THE Cause

At The Risk of Sounding Repetitive...

2011-12-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, as a youth pastor, I feel like a broken record, or that I’m beating a dead horse, or whatever cliché you’d like to use. This is one of those times. If I could have the attention of every Christian parent in America for 10 seconds, the one message I’d want to convey in those 10 seconds is: “Get a Facebook account and befriend your teen so you know what they’re doing online!” Many teens have me as their friend on Facebook, yet not their parents. I think many of those teens forget that I am their friend on Facebook, as some of the things they post I doubt they really want their youth pastor to see. I have been recently discouraged by some of the musical artists, video clips, pictures, or all-around comments of teenagers who have grown up in a church environment and know better.

The first, and most effective way of guiding a teenager through the online world is for their parents to be plugged in and courageous enough to parent in the world of cyberspace. They can always “drop” their youth pastor from their friend list if the youth pastor calls them on the carpet for bad online behavior. They can’t drop their parents, if their parents make their “Facebook Friendship” a requirement for their teen to have a Facebook account.

The world has become so much smaller than it was in the 80’s and 90’s, when the parents of this teenage generation were teenagers. There are some remarkable benefits to this. I have friends on my Facebook from not only every corner of the United States, but also from foreign countries such as Haiti, India, Nicaragua, and Jamaica. But with these benefits comes the potential for an unending stream of negative influences, dangers, and bad decisions. This isn’t necessarily a Biblical message; it is a message of common sense. If we are to take Christ’s command to raise our children to love God with all of our hearts, mind, soul, and strength, we must use common sense and stay plugged in to what our teens are doing online, and with whom. Be strong and hold your ground when it appears your child is making a bad decision online. They may not like it, but you may save them from a decision that could have life-long consequences. In order to do this, we must take the first step and join the online community.

-Pastor Adam

My Facebook Rules

2011-11-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

I think every Christian, both young and old, needs to set for themselves “rules” for what they’ll post on Facebook. I say this because there seems to be a disconnect between what we believe and what we post on Facebook. Colossians 3:17, if written today, I think would say: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed – or online – do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (italicized words added by me). I’m not re-writing scripture here, as I believe the “word” portion of this verse covers Facebook posts, but it seems that for many Christian Facebook users, this is not the case. I actually do have a set of Facebook Rules I use for myself when I post my status updates and links.

1. Facebook is not my therapist! Please, please do not whine or complain on Facebook. We are supposed to draw people toward Christ with the hope that we display. Whining on Facebook does not project “Hope,” it projects self-centered pity parties.

2. Don’t cuss! This should be a no brainer. It’s one thing to let a bad word slip in the heat of the moment. Another thing to put it out there on a status update, which shows intentionality.

3. Build up, don’t tear down. I’ve actually seen husbands and wives rip their spouses on Facebook. Facebook is a great opportunity to validate your friends and family, use “the force” for good.

4. Ask: “Will I have to apologize later for what I’m about to post?” Before you post, imagine you are literally standing in front of the hundreds of people that are on your friend list – all of them, including that one you added but can’t remember how you know them. If you’d say what you are typing if you were standing in front of them, then go ahead and type it. Otherwise, find a way to communicate what you want to say in a non-offensive way. I’m not saying to lose your spine and not hold an opinion on anything. I’m saying, find a way to communicate in a way that you won’t regret later. I obviously feel that homosexuality is a sin, and am pro-life, for example, but I also have pro-choice and gay friends on Facebook. I strive to hold to my beliefs in a way that isn’t compromising, yet is not angry, militant, or sarcastic. I want my non-believing friends to come to Christ. We’ll worry about the rest of our differences after they find Him.

5. Ask: “Is what I’m about to post going to glorify Christ, or embarrass Him?” We are direct reflections of Christ on this earth. The term Christian means “little Christs.” So when I post a link to a band, a picture of myself, or a comical website, will those links glorify Christ or not? I’m not saying each of your posts needs to be a “Christian” band, website, or picture of a kitty-cat with a Bible verse in a thought bubble. But, by posting a picture of myself in a bikini (you can throw up now at that mental image), or posting a link to a band whose lyrics are flat out contrary to how we are to live, we give a poor image of Christ to those viewing our page.

In the end, as Christians, we have to remind ourselves that we are “on the clock” at all times. As parents, our teens are going to mimic how we behave, assuming our behavior is acceptable in Christ’s eyes. As teenagers, how we act, and the things we post, might be the only Christ our classmates will ever see. The Christian life comes with some pressure and responsibility, but handling it is not really as difficult as we make it. I challenge each of us to make our “online” life more glorifying to Him.

Precious Death?

2011-11-08T13:40:00.000-08:00

One of the things I wasn’t prepared for when I went into ministry was the frequency with which I’d be facing the sad subject of death. Several times each year I am in the position of talking with people who are struggling because of a family member or friend passing away. It has forced me to try to mentally and emotionally process how a person is to Biblically respond to the grief that accompanies the sudden passing of a loved one. While this article is too short to completely delve into the topic, I do want to share a couple ideas that have helped me as I try and work through the pain of losing someone.

The first thing for Christians to realize is that grief is normal and acceptable. Many well-meaning Christians offer the platitude of “they’re home with the Lord now,” and then expect those grieving to suddenly feel better inside. Jesus Himself mourned to the point of sobbing over the loss of Lazarus, and this was while knowing that he’d raise him from the dead (John 11:32-37)! So allowing ourselves to grieve, cry, and hurt is acceptable and even healthy for us. It also can bring us closer to God through our pain if we turn toward Him as our great counselor (Psalm 34:18 & 147:3).

In grieving, I then try and view death from God’s perspective, which can be difficult. But the most helpful and comforting verse I’ve come across in dealing with death is Psalm 116:15, which says: “ Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” How can death be “precious” to God? Because we were made for so much more than this lousy world has to offer. We were created for God (Col. 3:16) and to walk and talk with God face to face, like Adam and Eve did. When you examine what the Garden of Eden was like, and what the New Jerusalem will be like, you see remarkable parallels. We realize that God didn’t give up on His desire for us to commune directly with Him when Adam and Eve fell. Instead, His redemptive plan ends with us living eternally with Him, as originally intended, without pain, sin, suffering, illness, bickering, or death. Those believers who have passed away were greeted in heaven with rejoicing as they now get to live with Christ as God originally intended. This is precious to God as He desires an eternal relationship with us, and upon our leaving this temporary home, we finally get to live with Him (and other believers) forever without the obstructions that this world has to offer.

