on why students shouldn't read their bibles.

            This last Thursday I had the unique opportunity to take one of the most personally impactful stories I’ve ever studied in the bible and teach it to my youth group. For almost four years now I have been helping lead the junior highers at our youth group and it has been an incredible experience. This lesson, however, has a particularly special place in my heart. Getting to turn around and share it with others is incredible. So while you, whoever you are, may not get to hear my shaky voice or see the tears in my eyes, you can still read what it is I had to say this last Thursday. I hope you enjoy, and even more importantly, I hope you encounter God somewhere in these paragraphs.

   

The Dilemma

I once read a book in which the author and youth ministries leader mentioned that he frequently encourages his students to “under no circumstances read their bibles”. He goes on to say that he is speaking “with tongue planted firmly in cheek”, but that he says this to students for two specific reasons. First, because it never fails to catch their attention and make them ask why. Second, and most importantly, because the bible is confusing. It is difficult to read, and even more difficult to properly understand. Written by numerous authors in numerous time periods and unfamiliar cultures, through various writing forms, some expositional, some poetic and so on, it is one of the most complex texts that we have available to us.

            While he and I both believe people of all ages should read their bibles, it is interesting to consider that maybe we should think twice before throwing some of the most confusing stories ever recorded at young kids without first equipping them to handle those stories well. Take for example the story of Noah and the Ark. A story most children learn early in life, whether in church or otherwise, it is one of the most morally challenging parts of the bible I’ve ever had to wrestle with. So how are the youth of today supposed to handle difficult scriptures? The bible is filled with examples like this, and if everybody else is anything like me, then they will handle it best by just not really thinking about it. It’s easier to simply acknowledge that it happened, and then quickly turn the page to happier, easier parts of scripture.

            One such narrative that I personally remember struggling long and hard with was the story of Abraham and Isaac. It takes place in Genesis 22 with God calling out to Abraham who, after living a long life so far of devotion and faithfulness towards God, has no idea what is about to unfold. Commanding him to do the unthinkable, God says to Abraham “Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (v 2). If you’re anything like me then it’s right about here that you begin to get uncomfortable. You’re sure that God has a pretty good reason for this, you just hope nobody ever asks you to explain it. And if we’re being honest, it doesn’t seem to fit with the image of a gentle, loving, kind God that we have in our heads. In fact if we spend too much time thinking about it we may even be tempted to start thinking things like “what kind of God would do something like that?" or even “how can this God be good?”. This kind of heretical thinking is strictly forbidden and will not be tolerated in any church environment. Just swallow the child sacrifice pill and forget about it.

            Or at least that’s what many church kids grow up thinking. And it’s an understandable conundrum. We sit kids down and tell them that our God is good and he loves everybody so much more than any of us can understand. But a long time ago He told a man who had lived an incredibly faithful life, to go kill his son. But it’s okay because Abraham passed the test, so God told him he didn’t have to kill his son after all.

            What? Who in their right mind is going to accept that? The idea that a supposedly loving God would demand the sacrifice of a child simply for the sake of testing a man’s loyalty seems wrong, and if we’re honest with ourselves most of us would even say sickening. So what’s really going on here?

Building a foundation

            First and foremost, if we’re going to discuss the mysterious parts of this story it is first necessary to cement in our minds those things which are not mysterious. Namely, who is God and what is the context of the story we are discussing?

            As Christians we affirm that scripture is truth and that it is the complete revelation of God. All necessary knowledge pertaining to life and spirituality on this earth are revealed through scripture, including those parts of God which we can understand. His character for example. It is essential that we start by clearly stating who God is, and for that we turn to our ultimate source of truth: scripture.

Hebrews 1:1-4

“1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs”

            The son, Jesus Christ, is our perfect representation of his (God’s) being. Jesus came, humbled himself, and served selflessly (Philippians 2) before ultimately giving himself over to death in order to save us. He loves without end or exception. That is who God is. The same God who we read about in Genesis 22. We absolutely must accept this truth on the most fundamental level before we can move forward. In understanding these things, however, we should be further motivated to seek clarification with respect to stories like Abraham and Isaac in order to understand how those stories line up with these truths. Because they do.

Finding the Deeper Beauty.

            This particular story is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful depictions of God’s nature, but to understand it, and any other bit of scripture for that matter, we have to understand its context. Abraham lived in a world very different than the one we live in. In his day and age the world was riddled with evils that stemmed from people’s worship of other “gods”. This is not entirely unlike today’s world, save for the methods of worshipping false gods, but that’s a sermon for another day.

            The gods of Abraham’s world went by many different names, but were very similar to each other in character. They were dark, demanding, and cruel. Worshipping and following the gods of that day and age often meant submitting and giving up whatever was asked of you by these self-seeking powers. Many times this meant children.

            In Abraham’s mind child sacrifice would not have been the shock it is to us. God’s command in verse 2 to sacrifice his son would have been devastating, yes, but not really surprising. We cannot even begin to imagine what Abraham must have felt hearing God tell him this, but we can imagine him hanging his head in somber submission to what should never have surprised him at all. Perhaps he even saw it coming and so felt a knot tighten in his stomach as his greatest fear is ultimately realized: this god, to whom he had devoted his life, was just like all the rest.

            And so he obeys. Abraham takes Isaac up on a mountain in the region of Moriah. There he built an altar and bound his son to it. The situation is unspeakable. His only son, whom he loved so dearly, lay before him and the God he had served so faithfully was commanding him to slaughter the boy like a lamb.
            Often times I think we allow our familiarity with this story to stop us from feeling its full impact. So imagine for a moment that you are in Abraham's shoes.  Imagine, with heavy heart, closing your eyes and wiping his palms on your side. You open your eyes again and there in front of you lays your son. Your child. Tied down, looking up at you. You take a deep breath, raise your shaky hands high above your head, your hands which could not possibly be holding the knife any tighter...and then God intervenes.

            Perhaps it is a difficult scenario to internalize. For those of us who don't have children we struggle to understand what Abraham must have felt, and so we seem all the more distant from this tale. But the significance of what happens next is far greater. Abraham, is interrupted by an angel sent by God. Here is what happened:

But the angel o f the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

            “Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said ‘on the mountain of the Lord it will be provided’” (v. 11-14)

           

            A test. It was just a test. God comes through in the end and we can all rest easy. But there is something else. An interesting piece of context here that I failed to recognize time and time again growing up. Abraham, after sacrificing the ram, named the place “The Lord Will Provide”. Why didn’t he call it “The Lord Provided”, or even “The Lord Provides”? Instead the language here speaks of an event that is yet to come. A small but important detail.

