Tsk tsk

I had someone come up to me the other day, to confide something in me.  They were incredibly upset about some things some people were accusing her of, falsely.  After talking for a bit longer, I came to realize the root of the problem.

It seems that the church she goes to is the type that does not believe in "eternal security."  For those of you who do not know what that means, it means that you are able to actually lose your salvation should you act bad enough.  What ends up happening is that these people make themselves a little list and say things like, "If you do 'this' or 'that' then you aren't saved."

Kinda reminds me of the Pharisees.

Remember them? They were the people with all the 'rules of conduct' you were supposed to follow in order to not sin.  The only problem is that rules don't save you.

True, once you are saved (meaning you believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again and you ask him to be your Savior) your life should reflect that decision.  Does it make you perfect?  Of course not.  You should however show some signs of growth and repentance.  

Being judgmental is easy if you think you know everything.  Some people better check themselves.  Only God can know the condition of someone's heart.  It is not up to us to determine someone's eternal destiny.  Let the Holy Spirit do what John 14 says He does, and that is to teach us all things and convict us of our sin.

So here is the danger in believing you can lose your salvation:  you run the risk of setting yourself up to be some sort of judge.  Those that believe that way try to cite all manner of Bible verses to point out people's sins, but if you can lose your salvation (which is supposed to be eternal), what happens to hope?  I'll tell you what happens, it goes out the window.  If these people are going to use the Bible to tell me how bad I am, perhaps they should read those verses that actually give hope.

So listen, when Jesus says, "No one can snatch them from my hand," he means it.  No one can.

Not even you.

Common Ground

I had someone come up to me tonight very upset.  It seems she feels like an outcast, someone that nobody likes.  She felt as if she has been trying to get friends, but that she really doesn't have any.  She participates in certain activities at school, thinking that the people there would be her friend.  The problem is... it didn't work.  Now she feels more alone than ever.

We often try to find common ground with certain people, hoping for a friend.  Sometimes, we even change ourselves to be like them.  You've seen the type.  They might dress "Goth" because all the goth people will be accept them.  Same with gangs.  It's all just a search for what we call common ground.  The friendships forged from common ground based on things that are insignificant, like dressing a certain way or acting a certain way, are never strong.  There is, however, something that certain people have in common that makes lasting friendships.  That something has a name: Jesus.

You see, there are many people in my life that under normal circumstances wouldn't really be a friend of mine.  We have nothing in common whether it be profession, family, interests.  But these people are my friends for life.  Why?  We have a common love for a Savior.  In the way that He loved us, we too are to love each other.  For those who go to church but seemed to have missed out on this simple premise, you might want to throw out your religion and embrace a relationship with Christ.  When that happens, the ultimate basis for common ground is met, and there will never be a need to feel alone.

To the girl that felt alone tonight, hold on to Jesus... there is no better friend.  In fact, He's such a good friend, that He will put other friends into your life as well.

When God Comes Calling...

Sometimes we wonder why we can't ever figure out God's will.  You've heard people say, "I want to know God's will for my life."  They want to know what it is like when God comes calling.

Often times, these same people have already missed it.  God has already told us all several things that are ALWAYS His will for us.  These things include, praying in faith, spending time in His Word, and fellowship with other believers.  How is it that we expect God to tell us what He wants us to do in the future with our lives if we don't do the little things that He has already told us to do?

If we do those things that every disciple is called to do, then we can more easily wait for Him to give us more in His time.  The disciple that remains in Him (see John 15:5) will be given the tools to accomplish His tasks when He is ready for us to do it.

Don't expect God to trust you with the big things, if you drop the ball on the little things.

Then, when God comes calling, you will be ready.

New Happy List Suggestion

On a recent short trip with a few of the youth, a new Happy List entry presented itself.  It was one of the funniest moments in a long time.  So I had to write it down before I forgot about it.

Bring back as many old-school sayings as possible.  Use them frequently.  How tubular would it be if we did that?  It would be totally dope.

The Happy List (part 3)

Here is the next overdue installment of the Happy List:

8.  Start making puns about whatever the conversation is around you... some people might think you are pun-ishing them, but assure them you won't throw them in the pungeon.  That's a pun off of "dungeon" in case you are pun-illiterate.

9.  Whenever you do something good, say, "Look at me and my bad self!"

10.  Make you life a musical and sing about everything.

11.  When someone else is on the phone, act like they are talking to YOU, and carry on the conversation accordingly.

There's a few more left.  I challenge you to come up with your own Happy List and share them with me.  I might just post them in the next installment.

A house divided

Jesus said in Mark 2 that a house divided against itself cannot stand.  Is it any wonder that youth groups today are basically wasting their time?  You see, most youth groups have an "us vs. them" attitude.  It's almost a throwback to the 60's-style rebellion.  You have the church over here, and the youth group over there and they never really come into contact with each other.  