The Value of Big Ears

2011-09-02T12:48:00.001-07:00

In watching Soul Surfer recently, I really appreciated how the Hamilton family stuck together through some very tough times. I also noticed, however, that Tom Hamilton, Bethany’s father, struggled with the same thing most dads struggle with when their child is faced with a crisis: we like to problem solve. I am often guilty of not taking the time to listen to what my wife or children are struggling with; instead I dive straight into the “problem solving” role. I begin to offer advice, or put myself into the middle of the fray, which often leads to whomever I am trying to help shutting down. Tom Hamilton does the same thing in Soul Surfer, pushing Bethany and offering unwanted advice to the point where his daughter started to shut him out, if only for a brief time. My own son, Eli, does the same thing. If something bad happens at school, he is often reticent to tell me what is going on, as he’s afraid I’m going to offer him all sorts of advice. I’ve learned, through experience, to just shut up and listen. My family needs me, most of the time, to allow them to express their emotions, hug them, or cry with them. Then, once the initial emotion has been released, to offer my “nuggets of wisdom” that I think I have.

I think God is in agreement with this. James 1:19 says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Proverbs 18:13 declares, “He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame.” There are several other Proverbs and verses that emphasize the importance of listening first, then speaking. As parents and leaders of teenagers, we can often dismiss the problems our kids face as no big deal, or as typical teenage issues. In doing so, we fail to realize that their whole world is teenagedom. So when they face their difficulties, we must be willing to listen, empathize, and value their emotions. We also have to resist the urge to fix the problem for them immediately and try to move on. We absolutely need to intervene when necessary, and offer advice based on our life experience, but only after we’ve valued what they’re going through by listening to them. Teens, this is also advice to use with your friends. True friends listen genuinely and intently to what their friends are going through, and even ask “Do you want my advice?” before offering it.

God gave us each other to lean on, cry with, laugh with, pray with, and experience life with. Focus on building a solid foundation with your family and friends by listening first, then offering your tangible assistance. In doing so, the person you are trying to help, will realize you are genuine in your efforts.

It Really Does Matter What The World Thinks Of You!

2011-07-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Does it matter what the world thinks of you?

The above question is often answered by Christians with an emphatic “NO, it does not matter what the world thinks of me! Jesus loves me and that’s all that matters!” While I don’t necessarily disagree with the ideology behind the statement, I do think it is naïve and misguided. I say this because I believe strongly that it indeed matters what the world thinks of us, as believers.

This is never more evident than in the case of Daniel. We all know the story of the lion’s den, but notice, for a moment, the predicament Daniel’s accusers were in. They were upset because a Jew was one of the three administrators that ruled over them. They wanted to remove him from not only his position of authority, but from the earth altogether. They had a big problem though; Daniel’s life was flawless. Daniel 6:4-5 says, “At this, the administrators and satraps tried to find grounds to charge against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, ‘We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.’” Daniel lived his life in such a righteous way, they couldn’t even make up a charge against him as he was so far above suspicion. Instead, they had to zero in on his relationship with God and try to make that illegal.

How do you live your life? If someone really wanted to snare you with an accusation, would they find it difficult? Would people find it hard to believe that you had done whatever you were accused of? Or is your character or lifestyle one in which people wouldn’t be surprised at all. I’ve had times in my life in which people would not have been surprised to find that I had done something I shouldn’t have. The worst part of my guilt was feeling like I had given a bad representation of Christ to those non-believing friends who knew I claimed to be a Christian, but lived the same they did. As a “little Christ” (what the term “Christian” means), I reflected poorly on my Savior.

Too many Christians live hypocritical lives, and then boldly declare they don’t care what people think of them and all that matters in Christ. If all that matters is Christ, then why don’t we try to live to please Him first and foremost? If we care so much that Jesus loves me, why don’t we live in appreciation of that wonderful fact? Darius, in trying to encourage Daniel before he gets dropped into “the den,” cries out to him that he hopes Daniel’s God, “who [he] continually serves” will rescue him (6:16). Daniel was known for constant servitude to God. I want to be known for that! Wouldn’t that be cool! 1 Peter 3:16 warns believers to live life with a “clear conscious” so that people can only persecute us due to our faith, instead of our hypocrisy or moral failures.

This is not an attempt to propagate legalism. Instead, we should strive to love Christ with all of our hearts, living to please Him. In doing so, we’ll shine a light toward Him and away from ourselves. Our testimony can damage Christ in the eyes of the world if we refuse to take seriously the idea that people are watching us, all of the time, to see if Christ is really a life changer. Thank goodness for Grace, or we’d all be lost, but we need to take our lifestyle and morality seriously for the sake of growing God’s kingdom.

- Adam

The Danger of an Insecure Father

2011-06-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

One of my all time favorite comedy programs is The Dick Van Dyke Show. Now, through the wonders of Netflix, I can watch it to my hearts delight. I recently watched an episode, however, that kind of hit a bit close to home to me – a husband and father of three. In this episode the father figure of the show, Rob, becomes very insecure at work, to the point that he thinks his co-worker is conspiring against him to take his job. It gets to the point that Rob thinks he is losing his ability to do his job well, while the other employee is suddenly shining in the boss’ eyes. Rob’s insecurity transcended into his home, where his insecurity started manifesting itself everywhere. He became paranoid and insensitive with his wife Laura, and harsh with his son Richie. Finally Richie asks his Laura “What’s wrong with Daddy?” to which Laura responds, “Daddy just doesn’t like himself right now.” Richie answers, poignantly, “I like daddy better when he likes himself.”

Richie’s comments hit me hard as I, as much as I don’t want to admit it, am quite sensitive at times and become my own worst enemy. My thought life runs wild and a small mistake quickly becomes a massive deal in my own head. The next thing you know, I think I am completely inadequate and start beating myself up verbally. The byproduct of this downward spiral is that it inhibits our ability to lead our families the way God wants us to. We become short with our wives and harsh on our children, not because of anything they’ve done, but because we are really mad at ourselves.

