There Are 3 Kinds of Fear, But Only One Is Necessary in a Crisis

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April 30, 2020

There are three kinds of fear. It’s an emotion we all know well, and in recent weeks, it’s one that has asserted itself in our minds and hearts. We fear both ourselves and loved ones catching the virus. We fear what will happen to our finances because of lost wages. We fear how long our life will be put on hold. We fear all the unknowns that lie ahead. And all these fears are exacerbated every time we turn on the news or scroll through social media. Fear, it seems, has spread as far and wide as the virus itself.

In the face of this crisis, how can we as Christians respond to our fears? It’s helpful to first identify the three kinds of fear found in Scripture, one of which is not like the others.

Three Kinds of Fear

The Puritan, John Flavel, describes these three kinds of fear in his book, Triumphing Over Sinful Fear. The first is natural fear. It’s the fear we feel in the face of danger, such as hearing a tornado warning on the news, coming upon a bear on the mountain trail, or learning of a viral pandemic spreading across the nation. Such fear is a natural and human response to harm. It’s what gets us to leave a building ablaze with fire. Flavel wrote,

“Everyone experiences natural fear. It is the trouble or agitation of mind that arises when we perceive approaching evil or impending danger. It is not always sinful, but it is always the fruit and consequence of sin.”[1]

Our natural fears are the result of life in a post-fall world.

The second of the kinds of fear is sinful fear. Flavel describes this fear as arising from unbelief, “an unworthy distrust of God. This occurs when we fail to rely upon the security of God’s promises; in other words, when we refuse to trust in God’s protection.” [2] Sinful fear grips and rules our hearts. It governs our choices and directs our energies and affections. It draws us to false idols in the hopes they will rescue and save us. It’s a fear that becomes a pattern in our lives, an immediate response to difficult circumstances. It’s the kind of fear that distracts us and keeps us from resting and trusting in God and his great love for us.

In terms of our current situation, we’ve all felt natural fear as we’ve heeded warnings and taken necessary precautions to protect ourselves and loved ones from harm. At times, we’ve likely felt sinful fear as we’ve worried about the unknown future. It’s the fear that makes us want to acquire and hoard. This fear also plays itself out in our mind with all the thoughts of “what if____?” — replayed over and over like a record set on repeat. Over these weeks, we may have even felt an intermingling of both these fears.

But there’s one more kind of fear which Flavel writes about, and that is the fear of the Lord. This fear is holy and other. It is not a terror-fear as we might feel in the face of a raging storm, but a fear rooted in a filial love for the God who adopted us as his beloved children and rescued us from sin. It is a fear that is filled with awe, wonder, reverence, worship, and love for our great God. As Flavel says, this fear is “our treasure, not our torment.”[3]

Throughout the Bible, we are called to fear the Lord (Deut. 6:24, Ps. 34:9, Acts 9:31). The fear of the Lord isn’t something that comes naturally to our fallen nature; rather, it is a fear implanted in us by God himself. “And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me” (Jeremiah 32:40). What grace! God calls us to fear him, and then gives us a holy fear of him.

The fear of the Lord is a fear that sees God as greater than all other fears. And, as the Bible teaches, it is the antidote to all our lesser fears.

Matthew 10 and a Greater Fear

In Matthew 10, after Jesus had called all the disciples to follow him, he prepared to send them out to preach that the kingdom of God was at hand. He told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. He warned them that some would listen to them and some would reject their teaching. He also warned them of future persecution where they would be hated and beaten and brought to trial. It is amid these warnings that he also taught them about the fear of the Lord:

“What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (vv. 27-31).

This passage teaches that a fear of the Lord weakens our lesser fears. The disciples were to replace their fear of harm from man with a fear of the Lord. While man might very well harm them physically, even to the point of death, it is God who held the power over the destination of their souls. He is the sovereign One who knows all the hairs on their head. He cares for them more than the creatures he watches over each day. God is the one whom they were to fear.

The Bible teaches us that when we are fearful, we are to replace that fear with a greater fear, a holy fear of the Lord. We do so as well dwell on who God is and what he has done. We do so as we focus on God’s character: His sovereignty, holiness, righteousness, goodness, and faithfulness. We do so as we remember all he has done for us in Christ, when he conquered our greatest fear—eternal death and separation from him—at the cross. We do so as we relish and cherish all his promises for us. In the face of a holy fear, our lesser fears weaken; they lose their grip on us.

As this crisis continues, we will likely face more fears. When these fears arise, may we cry out to the One who gives us a holy fear of him. May we look to him and see him as greater than all our fears.

