Sexting, Sext Messaging, and Local Pornography

My heart is heavy, broken, torn, and outraged at the information in the article that I just read.  I think of the teenagers that I am close with, and I can honestly say that I am scared for them due to the access of Pornography, Sexting, Sext Messages, and pressuring material that engulfs our society today.

I think of my little sisters and their friends, and I can't help but be driven to prayer for their safety, purity, and relationships.  I see my peers and how easy they get pictures of their GF's or BF's bearing their genitals.  I know that this has started with an older generation and slowly worked its way to our youth, and I can't pardon myself from this because I know I have had my share in contributing to the filth that our society is pumping into our youths heads.

Men, this is a call for us to focus on our purity. If we are impure how can we expect to be examples for our sons, brothers, or people that look up to us.  Asking ladies for photos of themselves nude should be something that disgusts us.  If someone asked you for your daughter’s photos, but they did not want her to be wearing any clothes you would be enraged, repulsed, and disgusted.  THAT’S MY DAUGHTER!!! It should not excite some guy that they have such control over a girl that she would willing risk her purity, reputation, and future relationships just for you to get off and share with your friends.  That kind of control needs to be handled with care.  It needs to be shared with her family, friends, and you.

Ladies, this is a call for you to expect more from your man.  Expect him to treat you like a queen.  Expect him to take up for you when his friends are being mean, expect him to walk you to class, expect him to treat you like you are worth dying for, expect him to commit to your heart before he unbuttons your pants. Being in love is so much more than a climax.  You see, a climax requires a swift crescendo, a sudden build up, a sprinting mountain climb.  After a sudden increase there is fall that ,if not handled correctly, can leave your heart shattered on the floor in thousands of pieces.  If your relationship is centered around climaxes, then it is also centered around those sudden falls, and the only consistent thing in your life will be your heart shattering.  Your man should be consistently pursuing you as if your eyes are the only way he could ever see love.  When you speak he listens in such a way the he can truly hear the meaning of the words that are audibly coming from your mouth.  One of the amazing parts about love is when he listens and hears the audible words someday he will even be able to get the message that those words are communicating.

Sex is not something that we can make the center of our relationships and expect the relationships to come out with a happy ending.  If we don’t communicate with our youth about the catastrophes that can come from Sexting, Sext Messaging, and Local Pornography, then we are robbing them of the chance to ever experience a true romantic connection with another human being.

Absorb

Absorb

Absorb. When you think of this word what is the image, action, or idea that pops into your mind? When I think of the action of something being absorbed I tend to always resort to the sponge method. I visualize this method with me standing at the sink in our house watching John wash dishes while I am drying them. He takes a sponge and sticks it in the soapy water and what happens while he sticks the sponge under water is a squeezing process. That piece of cloth is being held in hot water and compressed at all sides. This is just an understood part of the sponges’ job because if you want to get the most amount of action out of the sponge you have to fill this tool’s voids with different substances besides the normal air. That sponge comes out dripping with nice, clean, and useful soapy water because it was dipped, submerged, and surrounded by that stuff at the point of great compression.

That sponge has no choice but to put out what is put into it when it was squeezed. There is no chance for the sponge to say “Hey, I know I was dipped in motor oil, but I really want this fluid inside of me to come out as Diet Coke”. That sponge is in a way controlled by it’s surrounding when it is compressed, and I honestly don’t think that there is any hope for the sponge to ever change that. If that sponge is dipped into water it is going to put out water; oil puts out oil; coke puts out coke; acid put outs acid. However, the main action I want to examine in this analogy is not the act of what is put out, but I want us to look at the act of squeezing.

The bridge I want us to build here is correlating the sponge to ourselves. So if the sponge=a human then what does the liquid=? How about this:

Sponge=Human So Liquid=Actions

If this does not seem fair then you should go ahead and quit reading because this will be an “understood” relationship from this point on. I will explain my reasoning in detail, but if this is too much of a stretch to read on I will not be offended at all.