Dads, we need to remind ourselves that we too are God’s children. Our perfect Father created us for a purpose and loves us unconditionally. That doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes, big ones at times, but we strive to improve, not wallow in our failures. Paul exhorts us to “Forget what is behind us and strive for what is ahead.” (Philippians 3:13) God, our Abba Father (translated: Daddy), calls us His children and has prepared in advance good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We become ineffective in our God given task of being lights for Him (Matthew 5:16) and leading our families (Ephesians 6:4), when we selfishly entertain the negative thoughts we have about ourselves. We need to be honest with ourselves and look for areas where we need to improve, but the goal is to work toward improvement, not self-destruct. We will fall short of what we desire to be and what God expects of us, as we are fallible people, hence the necessity of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and subsequent resurrection. When we feel inadequate, we need to recognize that with Christ we are adequate to complete the job He has given us: to lead our families, and be an example of Christ in the world.

The Shell and the Glory

2011-06-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

My family and I had the miserable experience recently of having our beloved dog, Lady, pass away. It was quite unexpected. Saving you from the details, she passed away in the middle of the night. To spare my family of seeing her this way, I got up and moved her body to the garage for the remainder of the night until I could bury her in the morning. I was very sad at her passing and was telling her one last goodbye before I picked her up to move her. As soon as I picked her up, though, I realized that “Lady” was no longer there. What I carried into the garage was merely a shell. The dog I loved was gone.

I do not relay this to you to bum you out. Carrying my dog’s body was a brutal reminder to me that we all, as human beings, are currently “renting space” in the bodies we are currently inhabit. Some day we will be glorified in an imperishable body and will abide with Christ, and our fellow believers, forever (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). With that in mind, what is our goal in this life? To accumulate accolades, rewards, wealth, esteem, and a legacy that is worthless when our spirits leave our bodies and all that is left is an empty shell that will be buried and mourned?

Christ’s words in Matthew 6:19-21 become all the more real when we think seriously about death. Storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven should become our aim, where moth and rust cannot destroy and we can bask in God’s glory with our heavenly treasures for all eternity. This does not mean that we abandon our earthly callings, but instead those callings can serve a higher purpose as everything we do as believers (including your profession, relationships, and wealth) should be with the intent of pointing people toward Christ and glorifying Him (Colossians 3:17 and 1 Corinthians 10:31). We will then reap the eternal benefits of our life lived on earth.

Read It For Yourself

2011-04-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

Two verses that have weighed heavily on my mind recently are 1 Timothy 4:16: “Watch you life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers,” and 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” These verses have stuck with me recently as there have been several strong debates occurring within the Christian community with regards to some core beliefs. Unfortunately, many people turn to authors, commentators, and religious leaders to explain to them what the Bible says, instead of reading the Bible for themselves. There is nothing wrong with going to church, listening to a preacher, or reading a book in an attempt to better understand a Christian doctrine. The danger comes when we only do those things, and not actually read God’s word for ourselves. By relying on other fallible human beings to explain the Bible to us, we open ourselves up to their interpretation of the Bible. This becomes particularly dangerous when you stumble across a “believer” who has twisted scripture to say what he wants it to say, excusing sin or purporting a more comfortable faith than what the Bible preaches. This is exactly the type of preacher or teacher that 2 Timothy 4:3 is speaking of when it warns believers to be aware of teachers who change scripture to “suit their own desires.”

Granted, there are some periphery doctrines of the Christian faith that can be confusing, but the core of what Christians believe in is plainly read in the Bible. The question I have, then, for those that try and reinterpret scripture to suit their own desires is: Why is it so important for you to accept the Bible? If you disagree so strongly with a particular teaching of the Bible, why try and make the Bible say what you want it to say? Why not just disagree with that doctrine, or disavow the Christian Bible all together? I think I know the answer, because we all want to believe that we are okay in the sight of God, and we want God to be a comfortable God for us. It is the struggle between our sinful natures and God’s truth. By calling oneself a Christian, we are accepting the fact that our faith is built upon the Bible. By rejecting a specific doctrine or portion of the Bible, we are admitting that we cannot trust at least one part of God’s Word. If we can’t trust one part, then what is to say we cannot trust the whole thing? Thus, people do interpretive gymnastics to make scripture more palatable for ourselves and non-believing friends. To be honest, I don’t always like what the Bible has to say. But my dislike does not come from the Bible being wrong or intolerant; my dislike stems from the Bible shining a light on my sin, showing me where I need to improve, and also explaining to me that Jesus is the only Savior – something that scares me because I have non-believing family and friends. The Bible also teaches forgiveness, love, and peace, but not at the expense of holiness.

My encouragement to you, then, is to sit down and read the Bible for yourself. Read Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount, and see what Jesus himself said about several issues that are still prominent today. Or, take some time to read John chapter 3, and read Jesus’ teaching on salvation, heaven, and hell. It is great to have questions about the faith; I encourage them. But I also encourage you to search the Bible first for answers, then, when questions arise regarding something you’ve read, seek wise counsel, not popular counsel, to help you decipher the truth.

5 Books Your Teen Needs to Read

2011-02-17T09:36:00.001-08:00

1. The Bible – This seems like a no-brainer, but it still amazes me how many adults “understand” that their teen’s life is too busy and hectic to stop and read the Bible every day. The Bible should be read even before homework, and parents should hold their teen accountable to reading it, daily. Have your teen start by reading two chapters a day. It will take them ten minutes and instill a lifelong habit that will only benefit your teen.

2. You’re Next by Greg Stier – This book is my all time favorite “youth book” that many adults would benefit from reading. Greg Stier is the founder of Dare 2 Share Ministries. His book tackles 30 big questions people have about the Christian faith. Greg weaves wild stories of his life together with the answers to these questions. Each chapter is short, with a Bible study built in, including questions the teen answers in written form to help the reader remember what they read. You’re Next is highly entertaining as well as educational.

3. Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris – The Harris brothers wrote this book as teenagers, making it an appealing book for a teenager to read. Alex and Brett challenge teenagers to not live up to the low expectations society has of teens, but to do something great for God now. They destroy the myth that the teenage years are meant for fun and training, but instead urge teens that the Bible teaches them that they should be presently living for Christ. The chapters are short and inspiring.

4. City on Our Knees by TobyMac – Christian music mogul TobyMac writes a very inspiring book for teens, again, with short chapters and entertaining tales of Christians who set aside differences and strive to make a difference in this world for Christ. The book is a collection of amazing experiences Christians worldwide have endured or caused, that amazes the reader and inspires them step out on faith, in unity, to impact the world for their God.

