burning bush talked to him, who wrote the first 5 books of the OT, how do you know there is a God, why do Christians hate homosexuals, lots of questions on sex and how Christians view sex, are there multiple ways to heaven, why evil in the world, how know the Bible is true, do you think there are unicorns and aliens, etc. 

One individual seemed genuinely interested in Christianity and we talked for about an hour in the app. After an hour I realized that it was better if we met in person. He asked if he could bring his girlfriend and we agreed to meet at Starbucks. It's always best to meet in a public place when you talk with someone online so that if they are crazy you have witnesses and if they kill you at least you die with a triple Venti peppermint white chocolate mocha.

We met at Starbucks and for about two hours and three re-fills of coffee we talked and examined the claims of Christ. They were fascinated by Jesus, who He was and what He has done. We walked through the Book of John together and talked about Jesus. By the end of the conversation I was feeling a prompting from the Holy Spirit to "draw the net" and ask them if they wanted to receive Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior. They both replied yes they wanted to become Christian and thought I would never ask. The Holy Spirit had regenerated there heart all I had to do was offer them Jesus and they saw Him as the irresistible treasure that He is.

Right in a comfy chair in the middle of Starbucks they prayed to receive Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior. What a glorious blessing!

Three Takeaways:

• I am amazed that God used an encounter on Whisper and Starbucks coffee to lead two people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. As Christians we need to be where the people are and shine the light of the Gospel into the darkness. If hurting people are on Whisper we need to be on Whisper, if hurting people are in the hospital we need to be in the hospital, if hurting people are in the bars, strip clubs, casinos, churches, Wal-mart, etc than we as Christians need to be in these places shining the light of the Gospel. I found a dark corner of the internet to shine the light of Christ and two people were saved. Where is there a dark part of the world which needs the light of Christ? Will you take the light of the Gospel to that place?

• When we share our faith with others we can't be afraid to ask people to trust in Jesus Christ. If an evangelism conversation is going well don't hesitate to ask people to trust in Jesus. Give people an opportunity to bow there knee to Christ. 

• People are fascinated by Jesus Christ. When I met with the couple in Starbucks they wanted to talk about Jesus. They were fascinated by Jesus. We make evangelism so complicated and try to get people to memorize a "set" formula when in reality all we need to do is sit down with someone open our Bible to Jesus and let Him do all the work. This holiday season if you have family members and loved ones who are not believers... don't fight with them just take a few minutes to talk with them about Jesus. You will be amazed at how receptive they are to hearing and learning about Jesus.

And the master said to the servant, "Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled."-Luke 14:23

How To Talk With Students About Alcohol:

Another day, another twelve teen-related alcohol deaths among underage drinkers the United States of America.

It keeps on happening and it keeps on happening and it keeps on happening. All because teenagers are surrounded by a temptation that they are not equipped to resist.

There’s something we can do to help.

WHY DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ALCOHOL WITH OUR TEENAGERS?

Like it or not, your students are performing perceptions about the world around them. Those perceptions come from their peers and their parents, from culture and from the Church.

If the Church isn’t going to help shape students’ understanding of alcohol, culture will be happy to do it for them, spending more than $2 billion dollars annually on advertisements.

And what do those advertisements try to tell students? That alcohol is delicious and that it is a magic drink that will make you happy and grown up and attractive.

Sure, our teenagers are shrewd. They know it’s marketing.

A parent or a youth pastor has significantly more influence over a teenager than a commercial during a football game, but what those commercials lack in weight, they make up for in tenacity.

A parent might talk to their teenager once a year about the dangers of alcohol. Commercials, song lyrics, television shows, and movies conspire to tell teenagers tens of thousands of times a year about the awesomeness of alcohol.

So, I get it. It’s an uncomfortable thing to talk about. But if we don’t do it, there are plenty of other people who will. You won’t like what they’re saying.

HELP TEENAGERS UNDERSTAND INFLUENCE.

The scariest truth about underage drinking is that it does not care for a student’s good intentions. A student can sign a covenant or make a promise to abstain from alcohol, but peer pressure and influence are real things.

The sad reality is that if a student’s good friends are underage drinkers, that student is likely to also become an underage drinker. Make it clear to students that they cannot make themselves numb to the influence of others, but that they can decide who will be around to influence them.

There is no one-time decision a student can make to avoid alcohol; only the everyday decision to avoid people and situations surrounded by alcohol.

KNOW YOUR CHURCH’S TEACHING ON ALCOHOL.

Some churches require members and clergy to commit to living “dry.” Others merely suggest it. Some don’t care one way or the other except for a prohibition on drunkenness. Some churches will even have a beer tent at the church fish fry.

Make sure you know where your church sits on that spectrum before you accidentally say something that might lose you your job.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO VILIFY DRINKING.

Underage drinking is bad. Binge drinking is bad. Drinking and driving is bad.

But keep in mind, your students have parents and grandparents who drink wine at dinner or have a beer during the baseball game. You want to be careful not to inadvertently paint those people as “bad people.”

TEACH GRACE. THEN, TEACH GRACE AGAIN.

