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Here’s something a little different.

Today, Jacob Riggs and I recorded a podcast for The Brink. The Brink podcast is the audio arm of The Brink devotional magazine and small group studies for twentysomethings.

Today’s topics included The Bachelorette, steroids in baseball, a Christian’s view of torture, and your mom on Facebook.

If you’d like to listen, visit thebrinkonline.com or visit the direct link to the podcast by clicking here.

Also, you can subscribe to the podcast through iTunes. We’d really love you if you did that!

Enjoy!

What has caused so many people to turn their backs on the church?

Answers in Genesis, the world’s largest apologetics ministry recently conducted intense research to study this very question. The results they found were absolutely staggering. Here are the results of the study:

Research shows that students who regularly attend Sunday school in a conservative, Bible-believing church are actually:

· More likely to defend premarital sex.

· More likely to accept that gay marriage and abortion should be legal.

· More likely NOT to believe that all the accounts/stories in the Bible are true/accurate., etc.

Further info can be found in the new book, Already Gone, from Ken Ham and Britt Beemer.

My question is: Why?

Why are people who have attended Bible-believing churches more inclined than others to believe in things that contradict the Word of God?

Is this a simple case of rebellion against “the faith of our parents,” or is there something deeper at hand?

If you’ve ever used Redbox to rent a movie, you probably have a frustrating story to tell. Not necessarily about the Redbox machine, but probably about the people using it. In a perfect world, here are the rules I would make for using Redbox:

1. You are not allowed to read the plot description of every movie in the machine
Some people have no idea what they want to rent, they just know they want to read about every single movie that’s available. I can understand taking a look at the plot for an Academy Award winner, or even checking the rating so you don’t get something that’s inappropriate for kids. But please don’t read the description of every D-list movie that involves zombies, killer geese, and Pauly Shore.

2. Verify you have a credit card before you start browsing
After waiting 10 minutes for someone to rent Scary Movie 16, it’s a little bit annoying to hear, “You have to have a credit card?!?!?!” followed by profanity, profanity, and even more profanity. Then they look at the next person in line like they should volunteer their credit card.

3. If you can’t figure out which way to swipe your credit card, you’re shouldn’t be in possession of a movie
It happens…a lot!

4. Anyone renting more than 2 movies must first yell, “Anyone returning a movie or picking up an online rental can get in front of me!”
What a utopia!

5. You have only 3 minutes to select a movie
Friday night I went by Redbox to pick up at movie. It was located outside of Walgreens. When I got there, a guy and his family were selecting a movie. The line was about 4 people deep so I decided to go inside, pick up a few things, and come back. I went in, looked up, found what I needed, waited in line to pay, and got my items. This took about 7-8 minutes. When I got outside, the same people were still going through movies, trying to make a decision. I got at the end of the line (now about 8 people deep), waited another 5 minutes, and then left. Quick and easy idea: you get 3 minutes to select a movie. If time runs out, you go to the end of the line where you can ponder your movie choice.

6. If you are at the machine and there is a line behind you, you are not allowed to pull out your cell phone, call someone, and ask, “What should I rent?”
If you need help making a decision between two movies, that’s fine and acceptable. But please do not call your “boy” and go through every movie in the machine and see what he thinks.

7. Do not block the handicap parking spaces or the drive-thru with your car
I’m talking about you Hickory Harlem and Highway 30! “Hmmm…I could let that handicapped person have a close parking space…or I could stay here and rent Tyler Perry’s Why Are All My Movies the Same?”

SEC Media Days are in full swing with reporters asking players and coaches questions about this year’s team, new offenses, new players, and votes (or lack) for All-Conference players.

However, one reported decided to take things outside the lines of football and ask Florida Gators quarterback, Tim Tebow, a very person question:

Are you a virgin?

In a question that I can only view as a trap, Tebow asked the question honestly and unashamedly when he said admitted he was a virgin and is waiting until marriage to have sex.

Tebow’s answer has been scrutinized, mocked, questioned, and laughed at. However, Tebow has taken it all in stride. After giving his answer, Tebow replied:

“I think you’re stunned right now. You can’t even ask a question… I was ready for that question, but I don’t think ya’ll were.”