Does that sound like a house united to you?  Both the youth groups AND the adults need to reach out to each other, do missions together, and have a like mind.  Take down the divisions.  We need each other.

But it goes deeper than that.  We're talking about divisions within divisions.  Not only can a youth group be divided from the rest of the church, but they are quite often divided among themselves into their little clicks.  Gossip and and unkindness begin to wreak havoc, destroying any possibility of the group standing for Christ.*

  Do you think I exaggerate?  Look for yourself.  Does the group look divided?  Don't be surprised if the group cannot stand then.

A house divided cannot stand.  He said it, not me.

Be aware

There are people around us, sometimes among us, that are struggling.  Sometimes, it's just that they are tired... tired of working, trying, living.  They need a break.  They need someone, anyone, to notice.  

If you are like me, many times we get so busy ourselves, that we never notice.  Look around you with a watchful eye.  Be prepared to reach out a hand to help.  Be ready with words of encouragement.  Sometimes all it takes is a random comment about how much you appreciate someone.  Be aware of those people... someday it might be you, and you'll need someone to be aware of your struggles.

What a shame

What is it with "Christians " these days?  I mean, lost people act exactly like they're supposed to so you really can't fault them when they act like they do.  Christians, however, or at least a huge number of them, treat each other worse than anyone in the world.  The thing is, these are the same people who are supposed to love each other (see John 13:34-35 if you have a problem with me).

I just found out today that a really good friend of mine and a colleague in the ministry had to resign his position at the church he was at today because he didn't have a high enough attendance number.  He could have buckled and down whatever they wanted to fill up the seats, but he stuck to his beliefs about raising up disciples rather than game-players.  He paid a high price.  

I've been there, brother.  I've had to fight for what I knew God wanted for youth ministry.  I've had to pay that price too.  I promise that He will stand by you if you will just refuse to be moved from your convictions.

To those of you that feel ministry is about numbers and not discipleship... SHAME ON YOU!  You WILL have to answer to God for the way you have disregarded His Word about love, leadership, and ministry.

Stand firm to what you believe... just make sure what you believe lines up 100% with the Word.

If it walks like a duck...

Throughout history, there have been many theological ideas.  Many are based on Biblical truth and many are not.  How can you know the difference?  There's an old saying: "If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it must be a duck." 

For the purpose of this discussion, let's say that any idea that doesn't follow scripture is a "duck."

All of these ducks cause division among God's people, hurt feelings, split churches, cause His people to stop having fellowship with each other.  That is BAD fruit.  In Matthew 7, Jesus says that no good tree can produce bad fruit, and no bad tree can produce good fruit.  "Fruit" is just another way of saying "the end result."  You plant an apple seed, the end result is apples.  If these different ideas produce bad fruit, they are therefore a bad tree.  I didn't make this up, look it up for yourself.  

Take for example, the idea that you can lose your salvation if you sin bad enough.  There are some verses in Scripture that might seem to indicate this might be true (if you ignore all the other verses to the contrary).  However, the division and anger and split this has caused among God's people is BAD FRUIT.  How about the idea that you MUST speak in tongues in order to truly worship.  This idea caused many to leave their church and join another... BAD FRUIT.  Both of these ideas are obviously false teachings according to Scripture... both of them are "ducks."

Some ideas, however, are little more complicated.  The Scripture is perhaps unclear sometimes.  The most obvious example is what the Scripture says about the end times.  There are several different theories that both seem to be backed by Scripture.  So how do you know what is the right one?  If it walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck, it must be a duck.

In other words, any idea about the Bible or God or Jesus, etc. that causes people to divide, split, or get angry must be rejected as false.  Why? No good tree can produce bad fruit.

There are times...

There are times in your life when emotion overwhelms you.  Whether it is positive or negative, these times are never forgotten.  It was 2 weeks ago that 24 people set out to bring the Gospel of Christ to a place that is quite simply thirsty for it.  Each one had a role to play...

Though my role was small, I am proud to say that I served with these men and women...

I watched as those veterans used their experience to lead and as rookies rose up to the challenge, breaking down barriers, serving selflessly, and working hard.  They met with difficulty and hardship... but ultimately, with success.

I was there... and I've never been more proud in my whole life...

thank you

Let the old self die...

Tonight, we study Ephesians 4:17-32. This is quite an extensive list as to how someone who claims to follow Christ should behave. So many think it is boring to follow all the rules. The reality is, they are exactly right... with the life they have now. In verses 22-24, we see how we are supposed to be "renewed in the spirit of your minds" and to "put on the new man." Once this new identity is assumed, the "rules" are no longer seen as constricting, but rather as a path to freedom from lifestyle of verses 18-19.

