Resolutions, Coupons and the New Year

Everyone loves a deal right?  For those of you regular shoppers (grocery and other) how often do you go out without knowing what coupons you have and/or knowing what’s on sale?  It is an amazing marketing tool for stores and manufacturers that they will always provide in hopes of getting people to come and make purchases of stuff they need (or in many cases want.)  We just a month ago finished up the Thanksgiving holiday and along with that comes “Black Friday” (why they refer to it as “Black” I’ll never know, Black Days usually mean bad, hmmm.)  Then we have the Christmas season and all the ads of the “great deals” for before Christmas sales and then of course the after Christmas sales to get ready for next year…  (Seems like it never ends.)  But anyways, in thinking about it and talking to  people who had over the last month, planned days in advance the stores they would go to, the routes they would take, who would go where, what time they would get there etc… I had “Reva-piphony (combination revelation and epiphany)   maybe we need to provide coupons for the church.  Here are some of my thoughts for what they could include.

·         “THE BACK ROW RESERVED JUST FOR YOU (WHO WANTS TO SIT IN THE FRONT ANYWAYS)”

·         “GOOD FOR ONE SUNDAY OF PLAYING JUST THE SONGS YOU WANT TO HEAR, PLAYED HOW YOU WANT TO HEAR THEM AND IN THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU WANT TO HEAR THEM”

·         “GOOD FOR ONE SUNDAY, WE WILL WAIT TO START THE SERVICE UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT CHURCH”

·         TAKE ONE BREAD AND WINE GET ONE FREE”

·         “ONE FREE FRIENDSHIP REGISTRY SIGNING WHEN YOU ARE NOT THERE”

·         “ONE FREE COPY OF THE SERMON IN CLIFFNOTES”

·         “GOOD FOR FREE PASS OUT OF THE SANCTUARY/CHURCH BEFORE ANYONE ELSE”

·         “GET OUT OF VOLUNTEERING FREE CARD”

Obviously things like this will never happen (or maybe some will, I already know there are people that would love to use these) but why do we need to?  Why do people of the church have such a hard time with church?  It starts the same time on the same day of the week every week.  And all it tries to do is to strengthen your relationship with your neighbor and the very One who created you.  I don’t think that is something that everyone is against, do you?  You are too tired or just don’t feel like it you may say?  It’s too early?  That’s o.k. you can go in the evening if you’d like, or maybe even on a Wed. Night, there are even places that allow you to worship on a Sat. Evening.  Why do we as Christians (and yes I’m including myself in that one) have such an easy time scheduling sporting events, going  out to eat, go shopping etc…(all of which cost money) but such a hard time going somewhere to spend time with God and fellow believers (and all he wants to do is give us something for free) 

In his book “Not a Fan”, Kyle Idleman writes “The biggest threat to the church today are fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ.  They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it required anything from them.”

Is that you?  (I hope not), but that is a question we all need to ask of ourselves.  Are we just “fans” of Christ/Christianity/Church, or are we followers?  I hope we can all refer to ourselves as followers, but it’s hard.  So, as we have just “finished up” Christmas and, have Easter coming, the two most widely attended “church days” let’s make a renewed effort in ourselves to spend more time with God.  In fact, let’s make a few resolutions.  Here are a few suggestions from Jonathon Edwards and Louis Giglio;

1.       I will live for God

2.      If no one else does, I still will

3.      I will embrace the Grace of Christ every day

 At worst you’ll be able to spend more time with God, your very creator who loves you no matter what and fellow Christians, and at best, you’ll be able to spend more time with God (who still loves you no matter what) and your fellow Christians; your brothers and sisters.

 And even better it’s still free; you don’t even need a coupon J

So as we continue on into the year of our Lord 2013, let’s make it exactly that; The Year of the Lord!

