Jesus, Not A Poor Substitute.

We have all seen many videos much like this. Some are like this where a statue or picture of the Virgin Mary is "miraculously" crying. Or it may be a statue of a crucifix and Jesus starts somehow bleeding from his forehead where the crown of thorns have been placed or from his hands, feet, or side where he was stabbed with the Roman soldiers spear.

I came across this news story the other day and at first I just sort of laughed. However the more I thought about it I really felt bad for those people. They put all their trust and faith into an object that is cold dead and lifeless. Instead of putting their faith in God they put their faith in a functional or substitute savior that can get them through this life. They would rather worship created things rather than creator God.

What about you? What is it in life that you put ahead of worshiping Jesus? It could be work, T.V., food, your spouse or kids, maybe even your ministry? Thing is, we tend to put a lot of things ahead of our worship, love and faith in Jesus. Many time it happens and we don't even mean for it to but it does. It's good to take inventory of your priorities and make sure that you're putting Jesus first and not some poor substitute.

Bless Others As You've Been

I saw this news story out of the U.K. the other day and to be honest, I really felt sorry for the guy. In the story it calls the guy a "compulsive hoarder" but I think the problem ran much deeper. I think his demise was a result of where his heart was at.

We all like to have stuff, ipods, cell phones, laptops, etc. Whatever the latest gadget is, it seems like many of us run out to get it without ever thinking,"do I really need this?" Maybe it's not some new gadget, it could be a new pair of shoes or jacket, both of which you didn't need, it's just that you want this years popular brand or style.

A lot of us in this country have a lot of stuff that we don't need, and the are a lot of people that don't have stuff that they do need. When was the last time that you went out and bought something of need for someone you know that is lacking? In these hard economic times there are plenty of people in that boat. This is a question I've been asking myself lately too and I have to say it's been to long, sadly.

Really you don't even have to go out and buy something, try just giving something away that you already have. As I said before, we all have more that what we really need. Instead of just adding more clutter to your life, purge a little. One of the reasons God blesses us is so that we can be a blessing to others. So how about it? When is the last time you blessed someone in need? It's better than getting lost and dieing in your own pile of stuff.

Better Than the Origional

I love music, it's a huge part of who I am. While hard rock is my preferred style, I'll listen to just about any style of music out there. OK, not country music, but anything else. I really like when an older song, such as a hymn, is remade into today's styles of music. Such is the case with the song below, give it a listen. The group is called "Brothers of the Empty Tomb". They're out of Mars hill church in Seattle,WA.
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Be sure to be used

Maybe it's just me, but I don't think so. I've been noticing a trend that seems to be happening more and more in today's churches. It's something I've been observing for many years and only have talked to a few people about. Today's churches are really hurting from what I'd like to call spiritual driftwood syndrome. Let me take some time to explain.

When it comes to many things in life that we as Americans take part in, we tend to over do it. When we sit down to a meal, do we eat until we're full? No way! We eat until we think we're going to puke, then we unbutton our pants in order to fit those last few remaining bits into our ever expanding stomachs. It's the same when it comes to satisfying our need for the newest and best gadgets. It's nothing to walk into someones house and find a huge TV mounted on their wall and in some cases it's more than one. We tend to participate in life a grand scale.

Even when it comes to driving, going 70 MPH is not enough. We always push it to the limit trying to go as fast as we can without getting caught. I've got to admit I'm guilty of the same thing. On a side note I once heard a cop use the phrase "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine" in regards to how fast someone is going over the speed limit before he'll stop them. Since I heard that I figure those are words to live by. OK, I'll get back to my point.

Unfortunately Many Christians don't have this same desire to participate in the function of their church as they do in seemingly every other aspect of their life. These are the people that I like to call spiritual driftwood.

You know them, you see them week in and week out coming into the doors of the church walking to the same seat every week, listening to the sermon then they get up and head right to their car, leaving and never contributing a thing. Much like how driftwood starts out a Christian seems to get tossed in the the river of church soaking all they can as they float in a and out with the tide of the church. Never do they find what their God given intended purpose was. Finally after a while they are almost all but forgotten about. They sink to the bottom and never contribute or are used to their fullest like so many before.

