WCBlog
Friday, April 15, 2011
Rejoice Evermore
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Getting the Gospel Right - The Big Story
As Pastor is preaching through the series "Getting the Gospel Right" I think its important for us to see examples where the gospel is not being presented right. The Big Story is one of those examples. Here are a few reasons why the Big Story misses the Biblical Gospel...
1. No Emphasis on Sin. With statements like "Damaging the Planet" it seem clear right from the beginning that the theme of this presentation isn't on man's rebellion against God and his need to be reconciled to God. There is no mention of hell or the impact of sin on our lives only that we have damaged things and need to restore them. The sinner does not know why they are a sinner or really even what sin is from this presentation.
2. No Mention of Repentance. Turning from our sins and to God is the heart of the gospel and to have no mention of our need to repent causes the Big Story to miss the mark. Jesus repeaditly makes it clear that we are to repent of our sin but sin and repentance are two things that aren't part of the big story.
3. Jesus died to Heal the Planet? Instead of making it clear that Jesus died to save us from our sins, to reconcile us to God, to rescue us from eternity in Hell the Big Story basically says Jesus died so we could go recycle and plant trees.
4. Wrong Motives. When asked why we cant just go heal the planet without Jesus (which you can by the way) the response is "We need Jesus resources" so really this is primarily about doing good and healing the planet but we want people to get saved so we tell them they can really only help the planet if they do so as "Christians"?
The Big Story lacks any clear biblical teaching on the gospel. Instead of Jesus saying "I am the way, the truth and the life and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me" the message is "no man cometh unto the Father but through the recycling center" The Gospel isn't about healing the planet or even helping the poor and homeless, all those maybe good things but they are not why we need salvation. We need salvation because we have rebelled against God, we have chosen our own way over obedience to Him, our sin against Him has separated us from Him and will send us to Hell forever if we do not repent and turn to Him for mercy and grace. Getting the Gospel Right is key if we are going to see true conversions to Christ.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Sleeping Church
Friday, March 18, 2011
Getting the Gospel Right - Rob Bells False Gospel
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Saddest letter I have ever read.
This letter was sent to Cary Schmidt who works at West Coast Baptist College and has appeared already on numerous blogs and websites. I wanted to share it with you because it does a great job of capturing the challenges we face with many of our young people and even adults within the church, that is of course the heart issue.
SADDEST LETTER I'VE EVER READ by Cary Schmidt
I recieved this letter from a young lady last
week—a Bible college student who grew up in a Christian home and Christian school. I believe it’s the saddest letter I’ve ever read and right on the mark for so detailing the experiences of so many young Christians. I asked her permission to post it. Please read. Her words will greatly challenge you as a parent or pastor:
Dear Pastor Schmidt,
A few years ago, I read your books Hook, Line, and Sinker, Discover Your Destiny, and Life Quest. I found them to be extremely encouraging and instructive. These books showed me that not only do you have a real heart for young people, but you also understand us well. I am writing to ask you to consider writing a book to our parents and youth workers. Let me explain.
I am a junior at a well-known Christian college. I grew up in highly respected “fundamental independent Baptist” churches, and went to excellent Christian schools. My father has been a Christian worker since before I was born. One would think that my testimony would go something like this:
“I was saved when I was about 5 and I had dedicated my life to God and I have been growing a lot and serving Him and now I’m studying to serve Him full time.” But that isn’t my story. Actually, though I did make a profession of faith when I was very young, I didn’t get saved until I was 17. Since I was 12 and now on into college I have struggled with “serious” issues. And I found out when I went to college that I am not the only “good kid” who is or has struggled with or is still struggling with serious stuff. We struggle with issues like eating disorders, depression and suicide, cutting, pornography, gender identity, homosexuality, drugs, drinking, immorality, and the list could go on. We listen to “wild” music, we idolize pop culture’s heroes, we watch dirty sitcoms. We have no discrimination in our entertainment, dress, or any aspect of our lifestyle. Obviously, I’m generalizing our problems—you would not find that every Christian young person from a conservative background struggles with all of these issues, and praise God, some of us do not struggle with any of these issues.
