Broadcast Movement- (A ministry of Hope Point Community Church

Upcoming Events

2012-01-27T17:00:00.002-05:00

-This Sunday night is small group. Come and participate in community!

-Sunday February 5th there will be NO youth

-Bassist, Leader, impresario, and hair style guru Willie Tucker will be speaking Sunday February 12th

-CLEAN is March 10th at Look Up Lodge. Cost is $25. We will trek through the broad story of scripture to discover the "Why?" of purity. Don't miss it.

Pain--God's Megaphone

2011-11-28T14:13:00.004-05:00

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world" C.S. Lewis

Pain seems to have a universal reaction among humans. We all seek to get rid of it, and if we believe in God we begin to question him about what is going on. Pain has a stripping away effect that brings the important things in life to the forefront of our thoughts. God often uses devastation and pain to make us aware of our arrogant self-sufficiency. We don't realize we are, until one day, pain comes crashing down us. It is then that we say with the Psalmist, "I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you."

Hebrews says we are are looking to a better country, a heavenly one, and that God has prepared a city for us. We never long for the city of God more than when we are confronted with pain. Pain often causes us to love this world much less, and to long for God's kingdom to come. The Lord's prayer for the Kingdom to come is no longer a meaningless cliche that rolls off our lips, but becomes a deep heart cry, a groaning expectation for a new creation.

All that is contrary to heaven should have this effect on the believer. When we see family and friends die it is a clear reminder to us that the kingdom has not come, that this world is still broken, and we desperately need the maker to come and fix it (and us). Knowing all this does not make pain less painful, but it does bring it into perspective and help us turn our hearts toward God.

May God so lift our hearts that we might see pain as an instrument in the hands of a loving Father who will soon put an end to all pain.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Empty Treasure Boxes

2011-11-14T11:05:00.000-05:00

Richard spoke Sunday from Jesus' parables about the kingdom of God and its value to us. Jesus' words make it clear that being a citizen of God's kingdom means valuing Christ above all other treasures. Like a deep sea diver who finds an immeasurably valuable pearl, or a man who finds gold buried in a field, our discovery of Christ in the gospel should so excite our hearts that we are willing to let go of all we possess to take hold of Him.

With that in mind, what competing affections do you find in your heart? What else do you consider most pressing, most demanding of your attention...most valuable?

Is it something or someone other than Christ? Have you followed the map to locate the treasure only to find that that the treasure box was empty?

What does it look like to take one step of obedience in turning from your favorite empty treasure box to the eternal, life giving treasure of Jesus Christ?

An Appointed Time

2011-10-24T10:22:00.006-04:00

My ten year reunion was this past weekend. Being hit with the reality that ten years have already passed since I graduated high school is causing me to marvel at the speed of life. And to hear others tell it, it only speeds up more and more. The message yesterday morning only served to hammer the point home...

Richard's sermon was from Hebrews 9:27. It was a fresh reminder of the brevity of life, the importance of our actions, and the finality of death.

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment..."

This verse is clear. We have one shot at life. We have our time under the Sun, and then we are judged. We cannot wait until we are dead to soften our hearts to God's call. We cannot go on forever putting off a real devotion to Christ, as sure death awaits each one of us. No amount of prayer for our departed souls will do us any good when our bodies lie in the ground. The stakes are high. Tomorrow is not promised. Today we walk onto history's stage and leave the legacy we will leave--in our homes, our businesses, and our churches.

"Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

and

"Redeeming the time because the days are evil."

Today is an opportunity to come humbly to God, to be changed by his grace, to behold his love for us in Christ and reflect that love to others. I pray for myself, the youth, and the adults, that our hearts would not be deceived about our station in life. Let us be humbled to know our fragile state. Our bodies will break down. They will surely fail us. May we use the strength in them to love sincerely from the heart, preaching the gospel in word and deed, making the most of our small time here. May God be glorified in us, his church, his people.

PARENT MEETING

2011-08-15T11:44:00.000-04:00

Parents,
Let's meet next Sunday Night, August 21, 2011, so that you can hear the plans for the fall in the Broadcast Youth Ministry. We will meet at 6:00 pm in the gym at Oakbrook during the regular Broadcast youth meeting. This communication meeting will also give you a chance to ask questions and provide input concerning the youth ministry at Hope Point.

As you know, we value your input and participation in this ministry. We understand that we are merely partnering with you in discipling your teenagers. You are always welcomed, even encouraged, to attend the Broadcast meeting each Sunday night- but especially want to talk with you this Sunday night. This ministry can not be effective or successful without your support. Thanks for all that you do to point your teenagers to Christ.

SMALL GROUPS

2011-08-15T11:22:00.000-04:00

It has been a fantastic summer and God has truly blessed our youth during this time! But now, fall is here and it is time to crank up our youth small groups. We will start meeting as small groups on Sept 11, 2011. Please do not miss the opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and to the friends that He has put in your life. What a fantastic opportunity to study and ponder the Word together, encourage one another, and build accountability into your life. We need each other! You will be contacted very shortly with your small group assignment and information!

Support Summer Kids Camp

2011-07-06T14:09:00.001-04:00

   Every Wednesday night at the Journey Church, the Broadcast Movement teams up with the Jouney to produce a Kids Camp for all children in grades 1- 6. These children live in the neighborhoods that ComeCloser took place in. This event is an exciting, super- fun kids church including bible stories, snacks, songs, games and more.

If you are a youth, we would love for you to come out and team up with us. For more information, just show up at the Journey at 5oclock pm.

If you are an adult, you are more than welcome to help as well. If wednesday nights dont work for you, you could also greatly contribute by donating snacks as well.

For more information, (not involving snacks)- Sage Gajewsky    szsrsky@aol.com
For more information on snacks- Angie Robinson    2tallang@charter.net

Middle School Guys Book Study

2011-06-28T13:39:00.001-04:00

WHAT: BOOK STUDY WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL GUYS

WHEN: EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT DURING SUMMER 2011 AT 7PM

WHERE: THE EVANS HOUSE

BOOK OF STUDY: "DO HARD THINGS"- Alex and Brett Harris

http://www.broadcastmiddleschoolbook.blogspot.com/

NEED MORE INFO?

Contact hands.and.feet.of.truth@gmail.com

COME JOIN US:
ITS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!

Student Life Camp 2011 Theme: Devoted

2011-06-27T09:51:00.000-04:00

Do we ever sit and think what we are truly devoted to? What truly drives us? Could it be ourselves, our money, grades, school, looks, girls, boys, pride, friends, or is it our Faith and the Gospel of Jesus Christ? We are are driven by and devoted to something...

Student Life 2011... LETS ROCK!!

2011-06-23T15:52:00.000-04:00

STUDENT LIFE CAMP 2011
WHEN: JUNE 30- JULY 4
WHERE: LEE UNIVERSITY CLEVELAND,TN
HOW: PAY ONLINE, REGISTER AT HOPEPOINT
WHO: ANYONE

WAIT!! I HAVE QUESTIONS. WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Your question is probably answered on the HopePoint Student Life page so just follow this link:
http://www.broadcaststudentlife2011.blogspot.com/

WAIT, I STILL NEED HELP!!
For payment info, email Todd Nethery at todd_nethery1@hotmail.com
For all others questions and concerns, email hands.and.feet.of.truth@gmail.com

I Don't Own Me (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

2011-06-03T15:00:00.005-04:00

Apart from Me you can do nothing...

2011-05-27T15:48:00.000-04:00

Edwin's Corner (Space Mobile)

2011-05-21T13:25:00.005-04:00

Killer Marriage Tips

2011-05-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

Great 3 minute video sure to strengthen your marriage.

Amazing Rap (Drama of Redemption)

2011-05-14T13:15:00.001-04:00

As the Father has loved Me...

2011-05-13T15:47:00.000-04:00

Why do we discuss the Sermon on Sunday nights?

2011-05-07T15:30:00.000-04:00

For Review.

Anyone who has ever studied for a test understands the wisdom in revisiting information. As humans, we suffer from perpetual memory loss. I can hear the parent who is yelling, “understatement!” Agreed. We forget stuff. Sermon discussions help students review what was preached that morning so they don’t forget as easily. Our memory (especially when it comes to sermons) is not awesome so we need to be reminded…reminded…and oh yeah, we need someone to remind us. Ultimately, this responsibility falls in the laps of every parent (more about that in #5). Every Sunday morning, God shows up and delivers a gift to his people through the pulpit. It glorifies God when we take his preached word seriously enough to spend time thinking it over in the context of community.

For Respect.

The fact that we spend Sunday evenings talking about what happened on Sunday morning sends a clear message to students, “Sunday morning is important!” It says, “Weekly attendance is important.” Specifically, sermon discussions highlight the importance of the Sunday morning pulpit. These 35-minute-long “talks” are so important that we are going to talk about them two more times formally through small group and family worship.

For Relevance.

There are millions of curriculum programs out there for teenagers. Yet nothing is going to be as contextualized to Spartanburg and to our church like the sermons that are preached here on Sunday mornings.

For Rhythm.

It’s too easy for youth ministry to “do it’s own thing” and end up off-beat with the direction of “big church.” Sermon discussions keep Broadcast on-beat with the whole body of believers. When we are all moving in the same direction, unity is promoted.

For Reinforcement.

Doing sermon discussions reinforces the parents’ responsibility to disciple their children. With this model, students will hear one sermon three times—through the preacher, then in small group and finally through mom and dad in family worship. Now when the family sits down for dinner to discuss the Sunday morning sermon, the student will hopefully be more familiar with the material. We know a song or movie better the third time we hear it, are much more eager to talk about it and may even have some of the lines memorized. The same is true with sermons, but on an infinitely more important scale.

For Repentance.

Our hearts are slow to change. Our sin nature is so deep that naturally we do not like sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3). We don’t want to do what the Bible says (James 1:22), and our hearts are hard. As we listen to a sermon we are constantly resisting instead of repenting. Naturally, we are proud and evasive (even while we listen to the sermons) rather than repentant. Although repentance is ultimately a work of the Holy Spirit, one sermon attacking the heart three times increases the likelihood that a heart will repent.[1]

[1] Think of the unrepentant heart as a barricaded castle door and the preached word as a battering ram. It will probably take more than one strike from the battering ram to move the heart to repent.

Theology Matters (Video)

2011-05-06T15:15:00.000-04:00

Teens hiding from Parents

2011-04-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Over Two-Thirds of Teens Cover Their Tracks Online to Hide Activity from Parents

Last month, Microsoft Corporation released the results of a survey from 8,000 teens and parents about attitudes and behaviors concerning online safety.*
Here are some of the results:

Parents:

87% of parents have talked to their children about Internet safety issues.

63% rate this online-safety discussion on par with talking to their children about “the birds and the bees.”

65% of parents are confident that their children are taking necessary safety precautions with the information they are sharing online.

44% are not certain about whether their children are restricting access to their social media sites.

36% of parents do not monitor their children’s online activities at all.

26% take no action to limit or control their children’s Internet use at home.

64% of parents do not use online parental controls or filtering software.

69% of parents say they take steps to ensure their children don’t stumble on any adult-related sites they have personally visited.

Teens (14-18 years old):

67% of teens have cleared out their browser history or cache to make sure their parents couldn’t view their online activity. 31% do this “always” or “regularly.”

39% of teens admit to looking at websites or playing online games that their parents would likely disapprove of.

15% of teenagers allow all Internet users access to their information on social networks. 85% restrict access to only family and friends or use privacy settings to limit access in some way.

15% of children admitted they had communicated something on a social network that was intended to be hurtful or intimidating to another person.

44% have lied about their age when online.

75% have been contacted by a stranger. 37% of those who have been contacted responded to that stranger. Only 4% told someone older that they trusted, 10% were scared by it, and 11% were worried.

23% of teenagers would feel comfortable making friends with adults online.

18% would feel comfortable revealing secrets online they would not ordinarily share.

Learn More and Take Action:

Over two-thirds of teens are trying to cover their Internet tracks from their parents, and over a third of parents do not monitor their child’s Internet activity at all. These statistics should highlight the importance of Internet accountability in the home.
John Mangelaars of Microsoft EMEA said parents know their teens are tech-savvy, but this often leads parents to believe their kids don’t need ongoing advice or guidance. “It is incredibly important parents stay actively involved, talking regularly with their kids and using the parental technology tools that are available to them.”
Internet accountability is about setting this expectation of openness and honesty in the home.

Originally posted on Covenant Eyes.

Double Dream Hands!

2011-04-29T15:30:00.001-04:00

COME TO SAVE US

2011-04-23T15:00:00.002-04:00

The Greatest Love

2011-04-22T15:45:00.000-04:00

Parents say, "Do a mission trip with your kids" (Part 3)

2011-04-17T14:24:00.000-04:00

I recently asked one of the dads at HopePoint to share his top-5 favorite things about doing mission work together with his son. As you read his list, I pray that you would be encouraged to join your student for this year's COMECLOSER mission project.

