There’s a video that has been sparking a lot of attention these days. A few weeks ago it started appearing on Facebook pages. A few of our youth and college students have asked me my thoughts on it. This week I took some time to watch it and here’s what I think. Check out this link to see the “Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus” video.

I think Jefferson Bethke makes some good points. Christ has come to put an end to sin. Hypocrisy is never a good thing and Jesus spoke out against it. As Christians we

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we live day in and day out. Our lifestyles are very busy and very regimented. In fact, it usually takes an illness or a snow day (not happening) to throw us off our routines. We are all creatures of habit and we certainly need predictable patterns to govern the orbit of our existence. There is a certain safety and comfort in the routine. In fact, it wouldn’t be a very healthy way of living if every day was a massive shake-up filled with unexpected chaos.

God is the One who created the patterns and rhythms of nature—seven days, 24 hours, four seasons. These patterns provide the contours for our living. They are predictable in their coming and going yet we do not know what will happen within the context of each day, week, and season.

Likewise, God is faithful in the rhythm of our living. Every day, week, and season, God is active and alive....

I read an interesting article this morning on why teens who argue with their parents are better off then teens that don’t. (Click here to read the article.) The basic argument of the article was that teens who feel like their parents listen to them during arguments and pattern a mature and respectable way to disagree are less likely to cave to peer pressure.

I think the real beauty in the parent and teen relationships that are being described is the elements of respect, honesty, acceptance, and love. You will never hear a teen proclaim it but that’s what they are secretly longing for. Let’s be honest, that’s what all people regardless of age want. We all want relationships that allow us to feel loved, accepted, and respected. We want to be in a community with people who allow us to be ourselves and feel free enough to be who they really are around us.

As Christians we don’t always have the reputation as being respectful, honest, accepting, and loving of those who don’t agree with us 100%. In fact, we often look down and act down to those people. I can’t think of a more non-Christian way to be! We follow a God who loved everyone so much that he decided to become one of us in order to save all of us. While on earth Jesus spent time with all types of people. Those who loved him and agreed with him 100% of the time and those who hated him and ultimately found a way to kill him because they didn’t agree with him. And while suffering a painful death he asked for forgiveness for those who had put him on the cross. That’s the type of love, respect, honesty, and acceptance that should define Christians.

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 Last Saturday night I took a group of our youth to Winter Jam in Raleigh. It is a huge Christian concert. We saw twelve different Christian artists perform. I went to the concert with the expectations of who I would enjoy and who I wouldn’t. I was not looking forward to Peter Furler. I had no clue who he was but the picture of him on the poster didn’t appeal to me. The moment he began to sing, I instantly changed my mind and I realized who he was. He used to be the front man for the Newsboys. I knew all the songs he did because they were the songs I grew up hearing in my own youth group. Our youth didn’t know any of the songs.