5. Crazy Love by Francis Chan – Chan’s book is written for an adult audience, but the message is cross-generational: God’s love for us is so hard to fathom that it might seem crazy, and that we should feel and display such love for Him. Chan drives the point home that, when you really examine scripture, it becomes evident that there is no such thing as a “Lukewarm Christian.” Genuine Christians sell out for Christ in seemingly insane ways. The book is very convicting and motivating to truly make Christ first in our lives at great cost. The earlier we learn this truth, the better, making this book an essential for a teenager to read.

Judged by Love

2011-01-27T10:28:00.001-08:00

I thought it fitting, since February is the “Month of Love,” to discuss how important a topic love is for Christians. The reason it is so important is because it is the standard by which our lives are measured by God. In 1 Corinthians 13:2-3, Paul writes that “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” Paul was not exactly a teddy bear, he could be brutal to both friend and foe alike, yet he understood the importance of our faith bearing the fruit of love so that others may see Christ through us.

This love is not just for those we like, or those we are attracted to, we see God’s call for us to treat our enemies well as early as Exodus 23:4, and Jesus commands us to flat out love them in Luke 6. So the big question is: How well do you love EVERYONE? You can say you love someone, but can they tell you love them by how you treat them, how you speak to them, and the time you offer to them?

Here is a test for you that I recently did, and failed miserably at: re-write 1 Corinthians 13:4-6, and instead of the word “Love,” insert your name. You’ll have to do some wordsmithing to make it flow together well, but when you do, read it to yourself out loud and ask yourself if you are really living up to what you just read. Then, ask yourself how you will improve in the areas you are not currently succeeding. It is important that we love others, as that is what Christ expects of us, for it is how people will see Christ here on earth.

Sincerely,
Pastor Adam

A Coward Free Heaven

2010-12-07T10:23:00.001-08:00

On the recent youth retreat at Camp Bethel, we heard Francis Chan make a very interesting comment: “There will be no cowards in heaven.” I had never heard anyone say that before, and it kind of freaked me out a bit, as I have been a coward before. Francis based the comment on Revelation 21:8, which says, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” I had always focused on the rest of the verse but somehow overlooked the very first thing on the list: cowards.

Chan is right in his remarks regarding the cowardly in heaven. In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.” We, as Christ-followers, will be put on the spot and it will take courage to not only confess that we believe in Jesus for our salvation, but also to act like Christians on a consistent basis. Paul warns Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 that, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse.”

We often try to avoid uncomfortable situations and hardships, as that is natural for us. It is time, however, that we stand up for Christ, not by being political or arguing with a science teacher about evolution, but stand up for Christ by being “Little Christs” (that’s what “Christian” means) and love the unlovable, support the poor, defend the bullied, comfort the brokenhearted, and feed the hungry. It is surprising that such kind acts do bring persecution, but they will, and we need to be willing to stand up for Christ as He literally died for us.

In Him,
-Adam

The Lessons of Rigor

2010-11-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

This month we are announcing our mission’s trip to Nicaragua,
from July 31st – August 6th. I am willing to bet that about half of
you might say, “Hmm, there’s nothing on the calendar that week,
but I wonder what might come up? It’s awfully early. We need to
wait and see what’ll be happening that week before we commit.” I
say this because I hear that a lot in ministry work. Many people are
afraid to commit to a church activity, or a family vacation, because
they are nervous that a coach might announce a “voluntary” camp
or a club leader may be requesting your teen’s services, so they wait
for the “just in case” scenario. I propose that, if the calendar is
blank and you are planning a family trip, or thinking of going on
the missions’ trip, you write it on the calendar and the extracurricular
activity can take second place to family time or church
activity.

I am not saying this as an outsider, but as a former athlete and
coach, and current pastor who is frustrated with how little time our
teenagers have to spend in church activities they used to enjoy, or
with their families, because we fill it with the “rigor” of school and
extra-curricular activities. What lessons do our teens learn from
having to be to school an hour early, and spend two to three hours a
night doing homework, forfeiting family vacations for basketball
camp, or a mission’s trip for a school-related, “voluntary” activity?
We teach them that responsible youths put their academic and
athletic life, as well as achievements, ahead of family and God. We
teach them that when they are married and have kids, it will be
more important to stay at the office and get the job done, or travel
away on business, rather than attend a little league game, because
achievement is the top priority. Is that the lesson we want our teens
to glean from their teenage experiences?

I am not saying this so that kids go on the mission’s trip. I believe
God will move the right kids to go on the trip. I am saying this as a
concerned adult who works with teens and sees teenager after
teenager forsake family for an AP class or an athletic schedule that
keeps a family from eating dinner together – ever. Such a schedule
does not demand too much of their abilities or energy, but it
demands too much of their allegiance. The grade, and the sport,
must come first; families and church are for graduates.

This former coach and former teacher disagrees. I think it is time
that we put Mark 12:30 to practice, and love the Lord our God with
our everything, not just our left-overs. I think we should care more
about what God and our parents think, and less what our teachers
and coaches think. You will have temporary fame and achievement
during your short four years in high school, most of which people
will forget about within four years of your departure (sorry to break
it to you). You will spend a lifetime on earth with your family and
an eternity with God; don’t you want a strong bond with those who
matter most? I use to be afraid of what my coaches thought of me
when I missed an open gym or off-season workout for a family trip.
Now, not one of my coaches even knows where I live. I received
many athletic accolades as a high school student, and not one of
them has transferred to career success as an adult. Did I learn some
great lessons as an athlete? Absolutely. The lessons, however, are
starting to gravitate from actual lessons to pride in accomplishment,
something that we are warned to be very careful about.

So next time your family is faced with a conflict of family time vs.
school or extra-curricular activity, I urge you to think long and hard
before you take these years for granted.

"Knowing" God Takes Work, Devotion

2010-09-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last post we talked about how we were created by God with purpose, protection, and also a sense of belonging. This post, however, will address the crummy reality of our current lives living in the "post-fall" world. While we are are still created with a purpose by God, protected by God, and with the desire to belong with other people, we now have to work for our knowledge of God. Let me be clear from the beginning, we do not work for our salvation - we are saved by grace, but we do have to work on our relationship with God. When you look at the relationship Adam had with God prior to the eating of the fruit in the garden, you'll notice an intimate an natural relationship where God and man conversed and walked together in the Garden of Eden.

