Today I came across another example of just how big God’s love and grace is for his children.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve choose to believe the lies of Satan over the promises of God. They were experiencing God’s grace and love in the form of unbroken relationship and care. When they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree their “eyes were open” and for the first time they experienced shame and fear. Realizing that they were naked they fashion for themselves a covering made from fig leaves. The Hebrew word here (chagorah) means something along the lines of a belt. They made underwear from leaves and grass. Not the greatest effort to cover their shame but it was the best that they could do. It was all they were capable of.

In Genesis 3:21, after God has caught his children in their sin, after he has pronounced judgement over mankind, and after removing Adam and Eve from the garden (God’s tangible representation of his relationship and care for his children) God does something, to me, that’s incredible. God once again demonstrated his grace and love even in the face of those who openly reject and ignore his instruction.

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

Did you catch that? God made garments and clothed them. Kuttoneth is defined as a tunic or a robe. God completely covered Adam and Eve after their sin and disobedience. God did for Adam and Eve what they couldn’t do for themselves. What they could NEVER do for themselves.

Adam and Eve covered themselves (just barely) with some twigs and leaves.

Even though their sin had removed them from God’s garden, even though their sin separated and destroyed the intimate relationship they enjoyed with God, their sin couldn’t separate them from God’s grace. God gave them more than they deserved. God’s grace covered them completely.

We are a lot like Adam and Eve. Try as we might, we will never be able to adequately cover up the shame of our sin on our own. Instead of animal skins, God’s grace covers us completely by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Trade in your fig leaf briefs. God’s grace is greater and more complete than anything you can do on your own.

I don’t know when exactly it happened but there came a time where I had no desire to read another pithy, saccharine-sweet devotional book. I craved the deep stuff. I wanted to know and understand beyond mere comfort and enjoyment. I wanted to dig deeper into the inner workings of my God and my faith. I wanted theology over warm fuzzies, truth over platitudes.

Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters by Joshua Harris is a great primer for those who want to go a bit deeper in their faith understanding. For those who would like a beginner’s tutorial in the realm of theology you probably couldn’t find a more accessible book. Harris tackles everything from the doctrine of God (theology proper) to the doctrine of Scripture to the doctrine of Sanctification.

Don’t let the word doctrine turn you off. Harris makes each of these deep truths understandable without watering them down or coming across as some stuffy, thick-glasses academic. Harris writes about understanding and experiencing these teachings within the context of daily living. He talks openly about his struggles, his missteps, and his inability to understand it all. He does this in a way that invites the reader into the difficult task of building faith not of the shifting sands of the culture but but firmly in God and in the truth revealed through Scripture.

As a minister, where the rubber meets the road for me is whether or not this book is a good resource for me and my ministry. Would I recommend Dug Down Deep to my teens or their families? Yes. Could I use this book to help me teach a class on theology to teenagers/college students/families? Absolutely.

Joshua Harris cost me a few dates back in college when his I Kissed Dating Goodbye was all the rage. The young guy who rashly encouraged all the pretty girls to turn me down for dates has matured into an honest, thoughtful, and engaging author and minister. With Dug Down Deep Harris has proven that theology and doctrine are necessary to deepen one’s faith and understanding. Even more than that theology and doctrine help solidify the relationship between the believer and the Creator.

Disclaimer: This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah. (However…I would have bought this book anyway.)

After 9/11 I can remember sitting with the teens and college students in the class room- all of us seemed shell shocked and confused. “How could this have happened?”

After Katrina ripped into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast I gathered with some students in the gym as we tried to make sense of what we were witnessing on television. “What can we do?”

After the Virginia Tech massacre I struggled to help my students process through why something so senseless could have happened. “Why?”

Asking questions about evil and suffering when world events happen is one thing. But how do you deal with pain and hurt and cancer and evil and suffering and death when they strike closer to home?

Many have wrestled with the question: “If God is good why does evil and suffering happen?” As a minister I wrestle with finding a resource out there that will help me walk alongside someone as they struggle through personal pain, agony, and questions. Unfortunately, finding the right resource has been next to impossible. There are just way too many mixed messages out there.

Typically books concerning the nature of evil and suffering in this world and whether or not an all-powerful God can do anything about it typically fall into three categories: 1) They are written from the perspective of an atheist and therefore write off any discussion about God and faith, 2) They are a sugary sweet devotional book that can be summed up with a pithy “Trust God and it will all work out” finale, or 3) They are deep philosophical treatises that often take readers, who are desperately seeking answers now, months to work through (if they finish).

If God Is Good by Randy Alcon is decidedly much different and, rather than adhering to these categories, charts a brand new course. Alcorn does a tremendous job discussing the problem of suffering and evil in a way that is both personally engaging and full of scriptural integrity. This book is filled with personal stories of those who have been subjected to the worst that evil and death could throw at them. Some of these stories will tear your heart open. Make no mistake, this is no warm and fuzzy devotional book meant to rest on your bed side table. This is an engaging, thoughtful, well-reseached, and challenging book that will give you answers and hope in the middle of whatever storm you are facing.

