Storm said that to Wolverine in the first X-Men movie.
Jeff told an interesting story to the youth tonight and I thought I'd share it with you. Some may find it kind of cheesy, but that doesn't change the message.
Jesus and Satan are in a pasture walking the same direction on opposite sides of a fence. When they see a group congregated near the fence line, they walk up and engage them in a conversation.
Then comes the invitation. Jesus says, "If you come to my side of the fence, it will take a firm commitment. Things won't always be easy. In fact, sometimes, it might be near impossible. However, I promise that I will never leave and I promise that once everything is over with, you'll live forever in Heaven with me."
The group liked the idea of living forever, so many of them started to head over to Jesus' side of the fence, but then Satan spoke up. "Look, everyone. You come to my side of the fence and I won't require any kind of commitment from you. We'll have a good time. Live it up and party hard."
The group seemed split. Some went to Jesus' side of the fence. More went to Satan's.
One person couldn't seem to make a decision. On one hand, he loved the idea of living forever and he might really be buying into this Jesus guy, but on the other hand, it sure was enticing to party hard and go with Satan. For now, he decided that he would just sit on the fence. Dead center. No choice made.
Everyone left him there. Sitting on the fence wondering what would happen next.
Later, Satan came back. "Boy, it's time you came with me now."
"Umm, no. You see, I'm undecided. I'm sitting here right in the middle of the fence. I'm not on Jesus' side where I could live forever, but maybe have it kind of tough and I'm not on your side living it up."
Satan replied, "You don't seem to understand. You're mine now. I own the fence."
Call it cheesy if you want, but I still thought that the point was quite clear. You have to choose. Not choosing is a choice.
I wonder how many people sit in our pews walking on the fence? Doing the whole Jesus thing because everlasting life sure does sound enticing, but not fully buying into it. Still living for themselves.
Now, here's where I note that many of those who will come across my blog in one way or another have made their choice. They have chosen Jesus and they live like they have. There is no middle ground for them.
How many teenagers do I encounter each day who talk of going to church and being a Christian, but obviously don't try to live like they are? Sadly, most of them.
I was talking to a student just today who was mentioning how she would react violently if provoked. I asked her if that was the way Jesus would respond. Before she even thought to say yes or no, she said that today wasn't a "church day." And this was the instant where she caught herself and realized that yes, it is Wednesday, and yes, she did go to church on Wednesdays. However, she made a direct link between living right and talking about Jesus only when she was on her way to church.
It blows me away at the amount of people that I encounter who live like that. We'll be good and straight-laced on Sunday (and maybe Wednesday), but the rest of the week is for me.
These are the people who have chosen a side and don't even realize it. They claim to know Christ. Some can even tell you of a conversion experience that they had when they were in the 7th grade. Some can tell you about the day that they got baptized. But they don't really know Christ. There was never a conversion (implying that something has radically changed). And the baptism? Well, that was just a show, right?
Sadly, these are the people who believe that they have their bus ticket to an awesome afterlife, but, I believe, in the end, Jesus will look at them and say, "Depart from me, for I never knew you (Matthew 7:23)." These are the people who don't really understand how narrow the way and how small the gate is that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). They don't understand that their lives are probably headed down the road that leads to destruction.
So, I ask again, how many people sitting in pews this Sunday are on that road that leads to destruction? I fear that the number is greater than we think.
If they are in the very building built to minister to them, how, then can we get them to walk on Jesus' side of the fence?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
It's An Epidemic!
One thing that has always weighed heavy on my heart is teenagers and sex. It breaks my heart to hear kids walking through the halls of Conroe High talking about things that they shouldn't be experiencing yet. It breaks my heart to see 15, 16, 17 and 18 years old girls walking down the halls about to pop. (Just the other day, I proctored a test and in the room was a 10th grader who just celebrated her daughter's 3rd birthday...I'm 28 and my oldest daughter has yet to turn 3). That's alot of responsibility for a kid to handle.
But it's more than that. It's more than the responsibility that they are forced to undertake. It's the hearts that it breaks. Each others' (when it invariably doesn't work out), any children who might be involved and most importantly, the Lord's.
