Youth group, small groups, and fulfillment

Hey, it has been a while since I've written anything on here..for those of you who care to read it, sorry about that! But I think I may start blogging more (again)..we shall see, but anyway.

The youth group my wife works for is changing the way they are doing things this fall (for the high school ministry). They are having more of an emphasis on small groups, and more specifically, small group Bible studies. They want to focus more on developing the students' faith, which is pretty cool in my opinion. However, some of the students don't like this idea. From what I have heard of the conversations, the main reason is that they want to see "everyone" more often than twice a month. (The current plan is small groups every other week, and then big group the opposite weeks.) They say that they will miss seeing each other every week because they don't get to see each other at school because they tend to hang out with different people at school.

I can understand some of that. Wanting to see your friends is a good thing. However, it seems like these students aren't fully understanding that by doing small group Bible studies, they can get something that is better than just seeing "everybody" every week. When I was in high school I didn't go to any Bible studies until the end of my Junior year. My senior year, I regularly went to 2 Bible studies a week, plus a youth group. Now, please understand that this is not a Holier-Than-Thou type of statement. I wanted to be at each of those, and I felt like I was developing deeper relationships with the other students at those Bible studies, the adult leaders of those Bible studies, and most importantly, God.

Going to weekly Bible studies helped me stay constantly in God's Word and in prayer. It was encouraging to me to see other students that also wanted to grow in their faith and know God more. It was more fulfilling to me than anything else I had been involved in before that. And it wasn't because I saw the same people every week. I got to experience a closeness with God that I had not felt before, and it was great! I know it doesn't make sense to many people that God is personal, and that having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is something that happens to those who want to know Him.

I have no intention to bash on the students at the youth group. I enjoy helping out with the youth group and I am really looking forward to this year. But I think some of them may be trying to find fulfillment in something that won't stick. They are trying to be fulfilled by seeing their youth group friends every week...but those relationships are not going to be as fulfilling as a relationship with God. I hope/pray that they will find a deeper fulfillment in developing their relationship with God through the small group Bible studies, and that they will get to know their small groups more as well. I know it certainly helped me a lot, and I am confident that I am not the only one.

Since we will be studying the book of Acts, here are some verses that I like:
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. -Acts 2:46-47

12 Step Program

So, in a Bible study I go to, we recently started going over The(?) 12 Step Program to help a person get past an addiction. It is popularly known by its use in Alcoholics Anonymous, and the leaders/hosts of the Bible study have both been through AA and are recovering alcoholics - they have personal experience with the program and its success.
The 12 Step program was mentioned in my Abnormal Psych class the other day, but the grad student who was giving the lecture (My professor focuses on a different subject matter and is starting to invite guest lecturers in to cover topics he is not as familiar with.), she mentioned that the 12 step program was good for people who are at a point where they want to get help and get past an addiction, but that the program had been criticized for its emphasis on spirituality, which is not for everyone.

And that is what I want to vent about, sort of. Because when I hear something like, "Spirituality/Religion/God is not for everyone," what I am actually hearing is "The truth is not for everyone." And I am strongly against that stance. I believe that everyone deserves to hear and know the truth. But, I don't think that the person/people who would make a statement like the first would understand that I transition to the second almost instantly. And this, I think, is the underlying issue. Or at least one of them.

The issue I talk about the is question about whether or not there is absolute truth. Is it an absolute truth that God, heaven, and hell exist, or do they just exist for me because I believe in them? (the second part being a relativistic truth system)
I've been thinking about it lately, sort of. I can come up with several arguments against that idea, the one about relative truth, but I have a hard time coming up with arguments for that idea. I would like to think that this is one of a few discussions that I don't know much about both sides while still holding a firm stance, but I don't know for sure. That being said, if you have any arguments for the idea of relative truth (regardless of your personal beliefs), I would be happy to hear them, because I don't want to just rant at nothing.

Relative truth. What I believe exists for me, and what you believe exists for you. Everyone wins, right? But what happens when I try to do that with a physical object? You throw a baseball at me, and I will choose to believe that you did not throw a baseball at me. Now, depending on your accuracy, I will get hit with a baseball. That is what happens, physical things do not disappear simply because we choose not to believe in them. (haha the idea of the cat in the box comes to mind...but I think that has more to do with atomic/nuclear things rather than spiritual things. I could be wrong, feel free to correct me.)
If you choose to believe that the speed limit is 50 mph and drive accordingly, you will still get pulled over if you are driving on a street where the speed limit is 35 and there is a police vehicle watching for speeders. Your beliefs do not change reality. Neither do mine. We will still be held accountable for speeding, even though we may choose to believe otherwise. (possible circumstances where you don't get a ticket: you are not from the area and did not know what the speed limit was, maybe you bribe the police officer or something else illegal, like running away. There are probably more.)