Top 5 Reasons:

5// Hurts less than paintball

4// It helped both of us get our focus off ourselves and onto others and God.

3// I was motivated by my son's excitement about the mission project.

2// It was a wonderful bonding time with few distractions for both of us. Working on something together brings you together.

1// It felt like we were partners in a project, not just Father and son. I loved watching God work through him in a unique way. It has deepened and matured our relationship.

Parents say, "Do a mission trip with your kids" (Part 2)

2011-04-15T16:19:00.000-04:00

To encourage all HopePoint parents to join us for COMECLOSER this year, I thought I would interview a few parents who have done mission work with thier kids and ask them, "What was the benifit?"

One dad said
--It builds mutual interest (Passion for Spartanburg)
--It sends the message to my son or daughter that I believe this mission to Spartanburg is important.
--I got to meet and spend time with my daughters friends at HopePoint.
--It gave us many spiritual topics to talk about.
--We made a memory together!

One mother said
--There is nothing sweeter than serving alongside my children in missions!
--We (as parents) get to be an example of serving others.
--It is eye opening that the world (even close around us) does not have so many of the every day comforts, family structures, support, health, & opportunities that we too often take for granted.
--The joy of seeing my daughter's heart grow in compassion toward the needs around her, that kind of compassion that Jesus demonstrated for us.
--Serving alongside one another opens up incredible conversation and shared memories.
--We get to pray together for those that we serve.

Dear parent, would you consider joining us this summer as we LOVE the city to LIFE?

Parents say, "Do a mission trip with your kids" (Part 1)

2011-04-14T17:00:00.049-04:00

One of my dreams for this year's COMECLOSER Mission Camp is for every parent to join their students and reach the city together. There is nothing like serving Christ & the city alongside your kids.

But don't just take my word for it. Way back when I was in youth group (10 years ago) my parents would always go on the mission trips with me as chaperons. So, I asked my mom & dad (in the picture above) to test their memory skills and answer this one question:

"What are the benefits of

parents participating in Mission Camps alongside their kids?"

My dad said

--An organized mission camp may be the best way ever to serve together for the first time.

--Parent gets a front row seat seeing their child giving their life away (serving the LORD).

--It’s important the kids to see their parents serve other people than their own kids.

--You do it once with your kids you will for sure do it again.

--Your kids will not remember things that you bought them in life, but they will remember times that together your sacrificed for Jesus.

--You can spend $$$$ playing golf with your kids and be bored and broke, or you can spend $$$ to serve others with your kids and lay treasure in heaven. I vote for the 2^nd option.

--There is nothing greater than Salvation, and nothing more fulfilling than sharing the Love of Jesus with people that are searching for hope.

My mom said

--I loved watching my son giving to others & loving on people.

--We there to serve others, but my sons always came back as changed men.

--Worshiping together.

--Roofing together.

--Even though we did not have a lot of money and you had a budget every year of want we would pay and you always made sure you had enough for the mission trip before other stuff in our life.

--Sharing the love Of Jesus to others.

I hope this encourages you to

join us this summer as we LOVE the city to LIFE.

Parent Resources

2011-04-12T10:32:00.000-04:00

Click here to see all the articles that Broadcast Movement has just for parents.

Family Memory Verse.

Isaiah 53:5

Why Memorize Scripture? John Piper

Book Resources.

ApParent Privilge. Steve Wright

Gospel-Centered Parenting Free E-Book. Rick Thomas

Also see the church bookstore. Each month HopePoint features an excellent book and provides it for a discount price back at the information table.

Parents & Media.

Movies: Screen It Plugged In Film & Theology

Internet: Covenant Eyes Internet Safety Safety101 Pornproof

Parenting the Internet Generation (Free Ebook)

Video Games: Game Rankings

General: Family Safe Media

Relationships, Dating, & Marriage.

Guarding Your Child's Heart Until Marriage. Dr Robert Jackson

Other Resources.

The Lasting Divergence

TheResurgence (great articles on family)

Community Referral Notebook

Sermon Discussion/ Our Sorrow & God's Sovereignty (Part II)

2011-04-10T14:16:00.000-04:00

For the PDF version, click here.
Read Ps. 115:3, Ps. 103:9, and James 4:13-15.
God is Sovereign—God has jurisdiction over everything and is involved in everything! God is the “Decider”! The reason God can speak with certainty about tomorrow is that He is already there!
→ How does knowing that God is in control of everything, even pain and suffering, make you feel?
Pain and suffering exist because God decided it would exist. God designed a plan for history, and that plan includes pain.

Read Job 28:12, 13, and 23.
→    What are some ways the people of the world are suffering right now?
→    What pain and suffering have you endured or are you experiencing in your own life?
→    What questions would you ask God about this pain and suffering?
→    If God told you all the reasons why you are suffering, what other questions would you have?

Read Job 1:21.
→    How did Job’s understanding of the sovereignty of God help him grieve WITH HOPE?
→    How do we as believers today grieve with hope?

Read Genesis 2:17 and skim Genesis 3.
→    In what ways is the earth today not operating in the way it did before the Fall?
→    Read Romans 8:18-21. What is the earth’s “attitude” now, and what is the earth waiting for?

Why did God respond to moral rebellion with a physical curse?
—so we would understand how horrible moral rebellion is against the holiness and majesty of God. Heaven gasps at our sin the way we gasp at human tragedy.
→    When you saw the news reports about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, how did you react?
→    When you contemplate the sin of the world, how do you react?
→    When was the last time you pondered the horror of your own sin?

We grieve human tragedy more than we grieve our own sin, yet God in His love offers us hope and paid the price of our admission to a New Heaven and New Earth.
Read Rev. 13:8, Romans 5:8, and 2 Timothy 1:8-9.
→    When did God plan to save the world?
→    What aspects of God’s character would we not be able to know without sin, suffering, and salvation?

We need to understand there is a plan for all the suffering and pain in this life or we will fall into the abyss of hopelessness.
→    How has your understanding of God’s sovereignty changed, and what comfort do you receive from this new understanding.

Love One Another

2011-04-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

It's NOT over

2011-04-05T09:30:00.000-04:00

There is tons of hope in the great historical fact of the resurrection. After Jesus died on the Cross, the Father said, "It is NOT over!" He raised Jesus from the dead. The tomb is empty. Jesus is risen. The resurrection is true. Because it is true, because it is powerful, it is worth exploring further:

READ & STUDY
Study Guide

Mark Driscoll on the Resurrection (Free PDF)

LISTEN & REFLECT

Christ the Lord is risen today - Josh Ridings

Risen - Sovereign Grace Music

Christ is Risen - Matt Maher

Sex: How to talk to your kids about it

2011-04-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

A child’s sex education often comes through schools or churches. But a Christian parent should always be the first person to speak with their child about sex related issues. As Ephesians 6:1-4 tells mothers and fathers:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land." Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Talk to your kids early

The appropriate age to discuss these matters varies from child to child but if a parent is going to err, it should be sooner than later. Ensuring the lines of communication are open and honest between a parent and child is paramount. For younger children, this includes talking to them about inappropriate viewing and touching as well as keeping them in safe surroundings. Here are some tips for keeping your environment safe for your kids:

Children are never to be left with people that are not fully trustworthy.
If your child plays at a neighbor’s home, make sure you know who is there and that a trustworthy adult is in charge.
Ensure there is not pornography in the home.
Remember that abuse often comes from other children.

Dialogue about inappropriate touching and viewing should begin when your child is very young to help prevent sexual abuse. Conversations about sexual contact and inappropriate exposure should happen no later than age 10.
Parents are not always well educated about the facts surrounding childhood sexual abuse or wait too long to open lines of communication. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and go with your gut. For more helpful information, visit the Kids Need To Know website.

Talk regularly with your kids

The “sex talk” is not a one-off conversation. Regular dialog about sexuality should begin when children are young and last until they’re married for the sake of loving, biblical guidance. The fact is parents are not always able to shelter their kids from every single outside influence. Whether information is coming from neighborhood kids or through inappropriate media content (even when its viewed accidentally), healthy, regular rhythms of communication is vital.

“ As you share God’s standard and your concern, lavish your children with affection and encouragement
”

As an example from the statistics, a staggering 90 percent of children between the ages of 8 to 16 have viewed pornography on the Internet, in most cases unintentionally (London School of Economics January 2002). The average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 11 years old and the largest consumers of Internet pornography is 12 to 17 year-old boys. Youth with significant exposure to sexual media were shown to be significantly more likely to have had intercourse at ages 14 to 16 (Report in Pediatrics, April 2006). That means that the average age for first intercourse in the United States is now 16.4.
A parent must remain aware of the questions and curiosities of their child(ren) and speak frankly—but not crassly—with biblical wisdom like the parents in Proverbs. Take care to never shame or embarrass your child, but treat them respectfully as an emerging, fellow adult.

Talk to your kids specifically

In an effort to protect their children, parents may inadvertently communicate that sex is a sin. But it’s important to nuance your communication so that sexuality is understood to be a good gift from God, enjoyed between one man and one woman for one lifetime. Avoid crass terms or euphemisms but instead, use the medical terms of penis, vagina, breasts etc. With the proliferation and prevalence of social media, it’s important to define terms. The way sexuality is presently understood in our culture is vastly different from pervious generations—and the change has happened quickly. So it’s important to discuss what is meant by sexual exposure, as well as sexual contact.

The National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) has stood from 1992 to 2010 as the most comprehensive sociological study on sex. In that time, the Internet was made public and low-cost, digital filmmaking is now widely accessible. In effect, this means sex education has moved from family and church to the web. In 2010 The Journal of Sexual Medicine published the most updated research on sexuality. The report began by stating,

Compared with the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS), in this present study more men and women have engaged in oral sex and a significantly greater proportion have engaged in anal sex. The larger proportions of those who had engaged in anal sex were not limited to the youngest cohorts.

What is significant to you, may not be significant to your kids

Unlike previous generations, in our age oral sex is increasingly common and culturally accepted. A report in the Washington Post said,

"Slightly more than half of American teenagers ages 15 to 19 have engaged in oral sex, with females and males reporting similar levels of experience…the proportion increases with age to about 70 percent of all 18- and 19-year-olds …"This is a point of major social transition," James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth, a reproductive health organization, said yesterday. "The data are now coming out and roiling the idea that boys are the hunters and young girls are the prey. It absolutely defies the stereotype."

The data also underscores that many young people -- particularly those from middle and upper-income white families -- simply do not consider oral sex to be as significant as their parents' generation does. The article continues,

"Oral sex is far less intimate than intercourse. It's a different kind of relationship," said Claire Brindis, professor of pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco. "At 50 percent, we're talking about a major social norm. It's part of kids' lives."

What is likely the most comprehensive study ever done claims that no less than 61% of teenage girls have similarly performed oral sex on a guy, and 62% have received oral sex from a guy. Another study reported that, “one in five 11 to 17-year-olds has received a sexually explicit or distressing text or e-mail."

It is up to you to define what is appropriate

Pastorally, I [Mark] have had counseling sessions--on more than one occasion--with parents who discovered that their Christian daughter had been performing oral sex on her boyfriend while wearing the purity ring her father gave her. Apparently, the father had never explained that oral sex is sex. I also discovered that these same parents hadn’t performed oral sex on one another—a detail that underscores how common understandings of sexuality have so drastically changed in just one generation. On other occasions, I’ve counseled Christian teens that traded naked photos with a dating partner but didn’t see it as a problem since they weren’t having intercourse. Obviously, Christian parents must define in detail what they mean by “sex” and “appropriateness.”

Talk to your kids honestly

In addition to the Bible’s teaching, the statistics bear that God’s way is the best way. One study found that adolescents who engaged in sex (but not drugs and alcohol) were three and one-half times more likely to be depressed than adolescents who abstained from sex, alcohol, and drugs. Furthermore, the correlation between adolescent sex and psychological problems is particularly strong for teenagers who have sex before their peers (at age 15 or earlier).

Talk to your kids graciously

Conversations with your child about sex can be awkward so go into the conversation prepared. Here are a few suggestions:

Write down the big ideas you want to share in advance.
Get time in private so they know that the issues you are discussing are important.
Take care not to talk about sex in ways that are shaming or condemning.

Additionally, if there is sexual sin in your past, share the appropriate details at the appropriate time. Discuss how sin has damaged your own life so they can learn from your wisdom. This humble posture may very well open the door of trust. If your child should sin or be sinned against sexually, your goal should always be openness and trust so they tell the truth about what’s happening in their lives.

As you share God’s standard and your concern, lavish your children with affection and encouragement. By doing so you’ll be making it abundantly clear that you are the safest person to speak to. Lastly, do not wrongly assume that everything is “just fine” unless they tell you otherwise. With our children, Grace and I often ask the simple, open-ended question, “Is there anything we need to know about”? This helps us to ensure that we are drawing them out to speak to us about literally anything. Our goal is to continually communicate our joy in them, hope for them, and availability to them.
For those wanting to learn more, “How and When to Tell Your Kids About Sex” by Stan and Brenna Jones may be helpful.