Horrible averages, and I'm not talking just about my posting rate

So, it may be hard to believe, but the unofficial end of summer is here.  Football games, cheerleading, and band practices have already been going for weeks, other sports will also be starting soon if they haven’t already, and you all know what that means don’t you?  The schools are full of students once again.  Exciting isn’t it?  O.K. I don’t figure too many students are nodding in agreement with that comment, but it wouldn’t surprise me if several parents are.  Don’t worry parents; your secret is safe with me.

Anyways, since we are on the “Back to School” theme, I thought I would give you a couple of “basic” math problems and see if you can figure them out.  And then we will explore their significance in just a little bit.  The first one is “1 divided by 8”  the second one is “1 divided by 20”  Now before reading the rest of this, if you haven’t figured out those equations, quick, run, get a calculator and do those a minute...

… O.K. have them figured out?  All right, let’s explore them a little bit.  First, “1 divided by 8”

The correct answer to that question is “.125” Now if we are to figure that into percentage, that equals out to be 12.5% Now what is so important about the idea of 12 percent?  Well, I’ll tell you.  In a study done by the “Search Institute” (a research institute) that was commissioned by Fuller Theological Seminary; 11,000 teenagers from 561 church congregations across 6 denominations found that roughly 12 percent of youth have a regular dialogue with their moms about faith/life issues.  12 Percent!!! But that isn’t all, remember, I had two math questions.  By now you have probably figured out where I am going with this, but just in case, I’ll address it anyways.  So if you thought that 12 percent was a rough figure, 1 in 20 equals only 5%.  Yup that’s right, the conversations with moms about Faith and Life were 12 percent, the conversations with dads about Faith and Life is only 5 Percent!!!  If you ask me, that is a very depressing statistic.

So what do we do about that little piece of information?  We work on improving it and there are a few different ways on how we can do that.  Lets quickly look at a couple.

First:  Most parents miss out on the opportunity to talk about faith with their kids.

 On a nationwide telephone survey of over 3,000 kids and their parents as well as 267 in depth interviews, Sociologist Dr. Christian Smith from the Univ. of Notre Dame concluded “Most teenagers and their parents may not realize it but… research suggests that the most important social influence in shaping young people’s religious lives is the religious life modeled and taught to them by their parents.” He goes on to say it even more simply in an interview “When it comes to kids’ faith, parents get what they are.”  Have you ever really thought about that one?  What kind of Christian Faith are you modeling to your students?  Are they seeing the importance that your Faith has on your life?  Does it really have importance on your life?

Second:  The best discussion about faith happen when parents don’t just ask question, but also share their own experiences. 

Now I don’t mean to step on any toes here, but if I do, well, it is a risk I am willing to take, but I am talking about the “basic questions” of “What did you talk about in Church today?” or “How was Youth Group” and my personal favorite, “What did you think of the sermon?”  (And we all know usually the answers are shrugs, grunts, “mehs” and “I don’t knows”)  While asking these questions can occasionally pay off, research shows that in order for really getting a Faith to stick is when parents share their own faith.  Don’t just “interview” your kids, but discuss your faith journey, both the ups and the downs.  What better way for a kid to seek and discover the value of faith in their own life when they see how it can impact lives of those closest to them?

Some of you may be reading this and wondering, Brent, are you writing this only for parents?  Nope, it is for everyone.  For the youth who may (and even for the ones who aren’t) if this is something that is hard for your parents to do, take the initiative, ask them questions about how they might have handled situations that you might be currently struggling.  And for all the rest of the adults, remember, (I’ve talked about this before) the promise you made during each students baptism.  To help the parents in whatever ways you can, in raising the child in a Godly and Christian manner through both prayer, and encouragement.

So are you as excited for upcoming Education year as I am?  I hope so; let’s make it a great one.  Remember, we are all in this together.

Blessings

An honest look that isn't easy

What does God think about your life?

Better yet, what do you think God thinks about your life? 

Which of the following statements (if any) sound like you?

1.        I feel guilty about how bad I fail at obeying God.

2.       Sometimes I avoid prayer because I’m sure God is frustrated with me and I don’t want to deal with what it will feel like to be with him.

