Making God Smile!

Looking for God in the Brothel

G.K. Chesterton once said, "Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God". I was struck this week by those words. As I was preparing for this weeks message on sexuality, I began to ponder - Is this true? Ultimately, I think it is.

Last week I focused on God's Gift of Sex from Genesis 1-2. The emphasis was on God the creator and his blessings on our life. Each of us was built for relationship - relationship with God and with others. Adam was incomplete without Eve, and after the fall both of them (and all mankind thereafter) was incomplete without God. Ever since, without even knowing it, all mankind seeks to restore what was lost there in the garden.

The problem, however, is that man, in the words of Waylon Jennings, is "looking for Love in all the wrong places." Which brings us to the Chesterton quote. The man at the brothel door is seeking to satisfy his souls deepest thirst but winds up with a mouth full of dust. Thirstier than before he runs from empty well to empty well, for nothing in this world will satisfy.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear.

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good,there is not even one.

In his search for restoration, mankind corrupts all that God has given. The sexual union, meant to be a beautiful expression of marital oneness, becomes, something corrupt as we defile the beautiful gift of God. Sexual promiscuity and perversion are man's futile attempt to satisfy a thirst that only God can quench.

And don't we all have our own brothels? They have innocuous names - entertainment, lust, comfort, power, religion....each an attempt to satisfy the ache of our soul. But like an anesthetic they only dull the pain - the true source of our soul's satisfaction is God alone. He is our completer. He comes to "bring life and life more abundantly".

So, let us turn away from the door of the brothel and walk through the open door that is Christ. Through that door we find the only One who brings true redemption and restoration!

Love & Other Things - Youth Series #1

As we begin our series on love, sex, and relationships it was decided that we would inform parents and our church body of our teaching via my blog. When working with students there is always a wide spectrum in regards to their level of maturity. Even when we attempt to age grade students (for example separating Jr. & Sr. High), it’s just the nature of adolescence that even two 16 year olds are not at the same level.

For this reason some parents may decide that their teen is not ready for a discussion of sexual issues. Hopefully this blog will help parents to make that decision.

The other reason I wanted to make parents aware of our teaching is so that they can further discuss this important topic with their teens. Studies have shown that students want to hear from their parents and value their opinion on important issues. Please, talk to your kids about sex.

Week One – God’s Gift of Sex, a study of Genesis 1-2.

This first will be a pretty simple straight forward look at God's Creation of man, the institution of marriage, and the gift of sexual oneness. When you want to find out about any Biblical subject, its best to start with its first instance in scripture. In the case of sex, Genesis 1&2 provide the foundation for the subject of human sexuality.

In speaking to students about the subject I want to point out the clear distinction between the worlds approach to sexual matters and the Bible's view. The world says that sex is no big deal (SEE THIS STORY) BUT God says it extremely important. The world says that sex is purely physical BUT God says it a spiritual act (and can even be worshipful).

OUTLINE

• God created mankind for relationship (Gen. 1:26; 2:19-22)
  

• Marriage is the Highest Human Relationship (2:22-24)
  

• God created sex as a special gift for Marriage (2:23-24)
  

  • Highest expression of married oneness

  • represents the oneness between Christ & the Church (Eph. 5:22-33)

NEXT WEEK - Man's Abuse of God's Gift

Sexting?!

Just today my daughter sent me to a blog by Trey Morgan (treymorgan.net) because I needed to be aware of a growing trend among teens - Sexting.

I've heard rumblings of this happening but was not fully aware of the extent of the problem. I've known about and spoke to students who were sending sexually inappropriate texts to other students. However, students have now turned another corner and are sending sexually explicit photos of themselves on their phones.

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As parents we need to be aware of what is happening in our kids world. The only way to do that is through communication. Talk to your daughter or son. This is not a problem that only "someone else's kids" are involved in - it's happening with church kids...it's happening with your kids.

W.W.J.D. - What Would Jeff Do?

I was looking through one of my old Bibles a few days ago. Inside the back cover I rediscovered something I wrote in 1986 after reading Sheldon's, In His Steps (WWJD for you younger readers). As I read what I had written I found myself challenged by a younger, and sadly more passionate, me. Here's what I wrote just out of high school.

What Would Jesus Do as Jeff Hume?

1. He would always seek the Kingdom of God first and foremost in his life (Matt. 6:33).
2. He would consider all earthly possessions not his but Gods and store his treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19).
3. Since life here is not lasting, he would use anything possible to reach the lost and regard others as more important than himself (Mark 10:45).
4. He would examine all of his plans in light of the gospel and prayer (Acts 20:24).
5. He would commit himself to spending all his time to the greatest benefit to God.

Two observations: (1) Why didn't I make a bracelet with WWJD imprinted on it? I'd be a millionaire today if only I could have capitalized on the WWJD trinkets market, and (2) I need to reconnect with the person I was back then. Time might bring wisdom (and that's a might) but it can also dampen the passion. God, help me reclaim that fire!

The Season of Giving (too much?)

Sometimes I really struggle with Christmas! I'm no Scrooge but I really can get caught up in the commercialism and focus on the wrong things. There's this internal struggle. Christmas is the season of giving, and I really do enjoy giving gifts to others, but how much is too much? When does our giving cross the line and become indulgence and sin?

Lord, help me not to cross the line!

K.I.S.S.

Sometimes blogging can be therapeutic and an enjoyable exercise in communication. And other times it's a pain. Lately, I've been avoiding the exercise for a number of reasons - busyness, laziness, and this general feeling that nobody really reads my blog anyway. However, I have decided to keep at it but in a different format.

I guess I had this feeling that I always need to be profound and eloquent in my writing, and I suppose there is nothing wrong with that. However, I've decided to forgo that pressure (which leads to writer's block and avoidance), and take a much more laid back approach to my blogging. Oh, I hope at times to be inspiring, insightful, and challenging in my writing, but just as often (probably more) I'll just ask questions, share the thoughts of others, and as a wise person once said, K.I.S.S. it (Keep It Simple Stupid).

So, I guess here it goes!