            Let’s adjust perspectives here and look at the events that just unfolded from a different point of view: Isaac’s. An only child, Isaac went with his father to make a sacrifice to God. He climbs the mountain beside him carrying the wood on which, unbeknownst to him, he would soon be sacrificed. At some point, however, we have to assume Isaac discovered the truth. Whether Abraham explained during the journey, or he just pieced it together as the day unfolded, he would eventually come to know that he is to be the sacrifice. This is significant because he was not a toddler or a small child. Isaac, while young, was still fully capable of putting up a real fight in order to save his own life. Yet there is no record of Isaac having fought, argued, tried to escape, complained, or even having said so much as a single word in protest. His life was going to come to an end at the hands of his father.

            And so Isaac, his father’s only son, carries up a mountain the wood on which he would ultimately die, and submits to his fathers will by becoming a sacrifice. Sound familiar?

            Part of me has always wondered whether Abraham, in trying to sacrifice his son, really failed his test. What if God was really asking him “what kind of god do you think I am?” and Abraham, in his actions, responded “the same as all the others”. But that speculation is not clear, and neither is it important, so for now I digress.

            What is very clear, on the other hand, is that God was revealing himself in the moment to Abraham (and one can only imagine to Isaac as well), and through scripture to us. His message is this: I am different. God is making a clear statement that whatever all those other false gods are, He is not. Our God, the only God, the one who yearns to restore his creation in order to share in His perfect love, that God would never force Abraham to carry through with this. He would never force anyone to give up their son, their beloved son, as a sacrifice for His own sake…

…but that is EXACTLY what He will do for us. Recall now what it was that Abraham called the place where he built the altar. “The Lord Will Provide”. And provide he did, in that very place. Many, many years later, outside of the city of Jerusalem, which was built in that same region of Moriah, we find a humbled servant ascending to the place where he will be killed on the very piece of wood he carries on his back. Loved dearly by his father, Jesus Christ would willingly be offered up as a sacrifice for all of us.

           

Application

            I hope the beauty will strike you the way it did me. That the lightbulb would click on and the radiance of God’s glory would fill your heart with joy. The story of Abraham and Isaac was one of the most difficult pieces of scripture I’ve ever had to wrestle with, and has since become one of the most important pieces of scripture that I cling to. It has taught me more about my God, my Savior, and how to approach His truth in scripture. I pray it does the same for you. I pray that you would come to know God more deeply, and that “the exact representation of His being” would be constantly on the forefront of your mind, remembering that scripture is Christocentric because, when all is said and done, Jesus Christ is the point.   

on mysticism and little white dogs.

              For those of you who may be unaware, I am a very big fan of books. I love to crack open the pages of a brand new book and dive into the mind of an author. I'm fascinated by some people's ability to so clearly articulate certain ideas, and others' ability to creatively shape new worlds. I believe there is an intimidatingly large wealth of knowledge out there and that books are the doorways into it. One book that I have been particularly influenced by lately was written by Johnnie Moore and is very appropriately titled What Am I Supposed to Do With My Life?  I'll give you one guess what it's about.

              In the book, Moore tells a story in order to illustrate the ways in which we tend to over complicate and mysticize God and His intentions for us. It goes something like this, although I am paraphrasing:

              A man has been praying for some time, asking God to provide direction in his life. Particularly, he is unsure about a girl he is considering pursuing. The two have been talking for a while and the man is unsure whether or not to ask her out. Finally, after spending a considerable amount of time waiting on God to give him instruction, the man once more comes to God and asks Him to reveal His will. While sitting at a café table, he tells God that if He will make a small white dog walk around the corner of the café, His will would be understood and the man would know that he should ask the girl out. Otherwise, he would know that it is not in God’s will for them. Having prayed this, the man sits up, crosses his arms, and begins to wait.

              Ten minutes go by, and no dog appears, but the man is determined to wait patiently for God to show himself. He orders another coffee and waits. Another fifteen minutes pass and the man begins to feel discouraged, but he continues waiting nonetheless. Finally, after almost an hour of waiting the man seems to have received his answer from God. But just before he gets up to leave, he hears an unbelievable yet unmistakable sound: barking. He stops packing up his things and turns his gaze to the corner of the building where a small dog being walked by it’s owner has just come around the corner. A small, black dog.

              Comical as it may seem, this is a mostly accurate depiction of what many of us tend to expect when we set out to “wait on God”. While our intentions may be good, our view of God and His will for us is distorted and confused. The reality is that God does not often work through mysterious symbols and signs that cannot be recognized as His work. Now hear me clearly when I say that I am not denying that God does sometimes choose to reveal himself in various ways, and not often in ways that we expect. But in scripture, anytime God does choose to work in these ways it is always unmistakable. Whether as a pillar of fire, a burning bush, or through some other means, God is very clear on the occasions when he reveals himself supernaturally. So why then do we sit around and wonder at the symbols, signs, and feelings that we think might be God speaking to us? Does He not promise to guide us and direct us if we seek Him earnestly?

              The truth is that God HAS revealed himself, and he HAS provided us with guidance and direction. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” As a teenager, the struggle to find God’s will for my life is one that I am all to familiar with. But why has it been so hard? I believe it’s because, until reading through this book, I had never heard a simple, clear, and concise explanation of how to go about living for Christ. I had heard all the vague semi-helpful advice like “do everything for His glory” or “pray and wait on His direction” but these things never seemed to help. As well intended and valid as they may be, foggy tidbits like these are less than helpful. Moore, however, managed to summarize his approach in a refreshingly straightforward manner. I want to emphasize here that I am only presenting the summary here, and I highly recommend reading the entire book which can be found here.

              That being said, Moore’s ideas are summarized with three words: obedience, wisdom, trust. It’s a sort of flow-chart thought process when it comes to decision making. First and most importantly, we are always called to obey God. Scripture contains a lot of clear cut direction from God and in these instances we do not have to wonder what God wants us to do. Is it God’s will for me to pursue a relationship with this really cute girl who doesn’t know Christ? No. No it is not God’s will for you to do that (2 Corinthians 6:14). Should I disregard my parents advice for my future and live my life however I want? Also no. God has commanded that we honor our mother and father. Where He commands, we obey.

