Our Blog

Student Ministry - October 2022

Dear Church Family,

One thing that has been on the forefront of my mind lately is the reality of evil in the world. We all know evil exists, but sometimes I think we are tempted to believe that evil is not a very prevalent or pressing issue. It almost seems like evil is something you see in TV shows, but it can’t really be all that bad in the real world, can it? People don’t really do evil like that intentionally, do they? But the sad and disorienting reality is that when you look at the real world and real people, evil is much more prevalent and problematic than we sometimes give credit. When you read stories of decapitations in broad daylight, parents murdering children, and corrupt people in leadership, it can make you wonder if we are the ones living in a TV show. But reality is stranger than fiction. And the point I’m really pushing is that people are evil. 

As soon as you say that people are evil, you can imagine someone automatically jumping up to say “no, people aren’t evil… they just do bad things sometimes. And let’s consider the circumstances. Maybe there is a reason for the bad thing they did. And if you think about that, maybe the bad thing they did wasn’t really that bad after all.” These are all excuses. A phrase I’ve been using for some years now is that there might be reasons for our sin, but they aren’t necessarily excuses. This means that just because we can understand why someone might do something when we put ourselves in their shoes, that doesn’t always mean that what they did was ok. We all have reasons for speeding on the highway, but extremely rarely do any of those reasons justify what we are doing. The same goes for the evil actions done by people in the world. The Bible makes it clear in Romans 3:10 that “There is none righteous, not even one.” We know that all people are sinful and capable of great evil. But until we really accept that fact, we won’t be able to make a bit of difference in the world.

Honestly, we see the world trying to make a difference to no avail all the time. Secular entities in the world (and even some non-secular entities) try to combat evil with all sorts of ideologies and philosophies, systems and services that ultimately fall flat. They may provide some sort of stay on the effect of man’s evil, but they do not solve it. Sometimes they even increase the amount of evil actions done by man. One need only look at the effects of socialism everywhere it has been attempted. No, these “solutions” do not work, and there is one major reason why… they ignore the real problem, the sinfulness of the human heart. And because they ignore the real problem, they also ignore the true solution, the gospel.

If the gospel is not the center of whatever ideology, philosophy, system, or service you provide, then you do not have a solution that will make a lasting difference. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can truly curb evil, because only the gospel changes the human heart. Consider how the gospel is the reality of the Son of God becoming man, living a perfectly holy life, dying for the punishment of our sin, raising to life on the third day, and giving the Holy Spirit and eternal life to those who believe in Him… it is that radical cleansing of a sinful heart and presence of the Holy Spirit that makes the evil man into a saint. No, not a perfect man, but a man with holy desires and a holy standing before God. That is what we need! We need new hearts that want to love God and live for Him! No system or service provides that unless it centers around the gospel. Likewise, no single person can make a change without the gospel being center to his life.

So, if you see evil in the world and it dismays you, remember the solution has been given. What we need to do is center ourselves around the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ and do all we can to bring it to bear on our own sinful hearts and the sinful hearts of those living around us. When we do that, God will change our hearts and theirs, and an everlasting impact will be made on the amount of evil in the world. And thankfully we can trust that one day, when Jesus returns, evil will be done away with for good. But until then, let’s be thankful He transformed our evil hearts before that day, and let’s shine the light of the gospel into our present darkness.

Student Ministry - September 2022

The school year has begun along with all of its extracurricular activities and busyness. With that come many new opportunities to interact with people and make new friends. More importantly come new possibilities to be the light of Christ in the social settings we find ourselves. And while this is true and important for adults, I think it is even more relevant for children and students. So how should students and their parents approach the school year? My hope is to give some helpful suggestions to ensure we make the most of the opportunities God is giving us anew this year.

Focus on Christ more than school. One way we can miss divine appointments is by being more focused on whatever task lies before us than on our relationship with Christ. Idolatry is when we make something other than Christ primary in our lives. I know it seems crazy to think of school as possibly being an idol, but even good things can be idols. Colossians 1:15-20 makes it clear that Jesus has first place above all things. So even the best things in our lives must be at least second place in our hearts and must not detract from our relationship with Jesus. Sadly, it is possible for school and extracurricular accomplishments to become one’s god for a season. And while students may be hitting all their goals for the school year, they may inadvertently miss the goals that God has for them in their lives making them ineffective for the gospel. So make sure your focus is on the right thing.

Focus on school for the glory of Christ. Parents should not fret my advice above, because if students make Jesus their primary focus, then they will not be able to escape their desire to glorify Him in all that He has called them to do. The average person goes to school and participates in things for his own glory and obedience to his parents. But the Christian student does his best to bring glory to God out of love for Christ and love for his parents. You see, making Christ preeminent in our hearts changes our motivation from vainglory and rote obedience to love. This in turn will make kids and teenagers Christlike in their actions AND better students. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” And Ephesians 6:6-7 tells us that service is to be done from the heart as though it is for the Lord instead of for other people. Being a good student and growing in your faith are not mutually exclusive things. Being an excellent student is just one of the many ways to show love for God and bring Him glory. Do your best because you love Jesus and want to give Him glory.

Focus on friends who lead you to Christ. One simple yet vital piece of advice is to make sure your closest friends are people leading you to Christ, not away. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says “do not be deceived: ‘bad company corrupts good morals.’” This is probably the most ignored truth in the life of students today. Friendships can be hard, but friends who are not seeking to lead you to the Savior are dangerous. Every area of your life can suffer when just one friend starts to pull your focus away from Jesus. So choose your friends wisely.

Focus on sharing Christ with acquaintances. While you are guarding your friendships, you should not ignore unbelievers. They should be acquaintances whom you enjoy and with whom you interact on a regular basis. Paul instructs the church in Corinth again in 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 that they were not prohibited from associating with unbelievers. How else would they hear the gospel? So, the principle is to willingly spend time with unbelievers (without participating in sinful behavior of course), but also to be ready and look for ways to share the gospel.

I believe that if students will focus on these things, then they will be effective at showing the light of Christ wherever they go. Therefore, my prayer is that parents and grandparents will focus on these principles when they talk to their children and grandchildren and will help them grow as effective followers of Christ.