We talked on Sunday about the importance of studying Scripture in its contexts.   Yesterday I posted a snipet of Tim Keller's Q & A at Columbia University.  Its sparked some fun dialogue.  So here's the whole Q & A session in its context.  

I have listened to parts 1 & 2, but not parts 3 & 4 yet.  Part 1 begins with a bang . . . for sure.  

Enjoy and, again, even more than picking apart the specific things Keller says at any given moment, look beyond to his general winsome, warm, gracious approach.  Of course, its possible to pick Keller apart at various points.  He's thinking on his feet and having to answer some really tough questions in front of a live and large audience, knowing all the while this will be show up on YouTube and live there forever and ever.  That's a ton of pressure.  Consider the whole.  

These two men, though coming from very different worldviews, clearly respect and enjoy one another.  These are the kinds of discussions I want to have with folks I know who don't yet trust the Gospel.  How about you?   

If you're actively engaging those who don't believe the Gospel, you've been asked or you're going to be asked some really tough questions.  Here's Tim Keller being asked some tough point-blank questions on the campus of Columbia University.  

Here's what I see that is excellent and instructive for us as we interact with those who don't yet believe the Gospel. . . . 

• He is warm, winsome, relaxed and funny, but not defensive or angry.  He speaks the truth in love.  
   
• He answers the question, but broadens the discussion.   He is uncompromising, but connects.   "Homosexuality is not God's original design, but we are called to love all our neighbors."  "Yes, homosexuality is a sin, but no one is going to hell because they are homosexual."  
   
• He humbly admits the church's shortcomings whenever and where ever possible.  "We don't love our gay neighbors."  "We are greedy."  "As a member of the Christian community, I have to take responsibility for the oppression of homosexuals."  That's huge and so disarming.   Look for places to give up ground.  
   
• He shifts from the sin of homosexuality to the "sin underneath every sin":  We all want and try to be our own savior.  This is our real sin issue and the reason why people go to hell.  To put it in our recent James language, God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to those who will humble themselves and admit their need.   
   
• He works in the Gospel:   "What sends you to hell is self-righteousness . . . .thinking you can be your own savior." "What sends you to heaven is getting a connection with Christ, because you realize you're a sinner and need help from outside."   The guy who is interviewing Keller has never heard it put like this before and is clearly trying to take it all in. . . He admits "this is a lot to take in."  Such a great reminder to us. . . people don't understand the Gospel.  

These ways of engaging are transferable and something you can learn as you practice chatting with those who don't yet trust the Gospel.  Look for an opportunity to practice this week.  

The president yesterday became the first sitting president to publicly affirm same-sex marriage.   This is not insignificant.  With recent polls indicating that the majority of Americans by a very slim margin now favor same sex marriage, the landscape is quickly changing. 

As believers, I'm convinced it's an important time for us to go back to the Scriptures and be sure we know what the Bible says about this important issue.   This is not merely a political or social issue, it is also a moral and Biblical issue.   Since a greater majority of young people affirm same-sex marriage, it is vital for us to be humbly, graciously instructing our kids concerning what the Bible teaches about these issues.   I want to "first strike" by raising these issues around our dinner table, clearly pointing to what the Bible teaches and helping my kids to think through these issues before these issues are raised in their school classrooms and campuses.  

We can't stick our heads in the sand on this issue.  We must winsomely, warmly, humbly, graciously engage in the public discourse.  (not caustically, not defensively, not proudly, not self-righteously) 

Here's a whole set of messages where I've dealt with this important topic of marriage.  If you've only got time to listen to one, listen to this one. . . 

God's Purposes for Marriage

And here are 10 other resources (HT:  The Manhattan Declaration) that can help ground or re-ground us on this important subject of marriage. . . 

What is Marriage?

by Sherif Girgis, Robert George, and Ryan T. Anderson

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1722155

Why I'm Optimistic About Natural Marriage

by Andrew Walker

http://www.mereorthodoxy.com/why-im-optimistic-about-natural-marriage/

Why Is Marriage Important? (video)

by John Piper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd3AmKexugM

Who Needs Marriage?

by Chuck Colson

http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/colson-files/17606-who-needs-marriage

Marriage in Society: The Generation Clash (pps. 47-57)

by Matthew Lee Anderson

http://issuu.com/thecity/docs/thecitywinter2009/47?mode=embed&layout=http://skin.issuu.com/v/light/layout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

What Would Bonhoeffer Do?

by Eric Metaxas

http://www.breakpoint.org/the-center/columns/call-response/15129-metaxas-what-would-bonhoeffer-do

Dennis Prager Debates Perez Hilton on Same-Sex Marriage (Warning: YouTube contains objectionable content)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTE9zWaQc_Y

Religion, Reason, and Same-Sex Marriage

by Matthew J. Franck

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2011/05/religion-reason-and-same-sex-marriage

A Marriage in Full

by Gary A. Anderson

http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/04/003-a-marriage-in-full-3

On Marriage and the Moral Limits of Human Sexuality

by Metropolitan Jonah

http://orthocath.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/metropolitan-jonah-on-marriage-and-the-moral-limits-of-human-sexuality/

In the last couple of messages, I've quoted heavily from Andrew Murray's classice entitled "Humilty."  It's terrific.  Not long, but super rich and centered on Christ and the Gospel.   I paid $.99 in the iTunes bookstore.

