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YIA 2017 | Hope for My Profile

We just wrapped up Youth In Action 2017 (hosted by Okolona Church of Christ, held at Spring Mill Bible Camp). The theme this year was “A New Hope” based on Romans 5:1-5 –

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (New Living Translation)

The topic I was given to speak on was “Hope for My Profile” – a new way to approach our use of social media and technology. Several people said they couldn’t be there over the weekend for various reasons, but still wanted to hear what I had to say on this topic. So here you will find an audio recording of my talk along with the presentation notes and videos.

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Philippians 4:8-9 | And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Romans *12:3 | Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Matthew 6:24 | No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
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Q|A Session 6: Life & Faith, pt 2

This is the last of our Q|A series for the summer. It has been an absolute blast answering real questions from real teens. I’m pretty sure that we answered every question submitted (or very nearly). These final questions are some of the best questions that we didn’t get to in other sessions. I hope you’ll take some time to listen to the audio below, follow along with the notes & scriptures. We end it all with one last Q|A video about angels & the afterlife. Enjoy!
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When you grow up in a religious family but they went away from church in general, how is the best way to engage yourself when you feel as if you are also falling away?
Luke 12:51-53 | Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other! From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.
‘Father will be divided against son
    and son against father;
mother against daughter
    and daughter against mother;
and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law
    and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”
Luke 14:25-27 | A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.”
Mark 3:31-35 | Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, “Your mother and your brothers are outside asking for you.”
     Jesus replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he looked at those around him and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 10:28-31 | Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.
     “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”
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Why does God use really bad people? (example: Rahab the Prostitute)
Habakkuk 1:5-8 | The Lord replied,
“Look around at the nations;
    look and be amazed!
For I am doing something in your own day,
    something you wouldn’t believe
    even if someone told you about it.
I am raising up the Babylonians,
    a cruel and violent people.
They will march across the world
    and conquer other lands.
They are notorious for their cruelty
    and do whatever they like.
Their horses are swifter than cheetahs
    and fiercer than wolves at dusk.
Their charioteers charge from far away.
    Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey.
Romans 8:28 | And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Acts 9:1-2 | Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
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How do you find your God-given gift and purpose?
For a thorough and free analysis, go here – https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1
Romans 12:3-8 | Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
     In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
1 Corinthians 12:12-31 | The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
     Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
     But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
     In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
     All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
     Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
1 Timothy 4:14 | Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.
1 Peter 4:10-11 | God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
2 Peter 1:3-8 | By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
     In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
     The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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What is a good balance of sports and faith?
2 Timothy 4:7-8 | I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
1 Timothy 4:8-10 | “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.
Hebrews 12:1-2 | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
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Q|A Session 5: Religion & The Bible

Last week, Brady and I took a look at your questions concerning religion and the Bible. There were some GREAT questions asked – many of which could be entire life-long fields of study. Some of these questions deserve to have an entire class series. And we will go in depth on some aspects of these questions in coming classes, so stay tuned!

As always, give the class a listen if you missed it, follow along with the Scriptures, and then check out our answer video at the bottom for even more answers.

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Why do some religions who worship the same thing always fight/argue?

Philippians 2:3-4 | Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
James 3:14 | But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
Galatians 5:15 | If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
2 Corinthians 12:20 |  For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
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How do we know our image of God is right with so many other religions? Are we only Christians by culture?
Deuteronomy 10:17-19 | For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
1 John 4:7-16 | Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
        This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
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Is the Old Testament necessary?
Romans 15:4 | For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
John 5:39-40 | You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 | For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…
Acts 8:35 | Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Acts 17:11 | Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
2 Timothy 2:15 | Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
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It can be really hard to believe in the Bible sometimes when it starts talking about multiple-headed crazy animals and all kinds of things like that. How do you take those types of things?
Daniel 7 & Revelation 12-13
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Q|A Session 4: Science & Faith

This week we looked at the questions our teens submitted concerning Science and Evolution. I am not a scientist by any means, but I would consider myself a science enthusiast (like Fred from Big Hero 6). I have done my best to answer these questions and address these concerns in a truthful, considerate, thoughtful way. I present the ways in which I have personally come to reconcile science and faith in my own life. But I must emphasize that not everyone will agree with me. And that’s OK! If you don’t agree with what I have to say, let me know and we can discuss these things further. But be prepared to give me reasons for your disagreement and where you stand on certain issues.