Now, I haven't been employed at many schools...only 3, but the problem of sexual immorality is worse here at Conroe High than anywhere else I've been. In my first two years of teaching, I could count on one hand the amount of students that I had who had children or were about to. At Conroe High, my hands and feet wouldn't be enough to count in this one school year. And that breaks my heart because I know that it breaks God's.
Popular culture has done nothing to diminish this epidemic. Add to that a generation of students who, for the most part, are growing up with no moral code and you have teenagers who grow up believing that "Whatever is, is right (Alexander Pope)."
Killeen had a program called "Worth the Wait." Students would wear shirts that said on the front "I am..." and on the back, "worth the wait!" It takes a strong support system and a school to encourage that kind of behavior and commitment...and yes, it is a commitment.
Even the good kids. The ones who I know attend church and have a strong relationship with Jesus have admitted to me that they have fallen victim to the temptation. I remember one time in class, somehow, we got on the topic of waiting for your future husband/wife. I had one student, who I respect and admire for her relationship with Christ say, "I wish I could do that." It broke my heart. Since then, I always wonder: "Has this kid, who professes Christ so boldly fallen victim to the temptation?" The cynic in me often finds myself saying, "Probably."
It has become so problematic that I know a youth minister once told his youth group that the majority of them would probably have sex before marriage if they hadn't already. How sad is that? Giving the students a prophecy to fulfill because you assume that it's going to happen. Hopefully, he wasn't right.
It's a problem that weighs heavy on me. When I see and hear these kids showing no regard to their purity, it saddens me.
That's why today was so refreshing.
During my conference period/lunch break I had a student making up a test. While she was taking her test, another student came in and sat down, almost in tears. She walked out of her class because all the kids around her were talking about was sex. She said she hears it at church, at school and she's tired of it. And it broke her heart.
How good to see a student who respects her body. A student who loves the Lord enough to stand up and say that she is tired of hearing about it. It's good to know that there are still some who know what God has said about it and are willing to take a stand to wait.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
But it's more than that. It's more than the responsibility that they are forced to undertake. It's the hearts that it breaks. Each others' (when it invariably doesn't work out), any children who might be involved and most importantly, the Lord's.
Now, I haven't been employed at many schools...only 3, but the problem of sexual immorality is worse here at Conroe High than anywhere else I've been. In my first two years of teaching, I could count on one hand the amount of students that I had who had children or were about to. At Conroe High, my hands and feet wouldn't be enough to count in this one school year. And that breaks my heart because I know that it breaks God's.
Popular culture has done nothing to diminish this epidemic. Add to that a generation of students who, for the most part, are growing up with no moral code and you have teenagers who grow up believing that "Whatever is, is right (Alexander Pope)."
Killeen had a program called "Worth the Wait." Students would wear shirts that said on the front "I am..." and on the back, "worth the wait!" It takes a strong support system and a school to encourage that kind of behavior and commitment...and yes, it is a commitment.
Even the good kids. The ones who I know attend church and have a strong relationship with Jesus have admitted to me that they have fallen victim to the temptation. I remember one time in class, somehow, we got on the topic of waiting for your future husband/wife. I had one student, who I respect and admire for her relationship with Christ say, "I wish I could do that." It broke my heart. Since then, I always wonder: "Has this kid, who professes Christ so boldly fallen victim to the temptation?" The cynic in me often finds myself saying, "Probably."
It has become so problematic that I know a youth minister once told his youth group that the majority of them would probably have sex before marriage if they hadn't already. How sad is that? Giving the students a prophecy to fulfill because you assume that it's going to happen. Hopefully, he wasn't right.
It's a problem that weighs heavy on me. When I see and hear these kids showing no regard to their purity, it saddens me.
That's why today was so refreshing.
During my conference period/lunch break I had a student making up a test. While she was taking her test, another student came in and sat down, almost in tears. She walked out of her class because all the kids around her were talking about was sex. She said she hears it at church, at school and she's tired of it. And it broke her heart.
How good to see a student who respects her body. A student who loves the Lord enough to stand up and say that she is tired of hearing about it. It's good to know that there are still some who know what God has said about it and are willing to take a stand to wait.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Thursday, March 4, 2010
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