It has been a pretty good week.
I guess that is good way to start a post. Last week was stinkin stressful! I was trying to juggle a graduate college class with a youth ministry and I wasn't doing too well. Since I have started this class it has been tough to keep my focus. I am finding out the older I get that I can't focus on more than one thing at a time. Maybe that's because I am a guy. I really don't know. I have heard the vicious rumor that only girls can multitask, but I am not sure if it is true. Well, at least for me I know that I am not too good at doing more than one thing at a time. Yet, I am getting better about it this week. I am keeping up with my reading for once. I got behind last week. Man, this blog is boring.
Anyways, I have a couple of my kiddos that I am studying with right now. One named Barbara (I think I mentioned her in a previous post) and another named Bryce. They are both awesome kids who are coming to know Christ. One of the two of them is feeling pressure from their grandparents to get baptized. Let me lay out a couple of thoughts about this:
I am really frustrated with the "baptism=salvation" crowd. Let me explain myself. This kid told me that he felt like he needed to get baptized. I asked him why. He had no clue. Basically, his grandparents talked to him only about baptism, not Jesus. As we were studying the other night, that because increasingly obvious. He was scared that he was going to hell, not falling in love with Christ. I believe that if you are getting baptized out of fear, yet not falling in love with your saviour, you aren't getting a lot done. What is the point? What have you accomplished? Where is the "cut to the heart" moment in Acts? So, we backtracked completely and started from scratch. I believe with all of my heart that he will come to salvation. He will be immersed. A true encounter with Christ can yeild no other result. It will break a man and bring him to his knees. I hope to bring him to that point of realization that he cannot go on without Christ. Pray for me as I continue to study with both of these precious souls. I pray that I not totally off base here.
Do I believe in baptism. You betcha. With all of my heart. But, grace comes first. The bible is completly clear about that. Jesus has to win your heart first. Then the good stuff comes.
Did the blog get more interesting?
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4 comments:
hey chris... i stumbled across your blog the other day. I really enjoy reading everyone's posts because I get a chance to know people more than what i do once a year at camp every summer... I know how you feel about the baptism thing... Darrel, John T., and I all studied with a boy this summer who wanted to get baptized, but simply for the reason that his grandma wanted it for him. It was her life goal to "get all my grand-babies dunked". After studying with him the first time, It was obvious that he really had no clue what he was about to get into. But the very next sunday, he came forward. I don't want to judge his reasons for doing it, we just have to trust that God works on his heart. Our God is amazing and does great and powerful things everyday... good luck with the Bible studies. (and good luck in school... I know how you feel ;) )
Great post. Way to go with your teens. You're right on the mark.
FYI Men CAN multi-task...two words...Richard Shough! lol
My dad is really good at guitar. He was supposed to teach me, but a man of his skill likes to show off instead. So I am teaching myself. He plays mostly oldies, ya know Beatles and Rolling Stones, and he writes his own country music. I play mostly praise and worship because...well, first i like it, but second...its easy! ;) I dont even know how to read tabs. I just find the words with the chords written above them and work on that. although i did learn brown eyed girl this week. along with some other CCR songs. what do you play?
as for your ministry...I am looking forward to having conversations like that with the teens here. right now we are just working on conversations about boys, cutting the surface.
sent you an email
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