Note: This piece is inspired by Christina’s book, A Holy Fear: Trading Lesser Fears for the Fear of the Lord, published with Reformation Heritage Books.

Notes

[1] Flavel, John. Triumphing Over Sinful Fear (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage, 2011), p.8.

[2] Ibid, p. 12.

[3] Ibid, p. 19.

This article about three kinds of fear originally appeared here.

In Gratitude for the Often Forgotten Pastor’s Wife

By

Daniel Henderson

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April 30, 2020

As October has so quickly concluded, we look back on Clergy Appreciation Month in hopes that every pastor was encouraged and honored in some way. This is an important and biblical engagement. Yet, before we move too far past this necessary emphasis, I am mindful of some unsung heroes that we must acknowledge–the often forgotten pastor’s wife.

Proverbs 3:27 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” Romans 13:7 commends, “…respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

The often forgotten pastor’s wife fulfills a unique call, carries a special burden, and is often overlooked.

She deserves a level of appreciation and honor that is seldom expressed as is merited.

Last week at our conference in the Toronto area, a moment was set aside to honor pastors’ wives. This proved to be a powerful and emotional moment for us all. Karl Whittingstall, the Pastor of Student Ministries at our host church, Hope Bible Church,[i] read a moving tribute to pastors’ wives.

I was so touched, I wanted to share it with you today. I felt deep regret for not honoring my own wife as I should have over the years. We all felt a fresh burden to pray for and encourage those faithful spouses who stand willingly alongside their husbands.

Here is Karl’s tribute:

To the often forgotten pastor’s wife, the woman often behind, but so faithfully beside, a man God has called to labor for Him.

Your husband stands on stage and preaches, leads your church in worship, cares for other people’s needs, points groups to Jesus, hangs out with church members, goes on missions trips, leads retreats, counsels people, works with other leaders, and makes hard decisions. Everyone sees him, but often, and usually unintentionally, overlooks you. It isn’t easy to be you, and we all publically acknowledge that right now.

You endure so much!!

A husband worn down mentally, physically, and spiritually from caring for others struggles to come home with enough gas in the tank to care for you. You are often privately under spiritual attack, the evil one distracting your husband by what God has called him to publically.

You are often left alone with the kids while your husband goes out night after night, to retreat after retreat, elder’s meeting after elder’s meeting, missions trip after missions trip, to one worship practice after another – while you are putting the kids to bed alone, cleaning up from dinner by yourself, and doing so much you are not thanked for.

“But aren’t you excited to see how the Lord is moving?”

You answer yes, because you know it’s right, but it is hard.

For all the times you held down the fort while we went to work; For all the times you would have loved to see God work up close and change a heart; For the times you skipped prayer meetings to stay home with a snotty-nosed infant, a daughter with a fever, or a son with the flu; For all the days off or evening dates that didn’t happen because of ministry…

We can’t give you those back, but we can say, “Thank you,” and try to love you better.

Right now we acknowledge your service and sacrifice. We don’t do this enough, and for this we are sorry. Please don’t be discouraged, pastor’s wife. The LORD SEES IT ALL. He knows your frustration, your discouragement, and your times of hurt and loneliness. You carry a burden that is no doubt different from, but just as weighty as your husband’s. Do not believe the lies of the evil one that you are not being used, that you are somehow “just” a pastor’s wife.

You are the smile, the warmth, the comfort, the faithful, prayerful, patient, more-helpful-than-you-could-even-know partner to the man God has called to labor for Him. You might not often be seen or even be with him, but he can’t do it without you beside him.

You are not “just” a pastor’s wife. You have been specifically called by God to this role. It isn’t easy, but this is why we love you, this is why we pray for you, this is why we can do what we do—because we do it alongside you.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your endurance. Thank you for your wisdom. Thank you for your correction even when we don’t want to hear it. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your honesty, loyalty, and patience.

From every pastor and ministry director to their wife: We love you!

I encourage you to write or call an often forgotten pastor’s wife today and let her know you love her, respect her, and deeply appreciate her faithful obedience to her calling and her sacrificial support for the Lord’s work. Honor to whom honor is due.

This article about the often forgotten pastor’s wife originally appeared here.

Kathleen Nielson: How Should God’s People Handle Suffering?

