I want to use this week’s article to share with anyone reading this (all 4 of you), how well things are going with the youth ministry at the Roseville Church of Christ. Many may not know this, but we actually have an organized group of young men and women who meet on a regular basis in order to share in fun, fellowship, and service. My wife and I are extremely thankful that the Roseville Church continues to support this ministry. We believe that it is very important to give our youth an alternative place to enjoy themselves while growing as Christians. I know that I personally would not be the person I am today without being part of an active youth ministry. My parents were involved in ministry from before I was born. Youth ministry is just one way to get involved in the church.
I have seen tremendous maturity in the youth at Roseville. There are teens here that are willing and ready to learn the Bible and serve the Lord when they have countless alternatives. I have had the pleasure of seeing a few of them grow up from wide-eyed children in to mature adults. This is a testament to the work done within the church, particularly by the parents. Youth ministry would not exist without strong parents and the many incredible volunteers willing to give their time to the ministry.
2009 has been the busiest year yet for the youth group. God has provided a large number of activities and services for us to become a part of. Everything from Winterfest to Cedar Point has been well attended and well supported. Visit http://rosevilleteens.com or http://www.rosevilleyouth.com to keep updated on youth group events. If you have ideas or would like to be a volunteer, contact me at (248) 420-0842 or send e-mail to epsilon_rc@hotmail.com. Paul tells Timothy to not let anyone look down on him in his youth and instead set an example (1 Tim 4:12). Because of the youth ministry at Roseville, the teens are able to know Christ and set an example that reflects him.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Christians Deserve Forgiveness Too
After reading the title of this article, you might a little confused. Hopefully, you are intrigued. This will be a difficult concept for me to explain (especially in less than half a page), but hang in there with me. Lately, I have been considering what I’ve said about my church experience. More specifically, I’ve been considering what I’ve said in the presence of those who are not Christians. There is a particular relative of mine that I’ve wanted to become a follower of Christ since I was a young child. I’ve sat with this person countless times in attempts to discuss the wonderful things about being a follower of Christ. This person, like so many others, tends to see the negative side of Christianity.
In the news, there are countless stories about Christians who commit violent acts in the name of Christ. Based on a twisted reputation, many believe that Christianity consists of nothing more than punishment and criticism. The biggest detraction is that my relative has met individuals claiming to be Christians that live no differently than other people.
What I have noticed very little is the part that I myself play in my relative’s perception of Christianity. In my high school and college years particularly, I would complain about the church in the presence of my relative. I would talk about how I tire of hypocrites, judgmental individuals, and those who distort the teachings of Christ. Who would want to become a Christian when a Christian finds so many faults within the church? 2 Tim. 3:16 states that scripture is useful for rebuking and correcting. It is also useful for teaching and “training in righteousness”! We need to be willing to forgive each other the way that God does. Christians are humans and humans make mistakes. If you see a problem in the church, do your best to lovingly correct the problem as Christ would! Complaints just fuel the fires set to destroy Christianity. “Come now, let us reason together.” (Isa. 1:18)
In the news, there are countless stories about Christians who commit violent acts in the name of Christ. Based on a twisted reputation, many believe that Christianity consists of nothing more than punishment and criticism. The biggest detraction is that my relative has met individuals claiming to be Christians that live no differently than other people.
What I have noticed very little is the part that I myself play in my relative’s perception of Christianity. In my high school and college years particularly, I would complain about the church in the presence of my relative. I would talk about how I tire of hypocrites, judgmental individuals, and those who distort the teachings of Christ. Who would want to become a Christian when a Christian finds so many faults within the church? 2 Tim. 3:16 states that scripture is useful for rebuking and correcting. It is also useful for teaching and “training in righteousness”! We need to be willing to forgive each other the way that God does. Christians are humans and humans make mistakes. If you see a problem in the church, do your best to lovingly correct the problem as Christ would! Complaints just fuel the fires set to destroy Christianity. “Come now, let us reason together.” (Isa. 1:18)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Blue Screen of Death
Forgive me if this illustration is redundant. I don’t keep a very detailed catalog of every one of my illustrations so this could be a repeat. I can’t begin to count all of the times that I’ve had to troubleshoot a computer. I try to be incredibly careful with my computers, but I frequently find myself attempting to fix some hardware or software problem. Don’t let my experiences cause you to fear and shy away from computers. I wouldn’t be able to do much of anything without them. The hours, days, and weeks that I’ve spent on various computer-related difficulties have been worth it for the productivity, communication, and entertainment that computers provide for me. It’s really a love/hate relationship that keeps me on a constant emotional roller coaster. One day I am happy as a pig in mud, photoshopping myself having breakfast with Barack Obama. The next, I am literally ripping my hair out while writing down the error codes from an ominous blue screen. They might as well add maniacal laughter to this screen.