If you're suffering form this syndrome or know somebody that is, it's time to pull yourself to the surface and star to dry yourself out. Wood always burns better when it's dry. It's time to get back to being on fire for the things of God.

Automakers and Youth Ministry

All the distress nowadays over the American big three auto makers, has really been a problem a very long time in the making. I could go into the politics of it all and how the UAW and the Federal government really hold much of the blame for the crisis that the automakers find themselves in, but I won't. Instead I'd like to focus a little on the automakers themselves and a lot of the problem as really boiled down to creativity.

Being in the Tool & Die industry, injection molding to be more specific, I've seen a lot of different car components from their concept and to be honest they are rather dull. It seems like each new part is just a poor knock-off of the previous years model. You can ask just about anyone in the automotive manufacturing industry and most will tell you that it has been a long time since any of the big three automakers have come out with anything really exciting. Sure the cars of today still do their job, they get you from point "A" to point "B", but that's about it. Think about it, when was the last time that the big three put out that "must have" car or truck.
All this has caused the consumers to look elsewhere for that sweet ride. They want a car that functions just like they always have, but they want them to have a fresh new look.
To get right down to it, the American automakers need to retool! If they don't they will just continue to loose more and more market share and eventually have to close up shop. So what does this have to do with youth ministry?

Well, teens today are a lot like today's automobile consumers, especially when it comes to the youth ministry that they are a part of. They want to have a youth ministry that provides the same things it always has. They want to know it's a place that they can go to learn more about Christ, a place where they can be served and learn to serve others. They want to know that it's a place where they know they can go and feel like they belong and are accepted. They want all of this but they want it in a new refreshing way. The type of youth ministry that their parents had, while effective, will not work for today's youth, it just won't! While the message of the Gospel will always be timeless, the way in which it is presented must be timely!

In the times we live in, trends come and go at lightning quick speeds. The attention of today's youth is being pulled in several different directions and I'm afraid that to many churches have not retooled their youth ministries. They're just doing the same old thing year in and year out, because it's always "worked". While the old methods may still get you from point "A to point"B" so to speak, it doesn't make it exciting or very personal for the teen. It makes it more of a necessary evil. Just like I know I need a car, many teens that truly love Jesus know they need to be a part of a ministry. I don't like my car, it's old but it still runs and is paid for. However I know that there is something better out there. The world has a lot to offer teens today and if we as youth leaders don't retool our ministries, we might have to close up shop because all of our "customers" have gone elsewhere.

Take some time to laugh!

We as followers of Jesus need to and should be able to laugh out loud. Forget about all the pressures that fill our lives knowing that God is in control and is with us no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. If we can't do something as simple as that, what message does that send to unbelievers? What does that tell them about or faith or the power that God has? So take 5 minutes and watch this clip from one of my favorite comedians, Jim Gaffigan, and laugh a little.

Female Rockers

Over the the last ten years or so the "Christian Music" industry has changed a lot, and it can't be more true when it comes to that of hard rock. It used to be that only the "best" bands were a bunch of "church acceptable" looking guys that just happened to play music. That's not the case any more. Today the look and sound of most bands has changed, and I must say it's for the better.

The music today is a lot edgier, harder and in your face. The cool thing is, it's more blatant about spreading the the truth of the gospel as well as the person and message of Jesus. It seems like in the past that bands would try and hide their message in order to get that bigger contract or to get the cross-over radio play. I don't think people had much respect for that. People want to know what a band is all about, what ever it may be.

Not only has the music and the message gotten better, but the face of a lot of bands has changed. Once dominated by men, women have taken over as the lead vocals of many new metal bands. I have to say, I was once skeptical of having a woman being the lead of a hard rack band. Not because I didn't think a woman could do it, it's just that up until recently there were very few and the ones that were around weren't any good. That is not the case any more!

If you like hard rock, check out some of the bands I've listed below ( in no particular order). They all have a great sound and a greater message. Let me know in the comments section of any other new bands out there, I'm always looking for new music.

Flyleaf, Breaking The Silence, Ilia, Fireflight,