We are no better than our faith.
-wigglesworth
Time to build your faith!
Don’t ask yourself how you feel
Tell yourself how you feel.
Six Reason Young People Leave Churches
This is excellent research and write up by George Barna. Six Reasons Why Young People Leave The Church.
The pastor needs to be encouraging his church to go deeper with God. Too many churches are distracted by fund raising and programs. We need to focus on getting on our face before God.
God is so deep and awesome going to a great church is an adventure!
Summary of the article is
Reason #1 – Churches seem overprotective.
A few of the defining characteristics of today’s teens and young adults are their unprecedented access to ideas and worldviews as well as their prodigious consumption of popular culture. As Christians, they express the desire for their faith in Christ to connect to the world they live in. However, much of their experience of Christianity feels stifling, fear-based and risk-averse. One-quarter of 18- to 29-year-olds said “Christians demonize everything outside of the church” (23% indicated this “completely” or “mostly” describes their experience). Other perceptions in this category include “church ignoring the problems of the real world” (22%) and “my church is too concerned that movies, music, and video games are harmful” (18%).
Reason #2 – Teens’ and twentysomethings’ experience of Christianity is shallow.
A second reason that young people depart church as young adults is that something is lacking in their experience of church. One-third said “church is boring” (31%). One-quarter of these young adults said that “faith is not relevant to my career or interests” (24%) or that “the Bible is not taught clearly or often enough” (23%). Sadly, one-fifth of these young adults who attended a church as a teenager said that “God seems missing from my experience of church” (20%).
Reason #3 – Churches come across as antagonistic to science.
One of the reasons young adults feel disconnected from church or from faith is the tension they feel between Christianity and science. The most common of the perceptions in this arena is “Christians are too confident they know all the answers” (35%). Three out of ten young adults with a Christian background feel that “churches are out of step with the scientific world we live in” (29%). Another one-quarter embrace the perception that “Christianity is anti-science” (25%). And nearly the same proportion (23%) said they have “been turned off by the creation-versus-evolution debate.” Furthermore, the research shows that many science-minded young Christians are struggling to find ways of staying faithful to their beliefs and to their professional calling in science-related industries.
Reason #4 – Young Christians’ church experiences related to sexuality are often simplistic, judgmental.
With unfettered access to digital pornography and immersed in a culture that values hyper-sexuality over wholeness, teen and twentysometing Christians are struggling with how to live meaningful lives in terms of sex and sexuality. One of the significant tensions for many young believers is how to live up to the church’s expectations of chastity and sexual purity in this culture, especially as the age of first marriage is now commonly delayed to the late twenties. Research indicates that most young Christians are as sexually active as their non-Christian peers, even though they are more conservative in their attitudes about sexuality. One-sixth of young Christians (17%) said they “have made mistakes and feel judged in church because of them.” The issue of sexuality is particularly salient among 18- to 29-year-old Catholics, among whom two out of five (40%) said the church’s “teachings on sexuality and birth control are out of date.”
Reason #5 – They wrestle with the exclusive nature of Christianity.
Younger Americans have been shaped by a culture that esteems open-mindedness, tolerance and acceptance. Today’s youth and young adults also are the most eclectic generation in American history in terms of race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, technological tools and sources of authority. Most young adults want to find areas of common ground with each other, sometimes even if that means glossing over real differences. Three out of ten young Christians (29%) said “churches are afraid of the beliefs of other faiths” and an identical proportion felt they are “forced to choose between my faith and my friends.” One-fifth of young adults with a Christian background said “church is like a country club, only for insiders” (22%).
Reason #6 – The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt.
Young adults with Christian experience say the church is not a place that allows them to express doubts. They do not feel safe admitting that sometimes Christianity does not make sense. In addition, many feel that the church’s response to doubt is trivial. Some of the perceptions in this regard include not being able “to ask my most pressing life questions in church” (36%) and having “significant intellectual doubts about my faith” (23%). In a related theme of how churches struggle to help young adults who feel marginalized, about one out of every six young adults with a Christian background said their faith “does not help with depression or other emotional problems” they experience (18%).
Pray For your Pastor
Great write up here by Lee Grady. Quoting below.
I’m sure your pastor would appreciate a nice card next Sunday, but he or she would be doubly blessed to know that you were praying regularly along these lines:
1. Pray against witchcraft and manipulation. As soon as Elijah stepped into the fray and challenged Israel’s idolatry, Jezebel went into attack mode. We must never be ignorant of Satan’s schemes (see 2 Cor. 2:11). The enemy targets Christian leaders, aiming to pull them into immorality, deception or pride; or he dispatches human messengers to control or discourage them. You can expose these demonic plots through prayer.