By

Megan Briggs

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April 29, 2020

Gary Haugen: The Hidden Reason for Poverty the World Needs to Address Now

By

Andrew Hess

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April 29, 2020

Telling Right From Wrong Can Lead Us To God

By

Fara Martin

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April 29, 2020

Where did we get the ability to tell right from wrong? Evolution has no explanation for this, but creationism does. Please don’t overlook this fact. It’s a big problem that evolution has no way of explaining human morality. This is important because this is what separates us from the rest of creation. We don’t see animals living by moral standards because only humans have this unique attribute to tell right from wrong.

The Bible teaches that since God made humans in His own image, He gave us the ability to distinguish right from wrong. We see evidence of this as we witness our children exhibit this knowledge at a very young age. For example, if we tell our child to not touch a hot stove, inevitably the child will wait until we look away so they can reach out and touch it. They attempt this while we’re not looking because they intuitively know that what they are about to do is wrong.

In fact, none of us ever had to learn how to lie. None of us ever had to take a class to learn how to lust. And none of us had to read a book to learn how to be jealous or wish harm to our enemies. To sum up, none of us ever had to learn how to sin. Not only do we naturally know how to sin, but we sometimes even hesitate before we are about to do something wrong because we wrestle in our souls as we contemplate it. Each of us has embedded within us a moral code, and we immediately know when we violate that code.

So where did this knowledge come from?

The Bible teaches that it comes from God. God gave us a conscience, and our conscience is the part of us that signals what we are about to do is wrong. It’s also the part of us that causes guilt after we’ve done something wrong. We all know the difference between a guilty conscience and a clear conscience (Romans 2:14–15).

So if our conscience enables us to differentiate between right and wrong, then why don’t we always follow our conscience? Why don’t we always live up to that moral code each one of us has inside our souls? We violate our conscience because we like to take matters into our own hands just like the child did when touching the hot stove. None of us likes to be told what to do, so we prefer to be “judge” and decide for ourselves how to live. However, the problem with this is none of us can be an impartial judge when making decisions. This is because something else comes into play when we make choices—namely, desire. Desire plays a significant role in making moral decisions. Our conscience may tell us one thing, while our desires may tell us the opposite. Instead of making decisions that are purely based on right versus wrong, we are easily tempted to make decisions that favor our desires.

But is there an absolute moral standard? The Bible says yes. And that moral standard is set by God. This is why He gave us commandments: they teach us what is right from wrong. I wrote in chapter 1 that truth is true regardless of whether I know it, whether I agree with it, whether I like it or believe it. Therefore, regardless of how I feel about it, the Bible teaches that God is both Lawgiver and Judge.

But again, we don’t like this very much. We like to run our lives according to how we see fit. But here’s an example of how that scenario plays out:

John says, “I decide what’s right and wrong in my own life. I’m the god of my universe.”

Then Bill says in response, “Well, John, I’m going to kill you.”

John says to Bill, “You can’t kill me. You can’t do that!”

Bill answers, “I’m the god of my universe and I say I can.”

Do you see the problem with each of us wanting to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong? In fact, listen to what the world says and before long you will hear statements like, “Do whatever makes you happy, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.” This may sound fine on the surface, but who are we to decide what may or may not hurt someone else? Throughout the ages, there have been many choices made in the pursuit of happiness that have indeed hurt others.

We are naturally drawn to any subjective morality code that allows us to live out our desires. This is why there are such deep differences when discussing issues like abortion, capital punishment, sex outside of marriage, and homosexuality. This is why there are so many differences in how families are run, or how countries are led.

The Bible teaches that God has given us a conscience to speak to our souls in the matter of what is right and wrong and we immediately know when we have made choices that go against our conscience. How could this have come from evolution? There’s no good explanation for the existence of morality other than what the Bible says.

This article is an excerpt from Fara Martin’s book, Truth Exists.

6 Reasons to Know Your Ministry Context

By

Will Mancini

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April 29, 2020

The American philosopher John Dewey said, “I should venture to assert that the most pervasive fallacy of philosophic thinking goes back to neglect of context.”

Could it also be said of church leaders today that our most pervasive fallacy of ministry thinking goes back to a neglect of context? I think so, but you might expect that from a guy who sees most of our leadership sins through the lens of photocopied vision.

Remember when Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he was willing to “become all things to all men in order to save some?” He was reminding us that our strategy for evangelism must be connected to our awareness of context.

The original meaning of context is “to weave together” and is often used in grammar. When words are taken “out of context” (like we often say about a Bible verse), we are breaking the natural “weave” by removing elements before, after, and around the words that add to a full and accurate sense of meaning.

With ministry, we often bring strategies, ideas, and plans for reaching or discipling people that neglect context. That is we fail to weave our strategies together with realities of culture that live before, after, and around what we do. The result is not a lack of “meaning” in the grammatical sense but a lack of effectiveness in connecting with people.