Here's the passages, I've quoted. . . 

Humility is the only soil in which the graces root,
the lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.  Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God and allows Him as God to do all.
 
As God is the ever-living, ever present, ever-acting One, who upholds all things by the word of His power, and in whom all things exist, the relation of the creature to God could only be one unceasing, absolute, universal dependance... Humility, the place of
entire dependence on God, is, from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue.

There can be but one answer: it is His humility...  Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature; the Eternal Love humbling itself, clothing itself in the garb of meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us. . .  and so He is still in the midst of the throne, the meek and lowly Lamb of God.

Jesus Christ took the place and fulfilled the destiny of man, as a creature, by His life of perfect humility.  His humility is our salvation. His salvation is our humility.

It is pride that made redemption needful; it is from our pride we need above everything to be redeemed. Our insight into the need of redemption will largely depend upon our knowledge of the terrible nature of the power that has entered our being.

It was a crazy weekend around GraceSLO last weekend.  In addition to Serve Day, we had Paul and Virginia Friesen come talk about the important subject of communicating with our teens.   We knew it was going to be a push, but we love what the Friesens do and they were in the area for another gig, so we decided to jump on the opportunity. 

Only about 40 of us were there, which was a shame, because they had great, practical, Biblical stuff to share.   If you missed it, here it is for your listening enjoyment. . . . 

Can you hear me now? Communication with teens in a high tech world.

If you like what you hear, here's a link to a whole bunch of other stuff the Friesen's have done in the past at GraceSLO. . . 

Other Talks given by the Friesens

Laugh a little on this Friday. . . and enjoy the German!

HT:  MIchael Nazum

My friend, David Toney, who has led worship at a few of our early Men's Getaways and in our church on a Sunday, did a small concert on Monday in the Founder's Hall.   The notice was late and we have a ton going on, so we weren't able to able to promote it very much.  I know those who were able to make it enjoyed it.  

David is a gifted guy with a pastor's heart.  He is writing worship music for the church he serves.  He flipped me a CD and I've been enjoying it.  His music can be sampled at davidtoneymusic.com

Here's a taste.  I'd like to sing this song in our church soon.  We're hoping to have David up again this summer to lead on a Sunday morning. . . 

Just discovered BigThink.com and the Big Think You Tube Channel.  I haven't had too much time to explore yet, but it reminds me of Ted Talks . . . which I  love.  

Here Tim Keller talks about the process of preparing a sermon. . .  

Over the years, many people have asked me how I prepare sermons and I would describe my process as very similar.  

Here's an outline of my process. . . 

1. Empty myself out with the text:   This is my first pass at the text where I'm asking "What does this text say?  What does this text mean?  How is this text structured?  What are the questions/connections that emerge from this text?  I'm just filling pages with thoughts, reactions, and questions of the text.  I'm trying to get the big idea and understand the text as it relates to the larger chapter and book and the whole Bible.  
    
2. Read myself full with the text:  I read everything I have time for and everything I can get my hands on that has to do with this text.  I'm gathering the wisdom of the ages and checking my insights against the insights of others.  Sometimes course corrections happen.  Sometimes I'm confirmed in my direction.  Illustration and outline ideas are amassed during this step.  I love this step.  
    
3. Develop an outline & direction for the text for our church family:    After steps 1 & 2, I have a pretty good idea of how the text works and what it means.   Step 3 is figuring out what it means for me and our church and how it applies to our lives.  Here I am trying to build a bridge between the world of the Bible and our world.  Because of the richness of the Scriptures, one text can be outlined lots of different ways and still be true to the text.  I want to let the text "talk" and let the text drive the message.  I want the outline to be simple, memorable and fresh.  But I want to plumb the heights and depths of God's Word within the framework of that simple outline.  In this way, I'm trying to put stuff on every shelf for the wide range of people who call GraceSLO their home.  
    