This is in stark contrast, however, of the relationship Adam and Eve had with God after disobeying the one command God gave them. In reading Genesis 3:8, the immediate response of Adam and Eve upon eating the fruit and hearing God approaching was illogical: they hid from God. Immediately upon the fall of man, Adam and Eve lost some of their knowledge of God. They knew God as creator and omnipotent. They knew that he could not be hidden from, yet they panicked and hid from God, an action that made no sense at all.

Ephesians 4:18 says of mankind, "They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts." Because of our ignorance, we are darkened. We are not born with knowledge of God. Even as we grow up we lack an understanding and knowledge of the true God. We may know some things ABOUT God, but we don't know God. I know a lot ABOUT Tim Tebow, but if I walked up to him tomorrow and said "Hey Tim!" he'd look at me and ask, "Who are you?" Only until we place our faith in Christ can we truly know God, and even then, we have to work to understand Him more. It doesn't happen naturally or by osmosis.

What is my point? Too many Christians sit back and wonder why we don't understand our faith better, or we are lazy and figure salvation is enough for me so why bother trying to understand it better? Knowing God takes devotion, hence the term "devotions." We must be devoted in our study to better understand God. In order to do this, we must be "devoted" to reading our Bibles, and "devoted" to prayer. If you truly want to know God, you have to put in the work. This is a direct consequence of the fall of Adam and Eve. Before the fall, no work was necessary for man to know God. After the fall, the world in which we all live, we must work to know God better. Are you willing to put in the work?

-Pastor Adam

The "Good Stuff" We Were Created With

2010-09-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

This past week in the high school SYMOTA group, we started a series that strives to discover who we are in Christ and what that means for our outlook and perspective on life. The first discussion we engaged in on Sunday dove into how we, as people, were created with significance, security, and with the need for belonging.

A unique feature of human beings is that we were created with a higher responsibility and purpose than the rest of creation. I know that sounds elitist, but the only thing that should be offended is a shrub or a duck. We, as homosapiens, are more significant than all the rest of earthly creation. We know this from Genesis chapter, 1 verse 28, which instructs Adam and Eve to “subdue” the earth. God goes on to tell his first children to “rule” over all of the living creatures. This is an important point because we were not created by chance, meaning we have a purpose to our lives. Every one of us has a reason for being here. God doesn’t make accidents, so when He made you; he made you for a significant reason. Plants and animals were created to offer God glory through their appearance, complexity, and beauty, but when all is said and done, their mission in life is to exist. Ours is not merely to exist. It is to accomplish great things for God.

As God’s children, we are also covered by a heavenly security blanket. We first see this in Adam and Eve as well. In Genesis 1:29, we read about how God provided for all of their needs in the garden. Even after their fall, God provided for them by fashioning clothes for them before banishing them from the Garden (Gen. 3:21). This promise of provision has not changed. Jesus reiterates this promise in Matthew 6:25-34, in which he urges his listeners to quit worrying about their physical needs, as God knows what they need and will provide for their needs. Paul reminds us as well in Philippians 4:19 that God provides according to His will. This is a significant concept that many of us fail to grasp. First of all, we need to rely more on God and less on ourselves. (This does not, however, mean to quit your job and just wait for God’s provision. His provision may be through the job he has provided for you!) Secondly, we must prioritize what a need is in our lives. Do we need cable television or a Wii? We often behave as if we do.

Finally, we also learned that God created us to live in a community with one another. Our lives, and our faiths, are not meant to be alone. Harkening back to Adam and Eve once more, we see this in God providing a wife for Adam, stating “It is not good for man to be alone” (Gen. 2:18). I will venture to say that God would also say, “It is not good for woman to be alone” either. I say this because our faith is not meant to be practiced in solitude. Not everyone is meant to be married, but everyone is meant to have relationships. The church, our Christian brothers and sisters, as well as the non-believing friends we witness to, all fill a need that God intended us to have – a need for companionship. This includes our fellowship as believers. Hebrews 10:25 warns us to not give up meeting together. Our faith, and our lives, were meant to be spent with others. We must avoid the temptation of holing up by ourselves and shutting the world out. Make an effort to find a good support system of believers whom you can trust to rejoice with, pray with, and be held accountable by.

Next week’s topic is the “bad stuff” of our nature that led to the fall of Adam and Eve, and what that means for us believers.

Till then,
Adam

Be Known For What What You Do.

2010-09-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Last week kicked off a new season of our SYMOTA youth group for 2010-2011. My goal this year is to blog each week about the topic (or topics) we talk about at youth group that week. This past Sunday we challenged the teens to be known this year for the things they do, and not for what they don’t do. In other words, don’t be known for what you don’t do; don’t be known as the kid that doesn’t drink, or doesn’t smoke, or doesn’t have sex. Our aspirations should be greater than just the kid who abstains. We, as believers, should be known for the great things that we are doing for Christ, and not the great accomplishments we may get on the sports field, in the classroom, or in music. We should be known for helping others, regardless of their appearance, ethnicity, or interests. We should be known as people who sacrifice personal comfort for the benefit of someone else. We should be known as people willing to listen to the problems of others. We should be known for our faith being lived out in action. Our physical accomplishments are not bad, especially if provide us an opportunity to praise God and bring people’s attention on Him, but we must be careful to not set our goals to be physical accomplishments as they all stay here on earth when we perish.

We see this happen in both Colossae and Ephesus. In the opening verses of both Colossians and Ephesians we see that Paul, while stuck in prison, hears about the faith of the believers in Colossae and Ephesus and commends them for it (Ephesians 1:15-21 and Colossians 1:3-14). The account in Colossians gives details of Paul’s expectations for the continual good works of the believers there. In Colossians 1: 9-13, Paul instructs the believers he is praising to continue to become as knowledgeable as possible, to endure, to have patience, to be joyful while giving thanks, and to bear fruit. What type of fruit should we bear? Galatians 5:16-24 offers us two types of fruit, the good and the sour. You know the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As you examine your life, how are you doing with bearing and displaying the good fruit? It cannot be just a display, but a genuine effort to exude the fruits of the spirit. For when we do, we may draw some to Christ.