I looked up what a renegade is today. A "renegade" is someone that leaves a political party or religion to join up with another. The world has its own religious system. It is a system where the individual is his/her own god/goddess. I reject that idea. I reject subjective truth. I reject the idea that truth is whatever you want it to be. I have left that belief system for the undeniable truth. and the Truth has a name: Jesus Christ.

Oh yes, I am a renegade.

Happy List (part 2)

Here is more of the happy list... Part 1 was published on May 15th.
Try these and smile...


4. Finish every sentence with "according to the prophecy."
5. Every time you answer YOUR OWN phone, say "hello," then announce to everyone around
you that "it's for me."
6. Shake your bootay... always a crowd pleaser

and finally....

7. Learn the lyrics to a really old-school rap song, and spontaneously begin rapping.

There is more to the list... coming soon.

Grey Poupon

Remember those Grey Poupon commercials? If you don't, Grey Poupon is a brown, fancy mustard. The commercials would have someone in a limo or some really expensive car pull up to another very expensive car, and roll down the window. The obviously very rich and proper woman in the first car would lean over and say, "Excuse me, do you have any Grey Poupon?" The other driver would smile, reach his hand out the window and her a jar of fancy mustard.

What made these commercials silly is that you don't typically think of mustard as being for the rich and fancy. For most of us, mustard is a bit more uncivilized. Stay with me here, because I am going somewhere with this. I think most of us have some sort of disdain for the overly rich people that would pull up and ask for Grey Poupon. You know, the stuck up, arrogant, "only the fancy mustard will do" type of people. Why then, is our Christianity that way?

What happened to our ancient faith? The kind of faith that was full of passion and with a touch of a wild side.

It reminds me of the movie "The Chronicles of Riddick." In this movie, Riddick is an escaped convict, who flees to a very remote planet to protect the ones he cares about. No one wants him around. He's too wild. He's too uncivilized for us proper folks. Well, that is until an army of evil comes to destroy everything. Then, when times are dangerous, they suddenly want him around to help defeat the enemy, which of course he does.

Funny how people don't want "crazy" Christians in their churches. The kind that shout to the Lord (like a certain popular worship song says, but no one really listens to), raise their hands, and are fearless about pointing out when something isn't quite right. The ones who realize that they themselves are escaped convicts from the prison of sin, and who want to break as many prisoners out of their own sinful jail as they can. Those types aren't civilized enough in most Christian churches. They are looked down upon because the church is supposed to be that safe place, that comfortable place. Until times are dangerous. Then all of a sudden these crazy, uncivilized, passion-types are wanted.

Be warned all you Christians out there. These are, in fact, dangerous times. The enemy wants you destroyed. You need someone like a Riddick, who will not be so civilized. In fact, you might want to consider BECOMMING someone like that. Someone that will be barbaric, with a faith that will cause you to run at the enemy fearlessly, like William Wallace. You remember him. Braveheart? Yes, barbarians like that are needed to defeat the enemy.

Sit in your little church pew where it's comfortable if you want to, making sure you don't get too crazy. Or, you can get a little crazy in your goals, a little passionate in your worship, and fight for your King.

The Happy List (part 1)

Many of those who know me, know that I have compiled a little list of things that you can do to cheer yourself up...to make yourself happy. These are small, silly things that seem really, really goofy. They aren't meant to entertain others. They are meant to entertain yourself. Some people will think you are crazy if you do some of these things, but they will at least put a little grin on YOUR face. I won't supply the entire list at once. I'll give you all a few at a time, since so many have asked for me to publish it. Here are a couple... (you may have seen me do some of these)


1. When entering a room, hold your arms out wide as if to say, "I have arrived!" or "Tada!"
Making a grand entrance will get you some strange looks, but sometimes people will actually cheer for you.
2. Whenever you move your arms or hands, make kung fu noises.
3. Narrate your every move as if you are in a novel, referring to yourself in the third person. For example: "Slowly, Darin reaches out his hand to deposit the money in the soda machine. As the Dr. Pepper falls, his heart leaps with joy! Again, his hand reaches out for that cold, lovely, beverage..."

Now, you don't want to do these ALL the time...well, maybe the first one. Just do the other two every once in a while. When you need a little silliness to pick you up.

They need to meet Jesus

Ever day, I come into contact with youth who are so lost.
They are desperate for affection, trust, truth.
Some are desperate for an adventure.
They don't want their lives to be ordinary.
The more they try to be extraordinary, it seems that everyone in authority around them wants to stop it, be normal.

They need to meet Jesus.
He has an adventure for them. A life that is extraordinary.
If only I could tell them…if only they would listen.

