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3 Questions

February 1, 2012 in Cultural Connection with 0 Comments

I’m in the midst of a ton of training. This past weekend, I finished a seminary class. All this week, I am in a conference hosted by 3DM about Multiplying Missional Leaders. Last night, I started another seminary class. 24 hours of class in 4 days (with 12 more to go by tomorrow)!

From these, I have 3 questions that are important for creating common language. If we don’t have common language, we can’t communicate well. This is obvious with English and Bangladesh or Cantonese, but we can actually have uncommon language within English itself.

That being said…

1) What all is involved in discipleship?

2) What do you think is the purpose of preaching?

3) What does the word “missional” mean to you?

If you’ve got answers (which you do) I would love to hear them in the comments!

5 Important Lessons From The Hunger Games Trilogy

January 10, 2012 in Cultural Connection with 9 Comments

I recently finished reading The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and really enjoyed it. The books can be rather dark and even brutal, but tell a great story about human determination and gave me a few things to think about.

If you haven’t read the books, here is a brief synopsis: Far into the future North America has collapsed and been replaced by the country of Panem. Panem consists of 13 districts (although one was destroyed) and the Capitol. The Capitol runs the districts with an iron fist, and the symbol of their power is the hunger games in which each of the 12 districts must send 1 male and 1 female between the ages of 12 and 18 to fight to the death.

If you can handle Gladiator style fighting (it’s a teen book, so it is brutal but doesn’t get too detailed) I highly recommend the books (get them here). A movie is being released in March, and no doubt everyone will be talking about them. So if you haven’t read them, stop reading this post and get the books (unless you’ll never read them, then read the post) because I’m going to hit on some spoilers.

Big Ideas from the Hunger Games

In each of these, I start with what I think Collins is saying and finish with my thoughts on her message:

1) People have always been corrupt: Collins presents a barbaric future. My thoughts: Several times I thought, “I wonder if something this bad could ever happen.” Each time, I realized this has already happened and is sometimes still happening. Look at the Gladiator games, child soldiers in Africa and Asia, and sex trafficking today. When we don’t go through hard times, we can forget that other people live in suffering. Perhaps we should show gratefulness for comfortable lives by helping others in need (Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 25:35).

2) True Love is marked by serving: Peeta spends his entire life caring and protecting Katniss. He is not trying to earn something from her, but protect her and even give his life for hers. My thoughts: I recently read a Daniel Radcliffe interview (actor who plays Harry Potter) who said love is when the other person makes you happy. Sorry Daniel, but Peeta gets it a lot better than you (Ephesians 5:25).

3) The endless cycle of human destruction:  Towards the end, two characters have an exchange about how humans continually set themselves up to destroy each other, and this cycle will probably never end. My thoughts: This made me think about how much we need a true savior, and the only person who qualifies is Jesus. Without him, we really have no hope (Acts 10:36).

4) Wasteful Consumption is Bad: The people of the Capitol did everything in excess. They even had drinks that would make them puke so they could eat their full multiple times in one meal. Meanwhile, the people in the districts starve. My thoughts: There is a balance here, but we need to be careful not to buy into American consumerism. When consumption drives us, we stop caring about others and start seeking satisfaction in “things” that can never satisfy like God can (Jeremiah 2:13).

5) Some wounds never heal:  The victors from the Hunger Games never make a true recovery. Some go on to get married and have children,  but they are still haunted by nightmares and psychological problems. My thoughts: While I do think there is an incredible amount of healing in our world, I actually agree with this. Some people are hurt so deep they cannot find complete healing in this life. The beauty of Christianity, however, is that healing does come in eternity (Revelation 21:4)

Have you read the Hunger Games? What struck you the most?

Is Jesus God?

December 2, 2011 in Cultural Connection, FAQ's of Faith, Handy Theology with 0 Comments

People often argue that Jesus, though a great man who did a lot of nice things, was not God. They say he should be respected and remembered, but they refuse to worship him. C.S. Lewis writes my favorite response to those who claim Jesus was not God in his book, Mere Christianity

“people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

There you have it! If Jesus claimed to be God, but was not God, then he was either crazy (I love the poached egg remark) or evil.

But there are some, still, who argue that Jesus did not claim to be God. They believe the apostles turned him into God in the later writings of the New Testament. This argument, however, does not stand either. In the Gospels, we see Jesus do the following:

In Mark 9:2-13 Jesus reveals his true nature to the disciples. Sorry, but his radiance does not come from being a moral teacher.

