Teens For Christ Blog

How can I help someone who struggles with depression?

2012-01-16T12:47:00.001-08:00

Fighting hopelessness as we approach the “most depressing day of the year.”

At last week’s question box night at TFC, we received this question:

How do you help someone, who struggles with depression and doesn’t want to live anymore, realize God’s purpose for their life?

Finding God’s purpose for your life is always a tricky subject; how can I know for sure what God’s plan is for me? How do I know what the right decisions are? There are a number of methods that can help, including prayer, Bible study, and guidance from a trusted Christian mentor; and often, there is no definitive answer. This is a huge question that deserves its own discussion another time. Maybe, for this case, we don’t need to help them find what, exactly that purpose is; just to affirm that there is a purpose.

How can I tell if someone is depressed?

Everyone has a hard day or week every now and then. Depression goes way beyond that; it’s this sense of hopelessness, feeling trapped with no chance of escape. Depressed people feel like they have no purpose, and struggle with finding motivation to accomplish even the most basic tasks.

Some warning signs to look for:

Withdrawal from friends, family, and regular activities.
Spending an excessive about of time on the internet, video games, or watching TV.
Major changes in sleeping or eating patterns (i.e., a lot more or a lot less than usual)
A drop in school grades.
Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure.
Not enjoying activities they used to like.
Always feeling “bored” or low-energy.

What can I do to help?

Listen. One of the most important things you can do it just be there. Do your best to understand how they are feeling, and let them know that you hear them.

Read the Bible. It can be uplifting to read passages like Jer 29:11 or Ps 42:5 that promise God’s joy and his purpose for your life. However, be careful that you don’t use these verses to say “See, you shouldn’t be feeling this way…” The last thing you want is to make them feel guilty for being depressed!

It can be just as helpful to read passages of people who had it hard; it tells them that they aren’t alone, that others have gone through the same thing and survived it, and God is also here now to help them through it. Psalms 38 and 86 are great places to start, and the Book of Job is also wonderful.

Pray. Ask God for relief from this burden, or that He would give the strength to withstand it; this is a response we see many examples of in Scripture (Lk 22:42, 2 Cor 12:9, 1 Cor 10:13, Ps 38:1-18).

Confession can also free them from the weight of guilt. Guilt is a common cause of depression, but the Good News of Jesus is that we can turn from sin and live free from guilt (Heb 10:22). If they have sin they want to confess to you, let them bring it up; never force it out of them. Then listen, pray with them, and then affirm to them that they have been set free, indeed!

Encourage. Build them up by reminding them of what they are good at, things they’ve succeeded in, and the people that love them. You can also remind them that even though you know things are tough right now, this too, shall pass. Things will get better!

Do something! Get them out of the house; try a new hobby; anything to break them out of the “world of me”. Physical activity is proven to help fight depression; so is taking interest in others, such as charity work, or tutoring.

A Final Note

Get professional help if you need it. If the suggestions above don’t help, they may be clinically depressed, in which case they may actually have a chemical imbalance in the brain.

If you are worried they might take their own life – especially if they have talked about how they would do it – don’t keep it to yourself. Even if they make you promise to keep it secret, it doesn’t matter; they aren’t thinking straight, and it’s more important to get them the help they need. Talk to someone you trust, or contact the National Lifeline.

What are some other ways you can beat the winter blues?

The Life of Peter

2011-06-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Peter means “the Rock;” but Simon was anything but a rock before Jesus changed his life.

Peter was from Bethsaida (Jn 1:44), a small town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. On the west side of this large lake was the region of Galilee, which was settled mostly by Jewish people, living under the rule of the Herods – the supposedly Jewish family who had sold out to the Romans, governing Judea as a puppet state of the Roman Empire. Visible on the opposite side of the lake were some of the cities of the Decapolis – these Greek cities also served as a base for Roman legions, and would have been a stark contrast to Peter’s simple Jewish life.

Bethsaida literally means “fish house,” which gives you a clue about what its main income was. Like many others in the area, Peter and his brother Andrew earned their living at the family business: fishing. Just like many fishermen today, they were uneducated (Acts 4:13), hard-working, blue-collar workers, who were often crude (Peter was a self-described “sinful man,” Lk 5:8), and prone to causing trouble (James and John, Peter’s business partners, were nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder,” Mk 3:17).
Even so, they weren’t uninterested in learning about and following God; in fact, Peter’s brother Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist (Jn 1:40), and the first thing he did when he met Jesus was to tell his brother they had found the Messiah – he must have known that Peter would want to know.

Imperfect as he was, Peter is also something of a leader. He is always listed first among the Apostles, and often speaks on behalf on their behalf when they want to ask Jesus something. When the disciples fall asleep at Jesus’ last night, only Peter is singled out for taking responsibility. Even after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter is the one who says “I’m going fishing,” and the other disciples follow his lead.

Early on, Peter becomes part Jesus’ inner circle, even within the Twelve. Only Peter, James, and John were present at several key moments of Jesus’ ministry:

when Jairus’ daughter was raised (Mk 5:37; Lk 8:51)
at the transfiguration (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2; Lk 9:28)
in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:37; Mk 14:33)

Yet, even though he is privileged to have such intimate glimpses of Christ’s glory, Peter often fails to live up to the calling he has received. His personality seems to make him predisposed to extremes --

He is brave enough to step out of the boat onto the water towards Jesus, but almost immediately loses his faith. (Mt 14:29-39)
Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Son of God (Mt 16:15-16), and moments later proceeds to tell him what to do (Mt 16:22).
In John 13, he first refuses to allow Jesus to wash his feet, and when Jesus insists, wants him to wash him all over!

And then, of course, is Peter’s most famous failing of all – his denial of Jesus. John’s gospel gives us a unique, eye-witness insight to this story: Peter first declares that he will follow Jesus to the death, and even attacks a servant of the high priest to defend his Lord.
But after Jesus is taken, Peter – typically – swings to the opposite extreme; afraid of being arrested himself, and follows at a distance to the house of the high priest Caiaphas, and his father-in-law Annas (a former high priest himself). And as Peter is outside, waiting to hear what will happen to his Lord, nervous about his own fate… you know what happens. Three times, someone recognizes him as disciple, and three times he denies it. Forget going in to the courtroom, never mind testifying before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin -- he is so afraid of being associated with Jesus, he doesn’t even want to admit that he’s a follower to a teenage servant girl.

But the story doesn’t end there; after Jesus restores his relationship with Peter (Jn 21:15-18), and charges him to “feed my sheep,” we see a very different Peter. In Acts 3-4, Peter and John find themselves in trouble with the Jewish authorities after publicly healing a paralytic and preaching Christ at the Temple. And look who comes to deal with them:

They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. … The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is
“ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:3-12, NIV
(emphasis added)

The contrast is amazing – not only is Peter now willing to speak boldly, he does so to the very men who put Jesus on the cross! In the very next chapter, they are in trouble again, and challenge the priests – who could kill them just like they did Jesus – “We must obey God rather than men!” When Peter and John narrowly escaped with their lives, receiving a flogging instead,

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

Ac 5:41

Before writing his letters near the end of his life, Peter grows the Church, pastors those in the Way, and spreads the Good News through missionary journeys. He was executed for his faith by Emperor Nero in AD 67-68, by crucifixion. And while there is no way to know for sure, legend has it that when Peter was told how he was to be executed, he asked to be crucified upside-down, because he didn’t consider himself worthy to die the same way as his Lord.

Peter lived and died a far cry from his beginning as a country bumpkin who abandoned his Master when it mattered most.

Discussion Questions:

How do you think Peter (and the other people of Galilee) felt about where they grew up?
Why do you think Jesus called a lowly, coarse fisherman as his chief disciple?
What made Peter so different in Acts than he was in the Gospels?
What would it take for God to change you so dramatically?

Dinosaurs, Haters, and Free Will

2011-03-31T11:13:00.000-07:00

Click for larger image

We had some great discussion last week at our open-forum Question Box. We didn't get to all of them, so we going to continue this coming Monday. Here's a list of the questions; what's your opinion?