It is interesting that the fruit of the spirit passage is found in Galatians, as Galatians is written as a bit of a tongue lashing to the Galatian believers who were known for something as well. They were known for being easily swayed from their faith by false teachers (Galatians 1:6-10). Paul writes the letter of Galatians to remind those in the church there to return to a gospel of Grace and not be swayed by false teachers. Paul also warns them to avoid a whole myriad of negative behaviors prevalent around them (5:19-21). Unfortunately many Christian teens today become known by their peers for many negative behaviors instead of for bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

My challenge to all of you is to be known for doing great things for God, not for negative behaviors, or being the person who abstains from everything. It may not be popular, but it is what we are called to do, and it will have an impact for the Gospel upon those around you.

-Pastor Adam

Lessons from the Vikings

2010-08-12T14:18:00.000-07:00

Lessons from the Vikings

In reading Do Hard Things over the past six weeks, an interesting story stuck out to Me. The authors of the book, Alex and Brett Harris, point out an interesting tid bit about how the vikings were able to be so dominant in their era. The answer is easier than you may think: they rowed. In an era when most world powers used servants or slaves as their rowers when traveling to overtake an enemy, the Norsemen rowed themselves, making them completely ripped. The sheer size of the vikings is legendary, but that size was not necessarily genetic, it was earned through hard work.

Now granted, the vikings do not hold an exemplary human rights record, but we can still learn from their success. Many of the big things we want to accomplish in this life take work, and often tedious, seeminly menial work. I doubt the vikings looked forward to rowing their boats hundreds of miles, but the workout, and pain, of the process prepared them for the big goals they wanted to accomplish: conquest.

What big goals do you have in your life? Are you trying to skip steps, or take the easy route to success? More times than not, the lazy way leads to defeat. Occasionally someone will get lucky, or be at the right place at the right time. But more than likely, you will need to work for what you accomplish in this life. Be like the vikings, work hard in the small things and you might be surprised when you find yourself accomplishing something great.

Remember, though, our goal is not to accomplish great things for ourselves. It is to accomplish great things for Christ!
1 Corinthians 10:31 – “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

-Pastor Adam

Meet The Parents!

2010-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Parents and Youth,

Youth, when you first get a date with your crush, and they come to pick you up or you go to pick them up, do yourself a favor and meet the parents. I know it sounds like a small, and also intimidating thing, but it is a great way to hold yourself accountable on your date. By looking at your dates parents eyeball to eyeball, you suddenly now realize that you are taking out someones son or daughter, and not just he object of your infatuation. You are less likely to put yourself in a tempting situation if you make yourself available to be accountable to one another’s parents. It will not totally remove temptation from you, you will still have to make decisions to avoid tempting settings, but it does reduce the likelihood of you fooling around with your date that night.

Parents, the next step is where you come in. Insisit in meeting your child’s date. Then, when you meet them, find out their plan for the evening. Adopt the policy of, “no plan, no date.” Listen intently to the plan and see where the teens might be putting themselves in a bad situation with eachother. Finally, lay out your expectations for their behavior on the date Trust your child, but don’t trusth their hormones. The best, most Christlike teens, still fall into sexual temptation every day. Your responsibility as a parent it to protect them from themselves. Promote group dating and creative dating ideas for your child where they can get to know the other person, instead of vegging with the lights off alone in your basement watching a movie. Even if you are upstairs, there is a high liklihood that some lip-locking is going on when you’re not actually in the room. It is okay to check up on your child when they are on a date, but let them know before the date starts you will be checking up on them, do not be sneaky about it.

Finally, for both of you, have a conversation when the date is done. Parents, ask specific questions. Teens, be honest. Avoid the, “How was your time?” question, with the response of “fine.” Ask if they kissed, ask if they went further, be specific. Teen, it may be uncomfortable, but knowing your mom or dad will be asking at the end of the date what you did is a great deterrant to sexual mistakes.

We are called to glorify God in all we do, that includes your dating life.

-Pastor Adam

I Want Kindergarten Faith

2010-03-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Recently my son went to play at a friend’s house. One of the first play-dates he had ever had without one of his parents going along. His friend’s mother told us a very cool story the next day. It seems that while the boys were playing a video game together, my son equated something that happened in the game with the story of David and Goliath. Upon vocalizing this epiphany, his friend asked, “who is David and Goliath?” His friend’s father was sitting in another room overhearing the conversation and was quite embarrassed that his elementary aged son did not know the story of David and Goliath. That night, he got the Bible out and read the story of David and Goliath to the entire family. I was so proud of my son for talking about something from the Bible with one of his friends, but then realized that for my son, it was just a normal, unconscious thing to do - natural even. That does not diminish my pride in him, but made me think, I wish I were more like a kindergartner.

We, as adults, for whatever reason, shy away from Biblical conversations and discussions. Kindergarteners don’t sense any awkwardness or nerves; they just blurt it out as it is engrained in their culture if they’re being brought up in a foundationally Christian home. The coolest part of the story was that my son’s small vocalization led to a family sitting down together to read the Bible. God can use the smallest of events and people to make a large impact for him. Jesus says in Mark 10:15-16, “’I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” Our faith is not complicated, our mission is simple, yet as grown-ups, we make it more complicated and bog ourselves down with periphery theological issues or relational complications. It may sound elementary, but I want to be more like my son. Living in ignorant fearlessness for Christ, being so wrapped in a relationship with Him that it is natural to speak of Him and live for Him in all of the relationships and settings I find myself in.

-Pastor Adam

Married Couples and Parents, Are You Companioning?

2010-02-26T09:34:00.000-08:00

NOTE: THIS IS A SPECIAL POST FOR YOU PARENTS OF YOUTH AND CHILDREN. OFTEN TIMES PARENT'S PUT SO MUCH EFFORT AND ATTENTION INTO THEIR CHILDREN THAT THEY FORGET ABOUT EACH OTHER. THEN, WHEN THE KIDS ARE GONE, THEY LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER AND ASK, "WHO ARE YOU?" WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT COMPANIONING WITH OUR SPOUSES. THAT IS WHAT THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT:

I am currently taking a marriage counseling class as a part of my seminary coursework. In the course of reading a very good book about strengthening marital intimacy, I came across a term I had never heard before: companioning. The term does exist, as evidenced by the lack of a squiggly red line beneath it on my word processor right now, but what does it mean? Companioning is the term used to describe the intentional effort of a married couple to devote large blocks of time to the ongoing development of their friendship. Roland Hawkins, a very wise marital counselor, states that, “The strength of a marriage is directly related to the couple’s desire for togetherness. The average Christian marriage that fails does so because of the lack of appreciation for the importance of companioning.”