              There are, however, many instances in which scripture does not seem to give a clear yes or no answer through any command or direction. Should I take this job offer? Should I go to this college or that one? Should I even go to college? Do I follow what my parents want, or what I feel God is calling me to? Scripture doesn’t give us a list of acceptable colleges, churches or jobs. Decisions like these, while important, aren’t always directly addressed. Enter the “wisdom” stage in the decision flow-chart. Scripture promises that those who ask God for wisdom will receive it (James 1:5-8). So when we find ourselves in these types of situations, we should first ask God to give us wisdom and discernment, second turn to His word and recognize it as His gift of knowledge and wisdom concerning all things, and third put that wisdom and knowledge into action by making the best decisions we can.

              Lastly, trust is essential in all these situations. Whether we are obeying God’s commands, or putting Godly wisdom and discernment into action, at the end of the day we have to stop and trust that the sovereign God of the universe is not absent from us and our decisions. He has promised to work it all out for good and He will do just that. We cannot surprise or confound God by making some choice that He wasn’t prepared to handle. He is in control and we can and should allow that to put our stressed our little minds to rest. Obey His commands, put Godly wisdom into practice, and ultimately trust in Him to make the best of it all. God is not watching from a distance and hoping that we fail. He is present and active. Trust in Him.

              Also here is a song by Beautiful Eulogy that seems appropriate for a discussion like this one. Enjoy.

"But I say the mark of a mature man / is the one who reads God's word and understands / and allows THAT to govern his decisions and his prospective plans"

on theology, calvinism and my search for God (part 3, The L-Word)

Read part 2 here:
on theology, calvinism, and my search for God (Part 2, Scratching the Itch)


              Love.

              Turns out it is a lot more complicated than I had ever thought. I had thought I understood love. I knew that God loved people. I knew that my parents told me they loved me. I knew that Jr High students had a habit of "falling in love" that is simultaneously tragic, naive and comical. But it wasn't until I really began to understand biblical love that my take on apologetics began to shift.  

Now I want to make something as clear as I can: I've no intention of defining love, or even making clear what love looks like. At least not in its entirety. At this point in my story I feel better equipped to explain what love is not. Instead the following is simply my experience; love as the iceberg and my life the Titanic. A full and clear understanding of love comes from a lifetime of experience pursuing Christ, walking with Him, and studying His word.

              Having said that, my understanding of love thus far stems from many experiences and lessons learned, but from a few in particular. The first is a social uproar that happened only a few years back when a controversy involving Chick-Fil-A engulfed the media. Following statements by Chick-Fil-A head honcho S. Truett Cathy that were seen as "anti-gay", society began attacking the company and numerous protests were staged. As many people probably remember, one of the most notable protests was a day organized by those in the LGBT community to make a show of their affection for each other in numerous Chick-Fil-A stores. Naturally there were bound to be retaliations. One such counter-protest was organized by Mike Huckabee and set to take place on August 1^st as a Chick-Fil-A appreciation day in which people all over America were encouraged to go and eat at the restaurant to show their support. Enter me, and my strong opinions.

              The youth group at my church, which I was then a part of, went on a retreat to a small ranch in Nebraska. One of the nights, while sitting around a small campfire, my youth pastor brought up the controversy, and the "Chick-Fil-A appreciation day" that was being organized through the media, asking us to respond. We all responded about how he expected. There were cries like "this is America!" and "they're trying to take away people's right to have opinions!” My own thoughts on the matter were along the same lines. I believed that a person's beliefs should not be publicly punished, and that as Americans we had the right to live by our own faith. Christianity, as it happens, does not approve of same-sex relationships. So if we claim to be Christians, neither should we. Right?

              Right, but as my youth pastor quickly pointed out, if Chick-Fil-A is a company considered by many to be hating on the LGBT community, and we make a show as Christians of supporting that, what does that tell people about Christianity? Does eating a chicken sandwich in the name of freedom and sexual morality really display Christ's love to the lost? Much to my own frustration, the answer to that was no. I remember very clearly the battle that went on in my mind. My heart and mind were doing battle. I knew that we were supposed to love the lost, but weren't we also supposed to take a stand against what is wrong? Not to mention the fact that my inner patriotism wanted desperately to fight against any restriction of somebody's freedom of religion and speech. “But love” said the nagging voice of my youth pastor. “Where is the love?”

              I was dumfounded. He couldn’t possibly be right. It was my right, or rather, my duty to stand up for morality and to support the beliefs of my fellow Christians. And yet he was right. There was no denying it, try as I might. For the first time I was starting to look past the argument and the fight and into the heart of the situation. But I was lost. If I didn’t have my arguments and defenses what was I to do with my faith in the face of an unbelieving world? I was in limbo and it quickly became apparent that it was time to reexamine my faith and the foundation that it was built on. I knew who my God was and I knew who I was to Him, but I didn’t know what to do anymore. If my life ceased to be around proving my faith, what was I to do with it?

To be continued

on the woman at the well.

Switch lesson, The Story Teen Edition Chapter 23


A Samaritan woman, and a deeply personal conversation.

The story of the woman at the well is one of my favorite stories in the bible. It's a beautiful picture of the way that God interacts with his people, and it speaks some important truths to us. As the story opens we find Jesus, resting by a well at midday, his disciples having run off to get food from the town. As he rests, a Samaritan woman approaches with her water jar. The meeting seems, at first glance, to be a chance encounter. But we, the readers, know better than that. We can almost feel God's hand at work in bringing these two here together. But there's a few peculiarities surrounding the situation. First, at the end of verse 6, is the phrase "It was about noon". Its an odd detail to just have thrown into the story. What importance does the time really have? Who cares how late it was?
The time, as it happens, is indeed an important detail. Noon is no longer the morning. People are going about their business, a good deal of the way through their days, and people are certainly not still drawing water from the well on the edge of town. That work is reserved for the cool of the morning, not the heat of midday. And yet here Jesus is, watching this woman carry her water jar under the hot sun to draw from the well.
As the woman approaches, Jesus does something even more peculiar. He doesn't politely greet her, he doesn't inquire about her late journey to the well, but he also doesn't ignore her. Instead he simply says "Will you give me a drink?". Jesus is both a jew and a man, making this request a strange and unexpected one. Consequently, the woman is surprised. She replies in verse 9:
        "The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?' (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans)." But wait, it gets even stranger as the two go on talking. The conversation went like this:

Jesus: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Woman: “Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Woman: “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

Okay let's stop here for a moment, because if we're being honest, this conversation is weird. I don't care who you are, I'd bet my next paycheck that you've never had that kind of conversation with somebody you just met in public. So what's going on here? What are they really talking about? Now before all the church kids tune out, I want everybody to just bear with me here. I know this story has been told a million times. But let's stick with it once more.
The conversation the two are having here is about salvation. It's not just a conversation between strangers about water. It's about salvation, eternal life, and the way God interacts with his people. Water sustains life. But the water that Jesus is talking about here would give eternal life. Life that would never need any other sustenance. And the woman asks for it. She says "give me this water so that I won't get thirsty". Isn't that who scripture tells us will receive eternal life? Any who call on his name? But Jesus does another peculiar thing here. Rather than answer the request, Jesus seems to change the subject. He looks past the half-hearted request and engages the woman's heart. Jesus goes beneath the surface. He, being God, knows the woman well. He knows who she is and what her sins are. He knows her pain, and he knows where the sore spots in here life are. His response to her is this : “Go, call your husband and come back.”
And herein lies one of the most irritatingly consistent aspects of God's nature. A truth about Him that makes us uncomfortable when we dare to engage with God (or rather, when he engages with us). God does not beat around the bush. He identifies our sore spots, and he pokes us right where it hurts: In the wounds left behind by our sins. As we later find out, this woman harbors a wounded soul and a hurting, sinful heart. She is an outcast. She has come to the well at noon, presumably, to avoid the many others who would come in the early morning. Her sin? Men. The number of men she has been with cannot be counted on a single hand. I can almost see the discomfort on her face as Jesus tells her to call her husband. He found the nail that is her sin, and he hit it right on the head. And so she does what we all do when God shines the light on our sin. The very same thing that Adam and Eve did in the Garden. She hid. Her words reveal this to us:
“I have no husband,” she says. It's a half truth. A deflection, in a desperate attempt to run away from him. But Jesus does not let her. He has come to conquer sin and he is not about to let this woman hide hers.
"You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." Can you see the wince on her face? "Sir," she replies, no doubt with a weak voice. She knows there is no hiding anymore. "I can see that you are a prophet" she says. Their exchange is no longer from opposite sides of barriers. All the cards are down. Verses 20 through 26 detail the rest of their conversation.

20 "Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Verse 26 is especially remarkable. Very rarely do we see instances in which Jesus directly states that he is the Messiah. Often, when he is questioned, he will reference old testament prophecy, or speak some truth and allow people to come to the conclusion themselves. Here, however, is one of the unique occasions in which he simply says "I am he". Jesus comes to a well and meets a woman, an outcast among Samaritans. An outcast among outcasts. He speaks to her, he tells her about eternal life. He lays out her painful past as clear as day, and he reveals himself to her. But such is the nature of our God. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The God of eternal life. The God who deals directly with pain.



The text:

John 4: 1-26 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman
1 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans). 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

on theology, calvinism, and my search for God (Part 2, Scratching the Itch)

Read part 1 here:
on theology, calvinism, and my search for God (Part 1, What's the point?)


In a book that I recently read, and loved, Austn Fischer decribed the intricacies of his theological journey. At one point he talked about what he calls the "more itch". It's the craving for a deeper faith. The need to discover more and to being learning and growing. The powerful desire to dig below the surface of Christianity. For many of us, and for Fischer, it is the cause of our start down the winding road of big words and complicated theology. It causes us to start asking the hard questions and really seeking the answers. It is the realization that there is always more to discover and more to wrestle with. Or so it was for me.
Growing up in the church left me with an attitude that many church kids like me will relate to. I had heard all the stories, listened to the sermons, and collected all the right answers. I was fluent in christianese, I knew how to behave in a church setting, and yes, I would vote Republican when I grew up, because we all know Jesus is a Republican. But at some point I started to come to the realization that faith is not simple. Life is hard, God is complicated, and I had questions. I was starting to get the "more itch".
I remember a particular friend of mine in jr high that told me once that he was an atheist. He told me he believed we evolved and that science had proved it. This wasn't a new concept to me, after all I had been in public school for the majority of my life. Still, it was the first time I had considered how to respond. How do I argue with science? How could I possibly convince my friend he was wrong when all the evidence seemed to be on his side? For that matter, why would I stand behind my beliefs if I couldn't even defend them? And so I studied. I read books, I listened to sermons, I watched debates and I collected facts. Slowly but surely I began to build up a foundation of facts on which to construct my defense and my arguments. Like a blacksmith crafting a sword, I was carefully crafting the weapons I would use to tear apart those who dissagreed with me. Needless to say, my attitude about the situation needed some serous work, but it was nonetheless a big step into what I now know is called apologetics.
The word "apologetics" comes from the Greek word "apologia" which means "to give a defense". It implies a defense supported by specific reasons, thought and rationality. I became dedicated to exactly that. I suddenly had come up with well thought out, rational arguments in favor of my faith. I took on 1 Peter 3:15 as my life motto and started every day ready to go into battle to defend my God. But in all my studies I never addressed the last part of that verse.

 1 Peter 3:15 NIV

       "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect"

Gentleness and respect. Ouch. I never was particularly great at either of those. I was argumentative, stuborn, and my motives had much less to do with advancing the gospel and much more to do with my own pride. In my furious attempts to defend God and win arguments, I was missing out on the reality of who that very God is. Apologetics helped me scratch the itch, but in the end I felt as if I had accomplished nothing. Something was missing. Something much more real and much more satisfying. And thank God I found it.

Read part 3 here:
on theology, calvinism and my search for God (part 3, The L-Word)

on theology, calvinism, and my search for God (Part 1, What's the point?)

