Informed or transformed???

I have this dilemma. Maybe you can help! How does a person move from being informed with the Words of God found in the Bible and being transformed by those very Words? I often think of this because I'm not so stupid to think just because I share God's Word with teens that they will move from being informed to being transformed. How does transformation (Romans 12:1,2)
happen in your life? You can even think about all the money we spend for high school assemblies on drunk driving, say no to premarital sex, don't do drugs. How many leave an assembly changed? Kids still get drunk, have babies, and smoke dope. Where's the transformation?
At least with the Bible, we know it's alive..."For the word of God is living and active..." (Hebrews 4:12a). The stories in the Bible didn't just happen. The stories keep repeating in my life - they're happening! So how do you move from information to transformation? This is a topic I'll be addressing at the Man2Man fellowship Monday evening at the Campus Life Room. I' have some ideas. You need to let the information take root inside. Meditate, reflect, be accountable, pray, and practice. What do you think? How has Christ moved you from information to tranformation? O' to be like Jesus! Let me know by Monday, and I just might share your idea with the men. These are the days my friend!
Jim "Train"

The Map and Mirror of a Family Stoned

I just recently watched the movie "The Family Stone." When engaging with popular culture it is important to remember that it's both a map and a mirror. As a mirror, it reflects what's going on in culture to some extent. In this movie you have a family that has a homosexual son with a partner intent on having a child. You also have a cohabitationing couple who decides not to sleep together at the "Stones" home during Christmas. The amazing thing is, the little granddaughter cannot understand why they don't sleep together since they love each other. I think this accurately reflects what's going on in the culture. I see more couples living together than ever before. This is where the movie becomes a map. Some people watching this movie are looking for direction on how to live. They see that living together and having sex before marriage is a normal experience. So it provides for them a map in giving direction on how to live. We so need to teach (faith as noun) and live (faith as verb) the Jesus way of couples in love. In Matthew 19:5, Jesus repeats His Father's command(Genesis 2:24) about marriage... "a man shall LEAVE his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife." (LEAVE is my emphasis) To leave indicates a public ceremony, a wedding, declaring to the community that two people have left their families to create a new family. Boy, have we lost this concept in our culture. The other day, we had a Campus Life Senior Supper and afterwards we sit down with dessert and discuss a life lesson. We talked about marriage and even with this group, leaning towards Christian belief, there was an undercurrent of living together is an acceptable practice. More than ever we need to get back to God's original design for couples. He is the Designer and He knows best on how we should live. So as a map, it was a "Family Stoned!" These are the days my friend!

The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Monday night we held a special showing of the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" to 22 high school students. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is loosely based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a twenty year old German woman who died after a series of church sanctioned exorcisms in the 1970's. In this move, directed by professed Christian Scott Derrickson, we have the story about college student Emily who becomes possessed by demons. The Catholic exorcism fails and Father Moore is charged with negilent homicide. The film is as much about courtroom drama as it is about demon possession. It's not a horror movie and it presents a demon possession much like the ones you read about in the Bible. Tuesday night we held a follow up to the movie with our topic being demon possession. I for one have not encountered a demon possessed person. Have you? I have sensed demonic forces working. I wonder as our culture turns from a more materialistic, rational view of life to a spiritual, mystic (but not necessarily Christian) one, that we won't see more demonic influences in peoples lives. I've read and heard stories about demons in Africa and South America. I think this is because people who live there are more into the spirit world. Maybe we in USA are headed in that direction.
Our discussion at Campus Life both nights dealt with the power of Christ over the Devil and his demons. We also looked at how the Bible teaches us not to be involved with practices that open us up to demonic influences. This struck a chord with a couple of guys and they shared that when they were younger, they were involved in seances. Yes this happened in Bluffton. They had several demonic experiences and told the kids present not to get involved in that. It was neat to hear the one guy say how he came to know Christ at Campus Life and how he is possessed by Jesus. It was powerful!
So what do you think? How have you seen the Devil work? Do you think we'll see more demonic possession in our culture? These are the days my friend.
Jim "Train"

Walk the Line

I so enjoy the refreshment and renewal of the holiday season. It gives me the opportunity to read (currently finishing up Christ Jesus: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice and Embracing Grace by Scott McNight) and see some movies. On New Year's Eve, Pat and I, were able to see Walk the Line. The movie was amazing. The themes woven into the movie are amazing. We are allowed a glimpse into the early life of Johnny Cash. We experience his relationship with his older brother who desires to be a minister. We live through his life with his hard drinking father. We see the brokenness of marriages gone sour. We explore the misery caused by addiction to prescription drugs. In all of this tragedy, new life springs forth through the love of Jesus Christ as expressed through the Carter family in Johnny darkest days. The music is wonderful, the story line excellent, and a movie that must be seen. I hope you have the opportunity to see and experience Walk the Line first hand.
Next week, we'll talk about the movie, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." We are having a special showing for high school Campus Life on Monday, January 9th, with a Bible study following.
These are the days my friend!