Alcorn finds his hope within the pages of scripture. He writes in the opening section that, as believers, we can deal openly and honestly with the problem of pain and suffering because God’s Word deals openly and honestly with it. He writes, “The Bible never sugarcoats evil.” Alcorn takes on false arguments, false gospels, and false expectations that all seek to distort, confuse, and destroy the faith of millions who face suffering and true evil. One recurring theme in his book is that it seems that those who have only dealt with suffering in the philosophical realm have walked away from their faith while those who have experienced real suffering draw closer to God and have found meaning and purpose in his loving arms.

As a resource, I love this book. Alcorn has meticulously studied this subject and each chapter includes generous footnotes. There is a helpful Scripture index as well as a topical index that make this a user-friendly book about a most difficult subject. Every minister should read this book and keep it at close reach on their desk. Evil and suffering will strike sooner or later. With If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn you will be prepared to minister to those left in its wake.

From the publisher:
Summary
Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us.?

In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God–Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist? ??These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.??

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise. ??Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world–now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear.??

As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

Buy If God Is Good at Amazon.com

Everyone who came to Bible study came with their own Bible! Seriously… It was a beautiful thing!!!

As a minister in the 21st century I often wonder if we have created an impossible scenario where the teens/adults in our ministries/churches don’t feel the need to bring their Bibles because we provide the text for them via PowerPoint or some other presentation software. Maybe they don’t feel the need to have their own Bible because we too often only use one or two verses in our lessons or jump around from book to book. This too often leads to proof texting (boo!) and a blasé attitude to actually bringing, reading, and engaging with the Word on a personal level. I’m not saying we should stop projecting scripture- we shouldn’t- I just wonder if we make it too easy for people to just look to the screen.

This semester we have been slowly working through 2Timothy using Barry Shafer’s inductive Bible study Rock Solid Faith.

This has been a great introduction to the inductive method of study. The way I describe it to my teens is by saying that we are using the Bible to study the Bible. Simple as that. By prompting the teens to read and dig and explore they naturally come across what God is saying to them. Living inside the text allows the heart to tune into the Holy Spirit’s prompting and guidance.

What I sensed happening last night is that these teens are interested in what their Bibles have to say- that is, they want to hear from God! They really engaged with the passages last night and shared some great things- even some laughs as well! That’s what youth ministry is all about.

On a side note, one teen was reading his Bible from his iPhone last night using the YouVersion app. I have talked with a few of our adults who are using the YouVersion Blackberry app on Sunday mornings. Another thing to consider in this 21st century ministry climate: as the technology evolves will we see it as a distraction or as a tool? One leads to avoidance and stagnation- the other leads to adaptability and growth. Which will you choose?

Before you accuse me of being arrogant hear me out.

A friend of mine has a 2yr old (soon to be 3yr old) son. This friend of mine and I grew up going to Jr and Sr high together and for the most part we are just as close as we were then. I love his family and his little boy is adorable. I often get to talk with the little one over the cell phone while his Dad prompts him to “carry on a conversation” with me. Sometimes he goes on and on and sometimes he just says “Hi Mikey!” Love it!

BTW, this little boy is the one and only person who can get away with calling me Mikey. Don’t even try it.

While at his grandparents house this little boy somehow got a hold of a picture of me from high school. According to his parents he keeps this picture of me in a little box and pulls it out, talks with me, asks me what I’m doing, and then puts it away.

When I first heard this story I laughed. “How cute and how bizarre?” I thought. A thrill of emotion went through me as I beamed with pride over the idea that I am loved by this little boy.

But beyond being cute and sweet this little story serves as a great big reminder to me.

We are all being watched. You, me, everyone has little eyes and little lives looking to see how we treat them, treat others, and how we live out our worship to God.

Someone, somewhere right now is asking themselves the question WWYD? What Would YOU Do?

They may not have your picture in a box but they look to see how you react to difficulties in your life.

They may not talk with you each week but they orient their priorities to the things that that are priorities in your life.

Hopefully, soon my own son will be here to look to me for guidance, to talk with me, to share with me, and to learn from me. I hope that the words that I say, the actions of my heart, and the pattern of my life is something that he and others can look to in order that they may understand more about the One that I serve.

May our rally cry be like Paul’s, not that people follow us to be like us alone, but that they follow our example because we are following the example of Christ. (1Cor 11:1)

To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” (John 15:26-27)

“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:about sin, because people do not believe in me;about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:7-15)

While there are many debates and discussions about the Holy Spirit’s role in our worship I want to focus on some things that Jesus tells his disciples right up front about what the Holy Spirit will do in their lives. Rather than sift through meaningless debate let’s look to the source and see what Jesus has to say about it (I’m crazy right? See what Jesus has to say!?!? Weird I know but go with me on this one).

I would encourage you to read John 14-16 before you read here any further. Then grab a pen/pencil and mark every time Jesus mentions the Holy Spirit (Advocate, Counselor) and mark what Jesus says about the Spirit’s role in the lives of his followers.

