Youth Blog (Page 6)
PROBLEM SOLVER
If you’re looking for baby names, how about these two beauties: Euodiaand Syntyche. I know what you’re probably thinking: “I knew a Euodia in high school, and she was a total jerk.” But wouldn’t those names look absolutely fantastic on a monogrammed diaper bag or a Christmas stocking? You know they would. Seriously though, would you like to have been either Euodia or Syntyche when the letter to the Philippians was read out loudto the entire congregation for the first time?…
THE FRAMING DEPARTMENT – PART FOUR
Over the past several weeks, we have been exploring the concept of how we “frame” our lives. In other words, what are the primary motivations that drive our thoughts, words, actions, and decisions? So far, we have looked at the frames of “Self-Righteousness,” “Guilt,” and “Fear,” and we have seen that these are poor choices, both practically and biblically. If we have chosen any of these frames for our lives, we will find them to be disappointing, frustrating, and disconnected…
The Framing Department – Part Three
We have spent the past two weeks taking a look at some of the “frames” that surround our thoughts, words, and actions. We are basically talking about the motivations and expectations that serve as our primary approach towards life. So far, we have discussed “The Frame of Self-Righteousness” and “The Frame of Guilt,” and we have seen that neither of these frames is effective, much less biblical. This week, we will take a look at another common “frame” that many…
The Framing Department – Part Two
Last week, we began a study on how we “frame” our lives. In other words, what are the motivations and expectations that surround our thoughts, words, and actions? We began our study by looking at the frame of “Self Righteousness” last week, and we saw that this is a “flimsy frame” to build our lives around, based on what the Scriptures teach. This week, let’s take a look at another “best seller” in the category of “frames” for our lives: THE…
The Framing Department – Part One
One of our favorite stores, as a family, is Hobby Lobby. We go into Hobby Lobby to look at lots of different things: I enjoy the comic book wall art (because I’m a mature adult who still likes superheroes), the girls like looking at the toys, and Brooke likes pretty much everything else. Also, you can shop for Christmas trees in mid-May, which is always a much-needed burst of festivity during the summer months. Going into Hobby Lobby, however, it…
Know Your Place
“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.” – Friedrich Nietzsche We are part of a culture – religious and otherwise – that seeks pleasure and avoids pain, at all costs. Because of this tendency to embrace anything that is pleasant and to reject anything that might be painful, many of us prefer to embrace illusions instead of reality. We choose to live our lives in a lie. As the old saying goes,…
Imbalanced Worship?
In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In context, Jesus was not preaching a “sermon” about worship; instead, He was having a personal and intentional conversation with a Samaritan woman about her spiritual condition. In other words, He wanted to talk about something else. When the woman realized that the conversation was getting a little TOO personal, she changed the subject – like so many people still do…
TRIPADVISOR: ETERNITY
If you are ever traveling through Stroudsburg, PA, you might want to steer clear of the Pocono Plaza Inn. According to tripadvisor.com (a trusted consumer-based website that ranks hotels, airlines, restaurants, etc.), this hotel is in the top 10 worst hotels in the country. Some of the reviews for this hotel include: “There was a family in the room next to me. I heard them getting a shower. Shortly after the shower turned on I heard a gurgling sound in…
The Not-So-Magnificent Seven
If you are a fan of westerns, you will probably agree that “The Magnificent Seven” is a pretty great movie. In this movie, made in 1960, a poor village hires seven gunfighters to help defend them from a group of bandits who continue to loot and oppress them. Although the gunfighters sustain losses, they are successful in liberating the village from their oppressors. It is an exciting, thrilling, and even heartwarming movie about courage, sacrifice, and standing up for something…
A Quick Checkup
I have been wearing glasses and/or contacts since the third grade. Without corrective lenses, I have trouble seeing anything that isn’t directly in front of me. For those of you who understand prescription strengths, my contact lens prescription is now a -6.5 in my left eye and a -7.25 in my right eye. Yes, it’s bad. Lately, I’ve been using some reading glasses along with my contact lenses because my vision has gotten progressively worse over the past year. Sometimes…
Father Walks Out On Sinning
As I was running on the treadmill this morning, I saw a news story on one of the televisions entitled, “Mom Walks Out on Signing.” It caught my attention, so I watched it for a few minutes. Jacob Copeland is a four-star wide receiver from Pensacola, FL, and he was recently faced with the difficult choice between Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama on National Signing Day. When he revealed his commitment to the Gators by putting on the Florida hat, his…
Cutting Your Losses
What’s the most expensive mistake you’ve ever made? If I had the time, I could tell you about a $12,000 mistake that I made several years ago. It was the result of misplaced trust, and although it seemed like a good idea at the time, it was $12,000 that I will probably never see again. Maybe your “expensive mistake” was in the form of a vehicle, a home, or a piece of equipment that caused more trouble than it was…