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Does today’s church believe in absolute truth? Does today’s church even know what absolute truth is?

There’s no doubt that the culture around us is on a downward spiral as far as morality is concerned. What worries me is that many within the church today can’t discern truth well enough to know where and if that downward spiral is taking place. The problem with deception is that it usually starts out small. Anyone can spot a blatant lie from a long ways away, at least you would hope so. However, when truth becomes blurry and lies begin to blend with truth, the result is a concoction that appears desirable yet actually is deadly.

In order to see this, all you have to do is look at modern media. Eat Pray Love, a movie starring Julia Roberts, is currently at the box office. Here’s what a reviewer at PluggedInOnline.com had to say about the movie and the main character, Liz:

Like so many before her, Liz has turned her back on a godly religious conviction and morality, and sought a less challenging spiritual system instead. A system that requires only vaguely sending “light and love” to others rather than buckling down and fighting for a covenant relationship’s survival and growth when things are emotionally difficult. A system that encourages sweetly masked self-indulgence over real self-sacrifice, and salvation without real repentance. Instead of God and His majesty, Ms. Gilbert wants cheap grace to help her get through her needlessly miserable days.

While people may be quick to discount this as only a “movie” or “mere entertainment,” the reality is many women have taken her advice and have attempted to find “themselves” through the same means as the character in the book/film. While there may be elements to the story that are uplifting, encouraging, and positive, there are also elements to the story that are self-indulgent and potentially dangerous. Is today’s society, especially today’s church, able to filter the good from the bad?

While some have blended elements of truth with elements other sources, many have attempted to ignore truth altogether and present sinful behavior as desirable. Take a TV show like Pretty Little Liars for example. The show has been rising in fame, most notable among teenage girls. It actually won the 2010 Teen Choice Award for “Choice Summer TV Show.” Teen show. Award winner. On ABC Family. Should be an acceptable show for teenage girls to watch, right? Not quite. The show has included storylines involving the main female characters “experimenting” with lesbianism. While some may say that they’re just portraying life how it actually is, I would beg to differ. I don’t believe that’s where we are yet. (Sadly, the keyword might be “yet”) Rather, I think that is where the producers and writers want to take our culture. They know they have influence. They know they have ratings. They know they can spread their agenda and people will listen.

Sadly, talk to any youth pastor in this country and there’s a good chance he’ll tell you that many of his teens are influenced by shows and movies like the ones I mentioned above. They get hooked in with the drama, scandals, sex, and provocativeness, and they sit through the agendas, propaganda, and blatant messages that the writers attempt to get across. Before too long, they believe THAT is reality and see nothing wrong with the sinful acts presented on TV because they look quite desirable and fun. To be honest, I think young adults fall into this same trap too.

What influence do these shows, movies, books, music, etc have on us? The truth is we can’t solely watch only for entertainment value because what we watch becomes part of us. It begins to shape our worldview. Don’t believe me? Then why do we get defensive when someone badmouths a show we watch or even objectively disagrees with what the show promotes and endorses?

To be honest, it almost seems like we’ll defend our favorite (trashy) TV show before we’ll defend the truth of Scripture. Sometimes we’ll defend our favorite TV show OVER the truth of Scripture.

My concern is that either we don’t know how to discern truth, or we’re refusing to because it would force us to change our guilty pleasures.

Sadly, I think truth is dying in many churches today. We may say we believe in the truth of Scripture, but in no way do we allow that same Scripture to direct our lives and shape who we are.

It used to be that we had teenagers in the church who had no sense of right or wrong. Now those teenagers have become parents and their skewed view of truth is what is helping shape the lives of their children.

When we don’t have a firm understanding of truth and what we believe and why we believe it, we will be influenced by anything and everything. Every new idea, fad, lifestyle, and “religious idea” will intrigue us. When discernment takes a backseat to intrigue and entertainment, we turn our backs on the truth in which we claim to believe.