Something that I struggled with from the moment I started following Christ at the age of 17 was living a balanced life. When a time of trial would come along I would almost always resort to actions that were not at all the way Christ acted. Well can you blame me?! It is really hard to grow up and go from living in sin, getting instant gratification, having a weird home life, and being abused by your step dad; then all of a sudden meeting Christ face to face and being commanded to live like him without having a strong daily example to lead you. Just a side note:

Strong Daily Example =Dad

I am making a point here, not excuses. I knew what I was doing was morally, ethically, and even biblically wrong. However, what I did not know, believe, or consider was that the actions to make me feel better were in reality leading me down a path making me feel worse. That path I was going down was leading me to my hell here on earth. (“My hell here on Earth” blog is coming soon.) That path was paved with the actions I would excrete whenever I was going through a tough time. I never started acting out in unmoral, unethical, or terrible ways until I felt squeezed (around the age of 12). This squeezing process is what helped me to identify myself as an individual, musician, and human. When I found that identity I pretty much stuck to it through out my life until I was 17. Everybody knew me the same, and I would still say that everybody still knows me the same. If you were to ask one person from the town I was raised in about me the story would probably not differ much from the other people in town. So it is safe to say that the squeezing process is what helped me figure out what filled my life, helped other people know me, and defined me as a person. People don’t watch when your life is normal. That is why shows like Jersey Shore, The Hills, The Apprentice (GO CLINT!!!), or any other high drama reality show exist. People like watching people being squeezed, and then they identify that person by their actions when life is going nuts. I also am a firm believer that you get to know a person best when they are at their worst. I believe that because it holds true in my life.

Tough Times=Squeezing

You see, my hell I once lived in here on Earth is the only hell I will ever experience. I do not have to put up with the pain, separation from God, or destruction that exists here in this fallen world. That sentence is in the correct tense. I can experience true freedom while alive here on Earth through Christ. However, my life was not always a life of contentment like it is now. I had to wake up for months in a row to a person that hated himself, treated himself like crap, and found joy in his own destruction. None the less, now by simply dying to myself everyday and letting Christ take control of my life, I get to experience a taste of Heaven day in and day out. What does it mean to die to self? Well it could mean tons of things, but I will tell you how I live this out.

Whenever I pray, read scripture, or pursue God through serving Him or other people I am excreting something incredible from my life (sponge). Try and think of the water, oil, Diet Coke, or acid that we talked about coming out of the sponge earlier. I picture heavenly things pouring out of my sponge when I am living like Christ. I don’t always feel like swimming around in the type of liquid (or those type of actions). When life is crummy for Christ followers it is really tough on them to be obedient and not live for instant gratification. We see people who are “happy” in the media and we buy the path to happiness that they sell us. Those heavenly pictures coming out my sponge look completely different than what the media sells me, but I admit I still fall for the trap everyday. When I choose to let the actions of Christ replace the actions that me as a sinful human want to trust in, I die to myself. These Heaven images I mentioned earlier include stuff like forgiveness for others, listening to people, racism being trampled in the US, feeding the hungry, helping the hurting, the Texas Rangers winning the World Series, Jerry Jones selling the Cowboys to Nolan Ryan, or Lecrae signing ISEI to be an artist for Reach Records. (Ok so maybe more heavenly than those last few, but you get the point.) You have to remember what I just stated a few paragraphs before this one, the squeezing process is the part I want to highlight.

So when I am squeezed, I end up with true joy when the liquid (liquid=actions) I choose to be submerged in to be submerged in, surrounded by, or controlled with is the same substance or liquid (liquid=actions) that came out of the sponge that we call Jesus Christ. If I want to end up with true happiness then the only way I have found is this: The actions of Christ have to be the actions that I mimic whenever I am squeezed, or going through tough times. The only way for a sponge (human) like me to put out liquid (actions) like Christ in times of compression is to be submerged in Christ’s blood first.

I don't go around fire expecting not to sweat...

I have a problem with people around me that throw hate at Obama.  No, scratch that.  I have a problem with proclaimed Christians spewing hate out of their mouths in the direction of our president.  What really gripes me is that they say something bad about him, and then they immediately say how awesome it would be if he were to start following Christ.  Do people really know his heart?  Do you know what his relationship is with Messiah?

Even assuming you are correct and Mr. Obama does not know or follow Christ then why in the world are you expecting good things to come out of someone who does not have a relationship with the only one who can create good in him?  That is like opening a can of soda and expecting water to come out of it.  Then when you spit out your mouthful of soda you immediately start dragging Pepsi's name through the dirt when all they did was do what they do best...  BE A FRIGGIN SODA

When someone is lost what standards are you going to hold them to??? BEING LOST!!!!

So when you decide to gripe about God wanting Obama in office just remember that you might need to look at yourself first.  If you can't stand to look at yourself first then at least look at scripture...

A Note to the Church.

Where has student ministry been?

