Weekly Youth Info

No Time for Excuses

What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. – James 4:14

I just received word today that a student at the school where I work was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and the prognosis is not very good. Unless a miracle occurs, this will be his last year at school. The story reminded me of a friend from my high school days, David, who suffered off and on from leukemia. He passed away shortly after graduation.

David knew that God was calling him home and had prepared himself to go be with the Lord. I’m not sure of the eternal status of the student at VMHS, but he knows that his time is probably short.

Do we realize that our lives are but a mist, a vapor? I can recount the last 10 years of my life in about a minute. One little minute. A vapor. Do you remember what you did 57 days ago? A vapor.

James is saying, “You don’t know the future, so stop wasting time!” Serve God now! There’s no room for “I’ll commit to God after high school” or “I don’t have time to help now. I have too much homework.” If your life ended tomorrow, would it have been filled with Guitar Hero or service? With Facebook or commitment? Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commands. Not eventually, not someday but will continually obey Him.

Read Luke 9:59-62
What did Jesus say to those who tried to give an excuse? Did the excuses seem logical and fair? Why was Jesus so stern in His answers?

Previously...

On Our Pastors' Minds

The Need for a Practical Apologetic


It is the job of apologetics to refute such opposition and to demonstrate the truth of the Christian proclamation and worldview - to "cast down reasonings and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians 10:5). However, apologetics must not be cooped up in the classroom and academy. It must be taken out into the world of daily life...taken to the streets. Christians waste their time if they interact only with academic and hypothetical critics, but not with the man-on-the-street in the flesh. In fact, the majority of interactions we have will be informal and casual encounters with those in need of the gospel.

Read Full Article »

Joining a Church the Ancient Way: From Clement to Egeria

How did a person join a congregation in the earliest days of Christianity? From one perspective, the question is easy to answer. Simply put, believer’s baptism was the church’s rite of entry down to the early fourth century. But—and no surprise here—there was more to it than that.

Read Full Article »
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