Many of them act like they don't care about anything.
But I know that isn't true… I can see it their expressions…
They are drowning… down in their very souls…
Struggling to stay afloat… to breathe…

For them, their life is like a prison…
They are trying so hard to break free.
To be heard… to matter to someone…

They need to meet Jesus.

Something Inside

Something inside of us longs for more
Mundane is not good enough
Something in all of us knows there is more
Some of us are afraid of what that could be...
For if there really is more to life than the here and now,
Surely you have ask yourself, did I live right?
Did I go the right way?
Am I a good enough person?

Fear sets in when you are not sure
Fear that whatever it is that is beyond this life
Will not be pleased with you
When it comes time to pay the piper

So then, many look to
Philosophy
Science
Methodology
Religion
Is there anyone who really knows for sure?

The truth of that matter is
The truth isn't what YOU invent
If that were true, none of us would long for more
None of us would be afraid of what might come after this…

But we do long for more

And so we search for the truth of the matter
The truth of what that "something inside"
Actually is

There are some of us
There are some of us who know
There are some of us who know the Truth
The truth about what our deepest souls long for
For we have something inside that satisfies to the bone

It is not
Philosophy
Science
Methodology
Not even religion
I am one that really knows for sure

Let me introduce you to my friend - Jesus

You may have heard of him
You may not have said yes to him yet
But he pursues you ever still
To satisfy your deepest needs
Because something inside of us longs for more...

What would you do?

What would you do if you found out someone was destroying your character to others?
Would you confront them? Try to convince them?
So what happens to those caught in the middle?

Perhaps Mr. Frost was right. Good fences make good neighbors.

I know what you might be thinking. That poem wasn't really trying to say that. It was being sarcastic.
Is being exposed really what we want though? You know people. They can be real jerks sometimes. They can betray your trust. They can try to control you. They can try to defame you to everyone around if you don't fit their mold, or even if they themselves have issues that for some reason line YOU up in the crosshairs. You want to jump up and say, "That's enough. You have no right to accuse me." But that would only anger these self-righteous ones and their twisted piety. And those caught in the middle? Suffer.

Well no more.

I will make myself blameless. They have nothing they can say. It will fall on deaf ears.

Say what you want about me...

I'm untouchable.

A Mission

Are you on a mission?
Would you settle for anything short of mission success?
Don't settle for less...

On a side note, someone out there needs to listen to "Fix You"

A Poem

I'd heard these words, heard them told,
Heard them from the "teachers of the Law."
I was misled, my eyes were blind,
And that is why I never saw
The truth of the matter. Until today.
He walked with us, along the road
Seemingly oblivious to our recent tragedy.
We had to live through it all over again
Just to explain it all.
Explain it? Is that what we did?
There is no way to explain how the hope of
A hundred generations can just
Fade away. Like wilting leaves.
Like ashes.
What we thought He was supposed to be,
Came to nothing.
Why did it have to end like that?
But it did have to end like that.
He said that to us.
But I never heard the Scripture
like that before.
Did not our hearts burn within us?
He was our guest.
He was OUR guest.
And yet…
HE broke the bread and blessed it.
There is no way to explain how the hope of
A hundred generations can just
Come alive. Like spring leaves.
Like fire.

Jammin'

On Tuesday nights (around 5:00-8:00) anyone who wants to can come to Servant's for free guitar lessons or just to jam. We'll be learning how to play different worship songs and how to lead them. We'll also be going over how to fit in to a worship band. If you play and type of guitar, come up and jam with us, or you can just come and worship with us. It'll be a good time.

We were created for this: to worship God with all our hearts. Leading people in worship is nothing short of leading people in to God's presence. That's a big responsiblity, but seeing people be able to worship as God uses you is so worth the effort.

Easter...what's the big deal?

Easter has been celebrated in the Christian Church since the first century. However, these first Christians celebrated every Sunday. Their excitement about a risen Savior was through the roof. No other religion can boast such a claim. We know exactly where Mohammed is buried, as well as Budah, Confucious, and every other major religious figure. Jesus Christ is the only one for which there is no tomb, because He isn't in one. He surely has risen.

Sounds crazy?

I know it does. But no other name in human history has changed as many lives. The Truth is the Truth. I know, because He changed me....

Try to resist the urge to beat up anyone you see in an Easter bunny outfit.

Howdy Howdy Howdy

Welcome to the first blog by me, D. Here you will find the random thoughts, insights, and general oddities that make up my personal psyche. Should you find yourself confused, insulted, entertained, or even enlightened, then the mission has been accomlished.

First of all, as I sit here drinking my Dr. Pepper in a coffee house, I am amused by all the people so into their own little worlds that they never really take the time to make contact with anyone else. Such is the world we live in.

Get out of your shell. Make your life count. There is no better way to become affected than to try to affect others.