Questions we discussed:

1. How do you handle a person who hates on you and can’t let it go, how do you handle haters in a Christian way?

2. Should all of the stories in the Bible be taken literally? (Noah’s ark, the Garden, etc)

3. If dinosaurs were around before people, and God made people on the 6^th day, does that make dinosaurs fake?

4. Did Jesus sacrifice any animals in His lifetime?

5. My pastor talks a lot about singling out a day every once in a while, fully dedicated to praying. What are your thoughts on that?

Questions we'll tackle next week:

1. When is someone considered Christian? How can I help people know or realize they are? On a sort of off topic side (could these be linked?), how do I /we help someone who has authority over other people but has trouble having them actually listen to them?

This is following the example of Jesus?

2. How do you respond to hatred toward Christianity? People who have had a bad experience with someone and are taking it out on the entire religion? How do you respond to people who believe that religion may as well be the pinnacle of evil? That those who are religious are all ignorant?
3. How do you deal with Christians who have so much hate? Christians who hate homosexuals, and adulterers, just about every sinner… How do you deal with the Christians who make other hate Christianity?

4. How come there is so much killing for God’s purpose when he commands us not to? (Jael killing Sisera, Judges 4:21; the [killing of all the city’s residents at the] fall of Jericho)

5. What happens to those who are ignorant, children, people who were never reached by the Gospel? Do they find the Kingdom of Heaven?

6. Why did Jesus get baptized?

7. Where did natural evil originate (hurricanes, floods, earthquakes)?

8. Why did God make the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil when He knew Adam and Eve would sin?

9. How is the idea of God having a “plan,” “using people,” or having “complete control” over all life align with the idea that we have a free will?

The World is Ending Tomorrow

2011-03-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

If you want to understand the Bible, don't look for hidden messages; believe that it says what it means. Believe it has something to teach you about how you actually live your life.

Last night's lesson got postponed when the discussion turned toward Judgment Day -- which, despite some misconceptions, is neither a cyborg invasion nor a professional wrestling smackdown. The End Times discussion has been getting a lot of attention lately, due to billboards and signholders which have popped up all over the county and the country.

"The Bible Guarantees It"

Billboards like this one have been
popping up in Whatcom County.

Why May 21? How do they figure that after almost 2000 years, Christ will return on precisely that date? The argument can be summarized this way:

Premise One: God's Judgment Day is going to come exactly 7,000 years after the Great Flood.

God told Noah that the Flood (ie, his judgment) would come in 7 days, on the 17th day of the 2nd (Biblical) month. (Gen 7:10-11)
2 Peter 3:8 tells us that with the Lord, "a single day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a single day."

Premise Two: We can learn by "careful study" of genealogies in the Bible that the Flood happened in 4990 BC.
Conclusion : 4990 + 2011 – 1 = 7,000 = Judgment Day will come on May 21, 2011.

Is It True?

First of all, this is nothing new; people have predicting Christ's return ever since he left. Obviously, none of those have been right, and the Bible is very clear that "no one knows that day or the hour" (Mt 24:36 / Mk 13:3; see also Mt 25:13; Ac 1:7; 1 Th 5:1-2; 2 Pe 3:10). But is it possible that the clues above have been in the Bible all along, just waiting to be solved? There is so much wrong with this logic, I almost don't know where to start; every step of the argument is flawed. Let's just focus on one:

When Peter says "a thousand years are like a single day," he doesn't mean that this is a decoder ring for understanding God's time; all you have to do is read the context to realize that his point is just the opposite! For starters, look at the rest of the sentence: it goes both ways. To paraphrase,

One of your days is like a thousand years to God, and
a thousand of your years are like a single day to God.

Does that make any sense? No, it doesn't. Not to us, anyway, and that's the point: God lives on a different level of reality, and his time is not like our time. (Actually, remember, even our time is not like our time.) Peter isn't saying anything here about how the word "day" is used anywhere else in Scripture.

You can't just snip sentences out of the Bible and make them mean what you want them to mean; take the time to understand the message of the writer. Claiming that the Bible "guarantees" judgement on May 21 will only damage the credibility of the Bible (and believers) when May 22 rolls around.

How Should We Be Ready?

What bothers me even more, though, is the attitude this reveals in Christians. It's very easy to slip into a mindset that's dismissive, skeptical, or even mocking. "Jesus is coming?" we think, "Yeah, right. I hope there's something good on TV tonight." Yeah, we don't know that Jesus is coming on May 21. But we don't know he isn't, either.

The whole reason that Peter writes this is to warn the believers that they need to be ready. It's the same reason that Jesus tells the parables of Mt 24:36-25:13. If you knew when He was coming, of course you will be ready! But since you don't know, it could be any moment. You need to be ready all the time.

Katie raised an excellent question: How do we be ready? Jesus answers that question, too. He continues to teach, through the parable of the talents, that God has invested us with certain gifts, that we should use our lives for his glory. He goes on to spell out exactly what is expected from us:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me... ’ (Matt 25:31-46)

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is a love God with everything, and second is to love your neighbor as yourself. With these words, he combines them; your love for Christ is revealed by how you treat others. It's in how you spend your time. It's in how you spend your money. It's in how you live your life.

When someone wants to debate when the Lord will return, understand that it doesn't really matter. Tell them that you are doing the best you can, every day, to live a life that honors God and cares for others. If you really are, then they will have no answer to that.

And if you aren't caring for "the least of these"... read to the rest to see if you are really following Jesus.

Hardening Pharaoh's heart: God's influence on our free will

2011-01-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

In response to our 90-Day Challenge to the read the whole Bible, we had some great questions on Monday night. What does it mean that "God hardened Pharaoh's heart"? Does God sometimes override our free will for his own purpose? And if so, is it really free will?

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.

Ex 7:3–4, ESV

The Problem

This passage, and the twenty other references to Pharaoh's hard heart in the following chapters, have long been concerning to critics, and even some believers. It seems to imply that God will force the king of Egypt to make a sinful decision, and then punish him for it -- ultimately killing him and his whole army in the sea. If so, this is the height of injustice; even more disturbing, it would mean that God can revoke our free will at any time -- which really is no free will at all.

Who hardens his heart?

Joel's answer on Monday is a good place to start: it's vital to note that Pharaoh first hardens his own heart. The first place we see any reference to hardening is Exod 4:21; but in this verse, God only tells Moses what is going to happen, at some point in the future. The first time we see Pharaoh's heart actually hardening, he does it on his own, with no help from God. And in fact, he does six times in a row!

From the Bible Knowledge Commentary:

...in the next seven references Pharaoh is said to have hardened his own heart (Exod 7:13-14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7) before God is said to have hardened it (Exod 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8). God’s first hardening came after the sixth plague. Pharaoh hardened his own heart six times by his refusals. Then later he hardened it again in response to the seventh plague, and God hardened his heart after each of plagues 8-10.

As a side note, it's significant that there are seven references in each case; numbers often (but not always) have symbolic meaning in the Bible, and seven is the number of fullness. Pharaoh is fully committed to harden his own heart, apart from any action that God takes.

"Strengthen"

But does the fact that God also "hardens" his heart take away from Pharaoh's free will? I don't think so. If you look at the translator's note on 4:21 in the NET Bible, you'll find an important insight to the word usually translated "hardened":

tn Heb “strengthen” (in the sense of making stubborn or obstinate). The text has the expression (va’ani ’akhazzeq ’et-libbo), “I will make strong his will,” or “I will strengthen his resolve,” recognizing the “heart” as the location of decision making (see Prov 16:1, 9).

This implies that God is making stronger the intent that Pharaoh already had in his heart; rather than making the choice for Pharaoh, God confirms the choice that Pharaoh has already made.

Responding

Pharaoh's heart is hardened both as a result of his own decision and God's action. To look at it in another sense, God influences Pharaoh's heart simply by giving him instructions. Anytime anyone is told what to do, they will have one of two reactions in their heart: either they will listen and obey, or they will be stubborn and refuse. Sometimes, depending on what they are being told to do, being stubborn is a good thing. Other times, what they are told is for their own good, and they refuse simply for the sake of refusing. And, as anyone who has ever put a toddler to bed knows, the more they are told to do it, the more stubborn they become. Every time God repeated his command to Pharaoh, it made him more resolute not to comply.