       Theology is not for preachers and seminary students. Its not for smart people, or for deep thinkers. And no, it's not even for the Johns (Calvin, Wesley, and Piper). Theology, just like everything else, is for God. Or rather, it should be. Developing our theology should be about finding God and living in community with our Creator. We were created with the intention of walking with Him through life. We should have a desire to know Him, and our theology should be a reflection of that desire. That's the point. A means through which we glorify God by seeking an understanding of Him and His higher purpose. But that isn't always the case.
       I once heard theology described as a raindrop explaining the vastness of the ocean, or the smallest of light bulbs attempting to explain what kind of socket the sun is screwed into. Accurate as that may be, I have a passion, and I will pursue it. I'm passionate about searching for my God. And I'm passionate about it because I believe the God I'm searching for wants to be found. The knowledge I'm asking for, He wants to give. And the community I desire, He created me for.
       But where is my starting point? What's the foundation that I'm building off of? In my endless pursuit of the things I can't hope to understand, what is there that I can know? For a while I didn't have a clear answer for that. I could have told you that God loves me. Or that Jesus died for my sins. Those answers are honest and accurate. They are the right answers, but they feel somehow empty when staring deep into the unknown. So, over a short period of frustrated and unguided study, I've realized my foundation has to become a clear, plainly worded explanation of what is true that I can fall back on when my own understanding inevitably fails. A truth that I can repeat to myself. More than anything, I (and we all) need to be able to know who God is, even when it seems like He is at His most mysterious. Here is that bit of truth:

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)
       "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

       Think about that. "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being...". When you feel lost and confused, when you feel frustrated or helpless, and when you cannot seem to understand, look to the cross.
       With that in mind, over the next few weeks I am going to attempt to articulate a portion of my search for God. The ways in which i have struggled and the things I have learned. I'm not quite twenty years old. I haven't been to a single second of college and my high school career is most definitely nothing to brag about. I am not a preacher or a seminar student. I am not a smart person or a deep thinker. I'm inexperienced, uneducated, and not much of a theologian. I am a drop of water pondering the ocean. A lightbulb desperately trying to know the sun. But I believe God has given me a passion to learn and to share. So with one more deep breath, I'm off. Here we go.




Read Part 2 here:
on theology, calvinism, and my search for God (Part 2, Scratching the Itch)

on good music, good coffee, and good......clothes?

       I'm keeping it simple again this week. There are three organizations that I have recently become very fond of, making up two different minitries. I thought I would share them with you today. So if you are at all fond of rap music, coffee, dope clothing, or spreading the gospel, then check these ministries out.



Humble Beast Records

       Humble Beast is a music label that has been putting out fantastic rap music for years. A lot of my favorite artist work under this ministry. Propaganda, Eshon Bergundy, and Braille to name a few. All of the men and women who work with the organization are dedicated to glorifying God through excellence in art and the spreading of the gospel. But the one aspect of this community of creators that really sets them apart might surprise you. All of the music released through Humble Beast is released for free. Yes. Free. No strings attached. Their policy has always been to create to the best of their ability, and then give it away. To download any of their music, or to find out more about Humble Beast, check out www.humblebeast.com
Also I highly recommend checking out Eshon Burgundy's new album "The Fear of God". By far the best album I've heard in several years



Left Roasters

       Although not an entirely seperate organization, I am absolutely a HUGE fan of Left. They currently offer four coffee varieties, roasted fresh and delivered promptly. Not only is the coffee amazing (I've tried three of their four types, because what even is the point of decaf?), but Left is a division of Humble Beast. Purchasing their coffee will help support their ministy. Check them out at www.leftroasters.com (their Kochere is currently my favorite coffee)



Grateful Apparel

       Grateful is a clothing brand started by Raymond Rivera that centers around the idea that we as Christians have so much to constantly be grateful for. The brand supports a ministry called the 3Sixty House which is dedicated to helping recovering addicts get clean and find Christ. Raymond, the Grateful brand, and the 3Sixty Houses are dedicated to living out the great commision. To check out more about them, and the products you can buy to support them hit up www.gratefulapparel.com

on stopping to take a breath (and crying like a man).

       My life has been a whirlwind of time consuming obligations lately and, unfortunately, that means I've had to put my blog on the back burner for a while. Writing has always been my way of processing my thoughts and fleshing out my ideas and opinions, so I have definitely not stopped writing. It's the editing and refining process that takes time and has just not been as important to me as the other things going on in my life. I'm learning that I am one of those people who likes to take on everything I can, and as a result I tend to get overwhelmed by the sheer weight of all the things that I get involved in. And I love it. But occassionally I have to shave off some of the less important things in my life in order to check my stress levels and keep from getting too burned out. In short, sometimes I have to come up and take a breath before I dive back in.
       But for those of you who still follow this blog, I'm back! And hopefully for a while.  I have a number of posts I've been working on for a while, so brace yourselves!

       As for this week, I will keep it simple. I'm in the process of finishing up a book by Max Lucado that I have absolutely loved. It's a phenominal book that centers entirely around the crucifiction of Christ. If you are interested in reading this book you can find it here, or get ahold of me and I will find a way to get a copy of it into your hands.
       As I was getting ready to write this post I also just finished reading through a particularly powerful section of the book that I wanted to share. In part two of the book Max Lucado examines the cross from the point of view of it's witnesses. The last of those witnesses that he discusses are what he calls "miniature messengers".
     
       Here is that passage. Enjoy, and see you next tuesday!

       "Tears.

       Those tiny drops of humanity. Those round, wet
balls of fluid that tumble from our eyes, creep down our
cheeks, and splash on the floor of our hearts. They were
there that day. They are always present at such times. They
should be that’s their job. They are miniature messengers;
on call twenty-four hours a day to substitute for crippled
words. They drip, drop, and pour from the comer of our
souls, carrying with them the deepest emotions we pos-
sess. They tumble down our faces with announcements
that range from the most blissful joy to darkest despair.

       The principle is simple; when words are most
empty, tears are most apt.

       A tearstain on a letter says much more than the
sum of all its words. A tear falling on a casket says what a
spoken farewell never could. What summons a mother’s
compassion and concern more quickly than a tear on a
child’s cheek? What gives more support than a sympathe-
tic tear on the face of a friend?

       Words failed the day the Savior was slain. They
failed miserably. What words could have been uttered?
What phrases could have possibly expressed the feelings
of those involved?

       That task, my friend, was left for the tears.

       What do you do when words won’t come? When
all the nouns and verbs lay deflated at your feet, with what
do you communicate? When even the loftiest statements
stumble, what do you do? Are you one of the fortunate
who isn’t ashamed to let a tear take over? Can you be so
happy that your eyes water and your throat swells? Can
you be so proud that your pupils blur and your vision mists?
And in sorrow, do you let your tears decompress
that tight chest and untie that knot in your throat?