Too often teenagers die because they compound one bad decision onto another. It happens when they fear the consequences of their punishment more than the consequences of their actions. A former student summed it up this way:

I was at a party and I had a few drinks because everyone else was drinking. It was stupid. My mom texted and told me I needed to come home, so I chugged some mouthwash and then chugged some water and then I did the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I drove home drunk. In my own head, I was just thinking, ‘If I don’t come home, my mom is definitely going to kill me. If I drove home like this, then only maybe will it kill me.’

It’s an exaggeration, obviously, but the minds of the intoxicated are known to be prone to hyperbole.

It’s a difficult thing to balance, but keep in mind that extreme consequences can often lead to sneakier and riskier drinking. A friend of mine used to have a zero tolerance alcohol policy for students on his leadership team, but he abandoned it when he realized it only made those students less likely to talk to their pastor when they were struggling.

Every student in CREW knows that I have an open door, closed mouth policy when it comes to underage drinking. What I mean by that is that if a student is at a party drinking they can call me and I will come to the party, pick them up and let them spend the night in my basement and I will make them breakfast with Tylenol the next morning. We won't talk about it and I won't tell there parents. I'd rather them be safe than dead.

 BE AVAILABLE.

Most of the fruit of this conversation will not come from a stage or even in a small group. Make yourself available to students who need one-on-one time to talk to you about their lives, their struggles, and their temptations. I’ve even got a sneaky way you can help those conversations happen:

Instruct everyone to take out their phone and display your phone number. Ask everyone to text you. Make clear you’re talking about everyone. Ask them to text you the word ‘BEARS’ if they want to talk to you one-on-one sometime soon. Ask them to text you the word ‘BEANS’ if they don’t.

It’s silly and ridiculous, but it will work. It gives students time to tell you NOW that they need help instead of waiting to tell you later, when they will inevitably talk themselves out of it. It also makes sure they don’t feel exposed. Imagine if you told them to text you only IF they wanted to talk. As soon as someone reached for their pocket, they’d feel a hundred judging stares coming from every direction!

CREW Students know they can reach me anytime day or night and I will drop what I am doing and talk with them or come to them and listen. Students are always blowing up my phone and I love it!

Challenged Accepted:

I was recently challenged by a fellow Pastor to see if I could combine all of my beliefs in theology into one easy to read paragraph. I wrote, re-wrote, deleted and shortened everything I believe into one paragraph. Here it is...

I am a follower of King Jesus. I believe in the Triune God of the Bible. I believe that God the Father sent God the Son to live a perfect life and die a justice-satisfying death in my place. I believe that the Son rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father. I long for the day when he returns to judge the living and the dead, casting his enemies into hell and ushering his people into his kingdom. I believe the Spirit of God is poured out and into all who are born again. I believe that all people must repent of their sins and turn towards God through faith in Jesus. In other words, we are justified by grace through faith, having our sins charged to the account of Jesus and his righteousness charged to ours. In short, we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. And I believe that Spirit-filled followers of the King bow to the authoritative Word of the King as they seek to carry out the Great Commission of the King. Finally, the mission of the King has a church. The church, tangibly expressed in local congregations, seeks the joy of all peoples and the fame of the name through the proclamation of the gospel and in loving service to their neighbors. And we do this until Christ returns or calls us home.

Do you agree? Disagree? Parts you would change? I challenge you to write down everything you believe about theology into one paragraph.

The Elephant In The Room: Depression

Last week I had the opportunity to talk with teenagers in a local middle school… the topic of my choice. So I chose to address the elephant in the room: depression.

It seems counterintuitive: the economy is strong, drop out rates are down, teen pregnancy is down, more kids wear seatbelts, less kids smoke, kids have unprecedented knowledge and entertainment at their fingertips, YouTube is still free… and McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets are now actually made of chicken!

So why is it that kids are by far the most depressed they’ve been in literally decades?

If you’ve even glanced at a newspaper in the last few months, you’ve seen countless articles about the rise in teen anxiety, depression and suicide. In fact, the suicide rate for teen girls just hit a 40-year high.

The question everyone is wondering is why?

Experts are speculating, and most of their theories have one “device” in common: the smartphone.

I can’t say I disagree. In fact, I see three ingredients catalyzing this unprecedented increase in teen anxiety and depression, and all flow from that device young people carry around in their pocket.

Let’s take a quick peek at these three factors, and then a few practices that can counter these precarious influences:

Social Media: 

Who doesn’t want to be LIKED? 

Today every student struggles with, “How come they didn’t like my post?” and, “Why don’t I have as many friends or followers as Jake?”

I’m definitely not alone in this theory. Experts consistently cite social media as the culprit to this increase in unhappiness, some even naming specific apps like Instagram (which, ironically, can also reflect if someone is depressed). Social media tends to display other people looking their best and having oodles of fun, which can make our own life look rather pathetic.

“I wish I had her body, hair, lips… her boyfriend…and her French Bulldog!”

Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, and author of iGen agrees, particularly noticing the increase in feelings of “loneliness” around 2012, which happens to be the year smartphone-ownership crossed the 50% mark in the United States (now over 80%).