3.       I am scared of how mad God probably is with me

4.       I try really hard to make up for my inadequacies and my imperfect obedience to God

5.       I try really hard to do what God wants because I’m supposed to, but often wish I could just do what I want for a change.

Every felt any of those (or multiples) in your life?  How about within the last year?  Last month?

One thing that I love about working with students (that I think sometimes they get a bad reputation for) is their honesty and openness.   I asked them these questions just last night.  Now, I won’t reveal who said what (I told them I wouldn’t) but I will say that every point got at least one hand raised after being said.  So, how about you?  How many times would you have raised your hand if you were being completely open and honest? 

Does it make you feel frustrated?  Guilty?  Desire to try harder? 

What if I said God loves you so much he doesn’t want to see you that way?

So how does he want you to feel?  He wants you to love!  (See Galatians 5: 13-14)

The biggest question though.  How do you serve God?  Is it out of Love, or is it out of some “moral obligation”?  (Or some kind of combination of the two?)

Does your Christian life really feel free?  Or do you feel you are bound to obey some system of moral commands?

Do you have a best friend?  What makes them your best friend?  How long have you known them?

How would you compare your relationship with your best friend to that of God?  Are there things your best friend knows about you that Jesus doesn’t?  (Yes I know, Jesus knows all things, but I’m referring to what you have “told” your friend compared to what you have “told” Christ)

How do you show your love to God?

Love (of Christ/God/Holy Spirit) is the foundation of Christian life.  The “solution” on loving God is not to “try harder”, it instead requires letting God work in your heart.  Remember “Love” is one of the Fruits of the Spirit.”  More importantly to remember though (and it can be hard to think of this way) but, it is o.k. to ask God for more love.  We have plenty of reason to love God, but since we are depending on him for every aspect of existence, we still need to rely on Him.  1 John 4:19 says “We love because He first loved us.”  Instead of feeling guilty about any of the above statements, instead of vowing to try harder in the future, ask God to increase the Love in your heart.  He is a never-ending supply of love, he can’t run out.  He always has more to give for you and to you. 

It’s time to stop talking about loving God, and start spending time with him directly!  If we love completely, the frustration will melt away, the feeling of Guilt will disappear, and the need to try harder won’t exist because to love is to live as Christ lived.  And that is what we are all striving for.  Right?

Blessings in Christ.

"I really don't want to be spit"

So, apparently it's been about two months since i've posted on here, unfortunetly, I haven't had much chance to do any "writing"  In fact this is the only thing I've done and it was for the church newsletter for March, but for the 4 people who might read this, I wouldn't want to dissapoint you by not posting anything.  haha  anyways.....

Raise your hand if you love to drink water that has set out on the counter for a few days.

How about eating a slice of bread or a cookie that has set on the table uncovered?

I’d like to think the vast majority (if not everyone) are thinking that doesn’t sound very appetizing at all.  But why not? It’s still water, it’s still a cookie, and it’s still bread.  What’s wrong with a little staleness?

A few years ago, I first read a book called Crazy Love (I’m sure many of you have heard me reference it before) but it’s a book I loved so much that I have used it as a Graduation book, I’ve referenced it and read parts of it during churches services, I’ve given several copies away, and now it’s being used and studied in the Sr. High youth group on Sunday nights.

Why do I bring that up?  Because as I was sitting at my desk at 11 AM on Monday, the 27^th thinking about what to write for my article for the Unity update that was due on the 26^th (Sorry Glenna), I couldn’t help but think back to the chapter that we covered last night.  I think it was an eye opener for some of the kids, so, I’d like to share few sections of what we read last night, but there are a few blanks, let’s see if you can fill them in.

_____ attend church fairly regularly.  It is what is expected, it’s what “good Christians” are believed to do, so they go

_____ Give money to charity and to the church… as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living.  If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give they do so.  After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?

____ don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.  They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them.  ______ don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is much better than the old sinful one.