       Or do you reroute your tears and let them only
fall on the inside?

       Not many of us are good at showing our feelings,
you know. Especially us fellows. Oh, we can yell and curse
and smoke, yessir! But tears? “Save those for the weak-
kneed and timid. I’ve got a world to conquer!”

       We would do well, guys, to pause and look at the
tearstained faces that appear at the cross.

       Peter. The burly fisherman. Strong enough to
yank a full net out of the sea. Brave enough to weather the
toughest storm. The man who only hours before had
bared his sword against the entire Roman guard. But now
look at him. Weeping, no . . . wailing. Huddled in a corner
with his face hidden in his calloused hands. Would a real
man be doing this? Admitting his fault? Confessing his
failure? Begging forgiveness? Or would a real man bottle
it up . . . justify it. . . rationalize it. . . keep a “stiff upper
lip” and stand his ground. Has Peter lost his manhood?
We know better, don’t we. Maybe he’s less a man of the
world, but less a man of God? No way.

       And John, look at his tears. His face swollen with
sorrow as he stands eye-level with the bloody feet of his
Master. Is his emotion a lack of courage? Is his despair a
lack of guts?

       And the tears of Jesus. They came in the garden.
I'm sure they came on the cross. Are they a sign of weak-
ness? Do those stains on his cheeks mean he had no fire in
his belly or grit in his gut?

       Of course not.

       Here’s the point. It’s not just tears that are the
issue, it’s what they represent. They represent the heart,
the spirit, and the soul of a person. To put a lock and key
on your emotions is to bury part of your Christ-likeness!

       Especially when you come to Calvary.
You can’t go to the cross with just your head and
not your heart. It doesn’t work that way. Calvary is not a
mental trip. It’s not an intellectual exercise. It’s not a divine
calculation or a cold theological principle.
     
       It's a heart-splitting hour of emotion.

       Don’t walk away from it dry-eyed and unstirred.
Don’t just straighten your tie and clear your throat. Don’t
allow yourself to descend Calvary cool and collected.

       Please . . . pause. Look again.

       Those are nails in those hands.

       That’s God on that cross.

       It’s us who put him there.

       Peter knew it. John knew it. Mary knew it.

       They knew a great price was being paid. They
knew who really pierced his side. They also somehow
knew that history was being remade.

       That’s why they wept.

       They saw the Savior.

       God, may we never be so “educated,” may we
never be so “mature,” may we never be so “religious” that
we can see your passion without tears."

- Max Lucado, No Wonder They Call Him the Savior
pg. 106-108

The Story Chapter 19

The Story Teen Edition Chapter 19

Its important to realize that God does not falter or change. He is constant and his nature, while complex, is reliable. He, unlike us, does not change who he is. Through scripture we can identify and take refuge in God's consistent character. Let's examine, through chapter 19, two truths about God and what they mean to us.

God...

1) Is faithful

Two weeks ago we learned about the prophet Jeremiah whom God used to speak to His people. A very famous, albeit misinterpreted, prophecy given through Jeremiah can be read in Jeremiah 29:10-11

"This is what the Lord says: 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' "

So what became of this promise?

Ch. 19 video, pause at 0:40

God made good on His promise and brought His people back home and out of captivity through King Cyrus.

Why is this significant?
We can see that God will not promise something and then fail to deliver it.

In what ways do or don't our actions determine whether God follows through on a promise?
They don't. God is faithful despite and in the midst of our unfaithfulness.

We are not exiled Jews, so God's promise through Jeremiah being fulfilled may not seem significant in the here and now. What Promises has God made to you?
Look for discussion, especially with respect to God's promise of eternal life through Christ. Titus 1: 2-3

Why is it important to know that God will keep His word when He promises something?
We build our faith on the foundation of the gift of Christ. We must know that our salvation comes from a God who is always faithful. It's also helpful in further understanding God's heart, and the fact that God...


2) Desires to be with us.

Finish Ch. 19 video. Restart from beginning.

God brings the Israelites back home and provides them with the resources with which to rebuild the temple that the Babylonians had destroyed.

Why is the temple important?
The temple was where God dwelt among his people. Notice that God did not simply bring home the Israelites and allow them to rebuild the temple, but instead brought them home for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem.

The construction of the temple halted for a whole 16 years. What had clearly been a priority for God ceased to be so for his people. God sent word through his prophets (Haggai especially) that the Israelites failed to find prosperity in their home land because God's house still remained in ruins. Thus, He instructed them to immediately finish the temple construction.

Haggai 1: 6-8
" 'You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.'
This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to our ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,' says the Lord."

What does this passage say about God's priorities? What does it say about how we should respond to God's calling when it doesn't line up with our priorities?

Pray and close.

on modesty.

An open letter to women everywhere:

I'd like to speak on behalf of the men of the body of Christ. Let me start by apologizing. The conversation about modesty has largely been handled very badly by men, myself included. We can be harsh, insensitive, and unfair. I've heard numerous female friends of mine say that they have felt guilty, restricted, judged, and all around burdened, as if the weight of controlling the desires of men hangs over them at all times. Let me apologize on behalf of myself and the men of the church. I'm sorry. That's not your burden to bear and it is wrong of us to put that on you.
That being said, I feel that we as men often walk away leaving you feeling as if you have to battle our temptations for us. It's a touchy subject for everybody and as a result discussing it often ends in hurt, offended, and irritated men and women walking away having not accomplished anything. And while I do have my opinions on the subject, I don't believe it is my place to tell you where your responsibility is or is not. So I want to approach this from a different angle. I'm going to be honest. I'm going to try to earnestly express where I, and many men, are coming from. Please understand that the only reason we insist on talking about modesty is that you are precious to us. We as humans, and human men at that, are fighting daily to love you in a God honoring way. Our intention is never to burden you with our responsibilities.
You've heard people tell you how men are pigs. That we are sex-crazed, and we only have one thing on our mind. But you should also know that many of us are genuinely pursuing a Christ-like attitude towards women and sexuality. We are struggling to block out the world and the sex culture that constantly berates us from all sides. It's a constant battle. The Bible tells us that we are to love our wives as Christ loved us. I may not be married, but as a single Christian guy who does one day intend to be married, I am striving to be that kind of man. But I am imperfect. I am sinful and I am "a full time fool who occasionally dabbles in getting it right" (Scott Evans, Failing from the Front). I am locked in a lifelong battle against my sin nature as I strive to live in a way that glorifies God and His creation.
It's a new battle everyday. Some days I win, and some days I feel as if I've been beaten to a pulp and ruthlessly ravaged until it's all I can do to crawl back into bed and pray for the strength to rise again in the morning. Sexuality is a massive aspect of our spiritual lives, and thus one that we tend to be passionately opinionated about. But we are not helpless. We have a habit of painting a picture of ourselves as cowering little children fixed in battle with a Goliath that we have no hope of defeating. But Christ paints a very different picture. Through Him we are empowered and equipped to overcome sexual sin. Sin which we no longer live in and which Christ overcame for us when He died in our place. Still, it is a daily battle and it is in our struggle to learn how to love, respect, and protect you as God's beautiful creation that the issue of modesty arises. It is not, or at least it should not be, our way of shirking the responsibility that we have.
We know that it is our job to take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). We've no intention of blaming you and we certainly have no right to. Instead, we come to you, humbled as sinners and men in need of God, with this request:

Please help us. We have a battle to fight, and we know that in Christ we find victory. We are the men of the body of Christ and as such we are constantly learning and constantly growing. Its a new battle each day, and we sincerely desire to treat you with the love and respect you deserve. But we are not perfect. We have and we will fail. We don't mean to take away your rights and we certainly aren't asking you to fight our battles for us. We are only asking for your help. So if there is any way you, as our sisters in Him, can ease the burden of that battle, will you do it? Please?

Sincerely, an aspiring man of God





This is in response to an article by Relevant magazine that has been floating around social media lately.

The original article, titled "The Problem With Christian Cleavage" was renamed, edited, and eventually removed.

You can read the response article from Relevant here.

on faith and God centered attitudes.

The Story Teen Edition Chapter 16

Two interwoven stories taking place:
Hezekiah and Isaiah

Hezekiah:
Israel again turns to false idols and away from God. As a result, the Israelites are exiled to Assyria. The nation of Judah, however, remains faithful and King Hezekiah leads them in the way of the Lord.

Ch. 16 video

What stands out to you about the story of Hezekiah and the Assyrians?
How does Hezekiah respond to the threats against Jerusalem?

King Hezekiah faced and incredible threat as the Assyrian army stood at his doorstep. Regardless, he remained faithful (not and easy task) and brought the matter directly to God in prayer.

How hard is it for us to have this kind of faith?

2 Kings 19:14-19

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. 17 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands.18 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 19 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

How does Hezekiah approach God?

Hezekiah comes humbly before God acknowledging who God is and what He is capable of. He then asks God to deliver His people and make clear "to all the kingdoms of the earth...that you alone, Lord, are God". His prayer is not out of fear nor is it for the sake of self-preservation. Rather he asks that God would reveal and glorify Himself.

What is a time when you have felt opposition?
How should we approach God when we face opposition?
Is it easy to have this attitude?



Isaiah:
Isaiah was a well established prophet of God by the time Hezekiah became King. The Lord spoke through him numerous times (the book of Isaiah...). It's important to note that while Isaiah played a major role in the story of Hezekiah and the Assyrians, his ministry went far beyond that one instance. In fact large portion of Isaiah's prophesies directly foretold the coming of Christ

The Story Pages 228-230
Isaiah says many things about the Savior that is to come. Throw out some descriptions about this Savior that stand out to you.

Take some time and pray in gratitude for God's provision of all that was prophesied.

on traveling.

I'm always tempted to say that everybody should travel at some point. But I'm not entirely sure that's true. I've done a small bit of traveling and reaped the benefits, but I'm not positive its for everyone. One glance at twitter, facebook, or any of the other social media giants, however, and it would seem like everybody and their uncle is out traveling the world, putting pins in maps and collecting stories to tell when they get back. But that doesn't seem to be the case in real life. Which begs an interesting question, why are so few people doing it, if so many have the desire?
There are a plethora of typical response that I would expect to hear, and I could rant for days on how little money you need, how little time it takes, how easy it is to get started, and how "real life" will be here when you get back. But I'll save my breath, as I don't expect to really be changing anybody's minds. Which is fine. Maybe instead of traveling the world, people should simply crawl out of their comfort zones. For me, that meant living in Spain. For others that could mean something completely different. The point here is that comfort and growth are rarely, if ever, experienced together. We should always be growing. Always learning.
I have a friend who has a habit of asking odd questions to people he is just meeting. He will delve very quickly below the surface and ask about a persons dreams, aspirations, and passions. He'll dig around to discover who they are in ways that make may people very uncomfortable. One question that he is particularly fond of is "what is your greatest fear?". I Once asked him the same question and his response fascinated me.

"My greatest fear is that I will one day stop growing"

It was interesting to me, because I believe if we're honest with ourselves, many of us have the opposite fear. We are scared to grow. Change intimidates us. It makes us uncomfortable. It's why I always order the same thing at taco bell and it's why graduating high school and moving out is hard. But as hard as it is, crawling outside of our beloved comfort zones is not only good for you, it's necessary.
When I was in Rome I met an Australian guy named Van who was staying in the same hostel as I was. We ended up spending a decent amount of time hanging out and swapping stories about our travels. We had come from very different backgrounds and from, quite literally, opposite sides of earth. Regardless, we found that there were some aspects to our travels that were strikingly similar. Namely the plane ticket. That first big step. Buying the first plane ticket was one of the most nerve racking things we'd had to do. After that, we were committed. Things never really got easy, but the hardest part of the whole trip was that initial step where we had to actually step outside of the experiences we had been imagining and planning and go live them. We left our comfort zones thousands of miles away and the things that seemed scary and strange simply became the next adventure.
For me in particular, I had numerous instances in which I seemed to be knee deep in it with no idea how to get out. But those are the very same instances that I would point to as being not only the most fun and memorable, but the situations that I learned the most from. I developed confidence to handle whatever life would throw at me. I worked through problems, I learned to rely on myself when I had to and to seek help when I needed it, I discovered how to communicate without a common language, I made friends in all corners of the globe, I found out what my faith looks like when I'm alone, and I collected a hand full of memories that I wouldn't trade for the world.
So yes, traveling holds incredible value as a life experience. But not everybody will have the means or the desire to share these types of experiences. And that's okay. But if it's not traveling, make sure it's something else. Whoever you are, wherever your life is headed, make sure you're uncomfortable with it. Don't be afraid of growth, be afraid of a dormant life. Because a dormant life is a wasted life. If we aren't growing in ourselves, and most importantly growing in our faith and our savior, then what are we really doing with our lives?

on why Batman should have died.