If you will click the image below, you will be taken to another page where you can listen to my class from last night. And I will also include images of my presentation slides so you can follow along with what’s on screen. At the end I will list some helpful resources for those of you interested in doing more research.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Finding God in the Waves, by Mike McHargue
Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis
The Case for a Creator, by Lee Strobel
The Source, by John Clayton
The Reason for God, by Timothy Keller
(I have each of these books in my office for anyone who would like to borrow them. Mike McHargue, CS Lewis, Lee Strobel, and John Clayton all have this in common – each one was an atheist who came to -or back to- faith in God.)


YouTube Channels
SciShow
SciShow Space
It’s Okay To Be Smart
Crash Course
Smarter Every Day
Today I Found Out
PBS Space Time
Minute Physics
Veritasium

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UPLIFT 2017 | Greater

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even GREATER THINGS than these, because I am going to the Father. // John 14:12

Uplift this year was just what we needed. I could sense God moving in a big way through the experience.

It all began Saturday night with a screening of the movie GREATER – the story of Brandon Burlsworth who walked on with the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. Through faith in God and trying his best in whatever he did, Brandon worked up to a starting position. I don’t want to give away the story too much. You can find out more about the movie and watch the trailer here: http://greaterthemovie.com. And after the movie, Marty and Vicky Burlsworth came on stage to be interviewed. The testimony of the Burlsworth family is absolutely amazing. Brandon’s legacy lives on in big ways because he decided that being a disciple of Jesus was greater than anything else he could do – including playing professional football.

The Sunday night keynote speaker was Mark Moore, CEO of MANA Nutrition (http://mananutrition.org). Mark inspired us to take small steps to change the world. He challenged us to think small and aim low (i.e. what little things can we do to make an impact in our communities?). He encouraged us to give up – that is, give up whatever doubts, fears, and trepidations we may have in serving God through serving others. Finally, he told us to “Go to Starbucks” – emphasizing the need for face-to-face community, sharing life together.

On Monday night, Jim Miller (a Bible professor at Harding) shared his story of doubt and struggling with faith after the sudden passing of his father. It was a powerful testimony of how our doubts don’t have to completely derail our faith.

Monday night ended with one of my favorite parts of UPLIFT each year – hundred of teens crowding into the rotunda of the McInteer building and singing for about an hour. I recorded it this year so that you can listen to some of it. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

B. Chris Simpson was the Tuesday night speaker. The students always look forward to hearing from him, and he always delivers a memorable message. B. Chris walked us through some of the stories of demon possession in the gospels. He showed us how demons effected those under their control in the Bible, and how the still influence our lives in similar ways today – Isolation, Imprisonment, Impropriety, Inability to Speak, Inability to Hear, Loss of Control, Self-Harm, etc. But through Jesus, we have the power to overcome the demons in our lives. “We will dance in the darkness cause greater things are yet to come!”


The week wrapped up on Wednesday night with an inspiring and challenging message from Andrew Baker, the UPLIFT director. He reflected on how the call to DO (John 14:12) is a call to SERVE. He explained that we serve by showing mercy, by bringing peace, and by preemptively loving our neighbor. As an example, he shared the story of Jeremy Courtney whose organization, PREEMPTIVE LOVE COALITION (http://www.preemptivelove.org), is providing life-saving surgeries in Iraq for children born with crippling birth defects. His story is absolutely amazing. Check him out online and on YouTube.

I don’t even have time to mention how stellar the drama performance was this year. And Harris III, the illusionist, was unbelievable. The classes, the worship, the time spent together – God was at work in all of it.

But one of my absolute favorite parts of the week was one of the last things we did. I began doing this last year, and I think we will do it again at the end of each week of UPLIFT. During our Group Devo time I asked our teens two questions: What do we (young disciples) want to be known for? What are some things we can do? These are their answers.