This true for all of us; what has God prompted you to do? Have you responded with obedience, or have you hardened your heart against his voice?

The 90-Day Challenge

2011-01-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

It's Day 2 of our challenge to read the whole Bible in three months. It's not too late to join us! Here are some tips for staying focused on our goals.

Reading the whole Bible in 90 days is more than an idle attempt to see if we can do it. And it isn't about checking off a list so that we appear more righteous before God or our friends -- or, conversely, feeling guilty over failure if we don't make our goals.

Don't worry too much about "getting behind." Yes, we want to challenge ourselves, and that's the reason we are following a reading plan in the first place. But don't be so focussed on "staying on track" that you lose sight of our real goals:

Goal 1: To gain an understanding of THE OVERALL STORY OF SCRIPTURE and a MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF GOD.
I encourage you to do your reading from a Bible with study notes, that you can refer to for things that don't make sense to you. Or for online reading, I recommend the New English Translation (NET), which includes translators' notes (t) and study notes (s) to help you understand better.

For each story, ask yourself, "What does teach me about God's character? about the plan that he has for the world? about human character? about me?"

Goal 2: To have a DAILY DISCIPLINE of spending time with THE LORD AND HIS WORD
Don't just read for the sake of reading; ask the Lord to open your heart to what he has to teach you. Share your problems with him; pray for unbelieving friends. Keeping a journal is another great way to record what God is teaching you.

Goal 3. To CONNECT with other believers through A COMMON EXPERIENCE
Something powerful happens when people do things together, and there are several ways YouVersion.com helps us do that.
  1. Accountability. Find a partner to encourage you and can discuss what you've been reading. YouVersion can also be set to automatically email a friend whenever you do your reading.
  2. Notes. You can add notes to verses you find interesting, inspiring, or confusing. You can find your friends' notes under My>Friends' Activities.
  3. Connections. Connect to your Facebook/Twitter account, and share your favorite verses with your friends.

I'm really excited to see where this leads. Please be praying with me!

Adam

Meditation: Introduction to Spiritual Disciplines

2010-10-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Throughout this year, we will be looking at many of the Spiritual Disciplines; last week, Adam V introduced us to them by examining the discipline of meditation.

photo by Joe Shlabotnik on Flickr

Spiritual Disciplines rarely get talked about among America’s churches. If I asked you name a few, you would probably name praying and reading the Bible, and maybe even fasting; and not that these are unimportant, but that’s usually all we ever hear about. Disciplines like solitude, service, and simple living get much less airtime, but they can be vitally important.

What is a spiritual discipline, and does it matter? They are tools that we have to strengthen our spiritual muscles. We do not use them to change ourselves by our own strength, but they are indispensible methods of allowing God’s power to transform our lives.

Meditation, in some ways, opens the door to the other Disciplines, because it teaches us how free our minds from distraction and listen for God’s voice. Here's Adam V's lesson:

What is Christian Meditation? (And What it is Not?)

When a lot of people hear the word ‘meditation’, they might think of relaxing and doing nothing. People may say that it helps you get in touch with your inner self or spirit, or helps relieve stress. When I looked up the word ‘meditate’ in the dictionary, it said, “To think deeply”. But we as Christians (when we meditate) are not supposed to just ‘think deeply’; it is about thinking deeply about, to, and on God. Meditation is different from prayer because you aren’t asking for his blessings or confessing your sins. The definition of biblical/Christian meditation is “The ability to hear God’s voice and obey His word.”

The differences between worldly meditation and that of the Christian variety are this: worldly meditation is an attempt to empty the mind and Christian meditation is an effort to fill the mind; filling the mind with things of God. Those are two very diverse thoughts.

A common misconception of meditation is that meditating is too hard and too complex. They say it is best left to the professionals. To the contrary, meditation is said to be a natural human action. Something even I can do.

What Prevents Us From Meditating on God?

Ways that keep us from meditating ourselves are things such as busyness, thinking it is too difficult, being uneducated about it, leaving it to the ‘spiritual giants’, and thinking that it is simply weird.

Why is Meditation Important?

Christian meditation is important because…

· It reveals who God is.

· It helps you understand Scripture.

· It calms you.

· It brings you closer to God.

· God speaks to us through meditation.

Meditating on God reveals who He is and what He has to say to you. You can’t hear what He has to say if you aren’t listening to Him.

Meditation connects us to God in ways prayer and reading the Bible does not allow us to.

The truth of the matter is, God desires our companionship. Meditation allows us to, in a way, walk with him as a friend walks with a friend.

The following verses are some situations where meditation comes up in the Bible.

1 Kings 19:7-14

Joshua 1:8

Psalm 1:2, 19:14, 104:34, 119:15&78&97, 145:5

In these circumstances, they are meditating on the Law of God and on the Works of God.

There are also some circumstances where Jesus has gone away from the crowds for purposes that include prayer and probably meditation as well.

How Should You Meditate?

You cannot properly learn to meditate on God just by reading about it in a book, by watching a ‘how to’ DVD, or even by listening to me. You learn how to meditate by, well, meditating.

Meditate When?

Well from what we read earlier the answer is “day and night or all the day”, but with schooling and other activities it is difficult to devote your entire day and night to meditating. That being said, the best time to meditate is at a time when you have a clear mind free of distraction and you can put full effort of thought into meditative matters. It’s difficult to be in a peaceful state of mind when your thoughts are constantly jumping from different things you need to do when you are done meditating.

Meditate Where?

The best location to meditate is at a place of few distractions. Distractions, such as, phones or (in some cases) people, should not be present. Some people prefer to meditate in the great outdoors, where God’s immense creation is most evident, with trees and birds and such.

On What Shall We Meditate?

I came up with a few things on which to meditate. The first of which is God’s creation in which God’s greatness is tangibly showcased. Looking at the clouds on a warm afternoon or the colorful leaves of autumn spikes amazement inside of me. I love watching snow cover the ground and the sound of the rain hitting the pavement.

Secondly, you can meditate on God’s word. From the verses we read earlier, the psalmists wrote a lot about meditating on the law. When you are reading the Bible, it is good to stop on a passage that means a lot to you, take a key word or phrase and let it take hold of you.

Branching off of that, I like to spend time pondering the words of a worship song or hymn. One of my favorite hymns is How Great Thou Art. The refrain and verses of that song move me. Here is the first verse of the song. “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed.”

I had not noticed before, but the writer of the hymn is writing about meditating on the greatness of God.

I have also read about people who like to imagine that they are in at a biblical event. Say, for example, you pretend you are one of the five-thousand Jesus fed or the prodigal son or witnessing the trans- figuration. It may help you understand the stories in a way you have not before.

Meditating on the works of God is my third and final idea that I came up with on which to meditate. We can’t take for granted everything God has done for us, but I think it is safe to say that we all do. Thinking about Jesus getting spat upon, stripped of his clothes, flogged, humiliated, and nailed to a cross should send shivers down anyone’s spine.

To sum up on all that I have said, Meditation is important in helping us take the next step in our relationships with God.

For further study on the disciplines in general, please check out these resources:

Inside Out Pt4: A sermon by CTK Bellingham Pastor Grant Fishbook

Who Really Wrote the Gospel of John?

2010-10-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

How do we know that the John the Apostle really wrote the Fourth Gospel? And even if he did, how do we know he didn't just make it up?

If you are serious about your faith, at some point you have to consider why you believe the Bible. This slideshow outlines the discussion we had at the TFC Monday Night youth meeting on Oct 4, 2010.

John 1:1

2010-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

In one amazing opening sentence, John speaks powerfully and specifically to three radically different schools of thought.

View John 1:1 on Prezi

Even though the Jews, the Stoics, and the Gnostics believe radically different things about the world, God, and human nature, John (speaking in the Holy Spirit) speaks to each of them in their own language, teaching the truth that the man called Jesus was indeed the Son of God.