The human condition comes with its own share of troubleshooting. The parallel concepts between our lives and the “life” of a computer are numerous. For one, there is a lot of regular maintenance required. Galatians 5:25 tells us that we need to live and be guided by the Spirit. Living in the Spirit prevents a lot of problems. However, as stated in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned”. It’s difficult to free one’s self from sin. No matter how spiritually mature we think our selves to be, there is room for growth. Proverbs 26:12 says there is more hope for a fool than man who thinks himself to be wise. We have to be aware of our own shortcomings and do everything we can to overcome them. Remember that God is ready to forgive. We just have to be willing to change.
The human condition comes with its own share of troubleshooting. The parallel concepts between our lives and the “life” of a computer are numerous. For one, there is a lot of regular maintenance required. Galatians 5:25 tells us that we need to live and be guided by the Spirit. Living in the Spirit prevents a lot of problems. However, as stated in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned”. It’s difficult to free one’s self from sin. No matter how spiritually mature we think our selves to be, there is room for growth. Proverbs 26:12 says there is more hope for a fool than man who thinks himself to be wise. We have to be aware of our own shortcomings and do everything we can to overcome them. Remember that God is ready to forgive. We just have to be willing to change.
Look Mom! I'm Eating a Sandwich in the Pool!
You might want to sit down while reading this. I have some shocking news for you. Ready? Your parents are not always right. As wise and intelligent as they may be, your parents might have passed some inaccurate bits of medical advice on to you. An article in USA Today states that sugar, according to 12 different studies, does not make children hyper. 30 studies including a total of 11,000 people found that vitamin C has no effect on one’s ability to resist catching a cold. Here’s one I learned a few weeks ago that completely floored me: Going out in cold weather does not make you sick. Colds and flues are seasonal, striking most often in the winter. Did you know that you could go swimming directly after eating? You might be uncomfortable, but eating before swimming doesn’t cause life-threatening cramps. I don’t know how this advice came about, but you can wake a sleepwalker without hurting him or her.
Once about every week or two, I learn that I’ve been sharing an inaccurate piece of information. Some of these, like the belief that cold weather leads to sickness, have directed the way I live. I don’t plan to join the Polar Bear club and swim in artic waters, but I won’t make keeping warm my only method of preventing sickness. Even the most educated people in the world get it wrong sometimes. It’s not that we can’t learn from other people, but we should constantly seek growth in God. In 1 Cor. 3, Paul urges his readers to start with Christ as a foundation and build themselves up from there. Paul states that though we begin as infants in Christ, we become his buildings. No matter how much we know, there is always more to learn and more learned information to reinforce.
Once about every week or two, I learn that I’ve been sharing an inaccurate piece of information. Some of these, like the belief that cold weather leads to sickness, have directed the way I live. I don’t plan to join the Polar Bear club and swim in artic waters, but I won’t make keeping warm my only method of preventing sickness. Even the most educated people in the world get it wrong sometimes. It’s not that we can’t learn from other people, but we should constantly seek growth in God. In 1 Cor. 3, Paul urges his readers to start with Christ as a foundation and build themselves up from there. Paul states that though we begin as infants in Christ, we become his buildings. No matter how much we know, there is always more to learn and more learned information to reinforce.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
What Would God Twitter?
For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, Internet based social networks are currently the latest craze for everyone from teens to savvy older folks. Myspace and Facebook are the biggest names in social networks. One creates a profile adding various bits of personal information, photos, or whatever else he or she wants to share. Then, he or she contacts friends, relatives, or whomever else he or she wants to connect with. It can either be the biggest waste of time one encounters or an opportunity to stay in touch with individuals living on the opposite side of the country or maybe even completely outside of the United States. I’ve read this type of interaction can strengthen the mind by helping us recall facts about individuals and past events. I use Facebook to communicate with several people from the Roseville church. I first announced the Tigers game there.
Twitter, getting more popular by the second, is a streamlined type of social networking. One shares a message (no more than 140 characters long), called a “tweet”, with those visiting one’s Twitter web site or those who connect to Twitter through portable devices. Some individuals use Twitter to tell others what he or she is doing every 5 minutes throughout the day. Today, I found a Twitter entitled “What Would God Tweet?” (WWGT) Here is a sample entry: “Day 1: Lighting system installed, brb. Day 2-6: Some assembly required: sky, plants, cows, people. Left humans in charge, lol. Day 7: Siesta”. This Twitter reminded me that God and His word are very accessible. He has not made a puzzle that can only be interpreted by an elite underground society. God walks among us (Lev. 16:12). God wants us to know the truth and be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4).