        In anticipation of the large amount of writing that the upcoming three part blog is going to take, I'm keeping this week's post short, simple, and a little bit ranty.

SPOILER ALERT:
If you haven't seen all three movies in the Dark Night trilogy:

1) What are you doing with your life?

2)Don't read this blog.

Okay so that's fair warning. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about my favorite movie trilogy of all the movie trilogies, and we all know there are plenty of those out there.
The Dark Knight movies stand out for a number of reasons. First and foremost because, let's be honest, everything to do with Batman up until the release of "Batman Begins" was pitiful. There simply was no good Batman movie. Batman Begins changed that, and "The Dark Knight Rises" gave us the epic conclusion we all wanted.......almost.
The story goes like this: Following the disappearance of the Batman, and the death of Gotham's beloved DA, a villain by the name of Bane enters the scene and prepares to bring the city to it's knees as it rips itself apart. He effectively separates the city from the rest of the world and removes any comfort that society, order, and a government body might bring. This new "lord of the flies" society does exactly as Bane planned and begins to tear itself to pieces, all the while under threat of a nuclear bomb.
Inevitably, Batman swoops in to save the day and restore hope to a city that seems to have none. As the story comes to a head Bruce Wayne is forced to make a difficult choice. The nuclear bomb that has been roaming around the city is set to go off and has to dealt with, however the auto-pilot on his ship doesn't work and Wayne has no choice but to pilot the ship himself, and thereby ensure his own doom. It's tragic, ironic, and the perfect conclusion to the epic trilogy.
Except Bruce Wayne lives. Somehow, unbeknownst to anyone else, the auto-pilot had actually been repaired and somewhere along the line Bruce jumped out of the ship and escaped before the bomb exploded. I hate it, and I whole-heartedly believe he should have died. Let me explain.
At the heart of the story we have a group of people who, by their own wrongdoing, are trapped in a world of corruption with no hope of escape and no hope of survival. They are doomed and there is nothing they can do about it. Then, a man who seems to do nothing but selflessly give to these corrupt people, gives them a way out. Even though he fights the evil that suppresses them, gives them a shot at redemption, and ultimately sacrifices himself for their sake. He takes on himself the fate that had been given to those who, if we're being honest, probably deserved it.
Sound familiar? It should. Up until the very end, this story is the gospel. But then we find out that the masked hero really didn't sacrifice himself. He put his ship on auto-pilot and ran away with catwoman. It's an ending that is only made right with the revelation that Robin was in the movie the whole time. An ALMOST perfect trilogy that was tragically ruined by our ridiculous need to have the happiest ending possible.

on doubting.

       This is a big issue for Christians, and as an aspiring youth pastor I find the idea of doubting and dealing with doubts to be a topic of monumental importance. Is it okay to have doubts? What's the difference between doubt and disbelief? Is doubt sinful? Is disbelief?
At first these questions seem simple. I could spit out a half a dozen surface level answers and explanations that would satisfy these questions, at least to some degree. But honestly I think it's far more important to address the assumptions behind the questions. As I've talked about in previous posts, I firmly believe that all questions come from somewhere. They reveal a persons heart and open a door, behind which lie a thousand more questions. For more about my thoughts and opinions on questions check out the blog post I did several weeks back :

http://whatsaaronthinking.blogspot.com/2014/10/on-being-clueless.html

For now though, I want to talk about where I believe these questions about doubting come from. I'll ease into the whole assuming things business with a simple one: People ask the question "is it okay to have doubts" because they have doubts. I think we can all agree that's a pretty safe bet. But it's also absolutely crucial to this conversation, because it means the person asking isn't interested in a yes or no. They could care less about a simple answer. What they are really after is practicality. In other words, they want to know if doubting is wrong how can we put an end to it? Alternatively, if doubting is not wrong, what do we do with our doubts? It's here that we typically have to stop and define doubt.
We would talk about how there is an important line between doubt and disbelief and that doubt stems from a lack understanding and disbelief stems from a lack of faith. I don't disagree with this. What I disagree with is the idea that there is a clearly defined line, because in my experience that line can be incredibly difficult to find and even more difficult to stay on one side of.
Rather than talk about definitions, lines, and straight foreword answers, I would like to talk about hearts. Specifically, the heart of the doubter. More important than an individuals doubts, or lack thereof, is that person's heart, and how it reflects their knowledge of Christ. In a book I was recently reading, Austin Fischer makes a comment on the starting point of theology that I think also very well sums up the way any Christian should approach the inevitability of doubts. He says this:

"Who is God? How do you know? From the Christian perspective these are the questions of human existence. All other questions asked and answers given ultimately bend back toward these, for in every answer to every question there is the implicit claim 'This is who God is and this is how I know'. And so who is God and how do you know?"

I've recently had the pleasure of watching a few of my best friends grow into some of the most loving and spiritually mature people I've ever met. I couldn't possibly be more proud of the Godly women they have become. They are by no means perfect and the circumstances that have forced this growth upon them have been sudden and tragic to say the least. Nonetheless, they have endured and I have seen Christ shine through their lives and in their stories. The reason, I firmly believe, is that they have answered those two questions in their hearts. Has it made their struggles easy? No. Has doing so wiped away any of their hardships? Most certainly not. Have they experienced doubt in one form or another along the way? More than likely yes.
What it has done, however, is given them a foundation. Amidst the tears, the anger, the confusion, there is always one constant: This is who my God is, and this is how I know. It's not a solution or the answer to all your questions, but instead a starting point.
So to those battling doubts, or guilt over having them, I would say this: Who is God? How do you know? Build your foundation, a starting point onto which you can always fall back when your own understanding fails. Answer that, then go out and struggle through the rest of your questions in search of Him, but always have your heart set on who you know Him to be, and how you know.

For me, my starting point will always be the God on the cross. That is who I know God is.

Hebrews 1:1-3:

"1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."