He was ready, probably because he’s been asked hundreds of times. Probably because he knows he’s under the microscope and spotlight not only of college football, but also the Christian community. But Tebow was ready with his answer.

People can mock Tebow all they want. But wouldn’t you rather hear a story like this, rather than a story about Michael Vick and dogfighting, Pac Mac Jones and a strip club shooting, and Steve McNair and a murder-suicide wrapped in infidelity?

The media is mocking this and doubting this because it’s different. It’s unfamiliar in the world of sports. It’s unfamiliar in the real world. It’s unfamiliar at your public high school and college. It may be unfamiliar at your Christian high school and Christian college.

People can laugh and smirk all they want, but I have a feeling no one is smiling more than Tebow and his family.

“Although there has been a backlash, oh well,” Tebow said at media day. “I’ll deal with it if I have to. It’s not a big deal to me because of the kids and the people that have been encouraged by the stories that we have had to tell and the life I’ve tried to live.”

Today is my first day back at work since Friday. I’ve been sick since Friday night with…well…you don’t need the details. Let’s just say it’s been bad. Just to get back into the habit of blogging again, here’s a few things I learned from being sick:

1. Daytime TV is BORING!
Even with 100 channels, my choices are limited. Do I watch Sportscenter for the 8th time? Soap operas? Spanish soap operas? SpongeBob Squarepants, SpongeBob Squarepants, and later…more SpongeBob Squarepants? Maybe syndicated game shows hosted by Donnie Osmond where the grand prize is a new bike? It’s rough!

2. Daytime TV is targeted at people living in their parents’ basement
No joke! Pretty much every commercial starts out, “Hey, are you sick of living in your parents’ basement?” And then it’s (unrealistically) followed by, “Do you want to make lots of money in a professional field you absolutely love?” And then comes the greatest part…you only have to sign up for a 2 week course at a local community college and you’ll be on your way to designing graphics and animation from the 1980s, working in a technology field with computers that still use floppy disks, and becoming a dental hygienist while wearing glasses that were popular with the cast of Saved By the Bell. Gotta love outdated “come-to-our-school-and-find-a-job-in-a-bad-economy” commercials.

3. If you can’t eat food, you don’t want to see food!
Seeing a commercial for Chili’s or accidentally turning it to the Food Network was like being waterboarded. I didn’t even have to eat the food to feel it start coming back up. Too graphic? Whoops. But you get my point!

4. Gatorade and Powerade are part of a delicious and balanced breakfast.
I would probably be dead and dehydrated without you! Thank you!

5. If you take medicine that makes you a little loopy/crazy, don’t text, call, or chat with anyone online.
I sincerely apologize. ‘Nough said.

It’s no secret that “Sunday School” is failing in many churches. Numbers are down, it’s being repackaged and remodeled in many churches, and being discontinued in some churches altogether. But why is Sunday School failing? Here are a few of my ideas on the issue:

1. It’s Boring!
Call me unspiritual if you want, but this is the case with many Sunday School classes. Kids, adults, etc. go in, sit in a chair for 45-60 min, and hear a teacher lecture about the Bible. Yes, it IS the Bible, but couldn’t we gain the same knowledge by reading the Bible or other historical book on our own. Hearing someone bring forth biblical commentary for more than 3 minutes puts us to sleep. We don’t want to hear a classroom lecture, or a sermon before the pastor’s sermon is preached.

2. Too Early!
For many people, Sunday School is just too early. If we get up at 6 AM 5 days a week, we don’t want to get up early on a Sunday to come and sit through a 45 minute lecture (see above). Why sleep in Sunday School when we can sleep in our bed? Right or wrong, most people go to bed later on Saturday night than most other nights. By Sunday morning, we’re exhausted!

3. Not Relevant
Part of this falls in line with the “Boring” category. When the truth of the Bible is not made relevant to our lives, we don’t connect with it. Instead, it becomes Bible Trivia that we could find in a bargain bin at a used bookstore. People want to hear how God’s truth affects their life. People want to know how God’s Word should affect the way they parent, love their spouse, treat their mailman, serve coworkers, drive on the highway, etc. People crave discipleship; not Bible Jeopardy. If Sunday School isn’t relevant, it might be just a waste of time.

