I have not written a blog entry in awhile, mainly because this blog has not been on my top priority list. One of the noticeable qualities of the West Franklin church young adult world is that time is "king," and you have many ways to fill your weekly schedule. School already takes a lot of time with studying, relationships, concerns about grades, spring break, excitement about summer, etc. Add to the mix the culture of after-school activities. You have got any sport from tennis and baseball to lacrosse and cheer-leading. You have got dozens of churches in the area where youth from your school are involved in all these other youth groups and you could church-hop every week for a full year without leaving the county and never attend the same Bible study twice. You have got entertainment to think about at night and on the weekends: movies to check out, malls to walk, sports games to cheer on, Sonic drive-in eating, Xbox/Playstation3/Internet MMORPG-land calling your name, et cetera et cetera et cetera.
I am mainly writing this blog to share with you my burden for you and this community. Whether or not you realize it, we have a gang called Sur-13 that calls Franklin, TN "home." Our church building is next door to a Jehovah's Witness cult. We have a juvenile delinquent hall less than a five-minute drive from our church. We have families in our surrounding neighborhoods being ripped apart by divorce and drug abuse. We have a prospect for our youth group that was recently put in jail for breaking and entering in our area. Now, think about your involvement in our youth Bible studies. I know that the call to be involved in sports, other church activities, and the endless world of "me"-focused entertainment is strong, constant, and consistent; however, I know from experience that it will not satisfy you, and ultimately, that is the big question you must ask yourself every day.
"Am I focusing on the right priorities?" Alesia Painter led a fantastic devotion at our Easter egg hunt at Scott & Elizabeth Forbes' house last weekend about how we were created to be analytical, and God wants us to occasionally stop and double check our motives and priorities. God is not glorified when we are too busy for Him and when we are so busy that we have no time to serve Him. The truth of the matter is that many of you cannot even honestly tell me that you are regularly seeking God in His Word, and that truth ought to bother you.
Can you be a Christian and not attend church? Absolutely. Can you live your life believing in Jesus without being a regular Bible study member? Sure. But God did not give Christian individuals His power. God gave His universal Church His power. If you do not believe me, look it up and read it for yourselves: Matthew 16:13-19. Jesus, King of Heaven and Lord of Creation, gave Christian people in covenant together to serve Him and their community the power and authority, not individuals off on their own so fragmented and stretched-thin that they lose their own identity in the chaos offered by the American dream.
Abram left everything to follow God in Genesis 12, and even though he failed a lot, he kept coming back to God, building an altar, and spending time in worship. So, if you have strayed from connecting regularly to God through His Word, then you need to repent and change. You need the church whether you are mature enough to accept that or not. Listen closely: We are moving more and more towards a culture of such ridiculous levels of tolerance that we are causing people to doubt that God even exists. If you do not believe me, look up Penn & Teller on YouTube, and you can find out exactly what I am talking about.
I am not here to judge you. I am here to lead you to the Bible and the God who loves you and and sent His Son to die for your sins. Your school, your after school activities, your world of entertainment, and your network of relationships cannot point you there. You need the Son in the same way that you need the sun to shine every day on all the activities you engage in that cause you to avoid time with God. Let go of this world. Flee from sin. Let God change you and seek Him. You will never forget letting go of this world and falling on the grace of the Almighty.
When the world looks delicious, remember that food only satisfies for a time. The bread of life, Jesus Christ, will satisfy your hunger forever.
Think about it.
-JPH