  • More involvement in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) at school
  • Foster Parents’ Night Out
  • Regular visits to Mitchell Manor
    • Cards & gifts
    • Worship/devotionals
    • Christmas caroling & more
  • House Cleaning & Yard Work for people around town who are unable to do much themselves
  • Loose Change Jar set up in the Teen Center
    • Change for Change organization
    • Micro-Loans to small businesses in developing nations
  • Making no-sew pillows and blankets for foster children, patients at Riley hospital, residents at Mitchell Manor
  • “Adopt a College Student”
    • Care packages & letters of encouragement
  • MISSION TRIPS (most requested)
    • Foreign (i.e. Honduras, Dominican Republic, etc.)
    • Domestic (somewhere around the US)
    • Local (i.e. Bloomington/Indianapolis)
  • Kickball and/or Wiffle Ball Tournament Fundraiser
    • Lehigh Fields?
    • SMBC?
    • American Legion?
  • Sponsor a child through Compassion International
  • More hang out times together as a group
    • Movie nights, Game nights, etc.
  • Bead bracelets to sell for fundraiser/for a cause
  • Thank You cards to mentors and influencers
  • Trips to visit Riley Hospital
    • Hand out toys & teddy bears
  • Graduates Wall for all the graduating seniors in the Teen Center
  • Video game tournament to raise money for a cause
  • Use money from Wednesday night meals to help fund mission trips
  • Turn the ugly back room in the Teen Center (the black “video game” room) into a Workshop where we can make blankets and pillows, write cards, make bracelets, etc
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the years to come. UPLIFT was great, but the real test will be to see what happens AFTER.
Here’s the Highlight Video from the week with our group:
And here’s a the full Bohemian Rhapsody video:
I love doing what I do. And I love the God I do it all for.
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Q|A Session 3: Forgiveness, Focus, & Stress

Welcome to the third week of our Q|A series! We are spending time this week trying to answer your questions about life in general. You have asked for advice on certain issues, and we are trying our best to guide you through these complex teenage years.

If you need to catch up on our Wednesday night class, click the link below to listen to an audio recording of the class and follow along with the notes and Scriptures below. When you’re done with that, be sure to check out our weekly answer video where Brady and I answer more questions that we couldn’t get to in class.
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How do you let go of something you’ve held onto for a really long time?

Matthew 6:14-15 | For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21-35 | Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
     Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
     “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
     “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
     “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
     “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
     “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
     “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
     “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Ephesians 4:31-32 | Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:8-14 | But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
     Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
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How do you stay focused on God when most of the time God seems like an afterthought?

Hebrews 12:1-3 | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Colossians 3:1-4 | Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Romans 12:1-2 | Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
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How do I handle stress & anxiety the right way?
Have you tried…
  • Yoga Breathing Exercises
  • Eating Right
  • Exercising
  • Getting Enough Sleep (not too little or too much)
  • Prayer & Meditation
  • Professional Mental Health Counseling
  • Prescription Medication
Matthew 6:25-34 | “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
     “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Philippians 4:6-7 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
OTHER HELPFUL SCRIPTURES:
Psalm 3
Exodus 14:14
John 16:33
Psalm 31:1
Jeremiah 29:12-13
Psalm 139:23-24
Isaiah 43:1-2
Isaiah 46:4
Isaiah 41:10
Matthew 11:28-30
John 14:27
Psalm 55:22
Hebrews 13:5-6
Psalm 56:3
HELPFUL ARTICLES:
Five Ways to Deal with Anxiety

Q|A Session 3: Challenges, Truth, and Quitting

I encourage you to watch in YouTube to see the additional Scripture resources and notes in the video description.

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Q|A Session 2: Life & Faith

This week we answer your questions concerning life and faith. These are some great, challenging, and important questions. I hope Brady and I can give you answers and advice that you can use. Ultimately I pray that your faith will be strengthened and that you will grow more in love with God each day.