In John 5:18-29 Jesus clearly identifies himself as the Son of God. Although some people today may think this makes him less important than God, in the Jewish culture there was no mistake: being a son meant equality with God. Even the enemies of Jesus recognized the meaning of his claim!

In Matthew 28:19 he calls us to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three are equal, but notice how they are still unified as one! He does not say the names, but rather the name. Jesus shows us here that there is only one God, and yet three persons.

In John 8:53-58 we see a couple of things. First, a small explanation about why Jesus did not toot his own horn all the time about being God! If he glorified himself, it would mean nothing. His glory is demonstrated to the people through the Father. Secondly, we see one of the boldest claims Jesus made: “before Abraham was, I am.” This both identifies his eternal nature and union with God. “I AM” is the holy name that God identifies himself with when speaking to Moses in the burning bush. When Jesus said this, he was either speaking truth or the highest form of blasphemy possible in Israel.

So then, what do you think? Is Jesus the Lord, a Liar, or a Lunatic?

I highly recommend you purchase Mere Christianity. It’s an incredible read and an even better re-read. Get it here: Buy Mere Christianity
(affiliate link)

How to Explain the Gospel (part 2)

November 20, 2011 in Cultural Connection, Handy Theology with 1 Comment

Last Monday I started a mini-series on sharing the Gospel. Catch part 1 here.

Why?

If you want to convince someone to do anything, the first step is to answer the question, “why?” You can explain the Gospel and tell them exactly how to become a follower of Jesus, but if you fail to give an incentive, then they’ll have no reason for following.

Things are Not Quite Right

Have you ever noticed that things are not exactly right in the world? The Penn State scandal, world hunger and poverty, our own personal days of depression or injury. The list could go on and on, and you know exactly the type of thing I am talking about. If we know things are not right, however, then there must be a right standard. If only bad things existed in the world, they would not be bad. They would just be things.

There are certainly moments that bring peace and contentment and demonstrate that which is right. Maybe the moment strikes after a great meal, when you are enjoying time with your family, when you hear some incredible music, or when you are hiking and reach the top of the mountain. Whatever the case, when we’re honest we know the difference between the good things and the bad.

New Zealand Mountains

I consider this view a good thing

How do we know the good from the bad?

The reason we know the difference between good and bad is woven into our very DNA. When we do the things we were “meant” to do, we experience the feeling that things are right in the world. We were meant to be loved, we were meant for good music, and we were meant to be amazed by Creation! If there is no Creator, there is no purpose. If there is no purpose, there is no good or bad. Things just happen at random!

But we cannot deny that there are good and bad things. Therefore we cannot deny that we were meant for something. Therefore we cannot deny that we have a Creator. Even if we do not know our purpose, we have all spent time pondering it and wondering how we got here.

The Good

Where did the good come from? Our Creator. God created the heavens and the earth and all the living creatures within. He is a perfect God and made it perfectly. We were intended to only experience the good things, those things that bring peace, joy, and contentment. Because He desired to have authentic relationship with man, God gave us the choice to love Him in return. Instead, we chose to reject Him. This is when the bad things started.

The Bad

When man rejected God, we rejected the source of life, purpose, joy, peace, and things greater than our imagination can fathom. When we rebelled, we brought the bad experiences into the world. Hurt, pain, suffering, poverty, sickness, hunger, and everything else that makes you shake your head in disgust (Genesis 3:16-20 is not pleasant). All of it is a result of our sin.

Sin, by definition, is lawlessness. It is rebellion and rejection of God, and everyone is guilty of it. While it can twist the good things in life so that we find some pleasure in sin, it is an addictive trap and destructive force that ultimately  separates us from our loved ones and from God.

Why?

Like I said, the first question to answer is, why? Quite simply, we need to accept the Gospel because it is our only hope of escaping the destructive power of sin. It is our only means of being restored to the relationship with God that we were created for. It is the only path to complete peace and fulfillment.

In other words, the Gospel is the solution to all the bad things in the world. And that is worth investigating. How does it resolve the problems? Stay tuned…

*All of the above can be found in Genesis 1-3

Friday’s FAQ’s of Faith: Why all the talk?

November 18, 2011 in Cultural Connection, FAQ's of Faith, Handy Theology with 0 Comments

Today’s question comes from Alecia: Lately I hear of so many people discussing the end times…terms like pre-millenium, post millenium, etc.  Why are topics such as the end times & predestination so highly discussed?!?!  They don’t determine our salvation. 

Hey Alecia! Thanks for the question, and you are correct! Those things do not determine our salvation, but they do affect the way we live.