Think for a minute about why context should inform strategy:

Context carries localized assumptions about faith and God
Context creates localized nuances of and uses for language
Context encodes a history of heroes and enemies for your community
Context transmits a collective conscious of successes and failures
Context reflects and reinforces your community’s deepest hopes and fears
Context shapes and is reshaped by the real-time shared experiences of its people

Here are two action steps:

1) Consider what you are currently doing in ministry that was designed by someone else in a different context. Reexamine how your context might inform ways to tweak that ministry.

2) Before planning a new event, program, or ministry initiative, spend some time thinking about context. And then let context inform strategy.

REPORT: 104 of 255 Netflix Shows for Teens Have Mature Rating

By

Jessica Lea

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April 29, 2020

A new report from the Parents Television Council (PTC) has found that the most common rating on Netflix’s teen programming is TV-MA. Because the TV-MA rating designates content for adults and not teenagers, this means that “by definition, the programming is unsuitable for the audience for whom it is intended.” Moreover, the study found “harsh profanity” to be “nearly ubiquitous” in content rated for teens.

“Either the content is being rated inaccurately, or there has been considerable ‘ratings creep’ with the criteria used to determine an age-based rating,” say the report’s authors. “Neither option allows parents to do their job effectively. Netflix is marketing explicit content to children, and we call on the company to cease doing so immediately.”

Parents Television Council: Netflix Is Failing Parents

The report from Parents Television Council is timely considering that people have been consuming more media due to sheltering at home because of the coronavirus. According to market research firm Nielsen, media consumption rose by 85 percent in the first three weeks of March. A report from global technology company Morning Consult found that Netflix is the top streaming platform consumers have been using during the pandemic. Other data show that television consumption has increased throughout all hours of the day.

Kids technology company SuperAwesome found that children are spending up to 50 percent more time in front of screens than they were before the pandemic. Another study found that 65 percent of parents admitted to letting their children watch more television and movies since being locked down. With these numbers in mind, Parents Television Council sought to answer the following questions:

What are teenaged children seeing on the most popular streaming platform, Netflix? Can parents trust that a program, which is listed on the Netflix program guide in the “teen” category, is actually going to be appropriate for their teens—or pre-teens—to consume? And can parents trust that a program carrying a teen content rating is actually safe for their children to watch?

The study looked at teen programming as of April 6, 2020, assessing it for mature language and ratings. The report did not directly evaluate Netflix’s programs based on violence, sexual content, or mature themes. Note that Netflix uses the Motion Picture Association (MPA) rating system for films and the TV Parental Guidelines content rating system for television series.

PTC found 255 separate programs in the 23 categories (Teen Comedies, Emotional Teen Dramas, etc.) Netflix has designated for teens. Ninety-six of these programs are Netflix Originals. In addition to investigating the ratings, PTC used content filtering service VidAngel to examine the profanity in Netflix Originals “for which filters were available.”

The report found that the majority of shows for teenagers have a mature rating. Of the 255 programs aimed at teens (again, which include movies and TV shows) 40.8 percent are rated TV-MA. Out of the 96 Netflix Originals, 55.2 percent are rated TV-MA.

Nine percent of the 255 programs are rated R, which is equal to the percentage of shows rated PG-13. Nearly 26 percent (66) of the programs are rated TV-14. PTC was able to use VidAngel to analyze 11 shows rated TV-14 and found that all of them contained the s-word multiple times and almost all of them included the f-word at least once. For example, the hit show Stranger Things (which is rated TV-14 and has currently released three seasons) contains the s-word 257 times and the f-word 11 times. “It is useful here to remember,” say the authors, “that under the MPA ratings system, more than one use of the ‘f-word’ is enough for them to change the age restriction from ‘PG-13’ to ‘R.’”

Parents Television Council concludes that Netflix (which is not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission) is not only out of touch with the concerns of parents but is also not being faithful to its own definitions. On its website, Netflix lists the TV-MA rating in the “Adult” category, but has still directed a great deal of content with that rating at a teenage audience.

The report calls for “wholesale reform” to entertainment rating systems, as well as for accountability from those who have no ulterior motive for marketing explicit content to minors. The authors conclude,

We are unsure whether Netflix—in its application of content ratings and in its determination of what is appropriate for “Teen” audiences—is acting in bad faith, or if they’re just plain sloppy. Regardless, we hope this report serves as a clarion call for Netflix to step up immediately with meaningful engagement on this issue, and with a corporate commitment to implementing remedies to address our findings.