This lesson was first presented at

the TFC Monday night youth

meeting on Sept 27, 2010.

Discovering God in the Psalms: Secret Codes

2010-06-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the Psalms, but learning how to read them was like discovering a secret code.

The Psalms are some of the most beloved of all the Scriptures, for good reasons --

There is a Psalm for every situation: whether you are rejoicing, grieving, in trouble, searching for meaning, or marveling at God's creation, the Psalms cover the entire range of human emotion.
The Psalms is the largest book in the Bible.
The writers of the New Testament quote Psalms more than any other source in Scripture.

Over the next few weeks, we're going to be looking at the character of God, using the Psalms as our tool. But before we can begin to do that, we need to learn a bit about how the Psalms are written. They're poetry, right? Well, yes -- but Hebrew poetry doesn't always match our Western way of thinking of poetry. The commentator sheds some light on the subject:

How the Psalms Communicate Their Meaning
Although the psalms are poetry, they do not deliver their message through rhyming words. They get their point across by laying out a thought one way and then immediately following it with a parallel thought that takes the first thought a step further. It is this interplay between parallel thoughts that forms the individual bricks that add up to the meaning of each psalm. In order to understand the psalms, the reader must avoid seeing the sentences of each psalm as independent wholes and recognize the relationships between parallel lines and sentences.^{^[1]}

Looking for parallel lines can unlock our understanding of the Psalms and reveal their beauty. Whenever you see a line that repeats, that should be a red flag that that's important; ask, what is being emphasized here?

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

In Psalm 5:3, by repeating that he goes to the Lord in the morning, David emphasizes that he is putting his time with God as first priority, before anything else in his day. In the first line, we know that that he is taking time to talk to God; the second line takes this thought further by telling us what he is saying (requests), and especially that he expects to get a response, and that response often requires us to wait and listen for it. It's not enough to blurt out what we want and then "hang up" on God -- it's supposed to be a two-way conversation!

But looking at one or two lines is not enough to understand a Psalm's meaning; you have to look for structure and parallelism throughout the entire poem.

Psalm 5, like many other Psalms, is structured as something called chiastic parallelism, a symmetrical pattern which can be diagrammed like this:
A - first point or idea
    B - next point
       C - center point (usually the most important)
    B - reflects second point
A - returns to, or answers, the first point

The Chaistic structure is something that can be found in a LOT (but not all) of the Psalms, and in fact a lot of other places in the Bible. Even the New Testament has examples of chiasm -- some scholar's even believe the the entire Gospel of Matthew is arranaged in this pattern!

Returning to our example in Psalm 5, we can find this structure:
A1 ( vs 1–3) Confidence in the Lord
   B1 ( vs 4–6) The Lord’s rejection of the wicked
      C ( vs 7–8) Commitment to the Lord’s righteous way
   B2 ( vs 9–10) The Lord’s banishment of rebels
A2 ( vs 11–12) Joy in the Lord

Thus, this psalm is framed by David's confidence in the Lord (remember how he expects an answer in v.3?), expresses his need for protection from evil, and its central focus is his request to come into God's house, and to have the Lord lead.

The fantastic thing is that not only can you see this parallel structure in many Psalms, not only in other passages of the Old and New Testaments, but you can actually see it in the organization of the entire collection of the book of Psalms! Join us as we continue to explore the Psalms, and what they tell us about the character of God!

View and print the handout for this lesson! (Opens with Internet Explorer.)

1 Robert B. Hughes and J. Carl Laney, Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary (, The Tyndale reference libraryWheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 200.

The Problem of Pain

2010-06-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

"If God were good, He would wish to make His creatures perfectly happy. And if God were almighty, He would be able to do what He wished. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both. This is the problem of pain, in its simplest form." – C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

There's no getting around it: Pain is a part of life. Why? There are many possible answers.

If you don't believe in God, you don't have any trouble answering this question. There is no "why". There is only what is, and what is not. There is no reason, no purpose behind it. But that also means that you have no reason, no purpose for your life.

We, however, believe in a God that loves us absolutely, without hesitation or condition, and who at the same time has absolute power, and can do whatever he wants. And that is where we come across this problem: If He loves me, He wouldn't want me to be in pain, would he? If He is good – perfect, in fact – wouldn't he want to eliminate evil from the world? But He hasn't, obviously, since we see evil and pain and suffering all around us.

So, the thought goes, if He hasn't eliminated pain or evil, either

He doesn't want to, which would mean He's not good, or
He can't, which would mean He isn't all-powerful.

However, this doesn't take into account one other possibility: maybe pain has a purpose. Maybe – just maybe – God is smarter than us, and knows of a good reason to allow pain to exist.

Are there any good things about pain that you can think of? What is a purpose it could serve?

Pain tells us when something is wrong. Pain helps to prevent you from twisting your arm the wrong way, or jumping off a building, or any number of things that would harm your body. And if your body is injured, pain screams at you, "Fix me!" If you ignore that pain, like professional sports players sometimes do, you risk causing permanent damage.
In the same way, emotional pain can tell us when something is wrong. If you cringe when you hear one friend lying to another, or when you see someone suffering from abuse, that emotional pain is screaming at you that something needs to be fixed.
Pain can be God's way of getting our attention.
"Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, and shouts in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."— C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
It is almost a reflex for people to turn to God when they are in pain. Even when they are not regularly devout, those who find themselves in dire situations have a natural tendency to look to the Lord for help, and perhaps He has allowed those things to happen just so that they would see their need for Him.

The problem of pain becomes even more complex when we try to answer why bad things happen to good people. There is something built into us that desires fairness, most of us believe at a gut level that that life is actually fair. Sometimes we even blame the victim, reasoning that if something bad happened to them, then they must have done something wrong to bring it on themselves.
That's what we find Job's friends doing to him in the midst of his pain:

"Think! Has a truly innocent person ever ended up on the scrap heap? Do genuinely upright people ever lose out in the end? It's my observation that those who plow evil and sow trouble reap evil and trouble." (Job 4:7-8, The Message)

In effect, they are telling Job that if he's in pain, then it must be his own fault! Does that sound like what a person in pain needs to hear? No! When a person is in pain, it is not our role to find problems with them, or to add guilt to their discouragement. Instead, we are to be a people who lift each other up in spirit and in prayer (Hebrews 3:12-13).

The Lord himself answers Job's friends in the last chapters of the book, telling them that their view of Him as a vengeful and unmerciful God are plain incorrect:

“My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right" (Job 42:7, ESV)

To Job himself, the Lord shows again and again that He is the ultimate in power and knowledge. He challenges,

8 “Would you discredit my justice?

Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

9 Do you have an arm like God’s,

and can your voice thunder like his? (Job 40:8-9, NIV)

In other words, how could you, Job, possibly know what the Creator of the Earth knows? How could you dare to challenge my reasons for allowing what happens? No, it is because of who God is, not what He does, that we are to trust Him. In the midst of our pain, we can always to the Lord as a source of comfort who never fails. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

“We can’t afford not to.”

2010-05-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last year, Teens for Christ received almost $10,000 less than average in annual donations. We're looking for 200 alumni and friends to make new commitments for a monthly donation – even if it's only $10/month – or we may be forced to close the doors to our office.

Over the decades, Teens for Christ has impacted many young lives, and if you are reading this, chances are it has been important to you personally. We are committed to a ministry of real, lasting relationships with God that are grounded in Scripture, understanding, and community.

Through Bible Quizzing, teens are discovering God's Word in ways that few people do, while building relationships that will last a lifetime. In our Monday night meetings, youth are engaging God in a way that is real and relevant; as Servant Leaders, they are developing potential in themselves that they did not know existed. Most importantly, they are laying the groundwork for lives devoted to the Living God.

I love this job. In a culture where at least two-thirds of Christian high school students lose their faith after graduation, I'm thrilled to have a role where I can have a real effect in their lives. Even though I work for TFC only part-time (I also work for Logos Bible Software to supplement my income), I almost feel guilty that I get paid to do something I love so much. But the truth is, it's a sacrifice for me, too, and I can't continue this work on our current level of support.