2. Pray for courage. Elijah had guts. He not only got in Ahab’s face, but he also organized a public showdown to challenge Jezebel’s false prophets. Yet right after the fire fell from heaven in response to Elijah’s prayer, Jezebel threatened him—and the Bible says “he was afraid and arose and ran for his life” (1 Kings 19:3, NASB). Leaders are called to confront, but they can’t do it without supernatural boldness from God. Ask the Lord to make your pastor brave.
3. Pray against depression. After Elijah fled to the wilderness, he started acting like a burned-out pastor. He prayed: “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life” (19:4). It’s normal for leaders to have emotional highs and lows, but when discouragement becomes debilitating it can knock them out for good. Pray that your pastor will draw fresh joy from the wells of salvation daily.
4. Pray for rest. After the intensity of Mount Carmel, Elijah went a day’s journey from Beersheeba and slept under a juniper tree. Sometimes what pastors need most is a day off—yet many feel driven to perform, either because of people’s expectations or self-imposed demands. What makes matters worse is that many pastors have not empowered others to help with the workload. Pray that your pastor not only gets enough sleep, but that he or she gets times of refreshing away from phone calls, e-mails and constant “emergencies” that can surely wait.
5. Pray for the touch of God. Elijah found supernatural strength after his wearying experience on the mountaintop—not just because he ate and slept but because the angel of the Lord touched him twice (see 19:6-7). Pray that your pastor receives a double portion of the Lord’s presence. It is only the Lord’s supernatural anointing that enables us to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit.
6. Pray for disciples. Even after Elijah heard God’s voice on Mount Horeb, he was tempted to think he was the only true prophet left. But the Lord told him there were 7,000 prophets who had not bowed their knees to Baal, and He instructed Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor (see 19:15-18). God does not want leaders to do their work alone. We are called to a long-distance race that involves multiple generations! Pray that your pastor will arrange his priorities correctly so he can invest his life in younger leaders.
P.S.—Don’t hand this list to your pastor next Sunday and tell him or her that you are praying these things. (As in, “Pastor, I’m praying you will have the courage to confront the gossips in this church—especially Mrs. Clack!”) No one wants to feel manipulated by prayer requests. Instead, pray in secret—and ask the Lord to uphold your pastor with the same grace He gave Elijah.
Spreading Christians Out
Just heard a great quote on a podcast this AM. I am not sure who said it as the speaker was quoting someone else, but it seems so true.
Christians can be like manure sometimes. When they stick together too much, they can start to stink. But when you spread them out, things start to grow.
Who I Am In Christ Jesus
1. I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood (Ephesians 1:7).
2. I am greatly loved by God (Colossians 3:12; Romans 1:7; I Thessalonians 1:4; Ephesians 2:4).
3. I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people (I Peter 2:9).
4. I am the temple of the Holy Spirit; I am not my own (I Corinthians 6:19).
5. I am an ambassador for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20).
6. I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (II Corinthians 5:21).
7. I have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5; I Corinthians 2:16).
8. I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
9. I am His elect, full of mercy, kindness, humility, and longsuffering (Romans 8:33; Colossians 3:12).
10. I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:13).
11. I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Galatians 3:13; Deuteronomy 28:15-68).
12. I am firmly rooted, built up, established in my faith and overflowing with gratitude (Colossians 2:7).
13. I am healed by the stripes of Jesus (I Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5).
14. I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Colossians 2:12; Ephesians 2:6).
15. I am submitted to God, and the devil flees from me because I resist him in the Name of Jesus (James 4:7).
16. I press on toward the goal to win the prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward (Philippians 3:14).
17. I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10).
18. I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
19. I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (I John 5:18).
20. I am holy and without blame before Him in love (I Peter 1:16; Ephesians 1:4).
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1. I have the peace of God that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
2. I have the Greater One living in me; greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world (I John 4:4).
3. I have received the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus, the eyes of my understanding being enlightened (Ephesians 1:17,18).
4. I have received the power of the Holy Spirit to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, to cast out demons, to speak with new tongues. I have power over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm me (Mark 16:17,18; Luke 10:17,19).
5. I have given, and it is given to me; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, men give into my bosom (Luke 6:38).