It’s Good to Please People; It’s Bad to Please People.

By

Desiring God

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April 29, 2020

by John Piper

Life is not simple. So language is not simple. Different situations in life call for different ways of living. The language that describes those differences can be very confusing.

For example Paul says he tries to please people and he doesn’t try to please people. (Same Greek word for “please” both times.) Wise listeners are slow to judge. They assume he’s not speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

He says to the Corinthians, “Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:32-33).

And then he says to the Galatians, “Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:9-10).

And here is a real life concrete illustration of both commitments: to please and not to please.

When Paul called Timothy into his service he had him circumcised. Why? Here’s his answer:

“Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” (Acts 16:3)

In other words, Paul sought to avoid unnecessary stumbling blocks in his evangelism among Jews. He was free to circumcise or not. So he did. In that sense he sought to “please” them.

But in Jerusalem, where people were requiring circumcision in order to be saved (Acts 15:1).

In other words, he did not please those who wanted Titus circumcise. Why didn’t he yield? He answers: “To them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (Galatians 2:5).

This calls for great gospel discernment. We do not want to put unnecessary obstacles in the way of the gospel. To please or not to please? Yes. And one way we know which is by asking: Will the gospel be advanced? Will the gospel be compromised?

Kentucky AG Has ‘faith’ in Church Leaders to Resume Church at the Right Time

By

Stephanie Martin

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April 29, 2020

Kentucky’s current ban on mass gatherings—including worship services—faces continued opposition. State Attorney General Daniel Cameron is now warning Gov. Andy Beshear he’ll face a lawsuit unless he walks back a March 19^th executive order.

In that order, Beshear, a Democrat, banned all mass gatherings in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Several churches pushed back, and Kentucky State Police wrote down the license plate numbers of some Easter worshipers, urging them to self-quarantine.

Cameron, a Republican, says that churches are being targeted unfairly and that citizens’ constitutional rights are being violated.

Give Church Leaders the Choice, Says AG Daniel Cameron

During a Tuesday news conference, Attorney General Cameron said the governor has “broad power” in an emergency but can’t “violate the First Amendment by discriminating against faith-based practices.” He’s reminded of the unfairness “every time I drive by a big-box store and see dozens of cars” in the parking lot, he said.

Cameron isn’t necessarily advocating for an immediate resumption of in-person worship, he says. He just wants Kentuckians to have that option. “I believe that the good Lord gives us wisdom and judgment, and we should use it in such a way that we protect our fellow Kentuckians,” he says. “I have personally enjoyed online services offered by my church and applaud all religious leaders for their creativity and adaptability over the past several weeks. I have faith that Kentucky’s religious leaders will listen to healthcare experts on when is the appropriate time and manner to resume in-person services.”

The attorney general admits that elected leaders face tough calls during the pandemic. “We know that the virus could have tragic consequences, and we must do everything in our power to stop it,” Cameron says. “But the virus is not the only unprecedented thing we are having to face now. Every day we are asked or ordered to take new steps to protect the public health.”

Although Pastor Jeff Fugate has been holding online services lately, he supports Cameron’s efforts to rescind the governor’s order. He says his church, Clays Mill Baptist in Lexington, will follow safety precautions such as holding separate services for at-risk people and seating worshipers in every-other pew.

Gov. Beshear: ‘I’m just trying to…save people’s lives’

In his briefing on Tuesday, the governor insisted he’s not targeting churches and said the law is on his side. “I’m not trying to set rules that are difficult, and I’m not trying to set rules that are controversial,” Beshear said. “I’m just trying to set rules that save lives.”

Initial rulings from a judge indicate the order is fair, the governor noted, adding that he’s allowing drive-in services, unlike some other states. Beshear expressed frustration at the ongoing politicization of the crisis. The governor already faces one lawsuit about his pandemic response, specifically regarding a ban on certain types of interstate travel. AG Cameron’s request to be a plaintiff in that case was recently approved.

So far, Kentucky has had more than 4,100 confirmed coronavirus cases and 213 deaths. Gov. Beshear has maintained that his strict orders are necessary because neighboring states, specifically Tennessee, haven’t taken sufficiently aggressive actions.

Chris Tomlin Performing “Good Good Father” Is Just What Your Soul Needs This Weekend

By

Andrew Hess

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April 29, 2020

Music has the power to minister to our hearts in ways nothing else can. That’s what I feel when I watch Chris Tomlin’s performance of “Good Good Father.”