By Mark & Grace Driscoll. Originally posted on The Resurgence.

The Story of Jonah as Told by The Cutest Little Girl

2011-04-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

The Fellowship Of the Unashamed

2011-03-26T15:30:00.001-04:00

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed.

I have the Holy Spirit Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow
down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,
and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight
walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,
mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence,

prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by
patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set,

my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my
way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted,
or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the
pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity.

I won't give up,

back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed
up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a
disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop,
preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My
colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

By Dr. Bob Moorehead

11 Reasons to Worship with Your Family

2011-03-25T15:30:00.004-04:00

Worshiping together as a family was not something that began easily for us. Even as a pastor, I felt awkward in the beginning leading my family in worship (especially in singing!). However, it has now become part of our family life. No, it is more than just part—it is at the very center of what it means for us to be a family. It is a now a joy, and the moments are not so awkward as they once were. A Christian home must be centered upon Christ, and if it is centered upon Christ, then it will be filled with worship.

Most evangelical Christians are aware of the importance of secret and corporate worship, but fewer have even heard of family worship. What is family worship? It is pretty simple. Tonight, sit down with your family on the couch or at the dinner table. And then . . . pray together, read the Bible together, and sing a great hymn of the faith together. There are many reasons for doing family worship, but let us just mention a handful. Family worship:

Glorifies and Honors God — This is the primary and essential reason.
Centers the Home – Family worship has the wonderful effect of centering our homes upon Christ.
Encourages Christian Character – The home may be the hardest place to live out our Christian lives. There is a reason that Paul addresses each member of the Christian family in the household passages of Ephesians 5-6 and Colossians 3. It is a sad reality that we often manifest the character of Christ more consistently at church, in the workplace, and in the community then we do in our own homes. If there is somewhere that I must especially be on guard against sin, the flesh, and our adversary, it is at home. Casualness and familiarity is a ready playing field for sin.
Encourages Peace in the Home – We are sinners living under the same roof in tight quarters. That is a recipe for disaster or at least pain! We know our family members, and we know them well. Family worship helps us confront our sin and understand its effect upon one another. For example, it is awfully hard for a father to lead his family in worship when he has just yelled at his wife. If he is going to lead his family before the throne of grace, he will first have to ask for forgiveness from his wife. And she will find that it is hard to worship unless she willingly forgives him.
Binds the Family Together – In our fast-moving society there are few things that a family does together daily. Even eating a meal together these days seems like a feat. What if your family gathered together daily? And what if that gathering was for worship? It would become the most important and central aspect of its life. Your entire family will come to the realization that no matter what else we do or don’t do, the most important thing that marks us as a family is that we are a worshiping family submitted to Christ. And that bond is an eternal one that strengthens the family in all its other endeavors.
Provides Common Knowledge – As the Scriptures are read together in family worship, the family grows in common knowledge. Conversations around the dinner table or in the car will change dramatically as you have a common knowledge from which to converse.
Trains Children for Corporate Worship – Family worship provides the added benefit of training our children for corporate worship. As they sit and listen to the Word of God, hear prayers, and sing hymns these elements in corporate worship will take on a new meaning. The value of this cannot be overestimated.
Encourages our Children in Christ – They will see that for mom and dad worship is not just something they do on Sunday mornings. It is something at the very core of their being, important enough that they center their home upon it. We are not raising children just to be moral and competent people, but worshipers of the triune God.
Reinforces Spiritual Headship – Family worship reinforces the biblical framework of the family as it looks to the father (or the mother if she is single) as the spiritual leader of the home. As a father leads his children and wife before God’s throne nightly and disciples them in the things of Christ, they will increasingly look to him for spiritual leadership. This has the added benefit of reinforcing with the father/husband the spiritual mantle that is upon his shoulders.
Provides Systematic Discipleship – As a pastor I often have individuals approach me with a question about how to minister to their children or spouse in a specific area. Usually they are concerned about a particular sin or struggle in their family member’s life. In this way we serve as firefighters rushing to extinguish this issue or that. At times this is needed, but it should not be our regular course of action. Systematic discipleship is a much better approach and is aided by family worship. Daily family worship will provide a strong foundation that is built upon hearing the Word daily, praying daily, and giving thanks daily. It takes time to build a strong house. It is an unsteady house that is the result of the carpenter running from shaky wall to shaky wall to hammer a nail in here or there.
Provides Generational Testimony – One of the greatest benefits of family worship is the actual passing on of our faith to the next generation. We are teaching our children how to read the Scriptures, pray, confess their sins, sing unto God, and more. Our children will leave the home with memories of this daily worship. They will have learned by watching and participating how to search the Bible, intercede for their future children, and rejoice in God. And by God’s grace and mercy they will carry it to the next generation of our families.

Written by Jason Helopoulos and originally posted on The Gospel Coalition.

Broadcast News (3.20.11)

2011-03-21T10:34:00.001-04:00

Greetings,

1. Don't forget to download the sermon discussion guide from HopePoint.org & review with your family.

2. A new resource: Get a Grip (Strengthening your grip on the Gospel)

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 7

2011-03-11T16:35:00.002-05:00

PART VII: LIVING BY DYING

Secular psychology tells us that we are less human—somehow less than ourselves—if we deny our cravings. And yet as Christians we are called to die to our fleshly desires in order that we might live. Read in Matthew 6 how God challenges the things we desire; this is not a problem that is unique! Every day we desire things that are contrary to the law of God and, almost as often, we rationalize our obedience to those desires. Wisdom acts upon what God has revealed and denies both mind and body of any "need" that conflicts with Scripture.

The only way to deal with this is to fight. We think that our desires need to change.[1] They do and they will; but obedience is not contingent upon changed desires. “There is a mean streak to authentic self-control. Underneath what seems to be the placid demeanor of those who are not ruled by their desires is the heart of a warrior. Self-control is not for the timid. When we want to grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance for Jesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred for sin.”[2] I Peter 2:11 says that the passions of the flesh wage war against our souls. The battle is underway. Are we fighting?

We are equipped for the battle by a gracious God who provides for all of our needs. Consider Hebrews 4:12—“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Consider also verse 13, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” We must give an account. We, the accountable—the responsible parties, are the only ones who can issue the call to war. The battle is underway. Who is winning?

You can’t wait until it is easy; but you don’t have to wait until it us possible. It is possible now. Why? Titus 2:11-14 explains:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

It is possible now because of the grace of God. It is possible because when the blood of Christ cleanses us, God begins to train us in self-control and to purify us. Don’t miss the last few words of the verse, either—God’s grace is purifying a people “who are zealous for good works.” Can you imagine all of your now-futile, inward-directed zeal exploding outward into good works? Change is possible, because the grace of God has appeared!

By Michele Bennett Walton

[1] See James 1:14-16 to see how desires lead to temptation.

[2] Welch, 25.

Broadcast News (3.6.11)

2011-03-07T12:31:00.000-05:00

CLEAN IS ALMOST HERE!

Here is all the info you need:
1. This must be filled out (by students & adults) and signed (by parents)// Health Form

2. Formal transportation to and fro is NOT provided. However two Broadcast Leaders: Daniel Camp & Justine McCormick will be leaving from Ingles at 6:45am. Justine has 5 available spots and Daniel has 3. Contact them if you are interested in riding with.

3. CLEAN starts at 8 and ends at 8.

4. Bring: Change of clothes, towel, & toiletries (May get dirty during free time/ Showers provided)

5. Pray for the Josh Ridings Band & the Speakers: Barry, Josh, Merissa, Bill White, & Matt

6. Pray for the parents & students attending (Pray the above scripture - 1 Corinthians 6:19,20).

7. I bet most all your other questions (including driving directions) will be answered at CLEANSTUDENTS.COM

Get a Grip! (On the Gospel)

2011-03-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther said, "Most necessary is it that we now (the Gospel) well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually." So, here are a few resources to help you "beat the good news into your head." I pray that these help you get a grip (on the Gospel).

Gospel-Centric Music to help you "Get a Grip."

ITunes playlist

In Christ Alone - Owl City// Youtube

How Deep the Father's Love for us - Owl City// Youtube

Before the Throne of God – Shane & Shane// Youtube

Jesus Died my Soul to Save – Pocket Full of Rocks// Youtube

The Hero - Trip Lee// Youtube

Gospel-Centric Sermon Jams to help you "Get a Grip."

How He Loves - David Crowder Band

Court - Joshua Harris

He did - John Piper

Rescue - John Piper

He has now - Rick Gamache

Of First Importance - Rick Gamache

Videos, Sermons, Gospel Scriptures, Book Suggestions, and Articles.

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 6

2011-03-05T16:22:00.006-05:00

PART VI: SLAVE OR FREE?

It’s no wonder that I felt confused by my own behavior. My various strategies for worship told me to obey rules when it felt right, break rules when that felt right and love myself furiously no matter what. But I had no power to obey, no righteousness to love and nothing but license to sin. And this has everything to do with the gospel! Romans 6:20-22 explains it best:

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Anorexic and bulimic Michele considered her slavery to sin better than any obedience imposed by righteousness. I hated the thought of anyone or anything constraining my freedom and restricting my pleasure, so I wore the mark of death like a brand. I detested the freedom to serve God, because I knew that it required me to abandon my old masters.

Although there are countless places in Scripture that we could turn for comfort and instruction, I will suggest that we consider Hebrews 10. The chapter assures us of the efficacy of Christ’s sacrifice as we read that “by a single offering [Christ] has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”

Verses 22-23 assures us that, because of Christ, we now have confidence to come before God. Not only do we have confidence to approach a holy God, but both our consciences and our bodies have been cleansed.” Truly, isn’t this more than an eating-disordered lifestyle could ever promise?

But Hebrews 10 doesn’t just encourage us; it also warns us. Consider verse 26 alone: “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Do you understand that you cannot wait until it becomes easy to walk away from your sin, until you figure out your motivations for sinning or until you have exhausted all potential scapegoats?

Accepting responsibility is a necessary part of turning from our sin. And we must turn—there is no other way. Repentance is the “shot heard ‘round the world” when it comes to war on sin. But here’s what we don’t mean by repentance: we don’t meant that your eating or lack thereof is getting uncomfortable, embarrassing or that you are feeling pressured by others to change your habits.[1] We mean that the Spirit of God has convinced you that you must no longer go your own way and that it’s time to die to your flesh in this most difficult area.

By Michele Bennett Walton

[1] Fitzpatrick, 98.

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 5

2011-03-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

PART V: PLEASURE

Sometimes we forget to admit that we enjoy our sin. We forget to say that we started practicing the behaviors not only for some deep-seated emotional gratification, but also for instant physical gratification. This is especially true of bulimia or overeating (although anorexics find pleasure in the control—the categories aren’t neat).

I read this passage a while back in a book:

Whenever I saw a beautiful flower, what I longed to do with it was press it to my heart, or eat it all up. It was more difficult with a piece of beautiful scenery, but the feeling was the same. I was too sensual, I might almost write too greedy. I yearned physically for all that I thought was beautiful, wanted to own it. Hence that painful longing that could never be satisfied, the pining for something that I thought unattainable, which I called my creative urge.[1]

This writer, who was not (at that time) a Christian, expresses well the greedy and grasping nature of a mind set on the flesh. You see here an excessive sensuality—the need always to touch, spilling over into the need to own; the all-or-nothingness of the one who must possess to enjoy. In our consumerist society, is it any wonder that we fall prey to this temptation? Whether it was a binge, a covert cigarette, an illicit relationship or just a fantasy one—most of us know that pleasure can be desperate.

I was a resident assistant in college. For some unremembered reason, I had to do a “room check” while most of the girls were on vacation. It was panicked ecstasy for me to wander through the rooms, noting the position and quantity of all the various foods in the dorm. My friend had a box of Brown-Sugar and Cinnamon Pop Tarts on her desk. I knew she wouldn’t care…

So I brazenly toted the box back to my room, where I sat by the garbage can—eating them just as fast as I could unwrap them. The sensation of the sugary coating, the texture of the filling, the rustle of the dense plastic wrapping—this momentary pleasure, the demand to own and to consume, the demand to be filled and to be fed. In a blink of an eye, the battle was over, and payback left my hot cheek on the cold bathroom floor. The mind set on the flesh is truly hostile to God. It is death.

So, then, what was my answer? In my mind, the answer was to throw off the rules and to be so good to myself that I could eventually love myself. It had nothing to do with the gospel.

In part 6, we’ll look at how gloriously wrong I was.

By Michele Bennett Walton

[1] Etty Hillesum, Etty Hillesum: An Interrupted Life the Diaries, 1941-1943 and Letters from Westerbork (New York: Owl Books, 1996), 10.