Twitter, getting more popular by the second, is a streamlined type of social networking. One shares a message (no more than 140 characters long), called a “tweet”, with those visiting one’s Twitter web site or those who connect to Twitter through portable devices. Some individuals use Twitter to tell others what he or she is doing every 5 minutes throughout the day. Today, I found a Twitter entitled “What Would God Tweet?” (WWGT) Here is a sample entry: “Day 1: Lighting system installed, brb. Day 2-6: Some assembly required: sky, plants, cows, people. Left humans in charge, lol. Day 7: Siesta”. This Twitter reminded me that God and His word are very accessible. He has not made a puzzle that can only be interpreted by an elite underground society. God walks among us (Lev. 16:12). God wants us to know the truth and be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4).
A Love Poem for God
At one point in my life I, like many other boys, began to develop an interest in the fairer sex. I relentlessly pursued the hearts of various young women in hopes of finding true love (that makes me sound like a creepy stalker, which I believe is something all young men border on becoming). During this particularly awkward phase of my life, I knew very little about how to win the affect of lovely maidens. The only weapon in my arsenal was ridiculously sappy poetry. Here is an excerpt from a poem entitled “Come Into My Heart”. Feel free to hurl insults at your discretion. I won’t cry… much.
“Show my heart what it has yet to see,
open it up and set it free.
Give to my heart a love unending,
so we will end all pretending.
A place in my heart will always be,
for one as beauteous as thee.
A heart like mine is ever alone,
until the day it finds another of pure gold.”
I wrote this type of poetry to a couple girls I barely knew. I even recycled a poem once by giving it one girl and then another. I handed the second girl the poem as I exited the school bus and walked away as quickly as possible with my head down. I used to spend so much time and money on unrequited love. What if we had more passion and love for God than anything else? He certainly has an infinite amount of unconditional love for us. Let God know that you love him. Keep God’s greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-38). Keeping God’s commands speaks volumes. It means God’s love is in you (John 15:9-10).
“Show my heart what it has yet to see,
open it up and set it free.
Give to my heart a love unending,
so we will end all pretending.
A place in my heart will always be,
for one as beauteous as thee.
A heart like mine is ever alone,
until the day it finds another of pure gold.”
I wrote this type of poetry to a couple girls I barely knew. I even recycled a poem once by giving it one girl and then another. I handed the second girl the poem as I exited the school bus and walked away as quickly as possible with my head down. I used to spend so much time and money on unrequited love. What if we had more passion and love for God than anything else? He certainly has an infinite amount of unconditional love for us. Let God know that you love him. Keep God’s greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37-38). Keeping God’s commands speaks volumes. It means God’s love is in you (John 15:9-10).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Where Moths and Rust Destroy
I read a story this week that, in light of recent economic circumstances, may frustrate you. However, this story reminds me of a concept that I often ignore. The article I read, located on msn.com, shares the account of Augustine Fou. Mr. Fou and his wife earn around $400,000 a year. He works in marketing and has a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology while his wife, Lisa, is a dentist with her own practice. They live in a one-bedroom apartment located on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue with their two children. Though it may seem Mr. and Mrs. Fou have a life to be envied, they are affected by the state of the economy. They rent movies instead of going to the movies. They go to restaurants only once every 3 months. They buy their holiday gifts after the season has passed and do the bulk of their shopping at Wal-Mart. You might be thinking that the Fous are merely penny-pinching members of the upper class. Due to the cost of living in New York, a drop in the value of investments, and the possibility of losing their jobs, the Fous are nervous and fearful just like you and I.
I constantly have to be reminded that there is never enough money. I often think that money will solve my problems. With money, I can have a new house, a new computer, a new car, and whatever else I want. These things can never bring fulfillment. With all of these things there is just more risk involved. What happens to house payments when one loses her job? And, when we have more things, we often tend to want or need more things. Luke 16:13 states that we can’t “serve both God and Money”. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to save riches for ourselves here on Earth, “where moths and rust destroy”. We need to be content with what we have, like it is stated in Hebrews 13:5.
I constantly have to be reminded that there is never enough money. I often think that money will solve my problems. With money, I can have a new house, a new computer, a new car, and whatever else I want. These things can never bring fulfillment. With all of these things there is just more risk involved. What happens to house payments when one loses her job? And, when we have more things, we often tend to want or need more things. Luke 16:13 states that we can’t “serve both God and Money”. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us not to save riches for ourselves here on Earth, “where moths and rust destroy”. We need to be content with what we have, like it is stated in Hebrews 13:5.
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