When life gets hard and we grow weary, we need to remember we have a gracious Father in heaven who cares for us. He is perfect and he loves us despite our flaws.

May your good, good father remind you of his loving kindness in fresh ways through this powerful song.

How & Why To Talk To Your Kids About Gender Identity

By

Andrew Linder

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April 29, 2020

Whether we like it or not, as parents we’ve been thrust into a situation by recent events that requires us to have a much-needed conversation with our kids about gender identity.

But while America is struggling to know their identity, your family doesn’t have to.

And while the events of the past week or so seem to demand it, some might still question why a parent would want to address this issue with their children. Here are a few practical reasons:

If they don’t hear it first from us, they will hear it sooner or later from someone else (and probably not from our same perspective).
We set ourselves up for an awkward and possibly unexpected situation when our kids go into a public restroom, only to come out with many more questions than when they went in.
It gives us an opportunity as parents to teach our kids God’s perspective of human/gender identity.

Here are a couple of important points to bring out in talking to your kids…

GOD is absolutely CLEAR on the issue.

While the world around us struggles to determine the truth of who and what they are, God has already made it perfectly clear and easily understandable, even for a child:

God created us in His image. (Genesis 1:26-27)
God created us male and female. (Genesis 1:27)
God created us with a specific gender for our unique purpose in mind. (Genesis 1:28, 2:15,18)
God alone decides a person’s gender, and has made obvious and undeniable ways of identifying that gender from birth. (Psalm 139:14-16)

By teaching your kids these basic biblical truths, they’ll be able on their own to identify truth from error when they hear it. Teach your kids that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that His Word never changes, but is timeless, regardless of what the world does.

The WORLD is utterly CONFUSED on the issue

Sadly, we live in a very confused society that has allowed itself and its culture to be shaped by its pet sins rather than any form of truth whatsoever.

Consider this quote from the American College of Pediatricians…

“A person’s belief that he or she is something they are not is, at best, a sign of confused thinking. When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such. These children suffer from gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria (GD), formerly listed as Gender Identity Disorder (GID), is a recognized mental disorder in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-V)”

Saying that anyone can be anything or any gender they choose and has rights to go into any bathroom they choose is simply naive and twisted. Just ask any child, and they’ll be able to tell you “the way things are supposed to be.” So why does our society believe they must push such confusion upon our children and future generations, not to mention intentionally subjecting the ones we are responsible to protect to a whole new world of unnecessary dangers?

The answer is very simply this – the world we live in is a very sinful, deceived, and confused place.

When the world around us decides to make laws that not only contradict the Bible, but so clearly go against common sense, we have not only confused the culture, we have chosen to confuse the future generations and worldview of our children and grandchildren.

We do well to teach our children that the world is confused, and God is not the author of confusion. (I Corinthians 14:33)

But most importantly, we must not miss teaching our children this last point…

CHRISTIANS must be CONFIDENT yet COMPASSIONATE on the issue

While we as Christians need to stand unapologetically upon the truth of God’s Word, may we always do it in a way that reflects well of Christ in a world so desperately in need of Him. In the way we talk to our kids about the issue, may we transfer to them a love for a lost world that needs God’s truth to set them free. And may we help prepare them to be grounded in the truth for the future challenges that they are sure to face in their own lives.

As the world gets further and further away from truth, they will hate more and more those who speak it. But may that never change our love for the people behind the sin. Remember that the way that we present the truth will affect the way that our children believe it.

Our children need to hear about this issue from a grace-filled, biblical standpoint, and the best ones to talk to them about it is not the church, or the schools, but the parents.

Our kids are watching to see how we respond to this issue, and the way we do has the potential to greatly impact them and their future mindset, either positively or negatively. We can inadvertently instill within them an animosity towards those who reject the truth, or just as easily instill within them a compassion towards those same people.

It is still possible to teach our children to love the sinner and hate the sin, by helping them understand that the real enemy is Satan, not any person (Eph. 6:12). But we must intentionally demonstrate the love of Christ in our approach.

God has given us a great privilege to raise up the next generation of grace-driven, Holy Spirit filled, confident, yet compassionate world changers to take God’s truth into the future. And issues like this one give us as parents a great opportunity to maximize upon that calling.

Let me strongly encourage you to talk to your kids about these important truths, and even use the points and scriptures referenced above to help you do it.

“We can stand for Christ without compromising truth; we can love the lost without losing our testimony; and we can raise up a generation who understands how to do both.”

The truth of John 8:32 applies now more than ever before for ourselves, our children, and the world around us… “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

If you agree, please share. Whether you agree or not, I’d love for you to share your feedback.