The evidence seems to be growing but now it’s hit a very weird point. Several months ago, reports came out from divorce lawyers that said Facebook was to blame for failed marriages. In a nutshell, spouses were reuniting with old flames, becoming too acquainted with friends of the opposite sex, or meeting new potential partners through Facebook. According to an article in USA Today, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81% of its members have used or faced evidence from Facebook, MySpace,Twitter and other social networking sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, over the last five years.

As sad as that is, it’s probably not too shocking. However, the news has continued to get weird. According to an article from Lindsay Robertson of Yahoo! Movies, some women have nearly destroyed their marriages by neglecting their spouses in favor of Twilight-related activities.

It gets weirder. As if that wasn’t enough, apparently FarmVille and World of Warcraft are now to blame for ruined marriages. Men and women are neglecting their spouse and their children in favor of taking care of a virtual farm of fake animals and crops, or fighting mythological creatures in quests on the computer.

While it’s easy to point the finger at Facebook, Twilight, FarmVille, and World of Warcraft, I think we would be pointing the finger in the wrong direction if we passed the blame off on them. While all of those things take up our time and attention, ultimately WE are the ones who choose to spend time on those things. WE choose to get on Facebook. WE choose who we talk to, flirt with, meet up with, and pursue a relationship with. WE choose to spend all day on Twilight message boards. WE choose to give lunch to a virtual cow rather than make lunch for our own children.

When we pass the blame onto a web site or book or game, we’re ultimately removing responsibility from ourselves and placing it on some “thing.”

The truth of the matter is divorce happens because a person or both people fail to live up to their responsibility as a husband or wife. It’s not the fault of Facebook or FarmVille. Those things can be vehicles which help get us off track, but ultimately the responsibility falls on us.

That is why it is so important to have a marriage that is grounded in Christ. If anything else is the basis of our relationship or marriage, we’re building it on a weak foundation.

It seems like all of the PSAs, ads, commercials, etc. about driving and texting are focused at teenagers. From the sound of it, you would think 99% of teens text and drive, and all other demographics are innocent. Well, all you have to do is lift up your head from your phone to realize there’s a bigger problem at hand.

According to research from InformationWeek, adults text while driving more than teens. The study shows that nearly half of all texting adults say they have sent or read a text message on their phone while driving, compared to about one-third of teenagers.

Neither group is excusable, and this doesn’t give teenagers a reason to point the finger and pretend to be innocent.

Information from the rest of the study can be found at InformationWeek‘s website. You can find it by clicking here.

However, I don’t know if we can expect teenagers to abide by the law if their parents aren’t following it themselves.

Parents, set the example. Your teen is watching. If you don’t want your teen to text behind the wheel, set the standard by putting the phone away while you drive. Whatever it is you need to send or read can wait. It might save your life, as well as the lives of many others.

Via: Online MBA

For the last couple of years, I have been part of Mocha Club, an organization that exists to fund relief and development projects in Africa. They work in five main project areas: Clean Water, Education, Child Mothers + Women At Risk, Orphan Care + Vulnerable Children, and HIV/AIDS + Healthcare.

The premise is very simple: Every month Mocha Club receives $7 from your bank account–the price of 2 mochas. That money is then used to make a huge difference in Africa.

How much can $7.00 do? $7 can feed person for a month. $7 can educate 2 children for a school term. $7 can save 1 person’s life from malaria. $7 can provide clean water to 7 Africans for a year.

My team, Won’t Stay Silent, has been supporting a Clean Water initiative. There are 300 million people in Africa who do not have access to clean drinking water. Mocha Club’s clean water solutions are freeing individuals from this devastating situation by providing water that is safe and free of disease. Through our giving, we are helping building wells in the Sudan for refugees of the Darfur genocide, who are often forced to live in wilderness areas where they have to drink muddy water, if they are able to find any water at all…

Due to the lack of clean water, diseases run rampant. Each new well is designed to serve 500 people, but our experience on the ground in these remote, insecure areas, is that they end up serving more than 1,000 people.

Once again, the premise is very simple: You only have to give $7.00 a month. In fact, once you sign up, there’s nothing else you have to do. The money is withdrawn from your bank account each month, and I can almost guarantee that you will never miss that money or even notice it’s gone.