TFC's savings have carried us through this dry spell so far, but that money has run out. To the families that are currently involved, we suggest they give $30 a month, but the reality is, the cost of running the ministry is much higher: about $55 per student, per month. If we can't raise support to the level we've seen in previous years, either we'll have to close our office space, or I'll have to minimize the hours I work for the ministry, or both.
Has Teens for Christ ever made a difference in your life? Are there verses that still stick with you, years later, because you memorized them as a quizzer? Was there a mentor who guided your spiritual walk, or a peer that has become a lifelong friend? Are you a better Christ-follower because of TFC?

Maybe you have been meaning to give back to Teens for Christ, but you've put it off for one reason or another. If ever there was a time, it's now. Your contribution does far more than keeping our lights on and our rent paid; the direct result of your support is changing lives.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers, and considering us in this time of need.

Sincerely,
Adam Borries, TFC Director

Will you support today's teens?
It's quick, easy, and safe to donate on our website with PayPal.

Rich Towards God

2010-04-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Read Luke 12:15-21

As you might be able to tell, this is kind of a continuation of last week's lesson. Our question is, what does is mean to be "rich towards God?" But we're going to try to understand some things before we answer that.

First, what is it that the Rich Fool has done wrong?
He stored up his possessions for himself. Or more broadly, he loved his possessions and himself more than anything or anyone else.

Here are some other verses that talk about this idea; what is the key phrase that keeps coming up?

1 Tim 3:3 requires that a church leader must "not love money"

Heb 13:5 "keep your lives free of the love of money"

2 Tim 3:1-5 lovers of money are included in a list of selfish, ugly traits, which concludes with "having a form of godliness but denying its power."
Does this list sound familiar? Does that pretty much describe the culture we live in? Maybe even ourselves? Do you have a form of godliness that has no power to change your life, or anything around you? Is that the God we know?

1 Tim 6:10 This is the famous one. (If you really want to understand what it says, read v.5b-10.) We Christians are quick to point out that this verse doesn't condemn money – "the love of money is the root of evil," we like to call attention to. And in that way, we can justify that its OK for us to have money, "just as long as we don't love it."
And as far as that goes, that's true.
But do you realize how hard it is to have money and not love it? Or, especially, how small of a distinction it is to want to keep your money (or want more of it), but say that you don't love it? It's such a fine line, it may as well not even exist. Instead, the "love of" clause becomes a convenient excuse for our wealth.

Does this mean I can never have money? I can never live comfortably?
No. But it does mean that you need to be very, very careful that it does not control you. Just as in the parable of the talents, everything that you have, God has given you to use. If we ourselves belong to God (I Cor 6:19-20), how much more that things that we call "ours"? Everything you have is really His, and you should be ready to give it back the moment He asks for it. Remember, you cannot serve both God and Money.

What can the Rich Fool do with this wealth?
Let's return to the Rich Fool. In v.17, he says, "What shall I do?" There are only 3 choices that I can think of:

Store/save it up. Jesus says, uh-uh.

Spend it all immediately on himself. Think about that one for sec. I don't think that's where Jesus was going.

Share. To give it away is the only option left.

So, how do we be Rich Towards God?
You should be beginning to get the picture. But to really drive it home, let's go back to Paul's letter to Timothy. Read 1 Tim 6:11-12, 17-19.
What do these keywords tell us?

pursue – It doesn't just "come" to us… we have to chase these things! They require work and diligence!

put hope in God – like we talked about last week, God is worthy of our hope and trust, because he will take care of us

for our enjoyment – God does not want us to be unhappy! Sometimes we think of God as some cosmic killjoy that just wants to take away anything that's fun, but that is NOT the case! It's okay to enjoy the things he blesses you with!

rich in good deeds – Such a great phrase. Not only does it tell us to fill our lives with good deeds (think "make your life thick with good work"), but it also implies that our lives, our character will be richer for having done them. We are the ones who actually benefit from our own good deeds!

Be generous… -- This is the ultimate way to show that money has no hold over you. In addition, it specifically spells out that this lays up treasure in heaven. So if you never how to put Matt 6:20 into practice, now you know!

life that is truly life – Only God can give true life. You can chase after fulfillment, and try to create a meaningful life, for yourself, on your own… but you will end up losing yourself (Luke 9:24). Instead, if you give up control of your life to God, and live richly toward him without holding anything back, he will give you a life you never dreamed of!

Intimacy with Jesus

2010-03-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

By Abigail Ludeman, with the Holy Spirit

Psalm 27:4-One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

When I first read verse, it did not click. One thing? I ask for lots of things! Dwell in the house of the lord? What does that mean? Isn’t he everywhere? Beauty of the Lord? Ok, so Jesus is beautiful. That’s nice… Seek him in his temple? Well, there are Muslim mosques in India.

But this verse has changed my whole paradigm. Who wrote this? King David. Who was he? The Bible says he was a man after God’s own heart.

Read verse again—remember this is Old Testament. The curtain to the holy of holies wasn’t torn in two yet. Only the high priest could enter into God’s presence. And yet David wanted to be with the Lord. And he didn’t sit there, he didn’t play Nintendo, none of that. David gazed on the beauty of the Lord. He gazed…not just glanced for a moment, the beauty of the Lord captured all of his attention

I want to propose to you that there is so much more to our God than we think. Our God is a mystery. He wants us to seek him. He wants us to gaze on his beauty. He wants us to be intimate with him.

And not only does God want us to be close to him, but we need to be close to him! I love this book The Seven Longings of the Human Heart—One thing it says is that “God hard-wired us to need, to want, and to find our satisfaction in Him and him alone…When these longings are not fulfilled in God, we are left empty, with pain, mourning and dissatisfaction. We have built into us a God-shaped vacuum, which remains empty until we allow God to fill it by fulfilling our deepest longings.”

You know what, we all have deep longings. We can’t ignore that fact. America is the picture in my opinion, of dissatisfied people. We buy huge houses. We have so much stuff that there are now organizational companies who come and help people find a way to fit it all into their homes. We have turned to sex, drugs, alcohol, and pornography. 60 million people in America are obese.

And I’m not excluded. I struggle with thinking that food will make me happy. It never does. I feel so bad about it when I stuff myself. But we can only grit our teeth and resist sin for so long. We are human, we need to be satisfied. If I don’t go to him, sit at his feet and listen to his voice, that void will stay empty.

Sometimes it’s hard to get away from everything in our busy lives, but we must. The only way we can be truly satisfied is through Jesus Christ.

So go wait. Wait on the Lord in a secret and quiet place. God wants us to be fulfilled people, and his love is better than life. Take a couple minutes right where you are to quiet yourselves and listen to your loving Father.

This devotional message

was prepared and delivered by Abby Ludeman

at the March Bible Quiz Meet.

The Kingdom of God

2010-03-01T17:42:00.002-08:00

by Zac Ahrens

When most people think of the kingdom of Heaven they think of a place up in the clouds. The most common thing we think of when we think of a kingdom is a large area of land ruled by a king.

The Kingdom of God is the number one thing Jesus talked about while on earth. So to start off with what is it: What is this mustard seed like, or pearl, or treasure hidden in a field? First we must ask what a kingdom is. A kingdom is one of two things. It can either be a group of people united by a common ruler, or it can be a piece of land under the control of a single person. In Mark 12:34 Jesus tells a teacher of the law that he is not far from it. This after the teacher had asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. So was Jesus talking about a physical place or a that was close by or a condition of the heart. In this case it is clear that Jesus was talking about an attitude of the heart.

The next question is when is it? We know from the word that it will never end. So the only question is when the does it begin. Of all the questions this is one of the hardest ones to answer. The most interesting illustration we heard (but still true) is that it is like a train: It is here but still coming. It is the idea that parts of it are here already, but it will not be here in full until the return of Christ.

A final question is who does the kingdom of God belong to? Mark 10:14-15 says “let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” What is it about children that Jesus says the kingdom belongs to them? Personally, I think it is the trust that children have in their parents, the security they have in their parents, and the dependence in their parents. In Mathew 5, Jesus says Blessed are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. I think poor in spirit means those who know that they have a long way to go those not proud of where they are. Just as important though is the question who is it not for. The first group that sticks out is the legalistic such as the Pharisees. Another group is the proud for such people it is not impossible but it is still very difficult.