Broadcast News (2.27.11)

2011-02-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

-- Sermons are special. Review & discuss this weeks' message. Go to hopepoint.org and click on sermons. There you will find a discussion guide.

-- CLEAN news: Don't forget that remaining balances are to be paid by Tuesday. Also, email me (Matt) the shirt sizes of each student & adult by Tuesday. If I don't get a shirt size from you, I will order you a XXXXL.

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 4

2011-02-26T16:14:00.011-05:00

PART IV: CONTROL

A few years back, while meeting with my pastor, I tried to explain to him how deeply eating disorders are driven by the desire for control and autonomy. I summarized, “Really, it’s not that different from the garden. We’re not comparing apples to oranges. It’s still apples to apples.” The first woman used a piece of fruit to try and wrench control away from God. I’m no different.

Somewhere around the 10th grade, I learned that by thwarting my own biological need for food through anorexia I could gain control over my own and my parents' lives. I enjoyed the disease for a time—but it was short-lived. Within months, the meticulous demands of the anorexia consumed so much physical and emotional energy that I found myself looking upon food and upon the self that controlled it with fear and reverence. I both resented and desired the fruits of my sin. But as I fought against the strident demands of the anorexia, I descended into the even more taxing disease of bulimia. My resistance to this descent, I think, gave me my first glimpse of how control was at the heart of matter.

I remember the first time I admitted that I was bulimic. I had been anorexic for years; I was comfortable with that. It was a way to verbalize and live out the façade of control. Nothing before or since has given me that great a sense of control over my body. But bulimia catapulted me into the out-of-control yet grasping-for-control dimension of addiction. Any bulimic will tell you that to be wholly anorexic is the most desirable thing in the world. But it’s hard to go back once you have learned how to have your cake and eat it too.

As a bulimic, I tormented myself constantly between the poles of total abstinence and utter indulgence. Both extremes depleted

my physical, emotional and spiritual resources more than ever, and the fears that first drove my sin began to utterly consume me.

Clearly, I was out of control. Yet the patterns continued for a reason. In part 5, we’ll look at how pleasure drives idolatry.

By Michele Bennett Walton

Sacrificing our children on the altar of sports gods. Rick Thomas

2011-02-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve seen too many parents burn their kid’s childhood on the altar of things other than creating a hunger for and equipping them to be like Jesus Christ. For example, scores of kids are sacrificed on the altar of the sports gods. Caveat: I am one of the most avid sport’s fans you’ll ever meet. I love sports and I am not generally against sports. I am against a sports-centered home where sports trumps or hinders the values I’m putting forth in this article. Parents sacrifice their kids on the sport’s altar for many reasons. Here are a few:

The parents hope their child will get a scholarship.
The parents are vicariously living through the exploits of their kids.
The parents are swept up in what many of their friends or their culture are doing.
The parents use sports instead of the local church as the center of their social activities.
The parents cave to the pressures of their children by enrolling them into programs that sucks the life out of the family calendar.

When the home is “sports-centered” rather than local church centered, the kids are not biblically equipped for life. There simply is not enough time. It seems to never really register to the parents that they are sacrificing their kids and, sadly, the foundational Christlike attitudes and practices that every child needs are not developed. Kids in situations like this are left to learn what it means to follow Christ when they become adults.

It is interesting to note the number of adults, who used to be sports-centered as kids and teens, but when they became adults they left those activities behind, because the cares of their adult life crowded out the sports that consumed them as teens. Alternately, it is very rare to meet an adult who was Christ-centered as a teen and has left that relationship as an adult or was ill-equipped for life. It was their Christ-centered training that taught them to biblically and intelligently respond to the cares of the adult life.
The Bible’s perspective on parenting is clear, precise, and singular. If the things we do in our family culture, habits, traditions, and calendars do not center around the main point outlined in Deuteronomy, then we are off-center and out-of-focus in our parenting:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. – Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (ESV)

The calendar for the Jewish parent was not cluttered with things that interfered with their primary purpose in parenting. While I’m sure they enjoyed diverse activities, which all families should, their calendar was God-centered as far as how and why they spent their time diligently teaching their kids.

Have you been affected by Christ? Are you affecting your children with Christ?

Notice the two main parts of this text:

Affected Parents - You (Dad & Mom) shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Affected Parenting – You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

We, parents, should be affected by the Gospel and we should teach and bend our children toward being affected by the Gospel. If our sports, hobbies, church, family, friends, or any other thing we do are all directed toward learning about and modeling Christ in our lives, then it is a good thing. If the things we do as parents with our kids do not point them toward a Jesus-centrism, then we run the risk of missing the point and purpose of Deuteronomy 6. This also means the child will begin the process of learning how to become Christlike when he/she is much older.

Written by Rick Thomas and originally posted on CompetentCounseling

Broadcast News (2.20.11)

2011-02-20T15:52:00.000-05:00

--Review & Discuss the sermon at HopePoint.org. Click on "Sermons" and then download the discussion guide. Great tool for family worship.

--Next Sunday is the Clothes for Compassion sorting & delivery party. Stay & help as a family!

--Don't miss"Don't Waste Your Sports" // 2.27 // Oakbrook Lobby// 6:30pm

--A neat opportunity if you are looking for a date night or a family event.

8 Minute Gospel Presentation

2011-02-19T15:00:00.003-05:00

Just got through watching this awesome presentation of the Gospel. I would recommend to both Christians and non-Christian.

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 3

2011-02-18T16:00:00.001-05:00

PART III: TREES HAVE ROOTS

I write to you in humility, as one who is recovering from an eating-disordered life rather than one who is recovered. I write to you as one who, just today, worshipped a bowl of oatmeal. Is oatmeal sinful? By no means! In fact, it is healthy, inexpensive and a pretty good breakfast option as a general rule. But if I seek to receive from the bowl of oatmeal something that can only be found in the gospel, then eating that bowl of oatmeal is sinful for me.

What, then, am I seeking to find? This is a big question, and we must begin to address it by saying that the heart is deceitful, so we can’t spend all our time trying to understand it. Still, there are often patterns in the ways we rebel against God that can be recognized with the help of the Spirit through the word of God or a trusted Christian friend. In Love to Eat, Hate to Eat, Elyse Fitzpatrick notes that two of the most common sinful roots of eating disorders are a love of independence and a love of pleasure.[1] (As an aside, let me note that this is one of the only resources specifically dealing with eating disorders that I have truly found helpful. I would recommend this title to anyone who struggles with anorexia, bulimia or overeating). Essentially, I want to control my own life and I want to feel good.

If I tried to create a picture, a sort of spectrum of the roots of this sin struggle and how it plays out visibly in a person’s life, it might look something like this:

Anorexia bulimia overeating

SINFUL NEED TO CONTROL (legalism) SINFUL PURSUIT OF PLEASURE (hedonism)

One pastor talks about “two thieves” of the gospel[2] as a way for thinking about how control and pleasure drive this type of idolatry. He calls the two extremes “moralism” and “hedonism”—and both of them are a different gospel. Moralism believes that you can be made acceptable by what you do—so it usually involves very high standards and the appearance of discipline. I think here of the restraints and restrictions of anorexia. Hedonism, on the other hand, defines a course of pleasure-seeking and then demands that the course is acceptable. I think here of the excesses and justification of binging. And the bargaining of bulimia involves a complex mix of the two.

One extreme is truth without grace; the other is grace without truth. And what do these two strategies have in common? Each one is a ploy to control our own lives.

In part 4, we’ll talk about how a desire for control can drive our idolatry.

By Michele Bennett Walton

[1] Fitzpatrick, 74-76.

[2] Tim Keller, “The Centrality of the Gospel,” Redeemer Presbyterian Church, http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/centrality.pdf.

Broadcast News (2.13.11)

2011-02-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

1. We will no longer be posting the "Discussion Guide" here.
You can find each week's sermon discussion guide on the hopepoint.org. Click on "sermons." You can download the discussion guide there. Hope you are able to use this tool to review the sermon with your family this week!

2. Stay connected!
If you would like to receive important text updates, please email me (Matt) your phone number.

3. We have some great new (free) resources just for you!
--Becoming a Missional Family & Leading your Child to Chirst by Steve Wright.
--Reflections on an Eating-Disordered life. I would say, "must read" for any parent with a daughter.
--I Choo-Choo-Choose You. A Valentine's Day article for students.

Choo-Choo-Choose Me?

2011-02-13T15:38:00.000-05:00

As I think about the up and coming Valentine’s Day, I am reminded of the episode, from my former favorite show, The Simpsons, called, “I Love Lisa.”

Here is my favorite scene in the episode.

Valentine distribution begins, accompanied by a few paper airplanes. Everyone's box is brimming with cards (Remember those days?), except for Ralph's, which is empty. Noting Ralph's sad state, Lisa quickly re-addresses one of her valentines and gives it to Ralph. The card reads, I Choo-Choo-Choose You, Happy Valentines''. Lisa cheerfully wishes Ralph a “Happy Valentine's'' as she returns to her seat. Ralph sighs heavily, clutching the card to his chest.

Ralph wanted to be chosen. We can all probably identify with him. Deep in us is this desire to be chosen. There is something inside us that says, “I want to be chosen!” “I want to be picked!” “I wish (he/she) would choose me!” "I want to be noticed!"

This desire to be chosen (loved) quickly can turn into idol worship.

Christian teenager, let me remind you. that you have been chosen.

Jesus Christ picked you. Jesus chose you. Jesus loved (and loves) you. John 15:16 says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” Out of a large group, Jesus picked you. Jesus says to you today, “You did not pick me. You did not select me. I hand picked you. I selected you. I picked you out amongst many alternatives!”

Some of you have never been picked for anything. Not for kickball. Not for the prom. Not for the basketball team. Not for the "cool group" of students at school. Nothing. Yet believer, Jesus Christ, has picked you. Jesus has set his heart’s affection on you and handpicked you. That is your identity.

He picked you for friendship. Jesus picked you because he wanted to have a deep/real/lasting relationship with you. He wanted a relationship with you so much, that he was willingly murdered…so he could be with you.

Questions.

Why do you “need” that boy to pick you when you have been chosen by Jesus Christ?

Why do you “have” to chosen by that girl if you have been handpicked by Jesus Christ?

Why do you have to be “chosen” by so-and-so to do such-and-such?

Jesus chose you. Jesus died for you. Jesus loves you.

Here's a valentine from Jesus to you. And it says, "I Choo-Choo-Choose You."

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 2

2011-02-12T12:00:00.001-05:00

PART II: LIVING WITH IDOLS

Practically, what does idolatry look like in our lives? I like to think of an idol as the organizing principle in my daily life—not a goal, vision or even something on my to-do list. This is something different. An organizing principle is a desire (we may call it a “need”) that gives structure to our daily tasks. Is there an organizing principle to your day? It could be a relationship, work, exercise or even art—but, for me, it has always been food. The consumption of food, the rituals surrounding the consumption and the bargaining that made room for the gluttonous “one mores”—this is how my days have passed. Food has been my comfort and the source of my private joys; food has been my penance and the place where I am punished; it has offered a standard by which I can measure success or failure in my own terms. This idol has promised to mold me and make me—not after its will, but after my own will. You can count on this: we select an idol to worship because we believe we can manipulate it to give us what we want.[1]

And yet, I’ve found myself enslaved to the very thing that promised to give me what I want. Increasingly, it takes more and more binging or meals skipped or exercise endured to make me feel that little “lift” that has given shape to my days. The law of diminishing returns is firmly in place. Ephesians 4:19 describes this type of phenomenon: “They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” The NIV translates this last phrase as “with a continual lust for more.” It started in my heart as a spark of rebellion; I fed the desires that it created—timidly at first and, later, brazenly. I found that it demanded more and more of my time and energy until, one day, the rebellious idolatry in my heart was now manifested as an eating disorder. I think about high-school Michele, the little girl for whom skipping a meal, gorging herself or throwing up were acts of defiance. But the acts of defiance took on a life of their own, hoarding what they stole from her, leaving her obedient to a new master. What was an attempt to wrench a little control from my parents’ heavy hand quickly ushered me into a life of chaos, a life in which the idols of my heart became increasingly visible and I became greedy to practice every type of impurity.

The eating disorder was not and is not the problem in my life. It’s taken me years of secular counseling, behavioral therapies and self-help strategies to realize that the eating disorder is merely a symptom of the heart problem. As a pastor of mine once said, “If I fail to diagnose my problem as sin, I will never prescribe for myself the gospel.” It’s what I was avoiding all along.

In part 3, we’ll talk about the roots of idolatry.

By Michele Bennett Walton

[1] Ed Welch, “Addictions: New Ways of Seeing, News Ways of Walking Free,” The Journal of Biblical Counseling 19:3 (2001), 20.

