church

My Ideal Youth Ministry

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This is a paper written for my Christian Ministry with Youth course at DTS. The assignment was to write your philosophy of youth ministry and include things like your essential theology, the purpose of youth ministry, and the structure and outcomes of your ideal youth ministry. It is intended to be used in interviews and applications for youth pastor jobs. If nothing else, it will give you a glimpse of what I think about how the church should be run and what the essential doctrines of Christianity are. Introduction The purpose of this work is to tell you about my … [Read more]

C. S. Lewis Was Wrong!

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C.S. Lewis was wrong. I don’t say those words, in that order, very often. Unless we’re talking about afterlife theories, eschatology, eternal security, or evolution, I put stock in what Lewis said. His work on moral law thinking, The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, they’re all spectacular. He has affected my way of thinking and my way of life more than any other writer, except perhaps the Apostle Paul. Unfortunately, Lewis was very wrong about one particular prediction. In Mere Christianity Lewis talks about the meaning of the word “Christian.” He talks about how the meaning … [Read more]

What Does it Mean to BE Gay?

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Let me be clear up front. NONE OF MY STATEMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTLY APPLIED TO THOSE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH. This is all that non-Christians need to read: You still have an old nature and need to hear the gospel (the good news) that Jesus died to take away the penalty of your sins and bring you eternal life. Jesus died because He loves you. God the Father sent God the Son to save you from the penalty of your sins because He loves you. Yes. You’re a sinner, and God loves you anyway. God loves you, fornicator. God loves you, … [Read more]

Stop Inviting Your Friends To Church!!

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  Okay, I don’t mean that… exactly. Of course, bring your friends to church, but what I mean is, stop using the Sunday morning church service as your way of sharing the gospel. It’s not the church building’s job to evangelize the lost. It’s the church’s job. (When I say church in this sense I mean the people who make up the body of Christ. The universal church made up of those who believe a core set of doctrines about the God-Man Jesus the Christ and what he did on the cross.)   MAN UP (or WOMAN UP) and tell … [Read more]

Christians and Coffee

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Introduction I don’t drink much coffee. Let’s get that out of the way now. I don’t like the taste of it. When I do have the occasional cup I put so much cream and sugar in it that the progression of changing color reminds one of certain thrilling pop-singers. I’m not addicted to the stuff. But some people out there are. In fact, most of those people wouldn’t even deny it! On the contrary, they are the first to boast about their addiction (in a joking tone of course). Phrases like, “I’m not myself til my first dose!” and “Cup … [Read more]