4. Write myself clear with the text.  I breathe a sigh of relief after step 3 where all the decisions are made.  I know where I'm going and now I can go.  I manuscript every message completely because I believe in the power of words.  I want to be clear.  I don't trust myself to be clear in real time on Sunday morning.  I know everybody likes the note-less preacher, but it's not me.  I look for other settings beyond the Sunday sermon where I can wing it a bit.  But I take preaching too seriously to "freewheel" too much on Sundays.  I create my own slide presentation for each message as I'm writing my manuscript.  This manuscripting process takes me 3-4 hours.  
    
5. Deliver the message of the text.   This is Sunday morning.   There are a few Sundays where I don't want to preach, but God is faithful.  He always meets me there.   Not every sermon is a "homerun" but I strive to be faithful to the text, take them as they come, say hard things when the text does, and trust God in the process.  He causes the growth.  It's hard to describe the emotional exhaustion that comes with preaching God's Word week after week.  I absolutely believe in the power of the Scriptures and the Gospel to shape and change peoples lives.  It's all I've got to offer people.  

Here are some questions I keep in front of me at all times as I prepare to preach. . . 

• What did this text mean to the original readers? 
   
• How does this text fit into the context of the rest of the Bible and the BIG STORY of redemption? 
   
• How does this text exalt, explain, apply or point us to the Gsopel of Jesus Christ?   (It's all about Him!)
   
• What's the surprise or "curve ball" in this text?   
   
• How does this text connect with or challenge cultural ideas/values?  
   
• How does this text relate, connect, apply to the real life issues that I and our church family are facing today?  

Parents and students, what do you expect of our Student Ministry?

I admit it . . . the area of Student Ministries has always been important to me, but it's even more important these days with 2 of my own kids involved and 2 more not far behind.   Seeing my kids grow into this age group has caused me to ask the question, "What do I expect of our Student Ministry?"  

Here are some things I hope and pray  for . . . and things I'm pointing and leading our Student Ministry Staff towards. . . 

1. A ministry centered on the Gospel & the Bible:   My kids don't need moralism or the rules, or even principles to live by.  They desperately need the Gospel of God's sovereign free grace in Jesus Christ and to know how that applies to all of life.  I long for my kids to know the Bible is defensible, coherent, inerrant, Christ-centered, and worth living their lives by.
    
2. A ministry based on relationships:    Relationships are the pipeline by which discipleship and spiritual growth happen.  I want my kids to see passionate, pure, modest, honest, real staff and volunteer leaders who are following Christ a few steps ahead of them.  
    
3. A ministry focussed on discipleship:  I want my kids to learn and be shown what it means to 1) follow Jesus, 2) be changed by Jesus, and 3) be committed to the disciple-making mission of Jesus.
    
4. A ministry that teaches & embodies robust theology:  Please, please, please teach my kids who God is, all that the Gospel is, why and how this world was created and where it's going, and what it means to be beautful, broken humans.  Take them deep!  
    
5. A ministry that addresses apologetic issues:  Let's preempt and "first strike" the questions and issues our kids will face if and when they go to college or enter the secular marketplace.   Christianity has this deep intellectual tradition.  I want my kids to know there are Biblical, reasonable, logical, coherent answers to the questions they're asking. 
    
6. A ministry that's fun, but also serious:  I want my kids to have fun.  I want my kids to connect.  I want my kids to learn and grow.   I want them to know that there is a time for everything underneath God's Son.  I want them to know life is fun, but life is also hard. 
    
7. A ministry that supports and considers our family:  Family first.  Don't compete with our family.  Don't trump our family.  Don't plan so much that there's no time for our family.  Don't undermine our family.   Encourage students to honor and enjoy their families.   Talk family.  Build up our family.  

I give thanks for Brandon & Ryan and all our volunteer staff, because I'm seeing these things in our Student Ministry.  It's not perfect and there's always room for improvement, but I feel like we're on the same page and headed in these directions.

What do you expect of our Student Ministry?   What's missing from my list?  

Here's a Gospel Coalition article entitled Why Theology and Youth Ministry Seldom Mix, that got me thinking about these issues today. . . 
 

Everyone knows the stereotype of the youth minister as a big kid with an expertise in games and an affinity for creative facial hair and body piercings. Despite the stereotype, many youth pastors are passionate and intelligent. Yet youth ministry has a reputation for not doing serious theology. In the bookThe Theological Turn in Youth Ministry,Andrew Root describes a discussion about a PhD program for youth ministry at his seminary. A biblical scholar asked, "Who is going to teach the seminar on group mixers?" Root goes on to describe the perception of youth ministers as theologically "lightweight." The National Study of Youth and Religion notes, "The vast majority of teens, who call themselves Christians, haven't been well educated in religious doctrine and, therefore, really don't know what they believe." Certainly, these results, at least to some degree, reflect the typically shallow theological culture of youth ministry. Why, then, does there seem to be a gap between youth ministry and theology?