So, does this idea apply to spiritual/religious/God things as well as physical things? Obviously I think so... If I would choose to believe that God did not exist, that I did not have a soul that endures beyond my physical body, that would not change the reality of those things. If I choose to believe that God will not find out or punish me for doing something like running over pedestrians while driving 50 in a 35, that does not change the reality that I will receive punishment for such things. (Now here is where the Gospel comes in. Interesting, because I never intended to make that point. God is pretty neat :P )

As a side note: I am assuming the presence of a spiritual reality, which I know is not agreed upon by all. I can write another blog about why I believe that, but you may have to ask me to or let me know somehow or another. But this one is about truth.

So what is truth? Jesus claimed He was truth. Jesus claimed that He was the only way to the Father (God). (Another possible tangent: Was Jesus being close-minded? Was He being arrogant in saying He is the 'only way'?) Jesus said that He was the one that the Jewish prophets talked about when they talked about a sacrifice that would be sufficient for all sin, for all people. They talk about a person who is God incarnate, someone who is a ruler and a king, someone who is a servant, who is beaten and ultimately executed. This is the same someone, and many believe that Jesus is the person they were describing. Jesus said that He is/was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that no one comes to God except through Him (John 14:6). That sounds pretty absolute. And if Jesus was serious, and correct, about the claims He made, then shouldn't we take them seriously? Shouldn't we look at what Jesus claimed before we try to dismiss Him as some other crazy guy who thought he was God? What merit does Jesus, or the Bible, have? I think these questions are worth answering because, again, if what is in the Bible is true, and if what Jesus said is true, then it is of the utmost importance.

Stewardesses

I think that is the longest word that one can type with their left hand on a QWERTY keyboard. Fun stuff.

I read a devotional by Oswald Chambers yesterday. It talked about what to do when we are going through a time of darkness. Now, I don't believe he simply meant the time between sunset and sunrise, but a darkness of emotions or perhaps spiritual fervor? I don't know how to explain it, but I think most people understand what I mean when I say those times when you are feeling down. That is what I think he is saying.

He starts with this: Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him.

Ok, fair enough. And then he ends that first section with, "When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light."

I think that is the part I focus on. I want to know who I am going to help, who God wants me to speak to. I want to know what part I have to play in His plan. I want to know how I can help and encourage those around me and those that I appreciate. But I don't think God tells us those things. The times in the Bible when that happens that come to mind for me are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Paul/Saul, Jesus, David....I think that is it. That is all that comes to mind for me. Let me know if you think of any others.
But that is not what God often tells us. Usually He just says, 'Go.' Read the book of Acts for some examples of that. (Did He say that to Isaiah too? Chapter 6 in Isaiah may talk about it.) Sometimes He seems to remain oddly quiet while we are just searching around with outstretched hands, trying to find a wall to lean against. But sometimes, He may just give us a message to proclaim. He may give us a person to talk to. He may give us an idea, a desire to do something more than what we are currently doing. But whatever He does give us or tell us to do, I think we should always remember that it is good.

God doesn't make mistakes. God makes everyone unique, in a good way. But we are broken and tainted by the sin of this world and the sin of our own lives. We do make mistakes. And God knows that. And God still came to this earth to take our sins, and the wrath that He has against them, because of His love for us. I find that amazing, but not as much as I think I should. I mean really, who would love someone else enough to pay their bail money or serve their time in jail for stealing a car or something else frivolous? Frivolous compared to what we have done - the Bible/God most often refers to the way that we turn against Him as adultery. Now, there is no 'legal' punishment given for adultery, but to anyone who has felt the emotional pain of it, I think it is fair to say that there is nothing like it. Our sins are, to God, adultery. And He hates that. And He loves us. And He took His own anger on His Son so that we would not have to face it. Do you understand that?
I sure don't.
But I do know that God has a plan, and it is a good one. I want to trust Him more, and I want to know Him more. I want to experience Him more, and I want to want Him more.

Scripture to consider: Acts 20:24 - However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Bible study - 1/23/12

Tonight we watched a video by Rob Bell that talked about losing someone that is close to you. We talked about the emotions that a person typically goes through in those situations, and about how we have to properly grieve in order to let that feeling out of ourselves so that it does not just sit and produce more feelings. We discussed about what it means to 'properly grieve' and how bitterness can often come if we do not do that. We talked about what it may be like in heaven or hell, but in the end decided that no matter what we say or think, it will still be a surprise. That is the short version, if you want a longer explanation, or a more in depth one, talk to me :)

Some questions to consider: What does it mean to 'properly grieve' over the loss of someone close to you? Does a person have to die for them to be 'lost'? And finally, do our questions about what it will be like in heaven/hell come from our misunderstanding of what either of those places are like? (Look at Luke 20:27-40 for where this idea comes from.)