ASK!!!

There is a bumper sticker popular among Christians that demonstrates an anti-questioning attitude perfectly. It says, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it."

That bumper sticker annoys the crap out of me, and here’s why:

Jesus always listened, responded, and even rewarded people who came to him with honest questions. The "God said it, I believe it, that settles it" mentality is just blind acceptance. It makes it seem as if God is not interested in a dialogue with us. This could not be further from the truth!

I love it when I am challenged by a student that doesn't accept everything I say as absolute truth when I teach. This shows me that they are having trouble understanding or even believing what I'm saying and also that they are being honest about their doubt. If there's one thing I can't stand it's a "Yes Man." A Yes Man is someone that never questions leadership and always tells the leader what he or she wants to hear. This is what I love about Middle School and High School students. They are hungry and seeking. That's when I take them to the Bible to see what it has to say about the subject and sometimes even have to seek further counsel by Pastor Steve.

Have you ever lost some money, your keys, a puppy? How do you go about finding them?
You search for them!

Keep asking questions!!!

Churchianity vs Christianity

Lately a lot of you have been asking EXCELLENT questions about Jesus, salvation, and how to get to Heaven. We talked to one student yesterday that was confused because religion (man's attempt to get to God) tells us one way to satisfy God and then eventually go to Heaven, and the Bible (GOD'S WORD!!!) tells us another. I've compiled a short list to help you differentiate between the two. This doesn't cover everything, but I tried to answer some of the questions you've been asking. The following is what religion tells us compared to what the Gospel (which means "good news") says:

RELIGION vs THE GOSPEL

RELIGION: My relationship with God is based on my performance for Him.
THE GOSPEL: My relationship with God is based on Jesus' performance on my behalf on the cross.

RELIGION: “I obey - therefore I’m accepted by God.”
THE GOSPEL: “I’m accepted by God through Jesus - therefore out of reverence I obey God.”

RELIGION: Motivation is based on fear and insecurity. “I hope I’ve done enough to earn his favor.”
THE GOSPEL: Motivation is based on grateful joy. “Thank you, Jesus, for placing God’s favor on me.”

RELIGION: I obey God in order to get things from Him.
THE GOSPEL: I obey God because I love Him and delight in Him.

RELIGION: “I think a lot about what I’ve done FOR God. I’m a very moral person.”
THE GOSPEL: “I think a lot about what I’ve done TO God. I’m a humbled person because I see that I don’t deserve the love He has given me through Christ.”

If anyone has any other questions...................ASK!!!