Notice the term intentional used above to describe companioning. It will not happen by accident. In fact, if a married couple, or a family, does not intentionally plan fun time together where their attention is undivided upon one another, they will not have time together. Life is busier now than ever. Between workaholic jobs, house chores, home-improvement projects, school schedules, youth league sports, business trips, retreats, and even Bible studies, we are pulled many different directions, none of which include our spouse. It is no wonder that marriages suffer once the children are grown and out of the house. The couple who fell in love years before, don’t really know each other because they haven’t taken the time to know each other when time was scarce.

Companioning is Biblical. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy this command to husbands, “If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.” (Deuteronomy 24:5). This command from God is not renounced or revised anywhere in scripture. Obviously we cannot take a year off from our jobs, but God’s plan for marriage was for us to companion together. He desires for us to be friends with our spouses. To be friends we must invest enjoyable time with one another to strengthen that friendship. Genesis 2:18 God stated that it was not good for man to be alone, showing us that He intended for us to have a relationship with our spouse that fulfilled the three-cord bond between God, man, and woman.

So what barriers are keeping you from companioning with your spouse? Is it relationships with your friends? Your job? Household duties? The kids? Does the wife go to a woman’s Bible study, the husband to a men’s Bible study, but neither attend a Bible study together or participate with one another in a devotional time? Sometimes churches are the best at pulling spouses in different directions. I cannot encourage you to enjoy one another as much as possible. It will mean saying no to other people and commitments. But our responsibility to our spouses is second only to our relationship to our creator. Please treat them like the priority they should be.

-Pastor Adam

Christ Knows Pain

2010-01-06T10:39:00.001-08:00

Often times when we look at Jesus in the light of scripture, we recognize His miraculous works, wisdom, power, and compassion. We think of these attributes, however, with the mindset of His deity. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but we seem to miss the human nature of Jesus that is so evident in the record of His life. Hebrews 4:15-16 re-emphasizes this by telling us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (NIV). We cannot forget that Jesus suffered in all the same ways we do, with one exception, He did not give in to temptation the way we all have at some point in our lives. Jesus still knows what sin feels like, however, as He bore the brunt of it while on the cross, not because He sinned, but because He took our sins upon Himself while hanging on that brutal tree. Jesus, at some point in His life, had to wrestle with temptation, grief, triumph, anxiety, betrayal, and loneliness. Do any of these afflictions or emotions resemble anything you’ve had to deal with in your life?

Jesus was tempted at His weakest point, when He was “hungry” after fasting for forty days (Matthew 4:1-10). Satan waited until Jesus was at his most vulnerable as a human to introduce the one thing Jesus craved the most at that one point in His life: food. We learn from Jesus to lean on scripture during those times of struggle, not our own abilities. All of us have been tempted and cannot claim that Jesus doesn’t know what that feels like, as he obviously had a three-round bout with the devil in the desert, at the end of which God the Father sent His angels to tend to Jesus’ need.

Jesus, surprisingly, experienced grief as we do when a loved one passes away. Jesus’ knew well where Lazarus was after he passed away, but the grief Jesus saw in Lazarus’ family and the loss of His own friend caused Jesus to weep (John 11:35-38). Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus back to life again, but yet allowed Himself to feel the grief we all feel when we lose a loved one.

Not all of the emotions Jesus felt as a human being were negative. In the story of the Triumphant Entry (John 12:12-15), Jesus was adorned as a King. He did not deny or tell those honoring Him to stop; he accepted the accolades, in one of the few cases people praised Him while He was on earth. So like Jesus, we at times triumph in our lives – something Jesus knew quite well what it felt like.

Some people disagree that Jesus felt anxiety, but the case is strong that He indeed felt the strong emotions associated with dread. Jesus, in the garden before His arrest, was almost overcome with anxiety while praying over what was ahead of Him (Luke 22:39-46). Jesus was dreading the temporary disconnection from His heavenly Father that He was about to experience while on the cross. Jesus did not want to be separated from God the Father, but willingly did so on our behalf. We all battle anxiety over small and large things in our lives. Jesus tells us in Matthew, chapter 6, not to worry, as the Father in heaven is in control. Jesus had to put this into practice Himself as He faced the cross.

The two final hurts that Jesus experienced before the physical and spiritual pain of the cross were betrayal and loneliness (Luke 22:47-48 & Mark 14:66-72). Yes, Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot would betray Him, yet Jesus spent approximately three years with Judas and developed a friendship with Him. To have one of Jesus’ twelve closest friends be the one to bring armed soldiers to arrest Him was the ultimate betrayal. Following this betrayal, Jesus experienced loneliness, as His arrest prompted the disciples to flee. John stays in the vicinity and observes the trial from afar, then rejoins Jesus at the cross, but Peter actually denies Jesus while cursing emphatically. Jesus went through the most terrifying experience any of us could have in our lifetimes – an unfair, completely biased trial founded on trumped up charges, followed by torture, all by Himself. We go through periods of loneliness and trials, but none of us can claim to be as lonely as Christ was as He went through the last hours of His human life prior to death and resurrection.

Jesus overcame all of these human struggles, as well as defeating death for the atonement of our sins. He was not required to do this on our behalf, but chose to make this journey to earth to suffer and die (Phil. 2:5-8). So as you battle on your journey through whatever challenges you face, remember that Jesus has traveled that road as well. He is there by your side, even if you can’t see or feel Him, and He will be waiting at the end of the journey to greet you with arms open wide if you hold fast to Him on the ride we call life (Psalm 84:5-7).

Relationships Matter

2009-12-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

I just turned 33 last month, and now feel strongly that a person’s 30’s should still be considered young. But one of the lessons I’ve learned in my short life is, your relationships matter! Some of the largest mistakes and biggest successes in my life can be chalked up to the relationships around me at the time. Don’t get me wrong; I am not trying to blame other people for my mistakes. My mistakes are mine to own. But I surrounded myself with negative people and then made negative choices.

The same can be true for some of the biggest successes in my life, they have come when I have surrounded myself with quality, upstanding people - namely my wife and some men I have strong bonds with now. See, those people who share my belief in Christ and the moral compass the scripture offers as a guide hold me accountable to live as Christ would like me to live. Those people with whom I made bad decisions did not share the same set of convictions as I, so they flat did not know any better. We cannot expect non-believers to behave as believers if they lack the Holy Spirit. This is why who you take into your closest relationships matters so much. You’ve all heard 2 Corinthians 6:14,which warns us not to “yoke” ourselves with non-believers. A yoke bound two oxen together where one could not move in any direction without the other moving in the same direction. If you yoke in your friendships, romances, and emotional bonds with those who do not share your worldview, that yoke will pull you away from Christ. At the same time, yoking yourself to a strong believer will guide you on the path of righteousness. We must have relationships with those who do not share our values, so that we may be a light to them and evangelize. We cannot, however, confuse association with participation and fall into the dangerous trap of desiring approval from those who do not approve of our Biblical worldview.