$7.00 doesn’t sound like much, but as you read above, it makes a huge difference. Plus, when people working together, incredible things happen. Our group, Won’t Stay Silent, was started in September 2008. Since that time, our group has combined to donate over $1000.00.

If you’re interested in finding out more information, click on the following link, one of the Mocha Club pictures, or send me an email at david.jones@randallhouse.com. Click here to access Mocha Club

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.”
- President John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961, Inaugural Address

When I read the words from John F. Kennedy’s famous speech, I cannot help but think that today’s church can learn a great lesson from the principle.

There are some in the church today that believe the church is all about them. They jump church to church looking for a church that will suit their needs, provide them with luxury service, and will serve them. In essence, they expect the church to treat them like a fancy restaurant would. They come in and expect to have everything laid out before them. From there, they can decide what they want based on what meets their needs/appetite. However, unlike a restaurant, don’t expect them to pay much money or leave a tip for using that “service.” They think the church is all about them. They only get involved in what sounds appetizing and never lift a finger to serve anyone else.

However, there are others who seem to “get” the principle. They realize the church isn’t about them. They realize the church doesn’t exist to fit their needs and the church’s purpose isn’t to serve them like the restaurant down the street might do. They are interested in serving the church, serving others, and serving Christ. They don’t look to see what the church can do for them; they look to see what they can do for the church to serve the body of Christ for the glory of God. They’re willing to do the dirty work and the things that never get noticed. They’re willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and money to better serve the church.

Which category do you fit into? Are you looking for the church to meet your needs and desires? Is your church attendance and drive in ministry based on recognition and what seems “fun” at the time? Or are you seeking how you can better serve the church? Do you constantly ask, “How can I be a better servant?” and “How can I serve my church, my God, and my community?”

Do you have a definition of modesty? Not like a dictionary definition, but do you have your own definition? A few years ago I heard a speaker talking about the issue of modesty. He said the sad thing is that many girls have the following definition of immodesty: “Anyone who is dressing more immodest than I am.” In other words, many girls have falsely convinced themselves that they are the epitome of modesty, but anyone who dresses less modest crosses the line into immodesty. What’s so sad about this is that many girls have convinced themselves they dress modest when they truly do not.

As a twentysomething male, the issue of modesty is very important to me. As I engage in a daily battle to control my thoughts, I appreciate those girls who make the effort to keep from being a stumbling block. Sadly, from Wal Mart to McDonalds and even to church, I see many girls who have ignored the call to modesty. And yet I wonder how many of them think they are dressing in a modest fashion.

I’ve heard some argue “Well, if a guy can’t control his thoughts, that’s his problem.” That answer is 100% correct and 100% selfish. If I sin, it is my sin and I am responsible. However, if you refuse to help the opposite sex  in this battle and decide to be a stumbling block, you are basically saying “The attention my body gets is more important than your spiritual walk.”

So let me ask all of the females out there…do you have a definition of modesty? Not a dictionary definition, but do you have a practical definition of modesty that you abide by? Also, if you see a friend wearing something that is immodest, do you mention it to her and/or even ask her to change her clothing?

Wednesday I posted a random question on Facebook and asked people which Office character they most closely associate themselves with. The answers were all over the board, with the notable exceptions of Michael and Dwight.

Today I started thinking about a similar, yet different question. I started wondering which Office character represents your work ethic. That may sound like a crazy question (and it is) but if you had to describe your work ethic, which character would you most resemble? Which character would you most want to resemble?

If people could be represented by their ideal character, most people would probably hope for Jim or Pam, depending on your gender. However, as far as work ethnic goes, I’m not so sure those are desirable options.

Jokes have been made throughout the show that Jim doesn’t work very hard because he’s bored with his job. He gets his work done, but he just doesn’t put much effort into it. In the episode entitled “Business Ethics,” Jim spends the entire day trying to prove that Dwight wastes time. At the end of the episode, Jim admits that he spent so much time watching to see if Dwight wasted time that he got absolutely nothing done that day.