First, a couple of disclaimers:

1) Theological knowledge should never lead to pride: Many people like to discuss big words in theology (like eschatology, pre-millenialism, amyraldianism, supra lapsarianism, etc) just so they can sound smart and impress people. These types of people also enjoy making you feel stupid when you’ve never heard of a word, even though that word is named after some Latin fellow who died over 1,000 years ago. Basically, if you’re learning or discussing theology because we want to be smarter than others, you’ve completely missed the point of theology.

2) Major on the majors and minor on the minors: A major issue is a deal breaker for someone’s salvation. For instance, believing that Jesus died and rose again. A minor issue is one that is important and is discussed in the Bible, but does not negate your salvation. An example of a minor issue would be your view on end times (pre, a, or post-millenialism as you said). Discuss them, debate them, but at the end of the day remember you are unified by your belief and love of Christ, and that is the most important thing.

3) Learn to discuss with tact: Our culture seems to have forgotten how to do this. Any disagreement automatically leads to a shouting match that sounds like 4 year olds fighting over the last butterfinger in Earth. It is possible to debate someone without attacking them personally, raising your voice, or being a jerk. Until you learn how to do that, it’s probably best that you just pray for the people you disagree with.

To answer your question:

Those types of theology questions are important because a correct understanding of them will cause us to glorify God more. It will also help us to live in our identity and be free! While I don’t have time or space to address each issue you mentioned, I would encourage you to approach them with humility and recognize that they can add depth to your relationship with God.

I know a lot about my wife, I know enough about her to have married her! But there is still more to her that I want to find out about because those things make me love her all the more. The same is true with God, being redeemed and saved by Him is one thing, but our relationship will only get better when we seek Him out and desire to know His entire Word.

Thanks Alecia, and if anyone else has a question about religion, feel free to ask it in the comments!

Marriage Contract vs Covenant

November 9, 2011 in Cultural Connection, Marriage with 0 Comments

The tabloids went crazy last week because of the Kardashian divorce. This infuriates me for a few reasons:

1) I still don’t understand why anyone cares about the Kardashians. They’ve done nothing worth anything that I know of.

2) I cannot stand divorce. (Just to clarify, this does not mean I cannot stand divorced people. In fact, part of the reason I cannot stand divorce is the way it hurts the people who have to go through it).

3) I hate the fact that our country is at a place now where people laugh and say, “saw this coming!”

One of the main problems in our culture is that we understand marriage as a contract, not as a covenant. The difference may seem subtle, but it is tremendously important.

With this ring

Contract

In a contract involving two parties, you make the following agreement: Person A will give Person B something when Person B delivers something to Person A. For instance, when I was a young business mogel, mowing lawns in my neighborhood I (Person B) would get paid when I mowed the lawn for Person A. I delivered a service, and so received payment.

Many people view marriage in a similar context. Choosing two totally random names, let’s say Kim and Kris, the scene plays out like this. “I Kim, take you Kris, because you will make me happy. I’ll love you, because you brighten my day.”

The problem with this understanding of marriage is that, as anyone who has been married knows, there will be days when your spouse does not make you happy! When people start to feel unhappy about their marriage, they leave. Why? Because they think they got married to receive happiness from their contractual partner. When the service stops, so does the payment.

Covenant

A covenant, while still involving a mutual agreement, is quite different than a contract. In a covenant, Person A agrees to give Person B something, regardless of what Person B does. God loves us in this way. When we choose to believe in Him and follow Him, we are His no matter what.  In marriage, the application is simple:

“I, Kim, will love you Kris, regardless of how you act on any given day. Rather than waiting on you to serve me, I will choose to serve you and love you no matter what.”

If we understand marriage as a covenant, then, happiness is not a good excuse for leaving. Why? Because we vowed to stay and love even on days when we weren’t happy! We recognize that our marriage and commitment is more important. We stay together through the hard times, and the payoff is actually worth it. Studies have shown that divorced people do not become happier, and have even found that 2/3 of marriages that decide to stick together through hard times are much happier 5 years later.

The beauty of this, of course, is that when both people in a marriage see their relationship as a covenant, they will typically be pretty happy. Why? Because when each person seeks to serve and love the other, regardless of what the other is doing, both people end up receiving a lot more love and service than could have been possible in a self-serving contract relationship.

Remember, marriage is a covenant, not a contract. Yes, there are extreme circumstances where even a covenant can be broken, but those decisions should not be taken lightly. Choose to love and serve your spouse, even on days when things are tough, and you’ll be blessed for it.

What is your favorite way to show your spouse that you love them?