Youth groups are usually looked at as the fun and entertaining part of the church.  In a sense this is true because there is a lot of life in students.  The weight of the world has not been placed on there shoulders like many adults.  They don’t feel a lot of stress because, in most cases, their parents are still providing for them.  If adults were free of this stress I am sure they would be just as lively.  (This is not me saying adults should feel stressed. Give it to Jesus old people. J.K… but seriously.)  It is safe to say that the most fun that is had inside our body of believers is had between the ages of 4-19 years.  I think that it is really cool to have fun, but for this specific situation I find a flaw.

As long as student ministry is looked upon as the “time to be the fun” part of the church, they will also be looked at as a second class ministry of sorts.  Students have changed since the late nineties from people who could care less about making a difference to people who want to make a difference.  However, there is this label that has been placed on students that states “time to be fun”, and they are trying hard to rub it off because they would much rather be labeled as “world changers”. 

Where is student ministry now?

“Students have placed this label on themselves” you might say, and you could very well be right.  “Students have been this way since ‘youth groups’ started” would be the best argument you could muster up if you think about it.  We must remember though, we are the students of yesterday. Just because we were one way while students does not mean they will be the same way.  In fact, they would probably want to be the opposite. 

About 2 weeks ago I woke up at 4:45AM and got ready to head to a homeless ministry in downtown Fort Worth, TX.  There at Beautiful Feet I looked around and saw about 50 students who came to just serve people who they didn’t even know.  They were there serving people who COULD DO NOTHING IN RETURN.  Please keep in mind that I serve very heavily at the Tree at TBC.  I don’t say that to brag but instead to gain credibility when I tell you that when we do the “time to be fun” stuff we take around 15 or 20 students. 

Students have seen the state of the church today.  How divorce plagues our hallways.  How pastors mislead their congregations.  How so much emphasis is placed on the church being a building rather than the body.  They read us and they take in different literature than when they read the word of God.  They know people don’t expect much out of them, and they hate it.  Student ministry is in a very tough phase of metamorphosis, and I am afraid we as a global body might be missing it. 

Where will student ministry be?

            My mom has a great saying.  It is simple, to the point, and holds great rewards/consequences.  I hear the phrase “Make good choices.” on the norm.  I really enjoy hearing it because of the accountability it brings.  Well now it is my turn to say it.  Make good choices.  If we choose to acknowledge this shift in the culture of students, and then we just act as if it will go away as their graduation memories fade, then we are in for a terrible ride on a wave that carries tons of frustration directed at the global church.  This frustration is not something like we see that is triggered in college where a professor leads a struggling college student down the path that makes them question their God.  This new type of frustration will be birthed in their preteens and be nourished with the constant memory of not being able to live out a faith like Christ.  If we do not give the students that God has entrusted to us the opportunity to live like Christ then we should start working on the speech we give to God when he asks us why because he will want a good answer.  Also, how are we going to hold them accountable if we first are not striving to love as Christ loved?

            If we make good Choices, and choose to act, encourage, and direct our students in this passion they have then the positive rewards are limitless.  We could usher in a new wave of global thinkers who very well could change how people view Christianity.  Instead of the word “Christian” bringing a sour taste to people’s mouths it could bring a refreshing picture of love to their minds.  When we step out of the modes of tradition their will be hard battles to fight.  Our comfort will go away, but I for one will be happy to see it go.  Please don’t thin that I have all the answers.  I just a cat that has seen the beginning of it, and I have to share it.  Please pray for your students, but don’t stop there.  Take them out for coffee, or play video games with them.  Ask them how they would like to serve their friends at school, and then do it with them.  Make the choice to impact our students so they can impact my, their, and your world. 

Give On...

Tears welled up in my eyes.  I looked at Pops who looked away as if he was redirecting the all the credit to Chris and Amy.  Chris Bonnet is this cat in his early thirties with a beautiful wife and two gorgeous girls who just so happened to have some strange desire to give me the best birthday present I have ever received.  I knew something was up when Momma called me and said "You can't come home tonight."  What I considered inconvenience at the time now I look back on and name it a blessing instead.  I made my disapproval known, and I could not have been more of my own worst enemy.
Chris, Amy, Jared, Sarah, Stan, Andrew, Melissa, Mom, and Pops had been making my shabby room over.  I ignored the request of me not to come home with the intentions of acquiring my music equipment after work so I could head out to a band rehearsal.  Upon the cancelation of practice I was sort of stuck at the house, but forced out of my room.  Keeping secrets is not my families strongest attribute.  In fact, on the contrair, and I really like it that way.  In this instance I could see how it would be frustrating.  I saw a box in the garage that contained a flat panel TV stand.  My little sister TK accidently let it slip that I was getting a mini-fridge, and Chris had already told me that he had a surround sound system he was going to give me that would kill a full grown buffalo from 3 miles away.
This is what family is.  Not the receiving part, but the giving part.  The best gift that was given that night was the joy given to the three young girls who saw their parents giving selflessly.  They saw their parents investing in someone without expecting anything in return.  Those girls will never forget that.  I even believe they will have this same desire to do the same.  This desire that I have to not let the giving of my parents stop with me.  If this giving ends with me then I have become more than selfish.  I have decided to quench the very spirit that these people wanted to share with me.  By him considering himself less than others and laying his life down, giving joy is something that Jesus did, does, and will continue to do.  If I am a Christ follower I must mimic his example by giving on.