This article originally appeared here.

Dave Gibson: Whose Salvation Are You Praying for Every Day?

By

Jason Daye

-

April 29, 2020

Dave Gibson has over 40 years of local, national, and international ministry leadership experience. He currently serves as the executive director for GO2020 USA and is also a member of the GO2020 global leadership team. Dave is the senior director of missions and evangelism at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where he has served for over 30 years. He has also served as the executive vice president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is the executive director of Mission America. Dave is married to Wendy and they have five children.

Download your free GO2020 digital church kits at go2020.outreach.com.

Key Questions for Dave Gibson

-How can every follower of Jesus practice “relational evangelism”?

-Have you always been open about regularly sharing your faith?

-What is the GO2020 movement?

-Why is it a challenge for people to share their faith?

Key Quotes from Dave Gibson

“Jesus said if we follow him, he’ll make us fishers of men, and if we aren’t fishing for men, maybe we aren’t doing a good job of following Jesus.”

“Evangelism 101 in the early church was you just took your hand away from your mouth.”

“Do we have a culture of prayer? Do we have a culture of discipleship, culture of worship, a culture of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ?”

“Ninety to 93 percent of Christians aren’t sharing their faith.”

“Can we make a friend, be a friend, and bring a friend to Christ?”

“Evangelism is a process and God is responsible for the results.”

“Here’s a practical thing you can encourage your people to do: pray for Bob every day.”

“You have arguably one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the church [the Apostle Paul] and he says, ‘Pray for me.’”

“Pray for burden, pray for open doors, and then pray for boldness.”

Change Your Zoom Background to Engage Kids While Teaching Online

By

Brittany Nelson

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April 29, 2020

Did you know you can change your Zoom background while hosting online kids church (how-to instructions below)? You can be teaching from outer space, under the sea, or even in front of the city of Jerusalem, and you don’t have to use the same background the entire time. Using virtual backgrounds on Zoom is not only fun, but you can also use this feature as a teaching tool. You can easily change the background in the middle of your teaching to engage kids and involve them in the story!

Zoom Background Teaching Ideas:

Bible Story Images: Find pictures that fit your story or that include objects within the story. As you teach, change the background to match what you’re talking about to help keep kids engaged virtually.

Eye Spy: Create a background with a collage of various items (people, words, objects, etc.) from your Bible story + random items that have nothing to do with the story. Leave the image up behind you on the screen while you teach, and at different parts of the story, invite kids to “spy” the item you’re talking about on the screen behind you. You can also play games before or after your lesson this way too! Check out an I Spy game here, and explore all of our screen-based, Zoom-friendly games here.

Virtual Egg Hunt: A great way to include an “egg hunt” in the middle of your Easter service. Have an egg background pop up at random times throughout the service, and invite kids to count how many times it pops up or invite kids to complete a specific action when they see it. I’ve also seen some churches hiding eggs around their children’s area, then recording a video walkthrough of their space and asking kids to write down the number of eggs they see in each room. You could easily do this with Zoom backgrounds too! Hide eggs in each room at the church (make sure you write down how many!), then snap a picture. For your virtual egg hunt, show the picture of each room on the screen and ask kids to write down how many eggs the find. Kids hold up their answers, then you can point out where all of the hidden eggs are before moving to the next room!

Common Themes: Choose a recurring word, theme, person, or idea from your Bible lesson and make a Zoom background that relates to that thing. As you teach the Bible story, change your background to the special, themed image at random times OR whenever you mention it in the story. Challenge kids to count the number of times they see that image, or challenge them to complete an action each time it pops up on the screen.

Audience Cues: Create various “instruction backgrounds” that relate to your Bible lesson. (For example, if you’re teaching about when Jesus calmed the storm, maybe have backgrounds with words/images of the ocean, rocking in a boat, wind and waves, etc. Or use a background of question marks when you’re asking a question or inviting kids to ask questions.) As you’re teaching the Bible story, throw the different backgrounds up behind you when you want kids to add sound effects or complete physical actions that help you tell the Bible story.

Interrupting Characters: This idea comes from this man’s Zoom background where he interrupted himself during a Zoom meeting (brilliant)! He just recorded a video of himself walking into the room, then set that as his Zoom background so it looks like he interrupts his own meeting. You could totally do this as part of your teaching time: have yourself interrupt your lesson to add details to the lesson (may take some practice to get the timing right if you want to “interact” with your video self), interrupt your lesson dressed as different characters in the story, or invite yourself into the lesson as a “special guest” and tag-team the Bible lesson with yourself. There are so many fun ways to use this idea! Just be sure your computer is in the exact same spot for the video recording and the Zoom live call; otherwise the background will be off.