The Kingdom of God still provides many questions. Even though we have answered a few questions about it there are still many questions about it. Such as when will Christ return and bring it in full and what will heaven be like. Such questions will be asked until the we see them for ourselves.

This lesson was prepared and

presented by Zac Ahrens

at the TFC Youth Group on 3/1/2010.

Taking Every Thought Captive

2010-02-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 10:3-7

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the word. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every though to make it obedient to Christ

I just think this is a good reminder that we live in the world but we aren’t like the world. The weapons we have are from God and so they have divine power. Since we are from God we demolish arguments and pretensions that come up against what we know about God. A pretension is a claim.
It also says that we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. If you think about it literally you might see something like what we were saying at our Servant Leadership team meeting. The picture we came up with was a bunch of little thoughts flying around in a bird cage.
After you stop thinking about it like that, just think about how hard it is to make all your thoughts obedient to Christ. A different version says that though probably means plot, or design so this means that we need to submit not only outwardly but also inwardly meaning in thought or mind.
So if you need to make all your thoughts or plots obedient to Christ that would mean that every time you try to plot your revenges on some one your thoughts wouldn't be obedient. So try it strive to make your thoughts obedient to Christ.

This devotional message

was prepared and delivered by Katie Hersman

at the February Bible Quiz Meet.
Watch Katie's message on YouTube!

Going Above and Beyond: The Sermon on the Mount and the Golden Rule

2010-02-02T13:14:00.001-08:00

Jesus says "I have not come to abolish the Law"… so why does the Sermon on the Mount sound like he's contradicting the commandments given in the Old Testament?

The Pharisees get a lot of bad press in the Gospels; but it's important to remember that they were the "good" people of the day. They studied the Scriptures, they followed the rules, they didn't smoke or drink or cuss; they were respected role models of community. In today's terms, they would be pastors, professors, church-goers... Bible quizzers.

But they completely missed the point, because the Pharisees focused on _APPEARANCES_; Jesus focused on _INTENTIONS_.

God has given his Commandments as ways for people to better their lives and draw closer to him; the Pharisees made a "fence" of rules around the law, defining what technically does or doesn't break the rules, and missing the matter of the heart entirely.

Did Jesus come to get rid of the old laws? Look again at Matt. 5:17-20.

Jesus says that he hasn't come to abolish the Law (which God gave Moses in the Old Testament), and then he seems to go on and repeatedly undermine it with the phrase "You have heard… but I tell you (instead)." But really, Jesus is supporting the intention behind the commandment, and attacking the way people have interpreted it for their own benefit. Instead of taking a step further away from the Law, in a legalistic sense, Jesus takes the principle a step further inward and upward.

"You have heard…"

Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'"

Comes from: Ex 20:13, the Sixth Commandment
The reason for the commandment: To protect _LIVES_.
Jesus makes it clear that the sin is not just the act of murder, it's the _HATRED_ behind it, which is an issue of _THE HEART_. Anger can murder a person or a relationship, without actually killing the person.

Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'

Comes from: Ex 20:14, the Seventh Commandment.
The reason for the commandment: To protect marriages, and promote personal _PURITY_.
The Pharisees condemned _THE OUTWARD ACT_.
Jesus said that _THE DESIRE_ was just as sinful and harmful to yourself.

Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'"
- Comes from: Ex 21:24, and others
- This is a tricky one, because it sounds so brutal by today's terms. But think about it: if I knock out your tooth, is your instinct to inflict exactly the same about of damage to me? No! The natural reaction is to escalate, and cause me more pain than I caused you!
  The reason for the commandment: To restrict _REVENGE_.
- The Pharisees used this law against its own purpose: to _JUSTIFY_ their own personal retribution and revenge.
- Jesus was teaching to _FORGIVE_ , and do not resent. In fact, you should pursue peace and love kindness at any cost.
  - What did it mean to lose your tunic, or cloak? In the first century, clothing was difficult and time-consuming to make, and most people had only one set of clothes. The "tunic" was the shirt they wore next to the skin, while a "cloak" was the outer garment, which they also could use as a blanket, a carrying bag, or other uses. If you gave both of them away you had nothing left. Can you imagine giving away everything you own?
  - What kind of person could force you to "go a mile"? Remember, this was a nation who was conquered by the Roman army, who was present everywhere. And if the army needed work done, the soldiers had authorization from Rome to require labor from the local population. They could take your work animal, eat your food… and if they want, force you to carry their things. What a difference from the Zealots, who wanted to fight the Romans: Jesus says, don't resent them for making you work for them. Instead, put on a smile, and offer to do a double shift!

Matthew 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

Comes from Lev 19:18 – Look it up! What does this verse NOT say?
__it doesn't say "hate your enemy"__
The reason for the commandment: To live _IN PEACE_
This was a common saying at the time, but it appears no where in the Old Testament. Someone (I wonder who) had added it, and it was repeated so often that people took its validity for granted.
Jesus _SURPRISED_ the crowd by telling them to love your enemy. The enemy was a foreign power occupying their country. This was a complete 180 for them!

The Golden Rule

Matthew 5:45-48
When Jesus says the Father in heaven "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good", he's saying that God _BLESSES EVERYONE_, and if we really want to be God's children, then we also shouldn't make distinctions on who deserves our love and who doesn't. After all, if we only love those who are good to us, how could we be called God's children? How is that any better than anyone else? He makes a very similar comparison in Mt 7:9-11.

Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

This is Jesus' _CONCLUDING STATEMENT_; it wraps up everything else that he was trying to communicate in the whole section. Remember Matt. 5:17? What does He start with? "The Law and the Prophets."

He ends in the same place he started, and his message is that righteousness is not something that can be attained by keeping a list of rules; it has everything to do with your attitude and your relationships.

How should we respond to Haiti?

2010-01-29T12:16:00.001-08:00

Whenever a disaster of this scale occurs, it's natural to ask how God fits in the picture. Is He angry? Even if He is not, how can He allow an atrocity like this? Finally, how should we respond?

Since the Haiti earthquake less than a week ago, we've seen reactions that run the gamut. Most people have responded with compassion; millions have donated to charitable relief organizations; everyone is shocked by the extent of the damage and loss of life.

And then, some have criticized. A friend of mine recently asked me if I think the Haiti earthquake is God's judgment. After all, Haiti (like New Orleans) has been a center for voodoo and dark magic for years. Pat Robertson, now infamously, preached that this is God's punishment on a wicked nation that made a deal with the devil 200 years ago. A New York Times contributor surmised, "If God exists, he's really got it in for Haiti." The Washington Post reports that even some of the Haitians themselves view the catastrophe as God's judgment.

I don't believe that this is a special act of God, for many reasons. First, the conditions in Haiti were made by man, following anything but godly standards. Haiti is a country born of slavery, plagued by corruption and oppression, and impoverished to the point that she has devastated her land and, in a sad irony, sold her own children back into slavery. Second, it is always hard to understand God's reasons for allowing pain; but that doesn't mean that He has no reason. If we say that we believe in an all-loving and all-knowing God, we have to trust that He knows what He is doing when He allows disaster.

Finally, we serve a God who sends His mercy on all alike; Jesus told us to be like our Father, who "causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good" (Mt. 5:45). If we are to bless those who curse us, how much more should we bless those who most desperately need it? The sad thing is, many people will give to Haiti to relieve a sense of guilt for living in a privileged country, and then do their best to forget that half of Earth's population lives in poverty. Instead, as true children of God, "let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" (1 Jn. 3:17-18).

This article appeared in the
January 2010 issue of the TFC Newsletter.
For another excellent opinion of how to respond to Haiti,
see the Chicago Tribune.

January Devotional

2010-01-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Give your all to God; He will always give back to you more than you could ever need .

This devotional message

was prepared and delivered by Nick Roth

at the January Bible Quiz Meet.

December Devotional

2009-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Meaningless controversy is never worth it.