People underestimate what students can comprehend.

We live in a society where we have relegated the teen years to something of a carefree vacation, protected from consequences and responsibilities. Alex and Brett Harris challenge this notion in their book Do Hard Things. When we don't expect teens to rise to challenges, we don't teach them doctrine. However, this lack of confidence in teens has left us with an ignorant generation (or several) with regard to what the church actually believes. It is strange that we teach young people complex calculus and physics but don't think they can handle or will be interested in understanding the significance of the Trinity or atonement. Brian Cosby, in his book Giving Up Gimmicks, recalls offering a basic biblical Greek overview class to teens. He expected a handful to respond but the room couldn't fit everyone who was interested.

Youth ministry has a popularity culture.

A veteran youth minister retired after 20 years citing exhaustion. Living a perpetual popularity contest finally wore him down. Well-meaning mentors assured (or cursed) him early in his career that if the kids like you, they will come to your programs, putting him on an approval treadmill. In reality, youth ministry seems to take on a cult of personality surrounding the student pastor, perhaps more than other sectors of the church. Consequently, when so much of success in ministry seems to depend on popularity among students, we're tempted to steer away from difficult theology. When one faithfully exegetes Scripture, difficult and complex topics arise.

Churches have different expectations of youth ministries.

Some pastors view youth ministry as a necessary bother. They see youth ministry as required yet do not want it to cause them problems or drain their time. Some churches view youth ministers as entertainers and buddies, not serious ministers of God's Word. Hence, they may hire energetic young adults without theological training (this varies between denominations) to run programs and do little to invest in their theological formation. The care with which we select youth pastors is not typically on par with the process we go through to call other clergy. Often the first question a church leader has for the youth pastor is, "How many came this week?" The second one may be, "Did they have fun?"

Youth pastors just love kids and want them to meet Jesus.

Evangelistic passion among some youth pastors has meant a neglect of theology---both studying it and teaching it. We can aim for "decisions for Christ" and overlook the spiritual formation that follows conversion. It is easy to get so wrapped up in doing evangelism and relationships that little time is spent deepening our own understanding of doctrine. Given that most people who come to faith do so before they complete their teen years, a youth minister can easily take on the attitude that "students don't need deep theology, they just need Jesus." Yet presenting the gospel without a solid theology is dangerous. A youth pastor with weak theology is more susceptible to developing a messiah complex, thinkingwe need to save these students. Students who don't grasp good theology cannot articulate a faith that will stand up in college or beyond.

The egg-and-armpit relay ruined youth ministry.

Mike Yaconelli, co-founder of Youth Specialties, used to joke about the egg-and-armpit relay as a central pillar of youth ministry. He was acknowledging that youth ministry had created a culture of fun. While we might have one of the most fun jobs on the planet, it becomes burdensome to manufacture fun all the time. Attending youth ministry conventions and conferences is a bit like a cross between Disney and Mardi Gras. Despite excellent training and inspiration, the atmosphere created by the sponsors reinforces a mentality that youth ministry is all about fun. In most youth ministry resources we find the emphasis on fun and games. The founder of Young Life was famous for saying, "It's sin to bore a kid with the gospel." When we look at photos of youth groups in our churches, we typically see lots of messy games and wacky skits. Given this perception, it becomes the expectation of parents, pastors, and church leaders to see youth ministry continue in that way. In truth, we don't want to bore the kids. Theology, on the other hand, is not usually perceived as fun. So does the typical youth pastor pour time into reading theology or planning more fun programs? The answer is not so difficult when we know a parent or student is going to ask if youth group will be fun this week.

How do we close the gap between youth ministry and theology? Perhaps we first need to change the perceptions of what youth ministry is all about and what students are capable of. Then we should insist that our youth pastors are lifelong learners trained in good theology. It may take a decade or two to get there, but in the end, it will have been worth the battle.

**********

Also in the series on youth ministry:

• A Brief History of Youth Ministry by Dave Wright

• MTD: Not Just a Problem with Youth Ministry by Brian H. Cosby

• Youth Ministry's Tendency Toward Legalism by Cameron Cole

Cameron Cole is the director of youth ministries at Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Dave Wright is the coordinator for youth ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. He blogs at Fusion Musing. Together they serve on the advisory board of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry.

A group of men in our church just finished reading and discussing Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death."   We had some great conversations about technology and its ever-increasing demands/expectations on our lives.   We contemplated together what it means to follow Christ in our e-world.  

This video relates to these important topics, but in a totally fun way.   I bet you feel this way amidst technologies continuing leaps.  I know I do.  

Laugh out loud on this Friday.   It's good for you. . .