Tips for using Virtual Backgrounds on Zoom:

Be sure to test out all of your backgrounds before using them live so you aren’t accidentally blocking anything important on the screen.

Lighting is key! The virtual backgrounds look much better when you have proper lighting, so be sure to sit facing a window or use a ring light. I use this simple and cheap ring light that clips right onto my computer, and it makes a HUGE difference!

What’s behind you matters. The backgrounds work best when you have a “flat” background behind you, like a wall or large empty space. Blinds and objects/furniture at varying depths to the camera can sometimes cause issues with the virtual background’s look and effectiveness.

This article originally appeared here.

Free Kids’ Lesson Package: “Angry Words”

By

Daniel So

-

April 28, 2020

Free Kids’ Lesson Package

From CMD, “Words are powerful things. Our words can heal or they can destroy. Kids will learn that God wants us to use our words in constructive ways and not to speak out in anger.”

This kids lesson package includes:

Make It Stick! Parent Sheet
Memory Verse
Skit
Object Lesson or Kids Sermon
Large Group Lesson
Small Group Discussion
Large Group Game

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Children’s Ministry Deals

Download Instructions: Follow the on-screen directions at the download site.

Rosaria Butterfield: What Christians Just Don’t Get About LGBT Folks

By

Megan Briggs

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April 28, 2020

Who Has "Refrigerator Rights" in Your Life?

By

John Burke

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April 28, 2020

Who has refrigerator rights in your life? Refrigerator rights can tell us a lot about our relational health. It’s not just about the food in your fridge, is it? It’s about more than that.

Sociologically, belonging is complex. We have different relational and sociological needs that a one-size-fits-all gathering can’t meet. Jesus operated in these four social spaces as well:

Public Space (large gatherings like the Sermon on the Mount)
Social Space (20-70 people — the 70 — a network)
Personal Space (Family space — life group — the 12 disciples)
Intimate Space (1-3 people who know everything — running partners — Peter, James and John)

A British think tank put together the Happy Planet Index, which combines life satisfaction, life expectancy and the resources required. The United States came in almost last — 150 out of 172 countries. The #1 happiest country was Vanuatu, population 200,000. The spokesperson for the study said, “People are generally happy here because they are very satisfied with very little. This is not a consumer-driven society. Life here is about community and family and goodwill to other people.”

The country is quite diverse with over 150 different languages spoken. 83 percent of Vanuatu are Christ-followers following the relational way of Jesus.

Maybe the American myth of independence is not getting us what we really want. We were created for community — with God and others.

People were never intended to live independent of God or one another. Since we were created for community, why do we try so hard to live independent and on our own pretending we don’t need anyone? Sniff — it’s because of that SMELL. We all have at least a few Tupperware dishes of old, nasty-smelling food in our fridge. That smell is like the pain festering from relational wounds or the shame over things done to us or things we’ve done. We’d rather not deal with it or let others see it. We’ve all been wounded by community gone astray.

Genesis reveals that once people turned away from God and His will, it separated us from God and each other. The first impact of separation from God is alienation from self.

They sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God … ” — Genesis 3:7-8

They felt shame and become self-conscious — no longer One with God or each other. They ran and hid from God trying to pretend nothing happened.

Once confronted, Adam shifted to blame.

[God] said, “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me … ” — Genesis 3:11-12

We run and hide from God, then keep doing things against His will, trying to feel secure, loved, important. We hurt each other, then we deny, we blame and shame and isolate ourselves to avoid more hurt. This is the story of the human race.

When we blame others rather than take personal responsibility, we are robbing ourselves of the opportunity to make the changes we have the power to make! We don’t have to be victims. We have the power to choose our own path forward.

What if God wanted to change the rules?

God’s new set of rules are designed to wipe out the effects of our turning away from God. What if we as a community decided to live according to God’s new way? Amazing things would happen! Here are the new ways we should live our lives:

Rule #1 – There’s no condemnation from me.
Rule #2 – No more hiding and pretending.
Rule #3 – Walk together with God and one another to grow; together we can all grow up to be more of what God intended.

If we made this shift from the world’s ways to God’s ways, we’d experience a love, a security, a peace and a strength and growth like we’ve never known before.

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Key Questions for Dave Gibson

Key Quotes from Dave Gibson

Zoom Background Teaching Ideas:

Tips for using Virtual Backgrounds on Zoom:

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