This devotional message

was prepared and delivered by Brad Widman

at the December Bible Quiz Meet.

Devotion

2009-11-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

Devotion: What comes into your mind when you think of that word? What does it mean to be devoted to someone or something? Webster’s dictionary describes devotion as “religious fervor, an act of prayer or private worship other than regular corporate worship of a congregation.” It also states that “the act of devoting is the fact or state of being passionately dedicated and loyal to an idea, person or thing.”

Okay, so now that we have a definition I want you to think of things in your life that you are devoted to, according to this definition. Right now I have one that comes to mind and that is the Seattle Seahawks. I am completely 110% devoted to the Seahawks; I am loyal beyond belief. I check their site every day to find out what happened at practice. I have jerseys and memorabilia. I watch every game without fail. My whole Sunday is planned around the Seahawks game. So, now what is the first thing that comes into your mind when you think of what you are devoted to? What do you spend most of your time doing? My guess is that like me, most of you came up with something that you are devoted to besides God.

In 1 Corinthians 7:29-35, Paul is taking about marriage and how those who are married should live. Then all of a sudden Paul breaks off from the topic of marriage and just talks about how we as Christians should live our lives. Paul says in verses 29 – 35:

What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

Let’s go back here to verse 31 and the word engrossed. What do you think about this idea? It says “those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them.” What do you guys use on a daily basis? Is it a computer, a cell phone, maybe your car. Are you engrossed in those things? Are you more concerned about texting your friend, or checking your Facebook page than spending 30 minutes with God in prayer or reading His word? From that last passage it looks to me like we all have a lot of work to do in order to achieve this level of devotion that Paul is talking about.

So let me ask you: do you devote yourself to God in this way? Do you want to live your life in undivided devotion to the Lord? I know that I do. So let’s start a change today so that rather than pursuing the things of this world we pursue the things of God. So that rather than worshiping the creation we worship God. So that instead of being engrossed in the things of the world we would be engrossed in God. So here is my challenge for everyone reading this: take a real close look at your life, what are you allowing to take up your time? Are your interests divided? Are you concerned about the world’s affairs or are you concerned about the affairs of God? I want you to understand that the hardest and most important aspect of your life is your relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s not always easy, it’s not always fun, but it’s always worth it. It’s not easy to wake up early before school so you can read your Bible and pray to God. It’s not fun to go to your friends and tell them about Jesus and invite them to church or youth group or to bible quiz. But our reward both in heaven and on earth for living a life of undivided devotion to God is always worth it.

This "devotional" message was
prepared and delivered by Kyle Miksovsky

at the November Bible Quiz Meet.
Watch it on youtube!

To Be Long

2009-11-17T13:01:00.001-08:00

There are different kinds of patience. In the Old Testament, the word for patience "is related to the verb 'to be long' and involves the idea of being long to get riled or slow to become angry." It means, like Micah said, "waiting, and being okay with waiting." That could mean waiting while a package is delivered, or waiting through an oppressive situation.
We live in a very impatient society; we are always looking for the newest, fastest thing. Microwave dinners, faster internet, quicker ways to text… we hate standing in line, getting stuck in traffic, or just waiting for anything, period. A friend of mine once related a story of how she was waiting at a traffic light, and "It was taking a really long time," she said, "like… 30 seconds." What does it say about us when 30 seconds qualifies as a really long time?

But patience can also apply to waiting on God – are we any more enduring when it comes to waiting for God to take care of us? Have you ever been in a situation when you needed God to come for you, you didn't think you could last any longer, and you just wanted Him to rescue you before it was too late?

In John 11:1-44, we see a story exactly like this. Mary and Martha, appeal to Jesus to come and heal their brother Lazarus before it is too late. Now, it's worth noting that these were not strangers to Jesus; they were special friends that "Jesus loved" (v. 3, 5, 36). And yet, Jesus didn't seem to do anything; he just waited around for two more days. When he finally arrives to find that Lazarus is dead, you can sense the frustration in both Mary and Martha's words: "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died!" (NLT) I read those words, and hear, "Why weren't you here? Why did you wait? I am I not worth it? Wasn't he worth saving? Did we do something wrong?"

But of course we know how the story ends. And so did Martha. "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day," she said. She had faith in Jesus, faith that He would put everything right in the end; but maybe she didn't have faith that He would put everything right in the now. And I firmly believe that God always gives us what we need for now – and sometimes that doesn't make sense to us, sometimes it looks like He's waited too long, sometimes it seems like He has already answered "No" to our prayers… but He always knows what He is doing.

Patience can never be separated from faith. You should go and read Hebrews 11. These are the true heroes of the faith; people that lived and died in total dedication to God. But did you notice verse 13? Verse 39? They knew that God had started something big. But how patient do you think they had to be?

My Life

2009-11-10T14:13:00.000-08:00

Powerful four and half minutes, via Jack Hager.

On Grace

2009-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Charles Swindoll said once that the subject of grace is kind of like riding a whale – “a big subject to try and get your arms around or to get a hold on.”

In one sense, it is easy. We all have some idea of what it means have grace. It is a word that still has a lot beauty attached to it; we speak of “graceful” dancers, or a “grace period” after a due date; an honored guest, we may say, will “grace us with her presence”. Even being “grateful” (derived from the same Latin word, gratus) shows insight into how we think of grace. It is a pleasing concept to us, this idea that we are showed favor where none is merited.

On other hand, the extent of God’s grace towards us is really mind boggling. Why should he just give us anything? Why should we accept it? Some of us don’t – like the brothers in the Parable of the River, we might try earn God’s favor with our deeds, or hope that if we aren’t as bad as someone else God won’t notice our sin, or even just forget God altogether, trading in His great promises for the mud hut of selfish living.

By looking at Titus 3:5-7 and many other verses, we see that God’s grace is for all time. From 2 Cor 12:9 and Heb 4:16, we learn that grace is also for this time, this life, the here and now

Here are a few resources to help understand grace better.

Stories:

In 1935, Fiorella LaGuardia showed grace to a woman who had stolen.
Discussion question: How did LaGuardia carry out justice and mercy at the same time?
In the 1700’s, John Newton was a slave trader whose life was transformed when he met Christ. To describe the vastness of God’s mercy on him, he wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.
Discussion question: Does knowing Newton’s story change how you think of the hymn? How does it affect the way you think of God’s grace?

Studies:

The Grace Series from www.acts17-11.com is enjoyable for deeper study, especially the final entry on the Power of Grace.
To find many more verses about grace in the Bible, type the word “Grace” into the search box below.

http://wbsa.logos.com/

The Most Excellent Way

2009-10-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

If you are Bible quizzing this year, you probably know that I Corinthians 12 talks about spiritual gifts; Paul gives several examples of abilities that God gives believers: healing, teaching, speaking and interpreting tongues, prophecy, and discerning spirits, to name a few. He specifically points outs that just as a body has many parts that have different functions that are each necessary, the many gifts of the members of the church are all important, and should work together to form a cohesive whole. Paul goes on in chapter 14, explaining how tongues and prophecy are best used.

But wait; chapter twelve… chapter fourteen. What’s missing from this picture? Chapter thirteen, of course! EVERYONE knows I Corinthians 13 – the famous “love chapter,” that you’ve heard at every wedding you’ve ever been to!

Now, why would Paul put the love chapter right in the middle of talking about spiritual gifts? Maybe part of the reason is that, in the first place, the spiritual gifts are “given for the common good” (I Cor 12:7). We have them in order to build each other up, and bond us together; and what is more for the common good than to love each other?

But Paul goes beyond this: as he introduces the love chapter, he calls it “the most excellent way.” The reason he puts love sandwiched between chapters twelve and fourteen, is that love is a spiritual gift. Not only that, but he says love is the greatest spiritual gift. This was a revelation to me when I first read it. We don’t tend to think of love as a spiritual gift; in fact, just the word love gets so overused in our cultural, that it often gets overlooked altogether. Do we really think of love as "the most excellent way?"