Reflections on an Eating-Disordered Life// Part 1

2011-02-11T15:59:00.010-05:00

PART I: BREAD EATEN IN SECRET

If I mention that I’m writing about worship, most of you will not feel threatened. You know that you worship the true and living God—the God described in the Bible—when the band sings on Sunday morning or when you read your favorite passage of Scripture. Would you laugh at me if I said that I’ve worshipped something as ridiculous as a bowl of oatmeal? If I tell you that I’m about to confess my own idolatry—or misplaced worship—will you keep reading?

I’m a recovering anorexic, a recovering bulimic and a woman whose life has been dominated by food. Greed, thrift, desire, focus, attention, caretaking, defiance, independence, luxury, guilt, restraint, preparation, shame, manipulation, self-control, domination, destruction, distraction—eating-disordered behavior has been all of these things to me. But there’s a better word for it: idolatry.

Proverbs 9:17 says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” Though, in context the passage talks about adultery, it applies well to other secret sin patterns such as anorexia, bulimia or overeating.For years and years, I have participated in sinful eating habits that damaged my body, depleted my resources and alienated the important people in my life. I never started these behaviors because they were convenient; neither could I stop them for that reason. Why did I—and do I—do these things? I did them simply because I wanted to—because the bread eaten in secret was pleasant. And my “wants” always reflect my heart.

Did you know that even children of God can worship idols in their hearts? There’s a striking passage about idolatry in the Old Testament that anticipates the New Testament’s focus on the spirit and not the letter of the law. Ezekiel 14:6-7 exposes this “heart idolatry” that still beats in my chest:

Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the Lord will answer him myself.

Taking his idols into his heart? Whatever we taken into our hearts as an idol will inevitably be worshipped with my life. In part 2, we’ll talk about what that looks like on a practical level.

by: Michele Bennett Walton

Broadcast News (2.6.11)

2011-02-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

1. Don't forget about Little Church is this Saturday! We have been planning this special event just for you! We also want to hear from you. What parenting questions do you have that you would like Steve Wright to answer on Saturday morning?

Please email your questions to Matt at: broadcastmovement@gmail.com

2. Latest posts: "How to love your lost child." Part 1. Part 2.

3. Only 5 spots left for CLEAN. Tuesday is the very last chance.

Guys Only

2011-02-07T15:15:00.000-05:00

How to watch the Superbowl

2011-02-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

Tips for watching the Super Bowl
Here are four tips for watching the Super Bowl to the glory of God.

1. Strategically assign the remote.

The remote control needs to be specifically assigned to someone. This cannot be just anybody. Viewers are assaulted with lame commercials, immoral commercials, commercials that assault and offend one’s intelligence, and commercials that parade immodestly-dressed women. These are as much a part of the Super Bowl as the game itself.

Working the remote requires skill, coordination, and discernment. This person needs to be paying attention and anticipating commercial breaks. While everyone else enjoys the game, this person is working and always aware of what’s on the TV.

I recommend you establish on the remote an alternative channel that presents no temptation (C-SPAN for example). Turning to C-SPAN at appropriate moments also means conversation will take place.

For those assigned to this task I recommend further reading. I trained my sons-in-law in the art and craft of strategic clickery. One of them, Steve Whitacre (married to my daughter Nicole), has written up these notes and you can read his post here.

2. Don’t watch passively.

I encourage fathers to watch actively and discerningly, never passively and superficially. There is no doubt that throughout the game you will hear one superlative after another attributed to the skill of the athletes. The accent throughout the game will be on skill, not character.

In my book, Humility: True Greatness, I wrote,

Nowhere is the word great mentioned more often in our culture than in the context of professional sports. If you watch any game this weekend and listen to the announcer’s commentary, then like a mantra you’ll probably hear the word great repeated throughout—great, great, great. Yet it may well be that nowhere in our culture is the absence of true greatness more evident than in professional sports. So be careful about cultivating an excessive love for professional or collegiate athletics in your child. (pp. 161-162)

Without minimizing the skill as a gift from God, I want to direct my son’s attention to character as theologically defined and described. So as Chad and I watch the game, I will draw his attention to any evidence of humility or unselfishness I observe, as well as any expression of arrogance or selfishness. I will celebrate the former and ridicule the latter.

I don’t just watch the game with Chad; I seize it as a teaching moment to equip him with discernment about true greatness in the eyes of God. Watching sports actively is about imparting theologically informed discernment.

3. Foster fellowship.

We need to make sure a room full of people are not simply passively watching the Super Bowl. With the right leadership, and with a simple changing of the channel, commercial time can be time redeemed.

Don’t misunderstand. It’s perfectly legitimate to watch and enjoy the game. I’m not advocating that you invite those who have no interest in the game and who want to distract your attention from the game. Actually, I don’t recommend you invite those folks over for the game. You can arrange to meet with those people at another time.

In strategically inviting people to watch the game with us we should make sure we don’t neglect interacting with others for the sake of simply watching the game. Watching the game should involve building relationships.

4. Draw attention to the eternal.

Sometime after the game—that same evening or the next day—it’s helpful for a father to draw his child’s attention to the game in light of eternity. It’s also helpful for us as fathers to be reminded of an eternal perspective.

Apart from those few who listen excessively to sports talk radio, this game will be quickly forgotten. Let me ask you this—who won the Super Bowl even five years ago?

The day before the 1972 Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboy running back Duane Thomas said, “If it’s the ultimate game, how come they’re playing it again next year?” Some players seem to get it. Sadly, many fans don’t.

More recently Tom Brady—quarterback of three Super Bowl championships—is quoted in a 60 Minutes interview saying,

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, ‘God, it’s got to be more than this.’ I mean this isn’t, this can’t be, what it’s all cracked up to be.

I would anticipate that a week or two from now, even if the Patriots win and complete a perfect season, Brady will still experience the same dissatisfaction in his soul. As Augustine said, “You [God] made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you.”

We must impart this eternal perspective to our children.

Originally posted by CJ Mahaney on Sovereign Grace.

6 More Ways to Love Your Lost Child

2011-02-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

7. Connect them to believers who have better access to them.

There are two kinds of access that you may not have to your child: geographical and relational. If your wayward son lives far away, try to find a solid believer in his area and ask him to contact your son. This may seem nosy or stupid or embarrassing to him, but it’s worth it—especially if the believer you find can also relate to your son emotionally in a way you can’t.
Relational distance will also be a side effect of your child leaving the faith, so your relationship will be tenuous and should be protected if at all possible. But hard rebuke is still necessary.
This is where another believer who has emotional access to your son may be very helpful. If there is a believer who your son trusts and perhaps even enjoys being around, then that believer has a platform to tell your son—in a way he may actually pay attention to—that he’s being an idiot. This may sound harsh, but it’s a news flash we all need from time to time, and people we trust are usually the only ones who can package a painful rebuke so that it is a gift to us.
A lot of rebellious kids would do well to hear that they’re being fools—and it is rare that this can helpfully be pointed out by their parents—so try to keep other Christians in your kids lives.

8. Respect their friends.

Honor your wayward child in the same way you’d honor any other unbeliever. They may run with crowds you’d never consider talking to or even looking at, but they are your child’s friends. Respect that—even if the relationship is founded on sin. They’re bad for your son, yes. But he’s bad for them, too. Nothing will be solved by making it perfectly evident that you don’t like who he’s hanging around with.
When your son shows up for a family birthday celebration with another girlfriend—one you’ve never seen before and probably won’t see again—be hospitable. She’s also someone’s wayward child, and she needs Jesus, too.

9. Email them.

Praise God for technology that lets you stay in your kids’ lives so easily!
When you read something in the Bible that encourages you and helps you love Jesus more, write it up in a couple lines and send it to your child. The best exhortation for them is positive examples of Christ’s joy in your own life.
Don’t stress out when you’re composing these as if each one needs to be singularly powerful. Just whip them out one after another, and let the cumulative effect of your satisfaction in God gather up in your child’s inbox. God’s word is never proclaimed in vain.

10. Take them to lunch.

If possible, don’t let your only interaction with your child be electronic. Get together with him face to face if you can. You may think this is stressful and uncomfortable, but trust me that it’s far worse to be in the child’s shoes—he is experiencing all the same discomfort, but compounded by guilt. So if he is willing to get together with you for lunch, praise God, and use the opportunity.
It will feel almost hypocritical to talk about his daily life, since what you really care about is his eternal life, but try to anyway. He needs to know you care about all of him. Then, before lunch is over, pray that the Lord will give you the gumption to ask about his soul. You don’t know how he’ll respond. Will he roll his eyes like you’re an idiot? Will he get mad and leave? Or has God been working in him since you talked last? You don’t know until you risk asking.
(Here’s a note to parents of younger children: Set up regular times to go out to eat with your kids. Not only will this be valuable for its own sake, but also, if they ever enter a season of rebellion, the tradition of meeting with them will already be in place and it won’t feel weird to ask them out to lunch. If a son has been eating out on Saturdays with his dad since he was a tot, it will be much harder for him later in life to say no to his father’s invitation—even as a surly nineteen-year-old.)

11. Take an interest in their pursuits.

Odds are that if your daughter is purposefully rejecting Christ, then the way she spends her time will probably disappoint you. Nevertheless, find the value in her interests, if possible, and encourage her. You went to her school plays and soccer games when she was ten; what can you do now that she’s twenty to show that you still really care about her interests?
Jesus spent time with tax collectors and prostitutes, and he wasn’t even related to them. Imitate Christ by being the kind of parent who will put some earplugs in your pocket and head downtown to that dank little nightclub where your daughter’s CD release show is. Encourage her and never stop praying that she will begin to use her gifts for Jesus’ glory instead her own.

12. Point them to Christ.

This can’t be over-stressed. It is the whole point. No strategy for reaching your son or daughter will have any lasting effect if the underlying goal isn’t to help them know Jesus.
Jesus.
It’s not so that they will be good kids again; it’s not so that they’ll get their hair cut and start taking showers; it’s not so that they’ll like classical music instead of deathcore; it’s not so that you can stop being embarrassed at your weekly Bible study; it’s not so that they’ll vote conservative again by the next election; it’s not even so that you can sleep at night, knowing they’re not going to hell.
The only ultimate reason to pray for them, welcome them, plead with them, email them, eat with them, or take an interest in their interests is so that their eyes will be opened to Christ.
And not only is he the only point—he’s the only hope. When they see the wonder of Jesus, satisfaction will be redefined. He will replace the pathetic vanity of the money, or the praise of man, or the high, or the orgasm that they are staking their eternities on right now. Only his grace can draw them from their perilous pursuits and bind them safely to himself—captive, but satisfied.
He will do this for many. Be faithful and don’t give up.

Written by Abraham Piper and originally posted on Desiring God.

6 Ways to Love Your Lost Child

2011-02-04T17:00:00.001-05:00

My son Abraham, who speaks from the wisdom of experience and Scripture, has written the article that follows. I read it with tears and laughter. It is so compelling that I asked him immediately if I could share it with the church and the wider Christian community. There is no greater joy than to see your children walking in the truth—and expressing it so well. The rest is Abraham’s untouched. -John Piper

Many parents are brokenhearted and completely baffled by their unbelieving son or daughter. They have no clue why the child they raised well is making such awful, destructive decisions. I’ve never been one of these parents, but I have been one of these sons. Reflecting back on that experience, I offer these suggestions to help you reach out to your wayward child.

1. Point them to Christ.

Your rebellious child’s real problem is not drugs or sex or cigarettes or pornography or laziness or crime or cussing or slovenliness or homosexuality or being in a punk rock band. The real problem is that they don’t see Jesus clearly. The best thing you can do for them—and the only reason to do any of the following suggestions—is to show them Christ. It is not a simple or immediate process, but the sins in their life that distress you and destroy them will only begin to fade away when they see Jesus more like he actually is.

2. Pray.

Only God can save your son or daughter, so keep on asking that he will display himself to them in a way they can’t resist worshiping him for.

3. Acknowledge that something is wrong.

If your daughter rejects Jesus, don’t pretend everything is fine.
For every unbelieving child, the details will be different. Each one will require parents to reach out in unique ways. Never acceptable, however, is not reaching out at all. If your child is an unbeliever, don’t ignore it. Holidays might be easier, but eternity won’t be.

4. Don’t expect them to be Christ-like.

If your son is not a Christian, he’s not going to act like one.
You know that he has forsaken the faith, so don’t expect him to live by the standards you raised him with. For example, you might be tempted to say, “I know you’re struggling with believing in Jesus, but can’t you at least admit that getting wasted every day is sin?”
If he’s struggling to believe in Jesus, then there is very little significance in admitting that drunkenness is wrong. You want to protect him, yes. But his unbelief is the most dangerous problem—not partying. No matter how your child’s unbelief exemplifies itself in his behavior, always be sure to focus more on the heart’s sickness than its symptoms.