Grrravy

When I add “U” to my morning

People get to mourning

Cause I die to myself

And get real life so surely

Alive then dead; I mean that man; When it’s out of bed;

The old me’s dead; Then its right straight back to night again.

Given so freely; grace for the needy

I know you don’t need me, but I need you to forgive me

I don’t need 4 people to give me lot’s of praises

I just need one God to give me His forgaveness

I mean forgiveness; bought buy your 3 days yes

That were spent in the graveness

In the darkest of places

But then you kissed death goodbye

And later arose into sky

Ha! You kissed a rose; that seems so impossible

Who would have thought that Seal song was about the Gospel

“Man, this guys lyrics are just so thoughtful”

If you think that I deserve credit then your dead wrong dude.

Sorry, I know that sounds rude, but you see I used to want you

Saying stuff like “Isei, You’re just so cool”

I was unfaith and filled up full;

Fist pumpin’ to my own beats like a Jersey tool

I was going down the wrong path; Floored gas; swiftly swerving

Drunk at life’s wheel; Words slurred, vision blurring

I feel your pain mayne; Pops, well he would hit me too

Evil touches all people; It’s not solely aimed at you

I gotta spit this truth; Aimed solely at your soul.

Christ hung and bled; Just so that you could know him

This flows increasing

Lessur change this beat please

I can't control my logic

When my hearts reasoning?

I'm stuck on this lust thing

These girls be teasing

Satan makes the flesh seem so appeasing

I made a promise to watch what my eyes be seeing

Covenant like Job if you catch my meaning

Called away from normal; So different from average

I can't have this death birthed into my marriage

Cause then it will be pushed in my child's carriage 

Scary how Satan put bricks in our baggage

It's stops here with my own rights put to death

A sacrifice turned into obedience 

Out with the old... In with the Jew

Life was about me, myself, and I

Gettin’ girls and staying high

Dressing nice; I looked so fly

Living large; I was never gonna die

8-1-7; I repped my hood

Stayin’ fit; Man, I looked good

Pleasin’ myself was the one and only thing that I ever truly understood

Christ came knocking harder than a train wreck

Changed my heart, and that’s one safe bet

Me doin’ me only lead to untruth

I found love in Acts chapter 2

That’s how we supposed to function

ALREADY

Know that anything else is…

ALL DEADLY

Safe to call it bodily; My Paul calls it community

John 17 says unity; I gotta spit this truthfully

Do what you want to do with me

But don’t forget I belong to the King

He who rules eternally, guides this life consistently

He picked me before time begun

He’s the daddy to forgotten sons

That’s why when my praises are sung it’s to an audience of one

Gotta give it all; Not just some

Everybody at the top of your lungs

If you believe it then you gotta make this your anthem!!!

If Christ saved your life then this is how you reply 

Get two hands in the sky; Move them side to side

Walking by faith; feel this earth shake; ISEI

This sinner is saved by grace!!

Used to stay so blown, but now I stay so clean

Living like 15:31 straight outta 1^st Corinthians

Life is one long death; It’s called by the King of kings

Yeshua owns my life and it’s a total offering

Call me a zombie; You can say I’m resurrected

If Jesus is a disease then I’ve been infected, selected, and perfected.

All my flesh NEGLECTED

To the grave it’s been DIRECTED

I’m gonna be spotless when by God I am inspected

I get so thrilled thinking about where my Jesus is seated

I love it when I think about that devil gettin’ decleated

I love it how my daddy is the one who treated

The biggest win of all when ole Luci got defeated

I would still follow Christ if His commands got more stricter

I would still choose this freedom even if Heaven wasn’t in the picture

Gotta go all in man cause God’s not gonna split yah

Everybody together now lets shake the Richter. 

If Christ saved your life then this is how you reply 

Get two hands in the sky; Move them side to side

Walking by faith; feel this earth shake; ISEI

This sinner is saved by grace!!