July Newletter article

Oh be careful little mouth...

Life for the Jellison household has been emotional lately. Sarah has said numerous times, "You try being pregnant". With no response from me until recently when I started replying, "You try being a husband to a pregnant woman". There seems to be a lot of emotions circulating not just for us but for a lot of people lately. There are different issues and things that need to be resolved and instead of brainstorming and figuring out ways to resolve them people have been blamestorming around. It does few people any good to complain and gripe about things without bring a solution to the table. Listen to what Paul says in Romans 14:6-9 (The Message):

"What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other."

We are all so persistent in letting others know how we feel and making sure that our opinions are known. However, that is "unChristian". Again in Romans 14:10-12 (The Message)

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit.

Goethe puts it best in this quote:

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you will help them become what they are capable of.

We can use our freedoms, given to us by all those who fought and gave their lives and fought and came home, to uplift and help those around us become better people. Or we can use those freedoms to tear down others and hurt them.

Life and death. Encouragement or disdain. Your freedoms are just that. Yours. You have to use them as Christ told us to and Love those around you just as much as you love yourself.

I will leave you with this verse that it may be true of us all as we strive to love each other better:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
-Phil. 4:8

Supporting vs. Not Supporting

Caution: The next few paragraphs will be filled with the ventings of a man who is about to head off for vacation and has had his fill. Just thought I'd give a warning before you read it all and found that out. :)


So there I was. Stretching and warming up for a church league softball game (with very few people on our team that actually go to our church, 3-5 depending on what you consider "going to church means") and I hear someone with family members on our team and that claim Shiloh as their home church say, "Well I don't support the youth group." Now, I know that when you are in leadership and in any place of power, you will have people that don't like you. They have this reason or that reason or you get that or you don't do this. This is one of those people. I don't ever remember doing anything at all to this person or her family and they just don't like me. I'm ok with that. However, what I am not ok with is her statement. Here's why:

Youth ministry has changed. It isn't just a bible study for teens anymore and maybe an outing here or there. It HAS to have something fun. It cannot be something boring and 1980's because these kids don't do boring and they weren't even born in the 80's! Seriously? I HATE when I hear that parents are keeping their kids from going to youth group because they THINK____________ (you feel in the blank). Here's the thing, some youth leaders or youth pastors even might have tainted the view of a generation. They think that youth group is all fun and games and their kids are just going because it is fun and their friends are there. Ask a student about youth group and what happened and they will tell you all the fun things. They won't tell you about their "God experience" that they will rely on 10 years down the road when they remember that and have something to stand on. They won't talk about the bonds of being together with other people who have the same goal (to look, act and become more like Christ every day). They won't tell you about the worship that is what they were made for. They won't tell you about the messages about honoring your parents, watching the words you say, watching the places and music and movies that you watch, giving respect to everyone around them, staying pure sexually, or the message about how much Jesus loves them and wants them to spend eternity with Him rather than apart from Him. They won't tell you that!

When this topic comes up I hear, "well that is just how parents are" or "we just have to deal with it because it isn't going to change". I am FED up with that! For someone to say that they don't support the youth group just makes me grit my teeth. Not just my group, all groups. All the youth pastors and youth leaders out there trying to make a difference in the lives of the teens. Here's the kicker:

If we are on God's side, trying to do what He's called us to do and bring these kids closer to looking and acting and being more like Christ. If we are preaching from the Bible and giving them solid truths. If we are telling them that whats most important is loving God with everything and loving everyone around you like you love yourself...and someone says that they don't support that, guess what? They are on the enemies side! They are a tool of the enemy of my God! They are helping Satan. Do you know what those people are called in the Bible? Demons!

I will leave it at that.