4. No Connection With Others
People want interaction and want to be able to connect with one another. We want to be grouped with people who are like us and going through the same experiences in life. That mindset should carry over to Sunday School. People need interaction. They want to discuss the difficult issues with one another. They want to question those who are wiser, seek advice, wrestle with difficult issues. If interaction isn’t taking place, why even show up? We could find the same information online or in the teacher’s notes. If we’re not learning from anyone but the lecturer, how much are we actually learning?

5. People Aren’t Comfortable
This can take many forms. Have you ever attended a Sunday School class in a tie and khakis, and then played a game where you had to move around, get down on the floor, and maybe even get a little sweaty? It’s miserable! Have you ever been in a classroom when the temperature was 85 degrees inside…and 75 degrees outside? I’m sure we’ve all had to sit in our fair share of uncomfortable chairs that still continue to give us back problems and maybe even folded up on us when we sat down. Am I saying we shouldn’t play games? Am I saying we should relax the dress code? Make the room more appealing? Make things more comfortable? Buy better chairs? Am I saying all of that? No…but maybe it’s something we need to think about.

6. No One Is Invited
It’s very simple: many people don’t come to Sunday School because they’re not invited. Unfortunately, we’re often ashamed to invite them…because of the other elements on this list.

7. Lack of Preparation
Ever been to a class where the teacher wasn’t prepared and had to read straight through the teacher’s guide because he/she didn’t have time to look at it on the drive to church? If it’s not obvious enough, it becomes crystal clear when the teacher mispronounces names and starts reading the teacher’s instructions out loud. If teacher’s aren’t preparing until Saturday night or not preparing at all, things will flop! You may be able to say “I’m great at winging it,” but how much can the Holy Spirit lead us if we’re “winging” it every Sunday. A teacher needs to put great value in preparation; not only for the lesson, but with prayer for the students. If you’re not prepared, people will know…and that’s when your teaching becomes boring and irrelevant.

8. No Training
Sadly, we often throw a teacher’s book at someone like a Johan Santana fastball. We want to get it out of our hands as quick as possible. In a nutshell, our thought process is, “No one else wants to do this, so I’ll ask someone who will feel bad about saying ‘no.’” We forget about training people to teach, or even finding qualified people to teach. We just need to find “someone/anyone” who will teach. It doesn’t matter who they are, how good they are, or what they know. “Praise God he/she is taking over and it’s out of my hands!”

9. Poor Curriculum
“Is he really going there?” Yes I am! But as an editor of curriculum, I’m not going to call anyone out. I’m simply going to say it’s important to find the best curriculum we can for our students. We need to avoid looking at what seems to be the hottest and flashiest curriculum out there. We need to focus on what teaches the Word of God, follows our doctrine and system of beliefs, and is relevant.

Earlier this year, a survey was conducted in Britain to see what books people lie about reading. The results are listed below:

1. 1984, by George Orwell 42%

2. War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy 31%

3. Ulysses, by James Joyce 25%

4. The Bible 24%

5. Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert 16%

6. A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking 15%

7. Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie 14%

8. In Remembrance of Things Past, by Marcel Proust  9%

9. Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama 6%

10. The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins 6%

Jonathon Douglas, the director of England’s National Literacy Trust, had this to say about people who lie about literature:

Research that we have done suggests that the reason people lied was to make themselves appear more sexually attractive.

People like to be seen to be readers. It makes them look good.

They said they were prepared to lie about what they’d read to impress people, particularly when it came to potential partners.

Anyone have something they need to confess?

From www.examiner.com

Your thoughts?

Since it’s Friday, here’s a little bit of Friday fun with a Japanese Flash Mob. If you search for “Flash Mob” on YouTube you can find all sorts of stuff like this.