____ gauge their morality of “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world.  They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street.

____ will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give

____ think about life on earthy much more than eternity in heaven.  Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation.  Rarely if ever, do they intently consider the life to come.

____ do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling to guilty.  They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them.

____ probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever.  They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong

____ feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America.  Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation”

O.K. I’ll stop at that one, (there were, and can be, several more)  But have you figured out what the key phrase is yet that I left out of each phrase?  It is “Lukewarm People.”  The above phrases are things that can be associated with lukewarm people.  (I did not include the Biblical references for any of them, but trust me; they are included in the book and can share them with you if so desired) 

Now some of you may be thinking you remember reading some of these in an article of the past.  Good work, your memory serves you well, (Feb. 2010) but I thought it might be entertaining to revisit these.  But now I ask everyone to go back and re-read them all, but instead of putting “Lukewarm Christian” in the blank, insert your own name.  How many of the phrases can be considered true then after you do that?  I hope it’s none, but if we must be honest with ourselves, I’m willing to bet at least one of them is true for everyone, and yes, that includes me.

Why do I bring these all up?  Because we as Christian are all called to live a better life, to live a life worthy of the calling that God has placed on our lives, and to do “just enough” isn’t living that life.  We need to continue to live our life for the God that continues to pray for us every day.  (See Romans 8: 26-27)

It’s the season of Lent, the time year of giving something up (which like our New Year’s resolutions rarely works) let’s try something different.  Instead of giving something up for 40 days, let’s add something to our life for 40 days and see what happens.  Let’s add 10 minutes of prayer/silence to our day, let’s add 30 minutes of scripture reading, let’s add 15 minutes of _________ (Fill in the blank)

Let’s throw away the staleness of life and keep everything fresh!!

Whats your Resolution?

We made it through another year with the grace of God. 

Did you accomplish all that you had hope too in 2012?  Did you make some New Year’s Resolutions last year that you may not have quite accomplished that you are re-using as your resolutions this year?

What really is a Resolution?

Resolution:  “1. a resolve or determination, or, 2. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc…. 3.  The mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.

I find the definition of Resolution interesting, don’t you?  So how many of you have New Year’s Resolutions?  How many of you are a part of the “99%?”  (No, not the occupy movement) but part of the 99% of people who all make at least one of the Top 3 Resolutions every year?  Can you guess the top 3?  (How about I just tell you what they are?) J 

1.  Lose Weight/Get Fit
 2.  Spend Less. Save More
 3.  Get Organized

Now those are all admirable (and important goals), and they are all ones that I have made myself at least once in some point of my life, but it’s give me something to think about.  As I am writing this, I am listening to Louis Giglio speak at the “Passion 2012” Conference in Georgia, and what he is talking about right now has gotten my mind wrestling with the idea of Resolutions and the Christian Life.  Have you ever made a resolution about your Christian life?  About your Relationship with God?  Did you this year?

In his book “Not a Fan” Kyle Idleman writes “The biggest threat to the church today are fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ.  They want to be close enough to Jesus to get all the benefits, but not so close that it requires anything from them.”

Is that you?  (I hope not) but that is honestly, a question I think we all need to ask of ourselves.  Are we just “fans” of Christ/Christianity/Church, or are we followers?  I hope we can all refer to ourselves as followers, but it’s hard.  It might have to be something that we make resolutions for every year.  So, as we have started into 2012 and we try again to follow some of the resolutions that will help us improve our Physical Life, let’s try to add 3 more resolutions that will help us improve our Christian Life as well (as taken from writings from Jonathon Edwards and Louis Giglio)

What are they you wonder?  I’m glad you asked!  J

1.      I will live for God (Jonathon Edwards)

2.      If no one else does, I still will  (Jonathon Edwards)

3.      I will embrace the Grace of Christ every day (Louis Giglio)

So as we continue on into the Year of our Lord 2013.  Let’s make it exactly that!  The Year of the Lord!

Blessings in Christ