Surround yourself, adults and teens, with people who will encourage you to do right, not tempt you to do wrong, and who will hold you accountable before Christ to live as He’d have you live. Do not be offended or defensive if someone calls you on your sin and label them judgmental. If they are doing it in love, they are doing you a favor. Luke 15:7 expresses the joy in heaven over a repentant sinner. Take time to examine your relationships. Who are the parasites to your spiritual health and who are the vitamins strengthening your convictions?

-Pastor Adam

Queasiness and THE Cause

2009-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

My family has dealt with all sorts of sickness over the past month. The most recent foray into the land of germs was God allowing me to experience the best diet on the planet, the stomach flu. What does this have to do with THE Cause? Many people blame God for many of the evils, pain, and suffering in the world. God does cause some things we perceive as bad to happen, but we need to remind ourselves of the nature of God’s original creation. It was “all very good.” (Gen. 1:31) God’s original creation did not know illness, pain, death, or tossing cookies. It was our fault, not God’s, that these bad things made their way into our world. Don’t just blame Adam and Eve. Yes, they fell, but nobody other than Christ has been perfect since. As a part of God’s earthly punishment for sin he enacted turmoil and strife upon all earthly creation.

So next time someone tells you that there can’t be a loving God because of all of the evil in the world, remind them that God did not create evil. In fact, evil really isn’t a “something.” Evil is the lack of good. All that God created was good. He created mankind with the capacity to express our love for Him through voluntarily obedience. This left the possibility for rebellion. Satan exploited this void and man rebelled and fell short of the potential we had to be obedient to God. God knew this would happen, but valued a relationship with mankind enough to create us anyway. He even knew He’d have to send Jesus to atone for our sins in order to restore all creation to its original state, and yet He created us anyway because He loves us and loves the relationship we can have with Him. That’s the good news. For those that believe, the curse of sin, sickness, conflict, and death will be removed and we will again commune with God as Adam and Eve did before they fell. This is the Good News that we share, God’s love shown through the sacrifice of Christ will undo the curse we brought upon ourselves and we will spend forever living face-to-face with our Savior.

The Void, Thanksgiving, and THE Cause

2009-11-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite verses, and one of the hardest to abide by, is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (NIV) The hardest part to abide by is “Be joyful always.” People want circumstances to fulfill them and make them joyful. If life isn’t the best it can possibly be, we whine and complain and want more of something to make us feel better. This void that we feel is a natural one, created in us by our Creator with the intent that we fill it with Him.

We all desire something more in our lives, whether it is companionship, success, meaning, or just to feel good. We have a desire to be fulfilled. Many people try and fill that void with narcotics, alcohol, relationships, sex, work, money, entertainment, or made-up religion. All of those things still leave us empty and we still have the desire to want more. In Christ, we should all be “joyful always,” as our Creator desires a relationship with us and has plans for us bigger than we can comprehend. Those plans, more than likely, are not your plans. Those plans will include pain, stress, possibly illness, hard work, discipline, but ultimately, a heavenly reward to which earth cannot hold a candle. I once heard a pastor say, “Instead of thinking ‘why is God doing this to me,’ we should be asking ‘what is God doing through me.’”

As genuine Christ-followers, we will suffer. We will suffer more than non-believers, as we are targets of Satan in the spiritual battle for people’s souls. Paul, who went through hell-on-earth at times, tells us that the secret to contentment is a relationship to Christ, regardless of circumstances (Philippians 4:13). To be able continually fight for THE Cause you must understand that resistance and trouble will come; otherwise it wouldn’t be described as a war (Ephesians 6:10-19). Do not allow that fight to rob you of your joy. Christ came so that you may have life and have it to the fullest, while the Satan is trying to steal, kill, and destroy you. This Thanksgiving, don’t look to your earthly blessings for contentment and joy, but look to the sacrifice your Savior made for you, and realize that no matter what life, or the Devil, throws at you, Christ is stronger and will uphold you if you hold on to Him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-Pastor Adam

THE Cause

2009-11-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

In November the youth and I traveled on our annual trip to the Dare 2 Share conference in Denver, CO. It was an amazing and life-changing trip for many who attended. The theme was BLAZE, based upon Isaiah 6:1-8, when God commissioned Isaiah and he was basically set ablaze by God almighty. Being passionate for our faith means that we sell out for THE Cause. There are a lot of causes that we can become a part of, socially, morally, and politically. Some of those causes can be very noble and worthy causes for which to fight, but they all pale in comparison to the importance of THE Cause. THE Cause is the cause of Christ. Luke 19:10 tells us that Christ’s cause was to “seek and save the lost.” Furthermore, Christ’s cause was also to make us “fishers of men.” (Matt. 4:19) Christ’s Cause was two fold. He desired to make disciples who make disciples. That is what we are called to do as well. The actual Greek translation of Matthew 28:19 says, “As you are going, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” There is no final destination at which we are to share our faith. We are called by Christ to share our faith all along our life journey. Once those disciples are made, we are to bring them along in the faith and to train them in how to make disciples.

So take a few moments to consider the causes for which you burn and fight. Abortion? Gun-rights? Save the rain forest? None of them are nearly as important as Christ’s cause, yet for some reason we are willing to go to the mat and fight tooth-and-nail for our politics, but our passion for our faith is sadly non-existent. All other causes are empty without first dedicating your life to Christ. Not just a component of your life, but your entire life to Christ. John 14:12a tells us, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.” Are you living for THE Cause? Do you even want to live for THE Cause? Because if you say, as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:8, “Here I am Lord, send me,” and God takes you up on your offer, life will be flipped upside-down for you. Your priorities, lifestyle, time, activities, entire life will change. It will cause fear, suffering, frustration, struggle, temptation; but will also bring you fulfillment, joy, and an intimacy with Christ that you may have never experienced before. Sell out for THE Cause, everything else is fruitless.

- Pastor Adam