6. I have no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
7. I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one with my shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).
8. I can do all things through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13).
9. I show forth the praises of God Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9).
10. I am God’s child for I am born again of the incorruptible seed of the Word of God, which lives and abides forever (I Peter 1:23).
11. I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).
12. I am a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17).
13. I am a spirit being alive to God (I Thessalonians 5:23; Romans 6:11).
14. I am a believer, and the light of the Gospel shines in my mind (II Corinthians 4:4).
15. I am a doer of the Word and blessed in my actions (James 1:22,25).
16. I am a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).
17. For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7).
It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
The God Of People
Interesting how Yahweh is the Almighty God. He is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. He is not limited to the god of the sea, sky, stars, moon, some animal or any other created thing.
He is the God of people. He is personable.
Five Reasons For Learning To Cook
Great points from CBN on why we should learn to cook. Source article here.
Cooking is Easy. You’re reading this right now, which means you’ve passed the first step of my one piece of culinary advice: if you can read, you can cook; just follow the directions. Preparing a meal from scratch needn’t be complicated or laborious. Leave that to the professional chefs at the fancy restaurants. Cooking can be simple with just a handful of ingredients and a little bit of time. Skill and talent are really unnecessary if you can read a recipe. Also, you don’t need volumes and volumes of cookbooks. You don’t even need one. The Internet is full of recipes, from the easy to the complicated. No matter the mood you’re in – be it Italian, Mexican or the good ol’ American burger – you can find meals and how-to guides to get that dish from your imagination to your kitchen table.
Cooking is Healthy… almost by default. Between the super-sized portions and ability to add a sugary milkshake to any meal, you are setting yourself up for nutrition failure as soon as you hit the drive-thru window. Sure, the occasional dalliance is forgivable, but if you’re a regular, you are putting your health at risk. High cholesterol, high blood sugar, not to mention what it does to your waistline… it will catch up with you. Plus, processed, preservative-heavy foods you get at the grocery store can be just as bad. Have you checked out the sodium content in some of those canned soups and frozen dinners? That’s a lot of salt you and your family are taking in, which is not good for the heart. Trade those ultra-fattening meals for a home-cooked dinner with fresh foods and here’s what you have: total control. When you cook your food, you know what’s in it. You understand each ingredient in its natural state. You control how much salt you use or whether you substitute sugar for honey. You can go all organic or vegan or whatever you’d like to do. Cooking makes you the boss of what your family consumes, and you’re able to make the right choices for a healthier diet.
Cooking is Cheaper (in the long run). Six dollars here, seven dollars there everyday or even four to five times a week can add up. Let’s say you spend $50 a week on one-shot-and-it’s-gone fast food meals and frozen entrees. Another person who prepares their meals at home and is reasonably consumer-savvy can get a combination of groceries for that same price, including vegetables, dairy, meat and pasta, that would feed you for weeks. Not to mention that eventually a well stocked kitchen only needs maintenance shopping, like restocking milk or eggs, causing fewer trips to the grocery store. The point is that those fast food meals are gone sometimes within minutes of purchase. You buy groceries, and they last much longer and have far more uses. More bang for your buck.
Cooking Feels Good. Much like a runner’s high, there is an elation after cooking your own food. When you take a few mushrooms, olive oil, salt, pepper and pasta and make a simple, delicious dish, you have a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment. It can be thrilling. I love seeing my friends nod their heads and give me a thumbs up while their mouths are full of food that I just made. That moment when I finally sit down after an hour in the heat over a stove is a rush of satisfying relief. When you cook, you can go to bed knowing that you gave yourself and your family the best of ingredients and the best of your time and efforts… and that’s a good feeling.
Cooking Dinner Is Just the Beginning. Another great thing about cooking is that it is a hands-on sport. You can watch all the shows and read all the books, but you learn how to cook by cooking. Every time you step into the kitchen, whether it turns out to be a masterpiece or a disaster, you learn something. You get better every time and may discover that it’s easier than you thought. Maybe you’ll like it and venture out to make lunch and long, leisurely breakfasts on the weekends.
Cooking at home changes the way you eat, the way you shop, and your entire relationship with food. You start to take an active role in what you put inside your body. Before you know it, this occasional foray can heat up into a hobby. If you let it simmer long enough, it just might become a passion. And if you find yourself with new skills in the kitchen and a new love for cooking, well, that’s just gravy.
The number one reason why believers sin
Selfishness