5. Welcome them home.

Because the deepest concern is not your child’s actions, but his heart, don’t create too many requirements for coming home. If he has any inkling to be with you, it is God giving you a chance to love him back to Jesus. Obviously there are some instances in which parents must give ultimatums: “Don’t come to this house if you are...” But these will be rare. Don’t lessen the likelihood of an opportunity to be with your child by too many rules.
If your daughter smells like weed or an ashtray, spray her jacket with Febreze and change the sheets when she leaves, but let her come home. If you find out she’s pregnant, then buy her folic acid, take her to her twenty-week ultrasound, protect her from Planned Parenthood, and by all means let her come home. If your son is broke because he spent all the money you lent him on loose women and ritzy liquor, then forgive his debt as you’ve been forgiven, don’t give him any more money, and let him come home. If he hasn’t been around for a week and a half because he’s been staying at his girlfriend’s—or boyfriend’s—apartment, plead with him not to go back, and let him come home.

6. Plead with them more than you rebuke them.

Be gentle in your disappointment.
What really concerns you is that your child is destroying herself, not that she’s breaking rules. Treat her in a way that makes this clear. She probably knows—especially if she was raised as a Christian—that what she’s doing is wrong. And she definitely knows you think it is. So she doesn’t need this pointed out. She needs to see how you are going to react to her evil. Your gentle forbearance and sorrowful hope will show her that you really do trust Jesus.
Her conscience can condemn her by itself. Parents ought to stand kindly and firmly, always living in the hope that they want their child to return to.

Written by Abraham Piper and originally posted on Desiring God.

Broadcast News (1.30.11)

2011-01-30T15:57:00.001-05:00

Now enjoy a piece of news for each day of the week!

Monday// Review & Discuss the sermon.

Tuesday// Last day to register for CLEAN PURITY CONFERENCE! Here are 10 reasons why you should come!

Wednesday// Broadcast (Parent night) at The Journey! The Broadcast Band will be playing. Matt will be speaking. 6-7:30pm.

Thursday, Friday, & Saturday// Think about how awesome Wednesday night was.
Sunday// No Broadcast. Watch the SuperBowl with your family!

Scripture Poster//Revelation 5:9

2011-01-28T15:00:00.001-05:00

Revelation 5:9

Artwork by Joshua Blankenship//originally posted on theresurgence.com

How can you live a Gospel-Centered Life?

2011-01-27T15:00:00.005-05:00

Let Paul’s perspective of gospel-in-community instruct you through his letter to the Philippians:

You can partner with others in the gospel (Phil. 1:5).
You can defend the gospel (Phil. 1:7, 16).
You can confirm the gospel (Phil. 1:7).
You can help to advance the gospel (Phil. 1:12).
You can live a life worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).
You can strive side by side with others for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).
You can serve with and labor side-by-side with others in the gospel (Phil. 2:21; 4:2)

Written by Justin Taylor & originally posted on Gospelcoalition.org

CLEAN PURITY CONFERENCE

2011-01-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

Broadcast News (1.23.11)

2011-01-23T14:05:00.000-05:00

Hey students & parents! As usual we will be discussing the morning's sermon tonight @ Broadcast. Students, we have created a guide for you to use to look over before coming. Check it out. Parents, use this as a tool for family devotions each night @ the dinner table. Hope you enjoy. Use this guide to review & discuss the sermon.

A life changed

2011-01-22T15:00:00.010-05:00

Skip to the 2 minute mark

and see how God changed

Mary Claire's life.

Don't Waste Your Sports

2011-01-20T11:07:00.001-05:00

Is your student involved in organized sports? Are your kids involved in any extra-curricular activities?

Are they wasting them?

Sports are a gift from God—but we’ll waste this gift if we play for our own glory.

So how do we play sports for God’s glory and not our own?

Don’t Waste Your Sports is for parents. It provides a biblical worldview of sports so that we don't waste this gift. “I had the opportunity to glorify God in my sports,” C.J. writes, “and I fumbled it. I wasted my sports. You have the opportunity, by the grace of God, not to waste yours.”

All parents, join us Sunday night @6pm in the Oakbrook lobby as we discuss:

-How can we help our kids glorify God with their sports? activities?

-How can we help our kids not waste their sports?

And much more.

See Scott Gajewsky for more details.

Broadcast News (1.16.11)

2011-01-16T15:13:00.001-05:00

Here is a pdf guide to help you to Review & Discuss the Sermon.

Don't forget about these upcoming events:
-Don't Waste Your Sports/ Tune-in Sunday night topics with Scott Gajewsky.
-Register for Clean Purity Conference this week!
-Don't miss Little Church this month!

Confession

2011-01-15T15:59:00.000-05:00

Holy LORD,
I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of:
-Pride & unbelief
-Failure to find thy mind in they Word
-Neglect to seek You in my daily life.

My transgressions & short-comings present me with a list of accusations,
But I bless You that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Christ;

Go on to subdue my corruptions, and grant me grace to live above them.
Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings of the mind bring my spirit into subjection, but do LORD rule over me in liberty and power.

Purge me from every false desire, every base aspiration, everything contrary to thy rule. I thank thee for thy wisdom and thy love, for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject, for sometimes putting me into the furnace to refine my gold and remove my dross.

No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.
If You would give me a choice to live in pleasure and keep my sins, or to have them burn away with trial, give me sanctified affliction.

Deliver me from every evil habit, every growth of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of thy grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in You.
Then I shall bless You, God, for helping me to be upright.

Taken from "Valley of Vision: A collection of puritan prayers and devotions."

Learning to use the family dashboard

2011-01-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

Keeping our eye on the “Family Dashboard” can help us monitor the fires before they start. The Family Dashboard is the set of “gauges” that we monitor as we drive to let us know how things are going in our journey through life, ministry, marriage, and family.

Our Family Gauges:
1. The speedometer.
This is the “pacing” question: are we moving at a healthy pace that we can sustain, or are we running in the red? We can’t just monitor the things from ministry that directly include us, but we must also factor in the other things that make life what it is: soccer, gymnastics, the kids’ school, health, marriage, money, and home repairs. Never make this pace assessment alone. Men are not typically emotionally intuitive and can be blind to the relational redlining occurring. If you don’t believe me, just ask your wife. She will tell you the real truth.

2. The RPMs.
This is the stress question. How hard are we pushing to make this thing go? Are we shifting gears smoothly in our relationships or are we “grinding the gears” like a 16-year-old driving a stick shift for the first time with a critical Dad in the passenger seat? Do Mom and Dad need more time together—alone? Is more time or energy needed with a particular child? You can usually “listen to the engine” through the tone of the conversations taking place at home to monitor the stress level.

3. The gas gauge.
This is the margin question. Every ministry family I know is strapped for time and often other resources. The families that go the distance are the ones that have enough gas in their tank for the long haul. They are consciously and consistently refueling through weekly days off: “Date Nights,” “Daddy Dates,” vacations, and daily spiritual tune-ups to keep the engine running more efficiently. Again, if you want to know exactly how much gas is really in the family or marriage tank, ask your wife. She knows.

Watch the Gauges Carefully
Having your car overheat and catch fire is never a good thing.

Watching your family overheat and catch fire is even worse.

If we will keep our eye on the “Family Dashboard,” we will spend more time on the road for the gospel and less time in the ditch looking helplessly at a burned-out engine.

Written by Dustin Neely and originally posted on The Resurgence.

Prayer Answered by Crosses

2011-01-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

It is in God's good wisdom to sometimes answer our prayers for growth, change, deliverance, grace, by giving us trials.

As we seek to become like Jesus, be molded in His image, and glorify Him, we are often met with heaven-ordained crosses. John Newton expressed that same idea in one of the most encouraging hymns I have ever read:

Prayer Answered by Crosses//John Newton

I ask’d the Lord, that I might grow
In faith, and love, and ev’ry grace,
Might more of his salvation know,
And seek more earnestly his face.

‘Twas he who taught me thus to pray,
And he, I trust has answer’d pray’r;
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hop’d that in some favour’d hour,
At once he’d answer my request:
And by his love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this. he made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in ev’ry part.

Yea more, with his own hand he seem’d
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Cross’d all the fair designs I schem’d,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cry’d,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“‘Tis in this way,” the Lord reply’d,
“I answer pray’r for grace and faith.

“These inward trials I employ,
“From self and pride to set thee free;
“And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
“That thou mayst seek thy all in me.”

May God give us faith & help us to not waste our crosses, trials, & problems.

May He help us believe that He is indeed using them to work all things for our good (Romans 8:28).

Interview with Lecrae & Trip Lee

2011-01-13T15:00:00.001-05:00

Check out this great interview with Lecrae & Trip Lee.

Broadcast News (1.9.11)

2011-01-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

-- Listen to the sermon. Review & Discuss the sermon - this is a good tool to use for family devotions.

-- This month is national pro-life month. Visit Abort73.com and explore ten ways you can help.

-- The last day to register for Clean Purity Conference is Feb.1 - Find out more at Cleanstudents.com.

The See-Saw. by Lisa Mathis

2011-01-07T15:00:00.010-05:00

Have you ever been on a see-saw? Up and down? Up and down? Up and down?

Life seems like that sometimes, doesn’t it? We have good days and bad days, sunshine and rain, hard things and less difficult things to face—up and down, up and down, up and down

Our personal relationships can be like see-saws. One day you’re up, next day you’re down. Our human relationships tend to be wishy-washy and sometimes unpredictable.

Parent-child relationships can be especially volatile see-saws with many highs and lows, especially as our children grow up and need us less (or at least think they do). When our children were young, we could say a stern, “No!” They would stop and find something else to do.

As they get older though, things become a little more complicated. There are more dangers over which parents have less control—so, the see-saw begins—the battle for control. We see things from such different perspectives, don’t we?

What if I told you, God has a plan for the see-saw of your life—the ups and downs of circumstances and relationships? You see—God’s plan for the see-saw is not that we ride it primarily with each other but that we are on it with Him. Think of the see-saw as a visual demonstration of how we view God—of the place He holds in our lives. Where should He be? Of course, our answer would be ON TOP. Is He always there in your life? If He is not on top, Lord of your life, who is? Someone or something is always on the high end.

God’s design for our spiritual see-saw is that He is on the high end—High and lifted up—Lord of all things in our lives—and that we are on the low end, surrendered to Him.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we can be lulled into complacency—We would all say, “Of course, Jesus is Lord of my life!” But is He really? As parents, many things take His place on our spiritual see-saws—the busyness of life, worry, possessions and the constant pursuit of more, pride, sorrow, bitterness, etc. All these things (and many more) cloud our view of Who God is UNLESS we deliberately, daily (sometimes moment-by-moment) surrender to His Lordship.

What does surrender look like? It is not just an exercise of the mind—“I know in my head that God is King, Creator, etc.” It is not even merely an exercise of the heart—“I believe in my heart that God is King, Creator, etc.” It is a deliberate act of the will—“I know and believe God is King, Creator, etc., and I will flesh this out in my actions, my words, even my thoughts! He is the Author of my faith and the Goal of my faith.”

This is not a one-time prayer but must be the constant background music of our soul and life!

So, how does all this “high view of God” talk play into our personal relationships—as parents with our children (or any relationship, for that matter)?

Imagine what our homes would be like if Mom has a high view of God, Dad has a high view of God, and all the children have a high view of God! Him first! Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? Of course, we will not experience perfection in our human relationships here and now, but if Jesus is our Goal, if He reigns supreme in our individual lives, it will have a positive effect on our earthly relationships.

Hebrews 12:2-3 gives us instructions on how to maintain a high view of God no matter our circumstances:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him Who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

That is my prayer for you—I pray your eyes would be so fixed on Jesus that you would parent from a place of faith and not fear, and that the goal of your entire household would be Jesus and His glory.

Broadcast News (1.3.11)

2011-01-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

Last night at Broadcast, the students were challenged, to see the Gospel in slow motion: Jesus. Died. For. Our. Sins. (1Corinthians 15:1-3) & also challenged to spend 2011 getting the Gospel. With that aim, I put together a list of resources to help. You can find those HERE. The students were also challenged to read the Bible in a year. Here is a helpful resource for that: New Year Resolutions & Bible Reading Plans.

Lastly, this month is national pro-life month, so next Sunday night one of our students will share for five minutes about a pro-life ministry, Abort73. We will also give out wristbands that read, "Abort73.com" to all students who want them.

Get the Gospel (Resources)

2011-01-03T15:00:00.005-05:00

The most important thing to get in 2011 is the Gospel (1Corinthians 15:1-5). I am convinced, more than ever, that my greatest love for Jesus and best service for Jesus is produced by a clear, deep, and consistent understanding of the Gospel. The more I get the Gospel, the more I love Jesus, the more I share the Gospel.

To serve you, here are some videos, articles, scriptures, audio clips, & book suggestions to help you get the Gospel in 2011.