But living a life of faith isn’t easy. If it were, everyone would do it! Take some time to listen to last Wednesday’s class below and check out the Scripture notes that accompany each question. When you have done that, be sure to watch our follow-up video where we answer questions we didn’t have time to get to in class. Be sure to watch it in YouTube so that you can see the Scripture notes in the Description box below the video.

If you find this helpful, be sure to pass it along to your friends. Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

But enough chit-chat. Let’s answer some questions, shall we?
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How do you know when you’re ready to be baptized?

Romans 6:1-7 | What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Acts 2:38-39 | Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Matthew 16:24-27 | Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
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How can we as Christians remain strong in a fallen world? // What can you do to make sure you stay devoted to God through high school/college?
2 Corinthians 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Ephesians 4:11-12 | So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up…
Proverbs 22:6 | Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
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Why does God put us up to such high standards? Does he know we can’t/won’t fulfill them? How is God so full of forgiveness even though we fail time and time again?
Exodus 34:6-7 | And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
Matthew 5:17-20 | “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 7:14 – 8:4 | We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Luke 18:9-14 | To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Psalm 103:6-12 |
The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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Why does God sometimes seem so far away when we are going through hard times? // Sometimes it’s easier to talk to God and turn to him when things aren’t going so well. But when things are going good, it’s sometimes harder to turn to God. How can I fix that?
Leviticus 26:11-12 | I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
Acts 17:24-28 | “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
Hebrews 13:5 | Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
    never will I forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 8:10-18 | When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down… You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
James 1:17 | Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
1 Chronicles 16:34-36 | Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
    gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
    and glory in your praise.”
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
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Q|A Session 1: Friends & Relationships

We began a series this summer where real-life teens submitted their questions about faith, life, relationships, science, religion, and more. No question is off limits, and they asked some GREAT questions. This summer we are doing our best to give some answers. Each week in class we will answer four questions. Then Brady and I will make a video answering some of the questions we didn’t get to in class.

After all that, I will post on this site a link to the audio from class for those who couldn’t be there, along with some scriptures to accompany the questions. I will also post the video so you can watch us answer even more related questions. All of the Q|A resources will be right here in one place!
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For this first session, we answer real questions from real students about real relationship issues.

What are some ways to get through a really hard breakup?

Proverbs 3:5-6 | Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 34:18 | The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 147:3 | He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
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What can you do when you don’t want to be a part of a certain group of friends, but they don’t know that and you don’t want to hurt their feelings?
John 15:9-17 | As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
Proverbs 27:17 | As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
1 Corinthians 15:33 | Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Exodus 23:2 | Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.
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How do you bring up an awkward subject in friendships or a relationship?
Ephesians 4:14-15 | Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:5 | You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
James 5:12 | Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
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How do I tell my friend I’m worried about their behavior outside of church/school?
2 Timothy 2:22-26 | Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Galatians 6:1 | Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
James 5:19-20 | My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Matthew 7:3-5 | Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Matthew 18:15-17 | If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
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And for the questions we didn’t get to:
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VOICES, pt. 2: Podcasts

Anyone who knows me well knows I listen to a lot of podcasts. As dorky as it may seem, I look forward to the weekly updates. I get to hear men and women who are a lot smarter than I discuss and teach on topics of great interest to me. About half the podcasts I listen to are straight up sermons/Bible classes from pastors and preachers I respect and look up to. The other half are podcasts about faith, Christianity, etc. There’s one I listen to simply for fun, but it’s also dubiously educational.

Here’s a rundown of my weekly podcast subscriptions.
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INFORMATIVE


Ask Science Mike – a weekly Q & A podcast about science, faith, and life. Listeners submit questions, and Mike McHargue (AKA “Science Mike”) does his best to give thorough, thoughtful, scientifically sound answers. Science Mike also has a book out that I highly recommend: Finding God In The Waves, but I’ll come back to that one in a later post.

The Liturgists – Mike McHargue (of Ask Science Mike) and Michael Gungor (of the band Gungor) produce an incredibly insightful and conversational podcast on hot button issues of the day. These topics have included LGBTQ, racism, sexism, able-ism, spiritual trauma, and many more. Each topic is approached at the intersection of science, faith, and art/culture.

