Do you know what’s on your student’s cell phone?

“Do you ever sext?” 

These are words I recently overhead in my student ministry. A group of guys were unaware that I was just around the corner as they carried on a serious conversation about their experimentations with “sexting.” In case you are wondering, sexting can be defined as “sending/receiving text messages with sexual content/pictures.” As you read this, you are probably saying, “No way, not my student.” Honestly, if I could have picked out students whom I would have suspected as “sexters,” these guys would have been at the bottom of the list. Truthfully, even the strongest of student leaders can fall in this area. 

As a culture, we are passing out cell phones like candy and we aren’t even thinking about the danger. If I surveyed the students in my student ministry, I would guess that around 90-95 percent of all our students 6th-12th grade have a phone. There is nothing wrong with having a phone, but we need to be aware that phones have the potential to be a gateway to trouble. We’ve written off cell phones as harmless communication tools because they have a four inch screen. What damage could be done with a 4 inch screen? We guard our laptops with passwords, put filters on our family computer, safeguard our families with accountability tools, but cell phones are somehow forgotten. This must change! 

If we want to protect our students and discipline them for the purpose of godliness (1Timothy4:7b), we must be willing to do hard things. We must be willing to ask our students difficult questions about what they are doing on their phone. We must be willing to closely monitor pictures, viewing history, text messages, and app purchases. We must be willing to cut off data packages, restrict text messages, or just cut off phone usage all together. 

In my few short years in student ministry, I have helped parents and leaders guide their kids through sexting issues, inappropriate pictures being sent to boyfriends and girlfriends, and pornographic apps that would make anyone cringe. This is a very real issue! We must wake up and engage our students with the gospel. Let’s stop worrying about being their friend, and instead, let’s be their accountability! 

Put a Bible in Their Hands!

Our society of privilege pushes and promotes seemingly “essential” material items into our lives. Companies regularly introduce the newest, hottest replacement item for the gadget we overpaid for last year, and without objection, we believe we have to have it. We might buy it ourselves, add it to our Christmas list, or hope that we can hang on to a girlfriend long enough to receive it for a two-month anniversary gift. Whatever the method, these “essentials” end up in our hands to fulfill our entertainment needs. But what about our eternal needs? 

Even as I write, I’m typing on a Mac computer that I deemed an absolutely necessity for work. (Interestingly, there are three Mac “necessities” on my desk.) I glance at my year-old cell phone on the charger, and remember that just this morning I was considering a possible upgrade. Yesterday I noticed my bookshelves—cluttered with funny, pointless knick-knacks. But amongst all the stuff, I spotted a Bible that I received when I was 8 years old. It was a Christmas gift in 1993. Its worn-out binding is now held together with duct tape, and the once- gold lettering is invisible now. Clearly, this Bible has seen better days. Looking at the book, I realized that most of the stuff that I’ve received since 1993—all those things I hoped for and dreamed about—are long-forgotten. I don’t know where those things I once treasured have gone—whether they’ve broken, been sold at a garage sale, trashed… Wherever it all is, it’s not important. Yet, this Bible still is! I can thumb through different chapters and remember how God worked on me. Memories of church retreats, sermons, personal studies come to mind. I am reminded of the time when I walked the aisle to commit myself to vocational ministry, carrying this very book in my hands. I remember leading someone to the Lord with this Bible. I’m wowed when I remember how God used this book to change my life. Of all the things I could have received in 1993, my parents put a Bible in my hand. I’m grateful for that Bible. In fact, it may have been the most meaningful gift I have ever received. 

Parents, consider putting a Bible in your student’s hands. While many of this year’s treasures become next year’s trash, the Word of the Lord is unchanging in its value. Give a gift that can change their life!

Hebrews 4:12 “But the word of God is living and powerful.”

To Speak or Not to Speak

To Speak or Not to Speak:

As an FCA chaplain, I have the great honor and pleasure to work with high

school athletes and coaches on a weekly basis. During football season, I bring a

devotional from God’s Word every Thursday afternoon, and I serve the team on the

sidelines on Friday night. Even with years of FCA experience under my belt, I’m often

conflicted about when I should express my convictions and when it’s a better expression

of grace to keep quiet altogether. See, most of my team does not know the Lord, and

as expected, they walk, talk, and act like they’re lost. It takes a heavy dose of wisdom to

decide: When I hear or see certain things from the team, do I respond with expression

of Biblical conviction or do I just keep quiet, hoping they see a picture of grace? My fear

is that if I say something convicting, these players and coaches will shut me out and I’ll

risk a hard-earned connection and platform for sharing the Gospel.

Last Friday I had to make one of those difficult decisions. One of the players on the

team was struggling. He was the unfortunate victim of a bad call, and while walking the

sidelines, he decided to tell off an opposing fan, who was working with the chain gang.

(Those are the guys that work with the first down marker.) I had a decision to make:

Do I reprimand this disrespectful player who had and bad attitude and used a string of

profanity that would make a sailor blush? (What did sailors to earn such a bad rep?)

Or do I simply remain quiet? I decided to express myself. I grabbed his jersey, looked

him in the eyes and very firmly expressed God’s standard for respect, attitude, and

language.

Surprisingly, the player responded, “Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll clean it up.”

He received what I said! He didn’t shut down...he didn’t close himself off. I was

shocked. Remember—I’m not a part of the coaching staff. He doesn’t have to listen to

me. I spoke to him later that night and there was definitely still a ministry connection.