We have a tendency to look at people with other gifts and think how spiritual they are; if you have ever heard someone prophesy, or heal, or know someone who has given everything up to minister to the unsaved in a far-off country, then you know how easy it is to look at that person and think, "Wow. If they can do that... they must be right with God."

Skip to John 13:35 for a moment. To set the stage, Jesus is at the Last Supper with his disciples. He has just washed their feet, he knows that he is about to be betrayed and crucified. It's a critical moment; the words he chooses just before he gives his life will carry special weight when his disciples look back on it later. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples," he says, "if you ___________________.” What? Have perfect theological teaching? Demonstrate miraculous powers? NO! "If you love one another."

And decades later, what does Paul say? Paraphrasing, he says, "So what, if I could speak the language the angels speak? Or if I could understand all of God's mysteries, or if he gave me so much power I could lift a mountain? Or, if I gave away every single thing I own... what good is it? Unless I have love, it counts for exactly ...NOTHING!”

After a description of exactly how love looks, he concludes: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." Why these three, and why is love the greatest? Because they are what is really necessary to be alive in Christ in this life, but only love will last forever:
Faith is that we believe and trust without having seen (Heb 11:1); when we join the Lord, faith is no longer needed!

Hope, not in the sense that we wish for something to happen, but like a trapped man has hope when rescue is coming (Eph 1:18); in this life, we hope as we wait for the great promises God has for us -- but when those promises are fulfilled, our waiting will be over!

Love will continue to grow after everything else has been fulfilled. In heaven, the love we experience from God and show towards others will be ever more perfect, building upon itself over and over for the rest of eternity.

This devotional was delivered by Adam Borries

at the Oct 10, 2009 Bible Quiz meet.

Introducing the online Question Box

2009-10-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ever had a question you wanted to know the answer to, but didn't want to ask? We are taking an old concept and making it new again. Every now and then at TFC's Monday night youth meetings, we will pass around blank paper,and students can write whatever question is on their mind. It might be a question about God or the Bible; it might be an ethical issue they are facing; they might need advice on a relationship. Whatever it is, they can ask in complete privacy, because when the question goes in the box, we never know who wrote it.

Now introducing the online Question Box! You can submit any question you want an answer to, without having to reveal who you are, and I will do my best to answer it honestly and accurately. We got our first question yesterday:

10/29/2009 5:20pm what day is it?

Well, just to show you that it works -- It was Thursday. =)

Now, understand that this is not an automatic response kind of thing; there's no web robot on the other end that's going to chat with you. It more like you are sending me an anonymous email. That means an actual human is responding to you, which means that you will get a better answer (hopefully), but you may have to wait a day or three before it shows up here on the blog. So bring it on -- I'm ready for a challenge!
-- Adam

Thanks to Mark French for the online Question Box idea!

Biblical Priorities

2009-10-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Saint Augustine[1] defined virtue as rightly-ordered love. That is, our lives are good and virtuous when we the things we love are put in the right order: the best, most excellent things deserve our highest devotion, and the least important things should get the least attention.

What is the most excellent thing in the universe? Therefore, how much love should that get? How much attention do you spend on unimportant things -- video games, movies, texting, Facebook?

Here are the notes from the discussion Zac and Micah led on Monday:

What should be our #1 priority? A strong relationship with God. John 17:3
What are things that make your relationship with God stronger? Time, obeying him Mark 1:35
How do you make time to spend with god? Set a time that works good for your schedule, and try not to let anything else get in the way of that! Give some examples of how to spend time with God.
What does obedience look like? Having a willingness to go out on a limb and do anything for God. John 14:15 John 14:21
How do you know how strong your relationship with him is? We don’t know but we should pray that God would show us. (Look at the spiritual fruit you are producing.)
Why is a good relationship with God important? Because it is the only way for us to be transformed into a Christ like person. Phil 3:21

[1] St. Augustine was a Christian philosopher and theologian who lived only 400 years after Christ, and who had an huge influence on the thinking of the Church in the Western world.

The Great Love of the Lord Pt 2

2009-09-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

And God answers... "You don't know how much I love you. The moment you think you understand is the moment you do not understand. I am God not man. You tell others about Me -- that I am a loving God. Your words are glib. My words are written in the blood of My only Son. The next time you preach about My love with such obonxious familiarity, I may come and blow your whole prayer meeting apart. When you come at Me with studied professionalism, I will expose you as a rank amateur. When you try to convince others that you understand what you are talking about, I will tell you to shut up and fall flat on your face."

-- Brennan Manning

Your assigment for next week:

How would you live differently if you really understood how much God loves you?
What are some verses that speak about this?

The Great Love of the Lord

2009-09-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Monday, Sept 14, 2009

Ever think that "Christianese" words -- like righteousness, salvation, grace -- get overused, and lose their meaning? I do. I have often thought that we hear them so often, even say them so often, that we skim over the words, like a rock skipping on a lake, without ever plunging into the depths of what they really mean.

Consider, for example, the most famous verse in the Bible: John 3:16. Almost everyone knows this verse (or at least of this verse); we learned it in Sunday school as a small child; we see it at football games, on billboards, on t-shirts. But when do ever consider what it means?

If you really look closely at the meaning packed into each word of this remarkable verse, you might get something more like this:

The God handed over The Son, The Only-Born, that all the ones trusting into him not might not be destroyed, but might have life that is not limited by time. And this is the reason: He utterly loved this world that turned its back on him.

Reading:
Psalm 107:1-43, especially verse 43:
Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord.

see also Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 5:7-8

The Motivating Power of Transparency

2008-08-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

I just watched the trailer for the Flow documentary -- and followed it up with an article on the April 2000 privatization of a Bolivian city's water supply.

Normally I'm a real pro-privatization kind of guy, especially because I work with a federal agency at my (other) day job and see the night-and-day difference between government work and private work.

But all things told, I think non-profits are the clear winner. I'm especially impressed by Mozilla and how they've managed to beat Microsoft at it's own game -- and by the numerous successful credit unions (WECU, ICU, GAPAC, etc) that have better rates and better service than commercial banks (though my recent experience trying to get a usable HSA has dampened my enthusiasm -- Jessica and I ended up settling for an account at a bank).

So my advice to Bolivia would be to turn over the city's water to a non-profit. The trouble with non-profits is that they need a bunch of passionate people and a good leader-and-manager who is consumed with the Cause. Getting the passionate people is easy (the residents of Cochabamba). It's the leader that's the hard part. He (or she) has to be so passionate he's willing to give up the higher wages of the for-profit sector in exchange for promoting this Cause.

It may sound easy, but try knocking on the doors of the few Cochabamba residents who have the leadership and managerial skills to turn around a large organization. Ask them to give up their job to revitalize an indebted-and-poorly-managed water organization and see what their response is. The few who have the necessary skills are -- you guessed it -- already CEOs and Presidents of small (or large) businesses. They take home big paychecks and have already adjusted their lifestyle accordingly. As large as their heart may be for the poor, it's much easier to write a check than to change your career... and your standard of living.

I don't know, but I'm guessing the person they actually hired was likely the same sort of person TFC hired: somebody with a lot of potential but no real experience. How does this one person turn around an organization and get it healthy?

One secret I've learned from my work with the government sector is the motivating power of transparency. When you open up the books and show the world what's working and what's dysfunctional -- and expose the details so everyone can see whose department/region/office is to blame, it's then that people start moving.

The first obvious shortcoming of this strategy is that you can measure water distribution and soaring rates, but you can't measure spiritual growth. Or... can you? Granted, spiritual growth itself is subjective. But there are also indicators of growth -- and indicators of decay.

We could take quarterly surveys asking the teens themselves (on a scale of 1 to 5) if they've grown in their understanding of the Word, in their love for Jesus and in making their faith their own. We can look at how many students are being actively discipled -- and how many are growing from those mentoring/coaching relationships. We can look at how many non-Christians are hearing the gospel from friends. We can look at how often the public hears about the ministry (formally or informally, the public has to hear about Teens For Christ or it will gradually die out).

In the end, we have to remember it's not about getting the survey results and other numbers up. It's about addressing the problems and opportunities represented by the numbers.

-- Peter Rust