Experts also point to cyberbullying, and conflict with friends as a source of depression. Guess where all this cyberbullying and conflict occurs? Social Media.

But Social Media isn’t alone contributing to depression…

Digital Absorption 
Screens are killing relationships. It’s not just social media—it’s texting, YouTube, Netflix and every other diversion our devices offer that distract us from the very people we care about the most sitting right next to us! Our culture has even named this phenomenon: partner phubbing.

It’s really not that surprising people are spending more time with screens than the people they love.

Screen interaction is way easier for most people.

People have always struggled with insecurity. But now they have a new tool… or vice… that allows them to take some of the fear out of face-to-face communication. Digital communication allows two conveniences: the ability to hide behind a user name or avatar, and ability to groom or edit our communication. Let that sink in for a moment. Consider the ramifications for someone who is insecure: it provides an escape from the struggles of real life communication; and the more they use digital communication, the less equipped they are for face-to-face communication.

But our mobile devices also offer an escape from interpersonal venues. Now if a person feels awkward in a social situation, they simply bury their head in their phone. If three or more young people are in a conversation and one person isn’t really contributing, it’s now socially acceptable for them to pull out their phone (“the rule of three”). This creates a downward spiral. Fleeing interpersonal communication only makes people more antisocial.

Here’s where it becomes really damaging: the more we retreat to our mobile devices, the less we take an interest in those around us.

There’s another word for this: self-absorbed.

MIT professor Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation, calls this the Empathy Gap. The more we become absorbed in our own digital world, the less we empathize with the people around us. We actually hinder our ability to recognize facial cues. We don’t notice our friend sitting next to us feeling tense.

“Chris… you look sad. Are you okay?”

One colossal problem: self-absorbed people are miserable.

But this gravitation towards “self” isn’t only from digital communication, it’s from the entertainment young people are soaking in at an average of 9 hours a day. Entertainment that often preaches…

The “DGAF” Mindset 
Now that the overwhelming majority of young people have smartphones in their pockets, they carry a vast library of entertainment media with them; and much of this entertainment has a common theme:

“Who cares!”

Or as many of today’s young people say it…

“I Don’t Give a F**k!” (DGAF)

This “do whatever you want” mindset doesn’t pause to consider consequences; it only thinks about the immediate thrill.

What else do we expect when we tell our kids that truth is only what we make for ourselves. “Do what feels right at the moment.” “Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do.”

Sadly, there are two costs to this kind of living:

Consequences actually do happen, and a life of consequences leads to unhappiness.

Living a life of “who cares” and “what’s good for me” is selfish and puts others’ needs secondary to your own. This is an archetypal recipe for unhappiness. Call it counterintuitive if you must, but selfish living breeds unhappiness.

Take a peek at entertainment media for yourselves. Music alone tells the story. Today, as I write this, you’ll hear Cardi B bragging explicitly what she’s going to do with your boyfriend, or Post Malone threatening to grab and Uzi and use it if you “mess” with him (he words it a little differently). Demi Lovato isn’t as violent, but don’t mistake that for forgiveness. She makes it clear that she’s not sorry, and “it'd be nice of me to take it easy on ya, but nah.”

But French Montana and Swae Lee probably say it best, in the chorus they repeat in their song Unforgettable: 

And you are unforgettable 

I need to get you alone 

Why not? 

A f**king good time, never hurt nobody…

Sadly, most young people are discovering that “a f**king good time” often has its consequences (also in the headlines right now).

So in a world where social media, digital absorption and self-focused-entertainment all lead to feeling lonely, regretful and depressed, how are caring adults to react?

The common overreaction would be to ban technology completely. One problem with this response: our kids are sure to encounter technology sooner or later, and who is going to equip them to be responsible with these devices?

Moms, dads, grandparents and mentors can make a huge difference, and research is there to back you up. Here’s a few simple practices that truly make an impact on our kids’ self esteem.

Helping Our Kids’ Self Esteem: 

Empathetic listening 
Is it really surprising that the cure to a lack of empathy is empathy?

In a world where an increasing amount of people are ignoring those around them, simply take notice of your kids.

A brand new study reveals that if parents “acknowledge the perspective” of their kids and allow them to express themselves, then these kids are less likely to be depressed, engage with others easily, and have an overall stronger sense of self-worth.

Whodathunkit? Simply listening to someone makes them feel more valued.

And here’s the cool part. When you take the time to notice your kids, this paves the way to…

Dialogue 
And in a void of face-to-face communication, is it surprising that good ol’ fashioned interpersonal conversation makes a difference?

Talk with your kids about their self worth. .

Engaging in healthy dialogue is the one parenting practice that every researcher out there actually agrees on. Parents should constantly be dialoguing with their kids about their thoughts and feelings… even their digital habits.

Share Truth in a World Potent with Lies 
Sometimes today’s believers get so distracted trying to block lies that they forget to point towards truth. Help your kids’ discover what it looks like to practice wise posting in an insecure world. Help them navigate encouraging entertainment media. And most of all, help them understand that they are worth so much more than the number of LIKES they receive.

I am here to chat further about depression in students if you would like.