The Road Back to You (Looking at Life Through the Lens of the Enneagram) – Ian Cron and Suzzane Stabile interview guests on the show who fit a certain enneagram number. The podcasts seeks to inform listeners about what life is like for certain enneagram types, how each type processes emotions/events in their lives, and how we can learn more about ourselves in the process. If you don’t know about the enneagram, visit their website to learn more.

The Art of Manliness – Brett McKay started up theartofmanliness.com blog several years ago and turned it into a twice-weekly podcast in which he interviews leading experts, authors, and innovators in various fields. Each podcasts focuses on a different aspect of what it means to be a man in the 21st century. It’s always something informative, inspiring, and practical. I highly recommend this one for all the guys out there.

Newsworthy with Norsworthy – Want to keep up with the latest trends, the newest research, and the movers and shakers within the church at large? Luke Norsworthy is your guy. His weekly interview podcasts features authors, scholars, and pastors from across the spectrum of Christianity. He has interviewed everyone from NT Wright to Richard Rohr to Rob Bell to Rain Wilson.

The Bible for Normal People – This is a brand new podcast (only 10 episodes in as of this writing) hosted by Pete Enns and Jared Byas. Pete Enns is the author of nearly 20 books on Christianity, the Bible, etc. This podcast is an interview style podcast which brings in voices from across the religious spectrum to discuss the basic question, What Is The Bible?






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SERMONS


The Hills Church (Fort Worth, TX) – Rick Atchley and Taylor Walling

Fourth Avenue Church of Christ (Franklin, TN) – Patrick Mead

Otter Creek Church of Christ (Brentwood, TN) – Josh Graves

Rochester Church of Christ (Rochester Hills, MI) – Adam Hill

Highland Church of Christ (Abilene, TX) – Jonathan Storment
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JUST FOR FUN


Dear Hank & John – It’s a comedy podcast about death where Hank and John Green answer your questions, bring you dubious advice, and bring you all the week’s news from both Mars and AFC Wimbledon. Seriously, if you haven’t been following the work of John and Hank Green, you are missing out on a wonderful part of internet culture. John Green is the author of Y.A. books such as The Fault in our Stars, Looking for Alaska, and An Abundance of Katherines. But together they have forged an entire community of nerdy awesomeness across the globe. In addition to the weekly podcast, they also host the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, Crash Course, SciShow, and others. Their entire life goal is to “Decrease world suck.” And with a mantra like “Don’t Forget To Be Awesome,” they just might make that goal.
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I listen to a lot of podcasts….

But one I don’t listen to is also worth checking out. It’s the Mitchell Church of Christ podcast. I don’t listen to the podcast because…I’m there. But you can subscribe and listen to our sermon podcasts as well as my Young Disciples Wednesday night classes.

What are your favorite podcasts? Let me know in the comments!

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VOICES, pt. 1: You Are Who You Listen To

Do you hear voices?

What a ridiculous question. Of course you do. So do I. We all do.

The better question is, what voices are you hearing?

I am becoming more and more convinced that we embody the voices we hear. This could be a parent telling you how proud they are of you – or how disappointed they are in you. This could be a classmate complimenting your outfit – or sarcastically degrading you in front of everyone. The voices include movies, books, TV shows, bands and music artists, teachers, preachers, news anchors, sportscasters, celebrities – the list goes on.

And now more than ever, we are able to curate for ourselves our own little world of voices. We “subscribe” to podcasts, newsletters, and YouTube channels. We “follow” friends and celebrities on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. If you don’t like something or someone, we block them. We create for ourselves an echo chamber where everything we already want to believe is simply echoed back to us multiple times a day.

We get to choose what voices we want to listen to. Are you choosing to listen to “other” voices with conflicting ideas or new and different perspectives?

I’m going to spend a little bit of time telling you what voices I choose to listen to over the next couple of weeks. Maybe you’ll find some helpful resources. If nothing else, it could help you understand more about me and what voices I am embodying.

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”
[Proverbs 12:15 | NASB]