My point is that the problems that are supposed to be bad kid’s problems belong to us too. Unfortunately, our parents and youth workers don’t know that we struggle with these things and they don’t know what to do with us when they find out. Quite frankly, I believe that if you grabbed the average Christian school teacher or youth worker and asked them, “What would you do if you found out that one of the kids you work with was a homosexual?” they wouldn’t know what to say.
My point is not simply that they don’t know what we struggle with or how to deal with it. I think there is a pretty simple reason why “good” kids struggle with such serious stuff. And that there is a solution. At the risk of being blunt, I’m going to be blunt.
Our parents did not spend time teaching us to love God. Our parents put us in Sunday Schools since K4. Our parents took us to church every time the doors opened, and sent us to every youth activity. They made sure we went to good Christian colleges. They had us sing in the choir, help in the nursery, be ushers, go soulwinning. We did teen devotionals, and prayed over every meal. We did everything right. And they made sure that we did.
But they forgot about our hearts. They forgot that the Bible never commanded the church to teach children about God and His ways. That responsibility was laid at the feet of our fathers. Unfortunately, our fathers don’t have time for us. They put us where we are surrounded by the Bible. But they didn’t take time to show us that God was important enough to them to tell us personally about Him. So to us, Christianity has become a religion of externals. Do all the right stuff, and you’re a good Christian. So, some of us walk away from church. Some of us stay in church and fill a pew. Many of us struggle with stuff that our parents have no idea about because they hardly know us.
I think these problems stem from first, our detachment from our parents, and second from our misunderstandings about the essence of Christianity—a relationship, not a list of rules. I worry that many young people like me are not even saved because of their misunderstandings about Christianity.
I know that this has not been a well articulated treatise, but it comes from my heart. If you are able to help us and our families, we would be so grateful. I realize that probably, there is no way to fix the fact that kids my age are detached from our parents or to straighten out the crazy stuff that we struggle with. The alienation is fixed, the scars are permanent. I know our situation is not hopeless. God is at work in my life and my generation, among those of us who have struggled and are struggling. But maybe our younger siblings can have some help that we never had. Maybe you can write a book for our parents that will grab their attention and help them see that this is serious—that their kids need them, desperately.
I guess I’ve run out of things to say. I must say I’m a little hesitant to share my name with you because that attaches me with my parents, who are, by the way, good people. Thanks for everything you have already done to help Christian teens and their families. I’m eager to see what else God will do through you.
Sincerely, (Name Removed to Protect Anonymity)
All I could say when I read this letter was, “WOW! She nailed it!” This is the battle I’ve been fighting for twenty one years. I’m planning to write a couple of follow up articles to this letter, but for now, let this insightful young lady’s words sink in, and let God help you evaluate your own parenting and influence.
Are we teaching kids to simply appear and act right? Or are we teaching them to LOVE God and KNOW Him personally?
What are your thoughts?
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Why do most teenagers leave the church by age 22?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wedding Plans are in the Works!
by Karen Finn
Hosea
God views us as his betrothed. Betrothed is an obsolete vocabulary term, rarely used in the twenty-first century. A more contemporary expression would be engaged or bride-to-be, symbolic of future promise and unity. What beautiful imagery to describe our value to God and position in Christ!
In Biblical times, a woman who was betrothed was commonly viewed as already being wedded; although-- in the physical sense-- the marriage had not yet been consummated. Oftentimes, the man would need to travel afar, temporarily separated, seeking a home for his future family. There was no mistaking that this “planning” phase brought about a heightened sense of expectation, for both the man and the woman. The promise of the bridegroom’s return was certain and imminent!
Isaiah 61:10 uses the bride/bridegroom symbolism and likens it to the joy found through salvation: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”
With great care and detail, God fashions us in His image.
It is a labor of love, a love which is limitless in its knowledge and mercy.
The free will we have been given casts a shadow upon the holy, intimate relationship we were intended to uphold and honor.
Jesus’ dying proclamation “It is finished” (John
Oh! The joy that awaits us, realizing we are betrothed to him forever! It is a marriage vow which will never be broken, a celebration that will never have to cease. Christ is coming again for us, to return for His bride and to fulfill His promise to us!