Videos.
Gospel Summary #1
Gospel Summary #2

Articles & Websites
Connecting the Gospel to Everyday Life. Rick Thomas
Firstimportance.org

Audio & Video
The Main Thing is to keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
Only one Gospel. CJ Mahaney

Sample of good Gospel Scriptures.
Romans 8:1
Psalm 103:12
Romans 5:8
2 Corinthians 5:21
Micah 7:19
Hebrews 8:12
Isaiah 43:25

Books.
What is the Gospel? Greg Gilbert
A Gospel Primer for Christians. Milton Vincent
The Gospel for Real Life. Jerry Bridges
Because He Loves Me. Elyse Fitzpatrick
Living the Cross-Centered Life. CJ Mahaney

New Year Resolutions & Reading Plans

2011-01-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

As you we begin 2011, I thought I would pass along to off the best articles I've read in preparing for the new year. Hope they serve you well.

1. New Year's Resolutions.
2. Bible Reading Plans.

Man Makers (Tools for Dads)

2010-12-27T09:32:00.001-05:00

Dear dads with dudes,

You are a dad with a son. You are in the man making business. You know that. You also know that God holds you (not mom) ultimately responsible for taking those boys and by God's grace, transforming them into men; manly followers of Christ. Disciples. Dudes who have a job. Dudes who don't live at home until they are 32. Dudes who love Jesus.

Dads, as your number one fan, I want to share with you some tools I have stumbled upon recently that may serve you as you train up future men.

Devotional Materials.
Stand Fast in the Way of Truth. Douglas Bond (Father-Son devotionals from the book of Proverbs)
The Holy Bible, especially the book of Proverbs. It was written by a father to his son.

Just for Dad.
Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood. John Piper & Wayne Grudem
Fatherhood. Tony Payne
Future Men. Douglas Wilson

Fear Not...I Bring you Tidings of Great Joy

2010-12-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is war; a different kind of Christmas song

2010-12-24T15:00:00.004-05:00

I don't know how many Christmas songs you have heard that have the word "war" in them.

This one does. And it is awesome. It is by Thrice's lead singer, Dustin Kensrue.

Enjoy.

This is war like you ain't seen.
This winter's long, it's cold and mean.
With hangdog hearts we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

This is war on sin and death;
The dark will take it's final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

Broadcast News (12.19.10)

2010-12-19T15:44:00.000-05:00

Have a Merry Christmas!
But before you do, I need you to do three things:

1) Listen to the sermon.
2) Review, Discuss, & apply the sermon.
3) Understand that there is No youth next Sunday night (12.26).

That's it. Go party for Jesus. Celebrate the incarnation.

Dear Jesus, please get here

2010-12-18T17:00:00.004-05:00

I love Christmas music. This hymn, by Charles Wesley (1707-1788),

called, "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" is one of my favorites.

Enjoy.

Come, thou long expected Jesus,

born to set thy people free;

from our fears and sins release us,

let us find our rest in thee.

Israel's strength and consolation,

hope of all the earth thou art;

dear desire of every nation,

joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,

born a child and yet a King,

born to reign in us forever,

now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal spirit

rule in all our hearts alone;

by thine all sufficient merit,

raise us to thy glorious throne.

Celebrating with you the birth of our King,

Matt

God's Glory in Weak Things (Part 3)

2010-12-17T17:00:00.001-05:00

The Church:

God’s Weak Instrument to Redeem the World

Being a Christian often feels very weak. Sharing the gospel regularly can be socially awkward and leave us ostracized in our social circles. Add to that our ongoing struggle with sin, and you have a perfect mix for weakness. This kind of weakness can be very discouraging, and may tempt many to leave the faith. This need not be so. God’s plan for us would have us embrace those things that cause weakness in our lives. As Jesus answered to Paul who sought relief from a thorn in his flesh, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

It is a disturbing and mysterious thing about God that he calls his children to suffering. I often wish that it were not so. But it appears that God is in the business not of making us strong and comfortable, but weak and dependent on Him. It seems that what we call strength he calls pride. It seems the weakness we wish to avoid is often just what is needed to transform us from ugly and prideful children into humble and beautiful children. It appears that if we wish to be as our Father is, that we must learn perfect obedience just as Jesus did. “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

Becoming like Jesus through suffering sounds nice on paper, but when it is taking place in your life it can feel terrible. It may be impossible to see God at work in the mess that we call our lives. To an even greater degree we cannot see how he is redeeming the world through a church that appears so weak and broken from the outside. You might feel that you are part of a losing cause. But God promises regarding the Church that, “through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” And he promises to us individually, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” And though the world seems full of weakness and futility, we have hope. As Paul writes in Romans 8:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.[20] For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22] For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. [23] And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

As we meet with weakness both from within and from without let us be encouraged. This present age is passing, and our obedience in weakness here will be transformed into beautiful strength in the age to come, Jesus being the clearest picture of this. And when we feel that the gospel message is weak, foolish, and powerless, may we remember:

“the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”

and also,

“the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

By: Barry Walton

Broadcast News (12.12.10)

2010-12-12T16:41:00.002-05:00

1. Check out pics from Friday night's caroling.
2. Listen to and discuss the sermon.
3. You are invited to the Broadcast Christmas Party!
This Friday from 6-9pm at the Higgins' house! Directions here.
*Bonfires, Games, Food, Parents, Santa, and Friends!
*Most tacky Christmas outfit (clothes, sweaters, reindeer antlers, etc) wins a prize!
*Please RSVP by Wednesday!

God's Glory in Weak Things (Part 2)

2010-12-11T15:30:00.005-05:00

God’s Redeeming Work: Done in Weakness

When God entered into time and came to planet earth to save man, he did not come arrayed in splendor and might. He came as a baby born in a dirty manger. He was born in Nazareth, a town known to produce nobodies. His mother, no doubt, faced rumors regarding her sexual purity. He lived in obscurity for thirty years before he began a public ministry full of power and demonstration of the Spirit. And while his miracles were wonderful and demonstrated his power to forgive sins and to fix the world, they would not compare to his final act. His final act was a death on a Roman cross; a death that made him appear as nothing more than a peasant revolt leader. It was a death that scattered his followers. None of them were encouraged by his death. Their faith in Jesus died as he died, hanging naked, soaked in his own blood, and humiliated. It was the apex of weakness. A man who claims to be God gets crucified as both a heretic and a rebel. An observer who had heard Jesus claims of power made a seemingly appropriate statement. “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” In other words, “If you’re God, act like it and do something powerful!!!” But Jesus would not.

Though that observer could not see it, Jesus’ weakness was the greatest of strength. Hanging there condemned, a man who had done zero wrong endured the unmitigated wrath of God almighty. If Jesus had done something that looked strong, it would have been the end of you and me. Very gratefully, he did something that looked pitiful and humiliating that required unrelenting, courageous, victorious love. Having submitted himself to God, he died a sinner’s death, and experienced abandonment from God. But then, having paid the full penalty for sin, he was raised from the dead, never to die again. This amazing and beautiful act of obedience birthed the church of Jesus Christ.

By: Barry Walton

God's Glory in Weak Things (Part 1)

2010-12-10T15:30:00.001-05:00

Weakness. It’s something none of us want to experience. We love to be strong, to feel competent and capable. We do not delight in pain or suffering. We love being in control of the circumstances in our lives. We love our bodies to be healthy, and our minds to be sharp. We love our businesses to be successful, our homes to be happy and whole. But, it doesn’t take long living in this world to realize that any hope of avoiding weakness will fail. Family deaths, sickness, physical injuries, depression, poverty, starvation, and many other manifestations of weakness are commonplace in our world today.

With so much weakness in the world it is easy to be tempted by any message, product, or system that promises relief from weakness. Psychosomatic drugs that promise relief from various mental/emotional pains are a billion dollar industry in the United States. Hotels and resorts play on our desire for escape, advertising tropical getaways with language more suitable for the coming Kingdom than for a thousand dollar getaway. Our economy is largely based on producing products that make our lives more comfortable. Many people say, somewhat moralistically, “I don’t want to be rich, I only want to live a comfortable life”. That sounds humble enough, however, having a life of comfort as our goal runs counter to God’s call on the life of a follower of Jesus.

An Unsettling Truth: God Often Calls His Children Not to Strength, but to Weakness.

Remember Moses raising his arms and parting the Red Sea? What an unfathomable display of power. God clearly displayed his power on behalf of his people, but do you remember the 450 years of slavery wherein generation after generation died without seeing anything resembling a deliverer for them? For those believers in Yahweh, obedience meant a lifetime of weakness under the whip of Pharoah.

Remember the prophets who boldly declared the word of God to nations? Remember their miracles and the fire of their message? Anyone who has grown up in church remembers Elijah calling fire from heaven, Daniel in the Lion’s den, and countless other stories where God’s power was on full display. But we must also remember that most of the prophets were rejected in the world, and often died terrible deaths. As Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!”

It is a common tactic of the skeptic to point to the miracles of the Bible and ask where are the miracles today, as if the followers of God in times past just lived lives full of miracles, while riding on cloud nine, with room service. The scripture is clear that is not the case. Hebrews says of them, “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” That sounds like a life full of weakness, but in God’s economy, it is strength.

By: Barry Walton

Broadcast News (12.5.10)

2010-12-06T15:30:00.002-05:00

Sunday Morning Sermon: All In
Listen. Review & Discuss

Sunday Night Sermon: How to listen to sermons
Review & Discuss

Friday: Family Serve.
In the incarnation, God engaged the needy. Imitate (glorify) Him Friday by engaging & serving the elderly in Spartanburg! Join us Friday night @ the Windsor House @ 5pm. We will sing carols (Loud & out of tune), give away candy canes (bring a pack if you can), and then grub @ Fuddruckers! The whole family is invited! Wear something Christmasy! Here are Directions.

Sunday: Last Tune-in of the year!

Don't forget to pray for Morgan Mathis as she has surgery this week.

The 3 Most Disturbing Words on TV

2010-12-04T15:00:00.001-05:00

Who doesn’t get teary-eyed watching the final moments of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? Who could argue with that? Which brings me to the three most disturbing words on television:
“Move that bus.”

Again, there’s no arguing with the warmth and altruistic sentiments of the show.
The families who have been profiled always seem to be wonderful people, I don’t impugn them or the show’s creators with secret evil intentions. But a disturbing thing happens in the final moments of the show. After profiling the family’s suffering, after talking about hardship and perseverance, after recruiting an army of volunteers, the family is brought in front of the new home, which is hidden from view by a large touring bus. They count down and call out those three words, and the reaction can only be described as worship. There are tears and shouting while people fall to their knees, hands raised in the air.

Here it is on bold display: the ultimate hope of most Americans.
It’s as though a phantom voice is responding to their suffering with the words, Well done, good and faithful servant. Here is your reward: dreamy bedrooms, big-screen TVs, privacy fencing, and wireless internet. We watch. We weep. And we hope for ourselves. It’s yet another gospel alternative, this one packaged as a heart-warming vision of the way life is “supposed to be.”

Instead of just asking yourself about lust when you watch a film, ask yourself about hope.
What’s the hope being proclaimed? What other desires are being stirred? Does it feed your sense of self-righteousness? Does it give you cause for contempt? Or does it give you a call to worship at the feet of the American dream?

Good art tells the truth, and sometimes the truth is ugly.
Sometimes people who suffer don’t receive a reward. Sometimes the truth involves sinful people doing sinful things, and in telling a story (even a redemptive story) it’s necessary to talk about that darkness. Sometimes what appears to be good for the heart and the family is actually an idol in disguise. At all points in the spectrum, individual tolerance for media should be constrained by a Scripture-soaked and gospel-informed conscience and by the input and feedback of our community in the church.

Originally posted by Mike Cosper on The Gospel Coalition

Gospel-Centered Questions

2010-12-03T15:30:00.001-05:00

Here is a list of questions that will help you get to heart motivations and turn to the gospel.
1. What are you desiring more than anything else?
2. What do you find yourself day dreaming or fantasizing about?
3. What lies are you subtly believing that undermine the truth of the gospel?
4. Are you astonished with the gospel?
5. Where have you made much of yourself and little of God?
6. Is technology stealing attention from your family?
7. Is work replacing your spouse’s place in your heart?
8. Where do your thoughts drift to when you enter a social setting?
9. What fears are paralyzing your heart from enjoying God?
10. What consumes your thoughts when you have alone time?

Originally posted by Jonathan Dodson on Gospel Centered Discipleship

Broadcast News (11.28.10)

2010-11-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

How will you keep Christmas
Christ-Centered?
Here's a resource to help you. Here & Here are two advent reading plans.

Apply the sermon.
(1) Listen
(2) Watch this video (ex: of Acts 3:19)
(3) Discuss

Discouragement. Tim Lyda

2010-11-27T17:00:00.006-05:00

Here are four factors of discouragement and how to respond.

4 Factors.

Discouragement Factor #1: Fatigue (Nehemiah 4:7,8)
Discouragement Factor #2: Frustration (Nehemiah 4:10)
Discouragement Factor #3: Failure (Nehemiah 4:10)
Discouragement Factor #4: Fear (Nehemiah 4:11,12; Deuteronomy 1:26-30)

How to respond.