To Any Girl Who May Read This:

First of all I want to apologize. I want to apologize on behalf of males everywhere. We are sinful people. Unfortunately girls, many of those sins involve you. As males, we are visual creatures. We take things we see and we process them in our mind and over and over again. Those images become imprinted upon our minds. Sadly, we take things we see much further than we should. We lust. We sin. It’s our fault. It’s 100% our fault. We can’t blame this on anyone else. When we sin it’s because we have chosen to let our mind escape God’s plan for us to be pure and holy. Instead, we have lustful thoughts, often taking a simple image and turning it into something sexual. We’ve viewed girls as objects, not as God’s creation. We’re sinful. We have no excuse. I’m sorry.

Girls, I ask you to help us with this battle. Once again, it is sin on our part and we are responsible for the impure thoughts that enter our minds. However, you can help us. The Bible discusses “stumbling blocks.” Many girls, whether they know it or not are stumbling blocks. You may say, “It’s not my fault if a guy lusts after me,” but if that’s your attitude, you are only contributing to a deadly problem. Girls, I plead that you won’t take that type of attitude, but rather will aim to help us guys who are struggling. You often don’t know how little it takes to set off a spark in our minds, but there’s little things you can do to help us with this issue. Consider the pictures you post on Facebook. Are you showing off your midriff? Do you show your off portions of your back? Are you showing the world your tattoos or piercings which are in “convenient” places? Do you post pictures of yourself at the beach or pictures of you and your friends in bikinis? You may think it’s completely innocent, but you have no idea what is happening in the mind of a guy when he sees that. You may say that it’s no different than what a guy would see at the pool or beach. While that may be true, I implore that you aim to be modest when at the pool or beach. Not only that, but please remember that the pictures you post on Facebook and MySpace–the pictures that show up in our main feed and stay there for days–are a constant visual reminder of your your body, bikini, stomach, tan lines, etc. Do you want our minds dwelling on that image for days?

Unfortunately, this issue is very prominent inside the church as well. It constantly amazes me what some girls wear to church. Once again, if we lust it is our sin, but girls there is no need to show cleavage in any circumstance, most notable inside the walls of the church. Whether it’s showing cleavage, a “shadow,” or just allowing your shirt/blouse to reveal too much skin, your dress can be very distracting to our worship. When we are trying to concentrate on the things of God, the last thing we need is a lustful distraction. This makes me sick and I feel like it is a battle I have to face many Sundays. Whether it is a girl wearing a skirt that is too short or a girl wearing a top that is either too low cut or too loose fitting, I hate trying to have a conversation with a girl while my concentration is constantly being tempted by something else.

I have a fear that many girls who read this will champion the cause but never stop to think about their own dress, actions, or pictures. Unfortunately, for many girls, the definition of modesty is “any girl who dresses more immodest than me.” That definition is dangerous and self-righteous.

I also have a fear that many girls do the things they do to attract certain attention. They want to receive attention from guys and/or want to feel good about themselves. They affirm themselves by receiving glances/stares from men. Once again, this is a dangerous problem with pride at its root. If a girl dresses provocatively to receive attention, is she truly receiving attention that glorifies God, or is she the object of another man’s lust. Sadly, for many girls, I don’t think it matters…as long as they receive the attention.

Girls, I ask you for your help. Help the husbands who are trying to stay faithful to their wives in thoughts and actions. Help the boyfriends who are trying to stay faithful to their girlfriends through pure thoughts and deeds. Help the single men who may be struggling to find some type of intimate fulfillment. In a world that is becoming more pornographic everyday, I plead you to take a stand right now and decide to become part of the solution and not part of the problem. I do not believe you can take a neutral stand on this position.

If this was an issue that only affected a small portion of guys, or only applied to the girls we label as “sluts,” I would not even mention it. Unfortunately, I believe this problem affects nearly every man on this planet. Sadly, stumbling blocks have come from girls who are friends inside and outside the church, acquaintances, and mere strangers.

Francis Chan says that every morning we should ask God, “Are the things I’m wearing bringing glory to Your name?” There is no neutral answer. Either we honor God with our bodies and our dress, or we dishonor His name.

Girls, please help us in this fight. If you could see inside our heads for just 1 minute, it might revolutionize everything about the way you live. We need your help. Please don’t be that stumbling. Rather, be the godly encouragement every man needs.