I still don’t have a straight-forward answer for when it’s best to keep quiet and

when it’s best to speak out, but I do know that we need to in tune with the Holy Spirit.

We need to rely on “The Helper” to guide and direct. To be honest, I lean towards grace

and silence, hoping my testimony and grace makes the impact—but I cannot forget that

grace needs expression. We cannot be afraid to share God’s Word! We cannot be

afraid to take a stand. The outcome may surprise you.

Is God girly?

Is God girly? This thought has been spinning around in my head lately. It seems that Christianity is growing into a new phase of life that makes God feminine. Of course we 

know that God cannot be defined as female by any accurate Biblical interpretation. Godʼs divine character is not bound in the dualism of the sexual orientation of humanity, but how are people understanding Him? Do people associate God with rainbowʼs and roses, smiley faces and stained glass? In the 1995 Dishwalla song (Iʼm going old school)... “tell me you all your thoughts on God because I really want to meet her” 

continues my thought, why would someone associate God with being female? 

Perhaps the answer is this: 

1. Church is somewhat girly (generally speaking) 

ABC news in 2002 (I know this is old, but Iʼm sure itʼs only grown worse) conducted a survey of men & women that attend religious services. It was discovered that of those surveyed 44% were women while only 32% were men. This statistic grows even more shocking when you look at the Catholic church. Of those surveyed that said they attend weekly religious services, 49% were women while only 26% were men. 

OUCH! Whatʼs wrong with church? (And when I talk about church, Iʼm not talking about the bigger picture of the collection of saints, Iʼm talking about service and activities hosted by a local body.) Iʼm sure there are many reason why these numbers are the case, but maybe one of the most evident reasons is that church is catered to a feminine nature. Think about it? What is church? Songs and hand holding, babies in the nursery, potluck, carpet and decorations (that were probably influenced by a committee of women), soft colors, mood music, and family friendly retreats. 

No wonder men donʼt go to church. Church should be a place where men can come and be men without having to check their testosterone at the door. Have we forgot that Genesis 1:26 says that we were created in the image of God? God created man in his image. So man and his testosterone in many ways is a reflection of God. 

So where are all the UFC church fellowships? 

2. People pick and choose the character of God 

People all over pick and choose what characteristics of God they want to believe in. Some really like his love...God is love (this is not debatable) they say, and forever the think of a drunk love or a stupid love, maybe a mushy love or a romance love. Others think that God is kind, overly polite kind, maybe annoying kind, so kind that God wonʼt even talk back in a conversation because all he wants to do is let you talk. Others think of His holiness and repeat Revelationʼs angelic cry “Holy, Holy, Holy”.......let me remind you that Iʼm not questioning any of the character of God; Iʼm questioning the preaching, teaching, learning of the character of God without the balance of the COMPLETENESS of the Character of God. We must consider all of God when strive to be like God. Most often we forget the portions of God that have masculine connections....justice, righteous anger, punishment. Judges 15 says that the Holy Spirit came upon Samson and he struck down a 1000 men. 

Now balance that with God is love. 

My wife reminds me that I can sound harsh when I write. She also reminds me that things written feel much more strong than words spoken. So if you dislike something I 

said, or felt that I was harsh, I apologize. That is not my intention!  I have a passion for seeing men in our church. I don’t want men to run from church under the false idea that God is girly. Nothing about the Gospel is girly! I want to look out from the pulpit and see men. I want those statistics to be changed. I want men to be the leaders of their homes, their communities, and their churches. 

I want men back in church. 

So what was God feeling?

A few weeks ago my late night TV viewing was interrupted with breaking news: Osama Bin Laden is dead...US Seal Team forces, blah blah blah...I couldn’t believe it. The media had talked up this one man for so long; two presidents had put years of their administration in search of him. I have read numerous news articles about Osama over the years, all wondering where he might be: Is he hiding under a rock? Is he being sheltered by a foreign government? Where is Osama? After 9/11, Osama’s name seemed to be as popular as the president himself and soon the entire west was looking for him. Now, ten or so years later, news reporters are announcing that he was finally brought to justice. Justice? I like that word, but who’s definition of justice? Was justice served to the innocent people that had died by his orchestrated plans? Or was a bigger idea of justice satisfied? Did God receive justice? Many different pastors and church leaders have taken different sides on this issue. But from all the opinions there appears to be two camps: one group that weeps over the bloodshed of a man bound for hell, and another that cheers believing his death is necessary for the protection of the world. The night of this breaking news, my facebook was flooded with status updates. Some cheered, “He’s dead...finally.” Some said, “Rock on America...we killed him. Justice is served.” Others wrote, “I’m so sad he is in hell,” or “I’m crying because this man was failed to be reached with the Gospel.” Reading all these opinions and seeing so many striking reactions made me think: What did God feel? God clearly doesn’t rejoice in the death of any individual (Ezekiel 18:23), and God is love (1 John 4:8, John 3:16). So did God cry? But isn’t He just? Ezekiel says His anger can be satisfied by action. Proverbs talks about God’s laughter during calamity. This is confusing...what is God feeling? Maybe God is feeling all of these things. Maybe God has mixed emotions. That’s it! God is a god that is way more complex than just one emotion and one feeling. God is Holy, Just, Love, Compassionate and Kind. I’m sure when Osama died, God felt a number of emotions because God has a number of different qualities. Now that I think about it....maybe the mixed emotions we often experience are indicative of the fact that we’re created in the image of a complex God.