Cry out to God (Nehemiah 4:4,9; Psalm 121)
Continue to work with what God gave you (Nehemiah 6:2,3)
Stay focused on the big picture (Nehemiah 4:13, 14)
Claim the encouragement of God's promises (Galatians 6:9)
Carry someone's burdens (Nehemiah 4:16-23)

Originally taught by Tim Lyda at ManMaker2010.

Will you commit gluttony or enjoy a feast?

2010-11-24T17:00:00.005-05:00

This Thursday you’re probably either going to commit gluttony, or celebrate a feast of thankfulness. It all depends on your heart.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the word gluttony thrown around in a joking way—mostly by people who are clinically overweight like myself. It almost feels like an imaginary sin. But it's real. The Bible tells us that our stomach can be our god (Phil. 3:19). Please take the time to reflect on where food stands in your heart. Is it a god or a gift?

Gluttony is eating more than you need with a greedy heart:

A heart that is seeking satisfaction and fulfillment in the food.
A heart that just wants more and more.
A heart that isn’t satisfied.
A heart that thinks you deserve it.
A heart that is focused inward on yourself instead of outward on God and others.

Feasting is enjoying a meal with people you love & thanks for God’s provision:

Enjoying the people that God has brought into your life—even the weird ones.
Thanking God for providing.
Experiencing the common grace of delicious food.
Remembering that God tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8).
Anticipating the meal that we’ll eat with Jesus at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

Food as God

Food, like money, sex, and power, is often used as a substitute for something only God can give. It can bring satisfaction, comfort, escape, and even a source of identity. It’s a false savior.

Food as Gift

My hope and prayer is that you, and all of the people that you pass this on to, would not feel guilt about food. That would be falling right into Satan’s trap. What I hope you do is go to Jesus, tell him what’s in your heart, and ask for the Spirit to make your heart feel what your head knows—that God is God and food is just a gift.

Originally posted by Mike Anderson @ The Resurgence

Broadcast News (11.21.10)

2010-11-22T11:15:00.001-05:00

Listen to the Sunday's sermon.
Sit down with Jesus and your family and discuss the sermon, "On Mission With God."

Two more facts.
1. No youth Sunday night. Don't feel like this. Enjoy it with your family.
2. Protect your family. Sign-up for tonight's webinar hosted by Covenant Eyes.

Applauding God with Technology

2010-11-18T13:41:00.000-05:00

How can I glorify
God with technology?

1. Watch Richard Smith's 8 min. video: Accountability, Parents & Covenant Eyes

2. Register for this free webinar on Monday.

3. Visit the Parents tab, look under "Parents & Media", you will find plenty of helpful websites, and an amazing free Ebook (A 20 minute read that is strongly recommended).

4. Watch this 2 minute video from CE.

Broadcast News (11.14.10)

2010-11-14T16:09:00.001-05:00

Here is this week's Discussion Guide. It is a tool to help you review and apply this Sunday's sermon. Feel free to use it during your morning devotionals, or with the family at the dinner table. If you didn't hear the message, The Life Changing Power of Scripture, or want to listen again, click here.

A few other info-bites for your joy:
1. Are your doors locked? Glorifying our God. Protecting our kids. will be this Wednesday night at The Journey. Richard Smith will also be sharing via video interview. Time: 6:30-8:00pm.
2. Tune-in is next Sunday night. Let me (Matt) know by Wednesday if you need childcare.
3. Man-Maker2010 is this Saturday!

Help me Study the Bible.

2010-11-14T13:35:00.003-05:00

If you are interested in studying the Bible, then here are a couple of suggestions/resources.
Hope you enjoy.

Get a Bible.
I (Matt) highly recommend the ESV Study Bible (about $30 or $45)

Get a Plan.
HopePoint has a helpful link to help you plan: How to Grow as a Christian. Also, you can find a 1-year reading plan HERE, and a other reading plans HERE.

I also have a two copies left of "How to Get the Most from God's Word", a book by John MacArthur Jr. Let me know if you want one.

Troubled Teens

2010-11-13T12:08:00.018-05:00

While downtown at a local family event a lady commented on how nice, polite and cooperative our kids were. Then she said, "Enjoy them now because when they become teenagers it will all change."

Her perspective, based on her personal observations and experiences, was that teen rebellion is an unavoidable part of every family’s life.
Recently I was counseling parents of a rebellious teen. And the dad said,

"He’s no different than any other teenager. When I was a teen I did some of the things that he is doing. He’ll be okay after he sows his wild oats."

This is called a false continuum. A continuum is a predetermined sequence of events where the elements along the path logically build one upon another. According to the two people above, they believe all kids become teenagers and all teenagers live in rebellion. This is a false continuum.
For them the sequence of events logically build one upon another and the conclusion is unavoidable rebellion.

A Christ-centered worldview would say this is not true. Sinful, rebellious kids do not have to grow into sinful, rebellious teens or adults. Teenagers can be rebellious, but it is not because they are teens. It is because they are sinners. And the bible has the answer for all sinners who sin, whether the sinner is young or old.

If unavoidable rebellion is the outcome for all teenagers, whether saved or not, then there is no hope for any of us and rebellion would be the logical course we all would follow.
To say we will live in unrestrained patterns of sin and this is the way things will be and it cannot be any other way is the hopeless sound of the Christ-less and defeated.

But Christ came to offer us the great sin-reversal.

His death on the Cross conquered sin once and for all and it is our abandonment to him and his finished work that breaks sinful patterns. By our initial repentance at salvation and on-going repentance in our sanctification the continuum of sinful patterns can be broken. We can be free from our sinful patterns of rebellion against God.

It is a contradiction for any of us to say, “I am a Christian” while expecting a life of unavoidable rebellion regardless of age. It is through the power of the Gospel that we receive an “alien righteousness” and along with the enablement of the Holy Spirit we break the continuum of sin in our lives. The Gospel makes all the difference.

On-going, unrepentant rebellion in a teen is a sign that the kid has never been regenerated. In such cases the parent, assuming the parent is a Christian, needs to look further than the surface, behavioral rebellion and seek to lead the kid to a Savior who will not only change the behavioral, surface rebellion the parents are worried about, but will also remove the roots of this rebellion.

This rebellion can be overcome through Him who has overcome the world.
Originally posted by Rick Thomas on Competent Counseling.

Video Games, Idols, & Your Child's Heart

2010-11-12T11:44:00.001-05:00

Video games are one of the most influential and time consuming recreational activities in our society today. On average gamers spend 18 hours per week playing video games. This extensive time investment is reflected in the money invested in video game consoles and software. In 2009, $19.7 billion was spent on video games worldwide, $2.6 billion more than was spent on movies in both box office ticket sales and DVD sales combined.* Many parents are surprised to discover that video games generate more profit than Hollywood.

What this all means is that few children escape the influence of video games, and the temptation to idolatry.

So how can parents lead their children in such a media-crazed world?

In this Q&A session C.J. answers one father’s question about how to monitor his child’s use of video games. The following excerpt was originally recorded during a Pastors College meeting on December 4, 2009.

=====================

Question: As kids get older, how do you deal with idols in their lives?...For example, my 12 year old son is generally obedient, but he loves to play video games. If that privilege is lifted he is like a different kid. How much do we restrict? Do we just say no more of this? What have you done in those situations?

C.J. Mahaney: Great question. We are always reluctant to answer parenting questions because they are so child specific, and the more you know about the child the more, I think, wise and precise you can be. But, in general, you want your child to be convinced that you can identify with them. So I want to find illustrations from my life that parallel an illustration in his life. So I could say, “Son, this is not a foreign topic to your dad. We are fellow sinners both in need of a savior.”

So I want to do two things. I want to try to introduce my son to a study that isn’t correction specific to an occasion. I want to study the heart, I want to study anger, I want to study idolatry, unrelated to an occasion where I am bringing discipline, so that the study hopefully can have the most effect. I want to engage in a study from Scripture. I want to choose age-appropriate material. I want to choose appropriate passages. And then my study with my son is supplemented by stories from my life, because I do the same thing. I don’t cry anymore like a child but I know how to cry in adult ways. I want my child to know that no matter what the category, I can identify.

So let’s say for my son fear of man would be a category. “Well, your dad is just as familiar with that, son, and here are the ways fear of man will play out in my life today.” Not “Here are the ways fear of man played out when I was 16.” No—“Here are the ways fear of man is a real temptation to your father this week.” I think by humbling myself, I hope I make it easier for him to receive from me, so that when I say “Listen,” it’s not “Listen to your self-righteous father who is angry at you because he doesn’t understand why it requires this kind of attention to help you to see how stupid a video game is.”

It is too easy for me to view my son’s form of idolatry as childish, but in essence, at root, there is no difference between our idolatries. His expression is consistent with a 12 year old, mine is consistent with a 56 year old, but in essence it’s no different. Therefore I must make sure my heart is softened by my own sinful tendencies. I don’t want the study to be punitive, I don’t want it to be (if possible) connected or related to discipline, because I think that can make it more difficult for a child to comprehend and to be convinced I have their best interest at heart. I want to supplement it with my own stories.

At 12 years old I would want to start leaving your son with questions to consider rather than pronouncements. But from 12 years old on up, it is far more complicated than when they are younger. For a toddler, discipline is pretty simple. You are not having to work through heart issues. It is a blatantly ethical world, at that age, nothing but right/wrong, yes/no. But as they get older you want to draw your child in and give him an opportunity to think about his own heart, think about it in relation to material, think about it in relation to Scripture, think about it with time for the Spirit to possibly convict. You are not bringing every conversation to a conclusion that he must agree with.

With your restrictions, you want to explain why you are doing what you are doing. Restrictions are important. We are fully for restrictions as long as the purpose is explained—so your child doesn’t think this is just punitive action we are taking in your life without explanation, without a why, without a purpose. We want to create an alternative. We want to anticipate this temptation, anticipate this restriction and [ask] what alternative can we present to wean our child from that particular form of idolatry.

Helping our children identify idols is hard work. Your son may grow out of his love for video games, but he will not grow out of the idol factory in his heart. So as parents, we need the Lord’s help, and we can be confident that he will lead and guide us as we serve and lead our children with the gospel.

Originally posted on SovereignMinistries.org by Chad Mahaney.
Click here for the original article.

Broadcast News (11.7.10) Can you spare 15 minutes?

2010-11-07T15:59:00.001-05:00

Can you spare 15 minutes?
Here is the Discussion Guide the small groups are using tonight. Parents, I encourage you to divide the guide into five chunks, and spend 15 minutes after dinner, each night discussing a section. Is there a better use of 15 minutes (besides thumb-wresting)? Let us know how it goes!

Next Sunday night is "Parents Night" at Broadcast.
You. Your student too. Next Sunday night. 6pm. Oakbrook. Coffee. Big Group. Games. Prayer.
Parents, this is your night to observe & participate in Broadcast. Look forward to seeing you there!

Buy wrapping paper for Jesus.
We are raising money for the youth ministry. Help us out. You can buy stuff (including SallyFoster wrapping paper), after morning worship, in the kitchen on these Sundays: 11.14 & 11.21. If you want to make a general donation, you can click here.

Man-Maker.
Don't forget to register for the Father/Son Man-Maker (including paintball at Redfox) by next Sunday!

I Kissed Dating Goodbye

2010-11-06T11:59:00.001-04:00

I did. I know that may sound weird to all of my sisters & brothers who have boyfriends and girlfriends. An honestly, since this is not an essential doctrine to the Christian faith, it is ok if we disagree. But I think that saying “no to dating” is a great strategy for fully following God’s plan for your life right now, waiting for the person God’s got for you in the future, and remaining pure.

This book by Joshua Harris, “I Kissed Dating Goodbye,” is super fantastic. He goes through a bunch of stuff about dating, God, marriage, sex, and all kinds of great stuff. His stories are awesome. Go pick up the book. I’m here to talk about what God showed to me. We’re bringing back the Reading Rainbow.

So first thing, right before reading this book, I was in a relationship that I thought was going great. And the truth is, it was going great. We both knew God was first priority and we both were attracted to each other’s physical and spiritual qualities. But Matt had asked me a very important question about a week before I read the book. He asked, “Can you serve God better in the relationship or out of it?” I thought about it. Then next week he gave me the book to read. And Josh Harris asked me the same question. It’s funny how God works that way. That question is one I want to ask you guys that are in a dating relationship in high and middle school.

Can you serve God and his kingdom better in or out of the relationship?

Your singleness is a gift. God has given you this period of life to remain “alone” from another person to work for him. Not alone as in you’re the only one, but alone as in not focused on another person. You will be focused on that other person someday: your future husband or wife.

So can you do more for the kingdom now with or without a boyfriend or girlfriend?

Right now, in high school and middle school, I think the answer is without one. God’s timing is perfect and he will bring you his perfect choice for you in HIS timing. Not when you think you need them. This plan is simple and it keeps you totally pure for your future spouse. Pick up Josh’s book somewhere and read it. It will change your attitude about dating.

-Zach Robinson