Negativity Kills (Literally)

October 24, 2011 in Abundant Life, Cultural Connection, Handy Theology, Marriage with 2 Comments

Last year I read a simple, interesting book called “How Full is Your Bucket.”

I didn’t realize it at the time, but the book was extremely influential on me. Even now, rarely does a week go by where I do not think of the book’s simple message and see it’s usefulness in real life.

The Argument:

Despite being based in decades of scientific research, the concept is so simple it could be in a kid’s book (actually, it is in a kid’s book). Everybody has an imaginary “bucket” and “ladle.” When you say something encouraging or positive to another person, you fill their bucket. Most of us realize this, but we fail to notice that filling another person’s bucket also fills our own bucket.

Conversely, when we say something degrading or negative to another person, we dip out of their bucket. Again, when we dip out of someone’s bucket, we also dip out of our own bucket. It’s ironic, because most people who say condescending things are trying to feel better about themselves, but ultimately it makes them feel worse.

Negativity breeds negativity, and positivity creates positivity. The book had several fascinating case studies. Businesses around the country with negative work environments or negative employees lose billions of dollars every year compared to those in positive environments. They also predicted marriage success rates incredibly accurately after observing couples positive and negative interactions for merely 15 minutes.

It is seriously insane how much of a difference negativity or positivity can make in your life and the lives of others, but no case study stuck out to me more than the following:
Stay positive and click to read the rest

How to See the World

October 19, 2011 in Cultural Connection, Handy Theology with 4 Comments

I love travelling, but despite this post’s misleading title I am not about to talk about it.

Rather, I want to talk about the appropriate way for Christians to view and interact with the world.

We recently had a high school retreat and Dave Rhodes (on twitter: @dave_rhodes) of Wayfarer Ministries spoke to our students. Dave’s an excellent teacher and had many great things to say, and this was one of them:

We tend to think there are three possible ways of living life. I have several diagrams to demonstrate this, so get excited because I worked hard on them.

The Setting: We put ourselves in between God and the World.

Life Option #1: We choose to seek after the things of this world (pride, selfishness, sexual immorality, etc).


Click to read the rest and see your other options!

Friday’s FAQ’s of Faith: What’s missing?

October 7, 2011 in Cultural Connection, FAQ's of Faith with 3 Comments

*Every Friday, I answer questions that people ask in the comments section. Feel free to add your own answer or ask a new question for a future post.

Today’s question comes from Kyle, “What is the biggest thing that the Church today is overseeing/missing out on that the Church 2000 years ago was doing?”

Great question Kyle! You will get different answers based on who you ask, but I am convinced that the church today is in desperate need of making disciples of the next generation.

Discipleship in Action

Last spring I spoke with a seminary professor who lived in England for a few years. He said the church there has almost died in less than 100 years. He met people and told them he was a pastor, and almost everyone would say, “Oh that’s cool. I’ve never really been to church, but I know my grandparents did.”

I asked him what the cause of this problem was, and he instantly and emphatically said there was no discipleship of the next generation.  Continue Reading…

Sheep and Cliff Jumping

October 5, 2011 in Cultural Connection, Handy Theology with 0 Comments

This is the 3rd post in a series about my time as a shepherd in New Zealand. God often compares people to sheep in the Bible, and I learned some incredible lessons while on the farm. Catch the first post HERE and the second HERE and pictures HERE. 

Do you remember when you tried convincing your mother that your behavior was justified because one of your friends or siblings was also guilty? For instance, when she asked me why I took my sister’s barbie dolls and surgically removed their heads, I would say, “Taylor was doing it too!”

My Mom had an automatic response to this argument, and yours did too: “If Taylor jumped off a cliff, would you jump too?”

Follow the Leader!

If you asked a sheep that question, its response would be, “sure!”

As I’ve said before, sheep are not the sharpest shears in the shed. They will walk to the edge of a cliff, see a dandelion far below, and think to themselves, “say, that looks tasty, and it’s only a [very big] step away!” They proceed to fall over the edge.

The crazy thing is, I would not put it past one sheep to follow another sheep over the edge of the cliff for the same dandelion.

I told this story to a group of 6th graders, and one of them drew the incredible cartoon you see to your right. It’s amazing. I still can’t believe a 6th grader can draw 50 times better than me.

I actually saw the results of this in New Zealand. We were moving a herd of sheep when I looked up along the edge of a cliff to see that a sheep had fallen off. As funny as the thought of cliff jumping sheep is, it was actually quite sad to see in real life.

Even more sad? Seeing people jump off “cliffs”, only to have others follow them.
Jump off the cliff and keep reading

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