Here is what I found.

The Counselor, the Spirit of truth- lives in those who love Jesus and is with them (14:16-17)
The Counselor, the Holy Spirit- teaches us and reminds us of what Jesus said and did (14:26)
The Counselor- testifies about Jesus (15:26)
The Counselor- convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgement (16:7-11)
The Spirit of truth- guides us into truth, speaks what he hears (16:13); brings glory to Jesus by taking what is Jesus’ and makes it know to the world (16:14-15)

So how does this knowledge help us as we gather together for worship? It means that as we worship, as we focus on glorifying God in Jesus Christ, the Spirit is there with us. He teaches us and reminds us of who God is, what his Son taught and accomplished, and how dependent we are on the loving and powerful God. The Spirit allows us to testify to Jesus and the saving power of the cross. The Spirit convicts me and everyone else about their sin and calls us to righteousness. Ultimately it is the Spirit in us and working through us that empowers our worship to make Jesus known through our lives and throughout the world.

That take a lot of pressure off me as a leader. I humbly submit to the Spirit knowing that it isn’t the powerpoint, lesson, or even the songs that glorify God and change lives. It is the power of almighty God in Jesus Christ through his Spirit that allows us to worship in spirit and truth. If we fail to recognize this than we are merely relying on man-made tricks to get people feeling “worshipful.”

Kauflin ends the chapter by challenging leaders to ask the following questions:

1) Next Sunday, if the Spirit stopped empowering your worship, would anyone notice?
2) Would you?

The questions are to you and me. Would we notice? I hope so. I hope we would notice and then humbly submit to God to send a fresh outpouring of his Spirit so that we might be changed – “for the good of the church and the glory of the Savior.”

Kauflin has come up with this working definition of a worship leader…

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the Greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God’s Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God’s presence,
and to live for God’s glory.

This is a definition I can get behind. Can we please move beyond the idea that a worship leader is merely a song leader? Throughout the week I want to unpack Kauflin’s description.

For right now though… What would you add to this description of a worship leader? What would you take away?

I was given the assignment to speak on “What is the definition of humanity?” Real easy huh?

I decided to approach defining humanity by the way we treat others who are different from us. Meaning, our humanity depends on us treating all men with dignity, respect, kindness, and compassion.

This first issue the church dealt with was with racism. The Jewish Christians were unwilling to fully accept the Gentile Christians. This bred hostility and an attitude of exclusiveness.

“We’re in. You’re out. Deal with it!”

In Ephesians 2 Paul reminds us that, regardless of our past, we all have a brand new beginning with Jesus. Because of his mercy and grace, we have been brought inside. We belong to one another and to him. He goes on to say,

“It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God’s ways had no idea of any of this, didn’t know the first thing about the way God works, hadn’t the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God’s covenants and promises in Israel, hadn’t a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.

The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:11-18 MESSAGE)

We are part of a New Humanity. Being human means that we live out the Greatest Command not just in our cozy holy huddles but by loving those who are considered outsiders. Loving the unloveable. Jesus is our example and our mark.

Through the story of the Good Samaritan we learn that being this new human means we care for those who are a different race and religion than we are.

Through the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery we learn that this new humanity show compassion to those whose moral compass points a different direction than our own.

Through watching Jesus heal the lame, the diseased, the poor we see that being human is loving the broken.

Have have you shown your humanity to others today?

Schedule: As I stated last week, I’ve altered my schedule to make me a bit more productive and pro-active. Things went well. I found places to tweak and to change. Maybe my schedule can help you schedule. I’ll post on my schedule next week.

Reading: I finished 2 books this past week and started 3 more. I’m reading everything from theology to discipleship to Sesame Street. No fooling.

Practical Theology: I’ve been pondering this for a little over 2 weeks now- Read 1 Cor 9:19-23. Now, think of a specific issue in worship/ministry that causes arguments- you know, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Next ask yourself, “Would Paul have encouraged _______________ if it would advance the gospel?” or “Would Paul have changed the tradition of ___________________ if it would have led someone to Jesus?” I believe that the answers to these questions has a profound impact on our practices. There’s you some light thinking for the weekend. You are welcome.

U2: Tons of new info out about the album. Rolling Stone & Q have song descriptions. Radio stations are saying that the new single will be out in the next two weeks. Bono is talking about “outdoor” shows and a tour beginning in June (He must have heard my request to avoid the due date of my forstborn. He such a stand up guy.). If only there were some album cover pics. Oh well. We can’t have everything we wish for. Check out all the new information at @U2 New Album Info page.

Technology: I’ve been asked to teach a Youth Ministry seminar in February. One of the sessions will be on “Using Technology in Ministry” I am looking forward to Bobby’s posts on Swerve on using mobile devices for ministry. Check out his quick Mobile Primer.

You: I hope you have a great weekend. See you on Monday.

No subject of contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God… But while the subject humbles the mind, it also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe… Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.” -C.H. Spurgeon (by way of J.I. Packer)