Something to Think About for April 25, 2014:

Something To Think About, Teens, 4/25

Gray haired, bad-knee-ed old preachers like are expected to say things like, "I don't know about these kids, today!"  Well I don't.  Just look at some of the stuff I see these kids posting on their Facebook pages: One young person had had a rough day--a rough day because this student is seeking to live for the Lord. ". . .  people can be rude and disrespectful toward our faith, but don't let that anger you. Forgive them . . .  and pray that they realize what they are doing. Take it in stride, and DONT let this anger you."   Another teen ad this to say about the seriousness of one's faith: "It's important to me to study my bible . . . it's also great to be in a church . . . [that helps] me better understand it. . . .  how blessed I am to be in a country where I can go and learn about God's word freely." Another young person did what an old hymn challenges us to do--"survey the wondrous cross." "The Messiah . . . was put on a cross to be tortured, mocked, humiliated and ultimately murdered. The real suffering was for our sins . . . God could not look upon his son because of our sin. We were bought with a price!" Here are three young people who are seeking to walk with and grow in the Lord.  They are representative of many.  I don't know about these kids.  It is yet to be seen what God will do through them. It's STTA.

Let me begin by offering a disclaimer to all banner-istic, and bulletin-ish people.  I really like banners and bulletins.  I just put two banners up for last Sunday's event, and I sent our church secretary two bulletin articles, earlier today.

So don't be upset.

Just to the right of me is a catalog that we received, here at church.  Right under the company name is this offer:

"HELP YOUR CHURCH GO DEEPER

WITH NEW BANNER AND BULLETIN DESIGNS."

Understand, I'm not saying that artistic flourish doesn't matter it does.  

Of this I am sure, though:  Leaving aside for a moment the fact that it is doubtful that one will find much in the way of high art in a church supply catalog, am sure that new banners and bulletin designs will not help the church go deeper.. 

You can put this on a banner or bulletin if you want to:

  "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." 

(Romans 11:33-36, NASB95)  

Contemplating it can lead you to greater depths in your walk with God.  Seeking to live in the humility of this vision of God's magnificence certainly will, but not a new, or old, banner, or an updated bulletin design.

What the church definitely needs is not a batch of new banners or a run of new bulletins.  Quit playing in the shallows, and dive into the depths of God's word.

That is really STTA.

A Constant Remodeling project:

For about four decades I've been into remodeling, home repair, fixing-up, call it what you will.

Most of my efforts bear no resemblance to the popular shows on TV. It is interesting to watch one of the shows where they claim to be doing a low-cost project. Their budget for a room is often more than I paid for my house. Especially in our earlier projects, by far, the biggest question was what will it cost. I can show you walls that were built out of 2x4s that came out of other walls that were torn down. A long time before I had anywhere approaching adequate tools, I tore panel doors apart and cut them down or put mirrors in them, etc. etc. My current project involves a good bit of new material, but still, I'm working with what is there.

It's a lot like life. In the kind of remodeling I'm describing a person who does everything "by the book," will end up greatly frustrated, and will spend a lot of money. You can usually spot this kind of craftsman. Every ninety seconds or so they will loudly lament, "Nothing is square in this house." On the other hand a remodeller who doesn't have a good feel for what will work and last, will end up creating a project that will fall down around his ears in a year or too. (I know this from experience.) When you are doing what I'm talking about you have to take what is there and based on sound principles make it better with what you have on hand.

Christianity is not a way of life that only works on the controlled environment of a TV show. Where mistakes end up in the out-takes. Christianity is real-life way of life, where a person takes what is there--out of square and all--and then uses, following the directions in the Bible, what the Lord has provided to make progress.

Real people who really love the Lord.

The Lord has given us the resources--His word, prayer, the church, His own presence with us--to build a life to his glory. Done right our life won't look like every other Christian McMansion on the street. Rather the Lord enables us to build lives that have a character of their own. In fact some of the lives will be described as "characters." The Apostle Paul's fanatical Rabbinism became a part of his Christian persona, likewise John's compassion, and Peter's impetuosity. The Lord is building real people, in conformity with His word, increasingly taking on a look that becomes a clearer expression of Who He is. He is not creating Christian Stepfords.

How is your project coming?

It's STTA.