It seems that the more likable characters on the show are the biggest time wasters (Michael, Jim, and even Pam). The hardest working characters are the ones that seem to be the least noticed (Phyllis, Stanley, Toby). Perhaps the reason they are not noticed as much is because they’re actually doing their jobs.

Now please don’t take me too seriously with this. Obviously this is a fictional show and if everyone was doing their job like they were supposed to, there would be no comedy nor would there be a show.

I just find it interesting that the most likable characters on the show are also the ones that seem to have the poorest work ethic.

Never thought I’d say this, but as far as work ethic goes, maybe it should be more desirable to be like Dwight rather than Jim.

Not to get too spiritual, but I’m reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

I sometimes think this verse is the most compartmentalized verse in the Bible. It’s easy to give our all when doing things we enjoy. It’s easy to give our best in a few selected areas of our lives. It’s a lot more difficult to give our best at everything we do.

Apparently Tiger Woods made his return to professional golf today by teeing off at the Masters. If you didn’t know this, you’re either from another planet or somehow managed to evade all forms of media for the last 2 months (If you didn’t know, please contact me and tell me how to do that sort of thing).

From ESPN to USA Today, every news outlet has been covering this story nonstop like the whole world revolves around it. In fact, ESPN.com used the headline “The Wait of the World” to describe this occasion.

I’ve been trying to find out if people really care about this as much as the media makes it seem like we should care. Does the average Joe really care about all of this…or is all this hype relegated for the TMZ crowd?

Let me ask this 2 questions and hopefully I’ll get some feedback:

1) Do you care that Tiger Woods is returning to golf today?

2) Has the media overhyped this entire story, or are they on par with what the average sports fan is thinking/feeling?

Let’s get rid of the elephant in the room right away. In the past there has been some tension between Free Will Baptist colleges. In some ways, it’s been like a heated rivalry in sports; but the difference is the schools never seem to meet up. Instead, attacks are launched from hundreds of miles away through students, publications, teachings, etc.

In reality, perception is as far as we’ve gone for connection. We hear rumors. We spread rumors. Is there any truth behind them? Maybe. Maybe not. But at times it seems we’d rather spread the latest gossip first and find out we’re wrong later. And when we find out we’re wrong…well…let’s just say it’s not so easy to admit.

Sadly, many of us have never stepped foot in that “other world.” We think we know what’s going on at the other colleges. We think we know how they live, what they believe, and what they say about “us.” But the truth, we haven’t been there. We don’t know them. We haven’t built relationships with those people. We simply judge without ever knowing all the facts.

In the past several years, I’ve seen that tension start to ease. It seems we’re actually seeing each other as people and not institutions. Whether it has been through leadership conferences, camps, the NYC, or any other gathering, I feel like we’re finally starting to realize we’re not so different from each other. Sure, we may attend a different college. We may believe different things. We may even have different convictions about different areas of life. But when it comes down to the basics and what’s really important, we’re actually fighting on the same side. We wrestle with the same topics. We encounter the same problems in ministry. Our training may be different, but our cause is the same.

Lately I’ve noticed Twitter and even Facebook have been driving forces for demolishing the old mindset and helping us cross the bridge to unity. It has given us a chance to connect with people outside of our typical “bubble” and interact in a way that’s never been done before. No matter if you’ve come out of California, Oklahoma, Nashville, Virginia,  North Carolina, or any other state, Twitter allows us to forget about the name of the school on our diplomas, and instead connect with one another as the body of Christ.

Now in no way am I saying you shouldn’t take pride in your institution. We should be proud of where we come from and our education. But we can’t let our location or alma mater divide us, even if we don’t agree on every single facet of life.

In a lot of ways, Twitter is self-indulgent and, as a comedian recently put it, a major “time suck.” However, I truly believe it’s allowing us to bridge the gap from knowing each other as “colleges” to knowing each other as people and fellow believers.

We can argue all day about our differences, but when push comes to shove, we’re definitely more alike than some want to admit.

Maybe something as simple as a “tweet” will lead our denomination to a level of unification that we haven’t seen for many years.